Psalm 2:1-6 – The Path that America is On – Bible study

Psalm 2:1-3 The Path America Is Following Today, our church is recognizing the 232nd celebration of our nations independence. We have been blessed to be born in the greatest nation of this planets history at what is most probably the most comfortable and luxurious time in this nations history. If God never gave you and me another blessing of any kind, to be privileged to live in this country is a greater blessing than most of the human race will ever know. However, this nation, like all other nations, is following a pre-described path. It is a path that was prophesied in the Psalm 2. I. The Path A. \#Psalm 2:1-2\ A confederacy is formed with four groups. 1. \#Psalm 2:1\ The HEATHEN – The heathen are those who, for whatever their reason, have denied God. They are the God-deniers. a. Let me be quick to point out that not all people deny God because they chose to do so. (1) Some deny God because they do not know any better. (2) They have never been told that God exists. (3) That is why our church supports missions. (4) Missions is not about constraining someone to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior. (5) Missions is about giving every human being the knowledge so that they can make a choice about Jesus. Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? b. But also included in the group of God-deniers would be those who have heard and belligerently refused God. (1) Here are those who deny Gods existence, the authenticity of Gods Word, or Gods place as Master of their life. (2) Some not only don’t believe but can be quite aggressive and contentious about it. 2. \#Psalm 2:1\ The PEOPLE – Since mentioned as a different group than the heathen, THE PEOPLE would be religious people, perhaps either the Jews or the religious in general. a. So, in league with the God-deniers, are the religious people. b. Some of these "religious people" would be the genuinely saved. For them to be apart of this confederacy, they would have to be woefully ignorant of Bible truth, but I am constantly amazed at the foolish, unbiblical stands those who claim to know Jesus take! c. Others would be the multitudes of worshippers who bow down before a SOMETHING, or an ANYTHING, or an EVERYTHING, as long as it satisfies the innate desire of man to honor the spirit 3. The KINGS OF THIS EARTH – The third faction in this confederacy are the political rulers of the entire world. a. Since before World War I, many of the nations of the world have been in one kind of union or another. b. Here we see the Bibles power to prophecy future events is again displayed. Certainly, there was no world alliance of powers in the day when David penned this Psalm, and there would not be for hundreds of years. Yet, we have them today, just as these verses implied would happen. c. However, the nations of the world did not have to formally sign a treaty or join an alliance for this passage to be fulfilled. d. The truth is the rulers of the earth tend to follow the course described in this passage. It seems to be their nature to do so. This will be the one course that most all rulers have in common. 4. The RULERS – Like the word PEOPLE comprise those not covered by the HEATHEN, so the world RULERS comprise those not covered in the POLITICAL RULERS. These would likely be the RELIGIOUS RULERS. 5. So here we have the strangest and largest group of humans ever to be gathered together. All different political and social persuasions, all different religions, all different lifestyles, all different nationalities. 6. Based on this passage, I think we can safely say the whole world is apart of this confederation. 7. And YES, the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is part of this group as well! Some of us may wish our country was not, but more and more, it becomes evident that we are. 8. What could possibly gather so many together? B. \#Psalm 2:1-2\ A seed is sown. 1. The Bible says those in this confederacy have had a notion sown within their consciousness. 2. This notion has not only caused this group to gather, but it has set them into action. 3. Notice the actions of the four groups. a. The notion has ENRAGED the GOD-DENIERS. (1) Rage means to be angry, but that is not all. (2) It means to be so angry that you PLOT or CONSPIRE an action. (3) Whatever notion has been sown is bringing about a turbulent reaction from those who do not honor God. b. The notion has caused the RELIGIOUS PEOPLE to IMAGINE A VAIN THING. (1) A vain thing is an UNTRUE or FALSE thing. (2) This notion has deceived the religious people into either thinking something that is true, is not; or into thinking something that is not true, is. (3) Perhaps this notion has merely neutralized the religious into being silent as the heathen carry out their plot or perhaps it has so deceived the religious that they too join in with the plot. We will have to read further to find out. c. The notion has caused the POLITICAL RULERS to SET THEMSELVES in a certain place. (1) To set oneself means to position oneself. (2) Political leaders are notorious for straddling the center fences on issues. (3) Not this time. This time they are all in unison and they are all on the side of the God-deniers. d. The notion has even caused the RELIGIOUS RULERS to TAKE COUNSEL. (1) The religious is often characterized by talking a good talk but being weak on action. (2) This notion has changed that. (3) They are not just talking, but they too are deciding on how they can best accomplish what they have imagined. 4. \#Psalm 2:3\ Notice the direction this notion is taking the confederacy. a. They are moving against the Lord and against His anointed. b. The word ANOINTED in the Hebrew means the same as the word CHRIST in the Greek. c. The notion has moved all of this group, the saved and the lost, the political and the religious elite, all of the kings and their kingdoms, to be against God and Gods Christ! d. We are never told what vain notion is planted into the minds of so many that they could all be turned to set themselves against God. e. But I wager we can figure out who the sower is! f. \#Matt 13:24-30\ Someone sowed tares among the wheat in the masters fields. The workers ask the master who did this thing and the masters reply was, "AN ENEMY HATH DONE THIS." g. Satan, Gods enemy, is the planter of this false notion, a notion so believable that even the religions of the world align themselves against the God they are supposedly worshipping! C. \#Psalm 2:3\ A course is set. 1. In being deceived by this false notion, this enraged confederacy plots its course. 2. The course is described in two phrases. a. They will break His bands. b. They will cast away His cords. 3. The bands and cords are a reference to Gods laws and commandments. a. Some see Gods laws and commandments as bands and cords to bind and restrict them. b. To them, Gods commandments are Gods arbitrary refusals to allow mankind to have fun. c. What they dont realize is that Gods DO NOTs are not Gods denials of mankinds fun, but Gods protection against mankinds demise. d. Like the wise parent who denies their childs desire to have fun in the dangerous highway, so God denies His creations desire to have fun in the demonic highway of sin. 4. Yet, this confederacy has believed Satans lie, they have conspired against God, and they will seek to break every commandment that binds them. 5. They will not only have their fun but in having it, they will show God what they think of Him. a. It will be a deliberate act. b. It will be a calculated act. c. It will be an orchestrated act. d. And it will be a unified act, with both the religious and ir-religious, both the saved and the lost. II. The reality A. This is the trend of this world and, unfortunately, this is the path that America, is following. 1. I say again that America is the greatest nation in the history of this planet and these are the most comfortable and luxurious times in this nations history. 2. But along with the comfortable and luxurious lifestyle has come the uniformed acceptance of Satans vain notion. B. Finding proof is so easy it is a shameful. Just watch the news. 1. Friday, while sitting with my mother in the hospital, I saw the news of the woman who was surgically altered to be a manand if you met it on a street, you would have thought it to be a man. But even though it thought itself born in the wrong body, it wanted to maintain its ability to reproduce and so, some months ago, it was artificially inseminated and became pregnant. Last week, it delivered a baby girl. a. Some may find my use of the word IT offensive, but as I studied language I was taught that HE is the pronoun used to reference the male gender, SHE is the pronoun to reference a female gender, and IT is the pronoun to reference a gender-neutral being. b. Science has broken Gods bands and cast away Gods cords. 2. On May 16, 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled 4 to 3 that the California Constitution, in giving a constitutional civil right to form family relationships, granted to its citizens the right to form same-sex marriages as well as opposite-sex marriages. a. As of June 16, for the first time in this great countrys history, a state of this united union not only allows but throws it full legal might behind the support of this abomination. b. Courts have broken Gods bands and cast away Gods cords. 3. Thankfully, there is some indication of movement back toward God in the field of education. a. For years, education has only allowed evolution to be taught in the public schools. To that end, educators will stretch science beyond the truth to promote evolution while at the same time, refusing to teach the most basic and sound truths that would debunk it. b. Education had broken Gods bands and cast away Gods cords. c. I was, however, pleased to see that Louisiana has already passed legislation to allow the flaws of evolution to be taught as well. d. This, at least, opens their education system up to a true scientific discussion of evolution instead of a one-sided, biased, presentation of evolution as a proven scientific fact. e. I understand that similar legislation is being introduced in Texas. 4. A Pew Survey (a religious counter-part to Gallop Poll)… …found that while 71% of Americans believe in some form of God, …and 39% attended religious services at least once per week, that 68% believed there was more than one true way to interpret Bible teachings and 70% say they believe there are many ways to eternal life. c. Religion has broken Gods bands and cast away Gods cords. C. The sad reality is that our country is 1. following Europe into a culture of denying the God of the Bible and the absolutes laid down in it. 2. following Africa into a culture of pluralistic deities. 3. and following the elite of all the world pluralistic into a culture of extravagant living and extraordinary low morals. 4. That is the predicted trend the world is following. a. The question is what about you? b. Have you abandoned your confidence in Gods Word? c. Have you abandoned your service to Gods mastery? d. Have you abandoned your faith in Gods very existence? III. Gods Reaction A. I dont have the time this morning to discuss Gods reaction, as outlined in this text, to the path that America and this confederation of nations in on. B. I will close with three ancient Bible verses. a. These verses were penned by the king of what I would think would be the second greatest nation to exists in the history of this world, although you would not know it today. b. These words were written at the height of this nations comfort, luxury, and power. c. Unfortunately for them, his people did not keep these words, and the God who once was their Friend became their Enemy. Psalms 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD. Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. Psalms 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. C. We must always remember a nation is a confederation of individuals. 1. If in individual chooses to live right, he/she can direct a family. 2. If a family chooses to live right, they can direct a community. 3. If a community chooses to live right, they can direct a city. 4. If a city chooses to live right, they can direct a state. 5. If a state chooses to live right, they can direct a nation. 6. If a nation chooses to live right, they can direct a world. Will you be the right kind of individual today?