Adrian Rogers - Will God Impeach America?
Turn to Psalm chapter 80, would you please. Psalm chapter 80. God is speaking about the nation Israel, and He asks a question in verse 12, look at it. He says, "Why hast Thou broken down her hedges"? Now God had put hedges around the nation Israel, and now it seems that God has taken down the hedge. And then it says, "Why hast Thou taken down her hedges so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her? The boar," that is the wild hog of the wood, "doth waste it". Waste what? The nation Israel. "And the wild beast of the field doth devour it". God took down the hedge. The question that I ask this morning is this: Will God impeach America? I say with a broken heart that America, our God-blessed America, is sick unto death. We are in a moral freefall, and soon we're going to hit bottom and there will be no repair. And America will become a molded crust in history's garbage can if something is not done radical and dramatic and done quickly.
Now what we have here in Psalm 80 is a prayer for revival. It's the prayer of a patriot, and he's praying for a national revival. He's praying for spiritual restoration. Look if you will in verses 1 through 3, "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up Thy strength, come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause Thy face to shine; and we shall be saved". And then look if you will in verse 7, "Turn us again, O, God of Hosts, and cause Thy face to shine; and we shall be saved". This is a prayer for revival. And it was a prayer in desperate days. There're four things in this Psalm I want you to see today. And I want you to see how applicable they are to America today.
The first thing I want you to see is that there was great national despair, great national despair. What was this despair? Well, look in verse 4. There was a spiritual sterility. He says, "Oh, Lord, God of Hosts, how long wilt Thou be angry against the prayer of Thy people"? Spiritual sterility. The people are praying, but God is not answering the prayer. Contrariwise, not only is God not answering the prayer, the prayer of the people was making God angry. Did you know that the prayer of an unrepentant people is an insult to almighty God? Religion without righteousness is repugnant to God. America is praying. Yet the cesspools of iniquity are full and running over, and God is angry at the prayers of His people. We spend six days a week sowing wild oats, and then come on Sunday and pray for crop failure.
And so much of our praying is, "God bless us. Just bless us, anyhow". But God is not going to do that. There was in this nation so long ago, spiritual sterility. And that spiritual sterility in verse 4 is compounded by personal sorrow in verse 5. Look at it, "Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; Thou givest them tears to drink in great measure". This was a nation baptized with salty tears. Why? Because sorrow follows sin as night follows day. The Bible says in Proverbs 29 verse 2, "That when the wicked bear rule, the people mourn". And we are seeing that in America.
And I wonder if oceans of tears, rivers of blood, seas of sweat will be the price that America must pay. But not only was there spiritual sterility, not only was there personal sorrow, there was also national shame. Look in verse 6, "Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbors: and our enemies laugh among themselves". Do you know what God-blessed America is known of in many parts of the world? "The Great Satan". There are demonstrations against America all over this world. No longer is America respected for her ideals. No longer is America respected for her leadership and her moral strength. It's a shame! It breaks my heart. "Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbors and our enemies laugh among themselves".
And so that's the first thing I want you to see. There was, dear friend, in this passage a great national despair. There had been a glorious national design. There had been. Look if you will in verses 8 and following. Here's what God said He did for Israel, "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt". Now he's calling His people a vine, like a grape vine. "Thou has cast out the heathen, and planted it". What He is talking about here is the Jewish nation coming out of bondage in Egypt where they had broken the gnawing and tormenting chains of slavery. And they had come to a new land, and there God planted them in the land of Canaan. Notice how He describes it. "Thou preparest room before it," that is, before the vine, "and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof where like the goodly cedars. She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river".
Now, what is He saying? There had been a glorious national design. This was a nation divinely planted. Do you see that in verse 8? God planted the nation Israel. And I want to say there is a striking parallel between Israel of old and America today. The two are not the same. They are not synonymous. But I want to say, and I believe with all of my heart, that America was a God-planted, God-blessed, God-ordained nation. No nation, listen to me, no nation ever had such a Christian beginning as America. Now, Israel was a vine planted by God, and yet Israel forgot God and judgment came. The American dream was placed into the bosom of our founding fathers, I believe, by God Himself. The original colonies that came to these shores were founded because of the Christian faith.
In 1620, when the Pilgrims came to America, they came seeking religious liberty and freedom. They huddled beneath the decks of that little Mayflower ship, and they wrote "The Mayflower Compact," which began with these words: "In the name of God, Amen". And they wrote in their Compact that their voyage to these shores was for, and I quote, "For the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith". Now, boys and girls today are not being taught this in school. We have what we call in history revisionism. That is, these who want to rewrite history. But I want to quote this morning, and I want you to listen very carefully to, what former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Earl Warren, had to say.
Now, it's very important that you listen to this. Because by no stretch of the imagination could you call former Chief Justice Earl Warren a right-wing Christian. As a matter of fact, when I was a young man, you would go up and down the highways of America, and you'd see signs that would say, "Impeach Earl Warren". There were people who thought of him as being a part of the liberal left. Now, the reason I say that is this; you must understand what Earl Warren said in the light of the fact that he was known not as a part of the Christian right. I'm quoting now a speech reported in Time magazine that he gave in 1954. This is the Supreme Court Chief Justice.
I want you to listen to it. We're talking about the fact that America was divinely planted. He said, and I quote, "I believe that no one can read the history of our country without realizing the good book," talking about the Bible, "and the Spirit of the Savior which have from the beginning been our guiding genius. Whether we look at the first charter of Virginia, or the charter of New England, or the charter of Massachusetts Bay, or the fundamental orders of Connecticut, the same objective is present, a Christian land governed by Christian principles".
Now folks, I want to say, that is very politically incorrect today. Do you understand that? But now listen, he goes on to say, "I believe the entire Bill of Rights came into being because of the knowledge our forefathers had of the Bible and their belief in it. Freedom of belief, of expression, of assembly, of petition, the dignity of the individual, the sanctity of the home, equal justice under the law, and the reservation of the powers to the people". Chief Justice went on to say, "I would like to believe that we are living today in the spirit of the Christian religion. I would also like to believe that as long as we do, no great harm can come to our country". I am talking about the fact that America, like Israel, was divinely planted and we knew that. That's the reason our national hymn, "America" says, "Our father's God to Thee, Author of liberty, to Thee we sing. Long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light. Protect us by Thy might," now listen to this, "great God, our King".
Don't ever say that the United States did not have a king. Our King ruled in the Heavens. We believe that, we have sung it. Our forefathers believed in separation of church and state, rightly understood, but never for a moment in the separation of God and government. Israel was divinely planted in verse 8 and divinely prospered. Look if you will in verses 10 and 11 in this same Psalm. He says, "The hills were covered with the shadow of it," what? The vine that God planted, "And the boughs there, thereof were like the goodly cedars. She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river". The prophets of ancient Israel taught the right of the personal ownership of property. They taught the dignity of work. They taught honor and Israel prospered. And America has prospered. No nation has ever had the prosperity of America.
We talk about poverty in America, and we ought to do all we can do to eradicate any of it, but the poor in America are rich compared to many of the peoples of this world. And the fruit of that prosperity that God gave to Israel was for God's glory. Look in verse 15, "And the vineyard which Thy right hand hath planted, and the branch thereof that Thou madest strong for Thyself". God did not bless America so that theology could be replaced with me-ology. Where people could say, "God doesn't matter, all that matters is the Dow Jones". Israel was divinely planted, America divinely planted. Israel divinely prospered, America divinely prospered. And Israel was divinely protected. Look if you will in verse 12, "Why hast Thou then broken down her hedges"? In Bible times, when a man would plant a vineyard, he would put a thick, thorn hedge around that vineyard to keep out the predators and to keep out the thieves. And God said, "I planted this vine and I put a hedge around this vine".
May I say also that God has planted America and God has protected America! This nation has been protected in a war-torn world. Compare America, compare these blessed shores to what has happened in England, in France, in Germany, in Italy, in Japan and Korea, and Russia, in Vietnam, and in the former Yugoslavia. God has protected America. God put a hedge around America, and we knew it. "Protect us by Thy might, great God our King". Israel's first line of defense, are you listening? Was God Himself. Not alliances. Not weapons of war, but God Almighty. And God Almighty in time past has protected America. And we've all had a sense that God's hand has been upon America. Now here is a third thing I want you to see. I want you to see not only national despair and national design, but I want you to see a grave national danger. We at this moment are at a point of grave national danger. And what is that danger? It's found in verse 12, "Why hast Thou then broken down her hedges"?
You see, God has put a hedge around Israel, but then God broke down the hedge. God has put a hedge around America, but the hedge, I'm afraid, has been taken away. Have you ever thought about the doctrine of hedges? Do you remember the story of Job in the Bible? The Devil could hardly wait to get his hands on Job! He's saying to God, "That Job! The only reason he serves You is because You have petted him, You have prospered him, You have protected him. I can't get to him. You have built a hedge around Job. Every time I try to get to Job, there's Your hedge. Take down the hedge. Let me get at him"! God said, "You don't know My servant Job". You might find this, by the way, in Job chapter 1 verses 9 and 10, "Then Satan answered the Lord and said, 'Doth Job fear God for naught? Hast Thou not made a hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side?'" You see, there's a doctrine of hedges! The devil can't get through the hedge! Now what God had done for Job, God has also done for nations. God did for Israel.
Let me give you another corresponding passage, Isaiah chapter 5. Let me share it with you. I've copied it out to save time, but write it down in your margin, Isaiah chapter 5 verses 1 through 5, "Now will I sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard," he's talking about Israel now, "My well beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill, and he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem," listen to what God says to His ancient people, Jerusalem, Godblessed Jerusalem, "and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, it brought forth wild grapes? And now go to; I tell you what I will do to my vineyard," listen to this now, "I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down".
Now, God said, "Look, I founded this nation. I protected this nation. I put a hedge around this nation, and I was expecting that it would bring forth good grapes. But it brought forth wild grapes. And now I am going to take down the hedge". Pastor Joe Wright of Kansas was asked to lead the Kansas State Senate in prayer. They were expecting the normal flabby, perfunctory prayer there. But Pastor Joe Wright stood up and prayed and here's what he prayed. Now I want you to listen to this prayer, because when he prayed, some senators began to get up and walk out. During the prayer! Here's what he prayed, "Heavenly Father, we come before You today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says: 'Woe unto those that call evil good,' but that's exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equal, equilibrium and inverted our values".
And then Pastor Joe went on to pray, "We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism. We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism. We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed the unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it political savvy. We have coveted our neighbors' possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, O God, and know our hearts today. Cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas and who have been ordained by You to govern this great state. Grant them the wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of Your will. I ask in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen".
That's what he prayed. Paul Harvey read this prayer on his program, and he got more requests for copies than any other thing he had ever done. I say, God give us some more pastors like Joe Wright, who understands that God who put this vineyard here has a right not to ask for wild grapes. Now what has been the result? What is this grave national danger? Well, there was external danger from her enemies. Look in verse 12, "Why hast Thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her"? America's natural resources are being stripped away. We are at the same time losing our resources and losing our friends. I say, we're known as "The Great Satan". People are plucking this vineyard. External danger from her enemies. Internal danger from corruption. Look in verse 13, "The boar, the wild hog of the wood, doth waste it".
Now a hog is not only content to eat the fruit, the hog deals with the root. Something is happening in America that is very un-American. America has become so amoral and immoral, so corrupt, so vile. For further information, consult the front page of any newspaper. Friend, a tidal wave of filth is sweeping across America. Crookedness, lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, divorce, murder, lust, dope, vice. We say America is number one. She is! She's number one in homosexuality, number one in radical feminism, number one in divorce, number one in the destruction of family values, number one in abortion, number one in political correctness, number one in occult, humanistic, new age religion. That's America.
I'm telling you, we're in a moral freefall. Think of what is happening in the schools of America. But why? Prayer is out, policemen are in. Bibles are out, values clarification is in. The Ten Commandments are out, rape and armed robbery and murder and bombs are in. Creation is out, evolution is in. Corporal punishment is out, disrespect and rebellion is in. Traditional values are out, unwed motherhood is in. Abstinence is out, condoms and abortion are in. Learning is out, social engineering is in. "Happy Days" are out, Goth fashion, gangster rap, heavy rock, heavy metal is in. Blasphemy is in, praise is out. In a public school you can tell someone to go to hell.
Friend, I think it's time we told them to go to Heaven. I think it's time that we spoke up. There is external danger, verse 12. There is internal danger, verse 13. And there is eternal danger, verses 14 and 15. Look at it, "Return, we beseech Thee, O God of Hosts. Look down from Heaven and behold and visit this vine, and the vineyard which Thy right hand hath planted and the branch which Thou madest strong for Thyself," now watch this in verse 16, "it," the vine, "is burned with fire and it is cut down. They perish at the rebuke of Thy countenance". Now it is God Himself who is bringing judgment. God's judgment is like an ax, according to this verse, laid to the root of the tree. God's judgment is like a consuming fire. And that's what's happening in America. Come up close and I want to tell you something, friend, not only is God America's only hope, God is America's biggest threat. God is America's biggest threat. Look at it again, verse 16, "It is burned with fire, it is cut down, they perish at the rebuke of Thy countenance".
Now what we have done is we have expelled God from our schools and from our government, and God is about ready to impeach America. Now, you say, "How do you say that you, 'We've expelled God?'" Well now listen to what happened. The United States Supreme Court banned prayer in public schools in 1962. Then in 1963 they banned the Bible. Now evidently we've been doing something wrong for a long time. But then 1963 they banned the Bible. And then the Ten Commandments were banned in 1980. What we have become is legally an atheistic state. Then this was compounded by 1973 when abortion on demand was legalized, little babies in the mother's womb were given the status of non-beings. January 22, 1973, surely is going to go down as the blackest day in American history, when nine Supreme Court justices, the self-anointed priests of humanism, said that these little babies are not real human beings, and the soil of America has been stained since that time with the blood of millions of aborted babies.
Friend, there's something awfully wrong in America. You see, we've expelled God from America. There's no room for God. I once heard William Bennet, former Secretary of Education, speak on a news program. He talked about what happened in Columbine High School out in Colorado. And he questioned how the staff and faculty at Columbine High could have failed to do anything about these guys walking around in trench coats and saying, "Heil Hitler". Mr. Bennet went on to say he "guarantees some would, someone would have noticed if Cassie Bernal, a born-again Christian and one of the victims of the slaughter, had been carrying a Bible around the school and praising Jesus Christ". "If little Cassie and her friends had been walking through the school carrying Bibles and saying, 'Hail the Prince of Peace, King of Kings,' they would've been hauled into the principal's office". Mr. Bennet said on Meet the Press. But others can walk through the halls and say, "Heil Hitler".
Something is wrong in America, folks. Now let me tell you. You want me to put it in a sentence what is wrong in America? The hedge is down. How else do you explain what is happening in God-blessed America? You see, why are we suffering all of these problems? We're so jaded, it's almost like we have the "tragedy du jour," the tragedy of the day. Now what has happened? We've had a tornado that comes ripping through the heartland. Now what has happened? We've had a student shot here. Now what has happened? We've had this thing over here. One thing after another. Why is this? Because, friend, the hedge is down. It began in 1962 when we kicked God out and the judgment is ripening. Listen to this. In the mid 1980s the Midwest and California suffered the worst drought in history. Then that drought was followed by record rains in both of these sections and the drought was followed by severe flooding.
In 1989 Hurricane Hugo struck Charleston, South Carolina, doing immense damage. Soon after Hugo, Hugo, a powerful earthquake rocked San Francisco. In 1992 ten of the most powerful quakes in the world in 1992 were centered in California, including the most powerful earthquake in the world that year, 7.6 magnitude in California. On the heels of that, in 1992 Hurricane Andrew, one of the most powerful and destructive ever, hit southern Florida. And then in that same year the worst rioting since the Civil War took place in Los Angeles. And then a number of tornadoes swept across America. And then a record forest fire swept through the west, especially in California. In 1993 record storms slammed the east coast of this nation. And then California was again hit with record wildfires. And then we began mass killings and serial killings in America. They have become a regular occurrence since the 1990's.
You say, "Well, Pastor, is God doing all of that"? No! The hedge is down. This is what the enemy has been wanting to do for a long time. He's just been walking around, saying, "How can I get in, how can I get in, how can I get in? I can't get in, I can't get in". Oh, this is a God-blessed America, but America says, "God, we don't want You! Out! Out, out of our schools, out of our government. We don't want You, God". Do you know what the prayer was when the Supreme Court ruled that our children could not pray in school? Was it a great, terrible prayer they prayed? No, here's what they prayed. "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, our country. Amen".
"Oh!" they said, "You can't do that in America! We don't want the Bible! We don't want prayer! We don't want the Ten Commandments! We'll handle it ourselves". God says, "I'll just take away the hedge". Leviticus 18 verse 25, "And the land is defiled, therefore do I visit the iniquity up, thereof upon it". One last thing, there may be, friend, a gracious national deliverance. It's not too late. Notice the prayer of this patriot beginning in verse 14, "Return, we beseech Thee, O God of Hosts. Look down from Heaven and behold and visit this vine and the vineyard which Thy right hand hath planted and the branch that Thou madest strong for Thyself".
Number one, we must look up, look up. Look in verse 14, "Return, we beseech Thee, O Lord of Hosts". God is the only one big enough, strong enough, wise enough, to deliver us and save us, and we must seek God's face and not God's hand. Notice verse 19, "Turn us again, O Lord God of Hosts, cause Thy face to shine and we shall be saved". We need to return unto God with fasting, praying, weeping, an old-fashioned revival. And don't worry about who's the elected officers are in the White House or the state house. God doesn't have to route revival through Washington. We must look up. We must confess up. Look if you will in verse 16, "This vine is burned with fire, it is cut down, they perish at the rebuke of Thy countenance". It is sin that caused God to take down the hedge. We must confess and turn from our wicked way.
Number three, not only must we look up and confess up, we must speak up. Look in verse 17, "Let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, upon the Son of Man whom Thou madest strong for Thyself". And by the way, who is that, who is that, who is he talking about here? He's talking about Jesus Christ. That's who he's talking about in this verse. This is a prophetic Psalm. He is saying that, "The hope is in the Son of God". "Let that Thy hand be upon the Man of Thy right hand," that's Jesus, the Son of Man, "whom Thou madest strong for Thyself". And in the name of Jesus, we need to speak up. They tell us to "Go back under the rock". We need to come out from under the rock and stand on this Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ.
People say, "Ooh, that's politics and religion". Let me tell you something about the church. The church is not the master of the state, nor is the church the servant of the state, the church is the conscience of the state. We need to speak up and say what God's Word says. Satan's strategy is to keep good people, good men, good women silent in evil times. And you need to tell your boys and girls when they step on school property they have still full amendment rights and freedom of speech to pray, to carry their Bibles and to witness for Jesus Christ. "But Pastor Rogers, you're so insensitive. Don't you know that if your children pray, somebody might be offended"? Friend, our children are offended every day at school, offended by militant atheism, by humanism, by pornography, by heavy rock music, by profanity, by amoral sex education.
By the way, there is nothing in the First Amendment that says that somebody is protected from being offended. The Bible teaches that we're to speak, and our Constitution says that nobody shall abridge our rights to speak. And so what I'm trying to say is that we must look up, we must confess up, we must speak up, and we must stand up. Look again in verses 18 and 19, "So will we not go back from Thee. Quicken us and we will call upon Thy name". We don't have to have great numbers. Lenin began his Communist revolution in 1917 with just several thousand. Castro took Cuba, I can remember, with a little band of cutthroats. On the positive side, Jesus started with twelve disciples. Joshua 23 verse 10, "One man of you shall chase a thousand and the Lord, for the Lord your God, He it is that fighteth for you as He has promised". It's just time we stood up. You know what's wrong with so many of us now? We are so shell-shocked, it's been coming at us, it, bad news, it's like we're drinking from a fire hose.
Friend, it's hard to build a dam when you're floating down the stream. We need to look up, we need to confess up, we need to speak up, we need to stand up, and we need for God to bless America one more time. When I was a little boy, the Japanese dropped bombs on Pearl Harbor. Afterward, the United States rallied and won the war. Admiral Yamamoto, you remember him, Yamamoto? You know what he said later on? Here's a quote. I want you to listen to it. He said, "I had intended to deal a fatal blow to the American fleet by attacking Pearl Harbor. I fear that all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve". He said, "I thought, I thought, I thought this would destroy them," but said, "all it did was just to fill them with a terrible resolve, and they won the war".
Now what I want to say, dear friend, is this. It's time that God's people were filled with a terrible resolve. It's time we said, "Oh, God, here is a vine. We're in great despair. But Lord there was a glorious design! But Lord, there's a grave danger! But, oh, God, give us deliverance, please, O God". It is time for God to work in America. I was talking to somebody the other day, he was talking about Hollywood and everything and the government, and all of these things and they said, "It's not a fair fight". And I said, "That's right, it's not a fair fight, for their sake it's not a fair fight. We're the ones who have the advantage, not them".
Friend, we've got the Word, the Holy Ghost, we've got God. They're the ones who ought to be afraid. This Bible is our battle-ax. Jesus is our Commander. The Holy Spirit is our Ally. And victory is ours through the Man of God's right hand, the Man of His choosing, Jesus Christ. Let's pray. Oh, God, I pray that You'll take the message today and burn it into every heart, beginning with mine o, my own.
Now while heads are bowed and eyes are closed, the most patriotic thing that you could do, the wisest thing for your own welfare that you could do, would be to give your heart to Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that we're sinners by nature, sinners by birth, sinners by choice, and sinners by practice. And the Bible teaches that our sin deserves judgment, and our sin will be judged. But the Bible also teaches that God made a way out. He allowed Jesus to take our punishment upon Himself upon that cross. And the Bible teaches if we will believe that and receive that, our sins will be forgiven. If you would like to be saved today, I invite you to pray a prayer like this:
Lord Jesus, I need You, I want You, I open my heart, I receive You now as my Lord and Savior. Come into my heart, forgive my sin, save me.
Don't just rattle off the words; pray it from the depth of your heart.
Come into my heart, forgive my sin, save me, Jesus.
Did you pray that, did you pray it? Then thank Him by faith. Say:
Thank You for doing it. And now, Lord Jesus, I don't look for a sign, I don't ask for a feeling, I just stand on Your Word. Now, Lord Jesus, I will make it public, I will not be ashamed of You, I will make it public. In Your name I pray, Amen.