“What Makes Our Country Great” Jeremiah 6:16-23  7/4/10 (Independence Day)

      A couple of weeks ago we got back from a trip to the Holy Land.   We went to Israel and parts of the West Bank of Palestine- namely Bethlehem, Jericho, Bethany.  When I got back to America I wanted to kiss the tarmac.  I wanted to kiss that runway or the airport carpet- because I knew I was where I was supposed to be- where God put me in His providence- and there is no place like home.   But also, we truly live in a great, great country.   We have problems here, but not nearly as much as many countries.  That led me to ask the question I would like to explore with you,  “What makes America great?”

FREEDOM: CERTAINLY ONE THING THAT MAKES AMERICA GREAT IS OUR FREEDOM.  We have a FREEDOM FROM FEAR While I felt safe in Israel- we did see signs of an old war- bullet holes on the gates of Jerusalem;  The Israelis ran around with M-16s and handguns stuck in their back belts.  We don’t see police and M-16s much in America.  While I believe in the right to bear arms, I don’t feel that when I go to Columbiana Mall I need to have a gun by my side. 
But as we move away from God to become purposefully a secular society, we also move toward a more violent society and a higher crime rate.   For it is God who tells us and motivates us to not steal- even when we want something that is not ours.  It is God who tells us to not kill- even when we get angry.  As we move away from God, we move away from the rules God has given us.  We are standing at the crossroads.    I am afraid that the more we move away from the God who sets us free internally, we move away from our external freedom as well. When the Church was strong- there was no place for gangs and gang violence.  When people found peace in Christ- they did not seek peace in drug abuse or alcohol abuse.  Depending on where you live drug abuse is correlated to our crimes to the point that 45-70% of all crimes involve some kind of drug abuse.  We are set free from this. 

We have great FREEDOM TO WORSHIP- without restraint.  People have tried to restrict freedom of worship here in many ways, but usually the courts have kept people from doing so.  I will not forget when I went to Cuba, the pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Hector, was arrested while I was there along with two elders.  The crime was saying something against the government’s restrictions on freedom of religion .  They beat the pastor and then let him go the next day.   If you were a Christian there you could not send your children to college, you could not buy a new car; you could not buy a new house; You could not be hired for a job; and people were always watching and listening to you- to find a way to arrest you.  So church attendance plummeted.  In our culture we have great freedom- but we do not use our freedom as wisely as we could.  Instead of using our freedom to turn to God and be a more godly people, we use our freedom to turn away from God. 
Jeremiah was facing a king who had turned a deaf ear to the prophets- and they had in the name of tolerance brought the worship of  the fertility God’s and their sexual immorality into the King’s palace.   Jeremiah’s warning to the ruler to return to the King of kings for his freedom is a lesson  we should hear as well. 

THE GREAT FOUNDATION- I believe one of the reasons our government has lasted is that we have a great foundation. A huge part of this is that many people moved to our country seeking freedom of religion- including the Puritans and Pilgrims.  Here in South Carolina we have had French Huguenots like Francis Marion (the Revolutionary War General) and Henry Laurens (Head of the Continental Congress)- whose parents moved here from France to escape religious persecution because they were Calvinists.   The Scotch Irish of the Up-country moved here to escape persecution in Northern Ireland- including my own ancestors.   Freedom was built into our constitution- and this was the basis for the freeing of the slaves in 1865.  There is no doubt America owes a great debt to its foundation- that has kept a smooth transition from one government to the next.   A few weeks ago the president basically fired a four star general, and that was done without any worry of  a Coup D’etat.  That wouldn’t happen in many countries.   There is a long list of countries whose military has at some time taken over the government- but not ours.   The reason why was our constitution- and its great system of checks and balances.  John Adams who was a major source was a student at Princeton of Rev. John Witherspoon, who was the only minister to sign the Declaration of Independence- and was a firm believer in human sin and the need for checks and balances to offset it. 
Our passage in Jeremiah is a reminder that we need to get back to our roots.  It is a reminder to ask where the ancient paths are.  I am not talking about worshipping the constitution.   The ancient path is deeper than even the constitution.  It is found – not even in the law of Moses- but even deeper- the belief in God. 

NATURAL RESOURCES-  purple mountain majesty; fruited plain

You know there are other countries that have great resources like ours, but are not nearly as blessed as our country is.  My seminary professor, John Leith, asked that question.  Why is the combined GDP of South America which arguably has more wood, more water, more ocean ports, not nearly as wealthy as we are.  Our GDP in the United States is over $46,000 while the GDP of South America averages $9,300.  His answer was an ingredient called the Protestant work ethic- which has been a deep seeded belief in the need to be productive and useful for the glory of God. 
                But go deeper- who did this?  Who gave us our abilities, our natural resources- our talents? Mountains can be leveled in earthquake/volcano Mt St Helens
Israel and Jeremiah were also very conscious of their natural resources.  They believed God had given them their land- a land flowing with milk and honey. 
To forsake their God, was to forget the One who had given them all that they had- and would be the ultimate form of ingratitude, a great foundation, and freedom given by God.  America is at the crossroads- Many of you are at the crossroads- which way will you go?  Gratitude or Greed?

GENEROSITY- Ironically, America is one of the most generous countries in the world Giving $260 billion in 2009 (1.8% of our gdp) almost twice as much as the two closest countries who give .7% (Canada and Britain).  In the past we have not been greedy, but generous; We have not been afraid, but giving in faith.  In contrast to many nations who feel the need to tax in order to help the needy, Americans have given freely.  Most of the amount Americans give was by individuals.  Corporations only accounted for 5% of the gifts given to charity.  We also are the second highest country in the world that volunteers time to help others (20%- Canada is 25%).     Ironically, the more we have given away, the more we have been blessed.   That has been a biblical principle, and it shows comparing our country to others.  Christians and Christian charity lead the way.  Last Thursday a friend came back from Haiti to testify how many church folks were still there helping with earthquake relief. 
Our heritage is to give.  If you look at the heritage of even this church, you can see this.  I usually brag about how our own people pretty much built the gym building; and how we cut, cured, plained and laid down the wood for the floors in the fellowship hall.   Americans have generally been a people who were not afraid of the future- but have been able to trust their future with God. I wonder if we take God out of our lives, out of our time, and out of our generosity if we will maintain such a positive outlook for the future.   And if we do feel positive about the future without God, then what is the basis for our positivity? 
Ask for the ancient paths- what did our American ancestors do right?   A path was a way through the terrain.  It was a way through the woods or the rocks or through the mountains.  We do not need to try to re-invent a new way- cutting through briars and blasting rock.  All we have to do is look for the ancient paths.

A few years ago there was an article I read about the names of roads.  Two Notch Road in Columnbia, is built on top of an ancient Cherokee Indian path, that was built on top of a deer path.  We didn’t have to re-invent the pathway, but we have profitably used the old path. 

We are tredding where the saints have trod.  Let us use the ancient paths.  This is not an academic exercise today- this is a plee that you and I go back to our roots when our culture is falling apart- our roots lie not in greed for money, but in generosity, gratitude,

In the end- what makes America great Is what makes all of life great.
If you think life isn’t great unless you use drugs- then America is not so great.
If you think life isn’t great unless there are no morals or sexual mores- then America isn’t great.
If you want to eliminate God from all of America- America will not be great until we are no more a nation under God. 

But I would contend, that America is great.  When you travel around the world, you can see it, and you are grateful for our country.  It is not perfect, but it is the best around.  America is great because we have been blessed by God.   We have been blessed with a people historically who have had more faith than most.  While Europe has been languishing for years with little church attendance- America has had great church attendance.  There are signs now that we have decided as a country to try to hide from God, to turn away- like we are embarrassed for being majority Christian.  Such embarrassment is not part of our heritage.  It is time for us as a nation- to ask where the ancient path lies. But more importantly- it is important for us as individuals to stand at the crossroads of our own lives and look.  We must decide every day to go God’s way or another way.  The ancient path is the blessed way of God. 
Today is communion Sunday.  Jesus said to “Do this in Remembrance of me.”  He was saying to ask for the ancient paths- remember them- and walk in them.  He embodied that path- that way of life.  He is the way, the truth and the life.   I invite you to stand at the crossroads and look. Remember the ancient way and walk in it.

[Daily Devotional http://devotionalonjesus.blogspot.com/]