Stand Tall, Stand Firm Series

Sermon Brief

Date Written: June 27, 2006

Date Preached: July 2, 2006

Where Preached: OZHBC (AM)

Sermon Details:

Sermon Series: Idolatry in the Church

Sermon Title: Stand Tall, Stand Firm!

Sermon Text: 2 Tim 3:12-16

Introduction:

In July of 1776 our nation was born of fiery revolution against the tyrant King George III of England, WHOSE SOLE GOAL along with the English Aristocracy, was to subjugate all citizens of the colonies under his rule and reign!

There came a time when our forefathers knew it was time to break away from the evil of British rule and ESTABLISH A NEW NATION founded on godly principles…

So on July 4th 1776 they gathered together and unveiled a document that would literally CHANGE THE FACE OF THE WORLD…

The Declaration of Independence has stood the test of time and has become a beacon of light in the night of tyranny to those oppressed by their leaders…

Today we stand as a free nation BECAUSE OF BRAVE MEN who dared to look evil in the face and NOT back down! Regardless of the consequences they were resolved to make this land a great nation and that nation would be governed by the people of the nation and not by some tyrant over the ocean…

I challenge each and every one here today to take time and sit down and actually read the Declaration of Independence just to see what these men were fighting against… the EVIL THEY FACED… and THE FOE THAT THEY HAD TO CONQUER.

For far too long many people had stood by and allowed British rule to dominate and subjugate them. However, was a person like Thomas Paine who stood up and said that enough was enough…Paine wrote a pamphlet entitled Common Sense and some say this pamphlet influenced the writers of the Declaration of Independence. In this pamphlet Paine is quoted as saying…

“…A long habit of not thinking a thing [to be] wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, …”

Jan 1776 Common Sense

In other words, Paine was saying that even though this is how it has been for a long time… the injustices that came from British rule WERE NOT RIGHT and something should be done…Paine went on in his pamphlet to say that NOW was the time to act! He said…

“…we have every opportunity and every encouragement before us, to form the noblest purest constitution on the face of the earth. We have it in our power to begin the world over again. A situation, similar to the present, hath not happened since the DAYS OF NOAH until now. The birthday of A NEW WORLD is at hand, and a race of men, perhaps as numerous as all Europe contains, are to receive their portion of freedom from the event of a few months…”

Jan 1776 Common Sense

And in June of that same year the Continental Congress agreed with him and a measure was placed before the Continental Congress to make this happen…

“Resolved: That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved."

Richard Henry Lee of Virginia at the Continental Congress

June 7, 1776

And from this stand against evil our nation was born. A nation formed out of oppression and resistance against evil…

And when we look at our nation and the events and situations that led to our independence, I cannot help but see the spiritual parallels that literally jump off the page to those looking with a discerning eye…

First, our nation was oppressed by the tyrant, King George III, whose sole goal was domination and subjugation of the people…

In our world today, we are oppressed by the spiritual tyrant Satan, and it is his sole goal to dominate and subjugate all of humanity…

2nd there was a point in time and history where our nation had the opportunity to make a historic change in direction… one that ultimately changed the face of history itself! Some say these men were drawn by fate, others say they were drawn to this out of necessity…

Today, those who are in sin have the opportunity to make a change in their lives… a change in their direction… they are lost and doomed to an eternity in hell, totally separated from God. But know that God is drawing the lost to Him by the power and conviction of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is convicting of sin and revealing the Truth, and it is time to make a decision that is going to change your world!

Finally, a decision had to be made, a stand had to be taken… a line in the sand had to be drawn. The step had to be taken that rid our nation of the oppression of English rule… and our forefathers did this with the Declaration of Independence…