On July 4th, we Americans celebrate our nation's founding and independence. During times of patriotic fervor, some will compare the sacrifice of soldiers with that of Christ - which is grossly inappropriate and an insult to our Lord Jesus.
War is often glamourized, but in fact it is a wicked and sinful enterprise, for it is violence and mass murder and cruelty and robbery writ large. When a people is attacked and invaded, it has a right to defend itself, but often wars are started based upon false claims of self-defense.
Oftentimes, a people who seek to defend their homes and their families will come out the tragic losers, because the strong usually attack the weak, leaving the weak at a disadvantage. That is what makes our own nation's fight to independence so miraculous: a weak people repulsed foreign armies which sought to rule over us.
We have not always lived up to the ideals of our founders, and we must be careful to avoid seeking after war and bloodshed. We ought to strive for peace if at all possible. George Washington warned us against meddling in the affairs of far-away nations.
Unfortunately, most lives of men lost on the battlefields of history were tragic wastes, victims of power-hungry monsters who sought to take and destroy.
Our Lord Jesus did not fall in battle. He did not die nobly fighting against our enemy in a military sense.
Rather, he laid down His life in obedience to the divine judgment we ought to have received.
Our Savior did not die to defend the innocent. Rather, He died to save the enemies of God, we who hated and disobeyed our Maker!
The nobility and honor of Christ far exceeds that of any patriot soldier!
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“ Reply to George Schofield ” Nowhere in this sermon did I ever impugn the honor of the Revolutionary War patriots. On the contrary, I remarked how greatly God blessed their fight, because most men who rise up against tyranny are crushed by it, but God granted us a great victory.
George Schofield (9/21/2016)
from Southern Pines, North Carolina
“ Patriotism is Alive ” Do you think not our founding fathers whom gave all, most importantly their sacred honor; do you not think they honored God by their actions of taking arms up against the British whom were forcing their beliefs of tyranny upon us???
Mike D (7/13/2014)
from Seattle, WA
“ The Nations are a drop in the bucket before Him ” Thank you for preaching this; so few pastors speak out against the unholy adoration of the military.
...many American soldiers are dying all over the world and going to hell...the people in the U.S. they are "protecting" are also dying and going to hell...and so many of the occupied people in the Middle East.
Christ's death is the only death that saves ANYONE. Apart from Him, life is vanity.
Lottie (7/5/2014)
from Ohio
“ Well Said! ” I don't think this message has earned you an American-Patriot-of-the-Month award, but I do think you get the badge for Commonsense Thinking. And by your talk of the Lord and His Gospel, methinks you are a citizen of the Kingdom. Keep on telling like it is.
s c (7/5/2014)
from Oh
“ Amen! ” Amen!
nancy bryson (7/5/2013)
from Georgia
“ Great Sermon! ” Thank you, John Pittman Hey, for giving the unpopular truth in this not-so-p.c. sermon!
John Pittman Hey was born in 1961 in Jackson, Mississippi, to Godly parents who from the beginning raised him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. With child-like faith he came to Christ on his fourth birthday at his mother's knee. He received his education at church...
#8 - Top Played Sermon (48-Hours) on 7/7/2014
