4th of July... What does it take to truly be free?

Here is a portion of Sunday's Fourth of July Service. Pastor Chris Blackburn gave a thought provoking message before the final song "God Bless the USA" and after several requests here is the text in it's entirety.

Land of the free and home of the brave . . . Is this nation really free or have the people become slaves? . . . Fallen into sin time and time again. . God shed His grace on thee, this nation used to see . . . That Jesus Christ, not our own desires, is what it takes to be free.

During this time of celebration we are called to reflect upon the true history of this country and how it was that we became a nation. We formed this nation based on Godly, Biblical principles that define the true meaning of freedom and we stood for what is right. We did not back down to tyrannical leaders and forms of government who desired to control us. We fought against unbelievable odds and triumphed because our faith as a nation in God and in ourselves was greater than the power of the opposition. We believed in a destiny that this nation, America, would be a shining example of freedom to the world and that through our example, God would be glorified. With that determination, we won our independence.

During the time America fought to win its independence, our leaders had a deep understanding of God’s plan and purpose for His people and for this country. They understood that God should come first. The Declaration of Independence stated that all men are created equally and they are endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. We know from the Bible that all men are equal when we read John 3:16 . . . “For God so loved THE WORLD that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”.

The first Presidential inaugural address given in 1789 by George Washington . . . our President opened with both his concerns and the burden of the responsibilities that lay before him as the first leader of this new nation. Following that opening paragraph, George Washington acknowledged God stating, “IT WOULD BE IMPROPER TO OMIT IN THIS FIRST OFFICIAL ACT MY FERVENT SUPPLICATIONS TO THAT ALMIGHTY BEING WHO RULES OVER THE UNIVERSE, WHO PRESIDES IN THE COUNCILS OF NATIONS, AND WHOSE PROVIDENTIAL AIDS CAN SUPPLY EVERY HUMAN NEED.” Washington would later state “NO PEOPLE CAN BE BOUND TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND ADORE THE INVISIBLE HAND WHICH CONDUCTS THE AFFAIRS OF MEN MORE THAN THOSE OF THE UNITED STATES.”
In that part of his speech, George Washington, our founding father, is reminding us that the people of the United States of America, more so than any other nation on earth, should acknowledge and adore that God is the provider, the protector, the author, foundation and finisher of our faith as a people and as a nation!

What has happened to us?

In the song just presented, the words should grip our conscious and provoke a repentant spirit within us . . . Generations lost, over time this land has strayed . . . From leading all the children in Your holy ways . . . Many only reach to You when there’s a need . . . But then it’s back to the world and on sin their spirits feed . . . What has this land become? What have the father’s done? . . . They’ve betrayed their role as leader and failed more than just one Son . . .

As Christians, we are called to be Christ’s example to the world . . . to the people of this nation . . . to the people of our neighborhoods . . . to our friends and to the loved ones in our home! Our national motto cries out “In God We Trust”, and it is mocked every time we go to the polls and we vote our pocketbooks instead of our Christian values. As a nation, we have become distracted by the parlor games that our media plays . . . red state vs. blue state . . . Republican vs. Democrat . . . Conservative vs. Liberal . . . right vs. left when it should be about what God’s Word says is right vs. wrong. We now define ourselves by what the media labels us as and we are choosing daily not to live the example that Jesus set for us. We no longer understand that the greatest commandment is to LOVE ONE ANOTHER as we love ourselves. Instead we are quick to judge, quick to condemn and demonstrate the same hate towards others as is being shown to us as Christians by a nation quickly turning its back on God.

In fact, we as Christians have submerged ourselves into the melting pot of this world. We now indulge ourselves daily with the pursuit of a life that puts Christ in the background as we chase worldly idols that we are convinced that we need more than Him. Our happiness is no longer based on our salvation through Christ’s work on the cross, but through the pursuit of those things that bring joy into the day. Our liberty now seems to be based on the size of our salary, our savings and our ability to live in a manner that is not dependent on God’s provision. It is obvious to those who take a sincere look at our nation, at our people . . . and at the man in the mirror, that we have turned our back on God. We no longer have a true understanding of His love, His mercy, and His grace for us. How hypocritical of us as individuals and as a nation to say one thing, but to live another.

So where do we go from here?

In II Chronicles 7:14, the Word states clearly “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 I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.” God is calling us to repentance . . . as individuals, as a community and as a nation. We must begin by taking a long, serious look at ourselves in the mirror of God’s unchanging Word and humble ourselves to the fact that we are all sinners, and fall short of the glory of God. We have no hope without the selfless work of Christ on the Cross. We must choose to give the most valuable asset that we have, our lives, back to God and walk in the life, liberty and freedom that only He can provide. Only then can real change come to our homes, to our communities and ultimately to our country that we take such pride in. A pride that is reflected in our final number today, Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless The USA”.

As we perform this final number, I ask that you take a moment to reflect on this nation . . . on our history . . . on our communities . . . but most importantly on your relationship with Jesus Christ and your Heavenly Father. It is not enough to be saved . . . but we must once again choose to be the Christ-like example to the world before it is too late. This world, this nation and our communities will eventually pass away, but God has promised us in His Word in Matthew 28:20 “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you and surely I am with you always, EVEN to the END of the age.”

- Pastor Chris Blackburn