AMERICA'S INIQUITY & HOPE

John 16:16-33

There are many things that can be considered in this passage of scripture. We can see that our belief is nothing to glory in. Sometimes we think we are something because of our tremendous faith. Yet Christ tells the disciples who had just made a plain statement to the fact that they believed Jesus was truly the messiah. Yet Christ asked them in a rhetorical way, “Do you Believe?”

Listen if you have Christ as your Savior you have nothing to glory in yourself. You have nothing in yourself to be confident of, but rather you must cast all of your trust on Christ and his work on the Cross. It is because of his wonderful grace and mercy that we have been redeemed.

We also can see in this passage that our peace, true peace can only come through him. People of this world are looking for peace. They are looking all over the place except for the right place. Even Christians look elsewhere but the only place we can find true peace is in the center of God’s will and service. You must be serving Christ to have true peace. .

The Lord speaks of prayer in vv.23-24. The result of that right praying is Joy!

He then speaks of the Father’s love for them, yea, for us.

But the greatest truth that I want to share with you this morning is actually found in verse 32:

John 16:32 AV

Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

There is a small phrase that is mentioned there that is very important to all of us in what we are seeking to do. It is this:

EVERY MAN TO HIS OWN

The men who had spent three years of their lives with the Son of God, who had seen all of his miracles, heard all his miracles, felt his touch, who knew and admitted his deity, Jesus told them that they would go “Every man to his own” and so it was in garden of Gethsemane, they all went on the day of the arrest and trail of Jesus Christ: “Every man to his own.”

That is the plague, the iniquity of America - We, as a nation have said, every man to His own.

There are other statements like it in the Bible.

Judges 21:25 AV

In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

EVERY MAN DID THAT WHICH WAS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES

This is the way America is going.

America is going away from God and the way He is going way is by doing what is right is his own eyes and He is living up to what Christ said, Everyman to His own.”

“The trouble with most people is that every time they think, they think of themselves.”

I. AMERICA’S INIQUITY - “SELF-WILL”

MAN WILL DO THAT WHICH PLEASES HIM”

They are trying to take care of themselves before all others.

They want there way before all others.

Americans’ want their convenience and luxury far above that which is right and honorable.

Whatever happened to the generations of men and women who with God’s help and blessing brought about a wonderful union of people form all over the world?

They are gone for the most part.

America has long left its faith in God and put all of its faith in man.

Look at Europe which in the 18th and 19th Centuries had great revivals and God blessed them for many years - but that blessing left somewhere around WWI and WWII.

America has not been very far behind Europe. We lasted another 40 years or 50 years beyond Europe, but we are going down a dark path today.

People go to churches often because that church pleases them. The only way a church should please you is that church helps you to stay right with God. It constantly challenges, rebukes, motivates, inspires, and at times steps on your toes - to help remind you to stay close to God, to walk carefully in this world.

Ephesians 5:15–16 (AV)

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

The world, even our nation is on its way to destruction, the Bible says as much:

Look at Romans 3:10-18

That is how the lost live - Christians why are you still trying to act and live like them Why are you looking up to them and following them and allowing them to influence you.

God has called the church to be separated; yet we take on the world’s attitudes and practices.

We were born in sin and it is natural, carnally speaking, to go our own way, to take care of ourselves, human nature is selfish

Human nature is also shameless – no one be told that their lives are a mess and their direction is wicked.

Everyone is told that we are not to judge others. That is not what the Christ says in John 7:24, to judge righteous judgment.

That involves two things.

One, understand you are guilty. You might not be guilty of what someone else is, but you are guilty. We have all sinned and come short the glory of God. I’m not here to hurt, injure, but rather to help. We are called to be light and salt.

Salt and Light don’t have favorites. The light does not discriminate where it shines. It just shines. It sends what it is, light. So we, without a criticalness, without a personal judgement we speak the truth.

But on top of that, while we are sinners and guilty we are to shed forth the truth of the God’s Word. It is His Word wherein we have life. You can confuse it.

This Generation has strayed so far from God and morality.

20% of people below the age of 25 now claim to be some type of LGBT affiliation.

Can I back that up a little - because even amongst people who go to church 2/3’s of Christians in America think that sex is okay outside of marriage in some instances.

Believer’s have fallen for socialism is some form or another and believe that the Bible supports the notion of government giving to help the poor. But I challenge you the founders of this country had it right, because they based the Consitution on biblical principles. There was no allowance made for the government to give out money to people so that they won’t be compelled to earn their own way.

Any people you give free money to you will destroy.

II. AMERICA’s HOPE - GOD’S WILL

here is no way we will agree on everything, but there are a couple of things that must be emphasized to go forward and to continue as a nation.

A. God’s will is Unity

Mark 3:25 AV

And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

We need to get back to where we are united again as a nation. We will never be united all things, but we can united as nation under a flag.

We can united as nation in defense of our borders

We should unite under an anthem. There cannot be different anthems, there is one anthem.

There cannot be different flags, there is one flag.

There cannot be open borders, these are our borders.

No nation can stand for long that is unified. God’s will is unity.

B. God’s will in Freedom

John 8:36 AV

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Luke 4:18 AV

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

2 Corinthians 3:17 AV

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Liberty is be taken away at an alarming rate. Speaking truth with from the Word of God will bring about persecution and locking you out of society.

Look at Canada, we use to look at them as our little brother as a nation in their population and general attitudes in life.

A bill passed into law on June 16, 2017, C-16 - that required to call people in Canada by their preferred pronouns. Robert Hoogland surrendered himself to the court in response to a warrant issued for his arrest by the attorney general of British Columbia. His crime? Referring to his teen, a biological female, as “daughter,” referring to her with female pronouns, and refusing to affirm her medical transition to become a trans male. He was arrested for family violence.

Washington State has already instituted a law saying 13-year-old children can seek transition treatment without a parent’s consent. Considering the Biden administration’s position on trans issues and this cultural moment, how can we believe this is not possible in America?

C. God’s will is Redemption

Everyone deserves a chance. Everyone deserves the Gospel. Everyone deserves a second and third chance if we can give it.

Because God’s will is the redemption of everyone.

2 Peter 3:9 AV

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

1. God’s will is redemption for our nation

But nation

Psalm 33:12 AV

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

Man will never find the happiness he seeks without God. Hell aside which man will often ignore, lost man knows that in this life is his only hope of any happiness. But he will never find it.

Psalm 144:15 AV

Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.

As a nation we will never know joy - we will never know peace, we will never know unity and contentment until we turn back to God.

But it starts with you and with me.

2. God’s will is for YOUR redemption

He wants you to be saved.

He wants you to confess his name.

He wants you to live a transformed life.

If you haven’t been saved, if you don’t know for sure you are on your way to heaven, is it too much to ask that you live a transformed life that matches with what God did on the inside.