Our Pledge of Allegiance
July 4th Sermon
July 1, 2018
[PowerPoint or ProPresenter presentations are available for this sermon upon request by emailing chucksligh@hotmail.com.]
Adapted from a sermon by Steve Malone.
TEXT: Joshua 24:15 – “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
INTRODUCTION
Wednesday, as you know, is Independence Day for Americans. The title of my message today is “Our Pledge of Allegiance.” What I want to do is look briefly at the parallels between the United States’ founding fathers’ allegiance to their country and our allegiance to our Lord Jesus Christ. I think you’ll be surprised at the similarities between them and what we learn from them.
I. FIRST, LET’S CONSIDER THE PATRIOTS’ ALLEGIENCE TO THEIR COUNTRY.
I’d like you first to see three things about the actions of the founding fathers:
1. Note first that they MADE A BOLD DECLARATION.
After the conflict with England had begun, many patriots BOLDLY declared their allegiance to the fledgling country. Patrick Henry, the fiery politician from Virginia, in his famous speech before the Virginia Provincial Convention, addressing those sitting on the fence, boldly said,
It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentleman wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery. Forbid it, almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death.
Then came the boldest declaration of all, the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, signed by 56 representatives from the 13 colonies in which they voted to declare that they would accept nothing less than absolute freedom from England. From there, the declaration was read before the militia troops in the field on July 9th, and from there to the rest of the world.
This was a BOLD DECLARATION. In it, the Americans challenged the most powerful empire of the world. And they entered the war with neither a navy nor an army. Their fighting forces consisted solely of untrained militia units made up of citizen-soldiers from the various colonies.
On the other side, England had an army of well trained, highly disciplined—not to mention, ruthless—soldiers, as well as the strongest navy on earth at the time. The founding fathers and many other courageous patriots made a BOLD declaration—they pledged their lives and their allegiance to their country.
2. Note second that THEY PAID A HIGH PRICE for that declaration.
After the Americans declared their independence, they had to win it by force. Historians tell us that the task proved especially difficult—partly because the people never fully united behind the war effort. (This is a fact often forgotten today.) About 1/3 of the colonists REMAINED UNCONCERNED about the outcome of the war. – They were indifferent and openly supported neither side. And as many as 1/3 of the population SYMPATHIZED WITH ENGLAND. – They called themselves “Loyalists” for their loyalty to King George. These problems meant that victory in the Revolutionary War depended on patriots who made up less than 1/3 of the entire population—a situation roughly parallel to the amount of support for the Vietnam War at its lowest point of support.
For a population the size of America’s in that day, the casualties were high—7,200 Americans were killed in battle during the Revolutionary War; 8,200 were wounded; 10,000 died from disease and exposure (3,000 at Valley Forge alone); an additional 6,500 died in prison after being captured; and 1,400 soldiers were listed as, which means a grand total of about 23,700 dead.
What about the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Their strong conviction and their bold declaration resulted in great sufferings for themselves and their families. Of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence that day….
* 5 were captured by the British and tortured before they died.
* 12 had their homes ransacked and burned.
* 2 lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army.
* Another 2 sons were captured.
* 9 of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardship from the war.
* One of the signers, Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships sunk by the British Navy. – He sold his home and properties to pay his debts and died in poverty.
* At the battle of Yorktown, the British General Cornwallis had taken over Thomas Nelson’s home for his headquarters. Nelson ordered George Washington to open fire on his own home. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
* John Hart was driven from his wife’s side as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives and his fields were destroyed. For over a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home only to find his wife had died and his children had vanished. A few weeks later, he himself died from exhaustion.
Now it’s one thing to make a bold declaration in the comfort of a congressional meeting; it’s quite another to pay the price; to fulfill that declaration on the field of battle; to pay with blood—yours, your family’s, and your neighbors’. Our Patriot fathers made a bold declaration—and THEY PAID A HIGH PRICE.
3. But also consider this…THEY REAPED A GREAT REWARD.
The war that began in April 1775, officially ended with the treaty of Paris in 1783. The Americans made a bold declaration, they paid a high price…and they reaped a great reward. They won their independence and freedom not just for themselves, but for all Americans. And a particular kind of nation was born—a nation where every person could be free and have something to say about how they were governed.
And though the signers of that great declaration paid a high price, many of them later reaped a great reward—
* 2 of the signers became presidents…
* 10 became U.S. congressman…
* 19 became judges…
* 16 became governors…
* dozens of others held other high political offices…
* and all of them—those who survived and those who didn’t—have the everlasting gratefulness of the American people.
The Patriots—they made the pledge; they paid the price; and they reaped the reward—freedom, a new land, a new country, a bright future.
II. NOW LET’S LOOK AT THE PARALLELS TO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.
1. First, we too MAKE A BOLD DECLARATION.
If you call yourself a disciple of Christ, YOU TOO have made a bold declaration. Remember the day when you openly confessed Jesus as your Lord and Savior to your friends and co-workers? (If you have not done that, you should!) Remember the day you were baptized, publicly declaring your faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ? (If you haven’t done that, you should!)
In doing these things, you were making a bold declaration—a declaration of independence from the world, the flesh, and the devil, and pledging your allegiance, your devotion, your loyalty, your very life—to Jesus Christ.
Folks, it’s a very bold declaration to say that you will no longer live for yourself; that you will no longer seek your will for your life; that you will no longer live for the things of the world; that you will seek God’s will for your life instead; that you will seek to do what pleases Him far and above what pleases you; that He will come first before everything and everyone on this earth.
This declaration is as bold and as powerful as the one Joshua made in Joshua 24:14-15, our text for this morning. Look again with me at our text, but this time let’s begin at verse 14 – “Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. 15 And if it seems evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
When you pledged your allegiance to the Lord—you made a very bold declaration.
2. Second, like the patriots, we MUST ALSO PAY A HIGH PRICE.
It’s one thing to make a bold declaration in the comfort of a church building, but it’s quite another to live up to it, to pay the price, to fulfill that declaration on the battlefields of our daily lives. Most of the time, saying words is the easy part; the actions are much tougher.
You know, on that day when Joshua made his bold declaration, he wasn’t alone—others also did. They said similar words in verses 16-18…in the comfort of the assembly.
What a great declaration by Israel!—But tragically, it didn’t last long. All you have to do is turn the page over to the book of Judges, and you’ll see how God’s people quickly turned away from Him.
Judges 2:11-12 says “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: 12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.”
We see recorded in the pages of Scripture how Israel entered a phase of constant defeat and retreat…over and over and over again. You see, wars are not won by those who only make declarations; who only make claims; who only speak words. They’re won by those who get in the battle and do the hard work of war, and obey the orders of our Commander-in-Chief, Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, we who are in the Lord’s Army find—just like the Patriots found in the American Revolution—that our war is hard to win.
* First, in our bold declaration WE ARE CHALLENGING A VERY POWERFUL EMPIRE.
Paul says in we’re declaring war “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12)
There are real battles to be fought; real struggles to overcome. We’re called upon by Scripture to “finish our course,” “fight the good fight,” “endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
Yes, we ARE in a real war and we have a real enemy—Satan—who doesn’t like it when someone opposes or challenges him, and he will attack us, pursue us, and tempt us in every way imaginable. He’s the consummate guerilla fighter—at times coming at us head-on like a charging lion, and at other times appears as an angel of light.
There’s a price to pay because we’re challenging a powerful empire.
* Second our spiritual war is hard to win because NOT EVERYONE IS COMMITTED TO THE WAR EFFORT.
Some are not really on the Lord’s side at all, but are loyal to the enemy, just as the Loyalists were in our country while Patriots were dying for their freedoms. These impostors sometimes even work against the Lord’s side through false teaching and subverting the saints, and creating division and strife. They will eventually be exposed and face God’s justice.
* Finally, our war is hard is because some are like that third of the colonists who were UNCONCERNED ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE WAR.
They’re on the Lord’s side—kind of, maybe, sort of—but they’re indifferent, they’re uninvolved, they’re lackadaisical. They don’t openly hinder the war and they’ll gladly take part in any benefits—but they’ll not join in the fight; they’ll not leave their comfort and safety; they simply watch and critique from the sidelines.
Make no mistake about it—there IS a price to pay to fulfill your declaration to follow your Commander-in-Chief. He calls you unswerving allegiance, and the fact that He does so is no secret. Jesus made this clear to us when He walked the earth.
* In Luke 9:23-24 He said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.…”
* In Luke 14:26, Jesus said, “If any man comes to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”
By the way, let me point out that this is Christ’s call to discipleship, His call to battle, not the call to salvation. – Just as Americans were Americans BY BIRTH—patriots JOIN UP—so we come to salvation BY THE NEW BIRTH, but disciples JOIN UP.
Also, take note that the word “hate” here is a comparative word. Jesus was saying that our love for Christ must be so strong that in comparison with our love for our loved ones, it appears like hate. That’s pretty demanding love, isn’t it?
Jesus went on to say in verse 27 – “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
And in verse 33 Jesus says, “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
Now that’s pretty strong language. This is a clarion call to all-out battle for Christ against the kingdom of darkness. It’s a difficult mission to fulfill, but our orders are not ambiguous. We’re to love Christ with an unquenchable, passionate loyalty, and serve Him with an untiring, indomitable devotion.
To do that—I know—we’ll pay a high price, but it’s worth it because…
3. Lastly, like our Patriot forefathers, we WILL REAP A GREAT REWARD
In Romans 8:18 Paul said, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” – Brethren, God will reveal His GLORY in us who join up for battle!
One day those who have fought the battle valiantly in this life will stand before the Lord in all His glory and receive crowns for their faithful service for Him—kind of like wartime decorations. Sadly, some will have no crowns, no rewards, no decorations, no commendations because, yes, they are saved, but they did not work for Him as they should have; He was not first place in their lives; they neglected a close and abiding walk with God; they neglected God’s house and His people; they lived lives of selfishness and worldliness. Many scriptures attest to the sadness and regret these will have on that day!
But for those who fought the good fight and paid the price and followed unswervingly and selflessly, they will receive the greatest of all commendations one can receive: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Oh, what a glorious reward is in store for the faithful!
CONCLUSION
Now let’s get to the point of our sermon this morning:
1. Folks, if you’re saved, you need to make a bold declaration.
Have you made that declaration? Have you said, “Lord, I volunteer to serve you and follow you.”? You do that by boldly declaring your faith in Jesus Christ, not hiding in the shadows like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus who were secret disciples of Jesus. You do that by publicly identifying yourself with Jesus and the Gospel by public water baptism before all. You do that by not being ashamed of the Lord before others. If you have not done these things, I strongly urge you to do so.
2. But as you do, do not be naïve about the price to pay.
Nowhere in the Bible does are believers promised a life of comfort and ease. In fact, quite the contrary. The Bible promises that this life will be a life of sacrifice, service, and selflessness—in other words, THE LIFE OF A SOLDIER!
3. But I’m happy to remind you: The reward is great.
It’s greater than a military retirement pension! If you persevere and serve and work for our Lord’s, He will reward you richly in God’s kingdom, and often even in this life as well. And there will await you those blessed words from the Lord’s own lips: “Well done, good and faithful servant: you hast been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: thou into the joy of thy lord.” (Matthew 25:21)
