The Choice of a Nation

 Tomorrow we celebrate 'Independence Day' commemorating the adoption of the 'Declaration of Independence' in 1776. Now - we're talking about a federal holiday and a political document - so why should we spend time in a worship service that's supposed to focus on God and His Word to focus on 'Independence Day'?

One of the original drafters of the 'Declaration of Independence' was John Adams. Regarding the adoption of this document, he wrote, "It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty." "It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more."

Most people's celebrations fit with the second part of his words - they attend parades and shoot off fireworks. But many people ignore John Adams' first proposition - that 'Independence Day' ought to be commemorated by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. He apparently viewed it as a somewhat religious holiday.

Our focus must be Jesus, our primary passion must be for God - but as we live in this world, as we have a 'dual citizenship' here - as Christians first and American citizens second - it's important to reflect on how those two things fit together. For a Christian - patriotic feelings must be more than just national pride - but also focused on...

I. Our Nation's Faith

My deep appreciation of America is not based on our economic power, our superpower status or anything other than the faith in God expressed and lived out by many who have gone before us - a faith that made this nation great. On July 4th, 1776 the Continental Congress signed the "Declaration of Independence" which unashamedly stated their belief in The Creator God. Before signing they called all the signers to prayer and fasting to the God of the Bible.

Our founding fathers respected freedom of religion. They wanted to ensure that Americans would be free to worship God as they saw fit - that we would have freedom of speech; that we could openly speak about our faith in Jesus, and that all of God's Word could be preached in our pulpits unhindered by any government intrusion.

The supreme court has recently handed down a handful of decisions - some of which have made me quite pleased. One was the decision regarding the rights of a football coach. He was told by the school board that he couldn't publicly pray after a game at the fifty yard line or invite players to join him. The board said he couldn't, the court correctly found that he could. Years back, President Ronald Reagan said, "The Constitution was never meant to prevent people from praying; its declared purpose was to protect their freedom to pray."

Our nation's beliefs have changed drastically since it's founding. The mind-set is no longer concerned with 'freedom of religion' but 'freedom from religion'. The original concept was to allow Christians the freedom to live out their faith in their private and public lives, not to force Christians to abandon their religious beliefs and convictions in their public or civic lives.

President Lincoln, said, concerning the Bible, "In regard for this great book, I have this to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the Good Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book."

President Lincoln also warned the country in his proclamation call for a national day of prayer and fasting when he said, "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven... But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own.

Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness."

There's a paradox here - we only truly have freedom when we fully submit to God's authority. That's something that most of those leading our nation no longer accept. They do not understand...

A. Our dependence on God

Our nation's greatness has always come from our freedom of religion - from our dependence on God. It is only our nation's faith in God that has made it any different from any other nation. And it is only that faith that has brought us incredible success and blessings. When you remove America's faith; when we move away from our founding as a Christian nation - America ceases to be good.

George Washington, our very first president said, "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." And in his farewell address to the nation, he said, "Morality is a necessary spring of popular government. And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion."

This idea that somehow faith and religion should be completely removed from government and public life is a very destructive idea. That's how we ended up ignoring God's design for the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman and have redefined it to mean whatever anyone chooses. That's how people justify attacking and vandalizing and burning women's centers and Churches who stand for the sanctity of human life created in the image of God.

When we intentionally remove all traces of faith from public life - how can we expect God to continue to bless us? Because I love the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, I seek to remind us of the incredible faith upon which this nation was founded. The writer of Hebrews says this in Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)...

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

(2) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (3) Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Those who have gone before us were not perfect, but many had an enduring faith which should inspire us. Scripture and the history of the Church are filled with flawed, but faithful men and women who followed Jesus with extreme devotion. We are also blessed that our national history is marked with people of faith. We need to be reminded of...

B. The faith of our fathers

It is an undeniable fact that this nation was founded on God's Word. It is only in recent history that men have rejected that fact. I want to be accurate - not every single founding father or leader in our nation's history claimed a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. A very large majority of them did, but what we do see is that even with those who used their freedom to not worship - they still operated very much within a Christian worldview and acknowledged God's authority. It is not necessarily these men I want to applaud - but their faith in God.

Of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, 51 were members of different Christian Churches. The Plymouth Charter states that their Colony was established: "To advance the enlargement of the Christian religion to the glory of God Almighty." The Delaware Charter defines the purpose of their Colony, "To further propagate the Holy Gospel." The Rhode Island Compact: "We submit our persons, lives, and estates unto our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords."

Our 2nd president, John Adams wrote, "The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity, and humanity..."

John Quincy Adams, our 6th president, said, "I speak as a man of the world to men of the world; and I say to you, Search the Scriptures! The Bible is the book of all others, to be read at all ages, and in all conditions of human life; not to be read once or twice or thrice through, and then laid aside, but to be read in small portions of one or two chapters every day, and never to be intermitted, unless by some overruling necessity."

John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, wrote "Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."

- Now we have a justice who refuses to recognize God's design of the biological differences of a man and a woman because it's no longer 'politically correct' to do so. Now being a Christian is seen as a disqualification for a seat on the court. 'How dare anyone derive their views on morality from their faith!' From where else should any view of morality come? Government can only say what is legal - God says what is moral and right.

Throughout our past history, this nation's leaders have acknowledged our founding and our absolute dependence on God and His Word. I'm not interested in preaching politics from the pulpit, but I will quote politicians from our nation's history who remind us of our religious founding. I'd also like to recognize those among the 'great cloud of witnesses' from our more recent history.

Woodrow Wilson (D), our 28th president said, "America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture. The Bible is the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God, and the spiritual nature and needs of men. It is the only guide of life which leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation."

Calvin Coolidge (R), our 30th president, "The strength of our country is the strength of its religious convictions. The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country."

I believe his words have proven to be somewhat prophetic as we see our country so deeply divided now that we seem to be living in a Post-Christian society.

I agree with the words of Winston Churchill who said, "No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time." Democracy, without the firm restraint of an unwavering, deep faith in God, becomes nothing more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what's for dinner... Our laws must be based on unchanging Biblical values, or we slide into 'mob rule'.

Harry S. Truman (D), our 33rd president, "The fundamental basis of this nation's law was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings we get from Exodus and Saint Matthew, from Isaiah and Saint Paul... If we don't have a proper fundamental moral background, we will finally end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anybody except the State!"

Again, all of those words in light of their understanding of the concept of separation of Church and state. Those who believe government should decide law completely separate from faith do not understand our constitution or the source of our freedom and blessings.

And if not for the constraints of time I could continue with other examples. But this is not just a history lesson - these were men who believed that we should not be silent about our faith in God and Jesus Christ. They did not shy away from their faith; they did not feel that speaking publicly about God or the Bible or Jesus Christ even while serving in government was something to be avoided. They allowed their political views to be shaped by their deep religious convictions, rather than holding political views directly opposed to God's values.

And at this point, I have to ask...

II. Where is our faith?

You will never hear me preach my opinion about tax rates, fiscal policies, energy policy, immigration or all other sorts of political issues. However, there are issues of morality where the Bible clearly speaks - issues that, in an attempt to keep people and preachers silent, have been labeled as 'social issues'. Do we claim Jesus but ignore His Words, His values because of personal political beliefs?

No leader, no general, no president, no one can give us what Jesus Christ can. Our only hope is, and always has been, in God and in His Word. In the Old Testament we find these words...

Psalms 33:8-12 (NIV)

Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. (9) For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. (10) The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. (11) But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. (12) Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.

When penned, this was written specifically about the nation of Israel. I am not implying that America is God's chosen nation. But since Jesus' death and resurrection it can now apply to any nation who chooses to follow God. And we, as God's Church, are to continue to proclaim today - Jesus came to die for the sins of the world; He is The Only Way to the Father.

My hope does not lie with any political party, or politician, or democratic system, or republic - but solely in Jesus Christ. I firmly believe that anyone who claims to follow Jesus but has separated their personal beliefs about Jesus and their political beliefs - they are wrong. Our personal faith in Jesus Christ must permeate everything we do, say and believe or it's not a genuine faith but merely a convenient philosophy.

I firmly believe that a lack of strong leadership from Christians in our government, our civic participation and our voting has done a great disservice to this country. Many Christians have removed their religious beliefs from their civic life to the point they don't even consider praying for God's guidance before entering a voting booth. And as Christians, one of the most important responsibilities we have to this nation is to pray for our country and its leaders.

So What?

Many of those from whom I quoted this morning are on the opposite side of the aisle from me politically and we wouldn't agree on all issues. But one thing upon which we do agree is the importance of God and His Word and His direct influence on our civic life and government. I'm not calling you to national patriotism but to a renewed faith in Jesus that many of our founding fathers shared.

God doesn't need America in order to establish His Kingdom. God doesn't need America in order to accomplish His purposes. America needs God. When America's people and leaders acknowledge and follow God and His Word - that's when America is great. The nation that thrives is not the nation with the most power; it's not the nation with the greatest military might or the most wealth. The nation that thrives and is blessed will be the nation who humbles itself and accepts that God is Lord!

What will we choose as a nation?