America, We Have a Problem!
On April 11, 1970, the crew of Apollo 13, the third attempt to land men on the moon, blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center on the Florida coast. Three days into the mission and nearly a quarter of a million miles from earth, there was an explosion in one of the oxygen tanks. The crew’s message to earth has been immortalized: “Houston, we have a problem.” The mission, which had been focused on exploration and discovery was radically changed in a moment. All of the efforts of the crew and their support team on earth were now focused on the men’s survival and return home. They abandoned their plan to land on the moon and, instead, circled around it in order to use its gravitational pull to “sling-shot” the craft back to earth. The whole saga of improvisation and survival was effectively dramatized on film in 1995.
In a sense, I believe that we, in American culture, may be having our “Apollo 13 moment.” Perhaps, unlike the astronauts, we haven’t experienced an explosion. But the cultural currents coming out the Covid Pandemic are enough to alert us that America is in a dangerous place. It’s true that our economy is problematic with inflation certainly looming in our future. But the issues which concern us run much deeper and are more dangerous than a faltering economy. Like the damaged ventilation system in Apollo 13, the deterioration of our national soul is the very cultural air we breathe.
For nearly five years, I have made it a habit to read one chapter in Proverbs every morning. There are other ways to read Scripture and my journey through Proverbs hasn’t lent itself to deep meditation. But by reading the same chapters over and over each day for years, I have begun to grasp some major themes in the collection. Throughout the book, wisdom is often contrasted with foolishness. Wisdom isn’t reserved for some privileged class of people. She has opened her arms to everyone who will simply listen to and embrace her. But sadly, too many people have rejected her call. “The fear of the Lord,” the Scripture says, “is the foundation of true knowledge but fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Prov. 1:7). As I have pondered these truths from Proverbs, I have often thought of the trajectory of our American culture. We are not only ignoring Wisdom’s call to embrace her; it seems that we are actively drowning her out with our siren calls of foolishness.
The Word – Proverbs 1:20-33
Wisdom shouts in the streets.
She cries out in the public square.
She calls to the crowds along
the main street,
to those gathered in front of the city
gate:
“How long, you simpletons,
will you insist on being simpleminded?
How long will you mockers relish
your mocking?
How long will you fools hate knowledge?
Come and listen to my counsel.
I’ll share my heart with you
and make you wise.
“I called you so often, but you
wouldn’t come.
I reached out to you, but you paid no
attention.
You ignored my advice
and rejected the correction I offered.
So I will laugh when you are in
trouble!
I will mock you when disaster overtakes
you—
when calamity overtakes you like
a storm,
when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone,
and anguish and distress overwhelm you.
“When they cry for help, I will
not answer.
Though they anxiously search for me, they
will not find me.
For they hated knowledge
and chose not to fear the Lord.
and paid no attention when I corrected
them.
Therefore,
they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way,
choking on their own schemes.
For
simpletons turn away from me—to death.
Fools are destroyed by their own
complacency.
But all who listen to me will
live in peace,
untroubled by fear of harm.”
“God shed his grace on thee.”
We are truly a blessed nation. We just sang the words to Katharine Bates’ immortal patriotic hymn, “America! America! God shed his grace on thee!” Indeed, he has. From our humble beginnings with the Pilgrim fathers, we had acknowledged our dependence upon God. Even the radical deist, Thomas Jefferson – whom I would never claim was a Christian – wrote into the Declaration of Independence that our freedoms were given to us by God.
And throughout our history and the struggle to remain a unified nation, it seems that God has intervened at the most critical points. For example, in the early months of the War for Independence, the Continental Army under General George Washington had suffered a severe defeat in the Battle of Long Island. They were trapped and surrounded with the British General Howe was just waiting for daylight to finish mopping up the operation. Their quick victory was nearly insured bringing a quick end to the American rebellion. But God caused a thick fog to envelope the East River, enabling Washington’s entire army to cross undetected and make a successful retreat. Throughout the eight-year conflict, there were several times where the weather seemed to intervene on the American’s side providing either a pathway to victory or retreat. It seemed as though God’s hand was directly involved in securing our freedom from British tyranny.
Perhaps even more importantly, God’s hand has been upon this nation through the outpouring of his Spirit in “great awakenings” and revivals throughout out history. In 1730’s and 40’s the First Great Awakening swept through the American colonies turning the people from spiritual apathy and debauchery to deep personal faith in Christ and a return to a reliance upon God and his word. The revival was of enormous consequence in strengthening the soul of the people who would unite to establish this nation just thirty years later. In the first forty years of the 1800’s, revivals swept across the American frontier and upstate New York. The rise of a vibrant evangelical faith in that era would also strengthen the Abolitionist Movement that would eventually free us – with enormous cost and determination – from the scourge of slavery. In 1854, in the halls of Congress, these words would be read, “In this age, there can be no substitute for Christianity…That was the religion of the founders of the republic and they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants.”[1] Indeed, it was the spiritual revivals of the that era that spurred George Washington Gale to form his team to journey from upstate New York to the prairie of Illinois to establish this city which bears his name and would become a significant station for the Underground Railroad.
America is great because America is good. When we defeated Germany and Japan at the end of World War II, we could have ruled and dominated the whole world. The war hadn’t come to our shores. We had a robust economy and our people were united. We had the strongest military and we had the bomb. No other nation had that capability. What an opportunity for imperialistic adventures! If they had been in our place, what would Russia have done? What about China? Instead, America led the way in peace and rebuilding the war-torn world. On our dime! What other nation does that?
No, America is good because, in our founding we understood that “God shed his grace” on us and we were dependent upon his goodwill.
A Nation of Fools
But now, we have forgotten our past. There are those – including respected Christian leaders – who say we were never a Christian nation. That is technically true. We have no state-sponsored church like England or Sweden. And many, if not most, of the signers of our founding documents were anything but orthodox Christians. Still, history is very clear that the men who risked their “lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor” to establish the United States acknowledged our dependence upon God. But today, it seems as every effort is made by our political and opinion leaders to erase our history. We have “cultural amnesia.” And our memory loss is not only expressed by our cultural elites; it is lived out by the majority of our people. Church attendance and membership has never been lower. If I were to ask each of you how many people do you know that stopped attending church in the last five years, I suspect you could name at least a dozen. Even within the church, people are ignoring God’s word in how they live – simply choosing which parts of Scripture they’ll obey and what they will ignore. God is calling:
Wisdom has
built her house;
she has carved its seven columns.
She has
prepared a great banquet,
mixed the wines, and set the table.
She has sent
her servants to invite everyone to come.
She calls out from the heights overlooking
the city.
“Come in with
me,” she urges the simple.
To those who lack good judgment, she says,
“Come, eat my
food,
and drink the wine I have mixed.
Leave your
simple ways behind, and begin to live;
learn to use good judgment.”
Proverbs 9:1-6
“I called you
so often, but you wouldn’t come.
I reached out to you, but you paid no
attention.
You ignored my
advice
and rejected the correction I offered…
They rejected
my advice
and paid no attention when I corrected
them.
Therefore, they
must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way,
choking on their own schemes.
For simpletons
turn away from me—to death.
Fools are destroyed by their own
complacency.
Proverbs 1:24-27
I want to explain three major areas in our cultural conversation today where we are intentionally rejecting God. All of these narratives come from long-standing philosophies that have developed over decades and even centuries to emerge in toxic secular initiatives today.
Science-ism
The first is what we might call “The Religion of Science-ism.” For many years, we have seen the decline of traditional spiritual life in America. We have seen the rise of what some have called, the “Nones” – those who claim to be spiritual but have no religious affiliation. They write their own rules, which, of course, is antithetical to biblical faith. But a spiritual vacuum cannot exist in human beings. We are made to connect with someone or something that is greater than ourselves. That void must be filled. The Coronavirus Pandemic set the stage for the emergence of the religion of “Science-ism.” To be sure, a belief in science as the ultimate authority in life has been growing since the beginning of the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century. But the pandemic allowed it to become mainstreamed with its clergy (the talking-heads doctors and experts) as well as its own pope, Dr. Tony Fauci. “Trust the science” became its motto and CDC guidelines became their Scriptures. Shut-downs and mitigations became the sacred laws that must be obeyed. Disturbingly, it was the dictates that came out of Science-ism that sought to marginalize the “essential service” of faith communities. Churches were shuttered; some to never open again.
Now, I’m not a conspiracy guy. I got my vaccines even though I had the virus. I’ve followed the guidelines and encouraged others to do the same. But trust the science? I don’t know about you, but that’s not a god I want to follow. How often has the science changed? How many mistakes have been made in the name of this religion? How many lives lost in bad decisions and mental heath complications. Science-ism has no room for the God of the Bible because faith is not subject to the scientific method. While, on the surface it seems to be wise and full of good intentions, the root of Science-ism is infected with human pride and foolishness.
Critical Theory
Now, obviously, I am not a person of color. I have not lived that experience so I cannot completely empathize with the struggles that people of color in this country have had to overcome to this day. That is why I do not wish to be misunderstood in what I am about to say. As Christians, we are called to advocate for widows, orphans, and the less fortunate people in our societies. The gospel compels us to hear the stories of those who are suffering, to feed the hungry, to work for justice, and to set the oppressed free. Indeed, it is only the gospel that can bring true freedom and justice because it is based on self-giving love rather than a grasp for power.
In the last thirty years, a new approach to addressing the inequities of society has emerged, first in higher education and now in the culture at large. Critical Theory is a diverse train of thinking that draws on various strands of postmodern thought, psychoanalysis, deconstruction, and Marxism. Its most well-known manifestation in the last year is in what is known as Critical Race Theory or CRT. But Critical Theory, including CRT, offers no answers. It only seeks to deconstruct and tear down. It is divisive. Critical Theory, at is core, is simply a radical grab for power. It has its manifestations not only in racial issues, but in political systems, economic systems, and sexual identity politics. Its Marxist roots are clearly seen in the division of society into two groups: privileged oppressors and victims. The code of morality is also clear. Those who are privileged are evil and must be silenced and overthrown. Those who are victims have all the moral authority. And let us not be naïve. Marxism, wherever it has been institutionalized (as in the former Soviet Union and China) has always resulted in violent atrocities and the loss of freedom for most people. Only a small group of elite leaders fare better. What seems to be a cause for justice ends up being simply a power grab for the few because of the sinful nature of human beings. Marxism and its manifestations in Critical Theory is radically atheistic. For the emerging Marxist impulses in our culture, the church will always be an enemy that must be silenced or destroyed. We are viewed as oppressors because of the perception of privilege and our stand for biblical morality.
Sexual Identity Politics
Finally, in the last fifty years we have witnessed the rise and triumph of the modern self and the sexual revolution.[2] The roots of this movement go back to the emerging secular philosophies of The Enlightenment. The LBGTQ agenda is the contemporary manifestation of this movement. We have just finished the month of June – “Pride Month.” Did you notice all of the rainbows being displayed in different ways? Why is the LGBTQ community so militant in insisting that their identities be affirmed? Tolerance is not enough. We must support and affirm their lifestyle choices. LGBTQ people are insistent on acceptance because a person’s identity is formed in community. Our first community was our family which, through actions and words, affirmed who we are and our place in the world. LGBTQ people demand our society’s acceptance because it is a true psychological need. But that is a problem for Bible-believing Christians because the Scriptures clearly teach that those lifestyles are sinful and a distortion of God’s design and plan. We cannot affirm and celebrate LGBTQ lifestyles and be faithful to the Scriptures.
I’m sure you can connect the dots. Bible-believing Christians are oppressors. We must be silenced or destroyed. All three of these narratives – Science-ism, Critical Theory, Sexual Identity Politics – seem to be pursuing good outcomes on the surface. But they are all anti-God and anti-Christ. They are demonically inspired. We are not fighting against flesh and blood, as the Apostle Paul reminded the Ephesians, but rather against, “the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12 ESV). You can see where things are headed. Is it any wonder that the Bible-believing church in America is wantonly criticized, marginalized, and declining? America, we have a problem.
“What will the righteous do?”
How should we, as the church, respond to this emerging and threatening reality? I resonate with the psalmist who lamented, “Rivers of tears gush from my eyes because people disobey your instructions” (Psalm 119:136). When I hear the local news reports from our city each morning, I shake my head in sadness at the foolishness and stubbornness of people who refuse to follow God’s way. Do they not know? Could it be that they have they never heard God’s word and the invitation to life that proclaimed in the gospel? That probability should stir us to prayer and action. I am taken nearly to tears knowing that many church-folk as well, however, ignore God’s word, picking and choosing what suits them and live in wanton rebellion against him. If the people who are called by Christ’s name choose foolishness rather than holiness, then there is no hope for the church. God cannot bless a sinful church or he would have to apologize to Israel and all the seven churches of Revelation. If we will not repent, judgment awaits.
Well-known pastor, John
MacArthur, claims that America is already under God’s judgment. Perhaps that’s true. I don’t know. But I think the psalm that we read earlier
offers us guidance and hope:
I trust in the
Lord for protection.
So why do you
say to me,
“Fly
like a bird to the mountains for safety!
The wicked are
stringing their bows
and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings.
They shoot from
the shadows
at those whose hearts are right.
The foundations
of law and order have collapsed.
What can the righteous do?”
But the Lord is
in his holy Temple;
the Lord still rules from heaven.
Psalm 11:1-4
What can the righteous do? Don’t give up hope. God is in control and he’s got this. He still rules from heaven. But there’s more to it than not giving into despair. We have an opportunity here. There is real hope. Much of the influence of my thinking for this message came from a recent book entitled, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, by Christian historian, Carl R. Trueman. In the closing words of his book, he observes:
In the second century, the church was a marginal sect within a dominant, pluralist society. She was under suspicion not because her central dogmas were supernatural but rather because she appeared subversive in claiming Jesus as King and was viewed as immoral…That is where we are today.[3]
The church’s best days have always been when she has been under pressure. The church in the second century turned the world upside down because they were so different from the prevailing culture. They followed the words and example of Jesus. They loved their enemies and they embraced the outcast. They were a holy church, intolerant of sin and spiritual rebellion within their own people. Let us return to being that holy, loving, and faithful community of faith that challenged the pagan culture of the day. Let’s be a people of prayer. Let’s be like wisdom, inviting everyone in this nation of fools to respond to the good news of Jesus Christ. Friends, the gospel shines brightest in the darkest night. We must understand the time in which God has sovereignly placed us. We are here for such a time as this. Let us take courage and look to Jesus, who through his death and resurrection has already secured our victory.
[1]
A. Lloyd Collins, God in American History, ebook: <https://www.patriotuniversity.com/God%20in%20American%20History%20ebook.pdf>
p. 61, Accessed 6/30/21.
[2]
See especially, Carl F. Trueman, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self:
Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual
Revolution.
[3]
Carl R. Trueman, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia,
Expressive individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution, (Wheaton Ill: Crossway,
2020), p. 406-407.
Thank you for this! This is real. You call out the anti-Christ doctrines that are all too prevelant today, you call us to action, and you show the history that is repeating itself. Once again, thank you!
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