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FREEDOM |
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Good morning! Let’s start with some Calvin and Hobbes!
Now if we know Calvin very well, we know
that he has lots of
issues. But what is his main problem
here? Calvin’s problem is this: he has a very
messed up belief
system. There aren’t monsters under his
bed! But since he believes this, he
lives like it… so his life is full of smelly garbage. I would suggest that the same is true of us. We have a messed up belief system. And because we live according to our messed
up beliefs system, our lives are unfortunately full of smelly garbage. This morning we are in part 3 of our 4-part
series in
Ephesians 2:10, which reads: For we are God's
masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can
do the
good things he planned for us long ago. The focus this morning is on the phrase: so that we can do the good things… Why did God create us anew in Christ Jesus? So that
we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. What does it mean: so
that we can do good things? Certainly what it does not mean is that God
created us to
fill our lives with smelly garbage. What
does it mean? What are these “good
things?” The NAS reads that we are “created in Christ Jesus for good
works.” What are these “good works?” When answering this question, the first
thing that comes to
mind is the response that Jesus gave when he was asked: (in Matthew "Teacher, which is the
great
commandment in the Law?" And he said to him,
"You shall love the
Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your
mind. This is the great and first commandment. And
a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On
these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Certainly any good thing that we can do can
be summed up in
this command, right? Love God and love people. We could come up with a huge list of things
that we can do
to love God and love people. Instead of
making this list, though, it would be more fruitful to just cut to the
chase
and ask the more practical question: What is the next one thing that God is
calling you to do to
grow in loving Him? And… What is the next one thing that God is
calling you to do to
grow in loving other people? We can get so bogged down in huge lists. We can read the Bible and come up with a
million things that we could do. And
we’d only end up with so much information that we’d be incapable of
doing
anything. By the way, I have heard and read and can
attest to this
personally: the culture we live in has molded us into people who know a
lot but
do so little. We have such a low
information-to-action ratio! We can
spend a few minutes on the internet and find out just about anything
we’d like
to know. We are taught so much
information from Kindergarten though high school… and so much more if
we
continue on to college. But how much of
this information do we actually apply? It is the same with the Bible!
We are taught so much information about the
Bible! As American Christians, we know
more and have more information accessible to us than at any other time
in
history… and so much more than many other people in the world even
today… but
how much do we actually live out? So how important for us to simplify our
knowledge down to
the basics with action as the focus: What
is the next step for you? To love God more? To love people? Notice that in Ephesians 2:10, we are told
that God created
us anew in Christ so that we can know a lot.
Nope! We read: For we are God's
masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can
do the
good things he planned for us long ago. The focus is on deeds… on action. God’s goal for us is not to know a lot. It is to act.
It is to live a life pleasing to Him. Why does God want us to do good things
anyway? Why does God want us to love Him? Why does God want us to love others? As you can see in your sermon outline, there
are three
answers to this question that we’ll be talking about this morning. Why does God want us to do good things? The first answer is this: For our pleasure Many people misunderstand Christianity. Many people think that living the Christian
life is something that we do in order to get our ticket into heaven. The thinking is like this: I’d
really love to live life all about me. That
would be the ideal. That would be fun. But if I live life all about me, then I won’t
get into heaven. Therefore, I will do
some Christian things (even thought they are boring) so that I can go
to heaven
when I die. This thinking is based on a misunderstanding
about God. The thinking is that God is up
there in the
heaven looking down on us wanting or needing us to do things his way
for
Him. Almost as if God has this to-do
list for ‘things on earth’. And he is up
there in heaven just hoping and praying (praying to himself of course,
because
who else would he pray to?)… just hoping and praying that someone
somewhere
will accomplish this to-do list that is so important to him. The thinking is that God needs us. News flash: God doesn’t need us. God doesn’t need you. God
doesn’t need me. Why does God want us to do his will if he
doesn’t need us? News flash: We need God! God wants us to do his will because He loves
us. God’s will is that we would have LIFE
and
life to the FULL. God wants us to do
good things because God knows what is good for us.
He made this world. He made
us.
He knows what is best for us. And
he
wants only the best for us. He wants
us to do good things because this is what will make life work for us. This is what will make us happy. Think about this fish (picture of two fish
in a fish bowl): Is this fish happy? I
would
suggest it is very happy. I would
suggest that this is a very happy fish because it is doing exactly what
God
created it to do: swim in my fishbowl! Some people… misguided people… would suggest
that this poor
fish is really missing out on a wonderful life!
Poor fish. It is stuck in
this
fishbowl! It doesn’t get a chance to enjoy
the world. It will never get to drive a
car. It will never get a chance to eat a
steak. Go do We are like this fish.
God didn’t make us to breathe water, though; he made us to
live and
breathe in a relationship with Him. He
made us for himself. He made us for a
living a life pleasing to Him. This is
the way to life. Why should we love God and love others? Why should we make our lives all about
pleasing
Jesus? Why should we trust Him and obey
Him? Why should we give him complete
control of our lives? For our own
pleasure. This is what will make us happy. This is the only way to make life work.
God wants us to do good things for our own pleasure. And why else should we do good things? The second reason we should do good things is
this: For their faith We are called to love people, right? What is the best way to love people?
What do people need?
What does everyone need? Everyone needs relationship with Jesus
Christ. We are created anew in Christ Jesus to do
good things so
that other people can grow in their faith. Time for our video: (Liberte video) What do you think?
Are you in? Have you been set free?
Are you experiencing freedom? Are
you
experiencing the freedom of knowing Jesus and living for Him? Do you have your ‘freedom’ sign? Are you lovingly shoving it into people’s
lives to show them the way to be free? I love Bonhoeffer’s words: “Jesus frees us from the bondage of a
self-chosen way.” We are all in bondage to our self-chosen
way… until we
receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior. He
frees us from the bondage of our self-chosen way. Are you experiencing freedom these days? Are doing good things so that you can be a
part of helping
others to be free as well? Do you want
to be used by God to set others free? What is the next step for you so that you
are helping others
Know Jesus and Grow in him? Maybe you might want to express your heart
to God right now…
it might be something like this: Jesus… you are the one that freed me from
bondage. Real LIFE is found in knowing you
and living
for you. I have experienced Freedom, and
I want to be used by you to help others experience that same Freedom. Lord, please use me to help others Know you
and Grow in you! And now we move on to the third reason why
God wants us to
do good things: And I might add… this is the ultimate
reason, too, isn’t it? The first two reasons are really part of
this reason,
right? When is God glorified?
When is God shown to be the wonderful God
that he is? It is when we find pleasure in Him that He
is glorified. If someone came up to you and
said: “Tell me, why do
you follow Jesus?” What would you say? What if you said: “Well, I follow Jesus
because when I die I want to go to heaven.
I don’t enjoy him now. The Bible
is boring. His commands are burdensome. I’d much prefer to
party and spend all my
life enjoying the pleasures of this world.
But I can’t… because I want to go to heaven when I die.” Would that show Jesus to be the wonderful
God that he is? But what if you said: “Well, I follow Jesus because I love Him
and He loves
me. He knows better than I do what is
good for me. I obey Him because I love
him, and whenever I obey Him, my life just gets better and better!
I can’t imagine how horrible life would be
without Jesus! Jesus gives me LIFE!” Which one glorifies Jesus? And what about helping others Know Jesus and
Grow in
Him? That glorifies Jesus, right? What you are saying is this: I was in bondage to my own self-chosen way! Life stunk!
But then I gave my life to Jesus, and Life is wonderful! I just have to tell others that they can find
FREEDOM, too! In fact, I’ll do whatever
it takes to help others know Jesus. I
don’t understand how people can keep on living without Forgiven,
Abundant and
Eternal life. I don’t understand how
people can keep on living without Jesus!
I just have to tell others what Jesus has done for me! So you see… it is all about His Glory! Why does God want us to do good things? For our PLEASURE For their FAITH For His GLORY This is what Life is all about. This is…. FREEDOM Let’s pray. Lord Jesus.
Thank you.
Thank you for giving us life.
Thank you for calling us… for commanding us to do good
things. Thank you for wanting our pleasure. Thank you for choosing to use us to help
others know you and grow in you. Thank
you for being all about your Glory… and giving us the pleasure of being
a part
of glorifying you! Thank you for
Freedom! Amen |