Sermon Tone Analysis
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INTRO
Good morning!
My name is Ryan, I’m one of the pastors here at Georgianna.
It’s so good to be with you in worship today…
[MENTION LIVE STREAM AT 9:45]
And again, Pastor Corky and Deedie are on some much needed time away....
If you’re a Facebook person you may have noticed Deedie literally wearing a Julie Andrews shirt… visiting some of the filming locations of the Sound of Music.
I think it’s safe to say they’re having a good time.
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So for us here....
I trust that this week everyone has a BBQ planned… or a parade… or a fireworks display on their agenda…
A couple of years ago we celebrated with some friends of ours…
And we all have young kids… and so the dads did what dads do.
We went to Walmart earlier in the week and got one of those cheap little fireworks kits… You know just sparklers… snap and pops and such.
And as we’re lighting off these dinky little firecrackers we see the neighbors walk outside with armloads of fireworks… some in these enormous boxes, where you just light one fuse and run for your life you know…
Probably full of dynamite.
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And as awesome as those dynamite boxes were… I’ll tell you when it really got exciting.
It’s not a good, old fashioned amateur fireworks display until… one of the boxes tips over.
I’ll tell you what… if you want a good dose of adrenaline… there is nothing like a horizontal fireworks show.
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On a week like this we celebrate America, right?
All of these things that make America a great place to live.
The notions of freedom, independence, even individuality… not everyone has this opportunity.
If I’m not careful I can take it for granted.
But if you were here last week you might remember that we talked about how sometimes our core values and virtues can get hijacked...
To mean something different… maybe VERY different than what was intended in the first place.
Last week we talked about how you ARE free to be the real you… you don’t have to hide your imperfections or shortcomings...
But when we use that freedom and transparency as an excuse to just sit in our sin and brokenness… as a way of saying, well this is just me being me...
Then we’re not really finding freedom from it.
Because if Jesus sets you free… YOU ARE FREE FROM SOMETHING
Transparency and being genuine are good, good practices… but only when they help us take stock and truly reckon with our brokenness...
And then pursue the wholeness that God desires for us.
Let me put it a different way…
***GOD DOESN’T EXPECT YOU TO BE PERFECT… BUT, IN YOUR IMPERFECTION, HE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO BE SATISFIED.
Because if Jesus sets you free… YOU ARE FREE FROM SOMETHING
And as we’ll talk about today… YOU ARE FREE FOR SOMETHING
ME
Over the past several years I have had a couple of interesting experiences where I have been able to watch people begin to understand what freedom really means.
Begin to take it for themselves.
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I’ve had the privilege of visiting the Czech Republic three times (twice on mission, and once just as a tourist)… and I’m always struck at the overall cultural experience of a people taking their first steps toward freedom.
The Velvet Revolution was just over 30 years ago, when they were finally out from under Communist control, and so now they’re just about one generation into this thing called freedom.
This thing that we’re so familiar with.
And they’re so proud of it.
If you talk to them about their country, many Czechs won’t refer to it as “the Czech Republic”... they’ll call it OUR Republic.
They’re so proud to finally be free and those who experienced communism are not taking their freedom for granted.
WE
I also have that experience that many of us in the room have… watching our kids begin to embrace their freedom and independence and individuality.
And there are times when you just couldn’t be more proud as you’re watching this… and then there are other times when it’s just about the most nerve-racking experience!
All these “firsts” that they go through… walking, riding a bike, climbing a tree.
And I have this ability… a talent, really… of being able to see about 3 steps ahead of her to whatever the worst-case scenario might be!
In my mind I know exactly what the upcoming fall or skinned knee or busted lip will look like!
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Now, I’ll confess to being a bit of a worrier… but the truth of the matter is… while freedom and independence and individuality are all good qualities or values… they have a tipping point that we don’t often talk about.
You can take these things to an extreme… and it’s not always positive.
And so can we celebrate this freedom… while also being aware the limits and the safeguards that are out there?
Because it IS something to celebrate… OF COURSE.
Celebrate it in this country… and also the freedom that is offered to us as followers of Jesus.
I mentioned this last week… long before our founding fathers… Jesus was talking about setting people free.
We see it in John chapter 8… He says:
And so we have this core American value that is also a powerful reminder of a core value of Jesus.
And so I want to celebrate it, but I also want to try to get it right… you know?
It’s important to honor what this virtue really is.
And the best way I can think to do that is to remember that:
WE ARE FREE FROM SOMETHING… AND WE ARE FREE FOR SOMETHING.
OPENING PRAYER
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight… O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
GOD
There’s a story in the Bible where these early believers in Jesus are wondering what to do with this newfound freedom that THEY have.
You see the freedom of Jesus IS about a freedom from oppression… and one specific place where people were being unnecessarily burdened was in their religion.
Let me explain… before Jesus came onto the scene… many people believed that following God meant following an enormous list of rules and guidelines and laws… 613 to be exact.
But over the years these rules and guidelines became less and less about loving and honoring God and more about proving how good you were.
And many people were just buckling under this pressure…
Then Jesus comes along and he says… Actually ALL 613 of them are really there to get us to Love God and Love our neighbors… that’s it.
So if you do those you’re on the right track.
So you can imagine the sense of relief that came with a message like this.
Because freedom in Jesus is being free FROM something, right?
Free from this impossible burden.
Imagine the sense of freedom that comes when you’re given permission to unload 611 rules.
(Now of course Jesus’ message went a bit deeper than that, but some people probably heard it that way).
BUT there comes a point where the churches in the city of Galatia become concerned about the possibility of freedom taken to the extreme.
“Freedom run riot” if you will… how much freedom is too much?
PASSAGE
This is in Galatians chapter 5… so get your Bibles out or your phones out...
What are people going to do when they find out that there are almost no rules anymore?
This is the fear.
AGAIN Jesus’ message went deeper than that, but some people probably heard it that way.
Sometimes people just hear what they want to hear.
And so many people in Galatia get nervous and want to retreat back into all of the rules.
Yes it’s burdensome, but that is what kept everyone safe and in line right?
And the apostle Paul has some really strong words for those who just want to go back to the rules for rules’ sake…
In fact he pulls no punches in verse 12… I’ll let you read that for yourselves… :)
BUT… in this case Paul has that talent like I do… he can see a few steps ahead…the worst case scenario… he can see what freedom run riot might look like…
And so Paul talks about a safeguard in Galatians 5… or a counterbalance if you will...
So that when things reach a tipping point… there is something there that brings us back…
Galatians 5:1, 13-15 (NIV)
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.
WE’RE FREE FROM THE RULES… WE’RE FREE FROM GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS WITH OVER 600 COMMANDS…
Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
...
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.
But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh;
DON’T LET FREEDOM RUN RIOT!
rather, serve one another humbly in love.
14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
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