Healing Our Nation
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
When our forefathers developed the Declaration of Independence and our nation’s constitution, they had a specific goal in mind.
John Adams, the second President of the United States wrote:
We have no government armed with power of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. -President John Adams
Today, our country is in a mess because as a whole, we have lost our identity as a moral and religious people. We have invoked a meaning of freedom that is watered down from its original meaning. In our text today, both free and freedom come from the same Greek word, eleutheria. It means “the liberty to do.” True liberty is living as one should not as one would please.
On this eve of our nation’s 246th birthday, I would like for us to look this idea of freedom. We are going to look at the conflict of freedom, the confusion of freedom, the call to freedom and the command of freedom.
The Conflict of Freedom
The Conflict of Freedom
Understanding the conflict of freedom helps us see why our country is such a mess. It goes back to early Christianity. When Jesus was about to began His ministry, John the Baptist proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
The reason he was led of the Spirit of God to say this was because mankind had become enslaved to sin and religious customs. Mankind had taken their freedom and made choices that were contrary God’s intention. Mankind, in other words, was not living as one should.
The New English Bible Translation is point on with this description of freedom:
“You… were called to be free men; only do not turn your freedom into a license for your lower nature.” Galatians 5:13 NEB
There is a tendency for us as mankind to become enslaved to self, to live according to one’s lower nature. We have a tendency to care only for what we feel is best for us. There is a proverb about that person.
26 People curse the man who hoards grain,
but blessing crowns him who is willing to sell.
There is something about selfishness. I had one professor call selfishness “the sin that stinks all the way to heaven.” Can you imagine the stench that is before our Lord today? Another area that gives us conflict in freedom is when we are enslaved to service. Somewhere along the line, we have become a people that feels like we can use freedom to earn our way to pleasing God and others. We feel like we have busy ourselves doing things. By the way, “busy-ness” is one of satan’s greatest tools. Here is a great reminder for us:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
As you can imagine, the conflict of freedom leads to much confusion in freedom.
The Confusion of Freedom
The Confusion of Freedom
Inherently, the system adds to this confusion. Going back to the quote from President John Adams, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.”
Statistics show that attendance during the pandemic is only 36-60% of what it was before COVID-19. Even pre-pandemic church statistics are giving proof that their attendance was continuously decreasing. Some scholars predict that church attendance in 2050 will be half of what it was in 1994. Blue laws that prohibited the sale of alcohol on Sunday have almost completely abolished. Setting a day a week for worship is becoming more and more unheard of. We now have a generation that does not regularly attend church at all. Our freedom has caused us in general to move away from being a moral and religious people. The systems in place continue to add to the symptoms.
12 For our offenses are many in your sight,
and our sins testify against us.
Our offenses are ever with us,
and we acknowledge our iniquities:
13 rebellion and treachery against the Lord,
turning our backs on our God,
fomenting oppression and revolt,
uttering lies our hearts have conceived.
14 So justice is driven back,
and righteousness stands at a distance;
truth has stumbled in the streets,
honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth is nowhere to be found,
and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The Lord looked and was displeased
that there was no justice.
This passage was written thousands of years ago yet it could be written about the times in which we live now! God had a better plan!
Even as bad as we have confused our freedom, there still remains a solution. His name is Jesus.
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
And then Jesus emphasized in John 8:36
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
Let’s look at this call to freedom.
The Call to Freedom
The Call to Freedom
Galatians 5:13 tells us that we were called. The word for “called” is kaleo. It means literally to be known and approached by name. The call we have received from our Lord is one that is personal. What a Mighty God we serve! We are called. Are you catching this? We are called by God Almighty, the Creator of all things and the way He calls us is by name! Our God is personal because He loves us and cares deeply for us! He calls us to be free, no longer in conflict or confusion. God’s plan is for the Christian to be free. We are free from guilt because of God’s forgiveness. We are free from the penalty of sin because Christ dies for us on the cross. We are free from the power of sin in our daily lives through the Holy Spirit!
Not only is this call personal, but it is purposeful. One writer said it this way, “Though Christ has redeemed us from the cause of the law, He has not freed us from the obligation of it.” In other words, we are called to be free and also called to live Godly lives.
11 Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
It is personal, purposeful and powerful!
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Our God is a chain breaker! Once we have experienced the glorious freedom of Christ, we will never want to be chained again! Don’t get caught up in that which binds you up and keeps you limited. The call to freedom is not just something that we experience and then go back to being chained. Rather is the the power of God from which we are called to live and live according to His word! I have found that happens when I heed the call and understand the command of freedom.
The Command of Freedom
The Command of Freedom
Galatians 5:13 says “But do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” We are not to just love, but we are to love one another in service! We are free to love and serve and we love by serving!
This means that we are to be selfless.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
The Biblical mandate is not to be selfish. The best way not to be selfish is by serving others. How can you serve others? WE ARE PROVIDING YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT SIMPLY BY HANDING OUT WATER ON A HOT DAY DURING A PARADE. Sometimes we just need to get out of our comfort zones to do something as simple as this. What else can you do? How can you serve?
7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men,
As we serve others and if we serve as if we were serving the Lord, our attitude will be without scorn. We will be doing the work of the Lord.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Here is question: Just how free are you this weekend when we celebrate our country’s freedom?
I leave you with this video.