1 Kings 17:1 – Death of A Mighty Nation – Bible study

1Kings 17:1, 18:1-2, 17-18 Death of A Mighty Nation Israel, Gods nation, once mighty and holy, had now become a wicked nation. a. False prophets filled the streets of Jerusalem. b. A wicked, corrupt king sat on the throne. c. That king was greatly influenced by his Zidonian wife, Jezebel, who worshipped Baal. d. Most of the godly prophets had been slain by the king and his wife. e. The people seemed to have no compulsion between worshipping God or Baalor for that matter, between worshipping at all or not worshipping. Elijah was the prophet sent to warn Israel andif possibleturn them back to God. The first thing that God had Elijah to do was to see the king and tell him that there would be no rain until God sent him word again. Elijah then disappears for 3 1/2 years \#James 5:17\. When God finally told Elijah that it was time to end the drought, Ahab greeted Elijah with a question. 1Kings 18:17 Art thou he that troubleth Israel? Elijah told Ahab that it was not Elijah who had troubled Israel, but him. At this point, I want us to turn our attention away from Israel, that mighty nation of the Old Testament, and look at America, a once-mighty nation of this century. One day soon, if something doesnt change, we will all be going to a funeral. The nations of the world will be theresome to mourn, most to gloat. There will be no service, no fanfareexcept someone might stand up and quote the words of King David, "Died America as a fool dieth?" \#2Sa 3:33\. What will cause the death of America? What will the autopsy of this once-great country show? The short of it will be that America was murdered. Let me give you some thoughts. I. What will kill America? False worship in the church will kill America. A. This nation is afflicted with so many aliments, it will be hard to determine the specific cause of death. B. However, one of the main causes will surely be the abandonment of the true worship of God in the church. 1. I am not talking about the growth of Islam in Americaalthough that is certainly happening. The HuffPost Religion Updated on March 29, 2011 The worlds Muslim population is expected to increase by about 35 percent in the next 20 years, rising from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.2 billion by 2030, according to a new, comprehensive report released today by the Pew Research Centers Forum on Religion & Public Life. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/27/new-pew-forum-report-proj_n_814818.html 2. Neither am I talking about atheists or agnostics, although that number certainly seems to be on the rise too. 3. I am talking to those who claim the banner of Christ, have memberships in some kind of church with a cross in it, and call themselves "Christian." C. What is the churchs hand in killing America? 1. The church has exchanged the worldly for the Word. a. The church has swapped singing for preaching, b. swapped family time for worship time, c. swapped comfort for holiness, d. swapped commentaries for the Bible, e. and swapped error for truth. 2. The church isnt preaching the Word anymore. a. The church isnt preaching the truth that you must be born again. b. The church isnt preaching repentance. c. The church isnt preaching against sin. d. The church isnt preaching an inspired and preserved Word of God. e. The church isnt preaching a blessed hope, a coming King, a hot hell, or a changed life. 3. Rather, the church is preaching a social gospel. a. The church preaches the brotherhood of man. (1) Do the best you can. (2) God loves you. (3) Youll make it somehow. b. The church preaches love at all costs. (1) Doctrine is divisive. (2) What is important is getting along together. c. The church preaches acceptance. Im all right; youre all right. 4. All the while, the church pats itself on the back and says, "My, what a good church you are!" D. The contemporary church is killing America! The church might as well lead this nation into a the hottest, driest desert of the world with no food, water, shelter, or compass for they are forcing a slow, tortuous death on this land. 1. God did not put the church on this planet to comfort it! Mt 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 2. God put the church here to be salt and light. Mt 5:13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. a. The churchs function is to illuminate the world. (1) A light illuminates the darkness. It does not comfort it. (2) Light and darkness are opposites which can not dwell together. You either have light or you have darkness. You dont have both. (3) The church should be shining the Word of God on the darkness acts of the human race so that man can see just how wicked he is. b. The churchs function is to warn the world. (1) Salt burns. If you get a wound and salt gets into it, the salt exposes the wound with pain and discomfort. (2) Christian are supposed to make sinners uncomfortable. We are supposed to warn them that they have an deadly injury and if they do not seek help, they will soon perish. c. The churchs function is to hinder corruption. (1) Salt also hinders the deterioration of meats. In old days, before refrigerators, meat would be salted and that salt would preserve it for months. (2) Today, the church is not hindering sin. (a) It is hasting it, (b) encouraging it, (c) ..accepting it, (d) lauding it, (e) and promoting it. d. When the church stops doing its job, Jesus said it would be good for nothing. E. The church is supposed to be the moral and spiritual compass for the land. While I think the church still is, it is leading America into the fields sown with land mines, quick sands, and unspeakable evils. 1. It is time for the church to lead in the right direction, follow someone who will, or get out of the way! 2. What will kill America? False worship by the church will kill America. II. What will kill America? Bad leadership in government will kill America. A. If there has ever been people in political power that are more corrupt, more blind, more deceived, more ignorant, more devoted to Satans plan, then I pray God helped the people they lead for they certainly lead them to destruction. 1. For some reason, the leaders of America today feel a compulsion to rewrite the laws of God. a. They tell us that God is dead. b. They tell us that, if we trust them, we will be all right. c. They want to rewrite the very laws of nature. d. And they want to make every evil thing acceptable in our sight while making every good thing reprehensible. 2. The Bible tells us that these kinds of wicked leaders helped kill Israel. Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 3. If you doubt that we are rapidly approaching the end of the age, be reminded of what Daniel wrote about the anti-Christ. Da 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 4. Knowing that the anti-Christ cannot be revealed until after the rapture of the church, how far away can that event be? B. Bad leadership in government is killing America! 1. These wicked leaders might as well put a knife to the carotid artery of the nation and slit it for they are leading this country to a quick death. 2. The sad thing is that these wicked leaders are destroying this country spiritually, morally, and financially. 3. What I want to know is when they finish, what do they think they will have? 4. One day there will be religious wars, race wars, and economic wars in this land, and these idiots are going to get killed just as dead as everyone else. 5. I have never understood why anyone would want to be used by the devil. He will destroy his servants just like he destroys his enemies. C. God put government here to motivate us to do what is right. Romans 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 1. God never gave the government the right to rewrite His laws. 2. In fact, God did not give the government the right to determine moral or spiritual issues at all. 3. Governments job is to enforce Gods law and to motivate men to do good. 4. Whenever a government ceases to carry out its function, it becomes an enemy to God and God Himself must destroy it. D. However, there are some sad truths that accompany that last statement. 1. If the nation does not ask God to judge the government, God often waits. a. God is longsuffering. b. Although just and holy, God often waits to deal with sin to allow the sinner to destroy himself. c. As Gods people, we need to plead with God to send a revival or a judgment. d. Waiting will only make things worse. 2. When God does judge the government, the citizens are going to be hurt as well. a. Just like God sends good things to the evil and the good, so God sends bad things to the evil and to the good. b. Some of us, perhaps all of us, may get caught up in Gods judgment. E. What will kill America? Bad leadership in government will kill America. III. What will kill America? Lust by the people will kill America. A. On this crime, I must be brief. B. The people of America are killing this country with their insatiable lusts. 1. Their lusts for money. a. America and the world are close to delving into their second recession in three years. (You might as well call it a double- dip recession although few will because they want to make it look like some of what the knuckleheads in Washington did worked.) b. The recession was brought on by governments and people wanting more than they could afford. (1) People thought they could purchases houses and cars and spend money far beyond their income. (a) They said the magic words, "Charge it" and thought a rainy day would never come. (b) It did. (2) But that is nothing compared to the government which now borrows 42 cents of every dollar it spends. (a) Our income is taxed when we earn it and spend it, on the city, county, state, and national levels. (b) Every product we purchase, by the time it is produced, made, and shipped has been taxed a dozen times. (c) In addition to all of these direct taxes, there are dozens if not hundreds of hidden taxes. Here is a partial list: Accounts Receivable Tax, Building Permit Tax, CDL license Tax, Corporate Income Tax, Dog License Tax, Fishing License Tax, Food Permit Tax, Fuel permit tax, Gasoline Tax, Hunting License Tax, Inheritance Tax Inventory tax IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax), IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax), Luxury Taxes, Marriage License Tax, Property Tax, Real Estate Tax, Septic License Tax, Service Charge Taxes, Road Usage Taxes (Truckers), Recreational Vehicle Tax, School Tax, Telephone federal excise tax, Telephone federal universal service fee tax, Telephone federal, state and local surcharge taxes, Telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax, Telephone state and local tax, Telephone usage charge tax, Toll Bridge Taxes, Toll Tunnel Taxes, Trailer Registration Tax, Utilities Taxes (paid on every utility bill), Vehicle License Registration Tax, Vehicle Sales Tax, Watercraft Registration Tax, Well Permit Tax http://nowandfutures.com/taxes.html (d) Folks, in some cases, government is taxing our taxes! (e) It was estimated that in 2009, the average US citizen paid 57.7% of their income in taxes! (f) Yet the Federal government must still borrow 42 cents of every dollar it spends and wants MORE! (g) China, one of the United States major lenders, rebuked America on Friday saying, "To eat Mays grain in Aprilwill never be a permanent solution to a problem." http://news.yahoo.com/china-says-debt-financing-unlikely-save-us-eu-174027304.html (h) China and many others have predicted the soon-coming and total collapse of the United States economy due to the "debt bomb." They, and many other nations, have begun to reduce their US holding and, for the first time in history, the US dollar is losing its status as a safe haven currency. c. The bottom line is that the same lust that runs through the people runs through the government and vice-versa. (1) We are borrowing, taxing, spending, stealing, and wasting so much money that two continents and at least 18 nations are about to collapse. (2) As some point, there is no return. 2. Their lusts for sex. a. America is obsessed with sex. b. That obsession has perverted our nation. 3. Their lusts for pleasure. a. On top of our sexual cravings, America has a lust for anything that comes under the topic of pleasureregardless of our fool-hearty or dangerous it might be. b. Churches all across America sit empty today because America is out partying! 4. Their lusts for violence. a. We have rated everything from television to games, but our blood lusting rivals that of the barbaric gladiator games of the pagan worldsbarbaric games, which by-the-way, the power of Christianity stopped. b. Sadly, Christians today are not interested in stopping the violence, but are paying to have piped-in to their home for entertainment. c. Doctors in white coats may tell us it is not so, but anyone with a dimes worth of common sense knows that people who feed on hours of daily violent entertainment are going to behave violently. C. Lust is killing America! Americas lusts, like a slow-acting, poison cocktail, is slowing but surely slaughtering this great land. D. Just as the church has the function of moral compass and the government has the function of moral motivator, so the individuals of a county have a function in regard to morality. 1. The people are to submit to God and follow His moral teachings. 2. We are not to give-in to the carnal desires of lusts, greed, perversion, violence, malice, bitterness, excess, covetousness, and all of the other moral parasites which are sucking the life out of this country. E. If America does not wake up soonand I fear it has no inclination at present to do sothis once-great country will join the graveyard of nations where once powerful but now destitute commonwealths lie! I must stop, but let me say in closing that the solution is not national revival. It is individual awakening. One-by-one, first the individuals, then the churches, then communities, then states, and last the nation itself must awake to their spiritual decay, repent, and turn to God. We have troubled our land and the toxins of sin are at work! Let revival begin and let it begin with me.