Adrian Rogers - The America of Tomorrow
Be finding Psalm 85, and when you've found it, look up here. And may I tell you without stutter or stammer, I still believe that America is the greatest nation on the face of the earth and I make no apology, none whatsoever, for being a patriot and a flag-waving American. I'm not ashamed to stand at attention when "Ole Glory" passes by. I still get a lump in my throat when we pledge allegiance to the flag. I'm not embarrassed by tears when I hear the "Star Spangled Banner".
America's a great nation. Now why is America such a great nation? Because of her natural resources? Other nations, other lands have great, natural resources. Is it because of Yankee ingenuity? Are Americans brighter, more intellectual, more brainpower than other people? No. The IQ spans the globe. It's about the same in every nation. Why is America the great nation that she is? Because God has blessed America. God has blessed America. The Scripture that says, "Blessed is that nation whose God is the Lord". I believe, sincerely believe, that the American dream was placed in the bosom of our founding fathers by Almighty God. No nation ever had such a Christian beginning as America has had.
The original colonies were founded because of the Christian faith. The pilgrims came to our shores in 1620 seeking religious liberty. These pilgrims huddled beneath the deck of that little Mayflower ship that sailed here with those pilgrims. They got beneath the deck and prayed, and they wrote together a covenant called the, "The Mayflower Compact". Do you know how it began, the first words? "In the name of God, Amen". That's the way they started, "In the name of God, Amen". And then they said their stated purpose was, "For the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith". That's why they said they were coming, "For the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith".
Roger Babson was a great economist in yesteryear in America. He was talking with a South American president, and they were comparing the productivity, the wealth, the amenities, the felicities of America as compared to South America. And they were wondering why the difference, because South America has so much in natural resources, such beauty, such splendor; gold and silver and minerals and lush forests. And this South American president said to Roger Babson, "The difference between our two bodies of earth and land is this: those who came to our shores came seeking gold; those who came to your shores came seeking God".
That is the difference. Our American government is rooted in faith in Almighty God. The Declaration of Independence from Great Britain was also, at the same time, with the same breath, a declaration of dependence upon Almighty God. "We hold these truths to be self-evident". We don't argue about this. We don't debate this. We don't quibble about this. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights". Did our founding fathers believe in God? Absolutely. Did they believe in evolution or creation? They believed in creation. They said, "That's self-evident". Of course, it is. The Bible says, "The fool has said in his heart, there is no God".
And so, with the same breath that they declared independence from Great Britain they declared dependence upon Almighty God. Fifty of the fifty-five men who framed the Constitution of the United States were professing Christians. Thirty of them were what we would call today bold Christians, and twenty of them were believing Christians. In 1778, James Madison, the framer, the architect of the federal Constitution, the fourth President of the United States, said this. Listen, "We have staked the whole future of America's, American civilization not upon the power of government, far from it, we have staked the future upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God". And now we can't even post those Ten Commandments on the classroom walls. We Need God in America Again.
On April the thirtieth, 1789, George Washington said at his first inaugural address, "My fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the council of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States, a government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes". And Washington went on to say, "We ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained". That's the father of our country. He knew that we must depend upon God.
This was the George Washington, that devout man, who went to kneel in the snow at Valley Forge and ask God's blessing upon his little rag-tag army that won the liberties that you and I enjoy this day. When the Continental Congress was meeting, a stranger came and wanted to see which one was George Washington. A man who knew George Washington said, "He'll be easy to pick out. He'll be the tall redhead who kneels when the Congress stops to pray". In December 1820, Daniel Webster said, "Let us not forget the religious character of our origin. Our fathers brought hither their high veneration for the Christian religion. They journeyed in its light, labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate and infuse its influence through all their institutions," listen, "all their institutions, civil, political, and literary".
That's what Daniel Webster said in 1820. On July the fourth, 1821, John Quincy Adams said, "The highest glory of the American Revolution was this," now, listen, "The highest glory of the American Revolution was this," here it is, listen, "it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity". Our founding fathers believed in the separation of church and state, but not for one fleeting moment did they believe in the separation of God and government. And then, Quincy Adams went on to say, "From the day of the declaration, they," the American people, that is, "were bound by the laws of God, which they all, and by the laws of the Gospel, which they nearly all, acknowledge as the rules of their conduct".
Let me tell you what President Andrew Jackson said on June the eighth, 1845, "The Bible is the rock upon which our Republic rests". In February, 1861, ole Abe Lincoln gave his farewell address in Springfield, Illinois, and here's what he said, "Unless the great God who assisted Washington shall be with me and aid me, I must fail. But if the same omniscient mind and mighty arm that directed and protected him shall guide and support me, I shall not fail. Let us all pray that the God of our fathers may not forsake us now". That's Abraham Lincoln. Well, what did he believe about the Bible? "In regards to this great book," the Bible, "I have but this to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it, we would not know right from wrong".
Let me just pause here to say, politicians prate about values. If you want to put him in the corner and just say, "Whose values"? and he begins to sputter. Listen to what Lincoln said about the Bible, "But for it, we would not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare here and hereafter are to be found portrayed in it," talking about the Bible. It's no wonder, therefore in March, 1931; the U.S. Congress adopted, "The Star Spangled Banner" as our national anthem. Do you remember what the fourth stanza says, "Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just; and this be our motto, 'In God is our trust!'"
No wonder that in 1952 Supreme Court Justice William O Douglas said, "We are a religious people, and our institutions presuppose a Supreme Being". That is, it's in the woodwork of our nation. In June, 1954, Congress adopted this phrase, "Under God," to be added to the Pledge of Allegiance, "One nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". But, "One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". In July, 1956, by joint resolution Congress adopted a bill providing that the national motto in the U.S., United States of America is this, "In God we trust".
Now, folks, I'm not talking to you about a fairytale when I tell you that no nation ever had such a Christian beginning as America. But I must sadly confess to you on this morning that our national heritage lies in decay, our Christian values are in retreat; we need God in America again. We need a national revival. Sexual promiscuousness, the open parading of perversion, the disposal of unwanted, unborn children, the breakup of the family, the obsession with self and materialism, all of these speak of a society on its last legs. And if America's not born again, she will join the graveyard of the nations. Every day in America, thousands of pre-born babies are put to death, sacrificed as a blood sacrifice for the god of lust, the demon god of lust.
Most of these abortions are abortions of convenience, a form of birth control. We have in America sort of a moral schizophrenia where a person can be fined $5,000 and put in jail for a year for crushing the egg of a bald eagle, and a doctor can make a handsome living by killing babies in the mother's womb. Friend, we live in a sick society. America needs a miracle. Because if we don't have a miracle, listen, we are on a collision course with judgment as surely as there is a God in Heaven. Now you have your Bible open to Psalm 85. I want you to listen to the prayer of a patriot in his day. Psalm 85 beginning in verse 4 through 6, "Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause Thine anger toward us to cease. Wilt Thou be angry with us forever? Wilt Thou draw out Thine anger to all generations? Wilt Thou not revive us again, that Thy people may rejoice in Thee"? It is a prayer for revival.
Three things I lay on your heart this morning from that text. First of all; the source of revival. Look in verse 6, "Wilt Thou not revive us again"? He's speaking to God. Now some of us may live in despair. Some of us may let our hands hang down and our head bend over and we say, "It's too late". Friend, disabuse yourself of the idea that it's too late for America because there's a God in Heaven. There's a God in Heaven. Don't say that revival is impossible. His power, His grace are sufficient. God is not old. God is not tired. God is not palsied. God is not worn out. God is not impotent. He is omnipotent. You say, "But, pastor, sin is pandemic". Yes, but the revival, the Bible says in Romans chapter 5 verse 20, "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound". Don't you love that? "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound".
The sin of mankind is no excuse for not having revival. It's an insult to God to say that we cannot have revival in this time. There's a God in Heaven, and God is our hope. But may I say conversely, God is our biggest threat. Al Qaeda's not our biggest threat. God is our biggest threat. I'm not afraid of what terrorists will do to us nearly as much as I am afraid of what God Himself will do to us if we do not repent. These Scriptures talk about the anger of God. Our sin, national sin, angers God, and so we need to repent. We don't look to some political party to save us. Put away the idea that the Republicans or the Democrats or the Independents or the Libertarians can save us.
We dare not identify our faith with any political party. We need to find a candidate, get behind him, and vote for him if he will stand up for God and for righteousness. We need to get in to some political system and work for it. That's fine. But don't identify God with it. We need to be able to tell to all parties, Democrats and Republicans and Independents, "Repent and get right with God". God is God. Government can't save us. All that government can do is protect us from evil. That's the purpose of government. Not to make us good. Government can't make us good. People say, "You can't legislate morality".
They're right. You cannot. There's not a law on earth that can make you honest and loving and kind and compassionate. There's no law that can make you love me, so I have to have a law to keep you from killing me. Laws are not here to legislate morality; they are here to legislate against immorality. Only God can make us good. Our government is a government, as we've said, based in the concept that there is a God. And if you take God out of the American government, friend, we're in a mess, because you have wicked people who will elect wicked people, who will make wicked laws apart from God. The source of revival; Almighty God. Look up here, congregation, do you believe in God? Say, "Yes". Is He able? Yes. Is He willing? Yes. Is He mighty? Yes. Can He send revival? Yes, yes, yes. Get your eyes off the problem; get your eyes on God. That's the source of revival.
Now, let's think of; the subjects of revival. Look at our text again, Psalm 85 verse 6, "Wilt Thou not revive us again, that Thy people, Thy people may rejoice in Thee"? It's not the unsaved that need revival. They've never had "vival". Revival is to bring back, to invigorate that which was once there. It is the people of God that God is talking to. The answer to America is not in the schoolhouse, not in the state house, but in the church house. I'm as convinced of this as the fact that I'm standing here, that the only hope for America lies in her churches, in her people. Now there's the text that we've almost worn out. In the fear of perhaps seeming redundant or trite, I want to share with you again Second Chronicles 7 and verse 14.
I want you to listen to it. You ought to know it by heart. God has said, "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land". That's Second Chronicles 7 and verse 14. I'm going to pull over here for a moment and park. I want us to look at that text again, that wonderful text that God gave to His ancient people Israel. Someone says, "Well, that doesn't apply to America. That applies to Israel".
Friend, there are universal principles in that text that apply to any nation anywhere. First of all, notice the people that God has. God says, "If My people". You see, God doesn't say, "If only Hollywood would, if only the narcotics people would, if only the Supreme Court would, if only Congress would, if only Washington would". No. God says, "If My people". He's talking to us! The future of America is in our hands. You may not believe that, but I believe it. God is talking to you, sir; you, young lady; you, mister; you, lady. God is talking here to Adrian. He's talking to all of us. The people God has.
Now here's the second thing. Listen to it. Not only the people that God has, but the pride that God hates. Again, Second Chronicles 7:14, God says, "If My people, which are called by My name, shall," do what? "Humble themselves". Now you're foolish if you pray, "God, make me humble". You won't like the way He does it. Go ahead and humble yourself. Pride stalks through America. We talk about our vaunted American ingenuity. Most of the people in America are egomaniacs strutting to hell, thinking they're too good to be damned. We're trying to save face when we need to be on our face before Almighty God. We need to humble ourselves. There needs to be brokenness.
You see, the Bible says in Proverbs 3 verse 34, "God resists the proud; He gives grace to the humble". Not only will God not help us, but God will oppose us if we're arrogant. You need to guard against pride in your own personal life. Nothing puts a man so far out of the reach of Satan as genuine humility. God wants this nation to humble ourselves. And if we will not, there're other ways that God has to humble us, but we won't like it. Now, listen, the people God has, the pride that God hates. Now the prayer that God hears, Second Chronicles 7:14, "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray," what kind of prayer? "And seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways".
The prayer that God hears is the prayer that seeks the face of God. Do you know what the face of God is? That's revival. Over and over again in the Bible we're, we're told, "Make Thy countenance to shine upon us". As in Numbers 6 verse 25. The face of God, the smile of God, the countenance of God is revival, where God doesn't turn away His face, but God smiles upon us. Now we're told to seek God's face. What are most of us seeking? We're seeking God's hand. We're saying, "God, do something". No, don't seek God's hand; seek God's face, seek God's face. Because if you seek God's hand and ask God to do something, you will not like what He does if there's un-confessed, un-repented of sin in your life because God's hand will judge us. God's face will save us. We're to seek His face and turn from our wicked ways.
Do you think God's going to hear the prayer of an un-repentant people? In Psalm 66 verse 18, the Bible says, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me". Now if you want God's face, you've got to turn from your sin. Why? It's obvious. Habakkuk chapter 1 verse 13, "Thou art of purer eyes than to look upon iniquity". Do you think God can smile upon sin? Do you think God can countenance and fellowship with sin? No. It's obvious. If we want God's face, if we want God's smile, if we want God's beneficence, we must turn from our wicked ways.
You say, "Well, I hope America does". No, friend, I hope you do. America is but the sum total of its population. There can never be national repentance without individual repentance, one by one by one by one, as we pray. The people God has. The pride that God hates. The prayer that God hears. And the promise that God honors, Again, look at Second Chronicles 7 verse 14, "Then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land". Prayer is not some sort of a smokescreen that we can hide our sin in. But when we deal with our sin, then God is fully able, well and able to send revival to this nation. Friend, God has sent revival in dark days before, and God can do it again. When we are humble and when we are holy, we will be heard.
Now I've talked to you about the source of revival, "Wilt Thou not revive us again". I've talked to you about the subjects of revival, "Wilt Thou not revive us again, that Thy people may rejoice in Thee"? Now let me talk to you for a few moments before we go about the sign of revival. What is true revival? It is rejoicing in God. Not rejoicing in things, not rejoicing in privileges, not vaunting ourselves in pride, but rejoicing in God. You see, revival comes in three stages. First of all, there's a time of weeping, and we have plenty to weep about, beginning with the coldness of our own heart, the ineptitude of our churches, the weakness of our prayers, the lostness of our neighbors and children.
Revival begins with a time of weeping. And then, it continues with a time of reaping. When you have genuine revival, souls come to Jesus in multiplied numbers, thousands upon thousands upon thousands of souls will come to Jesus Christ, gold and grain to be laid at His feet if we have genuine revival. Don't you want to see an end-time harvest? Don't you want to see millions swept into the kingdom? Revival is a time of weeping. It is a time of reaping. And then, it is a time of rejoicing, "That Thy people might rejoice in Thee". I long to see in this congregation, in my own heart, in your heart, our hearts a burning, blazing, emotional, passionate love for the Lord Jesus Christ, where we rejoice in God. There's no greater joy, no higher joy. That's the sign of revival.
Now, folks, think with me. Are we going to just watch our freedoms and our liberties recede over the horizon? Or are we, as churches and individuals, going to pray for God to send revival? You say, "Pastor Rogers, that's rhetoric that's preaching, but it's just not going to happen". Well, if you feel that way, you may be right. But you see, there's a God in the glory. There's hope as long as there's God. You think of the revivals in history. Think of the time when Ahab and Jezebel were on the throne of Israel, and Elijah was the prophet of God.
First Kings chapter 18 verses 22 to 37. He challenged the priests of Baal, who were very much like our baby butchers today, and he said, "We're going to build an altar. We're going to put a sacrifice upon it. And the God that answers by fire, let Him be God". Then he said, "Bring four barrels of water and pour it on the sacrifice, four more barrels, four more barrels; twelve barrels of water". The Bible says, "The water covered the slain bullock, went down over the wood, over the stones, and filled up a trench that was around the altar". And then Elijah prayed, and he said, "O, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Let it be known that Thou art God this day. O, God, turn the hearts of this people back to You". And then the Bible says, "And the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the sacrifice and the wood and the stones, and licked up the water that was in the trench".
Why did Elijah say, "Pour the water on? The God that answers by fire, let Him be God"? You don't start a fire with water. What was he doing? He was saying that, "The God that can't burn wet wood is no good". Everything doesn't have to be just right for revival, all right. I mean, don't insult God by saying, "The wood's too wet, we, it can't burn today". God is God is God is God. We need to believe that. "That the people may know that Thou art God". And God sent revival in those days at Mount Carmel. You think of revival in Jerusalem, at Pentecost, how unlikely that was. This was a place where they'd stoned the prophets. Never was there a city that hated Jesus Christ more because there they clamored for His death and nailed Him to the cross.
There was scandal in the church. One of His disciples had betrayed Him. Another had cursed and denied Him. The rest were panic-stricken. And yet, the Day of Pentecost came and thousands and thousands were swept into the kingdom of Heaven. If God sent revival to Jerusalem, God can send revival to this country. I believe that with all of my heart. You think of the Dark Ages, where the children in our Sunday School know more of the Bible than the priests and the leaders of that day. God raised up Luther. God raised up Calvin. God raised up other mighty leaders, and what we call the Protestant Reformation was really a mighty revival where thousands came to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Revival came to Wales in 1904. The writer who described it said, "It came like an unexpected tornado". I don't even have time to describe that revival. You need to get the books and read about revival. I have visited Korea. I have visited Romania. I have visited Central America. God is moving and thousands and thousands are coming to faith in Jesus Christ in Central America. God is moving in Africa, and the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is growing exponentially. Are we going to let other people be blessed and us miss the blessing? No! No! We can have revival.
Well, you say, "I don't know. It may be too late for America". Well then, if we can't have revival in America, let's have revival in our state. And if we can't have revival in our state, let's have revival in our city. And if we can't have revival in our city, let's have revival in our church. And if we can't have revival in our church, let's have revival in your Sunday School class. And if we can't have revival in your Sunday School class, let's have revival in your family. And if we can't have revival in your family, let's have revival in you. I'm only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. And what I can do and ought to do, that, by the grace of God, I will do. Why don't you say that? Why don't you stop looking around and saying, "O, God, get my heart right". God bless America and let it begin in me.
Bow your heads in prayer please. Would you pray for this nation? Would you pray that God will do whatever is necessary to awaken us, to stir us, that we might see the prayer of this patriot so long ago reproduced in us today. "Wilt Thou not revive us again. O Lord, wilt Thou not revive us again, that Thy people may rejoice in Thee"? Lord, send a revival and let it begin in me. Say that sincerely. Say that sincerely. Would you say, "God, make me part of the solution, not part of the problem". Father God, I pray that You would help many today to say, "Yes" everlastingly to Jesus Christ. And, friend, if you're not certain that you're saved today, may I lead you in a little prayer that you can get it settled with. Pray this way:
Dear God, I'm a sinner. My sin deserves judgment, but I need and want mercy. I know that You love me. I know that You want to save me. Jesus, You died to save me and promised to save me if I would trust You. I do trust You. I open my heart. I receive You today as my Lord and Savior. Forgive my sin. Cleanse me with Your precious blood. Thank You for Your shed blood at Calvary. Thank You that You died in my place. Cleanse me. Save me, Lord Jesus. Save me. Save me now. I don't look for a feeling. I don't ask for a sign. I, I just want the assurance that You will do it, and I know You will because You promised. Save me, Lord Jesus. Thank You for doing it. Thank You, Jesus. Now, Lord Jesus, begin now to make me the person You want me to be and help me never to be ashamed of You. In Your name I pray. Amen.