The Freedom We Have

Introduction

Open your bibles to:

Independence Day

1765 - 1775 (10 Years): the British are imposing more and more taxes on Colonists

1765: Stamp Act

1767: Townshend Tariffs

1770: Boston Massacre

1773: Tea Act of 1773; led to the Boston Tea Party

Colonists began to seek freedom from British control

April 1775: Revolutionary War Begins

June 7, 1775: Continental Congress meets and passes a motion to declare freedom from the British Government

They declared freedom before they received their freedom

What would your life be like if you were truly free from all the chains that hold you back?

Revolutionary War was the starting process of American Freedom

Freedom was “declared” in 1775, but the war didn’t end until 1783 (8 Years Later)

Galatians 5:1 ESV

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Those with: Attachments

Freedom in Jesus

Jesus has made us free, THEREFORE, if we continue to live in bondage, it is by our own doing.

God continually tells us to rely on His strength and His ability, not our own.

Paul tells us here in vs 1, not to get entangled with the yoke of bondage AGAIN.

Freedom is a gift given to us by Jesus - we accept it by faith

this means that although we may not be free, we are declaring and casting the vision for our lives that we want to be free!

Revolutionary War - freedom declared before the war

The World’s View of Freedom

The Pursuit of Freedom - the world would say that freedom is the ability to do whatever you want to do, and never deny your desires.

This is false freedom.

The TRUE FREEDOM comes when we are living free from sin, guilt, and shame - we are free from the power of sin.

Stand Firm

This means that it takes effort to stay in this place of freedom.

You can be free from sin/bondage, but that doesn’t mean you can’t fall back into that same bondage.

The great evangelist D. L. Moody illustrated this point by quoting an old former slave woman in the South following the Civil War.

Being a former slave, she was confused about her status and asked: Now is I free, or been I not? When I go to my old master he says I ain’t free, and when I go to my own people they say I is, and I don’t know whether I’m free or not. Some people told me that Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation, but master says he didn’t; he didn’t have any right to.

Many Christians are confused on the same point. Jesus Christ has given them an “Emancipation Proclamation,” but their “old master” tells them they are still slaves to a legal relationship with God. They live in bondage because their “old master” has deceived them.

Sometimes we may find ourselves free and walking in that freedom, but someone else comes along and speaks negatively over you - what do we do?

Many times I find myself replaying those negative thoughts for days after they have been spoken.

Each time they replay I believe the words more and more, until it becomes my reality.

The person that spoke the words only said it once, but yet I become my own enemy by giving power to those words long after the fact.

Yoke of Bondage

Sometimes, we find ourselves in direct opposition with God’s plan, when we join ourselves to a yoke of bondage

Oxen Yoke Illustration

- 2 People; 1 Stationary and spinning, 1 trying to get to the goal

You may be able to accomplish the goal, but it’s not going to be as easy as it should, nor is it going to be as rewarding.

The scary thing is that God’s grace is bigger than any sin:

BAD: You can find yourself working under the power of God, but yet you still have bondage you are living in

Just because God still moves in your life, does not mean He is giving you an “ok” to continue living in your bondage

To continue living in bondage is an abuse of God’s grace

GOOD: You can find yourself working under the power of God, but yet you still have bondage you are living in

God can do A LOT with someone that submits himself/herself to God’s might hand

The Yoke of Bondage in Galatians:

Bondage = Leagalism

Jewish teachers had counted up 613 commandments to keep in the Law of Moses. Just to remember them all would’ve been a burden in itself.

Sometimes we may fall into the bondage of religion - trying to be in good grace by “doing works”

What are you attached to?

Those that were: running well

Galatians 5:7 ESV

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Some of you have been off to a great start, you are living an amazing life, you’ve been freed from sin that had you at one point. THIS IS AMAZING!

Yet…there’s some things that you have done to fall back into some of the bondages you were once in.

It’s not completely your fault!

Paul says, “who”

this signifies that a person influenced your detour from freedom

Hindered

this word is a military term, that literally means to “break up a road, to render it impassable; the opposite of ‘to clear a way’”

the people that you set yourselves around will inevitably have influence over your freedom. The conversation you choose to have, the activities you choose to take part in - it all is small moments that add up to lasting impact

Why Paul Says:

Galatians 5:9 ESV

A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Good v Bad Leaven

Have you notices how hard it can be to stand up for what is right when so many are doing what is wrong?

Friend cracks an inappropriate joke, everyone laughs - you don’t want to be the one to poop the party...

Have you ever stood up for the right thing? What happened?

Blake Shelton — I want to stand for something, and it's probably going to be something that some people stand against.

Those that have: confidence

Galatians 5:10 ESV

I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.

Paul writes this encouragement to us...

God will keep you on the path, no matter how hard it gets

The person trying to influence you will be held accountable for their actions

Galatians 5:13–15 ESV

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Paul concludes this thought by making the point that we, as Christians (Christ Followers) should be living a life of freedom!

Jesus Came to Set Captives Free & More:

Luke 4:18–19 ESV

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

In Your Freedom, You Can:

Preach the Gospel

Heal the Brokenhearted

Speak Freedom to Others

Bring Vision to that have lost it (Spiritual or Physically)

Set Free those that are Oppressed

Finding Freedom

Love God

Love Others

Galatians 5:15 ESV

But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

This verse uses violent imagery in descriptions of wild animals devouring each other, which is a picture of the terrible reality the false teachers had caused in the Galatian churches.

Next Steps

Restart Your Freedom Walk

Take inventory of your life - what needs to go, what needs more attention?

Identify the road blocks: what is stopping you from being free?

Plug Into the Word

Group reading plan on YouVersion: “Freedom for Rule Breakers”

https://bible.com/p/5633559/f8f198921980c337058eb619e64ec468

Start by spending 5 minutes a day reading God’s word. Start small, and grow bigger.