UMBC AM SERVICE - July 4, 2021

Good to see each one of you today, I look around and and some of us have family in today and and that's good. And I tell you no place, I'd rather be than in the Lord's house today. Amen. No group of people, I'd rather be with than God's people today and I will say happy Fourth of July to you. If it was July 5th, I tell you happy July to phase two though. Amen.

Is still good with all this wrong in America. Today is still good to live in a place where we can gather freely. It's still good a man to to live in a place where we are able to look back and reflect and honor those who who who paid a price for this Freedom that that we all too often take for granted.

It's, it's just, it's just good to not just celebrate a day of Liberty, but to be able to live in it each and every day. Amen, you got your Bibles this morning. Going to turn over to the first chapter of the Book of James for a few minutes.

I guess America is. 245 years old. Is that right? Today is my math, right? 245 years old and and You know, this this place that we call home for now.

new, kind of got kick-started, because cuz there was some people that were in pursuit of over certain type of Liberty, a certain type of Freedom, spiritual one, a religious, and I even when they framed our constitution they were doing so in an effort to guarantee our Religious freedoms and Liberties. And, and so today, it's is, is we think about all the lives and the enemy? We don't know, but if we reflect on those who who gave their life for that Liberty, weird, so truly thankful. But in the end, I don't mean to put a damper on anything, but I'm going to just freeze it the way God gives it to me this morning. But I want you to understand that this Liberty that you enjoy walking. In, in this country today is temporary.

This Liberty, where, where you can pull up to Popeyes and Order regular or extra spicy is temporary.

Is Liberty that you add, where you can.

Driver Chevy or Dodge or be smart and drive a Ford. I mean it's temporary. But some of your like, I know what he drives now, amen. He drives whatever will crank Because he's temporary. You see, there is coming a day and time and say this new world already but there is coming a day at a time and you make no mistake about it. Then you like what I have to say today or or you can choose to be wrong and not like it. That's your choice. But there is coming a day and time where God is going to deal with sin. God is going to to judge Humanity in this world. And just as the word, says, everything, you lay your eyes on. Is going to pass away.

So anything outside of a life in Christ, Jesus.

Is temporary.

Nursery in the Book of James chapter 2.

Wears number 25.

If you're there Say, Amen. God word reads, but whose Soul looketh into the perfect law of what

I'm sorry, James 1 + 25.

I think that's the first time Sue is that forgot onto me? And you should have seen her face.

Hey, it ain't going to determine James 1 + 25.

But who's so? Look. Into the perfect law of what liberty, liberty, liberty, liberty and continuous there in. He be Not Afraid get well here, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed or in all that he does. If any man among you seems to be religious and Bridal is not his tongue. But the sea with his own heart, this man's religious religion is Blaine or it's useless, pure religion, and undefiled before God and the father is this to visit. Visit the fatherless and widows in their Affliction and they keep themselves warm spot in from this world. Father we love you. We thank you so much for your grace and your mercy. Lord, we thank you for for the occasion that we celebrate as a country today. But Lord more. So than that, I think you for the true Liberty that you purchased the van and old. He'll call Calvary Lord, for those, that believe them all up on you in and I thank you for just an opportunity to be in your house with you people today. I think it for each family to individual, that's in the house today. Lord may your word accomplish. That that you would have it to accomplish that. You'd Ross ever so close to done to you. Lauren May our eyes and heart be opened unto the truth in your word. Today. I pray in the name of Jesus and the church says, amen. And amen. Amen. What a beautiful scripture reading this morning and no doubt that there is a word that we ran in that 25th verse that goes right along with what we celebrate as a country today. And that word is Liberty. Now, the word teaches us that whom the son has set. Free is free indeed and in Christ Jesus, amen. There is a, there is a, a, a truth of Liberty, to be quite honest with you, that few people really Graf. Amen. I spoke earlier. And I made the statement that that look the liberty of of the United States of America while maybe temporal. Amen. The Liberty in Christ, Jesus is eternal. And you know, Jesus himself said that he had came a man that he might give life and he might give it more abundantly. Amen. So so I'm so appreciative today when we when we read this verse and we're reminded amen that for the person that looks into this and it said, perfect law of Liberty. And I want to point out that the Perfection part. Amen. Come from the work. That Christ Jesus accomplished in fulfilling the law and being a perfect sacrifice for Humanity in that there. Never made me another one, eighty men, and I'm glad of that today. And I want to tell you this morning, amen. That there is a, a, a, a, a universal invitation given to all of humanity. Amen. It don't matter if you living under a tree, on the back side of Africa, or if you're in a penthouse in New York City, Through the Holy Ghost of Carl. Goes out to every man's heart. Amen. To come unto Jesus. Amen. And he tells us in his word hear that for you? And I step into this perfect law of Liberty, amen. That that we shall be blessed. Amen. And are, and what we do a men and our efforts, and in what we strive to accomplish, and I'll tell you today, ain't me, and you will be blessed when you do something in the name of Jesus. Amen. Nephew, do it in your name. I ain't going to tell you what you'll be a men would you do it in Christ? Jesus name with the right incentive your heart even the word teaches us that will be blessed things in here that I think I think you're so interesting that comes on the heels of him. Speaking about what real Liberty is in an in an hour. I'm going to tell you today and you you can like this and you not like it. Amen. But to truly be at Liberty, The truly be free in Christ. Jesus is a feeling like you cannot find anywhere else in this world. Amen. They were times. I thought I was free there was times that I thought, man, I can do anything. I want to do and ain't nothing nobody can tell me or say to me, there was times, I thought I could go anywhere. There Was X. I mean, I just thought that I was out a well, I guess would be honest with you, I was too big for my britches. I'm too big for my britches now, but it's cuz I eat too much. But back, then, I was too big for my boyfriend when I met Christ. Jesus. Amen. And surrendered my life to him. It was only then that I understood one. True, Liberty, and freedom, really is a meander freedom and liberty that Christ. Jesus gives you a minute and set you free from so many things that we're going to look at them real quickly. A minutes freeze. You. Amen, from the guilt. How you managed it? Frees, you. Amen. From the hold that death has on you. Amen. It promises you and eternal life in a place called Heaven. Amen. With the very Lamb of God himself, there's there's a liberty, amen in Christ Jesus that you just can't put into words. And I thought I tell you, I was thinking about this sitting there while ago. Tell me about true Liberty. I seen something last Sunday night up in Manny. Louisiana that.

Man, I was almost like Mount st. Helens, when I seen it in a good way.

Open Lutheran Chapel last Sunday night. He was at Lutheran Chapel Anna Lutheran Chapel their stage or their platform is probably to foot higher than the sanctuary. And so, so that means that they're their platform is about. Even with this in his service got started. I wasn't paying a whole lot of tension, how the little girl got up there but there's there's a little girl wearing glasses, 4 years old. I think. 451 and she's sitting down on the, where the steps go up on the platform. And and her mother's is kind of setting off to the side of her sitting there too. And when you first looked at her,

Man, she had something that a lot of you, I'm sorry, but a lot of y'all need and that was a smile out of this world.

You could tell.

And I'm not saying that there was something wrong with her, but you, you were just drawn to the fact that she was just a little different. So they had her Mike, and she sitting there and Lady got on the piano and they begin playing. Jesus. Love it. And she done about light rail e. Does she? She hit about every second and third word and then she didn't leave one or two, I'll never quit smiling. And but she stayed with it and I went and got to the chorus part of the time in Boise, let her flying and she sang that song and I was sitting on the front row over there and And she got through singing course everybody in there with clapping and and so forth. And Right. As she was finishing, the the song I noticed her feet were Both turned in pretty bad. It's like, bad, pretty extreme and, and her mother took the mic. And I mean, she's eating it up, and, and sore mom handed that microphone back to the song leader, and he hung it up in the mom took off down there.

I don't know what y'all might know, I don't know, I don't know what disease she has, but it was, it was just a spinal issue and her legs don't work. And I watch their little girl with the biggest smile on her face. Dragged herself with her hands back down at all to her seat.

Smiling like a possum. All the way down there. The tears began to flow. Not because I feel sorry for her but because I was envious over. You see that? That little gal was Walking into freedom. That I'm not even sure. I really waited off in.

even at a young age, I'm trying my walking in a liberty. Where it didn't matter what people thought, or or what their looks were and it it seems you. And I and I'm trying not to go too far off base you and I I mean everything has to do all the stars have to be in a line for you and I Amen to, to be confident a man in pursuing Christ Jesus. Everything has to, I mean, even these pills have got to be the cushion. Got to be at least 5 inches in them. I just can't be comfortable on. And I got to be comfortable to serve the Lord.

And I just I just I just wonder, you know, I just wonder about us or we are we truly walking in a freedom and liberty that man of your legs folded up on you. Would you still use what you had? To serve him. What would you set at-home piled up in your easy chair?

Because it's too hard.

Let me read this again.

He said more food. So looking into the perfect law of Liberty and continue there in. He may not a forgetful here but I do all of the work. This man shall be blessed in his deed.

you know, this profession that he speaks of without a doubt is a life. Committed unto Christ, Jesus.

This profession that he speaks of it. It's not you. And I having some sense of perfection.

A minute, stalking about stalking about the role in the accomplishment of Christ. And as we engage in this, this relationship. And, and I said this before, and I'm going to keep right on saying it. You can have religion all day long and I'm really, you ain't going press me with your religion, will you marry me? And you want to see me get excited, you talk about your relationship with the Lord, and then you'll see me get excited very many. And when we looking hear that, that's the first thing he's throwing out there, is that little person that that that that is pursuing their relationship with Christ Jesus. That what did he say that? Perfect Liberty. Amen. You are free enough that you can drag yourself around like a rag doll cuz you just got through singing about the Lord. And then nnnn, you can stand out on the street corner. Amen. And Proclaim his name to the world that caused. You a religious nutcase a man because you you are committed and believing in whom you are talkin about, you know, when you get in there and I wanted so much to get on this Bridal in that tongue thing, but if I did have for you, probably get them walk on out here this morning a men's, but I'll get back on that. When we get on in there, just wasn't in and I guess that's what I'm going to preach over. Just a minute, it says that that perfect law of Liberty allows you to keep yourself unspotted from this world. Now going out in this world, a man in the world that's dark or world that's filthy or world is mastic a world that wants to bring about your and it's hard not to go out in this world every now and then and get a little bit of the muck of it on you. Are you man but you see Christ, Jesus has Adam and detergent. Amen, is called the blood to make you and I whiter than snow. Amen. But our role in walking in this law of Liberty, this perfect law of Liberty that he spoke of is to not just hear what does said the word of God. But to take what you have heard those words govern a man what you doing. I was just going to tell you the one of the greatest Liberty's about walking in Christ Jesus was when I realized hey I do not have to roll myself over to what the world wants me to be a man. I don't have to lay myself down, a mentor to the things that the world wants me to do a man. I do not have have to surrender, my will Amen. To be worldly and be accepted by anybody. I can stand right here today. Amen, I can stand in the middle aisle. Call Mark right by myself. In Christ Jesus walking in this perfect long Liberty and I can be okay. Hey man, why? Because whom the sun has set free. Amen. Is free now. You can thank you for it, then you can thank you. Can do what you want to do. And you can thank you can call your own shots but until you have walks in truth of Christ Jesus until amen. The Lord has rolled up on the seashore in your life on this island called the Nazareth. Amen, and called you out of the tune. Amen. And remove the shackles and remove the chain, and put a rope around, you a ring, on your finger and shoes on your feet. You don't really understand what true Liberty really is.

That's what Christ Jesus. Does for you see the world wants you to be worldly? In the world Yanks won't shoot it. Matter fact the world is actually okay with you. Having religion as long as you don't get very far away from how it is. Come on a man, but when you start walking in the power of the Holy Ghost. Amen. When you start speaking in the power of the Holy Ghost, when you started letting the Holy Ghost, amen, drop the reins on your life. Amen. You will begin to see some things. My friend happened that you ain't never seen because you've been trying to do things in your own power and you just simply cannot do it with Z. That's that's another thing about this perfectly. Harmless are pretty and young man that he speaks of his, it gives me enough sense to realize that I can quit.

I can quit. And I can let him have it.

I can quit. Struggling. I can quit cycling. I can quit fight.

and I can surrender, all of my will unto him cuz the word says, That. Drink. Is made.

Who said? Perfect. And what we missed? That means come to a place where all man, I just I just

Do you know why? We raise our hands as Christians?

Some of you like a long time, but I hadn't really thought about that.

It came to me, one one day. Watching the Andy Griffin.

Some of you like I never seen a man to go to church. I neither But a good morning. You know, I shaking, man when he trying to put that one bullet in that gun but but

They cornered the bad guy.

Go to come out with your hands up. and the next two words out of his mouth when he came out, was I Surrender

see, our problem is

we're trying to keep the door handle from turning when I ready to surrender. We're not ready to separate ourselves from this world. We not ready to separate ourselves from all forms of ungodliness, we're not ready to. I'm going to say this to, we're not ready to separate our self even from the little sins that we sometimes take pleasure.

Christiana like you this morning.

You don't have to but you do have to love me. You want to make Evan Ian?

See, we want to. We want we want to reach out to Jesus. But we won't hang on to this world at the same time. This is perfect law of Liberty that he speaking of.

It calls you. On to a place. Where the world don't call your shots no more. Will the world don't dictate who you are anymore. Where the world don't determine what you do, how you look, or where you go.

You use embark on this, this relationship with Christ Jesus.

That allows you to be. what he What have you to be?

There's a reason why preachers struggle with surrendering to preach.

There's a reason why singers struggle with every beginning to sing. There's a reason why Sunday school teachers struggle with beginning to teach Sunday school class. Is because it's calling them. Out of this place, where where they still have some say-so about what they do, and it's called them unto him onto a place where they walk by faith and they walk in the life of complete surrender. You see Christ Jesus. Yeah, I'm going to try to put the cap on this thing. You see Christ, Jesus. Call was you. To be free. And I want to give you just a taste of how he viewed freedom.

He's standing before Pontius Pilate.

And pilot said, do you not understand? You better answer me and you better answer me the right way. Do you not understand that I have no power to let you live? Or they are the cause you to die and Jesus looked at him and just simply said, you have no power over me. Nobody takes my life from me, I laid down, and I offer. I want to tell you now, you talkin about Liberty and in and whether you realize it today or not, guess what? When you're walking a men in this perfect law of Liberty, when your sins have been forgiven, amen, when your past according to him has been forgotten, amen. When your future is secure, amen. In Christ Jesus about where you're heading and who you're serving, guess what it? Don't matter what anybody? Down here on good old planet earth has to say about you. It don't matter if they drag you to the guillotine, it don't matter if they get ready to nail you to some kind of crossed, they cannot take away. Who you are in Christ Jesus. You are do me George today Fame into knowing that he purchased that freedom. He purchased that Liberty up on the cross amen where you can stand and know that regardless of what comes your way, regardless of what the world tries to do to you, regardless what the enemy tries to do, it cannot take away a man who you are in Christ Jesus. Amen. If you are walking in that, perfect law of Liberty, now, if you ain't

if you ain't,

I'm sorry if you are not.

You going to keep right on struggling.

if you are not,

You going to keep right on being a pawn. if you are not,

At your best. You going to have? Very temporal moments of of happiness.

And you will never. How about rupees?

And you will never understand. True freedom.

And if that's you, hold on, man. Cuz I got some good news for you.

The word says, whosoever calleth upon the name of Jesus.

Might be saved. And if you need me to prove that to you, I'll gladly do it. I can give you my testimony. But I'll take you to something that's even more indisputable.

And that's Jesus. Gasping for air. In the last moments of his, his life here.

With all the weight of the sin of Humanity on his shoulders.

Is consciousness, he's probably getting to the place where he's fading in and out.

I wouldn't blame him a bit if at that moment all he's concerned about is just himself and trying to stay focused.

What days are? No good knuckle. Headed thief next to him, that deserves to be. Where he's at that. That's didn't deserve to get what happened to it.

And out of desperation, he simply says, Lord.

Would you please remember me when you come into your kingdom? And this.

And there's beaten battered. Bruised. Savior that It looks like he just got ran through a slaughterhouse.

Musters up enough Fair. Leaving turns his head. And he says today. You'll be with me in Paradise. I'm going to say it a different way for you. He looked at him and he said, absolutely.

Six, come play some for me.

I'm glad I get to celebrate my country's Freedom today, but I'm going to tell you something more so than that. I'm glad that the Christ Jesus has allowed me to walk in Liberty. The live in Liberty. I some nights I lay in bed and and, May not feel good and and and I'm getting it that age. Where are you? you sometime wonder, you know, Lorde.

Maybe I'm coming to a point in life where you getting ready to call me home? and I received the perfect law of Liberty, you know, it allows me to do it allows me to say

I'm ready. If you are

Because I know in whom I have believed. And I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him.

How about you let stand this morning?

Father, we do love you, and thank you for your grace and your mercy. we thank you so much for

this. this undescribable Liberty and freedom that you, you give us as we abide in you, I, thank you so much today that that, that very law of Liberty. Allows me to not be who I once was. Your word says that if any man is in Christ, Jesus, he is a new creature. and I'm so thankful, Lord, that that you take even the darkest heart and you make it a new. If there's a need in your house this morning, as a sister plays, a verse Forest may you, may you let may you let a flood of Liberty sweep through the sanctuary this morning that that a hardened need. may may just simply cry out to you and What is Lord? Save me. What if Lord help me? Well, there's Lord hold me up but maybe it's just Lourdes and just want to tell you. I love you whatever. The need might be made that need to be met today. Met that part truly be changed. Today is my prayer in the name of Jesus.