This message was preached during 2010 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, and again at PCA's 48 Hours of Sebring. It is part 1 of a 3 part series on our theme of Restoring Values.
Using scripture, this message shows that it is Biblical principle for our priorities to be God first, Country second, family third, and ourselves last. It is also Biblical principle that the process of restoring our country to these values begins with us as Christians. I hope you enjoy it, but more importantly are inspired by it.
If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail me at mark@serrmon.com
RESTORING VALUES
I believe God is calling us to do more for his Kingdom. When I say us, I mean us as a nation...but more specifically – us as the body of Christ. God’s people. I believe He is calling on us to Restore our Nations Values .
This being our opening service for the 2010 racing season......we are introducing a new theme “Restoring Values”.
In todays message I want to talk to you a little about what these values are, and what priority they should be in. Although I am passionate about this country, I will do my best to spare you political commentary and editorial comments and just focus on the Word of God.
When I was a kid – the values were God first, country second, then family, and last came your own needs. These values permeated through our country and our society....
Perhaps it was because there were so many people alive who had lived through and witnessed WWII, Vietnam/Korea, the Great Depression. These people lived in a time where they appreciated the blessings that were given to them and did not take them for granted.
Perhaps it was because these were the values presented through our media – TV shows like Little House on the Prairie, the Waltons, even Andy Griffith.......
Perhaps it was because we had God in our lives as a Nation – not afraid to talk about Jesus Christ without fear of a lawsuit.
Personally, I think it was a little bit of all of these.
Somehow over the past 40+ years, it has been a slow transition - like little drops of water slowly dripping on a large rock – each drip seemingly unnoticeable on the heavy granite – however slowly eroding away – unnoticeable until one day you return and see a groove cut into the rock.
– but it now appears that as a nation – as Americans – our priorities have reversed 180 degrees. The priorities are now self – sometimes family – country when we can get something from it – and then God who?
Taking a quick look at this point.............
GOD
Let’s start with God. As a nation we have removed God from just about everything – so there is no way as a Nation we have Him first.
In our interest of political correctness, as a Nation we have allowed our relationship with God to slowly wither away much like the water dripping on the granite. The ripple effects appearing insignificant until one day we wake up and there is a large part missing.
As a nation we have watched our priority on God move from first to last.
- Prayer removed from schools,
- 10 commandments taken down from public places,
- Trying to remove Under God from the pledge and from our currency.....
- Taking down or covering historical monuments because they are a cross or make reference to scripture
.......where does it stop? That’s just it....it doesn’t stop.
One place God hasn’t been taken out of......MOTORSPORTS !!! it is one of the last remaining sports that still offer an invocation before every race – and in Nascar it is still broadcast on TV.....we need to keep God in motorsports. – the fastest growing spectator sport in North America. I think the only other sport with an invocation is the professional Rodeo.
COUNTRY
Let’s take a quick assessment of our country.....where does it fit in with the priorites of our lives?
The Bible tells us a divided house will fall....and I don’t think the country has ever been more divided in the last 100+ years.
One assessment I make – rightly or wrongly – is that during the National Anthem, I take a quick second to look around. To me the National Anthem is a sign of respect to those who have fought so hard for what we have today, a sign of love, a sense of pride......but how many people take their hats off, hand across the chest or behind their backs – how many are actually quiet throughout or sing along? Especially check out the young people......
As a society, we have become complacent and are taking what we have for granted.....and it is truly unfortunate but the only time we seem to pull together is in the face of adversity.
Think back to 9/11. That following Sunday – churches showed the highest attendance they ever had in years, and years.....overflowing....people searching for answers. Our nation pulled together in Unity. It would be awesome if we could do that without a catastrophe.
FAMILIES
OUR FAMILIES – how about family as a priority? What does our culture, our nation tell us about the importance of families. Look at divorce rates, crime, broken homes, troubled / neglected / abused children – families certainly aren’t a high priority for many.
SELF
We have become a what’s in it for me society – a microwave society – I want it all and I want it now. Where is the sense of responsibility and accountability.....as individuals. It is always someone else’s fault.
Some of you are sitting there saying....wow.....I left the race to come hear this message.....I should have stayed in my seat.......
I am here to tell you this morning that there is HOPE.
There is HOPE and that HOPE comes through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!!!
That HOPE and Instruction on how to access that HOPE are right here in this Book.....
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TELL US TO DO?
What does the Bible tell us to do about this situation we are in? What is society – what are the people to do?
We as a nation need to RESTORE VALUES – and reestablish our priorities. We need to humble ourselves – putting ourselves last – call on God – putting Him first – and allow God to start healing our land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
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.
The first thing the Bible tells us is that the process of Restoring Values starts with us. It starts with Christian brothers and sisters following the will of God…not our will. It has to start with us…..
If MY people which are called by MY name……
It starts with us Folks. As believers in Christ, we are HIS people. It starts with us.
Next comes....Humble themselves.
Put our selves last – turning from our wicked ways.....
And pray and seek His face........
Put God first above everything else
...THEN and ONLY then will He forgive their sin (as a nation) and begin healing our land.
HEALING OUR LAND......boy that really sounds good. There is some of that HOPE.....we are not in a lost cause folks.......We can do it !!! We have to do it…for our sakes, for our childrens sakes.
We have the power to do it......the worldly power and more importantly the spiritual power.
Statistics, the census, and other works show us that this nation is still considered to be 78% Christians…we are the majority. We have the numbers to make a difference……we have the strength in numbers to operate in the world (adhering to the rules of our great nation) yet still not be of the world…..
More importantly, we have the POWER to make a difference. A power that is give to us from on high…..through our relationship with Jesus Christ.
John 1:12
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
As sons of God – Bible goes on to tell us that we are adopted into the family – becoming joint heirs to the throne.......
Samuel 22 (King James Version) 33God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
Isaiah 40 (King James Version) 29He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
1 Corinthians 2:5 (King James Version)
5That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
2 Timothy 1 (King James Version) 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
......and it goes on and on and on.......the point being – we have been given the power through our relationship with Jesus Christ.
So we have the power to effect change....we have the mandate from God to effect change.....so what does the Bible say about these priorities.....what are we supposed to change them to.....
God, Country, Family, Self
What is the first commandment?
Exodus: Thou shalt have no other Gods before me
In Matthew Chapter 22 when Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment. Anybody remember his response His reply was – insert Bible verse.
Matthew 22:36-39 (King James Version)
36Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38This is the first and great commandment.
What other scriptures substantiate the fact and inspire us to the fact that God should be first in our lives?
John 3:16 He gave His one and only son for us.
He gives us the hope of eternal life…being saved by His grace through our faith in Jesus Christ
He even gave us the Faith – for in every man was placed a “measure of faith”
He told us how to get more faith – hearing and hearing by the word of God
He tells us With God all things are possible.
He tells us His plan is exceeding abundantly more than we could ask or think
How could we NOT put Him first in our lives !!!
I doubt anyone here would argue the point that God should be first in our lives, ahead of our own self interests.....but what about the 2 in the middle – the country and the family. Where does that come from?
COUNTRY
What about the next priority – Country
Jesus was asked what is the second greatest commandment – Love your neighbor as yourself. Take care of your neighbors – take care of your fellow Americans. Put your country’s needs – your fellow mans needs above all others.
Matthew 22:36-39 (King James Version)
36Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38This is the first and great commandment.
39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
That is how this nation became so powerful – it’s foundation was built on the rock of Jesus Christ. And as with any structure – you weaken the foundation, the whole house can fall in. Who are we to turn our backs – we need to put God back first in our lives.
We need to restore the values to this nation that it was founded on.
We need to humble ourselves, pray, and seek His face so that he will heal our lands.
FAMILY
How about family? Where do they fall in this whole values / priority thing......
And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
“Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Genesis 2:24 (King James Version)
24Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
SELF
Bible tells us to Put ourselves last...or maybe better said...our selfishness last.
What does the bible say about selfishness?
“Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble,... thinking of others better than yourself. Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.” Philippians 2.3-4 (NLT)
Acts Chapter 5 the account of Ananias and Sapphira.
So he conspires with his wife to sell a piece of property take the money, give some of it to the apostles and hold the rest back. But, they decided that they would lie and say they gave it all. Notice something in this passage. It says he kept part of the money back for himself. He wasn’t even thinking about his wife and yet he got her in on the deal. Peter confronts them and says, you haven’t lied to men but to God. Ananias drops dead. Three hours later his wife is confronted and she dies too.
“And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” 2Cor. 5:15
“God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NKJV)
What did Jesus do?
IMPORTANCE OF BALANCE
As we close here today I want to say one thing about these priorities – they must be BALANCED.
Believe it or not it is possible to focus so much effort on any 1 of the 4, that the other 3 suffer. There exists a healthy relationship between all 4.
We need God, we need our Country (or else we may lose everything), we need our families, and we need to take care of ourselves.
If you don’t take care of yourself, you certainly can’t give anything to your family, your neighbors(country) or to God……
So it must be a balanced effort .
As we prepare to leave here today, remember.
God, Country, Family, Self........