Just a few days from now we'll celebrate the 241st birthday of our nation. In 1776, fifty-six American leaders signed the Declaration of Independence separating the thirteen British colonies from England. That makes ours the world's oldest surviving democracy. But in the grand scheme of world history, America is a mere child among nations. Compared to Egypt, China, Japan, Rome, and Greece, America is a "Johnny come lately." Consider how brief our history really is. Our country was born just over four generations ago. When Thomas Jefferson, the primary author of the Declaration and the third president of the country died, Abraham Lincoln was a young man of 17. When Lincoln was assassinated thirty-nine years later, Woodrow Wilson was a boy of 8. When Wilson died in 1924, Ronald Reagan was 12. The lives of these four men span our nation's history.
America is young, yet we stand tall among these nations of the world. We’re not just the most powerful, the most prosperous, and the freest nation on earth, we’re also the most blessed. We are indebted to those who have gone before us, and to God whose hand has led us. That’s why the great hymn declares: “America, America! God shed his grace on thee,” and is why we have so much to be thankful for.
We may not know everything about the personal religious beliefs of America’s founders, but we do know that their thinking and convictions were steeped in the Bible. Several years ago, the political science department at the University of Houston completed a ten year long research project. Historians scoured over 15,000 documents from America’s founding fathers trying to discover what most influenced their thinking. The researchers isolated over three thousand direct quotations in these writings. Of these references, thirty-four percent came directly from the Bible. Another sixty percent were from writers like John Locke and Sir William Blackstone, who themselves frequently quoted the Bible. The researchers concluded that the Bible was clearly the one most influential source for our founders.
In the 1830’s French scholar Alexis de Tocqueville traveled to America, curious to discover what set the young democracy apart from her European counterparts. At the end of his trip, he wrote, “I have toured America, and I have seen most of what you offer. I’ve seen the richness of the fields and the wealth of your mines. I’ve seen your industrial might, the beauties of the rivers, the streams, the lakes, and the grandeur of the mountains. I’ve noticed the abundance of the forests and the marvelous climate with which you are blessed. In none of these things did I see the cause for the greatness of America. It wasn’t until I went into your churches that I saw the reason for America’s greatness. America is great because America is good; and as long as America is good, America will be great. If it ever ceases to be good, it will cease to be great”.
America isn’t perfect, but I am convinced that General Omar Bradley, famous WWII general and the nation’s first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was right when he said, “America today is running on the momentum of a Godly ancestry, and when that momentum runs down, God help America.”
It’s not enough to be satisfied that our nation has been blessed by God. We must work and pray and live so that those who come after us will know those same blessings; so that the next generation and all to come will also be able to live in a blessed nation.
Nearly 2,000 years ago the Apostle Peter wrote this: Be willing to serve the people who have authority in this world. Do this for the Lord. Obey the king, the highest authority. And obey the leaders who are sent by the king. They are sent to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do good. When you do good, you stop ignorant people from saying foolish things about you. This is what God wants. Live like free people, but don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Live as those who are serving God. Show respect for all people. Love your brothers and sisters in God’s family. Respect God, and honor the king. (1 Peter 2:13-17, ETRV)
You are invited to worship with us at 11 am this Sunday July 2) at the bandstand on the Osceola Square at a community patriotic worship service. (Rain location is LifePoint Church, 801 N. Fillmore St.)