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Being a Christian on the Fourth of July

Being a Christian on the Fourth of July. What does the Bible say about citizenship, patriotism, and obligation to our country?. What Does it Mean to Be a Christian on the Fourth of July?. Should I participate in the patriotic fervor? Is it all right to celebrate being a part of this nation?

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Being a Christian on the Fourth of July

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  1. Being a Christian on the Fourth of July What does the Bible say about citizenship, patriotism, and obligation to our country?

  2. What Does it Mean to Be a Christian on the Fourth of July? • Should I participate in the patriotic fervor? • Is it all right to celebrate being a part of this nation? • What are my responsibilities as an American Christian? • What does the Bible say about all of this?

  3. I. This World is Not Our Home I John 2:15-17 15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

  4. I. This World is Not Our Home • As believers, we must take care to not mindlessly adopt the values and practices of those around us. • The world stands in opposition to Christ, so we ought to be very cautious before endorsing its ideas. • Our hope must be on a heavenly kingdom; earthly kingdoms pass away.

  5. I. This World is Not Our Home Romans 12:1-2 1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

  6. I. This World is Not Our Home • We are not to conform ourselves to the world around us. • Rather, God wants to transform us from the inside out, renewing our minds so we can work out God’s will in our lives. • This stands in radical opposition to going with our cultural flow.

  7. I. This World is Not Our Home I Peter 2:11-12 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

  8. I. This World is Not Our Home • We are engaged in a war against the ungodly desires within us; we can’t let our guard down. • Believers ought to live as strangers in a strange land. • We do this to bring God glory and display the power of the gospel.

  9. I. This World is Not Our Home Philippians 3:18-21 18For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

  10. I. This World is Not Our Home • The world is at war with the cross of Christ; its mind is set on earthly things. • As citizens of heaven, we must set our mind on eternal things. • Part of our hope is the glorious transformation of our weak, earthly bodies into substantial, eternal ones.

  11. I. This World is Not Our Home Hebrews 11:13-16 13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15 And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

  12. I. This World is Not Our Home • Like the patriarchs, we ought to identify ourselves as strangers, exiles, or pilgrims on the earth. • It is not our permanent or lasting home, and it is not where our hope should reside. • We desire a better, heavenly country.

  13. I. This World is Not Our Home This world is not my home, I'm just a passing thru, My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue; The angels beckon me from Heaven's open door, And I can't feel at home in this world anymore.

  14. I. This World is Not Our Home • While it is right, good, and natural for us to enjoy being Americans, we must be careful not to lift America up as an idol to be worshipped. • America is not the last great hope for humanity; only Jesus can be that. • We must adopt and maintain an attitude of being outsiders here, as this land is not our true home.

  15. II. We Must Seek Our Nation’s Good and Pray for our Leaders Jeremiah 29:4-9 4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, 5 ‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. 7 Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.’ 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream. 9 For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them,’ declares the Lord.

  16. II. We Must Seek Our Nation’s Good and Pray for our Leaders Jeremiah 29:10-14 10 “For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’

  17. II. We Must Seek Our Nation’s Good and Pray for our Leaders Like the Israelites: • We are living in a foreign land that is not our true home. • We should seek its success, not because it is our ultimate hope or home, but because God wants to bless us while we reside here. • We ought to look forward to the promised day of our relocation to our heavenly home.

  18. II. We Must Seek Our Nation’s Good and Pray for our Leaders I Timothy 2:1-4 1 First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

  19. II. We Must Seek Our Nation’s Good and Pray for our Leaders • Prayer is the prescription for a peaceful, orderly, godly existence. • Paul also associates this with God’s desire to have all men come to the knowledge of the truth – In other words, it furthers the gospel!

  20. II. We Must Seek Our Nation’s Good and Pray for our Leaders I Thessalonians 4:11-12 11 make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, 12 so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need.

  21. II. We Must Seek Our Nation’s Good and Pray for our Leaders • Here, Paul echoes the injunction to live a quiet life and live peaceably with outsiders. • We ought to be exemplary citizens not because we make our country into an idol or because we simply want to be comfortable, but so that people will see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven.

  22. III. We Must Obey the Governing Authorities I Peter 2:13-17 13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. 17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

  23. III. We Must Obey the Governing Authorities • We are to submit ourselves, not for the sake of man, but for the Lord’s sake. • We are to subject ourselves to every level of government, from the very highest to the very lowest. • We have immense freedom in Christ, but this freedom also calls us to act as God’s bondslaves. • Part of being His servant is to obey earthly authorities.

  24. III. We Must Obey the Governing Authorities Romans 12:17-21 17 Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. 19 Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

  25. III. We Must Obey the Governing Authorities Romans 13:1-4 1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.

  26. III. We Must Obey the Governing Authorities Romans 13:5-8 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. 7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. 8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

  27. III. We Must Obey the Governing Authorities • Paul instructs believers to be at peace with all men, and to owe nothing to anyone except to love one another. In other words, be a good citizen! • We can rely on the Lord to avenge us in all things, so we don’t take our own revenge. • At least part of the Lord’s vengeance can be executed by the government!

  28. III. We Must Obey the Governing Authorities • One of government’s primary functions is to protect people from one another. • Verse 7 echoes Christ’s command to “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” • This means we must fulfill all our obligations to our government, whether it be taxes, jury duty, or even voting.

  29. III. We Must Obey the Governing Authorities • Representative democracy: We and our neighbors are the ultimate governing authorities. • We place people in leadership. • It is our sacred responsibility to choose those who we believe are best suited to be in authority. • Godly men and women should be open to public service. • We ought to ask God to show us how He would have us be involved in government.

  30. III. We Must Obey the Governing Authorities (One BIG Exception) Acts 4:18-20 18 And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

  31. III. We Must Obey the Governing Authorities (One BIG Exception) Acts 5:25-28 25 But someone came and reported to them, “The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26 Then the captain went along with the officers and proceeded to bring them back without violence (for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned). 27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.”

  32. III. We Must Obey the Governing Authorities (One BIG Exception) Acts 5:29-32 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. 31 He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

  33. III. We Must Obey the Governing Authorities (One BIG Exception) • When a governing authority gives instructions that are against God’s clearly stated commands, the choice is clear: “We must obey God rather than men.” • In this case, God’s ministers of justice are rebelling against Him. • Like David under Saul, we must still respect their position as God’s appointed vessels, but we must not obey human commands that oppose God’s commands.

  34. How to Spend July 4th (5th, 6th, etc.) • Remember that we are aliens here • Pray for our nation and our leaders • Scrupulously obey the laws of the land • Ask God how he wants us to be involved in the political process • Thank Him for placing us in such a free, prosperous, and peaceful nation

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