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.
What has happened in our generation? We have told God that we don’t need the Bible, we don’t need the church, we don’t need God in the running of our nation, our schools and sadly even our homes.
Transition- One of the most defining characteristics of our nation is that of freedom. The freedom that we have is not something that comes from a document. That document simply declared their belief. No, our freedom was bought at the price of those who were willing to sacrifice for others.
Today we enjoy freedom in Christ, because of the sacrifice he made for us.
Our freedom was bought with the cost of His life. Today the Gospel of Jesus Christ declares your independence from sin and freedom through faith in His blood and resurrection.
BODY:
Main Scripture-
Please turn in your Bibles to… Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Paul wrote these words to the church Galatia that was being told that in order to be saved you must embrace Judaism. You must become a Jew, they said. And Paul is writing out of concern for these people because they are being “thrown into confusion” by those trying to pervert the message of the gospel.
Today there are many trying to sell us on a misrepresentation of the Gospel and a rewriting of History that throwing many into confusion. People don't the Word. We don't know the truth, and therefore many are being burdened by a yoke of slavery... just another form of slavery. Legalism. Works religion. Prosperity Gospel. Belonging to an organization rather than to a faith. How easily are people being thrown into confusion believing that they are in fact going to heaven through a false gospel.
How many people are being sold on a false idea of Christ, on a false idea of the Bible, on a false idea of church, and on a false idea of salvation because we don't know the Bible?
The purpose of this letter was to clarify and call the Galatians back to the true gospel of Christ.
The Galatians had been freed through Christ from idolatry and paganism. Faith in Jesus had given them liberty and now certain ones were trying to get them to trust in a religion (in religious festivals and rituals that were only a shadow of the Good News through Christ) and not God or what Christ did for them on the Cross.
So here's the summed up version of what he is saying. There is tyrant... a dictator in your life. It just takes. It just corrupts. It is called your sinful nature – your flesh. That dictator... that tyrant will rule your life if you let it. But God did something to set you free from the law of sin and death.
You see God loves you and He made a way for you to be set free.
He sent His Son, Jesus, to die so that you could be set free from the tyrant, the dictator over your soul.
Just as those colonists fought for their freedom from the dictator of England, God did something revolutionary. He died for rebels. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”
Romans 8:2 (ESV) says...
2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
The Bible says that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in what? Through what? Through Jesus Christ our Lord. The patriots of the Revolutionary War declared independence from the law of England by appealing to a higher law – the will of God. The law of sin and death says, “You will live a life of sin and then you will die.” There's no hope. No freedom. Only oppression under the dictator until you die and face judgment.
But the law of the Spirit of life says, “Through Christ you can have freedom and eternal life.”
Appeal to the higher law. Declare your Independence.
In John 8:31-36New Living Translation (NLT) 31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. 32 And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” In verse 34… Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.
“If the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”
CONCLUSION:
You see, we have freedom in this country not because of some Document. That document was very important and had wonderful words of what this Country stands for. But that's not where we get our freedom. Our freedom comes from the belief... the faith of those who died, who gave their lives to protect what those words stood for and those who stand for that idea today.
Your freedom from sin does not come from a religion, or a ritual, or some religious rite. It doesn't come from some document that says I was baptized on such and such a date.
Your freedom comes from faith in Christ who gave His life for you and the faith of giving your life to Him… following... believing in His words that declare your independence – your freedom from sin.
You see many of us, although we live in the land of the free, still feel the chains of slavery as we struggle with our many vices and entanglements. We've got every convenience of life surrounding us. We've got a good life. We're living the American dream. Compared to the rest of the world, we are rich beyond compare with more than enough. And yet… and yet are we really free? How many are in chains to alcohol, to drugs, to sex, to pornography, to hate, to bitterness, to their past, to some thing they are worshiping to bring them happiness? How many live in an environment or a situation that feels like a hole they can't get out of? How many go to bed every night knowing that they are living in a self-made prison cell?
With all the things that we have, we are missing what we truly need. Our freedoms, our blessings are found in Christ… in knowing Christ, in trusting Christ. Then we will know the truth and the truth will set us free!
I've heard many promises by politicians and talking heads about what will make this country great again. There's only one thing that will truly make us great again. We can have the strongest military and most stable economy. We can have the most secure borders and safest streets. We can simplify our tax plan and reach out to the poor and down trodden. We can have the best education system and most advanced technology and innovation. But none of that… none of that would make us great again. Because what is wrong in America is not financial, or educational, or organizational, or even the lack of safety from our enemies. Those are all symptoms of a greater problem. We have forsaken what our forefathers knew and trusted in most.
We have forgotten the God who blesses us and gives us freedom. Folks, we need God in America again because if America does not turn back to God, then God will judge America. I believe He is.
Thomas Jefferson said these profound words: "God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever...”
