Righteous Nation

Righteousness is almost objection to the divine, universal order of things that have existed since creation and go on till the end of time who gave righteousness. Righteousness comes from God. Righteousness is given by God. Righteousness is wired by God and listen.

Righteousness is also guaranteed by God. If you do things God's way. You cannot fail it is not just simply acts of righteousness. It's the pattern of life, a pattern of life that is submissive to God. Harold my best as God. I am not in charge of my life my world you will use a portion of the upcoming message titled righteous nation pass Robert on Shaw Clearview church in Anderson Cleveland are focused on making Christ is the way worship when we serve.

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Proverbs 14 verse 34 righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. So very simple statement righteousness exalts sin shapes the question before us before we get into our messages is are we a righteous nation at this point in history. Are we truly righteous or are we and unrighteous nation are we doing all we can to make this nation a righteous nation is one thing to say this person or that person should should know better. Are we doing personally. All we can to make this a righteous nation.

Another question will our children blood grandchildren Hank us or curse us one day for how were leaving this place and are you saved, you see the righteousness were talking about comes only through Jesus Christ and it only comes when you receive him in your life as your Savior as you Lord, if you never done that. That's word begins azide begins in Washington noted begins in your heart. It begins in Hollywood note begins in your heart. It begins with the athletes and the media turning to God. Know it begins with you and your family.

Turning to God. The passage we just read comes from the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament there are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs 14 each day of the month. I mean just read it and have read through them. I spent time in them there so much wisdom so much discernment that comes from reading these Proverbs now Solomon is the one who is the author or editor of the book of Proverbs altogether. Solomon wrote about 3000 but in this book we found about 800.

Most of them are Solomon's and women of our Solomon. Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived right next to Jesus Christ, the wisest person who ever lived. Even the richest man. Even to this day.

Who ever lived, and he is writing these words but something you keep in mind this is not the wisdom of Solomon. This is the wisdom of Christ. Listen to what Paul says in first Quintus 124 he says to those who are called Mr. those who are saved, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God in the wisdom of God and that he says it again in Colossians 23 in-home meeting in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. So when you come to the book of Proverbs.

Don't think about it a some ancient truths and summation principles.

Solomon collected from here they're everywhere. This is the wisdom of Christ when you pull out a proverb from that mental pocket and use it in your marriage and your family and your business dealing with situations trials in a conflicts whenever you dealing with think about it as pulling out. Listen putting out a jewel of the treasure chest of Jesus Christ is coming out of the treasury of Jesus given by God to help you make right decisions.

So let's get back to our Scripture Proverbs 1434 once again on the screen.

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Let's look at these words for a moment.

What is that word righteousness really mean that comes from the Hebrew word said that which actually has a much deeper meaning than we realize, that word said that refers to our subjection.

Our submission to the divine, universal order of things that have existed since creation and will go on until the end of time.

Righteousness is our subjection to the divine, universal order of things that have existed since creation and will go on till the end of time who gave righteousness.

Righteousness comes from God.

Righteousness is given by God. Righteousness is required by God and listen. Righteousness is also guaranteed by God. If you do things God's way. You cannot fail it is not just simply acts of righteousness. It's a pattern of life, a pattern of life that is submissive to God a pattern alive. This is God I am not the in charge of my life or my world you are it pertains to every aspect of life, relationships, family with children nature, government, commerce, justice war in everything God has given us his standard. We are to listen. We are to submit to him and not him to us that makes sense. We are to submit to his standards, not him to us. Listen to what is says I can give you tons of references on what it means by that word righteousness. Listen to this one Psalm 45 verse six your throne of God is for ever and ever a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. Steppers with the Kings held in there and you know you walk into the king's throne room. There he has a scepter, his authority, his power listen God's authority and power is his righteousness, his high standard to which we must submit.

You cannot walk into the king's throne and say I'm going to decide what I want to do. Donna, what you said but I choose not to do.

You have just defied the king listen to what he says in verse seven, you meaning God you love righteousness, and you hate wickedness. Not only does God operate by this standard.

But he loves it and he wants you to submit to it and he doesn't want to submit you to submit by obligation, you got a dude with a willing heart. When you see God's righteousness when he seen a stander you know Sarah original want to but you know what are going do it.

I really don't care about all this stuff in the Bible are good. I know what it's saying but I guess I would have to you have to do it with a willing heart and something very important before we move on to the next point is this this thing listen is not popular.

The world hates this so if you love people to patch on the back and tell you how great you are and how independently successful you are more than likely you are not in this under this category because you have to swim against the current. You have to stand when everybody is sitting when it comes to this standard. So when the proverb says righteousness exalts a nation were talking about is this divine universal order of things that have existed since creation and will continue until the end of time. They pertain to every aspect of life. They are given by God required by God and guaranteed by God, which means that if you do it this way there is blessing if you don't, he removes his hand from your life. What is the opposite of this righteousness, but in that statement it says it righteousness exalts a nation, but what's the word sin.

The opposite of righteousness is sin.

The word for sin is Qatar, which literally means to miss the mark to fall short. This is where you should be when you not you are instead in what we've done is we have created a a you know as stairstep of righteousness that I'm not aware Avedon is or I'm not where Billy Graham is or I'm not where Paul is becoming created this stairstep as if God looks at life as you know he's not as bad as so-and-so no, you don't hit this you're here it's missing the mark missing God's standard of righteousness that is sin. What is righteousness do it says righteousness exalts a nation, the word Israel will exalts, which has a very powerful meaning that I hope you will listen very carefully. It is, it means success in this context it means prosperity. It means goodness.

It means longevity, which means this if you live by this long life. What if you don't, what if you don't live by God standard. What happens then will David tells us in Psalm 27 verse six he says, and now my head is shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me.

When you don't do it this way your enemies rise above you that enemies are not the hordes of Hittites or the Huns or or some foreign army enemies are sickness enemies are famine enemies are unrighteousness enemies are bad decisions. Enemies are conflict, righteousness gives you God's protection. God's blessing sent on the other hand, what's the word there. The word is reproach is the word cassette. This is very interesting last night reading leaving until 945. The staff were like explained that meaning once again, what is that meaning mean you know when you talk about reproach receipt that word reproach comes from the Hebrew word cassette and because said 98% of the time means kindness. It means kindness compassion yesterday when you guys were there helping the community, serving food, giving it over hygiene packs and food to people you were showing cassette you are showing compassion.

How can you category how can you, you know, put test compassion you can get it just comes from within is intense.

When you saw those children coming. How did you feel it. He felt somewhat compassion towards them as they were asking for. How do you want to and asking for some chicken you want some more. What is that coming from you and not pretending it does something came inside of you. I want to do this for them. It's an intense desire to serve. But you see the same word is used in this verse is only used two other times in the Bible. It is an intense desire for nothing is an intense desire that leads to shame.

In the context the same word that gives you compassion now gives you shame now gives you destruction that interesting means something compelled you to keep serving in that hot sun, but now something compels you to keep going downhill and you're done. You destroyed. You can explain it all. You can see is in the rearview mirror.

What happened what happened to that life what happened to the family. What happened to the church and listen what happened to the nation's, righteousness exalts a nation sin is reproach. Another way sin will destroy you sin will lead you to shame. Sin will lead you to oblivion. Here's a principal nations, kingdoms peoples societies that choose to live by God's standard of righteousness will be blessed materially, physically, educationally, culturally and perpetually God will bless them, and those who choose to sin against God will find themselves in utter shame and utter destruction is look at is that happen.

Of course it has escorted to test go back to the time before the flood, people were advancing nations were building empires were being established what happens. It says in Genesis 6 then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the parts of his heart was only evil continually. Does that describe our world today. Maybe not every single person, but folks is a majority people are wicked and the Bible says the Lord was sorry.

I can explain that was had mean the Lord was sorry that he made man and he was grieved in his heart, and the loss I will destroy man and another that I destroy man from the face of the earth, but I will destroy man and beast, creeping things and birds of the year, for I am sorry that I made them and what happened next, speak out what happened, the flood, you will read your Bible what happened flood and only one man. I will challenge you folks is to longer sitting back and just taking it all in, was that one man that God said go build an ark know.

Thank you. He and his family and and two of every kind got on that ark and they were saved 40 days. It rained from the bottom it came from the top. It came as even the tops of the mountains were destroyed because of the wickedness of people and at the end of that God led Noah out with his family. You sacrifice and God did something what to do given the sign was assigned a sign was a rainbow across the sky in a rainbow said this is my covenant with you that I will never destroy you by water again. What a beautiful symbol of God's promise and how awful it is that in our world today that same symbol has now become a symbol from it for a promiscuous lifestyle and if some of you are making that as your party, your profile picture and you winking and you looking at it as always, a school is just you know, whatever makes you happy. Think back and read the book of Genesis nations are gone. Empires are gone. There's only one family left and they began.

But what happens very quickly.

By the time you get a Genesis chapter 13 we hear about this, that nor lift the lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan I been there. Nicole has been that many of the folks who went with us but is to Israel solid was gone again in 2020, and you get to see it. This is around the Dead Sea and lot looks towards this this part of the terrain and what does he see he sees that it was well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah like the garden of the Lord not been there and it doesn't look like a garden I'm in is nothing but dust is nothing but you know just the salt see the Dead Sea. No animals, no creatures can grow it just that, but prior to this, it looked like the Nile River on either side of the Nile River as the as the river flows it. It deposits itself.

You know all the minerals in the silt and is so fertile soil.

That's what it looked like and guess what happened because these people were sending it says the men of Sodom were exceedingly sinful they were here and there were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord and and God himself came I believe was a pre-incarnate Christ to came with two of his angels, and as he states stood with Abraham. Those angels went into Sodom and they tried to convince lot to leave Sodom with his family and what did Lott do he, deliberated, whatever.

But that night it says as the men laid down to rest. Listen to what happens here.

This is very powerful. Genesis 19 verse four it says now before they lay down the men of the city. The men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter surrounded the house and they called to lot and said to him, where are the men who came to you to you tonight bring them out to us that we may know them carnally. I want to say too much on that we have kids in this place would you understand what exactly was about to happen and lot even says here are my two daughters go take him just take as a no. We want those men would God do about this.

The Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah and he overthrew those cities, all the plane all the inhabitants of the city and what grew on the ground.

He completely obliterated.

It was like a nuclear bomb dismantle and what is the sin his homosexuality is always a dance was happening in our culture today. There are Christians are to scared to speak up risk to scared we don't have the speaker with hate mother like a post if you will be hateful, like another shared on hiring new, but you can still speak godly convictions with compassion, speak up and say that's not right is good on the list. There were Babylon the great God had raised a man by the name of Nebuchadnezzar to discipline his people and he had taken them into exile even though Nebuchadnezzar sinned against God, and he became like it eased eating grass that he had long fingernails and and hair like feathers on it was horrible but he repented he turned back to God and God blessed him, and you should read his prayer is amazing to see Nebuchadnezzar in heaven he knew God but his son, Belshazzar, what did Belshazzar do in his drunken stupor. One night he did he demanded before the people before his his lords and ladies before his wives and concubines that the that the Temple vessels be brought the vessels from the Temple in Jerusalem be brought so wine could be served in them so we can all drink on me was it was it was a very brazen kind of said, I can imagine why he would even do that was the use, but he was so drunk he didn't care he was trying to show off the bring bring those those vessels in the began to drink and the Bible says the finger of a man's hand appeared across from the lampstand so picture this room this big banquet hall and in the fires are lit everywhere.

Is this beautiful food everywhere, dancing girls him he just is just you can just imagine the debauchery that is going on in this hand appears behind the lampstand is flickering is just scary looking and begins to write on the plaster and what is Belshazzar's reaction. He began to shake some so hard that his hips came out a joint.

I can imagine what would've been like having to get your hip out a joint text takes a lot of work. Okay, but he was shaking so much. It says even his knees were knocking against each other like this in the hand wrote on the wall. Many many to kill a parson many means God has tested you, your time is up. God has weighed you and he has found you want wanting to kale means that it's over there it's over is done.

A parson means your kingdom is destroyed is given to the Farsi, which is the Persians there waiting in that same night the same night that that vision came Cyrus the Persian entered into Babylon, but this is not myth.

This is not mythology. This is real even secular historians talk about this.

He entered into Babylon in the same night Belshazzar was killed in the kingdom went from Babylon to the Persians done it's over that amazing. He thought he was bigger than God. He thought he could do this and get away.

I don't have time.

I don't have time to talk about kingdoms and empires and peoples that have ceased to exist because they chose sin and defied the righteousness of God. The Akkadians gone. The Canaanites gone, the Hittites gone.

The Assyrians gone. The Persians gone. The Greeks gone go to the other parts of the world. The Ming Dynasty gone the Indian kingdoms. I don't have time to even list some of those many of you have never heard the names of the cholo's with Amanda's there were big empires rich in diamonds gone in the Middle East. All the caliphate's and nobody said it is thought, however, they will go away gone the Ottoman Empire gone the British Empire gone.

They never thought it would happen to them. Just like we think it'll never happen to us is is easy to blame Washington easily blame Hollywood or media. But if we ourselves are unwilling to live by God's standard of righteousness than we are the culprits. We are the culprits was a say in second Chronicles 714 can be read with me if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Hey listen before you talk about homosexuality and all that stuff let's talk about cohabitation among people who go to church. You're not married but you living together. People are not married, but if parents are actually saying tested out and see. You may not like it really and that's okay so ready to throw rocks at those people over the rainbow, but we are going to do this and this is the normal sin folks you you come down from this. This is what you have.

Oh my children. Yeah you not teaching them the ways of God. You have given up you dude, you have made a second standard we all still awake this morning. You have thrown this book aside and you have made your old rule and you're saying is going to work. It will be fun.

You have no idea. You want to be long enough in this world to see where your kids and your grandkids will end up are you robbing God about God talks about tithes and offerings are you giving grandmother George asked what money folks is not for me it's for you mom saving money up, make sure my kids are take care of you have no idea which is in a do with that money, they will spend it before the worms even get I'm serious about Adobe fighting.

I've seen plenty of that to they will tear each other apart of the have siblings is older siblings.

A watch see what happened. You see when you were here.

Please listen this morning. You are under his protection. When you're not on your own. So your building.

All this for someone else will enjoy the fruits of your labor produced, or are you today thank you so much for joining us for this message can be discouraging to look around and see how far away America has gone from the biblical values.

It was founded on. What would happen if many women, boys and girls turn away from sin and turn toward Christ forgiveness is happened before they can happen again. It's up to us to make sure that we take sin seriously. We maintain God's standard of righteousness. For more information visit us online@clearviewb.org and for this sermon notes checkup exercise block and I would not shock.com