Sermon Tone Analysis

Title:                                        Defending Freedom

 

Text:                                       

 

File Categories:                       Religious Liberty, Veterans, War      

 

Central Thrust:                        Honor veterans

 

Ill:                                           I Peter 2:9-17

 

Hym:                                       606 Once to Every Man and Nation

                                                223 Jesus Is Coming Again

                                                America the Beautiful

                                                645 God of Our Fathers

                                                104 My Shepherd Will Supply My Need

                                                85 Eternal Father, Strong to Save

                                                648 I Vow to Thee, My Country

 

Theological Concern:              Freedom

 

Point of Immediacy:               Veterans’ Tribute or Patriotic meeting

 

Probs in Comm:                     

                                               

Sermon in a Sentence:             Freedom

 

Attribute of God:                    Grants Free Will to Us

 

Preached:                                020615  UCC Campmeeting, Walla Walla

                                                021109 Kirkland SDA church, Veteran’s Day Sabbath

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Historical quotes from Smith, Michael W., /The Price of Freedom/ (2002).

Nashville:  J.

Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

\\  

Defending Freedom

!

I.             What an honor to be here with a group like this!

!! A.           Ambivalence too—between military life and Adventist practices.

!!! 1.

If I weren’t a chaplain, I wouldn’t be in the military.

!!! 2.            Combatancy.

!!! 3.            Sabbath.

!! B.           Less apparent during the draft.

!! C.           Support those whose opinions differ from mine.

!

II.

Why a patriotic program in a church on Sabbath?

!! A.

Not because real Christians are Americans.

!! B.

Not because all Americans are Christians.

!!! 1.            Stunning unity in the aftermath of the September attacks.

!!!! a.            Americans pride themselves in being individuals.

They are diverse, even fragmented at times.

!!!! b.

Americans and other freedom lovers around the world united in a way that surprised even some of us.

!!!!! 1)            37 chaplains at Pentagon within hours

!!!!! 2)            Man standing guard for his brother.

!!!!! 3)            Muslim reading at Annex ceremony.

!! C.

Not because a connection exists between God and patriotism.

!!! 1.            God’s people are international.

They are not confined by national boundaries.

!!!! a.            God has followers on both sides of many conflicts.

!!!! b.            e.g.

WA conference man in Nazi Army during WWII.

!!! 2.            Christians have always delicately walked along the line between national loyalty and loyalty to God.

!!!!! 1)            Jesus said (Mt 22:21)

"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

!!!!! 2)            Peter said (1Ptr 2)

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

15 For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.

16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.  17 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

!!! 3.            While we may be sentimentally attached to our own country, as Christians our loyalty is principled rather than blindly nationalistic.

!!!! a.            Concur on fundamental issues.

!!!! b.            Don’t presume America or Americans are always right or that those nations on the other side are always wrong.

!

III.

Connections do exist between the principles on which this nation and other democracies are founded and the way God treats human beings.

!! A.           (Luke 4, NIV)

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.

And he stood up to read.

17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.

Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:  18  "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim *freedom* for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

{[19] Isaiah 61:1,2} 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down.

The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

!! B.           (Galatians 5:1, NIV)

“It is for *freedom* that Christ has set us free.

Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

!! C.           (Eph 3)

  12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with *freedom* and confidence.

!! D.           (2Cor 3)

  17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is *freedom*.

!! E.           (Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863)

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”

!! F.            (Abraham Lincoln in a speech given in Edwardsville, IL, 1858)

Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms.

Our defense is the preservation of the spirit which prized liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere.”

!! G.           God honors individual conscience and even individual preference.

!!! 1.            God coerces no one, even toward that which brings good.

!!! 2.            For example, toward the end of the New Testament, as John the Revelator is describing the beginning of eternity in the City of God, he does not say that everyone must conform and go there.

!!! 3.            Instead, this becomes God’s wonderful invitation, to which we may voluntarily respond.

(Rv 22:)

12  "Behold, I am coming soon!

My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

14  "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they *may* have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.

15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!"

And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever *wishes*, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."

Amen.