Declaring You Free

Illustration- Tomorrow is the 4th of July! The 4th of July is a special day in our country. It is a day we celebrate patriotism, liberty, freedom, and what makes our nation great. Tomorrow marks 240 years since our Founding Fathers gave us our national birth certificate. It is day known as “Independence Day” because of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And in that great document delivered on July the 4th, 1776, we read of a belief that all people have rights given by their Creator.

The document only has 1321 words, it takes just eight minutes to read, and God is mentioned four times, twice at the beginning and twice at the end.

The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence begins with these words: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The closing words of their Declaration solemnly state: "With a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes & our sacred Honor."

“Endowed by their Creator” and “Divine Providence.” Both of these statements, both of these important phrases point to the historical fact that what made America great was not political leaders, or military conquest, or a booming economy… but a dependence upon God Almighty.

What we often forget is that in declaring their independence from England, our forefathers made an equally strong “Declaration of Dependence” upon God.

Who were the men who were willing to sign? They were educated, civilized men who were willing to sacrifice everything for a cause that they believed in. And history shows us that they paid the price for that bravery.

Of the 56 signers of the Declaration, few were long to survive. Five were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army, another had two sons captured.

And though few of them benefited from their bravery, and most lost everything they owned, not one recanted his original declaration of independence. These men were courageous and valiant and brave and because of them and others, we have the privilege of being here today, and living in the greatest country in the world.

Because of them and their dependence upon God... We are a great nation. We are a Blessed Nation!

Psalm 33:12New International Version (NIV) says…

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.

Over the past 200+ years we have lived in a blessed nation… blessed by God's provision and protection. We need to understand that blessings such as these are not by chance or accidental. They are direct result of trusting in God.

John Adams said, "The general principles on which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity". Adams went on to say that in observing the 4th of July, “It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty."

In fact, as John Adams signed [the Declaration] he said, "Whether we live or die, sink or swim, succeed or fail, I stand behind this Declaration of Independence. And if God wills it, I am ready to die in order that this country might experience freedom."

It was that kind of patriotism which led men, armed with little more than hunting rifles, to engage in battle with what was the most powerful nation in the world.

Many of our forefathers paid a terrible price in the Revolutionary War, but finally they won the victory so that you & I might be citizens of this "land of the free & home of the brave."

It is so very important that we remember their declaration of dependence upon God, for in a time of world turmoil, the United States today is rapidly forgetting the God of our fathers, the God who gave this nation its birth & its greatness.

How many of you recognize the name Patrick Henry? He's the guy that said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” Now listen to his words. He said, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians - not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

In His Last Will & Testament … He wrote, "I have now given everything I own to my children. There is one more thing I wish I could give them & that is Christ. Because if they have everything I gave them & don’t have Christ, they have nothing."

We live in a Nation today that tries to give our kids everything... but Christ. The latest clothes, the latest technology, the latest toys, the latest gadgets, the latest styles... and our kids have to be involved in every activity under the sun. How many parents send their kids to church, but don't attend themselves and churches become more of a babysitting tool than a place of refuge and strength. How many children really have no home church that they belong to and are discipled in, but are simply dropped off at the next church for the next activity? You see this is what we have become.