An American Christian Fourth of July Sermon (Matthew 28:16-20)
Gary McManus, 07/04/2021Part of the Words that Divide, Words that Unite series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
An American (Fourth of July) Sermon
Greetings from North Carolina:
--first in freedom from England
--where, in 1865, Daleville fought and witnessed
fight for freedom.
What this country needs is. . . more Christian historians.
. . . more Pastors who study history. Why?
So churches could focus their energies on the right problems.
The Pandemic has shown us that American Christians are confused.
We are confused about freedom. . .tolerance, acceptance,
law, and the practice of faith.
Review:
--Christianity survived Roman persecution.
--Christian Europe came to America. . .
to be bad neighbors.
The Spanish were the worst Pastor read about.
The Spanish came as intolerant Christian
conquerors. That was Spanish CHRISTIAN history.
And you say to yourself, “we’re not like that.”
Well, how is anyone going to know that?
The Spanish Christian even killed their own
people because they weren’t Christian enough.
So, going on. . .the 1700s:
Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin.
(And we can’t forget James Madison!)
Reviewing what THEY knew. . .
should we be surprised that OUR Bill of Rights
makes clear that the state should not establish
a religion. . .ANY religion?!
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
. . . or abridging the freedom of speech, etc. . .
Still American Christians made laws to force EVERYONE to act like Christians: “blue laws”.
Pastor restates a summary of our freedoms:
I will, as a Christian citizen of the United States,
fight for your right to say things I don’t believe in.
And, in truth, I want you to do the same. . .
fight for my right to say things that YOU don’t
believe in.
Don’t make any laws concerning those beliefs,
generally speaking. We’re not questioning life
and the right of property.
More Christian history in America:
--the German America Bund, February 20, 1939
--Hitler-ites
--National Socialists, Nazis
The rally got police protection.
Pastor’s personal opinion:
National Socialist thinking is horrible.
I believe it to be anti-Christian and anti-American.
But you still have the right to believe in it.
You still have the right to speak it.
THAT is what the Bill of Rights says.
So, my question is, why do so many American
Christians have trouble giving those same rights
to other American citizens?
What anyone has the right to believe should not
remove your rights as a citizen.
There are some special exceptions, of course.
There have to be.
Hate speech is protected.
Hate speech to a crowd you hate is unlawful.
Pastor confesses that this respect for this
American freedom does often irritate.
Ignorant pastors speak and get quoted. But see Matthew 22:29
Bible lesson: we are to make disciples through teaching.
We persuade, not force people to follow Jesus.
God bless America and ALL Americans. Amen.
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