Breaking Bondages
VCC August 19, 2000
Intro:God Wants Us Free!
Last week we saw the importance of dealing with sin issues.
Acts 10:38,39 -- “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”
Jesus gave us what we needed for victory
Through his death
We saw wee needed to deal with SIN ISSUES
Sins we commit
Sins committed against us.
Exodus 6:
Ex. 4:29-31, people heard news of freedom from slavery and beleived
Ex. 5:1, God says “Let my people go.”
5:21, the people no longer believed that God was in charge,
They had been slaves for all their lives...who did they think they were?
Luke 4:18-19, He has anointed me to...proclaim freedom for the prisoners.
These people were not in stone jails he was talking to but spiritual, emotional, relational, mental prisons that controlled the way that they acted, thought, responded, etc.
Areas in which bondages often function.
Persons: relatives, peers, parents, spouses, teachers, singers, leaders, animals
Places: school, bedroom town, scene of a tragedy, etc.
Often associated with tramatic situations
Circumstances: congested freeway, family get-togethers
Times of Year: death of spouse or relative, divorce, sickness
Institutions: denomination, religious system, governmental system, military, colleges, welfare systems
Patterns: perfectionism, compulsive rituals, patterns of thnking, traditions
Words: childhood mottos, nicknames, profanity
“You’ll never amount to anything”
Images: mental pictures, dreams, pornography
Attitudes: negativity, criticalness, inferiority
Sin: lust, greed, coveting, materialism, drunkeness
Substances: alcohol, drugs, food, nicotene,cafeine, etc.
How Controlling bondages develop 1 John 5:21
Intentionally giving allegiance to something or someone other than Christ (1 Cor. 7:23, 10:14)
denominations, people, ancestors, groups, (Catholic vow of poverty)
Refusing not to receive Christ’s forgiveness, grace, and love, not forgiving self, or others, so we stay bound to some past sinful experience, painful loss or person (1 Cor. 6:16)
Sexual sin...even thought life, things we view, etc. (1 Cor. 6:18)
Occultic practice
Curse
By being wrongfully treated or controlled by people or groups in our past
God through hurtful or fearful experiences in certain settings
Wrong thinking (2 Cor. 10:3-5, Phil. 4:8)
the devils lies...I’m all alone, I should have known better, thre’s no hope...etc
By making ungodly vows (Prov. 18:21) ... even informal ones as “I’ll never...”
Jesus Has Freedom
Definition: assurance that your needs for security, love, significance, acceoptance and worth are always met in Christ.
Evidences of Freedom in the life of a believer
Joy (John 16:22, Ps. 4:7, Gal 5:22)
Galatians 5:1,15; What has happened to your JOY?
Peace
Forgiving
Freedom to fail (our identiy is not in our performance)
Freedom to be rejected (Jesus was despised and rejected by men...knew God’s acceptance)
Enjoy life
Rest from struggles of life (John 6:28,29, Heb 4:10)
Mt. 11:28, come all who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest.
Freedom in relationships (don’t have to prove something0
How to be free
Deal with any sin issues (Door One)
Forgive others who have sinned against you (or you are still bound to that person or group
Confess as sin and renounce any bondages/idols you are holding
An idol is anything you focus on more than Christ.
Believe you are free
Luke 4:18--Jesus came to set the captive free
Galatians 2:20 -- You were crucified with Christ, along with all your past
Written in the book where others were trying to steal their freedoms.
Problem is that many times we do not walk in faith, but by our feelings.
Harry Houdini--could not escape from one jail, frustrated and tired sat down agains the door of the cell and it swung open. He was free all the time and did not know it.
He answer is NOT SELF-HELP, BUT REALIZING CHRIST HAS DONE IT!
He took care of the sin. we are free (Rom 6:16-18,22)
