I Plege Alliegence
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Thursday is Independence Day for us here in America. We live in the greatest nation in this history of the world and it’s because our founders based it on both the Bible and a Judeo Christian belief system.
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. The Patriots Allegiance to their New Country.
I. The Patriots Allegiance to their New Country.
Let’s look at three things about the actions of the founding fathers.
1. They made a bold declaration.
1. They made a bold declaration.
After the conflict with England had begun, many patriots BOLDLY declared their allegiance to the new 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.
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.
In the Declaration of Independence, Americans challenged the most powerful empire of the world.
In the Declaration of Independence, Americans challenged the most powerful empire 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.
II. They paid a high price for that declaration.
II. 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.
1/3 of the colonists remained UNCONCERNED
1/3 of the colonists remained UNCONCERNED
And as many as
1/3 of the population SYMPATHIZED WITH ENGLAND.
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.
Victory in the Revolutionary War depended on patriots who made up less than 1/3 of the entire population.
Victory in the Revolutionary War depended on patriots who made up less than 1/3 of the entire population.
This is about the same support at there was for the Vietnam War at it’s lowest point.
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 missing, which means a grand total of about 23,700 dead.
That’s a high price.
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 that Day and tortured before they died.
5 were captured by the British that Day and tortured before they died.
12 had their homes ransacked and burned.
12 had their homes ransacked and burned.
2 lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army.
2 lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army.
Another 2 had their sons were captured.
Another 2 had their sons were captured.
9 of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardship from the war.
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 later sold his home and properties to pay his debts and he died in poverty.
At the Battle of Yorktown, the British General Cornwallis had taken over Thomas Nelson’s home for his headquarters. Nelson told General 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 for doing so.
III. The reaped a great reward
III. The 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 the Declaration of Independence paid a high price, many reaped a great reward.
2 of the signers became presidents…
2 of the signers became presidents…
10 became U.S. congressman…
10 became U.S. congressman…
19 became judges…
19 became judges…
16 became governors…
16 became governors…
dozens of others held other high political offices…
dozens of others held other high political offices…
all of them—those who survived and those who didn’t—have the everlasting gratefulness of the American people.
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 which has gone on to be the greatest of countries.
America has built more schools, hospitals, and orphanages all over the world than any other nation. America has sent more missionaries around the world to share the Gospel than any other nation in history.
After WW2, many soldiers came back to America and became followers of Jesus in Billy Graham Crusades. Many of those felt a burning call to go back to the lands where they fought ad share the good news of Jesus with those who were struggling to rebuild their lives.
We are reaping the rewards today of those who paid a high price then to go and tell….
Parallels to the Christian Life.
Parallels to the Christian Life.
1. We have to make a bold declaration.
1. We have to make a bold declaration.
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you too have to make a bold declaration. Do you remember when you first openly confessed Jesus as your Lord? If have never done that, do it!
Remember the day you were baptized publically, declaring your faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus? If you haven’t done that, check it off on your connection cards.
In doing these things,
You are making a bold declaration to the world but it’s a declaration of independence from the world.
You are making a bold declaration to the world but it’s a declaration of independence from the world.
You are declaring that you are free from the flesh, the culture and the devil and you are pledging your allegiance, your devotion, your loyalty, and your life to Jesus.
It’s a 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 above what pleases you; and that he will come first ahead of everything and everyone else.
This declaration is as bold and as powerful as the one Joshua made in Jos 24:14-15
14 “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. 15 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
When you pledged allegiance to the Lord, you made a bold declaration.
2. You will also pay a high price.
2. You will 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.
When Joshua made is bold declaration that day, he was not alone… others made the declaration with him.
16 The people replied, “We would never abandon the Lord and serve other gods. 17 For the Lord our God is the one who rescued us and our ancestors from slavery in the land of Egypt. He performed mighty miracles before our very eyes. As we traveled through the wilderness among our enemies, he preserved us. 18 It was the Lord who drove out the Amorites and the other nations living here in the land. So we, too, will serve the Lord, for he alone is our God.”
They made this declaration in the comfort of their assembly, but it didn’t last.
They made this declaration in the comfort of their assembly, but it didn’t last.
It was a great moment, a great declaration, but unfortunately and tragically it did not last very long. As you move from Joshua into the book of Judges, you will see that God’s people quickly fell away from Him and from their declaration to him.
11 The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal. 12 They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord.
As you read Judges, you will see a pattern where Israel entered a phase of constant defeat and retreat over and over again.
Wars are not won by those who make a great declaration alone… who only make claims… who only speak words people want to hear. They are won by those who will get into the battle and do the hard work of war, and obey the orders of their commander and chief…. Jesus.
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.
Reasons our war is difficult to win
Reasons our war is difficult to win
1. In our bold declaration, we are challenging a very powerful empire.
1. In our bold declaration, we are challenging a very powerful empire.
Paul says we are declaring war Eph 6:12
12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
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.
2. Our spiritual war is difficult because not everyone is committed to the war effort.
2. Our spiritual war is difficult 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.
3. Our war is hard because some are like the third of the colonists who were unconcerned about the outcome of the war.
3. Our war is hard because some are like the 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
23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
26 “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you 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. Jesus says to the lost, come all you are weary and heavy burdened…
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, Luke 14:27
27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.
33 So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.
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. Like our patriot forefathers, we will reap a great reward.
3. Like our patriot forefathers, we will reap a great reward.
Paul said in Romans 8:18
18 Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.
If we will join in the battle, he will reveal his glory in us as we join in the 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!
Wrap up
Listen to me.
If you are going to know Jesus as your Savior, 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. When you make that bold declaration, don’t think that there will not be a price to pay because there will.
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. I am happy to remind you that when you fight the fight, the reward is awesome.
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.
21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’