Celebration Freedom 06-30-2024

What are they teaching our kids

A few years ago, the U.S. Dept. of Education released a 680-page report about the teaching of History in our schools today.

Researchers had taken the 60 most popular history textbooks, used by 88% of the nation’s students, &

went through them to see what we’re teaching the kids in those textbooks.

Adding them all up together, those 60 history textbooks contained 670 stories or vignettes dealing with personalities in our nation’s history.

Now of those 670 stories, just how many of them do you suppose came out of the founding era of our nation

- the days of the 13 colonies,

of Patrick Henry,

of George Washington

& Benjamin Franklin?

Out of the 670 stories in all these history textbooks, only five dealt with the founding era.

Only five!

And three of them were about Sybil Ludington.

Have you ever heard of Sybil Ludington?

Evidently she was a girl who hopped on a horse in 1777 & warned her neighbors that the British were coming.

So thank you Sybil.

Three of the 5 stories were about her.

The 4th story was about a girl who wanted to be in George Washington’s army,

but Washington wouldn’t let her join.

So she ended up carrying food to the soldiers at Valley Forge.

And I don’t know what the 5th story was about

but there seems to be some agenda’s going on there.

Today, we are going to talk about Independence Day which is coming up this week.

We are going to talk a little bit about why the colonies broke off from England

What kind of freedom they were seeking and after a while

we will talk about our freedom in Christ.

Do you celebrate your independence day from Sin.

My friend Jon just celebrated something like his 61st birthday in Christ.

He is 65 years old so if you can do the math, you know he has been a Christians

with some ups and downs in the teen years

since he was 4 years old.

Do you know your birthday in Christ and celebrate as the day you began the

journey out of bandage to sin?

I don’t know the date that well, but it was spring 1977

but I am thankful to be in this journey out of bondage to sin.

Amen? Amen

The Divine Rights of Kings

Here in America today, we would not give much credence to the idea of the divine write of Kings.

But for many, many years, kings and queens claimed it.

They could even appeal to scriptures where Paul talks about being good citizen.

Romans 13:1–4 NIV

1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

We can see from this scripture that God has established governments for societies to live and work together orderly.

If we are going to defy the government, we should do it for a good reason,

not just to save a few bucks on our taxes.

In the later 1700’s the colonist thought they had good reason to defy the king

Colonial Grievances

The colonies had many grievances with King George III and they listed 27 grievances against the King in the Declaration of Independence.

They didn’t have the rights that other English citizens had

they passed laws

The King said no!

they sent representatives to parliament

king George said no

King George started assigning the places for legislavie meetings

in obscure places in the colonies, as if to wear them out

He made all jugdes his employees to hire or fire at his will,

so they had to follow his will, not the law or their conscience.

The list goes on and on of grievances they felt against king George III.

Self Evident Truths

They wrote

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.-

A lot of people know those words.

Abraham Lincoln latched onto the truth that

all men are created equal,

Some of these men own or inherited slaves, and it seems crazy to us

that they didn’t go home and release all their slaves

when they

wrote those word

when they agreed unanimously on those words

in the declaration of independence.

But each generation has it’s blind spots.

I wonder what future generations we see in us and shake their heads in wonder, how we could have thought or done what we think and do now.

The Self evident truths goes on . . . .

-That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -

-That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future securit

Wow, they talk about putting up with,

suffering under

bad government up to a point but at some point it becomes

not only a right but

a duty to throw off the government and

start a new one.

Thats amazing!

I’ve heard there are more controlling nation that have told Google

you censor out such writing

or we will block you totally from our nation.

And that seems conceivable.

For a few years, if you googled most any religion, including Christianity,

Christianity is

You would get a long list of good and mostly bad topics

but for a few years,

Nothing bad would ever show up for

Islam is

Yesterday I checked on both of those topics and neither one came up with suggested “Bad” things but they have in the past.

The problem of rebellion

That is the King, or the supreme leader.

and scripture says

Romans 13:1 NIV

1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Who could you go to for help?

Who is higher than the king?

An Appeal to a higher Authority

When the declaration of Independence was read in Bowling Green, in the New York area. The locals pulled down the statue of King George.

This declaration got under their skin and stirred people up.

Reading from the end of the Declaration of Independence it says...

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, 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; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Those were powerful words

Who did they appeal to?

Who is above the King?

GOD

They appealed to God

they asked for His divine protection, providence

and they pledged to each other

their lives

their Fortunes

and their sacred Honor.

The nation the founded

was founded on Christian principles

We don't have time to fully explore the different christian principles in the founding of America so I’ll just make a few comments

The founded the nation on Judeo-Christian values

checks and balances

Unlike the humanist of today who believe man is inherently good,

most if not all of the colonist would have believed belief in a sin nature, the depravity of man,

that we all have a mix of good and evil in our hearts that vie for control of our lives,

the image of God

and a selfish, me first attitude,

even King George III had a sinful nature to be surrender to God.

So they put in, or will put in the government they form

checks and balances between the three branches of government

The supreme court is filled by agreement between the legislative branch/ congress and the executives branch / the president

If congress passes crazy laws the president can veto them and or the supreme court can strike them down.

the laws, not congressmen.

If the president goes on a power grab,

congress and the supreme court can put him or her in check to settle down or be impeached.

You wouldn’t need all that oversight if people didn’t struggle with a sin nature.

Curbing Grievances

The grievances expressed in the Declaration of Independence were not something the colonist wanted to ever see again

but any man or women in power

any normal man with a sin nature to overcome,

might pursue grieveous actions so ...

they put in a bill of rights in to address many of the grievances they had experienced

The Bill of of Rights

a limit to arbitrary power a fallen mankind might use,

Addressed many of these grievances

1 Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

*Freedom from Government control church over the church, was not not freedom from church.

The separation of Church and state that Jefferson wrote about in a letter to a group of Christians was to assure them that the federal government would not interfere with their church,

2 Gun rights,

3 No Quartering: The government can’t make you provide room and board against your will, except in war.

4 No arbitrary search and seizure

5 grand jury review

6 speedy trial

7 no double jeopardy

8 limits to bail amounts

9 rights reserved to people

10 powers reserved to states.

John Adams, a Founding Father and 2nd President of the United States, stated, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

The Freedom Christ brings

What is His freedom from?

it is freedom from the power of sin.

Romans 6:23 NIV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Who is this freedom for?

The idea that all men are created equal, is a biblical idea

Galatians 3:26–29 NIV

26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

But, what freedoms come from a relationship with Christ?

Primarily freedom from Sin.

Colossians 1:21–23 NIV

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

The challenge

Romans 6:12–14 NIV

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Regarding slavery Paul said

1 Corinthians 7:21 NIV

21 Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so.

Who is this freedom for?

Every human being.

Galatians 3:28–29 NIV

28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Stand in your freedom

1 Corinthians 16:13 NIV

13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

Closing Song

My country tis of thee

Notice how many times the subject of freedom comes up in this song.