Declaration of Dependence by Michael Spencer July 3, 2022 · Centerpointe Apostolic Church (Murfreesboro, TN) Kind: sermon Scripture: Deuteronomy 8:10-11, Deuteronomy 8, Deuteronomy 8:12-14, Proverbs 14:34, Titus 3:3, Hebrews 11:25, Titus 2:11-14, Galatians 5:13, John 8:36, Galatians 2:20 Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/michael-spencer--declaration-of-dependence Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page. Free to copy and share with attribution. ------------------------------------------------------------ Today's title, just to, to throw it out there, is Declaration of Dependence. You say, well, that's totally opposite from what we're celebrating. But hopefully at the end of this message today, it will make a little sense. I know tomorrow, as a nation of the United States of America, we'll be celebrating a crucial moment in the history of our nation, the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Many times we see the photo of that day and the signing taking place. And I don't know about you, but it brings a sense of American pride and honor to, to know what this nation was built and founded on, and the principles that their forefathers stood for, the liberties and the freedoms that we get to experience, because somebody stood up against opposition to make a difference and to have a new life for those ahead of them. When we look back at this event, we've got to realize that it was a very dangerous decision for each man who dared to sign that document. In fact, as John Adams signed, he made this statement: Whether we live or die, sink or swim, succeed or fail, I stand behind this Declaration of Independence. And if God wills it, I'm ready to die in order that this country might experience freedom. It was this kind of patriotism which led men, and armed with little more than their hunting rifles, to engage in battle with what was then the most powerful nation in the world. But they had a cause, and they believed in that cause. They made the choice. And this decision to declare their independence from England was not easily or hastily decided. Even though they lived in the colonies, they were English citizens, and they felt they should enjoy the same rights and privileges of any freeborn Englishman back in England. After all, it was their ancestors, who a few centuries earlier had risen against the unjust and tyrannical rule of King John, and forced him to sign the Magna Carta, some call the Great Charter, establishing the rights of the common man and limiting the power of the king over them. All these people are saying, I didn't know I was coming to history class today. Sometimes we need to be reminded what took place that day. Over a period of a few years here, King George began to ignore all that, as far as the American colonies were concerned. All that was taken place, all had been signed over. He began to make some changes. It wasn't long until the oppressive taxes and the regulations were beginning to make their lives miserable. Kind of like today, right? When they complained, King George sent troops and declared martial law. Public protests were put down by force, and dissenting voices were silenced. Even more laws, which they considered intolerable, were enacted. This led to more protests and conflicts. A squad of soldiers trying to break up a crowd of tax protesters in Boston, someone yelled fire, and some of the protesters were killed. We read in the history books about the Boston Massacre. In just 14 months before this Declaration of Independence was written, a battle broke out, the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Casualties on both sides that day totaled 366, either killed or wounded. Battle's not easy, and it's a very ugly thing. Emboldened by what they'd considered a victory that day, the colonial militia then laid siege to Boston. And two months later, we read about the Battle of Bunker Hill. Once again, 400 men were lost in the battle, and this siege of Boston was lifted. But it was in this time, and during this conflict, that Patrick Henry, the fiery patriot from Virginia, gave his famous speech. And here's how he concluded his speech: Three million people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we should not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destiny of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battle for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone. It is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery. Our chains are forged. Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston. Gentlemen may cry, peace, peace, but there is no peace. The war has already begun. Our brethren are already in the field. Why stand we here idle? What is it the gentleman wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, has to be purchased at the price of change in slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death. What have you set in your path on your spiritual walk? I know we're talking about a nation that we live in, and the freedom and the opportunities that we celebrate on this national holiday known as Independence Day. But I've come to tell you, there's an independence found in Jesus Christ far greater than any constitution could ever promise, far greater than any militia could ever defend. I've come to tell you, we've got to stand for liberty in Jesus Christ. Many of our forefathers paved the path before us, paying some a terrible price in the Revolutionary War. But they finally won the victory, so you and I may be citizens of this land, the land of the free and home of the brave. But what we too often overlook is, in that declaring their independence from England, our forefathers made an equally bold declaration of dependence. A declaration of dependence upon Almighty God. The beginning of our nation, our forefathers boldly declared their dependence on God. Do we uphold that dependence in our life today? You read through Scriptures, we find that we weren't the first nation that did this. Israel was preparing to enter the land that God had promised to them. And Moses is telling them, Deuteronomy chapter 8, verse 10, it says: When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, fail Him to observe His commandments, His laws, and His decrees that I am giving you this day. Just as our forefathers were careful to remember God, in that second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence we see this statement: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Again here, the closing words of this declaration: With a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence — that's God — we mutually pledge for each of our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor. And we must clearly understand that this declaration, their dependence on God, was the pivotal thing in this document. For in a time of world where it is turmoil and confusion and chaos, and all the rules have been redefined and changed, and we sometimes are in the tailspin of what's up and what's down, in what direction we're supposed to be going, we've got to recognize and remember: we must be dependent on Almighty God. This nation, its birth and his greatness, was formed on that. Some will even argue that today, that that wasn't the case. But as much as we love reading about Patrick Henry and George Washington and John Adams and Thomas Jefferson and John Jay, and many of the other patriots who gave of themselves so valiantly — they gave so that we might enjoy the freedoms that are ours, the freedoms that we too often take for granted — we must also be reminded of the solemn warning God gave to Israel, in the thrill of independence after centuries of slavery in Egypt. Although this was written centuries ago, this warning could very well apply to the United States today. The eighth chapter of Deuteronomy, we see: The Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, land with streams and pools of water, and land where bread will not be sacrificed, and you'll be lacking nothing. When you've eaten and are satisfied — it said, how many times do we fall in the trap of, I'm satisfied. I'm just living in a state of, I'm satisfied. And we forget what brought that satisfaction on, what got us to where we are, the blessings and the provisions of God that He's placed in our life. We continue on in Deuteronomy chapter 8, being careful: You do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe His commandments, His laws, and His decrees that I'm giving you this day. Verse 12: Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you're build fine houses and settle down, when your herds and flocks grow large, and your silver and gold increase, and all you Have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I've come to warn us today, to be very careful that we don't forget God in the middle of His abundance. Don't forget God with all the blessings that He has placed in our life: His blessings, His provisions, His promises that are found throughout His word to us. Because He loves us, and He knows us, and He cares for us. No one else paid the price for your sin. No one else can free you from the bondage of sin. We must be careful to not forget. The testimony of history has made it abundantly clear: not only as nations, but also we as individuals need to heed that warning. The greatness of a nation is not measured by its military power, its national wealth. But it's by righteousness and justice that are the determining factors that we must live our life by. Solomon, the wisest of men, Proverbs 14:34, says: Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Sin is a reproach to any people. Our present objective seems to be the nation turning away from righteousness, turning toward self-indulgence, comfort, and pleasure. What makes me comfortable, pleasure, that's what I need in my life. We sung the song, Let Freedom Ring. But sometimes our individual self-proclaimed freedom has become the very thing that enslaves and entraps us. And Titus three and verse three: At one time you were two. At one time we two were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We live in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. I'm going to tell you, that's a definition of sin. And it's easy to follow that list and justify our actions, condone what's taking place, and not recognize we're falling into an entrapment of sin. So many people get caught up in sin. They think, well, I'm free. But in real reality, they're enslaved to sin. Go to the addict and say, I want to set you free from alcoholism, from drugs. They'll say, I'm not a slave to anything. Give me back my bottle. Give me that syringe. Let me have that pill. We read in the Scriptures about the prodigal son. He came to his dad. He said, I want to be free. Give me what is mine. He wanders off into a far country, and he's celebrating: I'm free. I have liberty. And we read that this freedom was short-lived. Hebrews 11 and 25 warns us that pleasure of sin is but for a season. His friends had left him there. When his money ran out, so did his friends. And quickly found himself enslaved to a Gentile taskmaster, in the midst of hogs all around him. If you aren't careful, you'll find yourself in the midst of a place you never thought you could end up at. Where you place your dependence in your life decides who and what you will serve in your life. What seems good, and what appears easy, will entangle, enslave you. And soon you're captive to what Satan's tricked you to believe was the best choice. Why wouldn't you want to be free? Why wouldn't you want all of this in your life? And the whole time he's ensnaring and chaining you down into bondage. It wasn't until he came back to his father's house that he really found freedom. And our real freedom comes only in Jesus Christ. He is our heavenly Father. Our real security is only found in the authority of the Father's house. Come to tell you, freedom and liberty can be found in Jesus Christ, and in Him alone. When we realize, when we recognize that I am a child of the King — He has bought and paid the price for my sin. He cares for me enough that He died on a cross. He paid for every sin, everything, every transgression. He took it all on Himself, because you belong to Him. I'm so grateful, as Christians, that we have a greater freedom than just what's spelled out in the Constitution. We have that hope beyond this life, found in Jesus Christ, when we surrender ourself to Him. There's a word for freedom found in the New Testament. It's the word redemption. Redemption means to be set free. Sometimes that word gets thrown around, and we forget the value of redemption. He, Jesus Christ, paid that price. Redeemed, purchased, bought what we could never pay for, what we could never accomplish, so that we could be free through the precious blood of Jesus. We were freed from the bondage of sin. And now we have the choice to be really free, if we will put our dependence upon Him. Paul's letter to Titus tells us that we have been set free from that bondage. Titus 2 and 11 says: For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say now to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope. And then he tells us what that blessed hope is: the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Oh, I'm so thankful I have hope beyond this world. This government, what's taking place today — there's a hope beyond this, regardless what takes place today, tomorrow, next year. I have a hope in Jesus Christ, my Savior, my God. He's coming back for a church that's prepared himself to live the life depending on Him, and has sought Him throughout their daily wall. Verse 14 says: Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good. He paid the price. He redeemed us at Calvary. Three words changed each of our history: It is finished. It is finished. So much is encased in those three little words. That moment was our great declaration of independence: freedom from Satan, and freedom from the hold in the grip of sin. And that day that we found an altar, and we asked God for forgiveness, when we were baptized in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ for the remission of those sins, and we received the beautiful gift of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by the speaking of to unknown time — that was the day we signed that declaration of dependence on Jesus Christ and obedience to His word. When we recognize the freedom found in living our life, a life surrendered to Him, recognize He is the author and the finisher of our faith — why would we follow any other way? He wrote the plan. I don't know about you, but when you follow a plan, most of the time things work right. We as men, we tend to throw the plan away. We got this figured out. And you put the whole cabinet together, and realize it, the shelves are all upside down. And we blame the plan for being wrong. The plan was written long ago, and it's not wrong. If you will follow this, you will make it to heaven. If you will follow this, you will have a place with Him in eternity. You can't write it your own way. You can't delete what you don't like. But you have to follow His plan. His blood was shed for us, and the price has been paid. But the struggle is, we're still robbed in flesh, must daily bring that under subjection to His Spirit working inside of us. The fight in each of us is real, to remain free, free in Him. And the victory is ours for the taking. I don't know what you're facing today, but I'm telling you, stay in the fight. It's worth the fight. It's worth whatever you have to face, because He has your future in His plan. We've got to solidify what we believe. We've got to set our feet firmly on the path, and say, I'm not going back to the bondage of sin. Liberty is mine, and I declare it in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ. My dependence on Him is the source of my freedom from sin, and nothing is going to take that away from me. We must make up our mind. Those gentlemen who signed that document, the Declaration of Independence, they'd made up their mind before they walked in there and began to sign their signature. A lot of them faced hardship and difficulties, and lost everything they had from a signature on a document. And shame on me when I struggle to come into a room that has very comfortable seating, and the air conditioners works great. I'm so thankful for. But I come in and take so much for granted, and check the box, and go back home. Or I get into reading this word, and I read, and I don't ingest what He's trying to say to me. Give us a passion and a convergency, as those men who knew that signing that document could destroy their life. Give us a passion and a fervency to make up our mind, to have a determination: God, whatever it takes, I'm going to follow You. God, I'm going to live the way You've called me to live. I'm going to walk the way You called me to walk. I'm going to be what You've called me to be. I'm going to fulfill the plan and the purpose that You have for my life, regardless what this world tells me, this is what you need to do, this is the path you need to go. I've come to tell you, there's no greater joy, no greater freedom, no greater liberty, than to know I'm doing what God called me to do. I'm following what God has called me to follow. And I am being obedient to His plan that He placed in us for salvation. We have that choice that we must make. And every day that our feet hit the floor, we make up our mind: God, I'm following You, or I'm doing it my way. We're free to choose our actions, but we do not get to choose our consequence. Galatians 5 and 13: For, brethren, you have been called unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. True liberty here is defined as living as we should, not as we please. Leaving as we should, not as we please. Sometimes we come to Christ as the little baby, you know, the little toddlers, and they lose a toy, man, they lose their mind. It's like men using, losing that number 10 millimeter socket. And it just happens. There's a place somewhere in this world that's full of 10 millimeter sockets and single socks. Nobody knows where they go. That was free, and knocked me off course. But as long as we struggle, as long as life happens, we can make that choice. What am I going to do, and who am I going to serve? Living as we should, in the liberty of Jesus, or as we please, following our flesh. The flesh is the distinctive sum of human desires, which we must control, or they will control us, which is sin. Paul warned us: Do not be deceived. God's not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows, this he will also reap. What are you sowing? And what are you afraid you're going to reap? We must make the right choice. We must sow the right thing. And then we can celebrate in victory in Him, because we sow the good thing, and we can reap the benefits of those blessings, and being obedient to His plan. The choice of activity really boils down to this: sin or righteousness, life or death. And the choice we make defines that for us. God gives us freedom to choose between the two, but He deserves, or He reserves, the right to determine those consequences. Few choices I made in my life, and the consequences were regret. Few choices in my life, the consequences were very good. I loved my wife. That was a good choice. We won't talk about the bad ones. When we choose the action that we're going to take in our life, we're all proud to say, well, I'm a free man. I can do what I want. But we aren't always that excited when we realize we must accept the consequences of some of those actions. We choose the way of flesh, and the consequences, death. When we choose to align with God's word, His will, and His Spirit, we have the consequence of life. The pool of human desires for satisfaction wages war with God's desire for salvation. And this battle takes place, and sometimes we become weary in the fight. But I've come to reassure you, God's still on your side. And you read the back of the book, we still win. But if you're not following the plan, destruction will be the consequence. There's so many things, ways in our life, that we've been made free from, because we surrender our life to Jesus as our Lord and Savior. So many are quick to call in Him as a Savior, but they don't allow Him to be Lord. They're not willing to be dependent on Him, and to follow after Him. But when we grasp the concept of, that's the only way we're going to make it, then we can accept the consequence of deliverance and freedom, and the power from everything that He has to offer. John 8:36: If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. We can truly celebrate freedom, not just tomorrow as a nation, but every day of our life. There is a freedom found in Him. We can hit the floor, regardless what we have to face in this daily walk. We can have the confidence to know He has ordered our stems. He has given us strength for that day. His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness. We're free because He chose to die on a cross for our sins. He was raised again on that third day. Galatians 20, or 2 and verse 20, says: I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Crucified. That's not something we all sign up for. But when I die out, recognizing that Christ lives in me, the choice is Christ. The freedom is only in Christ. We're not free on our own, but we're free because Christ lives within us. Not the devil, but Christ. Not our friends, but Christ. And as we celebrate our independence this weekend as a country — and I'm so thankful that we get to do that — I hope you reflect on how you've been made free through Jesus Christ. You're no longer in the bondage of sin, but you can walk freely in independence, because you are truly dependent on Him. As the musicians come and bring this to a close, in celebrating of those first days of independence during that summer of 1776, it actually took the form, in many towns, of a mock funeral for the king, whose death was symbolizing the end of monarchy and tyranny and the rebirth of liberty for those individuals. I've come today to tell you, today is a day of declaration. Today is a day that you declare your dependence on Him. We need to shout from the rooftop in victory, for the liberty that we have from the bondage of sin, because He paid the price and made it possible for each of us to not be held captive any longer, not to be held in bondage by the rules dictated to us by a sinful nature. But we can be new and fresh and born again. There's a, there's a death that has taken place, and we have buried that old man. As you stand in this room today, the old man went down in a watery grave of baptism, and ended the dominion in the oppression that are now. We have become a new creature, a new creature in Christ Jesus. And we've taken on a new name. If you're here today, and you've not experienced this freedom and this liberty in your life, let me introduce you to Jesus Christ. This altar is open and available to you today. God is still alive and well, and He's here to give that freedom to you in this place right now. Freedom from sins hold. Freedom from the addiction that you have been bound by. Freedom only found in our surrendering our will, our purpose, our plan, to His dependence on His will, His purpose, and His plan for our life. Telling you, this altar is open. It's open for you to experience that freedom today. Freedom in Him, as your Lord and your Savior. The Holy Ghost is here for you today, and the price has been paid. It's been paid for you by that precious blood on Calvary's cross. And there's no greater freedom that you can experience this weekend than finding that place in Him. I invite you, if you have the Holy Ghost, to celebrate today your dependence on Him, the victories that you have, because He has written His name in your life. Can we pray today, church? Hallelujah. Hallelujah.