Summary: A Sermon for Independence Day
I. The Prince of Patriotism
A. The Lion of Judah
1. Text: Revelation 5:1-14
2. This Lamb of God will become the Lion of Judah
B. Jesus Typifies Patriotism
1. The word ‘patriot,’ being defined means “Someone who loves and defends his country.”
2. Wouldn’t you say Jesus loved and defended His country? Wouldn’t you agree He loved and defended His people?
3. He became the Lamb of God, so that one day He would become the Lion of Judah! Praise the Lord! I’m looking forward to that day!
a. The reason He is referred to as a Lion is because it refers to great strength!
b. The word “Judah” means, “He shall be praised!”
c. So, He is the Lion of Great Strength, Who Shall be Praised! Glory to God!
C. Jesus, the Patriot of Patriots
1. Verse 10 of our text says that He shed His blood to redeem every tribe and every tongue and every people and every nation!
2. So, what does this mean for you and me, today?
In order to answer that question, we must go from speaking of the Prince of Patriotism (a.k.a. the Prince of Peace), to speaking of
II. The Price of Patriotism
A. Look at What Jesus Went Through to Become the Lion!
B. You Can’t Become a Lion Until You’ve Been a Lamb!
C. The United States has got this concept mixed up…again!
1. We were birthed as a nation that was as a small lamb.
2. But, we became as strong and mighty nation with the strength of a lion!
a. But, we’ve been deceived!
b. Like Samson, our Delilah has wooed us to sleep and we have had the power, as it were, snatched from us, and we know it not!
D. Our Forefathers Knew What it was Like to Sacrifice and Suffer!
1. The writers of the Declaration of Independence, literally, separated themselves from their homeland. They became a great Lion of strength! And it wasn’t easy!
a. The first colonists left their homeland to give birth to a great nation!
2. Jesus left His home to come to ours, so that someday, we could go back to His!
a. He, too, left His homeland to give birth to a great nation of people!
3. The writers of the Declaration literally gave their lives for their nation!
a. Of the signers, 5 were captured by British forces and tortured before they died.
b. 12 had their homes ransacked and burned.
c. 2 lost their sons in war.
d. 9 of them either died from war wounds or from hardships suffered because of the war.
e. Standing firm, these men pledged: “For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the Divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
f. They declared that you and I are “endowed with certain inalienable rights.” That means indisputable rights. Author Thomas Jefferson took this term from a 600-year-old Christian legal heritage.
4. Must I remind you that Jesus, too, gave His life for His own people!? This, my friend, is the cost of freedom! Death is the cost of freedom! Bloodshed is the cost of freedom! It always has been, it always will be!
5. If it wasn’t for this cross, you and I wouldn’t be free from sin today! If it wasn’t for this flag, you and I wouldn’t be free today!
6. “…Without the shedding of blood there is no remission (Forgiveness) .” (Hebrews 9:22)
E. Let Us Never Forget our Freedom!
1. Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty (freedom) by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”
a. I believe this is a message to America!
b. America is supposed to be America the Beautiful (in fact, that’s what the word “America” means; beautiful)
c. The Book of Revelations speaks of a church in the last days, known as the church of Laodecia. This church is otherwise known as the church of today.
(1) This was the lukewarm church.
(2) The church that God said would cause Him to become sick enough to vomit them out of His mouth!
(3) We have a lukewarm America. With lukewarm Americans living in it.
(4) The solider would carry the flag to war.
(5) He fought under the flag.
(6) He was either wounded or died under the flag.
(7) His casket was draped with this flag.
(8) Yet there are those in America who would have the gall enough to ridicule that soldier’s efforts by burning that flag! That not only makes God want to vomit, but it makes me sick also!
(9) Then, there was One, His name was Jesus.