Free Indeed
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Turn with me to John 8:31-36
Introduction: D. James Kennedy told the story of Radio commentator Paul Harvey who spoke of an experiment involving a chimpanzee to which scientists were determined to teach written communication. For fourteen years, project directors labored diligently and patiently with this chimpanzee, providing things in its cage to enable it to form certain syllables. Finally the day arrived when it seemed that the chimpanzee was actually going to construct a sentence from the symbols it had been learning. Word went out, and other scientists crowded into the room and gathered around the cage. They watched breathlessly as symbols were formed into words and into a sentence. At last, the first message from the world's most pampered, most cared for, most patiently trained chimpanzee was about to come forth. The scientists could hardly contain themselves as they pressed around the cage to read the history making sentence. Said the chimpanzee: "Let me out!"
- D. James Kennedy, What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? (Nelson, 1994), p. 77.
The Connection:
We spend our lives building "cages" out of career success, nice homes, and social status. We are the "most pampered" generation in history, yet like that chimp, many people are sitting in church today silently screaming, "Let me out of this anxiety," or "Let me out of this rat race."
The Point:
Jesus isn't just offering a ticket to heaven; He’s answering the "Let me out!" cry of the soul right now.
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed,
Freedom and liberty is one of the most precious things on earth.
Lincoln is known as a great emancipator
but there is one emancipator that is still setting people free today
It is Jesus
In our text, Jesus gives us precious truth concerning liberty that even a slave might receive and be free.
Theme: So I ask, “How might we all enjoy freedom today?”
Acknowledge Two Comforting Promises Vss. 31-32
Acknowledge Two Comforting Promises Vss. 31-32
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.”
Promise One:
Promise One:
If you truly will not only read, understand, and meditate on my Word
But also enact it into your daily living, then you will be my disciple.
It is not what you do not know,
it is what you do not want to know,
because you don’t want to do it,
that keeps most from being a true disciple
He promised to teach us.
He promised to teach us.
9 May He lead the humble in justice, And may He teach the humble His way.
23 “Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.
1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
It is more than mere Bible knowledge.
It is more than mere Bible knowledge.
45 And I will walk at liberty, For I seek Your precepts.
7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
Promise Two:
Promise Two:
If you put the Bible into practice then you will know the truth and the truth shall truly set you free.
That begins when your first trust Jesus
as your Lord and Savior
And should continue throughout your life.
John 1–11 (4) The Light of Tabernacles and the Great Confrontation (8:12–59)
It is instead a statement about a living relationship with the Son of God, “the truth,” who gives freedom to human beings - Gerald Borchert
Illustration: I play the guitar and I have had a few strings and have had to string a few guitars. I wad it up and put it in a package and it responds. It is free. But it is not free to do what a guitar string is supposed to do -- produce music. So I take it , string it down the long neck to the turn keys and tighten it until it is taunt. Only then is it free to be a guitar string. By the same token we are free when our lives are uncommitted, but not to be what we were intended to be. Real freedom is not freedom from, but freedom for.
The Connection:
Explain that a string lying on a table is "free" from tension, but it is "useless" for music.
The Application:
"Some of you are afraid that 'continuing in the Word' (Vs. 31) will be too restrictive. You’re afraid God will take away your fun. But God doesn't put 'tension' on your life to snap you; He does it to tune you. You aren't truly free until you are 'tightened' to the purpose you were created for: to make music for the Creator."
Acknowledge Two Comforting Promises Vss. 31-32
Avoid Two Contentious Problems Vs. 33
Avoid Two Contentious Problems Vs. 33
John 8:33
They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
Problem One:
Problem One:
The first is an untrue statement.
If something good is negated
it usually starts with a lie.
Some people would call it a half-truth,
It either is so or it isn’t!
However let’s look again carefully at what they said.
1. They are Abraham’s seed
2. They were never in bondage to any man
1. An Assertion
John 1–11 (4) The Light of Tabernacles and the Great Confrontation (8:12–59)
On the surface the first statement seemed to be correct, at least biologically.
But Jesus explains the statement is not true in Verse 39
39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did,
2. A Denial
John 1–11 (4) The Light of Tabernacles and the Great Confrontation (8:12–59)
historically they had been slaves or a vassal state of most of the great powers: beginning with Egypt, thereafter Assyria, Babylonia, Media-Persia, Macedonia, Egypt again and Syria, then finally Rome.
John 1–11 (4) The Light of Tabernacles and the Great Confrontation (8:12–59)
Being sons of God, a holy people, God’s possession, according to
2 For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
Problem Two:
Problem Two:
Something got in their way of receiving the truth of the doctrine that Christ was teaching
Note: Now remember these are believers who had just received Christ
Note verse 31 again.
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;
Pride
Pride
Illustration: Corrie Ten Boom used to tell the story about a proud woodpecker who was tapping away at a dead tree when the sky unexpectedly turned black and the thunder began to roll. Undaunted, he went right on working. Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the old tree, splintering it into hundreds of pieces. Startled but unhurt, the haughty bird flew off, screeching to his feathered friends, "Hey, everyone, look what I did! Look what I did!"
This old woodpecker reminds me of people
who think more highly of themselves than they should
Usually they are so busy bragging about their achievements
and their greatness that they fail to recognize
God as the source of all their abilities
They are suffering from spiritual delusions of grandeur
Without the Lord no one amounts to anything
and in our own strength we cannot please Him.
18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
3 For through the grace given to me I say to each one among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound thinking, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
Use the Woodpecker story here.
The Connection:
Translate "Abraham’s seed" into "Church Heritage."
The Call-out:
Address the person who thinks they are free because their name is on a church roll, or because they grew up in a "Christian home," or because they live in a "free country."
The Point:
Remind them that standing in a garage doesn't make you a car, and sitting in a pew doesn't make you a disciple. Freedom is a personal encounter with the Truth (Jesus), not a family inheritance
Verbal commitment
Verbal commitment
Note: Once you say what you believe it often dictates what you will do
We must be careful to be slow to speak.
29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
Illustration: The story is told of three pastors who went fishing together in the northern wilderness of Canada. While they were there they became quite cordial with one another and began to talk about their innermost thoughts. One confessed that he had been guilty of certain sins. He named them, then he urged the other two to confess their weaknesses. The second pastor confessed that he too, had certain weaknesses and recounted them in detail. The third pastor remained silent for a long time. Finally when pressed by his fellow elders to reveal his weaknesses, he said, "Brethren, I don't think you want to know my weaknesses, but since you insist, I am going to tell you. I just love to gossip, and I can hardly wait to get home."
Contentious tongues have hindered the work of God a thousand times over
Critical tongues have closed church doors
Careless tongues have broken the hearts and health of many pastors
The sins of the tongue have besmeared the pure white garments of the bride of Christ.
- George Sweeting
Acknowledge Two Comforting Promises Vss. 31-32
Avoid Two Contentious Problems Vs. 33
Accept Four Challenging Principles Vss. 34-36
Accept Four Challenging Principles Vss. 34-36
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
35 “And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.
36 “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
Principle One
Principle One
If you have ever done anything wrong then you are a slave to wrong doing.
If you have ever sinned then you are a servant of sin.
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
16 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?
Principle Two
Principle Two
You are not going to live forever
Note: House was often used to mean the body
or the earthly dwelling place of the soul and spirit of man
Jesus said,
35 “The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Principle Three
Principle Three
If your going to be free from Sin, it will only be by what Jesus did on Calvary for you.
You must accept the free gift of eternal life.
Illustration: In 1776 Thomas Paine, American Revolution patriot and writer, wrote about the price of freedom: What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; 'tis dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated.
Jesus died upon the cruel cross not because he valued suffering
but rather that he valued us
and paid the supreme price in physical, emotional and spiritual suffering
A price too high for us to pay.
What must we do?
How does He want us to respond.
You must die to sin and repent towards God
that is turn from whatever you are trusting in and trust in Christ.
6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.
7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.
Receive the free gift of eternal life
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not of works, so that no one may boast.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Pray, asking God for the free gift that He provided through His Son
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, leading to righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, leading to salvation.
13 for “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Principle Four
Principle Four
Begin to put into practice His truth and obey to show your love and allegiance to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
16 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 who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed,
18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
How might we all enjoy freedom today?
I. Acknowledge Two Comforting Promises Vss. 31-32
II. Avoid Two Contentious Problems Vs. 33
III. Accept Four Challenging Principles Vss. 34-36
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Everybody longs for freedom.
But for many people its pursuit leads to bondage
The greatly loved Bible teacher Henrietta Mears knew the secret of true freedom, and she wanted her students to know it too.
With young people in mind, she said, "A bird is free in the air. Place a bird in the water and he has lost his liberty.
A fish is free in the water, but leave him on the sand and he perishes. He is out of his realm.
So, young people, the Christian is free when he does the will of God and is obedient to God's command. This is as natural a realm for God's child as the water is for the fish, or the air for the bird."
The Henrietta Mears quote. Invite people to stop trying to "fly in the water" (living by the world's rules) and "swim on the sand" (living by their own rules). Invite them into the "realm" of Grace, where the Son makes them free indeed.
Call to Action:
Call to Action:
Consider the following questions:
"Who is pulling the strings in your life when no one is watching?"
"If the truth 'makes you free,' what is the 'lie' that is currently keeping you bound?"
"Are you a fan of the Word (reading it) or a follower of the Word (doing it)?"
Adapted From a Sermon by Pastor Shelton Cole
Faith Baptist Church, Great Barrington, MA
