"FOR THE LOVE OF FREEDOM"
Jer. 31:3
Jer. 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
Exo. 8:1 Then the LORD told Moses, “ Go to the king of Egypt and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Let my people go that they might worship me.
WHAT IS THIS THING CALL FREEDOM?
PICTURE OF ROOTS:
One of the great lines from the Classic TV Series "ROOTS, "The Saga of an American Family". Written by Alex Hailey. It was a history of his family beginning in Africa with one of his ancestors named "KUNTA KINTE" played by LeVar Burton – was taken in chains from his family and shipped to American and sold as a slave on a cotton plantation. It is the struggle and fight he put up be gain his freedom.
He escaped (only to be caught) and to insure that he did not escape again they chopped on his left foot. On this plantation, There was a great number of black that was born in slaver and had never known what freedom was. One of these slaves was a fellow named "FIDDLER" played by Louis Gosset Jr. Kunta Kinte never gave up seeking his freedom FIDDLER IS HEARD TO SAY AT THE END OF THE 2ND EPISODE, "WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED FREEDOM.
The appalling curse of the human race has been slavery. It began in the garden of Eden, when Adam surrendered his dominion - He plunged himself and all his decedents into the slavery of sin.
This thing of one humans owning another begin back with the Hittites. A great people, a strong people but they made their neighbors slaves.
The Assyrians, the Babylonians, the meads, the Persians, the Romans, the nations of Europe -
EVEN IN OUR OWN COUNTRY HAS BEEN PLAGUED BY THIS DREDDED DESEASE OF THE SOUL.
February is Black history month in America. The struggle of black people has been hard fought for and they have had many hero in this battle – both black and white. Probably none greater than Martin Luther King.
In One of this great speeches, Martin Luther King
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
Dr. Kings dream has come a long way to being fulfilled (certainly not fully met) but thank God we don’t have German Shepherd dog on the leash of Police Officer charging American who are only seek the rights that our Constitution promises every American. We don’t have black American being hosed down by fire hoses for standing up for their rights. We don’t have elderly lady ordered to set on the back seat of a bus just because her color is not the same as the majority or bus stations with a White section in the front and a colored section in the back.
I lived in Louisiana when one of the ABA Churches refused to allow 2 small black girls on the church bus to go to a Vacation Bible School. That church is no longer in existence and I say, "Thank God" and I said "Thank God" back in the Eighties when it happened. And thank God we live in the year 2000 plus where things like that don’t happen. We have not completely realized Martin Luther dream but we have come a long way. I am glad he climbed to the top of the Mountain and looked over into the Promise land.
Slavery is a blithe, a plague, a moral leprosy on the human race. There is a burning flame in every human heart that want to be free.
I believe that the majority of the people in Iraq are thrilled to have the freedom to vote and to be from under the heel of a brutal tyrant. In spite of the liberal media that does not seem to see the great cause of liberating a people from that kind of slavery.
I was proud of my president in his address to the nation last Wednesday evening. I stand behind his principals and morals.
I don’t want you to think that slaver is over. Many, Many people (even in the good on USA) are under the yoke of slaver today.
THE GREAT ENSLAVING FORCE CAN BE SUMMED UP IN ONE WORD: "S I N."
ONLY ONE FORCE HAS COME INTO THIS WORLD TO SET MEN COMPLETELY FREE AND THAT IS THE GOSPEL MESSAGE OF JESUS CHRIST.
THERE IS ONLY ONE GREAT EMANCIPATOR AND THAT IS THE LORD JESUS.
Paul would write to the Roman church and said, "Ye were the slaves of sin. . ." and "Do you not know, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his slave you are to whom ye obey;. . ."
Adam plunged the entire human race into the slavery of sin.
Right now there are millions of Americans who are slaves to alcohol. They are not free. Then there are those who are slaves to drugs. There are slaves to sex sins. . There are those who are slaves to the economy. There are slaves to the almighty dollar. There are slaves to materialism. We are living in a day when people pride themselves on being free. They think they are free, but the Lord Jesus said, "If the Son makes you free, then are you free indeed" (see John 8:36).
NEVER MAKE ANY MISTAKE THAT IT IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOU TO BE FREE.
THE TEXT:
1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to the king of Egypt. I will use my great power against him, and he will let my people go. Because of my power, he will force them out of his country.”
WHAT FREEDOM IS NOT: My freedom ends where your noise begins.
Freedom has never meant being able to do anything you want to do. You hear people say, It is my body, "I can do what I want with it." It is my life, "I can do what I want with it." That is not what freedom is all about.
Bro. Robert gave a wonderful devotional last Sunday on Freedom. The kite is only free as long as it is connected to the string that guides it. You will only be free when you chain yourself to the foot of the cross.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE REALLY FREE?
1. REAL FREEDOM IS KNOWING THE SON.
John 8:36, If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
2. REAL FREEDOM IS KNOWING THE TRUTH:
John 8:31, Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Let’s review what Jesus said. He did not say,
"You shall know the truth and it will make you happy"
"You shall know the truth and it will make you sad"
"You shall know the truth and it will make you mad.
It did say that THE TURTH WILL SET YOU FREE.
The truth can make you Sad – Mad or Glad BUT IT WILL SET YOU FREE.
77 times in the NIV, Jesus says, "I tell you the truth"
I got this from Beth Moore tape. The KJ says, "Verily, Verily, which means (I tell you the truth).
Why did Jesus have to say, "I tell you the truth" 77 times? Can he lie?
FACT: Jesus will never tell you a lie.
The devil will never tell you the truth.
Matt 5:18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
Matt 5:20 For I tell you the truth that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matt 10:42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
Matt 18:3 And he said: “I tell you the truth , unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
John 3:3 In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
John 5:24 “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
John 5:25 I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.
John 13:38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
John 8:34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
3. REAL FREEDOM IS BEING FREE FROM SIN:
Rom. 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
4. REAL FREEDOM IS BEING FREE FROM THE LAW:
So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. 4Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
