Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship Church

www.GraceDoctrine.orgwww.GraceDoctrine.org

Pastor/TeacherPastor/Teacher

Jim RickardJim Rickard

Sunday, Sunday,

May 25, 2008May 25, 2008

Founding US Founding US DocumentationDocumentation

•Declaration of IndependenceDeclaration of Independence•Constitution of the United Constitution of the United States States•Bill of RightsBill of Rights

Our nation has made all Our nation has made all issues in regards to life, issues in regards to life, liberty and the pursuit of liberty and the pursuit of

happiness, including happiness, including religion, solely a matter of religion, solely a matter of the privacy and concern of the privacy and concern of

the individual.the individual.

Freedom is based in God Freedom is based in God and honoring the Divine and honoring the Divine Institutions, which hold Institutions, which hold

sacred; property, life, and sacred; property, life, and privacy. privacy.

Psa 119:45, Psa 119:45, “And I will seek freedom, “And I will seek freedom, for I seek Your doctrines, for I seek Your doctrines,

O God.”O God.”

John 8:32,John 8:32,“And you will know the “And you will know the

truth (Bible doctrine), and truth (Bible doctrine), and the truth will make you the truth will make you

free.”free.”

2 Cor 3:17,2 Cor 3:17,“Now the Lord is the “Now the Lord is the

Spirit, and where the Spirit Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is of the Lord is, there is

liberty.”liberty.”

Gal 5:1,Gal 5:1,“It was for freedom that “It was for freedom that

Christ set us free; therefore Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a not be subject again to a

yoke of slavery.”yoke of slavery.”

Gal 5:13, Gal 5:13, “For you were called to “For you were called to

freedom, brethren; only do freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into not turn your freedom into

an opportunity for the an opportunity for the flesh, but through love flesh, but through love

serve one another.”serve one another.”

1 Peter 2:16,1 Peter 2:16,“Act as free men, and do “Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a not use your freedom as a

covering for evil, but use it covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.”as bondslaves of God.”

Governmentally speaking, Governmentally speaking, freedom without authority freedom without authority is anarchy and authority is anarchy and authority

without freedom is without freedom is tyranny.tyranny.

The federal government The federal government has no right to interfere has no right to interfere

with your freedom or life, with your freedom or life, property, or prosperity. property, or prosperity.

Government has no right to Government has no right to make you prosperous or make you prosperous or

give you property.give you property.

We as citizens have We as citizens have inalienable rights, but that inalienable rights, but that

doesn't mean the doesn't mean the government provides these government provides these

rights.rights.

The rights specified in the The rights specified in the first ten amendments to the first ten amendments to the Constitution are freedoms Constitution are freedoms

in the sense of in the sense of opportunities, but they are opportunities, but they are

not achievements.not achievements.

The U.S. Constitution is The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the the supreme law of the USA. It provides the USA. It provides the

framework for the framework for the organization of the organization of the U.S. Government.U.S. Government.

““We the people of the United States, in We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic establish justice, insure domestic

tranquility, provide for the common tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to and secure the blessings of liberty to

ourselves and our posterity, do ordain ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the and establish this Constitution for the

United States of America.”United States of America.”

The Bill of Rights was The Bill of Rights was adopted on March 4, 1789 adopted on March 4, 1789 and ratified by the states on and ratified by the states on

December 15, 1791.December 15, 1791.

Amendment IAmendment I

((Establishment Clause, Establishment Clause, Free Exercise Clause; Free Exercise Clause;

freedom of speech, of the freedom of speech, of the press, and of assembly; press, and of assembly;

right to petitionright to petition))

Amendment IIAmendment II

((Right to keep and bear Right to keep and bear armsarms))

Amendment IIIAmendment III

((Protection from Protection from quartering of troopsquartering of troops))

Amendment IVAmendment IV

((Protection from Protection from unreasonable search and unreasonable search and

seizureseizure))

Amendment VAmendment V

((Due process,Due process, double jeopardy, double jeopardy, self-incrimination, self-incrimination, eminent domaineminent domain))

Amendment VIAmendment VI

(Trial by jury and rights of (Trial by jury and rights of the accused; Confrontation the accused; Confrontation Clause, speedy trial, public Clause, speedy trial, public

trial, right to counsel)trial, right to counsel)

Amendment VIIAmendment VII

((Civil trial by juryCivil trial by jury))

Amendment VIIIAmendment VIII

((Prohibition of excessive Prohibition of excessive bail and cruel and unusual bail and cruel and unusual

punishmentpunishment))

Amendment IXAmendment IX

((Protection of rights not Protection of rights not specifically enumerated in specifically enumerated in

the Bill of Rights)the Bill of Rights)

Amendment XAmendment X

((Powers of states and Powers of states and peoplepeople))

Rights specify Rights specify opportunities, which the opportunities, which the

government must not deny government must not deny to you, that which it must to you, that which it must

not tamper with.not tamper with.

Rights are freedoms from Rights are freedoms from interference, especially interference, especially

from the federal from the federal government who shall not government who shall not interfere or tamper with interfere or tamper with

opportunities to live, opportunities to live, prosper, own property, or prosper, own property, or

possess things.possess things.

Everyone has the same Everyone has the same inherent right as anyone inherent right as anyone else: freedom to pursue else: freedom to pursue

inherent rights, called "just inherent rights, called "just claims on life." The claims on life." The

government is to protect government is to protect our freedom to pursue our freedom to pursue

these just claims.these just claims.

OfferingOffering

Grace Fellowship ChurchGrace Fellowship ChurchSunday, May 25, 2008Sunday, May 25, 2008

Tape # 08S-021Tape # 08S-021

Memorial Day 2008Memorial Day 2008The Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights

Psa 119:45; John 8:32; 2 Cor 3:17; Gal 5:1, 13; 1 Peter 2:16Psa 119:45; John 8:32; 2 Cor 3:17; Gal 5:1, 13; 1 Peter 2:16

James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2008James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2008