Bulletins - Spring City Fellowship

- - Psalm 150:3NIV2011
How Great Thou Art
Let The Worshippers Arise
Be Enthroned
Spirit Of The Living God
Heal Our Land
Our theme for 2022 is “Begin Again”
Last week, today and next Sunday I will be preaching on “Hot Topics”
I have been doing this for the last three years - giving you the opportunity to tell me what you would like to hear me preach on.
It can be a question, an issue or a passage of scripture that you have not understood.
Today’s question came to me, not as a sermons suggestion but as an actual question.
Someone asked, “Why don’t we have an american flag in our church?”
I thought it would be good to devote a sermon to the topic.
This happened after our July 3 service where we opened with a video explaining the origins of “the star-spangled banner” by Francis Scott Key.
We then began the service by singing “the star-spangled banner.”
After the service, someone suggested that when we redo the platform, we should include an american flag.
Another person asked, “why don’t we have an american flag?
The short answer is because there wasn’t one here when I got here.
I said I would think about it.
My purpose this morning is not to agree or disagree, but to help us think about that question and what it means for us as a church.
The flag is a symbol - we should consider what it symbolizes and that it may symbolize different things for different people.
We also need to thing about how we as a church relate to civil authorities and to national identity.
And lastly, but most importantly, does having a flag in the church mean that we worship the flag? Or does it somehow inspire our worship of God?
What does the flag symbolize?
When you see an american flag, what thoughts come to mind?
Does it make a difference where the flag is being displayed?
If it on a public building?
If its on someone’s clothing?
If it’s draping a casket?
Flags can be political, but not necessarily.
Flags can be festive, but not everyone thinks so.
Flags can be sacred, but not in the same way that the cross is sacred.
The flag is a symbol of national pride.
The United states color are red, white and blue.
Red stands for courage and sacrifice.
White stands for purity and innocence of intentions.
Blue stands for justice, perseverance and vigilance.
The red and white stripes are for the original thirteen colonies and the fifty stars are for the fifty states
Has The United States always exhibited those characteristics?
Of course not
It’s not courageous to involve ourselves in foreign conflicts and then suddenly pull out as we did in Afghanistan.
The US has not shown purity of intention when it is manipulating currencies and foreign markets to keep imported goods cheap.
And as far as justice, we have our own civil rights issues and economic disparities to work out.
But does the fact that we do these things imperfectly mean that we should not be reminded to strive to do them well?
The flag is to be a symbol of national pride, but to some it is a symbol of hypocrisy.
It is right that we should confess our hypocrisy, but does that mean that we cannot display the symbol of what we should be?
The flag should be a reminder of the values that unite us.
It should also remind us of where we have failed
But that should not discourage us from renewing our faith and our focus on what is right.
But does pride in our flag mean that we think we are better than everyone else?
I certainly hope not!
Some have used the term “American exceptionalism” as if that means that we are supposed to be better than other countries.
American exceptionalism is the belief that America is essentially different from other countries because it was founded on different principles.
It does not mean exceptional in the sense of better, just different.
That was certainly true at the founding of our country.
When America was founded, we were the only democracy.
Whether or not it is still true today depends on how we conduct ourselves.
Matthew 22:37–39 ESV
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
But the point is not that we are better, but that we are different.
I think every country should be proud of their own unique heritage.
National pride does not mean that we disparage other countries, it means that we embrace our own unique identity and calling as a nation.
I like it when I see flags of other nations displayed in a church alongside the American flag to remind us that we are a global community.
Loving your neighbor and loving yourself are not mutually exclusive.
A healthy pride lifts others up as well.
The flag is a reminder of sacrifice.
I saw a lot more displays of the flag after 9/11.
It was after terrorism came to our own soil that we began to really appreciate our military, our first responders and those who sacrifice for our freedom.
I don’t think that I ever thought of thanking someone for their service before that time.
But since then, we are remiss if we fail to do so.
The Bible says that self-sacrifice is the ultimate expression of love.
John 15:13 ESV
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Love is God’s character.
Selfishness is the nature that we are born with.
To learn to sacrifice means overcoming the instinct for self-preservation.
Those who serve the public learn to live for something greater than themselves.
Whether is is a fireman running into a burning building.
Or a policeman putting themselves in harm’s way.
Or a soldier going behind enemy lines to take out a threat.
Love is sacrifice, which brings a higher meaning and purpose to life.
I only wish that more of our government officials, who declare themselves to be public servants, lived sacrificially.
The flag stands for freedom.
If there is one American ideal that stands above all of the others it is this idea of freedom.
One of the things that was ( and to some degree still is) unique about America is the idea of individual rights and liberties.
Most countries of the world and certainly those from which the first settlers came had social classes.
You were rich or poor, privileged or servile based on what situation you were born into.
I still travel in countries where people think this way.
Everyone has their lot in life.
The key to contentment is to accept whatever is your lot.
Don’t think that you are anyone special and you won’t be disappointed.
But the idea of freedom is based on the idea that each person is created by God with inherent value the right of self determination.
Its a biblical idea based on the concept of truth.
John 8:32 ESV
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
The truth that Jesus is talking about is knowing who you are as a child of God.
Freedom is not the idea that anyone can just do whatever they want.
Freedom is the idea that everyone should be allowed to become all that God created them to be.
This is from the Declaration of Independence:
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 and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
The purpose of government to a free people is that it should ensure that free people respect one another to remain free.
Of course there are systems that need to be maintained to ensure that we can live together peacefully and in harmony.
Of course we have laws and obligations as citizens to provide for the common good.
But it is also possible, and the founders of our country knew it, that those who are given power to serve the people might use their power to serve themselves.
And I believe that is where, at least some of our founders, realized that the success of the country is dependent on the degree to which we acknowledge God.
What is the relationship of the church to the state?
After a long list of grievances and attempts to resolve such, the Declaration of Independence concludes with an invocation of Divine blessing.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do... declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, ...And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
The United States has Christian roots.
I recently had a friend who posted on Facebook that there is no mention of God in the founding documents.
That is because names are ascribed to God -such as “Supreme Judge” and “Divine Providence.”
God is being named by His attributes.
Some people debate if the United States is a Christian country?
I suppose it depends on what you mean by that:
Does it mean that the founding fathers were Christian?
Sure. Most of them were, but not all of them.
There is recorded in a military journal the prayer of one pastor who prayed before congress invoking God’s divine protection from war and seemed to predict their eventual independence.
The Continental Congress in its first session on September 6, 1774 passed this resolution: "Resolved, that the Rev. Mr. Duché be desired to open Congress tomorrow morning with prayer, at Carpenter's hall, at nine o'clock."
Duché's prayer on September 7, 1774 pleaded: "O Lord! our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, and Lord of lords, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth, and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all kingdoms, empires, and governments. Look down in mercy, we beseech thee, on these our American States who have fled to thee from the rod of the oppressor, and thrown themselves on thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on thee … All this we ask in the name, and through the merits of Jesus Christ thy Son and our Savior. Amen" (Thatcher's Military Biography, p. 121).
There are many examples of prayers, letters and speeches seeking God’s guidance, wisdom and protection.
But it is also clear that some of the founders were more secular in their thinking and their “God talk” was just using current vernacular than exercising real faith.
There is nothing wrong, however, with pointing out the ways that God was part of the story of the founding of this country through prophetic prayers and miraculous events.
When people say that America is not a Christian country, what they mean is that the the founders of our country did not envision a country in which everyone is forced to be Christian.
For most of us, that thought never even crosses our mind (that’s not what most of us mean when we say that it is).
But for most of the people who were here at the time, that was exactly what they left back in Europe - countries where religion was mandated by the government.
In fact, many people, including my ancestors came for freedom of religion - the ability to practice a religion other than the state religion.
We are founded on Christian ideals of freedom - which includes the freedom to be different kinds of Christian or even non-Christian.
That’s the irony of it all - that it is Christian principles that give people the freedom not to be Christian.
Is everyone in America Christian?
The most recent census has the percentage who identify and Christian between 65% and 70%.
If church attendance is an indicator, it is much lower than that.
In a 2020 Gallup poll 47% of American said that they belong to a church, synagogue or mosque.
That number fell below 50% last year for the first time.
A 2021 US survey showed that 22% of respondents say they attend church once a week - 42% attend at least once a month.
As a church we have to reconcile with the fact that we are no longer a majority in our culture.
We are no longer a “Christian Country” in that we can no longer assume that the majority of our neighbors and acquaintances are Christian.
The church is supposed to influence culture.
If we are not going to make Americans Christian then how do we maintain the same principles and understanding which granted us this freedom.
We do it by influence.
2 Corinthians 10:15 ESV
15 We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged,
You can’t force someone to become a Christian because that takes away their freedom... and if you do, they are right to rebel against the misuse of authority.
What you can do is influence people in a way that they learn about God from watching how you live your life before God.
Then as you make disciples for Christ, not just by telling them what they should do, but by showing them what Christ has done for you.
They then begin to do the same for others and your influence expands through the people that you disciple.
We don’t have an official emissary of the church to tell people how to run the government like they do in other countries.
What we have is thousands of people, each with their own faith, many of whom are serving in government because they believe it is what God has called them to do.
As they practice their faith in the daily exercise of their office, they become and example of godly leadership for others to follow.
That is how we influence others for Christ.
We make laws to the extent that we don’t want people to be harmed.
But you can make people do the right thing.
Knowing what is right and doing it only comes through modeling, relationship and influence.
Teaching people right from wrong is the role of the church - and if people are not taught, they will not govern well or be governed well.
So what is the role of government as it relates to Christianity?
The role of the government is to protect religious freedom.
The first amendment to the constitution establishment clause says the the US government will not establish a state religion.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Some people say that this is where “separation of church and state” comes from.
Actually it comes from the writings of Thomas Jefferson where he talks about a “wall of separation” between church and state.
It may be implied in the first amendment, but not explicitly.
The idea is that in Europe the church often controlled the state and the state controlled the church.
Kings appointed Popes and Popes appointed Kings.
There was little distinction between religion and politics.
That’s why people were flocking to the colonies for religious freedom.
The reason for the church and state being separate is so that they can hold each other in check.
If a church becomes corrupt and starts to do things that are illegal or harming people, we expect the government to step in.
At the same time if the government becomes corrupt and promotes things that are immoral or unethical, the church should be calling them out.
Separation doesn’t mean that we don’t bother with one another - it means that we maintain separation of powers for the sake of a balance of power.
What the government is explicitly prohibited from doing in the first amendment is from taking control of the church and preventing the church from speaking out against corruption.
The first amendment does not prohibit the church from being active in public life - it encourages the church to be active as the voice of the people - to speak out, to peaceably assemble and give appropriate expression to grievances.
The church is the best choice to facilitate change in our society because that is where the values of freedom come from.
We want everyone to know who they are and to become all that God created them to be.
What inspires our worship?
So when it comes to whether or not the flag should be be in the church…?
We have seen what the flag stands for.
We have noted that the church has a role in society.
But what is the primary role of the church overall?
We are here to worship God - and through worship to be transformed into the people that God made us to be.
Does displaying a flag help us to do that, or does it detract from that?
I’m not sure that we have a clear answer to that question.
However, let’s suggest some guidelines....
The flag should never become an idol.
Can the flag become and idol?
Anything can become an idol if we look to it rather than to God.
If having a flag up front makes us think that we are awesome because we are American, then I would say we have missed the point and made it an idol.
Maybe that sounds strange to you, but I think some people actually think that.
I hear people today talking about “Christian Nationalism” as if it is a great threat to our society.
“Christian Nationalism” is exactly what I just described, people who think we are better because we are Christian and American.
Some of the scholars that I have read warn about the church becoming too involved in government.
I have relative who has been posting articles lately about it.
As I read these articles, I don’t see what they see, but I can understand why they may be concerned.
Last week we talked about the holocaust and what a tragedy it was that a government was able to commit genocide against the Jews.
Well the church had a role in that as well.
Martin Luther said some pretty nasty things about the Jews, and even though he corrected some of his theology - the damage was done - his words were used in Nazi propaganda.
Among the reformers, replacement theology was becoming popular, and that allowed people to justify their anti-semitic beliefs.
The church, for the most part, supported the Nazi government instead of holding it in check.
This is from the National Holocaust Museum:
A range of reactions can be observed among Christian churches and institutions across Europe and North America during the Nazi period. As in Germany, the attitudes and actions of Christians were shaped not only by religious belief but by national politics, legacies of Jewish-Christian relations, World War II, and the experiences under Nazi occupation in some countries. Some Christian individuals, as well as Christian networks and religious institutions, aided and rescued Jews but the majority did not.
I know this may be hard for us to believe, but some people are afraid when they see Christians speaking out politically because they are afraid of the church controlling the government.
Some people’s experience with the church is that the church is too controlling.
They may even make comments about it being like Nazi Germany.
What they don’t understand is that real churches are not interested in control - at least they shouldn’t be.
We are interested in releasing people into the freedom of becoming the sons and daughters of God that they were meant to be.
And if they don’t want that - it’s OK - just don’t prevent others from becoming who God made them to be.
The flag should inspire feelings of thankfulness.
So if the flag isn’t an idol that makes us feel good about ourselves, then what is it?
It’s a reminder of God’s goodness and faithfulness to a people who sought freedom.
If it makes us think, “God you are awesome because of what you have done for us and for this country!” - then I would say we are using the flag appropriately.
I used to hear people pray regularly, giving thanks for the country that we live in and that we are free to worship God without persecution.
I don’t hear people pray that very often anymore.
I have been to many countries where people are not completely free to worship.
Some countries, believers have to meet secretly in homes, businesses or even in the woods.
Some countries they are allowed to meet, but they are not allowed to preach against false gods, false teachings or other things that would be offensive to the dominant religion.
In many countries they are not allowed to say anything against the government or the government will deny their permits or freeze their assets.
In some countries the government stands by and does nothing while violent gangs raid churches and commit terrible acts against believers.
I can assure you that we have much to be thankful in this country.
And that is not taking anything away from any other country or people.
God has blessed us, but we do not take that blessing for granted.
And our desire is to see every country and people able to worship God, if they so choose, and to enjoy the freedom that we have enjoyed.
I don’t think that people should be afraid of the church rising up.
They should want the church to rise up, because that is where the idea of freedom comes from.
If we do this right, they will be thankful too.
The flag should be a reminder to pray.
I can see one other way that the flag can be an aid to worship - that it reminds us to pray.
1 Timothy 2:1–4 ESV
1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
my research shows that flags became popular in churches during World War 1 as a reminder to pray for the nation and for the war effort.
It’s also true that some European Churches wanted to make sure that they were not mistaken for Nazis or Communists, it was a symbol of solidarity as Americans.
But it became a powerful symbol, not just of unity, but a reminder to prayer.
An article published in Christianity Today from July last year asked Christian leaders from around the world if they display the flag of their country in their church.
Some of them do display the flag in a sense of loyalty to their country, especially on national holidays.
Many of them recount that this is a reminder for them to pray for their country and for the salvation of its people.
A church in Nigeria also displays an American flag in addition to their own flag and a Church in the Philippines has an Israeli flag.
Some of them do not display the flag because their national flag has strong association with a particular political party and they don’t want to take sides.
Some refuse because displaying the flag would signify agreement with government policy and they want the voice of the church to be separate from that of the government.
The church is the prophetic voice of the state, not the pole to hold its flag.
I’m sure that the flag will continue to be on display in our slides, especially on days of national importance.
Whether or not we ever have a physical flag in our sanctuary remains to be seen, perhaps on occasion.
But I hope that whenever you seen the flag, you will remember what it means and that you will remember to pray for our country and for it’s people.
Questions for Reflection:
To what extent have we made our national identity an idol? Are feelings of thankfulness ever mixed with feelings of superiority? Do we need to take our flag to the cross?
Do we take our role as citizens seriously? Are we, as Christians, promoting the values of sacrifice and freedom? Are we willing to stand for freedom, even the freedom of those who disagree with us?
Are we praying for our country? Do we name our leaders and authorities in prayer? (And not just the ones that we voted for?) Are we using our influence to shape culture?
- - Matthew 22:37–39NLT
- - John 15:13NLT
- - John 8:32NLT
- - 2 Corinthians 10:15NLT
- - 1 Timothy 2:1–4NLT
Our God Is With Us

Psalm 150:3NIV2011

What does the flag symbolize?

The flag is a symbol of national pride.

The flag is a reminder of sacrifice.

The flag stands for freedom.

What is the relationship of the church to the state?

The United States has Christian roots.

The church is supposed to influence culture.

The role of the government is to protect religious freedom.

What inspires our worship?

The flag should never become an idol.

The flag should inspire feelings of thankfulness.

The flag should be a reminder to pray.

Questions for Reflection:

Matthew 22:37–39NLT

John 15:13NLT

John 8:32NLT

2 Corinthians 10:15NLT

1 Timothy 2:1–4NLT