Let Freedom Ring (1 Corinthians 7:17-24)
Gary McManus, 07/03/2022Part of the God's World series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
July 3, 2022 1 Corinthians 7:17-24
This is July 4th Sunday.
Topics: freedom, religious freedom,
July 4th, 1776, so, also, History --YOUR history.
Declaration of Independence: [these] United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States. . .”
July 4th is considered the birthday of the United States. The Declaration of Independence:”. . .truths to be self-evident, that all [men] are created equal, endowed with. . . Rights:
. . .Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
It took five years of war and two years of talks to get
that fact recognized.
The freedom that was declared was declared only for free people, white and black. There were free people of color in every state.
By 1860 the large majority of African-Americans were enslaved, almost four million.
In Virginia, 30% of total population of Virginia, enslaved. In South Carolina and Mississippi, the majority of the people were enslaved 57% and 55%.
Free and enslaved African Americans in Williamsburg, Virginia, organized the First Baptist Church in Williamsburg gathering outdoors in secret in 1776.
Slaves and worship: in secret, with whites (seated separately), or not allowed at all. The laws changed.
This “isn’t Black history or white history. It’s American history.”
Pastor states: it is American CHRISTIAN history.
Celebrate freedom of religion since 1776, but many Americans could not celebrate freedom of religion until Juneteenth, 1865.
Juneteenth meant freedom and freedom of worship.
Michael Horton, Professor of Theology at Westminster Seminary:
“Absolute equality of personal rights and property rights. . .not quite realized. . .even to this day. But at least it’s a great idea.”
Beware, Americans, even American Christians in government can backslide.
These holidays remind us to keep moving in the direction of equality,
instead of thinking that the holiday celebrates that freedom for all has been achieved.
Bible reading Christians must confess that
freedom is not particularly important in the Bible. (See Leviticus 25: 43-44, 1 Corinthians 7:20, 7:24). . .why? Because the end was near.
( Thessalonians 4:17, Philippians 1:20-21, 2 Timothy 4:7)
George Washington inherited his first slave at age eleven. The non-slave owner could use slaves by renting them. The slave owner didn’t have to buy slaves. He could make them. And they did.
The history of slavery in America is complicated.
Not all African Americans were enslaved.
Thomas Day furniture maker. (1801–1861).
We fought a war to change it. It was white Christians who restricted black Christians—it happened. We should be more wary.
One detail of our history: the people who sat in your pew came from slave states to live in Indiana.
When war came in 1861, those same settlers from slave states sent their sons to fight their cousins from the slave states of Virginia and North Carolina. The sons of Daleville and Daleville Christian Church said that PEOPLE were going to be free. And Christians were going to be free; black and white.
So, are White Christians bad? No.
White (Daleville, Yorktown, Anderson, Muncie) Christians from the northern states died to free black people in the southern states.
THAT is OUR heritage--a proud heritage.
The sons of Daleville Christian Church did their part to make good on that Declaration of Independence—that we celebrate tomorrow.
“From ev'ry mountainside let freedom ring!” Amen.
More:
https://firstbaptistchurch1776.org/
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