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True
Freedom Introduction: A. Freedom! 1.
Our world is concerned about freedom: But very few people
ask, “What is freedom?” 2.
The 4th of July is a special day in our country when we
celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. 3.
On July 3, 1776, John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail,
reflecting on what he had shared in Congress and, with prophetic insight,
declaring the importance of that day: “The second day of July, 1776, will be
the most memorable epoch in the history of a)
This quote is from 4.
Over a decade ago a political science professor at the a)
They examined 3154 documents. b)
Who did they quote the most in the early part of our country?
c)
Three writers (1)Sir William Blackstone (2)Montague (3)John Locke d)
But 16 times more than those writers, they quoted from the
Bible! B. What Jesus said about Freedom – 1.
Here is what the Lord Jesus Christ had to say about freedom: 30 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed
Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s
descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You
will be made free’?” 34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to
you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in
the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes
you free, you shall be free indeed. (John 8:30‑36). 2.
The people to whom Jesus was speaking were confused about
freedom. a)
Imagine a Jew’s saying, “We have never been in bondage to any
man!” b)
When you read Old Testament history, you find that the Jewish
nation was often in bondage because God had to discipline them. c)
In fact, at the very hour our Lord was speaking, the Jewish
nation was under the heel of the Roman government! C. Many people do not understand freedom. 1.
If you want to understand and enjoy freedom, you must
understand the three affirmations that the Lord Jesus Christ made in this
passage of Scripture: a)
God’s purpose for man is freedom; b)
God’s method for freedom is truth c)
God’s revelation of truth is Jesus Christ. I.
God’s Purpose for Man A. What is Freedom? 1.
Many people think that freedom is the absence of restraint,
but that could lead to anarchy. a)
Suppose we had no laws telling us on what side of the highway
to drive. b)
Suppose we had no regulations governing such things as
medicine or money. c)
Suppose we were able to do whatever we wanted to do. d)
The world would be filled with chaos! 2.
Freedom is not the absence of restraint, nor is freedom doing
whatever you please. 3.
That could be the greatest kind of selfish bondage. 4.
Freedom is the privilege
and power to become all that God wants you to become. Freedom is the
opportunity to fulfill your potential to the glory of God. a)
You were born with a tremendous potential. b)
When you were born again through faith in Jesus Christ, God
added spiritual gifts to your natural talents. c)
Then God surrounds you with opportunity. d)
You and I are free in Jesus Christ, not to do whatever we
want but to be all that God wants us to be. e)
Freedom is the opportunity to fulfill your potential to the
glory of God. 5.
We are made in the image of God. 6.
God made us to be free. 7.
When God put the first man and woman in the garden, He gave
them freedom that was governed by regulation, freedom that was hedged in by
protective law. a)
They were free to work for God. b)
They were free to walk with God. c)
But they were not free to disobey God so that they might have
their own way. B. The Bible and Freedom 1.
Beginning with the Exodus, when God set His people free, all
the way through to the Book of the Revelation, the emphasis is on freedom. a)
Whenever the nation of b)
Whenever they obeyed God, they found themselves enjoying
freedom. 2.
The cross speaks of freedom. 3.
The New Jerusalem, speaks of
freedom. a)
Every word in the New Testament pointing to Jesus Christ
emphasizes freedom. b)
True Freedom begins with trusting Jesus Christ as your
Savior. 4.
Jesus said that whoever commits sin is the servant of sin
(John 8:34). a)
That verb means “is in the habit of practicing sin.” b)
So when we repeatedly disobey God, that isn’t freedom; that’s
the worst kind of bondage. c)
When you trust Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have freedom
from the guilt, the punishment, the judgment of sin. d)
You have freedom in walking in the Spirit to overcome the
power of sin. e)
You have freedom to become all that God wants you to become. II. God’s Method for Freedom A. Truth vs. Lies 1.
Two forces are at work in this world today a)
the force that comes from heaven - The Power of God (1)The power of God works through
truth b)
the force that comes from hell – The Power of Satan (1)The power of the Devil
works through lies 2.
Satan is the liar (John 8:44) a)
Jesus made that very clear in (1)Satan uses lies to bring
you into bondage, and that bondage leads to destruction; (2)But God uses truth to
bring you into freedom, and that freedom leads to fulfillment. 3.
In 4.
Satan was offering them freedom without responsibility,
freedom without consequences, and there can be no such thing. a)
Satan’s lie “You will be like God” rules the world today. (1)Man is his own God. (2)Man no longer looks at
himself as a creature who must be obedient to God. (3)Man looks at himself as
the creator. (4)Man is now his own God! B. Truth has been given to us in three different ways. 1.
Jesus is the Truth – a)
In b)
This is why He claimed in c)
This ties in with verse 32, “And you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free.” d)
Samuel Adams, known as the “Father of the American Revolution”
and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, declared, “I conceive we
cannot better express ourselves than by humbly supplicating the Supreme
Ruler…that the confusions that are and have been among the nations may be
overruled by the promoting and speedily bringing in the holy and happy period
when the kingdoms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may be everywhere
established, and the people willingly bow to the scepter of Him who is the
prince of Peace.” e)
When you know Jesus Christ, you know God’s living truth, and
that truth sets you free. 2.
The Word of God is Truth – a)
In b)
This is why Jesus said in c)
John Quincy Adams, the 6th President of the d)
The Word of God is the truth of God. e)
The Word of God also exposes the Devil’s lies. f)
When you and I have a personal relationship with the Son of
God, we have truth. g)
When we spend time studying and meditating on the Word of
God, we have truth. h)
Real freedom doesn’t come from being an American (1)Real freedom doesn’t come
from being a Republican or a Democrat (2)Real freedom doesn’t come
from being a Liberal or a Conservative (3)Jesus said that freedom
comes from obeying His Word. 3.
The Spirit is Truth - a)
In b)
The Spirit of God gave us the Word of God. c)
The Word of God is inspired by the Holy Spirit. d)
The Holy Spirit of God teaches us the truth of the Word of
God. e)
“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians
3:12-17). f)
On March 6, 1799, President John Adams called for a National
Fast Day in which he called upon US citizens - “that they call to mind our
numerous offenses against the most high God, confess them before Him with the
sincerest penitence, implore his pardoning mercy, through the Great Mediator
and Redeemer, for our past transgressions, and that through the grace of His
Holy Spirit, we may be disposed and enabled to yield a more suitable
obedience to his righteous requisitions in time to come” III. God’s Revelation of Truth A. God’s revelation of truth is Jesus Christ (John 8:36) “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall
be free indeed.” - 1.
The Lord Jesus Christ could not make us free unless He were free Himself. 2.
When you read the four Gospels, you see the experience of
Jesus Christ here on earth, and He experienced freedom. a)
He came to a nation that was under political bondage, but
even more than that, it was under spiritual and religious bondage. b)
The Pharisees had added so many traditions to the Word of God
that the people were shackled. c)
A yoke was put on the people that made it difficult for them
to enjoy God. 3.
The Lord Jesus Christ was free from legalism. a)
You don’t see Him bowing down to the traditions of men. 4.
He was free from fear. a)
He slept in a boat in the midst of a storm! b)
He went to c)
You don’t see the Lord Jesus Christ in bondage to any person
or system because He was free. B. The better you know the Lord Jesus Christ, the more freedom
you are going to enjoy. 1.
We must grow in our knowledge of Jesus – v. 32 a)
How do you get to know Him? Through the Word of God. (1)“You shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free” (v. 32). b)
Do you spend time daily in the Word of God? (1)Are you studying the Word
of God? (2)Are you learning the Word
of God? (3)Have you discovered that
the Word of God is your key to freedom? 2.
We must love Him – v. 42 a)
“ If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I
proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.”
(v. 42). b)
You see, the better we know Him, the more we trust Him. c)
And the better we know Him, the more we love Him. 3.
We should obey Christ – v. 51 a)
“Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” (v. 51). (1)That’s an amazing statement,
isn’t it? (2)Many Christians have
died, but death was not an enemy that destroys us. (3)Death was simply the open
door that led to glory. b)
When we have this living relationship with Jesus Christ, we
begin to experience more and more of His freedom. c)
This freedom we enjoy will be seen in our thinking, our
speaking, our behaving. d)
As we become more like the Lord Jesus Christ, we know His Freedom which is
True Freedom. 4.
True Freedom is life
controlled by truth and motivated by love. a)
Bondage is life controlled by lies and motivated by
selfishness. b)
Freedom is the result of a living relationship with Jesus
Christ (1)walking with Him (2)talking with Him (3)learning from Him 5.
We have yet to see what God can do in our lives! a)
But the more you become like Jesus Christ, the more you
experience freedom. b)
And the more freedom you experience, the more you release the
potential that God has put within you! 6.
Surrender your life to Him. a)
If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, you need to
do so. b)
If you are already a Christian, and you do not want to
surrender your life to Him: (1)That’s the worst kind of
bondage. (2)Sin’s freedom is bondage,
but bondage to Jesus Christ is true freedom. (3) “If the Son makes you
free, you shall be free indeed.” (v. 36). |
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Ministries