You Are A Slave The Question Is To Whom

For those who are not familiar with an Anglican Service there are four Scriptures that are read before the Message. The Scriptures assigned for today are: Genesis 22:1-14, Psalm 89: 1-18; Romans 6:12-23 and Matthew 10:40-42.

The following is a true story ... that I think speaks volumes... about us ... as human beings

When my granddaughter was about three years old, ... my wife Lee and I ... were babysitting our grandchildren in Morton Illinois.

Anna wanted to go outside and play on our own.

I thought this was a good teaching moment.

So, ... I knelt down beside her ... so that we could look at each other ... face to face.

I took her hands and slowly ... and carefully said, ... "Now, Anna, ... you can play here in our front yard.

You can ride your Big Wheel ... up and down the driveway.

You can go in the back yard ... and play in the sandbox ... or play on your swing.

You can stay inside ... and watch television.

These are All the things you have my permission to do.

But you can NOT go ... out into the street.

It is very dangerous there.

You cannot play in the street.

Do you understand what I'm saying?"

And 3-year-old Anna nodded her head... and said "Yes, Cappy".

All the grand-kids call me Cappy.

I let go of her hand ... and she ran straight to the curb, ... looked right at me ... as I was standing at the front door and put one foot in the street.

She gave me that look, ... as if to say, ... "Foolish mortal!"

Why ... Why after understanding All the freedoms that I had allowed her ... would she deliberately go out to the One place ... I told her ... not to go?

She did it ... because that is the nature ... of humankind.

We want to be FREE ... to do things ... "our way"

We want to be FREE ... to live by ... our own rules

We want to be FREE ... to make our own decisions about what is right ... and what is wrong.

The reality is ... that the rejection of doing what we are told by others ... lies at the very heart ... of man's conflict ... with God ... our heavenly Father.

God created us ... and loves us.

God wants to guide us ... He wants to keep us safe ... He wants to ... shower us with blessings.

God told the nation of Israel .... "I know the plans I have for you, ... plans to prosper you ... and not to harm you, ... plans to give you hope ... and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11

God has so much in store for His children.

Yet man ... too often ... looks at the Heavenly Father ... knowing all the promises and blessings ... yet all they see ... are the restrictions that God warns us to avoid.

Restrictions ... that are meant for our good, ... restrictions to keep us from harm.

We so often look Beyond the freedom ... and the promises God offers us ... and we seem to focus on the restrictions... that are truly ... for our own good.

To get God's best, ... we need to let go ... to trust God.

To let go ... and let God.

To let God, ... have authority ... To have Lordship ...over our lives.

And that yielding of our lives will free us: Hear God's Word: BIBLE " ... Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, .... "If you abide in my word, ... you are my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." END (John 8:31-32)

That irritated the crowd, ... for they felt ... that they did not need to be set free ... and they responded: "We are Abraham's descendants ... and have never been slaves of anyone..." (John 8:33)

Jesus replies: ... "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins ... is a slave to sin." (John 8:34)

And our text from Romans proclaims that same truth: Hear God's Word. BIBLE Do you not know ... that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, ... you are slaves ... of the one whom you obey, ... either of sin, ... which leads to death, ... or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God ... that you, having once been slaves of sin, ... have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, 18 and that you, having been set free from sin, ... have become ... slaves of righteousness. END Romans 6:16-18