Bring Back the Glory

Judges 17

I’m proud to be an American.  I’m proud of our Christian heritage.  I thank God that I was born here.  I respect our founding fathers.  I stand in awe of the sacrifices made by millions who have fought for the freedoms I now enjoy.  I love my freedom of speech and religion and assembly, and my right to bear arms.

        I love America!  And because I do, I want for God to save us from the impending doom for which we are unwittingly poised.  A great number of our fellow Americans do not appreciate America, and are begging for God to judge us.  Today we ask Him to hold off His judgment and send us a national revival!

Judges 17:6
⁶ In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Judges 21:25
²⁵ In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

There was no real leader.  There was no absolute truth, no authority...they had lost their moral compass.  God's people had moved away from moral absolutes.  And the whole nation believed anything they wanted and just did whatever felt good.

In America, we need a moral, spiritual revival or we are doomed.  This is my fear, and it fits well into Bible prophecy. 

Anytime a nation goes down wrong roads and experiences the judgment of God it happens in this order:  Moral decay in the home, then in the church, and finally in the government.

"As the home goes, so goes the church, and as the church goes, so goes the nation."

Here's 3 things it will take to bring back the glory to the USA before it is too late.

1.     Families with a Foundation.

v. 1-6       This is not the prophet Micah.  He is a spoiled brat.  His mother saved money and he decided to steal it--1100 shekels of silver.  She didn't know who the thief was, so she pronounced a curse upon him.  He got scared when he heard that and returned it, not out of conviction, but out of fear.  Rather than scolding him, she blessed him.  That’s right, she called evil good and good evil.  Sound familiar?

She was so glad to get the money back.  She said she was dedicating it to the Lord and then she made an idol with it.

Of course, the Bible strictly forbids this sort of idolatry.  This is how spiritually blind they had become in their apostasy.  Far removed from the true worship of God--thinking this was doing God a favor by making an idol to Him.

v. 5  Micah had shelves full of idols...he was steeped in idolatry.  Then he appointed his son to become a priest.  He didn't qualify, and it wasn't God's way.  It was a spiritual mess, and they were self-deceived into believing that they were actually serving God.

So, in this family we had coveting, stealing, cursing, dishonoring of parents, idolatry, and God knows what else.  They were morally bankrupt.  But if you would have gone to them and confronted them about all of this they would say, "That's your opinion, but this is the way we want to do it."  Every man did what was right in his own eyes!

This is where America is today.  It's not that we don't have enough religion…we are up to our ears in religion.  But we have left the absolute Bible authority and its truth, standards, and morality.  This lack of Bible conviction infiltrates even many families in good Bible churches. 

Parents are losing their kids because we are not the examples we need to be.  We want them to obey but they see us going our own way personally.  Our inconsistencies will be magnified in our kids, just as Micah's mother's issues were magnified in his life.  And what we allow in moderation our kids abuse in excess! 

ill.--in a small Missouri town, 2 preacher's boys were playing with a little dog they found, it was black w/ a white tail, they wanted to keep him.  They loved him.  Then they heard about a new family who moved in and how they had lost their dog, which was black w/ a white tail.  Their preacher dad didn't want to have to give up the dog so he painted the white tail black, and when the new neighbors asked about whether this could be their dog he lied and said, no, the tail is the wrong color.  What could they say?  Do you know the son's names?  Frank and Jesse James, 2 of the most notorious criminals of all time.

As parents we don't get what we want, we get what we are.

And I share this because bringing back the glory to America has much  more to do w/ my house and your house than the White House!

We need families w/ a foundation.

2.     We need Preachers with Principles.

v. 7          This was a priest, and he is out of a job.

v. 8-13     He has lots of needs, and crosses paths w/ the ungodly Micah, who says, man, have I got a deal for you!  He knew his son was not a real priest, so he tries to get this priest to move in.  He feels good about being religious.  But religion sends more to hell than sin does!  When man feels self-righteous he doesn’t admit his sin, nor turn to God for HIS righteousness.

This priest proves himself to be a hireling, because he agrees and just for the money.

18:4         'hired'?

John 10:11
¹¹ I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
¹² But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
¹³ The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
 

Know how to tell the difference between a true man of God and a hireling?  The hireling is committed only to himself and keeping his salary, not the truths of God's Word.  The man of God will tell the truth, even though it causes some to jump ship.  The hireling preaches to the offering plates, rather than the human heart.

Am I saying the preacher shouldn't be paid?  Perish the thought!  The Bible says that those that preach the gospel should live of the gospel, matter of fact, they are worthy of double honor.

But the hireling tells people what they want to hear in order to draw a crowd and not offend anyone.  They wind up offending their very best people, who desperately want their leader to stand for the truth!

The hireling is not called of God, he simply chose a career.

There is not much wrong w/ the USA that could not be readily fixed w/ more true preachers and fewer hirelings.  We need a generation that God will get a hold of to preach the uncompromised Word of God!  The very topics that are today politically incorrect to talk about are exactly what we need to be talking about.  We need preachers who will say, "It's not an alternate lifestyle, homosexuality is an abomination in the sight of God!"  Call me homophobic or hateful if you will, but I stand on the absolute authority of God's Word!  Which by the way, supports that fact that God loves those sinners.

Our churches are getting so caught up in contemporary worship styles and fads and self help topics we have left off prophetic preaching of the fiery truths of God's Word!  I think sincere, conservative Christian America is getting fed up with coffee shop based churches w/ their interpretive dance, drama skits, and pop psychology from the pulpit.

Hate speech legislation is a most major thing now in the USA.  It is also becoming increasingly dangerous to even express disappointment about any of our leaders, especially if they are scoundrels who don’t stand for the morals upon which this nation was founded.

Galatians 4:16
¹⁶ Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

Ecclesiastes 7:5
⁵ It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

Americans are flocking to hear the songs of fools that are hirelings, not committed to the Word of God!

My job is not to fill this auditorium...it is to fill this pulpit, and fill the air with trumpeted truth!

To bring back the glory we need families w/ a foundation and preachers with principles...

3.     We need Government with God.

Hold on.  Hang with me.

17:6 'no king'

I realize God didn't establish Israel as a democracy but as a theocracy, led by God.  And I realize America was not established as a theocracy.  But if you study history rather than trying to revise it, there is no question about it...our republic was founded on Biblical, Christian principles.  There is mountains of evidence, and it is irrefutable.

And when we take God and Biblical morality out of our nation, it begins to unravel. 

We have lost our foundation.  Every man does what is right in his own eyes. 

Remember what God did to heathen nations who sacrificed their babies?  He wiped them out.  God help us!

Remember how innocent blood always cries out to God, Who then judges the murderer?

Remember when adultery was a sin, not just some sophisticated affair?  Remember when it was punishable by death?

Remember when criminals were punished…an eye for an eye?

We no longer have drunks in America, just people who have been stricken with the disease called alcoholism.  Well if alcoholism is a disease, then it is the only disease... sold in bottles / advertised on TV / self inflicted by the will of man / has licensed outlets to spread it / produces revenue for the government / brings violent deaths on our streets and highways / has no germs or viral cause / propels one's health to self destruction / increases crime.

        We don't do a drunk a favor when we tell them they have a disease...for then we relieve them of personal responsibility.  The same is true for perverts; we say they were born with an "alternate proclivity."  Were they really born that way?  The Bible says yes in a way, we are all born with a sin nature, we all make behavioral choices, and we need to take responsibility for it, get God's help with it, and get victory over it!  But if you never get the right diagnosis you can never find the right cure.

We kicked God out of our schools, along with the Bible and prayer.  Then we started teaching evolution and telling kids they are just animals, and now we wonder why they are acting like animals!

I’m old enough to remember when ‘gay’ was a good word.  “Don we now our gay apparel.”  Maybe we shouldn’t!

I remember when the rainbow was God’s sign of peace after He wiped out mankind for their depravity.

Remember what God did to Sodom?  Why do we think we are the exception?

Why has America forgotten about God?  Because every man does what is right in his own eyes.

Judges keep striking down laws of common sense in favor of political correctness which protects Bill Cosby, as well as pedophiles and pornographers and criminals of all ranks.  We have lost our moral compass!  Every man does what is right in his own eyes.

I like what I'm seeing, however, in true Christian America.  I see a mass of believers getting involved in politics, running for office, protesting, and taking their stand.  Don't believe the liberal left that says because we believe in God we should just shut up.  It's because we believe in God that we ought to speak up!

There are sparks, and we need to fan the flames.  Our homes and our churches can affect our government.  We may be heading for another civil war, but if so, this one is worth fighting!

Jesus said to respect our government, and render unto Caesar, but not at the expense of rendering unto God.

1 Peter 2:17

…Fear God. Honour the king. [in that order]

In America today we are being asked to make a choice.  We are being put into situations where we must decide who to obey.

Acts 5:29

We ought to obey God rather than men.

Judgment must begin in the house of god.  “If my people…”