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We hold these truths…

We hold these truths…. A remembrance of our nation´s Birth 227 years ago. Remembering the history of our nation shows God´s hand , purpose and blessing. Moses ( multiple times) Joshua 24:2-15 Daniel 9:5-19 Nehemiah God 9:6-38 Stephen Acts 7:2—47 Paul Acts 13:15 to 26

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We hold these truths…

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  1. We hold these truths… A remembrance of ournation´sBirth 227 yearsago

  2. Remembering the history of ournation shows God´shand, purpose and blessing • Moses (multiple times) • Joshua 24:2-15 • Daniel 9:5-19 • NehemiahGod 9:6-38 • Stephen Acts 7:2—47 • Paul Acts 13:15 to 26 • Peter Acts 2:13-36 What nation is there so great, which has a God so near to them…? (Deu 4:7)

  3. The Declaration of Independence We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…

  4. The PulpitInstructed Young America

  5. Value and Perils of HistoricalInterpretation PROVIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE TENDENTIOUS, REVISIONIST Aims to glorify or defilemen Debunksheroes, critical Focusestypicallyonfactoids Arrogant, defiant, absolute Provocative, fearmongering Inspires anger or apathy Demonizesouradversaries Highlightshumanfailure Cynical of highergood • Aims to glorify God • Edifying, honoring, pursues the “noble strand” • Marked by humility • Tentative in its conclusions • Inspires to good works • Honors our adversaries • Realist as to our failures • Points to higher principles

  6. Beware of Pagan Patriotism • NationalVanity • NationalCupidity (greed) • Empty of principle: SentimentwithoutSacrifice • Fickle, frothy, self-interested • Can lead to • Chauvinism (unreasoningpartisanship) • Jingoism (excessivepatriotism) • Xenophobia (fear of foreigners) • AttributesGod´sblessings to ourowndoing • Hoards the blessing to ourselves and wants to keepothersout

  7. Virtue of “Christian Patriotism” • “Patria”, the fatherland, the land of ourfathers. • Patriotismis “love of neighbor” extended to the nationalfamily and to ourcommon “patrimony.” • Family and Nationariseout of a common bond: a sharedheritage, religion, culture and ethnicity. • Godcommandsus to love, cherish and preferourownfamily and nation, givingaffection, protection, provision. • NOT to the detriment of others - to the edification of all. • Patriotsloveliberty, they honor, understand and upholdotherpatriots, regardless of nation. • He wholovesGodmustlovehisownnation: itsdignity, calling, history, symbols and authorities

  8. As the Church goes, so goes the Nation • Christianswereanywherefrom “influential to dominant” in the colonial and formative era • In the 1800´s itseemsthatdenominational, partisan and regional intereststookover • By the 1920´s mostseminarieswent liberal, the Social Gospel and “civil religion” predominated • The fundamentalist and pentecostal church divorced the worldwhile the liberal onemarriedit • The academy, the media, the marketplace and the publicsquarewerealmostwithout a Gospelwitness • The 1970´s Charismaticrenewalawakenedsome in everydenominationbut the prosperitylulleduswithcomfort • The politicalactivism of the culturewarsreplacedourGospelwitness, distractingmany of us to the materialism, hedonism and me-ismthatwasslowlyovertakingus

  9. We are writingwithourlives the role of the Church in our time

  10. Underpersecutionthe Gospelwitnessusually THRIVESSometimesGodpermitshispeople to beanihilated or carriedinto exile(Ancient Israel, 7 churches of Asia)Wehavebeen “boughtwith a price”, ourlives are notour OWN!

  11. Nations are God´s Idea

  12. Godis a God of nations, notjustindividuals • Go and makedisciples “of all the NATIONS” • panta etneoikomene • Of oneblood he madeevery NATION • Why do the NATIONS rage? • Happyis the NATION whoseGod is the Lord • He displaced seven NATIONS from the land • We and ourwhole NATION havesinned • Of everykindred, tribe, tongue and NATION

  13. Nations are God´s instruments to carry out His purposes • To provide a framework of peace, justice, liberty, security and prosperity (The rule of law - Covenant) • To provide an identity based on common ancestry and culture, shared history, ideals, heroes • To bring chastisement to a wayward people (ourselves or other nations) by the use of the sword through war and oppression.

  14. Acts 17 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.

  15. Civil Government is God´s Idea The Kingdomis a Government

  16. Romans 13:1-7Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

  17. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servantfor your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

  18. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.

  19. Church and State: an Age-Old Rivalry(both are sources of power) • Their “marriage” is as bad as their “divorce.” • Marriage produces either a State Church or a ReligiousState • Divorce produces a SecularistState and an escapist Church • Eachshouldguarditsownmissionfaithfully. • Theymustcollaborate to betteraccomplishit, eachupholding the authority of the other. • Whenone tries to use, manipulate or control the other, the resultisinvariablydestructive

  20. Three God-ordained institutions, each sovereign in its own sphere, with its own authorities and rules, given by God so they can collaborate to achieve His purposes

  21. What do weoweour civil government and itsmagistrates? • 1. Submission (obedience to the laws) • 2. Honor • 3. Intercesssion • 4. Support, encouragement, accountability • 5. Informed vote • 6- Service, civic or military • 7. Loyalty

  22. The call to serve and to lead (govern) • Ournationneeds new leaders, for the nationthatwe are becoming. • A couple of us are now in servant-leadership roles. • Wehavemanyothers, especiallyamongouryoung, thatshould prepare for significant roles of service, in publicservice, business, education, the social sector. • Willtheyproveready to make the sacrificesthatleadershiprequires? • Will the rest of us do ourpartsupportingthem, encouraging, serving, sacrificingalongsidethem?

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