Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church Lexington, KY. Pastor JOE H. HEAD
Pleasant Ridge Baptist ChurchLexington, KY. Pastor JOE H. HEAD 

HAS GOD WITHDRAWN HIMSELF FROM AMERICA?

Hosea 5:1-6 Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor. 2 And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all. 3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled. 4 They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD. 5 And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them. 6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.”

Intro: here is an example of the Jewish people having forsaken the commandments of the LORD GOD JEHOVAH. The result was that God was going to send destruction upon them because of Israel’s unfaithfulness. It was unavoidable. They had refused God’s invitation to repent and reform their ways, so punishment for their disobedience was the result. Out of fear they had gone too far in not listening to God, they make a last ditch effort to appease the Lord by offering of their flocks in sacrifice to Him. Their last minute desire to make amends for their prior refusals would not be accepted by God because “he hath withdrawn himself from them.”

   My question today is, has American gone too far from Him? Has our nation neglected his will for too long? Have we crossed the threshold of no return? Is there no way left whereby we may appease God to again restore us to a godly America as we once were? If as a nation we made a sincere effort to bring our families back to the holy standards of the Bible, would God once again make America great? The answer is, I don’t know! Perhaps we have gone too far.

   God has been gentle and longsuffering with our country. He has lead us through some hard times, i.e. the Revolutionary war; the Civil War; the WW I AND WW II; and other wars; the great depression; the turbulent 60’s & 70’s; hey do you realize that it is the “flower children,” the “hippies” who are now running this country?; if we may still call ourselves a Christian nation, the steady moral decline has left us a shallow and hollow Christian nation.

   Simply because God has been good to us in the past, our failings not withstanding, is no guarantee that He approves of our present state of affairs. The day may come, if it is not already here, that this pronounced, “one nation under God,” will become the victim of its own folly.

Look at the mess we are in and the political parties who lead us do not seem to have workable answers to get us out of the pits we’ve dug for ourselves.

   Why is America still in existence? It is because of a remnant of Bible believers, strong churches and enough Christian families strong in the faith who have withstood the onslaught of sin and degradation of society by speaking out against the evil, and by setting a godly example for others to follow. And because many of us still believe and practice the fundamentals of the Bible, and by much prayer for Almighty God to withhold from us the judgment we deserve because of our contrariness and unwillingness to repent and turn to Him.

   Beloved, if nothing changes and things continue to worsen, God may withdraw himself from our nation sending America and the rest of the world into the years known in the Bible as the time of Great Tribulation.

   I cannot predict when such may happen, but the example of Israel should forewarn us of the possibility of our fall too, “the pride of Israel doth testify to his face; therefore shall Israel… fall in their iniquity….”

   The context of Hosea tell us plainly what the things were for which God was going to judge them in a fall.

I. AMERICA HAS SOME NATIONAL SINS.

1. Verse 2 says, “profound to make slaughter…” This is what American has clambered for in abortion on demand. It is our nations way of saying we want our own lifestyle even if it means that some have to die to make it convenient for us.

   Can euthanasia of the sick and elderly be far off under Obamacare? Those over 75 will have someone else decide if they can have an expensive medical remedy for their life threatening illness.

   The Tale Of Two Doctors. Two patients limp into two different medical clinics with the same complaint. Both have trouble walking...and appear to require hip surgery.

The FIRST patient is examined within the hour, x-rayed the same day and has a time booked for surgery the following week.

   The SECOND sees his family doctor after waiting 3 weeks for an appointment, waits 8 weeks to see a specialist, gets an x-ray, which isn't reviewed for another week and finally has his surgery scheduled for 6 months later... Why?...the different treatment for these two patients?
   The FIRST is a Golden Retriever taken to a vet. The SECOND is a Senior Citizen on Obama care!
   In November...If our president gets another term..."we'll all have to find a good vet!"

   The social engineers have been removing the Bible believers, the true churches and the traditional homes from the stage of public opinions which count for anything in our modern society. We once were the desired commodity of a sturdy society, but we are now viewed as kooks on the fringe. Don’t listen to dedicated
Christian’s, preachers, or Bible believing churches, they only want to take all the fun out of life!

2. Sexual promiscuity is the order of the day. Most of society sees no sin in any form of deviant behavior. Lexington’s gay mayor; and the Gay Pride day yesterday testify to that! Even a United Church of Christ female preacher on the evening news supporting their lifestyle. Americans ask for free sex; safe sex; and sex that is not viewed as a criminal act. Well, I believe we still have to get married to have that, amen!

   Public schools teach it sex is okay if it is safe; the TV proclaims it as a normal way of life; many of our politicians example it.

   Here’s how badly society hates the Bible. A certain prosecution attorney quoted from the Bible pertaining to capital punishment and the judge declared it a mistrial and set the criminal free.

   America’s national immorality may destroy her. How much worse can things get before judgment falls?

 

II. AMERICA’S PROBLEM NATIONALLY.

Many of the prominent religious leaders are leading contrary to the dictates of the Bible. The view it as out of date with the modern world. Liberal theology has taken over the majority of the mainline churches. They are the ones oft looked to for opinions.

   When America honored strong conservative churches, America grew stronger. The nations now looks at such churches as the enemies and the deniers of enjoying the things life has to offer.

   We preachers have no choice if we want to do God’s will, preach His word, and it doesn’t change from one generation to the next. 2 Timothy 4:2-4 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

   American’s have taken the “S” out of “SINS.” Now it’s simply, “IN”.

Church pastors need to get back to preaching against sin; but many are afraid they will run people away if they are too strong against sin. And it will! People don’t like it when their play house is exposed to the light of Scripture. Preach the word and let Jesus Christ take care of the rest.

   Fifty years ago preachers were known for their hell fire and brimstone preaching that brought sinners to weeping repentance; that’s pretty much gone today; but now they are known for their ability to make church fun.

Perhaps preachers need to concentrate more on afflicting the comfortable than comforting the afflicted. When you get too comfortable in church, that’s when you go to sleep. I need to build some fire under us at times.

   The text refers to “the house of Israel.” A house make us think of the family. The family has been the foundation of successful society. But the institution of the family has fallen on hard times. When the home was valuable to people America was a stronger nation. Today the home is under attack.

   Dysfunctional families exist because God has been left out! He is shut out as he was by Israel in the text.

Child abuse is a national disgrace. The home has been weakened by the changing roles of parents. Many parents appear to have deserted the role of parenting. What is wrong with many of the kids is that they don’t have parents who will give them good moral guidance and practice the parental prerogative to say, “no.”

   No tatoo’s, no drugs, no alcohol, no sex, no babies until you get married, no smoking, no indecent clothing, no nudity, no filthy language, no ear studs on boys, no lip, eyebrow, bellybutton, or studs on other parts of your body, how disgusting, (now I’m meddling). Have I left anything out? Well, include that too.

   Politics and government, v. 4, “they will not frame their doings to turn unto their God.” That means they will NOT conform their ways to the ways of God.

   Our judicial system is in shambles, the Supreme Court has made many wrong decisions from Roe v Wade to the most recent on Obamacare etc. SCOTUS is a group of appointed people who have such widely varying opinions of what the laws mean in every day society that they rarely have a unanimous decision on anything! Yet, things stand or fall on what these 9 people say which often is NOT what the majority of American citizens believe about the issues. But we live according to their decisions many of which we believe are morally reprehensible.

     1 Peter 2:13-15 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. 15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:”

   However for conscience sake, we must resist our taxes being used to fund abortions, or any other morally wrong thing according to the Bible.

   America is in trouble economically. The national debt will be passed on to our children and grandchildren who will never be able to repay it. Our credit rating in the world has been lowered; our main banks also recently downgraded; unemployment a problem; jobs disappearing; my how all of this is depressing. And my intention is not to depress anyone, but to make us all aware that the “one nation under God” is in serious jeopardy and serious step MUST be taken if it is to survive.

   III. GOD’S WARNING TO ISRAEL IS HIS WARNING TO US. In the text, God told them it was too late to avoid judgment; get ready for it. But perhaps it is not too late for America.

   Jeremiah 29:13-14 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.”

   Psalms 51:16-17 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

   Americans often search for God with empty hearts and defiled hands. That won’t work.

   IV. IS THERE A NATIONAL SOLUTION FOR THE USA? 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” America’s healing can come only by something like this!

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Revelation 11:17 "Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned." 

 

SERVICES:

SUNDAY MORNING:

Bible Study 9:30
Worship 10:30

 

SUNDAY EVENING:



Choir Practice 5:00



Men’s Prayer 5:15



Evening Worship 6:00

 

WEDNESDAY EVENING:

Men’s Prayer 5:15

Sermon 6:00

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