Thank God For Freedom!

*Can you imagine being a slave and not even knowing it?

-That was the condition of those unbelieving Jews, because they had been deceived by Satan. And you can be sure that Satan is doing every thing he can to deceive people today. John 8:44 tells us that the devil is the father of lies. Through false friends, false religions and false messages on radio and TV, Satan tries to deceive as many people as he possibly can.

*Some of you here today are falling for his lies right now, because he is so good at it. And you are a slave to sin, but Jesus wants to set you free.

-By the grace of God we can know the truth! -- You will find it in the Bible.

*Listen to two of our former Presidents:

-George Washington said, “It is impossible to righteously govern the world without God and the Bible.”

-Ronald Reagan said, “Within the covers of one single book, the Bible, are all the answers to all the problems that face us today --- if only we would read and believe. (7)

*Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

*Think about the amazing life-changing power that comes from knowing the truth.

-But we must understand that knowing the truth doesn’t just mean knowing the facts about Jesus. -- It means knowing Him in a personal way.

*God gives us the Bible, the written truth that can set us free when we put our trust in His Son Jesus Christ. --Jesus is the Living Truth who sets us free.

-We have to know Jesus in a personal way, because He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. -- Do you know Him?

*Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus will forgive your sins and give you eternal life, if you will turn to Him, and trust Him as Savior and Lord.

*Let Jesus give you the freedom that only He can give.

-And then thank God for the freedom we have in Jesus Christ!

-You can do that right now as we go to God in prayer.

1. Information found at Sermonillustrations.com and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Newport,_1st_Earl_of_Bradford

2. Information found at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_scandals_of_the_United_States

http://americanhistory.about.com/od/uspresidents/tp/presidential_scandals.htm

3. ChristianGlobe.com sermon “Nobody’s Perfect -- Except Jesus” by James Merritt - Hebrews 4:15-16

4. http://www.wallbuilders.com/libissuesarticles.asp?id=54 (Scripture references added by Wall Builders)

5. Adapted from SermonCentral sermon “Independence Day - Free from the Bondage of Sin!” by Bruce Shields - John 8:31-36 - 2005

6. "Women for Sale" by Michael J. Weiss, LADIES’ HOME JOURNAL, June 2002, p. 131. (Found in email from Sermons.com)

7. SermonCentral illustration contributed by Lynn Floyd