True Freedom: From Bondage to Abiding

• True Freedom [00:28:08 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines true freedom as being found exclusively in Christ, received through repentance, and enjoyed by believers.
• Abiding in the Word [00:29:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor explains the Greek concept of 'abiding' (minno) as dwelling with Jesus, receiving His hospitality, and allowing the Word to live in the believer.
• Repentance [00:38:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor distinguishes true biblical repentance from mere regret, defining it as a heart turn from sin back to the Savior, initiated by the Word of Truth.
• Scripture Reading [00:26:24 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor reads John 8:31-36, establishing the biblical foundation for the sermon's theme of freedom and truth.
• True Repentance [00:38:46 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor distinguishes true biblical repentance from mere regret or remorse, defining it as a heart-turning towards Christ that begins when God's Word opens one's eyes to the seriousness of sin.
• Spiritual vs. Political Freedom [00:40:52 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts the American celebration of political independence with the spiritual bondage of sin, arguing that national freedom does not equate to freedom from sin's power.
• Habitual Sin vs. Struggle with Sin [00:51:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor analyzes the word 'practice' in John 8:34, explaining that being a slave to sin refers to a settled, ongoing, habitual pattern of life rather than occasional struggles or stumbling.
• Sanctification and Progression [00:54:16 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor describes the evidence of true freedom as a progression of sanctification, where believers fight against sin and see their desires change, rather than achieving immediate perfection.
• Freedom from Sin and Addiction [00:55:03 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts past bondage to addiction, sexual sin, and anger with the current reality of sobriety and purity through God's grace, establishing that sin is no longer the master.
• Slave vs. Son Position [00:57:00 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using John 8:35, the pastor distinguishes between a slave (whose position is temporary and based on performance) and a son (who remains forever by right and privilege), warning against living as a slave to sin within the household of God.
• Sonship and Unconditional Love [00:59:37 ▶️ 📄]
  > An analogy of a father's love for his children is used to illustrate that God's favor is not earned by merit but is a permanent gift through Christ's finished work, contrasting 'Martha' (working) with 'Mary' (sitting at feet).
• The Power of the Son to Free [01:03:55 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that freedom is enjoyed through the Son, who holds the keys to break chains of sin, emphasizing that the sinner cannot free themselves but must rely on Christ's power to be 'free indeed'.
• Invitation to Repentance [01:06:47 ▶️ 📄]
  > A concluding appeal for listeners to accept Christ's invitation to true independence from sin, marking the day as a spiritual 'independence day' marked by the cross rather than fireworks.

• Sermon Illustration [00:32:54 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses an analogy of visiting a loved one (grandparent, aunt, uncle) who provides hospitality, cooking breakfast, tucking in, and putting band-aids on hurts, to illustrate how Jesus ministers to and comforts those who abide in His Word.
• Sermon Illustration [00:43:50 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about English friends visiting who teased Americans about calling football 'soccer,' bragging about their economy, and mocking American sweet tea. The pastor reacted by drinking sweet tea and watching 'Braveheart' to celebrate American independence from British rule.
• Sermon Illustration [01:00:00 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his two sons (ages nine and ten) who do not contribute financially or labor around the house, yet he lavishes love on them and would always have a room prepared for them regardless of their behavior. He uses this to illustrate the Father's unconditional love and permanent acceptance of believers as sons, contrasting it with the conditional nature of a slave's position.

• Pastoral Charge [00:45:33 ▶️ 📄]
  > Call out to God for healing, forgiveness, and grace to break the bonds of sin.
• Pastoral Charge [00:50:00 ▶️ 📄]
  > Continually bring sins before God and ask for the Holy Spirit's power to walk away from sin.
• Pastoral Charge [01:06:20 ▶️ 📄]
  > Accept Jesus' invitation for freedom and repentance, designating the current day as their 'true independence day' from sin.
• Pastoral Charge [01:08:21 ▶️ 📄]
  > Confess sin, affirm forgiveness, and request grace for change.

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:00:00] Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord as long as I live.
[00:00:07] I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
[00:00:12] Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man in whom there is no salvation.
[00:00:17] When his breath departs, he returns to the earth.
[00:00:21] On that very day, his plans perish.
[00:00:25] Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.
[00:00:30] He made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever, who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.
[00:00:42] The Lord, He sets the prisoners free.
[00:00:47] The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
[00:00:50] The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down.
[00:00:54] The Lord loves the righteous.
[00:00:57] The Lord watches over the sojourners.
[00:01:00] he upholds the widow and the fatherless but the way of the wicked he will bring to ruin the lord god will reign forever your god ozion to all generations praise the lord ladies and gentlemen that is what we have come today to do we have gathered together to lift high the name
[00:01:24] of jesus the name that is above all names would you pray with me if you will holy heavenly father God, we're so incredibly thankful for that truth.
[00:01:36] Father, You have come to proclaim liberty to the captives.
[00:01:39] To set free those who are held in bondage.
[00:01:43] To give us a freedom that endures throughout all eternity.
[00:01:50] Thank You for the blood that made that possible.
[00:01:54] Thank You for the blood that washes us clean this morning.
[00:01:58] Thank You for the blood that imputes Your righteousness.
[00:02:01] Lord, it credits to our account so that when You look at us, You don't see our sin.
[00:02:08] You see our Savior.
[00:02:10] You see Your Son with whom You are well pleased.
[00:02:14] Father, all of us this morning, we confess our sins freely before You, but we also affirm our forgiveness for those who have called out for Your mercy.
[00:02:25] Father, You have dealt with our sins.
[00:02:27] You have casted it from Your presence as far as the east is from the west.
[00:02:32] And we're thankful for it.
[00:02:34] And Lord, we ask for Your Holy Spirit this morning to empower us, God, to empower us to worship You in spirit and in truth today.
[00:02:44] Father, this whole week we've been fixating our minds on freedom.
[00:02:51] And yet, there might be some in this room, Lord, who are still held in bondage.
[00:02:57] There might be some tuning in online this morning who have never been truly and eternally set free.
[00:03:04] And so, Father, we pray that today would be the day that the shackles of sin would be broken in their lives.
[00:03:10] that the atonement, Lord, would be applied to their life.
[00:03:15] That they could walk with You in liberty and life for all eternity.
[00:03:21] Thank You for Jesus.
[00:03:23] Thank You for His cross.
[00:03:24] Thank You for giving us a nation where we can gather this morning and not have to worry about the doors being kicked down and us being carried away for what we're doing here today.
[00:03:34] Father, help us to use this privilege.
[00:03:38] Father, to be good stewards of what You have entrusted to our care.
[00:03:41] there are some out there who have never heard the name of Jesus.
[00:03:45] There are some out there who cannot gather this morning freely.
[00:03:48] They have to do so in secrecy.
[00:03:50] Be with them, Lord.
[00:03:52] Have Your hand upon Your church this morning.
[00:03:54] May You put Your Spirit within her and lead her into and through Your Word and wash her clean, Lord, of every spot and blemish so that we can be presented to You as a pure and spotless virgin,
[00:04:07] to our groom forever.
[00:04:09] Lord, we ask this in Your mighty name.
[00:04:11] And all God's people said, Amen.
[00:04:14] If you have children with you this morning, our children's workers are here to greet them.
[00:04:18] To my right and your left, let's stand and take a moment to greet one another and welcome them to the house of the Lord this morning.

[00:04:23] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:04:23] Good morning, church family.

[00:10:24] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:10:24] This is a time that we give thanks to the Lord for what He's given to us.
[00:10:30] But I also want to say I pray everyone's having a great weekend celebrating our country's birthday.
[00:10:38] For those worshiping online, You're welcome to give through TrinityBaptist.com TrinityBaptist.com Let us go to the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving Heavenly Father, we thank you for your faithfulness And the many blessings you pour into our lives each day
[00:11:00] Father, we are a Christian nation Founded in Christian principles As evident in the Constitution But the evil one wants to destroy us May you work in the hearts and lives of the people in this nation and around the world
[00:11:15] to humble themselves, to open up their hearts and minds to receive you as their Lord and Savior.
[00:11:22] Thank you for our church and for the opportunity to worship freely.
[00:11:27] We're grateful for the vision of Trinity Christian Academy and for the calling to invest in the next generation, teaching them to know you and walk in your truth.
[00:11:37] Lord, we ask for your guidance, your peace, and your wisdom over the leaders and over all who call this country home.
[00:11:49] May our hearts be turned towards you, and may your grace cover our land.
[00:11:54] Bless these gifts that you are given today.
[00:11:58] Use them to further your kingdom, to serve others, and to bring glory to you.
[00:12:03] In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

[00:12:07] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[00:12:07] Brother Chase, and thank you, choir.

[00:17:55] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:17:55] I want to issue a couple of thank yous this morning at the onset of our time together.
[00:17:59] Very thankful for Chase filling in as our music and missions pastor is away on a mission trip to Ohio this week.
[00:18:06] So pray for them, the Baptist Builders, as they're away this week.
[00:18:10] Also, if you see the Benton family, tell them thank you for helping us celebrate some freedom here on the hill on Friday without their efforts that probably would not have taken place.
[00:18:19] So we're grateful for them.
[00:18:21] But most importantly, we're thankful for Christ.
[00:18:24] We're thankful for what he has done and given us something to sing about and preach about this morning.
[00:18:30] Not just this morning, but every morning.
[00:18:32] So praise God for that name that is above all names.
[00:18:37] Well, good morning again, church family.
[00:18:40] Glad to be up here, excited to share the word with you today.
[00:18:44] But I want to start off this morning by telling you a little experience I had not too long ago.
[00:18:49] I want to share a story from a meaningful moment in my life.
[00:18:52] I'm sure your life has been filled with many of them and I'd love to hear yours sometime but this one might just be one of the most solemn moments of my entire life and it it took place a few years
[00:19:04] back when I went on a mission trip to Washington DC it was my first time in our nation's capital and we spent most of the week doing a lot of service projects but we also went around sharing
[00:19:15] the gospel among all the sightseers you know there's a lot of tourists up there so we went to places like the Washington Monument. We went to the Lincoln Memorial. We went all around Capitol Hill. But I'm being honest, out of all the places that we visited, there was one location that
[00:19:33] struck me to my core. I mean, it truly did impact me down to my soul. Towards the end of the week, we had the opportunity to visit Arlington National Cemetery. I don't know if you've ever
[00:19:49] been there or not but let me just tell you walking through those hallowed grounds was heavy i was completely overwhelmed by the sight before me i saw row after row after row of crosses and white marble headstones stretching out in every single direction as far as the eye
[00:20:18] could see and each one of those markers signified the resting place of someone who had fought who had bled and who have died so that others like you and me could live free.
[00:20:35] As I stood there, a thought washed over me that I'm pretty sure I'm going to take to my own grave.
[00:20:43] There were countless markers in front of me.
[00:20:47] Literally hundreds of thousands of them.
[00:20:50] Each one representing a sacrifice made.
[00:20:56] Each one representing a life that was lost in pursuit of freedom and yet all of them put together could never free me from my greatest bondage and my deepest need all of them all of them put together could not even save even just
[00:21:24] a single soul from their slavery to sin now i want that thought to really sink down into your heart this morning i want you to think about that contemplate that let that resonate in you
[00:21:39] since the birth of our great nation over 250 years ago more than 1.2 million americans have laid down their lives in wartime service i want you to think about this morning think about the the millions of gallons of blood represented by each life laid down for our earthly freedom
[00:22:02] think about the fathers the sons the brothers the husbands the mothers the daughters the friends and never came home and then i want you to consider this even with such a great sacrifice such a noble and honorable sacrifice as it is you could never purchase the eternal freedom
[00:22:41] for even a single soul the freedom that we enjoy in this nation is a precious gift and it has come at a great cost it should never be taken lightly but the truth is at its very best every single
[00:23:04] earthly freedom obtained through the striving and sacrifice of men is always temporary we just got through singing about it. Nations rise and fall. Kingdoms come and go. Civilizations crumble through the centuries. Egypt rose and fell. Assyria rose and fell. Babylon and Persia and Greece and
[00:23:41] rome have all risen and fallen and even america as beautiful and as mighty as she is will one day rise and fall albeit over our dead bodies this morning amen but the point is this mighty empires
[00:24:08] have been built up and torn down through the centuries and the world keeps turning time keeps marching on into eternity and why is that because every freedom every freedom secured by human strength human merit human bloodshed human sacrifice human striving it's always temporary
[00:24:32] so it brings us to an important question this morning right it's an it's a question that every single one of us needs to know the answer to where can true freedom be found where can everlasting
[00:24:52] freedom be found? How is it obtained? How can it be experienced? How can it be enjoyed? Not just for a season or for a century, but throughout all eternity. You know what? If we're going to find
[00:25:11] everlasting freedom, then we need to have a better look to an everlasting source. The words of temporal men cannot help us. We have to look to the words of our everlasting King. We have to look to God
[00:25:24] himself for the answer to that very question and i believe there's no place better to look this morning than right here in this book and the words written and read spoken by jesus self him
[00:25:39] jesus christ himself who teaches us what it means to be free and to be free indeed in john chapter eight you'll find your answer jesus speaks to a group of people who thought they were free
[00:25:55] these people had it all they had religion they had heritage they had national identity they had confidence in their own ability and yet they were still being held under bondage under the weight of their own sin and shame so if you're willing and able i want you to stand out of the honor of
[00:26:24] reading of god's word this morning as we read from john chapter 8 verses 31 through 36 as you hear from Christ himself as to what it means to be free and free indeed free forever says the word of the
[00:26:42] Lord so Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him if you abide in my word you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free they answered him we are
[00:27:01] offspring of Abraham we've never been enslaved to anyone how is it now that you say you will become free and jesus answered them truly truly i say to you everyone who practices sin is a slave
[00:27:19] to sin the slave does not remain in the house forever the son remains forever so if the son sets you free you will be free indeed let's pray father lord may you add a blessing to the
[00:27:40] proclamation of your word may this prayer be a plow that softens the fallow ground may your word go forth like seed may your holy spirit go forth like water may it take root in our lives may we
[00:27:56] bear fruit for your honor glory and praise may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to your sight oh lord our rock and our redeemer and all god's people said amen thank
[00:28:08] you may be seated. Church, if you take nothing else I share with you this morning, please leave here with at least one single sentence. One sentence, and here it is. It's the entire sermon boiled down into a single sentence. True freedom. True freedom can only be found in Christ. It is
[00:28:39] received through repentance, and it is enjoyed by those who trust in Him. I want to unpack that truth bit by bit with you this morning as we look through the scriptures together but if we want to
[00:28:55] experience true freedom first we have to know where freedom is found let me get that answer in john 8 31 true freedom is point number one if you notice there's going to be an acronym this
[00:29:09] morning using the word free f-r-e-e-f freedom is found in the word freedom is found in the word the word i want you to think of it as all caps lock capital w o r d why is that because i believe
[00:29:25] the word word carries with it a double meaning when we speak of the word are we talking about the bible yes yes when we speak of the word are we talking about christ yes amen john one tells
[00:29:43] us that right in the beginning was the and the word was with god in the word was god right all things were made through him and without him was not anything made that was made
[00:29:55] later on it tells us that this mighty word that gave life to all things took on flesh and dwelt among us and here at Trinity Baptist Church and I hope and pray all churches across
[00:30:10] this land we believe that that mighty word is Jesus Christ the Messiah the God-man Jesus Christ the life giving light of the world that came to set us free forever jesus is the one that came
[00:30:28] that we might have life and have it abundantly so for all those reasons and many more i believe you can find life in this word you'll see that in verse 31 you find life in the word look in verse
[00:30:43] 31 jesus talking to the jews who had believed in him not all the jews believed but some of them believed jesus is having this conversation with them and he he says if you abide in my word
[00:30:57] you are truly my disciples now perhaps you might have noticed at this moment jesus is talking to a group of jews but not just jews in general he's speaking to the ones who have put their faith
[00:31:10] and their trust in him, the ones who had found life in his name. I just love what Jesus tells them. He says, if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples. I want you to break your
[00:31:29] shovels out this morning. I'm going to dig a little bit deeper in that word abide for a minute, okay?
[00:31:34] the greek is minnow pronounced like the little fish minnow and it means to lodge in to dwell in to live in it means to share quarters with someone in their house now make sure make sure you guys
[00:31:54] don't miss this this is sweet this is a sweet truth this morning the greek verb implies that the one staying is to be the recipient of hospitality from the other now what does that mean this means that the one abiding or dwelling with jesus receives his hospitality that's a
[00:32:21] very important thing to understand for a christian what it means to be in a relationship with jesus it means once you move into the word the word soon begins to move into you once you find life
[00:32:39] in his word it means that the word soon begins to take up life in you it means once you live in the word the word soon begins to live in you hey think about it like this you remember when you were
[00:32:54] little you remember when you were little when you went to go visit a loved one maybe it was a grandparent or an aunt or an uncle or a cousin or someone someone special in your family you know
[00:33:08] how you would spend that sweet time together they would be hospitable to you right they would minister to you they would love on you think back they'd cook you breakfast in the morning they tuck you in at night they put band-aids on you when you were hurting well my my nana put
[00:33:33] iodine on mine that didn't feel so good but they would hug you when you were sad they would encourage you when you were discouraged and church i'm here to tell you this morning that you find
[00:33:48] something even sweeter than that in our sweet jesus church he feeds you he ministers to you he teaches you he comforts you he corrects you he encourages you he shows us all what it means
[00:34:07] to walk with him and the best part of it all is we don't just enjoy this for a weekend you don't just enjoy this on sunday mornings more than just a week or even a summer church you get to enjoy
[00:34:23] this for all eternity he invites us to live with him not temporarily he invites us to abide with him permanently permanently he invites us to dwell with him forever to remain with him to walk with
[00:34:41] him to live with him forever. And Jesus says, if you do, if you do that, if you accept my gracious invitation to move in with me, you're the bride, I'm the groom, come on in. He says, you will truly
[00:34:58] be my disciple. That word disciple means student, follower, or learner. So I want to ask you this morning. Do you visit the Word from time to time, or have you accepted Christ's gracious invitation to move into it, to abide in it, to dwell in it? Have you moved into it? Do you remain in it? Do
[00:35:29] you stay in it? Are you living with Christ? And most importantly, is He living in you? Because when you abide in God's word you'll find out so much more than just information for your head
[00:35:45] you'll find real transformation for your heart and for your lives and the good news doesn't stop there either if you abide in his word not only will you find life in God's word but we have a
[00:36:01] promise in scripture you'll also find liberty we find liberty in the word look in verse 32 Jesus says you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.
[00:36:19] What an amazing promise.
[00:36:21] If we abide in Christ by living in His Word, His Word soon begins to take root in our lives and we get to bear fruit for His glory.
[00:36:31] He ministers to us.
[00:36:33] He teaches us.
[00:36:35] He shows us what it means to walk with Him.
[00:36:39] He shows us what it means to not just have life in His name, but liberty in his name church truth is a powerful thing right in our culture today the culture is desperate for truth in the midst of the world of confusion and chaos and disorder we're desperate
[00:37:01] for truth that's why our legal system demands it doesn't it what does the legal system say we want the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help me god and if we're ever going to
[00:37:17] have truth you know what god is going to have to help us he is going to have to teach us through his holy spirit what truth means his word is true because the truth jesus offers us in his word
[00:37:37] is like a little key that unlocks the shackles of our sin shackles that many of us myself included and many in this room today probably still didn't even know you were wearing at one point in time
[00:37:54] in your life for another there might be people in this room here today that are still wearing these shackles of sin and don't even know it you know that was the case for those who jesus was
[00:38:07] talking to 2 000 years ago y'all know that right jesus shifts his attention he shifts talking to the jews who received his word to the ones who rejected it sharing with us a powerful truth
[00:38:22] yes true freedom is found in the word but church it can only be received through repentance true freedom has to be received through repentance that's the second point today and you find that in verses 33 and 34 and i'm pretty sure we're all painfully aware that many
[00:38:46] people even people in the church today have misunderstood what true repentance is all about you got a lot of people who think hey repentance just means i'm sorry i'm sorry i messed up but in reality what they really means is i'm sorry i got caught or i'm sorry i have to face the
[00:39:08] consequences for my actions that's not true repentance true biblical repentance is about something so much more than that it's about more than regrets or remorse true repentance begins when the Word of Truth opens up your eyes
[00:39:30] to the seriousness of your sin.
[00:39:35] True biblical repentance begins when His grace lovingly convicts you and leads you to confess your sin before Christ.
[00:39:46] True biblical repentance will turn your heart away from your sin and turn it back towards your Savior, drawing you back to Christ.
[00:39:59] I want to take a little time today to allow the Bible to clarify what true repentance is all about.
[00:40:06] I want you to look in verse 33.
[00:40:09] The first part in true repentance is actually admitting that you have a problem.
[00:40:15] You have to confess your sin.
[00:40:17] The first step in repentance is to recognize your bondage to sin's power.
[00:40:24] And you do that through confessing your sins.
[00:40:27] Look in verse 33.
[00:40:28] they responded to jesus by saying we're offspring of abraham they stuck their chest out they said we've never been enslaved to anyone you know maybe the crowd surrounding jesus in his day isn't much different from the crowd gathered in many churches across america today
[00:40:52] here jesus is offering them true and internal freedom and the people respond by saying you know what jesus no thanks i'm good i'm already free what are you talking about jesus i've been free my whole life and church i think if we're not careful we can fall into the same trap i mean
[00:41:22] after all that's what america has done all week right haven't we spent this whole week celebrating 250 years of freedom the signing of that famous document the declaration of independence and perhaps in one of the most famous lines in that entire document what does it say
[00:41:39] we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life liberty in the pursuit of happiness what a powerful statement but church how sad it is that millions of americans today
[00:42:11] have ironically forfeited their eternal life and their eternal liberty and their sinful pursuits of a temporal happiness you know what i praise god america is freed from england but you know what there are still millions of americans living in chains i praise god we are freed from king george's
[00:42:37] tyranny but many have replaced king george with just another king they put themselves upon the throne of their own lives so i'm here to tell you this morning as plainly as i know how if king jesus
[00:42:58] is not on the throne of your life.
[00:43:01] I don't care about your nationality.
[00:43:03] I don't care about your military capabilities.
[00:43:06] I don't care how mighty your nation may be.
[00:43:08] You are not free.
[00:43:12] You are still a slave to sin.
[00:43:15] Now, I don't want you to misunderstand me this morning.
[00:43:20] Church, I'm patriotic.
[00:43:23] I vote.
[00:43:24] I pay taxes.
[00:43:25] I honor those who serve.
[00:43:27] And if necessary, I would lay down my life to defend this land.
[00:43:30] but i'm here to tell you this morning in light of eternity it is all meaningless apart from the cross of jesus christ i want to take a little emotional break right now i want to tell you a
[00:43:50] little story about my patriotism happened a few years back i had a friend family member invite some friends from england they made that big trip across the pond and as we were visiting they just
[00:44:01] kept, they kept giving us a hard time about being Americans. I mean, they poked fun at the way we call football, soccer. They were bragging about their nation's economy. They even had the audacity to remind us, hey, at one point in time, we ruled over you guys. Don't forget. Y'all, they went as
[00:44:23] far as making fun of sweet tea. And quite frankly, that's where I drew the line, right? I had enough.
[00:44:32] They started saying like, oh, Americans are so silly.
[00:44:35] They messed up tea.
[00:44:38] Proper tea is served hot with no sugar.
[00:44:41] That's what they told me.
[00:44:42] Sugar pollutes the flavor.
[00:44:45] And then they said, how do you like your tea served, Rupert?
[00:44:49] They didn't even call me Robert.
[00:44:50] They said Rupert.
[00:44:52] And y'all, without missing a beat, I said in the harbor.
[00:44:57] That's right.
[00:44:59] Amen.
[00:44:59] There you go.
[00:45:03] And then I turned on the Patriot.
[00:45:05] and we ate popcorn and drank sweet tea as we watched Mel Gibson kill about 1,000 redcoats.
[00:45:15] I had enough.
[00:45:18] I wasn't going to take it anymore.
[00:45:21] In church, that's not much different from what has to happen with our sin.
[00:45:27] There has to come a point when we recognize our bondage to sin's power and be sick of it.
[00:45:33] We've got to call out for the great physician to heal us, for His forgiveness and His grace and His blood to burst the bonds of the shackles of our sin and if we do that we've got a precious promise to hold
[00:45:48] on to in first john 1 9 the word of the lord says if we confess our sins god is faithful and he is just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness not some not most
[00:46:08] but all unrighteousness which leads us to the next step of repentance once we have genuinely confessed our sins and we've recognized our bondage to sin's power we need to affirm the forgiveness that we have in christ as we realize we're now freed from sin's penalty you have to
[00:46:32] realize your freedom from sin's penalty and that's what the people fail to do in verse 33 they say Jesus how is it you say that we will become free you know some of the Jews in Jesus day just
[00:46:47] couldn't quite understand this they were scratching their heads they were saying what are you talking about Jesus don't you know who our father is we're children of Abraham we've never been enslaved to anyone so how is it now that you say we will become free we're already free I mean my goodness
[00:47:11] were these folks confused, right?
[00:47:13] I mean, for starters, they were oppressed and slaved for centuries through multiple rulers.
[00:47:19] Were they not slaves in Egypt?
[00:47:22] Were they not captives in Babylon?
[00:47:25] And even now as they spoke with Jesus, they were under Roman rule.
[00:47:31] But more than that, they couldn't grasp the kind of freedom that Jesus was offering them.
[00:47:39] Why?
[00:47:41] Because it had to be received with their hearts and not their hands.
[00:47:47] They thought Jesus was talking about physical freedom.
[00:47:50] They thought Jesus was talking about political freedom.
[00:47:54] They thought Jesus was talking about national freedom.
[00:47:58] But Jesus was offering them something so much more than that.
[00:48:04] Jesus was offering them spiritual freedom.
[00:48:09] A freedom that could never be taken away.
[00:48:15] And you know what I think?
[00:48:17] I think there are countless Christians in the world today I think there are countless Christians in the church today struggling with the same problem.
[00:48:29] They think they're free, but they're still wearing chains.
[00:48:38] They think freedom means doing whatever you want, doing whatever your sinful heart desires.
[00:48:44] Hey, Jesus paid it all. I'm free. Praise God Almighty. Let's crack a beer. Have a good time.
[00:48:49] but Jesus says that's not true freedom.
[00:48:56] That's bondage dressed up in liberty.
[00:48:59] True freedom is not the ability to do whatever your sinful heart desires.
[00:49:05] True freedom is receiving a new heart, a new heart that longs for righteousness and then doing what it desires.
[00:49:17] True freedom is about having your heart renewed and transformed.
[00:49:21] It's about having a love for Christ that compels you to do His will.
[00:49:30] You know what, church?
[00:49:32] Praise God Almighty.
[00:49:34] Through Jesus Christ, we are freed from sin's power.
[00:49:40] Praise God through Christ.
[00:49:42] We are freed from sin's penalty.
[00:49:46] You know what?
[00:49:48] Praise God.
[00:49:50] One day, through Christ, we will be freed from sin's very presence in our lives for all eternity praise god but until that day until that glorious day what do we have to do we have to keep bringing our sins before the throne of grace we have to keep calling out
[00:50:16] for his holy spirit and his grace to empower us to walk away from it that's the third and final step of repentance you have to request your freedom from sin's presence in your life that's
[00:50:31] repentance not just i'm sorry i messed up say you're sorry confess your sins number two affirm your forgiveness and then number three request the grace needed to change jesus answers them in verse 34 he says truly truly i say to you everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin now it's really
[00:50:56] really important that you understand this. Don't miss this. You need to notice what Jesus says, and then you need to notice what Jesus doesn't say. He doesn't say everyone who has the presence of sin in their life is a slave to sin, does he? If that were the case, every single person in this
[00:51:18] room would be in bondage. We know that we've all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
[00:51:25] Let's be honest this morning. Every person in this room still battles with sin, myself included.
[00:51:30] We still stumble, we still struggle, and we still fall short.
[00:51:37] So what is Jesus talking about?
[00:51:41] What does Jesus really mean?
[00:51:45] The key is in the word practice.
[00:51:48] I want you to think about that word practice for a little bit.
[00:51:50] You ever practice for anything?
[00:51:53] Jesus says everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.
[00:51:57] That word means a settled, ongoing, habitual pattern of your life.
[00:52:07] Think about it like this.
[00:52:10] What happens when you practice for a sport?
[00:52:13] What happens when you practice to play an instrument?
[00:52:17] What happens?
[00:52:20] Over time, it's more natural to you, isn't it?
[00:52:24] Over time, you get better at it.
[00:52:26] Over time, you get more comfortable with it.
[00:52:29] Over time, it becomes easier for you.
[00:52:34] And church, sadly, the same thing can be said for our sins.
[00:52:39] The more you practice sin in your life, the more natural sin will feel the more you excuse sin in your life the more comfortable and complacent you get with sin the more you hide sin in your life the deeper the roots will grow
[00:52:59] in your life the more you give in the sin the stronger its grips will take hold of you so the question today isn't do you struggle with sin that's not the question that's not what Jesus is saying. The question is, have you made peace with your sin? Do you fight sin or have
[00:53:26] you surrendered to it? Do you confess your sin or do you cover it? Do you grieve over your sin or do you guard it? Do you run away from your sin or have you learned to live comfortably
[00:53:45] in your sin because if your life is marked by the ongoing unrepentant practice of sin then according to jesus don't get mad at me y'all you're still a slave to sin but you know what
[00:54:05] praise god almighty the opposite can be true right praise god by the grace of god a true believer should begin to see a new pattern in their life.
[00:54:16] What kind of pattern is that?
[00:54:19] It's not perfection.
[00:54:22] It should be of progression.
[00:54:26] It's not of sinlessness.
[00:54:28] It should be of sanctification.
[00:54:31] It's not of the absence of a struggle.
[00:54:35] It should be the presence of a real fight in your life.
[00:54:42] Over time, you should see that God is changing you.
[00:54:44] the sins that once ruled you no longer do the shackles that you once wear that you once wore now unlocked the desires that you once had no longer dominate your life maybe there was a time
[00:55:03] in your life when addiction owned you maybe there a time in your life when you couldn't break free of the bondage of addiction but now by the grace of god you're learning to walk in the freedom of
[00:55:17] sobriety maybe there was a time in your life when sexual sin controlled you but now by the grace of god you're learning to pursue purity in your thoughts and in your eyes and in your relationship
[00:55:31] and in your heart maybe there was a time when uncontrollable anger bitterness pride greed lying gossip selfishness marked your life but now by the grace of god those things are being exposed and expelled you've confessed your sins and through the cross of jesus christ they're being
[00:56:08] put to death once and for all you know what church we might not be the men and women that we should be right but praise god almighty for those who are in jesus christ we are not the men and
[00:56:24] women who we once were and that is the evidence of being free indeed not that you never struggle with sin it's that sin is no longer your master why you've got a new one jesus christ is now your
[00:56:46] master right and you see that more and more clearly in these final two verses in verse 35 you see that true freedom is enduring freedom and we see that by what becomes of the slaves of those
[00:57:00] to sin verse 35 tells us about the slaves position i want you to think through this this these last couple minutes we have together think about the correlation between the slave and the son Jesus tells us in verse 35 that the slave does not remain in the house forever.
[00:57:21] You know what? A slave might have similar experiences as the son from time to time.
[00:57:28] They might both walk through the same rooms.
[00:57:31] They both might sit near the same table.
[00:57:35] They might both work in the same fields.
[00:57:37] And from the outside looking in, they might even appear to belong to the same household and family.
[00:57:43] but Jesus says their positions and their privileges are very different. Church, the slave's place in the house is temporary. He's only allowed to be there as long as he serves his master well. His room and his board are contingent upon his labor. His security depends upon his
[00:58:07] performance. His place is based on his performance, how well he serves, whether or not he continues to please His Master.
[00:58:20] And Jesus is using this picture to warn us about the same thing.
[00:58:24] To warn us about what it means to be a slave to sin.
[00:58:31] You know what?
[00:58:33] A person can be around the things of God.
[00:58:38] They might sit in the house of God.
[00:58:41] They might hear the Word of God.
[00:58:43] They might sing the songs of God.
[00:58:46] They might even serve along the people of God.
[00:58:48] But if you're enslaved to sin, it will not belong to the household forever when we look at the slave's position we see that he does not remain in the house forever but the son the son on the other hand when we look at the son's
[00:59:10] privilege we see that the son remains forever hey the slave comes and goes based on changing behavior based on earned merit based on continued performance but the son on the other hand receives the right and the permanent privilege to remain in the house forever now i don't know
[00:59:37] about you but i don't have servants living with me but i've got two little boys whom i love very much they're nine and ten years old and i can tell you this much they don't do a whole lot around the
[01:00:00] house y'all they don't work full-time jobs they don't help me pay rent they don't help me file my taxes. They rarely volunteer to help me in the yard or with dishes. But I can tell you this much,
[01:00:18] I cannot help but lavish my love upon those two little boys. It don't matter if they're nine or ninety. They could come to my house anytime from any place and anywhere and I would have a room
[01:00:33] prepared for them. It doesn't matter where they'd gone. It doesn't matter what they have done.
[01:00:41] it wouldn't matter how big they have gotten why they're always going to be my little boys my love will follow them beyond the grave and if you've got children you know exactly what i'm talking about but church do you know that that is just a faint reflection of the father's love for
[01:01:08] you that's how he feels about you and me church jesus has won the father's favor in our place through his blood our sins are covered through his sacrifice we have been ransomed and redeemed through his finished work we have been adopted into the family of god forever and now the father
[01:01:33] cannot help but lavish his love upon you and upon me it's not contingent upon your performance not as a slave to sin but as a son and as a daughter of righteousness you know what sad to
[01:01:55] say some some of us have lived as slaves for so long we don't know what it means to be a son or a daughter we haven't let the love of god sink down into our cold hearts we think the father's
[01:02:12] favor still has to be won but church it already has been won through the finished work of christ all too often we think our performance dictates God's pleasure with our lives we think maybe if
[01:02:29] I do enough God will love me maybe if I serve enough God will accept me maybe if I clean myself up God will let me stay that's not sonship that's slavery sometimes we're so busy trying to earn our
[01:02:48] place at the table we forget we've been invited by his grace we're so busy trying to be Martha that we forget to be Mary.
[01:02:55] We forget to choose the better portion, to simply sit at the Father's feet and let Him minister to your souls.
[01:03:06] Church, the Son remains forever.
[01:03:10] And if the Son has set you free, you are no longer a slave to your sin, trying to earn your way back into the house.
[01:03:18] You are a son or a daughter who has been welcomed into the family of God forever.
[01:03:26] The book of Galatians describes that well.
[01:03:29] It says that we're no longer slaves, but sons and daughters of the one true King.
[01:03:32] You can check it out in Galatians 4, 4-7 if you want.
[01:03:37] But in these last few moments today, I want to get to the fourth and final truth to share with you.
[01:03:43] It's perhaps the most glorious truth of all.
[01:03:47] True freedom is meant to be enjoyed.
[01:03:52] True freedom is enjoyed through the Son.
[01:03:55] Look in verse 36.
[01:03:56] the only way you're ever going to truly enjoy freedom is to realize it's extended through the sun in verse 36 jesus says it is the son who must set you free so if the son sets you free that's
[01:04:14] what it says there church this means that the son is the one who holds the power to free you from your shackles of sin the book of revelation tells us that jesus is the one who holds the keys
[01:04:26] of death and of hades it says he's the holy one a true one the one who has the keys of david the one who can open and no man can shut the one who can shut and no man can open in other words
[01:04:45] it tells us that the chains of sin that have been forged jesus has the power to break the prison door that sin has slammed shut and locked, Christ has the power to open the bondage that sin has
[01:05:08] brought. Christ has overcome. And if you have received the Son's gracious invitation, by faith you have taken hold of that cross-shaped key, then you have a precious promise waiting for you at the end of verse 36 if true freedom is not only extended by the sun true freedom is also
[01:05:33] experienced through the sun look at the very end of verse 36 if the sun sets you free what does the book tell us you will be free indeed not partially free not temporarily free not theoretically
[01:05:56] free but free and fully free for all eternity church the slave doesn't free himself the prisoner does not unlock his own chains the sinner does not have the power to break sin under his own strength it is the son that must set you free and if the son sets you free
[01:06:20] you will be free indeed so let me plead with you today if you've never done so accept his gracious invitation jesus came to proclaim liberty to those who are still in captivity he has come to release those who are still oppressed in bondage my prayer is that
[01:06:47] today july 5th 2026 would be your true independence day may this be the day that you are finally set free from your slavery and your bondage to sin and shame. In church, it's a day marked not with
[01:07:09] fireworks, not with a flag, but by a blood-stained cross in an empty tomb. Because if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. May today be the day that you finally understand true freedom
[01:07:30] is found only in Christ.
[01:07:34] It is received through repentance and only enjoyed by those who trust in Him.
[01:07:42] Let's pray.
[01:07:45] Holy Heavenly Father, God, we thank You for Your Word.
[01:07:51] We thank You for the power in the blood that can break the bonds and shackles of our sin.
[01:07:58] Father, help us this morning to renounce our slavery, to grow sick of our bondage, to call out for Your blood to wash us clean.
[01:08:12] To cling to the cross, Lord.
[01:08:15] The cross is the key that unlocks the shackles of sin and bondage.
[01:08:21] Father, if there's an individual in this room who has never done so, may they confess their sin.
[01:08:28] May they affirm their forgiveness.
[01:08:32] May they request the grace needed to change.
[01:08:37] Father, for many of us, they thought the celebration was over.
[01:08:40] July 4th is over.
[01:08:42] we got to wait till next year to celebrate freedom but god we have a glorious truth the freedom that a christian enjoys can be enjoyed and experienced every day it will be experienced and enjoyed throughout all eternity thank you for this everlasting freedom thank you for christ who
[01:09:04] makes it possible help us respond to it lord today in a way that would bring you honor glory and

[01:09:10] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_03]
[01:09:10] praise we ask this in your mighty name amen and say it with me one more time church whom the son

[01:11:47] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[01:11:47] that's free it's free indeed amen praise god for jesus hey one quick announcement for you out these double doors we have a bob joiner we call him baptist bob for a reason he is such a
[01:11:58] blessing he held uh he helps us out with all the missions endeavors here at the church we're going to have a table set up for servants see if you would like to be a part of the hands
[01:12:06] and feet of christ reaching this community for the cause of christ please see him out those double doors but we're going to turn it around for brother trevor to close us out with our benediction thank you for joining us today to worship our lord and everlasting king jesus amen

[01:12:20] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[01:12:20] amen thank you pastor robert for that awesome uh message yes uh signups for servants see you're outside in the lobby also uh be in prayer for our baptist builders as they are away and also
[01:12:31] our church is going to be transforming uh from red white and blue to looking a little bit like ireland this week as we get ready for vbs so if you have some time this week and would like to
[01:12:40] serve, please stop by the church and help us set up for 130 kids that are going to come next week to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we're super excited about that. For our benediction
[01:12:52] this morning, I'm going to be reading from Romans 6. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to satisfaction and it's at its end
[01:13:09] eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, we just humbly thank you for this service. We thank you
[01:13:25] for the freedom that we have received in this nation, Lord, but we ultimately thank you for the freedom that is received through Christ Jesus our Lord. Lord, I pray that we would go out and share
[01:13:37] this freedom with others with boldness. Lord, that we would just be able to give us opportunities to share the love of Jesus, the freedom that we have received as a free gift from you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.