Violated God and Sick Land — E.A. Johnston

America's Moral and Spiritual Sickness

Listen, friends, if you think this nation of America is not sick, then you've been living with your head in the sand. Tornadoes, floods, and fires run like herds of buffalo all over our heartland, leaving destruction at every turn.

Mass murders are commonplace in this land of sudden death. You're not safe going outside anywhere in this violent country whose streets are blood red. New England towns where holy men of God like George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards once stood and preached now host pride parades and sell legalized marijuana.

Where will the madness end in this sin-sick land of ours where evil is called good and good evil? America has violated the God of the Bible by legalizing sin and legislating God out of the land. It won't be long, friends, when it'll be a crime to be a Christian in this God-hating nation of ours.

The day is fast approaching in America where Christians will be viewed as enemies of the state. Meanwhile, a violated God will not stand idly by while wicked society mocks him and provokes him with evil.

This nation sits on the verge of complete destruction and annihilation and it can come at any moment. The title of my message today, friends, is A Violated God in a Sick Land. My text can be found in the book of 2 Chronicles.

The Promise of Healing in 2 Chronicles 7:14

You can turn in your Bibles there now, friends. We will be in chapter 7 and verse 14. It's a familiar but forgotten verse of scripture. Let me read this striking passage to us at this time. Here now is the word of God and may the Spirit of the Lord attend the reading of his holy word.

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 I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Let me ask you, friend, does our land need healing? I believe it does. God has three promises here in 2 Chronicles 7, 14. These three promises are number one, I will hear from heaven. Number two, I will forgive their sins.

And number three, I will heal their land. I believe God is a covenant-keeping God who keeps his word. I believe the word of God is true and that God is true to his word. God declares in this verse that he will do these three things.

Humility and the Need for Revival

But what are the conditions involved here from the people of God? He says, if my people do such and such, then I will do such and such. If we do something, then he will do something. Why aren't we doing it?

Why aren't we seeing revival? Let's take a look at what God is waiting for us to do. The first thing is to humble themselves. This speaks of having a contrite heart. Where is the brokenness in the people of God?

Why are our eyes dry and our Bibles closed? God's word declares in Isaiah 57, 15. For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also.

That is also of a contrite and humble spirit. To revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. So the first thing God is looking for from us is humble themselves. I don't think this nation of proud churches has complied with that.

Prayerlessness in the Church

Secondly, God says we should pray. The trouble with this second requirement is that we killed off the weekly prayer meeting years ago in our churches. Very few know how to pray and gain the ear of the Almighty.

I believe we are derelict in prayer. Thirdly, God says seek my face. This is a stinging indictment to the modern church who has walked God to the back door of the church and kissed him goodbye. We replace God in our churches with entertainment and laughter.

Seeking God's Face Through Daniel's Example

As we've kicked God out of our sanctuaries and invited the world in, we don't know what seeking his face even entails anymore. If you want an idea of how to seek God's face, friend, go camp out in the book of Daniel and meditate in chapter 9 in verses 1 through 20 and you will see what is involved in seeking God earnestly.

Verses 3 through 5 give us a hint of what is necessary to comply with this demand. The prophet Daniel says, And I set my face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplications, with fastings and sackcloth and ashes.

And I prayed unto the Lord my God and made my confession and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keep in the covenant and mercy to them that love him and to them that keep his commandments. We have sinned and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments.

I will stop there, friends. It breaks my heart to say it, but I believe we're derelict in this area as well. We have not complied with the stated terms of a holy God. Lastly, God says, turn from their wicked ways.

Repentance and the Church's Refusal to Turn

Let me ask you, friend, have we turned from our wicked ways? Where is the brokenness and heartfelt repentance in our churches of this land? The proud, self-reliant church refuses to humble herself and repent and turn from her wicked ways.

She won't do it. She won't comply. So the three promises of God here to the people of God remain the unfulfilled promises of God because we won't do what is necessary for God to come and heal our land instead of our sanctuaries being turned into Bethels, into night, all-night prayer meetings and solemn assemblies where the brokenhearted people of God lie on their faces, where the ministers weep between the porch and the altar over the sins of the people.

We just have pizza nights, movie nights, and we continue on in our apathy and indifference to the judgments of God upon this land. Listen to me, friends, and listen to me loud and clear. If we don't comply with God's word from 2 Chronicles 7, then this nation will continue to fill its cup of iniquity.

Divine Judgment and the Call to Revival

She will continue to violate a holy God, and she will continue to provoke him with outright evil and sin. Oh, while an indifferent church plays her little games and sits idly by while this nation passes into destruction and oblivion.

Heaven help us all.