A RIGHTEOUS RESPONSE TO A FAILING FOUNDATION
"If the foundations be
destroyed, what can the righteous do?" - Psalm 11:3
When
contractors begin the process of building a high-rise, much of the work is
concentrated on the foundation. If the
foundation is flawed, the rest of the building will be unstable and will
ultimately fall. Safety and security
begins with the foundation. The same is
true our individual lives. Certainly,
this truth applies to our nation.
Typically,
we are impressed with the super structure of a building. However, the most important part of the
building is rarely seen --- the foundation.
Without a good foundation, the building will not stand during a storm. Without a good foundation, the building will
not stand the test of time.
Right
now, the foundations are being destroyed in America. The foundation that our forefathers established has been the
target for destruction. Sadly, the
American church has been virtually silent while destruction occurs.
In
recent days, we've seen lawless acts conducted by citizens. We've even seen famous men condone such behavior and even encourage it.
When authority is undermined, a nation is in trouble. Beneath all the talk and rhetoric are issues
like racism, hatred, violence, dishonesty and anger. These are perilous times.
Our nation is in trouble.
It
is said that the sign of a termite's presence is rarely seen until the damage
has already been done. The termites of
sin have been busy eating away the foundation of our nation.
Our
text asks the question, "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the
righteous do?" I think that
American Christians need to ponder this question today.
Let
me share some thoughts about our nation and our eroding foundations.
1. REALIZE
The
first step in addressing our nation's problems is to realize the
truth. It is easy to live in denial and
pretend that everything is going fine.
The truth is often difficult to admit and even more difficult to
address, but the situation can never improve until we honestly confront the
problem. We need to see things as they
are, not as we wish them to be.
2. REPENT
Secondly,
we must repent of our involvement in the destructive process. Most believers are guilty of apathy and
inactivity. However, the Bible condemns
omission as sin (see James 4:17).
Americans
have slept while the devil has been busy.
By and large American Christians have been playing church, but the devil
has not been playing at all. Instead,
our enemy has implemented a very clever strategy that targets the very
foundation of our lives while believers have remained silent.
It
is easy for believers to blame an unbelieving society for the mess that we're
in. However, unbelievers are walking in
darkness. We shouldn't expect
unbelievers to stand fast for the truth --- that is our job. We want to blame politicians or some special
interest group for our nation's demise, but the real blame lies at the house of
God. We've allowed our nation's
foundation to be compromised during our watch.
We
need to repent.
3. RESIST
Third,
we need to resist. The Bible says,
"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). As Christians, we've remained silent too
long. We have permitted many sinful
ways to become acceptable, all under the umbrella of "unity" and
"love."
As
believers, we should resist evil instead of permitting it. We should take a stand for truth, even if we
stand alone.
We
are more interested in being liked than being right. Your popularity is meaningless if God is not pleased. We'd prefer to entertain people than to impact them.
Before
a foundation can be reconstructed, the termites must be removed.
4. RESTORE
Finally, we need to work
together to restore the things that have been taken away. It is easier to maintain a good foundation
than to rebuild one. However, once the
damage has been done, it is deadly to delay the work of restoration.
As believers, there are a
number of things we should concentrate on.
First of all, we need concentrate on prayer. God is the only One who can turn our nation
around. We desperately need Him. We must begin on our knees.
Secondly, we need to
return to the Word of God. Dust off
your Bible and begin reading it again.
We need to have Biblical literacy in our churches once more.
Third, we need to obey
the Lord. It is not enough to know
the Bible, we need to believe and obey the Word. Obedience is missing from the lives of many Christians. For the believer, there is no substitute for
obedience.
Next, we need to
restore Biblical doctrine to our pulpits.
It is sad to see how many preachers are preaching false doctrine. We need a revival of old-fashioned sin
hating, Christ-honoring, Spirit-filled, soul-winning, Church-edifying,
God-pleasing preaching.
Also, we need to be
bold with our faith. We need to be
bold believers for Jesus Christ. Our
dying world needs the very hope that we have.
We need to stand for God's Word.
We need to boldly proclaim the Gospel and win souls.
Furthermore, we need to
make the most of opportunities.
Every time there is an election, Christians should make the most of the
opportunity by voting. I am not
promoting one party or candidate over another.
However, it is vital that our decisions be based upon the Word of God. As important as it is to vote, our nation
will not be turned around at the voting booth.
Instead, our nation will be turned around in the prayer closet. Yet God expects us to make the most of our
opportunities. Make the most of
opportunities to let others know what God says.
Our foundations are being
destroyed. It is time for believers to
stand up and begin restoring the foundations.
Begin with your own life. Work
on the foundation of your marriage. Get
busy restoring the foundation of your family.
Let's work together to secure the foundation of our churches. Finally, let us labor in harmony to see that
the foundation of our nation be restore.
Restoring foundations
won't happen overnight, but it needs to start.
Today is good day to begin.