Will Freedom Reign - a July 5th sermon

Today we gather on the day after our nation’s 233rd birthday.
Praise be to God! And to God be the Glory.

But on this 233rd birthday I am reminded that our current sitting president has stated that the United States is no longer a Christian Nation.
Qoute:
Whatever we once were, we're no longer a Christian nation. At least not just. We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, and a Buddhist nation, and a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers," then Senator Obama said.

And he went on to say:

"Somehow, somewhere along the way, faith stopped being used to bring us together and started being used to drive us apart. It got hijacked. Part of it's because of the so-called leaders of the Christian Right, who've been all too eager to exploit what divides us," he said.
(source: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=67735)

At one level I agree with the president that we are a nation that gives rights to all groups, people, regardless of their creed. But I deny his statement that this changes the fundamental nature of our nation and how it was formed. He in fact seems to imply that our nation could have been created by any other religious framework. I am afraid that is historically untrue and factually impossible. This is a Christian nation because it was based upon Christian principles in its creation and has been governed so every since.

I want to offer you the prayer offered at the first Constitutional Congress in 1774:

O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, which Thou alone canst give. Take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their Cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle!
Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior. Amen.

Reverend Jacob DuchéRector of Christ Church of Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaSeptember 7, 1774(source: http://chaplain.house.gov/archive/continental.html )

Now I want us to pause and consider the meaning of this – that our country’s founders had a clear and consistent view of their work being superintended by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of the Christian faith. I also want to make sure we understand that wherever the founders wrote of all “religions” they were referring to the various denominations of the single Christian faith. This is a truth that is self evident and historically factual.

Now if our country is truly, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu as our president says; many of us are deeply concerned about when and how this change occurred.

None of us seek to deny that our nation is inhabited by folks, who are Jewish, Muslim, or Buddhist, and Hindu but I fail to agree that this changes the fundamental nature of our nation and its origins.

Some will argue that some of the founding fathers were not actually Christians and that they saw religious equality as something other than equality among Christian denominations. One of their favorite examples is the very complex person, Benjamin Franklin, who is often cited as a “non-Christian” founding father but to that charge I bring to you this report from James Madison.

The Constitutional Convention had been meeting for five weeks, and had hit a perilous deadlock. The large states were insisting that congressional representation be based on population; the smaller states wanted a one-state-one-vote rule. The entire effort to create a stronger union was in jeopardy. Eighty-one-year-old Benjamin Franklin, quiet during most of the deliberations, then addressed the group. According to James Madison's notes, here is what happened next.
Qoute:
In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the Contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger we had daily prayer in this room for the divine protection.- Our prayers, Sir, were heard, & they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending providence in our favor….
Franklin goes on:
….To that kind providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth- that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that "except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the Builders of Babel….
(source: http://candst.tripod.com/franklin.htm)

Brothers and sisters we find ourselves in peril of behaving just as that Constitutional Congress over 200 years ago. In our fears of the present and future our solutions may take shape in political action but they will only bear out in success if we, like the founders of our nation appeal to heaven above.

NIV Psalm 2:1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. 3 "Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters." 4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. 5 Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 6 "I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill."

Can we not today, just as the founders did then look around at the other nations and realize they are not as we would want our nation? Do we not realize now as they did then that other nations are in direct violation of the will of God? Do we not understand now as they did then that Europe is part of the problem not part of the solution? If any of you have traveled to Europe you know that the differences are profound. We think our country is sliding into depravity with its hyper sexualized advertizing and etc, however, it is far worse in Europe. The rate of unemployment is - higher, the rate of single parent homes – higher, abortion rates - higher, the rate of church attendance is miniscule. The founders intentionally made the American Constitution unique in the entire world then, and we have reap the benefits now.

We hear it said that, “the Founding Father’s could not have envisioned the changing world, nor the innovations in government from Europe but an European traveler and author came to America to discover what made America great and wrote a book to describe what made the American democracy so unique. Alexis de Tocqueville then wrote in 1835 his book “Democracy in America” saying:

America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, American will cease to be great.

He went on to say:

Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.

We must always remember that our nation was birthed in prayer, that the very constitution that we live under was birthed in fervent daily prayer. It is important on the occasion of this great nation’s birthday for the people of God to turn to his word and pray for our nation. That equality and liberty would continue to be the standards for our great nation. We must remember that the very “Christian” founding Fathers of our nation wanted to protect us from an equality that did not include freedom. Many of their personal journals and letters show that they did in fact predict the very debates that we are having today and they wrote the constitution in atticipation of those issues.

As God’s word says:
Proverbs 29:2 2 When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.

Let us now pause and give forth prayers of thanksgiving that no matter what the rulers of earth plot – the anointed messiah Jesus Christ rules over all that our right attitude at this time is one of prayer:

– let us begin by praying in celebration of Jesus Christ. Our liberty as a country was bought at a price but so too is our freedom as Christians….

We are a democracy so ultimately if we are concerned about our future as a nation it is us who need to change:

2 Chronicles 7:14 14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

WE are called by God’s name and we must humble ourselves in prayer – let us pray….
WE are told to turn from our wicked ways repentance needs to start right here – let us pray…
WE are promised that God will forgive our sins, and heal our land let it be so as we remember God at work in the creation of our nation, that we ourselves are a new creation and that ultimately our citizenship is not of this world, that no matter how great our nation, how unique in history, even it is not our final home, there is a better home in our future:

Hebrews 11:13-16 And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country-- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

So to conclude – if we want the freedom established in our country to continue we must be diligent and persistent in prayer but no matter what occurs on this earth - Freedom will continue to reign because we are ultimately the citizens of an eternal kingdom not an earthly one. And Jesus Christ will continue to Reign so the answer is: Yes Freedom will continue to Reign!