Religious Liberty Sermon 2024 (Free Indeed!)
It was Patrick Henry that once passionately exclaimed, “Give me liberty, or give me death! The obvious sentiment being that liberty, or freedom is well worth dying for. I don’t know about you, but I’m glad that he and the rest of our founding fathers felt so strongly about freedom. The United States of America is a nation that was envisioned by, established by and has ever since been defended by brave men and women who shared that same sentiment. Freedom is indeed invaluable.
The last words of our national anthem describe this country as “the land of the free, and the home of the brave.” And that makes a lot of sense; because freedom simply cannot exist in a land without people who recognize its great value and are brave enough and committed enough to the cause of freedom to fight for it. This is true because in this sin sick world in which we live, whether we realize it or not, freedom is always under attack; our commitment to retain our political freedom, our social freedom, our economic freedom and our spiritual or moral freedom—our commitment to retain all of these freedoms is constantly being tested and challenged. And not only by foreign enemies, but sometimes by the very people we appoint to uphold and protect those freedoms.
Case in point; over the last four years, the pandemic has afforded those who would like to take our freedoms away a golden opportunity to test the waters and see just how much we actually valued our freedom. This was done first by mandatory masking and lockdowns, but then by mandating an experimental, potentially dangerous vaccine. And because of a well-orchestrated, global flood of propaganda and the immediate censorship of any information that was critical of that propaganda, enough fear and social pressure was generated to convince the vast majority of us to willingly concede some very important liberties.
We did this because we were assured that conceding these liberties would be the only way to “keep us safe.” And you may remember that anyone who dared to ask questions or challenge the narrative was quickly censored, demonized and labeled a conspiracy theorist.
Well, today there is overwhelming evidence contained in thousands of high quality, peer-reviewed, scientific studies that conclude that many of those things we were told by the “experts”—supposedly indisputable facts; facts that convinced us to surrender some of our basic freedoms, were simply not true. I’m not asking anyone to take the results of these studies for absolute truth, but I do ask that you understand and believe these studies exist and have been conducted by well-respected scientists and physicians. For instance:
1. Masks provide little to no benefit against contracting or spreading the COVID-19 virus. Some studies suggest that trying to stop the covid virus with a mask is like trying to stop a mosquito with a chain link fence.
2. The lockdowns did nothing to save lives, but rather did irreparable harm to our economy, our children’s education and emotional well-being.
3. And most egregious of all, many studies performed by top independent, highly accredited doctors and scientists all around the world conclude that the COVID vaccines—these vaccines that were constantly promoted as being “extremely safe and effective” have, in fact, critically injured and killed millions of people…..Not only that, but many other studies strongly suggest that these same vaccines are very likely now the driving force behind the unprecedented rise in aggressive cancers, cardiac arrests, extreme blood clotting, autoimmune disease along with a host of other very serious illnesses.
But even though these studies and conclusions are now very well documented, it’s still very unlikely that we will hear a word about it on television or most online platforms. Why is that? Because our freedom of the press and freedom of speech are also under attack. And that should greatly concern us all.
I briefly mention all of this, not to be controversial or critical and certainly not to be political, but I mention it because it is incredibly important that we, as members of God’s last day church, recognize through real-life observation and experience just how easily we can be convinced to relinquish our freedom in exchange for the promise of safety and for the approval of the rest of society.
Please believe me when I tell you that I appreciate just how difficult this is for many of you to hear—it was extremely difficult for me as well. But here’s my situation: you, as a church, have entrusted me with the position of elder and Religious Liberty leader, and along with those positions comes great responsibility. I realize that I am accountable to God and to you to meet that responsibility in season and out of season; when it’s a message we want to hear and when it's a message we don’t want to hear... Brothers and sisters, regardless of how it makes us feel, there’s no way I can neglect to call our attention to the most widespread attack on our Religious Liberty that has occurred in any of our lifetimes.
Why do I say that? Is it an overstatement? Just ask yourself; on what other occasion have so many churches been forced to shut their doors, and for so long? On what other occasion have so many people been forced to offer up their own bodies for an experimental medical procedure as a requirement to work, travel, get an education, or be accepted by society?
So, in short, I bring this up not because I want to, but because it’s my sacred responsibility; and just as importantly, because I love you as brothers and sisters in Christ, and I desperately want us all to walk away from this tragic experience spiritually stronger and much more discerning because of it; and more resolved to exercise and protect our religious freedom and the freedom of our children and grandchildren. But we cannot do that if we fail to see or even refuse to see how the enemy is working right under our very noses. We have to understand that he is constantly conditioning us to be more and more willing to concede our freedom.
I think most of us here today will agree that we are living in the last critical days of earth’s history, and hopefully we take seriously the warning of Christ in Matthew 24 that the enemy’s deceptions and miracles will be so convincing that “even the very elect” will be in danger of being deceived. That’s why He tells us to “be on your guard.”
Again, during this pandemic, our commitment to freedom was indeed put to the test; and I’ll have to say that I was very disappointed with how the Christian church handled this test. I was even more disappointed and saddened at how the SDA world church handled it.
Knowing what we know about the importance of religious liberty--knowing what we know about the very definition of religious liberty, we should have been the first ones to jump to the defense of those people who were being forced to either take the COVID shot or lose their jobs—regardless of whether they were truly safe and effective or not. And yet, even though it was clearly an infringement on our religious liberty, we did nothing to defend that liberty. I can only pray that we’ve at least learned something from this test, because, whether we’re ready or not, an even greater and much more difficult test is just on the horizon....
At the beginning of this message, I quoted Patrick Henry who said, “give me liberty or give me death.” He obviously valued his freedom greatly. How much is religious freedom worth to us? [ ( SDAs run a campaign for donations to our Religious Liberty Department every year. Funds raised go toward legal defense of those ( of any denomination) who are being discriminated against by Sabbath or Sunday work conflicts and other religious liberty issues. It also helps us publish and distribute a great religious liberty magazine you can access for free here: https://www.libertymagazine.org/. I let the congregation know that our 180 church conference averaged giving only $1.64 per capita during last year's campaign.]
Does this amount given to help protect our religious freedom reflect how much we truly value it? I sincerely hope not. When we, as Seventh-day Adventists think about Religious Liberty, we tend to automatically focus on one thing. The Sabbath right? We get so fixated on being ready for the great Sabbath deception that we tend to be almost oblivious to the many other ways our religious freedoms are being tested.
But we have to understand that it’s by developing the gift of discernment and exercising our faith through these other tests, that we are prepared for the unimaginably difficult test that lies ahead. For instance, the LGBTQ+ agenda is steadily being pushed on society and the church. And even though this is clearly a sinful lifestyle that should be boldly yet lovingly exposed and condemned by the sound preaching of the Word of God, most Christians are being shamed into silence on this, and many other important moral issues. And yet no one seems to notice—or at least no one is willing to talk about it. But again, Jesus says, watch out! Be on your guard! Don't be deceived! Watch and pray! Learn to correctly discern the signs of the times!
We’re told in Scripture that in the very end times our religious liberty will no longer be recognized by the world or by our own government. Did you hear what I said? Did you notice what I did NOT say?? I did not say that our religious liberty would be taken away..... Why didn’t I say that? Because your religious freedom can never be taken away—it can only be surrendered.
As much as he would love for us to believe otherwise , man did not grant us religious freedom, nor did we valiantly fight for it and earn it. No, God Himself gave us the precious gift of religious liberty when He created us as free moral agents. Man can, has and will persecute and punish us for practicing that freedom—he can pressure us or deceive us into surrendering it....... but if, by faith we are committed to hold on to it, neither man nor the devil himself can ever take it away.
About 2500 years ago, three young men found themselves stripped of nearly every freedom they once enjoyed and facing what was likely the most severe test of their lives.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had been ripped from their beloved homeland, their political freedom had been snatched away from them—along with their personal freedom, even their names had been changed to reflect the culture of their captors. And then king Nebuchadnezzar tried to pressure them into surrendering something that was even more precious to them than their personal freedom; their religious freedom.
[(Summarize Daniel 3 with the testing of the faith of these three Hebrews.) Refused to bow down to image. They even made sure to let Nebuchadnezzar know, that even if God didn’t deliver them, they would still honor and trust Him by not bowing down to the image. Jesus was in the fire with them. The thing burned up was the bonds that bound them. ]
Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Once again, our commitment to freedom is always being challenged, but I believe another extreme test is not too far in the future. Will our faith be strong enough and our discernment sharp enough to pass that test unscathed? Just as Jesus went through the raging fires of religious persecution with those three faithful young men; just as those fires that were intended to destroy them, only served to free them from their bonds; In the same way He was with them, Jesus has promised to be with us as well; “....and lo, I am with you always, to the very end of the age!”
Close with and brief comment on these three passages:
Psalm 119:45-48 “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame, for I delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.”
Gal 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
John 8 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ...........36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. “
Appeal
Suggested closing hymn: Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus!
