TEXT Ex 10:9 And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.
INTRO: Freedom is the most valuable expression of language that there is. It is an element that is fundamental in thought yet, overwhelming in experience; it is the one thing that mankind will dream for, live for, fight for, and die for. How is it that man is so motivated for such a thing? Could it be that he was created free from the beginning and that there would always be a desire somewhere in his being to be what he was once again?
There has always been those who would give away our freedom not being concerned about the awful price that had to be paid to attain it.
In our early days as a nation there were those who wanted to give up the thoughts of freedom and just sink back into slavery despite those who had already lost their lives in the pursuit of it. There were still alive and that’s all they cared about. Listen to the words of one of our great champions:
One great Patriot said “Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery!
It is in vain, sir, to extentuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace--but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!
Now as we hear these words of this great patriot, let me go back in time to a place where we see freedom beginning in Action, I go back in time to Egypt, where God’s people had become complacent with their bondage, but a God who wanted them to be free.
To achieve something of greatness there has to be a fire fueling the desire; A hope to be beyond where we are and a drive to achieve this very thing. An honest opinion of one’s self, I don’t know everything but I am willing to try and apply myself to attain the goal and status I know is possible for me to reach.
I. DREAMS AND DESIRES ARE FUELED BY NEED!!!!
A. People don’t seek freedom from their captivity when their freedom doesn’t challenge them.
1. As long as they are comfortable in their cage they are usually happy and rarely think about their captivity.
a. Many people think themselves very acceptable to change, but I find that is only true as long as they like the way that change went.
Illustration: I was told of a man who had a bear in captivity. The bear could walk 12 steps forward and then 12 steps back, that s all he could do. One day the owner of the bear felt sorry and said I will release the bear into the wild so he can finish out his life free. He took the bear upon a high mountain and there he released his friend. The bear walked out of the cage and then went 12 steps forward and then 12 steps back, he continued the same process as if he was in the cage. He was bound in his mind and so he couldn’t be free in his body. The bear had to be put to sleep because of the bondage of his mind.
There is no freedom when one is comfortable in their cage.
B. People don’t seek Freedom when captivity doesn’t hurt them.
1. Exodus chapter 4 is another example of Zipporah not wanting to accept change for the righteousness.
Moses had left Egypt and in his mind he thought I will never return to my people. So instead of instilling the blood covenant into his sons that was also a sign of freedom, he let his wife have her way and they didn’t circumcise their sons. One day he met God in the burning bush, a fire was ignited in his soul, he forgot that he hadn’t put his family under the same covenant, so his sons weren’t covered with flag of freedom under the covenant with God. Zipporah was a Midianite and she saw no reason for this bloody covenant, she no doubt opposed the idea radically; Moses never gave a thought that one day God would call him again, so he let it go never dreaming that his unwilling to stand for his God covenant would come back to haunt him.
2. It wasn’t until the Angel of the lord came and was going to take her son’s life that she humbled herself down and caused her son to be circumcised by her own hand with a flintrock knife.
She cast the foreskin at the feet of Jehovah; the blood covenant bought freedom. Freedom always cost blood!!!!
C. People don’t seek Freedom if they don’t think they are bound.
1. Emotionally fooled
2. Intellectually fooled
3. Culturally fooled
No one really wants to be saved because they have been fooled into thinking I am doing alright without being saved. They don’t realize what a slippery place they are in as well as how bound they really are.
Patrick Henry said “…Give me liberty or Give me death. Giving up my Freedom isn’t an option. He was stating its better to die free than to live as a slave. Jesus said I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly. Freely receive the blessing of your father but remember the cost of that blessing.
II. THE COST OF FREEDOM
A. Ascertaining the Cost of attaining Freedom
1. Countless Egyptians had to die for Israel to be free. The first born of pharaoh had to die for this freedom to be granted. Ten of the nastiest plagues to date were unleashed on Egypt to grant safe passage for Israel and then finally, Pharoah himself and about 1200 of his very best soldier drowned in the Red Sea. A prove in itself that sin can’t walk on the same covenant as Righteousness.
B. Ascertaining the willingness of an Individual to have freedom
1. Give me Liberty or give me death; what an awesome declaration. No price is to high for me to be free, no hope to far out that it can’t be reached, no dream so lofty that it can’t be attained or at least I will die trying. A man who was determined that we hold this self evident and we ain’t givin it up. Lay down your arms and be a slave if you will, but I will fight until there is no life left in me, because its what God said I could have.
2. Satan is constantly trying to persuade us to lay down the weapons of our warfare that is mighty thru God to the pulling down of strong holds.
a. Israel laid them down at the crossing of Jordan when the 10 foolish spies said we are not able to possess it, we must be slaves, all the time Joshua and Caleb said we are well able, lets go up at once and kick the devil out of our territory, praise God.
b. If you aren’t willing to pay the price, you will be a slave there is no other options.
III. THE LENGTH OF ENDURING FREEDOM
A. Constantly tempted to Give it up
1. The Battle from the beginning was to give up our God given freedom.
a. Israel had been free a short time and was already on their way back to idolatry of Egypt.
b. A short time later they gave up all their freedom for forty years.
B. We Have had Many moves of the Holy Ghost where revival affected the whole world but each time we were tempted to give it up.
C. The spirit of the Lord brings liberty IICor 3:17
1. So the opposite would be true as well, if the absence of the spirit of the Lord would bring loss of liberty and the inability of the pursuit of happiness.
2. AS Christians we must be as determined as Patrick Henry, my freedom is worth dying for; Apostle Paul said we are made more than conquerors by Christ Jesus. Independence Day is Christian entirely!!! Its not about fighting outerspace aliens, but it is about fighting the Prince of the Power of the air, Satan and his hord.
If you can be talked out of it, threatened out of it, bullied out of it, snookered out of it or any other way get it taken away from you, then you will probably lose the freedom God gave you, but if you are determined;
AS Joshua… We are well able
As Caleb….Give me my mountain
As the Hebrew children… Our God is well able to deliver us
Ezekeil…These dry bones will live again
As Paul…I have fought a good fight and I am going to heaven
These men said, make me go forty years in the wilderness, make me face the giants, make me face the fiery furnace, make me face the death of my wife and I can’t tell no one, make me face a beheading when all I did was tell you the truth, but my freedom is unconditional and I will not be defeated anymore, I will not be denied!!!
CONCLUSION:
1. Almost every year our freedom is celebrated with fireworks of virtually every kind and joy is the best part of the celebration. It is worth celebrating, it worth holding on too, its worth not going back.
2. Once more reminder it came with great cost and with great cost and sacrifice it will be kept. The blood of the dead has bought this great freedom and it’s the blood of Jesus Christ that brought our salvation and wrote our names in the lambs book of life.
Every firecracker you fire off remember rifle bullet or a grenade took someone American’s life so you could be able to rejoice.
Every high flying bottle rocket represents the high hope of the American people.
Every Explosion a representation a fulfilled dream in America.
May I say dreaming isn’t over in America and may I also say Dreaming isn’t over in the church. This fourth of July is a time to remember its okay to dream again, its okay to count the cost of obtaining the dreams and its expected that you want the dream to last.
I am come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly.
