Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
Email Preach Him with Dr. Jim

It's Our Turn To Bless America
Rom 12:10-14

Introduction "Paradox of Our Time." (Supposedly written by George Carlin ) *

We have taller buildings but shorter tempers.

We spend more, but have less; We buy more, but enjoy less.

We have more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.

We've added years to life not life to years!

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

As Sad and True as all those statements are I still believe that America is the greatest country in the world. We are blessed to have been born and reared in America.

God has blessed this Nation.

Today I want to emphasize: It Is Our Turn To Bless America
 
 

A.    The Christian Devotion of . . Brotherly Love. v 10 a
        ". . . Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; . . . "

WHAT IS BROTHERLY LOVE?

It's SILENCE when your words would hurt,    It's PATIENCE when you brother is curt,

It's DEAFNESS when some gossip flows,        It's COMPASSION for a brother's woes,

It's COURAGE when misfortune falls,             It's FIRMNESS when one's duty calls,

It's WILLINGNESS to help another,               It's TRUSTING and especially a brother,

It's RESTITUTION made when due,              It's FORGIVING when asked of you.

B.    The Christian Devotion of . . Bias to One Another. v 10 b
        ". . . give preference to one another in honor; . . . "

        1.    If it is Christian I expect it to be better.

C.    The Christian Devotion of . . Bold Service. v 11
        ". . .not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

        1.    All of this devotion is to Serve the Lord.

Illustration Do you know what city in America is called the city of brotherly love? It is Philadelphia.
I know the town only from it's baseball team and I would say it doesn't deserve the name. A player for the St. Louis Cardinals joking said his child was booed on Easter Sunday because he had collected the fewest Easter Eggs in the Easter Egg hunt.

J. D. Drew (a player for the Cardinals) was drafted in the college draft by the Philadelphia Baseball team. He demanded more money to sign a contract than the Philadelphia team would pay to sign. So J. D. went back into the draft pool and the next year was signed by the Cardinals.

In J. D. Drew's first game in Philadelphia playing for the Cardinals he had flashlight batteries thrown at him as he stood in Center Field. They had to stop the game and threaten to call the game a forfeit. J. D. Is a Christian and Blessed the Philadelphia fans with a home run.

Application

How many times have you heard someone say "I went to church but they fought or fussed to much" This nation has seen to many churches fuss and fight. They have seen too little of brotherly love from the Christian stand point.

This church has not had that problem. We need to remember the history of the church and the Biblical Admonition of Brotherly Love. Let me remind you of

Prov 6:16-19 16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. KJV

It is time for Christians to Bless America . . With Our Devotion
 
 

Introduction
Samuel Chadwick said, "The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray."

Andrew Murray said, "The man who mobilizes the Christian church to pray will make the greatest contribution to world evangelization in history."

E.M. Bounds said, "What the church needs today is not new machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Spirit can use - men mighty in prayer. The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods, but through men of prayer." And we might add, through women of
prayer.

A.    Bless with . . Hopeful Prayer. V 11 a
        " rejoicing in hope,

James 1:6-7 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, NASU

B.    Bless with . . Persevering Prayer. V 11 b
        ". . . persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,

Acts 1:14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. NASU

Acts 2:42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. NASU

Acts 6:4 "But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." NASU

Acts 12:5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. NASU

Illustration
Dwight L. Moody, went to England, not to preach, but to listen to others preach. One Sunday morning he was asked to preach in a London pulpit. But somehow the right spiritual atmosphere was not there. He confessed afterwards that he never had such a hard time preaching. Everything seemed dead. He said to himself. "What a fool I was to consent to preach. I came here to listen and here I am preaching."

Then the awful thought came to him that he had to preach again that night, and only the fact that he had given his promise to do so kept him faithful to the engagement. But when Moody stepped into the pulpit that night and faced the congregation, he was conscious of a new atmosphere. He said, "The powers of an unseen world seemed to have fallen on the audience." As he concluded his message and offered the invitation, he said, "If there is a man or woman here tonight who will accept Jesus Christ, please stand up." AND ABOUT 500 PEOPLE STOOD UP! Now for the rest of the story! Or the story behind the story.

When Dwight L. Moody preached at that morning service there was a woman in the congregation who had an invalid sister at home. When she returned home she told her invalid sister that the preacher had been Mr. Moody from Chicago. "What!" she exclaimed, "Mr. Moody from Chicago! I read about him some time ago in an American newspaper, and I have been praying for God to send him to London, to preach in our church. If I had known he was going to preach this morning I would have eaten no breakfast. I would have spent the whole time in prayer. Now, sister, go out of the room, lock the door, send me no dinner. And no matter who comes, don't let them see me. I am going to spend the whole afternoon and evening in prayer."

And so it was that Sunday night when Dwight L. Moody preached that there was a completely different atmosphere and 500 people said they wanted to accept Jesus as their Savior.

Application

It is time for Christians to Bless America . . With Our Prayer Life

A.    Giving To The . . Financial Needs of the Saints. v 13 a
        "contributing to the needs of the saints, . . ."

Illustration
At my last Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary Trustee Meeting a retiring professor spoke to us. At the conclusion he said I am going to do something I would not normally do. One of my students came to me after class saying he had lost his job and did not know how he would get the money for his graduation fees.

He told other things about the needs of this young man and then said without permission I am going to pass the hat. The 30 trustees present gave over $600.00 to help the man.

B.    Giving To The . . Facilities Needs of the Saints. v 13 a
            ". . . practicing hospitality. "

Rom 12:13 When God's children are in need, you be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night. TLB

Illustration
A few years ago I called Christa from the office and said I want you to come to the office and see a young woman who is destitute and needs a place to stay. Christa said are you saying you want us to put her up? I said "come see her before I tell you anything more."

This young lady looked like a daughter of one of our best friends. Our heart was touched because our friends daughter had recently died from a rare kind of cancer.

Christa was reluctant but came down to the office and she agreed. We took the girl in and for the first twenty four (24) hours she probably slept twenty (20) of them.

She lived with us for many days. We got clothes for her and our daughter Tami treated her like a friend as they went to movies etc.

We took her to her family and tried to help her in every way. Then one day she asked Christa to take her down town and at a stop light she got out of the car and ran away and Christa could not find her.

We think she could not handle being treated as we treated her.

But for the rest of her life she will have to remember our family trying to help her. We tried to bless her because Christ lead us to do this.

Application

It is time for Christians to Bless America . . With Our Giving Life
 
 

A.    Yes To Persecution . . Blessings. v 14 a
            ". . . "Bless those who persecute you; . . . "

        1.    That flows from the Fleshly Nature
 

B.    No To Profanity . . Blessings. v 14 b
            ". . . bless and do not curse

        1.    The world expects cussing not blessing.

Support Scriptures

Luke 6:28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. NASU

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. NASU

1 Corinthians 4:12-13 12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; 13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. NASU

James 3:10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. NASU

1 Peter 3:9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. NASU

Conclusion

Adrian Rodgers was the president of our S.B.C. He preached at the recent convention in Dallas. He told of his first attempt to lead someone to Jesus. He was a new Christian, and went downtown to get some gas (as I recall). He was shirtless and shoeless.

A transient asked him for a handout. He told this old needy man he didn't have any money. As he walked away, the Lord placed the impression on him, "Tell that old man about Jesus." But Adrian thought, I'm young; I don't have a Bible or New Testament; I don't have on a shirt or shoes; but the Lord continued to impress Adrian to witness.

He turned toward the man, and saw him looking at him. He went to the man and said, "I don't have a Bible, but I'd like to share a word with you about Jesus." The man pulled out a New Testament and said, "Somebody gave me this; will it help?"

Adrian turned to John 3:16, and told the man how he could believe in Jesus and be saved. The man responded by saying "yes" to Jesus, and they knelt right there on the street. As Adrian started to leave, the man, with tears in his eyes, said, "Son, I've been all over these United States; and you're the only person who ever told me about Jesus."

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