INTRODUCTION
• PC VIDEO
• SLIDE #1
• Freedom. It is never free. For some reason freedom is something that has to be fought for.
• For freedom to be experienced, blood has to be shed. In the world there are always people, groups, and governments who want to make sure you lose your freedom.
• Satan himself does all he can to make sure you are not free.
• The freedoms we enjoy in this country were for fought and died for, much blood was spilled, the freedom from sin that we can enjoy has also been fought and died for, and precious blood was shed for it.
• Freedom came from people being willing to sacrifice it all!
• Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence. Their conviction resulted in untold sufferings for themselves and their families.
• Of the 56 men, five were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
• The true freedom that you can enjoy was purchased by the sacrificial death and subsequent resurrection of Jesus!
• My prayer this morning is this, I want ALL of us to understand that the FREEDOM we enjoy as a nation and the freedom we enjoy in Jesus is a GIFT!
• Our gift comes with responsibility. We owe it to those who have sacrificed and died for our freedom to understand that freedom was not free and that freedom comes with responsibility.
• In our country we have been given freedom, the problem our country is having is that we have forgotten that with freedom comes responsibility.
• The Founding Fathers understood that how a person uses their liberty or freedom will determine how well the nation would function.
• Let’s look at Galatians 5:13-15 together.
• SLIDE #2
• Galatians 5:13–15 (ESV) 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. What is this gift?
• SLIDE #4
• Galatians 5:1 (ESV) 5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
• Do you think the world thinks when a person gives their life to Jesus that they are free?
• Does the world think that our lives are about a bunch of “you cannot do that” rules?
• The bible makes it clear that we were called to FREEDOM!
• WHAT IS FREEDOM?
• In Greek philosophy Plato taught that freedom was defined as “to be at ones own disposal.” THIS WAS IN CONTRAST TO A SLAVE.
• The dictionary defines Freedom as, “a state in which somebody is able to act and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any undue restraints or restrictions”
• The gift that we have is freedom, BUT freedom is not an absence of responsibility.
• Some think that freedom means that you can do what you want, but that is not freedom.
• Our gift authorizes believers to lay claim to their freedom, and It challenges believers to use their freedom responsibly.
• Paul begins by explaining our calling: we are called to (freedom) liberty. The Christian is a free man. He is free from the guilt of sin because he has experienced God’s forgiveness.
• He is free from the penalty of sin because Christ died for him on the cross. And he is, through the Spirit, free from the power of sin in his daily life. He is also free from the Law with its demands and threats.
• Christ bore the curse of the Law and ended its tyranny once and for all. We are “called unto liberty” because we are “called into the grace of Christ
• Look at what Jesus says in John 8:31-32
• SLIDE #5
• John 8:31–32 (ESV) 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
• Notice the implication and responsibility that comes with freedom.
• Our freedom is something that we can use for God and his kingdom, or it is something that we can abuse and use for our own selfish benefit. We can take the freedom that we have and use it as a license or turn it into legalism.
• SLIDE #6
II. How I can ruin my gift.
• We will look at a couple of ways we can ruin our great gift.
• SLIDE #7
A. Turning freedom into license. 13b
• Part of verse 13 reminds us, “Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh”
• The word in verse 13 translated “Opportunity” denotes a starting point, a beachhead for the armies of indulgence to gain a foothold. A starting point or base of operation.
• Turning our freedom into license means that we think we can do whatever we want!
• Too many people are clamoring for freedom to do what they shouldn’t do.
• People who spend their lives trying to satisfy every fleshly appetite find out this phony freedom is even worse than bondage to rules.
• Don’t allow your liberty to degenerate into license!”
• How many have had discussions with their teenagers that goes like this, I AM A TEENAGERS, THEREFORE I AM AN ADULT, SO I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT.
• That is not freedom that is irresponsibility!
• We owe it to Jesus to exercise our freedom in a responsible way, we owe it to those who have sacrificed and died to make sure we use our freedom to the fullest, understanding that as citizens we have an obligation to be God-fearing, productive responsible citizens!
• We know we are bitten by this as citizens when we feel entitled, entitled to what other people have worked hard to have!
• SLIDE #8
• Ephesians 2:10 reminds us
• Ephesians 2:10 (ESV) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
• SLIDE #9
B. Turning freedom into legalism. 15
• 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
• People were taking their new-found freedom in Christ and were trying to force their thinking on other people.
• Sometimes we build a box of what we think a Christian is. If people do not fit into our box, we will reject them. I have done this before. (CLOTHING and other things)
• Jerry had related to you about how someone was more or less run out of a church over wearing a hat.
• Biting and devouring one another draws up images of animals furiously fighting with each other.
• It is characteristic of legalism to tear down rather than build up. When the crusade of the self-righteous reaches its ultimate end, the community of believers is decimated and finally annihilated
• SLIDE #10
• Let’s us see…
III. How I can properly employ my gift.
• We have been given the awesome gift of freedom, both from sin and as a nation, so what can we do to properly employ our gift?
• SLIDE #11
A. Serve one another. 13c
• but through love serve one another.
• This seems to be a lost art in our country, it seems like there is a lot of WHAT IS IN IT FOR ME!
• On January 20, 1961 in his inaugural address, President John F. Kennedy said, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.”
• This plea is all about being willing to serve instead of looking to get all you can get.
• This violation of this plea is really hurting our country, more and more people are looking to be served instead of serving.
• It was so refreshing to see so many people being willing to serve others during the recent fires, people were putting others first, it was great to see!
• SLIDE #12
• 1 Corinthians 9:19 (ESV) For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.
• The irony of true freedom is that it is found in servitude. When Paul says, “serve one another” he uses a word normally employed in the context of slavery
• The person who is set free from both slavery to law and slavery to self will find true freedom as the servant of Christ, and an eager servant of the community of believers.
• Just think what we would have if we were all willing to serve each other. Too many people look for a church with the idea of what the church can do for them, but maybe they should ask, what can I do for that church and the people who are a part of it.
• This is one of the reasons for coming to church, so that we can serve each other. We grow closer as we worship together and then we learn how we can serve each other. How can I serve you if I do not know you?
• SLIDE #13
B. Love one another. 14
• 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
• Love is the key, love should motivate us to serve God and to serve others.
• Just as real faith expresses itself through love (5:6), the joy of a Christian’s freedom is discovered to rest upon love also.
• God would love see us do is rush from opportunity to opportunity, always eager to serve others. Law builds fences around what we must not do; love builds bridges to new places of service.
• “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” solves every problem in human relations (see Rom. 13:8-14). If you love people (because you love Christ), you will not steal from them, lie about them, envy them, or try in any way to hurt them. Love in the heart is God’s substitute for laws and threats.
• Love will lead you to do what is right for others. Love of country will lead you to do what is best for our great country!
• Love of country and love of freedom led men and women throughout our history to lay their lives on the line for our freedom and for our country.
CONCLUSION
• The final question I want you to ponder as we look at this clip from Saving Private Ryan is…
• Are you living up to the sacrifice that was made for you be the brave people who have defended your freedom and are you living up to the sacrifice that Jesus made for you?
• Do you appreciate your gift of freedom?
• VIDEO
