A Blessed People

Joe Bell

In the Beginning • Sermon • Submitted 10 months ago • Presented a year ago

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Intro

The declaration of independence begins:

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

But was these words that set this nation apart.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Tomorrow those words will be 247 years old.

I’m thankful for this nation. A nation of imperfect people, aspiring towards a lofty goal that they felt called by God to pursue. None of them knew if it would work. nothing had been done like this before. Kings and queens had ruled for most of human history.

You would have good ones, you would have bad ones.

But this land was different. You see king George did not like the colonies so he abused them.

Freedom is unnatural. It is said that the soul yearns for freedom, but what most call freedom, isn’t actually freedom. It’s anarchy.

It is I want to do what I want when I want. No one better say a word against it.

Read with me this morning.

Galatians 5:1 ESV

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

He set you free. Now mind you, a lot of the people that would come to know Christ in the roman world would be slaves.

So freedom came from Christ. But it wasn’t freedom to overthrow. It was freedom to Serve. Jesus taught His disciples how to be free under the bloody tyranny Rome.

Matthew 5:39–41 ESV

But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

Jesus is teaching His disciples that they can walk in Freedom no matter the circumstances.

Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.

– George Bernard Shaw

Stop think, rest, breathe, and move forward

We serve a God of Liberty

Christ Came to set you and I free. Plain and simple

But freedom in Christ is not freedom to do what you want. Rather it is freedom to do what you ought to do.

Stop think, rest, breathe, and move forward

Freedom Must Be Maintained

Working out your own Salvation

Philippians 2:2–13 ESV

complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

To maintain a healthy freedom in Christ you must read your Bible, Pray, attend church, building healthy relationships within that community.

To maintain a healthy freedom in a nation you must be responsible, courteous, loving, and courageous. Cowards do not maintain healthy nations. You cannot be truly courageous if you are not strong in Christ.

-Stop think, rest, breathe, and move forward

It is your Duty To Never Again Submit to Slavery

We are called by Christ to resist the Yoke of Slavery. The bondage of Sin.

Christ Set you free and It is your duty to remain free. Now that is largely Christs role to protect you, but it also our role to use wisdom to avoid becoming entrapped within sin again.

Far more than one believer has ran after Christ only to turn away to the lust of the world when hard times came.

In a similar manner this nation will not remain free if freedom is not maintained and slavery is not resisted. Now slavery I am not talking about physical chains but rather emotion and spiritual. this nation is on the verge if not already emotionally enslaved, largely through technology. your smartphone. Social media, entertainment. We are being chained one link at a time and we do not even know it.

Closing

We are living in a day in age where freedom in Christ has been turned on it head to mean, you can have Jesus and your sin.

But my friends Christ came to free you from SIN, not the guilt of SIN

And it is on you and I to stand today and as in Joshua's declare that we will stand with the Lord No matter what!

Joshua 24:15 ESV

And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”