MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
Text: Deuteronomy 8:7-14; Proverbs 14:34
Last Wednesday we celebrated the birthday of our nation & the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was a momentous decision for each one of the men who placed his name upon that Declaration.
As John Adams signed, 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."
PROP. But what we often forget is that in declaring their independence from England, our forefathers made an equally strong “Declaration of Dependence” upon Almighty God.
I. THEY DECLARED THEIR DEPENDENCE UPON GOD
A. 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 states: "With a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes & our sacred Honor."
APPL. It is important that we remember this declaration of their 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.
ILL. I trust that all of you recognize the name of Patrick Henry. But I’m afraid many of our school children know almost nothing of him at all. Patrick Henry was a famous statesman of colonial Virginia.
In 1764 he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses where he became a champion of the frontier people, supporting their rights against the arrogant exercise of power by the aristocracy.
In 1774 he was a delegate to the First Continental Congress. In 1775, before the Virginia Provincial Convention, which was deeply divided between those who supported England & those who desired freedom, he uttered his most famous words, "Give me liberty or give me death!"
During the Revolutionary War he became commander-in-chief of Virginia's military forces. He was a member of the Second Continental Congress. He helped draw up the first constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, & was primarily responsible for drawing up the amendments to our Constitution known as the Bill of Rights.
He became Virginia's first governor, & was re-elected 3 more times. Then he retired from public life, but despite his strong objections the people went ahead & elected him Governor for the 5th time. But he meant what he said, so he refused to take the office.
He was offered a seat in the U.S. Senate, & posts as ambassador to Spain & to France. Pres. George Washington asked him to join his cabinet & become Secretary of State, & later wanted to appoint him the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. But he refused all such honors & recognitions.
APPL. Now why do I mention these things about Patrick Henry? It is because I want you to realize that he was an important & respected leader in those days when our nation came into being.
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."
His Last Will & Testament was filed in the Brookneal County courthouse in Virginia. Read his Will & you'll see that he bequeathed everything to his children, just as most people do. But the last paragraph in his Will is especially interesting.
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."
SUM. I love reading about Patrick Henry & George Washington & John Adams & Thomas Jefferson & John Jay & many of the other patriots who gave of themselves so valiantly that we might enjoy the freedoms that are ours.
B. But we also need to be reminded again of the solemn warning that God gave to another nation which was experiencing the thrill of independence after centuries of slavery in Egypt. Although it was written over 3,000 years ago, this warning could very well apply to the United States today.
In Deuteronomy 8:7-14 Moses tells the people, "For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land. . .where you shall eat food without scarcity. . . When you have eaten & are satisfied, you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.”
Now listen to His warning: “Beware. . .lest, when you have eaten & are satisfied, & have built good houses & lived in them. . .& your silver & your gold multiply, & all that you have multiplies, then your heart becomes proud, & you forget the Lord your God." Do we today have a reason to be concerned about this warning?
II. WATCH OUT THAT WE DON'T FORGET GOD
The testimony of history has made it abundantly clear that not only nations, but also individuals, need to heed that warning. The greatness of a nation is not measured by its military power, technological advancements, or national wealth. Righteousness & justice are the determining factors.
Solomon, the wisest of men, said: "Righteousness exalts a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people." (Proverbs 14:34)
ILL. Someone wrote: What in the world is happening with our kids today? Let’s see…I think it started when Madalyn Murray O’Hair complained that she didn’t want any prayer in our schools, & our Supreme Court said “Okay.”
Then someone said “You had better not read the Bible in school” – the Bible that says, “Thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal,” & “Love your neighbor as yourself.” And our nation said, “Okay.”
Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn’t spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped & we might damage their self-esteem. So we said, “Okay, we won’t spank them.”
Then someone said that teachers & principals better not discipline our children when they misbehave. And our administrators said, “No one in this school is to touch a student when he misbehaves because we don’t want any bad publicity. And we surely don’t want to be sued.”
Then someone said, “Let’s provide our children with condoms so they can have all the ‘fun’ they desire.” And our nation said, “That’s a great idea.” Someone else said, “Let’s provide abortions for underage girls, & they won’t even have to tell their parents.” And our nation said, “That’s another great idea.”
Then some of our top officials said that it doesn’t matter what we do in private. And we said, “As long as I have a job…, it doesn’t matter to me what anyone does in private.”
So now we’re asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don’t know right from wrong, & why it doesn’t bother them to kill.
Probably, if we think about it long & hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with “We reap what we sow.” Wow! What a concept!
CONCL. If you truly are concerned about America; if you earnestly want God to bless her - then live a life in harmony with the will of God. Only then does one truthfully have the right to sing:
God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her, & guide her,
Through the night, with the light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam;
God bless America, my home, sweet home.
(A longer form of this message can be found under the title "I've Gotta Be Free!")
