Real Freedom

This is a message from our DS, Dr. Jeren Rowell.

“REAL FREEDOM” - TITUS 2:11-14

IS IT JUST ME, OR DO YOU NOTICE THAT PEOPLE THESE DAYS SEEM TO BE ESPECIALLY ON EDGE? THESE ARE TOUGH DAYS. PEOPLE ARE STRESSED OUT, BUT I REALLY THINK IT’S A LOT DEEPER THAN ANY PARTICULAR CURRENT ISSUE.

I KNOW THERE’S THE ECONOMY, BUT MOST OF US HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE. I KNOW THERE’S LOTS OF POLITICAL TENSION, BUT EVEN THAT HAS A FAMILIAR RING TO IT. IT’S DEEPER, ISN’T IT?

THERE JUST SEEMS TO BE A SENSE OF UTTER DISORIENTATION THAT IS COMING OUT IN BEHAVIOR THAT STRIKES ME AS SHOCKING, EVEN IN THIS INCREASINGLY PAGAN CULTURE.

YOU’VE SEEN THE VIDEO OF THESE TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND THE ANGER, THE YELLING, THE NAME CALLING, THE CARELESS WORDS BEING FLUNG ABOUT WITHOUT REGARD FOR WHAT OR WHOM THEY TEAR APART.

I WISH I COULD SAY I’VE NOT SEEN IT IN THE CHURCH. I’VE HAD A FEW “TOWN HALL MEETINGS” IN CHURCHES OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS AND A COUPLE OF TIMES I’VE BEEN FAIRLY TARRED AND FEATHERED BY GOD’S PEOPLE!

NOW I KNOW THESE ISSUES ARE AS OLD AS HUMANITY, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING OF THE CONTEXT INTO WHICH PAUL IS SPEAKING AS HE REMINDS THIS YOUNG PASTOR OF THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL IN A REBELIOUS WORLD.

PAUL IS TALKING TO TITUS ABOUT THE HEART OF WHAT I WANT TO SUGGEST THAT YOU AND I NEED TO BE REMEMBERING IN THESE DIFFICULT AND DISORIENTING DAYS OF OURS.

IT’S ABOUT “HOW WE SHOULD LIVE IN THIS EVIL WORLD” (VERSE 12). NOT ONLY ARE WE BEING CALLED TO LIVE DISTINCTIVE LIVES IN THIS BROKEN AND ANGRY WORLD OF OURS, THIS TEXT IS ASSURING US THAT IN CHRIST IT’S ACTUALLY POSSIBLE TO DO SO!
LISTEN TO WHAT WE ARE BEING CALLED TO [READ V. 12]

OR AS PAUL SAYS TO THE PHILIPPIAN CHURCH, WE NEED TO USE THE GRACE THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN “SO THAT YOU MAY BECOME BLAMELESS AND PURE, CHILDREN OF GOD WITHOUT FAULT IN A CROOKED AND DEPRAVED GENERATION.”

“BLAMELESS AND PURE?” REALLY? IN THIS KIND OF WORLD? IS THAT REALLY POSSIBLE?

WELL, LET ME JUST ASK YOU A DIRECT QUESTION RIGHT HERE AT THE START: HOW ARE YOU DOING WITH LIVING A GODLY LIFE IN THIS SIN MARRED WORLD OF OURS?

I’LL TELL YOU WHAT I GENERALLY BELIEVE ABOUT THAT BASED ON MY CONSTANT INTERACTION WITH CHURCH LEADERS – I’M NOT SURE WE ARE DOING ALL THAT WELL.

SEEMS TO ME THERE IS OFTEN A HUGE DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHAT WE SAY AND SING WHEN WE’RE HERE, AND HOW IT ACTUALLY SHOWS UP IN OUR DAILY LIVES, ESPECIALLY WHEN NO ONE ELSE IS LOOKING.

YET IT’S NOT JUST THAT THE CULTURE HAS GROWN INCREASINGLY PAGAN. IT’S THAT WE, GOD’S PEOPLE, ARE NOT RECEIVING EVERYTHING THAT GOD IN CHRIST HAS PROVIDED FOR US. WE’RE SELLING THE GOSPEL WAY SHORT.

YOU KNOW THE LINE THAT SAYS, “CHRISTIANS AREN’T PERFECT, JUST FORGIVEN.” THERE’S A MEASURE OF TRUTH THERE, BUT THAT IDEA DOESN’T COME ANYWHERE NEAR WHAT GOD ACTUALLY WANTS TO DO FOR US.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO FOR YOU? LOOK AGAIN AT VERSE 14 [READ]

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT THERE IS ENOUGH POWER IN WHAT JESUS DID FOR US IN THE CROSS AND RESURRECTION ACTUALLY TO FREE US FROM EVERY SIN?

LET ME TELL YOU WHY THIS TEXT HAS BECOME SO MEANINFUL TO ME ACROSS THE PAST YEAR.

[IN ORLANDO: GOD SPOKE TO ME]

[SIMPLE FOCUS ON DRAWING CLOSER BRINGS HIS WORD ALIVE IN A FRESH WAY]


COULD IT BE THAT THERE IS REALLY A WAY TO LIVE SO CLOSE TO JESUS THAT SIN IS RENDERED POWERLESS IN MY LIFE?

THE LANGUAGE THAT IS MOST COMMON AMONG CHRISTIANS THESE DAYS IS ABOUT THE MERCY AND GRACE AND FORGIVENESS OF GOD. THANKS BE TO GOD FOR MERCY AND GRACE! BUT YOU REALIZE, DON’T YOU, THAT’S NOT THE WHOLE STORY?

THE WHOLE OF THE STORY IS NOT ONLY THAT JESUS DIED TO FORGIVE US OF OUR SINS – JESUS DIED TO FREE US FROM SIN.

JESUS DIED, ROSE AND ASCENDED TO THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER SO THAT THE SPIRIT COULD COME AND TAKE UP RESIDENCE IN THE HEART OF THE BELIEVER.

BUT THE SPIRIT’S PRESENCE CONTINUES TO DRAW US CLOSER AND CLOSER TO JESUS UNTIL WE REALIZE THAT OUR NEED FOR GOD’S GRACE GOES EVEN DEEPER THAN THE FORGIVNESS OF SINS – WE NEED JESUS TO CLEANSE AND PURIFY OUR HEARTS –

TO STRAIGHTEN THE BENT TOWARD SELF AND EMPOWER US EVERY DAY ACTUALLY TO LIVE THESE CHRIST QUALITIES THAT WE READ HERE IN VERSE 12: “SELF-CONTROL, RIGHT CONDUCT, DEVOTION TO GOD.”

[THOSE WORDS TAKE ME BACK TO GALATIANS 5:22]

[CHURCH LEADERS EVALUATE: LOWEST SCORE]

GOD WANTS THESE CHRIST QUALITIES TO BE FULLY FORMED IN HIS PEOPLE SO THAT WE KNOW HOW TO THRIVE IN THE MIDST OF A BROKEN WORLD. AND IN ORDER TO SHAPE THAT CHRIST CHARACTER IN US, JESUS, PAUL SAYS, “GAVE HIS LIFE TO FREE US FROM EVERY KIND OF SIN.”

LOVED ONES, THIS IS THE FULL GOSPEL. AND THIS IS THE ANSWER FOR LIVING A VICTORIOUS, FREE, AND HAPPY LIFE IN THE MIDST OF DYSFUNCTIONAL, ANGRY WORLD LIKE OURS.

DON’T DISMISS THIS UNDER THE THINKING THAT NOBODY IS PERFECT. THAT’S NOT TRUE. JESUS IS PERFECT. AND GOD’S WORD IS UNMISTAKABLE THAT GOD DESIRES TO REPLICATE THE PERFECT LOVE OF CHRIST IN US.

NOW DON’T TRY AND MAKE THIS SAY SOMETHING IT’S NOT SAYING. THE MESSAGE HERE IS NOT THAT SIN IS NO LONGER A POSSIBILITY IN THE LIFE OF A BELIEVER. THAT’S WHY CHRISTIAN DISCIPLINE CONTINUES TO BE IMPORTANT.

WHAT PAUL IS REMINDING TITUS TO TEACH IS THAT WHEN WE BECOME GOD’S CHILDREN, WE NOW HAVE REAL POWER OVER THE ENSLAVING POWER OF SIN. FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE HAVE A REAL CHOICE.

WE HAVE, THROUGH GRACE, THE POWER TO CHOOSE NOT TO SIN. FRIENDS, IF WE DON’T BELIEVE THIS AND ACT UPON IT THEN WE HAVE NO GOSPEL. WE HAVE NO GOOD NEWS.

IF WE REALLY THINK THAT THE BEST WE CAN EVER DO IS STRUGGLE THROUGH LIFE WITH OUR SIN, THEN WE HAVE A WEAK JESUS AND GOD’S GRACE IS NO GRACE AT ALL.

JUST AS JESUS CRIED, “IT IS FINISHED” FROM THE CROSS, SO WE WHO ARE UNITED BY FAITH TO HIM IN HIS DEATH CAN NOW ALSO CRY “IT IS FINISHED” – THE TYRANNY OF SIN IS OVER. NO LONGER ARE WE AT THE MERCY OF SIN.

YOU KNOW WE LOVE TO TALK ABOUT GOD’S LOVE. OF COURSE, GOD LOVES YOU FAR MORE THAN YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE. BUT HIS LOVE IS NOT CARELESS AND HIS LOVE IS NOT WEAK.
HIS LOVE FOR YOU IS SO COMPLETE THAT HE PROVIDED A WAY TO BE CHANGED. HE PROVIDED A WAY TO BE FREE FROM SIN AND TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE. NOT A FLAWLESS LIFE, BUT A LIFE THAT IS NO LONGER BEAT UP CONTINUALLY BY SIN.

THIS IS THE CORE MESSAGE THAT WE HAVE TO PROCLAIM TO A WORLD THAT IS FEARFUL AND DESPERATE FOR SOME GOOD NEWS.

AND WHAT THE SPIRIT SEEMS TO BE PRESSING INTO MY HEART THROUGH THIS TEXT IS THAT WE CANNOT REALLY PROCLAIM THIS MESSAGE UNLESS AND UNTIL WE ARE EXPERIENCING ITS REALITY IN OUR OWN LIVES.

THAT’S MY MESSAGE TODAY – IT’S JUST THAT SIMPLE.

IN THIS INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS WORLD LET’S BE CAREFUL THAT WE DO NOT DIMINISH THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL. LET’S GIVE OURSELVES IN A FRESH WAY TO DRAWING UP CLOSER TO JESUS, GOING DEEPER IN THE HOLY LIFE OF LOVE MADE PERFECT.

SO LET ME ASK YOU A SIMPLE, POINTED QUESTION THIS MORNING. CAN YOU SHARE IN THIS TESTIMONY TODAY IN YOUR LIFE? THERE IS A DECISION TO BE MADE.

THE GIFT OF ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION THAT IS OFFERED TO BELIEVERS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU GROW INTO BY ACCIDENT – THERE IS A DECISION TO BE MADE. IT’S A DECISION TO SURRENDER YOUR WHOLE LIFE TO JESUS AND TO RECEIVE THE PURIFYING WORK OF THE SPIRIT.

IT’S BY FAITH – TAKING GOD AT HIS WORD THAT JESUS “GAVE HIS LIFE IN ORDER TO FREE US FROM EVERY KIND OF SIN, TO CLEANSE US, AND TO MAKE US HIS VERY OWN PEOPLE, TOTALLY COMMITTED TO DOING WHAT IS RIGHT.”

BUT THIS GRACE IS ALSO NOT JUST A ONE-TIME DEAL. THIS GRACE IS AVAILABLE ON A MOMENT BY MOMENT BASIS IN THE TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS OF WORLD LIKE OURS.

SO WHEN YOU ARE FACED WITH THE TEMPTATION TO TRUST THE MATERIAL THINGS OF THIS WORLD MORE THAN GOD, THERE IS GRACE TO FIND FREEDOM FROM THAT TEMPTATION.

WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED TO USE YOUR BODY IN A WAY THAT HARMS YOU AND DISHONORS GOD, THERE IS GRACE TO FIND FREEDOM FROM THAT TEMPTATION.

WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED TO HOLD A GRUDGE AGAINST ONE WHO HAS HURT YOU, WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED TO REACT IN REVENGE TOWARD ONE WHO HAS MISTREATED YOU – THERE IS GRACE TO FIND FREEDOM FROM THAT TEMPTATION.

HAVE YOU COME TO THE PLACE IN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD OF FINALLY SURRENDERING FULL CONTROL TO HIM? IF SO, THEN YOU CAN KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE IN THE POWER OF HIS GRACE.

JESUS DID NOT DIE JUST TO FORGIVE, AND FORGIVE AND FORGIVE CONTINUOUS SINNING. BY HIS GRACE HE WILL ALWAYS FORGIVE, BUT JESUS DIED AND ROSE AGAIN TO CHANGE OUR LIVES!