HOW DOES A LOVING GODRestore A Rebellious America

& A Sleepy, Sinful Church?

THE LOST SONLuke 15:11-24

THE LOST SON• His father knew his son’s character. Every father does

• He probably knew it would not turn out well

• He probably tried to talk him out of going away

• He probably warned him about the dangers of running off to strange places with a lot of money at a young age.

But the father gave the son the freedom to find out himself

Shamed & pained by sin, the son returns to his father

LEARN FROM THE OT Now these things happened to them as an example, and they

were written for our instruction (1 Cor. 1-:11)

OT LESSONS• The Old Testament is a long, sad chronicle of Israel's

repeated failures to obey God. In Psalm 78:10-11, 40-42, 56-57, the psalmist mentions that Ephraim (meaning Israel at large) “did not keep the covenant of God; they refused to walk in His law, and forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them. . . .”

• Like the Prodigal son, Israel also walked away from God their Father to serve other gods and spend their God-given wealth in sinful living century after century.

GOD’S WAYS WITH ISRAEL• Gave commandments to protect them from evil

• Warn, warn again…and warn again via the prophets

• Sent famines, plagues, wars to get their attention

• Plead with them, warned again…and then…

• Turned them over to their sins so they became desperate for God’s help.

GOD GIVES ISRAEL OVER

• "But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me. So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices.” (Ps. 81:11-12)

GOD GIVES THEM OVER• “For this reason God gave them over to degrading

passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural

• the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. (Rom. 1:26-27)

GOD GIVES THEM OVER

• “For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:11)

GOD WAYS ALWAYS ARE MERCIFUL

• “For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.” (Rom. 11:32)

FATHER’S LOVING DISCIPLINE • For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines and

He scourges every son whom He receives.” (OT)

• God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

• All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields…righteousness. (Heb. 12:6-11)

THE BOOK OF JUDGESA Model for America’s Restoration

This Happened Seven Times in Judges!

America

GOD’S SOLUTION TO RESTORE AMERICA: 2 CHRON.

7:13-14• If I shut up the heavens so that

there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and

• My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

THE PATH TO AMERICA’S HEALING

• Moral darkness increases across the land, bringing great pain

• Through that pain, God awakens His people to their true condition

• God gets His people praying desperate prayers

• God moves His people to deeply repent & be reconciled

• God comes down in great glory and power to change society

• See: sentinelgroup.org: Transformations Series

OUR NEXT STEPS• Live for heaven where our real citizenship is

• Speak & live the Gospel without shame or fear

• Connect with other believers for everything

• Pray often, forgive everyone quickly

• Share generously as God does with us

• Trust God to turn America’s dark days toward good

PRAY FOR THE CHURCHAmerica’s Only Hope