Freedom And Forgiveness Are Never Free - Memorial Day 2012

Sermon Central.com video “Under God”

Tomorrow is Memorial Day 2012. Tomorrow, all across the country people will revisit the burial sites of loved ones who have died. On Tuesday one will be able to drive past any given cemetery and be able to notice the beautiful array of colorful flowers spread throughout the acres of headstones because the person buried there was remembered by someone that loved them.

The definition “Memorial” according to Dictionary.com is – “something designed to preserve the memory of a person or event.” This morning as we gather for worship we remember the sacrifice of the American soldier, Marine, Sailor, Airman, and Guardsman. It is because of the men and women who gave their lives on the field of battle that we are able to gather here today, to worship God as we choose, and to live in this wonderful country.

The video we just saw points out a tremendous flaw that is that brewing here in our nation: we are “one nation, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all.” We live in a country where nearly 80% of Americans identify themselves as being Christian. However, if one who claims to be a Christian would turn on the news or read any news paper they should find themselves asking, “If 80% of Americans are Christians, why are we not ‘one nation under God?’” We live in a nation that was founded on Christian principles so that we could worship God, the God of the Bible – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – as we please, without persecution. The video ended by pointing out that being “one nation, indivisible, with liberty and just for all” is not possible except by being “under God” and that some things just weren’t meant to be independent. Ronald Reagan once said, “If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, we will be a nation gone under.”

It is ironic to me that people want to cut out absolutely everything that has to do with God: remove the 10 commandments from schools and court rooms, remove prayers from public places, take Christian radio stations off the air, and many more things, yet they have ZERO problem spending our money which proudly proclaims, “In God We Trust.”

Here in the United States of America we have the freedom to disagree with people of other faiths (or who have no faith), to disagree with people who think and live differently than we do, to agree and congregate with people with whom we do agree. We have the right to jump in our car and drive freely 3,000 miles across this nation, jump on a plane and fly from state to state, to send our children to public or private schools, the rights specifically stated the Bill of Rights in our constitution, and most importantly we have the right to vote. We have these and countless other freedoms and rights because of the sacrifice of the American troops. Today we honor them, we mourn them, and we remember them.

- Prayer for message

It is extremely important for us as Christian Americans to know and understand that freedom and forgiveness are NEVER free. Today I want us to see the 3 similar points between the death of Jesus and the death of an American soldier as found in Scripture.

3 Similarities of Jesus’ death and the Soldier’s Death:

1. They Died Following Orders

Luke 22:42 – “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup from Me, nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done.”

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was a result of Him obeying the will of the Father. We see here in the Garden of Gethsemane just hours before His crucifixion and just minutes before Judas Iscariot would betray Him with a kiss, that Jesus had petitioned God the Father to see if it was possible for Jesus to not go to the cross, yet He submitted to the will of His Father. Similarly, all across this nation there are tombs of those who gave their lives in an effort to complete the mission given to them by their commanding officer and Washington. While Washington nor the Pentagon told any of the troops to storm the beach of Normandy with a target on their chest, to lay on an IED, to sacrifice themselves by jumping on a live grenade to save the lives of others, to stand in the way of a falling Japanese kamukasi , and God the Father does not wear stars on His uniform and Jesus did not go through basic training or boot camp, however the Father’s will is what Jesus submitted to and it ultimately lead to His death. The American soldier, Marine, Airmen, Sailor, and Guardsmen who has given his or her life was given in an effort to accomplish the task given to them – defend freedom.