Standing For Freedom

There is not going to be a lot of introduction today.

As you know, we just finished with our Exodus study, but as I’ve been praying through where we go next, I keep feeling like we aren’t quite ready yet, to move on.

The last two Sundays we talked about Experiencing Freedom and then Giving Freedom.

God was really clear this week that we needed to stick with this theme again today.

We are going to look at a couple of passages today that I think most are familiar with.

To give you a road map for today, here is what to expect.

We are going to have two points, a group activity, a third point, and then the Lord’s supper.

Let’s Geaux tigers...

Standing for freedom is the result of who we are in Christ.

James 2:14–26 ESV

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

James 2:14-16

James 2:14–16 ESV

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

This passage is commonly used to convince people that they need to be doing stuff.

That is not my goal today.

Based on my past, I see this passage in a particular way.

It doesn’t feel like freedom, it feels like work.

However let’s look at this passage in light of .

We won’t read the whole passage, because we are very familiar with it, but I want to highlight a particular section.

John 15:4-

John 15:4–8 ESV

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

When you compare these two passages, we see a common theme.

James uses the “works” and John use the word “fruit”, but they are talking about the same thing.

The result of a true, growing, relationship with Jesus is the out pouring of His character, into your life.

Think about what that means.

What was Jesus’ one claim to fame? What did he say that he did?

He only did what the father was doing.

John 5:19 ESV

19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

So what does that mean for us?

John 14:12 ESV

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

If we are abiding, which is a never ending progression, we will be doing the things that God is doing.

Our call to join God to set people free, is not a specific call for this body or a few people in it.

It is the very purpose of God’s people.

This is the point of the church.

To spread the Gospel (the truth about Jesus), to be his hands and his feet in the world, and thereby bringing freedom to people.

In this passage in , Jesus is saying that works and faith are not separate.

We don’t get to choose between the two.

They are the direct results of one another.

Being in relationship with Christ is faith in action.

James is saying it and Jesus says it.

If we are who we say we are, if we are God’s people, if we are abiding, what is important to God will be what is important to us.

If we are abiding, we, like Jesus, will do what the father does.

Part of the reason I titled today’s message, Standing For Freedom, is because it is Stand Sunday.

I have a short video to explain the history behind this day.

https://vimeo.com/224756922

There are some areas of our lives, where God gives very specific callings.

leading a life group, pastoring, being an elder, being a deacon, etc.

There are other things that are simply part of who we are because of who God is.

They are

Orphan care is one of those things.

I understand that you guys already know how I feel about foster care and adoption.

Hear me out today though. Don’t zone out, because what God is saying today is for all of us.

If we are followers of Christ, if we are about doing what the father does, this ministry is for all of us.

All of God’s people are called to care for Orphans.

James

James 1:27 ESV

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

Isaiah 1:17 ESV

17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.

Your call, my call, and the call of all that are in a relationship with Jesus, is to have the heart of the father, and to Stand for orphans.

is to stand for orphans.

Standing for Orphans can take many different forms.

God may be calling you to foster and adopt.

He may be calling you to support a family that is.

He may be calling you to pray for these children.

The point I want to make sure that everyone here understands today is, He is calling you...

don’t just take the easy way out though, pray through this with me.

Don’t just assume that you are already doing what God has called you to do in this area of your life.

Our tendency is to just assume that we are good, but as we have discussed before, we are being made into the likeness of Christ.

We are continually growing and God is changing us.

Scripture is full of references to our responsibility, as God’s people, to care for those that no one else cares for.

You and I are often referred to as orphans in scripture.

We were fatherless, separated from God by our sin, but because of Jesus’s life and death, we have been given the opportunity to be adopted into His family.

Through our relationship with God, we are now His sons and daughters.

We were hopeless, lost, wandering, and the father saw us, had compassion on us, loved us, cared for us, took us in, and made us His own.

We are now heirs to the kingdom.

He saved us.

He freed us.

He saw us where we were, loved us, and freed us from the bondage that we were living in.

So, what shall we do then, with this incredible gift we have been given?

There are children, right here in Alexandria, that are in need of what we have been given.

How will you choose to live? Will you hoard and squander that freedom or will you share it?

Will you stand for freedom? Will you stand for these children that no one else will stand for?

Let’s take a few moments and pray for these children.

https://open.spotify.com/track/3ultAMxuMWHAF6a5oOyWpo?si=QObMngt_T6u5B2fA5oJbPQ

Being like Christ means drinking from the cup.

John 18:1–11 ESV

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” 10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

Jesus was living in freedom.

He had the right and the ability to do literally anything.

He could have Thano’sed all of them.

He didn’t do that though.

He choose to fulfill His purpose.

He choose to drink from the cup.

He choose to die so that we might live.

He choose to suffer so that we didn’t have too.

The last few weeks I have been asking myself a question.

I want to preface it with this: I am always concerned with the language, tone, and the authenticity of what I say from this pulpit.

I was sharing with Glen this week that I feel like a lot of my messages have a negative tone.

I don’t want them to be that way, but as I allow the spirit to speak into my life and into yours, these are the messages I have been given.

There is nothing for me to gain from speaking this way.

If I had some ambition to be anything, I wouldn’t dress this way, I would preach uplifting, light hearted messages, and we would all leave here feeling really good about ourselves.

My desire for my life and yours is that we are daily made more like Christ.

I want less of me and more of Him.

This world is broken.

We are called to be a light in the darkness.

In order for us to be a light in the darkness, we have to allow the Holy Spirit to get the darkness out of our lives. right?

We have to allow the Holy Spirit to work in every area of our lives until we are like Christ.

I was reading 1 Thessalonians this week. As I read, this same question came to mind that has plagued me for the last year.

Why do we struggle with living for God and not for ourselves?

Why is abiding so hard?

Where is the disconnect?

Look at this with me.

1 thess

1 Thessalonians 2:2–7 ESV

2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.

Paul just left the church at Philippi, where they tried to kill him.

He comes to Thessolanica and begins sharing the same things that nearly had him killed in Philippi.

The question I keep asking is: Why were Paul, Moses, and so many others, willing to die for the gospel and we are still having to convince ourselves that abiding is worthy of our time and energy?

We still don’t really know Jesus.

Our relationship with Him doesn’t feel like it’s life or death.

You know how if you give a child a gift, they’re excited about it, but that fades after a while.

Have you ever seen a child work or save for a long time and make an investment in something? They’re long term response is much different because they have skin in the game.

The point I’m making is that our lives have been given to us and we don’t have much skin in the game.

I don’t know about you, but my relationship with God was based on the idea that it was completely free. period.

It is, but to follow Christ is to leave where you are and go where he leads.

I’m not saying we aren’t saved, I’m saying that we are still shallow in our understanding of who Jesus is because we don’t really understand the value.

James 4:8 ESV

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

James is super clear here.

We must draw near to God.

We don’t know freedom or give freedom, because we don’t draw near to Him.

Paul was willing to die because he knew God.

Paul knew God to the level that nothing else, not even his life was more important than making sure people knew Jesus.

We aren’t willing to die to ourselves, because we still don’t know God.

I want to make it clear that we are justified by Christ death.

That is the fancy, theological, way of saying that our salvation is dependent only on the work of Christ on the cross, not our works.

But in light of that, James is saying that our enjoyment of that justification is dependent on our obedience to follow.

I had conversations with three different people this week.

One has been in church her whole life, but is frustrated because it feels dead.

One grew up around church, but sees no life or benefit in it.

The third has no church experience at all. He grew up in this area and all he knows of Christ is what he has gleaned from culture.

God opened the door with all three of these people to share the gospel.

To talk about grace, abiding, and living in community.

all of them had the same kind of response.

they couldn’t believe it.

It sounded too good to be true.

Church, when are we going to wake up!?

We are surrounded by people who desperately need what we are hoarding!

There are people who need to understand that God loves them.

There are children waiting for their forever families.

This isn’t just about how we spend our time.

It’s about drawing near to God.

It’s about giving all that He is calling us to give.

talk about the ministry that he is calling us to here and around the world.

We are called to participate in those ministries with our time, hearts, prayers, and finances.

God has been telling us for years, we are called to follow Him.

Abide

Bless

Commit to Community

We are called to drink deeply from the cup, to share in suffering, and to experience the joy and freedom of being able, like Jesus, to choose to do the hard things for the sake of others.

end with communion - focus on the sacrifice of christ and our call to share in that crucifixion. to die daily to ourselves and live in an abiding relationship.

do our ABC’s.

Matthew 26:26–28 ESV

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.