Revival & Christian Nationalism

Okay, so turn if you would to the book of Ezra book of Ezra chapter 9 and this morning we're going to be looking at the subjects of revival and Christian Nationalism. Now who has heard that term Christian nationalism.

Just raise your hand if you have heard it.

Okay, so you got.

Two.

Two people if you haven't heard it yet. I suspect you'll hear it in the future. Revival and Christian nationalism. Most of you know what revival is. You have at least an idea of what revival would? Look like Christian nationalism basically just to give a very short definition.

It's the idea that Christianity is part of our national identity that from the founding of the United States of America we were a Christian nation and that Maybe we're not right now, but we should be and Christian nationalists if they even exist.

This term is really debatable. But the Christians want to see the United States as a Christian nation. Do you want to see the United States as a Christian nation? I think we would all say amen. But how do you go about that?

What would that look like? That's that's kind of up for up for grabs a little bit so we're gonna be looking at these subjects. Let me just throw out a few questions. Do you think our nation has Christian roots?

Christian roots, okay. The Lord is referenced in the Declaration of Independence and almost all of the founding fathers at least claimed to be Christians and Many if not, most are on record making statements about the importance of Christianity in the Bible and how they were related to this newly Founded nation, so I'm gonna read some of the quotes in a few minutes.

But when you hear the word revival, what do you think of when you hear that term? Moody okay renewal. Revival yeah people have this idea of All Sorts of new converts coming to Christ people getting fired up from for God, so Let's begin by talking about the subject of revival and hopefully you'll see by the end how these two terms may be Connected but depending on the Bible translation you use the word revive or Revival is mentioned twice.

Okay, just that specific word in English revive or revival is only mentioned twice in the Bible and both times it is a prayer or an expression of thanks to God for his blessing in restoring the nation of Israel back to faith in the Lord.

So in other words when the scripture speaks of revival in the only two occasions where it's mentioned. It's speaking of national Revival not just that a church doubled in size that is talking about revival all throughout The nation and obviously it's speaking of the nation of Israel in in scripture.

We all know that Israel had its highs and lows right. Anyone who's ever read the Old Testament knows that the northern kingdom of Israel. Because they forsook the ways of the Lord they were Destroyed conquered and basically the ten tribes are called they're referred to now as the the lost tribes of Israel the southern kingdom of Judah was taken into captivity to Babylon and both of these references that we are going to look at seem to be speaking of revival in the southern kingdom of Judah, so let's look at Ezra chapter 9 verse 8.

Ezra chapter 9 verse 8 says. And now For a little while while grace has been shown from the Lord our God. To leave us a remnant to escape and to give us a peg speaking of security. To give us a peg in this holy place that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage.

So you see that word Revival. Okay now flip ahead to Psalm chapter 85. We sign about the nation. They were taken captivity into captivity into Babylon. God restored them. They turned to the Lord when they came back into the land.

That was national revival. Now this passage it appears to be speaking about the same thing Psalm 85. We'll read verses 1 through 7. Lord you have been favorable to your land you have brought back The captivity of Jacob you have forgiven the iniquity of your people and you have covered all their sin.

You have taken away all your wrath. You have turned from the fierceness of your anger. Restore us Oh God of our salvation and cause your anger toward us to cease. Will you be angry with us forever. Will you prolong your anger to all generations?

Will you not revive us again? So you see the word will you not revive us again? Will you? Excuse me that your people may rejoice in you show us your mercy Lord and grant us your salvation. So will you not revive us again?

So these are the two passages they use the term revive or Revival and the word itself in Hebrew means to give life or to sustain Life, so that's that's what we're looking about looking at and it's talking about giving life breathing life into The nation of Israel.

Okay. Yes, Jim.

For.

For restore us Oh God of our salvation and cause your anger toward us to cease. Right. And I think you know, this is generally true. This is the prayer for Christians in the United States that we're praying, you know, Oh Lord give us revival.

And if I've heard that once I've heard it a thousand times Christians praying for revival they desire Revival. I think if there's a Christian who doesn't want revival, I mean, what would you even say about that?

Yeah, so.

So God's people understand. I Hope the way things are right now in this country things are going downhill and downhill fast in the primary reason is Because this country has turned its back on God we did it a long time ago and it's just getting worse and worse and There's really only one way out of it.

The next election is not going to fix it if the Lord tarry's National revival is the only thing that can save this Republic from destruction. Founding father John Adams our nation's second president. He said our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.

It is wholly inadequate to the government. Or to the yeah to the governing of any other in other what does that mean? Yeah, if the people are not Christian This experiment isn't going to work. The Constitution, what is it?

It's a piece of paper. The Constitution is just a piece of paper without honest men to uphold it really it becomes meaningless. Now to those who want to see Christianity stamped out and those who do want to see this Republic Broken down and obviously those people are out there.

Their only argument that has gained any traction is that this country is inherently? Racist now we were bad from the start. So if this country crumbles if our system Crumbles and we have to build back with something better Then that's a good thing because we were bad from the start because of slavery.

We've we've all heard this argument and that's really the only argument that they have. Jim.

If you allow me I would make the read a couple of verses from 2nd Chronicles chapter 36 starting in verse 15. And the Lord of my father sent them by his messengers you Rising up be time sending because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.

But they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused the prophets until.

You.

Until the wrath of the Lord arose against them. They were there was no remedy. Okay reached a point where God said I'm done, right? Then I said therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans who slew their young men With the sword of the house of the sanctuary and had no compassion on the young men and women old men To him or him that stood up for age he gave them to it into his hand.

He everybody there was a remnant that came out of that because this was a precursor to them going into bondage. Okay, the battle but the point is is that you? Preach the Word of God and Believers or non-believers because if you read this passage It didn't matter whether people were believers or not believers.

He took everyone. Except that moment. Yeah, and that's what we're facing today. And I think we're not Babylon. The country's in Babylon, but God is. I think what you just said he's turned his back on.

The whole situation. Yeah. Well, we turned our back on him and he's right. Okay, I'm turning my back on you Larry.

Well, yeah.

And do we Not have to become the people we want to see.

Right. Yeah, and just the term Christian nationalism. I'm not even here saying hey, this is good This is what we need or this is but if you read certain some Christian content like the gospel coalition and Christianity today who you've heard of that founded by Billy Graham back in the 1950s.

I think a lot of people in those Groups would say Christian nationalism is actually a very bad thing. So there's actually a lot of evangelicals who are Speaking against Christian nationalism, so it requires a proper Definition of the term which is sort of the problem.

I'll get into that in a moment but clearly there are people who want to see this country going in a different direction a more secular direction and kind of Erase our Christian history or they'll say well We were never Christian to begin with and that's simply false and they want to replace it with socialism and The problem with socialism, of course is not only do you eventually run out of other people's money?

And then you have to print more money as they spend and then through inflation everybody becomes poor. It's not just that Socialism is an inherently anti-christian ideology. Okay, socialism and communism Come from it's under the banner of Marxism, you know who Karl Marx is he hated Christianity.

So I know there's Christians you say hey, you know just just preach the Bible. Don't talk about any of this stuff. Well, we ought to care because It's all tied in together if we buy in and a lot of churchgoers are starting to buy into this stuff if we go in that direction Churches are gonna be in a rough shape and we already are because we're we're going down that road all right, so Revival and Christian nationalism, I'm addressing these two terms and then if we have time we're gonna look at Genesis chapter 35 which has been described as the first revival Recorded in Scripture.

So hopefully we'll have time for that just one more comment about this term revival. When people hear that term they think of just people getting fired up for God. We're praying for churches to be full or maybe churches have a revival meeting.

You've heard of that churches have a revival meeting in the past. They'd have tent meetings. We're an evangelist comes into town. He stirs the people up and then they have an invitation at the end and all these people Come forward to accept Christ or at least that's.

That's the idea. So that's often what people think of as Revival does anyone have any? You know when you hear revival, do you think of anything else? That's kind of what I thought of but again in the Bible take it for what it's worth the only two occasions where that Word is actually there.

Yeah, it was talking about national revival. Okay more on that when we get to Genesis 35.

So.

Christian nationalism if you haven't heard the term yet, I think eventually you will. Now as far as the United States. Becoming or moving in a direction where we are more of a Christian nation. Why do people oppose that?

Why do people see it as a terrible thing?

Brad.

Right, right. Yeah, it's not tolerant towards the way the things they want. Of course the things they want are not inclusive or tolerant of the things we want. So I mean that works both ways. I think there are some well-meaning people who are afraid that United States is going to become like the Roman Catholic Church and a Theocracy and we're going to be you know, go back to the Salem witch trials or something like that.

I think that's a concern that some genuine people have. That's not really what what we're talking about. But we do believe I believe that you really can't separate Our nation's history with biblical Christianity whether you like it or not.

The two are connected Larry.

Whatever Group or party people belong to you have people that are extremists and you have people that aren't and everywhere in between and the downside with Christians is They're fallen humans. Yeah, and they said and.

But a lot of them portray You know a different Lifestyle, but they don't live it. Sure. And so it comes it reflects poorly. Yeah, just like the we've all heard soul fest is coming to Northfield. Well, I asked the town clerk about it.

He said well, there's been no request for permitting but there's been plenty of committees that have been established for large groups of which they Would prefer not to see any as he turned a hardcore evangelist.

Who who have no regard for private property and Picking up after themselves leaving trash. Just camping wherever they want because there's a piece of land, right? And that's what they're seeing and that's what they have shown.

And At Gunstock Mountain, that is why they are no longer allowed to be there is because they have not had a good testimony. Yeah.

Well, it's a people are people if you get a whole bunch of Christians together. You have a country with a Christian government quote-unquote whatever that that country is gonna have problems. Okay, but then you have a secular Government they're gonna have problems too.

You're gonna have problems either way. And yeah, you touched on something they want to keep Evangelicals out they want to push Evangelicals out. Well, I want to push communists out, you know, so I it's okay.

We understand each other. But the problem is when it resorts to violence all Good people ought to Agree with that. I think We don't want it to come to violence and the way I see it One side is trying to paint the other as extremists that if you don't agree with us You are a violent threat and that's where I fear.

This is a made-up term. This is how this is how I understand that. This is a made-up term to smear Evangelicals who are patriotic and want to see this country Restored back to some semblance of a one nation under God.

So I think they're making up this term to smear believers to try to paint Committed Christians as people who we think they just want to overthrow the government like a violent open. That's what I think.

That's where I think this is coming from. I could be totally wrong, but that's my perception of it. Is it we're entering into dangerous territory going forward?

Yes, Stacy.

Actually, what Brad said as far as the threat of a Christian or Christianity in general, I guess is that It points people to their sinful nature. So not only is it not inclusive, but it's Not inclusive to the sinful nature.

Yeah, and so speaking against the sinful nature. Especially in light of the direction that this country is headed so severely.

It.

Convicts right everybody's behavior, right? And so we can't have that because. Right, everybody has their own.

Will. Yeah their own.

View of what their life should be. Sure, so yeah, it's very much convicting.

Absolutely. Absolutely. So this is a battle over ideas. This is a battle over world view. Which side is going to win? But again, once one side becomes aggressive or violent they become the tyrants. And I don't think that's the way Christians are.

I know it's not the way Christians are but that's the way they're trying to paint Christians with this term in my in my opinion.

Yeah.

Satan will always try to cause divisions. And I'm thankful for the fact that and you mentioned wars and so forth, I mean obviously the United States. What came about and what it required the Revolutionary War, right?

You mentioned racism in the United States and slavery and so forth. Well that caused a civil war. I'm glad I mean and of course we used to be able to vote for Leaders, I'm not sure anymore if we are but Christians and godly people for the most part throughout all of human history have been in a minority.

Right.

And as I always say on Wednesday nights Israel was fighting physical battles because they were a physical nation. The church is a spiritual nation and we fight spiritual battles not physical. Okay, you had something.

The other side of your world.

They're cooking right, you know, they want us they want a response they want us to get violent, right? Yeah. Yeah, there's no doubt in my mind they're doing things intentionally to provoke a response.

They want the response because when there is a response then they have the pretext is already there to crack down Into it. Yeah, there's no question in my mind. That's what's happening. But let's let's just stick.

Yes one more and then try to keep it questions. I'm looking at my material.

I'll never get through it all so.

Questions from here on out. Yes. Yeah. Isms are bad. Right. We all know isms are bad.

Good good insight.

So the response to believers wanting the United States To be one nation under God people say don't impose your morality you Christians don't Impose your morality. Well, they want to impose their morality.

I mean somebody somebody's morality is going to be imposed. That's unavoidable or they will say Separation of church and state that's that's a big one. But is that really what the founders of this country believed.

Just a few quotes. George Washington once said it is impossible to rightly govern the world without the Bible. I Already mentioned John Adams how our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.

Thomas Jefferson the man who coined that term separation of church and state. He said that the Bible makes the best people in the world. Now these are politicians, you know, they say things like this.

They really believe it. I mean who knows but this is what they said and by the way that concept of separation meant that the state. This is what separation of church and state means that the state stays out of the affairs of the church.

And to that we say amen, right? So I believe in the separation but now they want a separation between the state and God. They want this country to be completely secular. That means you need to shut up.

You know, you can believe what you want in your house and maybe on church maybe in church on Sunday morning. But beyond that they want you to keep quiet. So just considering some of these statements. Clearly there is a connection between the Founding Fathers and Christianity.

Andrew Jackson once said that Referring to the Bible. He said that book is the rock on which our Republic.

Rests.

Abraham Lincoln said He said but for that book we could not know right from wrong. He said I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given. To man so there goes the idea that you know. The fathers of our country didn't want our nation to have anything to do with Christianity.

I want just one more quote. Ulysses S. Grant said the Bible is the anchor of our liberties and that of course stands in stark contrast to socialism and communism. Where they believe your rights in your civil liberties come from who from God?

No, they don't believe that. They believe your rights come from the government and guess what if the government can give you your rights. What else can the government do? They can take them away. Now the common rebuttal will be that those men Washington Jefferson Jackson they were all a bunch of racists.

They were terrible people. So who cares what they say? I mean, that's really the only response that they have that these men were deeply flawed. Yeah, our our leaders today deeply flawed. Everybody is flawed.

Okay. Let's turn to let's see. What's the next passage? We're gonna look at. Does anyone have any biblical passages that kind of come to mind about? Okay, no. Well Romans 3 23 says all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God.

So it doesn't matter leaders back then or leaders today everybody is.

Flawed.

So if someone makes up a term Christian nationalism to make you feel ashamed. That you think your nation should be abiding by to some degree the the Word of God. Don't let them make you feel ashamed. The Apostle Paul was not ashamed of the gospel.

The early Christians were not ashamed of their beliefs. The Bible is true Jesus is still Lord and God is to be obeyed no matter what the heathen think no matter what? They say so there's this spiritual battle going on in our nation.

I think just a a class like this is helpful to at least make you aware of it. Some of you are aware of a lot of these things, but just the term. Just watch out for it. If somebody brings this up the term They're usually coming from a place like well, you're not one of those people are you.

That you're gonna try to impose your morality. All right. So what about this term Christian nationalism? Christianity today. I want to read their statement on Christian nationalism, this is a publication founded in 1956 by Billy Graham who's read Christian.

Christianity today over the years. Okay, two people.

You've probably noticed their leftward drift. I'm assuming right Christianity today is not a conservative publication by any means. They're not flying the rainbow flag either. So, I mean they're not a lot of people consider them pretty middle-of-the-road.

Here's what they said about Christian nationalism. Said Christian nationalism is the belief that the American nation is defined by Christianity and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way.

Popularly Christian nationalists assert that America is in must remain a Christian nation. Not merely as an observation about American history. But as a prescriptive program for what America must continue to be in the future.

Scholars like Samuel Huntington. I don't know who that is. I have made a similar argument that America is defined by its Anglo Protestant past. The thing I don't like about this is they're trying to bring skin color into it.

You know, you just you know, you Anglos, you know, you white people basically I don't like it when they try to bring skin color into the argument but he said America is defined by its Anglo Protestant past and that we will lose our Identity and our freedom if we do not preserve our cultural inheritance.

He continues Christian nationalists do not reject the First Amendment nor do they advocate for theocracy? But they do believe that Christianity should enjoy a privileged position in the public square.

The term Christian nationalism is relatively new and its advocates generally do not use it of themselves but it accurately describes American nationalists who believe American identity is inseparable from Christianity here's why I'm not going to Embrace or reject the term number one.

It's brand new. So I don't totally know where it's coming from number two. People have different definitions for terms so I could think one thing and embrace it and they could say well you just want to keep The United States white that has nothing to do with it.

That has nothing to do with it. And Again I'm concerned about where this term came from and what the Motivation is, okay a Few things did Israel did the Nation of Israel have laws that enforced their religion?

Yeah that enforced did that to be a member of the Nation of Israel you had to observe these religious.

Holidays.

Yeah, they did didn't they? But the United States is not Israel and I don't know any Christian who's trying to make the United States Israel. Do do they exist. Are these people out there? Maybe but I think they would be the small minority so again Christian nationalism.

Honestly from what I can tell it's a made-up term in order to Attempt to slander Christians who are also.

Patriotic.

Another question. Do you think our laws? Should be influenced by what the Bible teaches. Yeah, I mean how could a Christian not believe that. Well, I'm a Christian, but I don't think we should actually Do anything about.

I don't think we should actually have our laws. To me that makes no sense. Obviously if you're not a Christian and you have a completely different worldview, you're not you're not gonna want that. You're gonna want something else.

So.

All right. Let's turn to Genesis chapter 35. So what's the solution? I'm saying going back to the term revival. Since in the Bible again the two times that English word is found. It's always speaking about a national revival in order for us to have true Revival.

I believe that it does have to be a national revival a church. Could go through a miniature revival in their own church or something like that's fine. But when people talk about revival, they're talking about something bigger.

They're talking about a movement of God. That isn't just going to affect one local assembly. You know and this isn't meant as an insult because we're all cheap. We're all sheep in the Lord's pasture. Sheep tend to follow a Shepherd right in order to see things change.

I believe the Lord is going to have to raise up a.

Leader.

Maybe not just one man, but men to lead.

The.

Flock in the United States and worldwide. I don't see that happening at the moment. But the the climate needs to change. I think one of the reasons why it's so hard to live the Christian life in the year 2022 is because you feel like you're alone.

And it's difficult and maybe you want to do the right thing but then when you try to do the right thing you get you know, you get slapped down by The unbelievers around you it even sometimes within the church you can you can get that.

So things need to change and it has to be I Believe a national revival, okay. Now speaking about a nation in the Old Testament you talk about the nation of Israel, right? How did the nation of Israel begin?

Well, they started off as a Family right the nation of Israel originally was one family of I think what 70 people that went down. Went down to Egypt. Who is the the patriarch. That's a that's another bad word that some of those people don't live the patriarchy.

Well, who is the patriarch? Yeah, okay. Abraham then his son Isaac and then Jacob. Jacob had his name changed to Israel. Jacob now is the patriarch of the family. So you're in Genesis 35. This has been described as the first revival in Scripture.

Let's read it says then God said to Jacob arise and go up to Bethel and there dwell and make an altar there to God who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother and Jacob said to his household into all who were with him.

Put away the foreign gods that are among you purify yourselves and change your garments, you know, one thing I find interesting is that Within Jacob's family and within that company. They had foreign gods.

They had idols usually these little Figures that represented other deities. Why was that permitted in the first place? But it was so he said put away Your foreign gods. Purify yourselves change your garments then let us arise and go up to Bethel.

Some people say Bethel. I say Bethel. What does Bethel mean? The house of God. And I will make an altar there to God who answered me in the day of my distress. And has been with me in the way, which I have gone.

So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods which were in their hands. And the earrings which were in their ears and Jacob hid them under the terebinth tree, which was by.

Shechem.

So I don't think they're getting them back. And they journeyed and the terror of God was upon the cities That were all around them and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob so Jacob came to Luz that is Bethel Which is in the land of Canaan he and all the people who were with him and he built an altar there and called the place Bethel because their God appeared to him when he had fled from the face of his Brother, so I would say it starts out.

Revival starts out when Individuals get right with the Lord. We need to purify.

Ourselves.

Then verse 9. Then God appeared to Jacob when he came from Pat and Aram and blessed him and God said your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name. So he called his name Israel.

Also, God said to him I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations Shall proceed from you and Kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you and to your descendants after you I give this land so you can see the connection between a revival being a national revival and I will give you this land if you do this.

So in conclusion just as Israel was to be a nation under God that's the prayer for Bible-believing Christians today that our nation would.

Be a nation.

Under God if we are really going to be blessed as a nation. We need to obey God and obey God's commandments. Anytime you've heard of Ten Commandments monuments in any time that's in the news. What are they doing?

They're trying to remove them. They're trying to take them out. The laws being passed are really about breaking the Ten Commandments. One political party somebody once said that their platform is basically the Ten Commandments in reverse and The other party really ain't a whole lot better.

At least maybe they say the right things, but they don't do the right things. So I'll say this that an election isn't going to change anything. May make things a little better a little worse. The only hope for this Republic is if there is a national revival and it starts with God's people so Whatever foreign gods God's people might have we need to put those away.

Whatever things that are hindering our walk we need to purify ourselves. Change our clothes seek the Lord and as a people again starting with the church. We need to seek to obey God. Without it the the judgment of God is already.

It's already here and I fear what's coming for our Children and grandchildren if if things don't change but God can still bless and protect his people in the midst of.

Calamity, so.

All right, Marcus. Okay, now we got two or three minutes for whatever.

But and you mentioned Theocracies a theocracy is the only thing that's kind of work. Democracies have never worked in all of human history for very long because the majority of people will be ungodly.

That's why I'm afraid. The only thing that's going to work is a kingdom where Christ is king.

Yeah, yeah, that's the only time you're really gonna have righteousness established when Christ is here ruling in. Person that that's that's true. But we we don't even have a democracy. We have a constitutional republic like people can't just vote whatever they want.

Like it has to be within the framework of the Constitution. That's the way it's supposed to be. But the Constitution is again. It's a piece of paper. If people aren't upholding it then it's not gonna really matter.

Larry so you mean I should be as excited about God as commandments and his word as I am about my favorite sports team. More.

More. Yeah, God has to take the place of preeminence. You can't put sports ahead of him. You can't put your political beliefs ahead of him. You can't but I mean everything. God has to be above.

Everything.