Title: True Freedom

Date: 2008-07-06

Reference: John 8: 31-36

This weekend we celebrate the declaration that we are an independent and free people. This is our nation’s 232nd birthday and few forms of government have lasted this long. The Fourth of July is a patriotic holiday, but lately, patriotism has been viewed with suspicion, even disdain by many. As far back as 1793 a prominent writer called patriotism “high sounding nonsense.” Internationalism has long been a competitor with patriotism. Many agree with H.G. Wells who advocated replacing the idea of duty to one’s country with the idea of cosmopolitan duty.

Patriotism is alive and well in some places in the world. A United Methodist Chaplain serving with our troops in Iraq wrote a piece entitled ‘When The Music Stopped.” He noted that at military theaters the National Anthem is played before every movie. During one showing the audience snapped to attention when the National Anthem played before the main feature. About three quarters of the way through The National Anthem the music stopped. During the silence there was no laughter, catcalls, rude comments. No one sat down. Rather 1k soldiers continue to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again. And again at the same point the music stopped.

Suddenly there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers finishing where the recording left off. This chaplain noted this was the most inspiring moment he had lived through in Iraq. He wrote to let us know what kind of Soldiers are serving us there in the War Zone.

I know, today, many sermons will deal with America’s shortcomings and especially with an unpopular war. Many are anxious to blame America for every evil in the world. Many other sermons will gloss over the shortcomings of our society. Neither approach is helpful.

As a nation, we have made many mistakes over the years, many of them. At the same time we remain the hope of the world. We are a society willing to admit our mistakes, even apologize for our mistakes.

There are not many societies willing to reach back into it’s history to try and set something right. I believe America is strong because so many of our citizens are people of faith who are willing to get on their knees before Almighty God and to pray for our nation, our leaders, our troops, our citizens, our communities, and our future. God has always had an honored place in our nation and it has been so from the beginning.

The 27th Psalm reminds us: “Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman watches in vain.” Our Declaration of Independence says: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights.” A few paragraphs later they appealed to the Supreme Judge of the World for strength to achieve this goal. This declaration concludes with a firm reliance in Divine Providence.

On July 2nd, 1776, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail saying: “This is the beginning of the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as a great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance by Solemn acts of devotion to God almighty. This day ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade with games, sports, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.” Adams was a deeply religious man who believe this nation would be established through God’s Providence.

They won the struggle and persons of every generation have been called upon to preserve our independence. It is so fitting for us to celebrate our freedom this day. At the same time we know many, here, in the land of the free, are anything but free. Many are enslaved by the memories and regrets, by anxiety, by fear of the future, by addictions of all kinds. We are enslaved by materialism and selfishness. We don’t feel free to break with the pain of the past and to enjoy a new day.

In this land of plenty we have more than to eat, but there is a hunger within us. We have access to clean water but our souls are still thirsty. We have enjoyed the pleasures of mind and of body but somehow that is not enough. So we come to God seeking the bread of life and the streams of living, refreshing water he has promised. We know: “If the Son sets us free, we will be free indeed.”

The people who argued with Jesus in today’s Scripture lesson didn’t understand his message. Jesus was speaking about true freedom, spiritual freedom, freedom from sin. They were speaking only of political freedom.

They claimed that as Abraham’s decedents they had never been in bondage to anyone. In fact the Jews had been enslaved by seven other nations as recorded in the Old Testament History. At that very moment their nation was ruled by Rome.

There is a lesson for us in this reading.”It is very difficult for proud, religious people, like us, to admit our failings and most of all our needs. Jesus said “The Truth shall set us free.” And he said: “The very worst kind of bondage is the kind the prisoner himself does not recognize. The prisoner thinks he is free but is really not free at all. Truth alone can set us free. Religious people of Jesus’ day and many today just don’t understand the situation we often find ourselves in.

Several hostages including three Americans were liberated by the Columbian Military this last week. They were the longest held hostages in history. I cannot imagine much worse than having one’s freedom taken away for weeks, months, and years that way. We are all so thankful they are free now.

At the same time, many of us are captives. We are held captive by anger, unresolved issues from the past, jealousy, bitterness, envy, materialism, lust, fear, greed, bad habits. These and many other issues form the bars in our prison cells. Again Jesus said: “Know the truth and the truth will make you free. The truth is if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” With Jesus you will experience True Freedom.

We believe it is through His Grace we are set free Freedom is a life controlled by truth and motivated by love. Bondage is life controlled by lies and motivated by selfishness. Freedom is the result of a living relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

The world uses lies to bring us back into bondage. Bondage leads to destruction. God uses truth to bring us to freedom and freedom leads to fulfillment. The world offers freedom without responsibility or consequences. There is no such thing.

True freedom is the privilege and power to become all that God wants us to become. Freedom is an opportunity to fulfill our God given potential. To become all God created us to be.

Again I believe the strength and goodness of America is because so many persons of faith live here. A recent visitor from the Ukraine was absolutely amazed to see how many churches exist in a community our size. He said in the city of Kiev, which is many times larger only 49 churches are open and in operation.

Lately many of us feel the government and particularly the courts are becoming increasingly hostile to religion of any kind. Most church members, including most of us today see nothing wrong with displaying the Ten Commandments in the Public Square. At the same time, many or most church people could not even recite the Ten Commandments. That’s because we don’t spend enough time with our Bibles. We don’t know what they say. Many or most agree prayer should be allowed in the classroom while we stay away from worship weeks at a time and hardly ever pray on our own.

The government will never give us true freedom. True Freedom for you and for me comes from a relationship with The Son. If our Religious Freedom is ever lost in America it won’t be because of a hostile government or court. It will be because of a weak, apathetic church. My Romanian friends all say their church was actually much healthier under a very hostile, atheistic, Communist government than it is operating in total freedom. Now many of them take their faith and involvement in the church, for granted as we tend to do.

When the Pilgrims crowded aboard a small ship and sailed across a dangerous ocean they made their motive clear. “This voyage” they wrote, “is taken for the Glory of God and the advancement of the Christian Faith.” Many of us are not willing to lose an hour’s sleep or drive across town to get to worship. The Pilgrims change the world We do not. What is the difference? Passion, dedication to a cause, strong believe and the knowledge of true freedom.

True freedom is found only in Christ. These last days we have celebrated our Declaration of Independence. Today we acknowledge our Dependance upon God. For if the Son sets us free, we will be free indeed.