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Just five days until the 4th of July! We call it the 4th of July for obvious reasons, but what we will celebrate is Independence Day, the 227th birthday of the United States. John Adams (our first vice-president and the second president – after George Washington) proclaimed the 4th of July as the official date that we celebrate our national independence: “Let there be fireworks and bells rung on this day and universal rejoicing throughout this new republic.” I love the 4th of July. There’s something great about our common patriotism, raising the flag, enjoying the fireworks. And it wouldn’t be the 4th without hearing Lee Greenwood sing “I’m proud to be an American” at least once! Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays. Today, though, I want to talk about another kind of Independence Day. Not a patriotic message, instead a very personal one. You see, while millions of Americans will celebrate our nations independence this weekend, the vast majority of Americans have no real idea what independence really is. They aren’t independent. They aren’t free. They are the opposite. They are bound by lifestyle, habits, bad relationships, sins. They aren’t free. Which is sad, because the whole purpose of the Bible is to set us free! Here’s how 1 Timothy 2:5-6 states it: “There is one God and one way human beings can reach God. That way is through Christ Jesus, who is himself human. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.” (NCV/NLT) Jesus Christ gave himself to purchase freedom for everyone. Galatians 5:8 tells us that “he is the one who called you to freedom”. That’s why Jesus came in the first place, to free us. He purchased our freedom. He said we can be free. But are too many people – even believers live in bondage to something! Something God never intended. When I lived in Northern California I would visit San Francisco from time to time. Often I would travel through Marin County (north of San Francisco) and over the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a beautiful drive, but one portion of the drive always gave be “the creeps”. About twenty miles north of the Bridge was San Quentin Federal Prison. It was an eerie looking place. And my thought was always the same: none of those people in there had to be there. They were living inside a prison because the choices they made. While the rest of the world walked in freedom – they were living in a prison of their own choices. I wonder how many of us are living in a prison of our own choices as well. This morning I want you to celebrate your personal independence day. If I could paraphrase our opening verse, “Jesus gave his life to purchase freedom for you”. He wants you to celebrate the independence that he gave his own life to buy. He wants you to celebrate your independence from guilt and resentment. I put those two together because in many ways they are the same thing. Guilt is the result of what we do to others (or ourselves) and resentment is the result of what others do to us. The prison of guilt is caused when we make mistakes or sin. It doesn’t matter if it was intentional or accidental – the result is still guilt. And sometimes guilt isn’t a bad thing. When I feel guilty it drives me to do something about the guilt. But often, instead of doing something about the guilt – the guilt does something to me. It makes me depressed, it robs me of my happiness, my freedom to enjoy life as God intended. Did you know that doctors have said that 80% of people hospitalized could go home if they would get rid of the guilt and bitterness? In my own counseling experience most problems people brought to me focused on one or the other, guilt or bitterness. I’m told the number one killer of college students and the number two killer of high school students is suicide. Why? the prison of guilt, depression, unhappiness. The prison of bitterness is not much different. It’s hard to go through life without getting hurt. (When we hurt others we feel guilty; when others hurt us we feel resentful.) Just one step away from resentment is bitterness. Did you know that the Greek word for bitter is poison? Bitterness is a poison, a poison that eats away at you, not the other person. When you become bitter the other person owns you! They may have hurt you, but they have gone on with their life. You, on the other hand, continue to focus on that person and what they did. You eat your meals with that person. You sleep with that person in your brain all night. You go on vacation with that person. You even go to church with that person. Your bitterness holds you to that person. We don’t just want to get even, we want to get ahead. And if we ever get the opportunity – it’s a bitter victory. It’s still poison! A former Pastor of mine shares the story of the old Amos and Andy radio show. Amos is tired of a guy who keeps slapping him on the chest. Amos said, “I’m going to get that guy! I’m going to strap a stick of dynamite to my chest! The next time he slaps me, it’s going to blow his hand off!” That’s pretty much how resentment works. It seldom hurts the other guy as much as it hurts you! But Jesus came to free us from guilt and bitterness. Ephesians 1:7 says, “He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven.” Jesus purchased our freedom and our sins our forgiven. When you come to him and accept what He did for you on the cross your sins are forgiven and you are free from the guilt. Likewise, you can also be free from the bitterness and resentment. If God can forgive our sins, surely we can forgive the sins of others toward us. Later in Ephesians it tells us, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32). God intended the two to go together. I mean God intended the two to go away together. God forgives us and now He gives us the freedom to forgive others. To let that bitterness go; get rid of it. Jesus wants us to celebrate our personal independence from guilt and bitterness. If you struggle with those two (and we all do at times) start accepting the fact that you are free! It won’t be easy. You will have to remind yourself over and over again that God has forgiven you and you don’t have to feel guilty. You can forgive others just as God has forgiven you; you don’t have to be resentful. Jesus not only wants you to celebrate your personal independence from guilt and bitterness, He wants you to celebrate your independence from the very things that make you feel guilty in the first place. He wants you free you from the power of uncontrollable desires/habits. You know, those things, those behaviors that you just can’t seem to conquer; the ones that are holding you in prison, where you feel totally out of control. Shall we list a few? Over eating & drinking, pornography, anger, lying, laziness...Did I miss yours? The good news is that Jesus came to set us free from those old habits. Jesus said it this way: “I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave of sin…So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.” (John 8:34,36) You don’t have to be a slave to your sinful habits. But you say, "they’re not that bad," Pastor Paul, "I can live with them. They’re not hurting me." Well, it’s much like you or me deciding to jump from an airplane at 20,000 feet without a parachute. At 10,000 feet someone might ask, “How’s it going?” “Fine, we respond, this is a blast!” At 5,000 feet they will ask the same question and we’ll give the same response. But eventually it will be 100 feet, then fifty feet, then ten feet and finally we will hit ground; we will hit bottom. “How’s it going?” Eventually the law of gravity will catch up to our decision to jump. We’re breaking God’s laws and assume we can get away with it, but eventually sin catches up. Eventually you hit bottom. One pastor said it this way, “You don’t break God’s laws. They break you!” You can live any way you choose. But the moment you choose the consequences are out of your control. You are free to choose your lifestyle, but not the consequences of that lifestyle. So where’s the freedom? “1So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free…live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. …17 And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires…19When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:1,16-17,19-23) Freedom comes when we give Christ control. The real key to personal independence is to be totally dependent on Christ. He says, Let me have control and I will show you real freedom! Jesus came to give us freedom from guilt, bitterness, sinful habits – but none of that is possible without the ultimate freedom that Jesus Christ offers: He wants to give us freedom from the fear of death. Hebrews 2:14 says it this way: “Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he deliver those who have lived all their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.” Do you fear death? We don’t like to talk about death because we usually aren’t prepared to die. But the Bible warns us, “It is appointed unto man once to die” (Hebrews 9:27). We’re all going to die and those who do not know what’s next fear death. I’ve conducted a lot of funerals and the hardest ones were those who really had no idea where their loved one was. They talked a lot about heaven and angels and feeling their loved ones presence – but in truth there was a root fear because the other side of death was an unknown. Here’s the good news – Jesus came to free you from the fear of death. How? By giving you everlasting life! He breaks the power of death, because as a Child of God with Jesus Christ in your heart – you know that death on earth means eternity alive with God. It gets better. It’s no longer something to fear. So what’s holding you in prison? Is it the guilt of past or present sin that you have yet to let God forgive? Are you holding on to something God has already forgiven? Jesus says “I will forgive your sins” – just ask. Is it bitterness? Is someone else holding you captive? Jesus says, “let go” – ask Him to help you work through the process of simply letting go. Let go and let God deal with the hurt. Maybe it’s that secret, that controlling habit that you need to declare your independence from; God says Let my Spirit control you. And if it’s the fear of death – Jesus Christ wants to begin a relationship with you that will give you His eternal life and free you from that fear. What’s your prison? Why not let God free you today and you, too, can celebrate your personal independence day! |
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(c) Paul Newell 2003 FamilyFellowship Church P.O. Box 465, Beaumont, CA 92223 |
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