July 1, 2007

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 Scripture KJV

Reverend David S. Huffer

Westwood Baptist Church - 2124 Davis Road
  Waynesboro, VA

He is Our Banner

Psalm 60

Patriotism and Christianity go hand in hand in this country.

• I suppose it is possible to be a patriot and not be a Christian, but how can we be Christians and not be patriots?
• God has so blessed us as a nation that it boggles my mind when we in America refuse to honor Him!

Two very important patriotic days in our country our Memorial Day and Independence Day.

• But between those days we have another, less celebrated patriotic day – Can anyone tell me the name of this patriotic day? Flag Day!
• Do you know what day it is celebrated?  (June 14)

Flag day was first observed in 1877 on the 100^th anniversary of the Continental Congress’ adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States.

• In that year, Congress asked that all public buildings fly the flag on June 14.
• The idea quickly caught on and many people wanted to participate in waving the flag.
• In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Flag Day as a national celebration.
• However, the holiday was not officially recognized until 1949 when President Harry Truman signed the National Flag Day Bill.

What is so important about our Nation’s Flag?

• It is interwoven with the very fabric of our nation.
• There are many stories that recount the importance of our flag, but one stands out in particular
• One night in September, 1814, a young lawyer stood on the deck of a ship in the Baltimore City harbor, watching the sky light up in colors of red and orange and white.
• The British Army had just burned Washington, DC, and Francis Scott Key was afraid!
• The United States had lost almost every single battle up to that day in 1814 when Fort McHenry was shelled.
• So Key set up vigil that night. He kept his eye on the large American Flag that flew over the Fort.

• This flag had been commissioned by the fort’s commander, Major George Armstead, who asked for a flag so big that the British would have no trouble seeing it from a distance.
• A seamstress, Mary Young Pickersgill and her thirteen year old daughter Caroline worked in an upstairs bedroom using 400 yards of the best quality wool bunting.
• They cut 15 stars that measured 2 feet from point to point.
• Eight red and seven white stripes, each two feet wide, were cut.
• When the flag was sewn together it measured 30 by 42 feet!

That was the flag watched by Key late into the night.

·         But along toward dawn, he lost sight of it.

·         It was dark and rainy, and there was an ominous silence as the shelling ceased. WHAT COULD IT MEAN? HAD THE FORT BEEN TAKEN?

·         When the sun finally brightened the sky, Key looked to see if Baltimore had fallen to the British.

·         But he saw that the flag still hung there.

·         It seemed to Francis Scott Key to stand for freedom, and hope, and most of all for home.

·         He started to write a poem on the back of an envelope and began the first stanza of his famous lyric:

“Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming.

• Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro’ the perilous fight
• O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
• And the rockets red glare, the bomb’s bursting in air, Gave proof thro’ the night that our flag was still there.
• O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave – O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

FRIENDS – When we look at our nation’s banner, the American flag, we are reminded of our past (where we were), we are reminded of our present (who we are), and we are reminded of our future (what we must become).

• As believers, we also have a banner.
• And in much the same way, this banner is there to remind us of our past, present, and future.

Psalm 60:4 – “Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah”

In Exodus 17 we find the account of a wonderful victory provided by God for His people.

• The nation was wandering in the desert wilderness
• God provided water for them from the Rock
• This is a picture of God’s provision of salvation for all who will come and drink from the Rock of Ages – Jesus Christ!
• As they left that place refreshed by God’s supply – the enemy, Amalek – attacked.
• God again provided them a miraculous victory, over their enemy.
• After this great victory, Moses built an altar to worship God.
• He called the name of it – Jehovahnissi – which means “God is my banner!”

FRIENDS – The Lord is our banner! We are to look to that banner!

OUR PAST: THE WAY WE USED TO BE

Eph.2:1 – “And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”

A. We Were Dead Spiritually

• Spiritual life is only through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
• So we were dead to our sins
• We could do nothing of ourselves to please God

B. We Were Displeasing To God

• We walked according to the course of this world
• We walked according to the “prince of the power of the air” and that is SATAN!
• We walked in disobedience to God
• Eph. 2:12 – “That at that time ye were without Christ – having no hope, and without God in the world.”

C. We Were Lost!

• That is the condition of all who do not know the Lord
• All who have never trusted in Him for their salvation

FRIENDS – This is where we were – as we look at our banner – we are reminded of our past.

OUR PRESENT: THE WAY WE ARE NOW!

2 Cor. 5:17 – “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.”

A. The Old Things Have Passed Away

1. Our old way of thinking – Prov. 23:7a – “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
2. Our old way of seeing things: we now see everything from a different perspective
3. Our old habits – Victory over the flesh is now possible
4. Our old desires – we now long to serve Christ
5. Our old conversations:

·         Our jokes are different

·         Our swearing becomes praise

·         Our gossip becomes constructive encouragement rather than being negative and damaging

B. All Things Become New

1.       The way we do business

2.      The way we dress

3.      The way we look at life

4.      The way we see ourselves

FRIENDS – Now we represent Jesus Christ to the world!

·         When they look at us – Do they see Jesus Christ?

·         2 Cor. 5:20 – “Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

OUR FUTURE: THE WAY WE WILL BE!

1 John 3:2 – Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see him as He is.”

A. We Shall Be Like Him!

1. What does that mean?

·         I believe that John is reminding us of the wonderful promise of our resurrected bodies.

·         These earthly bodies will be wearing out!

·         But one day – we will be changed!

·         No more sin – no more corruption – our new bodies will be like Jesus’ resurrected body

FRIENDS - Every time we look at our banner we should be reminded of the truth about our future.

·         This world is not my home – I’m just passing through!

CLOSE

Today – when you look at the Star-Spangled Banner – we are reminded of our county’s past, present, and future.

BUT FRIENDS – Another banner has been given to all who know and fear God.    THE LORD IS OUR BANNER!

·         As we look to the Lord, we are reminded of our past, present, and future!

Do you know the Lord this morning?

Has He placed His banner over you?

Come to Jesus this morning in simple faith – understanding His great love for you.

Hebrews 12:2 – “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

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