The Freedom of a Slave
Notes
Transcript
ILLUST: Comfort zones, False security
Driving vs flying
>450,000 die annually in auto wrecks
100-200 in plane crashes
Driving and false sense of security/comfort zone
Driving - YOU are in control
Flying - You are not in control
Comfort Zones
People tend to get upset when comfort zones are threatened
Security is placed in the wrong places, but cycle is hard to break
Complacency is a dangerous one
Ignoring a weak structure, since it still seems to “work”
The thing about comfort zones - You are used to them, they seem to be ‘easy,’ and you are in control.
Comfort zones lead to false security
Truth Attacks False Security
Truth Attacks False Security
1) Unknowingly Enslaved
1) Unknowingly Enslaved
“Willfully ignorant”
Kind of like not going to the doctor because the doctor might tell me there is something wrong
? POINT - If you really don’t want to know the truth, then don’t ask, and prepare for the consequences
Truth and freedom - big issues
“Truth will set you free” - this gets them very ANGRY
These people do not see themselves as not free, or slaves
“We’ve never been slaves” - really??? Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, etc,.
They are slaves and cannot recognize it
Very easy to stay a sinner
“More fun”
You get to be in control
Comfortable, from a worldly perspective
Justify sin - easier than dealing with it
Plus, “sin” is becoming a “concept”
And truth is no longer considered absolute
My truth can be different rom your truth - WRONG
Opinions are different
But TRUTH IS TRUTH
Otherwise, Jesus would just tell these guys, “Yeah, you’re fine, just believe what you want to believe.”
People today are lost and have no idea
These Pharisees assumed they were in “good shape”
People in churches, some in this church, think they are in good shape eternally, who have never truly been born again
2) Salvation
2) Salvation
Ask someone what they believe about salvation, how they will know they will be in Heaven, and you have a conversation
Tradition, family, false teaching, lack of teaching in the church, all play a part in people really not knowing
Jesus connects discipleship with the Word
It’s not about works, baptism, church attendance
It’s not about your family
“But I go to church”
“But I believe in God”
See James 2:19
You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
But my family was….
These Pharisees know who God is, they know how important they are to God
And it’s gone to their heads
They believe they are “saved” because they have been told they are
They believe they are rightly related to the Father because they know the Law
They are special because they are God’s people (that’s about to change if they reject Him)
(Paul addresses this in Phil. 3 - “rubbish”)
They think they are special by being related to Abraham
Look at verse 39
“The deeds of Abraham” = “HAVE FAITH” (Heb. 11 as well)
Plus, Abraham was BEFORE the LAW - they tend to forget that
3) Freedom
3) Freedom
The concept of freedom - We LOVE freedom
We are a nation, a people, who wear Freedom on our sleeves
Attack my church - I’ll be frustrated for a while
But…
Attack my personal freedom - I’ll light up social media, talk about it to lots of people
ASIDE: Realize, the people Jesus is teaching are under the direct rule of Rome - they are not free. - Romans 13 comes to mind
If they had the freedom we have, they would be on fire reaching people with the Gospel! Why aren’t we?
Jesus turns their heads with His statements:
1) The lost are free
Free to sin, free to live for this world
The lost do not like threats to their sinfulness
Confront with the Bible and truth, and they may shut you out - it happens
A slave to sin is free to self - self is master
“Nobody owns me” - my master is myself
2) The saved are slaves, too (let me explain)
V. 35 - the slave is not allowed inheritance, but Jesus converts you from slave to son, or child of God
However - Freedom in Christ then means being a slave to Christ
Sonship to God means service to Him
A slave to righteousness
Go to Romans 6 - let’s look at vv 16-18
and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
?? ASIDE - Bible is right to use the word slave
Not Civil War treatment of slaves
FREEDOM = “OWNED”
Jesus owns you
Jesus is your master
Are you OK with that?
FOR US - THOUGHTS
Slave to sin or slave to Christ/righteousness?
People tend to get upset when they are confronted with merely being religious, in the face of the truth.
Call us names, they may reject the message, but the truth remains the truth.
We can be on the lookout for people who are merely religious, trusting on themselves for salvation, and we can pray for them and we can continue to lean into them.
BUT THIS IS WHAT I WAS TAUGHT…
How often do we respond to a situation by recounting what we think, what we believe is best, or what we have been taught by somebody else, and then we find a conflict with the truth?
We need to rely on Jesus, instead of ourselves, even when that seems difficult
Unknowingly Enslaved
Satan is very good at convincing people they are just fine
If you died today, where would you spend eternally
If you answer includes “I think” or “I’m pretty sure”
You are likely still a slave to sin
Salvation
This is HUGE - Can you explain it to someone?
Because someone you know/love needs to hear it - again
Share your faith - in words, use The Word
Share your faith - in deeds, use your life; actually, let the Holy Spirit use your life to show people Jesus
Making choices that please Him
Repenting and asking forgiveness when make mistake
Being kind, forgiving, gentle, etc. when situations tempt us to be otherwise - that’s fruit from the believer
Freedom
I don’ t make light of the freedom we enjoy in our nation
It’s frustrating when that is threatened
Would you trade some freedom for a stronger walk with Christ?
Or put this way - If laws threatened how we can practice our faith, would your faith grow stronger, or weaker
And…Who owns you? YOU, or CHRIST?
Romans 6 again, you are a slave to something or someone
Sin, or Salvation
Rebellion, or Righteousness
Remember, as we go out into the world:
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.
We are dealing with people who are afraid to let go of their lives and give them to God
They want to drive, to be in control
Be patient, and help them hand over that control
People tend to get upset when they are confronted with merely being religious, in the face of the truth. They may call us names, they may reject the message, but the truth remains the truth.
Examine self
False security? Saved? Free in Christ?
Who is in control of your life?
Let’s step out of comfort
We need to rely on Jesus, instead of ourselves, even when that seems difficult
Let’s actually live like we believe this WORD!