Godly Freedom
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Intro
Intro
Growing up, one of the chores we always had to do around the house was washing the dishes.
Now I don’t know about you, but I have never in my life woken up and thought - “Yeah, I want to wash some dishes today!”.
Growing up I used to wake up with excitement, but it was about all the things I got to do that day. I got to run, eat, play with friends, eat, run some more, eat some more and sleep. It was awesome. But I never really wanted to do the dishes.
I remember one time we had stuffed up badly around the house and mum was doing the dishes. I quickly jumped in there, hoping it wasn’t too late to redeem ourselves and she took the tea towel away from me.
She looked at me and said ‘I’ll do it myself (cutting)! I don’t want you to do the dishes because you have to, I want you to do the dishes because you want to’.
Now, my mum is a very smart lady, so I walked away from that thinking - that is impossible. So, I left. As a disclaimer, it turns out that, for that evening, I was meant to do them if I wanted to or not!
Now I don’t know about you, but I have never in my life woken up and thought - “Yeah, I want to wash some dishes today!”.
What mum was hinting at there is that, in our home, we had freedom in helping around the house. It was something we got to do. Sure, we could have been rat bags and mucked about all the time, we had freedom to do that as well. We could have also just done the dishes and got on with whatever else we had to do. But that is not what Mum wanted.
What mum wanted from us was not the dishes done, she wanted us living out a relationship that told her that we loved her. She just wanted us to fall in step with the rhythms of the house. Freedom in our house is loving others straight from our hearts.
And that is what God wants of us when we think about the topic of freedom. To be truly free isn’t to do whatever you want, or to work our way into the good books, like I was doing the dishes, to count yourselves as truly free we are to have a relationship with God that is lived out in the world. And living this out has a radical effect on those around you.
Growing up I used to wake up with excitement, but it was about all the things I got to do that day. I got to run, eat, play with friends, eat, run some more, eat some more and sleep. It was awesome. But I never really wanted to do the dishes.
The big idea is that Godly freedom is loving others with a Christ centred heart. How we will explore this idea today is by thinking through what real freedom is from and then we will think about what real freedom looks like in .
I remember on time we had stuffed up pretty badly around the house and mum was doing the dishes. I quickly jumped in there, hoping it wasn’t too late to redeem ourselves and she took the tea towel away from me.
Let’s pray.
She looked at me and said ‘I’ll do it myself (cutting)! I don’t want you to do the dishes because you have to, I want you to do the dishes because you want to’.
Now, my mum is a very smart lady, so I walked away from that thinking - that is impossible. So I left.
As a disclaimer, it turns out that, for that evening, I was meant to do them if I wanted to or not!
What mum was hinting at there is that, in our home, there was we had freedom in helping out around the house. It was something we got to do. Sure we could of been rat bags and mucked about all the time, we had freedom to do that as well. We could of also just done the dishes and got on with whatever else we had to do. But that is not what Mum wanted.
In fact, misusing that freedom wouldn’t of got us very far in life at all. What mum wanted from us was not the dishes done, she wanted us living out a relationship that told her that we loved her. Freedom in our house is loving others straight from our hearts.
What mum wanted from us was not the dishes done, she wanted us living out a relationship that told her that we loved her. She just wanted us to fall in step with the rhythms of the house. Freedom in our house is loving others straight from our hearts.
And that is what God wants of us when we think about the topic of freedom. To be truly free isn’t to do whatever you want, or to work our way into the good books, like I was doing the dishes, to count yourselves as truly free we are to have a relationship with God that is lived out in the world. And living this out has a radical effect on those around you.
The big idea is that Godly freedom is loving others with a Christ centred heart. How we will explore this idea today is by thinking through what real freedom is from and then we will think about what real freedom looks like in
Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father,
Help us now
to read, mark, and inwardly digest your word,
that we may taste the sweetness of freedom
found only through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
1. What real freedom is (Gal 5.1-12)
1. What real freedom is (Gal 5.1-12)
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.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
It isn’t for any other reason - Christ came, lived, died and rose again so that you and I might be have real freedom.
And what are we freed from
We are called to stand firm because there is a chance that we, however crazy as it may sound, be tempted to be burdened by the yoke of slavery.
A worldly perspective of freedom is:
Now if you have been reading your Bibles for a while you will recall that we are not making omelettes here, but in , Jesus uses a similar language when he says
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jesus calls us to come to him and instead of a yoke that burdens us, his yoke, is easy.
Now, lets break it down here. We are not making omelettes so what is a yoke? A yoke is a wooden piece that is placed over the top of horses to drag, often farm type products around. The picture here is of us having to do something - some task, having some purpose, like a horse with a yoke has a purpose to pull something along. And the yoke that we put on ourselves can either be a burden of slavery, or it can be the freedom that is only found in Christ. Christ has broken us away from our old yoke - let’s not go back there.
What Paul does here in is that he helps point out how good it is to put on the yoke of Christ – the yoke of freedom.
A worldly perspective of freedom is:
The way he shows us this is by talking about the law. Now way way back in the first books of the Bible God promises that He will bless his people. So, when they are enslaved in Egypt, God moves to save them, and this is where we get the famous parting of the sea story. He saves them and then gave them a law to follow. So, all the followers of God, who confessed that he was their God, would be circumcised and would submit to this law. If they could follow every part of the law, they would be deemed right with God. Paul says that it works part in parcel here in verse 3. Circumcision was only one part of it. Now could anyone follow the law perfectly?
You see God’s people had been saved from Egypt, and promised amazing things, like that they would be a blessing and have a great nation and have a promised land. He pulled them out of Egypt and gave them the law to follow. If they could follow every single aspect of the law, they would be deemed right with God. He says that even if you get circumcision, which is the chief sign that you would submit to the law, even then you would still have to do the whole law .
The way he shows us this is by talking about the law. Now way way back in the first books of the Bible God promises that He will bless his people. So, when they are enslaved in Egypt, God moves to save them, and this is where we get the famous parting of the sea story. He saves them and then gave them a law to follow. So, all the followers of God, who confessed that he was their God, would be circumcised and would submit to this law. If they could follow every part of the law, they would be deemed right with God. Paul says that it works part in parcel here in verse 3. Circumcision was only one part of it. Now could anyone follow the law perfectly?
You see God’s people had been saved from Egypt, and promise amazing things, like that they would be a blessing and have a great nation and have a promised land. He pulled them out of Egypt and gave them the law to follow. If they could follow every single aspect of the law, they would be deemed right with God. He says that even if you get circumcision, which is the chief sign that you would submit to the law, even then you would still have to do the whole law .
Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.
What I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise.
Why, then, was the law given at all? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was given through angels and entrusted to a mediator.
Could anyone do that? Not a single person from God’s people could follow the law perfectly. The law functioned to show people how far they fell from the holy and almighty God. It showed them that even though they had been freed from slavery in Egypt, their hearts were still enslaved to unholy desires. It functioned, ultimately to show that it had to be by some other means that God’s people would be made right with God. It functions to point towards something greater.
For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on the promise; but God in his grace gave it to Abraham through a promise.
The law functioned to show people how far they fell from the holy and almighty God. It functioned, ultimately to show that it had to be by some other means that God’s people would be made right with God. It functions to point towards something greater.
You cannot be made right with God though the law and therefore you cannot have any certainty that you will be declared righteous on the last day. What was the problem with the church in Galatia - they believed that there was something they could do to contribute to being made right with God. But you can’t just do some of it - have to do the whole thing. Which is impossible.
The chief sign that you were under the law in that day was that you were circumcised. And the old nip the tip was a big and a scary operation for fully grown men back there. Old rusty knives and no pain killers, it was a scary prospect. But people argued that if they just did this work to show that they were obedient that they would be right with God.
And all of a sudden we are back in my mums kitchen trying to get stuck in and do the dishes because I figure that would make her feel better.
Paul doesn’t just say that this approach wont work, he also says that in no way is this totally possible. Look at the end of
Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.
They needed to trust God. Look with me back to .
He says, you have to do the whole thing. Which is impossible.
That is why Jesus came. To do what we couldn’t.
When the consequence of breaking the law is curse, we are doomed. But He lived a perfect life for us. And became a curse on a tree, dying on a cross to pay the price we could not. And look what he says there in verse 14 of chapter 3 on the screen. It is by faith that we receive the promise of God’s Spirit. It is by faith, not by works of the law.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
This is why Paul says that those who commit to selling the lie that by works of the law we can be saved are alienated from Christ in verse 4 of chapter 5 (). There is no preexisting conditions we have that could make us right with God. No circumcision. No skin colour. We have no spiritual credit with God.The only thing required is that we believe that Jesus died for our sins and that is enough.
We are saved by grace through faith. Grace being the gift of Christ. It is by trusting that Jesus died for your sins that you are set free. Paul argues here that the religious attitude of simply coming to church and paying your 10% isn’t going to cut it.
reads :
In no way can we be justified by our own works. Not even circumcision.
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
We are saved by grace through faith. Grace being the gift of Christ. It is by trusting that Jesus died for your sins that you are set free. Paul argues here that the religious attitude of simply coming to church and paying your 10% isn’t going to cut it.
What is freedom? Godly freedom means that you are free from what society tells you is valuable and important in earning anything. Weather it is by works of the law, the focus being you just trying to save your own bacon, or works of the flesh which we are about to get to, freedom in the eyes of the world is self interested. What is in it for me. What will give me status. This self interest is slavery friends.
The world will tell you that freedom today is
A worldly perspective of freedom is:
Achievement orientated
of the law (to achieve justification)
of the law
of the flesh (to achieve [temporary satisfation]
A godly perspective of freedom is:
What is freedom? Godly freedom means that you are free from what society tells you is valuable and important in earning anything. Weather it is by works of the law, the focus being you just trying to save your own bacon, or works of the flesh which we are about to get to, freedom in the eyes of the world is self interested. What is in it for me. What will give me status. This self interest is slavery friends.
Faith orientated (to be justified)
But Jesus says come to me all who are weak and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Come to Jesus, take up the yoke of freedom and live for him by faith. Godly freedom is found knowing that you are justified by grace through faith. Godly freedom means that you are free from worldly standards of worth because there is nothing you can do to earn the gift of Christ. Christ has died for you. And verse 5 tells us that we have been given this Spirit so we do not live in uncertainty, but we know that on the last day we will be declared right with God. Godly freedom is found in relationship with Christ.
2. What real freedom looks like (Gal 5.13-26)
2. What real freedom looks like (Gal 5.13-26)
2. What real freedom looks like (Gal 5.13-26)
2. What real freedom looks like (Gal 5.13-26)
But if real freedom is being united by Christ in the Spirit (which is what verses 5 and 16 say), what exactly does that look for us here and now? What does real freedom look like?
You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.
But if real freedom is being united by Christ in the Spirit, what exactly does that look for us here and now. What does real freedom look like?
But if real freedom is being united by Christ in the Spirit, what exactly does that look for us here and now. What does real freedom look like.
After Paul has reminded us in verse 1-12 that we are saved by faith and not by works of the law, here he mentions another threat to our freedom. He says that apart from being enslaved by the law, we can also be enslaved by the flesh.
Paul starts the second half of in by saying
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.
He starts like he did in verse one and he says that now we are free we are to use our freedom for good and not indulging in the things of the flesh. Whereas the works of the law and the works of the flesh are self interested, only caring about oneself, the work of the spirit is like Christ, other person focused.
A guy by the name of Moody states it really well “whenever the gospel of free grace is preached where our sins are forgiven for the asking and we are declared eternally right with God, our great temptation is to abuse that freedom and sin.”
It’s like a gambler who has just paid of his credit card going and wasting his newly found zero balance on the pokies. Paul calls for us not to keep going down that path. Instead we are called to use our freedom to love and serve one another.
Paul reminds us in that the whole law is fulfilled when we love one another.
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
We crave self satisfaction. We hunger to be our own Gods -in control of our destiny. We crave the independence promised by the fruit of the tree of good and evil that Adam and Eve ate so long ago. But this fruit, the fruit of the flesh is not tasty. It is not sweet. It does not grow like fruit should. It is acts of lust and anger and envy and jealousy, and sexual immorality and all the things listed in . And it rips communities into pieces as humanity devours itself with hate. It is amazing how many different ways humans can find to rebel against God. All of the things listed here are really what the world dresses up as freedom isn’t it. It’s self satisfaction. You can sleep with whoever you like. You can drink however much you like. You can hate and kill and hurt each other, because that is ok - this is the freedom that the world endorses. Do whatever you want – The reality is that the world is enslaved to sin. And such things have the terrible consequence of throwing away eternity in heaven.
And as an aside, we are quick to memorise the fruits of the spirit - they are so much happier than this list. What this long and complex list does is remind us of our need for repentance and lead us back to the one who paid for all of our sins - Jesus Christ.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But Paul says, no - don’t do that. Whilst once you pursued the fruit of the garden, now you will produce the fruit of the Spirit. And this fruit transforms not just lives, but communities.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
The trick with getting our heads around this radical description of how we are to be, titles the fruit of the Spirit, it to notice that this is a singular fruit. You can’t be a Christian and say, “well I’m as free as that guy so go and see him because my joy and kindness fruit garden are dry. Come back and and see me if you want self-control.” We can’t pick and choose which aspects of this we excel at, because the fruit here is singular. It is the one fruit and the one Spirit that is inside all who truly believe. To walk in step wiht the spirit is to encounter a God who desires for you to live like this. And suddenly we are not self interested, but other person focused. The trick to seeing the fruit of the Spirit and understanding what they look like is that you need to encounter Christ. We need to learn of him and grow in relationship through reading his Word. We see the love, the joy, the peace, patience and kindness don’t we. Embracing Godly freedom means that we are free of the works of the flesh or the works of the law and anything else the world holds up to us a valuable. There are not preexisting circumstances for us to earn the gift of Christ and as a result we are free of societies standards of worth. We are free to live as God intended us to do - loving one another as ourselves.
We are to love others, not because you have to but because we have been freed to do so. We do it because we are in relationship with Christ, no longer embracing the self-love of the flesh. We are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness, slaves to God. And we cannot do this by ourselves, it is only by the help of the Holy Spirit that we could live like this - so lets pray for that now.
The first and the primary aspect of that Paul states is of course love. Love one another in the way that Christ loved us by laying down his life for us. True freedom looks like lives so committed to a relationship with Jesus that it makes the relationships around you better. Because you are in Christ, the Spirit is also with you, and so from your life comes love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. And friends, this is true for all that are in Christ.
Not because you have to. We do it because we are in relationship with Christ. We are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness, slaves to God. And we cannot do this by ourselves, it is only by the help of the Holy Spirit that we could live like this - so lets pray for that now.
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We are now slaves
....that only enslave
But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Godly freedom pursues the fruit of the Spirit
For those who put their trust in Christ we see that our old, disconnected from God, rebellious lives are now over. We are one with Christ because we trust that his death is sufficient payment for our sins. Now we are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to God. Let’s pray this
…that leads to righteousness