It's All About Freedom
It’s All About Freedom
10/18/03 and 10/19/03
Review
The bull’s-eye and the fountain with the following priorities:
· OUR RELATIONSHIP TO GOD
· OUR LIVES AS A RESULT OF THAT RELATIONSHIP
· SPOUSE
· CHILDREN
· LOCAL CHURCH/COMMUNITY
· COUNTRY
· WORLD
-All of these are relationships.
-Today we want to address specifically how we relate to our country.
-This isn’t a flag-waving or political message. It is just an honest look at what our Biblical role should be with the nation we live in.
1. WHY DOES IT MATTER?
-I used to think that.
-My background is significant because, like many of you, I just lived through time when anything relating to God or morality has been attacked as though that were the enemy.
-I graduated from high school in 1973 as the Vietnam War was winding down. The draft stopped in 1973 but the war continued on until 1975.
-Watergate was on the nightly news and I began to think all politicians were crooks.
-In college they told me in my history classes about the bad sides of historical figures and tried very hard to color my world view against America.
-Most of the mainstream music and culture I was exposed to of that era supported anarchy.
-I later became a follower of Jesus Christ and went to Bible school.
-I lived outside of America and traveled to other countries.
-Becky and I talked about living in other countries just to leave America to the point where I began to scare her.
-I sensed very little allegiance to what I thought was a corrupt system with politicians who just wanted more and more of my money so they could stay in office.
-Then Becky and I went to a Twila Paris concert where she showed a video of Normandy with the song, “What Did He Die For”.
“He was 21 in 1944.
He was hope and he was courage on a lonely shore.
Sent there by a mother with love beyond her tears.
Just a young American who chose to rise above his fears.
And as I watch him struggle up that hill without a thought of turning back, I can not help but wonder;
What did he die for?
When he died for you and me.
Paid the sacrifice so that we could all be free.
I believe we will answer each to heaven
For the way we spend a priceless liberty.
Look inside and ask the question;
What did he die for when he died for me?”
-I had an experience where it was as if God placed a package in my heart and I could unwrap it when I wanted. I knew once I opened the box it was going to explode out. It almost came as a finished and complete thought.
-It is my experience. It is the time that God shared His heart with me about this country. If it helps you, good. But it changed my perspective forever.
Read AMERICA, I FORGOT
-It matters because’ IT’S ALL ABOUT FREEDOM.
-The Bible gives us freedom.
Deuteronomy 30
19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
-In Genesis God gave Adam and Eve the right to follow Him or reject Him.
-Jesus returned to us the right to follow God or the right to reject Him.
-He doesn’t force the choice but he enforces whichever choice we make.
-America’s greatness lies in its FREEDOM.
Webster’s - the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action
: /liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another[1]/
liberty/ suggests release from former restraint or compulsion [2]/
SHOW BRAVEHEART VIDEO CLIP
-William Wallace was fighting a war with England. We are fighting a CULTURAL WAR.
-If we ignore it, we lose, and our children and grandchildren lose.
-In America the whole idea is that people can choose Christianity or Buddhism or atheism.
-In some countries you don’t have that choice.
-There are trying to put Sharia law in Afghanistan and under that system only Muslims have rights.
-Let us set at the table of ideas. Christianity is best by far.
-Let it speak for itself.
-That is what the founding fathers were addressing with the first amendment;
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;”
-They had just come from a land with a state church.
-They wanted government out of religion, not religion out of government.
-The founders of this nation were mostly Christian.
-There is no such thing as separation of church and state in the constitution. That term came from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson.
-We want what they wanted A FREE NATION.
Read quotes from founding fathers.
2. WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
Joshua 5 The Living Bible
13 As Joshua approached the city of Jericho, he looked up and saw a man facing him with sword in hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you friend or foe?”
14 “Neither one,” he replied. “I am commander of the Lord’s army.”
At this, Joshua fell with his face to the ground in reverence. “I am at your command,” Joshua said. “What do you want your servant to do?”
15 The commander of the Lord’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for this is holy ground.” And Joshua did as he was told.
/[3]/
-Is God Republican or Democrat?
-That is the wrong question.
-The issue isn’t whether God is on our side but; ARE WE ON HIS SIDE?
-Right and Wrong is bigger than the politics of this or any other nation.
1 Timothy 2
/I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. [4]/
1. PRAY FOR OUR COUNTRY
-The purpose of government is to provide order and peace while the gospel is preached.
-We need to pray for those in authority, even when we don’t agree with them.
Proverbs 21
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord;
he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
/[5]/
2. BE A LIGHT/GET ON GOD’S SIDE
Matthew 5
14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
/[6]/
· WALK IN THE LIGHT AS AN EXAMPLE
· SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE
· GET INVOLVED IN YOUR SCHOOLS, THE GOVERNMENT, THE COMMUNITY
· GET EDUCATED AND VOTE
· FIND THE ADDRESSES AND E-MAILS AND PHONE NUMBERS OF YOUR CONGRESSMEN AND THE PRESIDENT
(The homosexual population in the U.S. is well below 5% yet they have had a huge influence on our country. Why? Because most Christians didn’t think it mattered.)
-Free nations get the governments they deserve. As Americans we should raise the standards so we deserve better.
3. LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
-We have enough angry people putting everyone else down. I may agree sometimes with their positions but the methods are wrong.
-The answer is to love people.
-You only have influence with people that you love.
-You should speak the truth in love.
-I love to talk to nice people who can express their disagreement with spewing venom at me.
-People shout and cuss when their have run out of convincing arguments.
-Angry cussing people have a weak position.
4. LET’S HAVE A REVIVAL
-Jesus was pretty smart.
-When He wanted to change the world He patiently began with the human heart.
-He began to change people.
-When people are changed from the inside they in turn change the institutions and society and culture around them.
Matthew 5
36 /Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.” [7]/
-Jesus is actually trying to exert the influence of heaven on the earth.
-Democrats, Repulicans, Communists, Capitalists, Tyrants, Dictators, Kings, Queens, Presidents and Prime Ministers can’t ultimately bring the freedom we all seek.
-If you are free on the inside, it will spread to the atmosphere around you.
2 Corinthians 3
17 /Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. [8]/
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[1]Merriam-Webster, I. 1996, c1993. Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. Includes index. (10th ed.). Merriam-Webster: Springfield, Mass., U.S.A.
[2]Merriam-Webster, I. 1996, c1993. Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. Includes index. (10th ed.). Merriam-Webster: Springfield, Mass., U.S.A.
[3]Holy Bible : New Living Translation. 1997 . Tyndale House: Wheaton, Ill.
[4]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 . Zondervan: Grand Rapids
[5]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 . Zondervan: Grand Rapids
[6]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 . Zondervan: Grand Rapids
[7]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 . Zondervan: Grand Rapids
[8]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 . Zondervan: Grand Rapids