“Set Free!”
July 8, 2007
It was about 150 years to the days before the Civil War. It could have been any one of the great cities of the South like Savannah, Atlanta, Birmingham, Jackson or New Orleans. As you approach the center of town you hear a commotion as a crowd gathers for a public auction and you gather round to watch the proceedings. The first thing you notice in the crowd is an uncouth, foulmouthed, loud, boisterous man who you know, by reputation only, as the meanest, cruelest, most hateful man around.
You also notice in the crowd another man who stands out for his dignity, genteel mannerisms and soft-spoken tone, and recognize him also by reputation as a very kind, gentle, and gracious man. Both men, along with the crowd wait for the auction to begin.
Finally the auctioneer steps to the podium and begins rattling his words as the first item to be sold is brought to the auction block. There before you is a beautiful young black girl, about 20 years of age. Her dress is old and torn, but clean and cared for. She is obviously filled with anxiety and fear as the bidding begins.
From the outset the loud obnoxious man seemed to have his evil, lecherous eyes set on this lovely, innocent, young lady. She obviously knew of his reputation and cringed in fear as he opened the bidding.
When the kind gentleman saw her fear, he too placed a bid. Soon only these two men were involved in the bidding as the price of the girl rose higher and higher. Finally the evil man bowed out of the bidding when he realized that the price of the girl was more than he was willing to pay.
When the auctioneer closed the bidding the kind gentleman paid the price for his purchase, was handed the Bill-of-Sale and turned to leave. The young girl started to follow her new master.
He then turned to her and asked, “Where are you going?” “Why, I’m going with you,” she responded; “You bought me and I belong to you.” “O! You misunderstood,” the man said, “I didn’t buy you to make you my slave, I bought you to set you free.”
Then he took the Bill-of-Sale and wrote across in big block letters – FREE! – signed his name and gave it to the girl.
“I don’t understand,” the girl said. “You mean I am FREE!” “Yes, you are FREE!” ‘I can go wherever I want and do as I please.”
“Exactly, You are FREE!”
“Mister, I don’t know who you are, but no one has ever shown such love and kindness to me. If I am free to do as I please, nothing would please me more than to go with you and serve you till the day I die.”
And that day she went home with Abraham Lincoln, not as his slave, but as his willing servant.
I don’t know if that story is true or not. I’m told it is true. But whether it is or not it is a beautiful illustration of finding freedom from slavery. We can all relate to it because the Bible says,
“The wicked man is doomed by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him...”
Prov 5:22-23 (Living)
“Do not let sin control your puny body any longer; do not give in to its sinful desires. Do not let any part of your bodies become tools of wickedness, to be used for sinning; but give yourselves completely to God--every part of you--for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes. Sin need never again be your master, for now you are no longer tied to the law where sin enslaves you, but you are free under God’s favor and mercy.”
Romans 6:12-14 (Living)
"You aren’t saved by being good," they say, "so you might as well be bad. Do what you like; be free." But these very teachers who offer this "freedom" from law are themselves slaves to sin and destruction. For a man is a slave to whatever controls him.” 2 Peter 2:19 (Living)
So what does it mean to be a slave? Well, it means no choice. Slaves do what their master tells them. It means no freedom. Slaves go where they’re told, live we’re they’re told, get up, go to bed, work, when they’re told.
But at least there’s a sense in which that sort of slavery is outside their control. People are born into it. They have no say over it. And because they have no choice they can still protest against it, in their minds at least. But what if we actually chose to enter into the slavery of sin? Then it would be even worse.
One episode of the old “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” TV show, was about a pretty woman serving a life sentence in prison. Angry and resentful about her situation, she had decided that she would do anything rather than live another year in prison.
Over the years she had become good friends with one of the prison caretakers. His job, among others, was to bury those prisoners who died in a graveyard just outside the prison walls. When a prisoner died, the caretaker rang a bell, which was heard by everyone. The caretaker then got the body and put it in a casket. Next, he entered his office to fill out the death certificate before returning to the casket to nail the lid shut. Finally, he put the casket on a wagon to take it to the graveyard and bury it.
Knowing this routine, the woman devised an escape plan and shared it with the caretaker. The next time the bell rang, the woman would leave her cell and sneak into the dark room where the coffins were kept. She would slip into the coffin with the dead body while the caretaker was filling out the death certificate. When the caretaker returned, he would nail the lid shut and take the coffin outside the prison with the woman in the coffin along with the dead body. He would then bury the coffin. The woman knew that there would be enough air for her to breathe until later in the evening when the caretaker would return to the graveyard under the cover of darkness, dig up the coffin, open it, and set her free.
The caretaker was reluctant to go along with this plan, but since he and the woman had become good friends over the years, he agreed to do it.
The woman waited several weeks before someone in the prison died. She was asleep in her cell when she heard the death bell ring. She got up, picked the lock of her cell, and slowly walked down the hallway. She was nearly caught a couple of times. Her heart was beating fast. She opened the door to the darkened room where the coffins were kept. Quietly in the dark, she found the coffin that contained the dead body, carefully climbed into the coffin, and pulled the lid shut to wait for the caretaker to come and nail the lid shut.
Soon she heard footsteps and the pounding of the hammer and nails. Even though she was very uncomfortable in the coffin with the dead body, she knew that with each nail she was one step closer to freedom. The coffin was lifted onto the wagon and taken outside to the graveyard. She could feel the coffin being lowered into the ground. She didn’t make a sound as the coffin hit the bottom of the grave with a thud. Finally she heard the dirt dropping onto the top of the wooden coffin, and she knew that it was only a matter of time until she would be free at last. After several minutes of absolute silence, she began to laugh. She was free! She was free!
Feeling curious, she decided to light a match to find out the identity of the dead prisoner beside her. To her horror, she discovered that she was lying next to the dead caretaker. The final scene faded to black as you heard the woman screaming.
So, what is a slave? How do we define a slave? What test do we use to tell if someone is a slave? What makes them different from free people? Well, free people have control of their own lives and choices. Slaves are controlled by someone or something else. And you can be a slave to any number of things. You can be a slave to your parents. You can be a slave to your teachers. You can be a slave to video games or tv. You can be a slave to fast food – or food in general. You can be a slave to alcohol or drugs. You can be a slave to a destructive habit. You can be a slave to pornography or sexual sin. You can be a slave to _______.
And what I mean is that you do the things that you know in your heart you shouldn’t do. But you do them without thinking, almost impulsively. Or you do them after careful thought and you just choose to do the wrong thing because you like how it feels. Either way, the action is controlling you and you are a slave. You know what I mean – because you are a slave to something. We all have experienced slavery in our lives – there is something we are enslaved to right now. Sometimes we refuse to admit it. We don’t want to face it. But it’s there.
When I think of someone being a slave, it breaks my heart. It is almost unbelievable to me to think there was a time when people were sold into slavery in America. I have read of unbelievable cruelty done to slaves – even by people who called themselves Christians. Branding, scarring, mutilation, torture. It was done only a few hundred years ago.
Today it breaks my heart to see lovely, children of the King, willingly sell themselves and put themselves into bondage. Broken homes, mutilated flesh, despair, torment, sickness, even death. It’s still happening today. But it doesn’t have to. I have good news for you this morning. Jesus has come to liberate us from whatever it is that binds us.
Let’s me say, first, that we have to do our part. The Scripture says,
“After all, you have never yet struggled against sin and temptation until you sweat great drops of blood.” Heb 12:4 (Living)
Until we do all we can – God can’t do His part. Of course all we can do is not enough. We don’t have the strength or wisdom or power to overcome whatever it is we are enslaved by – but we have to try. We can’t just give up. We can’t merely wait and continue in slavery until our Redeemer comes. We have to fight our addiction. We have to resist. We have to struggle. And when we do all we can – and fall short – then the Savior will come and provide the strength to free us. So, first, resist. Struggle against sin and temptation. That’s our part.
Secondly, Pray. Tell Jesus of your weakness and your need. The Bible says,
“Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (Living)
“For everyone who asks, receives. Anyone who seeks, finds. If only you will knock, the door will open.” Matt 7:8 (Living)
“You haven’t tried this before, but begin now. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and your cup of joy will overflow.” John 16:24 (Living)
Paul says,
“Three different times I begged God to make me well again. Each time he said, "No. But I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people." Now I am glad to boast about how weak I am; I am glad to be a living demonstration of Christ’s power, instead of showing off my own power and abilities. Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite happy about "the thorn," and about insults and hardships, persecutions and difficulties; for when I am weak, then I am strong--the less I have, the more I depend on him.” 2 Cor 12:8-10 (Living)
Sometimes God will not answer our prayer just the way we want – but it will always be for our best. Our Heavenly Father loves you. He cherishes you. He adores you. And He will always answer your prayer in the best way – but we have to ask.
This morning I want to close by asking you to do two things. First, I want you to think of someone who is enslaved by sin – and pray for them. Secondly, I want you to think of what destructive thing it is you are enslaved to – confess it to God, and ask Him to deliver you from it. Will you do that? Let’s pray.
Dear Jesus,
I am thinking about __________ right now. Please set them free from their addiction. Free them from their slavery. I love them and want them to find freedom in their live.
Heavenly Father, I confess I am addicted to ________________. I hate it. I don’t want it in my life. But I find myself doing it over and over again. Please free me in Jesus’ name. Help me to be free to live my life as you want me to.
In Jesus’ Name,
