Freedom in Christ

Subject: Who the Son sets free

Verse: John 8:31-32, 36

Please stand for the reading of God’s word. Turn to

1. Introduction Filling our lives with God

Jesus had been teaching in the temple and finished conveying the difference between himself and those who were listening. Jesus tells them He is from above, from Heaven, and they are from the world. As Jesus only can, He shares with them that without Him they will die in their sins,

John 8:24, “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”‌

Jesus tells them the choice they have, they can either believe in Him or they can die in their sins. Here is what too many Christians miss, as Jesus is talking to them, some of them come to believe in Him.‌

Can we imagine, that the very people who need God the most can come to believe through hearing the Gospel? Jesus, the Son of the living God, shows us, that when we share the truth of Him, people come to believe.

Isaiah 52:7, “How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!””‌

We have been given the glorious truth of the Gospel and yet too many Christians keep this to themselves and are too afraid to share it. We are to tell of Jesus Christ and the work He did for our salvation and freedom, we are to proclaim this every day of our lives, from the highest rooftops. Jesus saves, without Him, we will die in our sins and be separated from God for eternity. He is the way, the truth, and the life.‌

We must speak the truth of our savior and let the Holy Spirit work through us in those we are talking with. Do we have the faith to believe that the triune God will show Himself and pour out His grace and forgiveness on those we speak with? We don’t serve God for Him to bless us, we are serving to bring blessings on those around us.‌

Who did you hear the Gospel from? Maybe you are here today and have never heard the Gospel; the good news that Jesus died for you! I stand before you today, to proclaim, “We have freedom in Christ Jesus”! Let us rejoice and proclaim, the very freedom we have been given.

Let’s Read: John 8:31-32, 36

John 8:31–32 (NASB95)

31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;

32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

36 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

Opening prayer:

2. An attention-getter.

1. Who is your master? We have two choices… we can follow Jesus, or stay slaves to sin! Jesus offers freedom from the slavery to sin, freedom from the burdon, the condemnation of sin.

3. Point 1

1. “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine”

Jesus tells us “if we continue in His word”. This is our choice, again, our Father in heaven is a gentlemen and will not force this upon us. We have to chose.

2. Daily pick up your cross and follow me Luke 9:23, “23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

After a great snowstorm a little fellow began to shovel a path through a large snow bank before his grandmother’s door. He had nothing but a small shovel to work with. “How do you expect to get through that drift?” asked a man passing along. “By keeping at it,” said the boy, cheerfully. “That’s how.” That is the secret of mastering almost every difficulty under the sun. If a hard task is set before you, stick to it. Do not keep thinking how large or how hard it is, but go at it, and little by little it will grow smaller, until it is done. If a hard lesson is to be learned, do not spend a moment in fretting; do not lose breath in saying, “I can’t,” or “I don’t see how;” but go at it, and keep at it—steady. That is the only way to conquer it. If you have entered your Master’s service and are trying to be good, you will sometimes find hills of difficulty in the way. Things will often look discouraging, and you will not seem to make any progress at all; but keep at it. Never forget “that’s how.”

3. Daily chosing Christ, chosing His way over ours, His glory over ours.

Luke 14:25-33, Jesus tells we are to “count the cost”. There is a cost to serving the king. This isn’t an eternal welfare program, we can’t be serving God and the world at the same time. True service is giving God 100% and this will cost us things of this world. It can cost us our jobs, our friends, even family. In some extreme cases it can even cost us our lives.

This is renouncing all of this world, all that we have. We must let it go, physically and emotionally. Then, with full obedience, we can follow Christ’s teaching, and obey His commandments. This and only this, shows that we are truly His disciples.

4. Point 2

1. “And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free”

In this day and age we dare to ask “what is truth”? Everywhere we look, we hear, “this is my truth”. We don’t get our version of Truth. I am here today to proclaim to you that Jesus is the way, the Truth, and the life! Without Jesus we have death.

2. “So What” (Illustration)

3. “Now What” (Application)

5. Point 3

1. “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

2. “So What” (Illustration)

3. “Now What” (Application)

7. Conclusion

1. Summarize what you’ve taught.

2. Present a call to action—what should your congregation do, now that they’ve learned these truths from God’s Word?

8. Pray