Good morning. This Thursday is a very special day. Can anyone tell me what that day is? If you know, just shout it out?
Well, this Thursday is June 14th; and on June 14th is Flag Day. Now some of you may ask, “What is flag day?” Well, Flag Day, is a day for all Americans to celebrate and show respect for our flag. The American flag has a proud and glorious history. It was at the lead of every battle fought by Americans. Many people have died protecting it. It even stands proudly on the surface of the moon. As Americans, we have every right to be proud of our culture, our nation, and even our flag. So raise the flag this week and every week with pride!
Vexillology is the study of flags. Now I don’t know about you, but that’s a new word for me. In fact, I just learned it this week while preparing for this sermon. Vexillology is derived from the Latin word vexillum, which is a term used by the Romans to refer to a piece of fabric hung from a horizontal crossbar on a pole. That seems to be one of the earlier references to flags in history.
Today, flags are very common. Every country has its own country flag. Every state in our country has a state flag. Families even design their own family flags. Some flags are decorative with fancy designs or pictures, while others have special meaning, like our American flag. Sometimes we put the flag at half-staff to honor the death of people, but usually it stand at the top of the pole.
Raising a flag is our way of showing what we stand for. When we raise the American flag it is showing support for America. It is saying, “I’m proud to be an American!” It is a way to “show our true colors.” This morning, I encourage you to “show your true colors: raise your flag!”
Go ahead and turn with me to Matthew 5:16. We are going to look at this one verse today. Matthew 5:16 says, “1”
Before we move on, let’s begin with a word of prayer. Let’s Pray!
Raising the flag at Iwo Jima. This picture is the most reproduced photograph in all of history. Most of us know the story, but let me tell you the story behind this picture anyway. This small island, smaller than Manhattan, was a very strategic island. It was Japanese soil located mid-way between Japan and American bomber bases.
No foreign army had ever occupied Japanese territory in 5,000 years. We were able to hit Japan with long range bombers, but the short range fighters that protected the bombers didn’t have long enough range to protect the bombers as they flew over Japan. As a result, Japanese fighter planes were able to attack our bombers pretty much unchecked.
Iwo Jima had 3 airfields, and being able to use this island as a stopover point was essential. The Japanese knew of the strategic nature of this island, and their plan was to make it too costly in the terms of human lives for the Americans to take.
The Japanese had built 1,500 rooms underground, connected by 16 miles of tunnels. The Japanese strategy called for “no Japanese survivors.” You see, they planned not to survive so that they would be able to keep this island. They also planned for each Japanese soldier to kill 10 American soldiers.
The US AirForce pounded Iwo Jima with the longest sustained aerial offensive of WW2. But because of the underground rooms and tunnels the bombing had little effect. 22,000 Japanese soldiers were underground prepared to die to protect Japanese soil from being invaded. The US sent more Marines to Iwo Jima than to any other battle, 110,000 Marines in 880 Ships. The convoy of 880 US Ships sailed from Hawaii to Iwo Jima in 40 days. After the Navy pounded the Island the marines landed, but they were unable to dig foxholes in the loose volcanic ash. They were sitting ducks for the hidden Japanese gunners.
The battle was very unique. 100,000 men fighting on a tiny island for 36 days Iwo Jima was one of the most populated 7.5 miles on earth. The marines had to fight for every inch of land, suffering high casualties, with the Japanese soldiers fighting from below ground. The Americans rarely even saw their enemy. Easy Company, the company that raised the flag in this famous photograph had a 75% casualty rate. In 36 days of fighting there were 25,851 US casualties. 1 in 3 were killed or wounded! Virtually all 22,000 Japanese perished. More US Marines earned the Medal of Honor on Iwo Jima than in any other battle in US History.
The Marines’ effort provided a vital link in the U.S. chain of bomber bases. By war’s end, 2,400 B-29 bombers carrying 27,000 crewman had made emergency landings on Iwo Jima. At the time that Easy Company raised the flag the fighting had gone on for 4 days. Up to this point, Easy Company had already had a 40% casualty rate. Some of the men in the picture would soon be dead!
The prospect of raising the flag on Iwo Jima was a tremendous accomplishment. It didn’t end the war, but it provided a much needed message of hope and courage for those troops. And it became a symbol for the American commitment and fighting spirit.
Now, there is something meaningful about the American Flag. Raising it, showing our true colors, acknowledging that we are proud to be an American. Even today, as we look at these men risking death in order to raise the American flag, it still moves us today.
Along with honoring the flag each week, we also say the Pledge Of Allegiance. Francis Bellamy a Baptist minister, wrote the original Pledge in August 1892. The Pledge was published in the September 8th issue of The Youth's Companion, the leading family magazine and the Reader's Digest of its day. His original Pledge read as follows: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
In 1923 and 1924 the National Flag Conference, under the leadership of the American Legion and the Daughters of the American Revolution, changed the Pledge's words, “my Flag,” to “the Flag of the United States of America.” And in 1954, Congress after a campaign by the Knights of Columbus, added the words, “under God,” to the Pledge. The Pledge was now both a patriotic oath and a public prayer.
Now, each week we also say a pledge to the Bible. We are declaring that we believe in the word of God. And then we take time to say a pledge to the Christian Flag. Now, since this week is Flag Day, I want us to take a look at that flag as well. To begin, we will take a look at the birth of this flag.
The birth of the Christian Flag was 100 years ago this September. The featured speaker failed to arrive for the Sunday School Rally in a Coney Island Chapel in 1897, and it was then that the Christian flag was born. Like so many of the great and memorable things of history, a Christian flag was not contemplated or pre-designed. Instead, the Sunday School was holding an old-fashioned Rally Day of the kind which was so much the custom in years past. For this occasion, a favored speaker had been engaged, but for some reason he did not show up. Superintendent Charles C. Overton, in the emergency, called upon his own gifts of innovation to fill in the time. An American flag lay there across the pulpit. Overton addressed his words to the flag and its symbolism. Then like a flash came the thought, why not also a Christian flag? His constructive ad-libbing was to produce a verbal picture of what is today, and for the past 100 years has been, the Christian flag.
Today the Christian flag is one of the oldest unchanged flags in the world. It was conceived at Brighton Chapel, Coney Island, New York, Sunday, September 26, 1897, and was presented in its present form the following Sunday by its originator. Call it chance, call it providence, or call it the plan of God. On that day, the Christian flag was born.
From its birth in 1897 to this present day a full century later, with a proud 100 year anniversary, the Christian flag has quietly and beautifully graced an ever-increasing number of church sanctuaries, religious schools, national and world conferences, and a host of additional situations. The flag means much to many people.
The first pledge to the Christian flag was written by Methodist pastor Lynn Harold Hough in 1908. It goes like this, “I pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag and to the Savior for whose kingdom it stands. One brotherhood, uniting all mankind, in service and love.”
Since the Christian Flag was inspired by the flag of the United States, it takes its colors and overall design from the American flag. However, elements of the flag represent Christian concepts.
The flag’s most conspicuous symbol is the Christian cross, the most universal symbol for Christianity. The red color represents the blood of Jesus and brings to mind his crucifixion.
Christians believe that Jesus' death and resurrection is the means God uses to save believers from their sins. The cross and blood have been used since earliest Christianity to symbolize salvation through Jesus; in the words of the Apostle Paul says in Colossians 1:20, “Through Jesus, God reconciles himself to all things... making peace by the blood of the cross”
The white field draws on symbolism throughout the Bible equating white clothes with purity and forgiveness. People who have been "washed white as snow" in the Bible have been cleansed from their sins. In conventional vexillology a white flag is linked to surrender, a reference to the Biblical description Jesus’ non-violence and surrender to God's will.
The symbolism behind the blue canton is uncertain. It has been interpreted to represent Heaven, truth, or the Christian ritual of Baptism in water. Most likely it is simply a carry-over from the American flag.
Since the flag is not tied to any specific denomination or church institution, it represents all Christians.
Now, this morning, I share all this to impress upon you to raise another flag. This other flag isn’t one you can buy at the store. It isn’t one that you can run up the flag pole, or hang on your house, or even wear it on a t-shirt. This other flag, is the flag of faith.
We fly the American flag to show our patriotism. To let people know that we are proud to be an American. And we should do that. But why is it that people who are so quick to raise an American flag are so reluctant to raise the flag of faith? They don’t want anyone to know that they are a Christian. Our Scripture today says, “LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE MEN…” And we need to do that. Let people know that we are Christians. Tell them about Jesus. In fact, we need to be just as quick, even quicker to do that as we would be to raise an American flag.
Because of the current conflict in Iraq more and more people raise their flags. During war time, we are much more compelled to raise our flag and show our support. There are many casualties in the war. People are dieing every day. But did you know that we are in another war today as well? We are always in a spiritual war. We are currently in a battle. There are many casualties. People are being lost, left and right. They are dieing and going to spend an eternity in Hell. If there is ever a time to fly our spiritual flag of faith it is now! We need to show our true colors. We need to be just as proud to be a Christian as we are proud to be an American!
But how can we do that? Our text tells us to “Let your light shine before men, SO THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS…” On one hand, it is easy to be an American. In fact, it is even easy to raise an American flag. But it is much harder to be a good citizen; to vote, to support your country instead of tearing it down. In the same way, it is easy to be a “closet Christian,” if there is such a thing. But it is much harder to put feet to our faith.
To tell others about Jesus, to reach out to those who are poor, and hurting, and lonely. But, if we just do good deeds, and we don’t tell them about Jesus, then all that does is create a positive reflection upon YOU. But God wants us to reflect upon Him.
Once more, our text says, “Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds, AND PRAISE YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.” If we raise the flag of faith, if we are willing to show our true color, if we will do good deeds, if we love and give and support and encourage, then people will KNOW we are Christians, and they will want to know Christ for themselves.
I started out this sermon with the definition of vexillology. If you didn’t know how important flags were, I hope that you are beginning to get a better sense of how important this is I hope that you will show your true colors and raise the American flag and let people know that you proudly support America. Especially now, because there’s a war going on, and people are losing their lives in the fight for freedom.
But even more importantly than that, I want you to show your true colors as a Christian. I want you to raise the flag of faith. I want you to fly it proudly. Especially now, because there’s a war going on, and people are losing their lives in the fight for spiritual freedom. We are fighting for this world inch by inch and the image of hope that the flag of faith provides can make all the difference in the world.
Let’s Pray! |
