Americans love to celebrate Independence Day.
The supermarkets stock up with extra ribs, hamburger and hotdogs along with anything else the goes with grilling out. It seems like the 4th is a big deal to more people than other holidays.
As Americans we tend to flaunt our freedom before the whole world on this day. We are a big nation and like to show off our freedom in a big way. There are the fireworks and music on the radio, patriotic themes in the stores and parades.
It is one of the summer holidays when most places are closed and as a nation we really do celebrate together.
If there is any day that we lift up animal sacrifices as a nation, I would guess it is July 4th.
I think that it is interesting how we crave independence.
How we will struggle and fight for freedom. I believe it is something that is in our makeup, something about how we work.
Even as small children we wanted to be in control. It starts before we are two years old. The word NO, become prominent in our simple vocabulary. Then not too long later, the shouts of MINE! We start making choices our way and do our best to make others go along. It is only a few years later when we start claiming “it’s not fair.”
Ultimately, we complain and pout when we don’t get our way.
As we get into our teens it is not much better. We want to be free of family obligations. We want to go out with friends and not have a curfew or be quizzed about what we were doing.
When Paul writes to the Galatians he is writing to people that are Teens in the faith, Teens in the family of God. They think they know everything, and just want to be left alone to do it their way.
The thing about teens is that they are far more influenced…controlled… than they will admit, by other teens that really don’t know any more than they do.
Just like in any group of young people, there are leaders and followers in Galatia. The leaders are making the rules.
Paul is addressing instructions from some men that came to Galatia and claim to have authority to teach the church the right way to approach God.
Paul is writing to the Galatians to combat a teaching that the church in Galatia needed to keep the old rules…the Law of Moses. He tells them that have freedom……because they accepted Christ.
The freedoms from the Law of Moses which individually and especially as a nation they would never be able to keep to God’s standard.
Last week we heard about Peter seeing God move and change Peter’s mind about what God’s plan was. What was required to become of part of the people of God.
Now 10 or more years later, Paul is telling, as if for the first time, the church that they have a freedom not to follow the old ways.
No more circumcision as a part of the preparation for a Gentile to be accepted by God.
The old rules don’t have any value or usefulness in their new life.
What Paul is saying is they have the freedom to live a new way, a freedom to love one another, a freedom to live by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
I believe we tend to like Thomas Jefferson’s words that each individual has an "inalienable right" to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Inalienable - refers to a set of human rights that are fundamental, they are not awarded by human power, and cannot be surrendered. They come from outside anything we do or say.
-We like to enjoy our freedoms in the way we spend our time with our families and work.
-We control our money for the most part deciding what we NEED.
-We exercise our freedom in countless ways each day with all the decisions we make for ourselves.
Even our teenage children have freedom of choice that far exceeds what the majority of the world’s adults can even imagine.
Although I would suspect that they, our children, would disagree, feeling that their parents and teachers oppress them.
While our political system is less that perfect we have been able to maintain tremendous freedoms economically, politically, personally and even religiously.
But, the freedoms came with a price. A lot of people 231 years ago risked everything to break away from the Laws from England. Once they achieved the successful break, it was important that they not fall back into a position of giving in to those old relationships and rules.
It wasn’t tempting to become subjects of the English king. It was that they would fall back to a class system of have’s and have nots. Of different rights and privileges for different kinds of people using blood lines and history.
We hate to admit it but we really do like rules.
Even independent young people establish rules for how they will live on their own. When young men and women head off to college they believe they are headed to freedom from the oppression of Mom and Dad.
They believe they can do what they want, when they want. They find it is partly true.
However, if they want to pass their classes, it is not too long before they conform to a new set of rules.
They first have to decide that they want to pass and put in some study time. It means that they choose more reasonable hours. Perhaps a change of friends. Maybe even choosing to go to the library instead of a pizza place to study.
As students experience the taste of freedom and realize that to keep it is has a cost, they start to set their own limitations. It is a part of growing up and maturing.
What Paul is warning about is heading back home to Mom and Dad’s “house rules.”
You know what I mean by house rules don’t you….It’s my house, I make the rules.
Be home by 11, take out the trash, clean up you mess, and mom and dad will pay the bills and take care of you.
Some young people see that as a pretty good deal and never fully move out. They never fully learn how to live in the world.
Paul is telling the Galatians that they are not bound by house rules anymore. He encourages them to accept their freedom in Jesus Christ.
As a new nation, the people had lots of choices that could have made this place less desirable than it is.
There are people today that are trying all the time to change this nation in ways to restrict and control everything. They say that people can live any life they want to - except Christian.
They manipulate the founding fathers words and intentions and totally ignore their backgrounds and beliefs in order to control today’s rules to their advantage.
Our founding fathers guaranteed us the freedoms to gather together, freedom to love one another and serve each other, the freedom to speak out for the betterment of our homes, communities and even government.
-- Our forefathers explained that with freedom also comes responsibility.
As I think about it, it is strange that we call it Independence Day.
Even though we celebrate the breaking of the formal relationship with England, it forced the people of the day to become even more dependant on each other. They were forced to work together in common defense of what they saw as right and wrong.
--- They were not really independent at all and neither are we.
As young adults we wanted to be independent of our parents. But in reality all we did was move our dependence to our friends. We broke what we considered a formal controlling relationship and formed new relationships with supposedly “less” rules. Although that might be hard to measure with peer pressure and expectations of material things.
The next step in the independence ladder may be marriage. When we choose a mate we are choosing someone and saying it is you and me against the world.
Marriage is a new relationship is a balanced independence. Each person gives and takes and you work together to survive.
What happens is you find a new freedom and new opportunities, new choices and a special comfort in dependence on another person.
What I am trying to explain this morning is that with every stage if independence there is a new set of dependence and responsibility.
Our forefathers risked everything when they declared independence.
They put their money, name and reputations on the line. They were not Americans in name only. It became an outward sigh of who they were.
Their declaration of independence from oppression was just a strong of a declaration of dependence on the other people in the colonies.
Truly independent living, living with freedom, is only possible when we recognize that we can never really be independent.
We always have a dependence on God. I don’t care what any person in the world thinks, agnostic, atheist, satan worshiper, sports fanatic. Every person in this world is dependant on God.
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A group of scientist announced to the press that they had unraveled all the secrets of God and could repeat every miracle. They could heal every disease and even create and manipulate life itself.
They contacted the press and the religious leaders of the world challenging God to a contest to prove that the world really did not need Him any more.
A date and time were set when they would challenge God and prove that sciences could do it all.
The day arrived and the scientist and the press were in a stadium filled with people. And in walks a normal looking man in a simple robe. In a brief exchange he claimed to be a spokes man for God. They discussed what God would like to see the scientist do to prove their abilities.
The man says, he says to “start with a simple one. Make a man.”
The scientists agree and a quick cell phone call is made and in just seconds a truck rolls out on the field and a team starts setting up equipment and one of them steps forward and opens a container and grabs a double hand full of dirt…..
The man interrupts and says, “Wait, God says to get your own dirt.”
No matter where we started or what things we have done we all start with an unavoidable dependence on God.
Man would not exist if not created. The place we live would not support life except by His design.
No matter how independent we think we are it is not really true!
We were all dependant on our parents for life. What cost did they go through to raise us?
We live in a country, most of us by birth and not choice that someone else paid the cost to obtain the early freedom. From time to time installments are paid by other generations to maintain what we enjoy.
The point is that we are dependant on those that came before us, by default. Can can’t get out of it but we can ignore or discount it. That would be awfully juvenile thing to do.
It really only comes down to wither we acknowledge the facts that put us where we are.
Do we celebrate the gifts of freedom like the 4th of July and the celebration that goes with that gift? Attending a picnic, parade, cookout celebrating the freedom we enjoy everyday.
How about the freedom that Paul describes in Jesus Christ?
How do we celebrate freedom from the Law we could never keep?
According to our scripture today we celebrate by allowing the Spirit to help us with our sinful nature.
We do it when we choose to acknowledge our dependence and start living sacrificial lives. Live that lead us to help each other and love each other even when some of us mess up.
We do it when we choose to depend on the Holy Spirit to lead our lives. Which will often call us into new ways of working for God.
If you have not reached Independence Day, and accept your salvation and your responsibilities to live for Christ then you are still under the LAW.
You are still leaning toward a sinful nature and you are at risk of not reaching the ultimate independence, perfection as a child of God.
We still enjoy the freedom gained by actions performed so long ago.
Even more amazing is that we still have the opportunity to accept the freedom Jesus paid for. We can still choose to acknowledge our dependence on Him and gain the assurance that a Loving God loves us more than we can imagine.
Both situations come to us paid in full. We receive one just because we happen to live here. The other is offered to all, but requires that we respond to the act and live by faith.
This morning, as we sing the last hymn, make sure you are clear about your choice. Are you independent and making your own way or are you first dependant on Christ.
He offers you an inalienable right to joy and peace and eternal life.
All Glory be to God!
This morning we are going to approach the Lords table for Holy Communion.
You need to realize something.
The only way to receive any value for yourself in this moment is to come with empty hands. You need to realize that you can’t “bring” anything to God that would be of any value to him.
It is His love and mercy that offers value to you.
However, you have one power, one thing of value that God is looking for. He wants to see you exorcise your independence and choose to depend on him.
When you acknowledge what God did through Jesus Christ for you then there is rejoicing in heaven. This morning I hope that you will consciously realize that you are making a sacrificial offering of yourself to God.
When you approach this meal, this taste of heaven, you are admitting that you are dependant on God for everything and that will set you free.
Please pray with me.
