Defining Freedom

Intro:

Last week we looked at passages from James and John as we continued this conversation of Freedom.

It is important that we understand what it means to live in freedom because our call as a church it to join God to set people free.

As we have discussed, we can’t lead people to a place we can’t be.

Last week we thought about three things.

It was Stand Sunday, a day set aside for us to pray specifically for orphans in our area.

The message revolved around our call to set people free and that orphans are included in that group.

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

It’s not something we just simply decide to give away one day.

Our daily walk with God is what causes us to stand for freedom.

We were reminded last week that it is the call of all believers, not just some, to stand for orphans.

They are trapped in the world in which they find themselves.

No matter how they ended up there, it was traumatic.

God is clear in his word that it is the responsibility of the church to care for orphans.

I asked each of us to make a commitment to at least pray for one of the 18 children that are available for adoption in Alexandria.

My hope is that as you are praying for that child, the Lord shows you ways that you can support orphan care.

We talked about all the different ways that you can do that.

Lastly, we discussed that being like Christ means we drink from the same cup that he did.

In our call to stand for freedom, we will encounter suffering.

It may be our own or we may need to walk with someone else in suffering.

We are called to lean into that suffering, not shy away from it.

there are people all around us that are suffering and we have the hope that they desperately need.

We cannot ignore them.

Sometimes we need to walk right into the awkward moments and live life with people, right where they are.

That is how Jesus lived life.

He met people, in the middle of their sin, and that love changed their lives forever.

God provides that same opportunity for us to love people.

That may be a friend, co-worker, neighbor, or a orphan or foster child.

At the end of the day, we need to recognize that standing for freedom is who we are as followers of Christ.

We know the truth of that because that is what Jesus was about and if we are abiding in Him, that is what we will be about.

Today we are going further our understanding what freedom is and what it means to live in freedom.

We are going to study the sermon on the mount, specifically the beatitudes, and allow God to give us new insight into what He was teaching.

For the next week or so we are going to stay in this theme and then make the transition into advent.

Hang with me for just a moment as I go into information mode.

Before we read this passage, there are a few things we need to understand about the beatitudes.

These things will allow us to better understand what Jesus was teaching.

Firstly, the beatitudes are proclamations of where we are, not where we are going.

For the people that Jesus was teaching, and for us, we hear these ideas and assume that Jesus is talking about something that is to come.

We think that way, because of our past and current experiences.

Nearly all of our current translations include the verb “are” in these statements.

That has been done because our language requires that there is a verb in every sentence.

That verb is not in the original language and it changes the way we understand them.

Jesus isn’t saying you will be blessed IF you do these things or exhibit these qualities.

He is saying that those qualities exist in the kingdom, of which we are a part of as believers.

Our involvement in the kingdom brings about those qualities.

We are blessed to be a part of the kingdom not because of a quality that we exhibit.

The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 The Supreme Blessedness (Matthew 5:3)

The beatitudes are not simple statements; they are exclamations: ‘O the blessedness of the poor in spirit!’

The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 The Supreme Blessedness (Matthew 5:3)

That is most important, for it means that the beatitudes are not pious hopes of what shall be; they are not glowing, but vague prophecies of some future bliss; they are congratulations on what is. The blessedness which belongs to Christians is not a blessedness which is postponed to some future world of glory; it is a blessedness which exists here and now. It is not something into which Christians will enter; it is something into which they have entered.

Secondly, they describe a condition that cannot be affected by our current circumstances.

If these things are a part of the kingdom, our earthly circumstances cannot affect them.

Jesus is defining for the people, the qualities of kingdom life.

He wasn’t adding to the law or the checklist of life

Jesus is showing us that, if we are abiding, this is what our life will be like.

In addition to that, our American understanding of what it means to be blessed is not what Jesus was describing.

The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 The Supreme Blessedness (Matthew 5:3)

The word blessed which is used in each of the beatitudes is a very special word. It is the Greek word makarios. Makarios is the word which specially describes the gods. In Christianity, there is a godlike joy.

The best definition of this word is found in one particular usage that was used to describe a Greek deity and the island that she inhabited.

It was so lovely, rich, and fertile that there was never any reason to go beyond the coastline in order to find the perfect life.

The greenery, climate, fruits, etc made it so that it was the perfect place.

The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 The Supreme Blessedness (Matthew 5:3)

Makarios, then, describes that joy which has its secret within itself, that joy which is serene and untouchable, and self-contained, that joy which is completely independent of all the chances and the changes of life. The English word happiness gives its own case away. It contains the root hap, which means chance. Human happiness is something which is dependent on the chances and the changes of life, something which life may give and which life may also destroy. The Christian blessedness is completely untouchable and unassailable. ‘No one’, said Jesus, ‘will take your joy from you’ (John 16:22). The beatitudes speak of that joy which seeks us through our pain, that joy which sorrow and loss, and pain and grief, are powerless to touch, that joy which shines through tears, and which nothing in life or death can take away.

I don’t know how you are receiving that, but that is incredible to me.

Jesus is not teaching about a life that can be.

He is proclaiming a life that is made possible because of who God is.

We experience this Joy because of God and not our circumstances.

There is a profound distinction that is being made between the world’s understanding of happiness and the joy that is found in the Lord.

They are not the same.

Happiness is temporary.

We know this to be true.

Yesterday we had a big brunch, some awesome conversation, great coffee.

Life was good and we were enjoying it.

Then the kids told me the dog, who had been outside for at least an hour, pooped on the back porch as soon as he came in.

All the happiness went away.

I know this is kind of a silly example, but isn’t it true of so many other things in life?

We can be walking through life, happy as can be, and one thing can shut it all down.

Joy is different.

Joy is forever.

While we may go through hard times, joy can never be taken away.

I have found incredible joy in my occupation.

That doesn’t mean that there are days when it is hard.

Friday was an incredible stressful day and it didn’t feel joyful.

However, deep down I fully understood that the stress of that day would soon be over.

I knew that my job wasn’t going always feel like that.

There was this underlying truth that I knew and it allowed me to keep proper perspective on my day.

That truth is that God gave me that job.

That truth is the foundation of my joy, not my current situation

That is the power that Joy has and this is what Jesus is describing.

You may be asking what this has to do with Freedom.

Here is the tie in.

Israel was being freed from slavery in Egypt.

They experienced their freedom through deliverance.

The freedom we are bringing, through the Holy Spirit, is freedom from slavery to sin and death.

To be introduced to the joy of the father, is to be set free.

Freedom that comes from the Father is eternal freedom.

We are joining God to set people free from death and sin.

We are making the introduction, so that God can bring them into eternal joy.

We experience and are given freedom when we are brought from death to life.

By living the perfect life, Jesus did what we could never do.

He fulfilled the law.

Matthew 5:17–20 ESV

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus lived the life that God wanted for us to have when he created the garden.

God wanted us to be able to walk with him daily, abiding in his presence.

Freedom is found not by relaxing the law, but by Jesus fulfilling it.

A common tactic of the enemy is to try and diminish the law by calling its validity into question.

We see this in the garden when satan twisted God’s word.

Those that are championing for religion do the same thing.

They either over complicate the word or abate the word in order to make it “easier” for others.

As we have discussed before, the purpose of the law was not to make us righteous, but rather, to point out that we aren’t.

The point of the law is to show that we are not God, but we need God.

Instead of living in the truth that we can’t fulfill the law, we try to live as if we can.

Unintentional as it is, we choose death by living under the law.

We don’t choose death because that’s what we want.

We want to live in freedom, but we have believed the lie that we can bring ourselves into freedom through our own power.

When Jesus was teaching on the mount, this is the very thing he was trying to communicate.

Matthew 5:1–2 NLT

1 One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them.

We are those people.

Gathering is what we do, we gather together, to hear from Jesus.

We gather ourselves and the people God has put in our lives.

We gather to hear and also, to proclaim that the freedom that people are longing for.

We share with them that true freedom is not found in America, our democracy, our laws, or our rights.

You and I have experienced freedom, but not the kind that the world is searching for.

We have discovered the freedom that comes through the grace of God.

We are free from the law.

We are free from guilt.

We are free from sin.

We have discovered that true, lasting freedom is found in Jesus.

Look at what Jesus defines as blessedness.

Remember, he is describing what it looks like to live in the kingdom, which is freedom.

Matthew 5:3–12 The Message

3 “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. 4 “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. 5 “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought. 6 “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. 7 “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for. 8 “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world. 9 “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family. 10 “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. 11 “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. 12 You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Isn’t it incredible how different Jesus defines what it means to be blessed?

This is not #blessed.

In fact, the usage of that hashtag is the complete opposite of what Jesus considers blessed.

What kind of things that come to mind when you think of being free?

What is the difference between biblical freedom and american freedom?

Our culture is selling a freedom that isn’t freedom at all.

What the world often consider freedom, by Jesus’ standards, are slavery.

We fight and claw our way through life chasing things that don’t matter.

I have spent time with several people over the last two weeks that are so frustrated with their lives.

I believe they feel that way because they are chasing the world’s version of freedom.

What they want is freedom, but the world is giving them slavery that is disguised as freedom.

These are good people.

People that have grown up in religion, doing good things, and they are dumbfounded that they aren’t happy.

You and I have been given the information and the experiences that can communicate true freedom.

We know what it means to be free.

We understand what that means, what it looks like, and what it feels like.

A Godly life is defined by freedom and reveals freedom.

If you will remember, God set Israel apart by what? His presence.

His presence in their lives is what set them apart from all the other nations around them.

The same is still true for us.

God’s presence in our lives sets us apart from others.

How have the people in your life noticed the freedom that you are living in?

Not in a way that we can take any credit for.

He doesn’t set us apart to lord over or taunt others.

We actually have nothing to brag about.

If we are who God has called us to be, our freedom is defined by the beatitudes that we just read.

But look at what Jesus says happens when we allow him to be our freedom.

Matthew 5:13–16 ESV

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

I love salt.

Especially cajun salt. aka Tony’s

It makes everything better.

Salt doesn’t change the flavor of things, it just enhances the flavors.

It brings out what is already there.

God isn’t telling us to try and change the world by who we are.

The goal here is not to “put on airs” and show people that we are somebody.

The goal here, is to be a nobody.

To be ourselves and be God’s and that’s enough.

By simply abiding in Christ we are going to enhance the lives of others.

We aren’t changing them, but by being there, we are making their lives just a little bit better.

Christ in us is makes our lives better and their lives better.

As the Holy Spirit works in their lives, they are going to be drawn near to him.

They are tasting, through your life, what it means to live free.

If we are daily, drawing near to God, striving to abide, and doing what God says, we will be the salt and the light.

We aren’t serving out of our own perfection.

That is what the world is trying to do.

That is slavery, not freedom because they are living to please others.

We are free because we are living to please God alone.

Here is also what happens.

When we fake it, and try to live a perfect life in front of others, they see that perfection, and think they could never really belong, because they aren’t good enough.

What is the result of “perfect” people in the church?

How has authenticity in the church changed your understanding of God?

If we live with authenticity and allow others to see our flaws, we open our lives up for people to see what freedom looks like.

It isn’t perfect.

We allow them to see the light of Jesus shinning through us.

We free them up by showing them that we aren’t perfect, but the love of Jesus is, and his grace is what allows us to walk with him.

They experience the freedom of not having to try and be someone or something.

Our daily walking with God Defines Freedom.

It takes this worlds tired, old definition of freedom and reveals that it is empty and hopeless.

All we have to do is be God’s