"Independence Day"
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I wanted to come up with some kind of “funny story” — maybe a joke — some kind of “clever story” to get today started, but....
You see… I can’t help but think about what today means…
Today is the day we celebrate our “Freedom” as Americans… We shoot fireworks… we cook out… we come together with friends and family…
Many pastors and leaders us e today almost as another “Memorial day” to focus on the sacrifices of so many to “win our freedom”…
But… Can I tell you that is not what today is about? It’s not about soldiers… It’s not about “memorials”… It’s about Freedom!
But… What is Freedom?
Many people today will talk about our freedom from “oppressive government”… our freedom of “religion,” or “expression”… many will talk about our freedoms to “pursue happiness”…
But… Do we really have those “freedoms”? Are we really “free”?
(Now bear with me here!)
It’s true… We celebrate freedoms here in America that many people around the world don’t have!
But today, we have the opportunity to celebrate something even greater!
We get to celebrate “true” freedom!
True Freedom doesn’t come from this world… it doesn’t come from the actions of men… True Freedom is only found in Christ!
Look at John 10.
John 10 holds my absolute favorite verse.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
You see… The world cannot bring us life! All it does is weigh us down with burdens and rules!
— be politically correct
— raise our children a certain way
— act a certain way
— dress a certain way
— use certain language
— and the list goes on…
The world will never bring us True Freedom!
But Christ does!
look at Jn 10:17-18
17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
— We often miss understand these words.
— Jesus wasn’t just talking about His resurrection… When He said these words, He had ours in mind!
Look at those verses again…
(reread it)
Jesus is stating something important here… He wasn’t forced to “lay down His life”… The world couldn’t force Him… Men didn’t force Him.... The Father didn’t force Him!
— He willingly did it!
— He chose to lay down His life
WHY?
— for us!
— The Father asked Him — “Commanded” — He was sent here for that purpose… But… He willingly chose to be obedient!
8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.
The Father loves Jesus because He is “willingly obedient”…
Now, look at what Jesus says after that:
John 10:18 (NRSV)
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
Some translations say: “I have the authority...”
Why? Why does He have the authority?
John 10:18 (NRSV)
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
— “I give that authority to you!”
— Christ gives that authority to us!
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
— Christ gave His authority to us…
Don’t believe me, look at :
1 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.
2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.
9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
— everything He says is about the sheep, why would He suddenly switch to referring only to Himself? Christ’s mind is always on us…
— We have the “power” — the “authority” — to lay our lives down, and to take them up again!
— Think about it… Who has to make the choice?
Will we?!
— I think that we often miss this...
— Sometimes we get so focused on “getting right”… on “repentance” and “acceptance” … that we miss the FACT that Jesus gave us the authority to live a “NEW LIFE”!
— that’s why the writer of Hebrews said:
1 Therefore let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ, and not laying again the foundation: repentance from dead works and faith toward God,
2 instruction about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
Christ is the foundation… but we cannot stop there...
1 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.
2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
— This requires relationship.
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
If we are going to enter into a relationship with Christ, then we must willingly lay down our lives and choose to pursue Him…
— the promise is that when we do, we will find LIFE!
9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.
— Christ came to give us an “ABUNDANT” Life, but we have to choose to pick it up!
9 because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
There’s that word “believe” — pisteuo — again… “to believe to the point of complete trust and reliance”
— We have to CHOOSE to lay down our lives and put our COMPLETE Trust — our faith — in Christ.
— that’s what baptism is all about.
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
— If you have accepted Christ… If you have been baptized into Him… then you have something to celebrate!
— You have a “new life”!
But sometimes it doesn’t feel like that does it?!
— sometimes the burdens of this life become heavy…
28 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
— When we “WILLINGLY” come to Jesus, and lay our lives down for Him, He gives us “NEW” life!
9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
— Are you carrying heavy burdens?
— Let’s bring them to Jesus… let us lay them down… and let us take up the life that He gives us!
(communion)
— we have something to celebrate today, amen?!
— Christ has given us “new life”
— let us come to His Table and celebrate together the life He gives.