Freedom in Christ: Week 3 Freedom to Follow
Freedom in Christ • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 views"The door has been opened. The chains have been removed. The question is: What will you do with your freedom?"
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Transcript
Announcements:
Offering box is on the back wall near the coffee
2. Bible reading plan is on the church website.
3. MCS ready Now Clay County will be meeting at the community center on Tuesday from 6PM-7PM. This is open to everyone who is actively in addiction or in recovery.
4. We will be having prayer next Sunday evening July 5th from 5-6PM.
Introduction:
Good morning church.
For three weeks we have followed the story of a prisoner.
Week one, the prison door opened.
Week two, he discovered freedom has purpose.
Today we arrive at the most important lesson of all.
Freedom has a Person.
The greatest expression of freedom is not doing whatever we want.
The greatest expression of freedom is following the One who set us free.
Our culture often defines freedom as independence.
No authority.
No restrictions.
No obligations.
No accountability.
Just do whatever feels right.
But Jesus presents a completely different picture.
According to Jesus, true freedom is found in surrender.
That sounds backwards to the world.
But God's ways are often the opposite of the world's ways.
The Prisoner Meets His Rescuer
Years have passed.
The former prisoner is thriving.
He has rebuilt his life.
He has found purpose.
He is helping others.
One day he meets the man who paid his debt.
The man looks at him and says:
"I paid for your freedom so you could walk with me."
Suddenly the prisoner understands something.
The greatest gift was not merely the open door.
The greatest gift was the relationship made possible because of the open door.
Freedom was never the destination.
Freedom was the invitation.
An invitation to walk with the one who rescued him.
And that is exactly what Jesus offers us.
Where Many Christians Stop
Sadly, many people stop short.
They want forgiveness.
They want salvation.
They want heaven.
They want blessings.
But they never become followers.
Jesus never called people merely to believe facts about Him.
He called them to follow Him.
Over and over Jesus said:
"Follow Me."
Not occasionally.
Not conveniently.
Not when it fits your schedule.
Follow Me.
Christianity is not simply believing something.
It is following Someone.
Deny Yourself
Matthew 16:24 says:
"If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me."
Notice the first requirement.
Deny yourself.
This is completely opposite from our culture.
The culture says:
Follow your heart.
Do what feels right.
Trust yourself.
Live your truth.
But God's Word says something different.
Jeremiah 17:9 says:
"The heart is more deceitful than anything else."
Our feelings change.
Our emotions fluctuate.
Our desires shift.
But Jesus never changes.
Following Christ means trusting Him more than we trust ourselves.
The GPS Illustration
Think about GPS.
When you're lost, you have two choices.
Trust yourself.
Or trust the voice giving directions.
Most of us have had moments when we ignored the GPS.
We thought:
"I know a better way."
Then we ended up lost.
And what does the GPS say?
Recalculating.
Recalculating.
Recalculating.
Some people spend years spiritually recalculating.
God says go left.
They go right.
God says trust Me.
They trust themselves.
God says surrender.
They resist.
Then life becomes one long season of recalculating.
Following Jesus means trusting His directions more than our instincts.
Take Up Your Cross
Jesus also said:
"Take up your cross."
Today crosses appear on jewelry.
Church buildings.
T-shirts.
Decorations.
But in Jesus' day a cross represented one thing.
Surrender.
Death to self.
Submission.
The cross meant:
My way is no longer first.
My preferences are no longer king.
My comfort is no longer my highest goal.
Jesus becomes first.
Above comfort.
Above convenience.
Above plans.
Above opinions.
Above preferences.
Following Jesus costs something.
But it is worth everything.
Present Your Life to God
Romans 12:1 says:
"Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God."
A living sacrifice is unique.
The problem with living sacrifices is they keep crawling off the altar.
Every day we must surrender again.
Every day we must choose:
My way or God's way?
My will or His will?
My plans or His plans?
Following Christ is not a one-time decision.
It is a daily decision.
Losing Life to Find It
Jesus said:
"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it."
Again, this sounds backwards.
The world says:
Protect your life.
Jesus says:
Give Me your life.
The world says:
Live for yourself.
Jesus says:
Follow Me.
The world says:
Get everything you can.
Jesus says:
Surrender everything to Me.
And somehow, in that surrender, we discover true life.
Paul's Example
Philippians 3 gives us Paul's testimony.
Paul had status.
Education.
Influence.
Position.
Accomplishments.
Yet he said he considered everything loss compared to knowing Christ.
Why?
Because he discovered something better.
He discovered Jesus.
And once you discover Jesus, everything else finds its proper place.
The Abundant Life
John 10:10 says:
"I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance."
Notice Jesus didn't promise an easy life.
He promised an abundant life.
A meaningful life.
A purposeful life.
A fulfilled life.
A life lived in fellowship with Him.
That is the freedom Jesus offers.
Not merely freedom from sin.
Freedom to walk with Him.
Option 1: The Driver's Seat Application
Many people want Jesus in the car.
They just don't want Him driving.
They want Him in the passenger seat for emergencies.
They want His help when life gets difficult.
They want His blessings.
But following Jesus means handing Him the keys.
Application: What area of your life are you still trying to drive yourself?
Finances?
Relationships?
Career?
Recovery?
Future plans?
Hand Him the keys.
Option 2: The GPS Application
When GPS says turn left and we turn right, we shouldn't be surprised when we get lost.
The same is true spiritually.
God's Word gives direction.
The Holy Spirit provides guidance.
Yet many people keep insisting:
"I know a better way."
Years later they wonder why life feels off course.
Application: Is there an area where God has already told you what to do but you've delayed obedience?
Take the next step this week.
Option 3: The Comfort Zone Application
Many Christians want a Savior.
Fewer want a Lord.
Following Jesus often leads beyond comfort zones.
Sometimes He calls us to:
Forgive someone.
Apologize.
Serve.
Give.
Share our faith.
Trust Him in uncertainty.
Comfort and discipleship often travel different roads.
Application: Identify one area where comfort has become more important than obedience.
Option 4: The Daily Surrender Application
Following Jesus isn't one large decision.
It's thousands of small decisions.
Every day we choose:
My way or His way.
My plans or His plans.
My attitude or His attitude.
My desires or His desires.
The Christian life isn't lived one Sunday at a time.
It's lived one surrender at a time.
Application: Begin each morning this week praying:
"Lord, today I surrender my plans, priorities, and preferences to You."
Option 5: The Open Hands Application
Many people hold tightly to things they fear losing:
Reputation
Possessions
Relationships
Success
Comfort
Control
Following Jesus means living with open hands.
Everything belongs to Him.
When we release control, we discover peace.
Application: What are you holding onto so tightly that God can't direct it?
Open your hands and trust Him with it.
Option 6: The Paul Test
Paul said everything he once considered gain became insignificant compared to knowing Christ.
Ask yourself:
If following Jesus cost me:
Popularity
Position
Comfort
Convenience
Would He still be worth following?
For Paul the answer was yes.
For the early church the answer was yes.
For countless believers through history the answer was yes.
Application: Evaluate whether Christ is truly first in your life or simply one priority among many.
Option 7: The Relationship Application
The prisoner eventually discovered that the greatest gift wasn't the open prison door.
The greatest gift was the relationship with the man who paid his debt.
Many Christians focus on what Jesus gives:
Forgiveness
Heaven
Peace
Blessings
But the greatest gift Jesus offers is Himself.
Christianity is not merely escaping hell.
It is walking with Christ.
Application: This week spend intentional time with Jesus not because you need something from Him, but because you simply desire to know Him more.
Final Series Invitation
"Three weeks ago the prisoner sat behind bars. Then the door opened. Then he learned freedom had purpose. Finally he discovered freedom had a Person. The greatest gift was never the open door. The greatest gift was the One waiting outside it. Jesus didn't simply set you free from sin. He set you free for Himself. The door has been opened. The chains have been removed. The question is: What will you do with your freedom?"
Final Series Conclusion
[Pause]
Remember the prisoner.
Week One:
The door opened.
Week Two:
He learned freedom has purpose.
Week Three:
He discovered freedom has a Person.
The greatest gift was never the open door.
The greatest gift was the One waiting outside it.
Jesus didn't just set you free from something.
He set you free for Himself.
The door has been opened.
The chains have been removed.
The question is:
What will you do with your freedom?
Amen.
