from the desk of . . .
Rande Wayne Smith
D.Min., Th.M., M.Div.
America’s 250th Birthday
RESPECT AMERICA
… based on 1 Peter 2:13-17
9/11 is a really tough day for me, & to this day, I can’t even look at pictures of the twin towers. I remember clearly that on 11 September 2001,
Kathy & I were getting ready to leave for work. We had Good Morning America on, & Charlie Gibson was talking about a plane that had crashed into 1 of the towers. And as they were showing a live picture of it, we saw a 2nd plane fly into the other tower. I can still recall the look of bewilderment on Charlie’s face. Just then the phone rang. It was my son, Marty.
“Dad, I’m okay. I’ll talk to you soon.”
The World Trade Towers complex were actually made up of 7 buildings.
One of them was a 42-story apartment building where my son lived.
Just that morning, like every morning, Marty had taken his dog, Harvey, out for a walk. He spoke to the firemen who were standing outside of Tower #1.
(They had no idea what the next 2 hours were about to bring.)
On the 10th anniversary of that national tragedy, the church I served held a community wide worship service. It was attended by local dignitaries, military, police, & fire fighters. The sermon I’m about to give was the one I preached that day. I’ve changed a couple of the references from IL to IN,
& a couple of other minor things,
but otherwise, it’s the one I gave 15 years ago … “Respect America.”
Now having said all that, you need to know that I’m committed to the fact that this world is not my home. Scripture teaches that we are sojourners here; (1 Peter 2:11)just passing through. But while I am a citizen of Heaven, I also have an invested loyalty to this country that I live in.
All my life I have “pledged my allegiance to the flag of the U.S. of America.”
I stand, take off my hat, & place my hand over my heart whenever
the flag passes by, or the Star-Spangled Banner is sung.
So, for me, it’s kind of a balancing act …
being a citizen of Heaven, while giving allegiance to a secular state.
And that’s something that I’ve attempted to do most of my life.
I consider my U.S. citizenship to be one of my most prized possessions.
I’m proud to be an American, & honored to have served in her military.
And it’s obvious to me that our founding fathers & mothers also recognized that dual relationship as they established America’s laws & precepts on the principles of the Word of God, & that includes the 10 Commandments.
We read in The Psalms …
“Happy (blessed) is the nation whose God is the LORD.” (The Psalms 33:12)
When we give God His rightful place, He will bless our nation.
That was certainly the case in the early days here in IN. God & citizenship were linked from the beginning. Listen to the Preamble of our state’s constitution which was adopted in 1816 …
“TO THE END, that justice be established, public order maintained,
& liberty perpetuated; WE, the People of the State of IN, grateful to ALMIGHTY GOD for the free exercise of the right to choose
our own form of government, do ordain this Constitution.”
And in Article 1, Section 1 …
WE DECLARE, that all people are created equal;
that they are endowed by their CREATOR with certain inalienable rights.”
And Article 1, Section 2 …
“All people shall be secured in the natural right to worship ALMIGHTY GOD,
according to the dictates of their own consciences.”
So, with that as a basic introduction, listen now to Good News,
as recorded by Peter, to us who have gathered here for worship.
Within our hearing comes the Word of the Lord.
For the sake of the Lord submit yourselves to every human authority: to the Emperor, who is the supreme authority, and to the governors, who have been appointed by him to punish the evildoers and to praise those who do good. For God wants you to silence the ignorant talk of foolish people by the good things you do. Live as free people; do not, however, use your freedom to cover up any evil, but live as God’s slaves. Respect everyone, love other believers, honor God, and respect the Emperor. (1 Peter 2:13:17)
Jesus said, “How happy are those who hear the word of God & obey it!”
(Luke 11:28)
May the Lord grant that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of His Heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion, to His glory and to our edification. Amen
While I usually concentrate on being a good citizen of Heaven,
today I want to direct our thinking on why we should begood citizens of our nation. At one point in His ministry, Jesus was confronted with a question that was intended to trap Him. Did He support the Roman Empire or not?
Listen to His response …
“Pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor,
& pay to God what belongs to God.” (Matthew 22:21)
The Apostle Paul proudly boasted that he was a Roman citizen. (The Acts 22:28)
In our Scripture lesson that I read a moment ago, we’re told to “honor God, & respect the Emperor.” And the Emperor that Peter was referring to was Caesar Nero. Now since our nation is a republic & not a monarchy, this Scripture could correctly be read … “honor God, & respect your country.”
As followers of Jesus, we have a responsibility to respect an America that has always stood for liberty, freedom, & opportunity.
There are many reasons why we respect America.
1st, we respect America because she has opened her heart & her doors to the distressed & persecuted of the world. Millions have entered our land, legally, in search of freedom. Scripture acknowledges that God blesses a nation that carries out Jesus’ teaching …
“I was hungry & you fed me, thirsty & you gave me a drink;
I was a stranger & you received me in your homes.” (Matthew 25:35)
Listen to the words that are on the tablet of the Statue of Liberty …
“Give me your tired, your poor,
your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, the tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
The Statue of Liberty stands as a beacon as people arrive in this country. It’s a symbol of hope & opportunity for millions seeking a new life.
For 250 years America has been a land where the persecuted, the alienated, & the refugees have come to find fresh opportunities & new freedoms.
2ndly, we respect America because she has been the most generous nation in history. We’ve shared our wealth & our faith with a world in need.
When a disaster occurs anyplace on our planet …
America is there with aid. In famine, in earthquakes, in floods, fires,
or disasters of every kind, the heart of America is touched & she rushes to assist. Yes, we are supposed to take care of one another. (Genesis 4:9)
We give billions of $’s each year to help others far less fortunate …
even though we go into debt to do it.
And America has shared her spiritual resources. She’s sent her disciples of compassion to every continent of the world to tell the Good News that God loves them & will give purpose & meaning to their lives.
(Matthew 28:19)
3rdly, we respect America because she has never hidden her problems & faults. With our freedom of the press & open communication we do not sweep our sins under the rug. If poverty exists, if racial tension happens,
if protests occur … the world knows about it. We live in a glass house,
& the whole world watches … sometimes critically, & sometimes with admiration; but no one can ever accuse us of trying to hide our problems as some nations do.
4thly, we respect America because she is honestly recognizing & courageously trying to solve her social problems.
The 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence were moved by a magnificent dream. This dream amazed the world 250 years ago. This dream was rooted in Scripture. It proclaimed freedoms which most of the world thought impossible to attain.
And again, God had a major role in all of this.
“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, & the pursuit of Happiness.”
We’re still striving to achieve for all people equally those freedoms bought for us at such a high price by the men & women who founded our nation on the assurance of equality for all. Think about what I read just a few moments ago. (Paul Harvey, “Our Lives, Our Fortunes, & Our Sacred Honor)From the beginning the dream of freedom & equal opportunity has been a beacon to oppressed peoples the world over.
5thly, we respect America because she has never sought to use her tremendous power to take over other nations. At the end of WWII America stood at the pinnacle of strength & power. She was the only nation that possessed atomicweapons. She had millions of soldiers in the military.
She had the biggest Navy & Air Force on earth.
She could have been the 1st nation since Rome to rule the world.
But America voluntarily stepped down from that high pinnacle.
She set about helping to rebuild the lands & the economies of her enemies.
(The Proverbs 25:21) She had a major role in organizing the U.N., whose primary role is to maintain peace & security among nations. America carried out the ethics of the Apostle Paul … “if your enemies are hungry,
feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink.” (Romans 12:20)
6thly, we respect America because she defends the right of her citizens to dissent. Think about that.
Dissent is impossible in some countries of the world …
whereas constructive dissent is the hallmark of our priceless freedoms.
But, & this is a major issue in our nation today … we cannot tolerate groups that simply want to cause destruction & chaos in the name of dissention.
Ronald Reagan once stated …
“We must never confuse dissent with disloyal subversion.”
Going back to Jesus’ response to the Pharisees,
“Pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor.”
We’re to obey the law, but, if human laws come intoconflict with God’s laws, we must always go with God.
7thly, we respect America because woven into the fabric of our nation is faith in God. The ethical & moral principles of the Judea-Christian faith
& the God of that tradition are found throughout the Declaration of Independence. America has a spiritual identity. 15 years ago,
Time magazine ran a picture of Betsy Ross sewing the 1stAmerican flag. Under the picture was the caption … “time to check our stiches.”
That’s a good thought for our nation to do again in 2026.
It’s imperative to regularly check where we are, & where we’re going. Scripture teaches that God has a standard for men, women, & nations …
& that standard must be met.
As a nation it’s essential that we obey God’s principles.
So, it’s right & proper to respect our country, to rejoice in her liberties,
& to sing her praises. But this can be abused when we make it a substitute for God. We respect America … but we do not worship her.
God’s 1st Commandment is … “Worship no god but me.”(Exodus 20:3)
We are spiritual beings, created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:20)
We have a will & the power to exercise it. We’ve been placed upon this earth for the express purpose of glorifying God & loving our neighbor.
(Mark 12:30-31) The entire universe has but one cosmic goal …
to declare the glory of God. (The Psalms 19:1) And we need to be about that.
Only in doing God’s will can every American enjoy inner spiritual peace & happiness. (Philippians 4:7)
So, as we ponder all this on the day after our nation celebrated its’ 250th birthday, let us thank God for America. “My country, ‘tis of Thee.”
But let us realize also, as a nation, we cannot ignore Him.
Scripture teaches that God will judge any nation that turns her back on Him
… especially a nation like America that has been given more privileges & opportunities than any other nation in history.
Jesus said, “Much is required from … whom much is given.” (Luke 12:48)
If we don’t “check our stitches,” & check them quickly,
the American dream could quickly turn into a nightmare.
We have stood tall in America over the years, but now, we need to bow low before God & get on our knees, as we did many years ago when George Washington & Abraham Lincoln called us to prayer.
What our forefathers/foremothers began we must work to fulfill.
Their goal & vision was one nation under God,
where men & women could live as brothers & sisters in peace & in freedom.
That’s a goal we should continue, with God’s help, to strive for.
“Respect everyone, love other believers, honor God, & respect America.”
MARANA THA