ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH GOD

DPTD B.B. Baxter, America It's not too Late. 113

Introduction

Today on Public Television

               on a program called Religion and Ethics

               it was reported that currently

               there is an exhibit at the Library of Congress called:

               "Religion and America's Founding"

It is a very significant exhibit of original historical documents

               Significant in that it has become a national dogma

               that there must be an absolute separation between church and state,

               so much so, that some people want to ban from our coins

                              the motto: In God We Trust.

Our nations founding fathers would be horrified at this application

They certainly did not believe any such thing

               and the original documents of their day

               make that abundantly clear.

It is significant enough that I would love to go see it.

I would love to spend some days there at the Library of Congress

               Take pictures, take notes,

                              better still take a tape recorder and read on tape

                              the things that I see there of interest.

I am especially happy that it is the Library of Congress

               that got this together.

The Library of Congress that considers itself

               the memory of our nation.

They make it overwhelmingly clear

               that ALL of our nations founding fathers

               believed that Religion had a vital role to play

               in the new nation.

Government was not to make laws about religion,

               But, that religious faith was essential

               to the survival of the new nation,

               everyone was in agreement.

So what is the most important question of our time?

The historian Will Durant wrote it this way,

"The greatest question of our time

               ... is whether men can bear to live without God"

Further sharpening his focus, Durant wrote,

               "Can civilization hold together,

               if man abandons his faith in God?"

There is no doubt that many changes are needed in our country

But our greatest need as a nation

               is for faith in God

               and faith in the Word of God.

Because God exists,

               because God has spoken

               because God is holy righteous and good

               because God is love

               there does exist an absolute standard

                              of what's right and what's wrong

                              of good and evil.

               There is an absolute reason for

                              respect for authority

                              and that reason is God Himself.

There's been a great erosion of standards in our times

Is it possible to run back the clock?

Is it possible to go back to

               the old virtues that have been lost?

Yes it is,

               through faith in God

               respect for God

               love for God.

If we leave God out of the picture there is no hope

that we will ever as a nation

               be able to lift ourselves up

               by our own efforts alone.

The future of our nation

               really depends on

                              the condition,

                              the strength,

                              the reality

               of our faith in God.

Prov 14:34

34 Righteousness exalts a nation,

But sin is a disgrace to any people.

John 8:31 

“If you abide in My word,

then you are truly disciples of Mine;

32 and you shall know the truth,

and the truth shall make you free.”

And yet there has been a disturbing decline in faith in God

Not by every individual,

               but at least in a public sense,

               certainly in the media like television

                              where religion is frequently laughed at

                              sin is glorified

                              and treated as shear entertainment.

It's been almost a generation since the "God is dead" movement

Then some began to call our times

               the "post Christian era"

               How's that for a slap in the face.

Some might obect and ask, But what about all the churches

               and all the people in church.

But there is another question we ought to ask:

               What are the churches doing?

               Much of what is done in the name of religion             

                              is really just another form of entertainment.

I went to a counselors seminar in Bloomington.

It was in the auditorium of a large denomination

               on their stage was every kind of musical instrument

               all kinds of fancy amplifiers

               all the equipment needed

                              to put on a major entertainment production.

Are churches just in the business of entertainment

               Or do we have a truth to tell

               Or do we have God's word that must be preached

                              that must be taught,

                              believed and obeyed.

Is it enough if we just make people feel good

               in the name of Jesus.

               O do we have a Lord to believe in

                              A Lord not only to live for,

                                             but also to die for.

Many are no longer content to teach the Bible as God's truth,

Liberalism denies

               that the Bible is the word of God

Humanism has become it's own religion.

               It's more accurate to call it atheism

               but it would rather be known as humanism

It teaches that there is no higher being than man

               There is no God to answer to

               no supernatural realm

Like the Sadducees  in Acts 23:8

Humanism teaches            

               "there is no resurrection,

               nor an angel,

               nor a spirit; "

Many forces are at work to undermine faith

Faith in the righteous,

               holy and loving God

Faith in the Bible

               as God's infallible word.

Many have an unannounced adgenda

               to do away with the old fashioned notion of God

If we just look around  and see what's happening

               I think you have to be concerned

               that it's working.

In the wake of this loss is the decline in moral and ethical standards

Sexual permissiveness

               now accepted widely as the sexual revolution

               the new morality

Honesty and integrity are sadly missing

               Can we trust what our government leaders say?

               Can we trust the media is broadcasting?

 

Also in the wake of a decline in faith in God is widespread rebellion

against authority