FREEDOM FROM BONDAGE: The Way of the Flesh 8-4-24

FREEDOM FROM BONDAGE: The Way of the Flesh 8-4-24

 

INTRODUCTION

 

I love the Olympics.  I haven’t watched any this year, but I have watched Sheriff Labrador, Sponge Bob, and Miss Rachel.  If you are not familiar with those shows, you must not have children in your home.

 

I recently read about the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.  Part of the opening created quite a stir.  There was a depiction of what looked like DaVinci’s Last Supper that upset more than a few people.  When I saw the picture of the “performance”, I thought it was a strange reenactment of the Last Supper because it looked different.  After reading some more, I discovered the scene was actually a depiction of a bacchanalia.  These popular, privately funded Roman parties were based on elements of the Greek worship of Dionysus.  Bacchus was the Greco-Roman god of wine, freedom, intoxication, and ecstasy.  

 

The incredible part of the story to me is that people were explaining that this act was never about the Last Supper so it should be accepted as OK.  To my horror some Christians were accepting of the opening because it was only “really” about an ancient Greek god.  The idea that we could OK with a celebration of drunkenness, orgies, and personal “freedom” and not horrified by the true message is beyond me.

 

It is as if the 1960’s cultural anthem, “If it feels good, do it” has found a solid place within the 21st century.

 

Let us pray.

 

I.  THE AGE OLD IDEA OF “IF IT FEELS GOOD DO IT”

 

“It’s frightening the way old bankrupt philosophies of life have a way of infecting the church.  One example is the old 60s approach, “If it feels good do it.”

           Rev. Mark Creech

 

           A.  The source of “If it feels good do it.”

              1.  Canadian rock band, Sloan, 2001 song ‘If It Feels Good Do It”, lead single from their 6th album, Pretty Together.

                     2.  Jerry Jampolsky, M.D.

                      3.  The devil?

 

B.  Debauchery

                      1.  16th century France “to lead someone off the job”

                      2.  17th century “seduce from virtue or morality, corrupt the morals of principles of”

 

Greg Morse with DesiringGod.org:

 

“The feel-good gospel loves the effect of the Christian faith while tragically forgetting its God and true gospel. The comfort of man — not the worship of God — has become chief. The news that man can be happier — not that Jesus died for sinners — is the good news. Man comforted — not Christ crucified — is the heart of the system. And it deceitfully promises to hand out these effects to sinners when God says the wicked have no right taking up his promises while living in unrepentance. ‘To the wicked God says: “What right have you to recite my statutes or take my covenant on your lips?”‘ (Psalm 50:16).  Loving the emotional gifts above the Giver leaves worshipers neither light nor warmth.”

 

      C.  Biblical perspective

 

               1.  Attitude of the disobedient

 

“The Lord, the Lord Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth. But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! “Let us eat and drink,” you say, “for tomorrow we die!””

           Isaiah 22:12-13 NIV

 

               2.  Fruitless attempt at meaning

 

“So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.”

  Ecclesiastes 8:15 NIV

 

           3.  Perspective of a fool

 

“And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’”

           Luke 12:16-20 NIV

 

II.  THE BIBLE’S WARNINGS ABOUT SUCH IDEAS

 

“Sin takes you farther than you want to go, keeps you longer than you want to stay, and costs you more than you want to pay.” 

           Steve Ferrar

 

           A.  Self-direction

 

“The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.”

         Proverbs 12:15 NIV

 

“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

        Proverbs 14:12 NIV

 

     B.  Secrecy

 

“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.”

      Ephesians 5:11-12 NIV

 

C.  Godlessness and wickedness

 

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 

 

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. 

 

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. 

 

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 

 

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”

         Romans 1:18-32 NIV

 

III.  WHAT SHOULD WE DO ABOUT IT

 

“When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That’s my religion.” 

        Abraham Lincoln

 

          A.  Trust in the Lord

 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;”

        Proverbs 3:5 NIV

 

           B.  Do not live as they do

 

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. 

 

That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 

 

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. 

 

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

      Ephesians 4:17-32 NIV

 

           C.  Hold onto the hope of the resurrection

 

“Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I face death every day—yes, just as surely as I boast about you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus with no more than human hopes, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 

 

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” 

 

Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.”

           1 Corinthians 15:29-34 NIV

 

          D.  Look ahead to your reward

 

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.”

        Hebrews 11:24-27 NIV

 

CONCLUSION

 

“If it feels good do it” is a dangerous philosophy.  The Bible warns us about such ideas.  We should do what is good, trust the Lord, and look ahead to our reward.  Find freedom from bondage.

 

A little boy visiting his grandparents was given his first slingshot made by his grandfather. He practiced trying to hit a tin can, but he could never hit it.

 

As he walked across the yard, he saw Grandma’s pet duck. On an impulse he took aim and let fly. The stone hit, and the duck fell dead.

 

The boy panicked and hid the dead duck under an out-building, only to look up and see his sister watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

 

After lunch that day, Grandma said, “Sally, let’s wash the dishes.” But Sally said, “Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today. Didn’t you Johnny?” And she whispered to him, “Remember the duck!” So, Johnny did the dishes.

 

Later, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing. Grandma said, “I’m sorry, but I need Sally to help me make supper.” Sally smiled and said, “Johnny wants to do it.” Again she whispered, “Remember the duck.” Johnny stayed while Sally went fishing.

 

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s, finally he couldn’t stand it. He confessed to Grandma that he’d killed the duck.

 

“I know, Johnny,” she said, giving him a hug. “I was standing at the window and saw the whole thing. Because I love you, I forgave you. But I wondered how long you would let Sally make a slave of you. I was waiting for you to come to me.”

 

Stop living in slavery to Satan. When he reminds you of our your sin, run to Jesus and confess it to Him. Satan will never find you if you are hiding under the blood of Jesus.

           Dr. Larry Petton, Sermon Central, February 27, 2022.

 

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.