Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Proclaiming Freedom in Christ

Theme: Living Responsibly Before Christ and Men

“Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

The King James Bible translates 1 Peter 2: 15-16 as, “For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.”

Hymn of Proclamation

There was a song written over 175 years ago that has blessed many in America titled “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee.’”

Listen to these words.

“My country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing: land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims’ pride, from every mountainside let freedom ring!”

My native country, thee, land of the noble free, Thy name I love; l love thy rocks and rills, thy woods and templed hills; My heart with rapture thrills like that above.

Let music swell the breeze, and ring from all the trees.

Sweet freedom’s song: Let mortal tongues awake, let all that breathe partake; let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.

Our father’s God, to thee, Author of liberty, to thee we sing: Long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light; protect us by thy might, great God, our king!”

I would propose to you that Christians in America are called by God’s Word to live in such a way that proclaims freedom, freedom from the bondage of the flesh, the lures of the world and from the lies of the devil.

The Liberty Bell has a portion of Leviticus 25:10 prominently displayed in a band around the top: “…proclaim liberty throughout the land.”

(America’s Christians History)

Just what are the benefits and responsibilities of living in a country founded by God fearing men?

How do Christians express a life of liberty?

Praise the Lord for the freedoms we enjoy

The first step to proclaiming freedom is to recognize God’s sovereignty over all things and praise the Lord for the freedoms we enjoy.

Psalm 37: 3-4 says, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart.”

This psalm was written by King David in his old age, (The Treasury of David) and was inspired by the Holy Spirit for the calming of the minds of the people of the Lord as they are faced with everything that stands against the truths of God’s Word.

King Solomon, the son of David, knew of the sovereignty of God and he was not ashamed to praise the Lord.

In 1 Chronicles 6:4 we read of him saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who with His hands fulfilled what He promised with His mouth to my father David…”

King Solomon “…showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the statues of his father David…” (1 Kings 3:3) When the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, Solomon responded with, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart…” (1 Kings 3:5-6)

It was during this time with the Lord, Solomon asked for a very special endowment, his prayer was, “…give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong…” (1 Kings 3:9) Solomon, king of Judah and Israel is known for being the king whose reign was peaceful.

The people enjoyed freedom, and he had world wide fame because of the wisdom God had given him.

(Who’s Who in the Bible; Matthew 12:42; Luke 11:31)

The Founding Fathers of the United Sates of America knew that the fear of the Lord was needed before they could enjoy liberty.

The Jefferson Memorial includes these words of Jefferson, “God who gave us life, gave us liberty.

Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever.”

(America’s Christian History)

In a message, “Let Freedom Ring,” Bible Teacher David Mains points out some of those freedoms or liberties we have in America because of the faithfulness our “Founding Fathers” had in the truths of God’s Word.

They are:

1.) “Political Freedom” – We have a voice in our government, as well as the opportunity to take part in its decisions.

We can even speak freely in praise or share our opinions without fear of being arrested.

2.) “Social Freedom” – We have the right to exchange ideas about what we believe.

For example because of freedom of the press, you can publish facts, ideas and opinions without government involvement.

This also includes TV and radio programming.

3.) “Economic Freedom” - For the most part you can pick the job you want to interview for and through hard work train for any field or trade.

For the most part the harder you work the farther you can go.

You can save money, invest, spend your money on what you want.

4.) “Freedom of Religion” – The fact is in this country you can choose your religion, choose to ignore any kind of religion and choose not to believe in God if you so desire.

There is no law stating you must have any kind of religious belief.

Even if you do believe in Christianity or any other religious belief, there is no law stating you have to follow what is taught in that religion or get arrested.

Freedom of religion is bedrock in this nation.

Through the hard work and sacrifices made by the Godly influences of our Founding Fathers and the Lord being true to His Word, we are a nation that has been truly blessed and protected by God’s mighty hand.

The Lord put upon the hearts of our Founding Fathers to be a nation that gives people freedom.

Our Founding Fathers’ faith in God and His Word laid the original foundation which was girded with a reverent fear of the Lord.

Let the Holy Spirit of Christ probe your heart with these questions.

Does your life express praise to the Lord for His sovereign control over this nation?

Are you thanking the Lord for statesmen who were hungry for the righteousness of the Lord and faithful to do all they could to lay a solid foundation for this nation based on the truths of God’s Word?

Do you express your love for the Lord by walking in accordance with the Word of God as King David and Solomon did?

True freedom is responsible Christian living involving a new enslavement

Freedom in a nation that proclaims worship to God and Christ begins with a life expressing praise for the freedoms He has already established.

True freedom is responsible Christian living involving a new enslavement.

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34) Galatians 5:13-15 says, “You, my brothers were called to be free.

But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature…”

A stanza from a hymn I read today says, “Our father’s God, to thee, Author of liberty, to thee we sing.”

The King James Bible instructs Christians with, “not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.” (1 Peter 2:16)

“Liberty” has to do with being set free from bondage of some kind.

It is like an individual who has been imprisoned for many years and upon release needs to be able to use their liberty to serve others.

(Dr.

David Mains) “Liberty” (eleuthería) is the blessing of the Lord’s grace… enabling [the child of God to break away] from the dominion of sinful appetites and unholy passions…” as the Lord changes the sinner’s heart attitude in regard to the written Word of God.

(The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament; James 1:25) In mankind’s original state apart from the Lord, he is in bondage to corruption.

When Jesus spoke truth, “…everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34) He was speaking to a group of people who were claiming to not have been slaves to anyone.

They were finding their righteousness in the fact they were from the seed of Abraham and they said God was their Father.

(John 8:33;39;41) These Jews assumed they should have all the liberties or freedoms that come with being the children of God, through the blood lines that trace back to Abraham.

Jesus boldly showed them that they did not have the faith of Abraham because they did not do as Abraham did, and He exposed the truth that their real father was the Devil.

(John 8:39-47)

Originally the Jews were meant to be a nation of people reflecting a life as being holy to the Lord.

(Deuteronomy 26:16-19) They needed only to obey His commandments.

The people the Lord is speaking to in John 8 are like those the Apostle Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians 3. When the Law of God was read a veil covered their hearts and it was there because only Christ can take the veil away.

They were rejecting the claims of Christ, therefore the unbelieving Jews remained in their oppression of spiritual blindness.

(2 Corinthians 3:13-16)

It must be noted, there is not one man on this earth who has not and cannot slip into sin.

Therefore, whoever slips into sin is not a slave to sin.

If this was so the Lord would have no servants.

The Lord is not speaking to those who slip into sin here.

(Matthew Henry Commentary: The Pulpit Commentary)

The type of people the Lord is referring to have spiritual hearts like the people of Jeremiah’s time.

God had given the Prophet Jeremiah a message to be spoken for the purpose of calling the people of God out of Idolatry.

Listen to their response to His message, “We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the Name of the Lord!

We will certainly do everything we said we would: Will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as our fathers, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem.

At that time we had plenty of food and [we] were well off and suffered no harm.”

(Jeremiah 44:16-17)

A depraved heart leads to an inability to understand God’s spoken Word and this hard heart toward the Lord moves unrepentant mankind into idolatry.

This causes people to say, “I will do it my way and I do not care what the Word of the Lord says.

We are enjoying all that we have and we will worship the god we feel provides for our wants.”

Idolatry causes men and women to act as the people who lived in the time of the prophet Jeremiah and it is just as dangerous today.

Jesus warns not to let possessions and money be the guiding purpose in how you live.

(Matthew 6:24) The Apostle Paul teaches that idolatry is not the first stage of religion, but the deliberate act of apostasy.

When mankind chooses not to worship their Creator, the Lord surrenders them over to all forms of idolatry.

When we consider the whole counsel of God’s Word, we see that idolatry is widened to include anything that leads to the dethronement of the Lord from the spiritual heart of mankind.

(International Dictionary of the Bible)

Idolatry in the heart of mankind has caused people in America to reject the whole counsel of God’s Word and leave the original foundational truths which first governed the United States of America.

Those the Lord is talking about actually make a covenant with sin, make a choice to sin and actually make provision for the flesh to participate in sin.

Their brand of sin often becomes apparent because they make it their custom to give servitude to all who can and will publish and promote their sin.

Americans apart from a personal relationship with Christ will appoint politicians, judges and officials who make laws that give them liberties to indulge in their desired life style.

They hire religious leaders who will tell them what the itching ears want to hear, thus bringing mockery to the house of God.