2023.07.02 Sermon Notes. Independence Day – Freedom – Liberty
William Akehurst, HSWC
BIG IDEA: Our freedom and liberty of independence is only available through dependence on CHRIST JESUS. We were not created for good and evil, but for truth. The Truth of CHRIST is what sets us free from sin and death to eternal life.
Scriptures: John 8:31-36, Genesis 2:17, Isaiah 61:1-2, Luke 4:18-21; Galatians 5:1, John 8:36, Romans 6:1-7, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Philippians 1:9-11, 1 Peter 2:15-16, John 3:16, Romans 8:2, Romans 6:22
John 8:31-36 (NKJV)
ABIDING IN JESUS’ WORD MAKES YOU HIS DISCIPLE
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
TRUTH MAKES YOU FREE
32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
COMMITTING SIN MAKES YOU A PRISONER OF SIN
34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.
IF JESUS MAKES YOU FREE, YOU ARE FREE.
36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
Genesis 2:17
17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
GOD DID NOT CREATE MAN TO KNOW GOOD AND EVIL.
WE WERE NOT CREATED TO KNOW GOOD AND EVIL.
WE WERE CREATED TO KNOW TRUTH.
WE GET CONFUSED WITH GOOD AND EVIL, IF WE DO NOT HAVE TRUTH.
GOD CREATED US IN THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE, AND OUR SIN (TAKING OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL) BROKE US.
JESUS RESTORES TRUTH.
MESSIANIC PROPHECY OF CHRIST
Isaiah 61:1-2 (ESV)
1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD'S favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
WHILE IN THE SYNAGOGUE, JESUS READ FROM ISAIAH AND SAID THAT THE SCRIPTURE WAS FULFILLED BY HIM
Luke 4:18-21 (ESV)
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
STAND FIRM, STAND FAST IN THE LIBERTY OF CHRIST WHO HAS MADE YOU FREE.
DON’T GET TANGLED IN SIN.
Galatians 5:1 (KJV)
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
PAUL SHARES A MESSAGE FROM GOD:
BLESSING COMES FROM GOD ON THE BASIS OF FAITH, NOT LAW.
THE LAW DECLARES MEN GUILTY AND IMPRISONS THEM.
FAITH SETS MEN FREE TO ENJOY LIBERTY IN CHRIST.
BUT LIBERTY IS NOT PERMISSION TO DO WHATEVER WE WANT.
FREEDOM IN CHRIST MEANS FREEDOM TO PRODUCE THE FRUITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH A SPIRIT-LED LIFESTYLE.
OUR FREEDOM FROM SIN AND DEATH COMES FROM JESUS. WE DEPEND ON HIM.
John 8:36 (NKJV)
36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST, WE ARE CHANGED AND MADE DEAD TO SIN - SET FREE.
Romans 6:1-7 (NKJV)
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
2 GOD forbid (Certainly not)! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
WHERE GOD’S SPIRIT IS, THERE IS FREEDOM.
IS THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST IN YOU?
2 Corinthians 3:17 (NKJV)
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
I PRAY THAT YOU WILL DESIRE GOD’S KNOWLEDGE AND DISCERNMENT, TO KNOW AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT, WITHOUT OFFENCE UNTIL CHRIST’S COMING.
BEING FILLED WITH FRUITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE EVIDENCE OF CHRIST’S FREEDOM FROM SIN.
Philippians 1:9-11 (NKJV)
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,
11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
GOD’S WILL…DO GOOD TO SILENCE EVIL. DON’T USE YOUR FREEDOM TO COVER UP SIN. LIVE TO SERVE GOD.
1 Peter 2:15-16 (ESV)
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.
16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.
OUR INDEPENDENCE REQUIRES OUR DEPENDENCE ON GOD’S PLAN THROUGH JESUS CHRIST HIS SON.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
GOD’S SPIRIT OF LIFE SETS US FREE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
Romans 8:2 ESV
2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
SET FREE FROM SIN, LIVE FOR GOD AND HE WILL CHANGE AND SANCTIFY YOU, SETTING YOU APART, FOR ETERNAL LIFE WITH HIM.
Romans 6:22 ESV
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
Let’s pray,
FATHER, we come thankful for YOUR Plan for us to restore us to YOUR TRUTH, through JESUS CHRIST. We have been set free, and desire to live in that WAY and TRUTH that YOU created us for, that we would be found faithful to serve YOU and enter into our destination for all eternity, to be in YOUR presence, faultless before YOUR throne, by the saving Grace that YOU provided through JESUS our LORD and SAVIOR, Amen.
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing,
Bill
