Let’s change America today!
Matthew 6:33
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
What do we/you need?
I know there are many of you that have needs this morning
Some of you are in need of a physical miracle
Some a relationship miracle
Some a financial miracle
Some an emotional miracle
According to this scripture, how do we get our needs met?
Let’s read it again
Matthew 6:33
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
A few weeks ago we talked about loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength
Putting God above all else, our pride, our inadequacies, our fears, our needs and wants, our families, our entertainment, our opinions, our strength and simply everything
Let’s look at this scripture
2 Chronicles 7:11-16
So Solomon finished the Temple of the Lord, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do in the construction of the Temple and the palace. 12 Then one night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. 13 At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. 14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. 16 For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart
God is speaking to Solomon and very well known passage of scripture
He says church…
If there is a time when because of sin I stop my blessings
If there is a time that I need to get your attention by attacking your livelihood
If there is a time where the only way I can get your attention is to put you on your back
Then because I love you…I will do it
BUT
All you have to do is come to me..realize there is nothing you can do about it and you have to trust me, if you recognize that I am all that you need and you repent of your self-reliance, or your fearfulness and woeful inadequacy, or pride, selfishness, and you remember me, THEN I will hear, heal, and restore…As you keep your heart soft I will always keep my heart open to you
For too long the church has not thought right of themselves and the power and authority God has invested in us.
Allow me a little latitude today to make a comparison…the church is a butterfly that lives like a caterpillar.
In North America there are at least 8 different types of caterpillars that turn into butterflies the, Papilio glaucus becomes the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail one of the more common butterflies. (I have pictures of both of these)
We are called to be strong, beautiful, and full of life to go beyond the boundaries of earth but we exist day to day as caterpillars. You see an interesting thing about these caterpillars is that they have a butterfly in them from birth. So do you!
We are called to be giant killers, world changers, the only hope for our culture and nation and so much more.
What made Solomon into a man that God could speak to and use to build a great nation?
Solomon had gone to worship, he had given the Lord all of his best
– He put God first with his best of what God had given him
– He made the effort to seek God and want to know what God wanted he didn’t just rest on his power and position
-He humbled himself before God recognizing that everything he had, had become, and his future where all in the hands of an almighty God.
– He was not afraid to remind God of His promises which means He knew God’s word.
Let’s look at what had happened earlier in Solomon’s life that makes us aware of all of this.
1 Kings 3:4 – 14
The most important of these places of worship was at Gibeon, so the king went there and sacrificed 1,000 burnt offerings. 5 That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!” 6 Solomon replied, “You showed faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued your faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne. 7 “Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. 8 And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! 9 Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. 11 So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— 12 I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! 13 And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! 14 And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life
In seeking God first and what God wanted Solomon ended up with every blessing.
This was something that was in Solomon, not a give to get game, he truly wanted what God wanted. He knew God’s word, had God’s heart, pursued Him daily so it was natural for Him to be seeking the Lord for what God wanted.
His heart was right to receive everything, because God knew He could be trusted.
I know every person here loves the Lord dearly but we get confused some times as to what our priorities should be. We get caught in traps of manipulation, fear, and selfishness and in return we end up with the blessings and plans God has for us, stolen.
Solomon set the nation up to succeed and prosper because of his seeking God and wanting God with all of His heart, soul, mind and strength not just for himself but for his nation.
Because of that….God gave Solomon all that he asked for plus brought down his enemies, blessed him with great prosperity, strength and length of days
Once again I ask you “What do you need (want)?”
God has got your back! He has got your needs under control.
Here is my challenge today
America needs to be great again, from God’s eyes stand point. We are the key to that and not only are we key to that, but also key to receiving all of the blessing God has for us.
Remember Matthew 6:33
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
I also want you to remember..
2 Chronicles 7:14,15
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place.
What do you need????
Let’s take time today, in unity, as a body of believers, to seek Him, to humble ourselves, to repent on behalf of our country.
You are welcome to kneel, to sit, to come to the altar but I want us a body, in each service to truly seek him for a few minutes.
I will lead off, then I am looking for people to pray for our nation, our state, and our communities…we will pray for just a few minutes
The key is there is power in agreement…we have several intercessors groups through our the week and month praying but I think it is important today because I felt this was direct guidance from the Lord that this week we would pray together as family or our nation, state, and communities
At the appropriate time, I will close us in prayer and we will all be dismissed.
Daniel’s Prayer 9:8-19 adapted for our present situation in America
O Lord, we and our leaders and all the people are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. 10 We have not obeyed the Lord our God, for we have not followed the instructions he gave us through his servants the prophets. All of our nation has disobeyed your instruction and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice. “So now the solemn curses and judgments written in your Word, have been poured down on us because of our sin. You have kept your word and done to us and our rulers exactly as you warned. Never has there been such a disaster as happened Every curse written against us in your Word has come true. Yet we have refused to seek mercy from the Lord our God by turning from our sins and recognizing his truth. Therefore, the Lord has brought upon us the disaster he prepared. The Lord our God was right to do all of these things, for we did not obey him. “O Lord our God, you brought lasting honor to your name by rescuing your people from Egypt in a great display of power. But we have sinned and are full of wickedness. In view of all your faithful mercies, Lord, please turn your furious anger away from your people, your holy mountain. All the neighboring nations mock us, and your people because of our sins and the sins of our ancestors. “O our God, hear your servant’s prayer! Listen as I plead. For your own sake, Lord, smile again on your people. “O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your nation—the nation that is dedicated to you—is broken. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy. “O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, do not delay, O my God, for your people and your city bear your name
Ezekiel 22:30,31
“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. 31 So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.
MAY THAT NEVER BE LORD,WE WILL STAND IN THE GAP!!!