Oh Freedom

 OH FREEDOM!!

Acts 10:15

     The title of my sermon this morning Oh Freedom!! Some of you may be wondering just what type of sermon this is gonna be. In the light that it is Black History month.    

     And some folk try to hide Black History under a bushel. Afraid that it may offend someone.

     But If you are a Black person today you need to remember your roots. For it is in looking back at moments of the past that we can fully appreciate what we have at the present time.

     For sure I believe where it not for the sacrifice of certain individuals we would not have perhaps some of the privileges and opportunities we now experience and so often take for granted.

     People have suffered much and have been hard pressed, many lost their lives for rights that others now enjoy who would not think twice about someone denying them those rights.

     There is need in relating to ones heritage. There is self - esteem, and self - worth, for all of us are made different no matter what color, race or creed no two people are the same.

     The trouble is when one begins to find himself looking down on someone else because of these differences. And the foolishness of sin has propelled and enpowered this kind of mentally through the ages of time.

     Where cultures and whole nations feel superiority over others  even to the point of persecuting others for that difference.

Whether the person be black or white, yellow or red, if that culture causes you to think or act in a way that others are inferior to you or it causes you to hate others because of who they are then you are a carcinogen to yourself.

     History should cause us ALL to reflect upon our mistakes and learn from them. It should help us live more in harmony with each other.It should lead us not only to appreciate our own selves and our own accomplishments and how far we've come as a people but it should help us to appreciate others also. History should help us live more in harmony with each other inspite of our differences.  Why? because History is His - story.  Remember that cause that's what the sermon is about!!

     The Negro is not the only culture to suffer from injustices of man to man. And there are others of race and nation who have suffered of the injustices of slavery.

     The Jews look back, not only a part of their religion but their very fiber of being is their heritage. From Ahasuerus to holocaust and this nation looks back with them. And they learn!!

     God has blessed many nations living under oppressed conditions as well as the black man.

     Today if you can marry, read and write, live and eat in homes and restaurants with any body else. If you can vote. If you can believe that you are somebody and on an equal par with any man on this planet,   Then thank God today that somebody had the God given inspiration to stand up and be counted.

     The negro as a slave had no self - esteem, he was not considered as any equal. He was thought to be inferior only and the reason of his existence as a servant.

     And unfortunately there are individuals on this planet who still think that way.

     But thank God for the Frederick Douglases, and William W. Brown's, the Biddy Mason's,the James Weldon Johnson's, the Sojourner Truths (Isabella Baumfree's), the Megar Evanses,  and the Martin Luther Kings.

     Young people if we take all of these opportunities for granted and not be the best that we can be. We actually are disclaiming all that these people died and fought for. It's like we spit on their graves.

     But you know because of these people mentalities were changed, and at least some ought to know that if it a man is dumb it's because he wants to be. God has wrought in all the ability to be the best that they can be.

     And so we have a host of biographers, wrapped up in the cry for freedom.

     Out of the pain of existence came the negro spirituals but in their cry they discovered the one who came to solve the problem of bondage that is Jesus.

     They cried Oh Freedom!! Oh Freedom!! over me and before I be a slave I be buried in the grave and go home to my Lord and be free.

     You see even though they never understood it in its totality they recognized Jesus as the one with whom true freedom is associated.  And this morning I suggest to you brethren that True Freedom is only found in a relationship that allows Jesus to control our lives and thinking facilities.

     I would also suggest that the problem is in the mentality.  Which is the seat of our very being.

     Ideas form attitudes, attitudes form habits, habits form character. And character is a way of life.

I suggest to you this morning that the way we think and live actually threatens our existence.

There are ideas that are planted by the adversary garbed in the robe of decency. There are attitudes that stink and rot away at our brains like bad apples in a closed box. There are characters that need the light of heaven to diffuse the bacteria of hell.

     What we need is the emancipation proclamation of calvary  Behold I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

     Our scripture reading is the basis for the solution to the problem of mentality (Ideas,attitudes,habits,character)

John 8:31-36 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. "33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" 34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (NIV)

     Know the truth about life, the truth about how to enjoy life, the truth about how to live life without needlessly heartaches.The truth about how to endure and hold out. The truth about how to live life to the fullest now. The truth about how to receive eternal life beyond time. Truth is the Word of God, Sin is the transgression (deviance,divergence) of the word.

     And so the slaves cried Oh Freedom and through years of toil and struggle freedom was a hard fought fight, But what was it that the negro and so many other nations fought for, What kind of freedom.

     Was it the freedom to do what is right? or the freedom to do what I please?

     We have to learn to learn to learn brethren that the freedom to do what we please is not freedom at all but abject slavery.

     It's my life!!  I'm grown I can sit in the back of his chevy and nothing won't happen.

I can look at HBO It's just a movie, I can listen to the reggae and disco music it's part of my heritage.

     I can go out with him/her even though he's not a SDA Christian He's a great guy.

     When are we gonna learn that there ain't no such thing as doing as I please!!

Romans 6:16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (NIV)

     Among Blacks fact that

     High School Dropouts

     Teenage Pregnancy

     Juvenile Delinquency

     Juvenile imprisonment

     Adult imprisonment   1 out of 4

     single parenthood

     Sexual transmitted diease

     Crime\ Drugs

     DRUGS AND NOT KNOWING WHETHER THIS DAY        

     Threat of Aids of STD

     Liquor Liver just fails you

     Those are not the result of doing as you please. but being under wraps by the adversary.  

     Ideas or philosophies that are killing us attitudes that are drowning the life out of us. (Characters)

     Stereotypes I call them, there all kinds of them. All White people are prejudice, crude and beside themselves.

     all blacks are lazy, uneducated. Black Amer dont work Sp. Loud and full of lust Etc. etc. Shame ain't it.

     She aint going nowhere. . .

     Ideas . . . respectable sins, petty sins,  pet sins.

      Jewelry. . . the ornament of pride, self righteousness,

     Watching other people folk with problems in this church, wonder what's going to happen. Sit in Judgement . . . busy ourselves in other peoples business.

     Grudge, temper, attitudes that are unhealthy . . . if we can just concentrate on the potential. . .

     Pastor, Elder, Deacon, S.S. School  LORD SAVE US FROM OURSELVES

As far as I'm concerned there is only one  who can stereotype and put people in categories. . . and that's Jesus and He said "All have sinned. . . " We all in the same boat. . .

     And if you find yourself in the boat above t. waters, the ship of Zion, the ark of Safety. free from the water infested with sharks of damnation.     THANK YOU JESUS

Some folk have had their minds branded by society.  They seek to live in the land of Happy Endings according to their own ideas and streotypes. The t.v. has done some of us a great injustice. We haven't the meaning of acceptance of one another like Jesus has accepted. Our husbands have to be like this and wives got to be like this.

     We've got to wear this and have that and talk this way to be accepted.

     And so I 've just got to have this man or I've got to have this woman. 

I've seen peoples lives shattered because of that. 

There whole being is involved around one person, they think and breath that person.

     That ain't freedom that's slavery.

Common Law marriage, one and two and three kids Don't know what's going on just hanging. You can't even make a move for Jesus. . .that's not freedom that's slavery

     Common Law marriage, one and two and three kids

     It's better than some of these marriages that are living hells.

It's from these relationships that we have that get us into trouble. Not just intimate relationships with the opposite sex but Some of our own associations with friends of the same gender.

     Esp. Young people. some of the people you hang with are  human leaches sucking the life out of you.

     And in order to be somebody you gotta hang with them.  Go with them to this party and smoke that brand of majiuana, and be defiant and rebellious, listen to that kind of music, hang out in certain places.  You got them even in the church. Start off little by little. . .

     Work and weekends (society) no time for our souls

     You better cut yourselve loose from these ideas and lose that weight before you lose all association with Jesus, the only one who can set you free.

1 Peter 2:16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

     That why Jesus says Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and All these things shall be added unto you.

the psalmist cries aloud No good thing will he withold from them that walk uprightly.

     Delight thyself in the Lord and He shall give thee the desire of thine heart.

     The same Jesus who said it is not good that Man be alone is the same Jesus who understands your need for companionship and friendship

     The same Jesus who said you shall sit with me on my throne, knows our need to be somebody important.

     The same Jesus who said Do not worry about what you shall eat or drink or what you shall wear. Who clothes the lilles of field, sparrow.

     He knows our need to dress for success, not to dress to impress, but dress because we are God's Blessed.

     This same Jesus who said have dominion over the earth, walk on streets of Gold who also said I'm preparing a place a mansion for you knows our need for to belong, and to enjoy life. He cries aloud I am come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.

     Set your mind free today understand that all you need is Jesus, and He'll take good care of you.

And just in case you think your case is hopeless Christ says I've got news for ya!! (Doctors) Anyone who comes to me I can help them I won't turn them away. I've never lost a case yet!!!

     By the way the first civil rights leader wasn't Martin Luther King or Isabella Baumfree. It was Jesus.

     Luke 4:18

     But as many as recieved Him to them gave He power. . .

     There is power in the blood this morning. . .

Romans 6:18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (NIV)

Romans 6:20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. (NIV)

Romans 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. (NIV)

     In Christ despite all our differences we are made one. We are made whole.  If you're black or white, w.i or American, Irqua or Kw.

whether you,ve got problems in your home or you just got problems

     We are one in Jesus He's our father. . . and so your my brother, your my sister. . .

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour:   5 Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 6 I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; (KJV) 

One of these days He's gonna take us all there. . . Hope your not thinking My side your side still

Isa 66:22,23

It was Christ who spoke the word to Abr. in you shall the families of the earth be blessed.

     It was though Isa. Christ spoke to the Children of Is. and said "Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord to serve Him,and to love the name of the Lord , to be his servants , every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;

     Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer;. . . for my house shall ve called an house of prayer for all people.

     It was though Paul that He spoke there is neither Jew nor Greek,there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus . And ye be Christ then are ye Abr. Seed and heirs according to the promise.

John 17

9T 198... It is not the Lord's plan

Free us from ourselves  from our own ideas, habits, attitudes, character and character is for a life time it will decide our destiny

Isa 53

John 8:31-36 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. "33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" 34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (NIV)