Scripture: Luke 4:14-19; Romans 8:1-4
Theme: Everlasting Liberty and Freedom
This is a sermon that can be used near July 4th in the US and any day to speak about the liberty/freedom that we can experience in Christ Jesus.
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
Liberty – Freedom – Independence – all those words ring with a noise that sounds like sweet music to our ears.
We in the United States understand those words. We cherish those words. We take those words to heart. We believe they are foundational words for our way of life. Since the Revolutionary War ended with the signing of the Treaty in Paris on September 3, 1783, we have lived in a land of freedom and liberty.
While over the last 247 years (dating from 1776 when we declared our independence from Great Britain) there have been other struggles, conflicts and even a Civil War, this place that we call home has been a place of peace, prosperity, and the pursuit of happiness.
Now, of course we could get into the weeds and talk about all the injustices and inequalities that have existed and still exist in our country today. We could spend hours debating whether or not we are truly free.
However, I would much rather for us to just appreciate our country today. Appreciate what the Founding Fathers were attempting to achieve. Appreciate what millions upon millions of people who have lived in our country have tried to provide for us today. Appreciate all their hard work, their sacrifice, and their love for God, for country and for family.
I want to talk to you today about liberty – about freedom because the Bible is full of passage after passage that deals with true liberty and true freedom.
I. All of us were created to be free.
The Bible is clear that from the beginning of time to the end of time here on this earth we were:
+Created in the Image of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.
+Created to be free; to experience a life of liberty and freedom.
As you read the first chapters of the book of Genesis and read about life in the Garden of Eden you quickly realize that humankind was not only created in God’s Image, but humankind was also created to be free.
Free to love God and free to love one another.
Free to enjoy an abundant life here on God’s Good Earth.
II. All of us were created with free will.
What is free-will?
Simply this – Free will is the ability to be able to choose. It is the privilege that we are given by God to either follow Him and live an abundant life or chose to go the opposite direction and create a world opposite Him – a world in which evil and sin reign and rule.
Susy Kassum in her writings puts it this way:
“God created every man to be free. The ability to choose whether to live free or enslaved, right or wrong, happy or in fear is something called freewill. Every man was born with freewill. Some people use it, and some people use any excuse not to. Nobody can turn you into a slave unless you allow them. Nobody can make you afraid of anything, unless you allow them. Nobody can tell you to do something wrong, unless you allow them. God never created you to be a slave, man did. God never created division or set up any borders between brothers, man did. God never told you hurt or kill another, man did. And in the end, when God asks you: "Who told you to kill one of my children?"
And you tell him, "My leader."
He will then ask you, "And are THEY your GOD?”
? Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem
The LORD GOD ALMIGHTY did not choose to create a bunch of robots. He did not program us to simply follow His Directives, Direction and Will. Instead, since we were created in His Image, we were not only created to be free, but we were created with free will. We can choose to live the way we want to live.
No one can tell us that we must follow God, be a person of righteousness or be a person who loves the LORD and others.
We can choose to do the very opposite. We can choose to reject God, we can choose to live a hellish life and we choose to be selfish, hateful, and greedy if we want.
But having free-will does not mean that one day we will not stand in front of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY as our Judge.
“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” – Hebrews 9:26
We must remember just as it is true that we have freewill; it is equally true that GOD IS GOD. He is the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. He is Elohim. He is the Ground of All Being. He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. There is no one like Him. He is Judge.
And while we may not like it – there is nothing we can do about it.
In Job chapters 38 – 42 we read this interesting conversation between the LORD and Job. Job has been questioning God. He wants God to come down and speak to him. He wants God to answer for all the things that has happened to him.
It is a very interesting read for in just a few chapters the LORD explains to Job just how life is –
+He is God – He has always been God – He is the Creator of All that Exists – He is LORD OF LORDS and KING OF KINGS – He is GOD.
+We are not God – we have not always been in existence – we are not the creator nor are we all powerful. We are human – made in God’s image – but we are both water and spirit – dirt and divine.
Listen to Job’s words in chapter 42 –
Then Job replied to the Lord:
2 “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me.
4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’
5 I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
6 I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”
This morning, we are created to be free – we are created with freewill.
But we were created to live the way that God wants us to live.
Perhaps that is the rub.
We want to be free – we enjoy freewill, but at times we really don’t like someone over us even if it is God.
Can we trust God?
Does God really want what is best for us?
Are those not the same questions that Adam and Eve faced back in the Garden?
And are they not the same questions that they answered so wrongly and that caused all the pain and suffering that we experience today?
In the passage we find in Luke today, Jesus tells us that despite all that happened in the Garden that He has come to bring us all liberty and freedom.
Listen to Jesus’ words again and remind yourself that these words were Jesus’ first words used in His ministry – the first words that He wanted people to understand about what He was going to do and accomplish for mankind.
+The Holy Spirit is upon Me
+The Holy Spirit has anointed Me with a Mission – that mission is to share Good News – The News of Salvation – the Best News that mankind has heard since the Garden of Eden.
+This Good News is to be shared with the poor – those that are poor in spirit and those that consider themselves poor in physical health, emotional health, financial and social status. No one will be outside the ability to be able to hear this Good News and be a part of this Good News – the News of Salvation.
+Those that are captives will be able to find freedom and liberty – from things like sin, evil, addictions and demonic activity.
+Those that are blind will be able to see what is real, what is truth and what is righteousness. Nothing of God will be hidden from them. They will see how God is at work in the world and how they can be God’s light to all those around.
+Those who are oppressed, put down and marginalized will be lifted. No one will be pushed to the side. No one will be made to feel unworthy and unwanted.
+God’s time of favor is at hand. God will be pouring out from Heaven His very Own Essence through His Holy Spirit. God will be at work not only among mankind but inside and through mankind.
When we take Jesus’ words to heart, we begin to understand what His true mission and message was to our world.
God in Flesh has come to break the power of sin.
God in Flesh has come to remove the penalty of sin.
Jesus said it this way:
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” – John 8:32
This is what Paul wrote to the Churches:
+1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. – Romans 8:1-4
+Now the LORD is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is liberty. – 2 Corinthians 3:17
So, let’s take stock of what we have said so far:
+We were created to be free – that is God’s gift to us.
+We were given freewill – that too is God’s gift to us.
+Because of poor choices, disobedience and rebellion mankind invited sin and evil into our world and that damaged everything. Death, hell and the grave became a reality. Sin has a bite. It enslaves, it overpowers, it controls, and it will lead us to experience a hell on earth going towards an everlasting hell.
+However, because of God’s love and mercy we can today experience a life of freedom and liberty.
That all was made possible by Jesus. That was all made possible because of Jesus’ sacrifice on Mt. Calvary.
Our nation’s Independence, freedom and liberty did not come cheap. Over 200,000 people took part in that fight. While the organized army numbers paled in comparison, the real battles were fought in little town and village after little town and village. It is estimated that over 25,000 soldiers and citizens gave their lives to provide for us a nation dedicated to liberty and freedom and the pursuit of happiness.
Since that time over 42 million soldiers have served to keep us free. Millions upon millions have died keeping us free.
We need to appreciate the sacrifice, the sweat and blood that was shed for all of us here today. Our freedom, our liberty came at a great cost. It still comes at a great cost.
But even more so, we need to appreciate the sacrifice that was given so that we could be spiritually free today. That we could have complete freedom and liberty from sin, death, and hell. That we can be free from the power of sin and the penalty of sin.
For in that battle there was only one soldier, one person who gave their life.
According to Matthew 26:53 Jesus could have called more than 12 legions of angels to protect him – in case you are wondering that would have meant over 72,000 angels (a Roman legion at the time was 6,000 elite fighting men).
So, let’s do the math – in 2 Kings 19:35 we read where one angel was responsible for the dismissal of 185,000 soldiers that had been sent to destroy Israel.
So, 185,000 times 72,000 angels means a little more than 13 billion people.
In other words, Jesus was saying I could wipe the planet clean. And I have no doubt that the angels would have done that very thing.
But He didn’t. Instead, in the greatest battle of all – Jesus sacrificed Himself – God in Flesh died for you and me.
He rose again so that we could enjoy the victory He had fought for and won.
Today, we honor this place that we call home – The United States of America.
She is not perfect – she never will be perfect. But amid all the mess we still appreciate, honor and respect what she stands for and the ideas that she was founded upon.
Today, even more we enjoy the truest of freedoms – the freedom over the power of sin and the penalty of death. The liberty of living a life filled with God’s Holy Spirit. The freedom that comes with following Jesus.
When it comes our time to lay down their physical bodies and stand before the King of Kings and LORD OF LORDS – we do so acknowledging that what Jesus did on the cross makes us clean, holy, and pure. We do so understanding that we have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb.
We do so knowing that He has set us free; truly free. We do so understanding that in Him we have Abundant Life here on God’s Good Earth and Everlasting Life forevermore.
So, we come to His Table. His Table of Sacrifice. His Table of Grace, Mercy and Love. His Table that points the way to Everlasting Life.
Invitation to Holy Communion
Prayer – Blessing – Sending Forth
