The Power Within

Sermon:  July 26, 2015

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

--Ephesians 3:14-21

Today’s scripture reading is a prayer. This was Paul’s prison cell at the time that the letter to the people of Ephesus was written.

First, Paul tells us that he kneels before the Father. Imagine him kneeling in there. Kneeling is a posture of submission. We have special cushions for kneeling in submission to God in prayer, yet Paul kneeled there on that stone floor.

Paul’s word choices here are intentional…he refers to God as Father and to all of the families under heaven and earth. It is important that you see our church as family. We are a family. And just as Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus (and in many other surrounding areas), we should also pray for our church…our extended family.

And in every family, there must be a certain amount of patience and understanding. We are all different and yet we must love one another, be kind to one another, confront each other when it’s necessary, and forgive each other. No family is perfect, but we are all important.

And, as I mentioned early, God is described as our Father. When we describe the Trinity we say “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”. God the Father is spirit, the Holy Spirit is spirit, and Jesus (the Son) was fully human and fully God—he is a physical being. But we need to understand that Jesus is the only member of the Trinity who had a human body. God is spirit. He is not an old white man with a long white beard…or, as many younger people may think, he is not an old black man in a white suit with the voice of Morgan Freeman. He is spirit.

So…why do we call him Father? Well, there are many who have begun to refer to God as Mother…or they alternate between both. However, I struggle with this. The Bible tells us that Jesus is God’s son. Jesus had a mother—Mary. Jesus refers to him as Father. Many references in the New Testament refer to God as the Father. So, I believe that God intends for us to see him as a Father. Dad. Daddy. 

Now, for people who did not have a good father figure in their lives, sometimes this reference is difficult. But keep in mind that God is the perfect father. He has none of the faults that our human fathers have. And just as a perfect father would love his children unconditionally, God also loves us in this way.

The prayer that Paul prays focuses on strengthening the young church with the power of the Holy Spirit. He prays that God will strengthen them “with power through his Spirit in their inner being”. He prays that “Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith”. And he prays that they “may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

Next Paul describes the power of the Holy Spirit: He says that the Holy Spirit is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

The Holy Spirit! The same Holy Spirit that lives within us today!

We talked last week about the splitting of the veil in the temple that symbolized God’s presence leaving the confinement of the Holy of Holies. God is with us…his church. But the Holy Spirit did not make himself known to the people until after Jesus ascension.

We celebrate this momentous occasion! It is called Pentecost.

(Famous painting by Jean Restout II in the Louvre.  15 ft by 26 ft.  The “Pentecost” was originally a much larger artwork. It was wider and had an arched top displaying a dove symbolizing the descent of the Holy Spirit. From this dove once radiated golden shafts of light that streamed down upon the apostles.)

Jesus told his followers when he was preparing to ascend into heaven that another was coming…a helper, the Holy Spirit. Here is what the book of Acts tells us about that day.

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.  They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” (Acts 2:1-4)

Yes, the gift of tongues is real. I don’t have it so don’t ask me to do it! Nor do I have the ability to translate tongues—but there are also those with that gift.

The point is…the Holy Spirit came to us and gives us special power. In Paul’s first letter to the people of Corinth, he tells them about these special gifts.

“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

And Paul tells us in our scripture reading this morning that the Holy Spirit is able to do immeasurable more than all we can ask or imagine.

Yet…are we allowing the Holy Spirit to give us this power in our lives? How can we access this amazing power of the Holy Spirit…this power that is living within us.

I believe that there are four things that we can do. And I got these four things from the work of John Piper. He’s a theologian and pastor that I respect. I learn from him and many other theologians on a regular basis.

First, we need to immerse ourselves in God’s Word.

Do you realize that when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, he responded to each temptation with scripture? There is POWER is scripture, folks. Yet, how can we defend ourselves with scripture if we don’t know any?

The bible is, by far, the bestselling book of all time. If you think about Bibles in your home, how many can you count in your head? I don’t even know how many we have—multiple translations from multiple events and occasions. We probably have more than 20.

Yet, when was the last time you read this best seller? When was the last time that you sat down in a quiet place and immersed yourself in God’s Word? And, even if you wanted to, it is often difficult to know where to even start!

It is not a normal book. It’s a library! A book full of books. Some of them are historical records, some are poems, some are songs, and some of them are prophecy.

I recommend starting with James. There are lots of recommended lists for “how to” read the Bible. Pick one and jump in. God will guide you.

The Bible is the primary way that God talks to us. He provided us with His Word. Read the Bible with the expectation that God will talk to you personally through the words that you read.

Secondly, we need to trust God.

Believe that the Bible is the truth and that God still speaks to us today through its enduring words. Know that you can trust that the Bible was written through the authority of God and inspired by God through the Holy Spirit. The writers of the scriptures were instruments that God used to pen His words. They were tools.

The Bible was written by men but inspired by God. Read it. Meditate on it. Believe it. And trust in its truth.

Faith is critical to our lives as Christians. Just ask the many who were healed and told by Jesus, “Your faith has healed you.” “Your faith has made you well.” 

The third thing we need to do is pray.

Prayer is another primary way that God talks to us. Yes, I know that we think of this as our primary way to talk to God, but we also need to take time in our prayers to just be still and listen.

And sometimes we are also called to fast. Fasting was used throughout Biblical times to speak to and hear from God. It is still a powerful tool today. In fact, John Wesley fasted every Wednesday and Friday…and he required his Pastors to do the same. It is important to know your physical limitations, talk with your doctor, and drink plenty of water when you fast.

But regardless of HOW you pray, know that God hears and answers prayer. That’s whether you pray constantly throughout the day in your mind, whether you pray aloud with your family, or whether you kneel and pray quietly. The Holy Spirit living within you makes sure that God knows your prayers before you even ask. In fact, the book of Romans tells us that the Holy Spirit knows what to pray for us even when we ourselves don’t know what to pray for.

Pray. Be intentional about it. Talk to God, your Father who loves you, and know he will answer. He won’t always answer in the way we think is best. But what do we know? Trust in his answers.

And finally, we need to be responsive to the nudging of the Holy Spirit.

If we want to take advantage of the power that we are offered through the Holy Spirit, we must be willing to do what the Holy Spirit prompts us to do. And it’s not always easy.

Have you felt the Holy Spirit urging you to visit someone, urging you to make a call, urging you to get involved in…something? All too often we ignore that prompting of the Holy Spirit because we don’t understand, or we’re scared, or we’re too proud.

When we resist the Holy Spirit, we are giving up this amazing power that God promises us. 

Sometimes I think it is unintentional. I think we can get so caught up in this world that we don’t even understand when God is trying to get our attention. But I will promise you that if you read God’s Word, if you pray earnestly and often, and if you believe…God and the Holy Spirit will find how to talk to you in a way that you understand.

When I work with youth, I encourage them to look for God Sightings. They begin noticing how God works in the world around them and before long they see how He is working in their own life. I encourage you to do the same.

Let’s use some of this mighty power that is right here within us to do amazing things for God in our community and in the world.

One in Christ

Sermon:  July 19, 2015

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

--Ephesians 2:11-22

Notice the first word of our passage today. What was it? Therefore.

“Therefore” indicates that what Paul is saying next all hinges on the truth the he expressed previously. With this in mind, before we can look at today’s passage, it is important that we understand verses 1-10.

Paul has said in this circulated letter to the people of the young church in the first century that they had been dead. When they followed the ways of the world, they were dead. Dead in their sin. Dead as followers of Satan, who was at work in the world back then and is still at work in the world today. And he admits that he was once dead in sin…just as you and I were once dead in sin.

Those who are dead, Paul says, “gratify the cravings of their bodies”. They, at once time even we, chased after our own desires and our own thoughts. And in this state, we deserved death. But even in this condition, maybe the condition that some of us are still in today, God loved us.

And through His son he showed His mercy by offering us grace…forgiveness. When God rose Jesus from the dead, He also raised us up.

Understand that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not because of anything that we have done. It is a GIFT from God. We are NOT saved by our good deeds. The good deeds that we do accomplish are through God’s work in us! These are things that God prepared us for before we were even born. We were created to do them so WE can’t brag about them.

Saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Alive now rather than dead in our sin. And that’s where we pick up today. We are alive!

Therefore… Remember. Remember who you were!

As we talked about last week, Paul is talking here in his letter to an audience that is made up almost entirely of gentiles, non-Jews. He wants them to remember that not long ago they were without God. They were not included in God’s covenant with Israel—His chosen people. They were without hope. 

But Christ’s sacrifice changed it all. Through the spilling of his blood, the law with all of its commands and regulations was set aside. His purpose was to make all people, one people—Jews and gentiles. His preaching was based on the concept of peace…no matter the audience. He opened the doorway so that through him, we (the gentiles) could have access to the Father.

In fact, do you realize that in the temple there was a special place for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit? It was called the Holy of Holies. Separating the Most Holy Place from the nave (The Holy Place) was a curtain. And when Jesus died, this veil split from the top to the bottom…removing the separation between God and his people.

Through this the gentiles were no long strangers, foreigners. Instead, we became citizens of God’s household. We became one with the Israelites. No longer was the temple needed! We are the church! 

Jesus is the cornerstone of our foundation with the rest of this foundation being made up of the apostles and all of the prophets. We are the bricks! You and I and every other Christian out there make up the bricks in this church that is built on such a holy and reliable base. We are the temple of the Lord. We are the dwelling in which God lives through the Holy Spirit. All of us. All of us who put our faith in Jesus Christ.

You see, folks, there is just one way to salvation, and that is through the grace of God given to those who believe—the Jews who believe and the gentiles who believe. Everyone who believes. We are one!

But we often sure don’t act like it. It didn’t take long for the young church to begin having disagreements about scripture, theology, beliefs, etc. Every generation has faced cultural issues that divide us…with this generation being no different as we face the issue of homosexuality and struggle with God’s definition of sexual sin…porneou, as it is called in the New Testament. Just what does “Porneou” include?

Yet this is only the current issue. In the past we have differed to the point of “splitting” on many issues…from the selling of indulgences by some who were misguided in the Catholic Church hundreds of years ago to the practices of infant baptism, communion, the roles of the saints that died before us, the importance of speaking in tongues, the role of women in the church, etc. Take a look at the splits!

Even within Methodism itself, see how we’ve split.

Yet when we read the Bible and we read Paul’s words, we realize that he is talking to the early, young church.  The church led by Peter that spread. And his words are true for all of us. The Bible is true for all of us. We just keep finding issues on which to disagree.

But, maybe instead, we need to focus on the issues in which we agree. Are there any? There certainly are. Turn in your pew bibles to page 881. You can see many creeds in this section of the UMH…but today we will focus on the Apostles’ Creed.

The Apostle’s Creed was believed to be written in the first or second century and holds the essential truths that we, and all Christians, believe to this day. Let’s read it together from your hymnal page 881.

This is an ecumenical version and includes our belief in the catholic church with the word “catholic” (with a small c) meaning “universal”. So when we read that we believe in the holy catholic church we are saying that we believe in the holy universal church…the entire body of Christ.

There will always be those that take a stand on specific issues…that take stands that lead to splits in the body of Christ. But folks, we ARE one body. Even when we disagree, we can continue to love one another and work together to build the kingdom of God. And that means across denominations as well as right here within our own doors.

We want to build a kingdom, even a local congregation, where we look out among the people and we think…what in the world do these people have in common? Jesus. Jesus is our Cornerstone. Everything we say and everything we do is based on our foundation which has the cornerstone of Jesus Christ. He’s the reason we here today and the reason that we will continue to share His gospel with the world.

Are you willing? How can we within the Syracuse First United Methodist Church be one in Christ? What are we doing right? What do we need to do differently? What do we need to do better?

How can we, as part of the body of Christ in the city of Syracuse, be one in Christ with our neighbors who also strive to follow him albeit through different denominations? What are we doing right? What do we need to do differently? What do we need to do better?

Open doors. Open hearts. Open minds. Let’s live these things as one in Christ. Amen.

Our Spiritual Blessings

Sermon July 12, 2015

Ephesians is a special book in our Bible.

There is some argument regarding who wrote it…although the general consensus is that it truly was written by Paul in about 60 AD. And there is some argument regarding who it was written to. In fact, our earliest and best manuscripts do not say that it was written to the church in Ephesus…but to all Saints. It is believed that maybe there was a blank there for the deliverer of the letter (possibly Tychicus) to write in the name of the current city.

You see, this was probably a circulated letter that was written, as stated in the opening, to the saints…to God’s holy people. All of them. That includes me and that includes you. So as we work our way through the highlights of the well-written masterpiece of Paul’s, keep in mind that God our father intended for you to hear these words.  As we believe that all scripture is inspired by God, we also know that God is omniscient. He put you in this time and in this place so that you would be touched by the words he gave to Paul so long ago. So receive them as God’s Word given to you.

Ephesians is a broad statement of Paul’s theology. In this letter he is not addressing a problem, as he usually is, in the developing church. Instead, he is systematically laying out God’s work in this world and the appropriate response to it as His church.

Following a brief greeting, Paul praises God for his blessings on us as Christians. In the original Greek, this is all one long sentence. But in our translations it has been broken down into smaller chunks. And that is how you and I will look at it this morning…in small chunks so that we can hear, absorb, and marvel at the blessings that God has given us as his followers.


“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” 

--Ephesians 1:3-4

Paul starts by telling us about the blessing given us by the Father, God.

We have been blessed in the “heavenly realms”, in the spiritual world--a place that is beyond our senses but that is no less real than the building in which we meet today, the pew in which you sit, and the people that you currently see and touch.

This is a blessing that is difficult for us comprehend…but know that in this spiritual realm you have EVERY spiritual blessing. Understand that God chose us, me and you, before the world was even created. We were extended a grace, in our Methodist faith this is called prevenient grace, that precedes any decision to follow Christ. It existed prior to and regardless of anything that we have done.

Know that through all of this, we are holy and blameless in the sight of God.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” 

--Ephesians 1:5-6

We were “predestined” to be His children. Now we need to be careful when talking about predestination. Paul never states anywhere that anyone was predestined to hell so our understanding of predestination is universal. We believe that all people are given the prevenient grace that can lead to everlasting life.

But notice that our predestination is through adoption. We were NOT God’s chosen people…the Isrealites were. We, as gentiles, were “grafted in” by adoption, we were not born into the family. Paul’s letter was obviously written to an audience that would’ve been largely made up of non-Jews…like you and I. This “grafting in” came through Jesus Christ. But it was God’s will and it was to his pleasure. And through this predestination through adoption we receive God’s glorious grace…which is given freely to us.

Will you accept this blessing today?

And now Paul transitions to sharing with us the blessing that we receive through the Son…Jesus Christ.

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” 

--Ephesians 1:7-8

We have redemption.

Redemption is something that might have been paid for a slave or a piece of property. A ransom. We have been bought for a price…and that price was Jesus’ blood. The redemption was paid for our sins, our sins which put us into slavery in the first place. (We talked about this just last Sunday.)

Folks, this forgiveness, redemption, ransom is only possibly through the riches of God’s grace. He lavishes this grace on us.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.” 

--Ephesians 1:8-10

God is omniscient. He knows everything. From the very beginning before time even began, he had a plan for this world. And as we continue to work our way through time, His will is revealed to us. 

Much of it is a mystery…but part of the mystery was revealed when Christ fulfilled his purposes on earth. You see, God’s plan is perfect. The events are perfect, our understanding of it is perfect, and his timing is perfect.

God promises that when the “times reach their fulfillment”, everything will be in unity under Christ. Everything under heaven and on earth. Everything physical and everything spiritual. Unity of everything. The lion and the lamb. Muslims and Christians. Blacks and whites. EVERYTHING, including spiritual forces, will be unified.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.” 

--Ephesians 1:11-12

Again Paul talks about the fact that we are chosen. Another terms used to describe this is “election”. We are the elect. And he mentions here that he is talking to the young church who were the first to put their hope in Christ…just as we, as Christians today, put our hope in Christ.

It is reiterated that God works out everything so that it fits into the purposes that He intends. God works out EVERYTHING for his purposes…for His will.

So we are chosen you and I so that we would praise his glory. We were meant to glorify our creator, our Father…who is all knowing and in control.

Will you accept this blessing today?

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” 

--Ephesians 1:13-14

Now Paul shares with us the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

So prevenient grace brought us to the point where we heard the message of the gospel…we heard the message of the truth. And when we believed this truth, we were marked with a seal.

Seal’s back then were often made with melted wax. Not only did the seal indicate ownership, but it also indicated protection.

We, my friends, are marked with this seal. It is the seal of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. The Holy Spirit who is a “deposit” on our future inheritance…just a little taste of the spiritual world right here in this physical world as a promise that we are destined for spiritual immortality.

The Holy Spirit living within you and within me is our guarantee from God himself that we are His. It can’t be taken away. It is guaranteed until the time of our redemption.

Will you accept this blessing today?

Following these verses…this one long, long sentence, Paul offered a prayer of Thanksgiving.  Allow me to offer such a prayer on behalf of this congregation and this body of Christ. Will you bow your head with me?

Lord God, I thank you for the First United Methodist Church of Syracuse and their faith in Jesus Christ. I ask you, Glorious Father, to give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that they may know You better.

I pray that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened in order that they may know the hope to which you have called them, the riches of Your glorious inheritance, and Your incomparably great power for all of us who believe…the same power as the mighty strength you exerted when You raised Christ from the dead and seated him at your right hand in heaven, far above the powers of this earth, where you placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Amen.

(Prayer based on Ephesian 1:15-23)

Freedom

Sermon:  July 5, 2015

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

--Deuteronomy 10:12-13

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

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?”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.”

“Abraham is our father,” they answered.

 “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did.

--John 8:31-39

Freedom.

I rejoice in the freedom that I have as an American! This freedom has given me an independent spirit, an education, and the ability to choose such things as my mate. And I have chosen well!

My husband is Todd Tyler. Todd works for a gas pipeline company and his office is based out of Montezuma with his area extending from Ulysses to Greensburg. He is so excited that I am your new pastor and is my biggest supporter as well as the perfect partner. He enjoys cooking and hunting as well as most sports—especially the ones that his kids are participating in.

Through the years Todd and I have raised four children – Heath, Tana, Andrew, and Annie.

Heath is the oldest and currently lives in Lawrence.

He works in the field of logistics, which he learned while serving 4 years in the US Navy. This fall he plans to resume studies toward a Bachelor’s degree in business at the University of Kansas.

Tana is our second child and is with us this morning.

She is getting ready to begin her Junior year at Southwestern College in Winfield where she is active in the Discipleship Program.

This summer, Tana is working as a Youth Intern for the First United Methodist Church of Winfield. She is majoring in Psychology and would like to pursue a career in counseling. We are excited that she is considering seminary following the completion of her Bachelors’ Degree.

Next we have the twins. 

Andy is the oldest by a couple of minutes. 

This fall he will be a junior and has been attending Ulysses High School. He is smart and witty. His main sport is swimming, which he has been competing in since he was 10. 

It is just fun to watch him glide through the water. This past fall he also took on Cross Country and is looking forward to continuing running again this year. This summer he is busy lifeguarding in Ulysses.

Finally, we have Annie.

She will also be a junior this fall and has been attending Satanta High School. Annie is also a swimmer but has jumped right into high school sports trying everything—volleyball, basketball, and softball. It has been fun to watch her experience new things.

She is brave, smart, and sassy…with a beautiful smile and big heart. We look forward to her new adventures. This summer she is lifeguarding in Satanta.

You will learn lots more about my family over the years. What a privilege it is to be the wife and mother of this crew. This momma enjoys watching high school sports, singing, and reading. I am a seminary student attending Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky. Although most of my courses are online, I will go to campus once or twice a semester for on-campus classes. Right now I’m almost halfway done!

Over the last twenty years I have worked in the field of education…as a teacher, grant writer, and then as an educational consultant in the area of technology.

A few years ago I was in Philadelphia for an educational conference and I saw the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the Revolutionary War. Here, an eternal flame burns in honor of those who gave their lives.

The quote on it really struck me…

Freedom is a light for which many men have died in darkness.

It’s a quote that haunts me…because I so take this freedom for granted. I am free! Free to say what I want, go where I want, and believe what I want. I can get an education, start a new business, and own my own property. I can earn, spend, save, and give as much as I choose to. I can vote. I can protest. I can pray. All of these freedoms come in the American package…because someone was willing to die in darkness…many someones.

But folks, these kinds of freedom are not enough. In our country we still have loneliness, disease, depression, aggression, resentment, idleness, homelessness, hatred, and a fair helping of debauchery. 

You see, American freedom doesn’t guarantee health, wealth, and wisdom. If just gives people the ability to make choices. And many will choose poorly. In fact, all of us at one time or another, will choose poorly. So American freedom, although unique and wonderful, is not complete freedom. Our choices result in sin…and we, no matter who we are, become slaves to this sin.

And there are many sins to which we can become slaves…lying, cheating, stealing. Or possibly an addiction whether it be to a substance (such as alcohol or drugs) or a behavior (such as pornography or gambling). All of us, at one time or another, become slaves to a sin…to a poor choice.

And that’s where Jesus comes in. Although being an American citizen allows us the freedom to make such choices, Jesus offers us a type of freedom that no country can offer. He offers us freedom from the slavery to which our sin (our own choices) has bound us. True freedom! Christian freedom!

We can let go of the guilt and the shame that hold us prisoner when we sin. We can let go of the anger and sadness that want to overpower us when our choices lead us down the wrong road. We don’t have to STAY on that road! Jesus, folks, has paid the price to make sure that we don’t! Forgiveness and FREEDOM are yours if you choose it.

“But, Gina?” you may ask. “If I am free to do anything…? If I am forgiven of all sins, does this mean that anything is permissible? I can indulge myself in sin, yet walk in freedom because Jesus has paid the price?”

Let me read you what Paul says about this very thing in his letter to the people of Galatia.

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

"If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

You see, although everything is permissible not everything is beneficial. (1 Corinthians 10:23)

And although our sinful nature tries to drive us to make those permissible, indulgent choices, the Holy Spirit (if we are Christians) fights to guide us into choices that are, instead, beneficial to ourselves and to others. And if we are growing in God’s grace, we will notice that these choices become easier and easier…and the indulgent, destructive choices become less and less appealing.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. New ones will come along. Satan will find new ways to tempt you into destructive choices. He has ways to make destruction look awfully appealing by wrapping it in seductive packaging. So you’d better know what it is that will seduce you. Is it money? Sex? Over indulgence of food or spending or drinking? Maybe it’s laziness? Or selfish ambition? Pride?

Oh, there’s something. And if that something doesn’t tempt you into a bad choice, the tempter will find another something to try to draw you into slavery to a sin.

Be strong, brothers and sisters. We have already won this battle. Jesus Christ fought it for us two thousand years ago…and when he said, “It is finished”…it was finished.

 Let’s watch a short video that illustrates that freedom that we’re discussing this morning.

Go forth today in the freedom of Christ…loving your neighbor as yourself.