Sermon Tone Analysis

Thank God for Freedom!

John 8:21-36

Sermon by Rick Crandall

Cherry Ridge Baptist Church - July 3, 2011

*On July 4th, 1776, 235 years ago, the Declaration of Independence stated: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

*235 years later, God has blessed us to live in the greatest nation in the history of the world.

By God’s grace and the sacrificial courage of our soldiers, we have liberated hundreds of millions of people around the world.

We have also built more hospitals, sent more money for the poor and sent more missionaries than any other country.

*We still have the greatest freedom in the world.

We can pretty much go where we want to go and do what we want to do.

And we’ve got more “stuff” than just about anyone else.

*But in the land of the free, it’s safe to say that well over 100 million people are not really free, because they don’t know Jesus Christ.

He is the only one who can truly set them free.

Christians, thank God for the freedom we have in Jesus Christ!

1. Thank first God for the strength of Christian freedom.

*God’s freedom is Heaven sent and Heaven bound.

The Lord reminded us of this great truth in vs. 21-23:

21.

Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin.

Where I go you cannot come.''

22.

So the (unbelieving Jewish leaders) said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, `Where I go you cannot come'?''

23.

And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above.

You are of this world; I am not of this world.”

*Jesus came into this world from His home in Heaven.

After He rose from the dead that is where He returned.

So the freedom He gives is Heaven sent and Heaven bound.

This makes Christ’s freedom unique.

The world can’t give it and the world can’t take it away.

*In vs. 35&36, Jesus said:

35.

“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.”

*This means Christ’s freedom is ever present and everlasting!

It is both eternal and internal.

-I can be trapped in a paralyzed body for 40 years like Joni Eareckson Tada, and still be free in Christ.

-I can be locked up in chains and thrown in the deepest dungeon, but have the Heaven-sent, Heaven-bound freedom of Jesus Christ.

*Thank first God for the strength of Christian freedom!

2. And thank God for the safety of Christian freedom.

*God’s freedom delivers us from the greatest danger.

Jesus showed us this danger in vs. 24 where He gave this warning to those unbelieving Jews: “I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

*Die in your sins: That is the worst way to die, cut-off from God’s mercy in a place called hell, suffering forever with no hope of escape.

*What good does it do to live in this great, free country, if you only wind up in hell?

-- And that is where you will surely wind up, if you don’t trust Jesus as Savior and Lord.

You will die in your sins, if you do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah who died for you and rose again from the dead.

*Francis Newport lived in England from 1620 to 1708.

He was a soldier and politician who served in many offices, including Parliament.

He was part of English nobility with the title, First Earl of Bradford.

*Newport was also well-known as an atheist.

He even served as the head of an English club for infidels.

But on his deathbed, Sir Francis Newport said, “You need not tell me there is no hell, for I already feel my soul slipping into its fires!

Wretches, cease your idle talk about there being hope for me!

I know I am lost forever.”

*He also wailed in anguish, “Oh, that I could lie for a thousand years upon the fire that is never quenched, to purchase the favor of God and be united to Him again.

But it is a fruitless wish.

Millions and millions of years will bring me no nearer the end of my torments than one poor hour.

Oh, eternity, eternity forever and forever!

Oh, the insufferable pangs of Hell!” (1)

*This is the greatest danger you will ever face.

But we don’t have to die in our sins.

If you put your trust in Jesus Christ He will surely save you.

Jesus will deliver you from the greatest danger!

*Thank God for the safety of Christian freedom.

3.

And thank God for the security of Christian freedom.

*God’s freedom is secure because it is protected by a perfect leader, our Savior Jesus Christ.

We see Him in vs. 25-29:

25.

Then they said to Him, "Who are You?''

And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.

26.

I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.''

27.

They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.

28.

Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.

29.

And He who sent Me is with Me.

The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.''

*What an amazing thing for any man to say: “I always do the things that please My Heavenly Father.”

The only man who could ever say that is Jesus Christ.

What a man! -- What a leader!

*Many people in our country are greatly concerned about the leadership we have in Washington today, and I am certainly one of those people.

In fact, I am more concerned about our country right now than in any time in my life.

*But even a quick look back at our history reveals scandals galore:

-In 1777, Silas Deane was accused of mismanagement and treason while ambassador to France.

That same year a group called the Conway Cabal conspired to remove George Washington as commander of the Continental Army.

-In 1804, Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel.

Burr was later tried for conspiracy and treason.

-In 1831, a sex scandal called the Petticoat Affair resulted in the resignation of much of Andrew Jackson’s cabinet.

-Grant’s administration was filled with scandal.

The first major scandal in 1869 involved 2 men trying to corner the gold market.

Another scandal during Grant's presidency was the Whiskey Ring.

In 1875, many government employees were discovered pocketing whiskey taxes.

-Warren Harding’s presidency was struck by many scandals including The Teapot Dome.

In 1922 Harding's Secretary of the Interior was convicted of taking kick-backs for oil rights in Wyoming.

*Add to that Watergate, the Monica Lewinsky affair and our former governor in prison.

And with all of this, I am just skimming the surface.

(2)

*The truth is that God surely brought together a group of extraordinary men to help give birth to the United States, men like George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.

-The truth is that down through the years we have always had some good leaders and some very bad leaders.

-The truth is that there are many thousands of good, Godly men and women serving our country today -- especially in our military.

*But America has never had, and will never have a perfect leader.

There is only one: Jesus Christ!

And if you are a Christian, Jesus is your perfect leader.

*Jesus is the only man who could ever say, “I always do those things that please My Heavenly Father.”

Think about that: never sinning even once in thought or word or deed.

No one could ever convict Jesus of sin.

*James Merritt points out:

-His best friends could not convict Jesus of sin.