RED, WHITE, BLUE, AND YOU
FREEDOM EXPERIENCE
07/03/2022 – 9:30AM
ED YOUNG
Have you ever painted anything before? I'm sure you have. You've painted a house, a room. Maybe you like to paint acrylic, watercolor, whatever. As I spoke about last night, it's incredible how paint is transferred. We always wear these outfits, and we always say, "Okay, I'm not going to get any paint on me," but inevitably it's transferred. It's like it soaks into our skin. Then we have problems getting the paint off. Am I the only one? It'll end up in your hair, on your shoes, on some outfit, paint gets everywhere, around the house, paint. I'm not going to lie, my favorite color combination is red, white and blue. It really is. Whenever I see the American flag, and you're probably the same way, it's like, "Red, white, and blue." In one word, what does that celebrate? What does that mean? Freedom. It means freedom. There's nothing like the crisp colors of red, white, and blue.
Today, the title of my message is Red, White, Blue, And You. Say that with me, Red, White, Blue And You. Because during this 4th of July weekend, you're going to wear and wave the red, white and blue. Red, white, and blue will be everywhere. It's the ubiquitous colors of our country.
I remember my wife Lisa's address, we met when we were 14 years old, and celebrated our 40th anniversary this past Sunday, 40 years. It's really an amazing thing because I'm only 48, but we got married at eight years of age. No, not really. 40 years.
I traveled to her house a lot when we were, not talking, young people, it's when we were official. Right? We were boyfriend, girlfriend. I asked her to be my, see air quotes, "girlfriend." I would show up at her house, 519 Arrowwood Road, Columbia, South Carolina. Google it. It a ranch style house on three acres, towering Carolina pine trees. There was one thing though, that was always there, one thing that stuck out, one thing that I always saw, an American flag. Lisa's family, you want to talk about being patriotic, if you cut them, they would bleed red, white, and blue. They were that patriotic.
Every 4th of July weekend, they would sing happy birthday America, or as Lisa's dad pronounced it, happy birthday. That's another story. Lisa's dad would get teary. I just didn't grow up in a home where we sang happy birthday America. And in my naivete, in my stupidity, I didn't put two and two together. Lisa's father was a tank commander in World War II. He understood the sacrifice. He understood those bloody battlefields. He understood that he was a recipient, his family and friends were recipients of sacrifice. And I'm that way too. I mean, I've never fought in a war. I've never defended the U.S. of A. Some of you have and we salute you literally. We honor you. We thank you. But most of us we're like, "Okay, I'm just going to reap the benefits of freedom."
We often say, "Freedom began on July 4th, 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed." We see the first signature, that beautiful penmanship, John Hancock. Right? We say that is the beginning of freedom. On one hand for our nation, it is, but real freedom occurred 2000 years ago on a hill outside of Jerusalem. The reason we can experience freedom today in this country is because of what Jesus secured for us 2000 years ago, when he spilled his blood for the sins of the world, was buried for three days and rose again. Because our nation was and is founded on that. We say, "The red, white, and blue, one nation under God." And for many that's true, but more and more as we look at our culture, it's like, "No, we're alongside God." And if you go on social media, a lot of people say, "No, no, no, forget God. I am God." The land of the free and the home of the brave. That's true for a lot of people, but for some it's the land of the sheeple and the home of the woke. We don't understand freedom.
This sounds like a cliche. It is, but it's deep. Freedom isn't free. We think, "Okay. Freedom…" And I'm talking to young people, "freedom, I can do anything I want to do, say anything I want to say, be anybody I want to be," It's just going buck wild. That's not freedom. That's anarchy. That's chaos. Freedom always has fences.
When you watch a basketball game, football game, baseball game. What if there were no rules? No fences? Oh, that's great. I just want to watch football players just go crazy. I want to watch baseball players just go crazy; basketball players just go crazy. That's not freedom. Freedom always has fences. You were created, I'm created to experience ultimate freedom. You were made, I was made to experience ultimate freedom. The real freedom, I'm talking about is deep freedom. Freedom on a Holy Notha Level that comes through and from Jesus Christ.
I've got to ask you, "Are you free? Have you signed your Declaration of Independence? Have you put your "John Hancock" on that deal? Because here's what's so ironic about the Christian life. When we sign our Declaration of Independence, we're saying we're totally dependent on the person of Jesus. Is Jesus your master? Is Jesus your savior? He wants you to experience, I'll say it again, ultimate freedom and ultimate freedom is following him. It's living for him.
Do I have any dog owners here? Oh yeah, we have dogs. I just bought, I don't know, almost a year ago, a Great Dane is huge. Already, he's a year old and he's, I don't know, 130 to 150. And he's semi-obedient. He doesn't like his crate that much. And literally I have to pull a Conor McGregor and wrestle him, MMA him just to get him the crate sometimes when he doesn't want to get into the crate. You can see these scratches on my arms. I have scratches on my back. I'm not going to take my shirt off, but just trust me. Legend.
We've had a lot of big dogs. We have some Goldendoodles. Anybody have any Goldendoodles here? They're a great dog. Any dog that has "oodle" in its name, Poodle, this is a really smart dog. One day, our Goldendoodle escaped. I don't know why, because our Goldendoodles live the A-lister life. They really do. Mineral water, organic food, manis, pedis, massages regularly. You know I'm kidding, they live a good life. They're in the fenced-in yard and the yard is manicured. We have some cool plants and things like that, water outside, food outside, we're always watching them. If it gets too hot, "Come on in." If they want to go outside, we'll let them go outside and chase squirrels and things like that.
So, in this doggy's brain, why would she run off? I don't know. I mean, to me, it's like ultimate freedom, right? Freedom with fences. But she ran off and we were really worried because we thought she was gone for good. Over an hour and a half, we can't find the dog. We're searching around the neighborhood.
It's funny when you search around the neighborhood and ask people questions about dogs, people are power walking. You know those people? Some of these people are jogging. I want to make fun of them, but I go, "Man, at least they're out there." Guys who are from Texas in their forties, here's how they talk. Here's the ubiquitous, Texas accent. When guys get in their forties, they don't open their mouths very much. They talk like this. Every one of them does. Like, "Yes, I'm from Texas. Yes. Uh-huh. Sure." How are you talking, and your mouth is not opening?
Anyway, dog is lost, and we see a guy and he's power walking. "Hey, excuse me. Have you seen a white dog? Kind of a Goldendoodle?" "Yeah, I did. I saw one cross the freeway over there. I was out there and then also went near Dunkin' Donuts. So, I saw him. Yeah, I did. I didn't know what the dog was doing." "Okay. Thank you, sir. Thank you." Keep searching, searching, see someone else, see another guy. "Hey, have you seen a dog?" "Yep. I sure have. The dog was running to dunking donuts and across the freeway over there." They talk the same. Why do we do that? That's why a lot of guys aren't laughing right now. You're like, "That's me." So finally, we're looking, looking, looking. I'm thinking this dog is dead. Hate to say it. I didn't tell Lisa that, but I'm thinking it. So, we're driving, and I see Emma way down this road, way down this busy street. I'm thinking, "There's no way that's her." Sure enough, it was. She darted across the freeway and into these deep woods.
I got a ticket. I hate to say it. I've not gotten a ticket in 20 years. I got a ticket coming back from Allaso Ranch a couple of nights ago in Italy, Texas. They pull me over and this police officer, sheriff, walks up to the car, "Sir, you were going over the speed limit 16 miles an hour." And I said, "Yes, sir." I said, "I'm a pastor." I tried to play the pastor card. I'm a man of the cloth, a humble servant of the Lord. "And officer, yes, I was speeding." "Yes," he said, "you were going fast. And listen, just slow down a little bit, but I have to give you a ticket." He starts writing the ticket. He talks the way every other 40-something year old Texas guy talks too, and he gave me a ticket. So anyway, I don't know why I told you that, but I did.
We found Emma. She was in the woods all muddy, and she jumped into my arms. We found her and Lisa took a picture of us. [PHOTO of ED HOLDING EMMA] See how happy I am, and look how happy Emma is. She's like, "Oh, thank you, Lord. I've been discovered."
She was going from that moment to ultimate freedom, right? God is searching for you and me. He wants us to have ultimate freedom. And the freedom occurs when we jump into his arms, no matter how dirty we are, no matter how messed up we are, no matter how sin stained we are. And he wants us to live with him. He wants to be our master. I am Emma's master. There's freedom with fences. We're made for fences. There are literally laws that liberate.
One day, Jesus was talking about freedom to a bunch of people, and they just didn't get it. In John chapter eight, he was talking about freedom and he goes, John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus was saying, "I'm not just a truth. I am the truth. And this truth will set you free."
Then as his audience kind of did the pushback a little bit. He goes, the Bible says in John 8:34, “…everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” His crowd did not think that was cool. They're like, "What? A slave? There's been slavery since pretty much the dawn of time and Christ's audience was saying, "Slavery? We're not a slave to anyone. We're free." Jesus was not talking about that. He was talking about what sin does. Sin, and we're all natural born sinners, enslaves us.
It gives us this ability to think sin is better than the savior. It messes our mind up. Then when we think sin is better than the savior as we're living in sin, it will take us over the edge and the ledge. The Bible says, Romans 6:23 (NLT) “For the wages of sin is death,” The wages of sin will lead to hell. The wages of sin. What's a wage? It's something we work for. The wages of sin is death. That means physical death and spiritual death. But then it says, “but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” What's a gift? You don't work for a gift. You don't earn the gift. It's something you receive or not. Jesus offers himself to you and me, what he did 2000 years ago on the cross, his death, burial, and resurrection. He offers it to you and me who are enslaved in sin. Jesus gives us the horsepower to overcome the penalty of sin, hell and the power of sin. We now have the ability, the freedom to look at life and go, "Oh no, no. Jesus is my master. That is better than anything else the world offers." Literally it sounds paradoxical. “Jesus is our master, we're a slave to him”, yet we're freed up to follow him.
Then he said in John 8:36 “…if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” In other words, it's your choice. We have the freedom of choice. How cool is that?
Red, white, and blue. I love the colors. Red, white, and blue. Are they on you? Red, white and blue. RED IS THE BLOOD OF JESUS. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”
WHITE IS THE CLEANSING OF JESUS. Isaiah 1:18, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” 2 Corinthians 5:21, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” We cannot stand in front of the brilliant blaze of God's glory because we're sinners. Yet, Jesus did something for us we can't do for ourselves. He offers us this gift of eternal life. The moment we receive it, we're forgiven. We're cleansed. We're born again. But check this out. The righteousness of Jesus, his perfection is imputed into your life and mind. We're as white as snow. Those aren't my words. Those are God's words.
Red, white, and blue. BLUE IS WATER BAPTISM. Once we become a believer, the Bible says go H2O, get baptized. Have you been baptized? Red, white, and blue. Acts 22:16, “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’” Red, white, and blue, have the colors seeped into your soul? Have they been transferred from Jesus to your life? Because once these colors get on you, you can't get them off.
I've got to ask you, RED, WHITE, AND BLUE AND YOU, what are you doing with the red, white, and blue, the blood of Jesus? Just like our soldiers shed their blood for our freedom and even a deeper way, think about what Jesus did. White, he's washed us as white as snow. There are no degrees to sin. Sin is sin. We can be washed and cleansed. The first thing that the Bible says we're to do after we become Christian is to put our flag up for Jesus. When we wave the flag, we're saying, "I'm an American.” This doesn't make me American, but I'm an American. I advertise the red, white, and blue. I'm not shy to wear red, white, and blue. I'm not shy to do this. I'm not shy. No, no. I am a citizen of the United States of America." The first thing we're to do after we become a believer is, "I'm a part of the family of God. I'm a citizen of heaven." Have you been baptized? Well, first of all, have you received Christ? That's the first thing, red, white, and blue. Have you been baptized?
Every time I talk about baptism? It's hilarious, even adults, questions abound. Opinions are thrown out. Yet so many of these opinions are not biblical. Simple questions for them, the baby question, "Well, I was baptized as a baby, so was my wife." Okay, good. But you didn't know what you were doing, your parents did, but you didn't. There's no infant baptism in the Bible. Number two, the Clorox question, "Does baptism have the ability to supernaturally cleanse me of my sins? I mean, if there was a baptism machine, then I could get baptized a million times a day." No, no, no, no, no. It's symbolic. I hold this flag in the air. Does that make me an American? No, I might not be an American. Just because you're baptized, doesn't make you a Christian. The next question is the attorney question. Any attorneys here? Don't lift your hand. Attorneys love to argue everything. "Well, technically speaking, can someone be a Christian without being baptized?" Yes. Case in point, the thief on the cross that became a believer right before he died. Jesus didn't say, "Wait! For you to become a Christian, you got to jump down off the cross and get baptized." No. So, technically speaking, you can be a Christian without being baptized. However, if you're able, get baptized, get advertised. Another question, the fourth one, if you're keeping score is the mechanic’s question. Should I be sprinkled? Spritzed? Poured? How should I get baptized? When we have a question, we go, "What does the Bible say?" Not what does church history say? Not what does this group say? No. No. What does the Bible say? Every baptism in the Bible was by immersion.
Baptism is about the red, white and blue. You go under the water, you come out of the water. The water symbolizes the blood of Jesus, red, that cleanses us white of all sins and water is blue. Have you been baptized?
Some of you here have never, ever asked Christ to come into your life. You've never received the gift. That's group A. Group B will be those you've received the gift, but you've never been baptized. Group A, when you pray this prayer with me, if you want to, it's your freedom of choice, the next thing you should do is get baptized. Group B, what are you waiting for? The Bible says, "Get up." “Get up, stand up.” A little Marley for you this morning. What are you waiting for? You mean you're going to go, "Okay. I am totally relying on this gift of salvation to spend eternity with Jesus. I'm totally relying on his sacrifice. He took away the penalty of sin. He's dealing with the power of sin, but I'm going to keep it private." Huh? Jesus says, “Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.” Matthew 10:32. Red, white, and blue. What are you going to do?
Father, thank you for this message. Thank you for your truth. Thank you for freedom. I thank you for the freedom that I have to follow you. I thank you for freedom with fences. I thank you for the laws that liberate.
I know there are many people here, many watching online, especially during this holiday weekend. If you've never asked Christ to come into your life, say this prayer with me. That's right, just with me. This is the same prayer that I prayed years ago. I'll help you with it. Here's what you say, God, I know you love me. And I admit to you right up front that I'm a sinner. I've messed up. I've fallen short. I turn from my sins. I repent and turn to you, Jesus. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins, rose again after three days. And right now, on this 4th of July weekend, I sign my Declaration of Independence. I put my "John Hancock" on the deal. I ask you to come into my life. The moment you say that there's a transaction that takes place, your guilt for God's grace, your sin for the savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Just say it, "Come into my life." The moment you said that you are free. I'm talking about “free indeed” to discover what freedom is all about. Amen.
