INDEPENDENCE DAY - THE PRICE OF FREEDOM
Text: Romans 8:18-23; Gal 5:13-16
Introduction:
1. Tell the story behind the quote:
"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!"
2. These immortal words of Patrick Henry uttered over 200 years ago reflect the heart of many Americans.
3. Throughout history men have wanted to be free.
4. FOR FREEDOM: men have toppled empires, uprooted civilizations, changed the geography of the earth, migrated across the face of the globe, and given their lives.
5. FOR FREEDOM: men have lived in caves, trekked across fast expanses of wilderness; they have hewn out new nations in the darkest unexplored corners of the earth.
6. FOR FREEDOM: Families have been separated, ties have been broken, and the blood of thousands of men women and children has mingled together in the dust of the earth to run like a river coursing through the pages of history.
7. What is this thing called freedom for which so many have striven so hard?
8. DEFINED: it is being not subject to any restraint that keeps one from deciding his own destiny.
DISCUSSION:
I. The Bible contains one of the earliest examples of man's quest for freedom
Exodus 1:13-14 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.
Exodus 2:23-24 23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
A. In the process of time any people who are not free become tired of bondage and become engrossed with the insatiable desire for freedom.
B. The Israelites turned to the right source. GOD!
C. God through Moses emancipated the people but NOT WITHOUT COST.
D. In order to be freed from the Egyptians' bondage and enter the land of Milk and honey they had to pay the price of obeying God given instructions.
FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE.
Exodus 9:1 1 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, "Let my people go, that they may serve me.
E. They were to:
1. keep his commandments,
2. follow his leaders,
3. and drive the heathen out of the land.
F. Even when God delivered the Israelites, he taught them that freedom is not free.
Exodus 13:17-18 17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, "Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt." 18 But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle.
G. God knows the best way for those who are free to remain free.
H. Free men who do not follow God are headed back into bondage.
I. After all these people had done. They became faithless and all fell in the wilderness.
J. It was up to their children to remain free by serving the living God.
K. That generation crossed the Jordon, brought down the walls of Jericho and conquered the land God had promised to their fathers.
L. The example of the Judges.
II. In the book of judges.
A. Seven times the people left God and were enslaved by the nations round about them until they cried out to God for deliverance.
III. Another quest for freedom by the oppressed is that of colonial Americans some 200 years ago.
A. Our fathers came to America because of economic, social, and religious oppression.
B. Motivated by the writings of John Locke and Jean Jaques Rouseau they set sail for freedom.
C. But they were still not free from Europe.
D. Thomas Paine's pamphlet "Common Sense" helped move the colonies toward freedom.
E. His later publication "The Crisis" contains these words,
"Tyranny, like Hell is not easily conquered; yet we have this confirmation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. WHAT WE OBTAIN TOO CHEAP, WE ESTEEM TOO LIGHTLY; Tis dear-ness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price on its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.
F. Payne is saying Freedom is not free, there is a cost to obtain it and maintain it..
G. The Preamble of the declaration of independence..
H. They recognized that freedom could come only if they paid the price
IV. The quest for freedom from slavery.
A. Despite the seemingly impossible victory of freedom over tyranny in the Revolutionary War, a terrible shadow brooded over the celebration of our independence.
B. Despite the statement that all men are created equal, with a right to be free, in 1787 the founding fathers drew up the 3/5's amendment.
C. The common thread running through the soulful songs of the slaves was a plea for God to free them as Moses had freed the Israelites.
D. Songs like "Deep River,” My Home is over Jordon, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, etc.
E. These songs expressed a desire to be free and looked to Jehovah God for their deliverance.
F. There were those who knew that our land was not free, and that the price would be great.
G. The Price was the Civil War.
V. The quest for freedom from segregation
A. In 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. But the Black man was still not free.
B. Overt slavery was replaced by the covert slavery SEGREGATION and the Jim Crowe laws.
C. Trip to Florida in '64
D. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks became famous for refusing to obey bus driver James Blake's order that she give up her seat in the colored section to make room for a white passenger. This action of civil disobedience started the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which was to become one of the most significant movements against racial segregation. In addition, this launched Martin Luther King, Jr., who was involved with the boycott, to prominence in the civil rights movement. She has had a lasting legacy worldwide.
E. The thing that freed them was Lester Maddox with his axe handle and George Wallace in the School room door.
F. Because they ignored the God given command to Love they received the bondage of the Civil Rights Bill of 1964.
VI. Freedom is from God.
Our Father’s God to thee
Author of Liberty
to thee we sing
long may our land be bright
with Freedom's holy light
protect us by they might
Great God our King.
America, America, God shed his grace on thee.
And crowned thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.
VII. Spiritual freedom the greatest struggle of all
A. Social and Political freedom came by social and political struggle. But not SPIRITUAL FREEDOM.
B. Before the foundation of the world God designed a spiritual declaration of independence
Isaiah 61:1-3 1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
Luke 4:17-21 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
C. FREEDOM is not free, it cost Jesus his life.
D. Every man and woman has a choice.
E. Adam and Eve chose bondage.
F. Plan of Salvation.
G. Freedom will cost us greatly – it will cost of our love
John 13:34-35 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
1. Love of God and self causes us to become Christians.
2. Love of our fellow man will cause us to treat him properly.
A Bell is not a bell until someone rings it
A song is not a song until someone sings it
Love in the heart is not put there to stay
Love is not love until it's given away.
H. WHAT IS THE PRICE OF FREEDOM? THE PRICE OF FREEDOM IS LOVE!!!!!
1. Love will eliminate gossip hate, jealousy, greed, etc.
I. Poem
THE COLD WITHIN.
Six humans trapped by happenstance, in bleak and bitter cold.
Each one possessed a stick of wood, or so the story is told.
Their dying fire -in need of logs, the first man held his back.
For of the faces around the fire, he noticed one was black.
The next man, looking across the way, saw one not of his church
And couldn't bring himself to give the fire, his stick of birch.
The third one sat in tattered clothes; he gave his coat a hitch,
why should his log be put to use to warm the idle rich?
The rich man just sat back and thought, of the wealth he had in store
and how to keep what he had earned-from the lazy shiftless poor.
The Black man's face bespoke revenge, as the fire passed from his sight
For all he saw in his stick of wood was a chance to spite the -white.
The last man of this forlorn group did naught except for gain
Give only to those who gave was how he played the game.
Their logs held tight in death's still hand was proof of human sin
They didn't die from the cold without,
THEY DIED FROM THE COLD WITHIN
Conclusion:
1. If you have not already done so are you willing to pay the price of freedom.
2. Christ has already paid the price are you willing to accept it?
