My Harding University chapel talk today
My name is Daniel Cherry. I’m proud to be a Cherry. My great grandfather, Edward Gamble Cherry defended this country in WWI. My Grandfather, Paul E. Cherry made advancements in the field of Chemical Engineering. I’m especially proud to be the son of my parents, Dennis and Kathy Cherry who searched scripture with a passion and found Christ. My family isn’t perfect, but I’m proud to be a Cherry.
I’m also proud to be a Harding alumnus. I’m proud to be a part of an institution whose founding president preached on the weekends and used the money he received to pay his faculty during the week, just to keep this school going. I’m especially proud of this university’s commitment to pursuing excellence in Christian education. I’m proud to be part of a school whose faculty, staff and students strive to grow in their Christian faith. Harding isn’t perfect, but I’m proud to be a part of Harding University.
I’m proud to be the husband of my wife, the father of my children and the brother of my sisters.
I’m proud more than all things to be a Christian. I am proud wear the name of my savior who bought me with his perfect blood, who redeemed me from a place where I was so lost, only God could find me, only He could bring me home. I’m proud to be a part of the Christian family. What ties you who are Christians and me together is a blood that runs so deep, that all eternity cannot fathom it, nor can angels see into, though they long to look into these things.
I am also proud to be an American. Many of you are from other countries and proud to be; you should be. Every one of you come from a place where your nation’s history has added positive contributions to the global community of which we are all a part. Last year I was able to spend two days with some students from Panama. What a rich culture they have. My sister is in her second year working in China. I still marvel at how long the Chinese people have existed as a sovereign nation. I’ve spent four months in Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda and have always been impressed with ability of the African people to laugh in spite of incredible adversity. My family lived for three years in Germany. Germans have contributed so much to philosophy, theological studies and archeology.
It is okay to be proud of the place where you are from. No country – no group of people for that matter, is perfect. But we can be positive about where come from. I want to be positive for the next few minutes about the United States. There is a trend right now among people in our generation in this country to dog our country our church and our school. I think that trend is shameful. It doesn’t help anyone, it only breaks down the people who are trying to make them better. There’s a difference between constructive criticism to someone and just talking bad about them.
Every country has something that ties its citizens together. For many, it is an ethnic relationship. A common blood and history, certain facial features coming from certain family lines.
In the United States what holds citizens together is not ethnic make-up or even a common history. Many Americans came as immigrants in the last few generations. What ties Americans, citizens of the United States together is an ideal. That ideal is basically the pursuit of freedom. It is an ideal that our founding fathers procured from scripture.
They read passages such as:
(John 8:31-32 NIV) To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Our founding fathers were immigrants who wanted freedom to teach the truth, freedom to evangelize, freedom to worship God – Freedom to tell people that they could be
redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to them from their forefathers. (1 Pet 1:18)
In our first major founding document, the Declaration of Independence the following statement reads “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
This country was founded upon the notion that all people are created by God equal, and should be able make choices for themselves. We haven’t ever practiced it perfectly, but it has been our country’s constant pursuit. Is this a pursuit worthy of a Christian?
The statement in the Declaration of Independence consists of three basic tenets.
1. All people are given life by God
2. All people are created Equal
3. All people are free to make own choices
I think the first two are obvious to all of us. It is the third one we have problems with.
Once we were lost. Without Christ we didn’t have a choice between heaven or hell. We were all condemned in our sin. But because of his death and the glorious resurrection we celebrated yesterday, we are made free...you now have a choice.
I want to pursue freedom with a passion – Christ’s freedom. The United States government protects political freedom. But the only thing that gives spiritual freedom is when people know about the choice they have. When people know about Christ and that he died for them – then, then, they can be free - when they know the Truth.
I’m proud to be a Christian because I’m proud of my Lord
I’m proud to be an American, because my country pursues the ideal of freedom
And when I put those two together it means that I talk about Him, who is Truth - spreading Freedom.
Are you free? Are you truly free? Are you leaving people in the bondage of ignorance? Or are you passionate about bringing this freedom to a world that longs to be free?
I’m also proud to be a Harding alumnus. I’m proud to be a part of an institution whose founding president preached on the weekends and used the money he received to pay his faculty during the week, just to keep this school going. I’m especially proud of this university’s commitment to pursuing excellence in Christian education. I’m proud to be part of a school whose faculty, staff and students strive to grow in their Christian faith. Harding isn’t perfect, but I’m proud to be a part of Harding University.
I’m proud to be the husband of my wife, the father of my children and the brother of my sisters.
I’m proud more than all things to be a Christian. I am proud wear the name of my savior who bought me with his perfect blood, who redeemed me from a place where I was so lost, only God could find me, only He could bring me home. I’m proud to be a part of the Christian family. What ties you who are Christians and me together is a blood that runs so deep, that all eternity cannot fathom it, nor can angels see into, though they long to look into these things.
I am also proud to be an American. Many of you are from other countries and proud to be; you should be. Every one of you come from a place where your nation’s history has added positive contributions to the global community of which we are all a part. Last year I was able to spend two days with some students from Panama. What a rich culture they have. My sister is in her second year working in China. I still marvel at how long the Chinese people have existed as a sovereign nation. I’ve spent four months in Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda and have always been impressed with ability of the African people to laugh in spite of incredible adversity. My family lived for three years in Germany. Germans have contributed so much to philosophy, theological studies and archeology.
It is okay to be proud of the place where you are from. No country – no group of people for that matter, is perfect. But we can be positive about where come from. I want to be positive for the next few minutes about the United States. There is a trend right now among people in our generation in this country to dog our country our church and our school. I think that trend is shameful. It doesn’t help anyone, it only breaks down the people who are trying to make them better. There’s a difference between constructive criticism to someone and just talking bad about them.
Every country has something that ties its citizens together. For many, it is an ethnic relationship. A common blood and history, certain facial features coming from certain family lines.
In the United States what holds citizens together is not ethnic make-up or even a common history. Many Americans came as immigrants in the last few generations. What ties Americans, citizens of the United States together is an ideal. That ideal is basically the pursuit of freedom. It is an ideal that our founding fathers procured from scripture.
They read passages such as:
(John 8:31-32 NIV) To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Our founding fathers were immigrants who wanted freedom to teach the truth, freedom to evangelize, freedom to worship God – Freedom to tell people that they could be
redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to them from their forefathers. (1 Pet 1:18)
In our first major founding document, the Declaration of Independence the following statement reads “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
This country was founded upon the notion that all people are created by God equal, and should be able make choices for themselves. We haven’t ever practiced it perfectly, but it has been our country’s constant pursuit. Is this a pursuit worthy of a Christian?
The statement in the Declaration of Independence consists of three basic tenets.
1. All people are given life by God
2. All people are created Equal
3. All people are free to make own choices
I think the first two are obvious to all of us. It is the third one we have problems with.
Once we were lost. Without Christ we didn’t have a choice between heaven or hell. We were all condemned in our sin. But because of his death and the glorious resurrection we celebrated yesterday, we are made free...you now have a choice.
I want to pursue freedom with a passion – Christ’s freedom. The United States government protects political freedom. But the only thing that gives spiritual freedom is when people know about the choice they have. When people know about Christ and that he died for them – then, then, they can be free - when they know the Truth.
I’m proud to be a Christian because I’m proud of my Lord
I’m proud to be an American, because my country pursues the ideal of freedom
And when I put those two together it means that I talk about Him, who is Truth - spreading Freedom.
Are you free? Are you truly free? Are you leaving people in the bondage of ignorance? Or are you passionate about bringing this freedom to a world that longs to be free?
posted by Daniel Cherry at 9:34 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home