The Costs of Freedom
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Text - Exodus 12: 29-32
29 Now it came about at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle.
30 And Pharaoh got up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead.
31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the Lord, as you have said.
32 Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.”
Title - The Costs of Freedom
Background
Background
August 28 was National Heroes Day
in August of 1896, the Philippine revolution was born in Pugad Lawin (Balintawak) when Andres Bonifacio inspired a number of filipinos to revolt against the Spaniards by tearing their cedulas to signify their defiance.
our long history of struggle for freedom from colonizers produced numerous heroes who inspired ordinary filipinos to fight alongside them.
Wars are the costliest human activity, in terms of lives and wealth.
In world war 2 the number of lives lost was staggering -
USSR - 18 million
China - around the same number
Germany - 4.2 million
Poland - 5.8 million
USA - 300 thousand
Japan - 1.97 million
Yugoslavia - 1.5 million
Philippines - 527 thousand
The problem of society is that a new generation arises who had no idea how precious and costly is the freedom that they are enjoying in the present time.
they become complacent
they are oblivious to an enemy’s bondage strategies
worst - they are not prepared to defend their freedom should another war break out!
The cost of freedom: courage
The cost of freedom: courage
Someone must stand up against tyranny
Moses thought he had the courage that would leads to freedom for his people
he tried to be a hero but failed - Exodus 2.15
15 When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.
when it was time for God to use him, he wanted to run away again - Exodus 4.13
13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.”
God performed His signs and wonders for a couple of reasons
to defy the gods of Egypt - every plague was God’s defiance of an Egyptian deity!
to inspire courage among the Israelites, even Moses!
Jesus was our Deliverer, as Moses was for Israel
But unlike Moses, Jesus was ready to do His great task
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
21 From that time Jesus began to point out to His disciples that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and to suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised up on the third day.
22 And yet Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You!”
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but men’s.”
27 “Now My soul has become troubled; and what am I to say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
28 Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came out of heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
29 So the crowd who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him!”
30 Jesus responded and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for yours.
31 Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.”
33 Now He was saying this to indicate what kind of death He was going to die.
The cost of freedom: sacrifice or loss of life
The cost of freedom: sacrifice or loss of life
Somebody has to lay down his life so that others may be set free
Israel’s freedom from Egyptian bondage cost lives
the 10th plague was the death of all the firstborn of Egypt
12 ‘For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and fatally strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the human firstborn to animals; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the Lord.
29 Now it came about at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle.
but unlike Egypt the only ones that were killed in Israel’s camp were the Passover lambs!
their blood was smeared on the door posts of every Israel home and God passed over them!
In Christ’s battle for deliverance from sin, not one of God’s children were lost!
39 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of everything that He has given Me I will lose nothing, but will raise it up on the last day.
12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name, which You have given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
only Jesus died for our sins!
Moses was really not the "deliverer"
he did not die for Israel
it was the "lamb" who died for Israel
The cost of freedom: vigilance
The cost of freedom: vigilance
1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Freedom is lost when those who gets to enjoy it are not vigilant
many Israelites lost their freedom and died inthe wilderness
5 Now I want to remind you, though you know everything once and for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.
many Christians return to bondage for want of vigilance
1 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and they all passed through the sea;
2 and they all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 and they all ate the same spiritual food,
4 and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.
5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased; for their dead bodies were spread out in the wilderness.
6 Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they indeed craved them.
7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to Play.”
8 Nor are we to commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.
9 Nor are we to put the Lord to the test, as some of them did, and were killed by the snakes.
10 Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer.
Vigilance requires learning from the past
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
12 Therefore let the one who thinks he stands watch out that he does not fall.
Vigilance means having the same courage as those who fought for the freedom you enjoy.
Jesus obeyed faithfully the Father’s will
Jesus willingly died for our sakes
Jesus gives the same strength that He had - the Holy Spirit
18 “the spirit of the lord is upon me, because he anointed me to bring good news to the poor. he has sent me to proclaim release to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
the Holy Spirit is the anointing we need
anointing - is power for service!
the same anointing will make us vigilant of this freedom
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
the same anointing will help us fight for the freedom of those who are still in spiritual bondage!
Conclusion
Conclusion
The only freedom we need is the one that Jesus gives -
which we gain by obeying Him and His Word
31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples;
32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’ ?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
35 Now the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.
True freedom is one in which the enemy lets go of your life!
Illustration - Japan did not surrender until after 2 atomic bombs were dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Moses cried 7x - “let My people go!”
But in the 10th plague, Pharaoh finally said - Exodus 12.31-32
31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, worship the Lord, as you have said.
32 Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.”
“Rise up and get out… and go worship the LORD”
We know we have real freedom in Christ because -
because the graves opened to give up their dead! - Matthew 27.50-52
50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and gave up His spirit.
51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split.
52 Also the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;
the stone was rolled away -
because death could not hold Him in the grave!
24 But God raised Him from the dead, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
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