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Freedom

Pastor Allen’s sermon about our nation on the 4th of July.

1) God blesses nations and people who walk in His ways.

2) Only obedience to God’s laws brings lasting blessing.

3) Our nation depends on us.

• The old testament is about a nation.  It is about Israel.  It tells them how to be a blessed nation.  It also tells the story about the nation when they would not listen to God.
• Our nation has been blessed.  There is a reason for that.  We are the freest people and the most wealthy nation on earth.

1) God blesses nations and people who walk in His ways. – TOP

Psalms 33:12

12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.

Psalms 33:12 (KJV)

Psalms 128:1

1Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.

Psalms 128:1 (KJV)

• God has blessed our nation because of the people and principles it was founded on.
• God has put blessings out there for all of us whether it is in our finances, our health or anything else.  We have to observe God’s ways to get those blessings.
• Our nation is not great because we are smarter or have any more resources than other nations.  It is great because of the way our founding fathers lived their lives and decided to put God first in our laws and government.
• Our way of life was based on Christian principles.  Christians started the free enterprise system.  The early colonists had a socialist type system where all the resources were pooled and shared.  They almost starved that way.  The pilgrims did the same at first and almost starved, but they looked to the Bible and prayer to see what they should do.

1 Timothy 5:8

8But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

1 Timothy 5:8 (KJV)

2 Thessalonians 3:10

10For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 (KJV)

• This is the essence of the free enterprise system.  It’s from the Bible.
• America’s first public education law
• “The Old Deluder Satan Act”
• They created this law to make sure people learned the Holy scriptures to help them to not be deceived of the devil.  Public education was there to teach people to read, so they could read their Bible.  School systems were created so they could know the truth from God’s Word.

1 Samuel 15:23

23For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

1 Samuel 15:23 (KJV)

• 27 reasons listed in the Declaration of Independence for why we declared independence.  Only 1 of them was taxation without representation and it was the 17th on the list.  We all need to read the Declaration of Independence to see exactly what our reasons were.  Our basic rights were being infringed on.  It was not rebellion when we fought for our freedom.  It was Christian men standing up for what they believed in.
• We did not even start the fight.  The Boston Massacre was in 1770.  That was 6 years before the signing of the Declaration.  The battles of Charleston, Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill were all attacks from Britain before we declared our independence.  The British attacked us before we even had our own army or navy.
• The men got together as soon as they heard that the British were attacking Boston and had a prayer meeting and read the 35th psalm.

Psalms 35:1-4

1Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me.

2Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.

3Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

4Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.

Psalms 35:1-4 (KJV)

• When they came out of this prayer meeting, then they decided to declare their independence.  The believed that based on this word from God, with God’s help they could defeat Britain.  Britain had never been defeated at this time.  They believed they had a right to defend against tyranny.  They gave the British many chances because they did not want to be separated from Britain.  They wanted to remain loyal subjects.
• 24 out of 56 signers were graduates of seminary
• Separation of Church and State is not in the Constitution
• The first amendment says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”
• In England, if you did not belong to the church of England, you were ostracized.  The founding fathers did not want a national denomination.  They believed each man could worship Jesus and God however they felt led of God.  They did not want any group of Christians to be favored above any other Christians.  This nation printed Bibles and sent missionaries.
• The term separation of church and state was originally said by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury baptist church.  He said the first amendment was meant to keep the government from allowing any specific denomination to be above another.

2) Only obedience to God’s laws brings lasting blessing. – TOP

Deuteronomy 30:15-19

15See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

16In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

17But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;

18I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.

19I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

Deuteronomy 30:15-19 (KJV)

• When Christians stopped getting in politics and stopped voting, government started changing.  Now, we have a lot of politicians that have no regard for God or the Bible.
• In 1963, after Christians stopped voting and stopped getting in politics, the supreme court passed a law that took Bible reading and prayer out of public schools an universities.  There are 4 justices in the Supreme Court that don’t care about our history or what the Constitution says.  They believe we have changed and we don’t have the same values.  That is why we need to vote for the right people to determine where we go as a nation.
• Since prayer and bibles were taken out of schools,  teenage pegnancy is up 550%, violent crime is up 800%.  We lead the world in violent crime and drug use.  We lead in illiteracy in the western world.

3) Our nation depends on us. – TOP

There are 3 things we need to do.

1. We need to pray.

2 Chronicles 7:14

14If my people, which are called by my name, shall 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.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)

2. We need to live right.

Proverbs 14:34

34Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.

Proverbs 14:34 (KJV)

3. We need to vote.

Matthew 22:21

21They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.

Matthew 22:21 (KJV)

Psalms 128:1

1Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.

Psalms 128:1 (KJV)