Calling America Back to God

Sermon OverviewScripture Reference: Nehemiah 1:1-3The America of today is not the America that we once knew. This nation has been taken captive by the world, the flesh, and the devil.God has blessed America; but we have created greed out of abundance, turning freedom into license to sin. There is hope, as there was hope in the days of Nehemiah, but we must be committed to calling America back to God.In the days of the Old Testament, God’s people had been taken captive and carried away to a foreign land. In Nehemiah 1:1-3, Nehemiah, a cup-bearer to the king, heard about Jerusalem where a nation’s glory was now buried beneath despair.Nehemiah’s first response was to visualize the situation: he wanted to see the situation for what it was.City walls are for protection, and in this passage, Jerusalem’s walls had fallen. Spiritually, America’s walls of defense have fallen, and we are vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks.We must get an accurate picture of how our nation’s moral walls have decayed, and how our spiritual gates have burned; once we picture it in our minds, it should break our hearts.“So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 1:4).Nehemiah agonized over Jerusalem; he wept and prayed over the ruins of his home.Adrian Rogers said, “The things that break the heart of Almighty God ought to break our hearts.”Nehemiah’s prayer was filled with contrition, confession, and confidence. He prayed the Word of God, reminding God of His own promises to gather and restore those who have been scattered for His own sake. (See Nehemiah 1:8-9.)Finally, after committing himself completely to God and fasting and praying for four months, Nehemiah organized. He risked his own life and livelihood when he sought the king’s permission, protection, and provision to go on mission to restore the walls of Jerusalem.God is primarily looking for our obedience, faith, and love. When we get serious about serving Him—when we have visualized, agonized, and organized—He will grant us permission to carry out His will, with His protection and provision.Apply it to your lifeWould you commit to fasting and praying for America? Visualize the ways this nation is in trouble. Agonize in prayer for our country—praying with contrition, confession, confidence, and commitment.