Wow. Wow. Come on. Let’s celebrate.

250th birthday.

Happy birthday, America.

Amen.

You may be seated. I want to thank everybody who got involved in today’s celebration and we want to be a church of honor and we believe that honor is so important and here we are a few days away I think next Saturday. In fact, we made a choice like, do we want to wait till July 5th to celebrate or July 4th or or rather today celebrate July 4th?

And we decided on today. We thought more of you would show up.

And that, by the way, is not permission to miss next week. It’s It’s going to be great. It’s the first weekend of our playlist.

And what that means is that those who are teaching will take a a song that you vote on and I think it’s secular songs mainly and you’ll vote on it and we’ll have to speak from it. So that starts next week. July and and August are all geared on Sunday for our guest. So this is a great time to be a bringer. And by the way, uh I want to just give a shout out to everybody who was part because Champion Center just opened up and dedicated a brand new building in Yakimal.

Yakimal.

We had so much fun on Friday night. We worshiped, we prayed, we celebrated,

we had all kinds of friends there. Every every location, all four physical locations were represented big uh on Friday night. And I want to just proclaim over over the West Valley location, the best is yet to come. Best things are ahead. And we’re so excited about the opening of that new building.

Okay, I want to talk to you on the topic today of why we honor America.

Why we honor America. I I know that over it feels like over the last few years, but probably over time uh lots of people have questioned the validity of honoring this nation. And frankly, many people uh who, you know, they don’t know what they don’t know. And I’m referring a lot maybe it to young people who have desecrated the flag, who have been dishonoring toward our nation. And when you talk about honoring America, sometimes you just re you just meet adversity in that. So today I’m going to talk about why we honor America. And I want to read from 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 17. And it says this. It says, “Honor all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.” The word king referred to was the Roman emperor in that day by by this is Peter’s writing, St. Peter, and they were referring to the Roman emperor when he wrote that. But since our nation is a republic and not a monarchy, this scripture could simply read, “Honor the nation.” Everybody say, “Honor the nation.” Honor the nation.

Say it again. Honor the nation. Honor the nation.

How many of you believe there’s too much discouragement in our nation? Too much cynicism, too much negativity, and too much dishonor.

So say with me, “My heart’s open.” My heart’s open. My mind’s ready. Make us better, God.

By your word, in Jesus name. In Jesus name. And everybody shout a big amen. Amen.

So let’s just be honest. America is not perfect.

No nation made up of imperfect people can be perfect.

I often tell people about our church.

You know, I I’ve been tempted to put up signs out front of our buildings that says, “No perfect people allow.”

Because one of the things that a lot of people think is they go to a church and then they find out that there’s some imperfect people there and so they’re like, “Ah, church is like everywhere else.” say, “Well, if you mean imperfect people, you are absolutely right. We have we have a nation of imperfect people.

And we don’t honor America because she is perfect.” We honor America because she’s precious.

I’m going to talk about that today.

America is not only an imperfect nation. America is also a great nation.

And America is still worthy of honor.

We say at our our church, we say this.

We’ve been saying I think in 2004 I coined this phrase. It’s this. It’s it’s honor up. How about we say it together?

Honor up. Honor down. Honor all around. One more time. Honor up. Honor down.

Honor all around. So in some places they will honor up and only up.

But we believe God’s plan and what we do around here at our church is we teach that we should honor. We should honor up and we should honor down. Yes.

And we should honor all around.

And so this year, our nation is celebrating 250 years of freedom.

And on July 4th, 1776, 56 of our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, which means that this year is a historic milestone that gives us a chance to honor our nation. And I want to say to every believer in Christ, that’s the right thing to do. That’s the right thing to do.

The right thing for us to do is to be people who honor the many Americans, past and present, who have sacrificed their time and their energy and even given their lives in the cause of advancing and protecting our great nation.

So we remind oursel today that everything is better with honor.

Say that with me. Everything is better with honor. Life is better with honor.

Marriage is better with honor. Homes are better with honor. Neighborhoods are better with honor. Anybody want to argue with that? School is better with honor.

Come on. Community is better with honor.

church is better with honor and our nation is better with honor.

And one of the things that I I want to just impress on you today and I’m going to get to five reasons in a minute that why we honor America. But one thing I l really want to impress on you today is that when we honor what we have, God can give us more.

And I’m saying that because I think a lot of Christians, a lot of believers, they see the negative things in our nation. They see the places where God is not honored and prayer is not allowed and all the things we could complain about and fuss about about our nation.

And legitimately, they see the imperfection of our nation. And they just think, well, I you know, why honor a nation that forgets God in many ways?

or we we we you know we get into these thoughts. I want to say to you today that when we honor what God has already given us, God can give us more. When we honor, come on, what we already have that’s good.

See, honor, honor is it’s not always easy. Honor can be challenging and difficult.

Sometimes you feel like I I liken it to imagery in my mind of you’re going up a set of stairs and there’s a whole bunch of people coming down and you’re trying to go up. That’s what it feels like sometimes. Having honor at work, having honor having honor in in the community, having honor uh even at church sometimes it can feel like lots of people are being negative, lots of people aren’t honoring. And here you are. You’re trying to you’re trying to keep honor going. You’re trying to honor. That’s how it feels sometimes. But I want to remind you, every one of us who are here today, that God can bless us with more goodness and favor whenever we honor the goodness and the favor that he’s already given us.

Amen.

So complaining won’t help near as much as honor will.

Griping won’t help near as much as honor will.

And again, we’re not we’re not saying that everything’s perfect. And we’re not saying we can’t point out things that need to be better, things we need to pray for God to do. But we are saying that criticism, skepticism, dishonor will not provide more of God’s favor and blessing on our lives or our nation. Amen.

So, let’s be people of honor and let’s talk about right now why we honor America.

There’s a lot of reasons, but I picked five today.

We honor America. Number one, we honor America as a land of freedom.

We’re thankful for the freedom we do have.

The first amendment, the first amendment that’s written, Declaration of Independence, provides for us the freedom of religion.

It says the government can make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion.

Thank God for that. I said thank God for that.

We can gather. We can open the Bible. We can worship Jesus.

Amen. We can preach the gospel. We can pray.

We can raise our children in the faith. We can build churches.

We can send missionaries.

This is not common everywhere in the world.

And it should never be taken for granted by us.

Some estimates are that you know Christianity is the most persecuted religion now in the world.

Some estimates are that 300 as high as 350 million Christians right now are in some way, shape or form experiencing oppression from governments and persecution in many places.

An Iranian singer, by the way, was sentenced this week. I don’t know if anybody saw that.

Uh it it’s been happening a lot, but to 74 lashes, a young lady, a beautiful young lady because she didn’t have the proper head wear on and she did a video.

She’s wanting to get her talent and her singing out and so she did it on social media and immediately her social media accounts were were cut off and she was she was sentenced to 75 lashes.

Like I think in America we just don’t know sometimes what other governments do and what happens in other nations. When I was reading about it, I one person had made a comment that, “Well, that’s their law in their land.” And I thought, “That’s a true statement, but aren’t you glad you don’t live there?”

My point is, let’s not take it lightly, right?

Because every day there are people who don’t have that freedom that you and I have. Good.

The se the the another another uh thing to remember is that the second amendment of the United States refers to a a right to keep and to bear arms to protect ourselves from tyranny.

Tyranny of government that would take away our personal freedom.

It’s an individual right against government that would become would would do an overreach and would take away the freedoms of an individual and a home and a family.

Our forefathers knew that we we needed and wanted to build a nation on personal freedom, individual freedom and individual rights. And so we have in America, we have this freedom and this liberty that is often times now being questioned by those who oppose it.

But let me just appeal to you and say this that the human nature is so hungry for power.

I’ll give you a couple of examples. our our GPS system in our car.

That GPS system, you put in a destination you want to go to, it’s supposed to serve you by telling you that this is this is the traffic and this is how you get from point A to point B. But instead, often times, have you noticed, it just takes it upon itself to reroute you.

Why does it do that? Because there’s some people over there that think they know better and they got a little bit of power and they expand on it.

It’s human. It’s human nature.

You know, seeding the clouds is another good example.

Well, maybe we shouldn’t even be doing that at all.

I don’t know. But the only reason I say I don’t know is because I do think that God gives us the ability through medicine or whatever to sometimes intervene in in something and and help. And so if that’s that knowledge are given to man and we do it. But see, we’re supposed to it’s supposed to be used in urgent situations and crises where farmers may be losing their crops or but now it’s just almost like for fun.

How does that happen? Because it’s it’s power given to man.

And when power is given to man without limits, men take advantage of power over our lives.

True.

We don’t need rain or want rain, but somebody out there says, “We’re going to make it rain. We’re going to see the clouds. We’re going to tell you to go this way on GPS.” And if you’re naive, you’re like, “Well, it’s just somebody thinking, doing their best.” Don’t be so naive. That little thing leads to the potential of loss of our freedom.

And so, thank God.

Amen. Okay, I got to hurry now. None of that was in my notes. Number two, we honor America as a land of opportunity.

Amen. Thank God. America has provided extraordinary opportunity for people to work, to build, to create, to serve, to start all over again. It’s become known. People come by the millions to our nation because the word got out that if you go to America and you work hard, you can prosper.

You can be blessed.

The United States has long held the title of the land of opportunity.

I’m talking about our nation. I’m talking about why we honor the the beautiful nation called the United States of America.

Number three, we honor America because it’s founded upon the Christian faith in one God and the values and principles of the Bible.

It’s founded on that.

See, America was deeply shaped by belief in God, biblical morality, the dignity of human life.

Religious liberty, the conviction that all of our rights come from our creator.

And the psalmist wrote this in Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” Of course, we allow religious freedom.

We allow others who worship other gods to live in peace in our nation. But we are the land of the Bible. I’m talking about why we honor this great country.

Because our country is the land of the Bible, the land of the Christian church.

Our nation’s founders use scripture and prayer when they set up our civil government.

And let me just say, the government cannot save the soul.

The government cannot transform the heart.

The government, that’s not the government’s role, cannot heal sin. The government cannot disciple children.

The government cannot replace the family.

The government cannot replace the church.

But what the good government can do is it can provide us the freedom to do all of the above and to worship God, to honor God.

Amen. America doesn’t need less church.

America needs a stronger church.

A praying church, a truthtelling church.

A bibleelving church, a gospel preaching church. I hope young people, young adults, please hear me.

like that the future for for you like invest in the church, have your family in the church, be faithful to your church, support your church. One of the best things you can do for our nation is to serve God with passion, faithfulness, figure, and vision. Because when churches are strong, families are stronger. When families are stronger, communities are stronger. And when communities are stronger, the nation is stronger. Amen.

Come on. Anybody glad to live in the great nation of America. Amen. Number four, we honor America for its inclusion of God in government. So I’ve already said that government can’t do what church can do or God can do. But thankfully our government has created public spaces.

Our founding fathers have public spaces still providing a reminder to all of the generations that have followed that they were not embarrassed to acknowledge God.

The Washington Monument uses verbiage in Latin that literally means praise be to God. The Lincoln Memorial references God, judgment, mercy, has scriptures on it. Our national language is on coins and it says in God we trust. So, thank God for a nation and a government that included God.

talking about why we honor our nation. Talking about why we honor our nation.

And lastly, number five, we honor America for its unmatched generosity.

You know, we’ve honored our community servants today and those who serve in various places in our cities and our communities and our towns to protect us from danger.

They rush in. We we’ve honored them today. And you can just understand this about America. When a disaster occurs anywhere in America, in in our nation or in the world, America is there with help and aid.

See, we sometimes there are some minds, some people like they’re like, well, you know, all the wealth we have, all the blessing we have, all you know, whatever. and they get the feeling, you know, let me just tell you, you can’t help provide for somebody if you don’t have anything.

You can only help, you know, the good Samaritan in the Bible that, you know, there were people that passed by that day when a man was beaten and laying in the road dying and and others passed by and we’re like, “Oh, they should not pass by.” You know what? Maybe they didn’t have anything.

Maybe they were embarrassed. Maybe they had no idea what to do. But the good Samaritan came along and the story Jesus told said like he had a donkey. He had a you know he had a car he could put him in and take him to the hospital. He had a car of that day. He he had he he had the resources. He said to the he said to the person at the end, he said, “Take care of my friend who’s hurt and I’m going to give you this money now and I’ll come back around. I’ll pay whatever.” He had resources. And America has been diligent as God has blessed our nation.

America has been diligent and faithful around the world in famine, in earthquakes. I love our nation. Our nation is so generous in in distresses of every kind like the heart of America is touched and Americans rush in.

Whether it’s a flood in Texas, a tsunami in Asia, a hurricane in Florida, or an earthquake in Venezuela.

Who you going to call? Come on. Who you going to call? Who you going to call?

Who you going to call? I’m talking about a great nation called the United States of America today.

And and if anyone would be and I don’t know that there would be anyone in our services or who has you have bitten the wrong apple of deception having to do with our nation and you have gone down a road of of u cynicism.

You become jaded our nation. There’s some flippant things I could say to you out of just my own flesh.

You know, I could I could go off on you right now. I I don’t really want to do that.

I just want to solicit your intelligence.

I want to solicit your thought, your thoughtfulness.

the things that I’ve said. I’ve just given you five things.

And consider these things rather than some of the things that you have been focusing on that are imperfect.

Rather than maybe some of the things you would draw attention to in our history that wasn’t perfect, wasn’t right. the injustices of people that even right now walk our streets and live in our neighborhoods.

If I could just solicit your intelligence today and maybe compare it to your own home where you live because most of you you would say things like if I if I were to come and point fingers at the people in your family and what they do wrong.

There’s some accusations I could I’m sure give if I knew your family that would be accurate. I could talk about they’re lazy. They did this. they that that wasn’t fair what she did and you would say something like don’t talk about my mama that way. Don’t talk about my children that way.

You would defend because you know the good.

You know what they’ve done for you. They know you know what they mean to you.

And so today I I don’t want to just preach a message and walk away. I really want to appeal to any of you who are Christ followers.

If you have if you have partaken of the disgust and the degrading and the negativity to reconsider your attitude

on the 250th birthday of our nation, the thing I’ve noticed most is that the people who are critical are the least helpful.

Those who philosophize, politicize, intellectualize are the least helpful. While the real heroes of our nation are busy serving others.

Amen. And Proverbs 11, I’ll finish up here.

Proverbs 11 says that through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted and by the power of the wicked it is destroyed.

I don’t like things that are going on. I don’t like things that are going on in our state. I don’t like things going on in Seattle.

I could list 10 things right now that I don’t appreciate. I don’t like. There’s nothing wrong with that.

But I don’t I don’t talk more negative than I do positive.

Sometimes the only thing I can find positive that comes to my mind is how beautiful Washington state is.

The rivers and the streams and the trees and the, you know, but I just got to find some good.

And then I look around, I see some of the people that are serving and yep, God bless those people.

God bless and just find the good.

Again, we don’t worship America. We worship God.

But because we worship God, we know how to honor what he’s blessed us with. Amen.

Amen. Amen.

We honor America by praying for her. We honor America by serving her. We honor America by strengthening our families.

We honor America by building strong churches. We honor America by raising children to know God. We honor America by refusing the negativity, the cynicism, and choosing thanksgiving, gratitude, and blessing.

Amen. Get involved. Get involved in serving. Get involved in voting. Right.

Vote for the people who are most aligned with God’s way, God’s word. Yep.

Go with the good. Go with those who are honoring scripture, honoring God. We believe in all that. We get involved in signing petitions right here in our church lobby. We do with no apology. You know why?

Because we believe that’s our responsibility as light and salt.

That we are to affect the community around us. Amen. All right.

Let’s stand our feet everywhere if you would. Amen. Amen. Many many many many amen.

Some of you who if there’s anybody I maybe there’s not a lot of people if any but if some of you have been on that wrong place um just today don’t leave mad leave thoughtful.

Ponder what I’ve said. Consider the truth I’ve given you. And may God help you and may God encourage you to join in with us and let’s make a difference, a positive difference in our community, our city, and our nation. Our nation needs us right now. Our nation needs our prayers right now. Our nation needs our devotion right now. Amen. I’m going to ask you to do something.

But I want you just to we’re going to we’re going to have other another moment of prayer. But can we pray for our nation today?

We just pray for our nation. And so in whatever way you would if you want to put your arms out, you want to put your hand out, you want to raise your hand, you want to keep them by your side.

Father, today we pray a blessing upon America. We pray for our great country.

We thank you Lord for those throughout history who have provided for us the rights of freedom, fought, given their lives that we might be here today. And I ask you Lord Jesus for those who are in slumber.

I pray that they would be awakened today.

Wake up America. I pray Holy Spirit strengthen your church.

strengthen the families o of believers in America.

Pray for a new generation of young people who unapologetically represent you in our great nation.

I pray God that you would be worshiped.

You would be honored from sea to shining sea and that would you you would use us God.

Use us, I pray, to bring faith, to bring hope,

to bring truth, and to bring honor to this generation

that you might be glorified in Jesus name I pray.

Amen. Amen. If you’re here today and you need a new beginning in your life, in your relationship with God, would you just raise your hand in the air?

somebody who says, “You know what? I’ve gotten away from God. I’m not serving the Lord. Today’s my day. God brought me here. It’s not an accident. I want a new beginning in my relationship with him.” We do this every weekend. And we have hundreds, sometimes thousands a year that respond to this. So, I don’t want to I don’t want to not do this today. I just invite you, anybody, a man, a woman, a young person, if this is your day of salvation, any of our location, just put your hand up in the air. I’m going to pray over you. We’re going to pray with you today. Actually, if you put your hand up in the air. Good. God bless you. Hold your hand up high and say with me, “Lord Jesus, welcome to my world. You are the Savior.

You are the Lord. And you are the King.

Forgive me of all my sin. Forgive me all. Come into my life. And make me a new person.

Be with me, I pray. be by my side, I pray.

Protect me, I pray. Protect me. And bless me. Indeed. Indeed.

I’ll honor you. I’ll serve you and I’ll glorify you to the best of my ability.

I’m a child of God. Got to say that again. I’m a child of God.

In Jesus name. And everybody shout a great big amen. Amen. God bless you, Champion Center.