I Am Free
Sunday Morning
Pastor Jim Lowe III
Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream
07/04/21
{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}
Today is July 4th!
There are many who are planning to eat well today!
There are probably many at home now watching WHILE grilling!
Today is celebrated as Independence Day across the U.S.
Brief History:
On July 4th, 1776, the Continental Congress declared the 13 American colonies were no longer under the rule of King George III (of Britain) and were united, free, and independent.
July 4th is about celebrating “freedom.”
Freedom from the rule of someone else.
Freedom from the rule of another government.
Freedom from the laws of others.
Freedom means different things to different people.
The topic can be arguable.
If you are a believer, there’s a freedom you CAN celebrate.
You can celebrate this freedom ANY day.
This is a freedom:
- from the rule of others.
- from the judgment of others.
You are free because of Christ.
Todays message:
I Am Free
Bishop has been talking for a while about the Narrow Road.
That there is a way to receive all that God has for you…but it requires you to take the Narrow Road.
To take the Narrow Road of thought.
To take the Narrow Road of action.
To take the Narrow Road of belief.
Some of our scriptures today will cross,
You’ll see why.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
If anyone is in Christ…
the old has gone…
the new has come…
What you were is no longer here.
You have been born again.
What you now have is something new.
This comes through being in Christ.
Because Of Christ You Are Brand New!
You are something new because of your belief!
What else can make you new??
We see the claim of “like new!”
It’s a popular term!
But “like new” isn’t new.
“This new product can make the paint on your car like “new!”
But it’s still the old paint.
“These new tires can make your car look brand “new!”
Same old car.
This goes with our bodies also.
We can make all type of modifications.
We can change our look…through surgeries and make up.
We can have prosthetics and joints replaced.
But NOTHING can claim to make us brand new.
John 3:1-21
Jesus talks with Nicodemus about being “born again.”
Nicodemus asks how’s that possible?
You have been born again through your belief in Christ.
You have been made brand new.
So what difference does it make?
What Are Some Benefits Of “New?”
Game Shows:
- They tease you with the idea of a “NEW CAR!”
- The idea of a used car is much less appealing.
- New Means “Latest And Greatest”
- Old Usually Implies “Dated”
Now we have all this smart tech.
Smart Homes…
Smart Cars…
New homes/cars come with the latest tech.
Older homes/cars potentially have to be converted.
- New Usually Means “Without Wear/Use”
- Old Usually Means “Previously Used”
Who used it?
What kinda shape is it in?
That’s unknown
We EXPECT New Cars to come without scratches.
We Accept Used Cars may have a few.
We EXPECT New Cars to have little to no miles.
We Accept Used Cars may have a lot.
Some of you might not like the idea of being new.
Many People prefer old wine to new.
But ALL of you have been made new.
If ANYONE is in Christ…He is new!
{Someone say:}
"I Have Been Made New!”
“I Am Free!”
The truth is:
You aren’t what you used to be.
You aren’t that used car anymore.
You aren't defined by who you used to be.
Your failures don’t matter.
It doesn’t matter what you used to do.
You don’t have to find things to “cover” your past.
You aren't defined by others perception of you.
You are free from all of that older stuff.
We live in a time now where it’s difficult to take the narrow road.
It’s difficult to walk in purpose.
Every word we say can be offensive.
Everything we do can make someone angry.
Some of us might be afraid of stepping into purpose because of others opinions.
People seem to NEVER forget the things we’ve done.
But WE have been MADE NEW!
No One’s Opinion About You Matters!
Why do we allow others opinions about us to bother us?
People Will Talk About You Because They Don’t Sin The Way You Do
People will have many things to say, but they don’t matter.
This is what being “free” is all about.
The only one who can hold us accountable for our sins is God.
Romans 8:1-2
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
This is saying that anything that COULD have condemned you before is gone.
Anything that COULD have held you back is gone.
The Woman Caught IN adultery.
Christ Saved Us From The Law Of Death
Genesis 2:16-17
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
The Lord told Adam…
Don’t eat from the tree.
They day you do…
You will die.
Death Was The Punishment For Sin
The tree wouldn’t kill them…disobedience would.
Example:
If your parents say you’ll be in trouble if you go outside…
Outside didn’t get you in trouble…
Not listening did.
It was disobedience.
God established in the beginning.
Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The wages of sin is death.
The price for disobedience is death.
But because of Christ…
Death is no longer our punishment!
There is no condemnation!
There is no guilt!
There is no shame!
Because we have been set free!
Christ Has Made Us Free!
John 8:36
36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
If Christ set us free…we are really free.
We are free indeed…
We are truly free.
(Message Bible) - “we are free through and through”
Your Past Only Matters To Those Who Need To Throw It In Your Face!
The stuff you used to do isn’t important anymore!
The old is gone!
The new is here!
Don’t Answer Anymore To Who You Were Yesterday, You’ve Been Made Free!
It doesn’t matter how “big” or how “little” of a mess you used to be.
You have been made clean!
You have been made brand new!
What you did yesterday doesn’t matter!
We have been made new.
Stop Letting Others Make You Feel Guilty. You’ve Been Forgiven!
If the woman caught in adultery was forgiven.
You are forgiven also!!
God has done something nothing else could ever do.
{Someone say:}
"I Have Been Made New!”
“I Am Free!”
For too long we have been held back by something we aren’t.
God doesn’t see you guilty.
Stop letting others opinion make you guilty!
How Do We Deserve Something Like This?
The simple answer is we don’t.
John 3:16
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
It was an act of love.
God Loves Us Enough To Wipe Everything Away
We can’t earn it.
We don’t deserve it.
It’s an act of love.
Have You Ever Loved Someone Enough That You’d Do Anything For Them? God Did!
Galatians 1:3-5
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
He gave himself.
He rescued us.
We are free…
HE made us free!
How Do We Walk In Freedom?
- Get To Know His Word Better Than You Do Now
Better because we know the word a little…
But we can always know more.
John 8:31-32
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
When we know the truth…we are set free.
When we know God’s word…it sets us free.
We begin to know what really matters vs. what doesn’t when we know the word.
Our Freedom Comes From The Truth Of God’s Word!
- Building Our Relationship With God In Prayer
The more we spend time with God in prayer…
The more we are at his feet talking with him.
The more we are with him.
2 Corinthians 3:17
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Where the Spirit is…
There is liberty…
There is freedom…
The More Time You Spend With God, The More You Know What Freedom Is
Recap:
Because we are in Christ…
We are a NEW creation!
What we used to be is gone.
Our sins have been wiped.
Our past has been cleaned!
We have been made free!
We are not bound to the law of sin and death!
We are not bound by other’s opinion!
We are not labeled by our mistakes!
We are free!
We are clean!
We learn to walk more in it by studying God’s word and spending time in prayer with him.
{Someone say:}
"I Have Been Made New!”
“I Am Free!”
