5 sermons celebrating America’s Independence Day

July 1, 2024

Christianity played a key role in the quest for America’s independence from Great Britain and the founding of the nation. The Christian Post has compiled five inspirational sermons that have been preached on American soil and are worth revisiting as we celebrate Independence Day.

  1. John Witherspoon’s sermon titled “The Dominion of Providence Over the Passions of Men” was delivered on May 17, 1776 at Princeton. The sermon was based on Psalm 76:10 and is widely regarded as one of the principal sermons that prepared the way for the Declaration of Independence. In it, Witherspoon declared, “I willingly embrace the opportunity of declaring my opinion without any hesitation, that the cause in which America is now in arms, is the cause of justice, of liberty, and of human nature.”
  2. On Independence Day 1794, Joseph Lathrop preached a sermon titled “The Happiness of a Free Government and the Means of Preserving It” to the Congregational Church in West Springfield, Massachusetts. In his sermon, Lathrop maintained that a republican form of government is the only one “framed under the immediate direction of heaven.”
  3. The Rev. James Patterson preached a sermon on Independence Day 1825 in the First Presbyterian Church of the Northern Liberties in Philadelphia. His sermon denounced the practice of slavery and made reference to the Old Testament book of Exodus and the history of the Hebrews seeking freedom.
  4. On July 4, 1970, The Rev. Billy Graham gave a televised speech titled “Honor America Day” on the National Mall in Washington D.C. With nearly 400,000 people in attendance, Graham’s sermon was also broadcast to over 100 countries. In his sermon, Graham said, “America has opened her heart and her doors to the distressed and persecuted of the world. America has been the most generous nation in history. We have shared our wealth and our faith with a world in need.”
  5. Pastor Robert H. Schuller of Crystal Cathedral Ministries, preached a sermon titled, “I am the American Flag” which celebrated the history of the United States from the perspective of a personified Stars and Stripes. First given in 1973, the sermon warned of the dangers of departing from the foundations of our morality with Schuller stating, “Be humble! Know that without God, my stars will be clouded over, my stripes will fade, my glory will depart, and your freedoms will erode and die.”

Each of these sermons give us plenty to consider as we celebrate our national independence, patriotism and our relationship to piety.

Photo: top, Credit: Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Capitol Concerts