Posted by Ministry Voice | Jun 29, 2021 | Bible Study, Churches, Discipleship, Leadership, Sermons
Fourth of July is one of the greatest times to gather everyone and bring your church together to celebrate the true freedom that comes from God. And the best part of this celebration is that you have the opportunity to celebrate this man-made holiday through the eyes of faith.
In other words, this is a great time to see this holiday from a Godly perspective and celebrate this freedom with the true freedom that is found only by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and personal Saviour.
But before we delve into the amazing spiritual things that we can learn from the Fourth of July celebration, let us first read some fun facts about this specific holiday.
Fun Facts About the Fourth of July
No matter how you choose to talk about Independence Day in your sermon it is always nice to have some interesting facts and stories to weave into your message. And because we are not made to become serious all of our lives, it is also important for us to find some joy even in simple things. With this, we have compiled some fun facts about Independence Day in the US. Here are a few interesting facts that might be useful when outlining your message.
1. Circled Stars in the flag
Did you know that the original stars in the original American flag were in a circle? They did it so that all the Colonies would appear equal. Now, that’s interesting!
2. The first Independence Day celebration took place in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776. This was also the day that the Declaration of Independence was first read in public after people were summoned by the ringing of the Liberty Bell
3. Benjamin Franklin proposed the turkey as the national bird but was overruled by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who recommended the bald eagle.
4. Every fourth of July the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped thirteen times in honor of the original thirteen colonies. This means that the bell is not actually rung. Instead, it is only being tapped.
5. Only John Hancock actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. All the others signed later.
Now that we have our fair share of fun learning by looking back at some random facts about Independence Day in the USA, it is time for us to learn what independence or freedom is from a Christian perspective.
Freedom as defined by the Bible
Did you know that in the Bible, there is a common verse about freedom that is being used by both Christians and non-Christian individuals? Yes. You read that right. What’s more interesting is that this specific verse is not just used by ordinary people, it also made its way into films, movies, TV shows, and other pop culture. This specific verse is none other than John 8:32:
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
This verse might have made its way, whether intentionally or not, to different aspects of pop culture, but most of the time, it is being used without having the proper understanding of its context.
So, what is this freedom being talked about here? More importantly, how can we attain true freedom?
To fully understand the context of John 8:32, we need to continue and read the following verses –– especially John 8:36
“If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
The truth is, that true freedom can only be found in Christ. And just like what John 8:36 is saying, if the Son, meaning Jesus, will set us free, then we shall be freed. Why? Jesus Christ has always been God’s answer to our loss of freedom.
When Jesus began His ministry on earth. He announced that He was the one that God’s people had been waiting for. He did so by reading a particular message from the book of Isaiah.
“And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’
He rolled up the scroll gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing – Luke 4:17-21
In the last verse of this passage, we can see that Jesus Himself confirms how the Scripture is being fulfilled in their midst through Him –– that He is the Messiah that the people are waiting for. That Jesus is who will free all of humanity from the bondage of sin and that He is a manifestation of freedom Himself.
This just means that without Jesus, without accepting Him as our Lord and personal Saviour, we can never attain true freedom. Yes, we might experience some kind of freedom, but this is only temporal. Without Jesus, we will always be doomed to experience chaos, disorder, injustice, and many more.
So, true freedom as defined by the Bible can only be found in Christ. And we, as God’s people, should always seek Christ to experience freedom from all things chaotic –– freedom from things that will keep us away from God.
Fourth of July Sermons: Godly Freedom
As we celebrate freedom by celebrating the annual Independence Day in the USA, it is important to impart to your congregation the freedom that is found and taught in the Bible. Do not worry because we have prepared some helpful insights and preaching ideas for your Fourth of July sermons.
1. Freedom from Death
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” – John 3:16
The very reason why Jesus had to die on the cross is to free all of humanity from sin and give us the opportunity to attain eternal life. That is how much God loves us. He sacrificed His own begotten Son just to save you from your sins –– to save you from death! And to offer you eternal life by sacrificing His own Son.
This sacrifice is what Christians call the Good News. But this is not some mere good news. This is the best news ever! By having faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, we can be freed from the death that we deserve for sinning against God. It frees us from the punishment for all the evil things that we have thought and done. And what’s more amazing is that we aren’t only free, we can spend all of eternity with God and His people.
2. Freedom From Sin
“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” – John 8:34-36
Truth be told, after we accept Jesus, satan will not stop all of his attacks to bring us back to him. In fact, he will do more to try to bring you back to your old ways. And this is what Christians should understand. That satan will not rest until you are back in his arms again.
That is why it is important to always choose God over anything else. But do not worry because while we still battle with sin, we are no longer slaves to it because of the power of Jesus Christ. Through Christ, we can be set free from the bondage of vanity, pride, greed, addiction, pornography, gluttony, selfishness, and any other sin.
3. Freedom to Choose Our Own Path
“’ I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything—but I will not be mastered by anything.” – 1 Corinthians 6:12
“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.” 1 Corinthians 9:19
“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.” – Galatians 5:1
When God created man, He did not create them as robots. In fact, God allowed Adam to name all kinds of animals. This just proves that we, as God’s creations, have our own free will. That we have the freedom to choose whether we accept the true freedom that He offers through Jesus Christ. And that we have the free will to accept or reject the salvation that is found in Jesus. But mind you, the Bible has a strong warning about the realness of hell and that this is the people end up when they reject the truth.
But for those who will choose Christ, God guarantees us eternal life. Aside from this, He will help us attain success and a life full of peace, order, and justice despite our current circumstances. In return, we should devote our lives to honoring Him. And that whatever we do with our lives, we should always seek God’s counsel and choose to honor Him over anything else.
4. Freedom to Proclaim the Gospel
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,” – Luke 4:18
Now that we have been freed from the bondage of sin through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, like Paul, we also have the freedom to proclaim and spread the Gospel. This is because God did not just save without a purpose. He saved us so that through us, many people will come to know Him.
Just like what happened to Zacchaeus. When Jesus came to his house, he did not just save Zacchaeus alone. Instead, he declared that salvation would come to his entire household. “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.” – Luke 19:9
In the following verse, Jesus continued with this “ For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”. Likewise, we who experienced God’s freedom by accepting Jesus Christ should continue to spread the Gospel to our friends, families, communities, cities, nations, and to all those who do not know Christ.
So, we should become God’s representative and God’s channel of salvation as we spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. With this, we will be able to fulfill the great commission just like what Paul did for the rest of his life.
5. Freedom to Enjoy Life in Christ
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” – Romans 8:1-2
“Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.” – Psalm 97:10
As we continue to live our lives for Christ, God assures us that no matter what circumstances we may face, He will always protect us. This is the assurance for those who are His faithful ones; to those who continually live their lives under God’s grace.
With this, we, as God’s children, aren’t bound by the law of sin and death but by the law of God’s grace and mercy. So, we should continually live our lives to the fullest by making God the priority of our lives.
Conclusion
As we celebrate freedom this coming fourth of July, let us always remember the true freedom that is found in Jesus Christ. For Christ freed us from sin, from the bondages, from death, and from all evil things. With this, Christ deserves to be praised and honored during this day.
This coming fourth of July, let the name of the Lord Jesus Christ be spread amongst all the nations and not just in the United States of America. For true freedom is found in Christ, and Christ is freedom Himself.
