1.
In the name of Jesus. Amen. It’s
an exciting message. Freedom! At the end of the movie Braveheart, the Scottish hero William Wallace, as he’s being
executed cries out, “Freedom!” We have the American Patriot Patrick
Henry saying, “Give me liberty or give me
death!” Then there are the Four
Freedoms that were spoken about during World War II? Freedom
of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from fear AND freedom from want. Far greater than political freedom is the
freedom that Jesus gives. The Apostle
Paul says in Galatians 5:1, “For freedom
Christ has set us free.” The message
of the Scriptures revealed by the Reformation is that by faith in Christ before
God we’re free. We’re saved by God’s
grace alone, for the sake of Christ alone, through faith alone. This is the true freedom. In Jesus, we’re free from the guilt of our
sin, free from the power of death, and free to live for Jesus and for others.
2.
But, how do we live in this freedom
without letting it go to our head? Or
without falling back into slavery? These
are questions Jesus will look at in today’s Gospel from John 8. Here Jesus lets us listen to his conversation
with the Jewish leaders and people. As a
result of Jesus’ Word, some believed in Him.
3. In
the Word Jesus gives real Freedom. In
John 8:31 Jesus says, “31If you abide in my word, you are truly my
disciples.” The word, ABIDE means to remain, rely on, live in
Jesus’ teaching. It’s the Word of God
that works faith in a person. Faith not
only originates in the Word. The Word is
also what keeps faith alive. Faith
always comes from the outside in. For
faith to stay alive, we must abide in the Word of God and the Word of God needs
to abide in us.
4. The
longer a person who was brought to faith in Jesus stays away from the Word, the
weaker faith becomes. Eventually, if
faith isn’t nourished again by the Word, it will die. The Word of God is the food of faith. Without the Word constantly feeding our faith. Our faith will die. There’s no other way. Jesus says in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
The Church of Christ is sustained and given life and freedom through
the Word of God and through it alone.
5. But,
as Lutherans we know this don’t we? That’s why the Lutheran Church is the Church
of the Bible. “Scripture alone” is
one of our Reformation watchwords. So,
how many of you regularly read your Bible?
I have to admit, not as much as I should either. Do you think the devil knows the words of
Hebrews 4:12, “The Word of God is living
and active, sharper than any two-edged Sword.”
Of course the Devil knows that.
That’s why he works so hard to keep people from the Word. That’s why he tries hard to keep pastors from
doing their best to bring the Word.
That’s why he works so hard to divide people from their pastors. The devil is constantly trying to get us away
from the Word of God, because he knows that is where the freedom is. Without God’s Word we remain slaves to
sin.
6. Writing
about John 8:31 Martin Luther says, “The
true disciples remain…in the Word of God saying, “I am helpless. May God help me. It all rests in His hands. He promised and said, “Just cling to the Word
and I will uphold you. When you find
yourself in any extremity or distress, you will learn to continue in God’s
Word. This will liberate you and make
you a true disciple.” Truth doesn’t
consist merely in hearing Christ, but also in believing in your heart and
experiencing with your heart that Jesus wants to set you free.”
7. John
8:32-33 says, “32and you will
know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33They answered
him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How
is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Never slaves to anyone? Right
then and there the Jews were slaves to the Roman Empire. Because they didn’t see their need for the
Word of God, they were slaves of sin, which was even worse than slavery.
8. But,
before we look down on them, have you heard it said, “I don’t have to come to Bible class, I learned it all years ago in
confirmation?” This is one of the
devil’s favorite tricks. He tries to
convince us that we really don’t need to know all that much of the Word of God. Someone told a friend of mine, “I was born a Lutheran, confirmed a
Lutheran, married in the Lutheran Church, and I’ll be buried a Lutheran.” But, when this same person was asked, “Well, don’t you have to come to church once
in a while?” The man responded, “Why?”
9. Dear
members of Christ & Calvary Lutheran churches. When we think we learned all we need to know
years ago and have no more need to study the Word of God—we’re actually
despising the Word of God. When we hear
a preacher and judge the sermon on how well it entertains us, instead of
hungering and thirsting for a deeper understanding of God’s Word—we’re
despising God’s Word.
10. This
is where Jesus exposes our real problem in John 8:34-35 which says, “34Jesus answered them, “Truly,
truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35The
slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.” There Jesus says it. Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. That says it all. No one is left out here. You’ve sinned. I’ve sinned.
We’re all slaves to it.
11. Can
we free ourselves from sin? No. That’s why Jesus invites us to confess our
slavery to sin, so that His Word can bring His freedom. And with confession, Jesus also rouses in us
a hunger for the Word. In the Word of
God we come to know the truth and knowing the truth in the Word is what sets us
free. Jesus says in John 8:36, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be
free indeed."
12. Free
from sin, free from fear, free from death and slavery! People of God, the Word was written down in
the Scriptures, not to give us a list of do’s and don’ts. The Scriptures are given to open up to us the
precious gifts God gives in Jesus crucified and raised from the dead for us. The Bible is all about Jesus and what the
Father gives to us in Him. His Spirit
inspired it from the first words of Genesis to the last Amen of Revelation. This book preaches into our hearts the truth
that’s Jesus and it’s this truth that kindles faith and keeps it alive.
13. The
truth that is Jesus is the truth heard from the cross. The Word of forgiveness and
freedom. Jesus alone can speak it to
us, because He carried the sin of the world, even the sin of not listening to
Him and not wanting to hear what He has to say.
To know that truth then is to be set free from slavery. Freed from our despising of God’s Word, free
to listen, love and keep the Word of God.
14. The
Apostle Peter says in 1 Peter 1:23-25, “Since you
have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the
living and abiding word of God; for "All flesh is like grass and all its
glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but
the word of the Lord remains forever." And this word is the good news that
was preached to you.” The Word of
God is truth. It’s the truth that sets
you free. That Word lasts forever. This is why we have a special Reformation
service. Not just to remember something
that happened almost 500 years ago, but so that God’s Word can do what it does
in our lives right now. So that we’re
reformed by God’s Word. So that our
churches are pulled back into God’s Word.
So that we can hear Jesus say to us, “Go
in peace, you are free.” We’re free
to live for Christ and for others. Free
from sin and the power of death. Free
from the condemnation of the Law. Free
to live joyfully as a child of God.
Abide in the Word of Jesus my friends.
Only His Word brings freedom and life.
“If the Son sets your free, you
will be free indeed.” Amen.
