is that there's another reason why I feel so deeply emotional about these things. And part of it has to do with a sadness in my heart. A sadness because of a concern that I have that over the last 50 years, particularly in this generation, our country has been notorious in departing from that rich heritage. And this morning I want to focus upon this concern as it comes to us from Proverbs chapter 14. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. And let's pray and ask for the blessing of God upon the ministry of His holy, infallible Word. Father, again, we bow ourselves before You. In the language of that hymn, we want to hush and hear the holy Word of Christ. We pray that as we consider the principles of Your Word about righteousness and sin and the influence of these lifestyles upon an entire nation, we pray, Father, that the Holy Spirit will come upon us this morning, that He will open up our minds and open up our hearts and write Your Word upon our hearts that we would glorify You as Christians, as Americans, as a nation. We ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Now someone might say right at the outset, wait, stop. You just quoted a text in the Old Testament. How can you be preaching to us from the Old Testament if it's going to be relevant to us today. The Old Testament is only for the Jews. And as a matter of fact, only for a very small portion of the Jews, those Jews that were alive before the coming of Christ. Well, first of all, let me just dispel that idea. The Old Testament is not just for the Jews. Some of the Old Testament was written to the Jewish people, and some of it pertains uniquely and especially to them. But the Old Testament, according to Jesus, is not something that He came to destroy, but to fulfill. And the Old Testament is the inspired Word of God. It remains that to this day. And the text before us, as a matter of fact, purports to teach principles. that apply not only to the Jewish nation, and not only to the Jewish nation before the time of Christ, but to every nation at every time. It says, righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Sin is a reproach to all the peoples of the earth. This text is not limited in its scope to Judaism, or the Jewish people, or to the Jewish people before the coming of Christ. But it teaches a principle that is abiding and permanent and just as relevant to you and me and the United States of America as it was to the Jewish people before Christ came. That's the first thing that I want to say about this text and about the Old Testament and speaking from the Old Testament. Now, in opening up the text and dealing with it this morning, I want to open up three things. First of all, I want you to consider with me the foundations that are underneath this text. The text is like looking at a house, but the house is built on foundations. And if you want to understand the rationale and the basis for what the writer of Proverbs says, then you need to uncover those foundations so that it makes sense. This is what it says. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. The first question I want to know is why. Why does righteousness exalt a nation? And why is sin a reproach to any people? Does that happen because of karma? Does that happen by accident and by chance? Why is that so? Is it because good deeds have built in them an inherent goodness that automatically produces a good result and evil deeds have built in them an evil that automatically brings about an evil result just impersonally? And by way of faith, is that the way it works? Is that why righteousness exalts a nation? Well, in order to understand why this text is true, and the foundations upon which this principle are built, is the first thing we're going to look at. Then the second thing I want to do is I want to open up the text. I want to open up what it means that righteousness exalts a nation, and that sin is a reproach, and I want to particularly focus upon sin as a reproach to any people and particularly the sins that the Scripture says bring judgment, destruction and ruin to nations. And then the final thing that I want to consider is the application of that to us and to our own time and our society. You follow where I want to go? So first of all, what are the foundations of this text? Why is it true that righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people? Well, the first thing is this. The very first thing upon which this reality is built is the idea that God, the true and living God, is the maker of nations. We saw last time from Acts 17.25 that He made of one all nations of the earth. All the nations of the earth. derived from one man, Adam, and from one family, the family of Noah. And God made all the nations of the earth. Furthermore, we read that God determined their seasons and the bounds of their habitations. God decided when those nations would come into existence, and He decided where those nations would live. He decided what their homeland would be. when they would exist, when they would be founded, how long they would last, where they would be on earth. God decides. God controls all those things. But it goes even further than that. Not only is God the maker of nations, God is the ruler of all nations. Not just the Jewish people. The Jewish people have a special place in history. That's true. And that Old Covenant. that He made with them, gave them that special place in history. There was no other nation, according to the book of Deuteronomy, that God redeemed for Himself, nor any other nation over whom He personally presided. giving them such a wonderful law. And the book of Deuteronomy opens all this up. You only have I known of all the nations or families of the earth. He entered into a special commitment relationship with the Jewish people. But should we conclude from that special relationship that therefore God has nothing to do with other nations? Or that God is not in control of them? Or that God doesn't rule them? The answer to that is absolutely not. Consider just one passage that I'd like to read you from the book of Psalms. I could turn you to many passages, but Psalm 47. Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples. Shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord Most High is terrible, a great king over the earth. He subdues people under us and nations under our feet. He chooses our inheritance for us. The glory of Jacob, whom He loved. You see, there's a special relationship between God and Israel. God and Jacob. He gave them the land of Canaan. And He gave them their homeland. And He rules over them and subdues peoples for them. So what should we conclude from that? That God doesn't reign over other nations? No. Verse 7. Sing praises to God. Sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth. Verse 8, God reigns over the nations. He sits upon His holy throne. God reigns over the nations. He is ruling. He is on the throne of glory. And he's running all the nations of the earth according to his own mighty will. The theologians refer to this as God's providential kingdom by which he rules over and controls all the nations of the earth. This is a lesson that a certain pagan king needed to learn very badly. And God humbled him. You know which king I'm referring to? That's right, Nebuchadnezzar. God humbled the old Nebuchadnezzar to teach him this lesson. And in Daniel chapter 4, verse 32, we read of the way in which God taught him this lesson by humbling him. And you will be driven from men and your dwelling will be with the animals. And you're going to eat grass like oxen. And seven times they're going to pass over you until you know, Daniel 4, 32, that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever He will." A certain proud pagan king needed to learn that lesson. And God taught him the hard way that it was true. And verse 34 says, he learned his lesson. And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, my understanding returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him that lives forever and ever. For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom from generation to generation, and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And He does according to His will. in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stop him, stay his hand, or say to him, what are you doing?" Even Nebuchadnezzar realized that God is in control and that God is ruling the nations. You mean God is ruling over Russia? Yes. And God is ruling over China? Yes. And God is ruling over France? Yes. And God is ruling over Iraq? Yes. And over Iran, yes. And over the nations of Africa, absolutely. Over all the nations, God is in control. He sits upon His throne. It's no accident that righteousness exalts a nation and that sin is a reproach to any people. Furthermore, not only is this so, but God, the very God who makes nations, and the God who rules the nations and His providential kingdom according to His will. This God holds the nations personally accountable to Himself and deals with men accordingly. So where do you see that in the Bible? Psalm 9 teaches it very clearly. Psalm 9. Verse 17, the wicked shall be turned back into hell, even all the nations that forget God. The wicked shall be turned back into hell, even all the nations that forget God. The nations that forget God. Those nations will be judged by God. God will hold them accountable for what they do. He deals with nations according to their righteousness or their wickedness. And the principle behind this is opened up in detail by the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 18. Jeremiah 18. This is why righteousness exalts the nation, and sin is a reproach to any people. Verse 5, The word of the Lord came to me, saying, House of Israel, cannot I do with you as the potter, says the Lord? As the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. Some might say, oh, see, God deals with Israel based on those principles, but he doesn't deal with the other nations that way. Well, then let's read on. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom to pluck it up or to break down and destroy it, if that nation concerning which I have spoken, turn from their evil. I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom to build and plant it? If they do that which is evil in my sight, that they obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them. Now, therefore, speak to the inhabitants of Judah." There's the principle. That's why righteousness exalts a nation and sin is a reproach to any people. Because God rules among the nations. Because God personally holds the nations accountable. And because God is the judge of the nations, and God deals with the nations according as they walk by the light of His Word. And if they do what is right in His eyes, He blesses them. And if they do wickedness, He judges them. And if He said in His Word, I'm going to bless this nation and build it up, and then they turn and do wickedness, then He is not going to do it. And if He said against the nation, I'm going to destroy them and condemn them, and they repent, then He relents of the evil that He said He would bring upon them for their wickedness. Righteousness exalts a nation. And sin is a reproach to any people because God makes the nations and God runs the nations and God judges the nations and holds them personally accountable and deals with them individually on the basis of their morality. That's why. Because there's a living God who is personal and who deals with people personally, including all the nations of the earth. An example of a nation that did wickedness and repented and was spared judgment would be what? Nineveh. They repented at the preaching of Jonah. Jonah said, 40 days from now, this great city's going down. And the people of Nineveh took the word of God to heart and they repented. They put on sackcloth and ashes and they turned away from their wicked ways. And Nineveh was spared. And when Nineveh was spared, Jonah was upset. Because he said, that's a pagan nation and you spared that people. How dare you do that? I was hoping that I'd go and I'd preach and they'd be destroyed. And lo and behold, he went and he preached and they were spared. And that's the principle of Jeremiah 18. You see it illustrated in the case of Nineveh, but it doesn't just apply to Nineveh. Let me ask you, Jeremiah 18, is that restricted just to the Jews? What nation concerning which I speak? No, that refers to every nation on earth. Is that true of France? Yes. Is that true of the United States? Yes. Is that true of Russia? Yes. True of Japan? Yes. China, yes, all the nations of the earth are ruled by God and are called to account. Now those are the foundations, those are the roots of the text of Proverbs 14 and verse 34. Now let's get secondly to opening up the text. That's why righteousness exalts a nation. Now the scripture says virtue exalts a nation. Integrity Righteousness. Make no mistake about it, as we looked last time, the fact that America has a gospel heritage. And we looked at that gospel heritage. Acknowledging the Creator and providence in its declaration of independence. Acknowledging God in the preamble of its constitutions. State constitutions. In its national anthem, our motto being, in God we trust, stamped on our coins, blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. That's all true. You can't deny it. The liberals may not like it. The humanists may despise it. But whether they like it or not, they can't change it. They can't change the fact that the country was founded on a principle of a Creator. A Creator who made all men equal under the law and who gave men inalienable rights that other men have no business or right to take away. There are God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness given to all men by their Creator. Our country is built on that foundation. And those same forefathers wrote, and with a firm reliance upon divine providence, That's how they closed their declaration. I showed you last time, too, the preamble, the Constitution of the state of Michigan. We, the people of the state of Michigan, the same-as-truth state, New Jersey, and many other states, grateful to Almighty God. Michigan is not an atheistic state. Never was, and it isn't now. No matter whom the populace may elect, Or no matter what those people believe, the preamble to the Constitution still stands. And this is not an atheistic state. Never has been. Neither is the state of New Jersey. Never. Grateful to Almighty God. Furthermore, you take a coin out of your pocket, you see these words stamped on it. In God We Trust. Who put those on there? Not the churches. Who engraved those coins? Not the church, folks. Who did it? The American government did it. The American government put, in God we trust, on our coins. Why did they do that? They did that because that's our national motto. And where did that come from? It comes from the last stanza of our national anthem, like we saw last time. Oh, thus be it ever when free men shall stand between their loved homes and the war's desolation, blessed with victory and peace. May the heaven-rescued land praise the power that has made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just, and this be our motto, and God is our trust." Where'd that come from? It came from the pen of Francis Scott Key. And it's a national anthem. In God we trust. Now that's our heritage. Right? Whether people like it or not. And I tell you, it's no accident that God has exalted the nation with such a heritage and made it a superpower on earth. That's not an accident, ladies and gentlemen. That happened because there's a living God who makes the nations, who governs the nations, and who deals with the nations according to the way they deal with Him. Righteousness exalts a nation. You know, I wish that were the end of the text. for our sake. But it's not. But sin is a reproach to any people. Sin is a reproach. The idea of uncleanness is the idea. And what's translated reproach is the same word. It's really a striking expression. It's almost sarcasm. It's the same word. It's the word kesed. It means loving kindness. or pity, or stooping to show favor or kindness. It's almost used to mean the exact opposite. It's like we'd say sin is pitiful. We would turn pity to pitiful. It's pitiful. It's a pitiful situation. It's like that. It's like it's that kind of a usage of the word. Striking, really. Sin is a reproach. It's a pity. It's a disgrace to any nation. And the Bible makes very clear, dear people, that there are certain sins which God finds so provocative, so outrageous, that those sins become the basis for the destruction and ruin of that nation. Would you not think, therefore, since God runs the nations, since God makes the nations, and since God holds the nations accountable and judges the nations, wouldn't you think it would behoove a nation to know what those sins are and make sure whatever you do, you don't do those things? Because it doesn't matter who you are. Or, according to Jeremiah 18, If that nation, though it be exalted, starts to walk in those sins, God will bring judgment on them. Right? No matter what's stamped on their coins. Or no matter who wrote their national anthem. Or no matter what the preamble of their constitution say. Or what that declaration embodies in its values of liberty and freedom and God. No matter what it embodies. If that nation walks in those sins, the result will be the judgment of God and its destruction. There can be no other. So what are those sins? Four things are mentioned as particularly provocative of the wrath of God. What are they? The first is mentioned in Leviticus chapter 18. Leviticus 18. Leviticus 18, verse 24. Somebody wants to say, well, surely Leviticus 18, if ever there was a passage that only applies to the Jews, it's Leviticus 18. Not only is that in the Old Testament, that's even in the Levitical section of the Old Testament. Well, you have partially a point. There are certain things in the book of Leviticus that obviously apply only to the Jews, but not the things here. How do you know that these things don't apply simply to the Jews? Now listen to this. Listen very carefully to this. Leviticus 18, verse 24 and following. You get big insights from this passage into the very nature of the Old Testament. See, some of the things that God told the Jews, He told the Jews and He gave them special insights. And the reason He gave them those special insights is so that they would be protected from the same things that brought destruction on other people who didn't have the Old Testament light. And that's the point of Leviticus 18.24. And that's why the Old Testament is relevant for us. Now listen to this. Do not defile yourselves in any of these things. What things? We'll see in a minute. Whatever they are, don't do them. Why not? For in all these things the nations are defiled, which I cast out from before you. Who cast out those Canaanites? God did. What did those Canaanites do? The very things that are listed above that He told the Jewish people not to do. Because the Canaanites did those things. And the land is defiled. Verse 25. Therefore, I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it. And the land vomits out their inhabitants. Keep My statutes, My ordinances, My laws. Don't do any more of these abominations. Verse 27. For all these Abominations have the men of the land done that were before you, and the land is defiled, that the land does not vomit you out, too, when you defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was before you. For whosoever commits these abominations, that soul will be cut off from the people." Here's the point. It was because the Canaanites did those things and defiled the land God gave them, therefore the land vomited them out. They made the land sick to its stomach and it threw them up. What a picture. The land says, oh, these people living on me makes me feel nauseous. And the land says... And why does that happen? You say, well, that's a gross picture. I know, but I didn't make it up. It's there in the text. The Canaanites made the land sick to its stomach and it threw them up and vomited them out because of the abominations that they did. And God says, I am the one who cast them out. because they did these abominations in My sight. And be careful, don't you go and do the same things they did, because if you do, the same thing will happen to you that happened to them. These things don't just provoke God against Jewish people who do them. These things provoke God against the Canaanites when the Canaanites did them. The Canaanites did these things, God was angry, the land got sick to its stomach and threw them out. Do you see that? So how can somebody tell me that's just for the Jews? I mean, it wasn't the Jews that got vomited out of the land, it was the Canaanites. And the reason the Canaanites got thrown out is because they did things that provoked the God who is in control of every nation. They provoked Him, they made the land sick, and they got thrown out. And God told the Jews, don't do it, because if you do, the same thing's going to happen to you that happened to them. So should we conclude, as Americans, that if we do the things that those people did, this land from sea to shining sea is going to get sick to its stomach and vomit us out like it vomited them out when the iniquity is full? Or is the Old Testament just for the Jews? No, it's obvious that this passage is not just for Jews. It's for us. to learn what things must not be done in the land. And if a nation does them, then that nation will be vomited out. Now you see the relevance. Let's read what they did. What did these people do to get God so upset to throw them out of their homeland? What did they do? Verse 6, to 18 describes the first thing they did. They lived in patterns of gross incest and sexual immorality in their own homes. You shall not approach to any that are near of kin to uncover their nakedness. Near of kin uncovering nakedness, sexual molestation and incest going on inside the home is what provoked God to wrath. And then it gives you the details of that incest that the Canaanites did. The nakedness of your father and the nakedness of your mother, you shall not uncover it. Mothers and sons engaging in sexual relations, that makes God... He thinks that's an abomination. That offends Him. It makes the land, by way of picture, makes God want to wretch and vomit. The nakedness of your sister, verse 9, the daughter of your father, you shall not uncover. Brothers and sisters engaging in sexual relations, it makes God and the land want to vomit. And it goes on to uncover uncle, aunt, granddaughter, etc. Incest, And sexual molestation going on in people's families provokes God. And when those things are practiced by a people, it makes the land vomit them out. And that's verses 6 to 18. Look at verse 19 and following. You shall not approach to a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is impure by her uncleanness. You shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife to defile yourself with her. You shall not give any of your seed to make them pass through the fire to Molech. You shall not profane the name of your God. You shall not lie with mankind as with womankind. It is abomination. And you shall not lie with any beast to defile yourself with it. Neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto. It is confusion. Do not defile yourselves in any of these things. For in all these things the nations are defiled, which I cast out from before you, and the land is defiled. Therefore, I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and it vomits out its inhabitants." What were the things they did? Incest and sexual perversions, homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, other forms of uncleanness. Those things that they did provoke God to wrath, and the Lamb vomited them out because of it. The open practice of homosexuality, adultery, and bestiality in any nation provokes God to wrath. And when the iniquity of that nation is full, Those that practice those things, that nation that lives in those things, will be cast out from the land and judged by God, just like the Canaanites were. Is that clear enough and plain enough from the Word of God? There's a second area of sin, and that's in Deuteronomy chapter 18. Deuteronomy 18, the second area of sin. It provokes God to wrath. Deuteronomy 18 verse 14 makes clear what this issue is. It says, and I cut into the context to show the relevance first, and then I'll go back and get to the details. For these nations that you shall dispossess, hearken to them that practice augury and use diviners. But as for you, you shall that the Lord your God has not suffered you to do so. Verse 12, For whosoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations, the Lord your God does drive them out before you." Now that's pretty clear, isn't it? Why were the Canaanites driven out of the land? Not only because of the sexual perversions of incest, etc., that they practiced, but also because of the things mentioned here that they did. For this reason, Because it's an abomination to the Lord, God drives them out of the land. What stuff did they do? What did they do? Verse 9, When you are come into the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. What abominations of those nations? There shall not be found with you anyone that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that uses divination, one that practices augury, or an enchanter, or a witch, a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer, for Whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations, the Lord your God does drive them out before you. You shall be perfect with the Lord your God. For the nations that you will dispossess practice these things. But as for you, the Lord hasn't suffered you to do it. You could put one word over all of that. You know what the one word is of all those abominations? Occult. Occult. The Canaanites practiced the occult. Fortune tellers, tarot card readers, witches, horoscopes, Ouija boards, seances, all of the above. They practiced the occult. They were into it. Big time. And God says that's abomination. And because of that abomination, not only the abomination of sexual immorality, but the abomination of occult practices, because of those things, God drove them out of the land. Clear? The occult and sexual perversion and the occult are two explicitly related reasons. that the Canaanites were destroyed. See that? Why is that? Because righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Because God controls the nations. Because God holds them accountable. And there are certain kinds of sins that He finds particularly vomitous, disgusting. And when people live in those things, when their iniquity is full, the land vomits them out through the judgment of God. Third thing. Already has been mentioned twice, both in connection with the occult and in connection with sexual perversion. Notice it. Already mentioned twice in connection with the occult and sexual perversion. And what is that? And it brings us to the third issue. Making their children pass through the fire. Do you notice that? You say, you passed over that. No, I'm not passing over it. We'll deal with it now, right now. And that's Deuteronomy 19.13, there's the text. And I have to show you to tie these things together. But Deuteronomy 19.13, what is it talking about? What did they do? Well, in Deuteronomy, it's talking about shedding innocent blood. and about a land being polluted with innocent blood. If any man hates his neighbor, verse 11, and lie wait for him and rise up against him and smite him mortally so that he dies, the elders of his city shall send and fetch him and deliver him to the hand of the avenger of blood that he may die. Your eyes shall not pity him. But you shall put away innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with you." A nation that's hands are full of innocent blood cannot expect the blessing of God. It will not go well with such a nation. And you say, now, what's the connection between shedding innocent blood and this making the children pass through the fires of divination? Well, let's turn to a passage that connects the two, and that's Psalm 106. Psalm 106. He's talking about Israel's failure to heed these warnings. Verse 34 of Psalm 106, they did not destroy the peoples as the Lord commanded them, but mingled themselves with the nations and learned their works and served their idols which became a snare to them. So this is the Canaanite practice. Now what did they do? Yes, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto demons and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and daughters whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan and the land. was polluted with blood." Verse 40, "...therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, and he abhorred his inheritance." Whatever the precise nature of those sacrifices, these Canaanites offered human sacrifice to their gods. They sacrificed their babies. In other words, when their babies were born, they put their infants to death. They killed babies. And killing the babies and sacrificing those babies to the idols of Canaan, God says that's shedding innocent blood, even the innocent blood of their children. That's what the Canaanites did. Those pagans killed their own children. Innocent babies. And that defiled the Lamb with blood. There are other descriptions of defiling the Lamb with blood. The description in Deuteronomy is not talking like Leviticus 18 Deuteronomy 18 is not talking about the shedding of the blood of the babies like those other two passages that we saw. But Deuteronomy 19 is talking about not requiting murder victims. So there are two ways that innocent blood was shed. And that innocent blood defiled the land with blood. And when the land was defiled with innocent blood, God cast them out of the land. We read explicitly in Leviticus 18, and Deuteronomy 18, that this is one of the abominations for which the Canaanites were cast out, the shedding of the innocent blood of their infants. Right? The shedding of innocent blood. Starting in 1973, this nation, departing from God, made it legal to shed the innocent blood of our own babies. And since that time, much innocent blood. A million a year, maybe two. The exact numbers God alone knows. But somewhere in the range of 30 to 40 million American babies have been sacrificed to the idols of this country. The idols of pleasure and ease. Because it's inconvenient to have a baby. Because it's an embarrassment to have a baby. Let's kill the baby rather than have the baby. Every child should be a wanted child. So if you don't want the child, kill the baby in its mother's womb. You know what that is? That's sacrificing our infants to the idols. of pleasuries. This land, over the last 30 years, has been and is being polluted with innocent blood. No longer are we willing in many places, including the state of Michigan, to exercise capital punishment for murder. And when we refuse To exercise capital punishment for murder, we become guilty of innocent blood on our hands. We do not requite the murder victim and we become guilty of innocent blood. We become accomplices after the fact to the shedding of that innocent blood. It will not go well with any nation that does this. When we make it legal and smile upon people not wanting babies, and therefore, rather than giving them up for adoption if they don't want them, just killing them, killing them in their mother's womb in some of the most brutal and horrible means conceivable for so-called civilized men, which I won't even go into here from the pulpit, of how they kill the babies, including one of the most horrid means, partial birth abortion. Horrible practices are going on. And they're legal. And innocent blood is being shed. And I tell you, no nation that does such things can possibly expect that it will go well with it. How will we answer for the 30 to 40 to 50 million? God alone knows how many innocent babies have been murdered. legally in this country? How will we answer for this? Now, am I saying that if a person has ever had an abortion that they can not be saved and never be forgiven? I didn't say that. I don't believe that. God is merciful to people. And if people repent of their sin, God will forgive their sin. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm not talking about individuals getting saved or cleansed or forgiven. I'm not saying there's no gospel. I'm not saying there's no hope. I'm saying we've got a big problem. We've got a big problem. You have to understand the connection that this practice is not just something that the religious right finds detestable. It's not just the religious right. The very ground of this country is made nauseous by it. And the God who rules this country is made nauseous by it. And it provokes Him to wrath to cast us out of the land. We're no better or different than the Canaanites. If we think that we can do these things and get away with it, we're crazy. You can't live in sexual immorality and the occult and the shedding of innocent blood and get away with it. No nation ever has, no nation ever will, because righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Maybe sometimes some of the people that say, well, that's in the Old Testament, maybe ought to read the Old Testament. Might find out some things. Might spare this country if people would read it and take it seriously. There's one other thing, and that's not in the Old Testament. It's in the New Testament. It's in Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 1. So you've got three things in the Old Testament and one in the New that provoke the wrath of God and bring judgment on any group, society, or people who do them. Sexual perversion, the occult, the shedding of innocent blood, and last but not least, the rejection of the knowledge of God in creation. The rejection of the knowledge of God in creation. The capstone on all of them. And it says, starting in Romans 1.18, the entire section from Romans 1.18 to 1.32, I'm not going to read it all this morning. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth. What truth do they suppress? That which they see in creation. the invisible things of Him, even His everlasting power and deity, verse 20, that they may be without excuse, because knowing God, they did not glorify Him, neither did they give thanks. Verse 22, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God, etc. Wherefore God gave them up, in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, the wrath of God. God gave them up. What did they do? Verse 25, they exchanged the truth of God in general revelation for a lie. And they worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator. Verse 26, for this cause God gave them up again to vile passion. And verse 28, and even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up. They refused to have God in their knowledge. They rejected the knowledge of God in creation. They rejected it, refused to see it. And God gave them up. God gave them up. God gave them up. God gave them up in three ways. First of all, God gave them up to promiscuity. Secondly, God gave them up to sexual perversion, to homosexuality. And thirdly, God gave them up to what's called a reprobate mind, a garbage head, garbage mentality. And you can see all the lack of common decency and common grace that happens in a society when God gives them up. God gave them up, God gave them up, God gave them up. Why did God give them up? They gave God up. They refused to have God in their knowledge. They rejected the knowledge of the Creator. Now, you want to ask, There's always been sin in this country, right? Who said it's ever been without sin? Not from the beginning. It always has had sin. But this is the sad part. This is the part that really gets to me. We had just recently looked at one of the greatest leaders this country has ever known, who came from one of the greatest generations our country has ever had. The generation of the Depression and the generation of World War II, a generation that has left as a legacy nobility and service and self-sacrifice and freedom. And that generation is now fast leaving this earth and been replaced by another generation, a generation that wondered about itself and what its heritage is. And you know what its heritage is? But it's the first generation that has openly rejected and cast off the knowledge of God and replaced it with the false doctrine of evolution. That's the legacy of our generation, ladies and gentlemen, the big smart scientists, the big smart educated generation. that has left off the knowledge of God and started down this very path. Whatever sins were true, that was never true before in America. That was never true. America never lived like that before, not like now. And what makes the difference is that now we see Romans chapter 1 coming true right before our very eyes. That's what makes it different. There's no more knowledge of God, even allowed, in many avenues of public life. And people want it so and love to have it so. This generation in America has openly and publicly rejected and refused to have God in its knowledge. And you're going to see more and more of Romans 1, if this continues, fulfilled before your very eyes. God gave them up to promiscuity. You're going to see more and more promiscuity. God gave them up to homosexuality. You're going to see more and more homosexuality. God gave them up to a garbage head. You're going to see more and more a lack of common decency. It's not an accident. Because righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. So here's the issues. Here's the issues. Number one, sexual perversion. Number two, the occult. Number three, the shedding of innocent blood. Number four, the public rejection of the knowledge of God. What does that produce? Wrath. Judgment. Divine abandonment. And that's what's going to happen. Does that make sense? So what do we do? What application do we make of this text? And I close with this. First of all, we need to humble ourselves. We need to face the reality of what's going on. It's a call for this country to humble itself. It's a call not only to recognize where we fell from, it's a call to recognize where we are. It's a call to face these sins, to see them for what they are, as horrible, Abominable practices of rejecting the knowledge of God and shedding innocent blood and living in sexual perversion and the occult. Things that will bring about the judgment and ruin of this country if they continue to go on. To face it, like the men of Nineveh came to grips with what they were doing and turned away from it. So, if this nation would be spared the wrath that is clearly here and is yet coming, we must face what we're doing. And that brings us to the second thing, and that is it's a call to repentance. And it's a call to repentance with hope. In Jeremiah, Jeremiah gave them hope. If that country, it says, concerning whom I have spoken and said I'm going to destroy it, if they turn from their ways, I will repent. of the evil I said I would do to them." The time bomb is already ticking. The timer has been set. God says, the iniquity of the Canaanite is not yet full. They did these things for many, many years before finally the wrath came upon them. And God is patient, and God is forbearing, and God is long-suffering. Yes! But brethren, the long-suffering patience of God has a limit. We don't know where that limit is or when that limit's going to be reached. It may not be reached in my lifetime or in yours. But believe me, that limit's going to be reached. God's going to have had enough of it. And when the iniquity of the Americans is full, when they continue in the shedding of innocent blood, even the blood of their children, and when they continue, in the occult, and when they continue in the sexual perversion, when they continue in the public rejection of the knowledge of God, when the day comes when that is full, the judgment of God will come down upon them who do it. But we don't know when that is. And right now, God has given us a space to repent. That's clear. It's a call to repentance. It's a call for us, like the men of Nineveh, From the highest in Washington to the lowest living in poverty, to wherever we are, it's a call for us to put on sackcloth and ashes and repent. And repent of these things which will bring the wrath of God down upon our society. It calls us to face it and it calls us to repent from it as a nation. And the final thing then that I would say is to those of us who are the Lord's people, It's a call for us to pray. It's a call for us to bring intercessory prayer for our nation. Like Abraham prayed for Sodom. And how did he argue? Lord, will you even destroy the righteous with the wicked? Argue with God. Lord, I know there's great wickedness in this country. There's the shedding of innocent blood. There's the rejection of you in public knowledge. There's the perversions going on. There's also the occult going on. We see these things going on and increasing. But Lord, there are also righteous in this nation. Many righteous. Will you also slay the righteous with the wicked? Far be it from you! Will not the judge of all the earth do right? And God would have spared Sodom if there had just been a few in it. And we could plead with God. Spare the nation. Have mercy, in wrath remember mercy. Are there not many righteous yet in this country? Even in Israel, when Ahab was king and Elijah was discouraged, the Lord said to him, I have reserved for me several thousand, I think it was three or seven, I think it was seven, who have not vowed the need to bail. They weren't all worshiping Baal, though most of them were, but there were a few, a remnant that were right. And so still there are in this nation a large number that don't want abortion to be legal, and don't want the occult practiced openly, and don't want sexual perversions tolerated openly. We don't want it. There are many left like that, thank God. And pray and even use that as an argument to plead with God, to have mercy on this nation, to spare us from the judgment that must certainly come if this continues and this trend goes on. In wrath to remember mercy. And finally, to every one of us, this is a call to make sure where we're going to spend eternity. Because whatever happens to America on earth is going to happen. We may have some influence over it through our prayers and through our efforts as citizens, but ultimately it's going to happen. But what about you? What's going to happen to you? Where are you going to be forever? Whatever happens to America, where are you going to be? Where are you going to spend eternity? I tell you please, make sure that you don't spend it under the wrath of God with the wicked. Make sure that you spend it in glory and in heaven. The only way to make sure of that is to get right with Jesus and get right with God through Jesus Christ in the Gospel. Draw near to Him in faith, repentance from your own sins. So, brethren, when I think about our heritage, I can't think of it with unmingled joy, because it's what's going on around us. It makes me sad, breaks my heart, grieves me to think that the reason we stand, the greatest threat to us is not from Islamic terrorism. The greatest threat to this country is from our own living in the sins that will bring the wrath of God upon us. That's our greatest threat. Not from outside, but from inside. May God be pleased that we face it and deal with it by His grace before it's too late. Let's pray. Father, we thank You for Your Word, how it gives us insight and teaches us concerning our own nation, the grave danger that we face. And Father, when we think of these things with Ezra, we say, I blush and I'm ashamed to lift up my face to You. When we think, Lord, that our hands as a nation are covered with 30 million innocent babies, innocent blood. And when we think of the perversions that are going on, and the occult being practiced, and the open rejection of knowing you that this generation and its pride has taken up, oh God, we blush and are ashamed to lift up our faces. Our hearts are grieved for the wickedness of our land. Father, be pleased and wrath to remember mercy. We know that you are a patient God. We know that you are a forbearing and long-suffering God. You are a God who delights to show mercy. Consider that you would have shown mercy even to Sodom. You showed mercy to Nineveh. Therefore, we ask you, we are bold to ask you to show mercy to America. Bring about conviction of sin. and bring about by the power of the gospel a widespread repentance. Turn this nation from the wickedness that is increasing in our generation. Turn us back to gospel light. Turn us away from these evil practices that provoke you to wrath. Forgive, Lord, the sins of this nation according to your great mercy. We ask it in Jesus' name, Amen.