Gtcotr/ss070520
I.
Happy 244th Birthday America!
A. The Birth of our Nation is not Calculated
from the year
1. 1492
2. 1547
3. 1607
4. 1619
5. 1621
6. 1775 or 1783
7. or even 1789
B. But from July 4, 1776
1. A very special day …
2. The date on which 56 of our Founding
Fathers pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to this new
nation, and signed the:
3. Declaration of Independence
C. Independence Day is not the day the war
ended … it was the day the war began. Why then do we call it “Independence
Day?”
Independence Day is the day you decide to be free. We will get back to
this statement in a moment. Turn in your Bibles with me to the New Testament
Gospel of Matthew, chapter 27. While you are finding our text for today, let me
say:
II.
I am Proud to be an American
A. No Other Nation on earth today:
1. Has been able to produce and maintain
a single form of government for as long as the United States of America.
2. Has produced and celebrated the vast
number of heroes from such diverse backgrounds, across the races, from every
economic strata, both men and women, young and old, citizen and foreigner, as
has the United States of America.
3. Provides such a fair system of
judicial prudence where a person is presumed innocent and criminals are
prosecuted, convicted, sentenced, and jailed without regard to their estate or
position in society.
a. From Burney Madoff to Charles
Manson
b. From OJ Simpson to Jeffery Epstein
c. From Timothy McVeigh to
Genene Jones
4. In
no other nation today can a person enjoy such equal protection under the law
and equal access to services and benefits and right of redress in appeal or by
acts of peaceful public protest.
B. In What Other Nation can a person
1. Exercise such freedom of speech
2. Enjoy unfettered freedom to worship as
they choose
3. Maintain their right to bear arms
4. Feel secure against unlawful search
and seizure of their persons, property, houses, and effects.
5. Be exempted from self-incrimination
and afforded legal counsel if they cannot afford it, and all at the state’s
expense.
6. Have the right to a fair and speedy
trial by an impartial jury of their peers, be faced by their accusers, given
the right to present evidence in their own defense, be protected from cruel and
unusual punishment, and given the right of appeal.
7. I could go on and on and on and on and
on with the reasons I am proud to be an American and live in this country …
everyone in the world, wants to visit or move to America … it’s the dream of a
lifetime for most.
Much
like every human being, our nation has struggled since birth to better itself
and grow from the challenges we have faced, the mistakes we have made and the
victories we have won.
We
have room for improvement and under the ideals of our constitution and within
the framework of the laws which govern us, we are guaranteed that despite the
current interruptions, America will continue taking each next step towards the
destiny God has planned for us.
C. I have lived in other countries for
extended periods of time and I continue to work in nations around the globe
today. In all my decades of experience, I can tell you one thing - I Am Proud
to be an American and I am grateful for all who Pray
For and Boldly Support the brave men
and women who continue to keep our nation free and families strong. God bless:
1. Our
National Leaders
a. The Executive
Branch
b. The Legislative Branch
c. The Judicial Branch
2. Our First
Responders – The Red, White, and Blue
a. The Thin Red Line –
Firefighters
b. The Thin White Line – All
Medical Personnel
c. The Thin Blue Line – Our
Cherished Police and Law Enforcement Officers
3. Our US
Armed Forces
III.
One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for All.
IV.
Happy Birthday America … “Our greatest day is yet ahead!”
Now,
remember I told you we would get back to this statement: “Independence Day is the day you decide to be free.” Look
with me now at our text for today in Matthew 27.
The
Setting:
- Late at night towards the end of the week in the spring of AD30 … Jerusalem …
Jesus is on trial before the Roman Governor Pilate. Pilate finds the
accusations of those witnesses against Jesus to be empty and not worthy of
death. Pilate wants to let Jesus go and tries to reach a compromise with the
protestors but to no avail. You are Pilate in this story.
Then
Pilate has an idea … it is customary to release one prisoner at the Feast of
Passover as a sign of good faith. Pilate offers to release Jesus or pardon a
man who was convicted of murder. Surely the crowd would not want a murderer
released from prison. This was his weak way out … but:
Matthew 27
20 But the chief priests and
elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy
Jesus.
21 The governor answered and
said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” They said,
“Barabbas!”
22 Pilate said to them, “What
then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him,
“Let Him be crucified!”
23 Then the governor said, “Why,
what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be
crucified!”
24 When Pilate saw that he
could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took
water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent
of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”
25 And all the people
answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”
V.
There are 4 Key Players in this account.
A. Pilate – The Governor – The Decision Maker – This is you in the story
B. The Priests – The Persuaders – The Agitators
C. The People – The Multitude – Pawns – The Loud Crowd
D. Jesus
1. Jesus is The
Savior of the World
2. But the priest formulated a toxic narrative
to describe Jesus
2. The people believe Jesus to be the
villain
3. Pilate is left to make his decision …
to whom will he bow
Note: Of course we know
Jesus was the best thing that had ever happened to mankind. Although He did not
support their causes, He included everyone in His plan, and He did good and
brought healing to multitudes. He fed the poor and encouraged them to lead a
quiet and peaceful life and to be honest and forgiving. But that was not enough
for the political leaders of the day. They wanted all the power.
Pilate
knew the leaders were envious and selfish and it was evident they could never do
what Jesus had done. However, the loud crowd had been agitated and would not
quiet down or listen to reason. They were just being used as pawns by those who
stood to personally gain. The agitators did not care about these people at all.
They were only a means to an end.
Pilate’s
attempt to remain neutral was weak and pathetic. He knew Jesus was a just man
and innocent of the charges but when the loud crowd became more aggressive, Pilate
caved. Instead of standing up for what he believed, he washed his hands of the
matter in hopes he would not lose favor with the crowd. He had a chance to be the
voice of truth and reason, but he lost it. Once he believed he could not
prevail and the crowd was getting louder and more demanding, he bowed to the
pressure.
Sad
truth is Pilate could have gone down in history as a supporter of Jesus but
instead he turned out to be a wimp and sided with the loud crowd against all
that was right. He bowed to pressure to conform. He bowed to a few loud voices
instead of standing up for what he himself really believed. He became just one
of the pawns, one of the puppets, one of the people who chimed in with the
agitators against the Truth. He never experienced his own personal Independence
Day. Pilate was just one more person on the wrong side of history. And history
has a way of repeating itself. Look where his compromises took him …
26 ¶ Then he released
Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be
crucified.
You cannot wash your hands of that … he -
Pilate - released the murderer; he – Pilate - scourged Jesus; he – Pilate - delivered
Him to be crucified. That is what history and eternity remembers about Pilate.
Pilate should have listened to that still small voice instead of the angry loud
crowd.
It is a pure shame to see what happened after
the government of that day bowed to the demands of the loud crowd …
27 Then the soldiers of the
governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around
Him.
28 And they stripped Him and
put a scarlet robe on Him.
29 When they had twisted a
crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand.
And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the
Jews!”
30 Then they spat on Him, and
took the reed and struck Him on the head.
31 And when they had mocked
Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him
away to be crucified.
Let’s
not forget the Apostle Peter who was also in the courtyard that night and bowed
to the angry loud crowd instead of standing up for what he knew was right as
well. Peter was no better than Pilate … he bowed to the angry mob because he
was afraid to stand up and speak the truth.
Peter
later repented and recovered himself from that cowardly act. We all imagine we
would do better, but are we? What lies are we bowing down to? Who is setting
the narrative we are pressured to believe? Is it toxic; is it hurting; is it
peaceful? Who is pressuring you to conform or be crucified?
Go
free! Freedom is just one decision away. Independence day is any day you decide
to be free! Break the bonds of fear and compromise and stand up against the
demands of the loud crowd. Pray for them … as Jesus said, “They know not what
they do!” This is our chance, perhaps our only chance, to stand up for what we
truly believe. Who is controlling your narrative … the agitators of your soul or the
Savior of your soul?
As
for me and my house … it’s Independence Day every day! It’s time to stand up
and time to speak up for Jesus. He is our only hope for peace.
