Freedom In Christ

Freedom In Christ

Dismiss God KIDZ

OKAY – let’s do this!

NOW – I want to start off this morning with two passages of Scripture that will be the foundation for this morning’s conversation.

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.”

They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. – John 8:31-36

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. – Galatians 5:1

Prayer

QUESTION…

What does freedom mean?

For a baby, I guess, freedom is when you’re able to get out of the crib and you can crawl around on the living room carpet.

If you are a third grader, freedom is the last day of school and you know you have summer vacation ahead of you.

For the sixteen-year-old it’s getting that driver’s license.

For a young adult it’s leaving home and being on your own with no one to tell you what time to be in or what to do.

Freedom for a young couple might be an evening when a baby-sitter watches the kids and they’re able to go out on a date.

For some, retirement from the job is freedom.

I guess for some, when we reach the age in time when life holds nothing but pain and troubles, and you’re no longer able to care for yourself, freedom is going home to be with the Lord.

UNDERSTAND - our concepts of freedom are quite different depending upon where we are in our life and exactly what is taking place.

NOW – today July the 4th 2021 all across our nation people will be celebrating FREEDOM...

I MEAN LIKE – there will be countless cook outs, flags waving and fireworks going off nearly everywhere.

AS WE - celebrate the day that 56 men in Philadelphia standing a building that we know as Independence Hall, signed a document declaring their freedom that began with these words…

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another,

and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…

That was on July 4, 1776 (the birth and founding of our nation)

AND MGCC – here we are today, enjoying the freedom that those 56 men and thousands and thousands of others have fought and given their lives for during the last 245 years.

NOW – I am not going to be preaching a sermon about America today… But I am extremely thankful to live in this country.

IN FACT - whenever I have found myself returning from other nations, like - Mexico, China, the DR or Bangladesh…

The moment the wheels of the plane touched down and I was back home in the good US of A! I always felt this wave joy, excitement and peace wash over me.

MGCC - I am thankful to live in such a great, free and prosperous country.

I feel totally safe and secure

the electricity always works

the grocery shelves are full

the food is okay to eat, the water safe to drink

flush the toilet paper

worship freely

YES – today our nation celebrates her freedom.

AND MAPLE GROVE – every day, we as Jesus followers, should celebrate the freedom that we have in Christ.

AMEN?!

IN LUKE CHAPTER 4 - Jesus had just recently been baptized and returned from the wilderness, after being tempted for 40 days by Satan.

AND NOW JESUS - returns to the place where he grew up, Nazareth, he walks into the Synagogue, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And Jesus unrolled the scroll and read,