HFL ARLINGTON PLACE
JULY 3, 2009
JOHN 8;31-38
31To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
34Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
As you know, tomorrow we celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence that was signed on July 4th, 1776 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
56 men from 15 states laid down their lives, their fortunes, their homes, their honor and the welfare of their own families for a cause – the grand cause of Freedom from tyranny.
Thus began the long struggle with King George III of England and the mightiest army and navy in the world. A struggle ensued to Free America from the clutches of a greedy King and taskmaster that exacted a heavy toll upon the citizens of the colonies of the new world.
WHY WOULD THESE MEN TAKE THIS STEP? IT MEANT DEATH TO MANY OF THEM. IT MEANT LOSING ALL THEIR WORLDLY GOODS. WHAT MOTIVATES ANYONE TO TAKE THIS COURSE OF ACTION?
PATRICK HENRY SAID, “GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH.”
George Washington said, “The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves... The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army, our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us no choice but a brave resistance, or the most object submission... We have therefore to conquer or die."
NATHAN HALE SAID, “I REGRET THAT I HAVE ONLY LIFE TO GIVE FOR MY COUNTRY.”
THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF OUR COUNTRY PUT THIS MUCH IMPORTANCE ON OUR FREEDOM, THEY WERE WILLING TO DIE TO GAIN IT.
OUR NATION HAS BEEN AT WAR MANY TIMES, AND MUCH BLOOD HAS BEEN SHED TO CONTINUE TO PAY THIS PRICE. FREEDOMS PRICE IS SACRIFICE.
WE VALUE THIS FREEDOM SO HIGHLY, AND YET MANY TAKE IT FOR GRANTED. AND WHILE I TOO, PLACE A GREAT VALUE ON THE FREEDOM THAT LIVING IN THIS GREAT COUNTRY AFFORDS, JESUS SPEAKS OF A FREEDOM THAT IS OF EVEN GREATER VALUE.
OUR FOUNDING FATHERS SPOKE OF TYRANNY BY ANOTHER NATION, AND SLAVERY TO THAT NATION. JESUS TALKS ABOUT AN EVEN GREATER TYRANT, SATAN, AND EVEN GREATER SLAVERY- SIN. IT IS RELEASE FROM THIS TYRANT AND THE SLAVERY OF SIN THAT COUNTS FOR ETERNITY.
SET THE SCENE. JESUS HAS BEEN TEACHING NEAR THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM. THIS ACTUALLY BEGINS IN CH.8; 12.
HE SAID TO THEM, “I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. WHOEVER FOLLOWS ME WILL NEVER WALK IN DARKNESS, BUT WILL HAVE THE LIGHT OF LIFE.” THIS IS A RADICAL STATEMENT. WHAT HE IS SAYING IS, IF YOU FOLLOW ME, YOU WILL WALK IN LIGHT, (LIFE) BUT IF YOU DON’T FOLLOW ME, YOU WILL NOT WALK IN LIGHT, BUT RATHER IN DARKNESS AND DEATH. THIS IS AN EITHER OR, FOLLOW ME AND LIVE OR DON’T AND DIE.
THE PHARISEES DON’T LIKE WHAT JESUS IS SAYING, AND THEY
CHALLENGE HIM. WHO IS YOUR WITNESS? JESUS ANSWERS THEM,
“I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”
27They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.
MANY BELIEVED WHEN JESUS BEGAN TO TEACH. THEY ACCEPTED HIS TEACHING AS TRUTH. HIS WORDS BROUGHT LIFE. AND TO THIS GROUP, WHO HAD COME TO BELIEVE IN HIM, JESUS SPOKE.
IF, THIS MAKES THIS CONDITIONAL. THERE IS A CONDITIONAL PROMISE TO BE FOUND HERE. REWARD FOLLOWS OBEDIENCE. IF, YOU HOLD TO, OR CONTINUE IN, OR YOU KEEP ON DOING. THIS IS AN ONGOING, NEVER ENDING PROCESS. YOU CANT SAY/THINK, WAY BACK WHEN I ACCEPTED JESUS, AND I AM OK. GROWTH IS REQUIRED. MATURITY IS REQUIRED. WE DON’T EXPECT BABIES TO REMAIN BABIES, AND WE SHOULDN’T EXPECT BABES IN CHRIST TO STAY THAT WAY. JESUS IS SAYING, YOU BELIEVE IN ME TODAY, NOW KEEP ON BELIEVING, KEEP ON TRUSTING, KEEP ON OBEYING.
AND IF YOU DO, IF YOU REMAIN, YOU REALLY ARE MY DISCIPLES, MY FOLLOWERS. AND AS A RESULT OF CONTINUING, YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH. JESUS SAYS, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. HE IS THE ONLY WAY, THERE IS NO OTHER. HE IS THE ONLY TRUTH. JESUS IS SAYING, IF YOU COME TO BELIEVE IN HIM, AND CONTINUE IN THAT BELIEVING, YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF HIM- TRUTH WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE. AS YOUR KNOWING HIM INCREASES, SO WILL YOUR WALK. THE CLOSER WE WALK TO HIM, THE FURTHER FROM SIN WE MOVE.
THE NEXT THING HE SAYS, IS, THAT TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE. THE COLD HARD REALITY IS THIS; EVERY ONE OF US HAS BEEN IN BONDAGE AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER IN OUR LIVES. WHAT WE ARE IN BONDAGE TO, VARIES FROM PERSON TO PERSON, BUT WE EACH HAVE HAD IT. IT MAY BE LUST, IT MAY BE POWER, IT MAY BE GOSSIP, OR LYING, IT MAY BE ANY NUMBER OF THINGS. WE CAN SUM IT UP IN ONE WORD- SIN. WE HAVE ALL FELT THE COLD HARD CHAINS OF SIN IN OUR LIVES. SOME HAVE NEVER BROKEN FREE FROM THAT. BUT JESUS SAYS, HIS TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE.
NOW THE UNBELIEVING JEWS, HEARD JESUS SAY THIS, AND THEY GET HOT. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN SLAVES TO ANY ONE. THEY DON’T REMEMBER THEIR HISTORY LESSONS VERY WELL. THEY SAY, WE ARE SONS OF ABRAHAM. THEY ARE DRAWING ON THEIR ANCESTORY, AND THEY ARE PROUD OF IT. WE MIGHT WELL SAY TODAY, WE ARE SONS OF WASHINGTON, AND HAVE NEVER BEEN SLAVES. BUT, THAT TOO IS A LIE.
JESUS SAYS, EVERYONE WHO SINS IS A SLAVE TO SIN. THERE IS A TWO-FOLD APPLICATION HERE. FIRST, SIN SEPERATES YOU FROM GOD. IF YOU ARE NOT WALKING WITH GOD, YOU ARE NOT IN THE LIGHT. YOU ARE A DEAD MAN WALKING. SIN HAS ITS CONSEQUENCES, DEATH. THAT IS THE FIRST ASPECT. THE SECOND IS, AFTER YOU HAVE COME INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS, AND YOU ARE MOVING CLOSER ALL THE TIME, THEN YOU FIND THIS SIN IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU CANT LET GO. OR IT WONT LET GO OF YOU. YOU BATTLE WITH IT, YOU STRUGGLE WITH IT, BUT IT HOLDS ON. THAT SIN HAS MADE YOU A SLAVE TO IT. LET ME TELL YOU, SATAN IS GOING TO ATTACK YOU IN THE PLACE IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU ARE WEAKEST. HE DOES NOT WANT TO LET YOU GO, SO HE ATTACKS.
JUST AS MUCH AS SATAN ATTACKS, JESUS DOES NOT WANT YOU TO BE CAUGHT UP IN BONDAGE. HE WANTS YOU TO ENJOY THE FREEDOM AND LIFE THAT HE OFFERS. HE STANDS READY; KEY IN HAND, TO UNLOCK THE CHAINS THAT HOLD YOU TODAY.
