What is God doing in America now as our nation slides ever faster into deeper moral darkness? Does God have a plan to save us? Is He working to restore America or had He given up on us? How can all the problems of America possibly be corrected? "Without a vision, the people perish" the Bible says. What vision of America can Christians have now that will give them strong hope and a clear understanding of America as God sees it now? This message should give you the a clear biblical perspective of how God will restore America. Go to this site to hear this message: http://www.john10-10.org/john10-10/Sermon_Audios/Entries/2015/7/5_How_Does_a_Loving_God_Restore_a_Rebellious_America_%26_a_Sleepy%2C_Sinful_Church.html

1. HOW DOES A LOVING GOD
Restore A Rebellious America
& A Sleepy, Sinful Church?

2. THE LOST SON
Luke 15:11-24

5. THE LOST SON
• His father knew his son’s character. Every father does
• He probably knew it would not turn out well
• He probably tried to talk him out of going away
• He probably warned him about the dangers of
running off to strange places with a lot of money at a
young age.

6. But the father gave the son the freedom to find out himself

7. Shamed & pained by sin, the son returns to his father

8. LEARN FROMTHE OT
Now these things happened to them as an example, and they
were written for our instruction (1 Cor. 1-:11)

9. OT LESSONS
• The Old Testament is a long, sad chronicle of Israel's
repeated failures to obey God. In Psalm 78:10-11, 40-42,
56-57, the psalmist mentions that Ephraim (meaning Israel at
large) “did not keep the covenant of God; they refused to walk
in His law, and forgot His works and His wonders that He had
shown them. . . .”
• Like the Prodigal son, Israel also walked away from God their
Father to serve other gods and spend their God-given
wealth in sinful living century after century.

10. GOD’S WAYS WITH ISRAEL
• Gave commandments to protect them from evil
• Warn, warn again…and warn again via the prophets
• Sent famines, plagues, wars to get their attention
• Plead with them, warned again…and then…
• Turned them over to their sins so they became
desperate for God’s help.

11. GOD GIVES ISRAEL OVER
• "But My people did not
listen to My voice,And
Israel did not obey Me. So I
gave them over to the
stubbornness of their heart,
to walk in their own
devices.” (Ps. 81:11-12)

12. GOD GIVESTHEM OVER
• “For this reason God gave them over to degrading
passions; for their women exchanged the natural
function for that which is unnatural
• the men abandoned the natural function of the woman
and burned in their desire toward one another, men with
men committing indecent acts and receiving in their
own persons the due penalty of their error. (Rom.
1:26-27)

13. GOD GIVESTHEM OVER
• “For this reason God will send upon them a
deluding influence so that they will believe
what is false, in order that they all may be
judged who did not believe the truth, but took
pleasure in wickedness.” (2Thessalonians 2:11)

14. GOD WAYS ALWAYS ARE
MERCIFUL
• “For God has shut up all in
disobedience so that He
may show mercy to
all.” (Rom. 11:32)

15. FATHER’S LOVING DISCIPLINE
• For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines and
He scourges every son whom He receives.” (OT)
• God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there
whom his father does not discipline?
• All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful,
but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it,
afterwards it yields…righteousness. (Heb. 12:6-11)

16. THE BOOK OF JUDGES
A Model for America’s Restoration

17. This Happened SevenTimes in Judges!
America

19. GOD’S SOLUTION
TO RESTORE AMERICA: 2 CHRON.
7:13-14
• If I shut up the heavens so that
there is no rain, or if I command
the locust to devour the land,
or if I send pestilence among
My people, and
• My people who are called by
My name humble themselves
and pray and seek My face and
turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear from heaven, will
forgive their sin and will heal
their land.

20. THE PATHTO AMERICA’S
HEALING
• Moral darkness increases across the land, bringing great pain
• Through that pain, God awakens His people to their true condition
• God gets His people praying desperate prayers
• God moves His people to deeply repent & be reconciled
• God comes down in great glory and power to change society
• See: sentinelgroup.org:Transformations Series

21. OUR NEXT STEPS
• Live for heaven where our real citizenship is
• Speak & live the Gospel without shame or fear
• Connect with other believers for everything
• Pray often, forgive everyone quickly
• Share generously as God does with us
• Trust God to turn America’s dark days toward good

22. PRAY FORTHE CHURCH
America’s Only Hope