“How
important is the pledge of allegiance to you?
I once heard tell of a retired military man who was very patriotic.
He had a tall flag in his front yard back when it wasn't a common thing
to do. One day he talked with a
Jehovah Witness and got very upset when he found out the Jehovah Witnesses
refused to serve in the armed services, to say the pledge of allegiance, or to
salute the flag. He decided that
he would not talk to any more Jehovah Witnesses unless they were willing to
salute the flag and say the pledge of allegiance.
One day he was sitting in his living room looking out the window when
he saw a Jehovah Witness with her little girl walking towards his front door.
When she knocked at the door he was ready for her.
He opened the door and before she could open her mouth he told her.
"I'm not going to talk with you or listen to what you say unless
you turn, face that flag in my front yard, salute it and say the pledge of
allegiance!" The woman
looked very confused, but she finally turned, faced the flag, saluted, and
said the pledge of allegiance. The
retired military man was just shocked by what he witnessed. He turned to the
lady and said, "You know,
you're the first Jehovah's Witness I have ever met who would salute the flag
and say the pledge of allegiance!" The
woman with a confused look on her face replied, "Jehovah's Witness?
I'm the Avon Lady!" -
From the Bible Illustrator.
This
past week a judge in California has ruled that it would be illegal to say the
pledge of allegiance in school. The
judge ruled that the words “Under God” constitute an establishment of
religion in the public. The
school would be illegally forcing the students to participate in establishing
religion and that would breech the separation between the church and state.
But what I have realized is that there are many schools who don’t ask
their students to say the pledge of allegiance, and many of today’s students
don’t know what it says. Should
we be concerned? Yes, we should
be concerned that politically correctness has taken the place of common sense.
When it becomes wrong to say the words under God in our schools then certainly
we have gone too far. For a
nation who doesn’t believe in the existence of God then we would have to
agree with the judge, but we as a country have always believed in God.
From our president down we would have to say the vast majority of
Americans believe in the existence of God.
I want to go on record stating that I am for saying the pledge in our
schools everyday, because we as a country believe in the existence of God.
The question I want to clarify in today’s message is: are we a nation
under God? After I heard that
this judge had made this ruling I began to ask are we a nation under God?
What does it mean to be a nation under God?
What does it mean to be a church under God?
What does it mean to be a person
under God?
Scripture
Text:
1Cor 15:22 (KJS) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be
made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits;
afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 24 Then [cometh] the end, when
he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall
have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till
he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy [that]
shall be destroyed [is] death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet.
But when he saith all things are put under [him, it is] manifest that he is
excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be
subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put
all things under him, that God may be all in all.
Are
we?
Under
God’s creation… Yes,
we are under God’s creation. As
Adam was created in the Garden of Eden so we are all created by Him.
Whether we want to acknowledge it or not we have been created by a
higher power. The intricacies of
the human body and design of the universe is the evidence that shows us that
there is a designer. Will we give tribute to the Creator? Will we recognize that He is the Lord and he created us?
Under
God’s Law…
Yes, we are under God’s
wrath, which is directed at sin. The law of sin and death is shown in Rom.
6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, we are under God’s law of Grace.
The law of grace and life is God’s solution to the problem of sin.
The problem of sin is that it takes out of fellowship with the Lord
thus we die. But, with the law of
Grace we are given the opportunity to choose to return to the Lord and
fellowship with Him.
Under God’s Love…
Yes, John
3:16 shows us that God loves the world. He
loves everyone and has given his one and only Son for the salvation of all.
Each time we come to the table of the Lord to observe the ordinance of
Holy Communion we remember the love of God for His creation.
Under
God’s salvation…
Yes, we are under the
salvation of God that gives all the opportunity to know Him as our heavenly
Father. But all don’t take
advantage of the opportunity we have been given know and serve God.
Psalm 95:6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the
people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the desert,
Under
God’s control… Yes,
God is God. He is over all, but
He allows us the opportunity to choose to go with Him.
We are free to choose, to voluntarily put ourselves under His complete
control. We are free to give ourselves to Him. He will put everything under
his feet. Everything will
eventually be put under God by the power of God.
But now we have the opportunity to choose to love and serve Him.
Under
our vows to God… Yes, if we choose to be.
We
are a nation under God if we are a people under God.
We are a nation under God if I am a person under God.
I am a person under God if I have given myself to Him.
Have you made your vows to the Lord? Will you make you vows to Him
again? Psalm
56:12 I am under vows to you, O God; I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may
walk before God in the light of life.
William Arthur Ward wrote
these moving words: "I believe in America. "I believe it became
great because of its faith in God, its hope for independence, and its love for
freedom. "I am grateful for America's glorious past; I am awed by its
unbelievable present; I am confident of its limitless future. "I am not
ashamed to take my hat off and to stand at attention when Old Glory passes by.
I do not apologize for the lump in my throat when I repeat the Pledge of
Allegiance. I am not embarrassed by the tears in my eyes when I hear 'The Star
Spangled Banner.' "Like millions of Americans, I want a free choice, not
a free handout. I prefer an opportunity to prove my abilities on the job
rather than a license to demonstrate my frustrations in the street. "I am
an old-fashioned American with a new-found determination to do my part to make
democracy work." –From Bible Illustrator