Rev. David Holwick E
First Baptist Church
Nobleboro, Maine
July 4, 2021
1 Peter 2:11-17
FIGHT FOR YOUR INDEPENDENCE!
I. What does Independence Day mean?
A. The purely historical sense.
1) Our declaration of independence from Britain.
2) We declared it in 1776, but didn't achieve it until 1783,
when the war was won.
B. Many go deeper, and see in it our goal to be a free people.
1) We can choose where we are going to live, what career we
will take, who we will marry.
2) On the flip side, we don't want anyone else to tell us what
to do.
a) A classic American slogan: "Don't Tread On Me."
b) That flag was very popular with the mob that attacked
the United States Capitol earlier this year...
C. What is independence to a Christian?
1) It certainly involves freedom. Jesus himself said in
John 8:32, "You will know the truth, and the truth will
set you free."
2) It is not just any truth that sets us free.
a) The previous verse points out that he is talking to
people who have put their faith in Jesus.
b) Our freedom is grounded in Jesus.
3) It is not a freedom to do whatever you want.
a) Instead, it is the ability to live the way God designed
us to live. #31301
b) Christian freedom is a constrained freedom, a controlled
freedom.
c) This is why 1 Peter 2 discusses our freedom in the
context of submission and authority.
II. What do Christians owe those who are over us?
A. Peter and the rest of the NT call for submission to authority.
1) Peter explicitly mentions kings and governors.
2) In his day, none of these people were believers - they
were utter pagans, sometimes of the worst kind.
3) But we are told to obey them.
B. How could Americans rebel against a legitimate government?
1) Not all of them did.
The dark side of genealogy...
When my daughter Sarah had her first child, I did some
genealogy on her husband.
After all, he was supplying half of my grandson's heritage.
His last name was Headley so I figured the ancestors
were English just like many of us.
But then I found out one of his ancestors was William Gray
of New York, born in 1728.
When the Revolution started, William persuaded 300 neighbors
to swear loyalty to the King and oppose sending delegates
to Congress.
He was a Loyalist!
In March 1777 he was forced to leave his wife, 11 kids
and large estate and flee to New York City, which was
held by the British.
His family was made destitute.
When the war ended, he moved to Newfoundland, Canada.
120 years later, a great-grandson moved back to America.
Fortunately my 2-year-old grandson doesn't realize he is
descended from Tories.
But good old William Gray probably thought he was being a
good Christian, submitting to his king like the Bible
said.
2) How Americans justified revolt.
a) Verse 14 says that the governors we are submitting to
are punishing wrongdoing, and commending rightdoing.
b) The rebels felt the British government wasn't doing this
so it was not a legitimate government.
1> They were obligated to rebel.
2> They were also obligated to set up a good government.
A> How have they done?
III. Genuine freedom is a scary thing.
A. Many people don't know how to handle it.
Irving Stone's book, "Men To Match My Mountains," describes
the early Mormonism of Utah this way:
Brigham Young was the most powerful Mormon in Utah in the 1800s.
He was absolute master of its every detail.
He knew every Mormon in Salt Lake City, his name and family,
his assets and problems.
When he visited St. George, the Mormon settlement near the
southern Nevada border, he entered every home, embraced
every Mormon.
When he ordered a thing to be done, it was done: Tabernacle,
temple towns, schools, roads, library....
Plays appearing in the theatre had to have his approval.
Marriages required his consent, and courtships as well.
If a man wanted to enter a business or trade, Brigham Young
had to approve.
When he told a man to enter into plural marriage, that man
took another wife.
Whatever Brigham Young said was the religion of the Mormons.
When he said that a man or group was apostate that man or
group was excommunicated.
Heber Kimball, Young's first in command, told the congregation:
"If Brother Brigham tells me to do a thing, it is the same
as though the Lord told me to do it."
Mormons were not overburdened with personal decisions.
Sir Richard Burton, who visited Salt Lake in 1860, said that
Brigham Young explained his policy this way:
"Liberty is to mankind in general, a burden far heavier
than slavery."
#1593
B. Even Christians can have qualms about freedom.
1) Too many believers are dependent on domineering pastors who
tell them what to believe and how to live.
a) You can figure this out on your own, through the Bible
and the Holy Spirit.
2) We are often too dependent on relying on blame.
a) Everyone wants to portray themselves as a victim, even
our troubles are due to our own choices.
b) Even God is open to being blamed by us - he could
change things, so why doesn't he?
c) Situations can be bad, but we can rise above them.
IV. All freedom has limits.
A. The American Revolution was followed by the Whiskey Rebellion.
1) Pennsylvania moonshiners didn't want to pay taxes so they
tarred and feathered the tax collectors.
a) Similar to the Boston Tea Party.
2) President Washington led thousands of troops and stamped
out the rebellion.
a) Objecting to taxes from Britain doesn't mean you can
object to taxes from Washington.
b) Even Jesus paid his taxes.
B. We are free, but still under authority.
1) Christians should be good citizens.
2) We obey even governments that we disagree with.
3) Our highest authority will always be God Himself.
a) Others deserve our honor; only God deserves our fear.
b) Is fear too harsh a word?
1> No, we serve a God who is greater than our puny
selves.
2> Do not take him lightly but bow to him in reverence.
C. We are free, but still under obligation to others.
1) Much of our American pride in our personal independence
is really a desire to be selfish.
a) We want to focus on our own needs and desires.
2) Christians should excel at "interdependence."
a) As verse 17 says, we show proper respect to everyone.
1> It doesn't matter what their politics, religion or
status is.
2> God created everyone so we should treat them with
kindness.
b) Verse 12 points out that treating people better than
they expect can be a positive witness and perhaps
bring them to faith.
D. We are free, but only free to do what is right.
1) I love verse 16, which emphasizes the paradox - we are free
people because we are slaves to God.
2) Therefore we cannot use our freedom as an excuse to do
whatever we want. It is not a cover-up for sin.
3) In Galatians 5:13-15, Paul expands on this:
"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.
But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather,
serve one another humbly in love.
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping his one
command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will
be destroyed by each other."
V. Declare your independence!
A. Independent in responsibility. 2:15
1) An concentration camp survivor's observation.
Viktor Frankl was a Jewish psychologist who was imprisoned
in several Nazi concentration camps, including
Auschwitz.
His father, mother, brother and wife did not survive.
Viktor was liberated and immigrated to America.
As the ship passed the Statue of Liberty he was thrilled
to enter a country that was so committed to freedom.
But after traveling across America, Frankl decided our
nation needed another statue.
He suggested we erect it on the opposite coast in San
Francisco Bay, and call it the Statue of Responsibility.
#16847
2) We can make real choices in life, and need to.
a) Don't blame others or shirk personal responsibility.
b) Moral governments require moral citizens.
The founding father and second president of the United
States, John Adams, said:
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and
religious people.
It is wholly inadequate to the government of any
other." #16847
B. Independent in love.
1) We choose to love, even if we are not loved back.
2) Our greatest freedom is giving love for hate.
A Christian construction contractor was almost wiped out
by an embezzling employee.
He prosecuted the guy, but gave aid to his family,
visited him prison, and found him a job upon release.
Others thought he was nuts, but he said, "I knew God had
given me loving grace and forgiveness for my sins.
But here I was harboring hatred and vengeance for a man
who sinned against me.
I was trapped in a worse prison than my ex-employee."
#1200
C. Independent in faith.
1) Only we can decide how close we'll be to God.
2) God is not a dependency for Christians, but a dynamic
enabler.
Jeris Bragan was convicted of first degree murder and
sentenced to 99 years in prison.
He is a strong Christian, and claims he is innocent.
Instead of becoming bitter, he has grown in his faith.
He finds the story of Joseph in pharaoh's prison to be
especially meaningful.
Joseph's faith freed him in the midst of painful
circumstances because he knew by faith that God held
his future securely in His hands.
Bragan discovered that he was a free man.
-Free to accept his circumstances.
-Free to choose how he would respond.
-Free to act. (College degree) #1200
3) Have YOU come to this point of independence?
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
# 1200 “No Way Out?” by Jeris E. Bragan, Discipleship Journal, #57,
May 1990, page 46.
# 1593 “Liberty Is A Burden,” by Irving Stone, from his book “Men To
Match My Mountains,” 1956, page 265.
#16847 “A Monument To Responsibility: A Statue For San Francisco Bay?”
by Charles Colson, BreakPoint Commentary, November 29, 2000.
#31301 “The Truth Will Set You Free?” by J. M. Njoroge, A Slice of
Infinity: Ravi Zacharias International Ministries;
http://rzim.org/a-slice-of-infinity/, October 18, 2007.
These and 35,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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