Independence Day
Free At Last
1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. [1]
I. Worthless
A. Personally
B. Publicly
II. Worthy
A. Washed
B. Welcomed
III. Warranted
A. Son
B. Spirit
Introduction: This past Thursday we celebrated the day this nation declared independence from foreign rule. There are people still coming to this nation declaring independence from things that they want to escape from. No matter who you are, according to what I see from the Bible, all people migrated here from somewhere else. The Native Americans actually crossed into this continent from somewhere else if you believe the account of Noah and his family.
Everybody who got here or anywhere before others migrated to that place which they accept as home are apprehensive about others coming and changing customs and traditions. We came here to be free from what we left, right? Now it’s like we want it to be and we don’t want to be forced to change our ways. That’s oppression! It is a never ending melting pot which is ever changing and there’s not much we can do about that. New people come, things change. How do we fix that? We don’t, love does. How do we love, accept Jesus, receive the Holy Spirit.
Well preacher, that covers what Christians should do but everybody is not a Christian so that means the only people that will be expected to change will be Christians? We often forget that the word Christian actually does not mean Christ like but it actually means little Christ. If Jesus gave it all up for us, why should we be different? When will we be really free to live the life that God gave to us?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people who moved next door came to see how you live so that they could fit in with you? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was some kind of a book or document that laid out the way neighbors could live in harmony?
When this nation declared independence they wrote another document. They called it the constitution. Seems to have been based on His document though many people today seem to doubt that. There are those who appear to be winning the argument, that believe the constitution is a changing idea depending on the flow of sentiment of those who lead instead of the other way around.
Free at last? When will the Christian be truly free? Somebody wrote a song and said freedom’s just another word for nothing else to lose. The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want. The Lord is My shepherd and that is really all I want. To follow Jesus means you have nothing to lose because you know it all came from Him. To follow Jesus means you have all to gain. No more wants…
If you are free at last, you are free from the plight of wanting what the world wants. We are still free to honor God and worship here in this place. We are free to give account of the only One who gives true love and can take away the opposite of love.
Observance of the pledges: Please stand as we recite the pledges to the Flag of the United States, the Christian Flag, and The Bible. They are printed on the handouts you received this morning.
Scripture: Please remain standing for God’s Word… The scripture is 1 Corinthians 6:11. When you have found it follow the reading of God’s written word.
Prayer: Please be seated
Message: This is not a message on the plight of the people flooding our southern border. This is a message concerning people who are in a much worse place of corruption and oppression. The crazy thing about those people is they are where they think they want to be. People who are miserable are not comfortable until those around them are also miserable. That’s the old adage, “Misery loves company.” The unfortunate truth is that those who we elect to lead us, seem to have the tendency to decide our fate while insuring their place of leadership.
Jesus was careful to explain to His disciples that Christians are not to lead like those with worldly power. Mark 10:42 “But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. 43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: 44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. 45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” [2]
We think that others should fall in line behind us. In these few verses, Paul is reminding us that before we accepted freedom, we too were in bondage. We too were oppressed by things that the world attempts to count as normal behavior. Our freedom came at a great cost and if the freedom of others does not cost each of us, we are not little Christs.
Listen and follow along as we hear the context of our focal verse. Do you want to finally and forever be in the place that God intended for us? 1 Corinthians 6:9 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” [3]
A few years ago there was a program on cable TV that became a sensation. A family from northern Louisiana decided to be different. The men followed their dad, Phil, and stopped shaving their beards. They preached and raised their families to be Christian. At the end of every program they ate around a big family table where somebody prayed before the meal.
One show, Phil was preaching and he quoted these verses that we are studying today. Wasn’t long, they were off the air though the shows still are running as reruns somewhere. Everything was fine while people watching thought of that family as different. When Phil explained that God expects something different than what the world forces on us, well that was the end of that show.
Paul is talking here about ultimate freedom. When we find ourselves in the kingdom of God, we will be free at last. Only righteousness is going to be there.
The unrighteous will not inherit. To inherit something means that what you are receiving was not yours until someone died and left it for you. That is exactly what Jesus did. Now we can inherit the place where Jesus is. We will inherit freedom to live the life God intended for us to always have. It is there where we find value. Everything else is worthless.
Paul listed two sentences of corruption. Verse nine deals with personal degradation. Things that decay what marriage could be; things that work against the furthering of our race. Reading that list you will find things that are being pushed by leaders today, and in the past, as things we must accept as normal. They are not! Verse ten shows corruption of public relationship. In the first list we dishonor ourselves; in the second list we dishonor our neighbors. These things will not be allowed when we are truly free.
That theme there at the beginning of verse eleven is to most of us an extremely inconvenient truth. Yet it is ever present in the Bible but is so quickly forgotten when we start going to church and living within the sanctuary of faith. It is so very important when we are going into the world to witness. So were some of you.
We weren’t saved for eternity because we are doing right now. We were saved because Jesus died for us because there are things that are in our past and could and would be in our now if Jesus had not died as The Sacrifice for our sin and the Holy Spirit’s ever presence with us as He seals our salvation.
Maybe things on those lists have been in your past, maybe not. This one thing is true though. From the time you reached the age to be accountable for your decisions, you made wrong decision relating to how you think about your body as being the temple of God. You made bad decisions about your relationship with others and their possessions. One way or another, we are unworthy without Jesus.
Right there in verse 11 just after that colon, those two littles dots one above the other. You see that huge word. BUT!!! Because of what Jesus did alone, YOU ARE WASHED. To be included means that you must enter the kingdom without sin. BUT you are SANCTIFIED!!! That word means purified without blemish. Whiter than snow . BUT you are JUSTIFIED!!! Just as if I had not sinned. .
By your word? NO!!! By the name of Jesus! He signed that contract for you with His blood. By His name now you are welcome.
That is God’s promise. You have his warranty from His Son and His Spirit you are guaranteed free. Free indeed. Once and for always sealed by the Spirit who brings a life of freedom.
Prayer:
Invitation: Let us not forget as we leave this place that this nation is one nation under God. Let us not forget when we leave this place that this nation still has the words on our money that the world sees to remind all that we place our trust in God. IN GOD WE TRUST.
Do you really trust Him or are you holding on to the false hope that you are better than that person who decided to go to the lake today instead of church. Could it be that someone who is looking for love and security might find it if you show them by words and actions.
If you are a Christian you are free at last. Once and for all to love as Jesus loved, and He will always love you. Think about it as we sing…
Danny sings “God Bless The USA”
Observance and Thanks to our veterans
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (1995). (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version., 1 Co 6:11). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (1995). (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version., Mk 10:42–45). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
[3] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (1995). (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version., 1 Co 6:9–11). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
