7-28-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

FREEDOM: Freedom and Bondage 7-28-24

FREEDOM: Freedom and Bondage 7-28-24

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Bondage

Freedom

 

Prayer in schools - “As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in school.”

 

According to Mark Parsec, Independence Day "celebrates America’s Declaration of Independence from the tyranny of England under King George." The Declaration of Independence of 1776, he says, was not intended to declare war with England, nor did it actually establish our country’s independence. The Revolutionary War which was fought for our country’s freedom did not end "until a treaty was signed seven years later on September 3, 1783."

 

Parsec says the purpose of the Declaration of Independence for the colonists was to declare "to the world their belief in a personal, infinite God - their Creator - who endowed them with certain ’inalienable’ or absolute rights...To the men of that time it was self-evident...that if the inalienable rights they were urging were not seen in the context of Christianity, then they were without content - illusions, and nothing but dreams. To have absolute rights our forefathers had to acknowledge the Absolute Authority of God."

 

You see, there is no true freedom without God and His authority to determine the morality upon which the laws of our land are based. In God we find the basis for physical freedom; however we also find in the Lord the basis for our spiritual freedom. God’s provision for our spiritual freedom is found in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

           Damian Phillips, "Freedom in Christ", 7/1/2009.

 

“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.””

           John 10:17-18 NIV

 

I.  BONDAGE AND FREEDOM

 

“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.”

           John 8:34-36 NIV

 

           A.           Bondage

                 1.  Slavery

             2.  Voluntary servitude

   B.  Freedom

                      1.  A new reality

                      2.  A new attitude

                      3.  A new way of living

 

II.  FREEDOM IN BONDAGE

 

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

        Galatians 5:1 NIV

 

Harry Houdini had a problem. The famed escape artist found himself in a jail cell that he couldn’t get out of. His mind began to wander back to the challenge he made…any jail cell, he claimed, couldn’t hold him, that is until now.

 

Thirty minutes had gone by since the heavy, metal doors swung shut behind him. After an hour, he was still working with the concealed piece of metal that he had hidden in his belt. Bathed in sweat and panting in exasperation, he could not get the tumblers to move. There was something different about this lock. Something he had never experienced before.

 

Finally, after laboring for two hours, Houdini collapsed to the floor in frustration and failure. He couldn’t figure it out! He had never been beaten before! All he could do is wait for his ultimate embarrassment. He hung his head in shame.

 

But as he did something miraculous happened. When he hung his head, he instinctively leaned against the heavy, metal door…and it swung open. The door was never locked, just closed. The door had been open the whole time.

 

For Houdini, his mind overruled the physical. His mind was locked, and that was all it took to keep him from opening the door and walking out of that jail cell.

 

From that point on, Houdini always checked the door first. 

   Illustrations Unlimited

 

           A.  Free but bound

 

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”

     Colossians 2:8 NIV

 

“Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.”

      Colossians 2:20-23 NIV

 

       B.  Bound but free

 

“Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

           2 Corinthians 5:6-10 NIV

 

           C.  Free

 

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

        Galatians 5:1a NIV

 

“Freedom is having a pure and dauntless heart; all else is slavery and hidden in darkness.”

       Unknown          

 

III.  FREEDOM 

 

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

           John 8:36 NIV

 

   A.  Freedom

 

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

           2 Corinthians 3:17 NIV

 

           B.  True freedom

 

“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.””

           John 8:31-32 NIV

 

John Newton was a man who knew both the bondage of sin and the liberating power of the Holy Spirit. He was nurtured by a devout Christian mother who prayed that her only son would become a preacher. But she died when John was very young, and he became a sailor, after the example of his sea-captain father. He eventually sailed for places where he believed he could “sin freely,” as he put it. He ended up on the western coast of Africa, working for a slave trader who mistreated him, but after more than a year of abuse he managed to escape from the island in 1747. The following year his ship was battered by a severe storm. Newton was reading The Imitation of Christ at the time, and became a Christian. However, he then served as captain of a slave ship for six years. He hated his sin and turned to God for help and deliverance from life that made him as much of a slave as those he had captured. As he surrendered to God’s control, God delivered him from his life of shame. He grew to the place where he became an outspoken opponent of slavery. He became known as the “old converted sea captain.” He began to preach, and also began writing hymns that told the story of his spiritual journey. One day he sat down and wrote the words of the great hymn “Amazing Grace!” which say,

 

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found;

Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears relieved;

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believed!

 

Near the end of his life, Newton suffered from bad health and failing memory, but he said: “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior!” He found liberation from the sin that had bound him for so long — and so can you.

 

CONCLUSION

 

Bondage and freedom.  Freedom in bondage.  True freedom.

 

Freedom is not free.

 

Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence. Their conviction resulted in untold sufferings for themselves and their families. Of the 56 men, five were captured by the British and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary Army. Another had two sons captured. Nine of the fifty-six fought and died from wounds or hardships of the war. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships sunk by the British navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts and died in poverty.

 

At the battle of Yorktown, the British General Cornwallis had taken over Thomas Nelson's home for his headquarters. Nelson quietly ordered General George Washington to open fire on the Nelson home. The home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen children fled for their lives. His fields and mill were destroyed. For over a year, he lived in forest and caves, returning home only to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later, he died from exhaustion.

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.

S.U.M. It Up! 7-24-24

    

7-21-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

S.U.M. It Up! 7-17-24

    

7-14-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

FREEDOM: Slaves to Righteousness 7-14-24

FREEDOM: Slaves to Righteousness  7-14-24

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Freedom

 

“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.””

           John 8:31-32 NIV

 

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

       Galatians 5:1a NIV

 

“Freedom - no word was ever spoken that has held out greater hope, demanded greater sacrifice, needed more to be nurtured, blessed more the giver...or came closer to being God's will on earth."

          General Omar Bradley

 

I.  FREEDOM FROM THE FLESH

 

“because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”

         Romans 6:7 NIV

 

Jesus set us free from the flesh.

 

A poor German girl announced that she was going to give a piano concert. In order to attract people to come, she mentioned in the advertisements that she was the student of the famous Hungarian professor, Franz Liszt. But it was a falsehood.

 

To her dismay, she learned the professor was going to visit her town on the day before the concert. What should she do now?

 

She went to meet him, confessed her guilt, and asked him to forgive her. The professor answered, "You made a mistake. All of us make mistakes. The only thing that you can do now is to repent; and I believe that you have already repented. Sit down and play."

 

At the beginning, she played with much fear. The professor corrected a few of her mistakes and said, "Now truly you can say that I taught you. Go ahead and play at your concert tomorrow evening, and the last piece will not be played by you, but by your teacher."

         Christian Cheong, Sermon Central, April 15, 2006.

 

The teacher set the student free.

 

“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.”

       Galatians 5:13 NIV

 

“Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.”

           1 Peter 2:16-17 NIV

 

         A.  Show proper respect to everyone.

           B.  Love the family of believers.

           C.  Fear God.

       D.  Honor the emperor.

 

Everybody longs for freedom. But for many people its pursuit leads to bondage. The greatly loved Bible teacher Henrietta Mears knew the secret of true freedom, and she wanted her students to know it too. With young people in mind, she said, "A bird is free in the air. Place a bird in the water and he has lost his liberty. A fish is free in the water, but leave him on the sand and he perishes. He is out of his realm. So, young people, the Christian is free when he does the will of God and is obedient to God’s command. This is as natural a realm for God’s child as the water is for the fish, or the air for the bird.”

 

II.  FREEDOM FROM THE YOKE OF SLAVERY

 

Sitting on top of the United States capitol building is a 20-foot statue known as the “Freedom Lady”. She was sculpted by Italian artists in the city of Rome and shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to her perch in Washington DC. During the delivery, the ship carrying the statue encountered a fierce storm. Howling winds and huge waves threatened to capsize the ship. Its skipper ordered the cargo thrown overboard.

 

But when the men went to toss the Freedom Lady the captain shouted, “No, never! We’ll flounder before we throw “Freedom” away!”

 

That is a great word for all patriots. Never throw away your freedom.

           Dr. Larry Petton, October 23, 2022.

 

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

       Galatians 5:1 NIV

 

The preacher, Ronnie Knight, said,

 

Freedom is a concept that is built into the DNA of our being. This fact is true to the extent that our souls cry out when we find ourselves bound under the weight of tyranny. This truth is expressed clearly in our own past as a people. When found under the tyrannical control of the British crown we as a nation cried out for our freedom. The record of that cry was put to paper in the document we know as the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson described this document as "our expression of the American mind." In Christ, you may be "free indeed."

 

A.  Circumcision

           B.  The Law

       C.  Jewish distinctives

 

“With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.”

           Acts 15:23-29 NIV

 

III.  SLAVES TO RIGHTEOUSNESS

 

In the last days of the Civil War, the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia, fell to the Union army. Abraham Lincoln insisted on visiting the city. Even though no one knew he was coming, slaves recognized him immediately and thronged around him. He had liberated them by the Emancipation Proclamation, and now Lincoln’s army had set them free. According to Admiral David Porter, an eyewitness, Lincoln spoke to the throng around him: "My poor friends, you are free—free as air. You can cast off the name of slave and trample upon it ... . Liberty is your birthright."

 

But Lincoln also warned them not to abuse their freedom. "Let the world see that you merit [your freedom]," Lincoln said, "Don’t let your joy carry you into excesses. Learn the laws and obey them."

 

That is very much like the message Jesus gives to those whom he has liberated by his death and resurrection. Jesus gives us our true birthright—spiritual freedom. But that freedom isn’t an excuse for disobedience; it forms the basis for learning and obeying God’s laws. It gives us direction in action.

   Christopher Surber, All Things are Possible with God, 8/15/2012.

 

“You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.”

         Romans 6:18 NIV

 

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”

         Romans 6:22 NIV

 

        A.  Slaves of God

           B.  The benefit leads to holiness

           C.  The result is eternal life

 

CONCLUSION

 

Freedom from the flesh.  Freedom from the yoke of slavery.  Slaves to righteousness.

 

Only in freedom can man direct himself toward goodness. Our contemporaries make much of this freedom and pursue it eagerly; and rightly to be sure. Often however they foster it perversely as a license for doing whatever pleases them, even if it is evil. For its part, authentic freedom is an exceptional sign of the divine image within man. For God has willed that man remain "under the control of his own decisions."

           John Paul II

 

Decide for yourself today to be a slave to God, a slave to righteousness.

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.  

S.U.M. It Up! 7-10-24

    

7-7-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

FREEDOM 7-7-24

FREEDOM 7-7-24

 

INTRODUCTION

 

4th of July - Jacksonville, IL; fireworks on TV; Don Hawkins beef ribs; Caleb and his family; my beef ribs.

 

July 4, 1776

  Bicentennial in 1976

        Freedom train

           School 

 

In January 1941, when the flames of war were consuming Europe and the Far East, President Roosevelt addressed Congress. In that address, he said some things about freedom that has echoed down through the years.

 

The address, now known as the "Four Freedoms" address, contained these words:

 

"In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.

 

The first is freedom of speech and expression -- everywhere in the world.

 

The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way -- everywhere in the world.

 

The third is freedom from want -- which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants -- everywhere in the world.

 

The fourth is freedom from fear -- which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor-- anywhere in the world."

 

President Roosevelt was not wrong in his remarks, but he was incomplete.  True freedom is something else all together.

 

“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.””

           John 8:31-32 NIV

 

Jesus is freedom!

 

I.  FREEDOM FROM SIN

 

“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.”

           John 8:33-36 NIV

 

June 28, 1981, was my Independence Day.  

        Freedom from perfection.

                     Wordle- imperfection, “overt”, 99%

        Freedom from effort.

        Freedom from sin.

 

           A.  The slavery of sin

 

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”

         Romans 6:1-7 NIV

 

           B.  The freedom of a new life

 

“In the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, VA, there’s a special display for a rickety, home-made aluminum kayak. This tiny, makeshift boat seems oddly out of place in the midst of displays for impressive Navy vessels and artifacts from significant battles on the sea. But a bronze plaque tells museum visitors the story behind this kayak’s heroic makers. In 1966, an auto mechanic named Laureano and his wife, Consuelo, decided that they could no longer live under the oppression of Cuba’s totalitarian regime. After spending months collecting scrap metal, they pieced together a boat just barely big enough for two small people. Then Laureano jury-rigged a small lawn mower engine on the back of the kayak. After months of planning and on a moonless night, they set out into the treacherous straits of Florida with only their swimsuits on. They had enough food and water for two days. After 70 hours, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued the couple just south of the Florida Keys. Was it worth the risk? Laureano said, “When one has grown up in liberty, you realize how important it is to have freedom. We live in the enormous prison which is Cuba, where one’s life is not worth one crumb. Where one goes out into the street and does not know whether or not one will return because the political police can arrest you without any warning and put you in prison. Before this could happen to us, we thought that going into the ocean and risking death or being eaten by sharks, is a million times better than to stay suffering under political oppression.”

           Tim Smith, Sermon Central, Sept. 25, 2016.

 

Why do people not resort to the same level of effort to escape the tyranny of sin?

 

II.  BONDAGE FROM LIES

 

“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. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of your own father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.””

           John 8:37-47 NIV

 

           A.  The father of lies

     B.  Hearing and belonging.

          C.  Who you listen to matters.

 

From Robert Youngs:

 

I have on my table a violin string... it is free. I twist one end of it and it responds. It is free. But it is not free to do what a violin string is supposed to do--produce music. So I take it, fix it in my violin and tighten it until it is taut. Only then is it free to be a violin string. By the same token, we are free when our lives are uncommitted, but not to be what we were intended to be. Real freedom is not freedom "from," but freedom "for."

 

What were you set free for?

 

III.  THE TRUTH THAT SETS US FREE

 

“The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?” “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me. I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.” At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys your word will never taste death. Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?” Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.” “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.”

           John 8:48-59 NIV

 

         A.  Jesus is “I am”

 

““Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.””

           John 14:1-7 NIV

          

          B.  Jesus is the way to the Father.

          C.  Jesus is the truth that sets us free.

 

Patrick Henry was a famous statesman and orator of colonial Virginia. In 1764 he was elected to the House of Burgesses where he became a champion of the frontier people, supporting their rights against the arrogant exercise of power by the aristocracy.

 

In 1774 he was a delegate to the First Continental Congress. In 1775, before the Virginia Provincial Convention, which was deeply divided between those who supported England and those who desired freedom, he uttered his most famous words, "Give me liberty or give me death!"

 

During the Revolutionary War he became commander-in-chief of Virginia’s military forces, a member of the Second Continental Congress, helped draw up the first constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and was largely responsible for drawing up the ammendments to our Constitution known as the Bill of Rights.

 

He became Virginia’s first governor, and was re-elected four times. Then he retired from public life, but despite his strong objections the people went ahead and re-elected him Governor for the 5th time. But he meant what he said, so he refused to take the office.

 

He was offered a seat in the U.S. Senate, and posts as ambassador to Spain and to France. President George Washington asked him to join his cabinet and become Secretary of State, and later wanted to appoint him the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. But he refused all such honors and recognitions.

 

Listen to these words from him: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians - not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

 

His Last Will & Testament was filed in the Brookneal County courthouse in Virginia. You read his will and you’ll see that he bequeathed everything to his children, just as most people do. But the last paragraph in his will is especially interesting.

 

He wrote, "I have now given everything I own to my children. There is one more thing I wish I could give them and that is Christ. Because if they have everything I gave them and don’t have Christ, they have nothing."

           Melvin Newland, Central Christian Church, Brownsville, Texas.

 

CONCLUSION

 

In 1776 Thomas Paine stirred the land with these words:

 

"These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands now deserves the love and thanks of man and women. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheep, we esteem too lightly; "tis dearness only that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price on its goods; and it would be strange indeed, if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be highly rated."

          Thomas Paine, 1776.

 

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.””

           John 14:6-7 NIV

 

Freedom from sin.  Bondage from lies.  The truth that sets us free.  Jesus is God.  Jesus is the way to the Father.

 

INVITATION

 

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.