The Roadmap To Restoring Freedom (2024)
Government: God’s Gift To Mankind (2024 series) • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 51:00
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Review
Turn to 1 Timothy 2:1-4.
We have learned that government is not the highest authority; God is. That is exactly the case made by our Founders when they wrote the Declaration of Independence, rejected the authority of the British crown, and formed their own government.
We then learned that government has a God-given purpose.
Government must restrain the sin nature of mankind
Government must protect natural rights
Man has no rights before the Creator God, but He has created us with rights that our an innate part of who we are. Man has natural rights because God created us with a free will.
Government is responsible for protecting those rights in case anyone does not honor them.
Message
Message
Read 1 Timothy 2:1-4.
“Freedom.” We Americans love freedom. I think I can speak for many us and say that our hearts are stirred when we hear that word spoken.
"Freedom” reminds us of our history.
It resonates as a core value of our nation.
It inspires hope for our children’s future.
“Freedom” is a word that many Americans cherish deeply, but we as Christians have reason to love it even more, because freedom is impossible apart from the application of biblical values. A nation cannot be free unless it applies the principles that we have studied concerning the authority and purpose of government.
For Christians, there are two questions about freedom that we must answer from the Word of God:
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Is freedom important?
Your default answer may be a resounding, “Yes!” But this really is a question that we need to ask.
Is freedom important to God?
Should freedom be important to the Christian? Does the Bible indicate that its important? Is it worth dedicating our time, energy, and money to defend and uphold? Not all Christians agree that it is, so its necessary to answer this from Scripture.
Should Christians attempt to defend and uphold it?
The signers of the Declaration of Independence certainly thought so. Expressing their “firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence,” they pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor.
But the Bible indicates in Hebrews 11:14-16 that Christians are citizens of a heavenly country! In 1 Peter 1:17, we are reminded that our time on earth is short. We are constantly admonished to keep our eyes on eternity. In 1 Peter 2:12, Christians are called strangers and pilgrims on this earth!
Lastly, consider the Great Commission! God’s desire is the saving of souls and the discipling of believers through the ministry of the local church. That is the heartbeat of the New Testament! That is what God cares about today! Our text says in verse four that God “will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. So where does freedom fit within God’s objective for us? Should maintaining our freedom be an objective for Christians today? These are valid questions, but hard ones for freedom-loving Christians to ask.
“Freedom” has been defined as, “the quality or state of being free: liberation...from the power of another.” - Merriam Webster Online
Noah Webster defined “freedom” as “A state of exemption from the power or control of another”
These dictionary definitions express freedom as not being subject to someone or something else.
I believe, however, that the Bible offers a definition of “freedom”, and its right here in our text.
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Freedom: the ability to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
You may not find the word “freedom” in 1 Timothy 2:2, but the idea certainly is here.
If I am allowed to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty…
That means that I am free to worship God according to the dictates of my conscience. I can worship Him as I believe the Bible commands.
If I am allowed to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty…
That means that I am free to live for God as best as I know how without any government interference.
If I am allowed to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty…
That means that I am free to share the Gospel to whomever will listen.
Freedom: the ability to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
Now this definition gets us closer to answering our question. Should freedom be important to us? Does the ability to lead a quiet and peaceable life matter to us? Yes, it certainly should, but our first priority must always be to obey the Great Commission!
The biblical balance is this: as we strive to share the Gospel with our neighbors and even with our elected officials, let us also work to maintain the freedom to do this in a tranquil and peaceful society!
In 1 Timothy chapter two, Paul challenges Timothy that he should be willing to pray for anyone - but particularly for kings and for all individuals who held a position of authority. Timothy’s first prayer was to be for the salvation of their souls.
In 2016, Pastor Tim, Pastor Jackie, and I were in Washington DC for Awake America’s annual national conference. When I stood in the hallway outside Nancy Pelosi’s office, I remember thinking to myself, “this is an incredibly powerful woman, but she is lost and needs a Savior.”
Friends, if you ever get so caught up in the news that you lose sight of men’s souls, it’s time to set the remote down and get into your Bible! Some of our highest elected officials are sinners who need a savior!
Refreshing your mind in the Word of God will give you God’s perspective on men’s souls again. He would have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. But the Bible does not teach the Gospel alone.
It teaches that man is made in the image of God with certain natural rights
It teaches that the authority of government is limited by God
It teaches that government must rule by the consent of its citizens
It teaches that God has put limitations on both the authority and the purpose of government
Should our freedom be important to Christians?
Yes, our ability to live quiet and peaceable lives is important to us as Christians - not so that we can live the American Dream - but so that we can live for God!
We are called to live for the Lord and to serve Him even if we live in a country that rejects our right to do so. We must always obey God rather than man, Acts 5:29 says, whether or not we are free. But if God grants us freedom as He has in this land, that freedom is worth the effort to maintain! The God-given freedom that was won by the blood of our forefathers is surely worth keeping by our prayer, by our sweat and by our tears!
That leads us to our second question:
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How should freedom be defended?
For freedom to be secured for the next generation of Americans, it will require something more than mere activism. It will call for more than political action committees and campaigns. It will need more than talk. It will demand greater things than picketing and marching. There is much political activism in our land, but it seems that with each passing year, freedom is slowly losing ground in America.
The solution is a return to the biblical values that brought freedom to our shores. Freedom came in the hearts of men and women who believed that God had made man a free creature. Their firm conviction finally bore itself out in the government that was established and it was codified in the laws of our land! But words on paper are not enough as unethical politicians can disregard them at any time. Since freedom is built upon a set of biblical values, the need of the hour is for Christians to live these values themselves and to take these values into the culture again.
How should freedom be defended? What can the average citizen do?
Pray - 1 Timothy 2:1-4.
For the salvation of our elected officials
For Christian elected officials to be bold and gracious
Yes, there are Christians who hold elected office:
Adam Morgan is a SC state rep running for congress
Mark Robinson is the lieutenant governor of NC running for NC governor
For righteousness to prevail in our land
Righteousness exalteth a nation: But sin is a reproach to any people.
For freedom to be upheld
Major on biblical values more than political positions
That man has natural rights because he is made in the image of God - Genesis 1:26.
That the authority of government is limited by God - Genesis 9:5-6.
That the purpose of government is to suppress evil and to promote natural rights Romans 13:3-4.
Our conversations with people and our posts on social media should highlight Scripture as the basis for what we believe. We should always direct people back to the Word of God.
Practice your citizenship
Vote
It is estimated that 15-25 million Evangelical Christians have not voted in our recent presidential elections.
Your vote matters!
So often this is where we stop, as though there is nothing more that Christians can do.
Read slowly:
Here’s the problem: if all Christians only vote, then we will forever vote for non-Christians.
Get to know your local and state officials
I was listening to a podcast recently where the speaker shared a little bit about the history of the Greeks.
When Paul entered Athens in Acts chapter seventeen, he was soon ushered to the place of Mars’ Hill, where he preached to all who would listen. The Athenians welcomed him because they loved public discussion.
Ancient Greek society held its citizens as critical members of the city. One expectation of every citizen was that they would talk about the affairs of the city. This was integral to self governance and to the democratic form of government for which Greece was famous.
America would benefit if it returned to the public discourse that was carried on in Greece, but a greater need is for Christians to speak with their elected officials.
I find it very interesting that in Romans chapter sixteen, when Paul is closing out his letter to the Romans, he mentions Erastus, a chamberlain or a city treasurer of Rome! Over in the letter to the Philippians, members of Caesar’s household sent greetings to the Christians in Philippi. Somehow, Paul developed relationships with people from all backgrounds.
We need to follow his example. We must strive to know and share our biblical values with our elected officials. Don’t be intimidated by them! Don’t be fooled into thinking that they are superior to you. They’re not! The more I am around them, the more I find that they are regular human beings like you and me!
They have strengths.
They have weaknesses.
They have needs.
And they don’t have all the answers to our society’s problems. They are public servants that need to hear from you.
They need to hear words of encouragement.
They need to hear that you’re praying for them.
They need to hear your concerns.
I challenge you: get to know your elected officials and seek to influence them with biblical values.
Run for office
The only way that Christians will be able to vote for Christians is if some Christians run for office. You may think, “but I’m just a normal, average person. I’m not an expert on anything.”
Folks, if there’s anything we’ve learned the last few years, it’s that we don’t need more experts running this country, we need citizens with some steel in their backbone and some principle in their hearts who will stand for what is right! That is what we need to restore freedom in America!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Many of you know that one of my heroes is John Leland, a Baptist preacher who lived during the founding years of our country. He was the one that I quoted who said that “government becomes necessary on account of the vices of men.”
When he died in 1841, he was buried near Cheshire, Massachusetts. The epitaph on his tombstone reads,
“Here lies the body of the Rev. John Leland, of Cheshire, who labored 67 years to promote piety and [to] vindicate the civil and religious rights of all men.
Today, let us follow his example and give priority to the things that matter most.
Let’s love the lost souls of this mission field called America.
Let’s be earnest in giving the Gospel.
And let’s each do our part to protect the rights and freedom of all Americans so that we may may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
That is the roadmap to restoring freedom in America.