Fever Pitch: God & Country

 
Introduction
Today we conclude our series titled FEVER PITCH.  In the previous weeks we have talked about many “hot button” topics in our culture that have escalated to a fever pitch.  In this series we have talked about and learned how we can approach and respond to these topics in a biblical manner and in ways that bring glory to God.
 
Today is July 4th, Independence Day, so it is fitting that our discussion panel talks about God and Country.  Today our panel will tackle some hard questions like “Is war Godly?”  “What about being a soldier and fighting?” and “How can the church remain patriotic without falling into idolatry?”  These are great questions!  Let’s see what today’s panel has to say about them.
 
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America, land of the free and home of the brave.  We are truly blessed to live in a country that values freedom and independence.  Because of this we have the liberty and protected right to assemble to worship freely, to preach the Gospel openly without negative ramifications, and have the freedom to choose to be religious or irreligious.  
 
Today is the day we observe and celebrate the freedom we have as a nation.  Many of us will gather with family and friends to watch fireworks, some of you may have adorned your homes with American flags and patriotic décor. Hopefully, all of us here in this room will fellowship after the service to celebrate our freedom and country by doing all things Americana.  This is all well and good.  But let us not forget as Christians what true independence looks like.  True Christian independence does not give us the freedom us to do whatever we want; however we want, with whomever we want.  Christian freedom comes with parameters, but they are not constricting parameters.  Our freedom comes at a cost that was paid on the cross of Calvary.
 
 
Romans 5:20 – 6:14
 
Dead to Sin… Alive in Christ

• Rhetorical Question…Since God shows us kindness through forgiveness… Do this give us the right to sin more so God can forgive us more?  NO!
• Paul was talking to individuals who believed that God enjoyed lavishing his grace on us so much that they felt they should practice their independence by sinning more, this way God had more opportunities to show grace and forgiveness.
• Paul tells us if we are dead to sin; if we have truly been set free from the shackles of sin, then why would anyone want to go back to living the life they have been set free from?  
• Sin is ever present in our lives, but because we have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ we have been freed from sin.  We have declared our independence from sin.  We are no longer slaves to sin.  Before we became believers sin had oppressed us and bound us to itself.  We lived under the tyranny of Satan and evil.  But because of our faith in Jesus, we have declared our independence from evil and sin.  We now have the ability and power through the Holy Spirit to say “NO” to sin.
• Our old ways of living (sin) have been crucified and buried so we no longer enslaved to sin.  Thus, we are dead to sin, and we are now alive and free in Christ.  He defeated death and sin once and for all then we also must consider ourselves dead to sin.  Sin no longer has its shackles around us.
• Since it has no dominion over us, we cannot let sin reign in our lives.  We should no longer open ourselves to sinful living.
  
  

Slaves to Righteousness

• Through Jesus we are set free from the captivity of sin.  Because of Jesus we are no longer slaves to sin, but we are now slaves to righteousness.  We are servants of God and servants to doing what is right.  
• “But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.”  Romans 6:22
• Each one of us is born into and enslaved by sin.  Romans 3:23 says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”   We are all sinners and our wage, or the penalty is death.  Since the wages of sin is death, and all of us are born into sin, then the natural conclusion is we are all dead.  The Apostle Paul confirms this in in Ephesians 2:1, “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.” Before you or I came to saving faith in Jesus Christ we walked in the deadness of our sins, oblivious to our wicked ways.  We were in fact mindless dead people walking.
• We were subject to the world and walked in the ways of the world.  We were in bondage to sin, the world system and we followed the ways of the Prince of the Powers of the air…Satan.  We are reminded here that we ALL once lived according to this way or maybe some of you are still living according to the flesh (which is not living at all).
• If the story ended here, then it would be a hopeless story indeed.  However, we come face to face with one of the biggest “buts” we have ever seen.  “BUT the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  We deserve death, hell, and punishment, BUT because of Jesus we are given life in return. 
• This my friends is grace.  This is true freedom.  This is liberty.

On this Independence Day maybe you have realized that you aren’t as free as you thought.  You may have realized that you are still enslaved by sin.  You may have been living your life thinking you are free, but in fact you have been living in bondage.  What better way to declare your independence from sin by declaring your dependence on Jesus Christ, who sets you free from the shackles of sin.  Today, God may be calling you to become His child.
 
As I conclude, I want to stress that all of us are truly blessed to live in a country that values freedom and independence. 
I am proud to be an American.  
I love my country.  
I love that our freedom of speech, and our freedom to practice religion without government interference is protected.  
I am grateful for the men and women who have fought and sacrificed for our freedom.  
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But I stand up here today to say that as much as I love being an American, I am loyal to Jesus Christ only.  I am a child of God first and foremost.  I will be faithful to the Word of God and put into practice the Word of God over any political ideology.  I am not allied with any political party; I am allied only with Jesus Christ.  Can I be all of these and still be patriotic?  Yes!  But as a Christian I must be devoted to God first and all other things, including country, come after.