(*This American sermon/lecture was delivered on July 10, 2022 Cedar Springs Christian Church. I pray that it blesses all who read it; that the Lord once again revives the hearts of people in this land to seek His Kingdom First as they remember the mighty works of God.)
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”
What would be the “scriptural lynchpin” to America’s grandiose success–if it could be distilled down to one principle? Our application of the very word “first” in this verseis the life-blood and tributary from where all blessing flow. The rejection of keeping first things first (according to God and his Word) is also the premise for an equally amazing downfall…. Should we fail to apply it, and all that pertains to it—we suffocate both our Constitution and our very own Declaration of Independence because it cannot breathe the modern air.
What is this modern air? The modern air is simply a vacuum: a lack of the fear of the Lord—a lack of “awe” and loyalty to His Word. Modern air lacks the fortitude to simply breathe…because it rejects the Natural Laws and Law giver–where all blessings come from.
John Robinson, the very pastor who sent the mayflower on her way to The New World, discharged the pilgrim voyage with these earnest words:
“I charge you before God…that you follow me no further than you have seen me follow the Lord Jesus Christ. If God reveals anything to you by any other instrument of His, be as ready to receive it as you were to receive any truth by my ministry, for I am verily persuaded the Lord hath more truth yet to break forth out of His Holy Word. For my part, I cannot sufficiently bewail the condition of those reformed churches which…will go, at present, no further than the instruments of their reformation. The Lutherans cannot be drawn to go beyond what Luther saw; whatever part of His will our God had revealed to Calvin, they will rather die than embrace it; and the Calvinists, you see, stick fast where they were let by that great man of God, who yet saw not all things….” –John Robinson
So, it is true—historically, the people that comprise history do not have it all together, nor do they have all the answers! But, in as much as people and history reveal Christ, we should listen to how and what history preaches to us! Historically speaking, seeking God and His righteousness first was the ethos and soil used to transplant our beloved fellow Puritan Pilgrims. On September 16th 1620 they “risked” it all, because they truly did “cast all their cares on Him”; they truly believed God cared for them and their cause. There is power in knowing that God is for you and not against you. There is power in walking according to His will.
The quote from Winthrop’s Sermon Lecture, “A Model of Christian Charity”, intensifies the focus on the catalyst for their success. He quotes Matthew’s Gospel (5:14) in which Jesus warns that….“a city on a hill cannot be hid….” Winthrop warned his fellow Puritans that their new community would be,
“as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us…so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world.” –Winthrop
Those 400yr old words are a prophetic principle. Firstly, if it is true, the earnest question of the day is this: Am I seeking God’s Kingdom and His righteousness first, regardless of outcomes and how it serves me personally? Secondly: Is my cause—our cause in this America—a cause that God will fight for, or a cause for him to strive against?
Because the colonies were well versed in principles of the Word, the Word is what nursed the colonies to maturity—eventually necessitating them to declare Independence +100yrs later from tyranny and lawbreaking monarchy. The fruit of Independence was not just born out of brilliance and miraculous providence; an overarching faithfulness to Biblical principle of Law and order is what God honored (and still honors). The American miracle is not without its faithful people, nor they without their faithful Word-keeping God.
I have just claimed two things: First, The Puritan voyage of the Mayflower transplanted the seeds of liberty before any Revolutionary Declaration was ever made in 1776.Secondly, the Bible drove the social structure of those times—before the First Continental Congress eve convened! We were free because Christianity made us so; our supreme authority was the Word of God, not the King. And, as long as the King bound himself under God and His law (as he was to swear), the two could travel together because they were agreed.
Biblical principle and it’s authority preceded sterile government, and major sects of the populace lived under subjection to God and His Word. The years prior to 1776, revival in pulpits and principled living gave government “LIFE” and a body to breathe in…because God is the only one who can give life to both! The proof of these claims is further justified in the words, intentions, and spirit, of those who participated in this great experiment.
Dr. Benjamin Rush, signer of The Declaration of Independence “The great enemy of the salvation of man, in my opinion, never invented a more effectual means of extinguishing Christianity from the world than by persuading mankind that it was improper to read the Bible in schools…. It should be read in our schools in preference to all other books because it contains the greatest portion of that kind of knowledge which is calculated to produce private and public temporal happiness.” –Finished Princeton degree at 16; father of public schools, President of the 1st American antislavery society, established 1st free medical clinic
James Madison, Primary author of the U.S. Constitution, declared “We have staked the whole future of American civilization not on the power of government (or Constitution), far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”
Thomas Jefferson (Unitarian), “God who gave us life gave us Liberty. Can the liberty of a nation be secure when we have removed conviction that these liberties are the gift from God? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever.”
These quotes do not come from infallible men. However, they do come from God-fearing men who were well versed in the principles of Scripture; allowing those principles to work for the betterment of society. The social fabric of society was the Bible! Without learning from this example—and returning to ancient paths, in this way—then we are simply trying to vote, legislate, and politic our way out of the consequences of our sin. We cannot vote our way out of that which we have sinned our way into! God is merciful, but he is also true to what He legislates. God is kind, but he is also kind enough not to lie to us about consequences…He is gracious enough to give us the truth. Our responsibility is to listen to Him and obey—it is all for His glory and for our good.
So, was “seeking first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness,” a major principle successfully handed down from 17th century puritans to 18th century revolutionaries? Yes, it was. Now it would be an overstated, exaggerated, and ridiculously inflated thing to state that all peoples conformed to Christianity! That would simply not be true. However, what is not an overstatement is this: the ethics, ethos, and morality of the Bible was culturally tolerated, accepted, endorsed, and appealed to for wisdom and governance.
What is the point of all this inflamed righteous appeal? The answer is a Biblical principle, “you reap what you sow”—as was demonstrated from 17th century puritans to 18th century revolutionaries. The seeds we sow today sprout tomorrow and in successive generations—for the evil or for the good.
The tell-tale heart of history leads us to this question: What are we sowing? How are we sowing it? and Is God on our side in the sowing? I am told that if you feed and water grass well enough, it outgrows, outproduces and chokes out the weeds to a manageable ratio. So too, I believe, it can be this way again with a repentant nation—but only, and by God who inclines hearts back to the Word…. People who trust the Word unapologetically and leave the rest up to God are ultimately—and always—a successful people in respect to eternity.
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” John Adams
This little quote matters because it comes from one of it’s the leading supporters and influencers! Authors and men of good repute get to tell you what they mean, anyone else is simply a critic of someone else’s meaning and work.
Let me prove to you why this understanding matters. In the Declaration of Independence we read, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Today this either reads as a “take it or leave it”-politically incorrect statement for some, or it reads as a truth that should be embraced (as was intended). This beautifully true language–and all other document, principle, and charter of that time—LOSES ITS IMPACT if there is a denial of a CREATOR. The whole house collapses if the foundation is undermined. A house dedicated to the principles of God and truth will collapse under the tutelage of false principles and lies.
If the public allows bias to cut out the truth that there is a Creator, who’s laws can be known; people will deduce–under the influence of perverse logic—bring an indifference to important words such as equality and endowment of certain unalienable rights if there is no God to be accountable to. Without God giving the definitions, man senses a freedom from Law and Law-giver that ultimately destroys him! Cutting out definitions, redefining laws/principles and undermining authority from the Bible, leaves society to the care and authority of man.
Benjamin Rush knew the “air” that the Constitution breathed by declaring the following,
“I do not believe that the Constitution was the offspring of inspiration, but I am satisfied that it is as much the work of a Divine Providence as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament.” –Benjamin Rush
If we unplug Judeo-Christian values from the era, we are simply imposing 21st century politicallycorrect ideals on History–making it read entirely different. This is an ingenious lie, to husk history of only the truth we want, in order to shape the future! Husking history of Christianity and God simply cuts off the air that the Constitution breathes. Ultimately it suffocates. Our founding fathers knew, by experience, that a King or government left unchecked by the Laws of God can become tyrannical. Any man or government becomes this way if not held accountable to laws and a judiciary higher than their own. All of this said to stress: America grows healthy when she is characterized by a self-governing; moral and religious people.
Often, we look for miracles and supernatural acts that occurred in the footholds of Revolutionary battles, the life of Washington, the physical and political nature of the struggle itself…but the real miracle—the root of these miracles–is that many embraced a “providential God” who was concerned about the affairs of men. This alignment with God led them to accomplish His Will. Because of their awareness of God’s active role (non-passive) in life, the majority of revolutionary society made their appeals for Liberty and Justice thru their Bibles, along with those men in the pulpits who wielded them.
When Christian principles are revered in society, there is a recognition of sin, Christ, and a need of laws to keep men accountable for the sin that “crouches at the door” (Gen. 4:7). Even the Christian King of Britain was not revered as being above law. The important axiom for the Fathers was this: If the King is under God, then he is not above God’s law—then he can be held accountable to the laws of God…and therefore—if needful—be resisted under obligation of honoring God above man. These ideals were providentially crucial to their conduct and integrity to pursue the future freedom of America. It became convictional, not just philosophical reasoning. Convictions are powerful, especially when God is the author of them. Convictions can be an unrelenting force when God convicts the hearts of men…convictions are revolutionary when they are true to God’s Word.
It is important to understand our history and the order of events. The first misstep in reading history would be to accuse ourselves of rebelliousness and “being out of step” with God in our Revolution and political tensions. But, from Jesus’ beatitudes (Matt. 5:9), Christians are called to be “peacemakers”—it is an active role, not a passive one. The founding fathers knew this and drew up the “Olive Branch Petition” to quell the long-sufferings and grievances caused by Britain. If the King had received the “Olive Branch” with reasonable redress, we would inevitably have become part of Great Britain. But it was not received well; it was received with hostility and violence.
“Blessed are the peacemakers….” Blessings come to those who try to make peace—this aligned them with God’s providential aid in the course of Revolutionary history. God’s Word does have power, does provide blessing, does provide direction and wisdom. They knew this. So, when the Continental Congress was gathered for the first time, a precedent was set forward to petition God for favor; and first confess their dependency on Him for success. John Adams recounts in his notes:
A precedent of prayer was established out of necessity and dependency on God. John Adams recounts: “When the Congress first met, Mr. Cushing made a Motion, that it should be opened with Prayer. It was opposed by Mr. Jay of N. York and Mr. Rutledge of South Carolina, because we were so divided in religious Sentiments, some Episcopalians, some Quakers, some Anabaptists, some Presbyterians and some Congregationalists, so that We could not join in the same Act of Worship.—Mr. S. Adams arose and said he was no Bigot, and could hear a Prayer from a Gentleman of Piety and Virtue, who was at the same Time a Friend to his Country. He was a Stranger in Phyladelphia, but had heard that Mr. Duchè (Dushay they pronounce it) deserved that Character, and therefore he moved that Mr. Duchè, an episcopal Clergyman, might be desired, to read Prayers to the Congress, tomorrow Morning. The Motion was seconded and passed in the Affirmative. Mr. Randolph our President, waited on Mr. Duchè, and received for Answer that if his Health would permit, he certainly would.” –John Adams
The Rev. Douche prayed the following the next day:
“O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech thee, on these our American States, who have fled to thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee, to Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give; take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle! Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior. Amen.” —Rev. Douche
To echo what the Rev. Douche eloquently prayed: God is Ruler, He is uncontrolled by anyone, and THE sovereign Lord over all the Kingdoms. He is the author of history “then” and He is the author of History “now”. Our responsibility is to ask a better question: How do we make him Lord of the hour in which we live?
Jesus prayed, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven….” Jesus is clearly NOT portrayed as an American patriot adorned in red, white, and blue! But, as the God/Man on our behalf, he is a patriot of heaven who takes heaven by storm, by bringing heaven to earth. First and foremost; His allegiance is to the will of His father in Heaven. The application for us is this: When heaven is petitioned, and allegiances (based on Matt. 6:33) shift from a worldly allegiance to the heavenly one, it is then that a 1776 America happens. Apart from this truth, freedom only runs on the fumes of a greater generation; the generations that largely appealed to the God of the Bible.
It is no mistake that in seminary we were often told, “So goes the pulpit, so goes the Church,” and it is equally true, “So goes the Church, so goes America.” You can arrive to this conclusion by reading the assessment of a French Diplomat. He was intrigued by America, because in the same timeframe of Americans winning their Revolutionary War, France was beginning theirs. Alexis De Tocqueville was dumbfounded when he discovered that legislation alone did not make the Republic of America “tick”.
I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers—and it was not there. . . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests—and it was not there. . . . .in her rich mines and her vast world commerce—and it was not there. . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution—and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great. –Alexis De Tocqueville
What are we to do? America, largely today, does not fit this description! Herein lies the solution to a common rebellion: people are at their best when submitted to the Word of God(.) The “revolution” is ongoing; it never really was intended to stop! The human spirit is inclined to do evil and must endure constant revolution by personal reform. If this government is truly, “by the people, for the people….” as President Lincoln famously declared in his “Gettysburg Address”, then the people are responsible for it’s rise and fall. And it all starts and ends in this revolutionary ideal: man is accountable to God. Is the success of America paramount on your list of concerns, or is God’s kingdom and righteousness more glorious to you? Failure is imminent and sin crouches at the door when our loves are out of order and non-existent.
“I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first….” (Rev. 2:4) According to the basic principle here in Rev. 2:4, Christians must consider the error of loving/depending on institutions, things, and people, more than God—the one who grants life and liberty. The air can change, but it begins with individual homes who are “Bible-faced” (a demeaning remark given by British soldiers to American patriots), who hold their leaders—of every stripe—accountable to the principles of the Word.
In Numbers 14:22, the Israelites were forbidden to enter the promised land because they would not obey and fight the battles as the Lord instructed. Where are you in that scenario of the Christian life? In your sphere of influence? It is in our DNA that we do not depend on God like we should—until we arrive in the fetal-position of self-reliance. Here, miracles can happen; here the destruction of nations do occur…but it all comes down to choosing “…choose this day whom you will serve….” (Joshua
24:15) and whether men will, again, begin to, “…call upon the name of the Lord…) (Gen. 4:26)
It is no stretch to say that most Americans, of that timeframe, believed in a providential God; one who governs the affairs of men. Benjamin Franklin, one of the least religious, but who knew his Bible, made this following remark before the Declaration of Independence was voted down in a major controversy.
“I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? —Benjamin Franklin
There is a power in knowing the God of the Bible and a comfort of leaning into His providence. The great George Washington was no stranger to having an opinion on the matter as well:
“While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.” –George Washington
Although there is much to say, I will end this American sermon and “plea” with a concise, pointed-call, to “posture”. Psalm 121 “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help comes from the Lord, which made heaven and earth….” –and these United States.
Political pragmatism, hard work, etc.—although needed—is NOT solely what made America great—or even those qualities that will solely “Make America Great Again.” God alone did that and can do it again if he raises up men and women/households and families to fear the Lord. This is the Lord’s work. I beleive he is not done. America has been Exceptional only because of an Exceptional God. Our responsibility is to get our loves in order of importance and seek His Kingdom first in all that our hand finds to do…. Because we are patriots of heaven first; the feet of the saints that walk the halls of government institutions, the feet that go to work every day, the feet that recline at dinner with the family, go to churches—wherever the gospel of peace covers the feet of Christ’s saints, that ground beneath their foot is holy ground. Freedom comes through recovering the ancient paths and by looking to His Word (Jer. 6:16).
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