Freedom

Freedom

Good morning, I'm going to start out with my favorite song which I have sung for you before: Sing Come to Me

So, the first reading from Vanderbilt today is in this song. That's why I picked it.

-Read Scripture:

Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.  

Matthew 11:28-30

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.  

Romans 8:1-2

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.  

Galatians 5:1

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  

2 Corinthians 3:17

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

Romans 6:22

If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

John 8:31-32

What is Freedom to you? (Discuss)

For some of us freedom is about our external circumstances: freedom of speech, choices, where we want to work, who we want to love, what we want to do, where we want to go

And some mentioned internal freedom, which is what I’m going to tackle today. I want to share with you the freedom I get from my faith in Jesus Christ. In the Galatians reading John says "it is for freedom that Christ has set us free". What kind of freedom is John talking about? In Romans John says "freedom from the law". The Jewish laws were made to be followed, and people were judged by the way they followed the laws. But through Christ the law of the spirit who gives life sets us free from the law. And it's the same for us today. With God's grace we can be who God created us to be. We can be true to ourselves rather than trying to please others. I can remember when I first learned about Jesus through a Billy Graham crusade, and when he said that God loves me just the way I am it really spoke to me. I felt such a freedom that I could finally be myself rather than a perpetual people pleaser. In Psalm 139:13-14 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made..."

We receive God's love through grace. It's a gift. And when we receive that gift we are free to be the person that God created us to be. We don't have to change ourselves to please others.

I also love Philippians 4:6-7: 

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I cling to this passage! When I start worrying about something I go to this passage and pray, asking God to take it from me and show me how to resolve a situation. Let Go, Let God! I have found in my life that the more I surrender myself to God, the freer I feel. I don't need to worry.  God has everything under control. Even our politics today. I do believe that God has a plan for this world, but we also have a responsibility to stand up for what is right. We need to be diligent and aware of what's going on around us, but we can also have faith that God is in control of our lives and the world, and has a plan for each and every one of us.

As you know I do have an evangelical streak in me from my Billy Graham days. I used to beat myself up for my kids not wanting to go to church, that it was my fault that they didn't have a faith. Ruth Bell Graham, Billy's wife, wrote an excellent article - Parents are not Miracle Workers. She says that "as parents we are tempted to do God's work and to neglect the very responsibilities that He has given to us. God asks us to take care of the possible and to trust Him for the impossible". She goes on to say that our responsibility is to take care of the immediate needs of our family, and I think it goes for others in our community as well: love, food, guidance, community. But it's God's grace that will change people's hearts, not us.

Psalm 46:10 "Be Still and Know That I am God"

A time of meditation, contemplation, peace, surrender, trust, love, joy. I'll sometimes sit outside and just bask in God's presence, with a thankful heart. Life isn't perfect, but "I know that my redeemer liveth", and for me in John 14:6, Jesus is "the way and the truth and the life", and His truth sets me free. Amen