Independence through Dependence

Good Morning!

Good Morning and Welcome to Freedom Chapel. My name is Pastor Terry, my wife Michelle and I serve as the lead pastors here at Freedom Chapel. We exist to bring hope to our community we do that by being a Place to Belong, Church for the Whole Family.

If you are new with us this morning would you please take the time fill out that little flap on the side of your bulletin. If you put it in the black boxes by the back door we will make a donation in your name to a local charity and send you cookies. Church can we show our guests some love this morning.

Epic Boom!

Thank you everyone who has banded together this week to make Epic Boom a tremendous success! Everything we sell today goes directly into ministry accounts!

Freedom Fest!

This Saturday is the biggest outreach event Freedom Chapel does each year!

Why is it so important?

There is still room for you to help.

Time is short and we have things to blow up today! So let’s get into today’s message.

Would you pray with me one more time.

The title of today’s message is Independence through Dependence.

Odd name for a sermon right?

On July 4, 1776 John Hancock signed The Declaration of Independence. A document that would be sent back to England declaring that their oversight and management of this Great Country was no longer needed.

However John was not alone in making this Declaration. 55 other men representing 13 states joined with him in signing the document. A document that would lead to the fight for their lives.

The United States came into being because a Group of people chose to depend on each other in order to break free from an outside force that was holding Freedom Hostage.

Independence was won through Dependence.

In the Bible we find 4 accounts of the life of Jesus. We also find the accounts of the 12 men he called to follow him and to be the first leaders of the church. Let’s take a look at their backgrounds.

Andrew, Peter, James and John were Fishermen.

Matthew was a tax collector.

Simon was a Zealot.

Zealots engaged in politics and anarchy, attempting to overthrow the Roman government. He may have been a politician or a revolutionary.

The Bible gives no account of what Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Thaddaeus or James the son of Alphaeus did before Jesus.

I am leaving Judas out on purpose.

These guys came from different backgrounds and for three years learned to depend on Jesus. After Jesus’ Ascension they would come together and learn to depend on one another.

Turn with me to Acts 1:12-15

Acts 1:12–15 ESV

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said,

Acts 2:1–12 ESV

1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”

Acts 2:42–47 ESV

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

The New Testament can be summed up in this way.

God sent His Son Jesus to Redeem a lost world.

12 Guys gave up their independence to follow the Redeemer.

The Redeemer dies on the Cross,.

Resurrects on the 3rd Day,.

Gives the 12 guys some important instructions.

Leaves with a promise to return someday.

The 12 guys band together, follow the instructions, and change the world.

Two weeks ago I shared my testimony.............

In coming back to McPherson to Pastor it meant that I was going to have to come back to my deepest hurts, people that knew me before, and actually face an outside force that holding my freedom hostage.

I did not share that message to for sympathy, to make myself seem more human, or even to be transparent with my struggles.

I shared because I wanted you all to understand pain in this world is natural, normal, and can be counted on to show up time and time again.

As a Texan and an American I have a strong Independent Spirit that likes to take over. I don’t like being told what to do or how to do it. I don’t like being wrong and I have trained myself how to accomplish just about everything without the help of others. I have been trained my whole life that all other people will do is let you down.

When we came here 6 years ago I had one agenda. That agenda was to prove everyone wrong.

We had been told we would never make it as Pastors because Michelle is too strong willed.

We had been told that we were damaged goods because of my past.

My goal was simple I was going to just do the exact opposite of every leader that had ever let me down and I would be successful.

However Independence will only get you so far.

Independence leads to:

Exhaustion

Burn out

Loneliness

Distance from others

Pastor Case had it right last week. The success of this church began the moment I began to depend on God and not my talent.

The success of this church really began when I began to depend on others.

When we began to act like a team.

Independence breads insecurity.

Dependence builds connection.

Dependence on God and others is actually the key to True Freedom.