Sermon Tone Analysis

Living for Christ, active in the World

As we continue our journey through the book of want to highlight these next 2 weeks, an important theme that ought to guide and influence people of faith.

The price of Freedom in Christ Jesus:

1)Individually & Collectively

Corporately

2)Pursuing Freedom in our Community (Freedom Sunday)

As Americans the idea of Freedom and the price of freedom is something we speak of often and is woven into the DNA of our nation.

Unfortunately, we have not always been as faithful to that goal and at times we have done things that have created the opposite of Freedom.

Yet, at the core, we desire to be a nation where Freedom rings for every citizen.

As humans we will always fall short to some degree of our goals and aspiration.

But it is often in times of crisis that the aspirations and reminders of freedom are reignited:

9/11 (terrorist attacks)

Disaster

Egregious Injustices

In the body of Christ and in the Life of Christians, Freedom is an equally valuable goal, desire, and hope—individually and collectively.

Whereas our nation holds to ideals and principles of freedom, Christians look to the person of Jesus Christ and the Triune God for Freedom to be unfolded and lived out individually and collectively.

This passage of scripture is a stark reminder of the two general ways that Freedom in Christ comes under attack.

Externally & Internally.

Externally:

Let me bring to your recollection a few passages:

Internally:

John 10:7

Freedom in Christ is costly.

Especially when we consider these words from Jesus in

-remember the potential of Life and danger when it comes to following Jesus

-intentionally aware of and active in

The essence of this passage is found in remembering the potential of Life and danger when it comes to following Jesus:

Those who follow the words of Christ, know:

32-42

The cost of Freedom in Christ often expresses itself externally.

But the challenge to live of Freedom in Christ is found in the choices we make daily:

Luke 9:23-

Costly

Daily:

Mt.

Enemy seeks to whom he may devour

Enemy seeks to whom he may devour

Enemy seeks to whom he may devour

Enemy seeks to whom he may devour

Enemy seeks to whom he may devour

John 8:3

And so this passage of scripture is a reminder of the external and internal ways that Freedom comes under attack and also the ways that it is Lived abundantly

Dt.

Remember they know the cost of followership

enemy come to steal, kill, and destroy

Walk through the passage in .

Remember they know the cost of followership

Those of the way were praying for His life (James, the brother of John, was killed and Peter is next) about the 3 or 4th year following Christ’s death & resurrection.

Those of the way were praying for His life

Walk through the passage in .

OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART LORD

are among the land of the living, let us live

OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART LORD

The essence of this passage is found in remembering the potential of Life and danger when it comes to following Jesus:

External cost of Freedom in Christ—let them bring us back to him and knit the community together

-Live Like you were dying

He said "I was in my early forties With a lot of life before me

And a moment came that stopped me on a dime

I spent most of the next days Looking at the x-rays Talkin' 'bout the options

And talkin' 'bout sweet time"

I asked him "When it sank in That this might really be the real end

How's it hit you When you get that kind of news?

Man, what'd you do?"

He said

"I went skydiving I went Rocky Mountain climbing

I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named Fumanchu And I loved deeper

And I spoke sweeter And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying"

And he said

"Someday I hope you get the chance To live like you were dying"

He said

"I was finally the husband That most of the time I wasn't

And I became a friend a friend would like to have And all of a sudden going fishin'

Wasn't such an imposition And I went three times that year I lost my dad

I finally read the Good Book, and I Took a good, long, hard look At what I'd do if I could do it all again And then ....

-Frailty of Life to anchor deep in what matters (time in India)—Jesus and the life of the Kingdom.

-Visited Indian Church, that weeks before had walked thru the death of a child, a victim of not looking before she stepped onto the road; at that spot was church and a school for children that lived on the streets (their homes 100m from the church & school); sheltered by an overpass, hundreds of people eeking out an existence.

That same trip, on our way back to the airport we were almost T-boned by a semi (feet from being slammed into).

also riding on a motor cycle through the streets of Mumbai at night; learning to cross a 4 lane road without cross walks.

Life is precious and you sure appreciate home a little bit more.

When there are things internally, that the enemy is attempting to keep us away from walking in the Freedom of Christ, let us take those places of not-freedom and chains, to Christ.

with me the corollary.

Having known how the story plays out, considering the alternative will illumine path for which we can avoid and remind us of the ways of actively experiencing freedom of living for Christ among the world?

When their are things internally, that the enemy is attempting to keep us away from walking in the Freedom of Christ, let us take those places of not-freedom and chains to Christ.

-Live like you were Dying

-Difference b/w Surviving and Thriving (I know what it’s like to live in the fog, to exist, but hoping the end will come soon; I also know what it’s like to learn to walk in a heathy mind, emotions, and relationships

The way we withstand the attacks of the enemy and stay strong in Christ is to dig deep and drink richly of the freedom of Christ.

-

earnestly seek God

earnestly seek God

Is it possible that a climate of the church existed or exists in which the temperature could be described as such.

Re-read this story through the lens of the opposite.

Alternatives-content with existing until the bell tolls

content to live under guard and under wraps

unaware of miracles around us (questioned whether it was real)

limiting the activities of God (v15)

Living for Christ among the World necessitates followers of Jesus to discover how to walk in freedom

Individual (second song)

earnestly seek God

-ways that the enemy/the evil one seeks to keep us under guard and in chains

-beware of the tactics of the enemy and his domain of influence (vss3/4)

actively anticipate for God’s ways of life and freedom to be unfurled (listen and obey—walk into freedom)

Think bout how the church responded when Peter was set free?