WEBVTT 00:00:07.690 --> 00:00:10.169 Thank you for listening to this message from 00:00:10.169 --> 00:00:18.629 Lifehouse Church. Storm hit last evening and 00:00:18.629 --> 00:00:21.230 a bunch of you are without power and you came 00:00:21.230 --> 00:00:23.850 in looking good anyway. So it's good to have 00:00:23.850 --> 00:00:26.750 you at Lifehouse and it's good to be here to 00:00:26.750 --> 00:00:32.189 celebrate 250 years as a free nation. Come on, 00:00:32.210 --> 00:00:37.710 can we give God a hand? Yeah, truly. And it really, 00:00:37.750 --> 00:00:39.850 it's my hope that you took some time this weekend 00:00:39.850 --> 00:00:42.310 and, you know, really kind of thought about, 00:00:42.429 --> 00:00:45.490 contemplated, celebrated in some way. Maybe it 00:00:45.490 --> 00:00:47.429 was while you were watching fireworks, you realized 00:00:47.429 --> 00:00:49.969 the freedom that you have in this nation. Maybe 00:00:49.969 --> 00:00:52.390 it was at a picnic, maybe at a family gathering, 00:00:52.530 --> 00:00:54.450 maybe you went to see a movie, whatever it was, 00:00:54.590 --> 00:00:56.969 whatever you did to celebrate, I hope you took 00:00:56.969 --> 00:01:02.590 some moments to think about 250 years of a nation 00:01:02.590 --> 00:01:07.450 in freedom. 250 years of freedom of religion. 00:01:07.909 --> 00:01:11.950 250 years of having the ability to assemble in 00:01:11.950 --> 00:01:14.409 a building like this on a Sunday morning, come 00:01:14.409 --> 00:01:16.650 in and worship our creator, worship our Lord, 00:01:16.689 --> 00:01:19.849 worship our God without any fear of repercussion. 00:01:20.049 --> 00:01:24.430 I don't worry about somebody storming in and 00:01:24.430 --> 00:01:26.269 coming in and telling us we can't worship on 00:01:26.269 --> 00:01:29.769 a Sunday morning. 250 years to preach, teach, 00:01:30.010 --> 00:01:32.890 and share the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's 00:01:32.890 --> 00:01:36.329 amazing to me. It is freedom then and it is freedom 00:01:36.329 --> 00:01:38.349 now. That's the title of my message this morning. 00:01:38.510 --> 00:01:41.250 And can we do something? Can we just stand to 00:01:41.250 --> 00:01:43.230 our feet one last time? I promise. Right? Just 00:01:43.230 --> 00:01:46.090 like church aerobics. Come on. Stand up. I want 00:01:46.090 --> 00:01:47.989 you just, if you would, give God the greatest 00:01:47.989 --> 00:01:49.709 applause ever for the freedom that's in your 00:01:49.709 --> 00:01:52.370 life. Come on. We thank you, Lord. We give you 00:01:52.370 --> 00:01:57.030 glory. We give you honor today. Thank you. Thank 00:01:57.030 --> 00:02:02.819 you. We live in this nation. Amen. That was awesome. 00:02:02.900 --> 00:02:05.159 All right, you can sit down. Go ahead. All right, 00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:07.439 well, the United States of America declared freedom 00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:11.819 from British rule July 4th, of course, 1776. 00:02:12.219 --> 00:02:14.719 The Second Continental Congress formally adopted 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:17.219 what we know as the Declaration of Independence, 00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:20.099 which was drafted and signed in the great state 00:02:20.099 --> 00:02:22.460 of Pennsylvania, right, in the city of Philadelphia. 00:02:22.719 --> 00:02:26.639 And this declaration was signed by 55 brave leaders 00:02:26.639 --> 00:02:30.340 who began a two -phase process. that would lead 00:02:30.340 --> 00:02:34.840 to freedom from British rule, to form a sovereign 00:02:34.840 --> 00:02:38.740 nation, the United States of America. Phase one 00:02:38.740 --> 00:02:41.159 was what we've heard about this morning already. 00:02:41.259 --> 00:02:44.039 It was the signing of that declaration, the Declaration 00:02:44.039 --> 00:02:47.719 of Independence on July 4th, 1776. But phase 00:02:47.719 --> 00:02:51.319 two was gaining worldwide legal recognition. 00:02:51.479 --> 00:02:53.800 And that didn't happen until seven years later 00:02:53.800 --> 00:02:58.419 in 1783. The transformation, right, from British 00:02:58.419 --> 00:03:00.960 colonies to independent state in this nation 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:04.080 was driven by the universal principles of equality 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:08.199 and a desire for self -governance. The Declaration 00:03:08.199 --> 00:03:10.740 initially was drafted by Thomas Jefferson and 00:03:10.740 --> 00:03:13.500 was perfected by others, men like Benjamin Franklin. 00:03:13.780 --> 00:03:16.460 And I want to read you the first paragraph of 00:03:16.460 --> 00:03:19.439 that document this morning. In Congress, July 00:03:19.439 --> 00:03:23.379 4, 1776. The unanimous declaration of the 13 00:03:23.379 --> 00:03:26.199 United States of America. When in the course 00:03:26.199 --> 00:03:28.900 of human events it becomes necessary for one 00:03:28.900 --> 00:03:31.300 people to dissolve the political bands which 00:03:31.300 --> 00:03:33.419 have connected them with another and to assume 00:03:33.419 --> 00:03:36.219 among the powers of the earth the separate and 00:03:36.219 --> 00:03:38.780 equal station to which the laws of nature and 00:03:38.780 --> 00:03:41.719 of nature's God entitle them. A decent respect 00:03:41.719 --> 00:03:45.180 to the opinions of mankind requires that they 00:03:45.180 --> 00:03:48.379 should declare the causes which impel them to 00:03:48.379 --> 00:03:51.699 the separation. We hold these truths to be self 00:03:51.699 --> 00:03:55.300 -evident, that all men are created equal, that 00:03:55.300 --> 00:03:57.780 they are endowed by their creator with certain 00:03:57.780 --> 00:04:01.560 unalienable rights, and that among these are 00:04:01.560 --> 00:04:06.340 life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 00:04:06.479 --> 00:04:10.400 Yeah, thank you. Freedom in this country is held 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:15.680 under the banner of self -evident items that 00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:18.899 are bestowed to us from our creator. First and 00:04:18.899 --> 00:04:22.540 foremost, that all men are created equal, that 00:04:22.540 --> 00:04:26.160 all of humanity carries the same value in God's 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:28.879 eyes, and it should carry the same value in our 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:31.980 eyes for one another, right? You're as valuable 00:04:31.980 --> 00:04:35.259 as I am, and I am as valuable as you are, regardless 00:04:35.259 --> 00:04:37.939 of where you come from, regardless of the color 00:04:37.939 --> 00:04:40.360 of your skin, regardless of your background. 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:44.040 No matter what it is, we are equal in the sight 00:04:44.040 --> 00:04:51.970 of God. pursued was life, liberty, and happiness. 00:04:52.769 --> 00:04:57.750 Liberty, freedom, freedom from external control, 00:04:57.990 --> 00:05:01.990 freedom from physical restraint, freedom from 00:05:01.990 --> 00:05:06.810 arbitrary interference, freedom then, and freedom 00:05:06.810 --> 00:05:13.310 now. And if we're free, nothing binds us, without 00:05:13.310 --> 00:05:18.060 or within. No physical restraints, Hold us down. 00:05:18.139 --> 00:05:21.779 Nothing holds us back. Zero keeping me from moving 00:05:21.779 --> 00:05:25.579 forward. But how many know that the story can 00:05:25.579 --> 00:05:29.699 change, right, if we're bound and we don't experience 00:05:29.699 --> 00:05:33.519 that freedom? I remember years ago, Dixie and 00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:36.139 I, we've been married 36 years now, and she's 00:05:36.139 --> 00:05:38.759 away this weekend. She's actually on a girl's 00:05:38.759 --> 00:05:41.939 trip. My daughters, the nieces, her sisters, 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:43.920 they all get together to go to Myrtle Beach and 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:45.819 spend the weekend together, and there's a whole 00:05:45.819 --> 00:05:48.240 bunch of women there, and I'm glad I'm here. 00:05:48.379 --> 00:05:51.040 I don't go along on those things, right? But 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:53.160 I remember years ago when we were first newly 00:05:53.160 --> 00:05:56.399 married, and we were just a year or two into 00:05:56.399 --> 00:05:59.040 marriage, and we were in the house, and we were 00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:00.660 sitting on the couch, and we were doing what 00:06:00.660 --> 00:06:02.360 you're doing. young couples do. I don't know 00:06:02.360 --> 00:06:04.100 if you do this or not, but when you were young, 00:06:04.120 --> 00:06:06.420 but when we were young and energetic, now we 00:06:06.420 --> 00:06:08.259 just sit down and kind of watch TV or whatever 00:06:08.259 --> 00:06:10.259 and rest. But when you're young and energetic, 00:06:10.439 --> 00:06:13.040 we started goofing around. We started horsing 00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:15.519 around, and we would start picking on one another 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:17.560 a little bit, and we kind of started wrestling 00:06:17.560 --> 00:06:20.100 around. Now, I know what you're thinking, G -rated 00:06:20.100 --> 00:06:22.920 wrestling, okay? We were G -rated wrestling around. 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:24.600 And we're just kind of wrestling around on the 00:06:24.600 --> 00:06:26.420 couch. And I'm like, you know, and she's like, 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:28.279 we're just kind of doing that kind of thing. 00:06:28.540 --> 00:06:31.500 And we're doing this. And me, of course, being 00:06:31.500 --> 00:06:34.199 bigger and stronger, I pinned her down. I was 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:37.959 like, you know, and I thought it was cool. And 00:06:37.959 --> 00:06:40.220 I pinned her down and I held her there for just 00:06:40.220 --> 00:06:41.959 a little bit. You know how you do when you pin, 00:06:42.040 --> 00:06:44.079 anybody ever pin somebody down, just wrestle 00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:45.740 around, goof around? What do you do when you 00:06:45.740 --> 00:06:48.319 do that? You hold them there for just a little 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:50.060 bit so they acknowledge that you pinned them, 00:06:50.139 --> 00:06:51.899 right? How many of you have ever just said, like, 00:06:51.920 --> 00:06:53.779 go ahead, say uncle. Go ahead, I'm not lighting 00:06:53.779 --> 00:06:55.180 you up until you say uncle. You know, whatever 00:06:55.180 --> 00:06:58.019 it is. You do that kind of thing, right? So I 00:06:58.019 --> 00:07:01.199 did this with my wife, which she was not humored 00:07:01.199 --> 00:07:04.180 about. It was a bad idea, you know. And then 00:07:04.180 --> 00:07:07.860 the next bad idea I had is I left go. And on 00:07:07.860 --> 00:07:11.160 just sheer reaction, she punched me square in 00:07:11.160 --> 00:07:15.120 the face. She hit me square in the face. And 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:17.740 I was stunned, and then she was stunned, and 00:07:17.740 --> 00:07:21.120 she's like. Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. Like she 00:07:21.120 --> 00:07:22.879 just, she didn't even know what took her over. 00:07:22.959 --> 00:07:25.120 And I'm like, it's okay. And I'm like, we're 00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:27.639 just, and she, you know, she profusely apologized. 00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:29.839 And I was, I was just stunned. And she's pretty, 00:07:29.879 --> 00:07:32.459 pretty good hook, honestly. All right. And she 00:07:32.459 --> 00:07:35.399 just, and that's what happens though, when you're 00:07:35.399 --> 00:07:38.959 bound, right? If you're bound up, if you're tied 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:41.600 up, you want nothing but freedom and you will 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:44.439 punch your way. You will claw your way. You will 00:07:44.439 --> 00:07:49.740 do whatever you need to do to get free. We celebrate 00:07:49.740 --> 00:07:53.899 and defend the rights and the freedoms afforded 00:07:53.899 --> 00:07:58.040 us in this country then and now. Don't take for 00:07:58.040 --> 00:08:01.939 granted that all of humanity is created equal 00:08:01.939 --> 00:08:04.879 in the sight of God and should be with one another, 00:08:05.019 --> 00:08:07.720 right? Don't take for granted those rights that 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:10.860 are ours to pursue life and liberty and happiness. 00:08:11.339 --> 00:08:15.959 Those rights are held near and dear in this nation. 00:08:16.779 --> 00:08:19.480 Rights that should never be surrendered, transferred, 00:08:19.779 --> 00:08:23.959 or taken away, right? There were men and women, 00:08:24.040 --> 00:08:27.079 there were families who put their lives on the 00:08:27.079 --> 00:08:30.819 line to defend these freedoms, to keep us from 00:08:30.819 --> 00:08:34.220 bondage, to keep us from being pinned down so 00:08:34.220 --> 00:08:36.740 that we are free. As I thought about freedom, 00:08:36.980 --> 00:08:40.480 I think about those 55 brave individuals who 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:43.320 signed the Declaration of Independence. They 00:08:43.320 --> 00:08:46.879 risked their lives personally. They jeopardized 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:50.659 all of their family's safety. Against Britain, 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:54.659 they could have been looked at as traitors. They 00:08:54.659 --> 00:08:57.519 could have been hung for what they did. Men like 00:08:57.519 --> 00:08:59.740 Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin and John 00:08:59.740 --> 00:09:03.200 Hancock, and then other less known like Josiah 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:07.480 Bartlett, a physician, or George Clymer, who 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:10.580 was a merchant. Leaders and representatives of 00:09:10.580 --> 00:09:14.419 the 13 colonies who stood in the gap and declared 00:09:14.419 --> 00:09:16.690 freedom. from the oppression of Great Britain. 00:09:17.210 --> 00:09:19.470 They opposed taxation without representation. 00:09:19.950 --> 00:09:22.590 They opposed the stripping away of self -government, 00:09:22.590 --> 00:09:26.110 right? They opposed military occupation on citizens. 00:09:26.289 --> 00:09:28.710 They opposed the loss of judicial independence. 00:09:29.350 --> 00:09:33.169 And they stood. These men, along with other colony 00:09:33.169 --> 00:09:38.730 citizens, stood against the acts of bondage and 00:09:38.730 --> 00:09:42.610 declared freedom in this country. In a sense. 00:09:43.320 --> 00:09:45.700 They told Great Britain to let us be free or 00:09:45.700 --> 00:09:47.840 you just might get punched in the face, right? 00:09:48.379 --> 00:09:51.639 Kind of in a way. But here's what I know about 00:09:51.639 --> 00:09:56.600 freedom then and now. Freedom from any oppression 00:09:56.600 --> 00:10:01.019 always begins with a person who's willing to 00:10:01.019 --> 00:10:04.799 stand in the gap. A person who will stiffen their 00:10:04.799 --> 00:10:08.629 spine and say no more to those who oppose. not 00:10:08.629 --> 00:10:11.870 on my watch, not while I'm here, not while I'm 00:10:11.870 --> 00:10:14.309 in the room, not while I'm in the state, not 00:10:14.309 --> 00:10:16.830 while I'm in the country. One who is willing 00:10:16.830 --> 00:10:19.190 to put it all on the line, one who's willing 00:10:19.190 --> 00:10:22.330 to fight for freedom, and one who's willing to 00:10:22.330 --> 00:10:26.370 pay the price for what that takes. Over 2 ,000 00:10:26.370 --> 00:10:30.049 years ago, there was one who was willing, and 00:10:30.049 --> 00:10:32.850 only one who was willing, and qualified to stand 00:10:32.850 --> 00:10:36.409 in the gap for you and I in all of time, and 00:10:36.409 --> 00:10:40.620 his name is Jesus Christ. Amen? Yeah, come on, 00:10:40.659 --> 00:10:45.559 give him a hand. One, one who would leave the 00:10:45.559 --> 00:10:48.460 majesty of heaven, step down from his position 00:10:48.460 --> 00:10:52.279 as king, as God's son, ruler of heaven and earth, 00:10:52.379 --> 00:10:54.779 and he would take on the form of humanity to 00:10:54.779 --> 00:10:59.399 become like one of us and stand in the gap for 00:10:59.399 --> 00:11:02.259 your salvation and for mine. the only one qualified. 00:11:02.539 --> 00:11:04.639 And through Jesus' suffering and resurrection, 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:07.960 life, liberty, and the pursuit of your happiness 00:11:07.960 --> 00:11:11.759 will be available for all who call on his name. 00:11:12.399 --> 00:11:16.480 Galatians 5 .1 says this, Stand fast, therefore, 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:19.639 in the liberty, which is freedom, by which Christ 00:11:19.639 --> 00:11:22.399 has made us free. And do not be entangled again 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:24.860 with the yoke of bondage. Indeed, I, Paul, say 00:11:24.860 --> 00:11:27.740 to you that if you become circumcised, Christ 00:11:27.740 --> 00:11:30.399 will profit you nothing. And I testify again 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:33.240 to every man who becomes circumcised that he 00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:36.419 is a debtor to keep the whole law. You have become 00:11:36.419 --> 00:11:38.919 estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be 00:11:38.919 --> 00:11:42.220 justified by the law or acts, right? You have 00:11:42.220 --> 00:11:44.940 fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit 00:11:44.940 --> 00:11:47.700 eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by 00:11:47.700 --> 00:11:50.879 faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:54.559 nor uncircumcision avails anything but faith 00:11:54.559 --> 00:11:58.870 working through love. Paul's letting the Galatians 00:11:58.870 --> 00:12:01.789 know that their freedom, their liberty could 00:12:01.789 --> 00:12:05.490 not be attained by some act on their part. Back 00:12:05.490 --> 00:12:08.730 then it was circumcision for the men or uncircumcision 00:12:08.730 --> 00:12:11.690 was taking place, and this did not bring any 00:12:11.690 --> 00:12:14.330 kind of spiritual freedom, even though it was 00:12:14.330 --> 00:12:18.049 required by the ancient Mosaic law. Daily spiritual 00:12:18.049 --> 00:12:22.370 rituals will not bring you freedom. Disciplines 00:12:22.370 --> 00:12:26.029 like prayer, fasting, Bible reading, meditation, 00:12:26.269 --> 00:12:30.179 which I all... highly recommend, cannot give 00:12:30.179 --> 00:12:34.679 you liberty. Incredibly important, but they are 00:12:34.679 --> 00:12:37.899 not the agents of freedom themselves. The only 00:12:37.899 --> 00:12:41.159 way to be truly free in this life is through 00:12:41.159 --> 00:12:46.000 faith in Jesus Christ. It begins and it ends 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:49.029 with faith. All the disciplines we do, all that 00:12:49.029 --> 00:12:51.450 girds up and holds up our faith, but it is faith 00:12:51.450 --> 00:12:54.389 in Jesus Christ. We cannot earn our way there 00:12:54.389 --> 00:12:57.129 through good deeds. We cannot educate ourselves 00:12:57.129 --> 00:13:01.110 into this. We cannot have superior biblical knowledge 00:13:01.110 --> 00:13:03.730 and somehow think that is going to set us free. 00:13:03.830 --> 00:13:08.309 We cannot fight, claw, or drive our way through. 00:13:08.409 --> 00:13:12.269 The only way to stand fast in freedom is through 00:13:12.269 --> 00:13:17.299 faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus equals 00:13:17.299 --> 00:13:19.580 freedom. A little bit of math today. It's as 00:13:19.580 --> 00:13:20.940 good as it's going to get for the math, though, 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:24.360 right? Faith in Jesus equals freedom. It's probably 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:25.980 the most important thing I'll say for the day. 00:13:26.840 --> 00:13:29.860 If you're looking for complete freedom, freedom 00:13:29.860 --> 00:13:33.220 then, freedom now, from any other source, you're 00:13:33.220 --> 00:13:36.580 going to come up woefully empty or short. The 00:13:36.580 --> 00:13:40.139 only way to stay, to remain in freedom is through 00:13:40.139 --> 00:13:42.980 Jesus Christ. Freedom from any of all the forces 00:13:42.980 --> 00:13:46.360 of bondage, freedom from any in opposition, freedom 00:13:46.360 --> 00:13:48.960 from any power or principality, freedom from 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:52.919 any bondage, from within or without, right? All 00:13:52.919 --> 00:13:54.820 begins with faith in Jesus Christ. And you might 00:13:54.820 --> 00:13:58.340 be thinking, well, is faith in Jesus really that 00:13:58.340 --> 00:14:01.539 powerful? Is it? I'm going to tell you it is. 00:14:01.740 --> 00:14:05.850 Yes. Look what Jesus says in John 8, 31. Then 00:14:05.850 --> 00:14:08.049 Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, who 00:14:08.049 --> 00:14:10.509 had faith, right? If you abide in my word, you 00:14:10.509 --> 00:14:12.610 are my disciples indeed. You shall know the truth, 00:14:12.649 --> 00:14:17.509 and the truth will make you free. Say free. This 00:14:17.509 --> 00:14:21.850 freedom in Christ is not a restricted or a narrow 00:14:21.850 --> 00:14:26.669 scope in this passage and the others. This passage 00:14:26.669 --> 00:14:31.240 does not apply to spiritual circles only. Spiritual 00:14:31.240 --> 00:14:33.799 things that exclude the external or the internal 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:36.059 other things that could be going on in our lives. 00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:38.639 Somehow we get this in our heads. I don't know 00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:42.950 how this happens. As Christians, sometimes we're 00:14:42.950 --> 00:14:46.129 like, well, yes, I know I'm free in Jesus. Heaven 00:14:46.129 --> 00:14:49.289 is my home someday, right? He's given me hidden 00:14:49.289 --> 00:14:52.750 peace, hidden hope, right? In my heart, I'm son 00:14:52.750 --> 00:14:55.690 or daughter of the Most High. It's all kind of 00:14:55.690 --> 00:14:58.750 inside spiritual fuzzies that we grab a hold 00:14:58.750 --> 00:15:02.090 of. But do we really believe that Jesus will 00:15:02.090 --> 00:15:06.429 set us free in all areas of our life? Not just 00:15:06.429 --> 00:15:08.470 some hidden spiritual compartment that we pull 00:15:08.470 --> 00:15:11.690 out on Sunday, right? I'm here to declare to 00:15:11.690 --> 00:15:14.490 you this morning that you can be free in Christ 00:15:14.490 --> 00:15:17.509 in virtually all areas of your life. It is an 00:15:17.509 --> 00:15:20.970 all -inclusive experience in freedom. It really 00:15:20.970 --> 00:15:24.889 is. Freeing Jesus is eternal, it is external, 00:15:25.049 --> 00:15:28.129 and it is in every layer in between in your being. 00:15:28.450 --> 00:15:30.450 Freedom from the top of your head. They used 00:15:30.450 --> 00:15:31.889 to say this when I went to church when I was 00:15:31.889 --> 00:15:34.049 a kid. From the top of my head to the sole of 00:15:34.049 --> 00:15:37.730 what? Yeah, my feet, right? It is freedom in 00:15:37.730 --> 00:15:42.559 all of it. It is all. inclusive freedom. Do you 00:15:42.559 --> 00:15:46.259 know what all -inclusive means? Yeah, everything. 00:15:46.419 --> 00:15:49.480 Thank you. That means all, right? Tell somebody 00:15:49.480 --> 00:15:51.340 sitting beside you, it's included. Go ahead, 00:15:51.399 --> 00:15:55.279 tell them. It's included. It's included. It's 00:15:55.279 --> 00:16:00.559 in everything. I remember years ago when I went 00:16:00.559 --> 00:16:03.379 on my first cruise. I've been on a couple cruises, 00:16:03.379 --> 00:16:07.789 and I experienced an all -inclusive food and 00:16:07.789 --> 00:16:11.350 meal plan on a cruise. I remember the day I sat 00:16:11.350 --> 00:16:14.250 down in a restaurant, and they handed me a menu, 00:16:14.429 --> 00:16:17.149 and I looked at the menu, and it had everything 00:16:17.149 --> 00:16:19.570 listed that they served, but there were no prices. 00:16:19.889 --> 00:16:22.129 Now, how many know if that happens in a restaurant 00:16:22.129 --> 00:16:23.830 that's not on a cruise, you're in big trouble, 00:16:23.889 --> 00:16:26.850 right? Because if there's no prices, that means 00:16:26.850 --> 00:16:28.610 get your wallet out because you aren't going 00:16:28.610 --> 00:16:30.769 to have anything left when you leave. That's 00:16:30.769 --> 00:16:32.830 what it usually means if there's no prices. But 00:16:32.830 --> 00:16:36.440 on an all -inclusive cruise, right? All the food 00:16:36.440 --> 00:16:39.120 was included. And I remember sitting down and 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:41.299 thinking, wait a minute, there's lobster on here. 00:16:41.419 --> 00:16:43.240 And I think I even asked the waiter, you mean 00:16:43.240 --> 00:16:48.919 I can order lobster twice, three times? And he's 00:16:48.919 --> 00:16:51.840 like, yep, you can order as much as you want, 00:16:51.980 --> 00:16:55.059 right? And I was thinking, I think this is what 00:16:55.059 --> 00:16:59.039 heaven's like, right? Come on, who's with me, 00:16:59.100 --> 00:17:02.120 right? I'm like, I can just keep eating everything 00:17:02.120 --> 00:17:05.019 that's on the menu. You can eat till you explode. 00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:08.140 You can just keep bringing it. If you want more 00:17:08.140 --> 00:17:09.940 bread, they'll bring the loaf and give you all 00:17:09.940 --> 00:17:12.339 the butter that you need. That's how it works 00:17:12.339 --> 00:17:15.819 when it's all -inclusive. Freedom in Jesus is 00:17:15.819 --> 00:17:19.039 all -inclusive. There's as much as available 00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:23.200 to you as you're willing to believe for. Can 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:26.380 I say that again? There's as much freedom to 00:17:26.380 --> 00:17:30.200 be had as you're willing to believe for. It's 00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:33.269 tied with faith. John 8, 36 says, therefore, 00:17:33.329 --> 00:17:36.630 the son who the son makes free is free indeed. 00:17:37.069 --> 00:17:40.210 Charlie, you spoke it this morning. Jesus has 00:17:40.210 --> 00:17:43.970 no restrictions, no limitations. He's never saying, 00:17:43.990 --> 00:17:47.650 sorry, I just ran out of freedom today. I don't 00:17:47.650 --> 00:17:49.750 got enough for you. Distributed some with some 00:17:49.750 --> 00:17:51.309 others, and it's just not going to work today. 00:17:52.130 --> 00:17:55.329 There's as much freedom as you could ever want 00:17:55.329 --> 00:17:58.750 just on the other side of your belief in Jesus 00:17:58.750 --> 00:18:04.160 Christ. The problem is when we run into this 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:08.640 unlimited freedom in Christ, Jesus isn't the 00:18:08.640 --> 00:18:12.859 problem, it's us, right? It's a little bit like 00:18:12.859 --> 00:18:17.000 having a ticket to get on board of a plane, but 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:19.559 never redeeming the ticket, never checking in, 00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:22.579 never getting on the flight. And even worse, 00:18:22.579 --> 00:18:25.039 it's like someone paying for the ticket and you 00:18:25.039 --> 00:18:28.019 still never get on the plane. You never get in, 00:18:28.099 --> 00:18:32.700 get on and fly. I'm convinced that we stay bound 00:18:32.700 --> 00:18:36.880 and not set free because we believe the lie that 00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:41.400 has bound us is more powerful than faith in Christ 00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:45.839 can provide. We believe the lie. Our faith in 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:48.789 fear is greater than our faith in Christ. Our 00:18:48.789 --> 00:18:50.849 faith in the addiction is greater than our faith 00:18:50.849 --> 00:18:53.529 in Christ. Our faith in our feeling is more powerful 00:18:53.529 --> 00:18:57.130 than the fact of faith in Jesus. Our faith in 00:18:57.130 --> 00:18:59.710 our past to rule our life is greater than the 00:18:59.710 --> 00:19:02.849 faith and what Jesus says about our future. You 00:19:02.849 --> 00:19:06.910 name it, it can become bondage in our life. And 00:19:06.910 --> 00:19:09.890 if we believe that it is more powerful than the 00:19:09.890 --> 00:19:12.470 faith that comes in Christ and what can be available 00:19:12.470 --> 00:19:15.569 in faith in Christ, it will rule our lives. It 00:19:15.569 --> 00:19:18.420 will keep us. in bondage instead of freedom. 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:22.519 It starts with faith in Jesus. That's where freedom 00:19:22.519 --> 00:19:26.420 begins. And I got good news for you today. It 00:19:26.420 --> 00:19:29.839 only takes a mustard seed, say mustard seed, 00:19:29.980 --> 00:19:33.900 size faith in Jesus to begin the process. Luke 00:19:33.900 --> 00:19:37.339 17, six says this. So the Lord said, if you have 00:19:37.339 --> 00:19:40.819 faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this 00:19:40.819 --> 00:19:43.519 mulberry tree, be pulled up by the roots and 00:19:43.519 --> 00:19:46.759 be planted in the seed. in the sea and it will 00:19:46.759 --> 00:19:50.819 obey you. How many know how big a mustard seed 00:19:50.819 --> 00:19:53.799 is? Hold it up right now. Dude, just give me 00:19:53.799 --> 00:19:55.259 a little, come on, give me a little. Yep, it's 00:19:55.259 --> 00:19:57.099 about that big, right? It's just a little tiny 00:19:57.099 --> 00:20:00.599 thing, right? Jesus did not say you need a mountain 00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:02.839 of faith and then you can move the mustard seed. 00:20:03.039 --> 00:20:05.380 He said you need a mustard seed size of faith 00:20:05.380 --> 00:20:08.059 and you can move the tree. You can move the mountain 00:20:08.059 --> 00:20:10.859 in another spot in Scripture, right? Just a spurt 00:20:10.859 --> 00:20:14.500 or a sputter of pure faith in Jesus begins to 00:20:14.500 --> 00:20:18.180 move us from bondage to freedom. Just start believing, 00:20:18.339 --> 00:20:21.059 and it begins the process of breaking you free 00:20:21.059 --> 00:20:24.619 in virtually any area of your life. Salvation 00:20:24.619 --> 00:20:27.480 itself, if you've gotten saved, you've come to 00:20:27.480 --> 00:20:30.359 faith in Jesus Christ, it starts with mustard 00:20:30.359 --> 00:20:33.849 seed -sized faith. It really does. If you've 00:20:33.849 --> 00:20:35.750 been serving God for a long time, and I have, 00:20:35.890 --> 00:20:38.869 I'm 60. I started serving Jesus when I was 12. 00:20:39.130 --> 00:20:41.130 I've been serving God for a long time. And I 00:20:41.130 --> 00:20:43.869 can tell you that today, my faith is stronger 00:20:43.869 --> 00:20:46.660 than my faith was when I was 12 years old. Some 00:20:46.660 --> 00:20:48.299 of you that have been serving God a long time, 00:20:48.339 --> 00:20:49.779 you'll say the same thing. Some of you have been 00:20:49.779 --> 00:20:51.759 serving God for a year, and you'll say, my faith 00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:54.119 is stronger now than it was when I was whenever, 00:20:54.400 --> 00:20:56.680 right? When I got saved a year ago, 12 months 00:20:56.680 --> 00:20:59.960 ago, two years ago, four years ago. And really, 00:21:00.099 --> 00:21:02.140 it's salvation. You just need that mustard -sized 00:21:02.140 --> 00:21:05.140 seed of faith. I heard a preacher preach. He 00:21:05.140 --> 00:21:07.880 said that faith in Christ would save my life, 00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:11.059 that if I would confess my sins before God, I 00:21:11.059 --> 00:21:13.339 could come into relationship with God, and I 00:21:13.339 --> 00:21:16.819 had just enough faith to believe him. And I prayed, 00:21:16.839 --> 00:21:19.900 and I meant it. And I prayed, and I asked God 00:21:19.900 --> 00:21:23.180 to come into my life. And that day, I was changed. 00:21:23.420 --> 00:21:27.539 That day, I was saved. And I had about this much 00:21:27.539 --> 00:21:31.480 faith in Jesus. But it was enough. It was pure. 00:21:31.859 --> 00:21:34.299 Right? He didn't say you have to have faith for 00:21:34.299 --> 00:21:37.019 everything at all times and all moments. How 00:21:37.019 --> 00:21:38.740 many of you out there have faith for everything 00:21:38.740 --> 00:21:43.039 at all times and all moments? Me either. Right? 00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:48.990 Mustard side. This is how it works. And we've 00:21:48.990 --> 00:21:53.190 got to just get that mustard -sized seed faith 00:21:53.190 --> 00:21:57.390 engaged, and you're going to begin to walk into 00:21:57.390 --> 00:22:04.930 freedom. Amen? It's true. You might be thinking, 00:22:05.049 --> 00:22:07.170 well, that sounds good, but it doesn't seem to 00:22:07.170 --> 00:22:09.829 work that way in my life. Sometimes I feel like 00:22:09.829 --> 00:22:12.009 I can't even find the mustard seed -sized faith. 00:22:13.190 --> 00:22:17.009 Well, maybe it'll help. If I explain just a little 00:22:17.009 --> 00:22:20.609 bit why you may feel that way sometimes. Let 00:22:20.609 --> 00:22:23.210 me explain why sometimes you feel like you can't 00:22:23.210 --> 00:22:25.789 even get mustard -sized seed faith going in your 00:22:25.789 --> 00:22:30.009 life. And we need to get a picture of the reality 00:22:30.009 --> 00:22:34.230 of where we are, where we began. Because sometimes 00:22:34.230 --> 00:22:37.049 where we're at in our faith, it's a little bit 00:22:37.049 --> 00:22:40.549 like a little baby elephant. I know that sounds 00:22:40.549 --> 00:22:43.200 a little strange, right? But here's the thing 00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:45.700 with the baby elephant. If you take a baby elephant 00:22:45.700 --> 00:22:49.720 and you put a chain on its leg and you tie it 00:22:49.720 --> 00:22:53.039 to a post when it's small and you just leave 00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:55.700 whatever length of chain there, the baby elephant 00:22:55.700 --> 00:22:58.500 will begin to pull against that stake and it's 00:22:58.500 --> 00:23:01.380 not strong enough yet. to pull that stake out 00:23:01.380 --> 00:23:03.819 of the ground and be free. So it will pull and 00:23:03.819 --> 00:23:05.900 it will pull and it will pull and pull. It's 00:23:05.900 --> 00:23:08.000 kind of like a dog on a chain. It'll keep pulling. 00:23:08.119 --> 00:23:10.440 But at some point, that elephant decides and 00:23:10.440 --> 00:23:13.640 realizes, I can't pull that stake out. I am in 00:23:13.640 --> 00:23:17.640 bondage. And it just sits down. And it will never 00:23:17.640 --> 00:23:20.900 pull on that chain again. And even when that 00:23:20.900 --> 00:23:23.839 elephant is full grown, we got a picture of that. 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:25.440 If you can pull that up, I think we got a pic 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:28.240 of that somewhere. Even when an elephant is full 00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:33.910 grown, You can have a stake and a string attached 00:23:33.910 --> 00:23:37.950 to an elephant that was brought up in that way, 00:23:37.970 --> 00:23:42.839 and it will stay right where the string is. It 00:23:42.839 --> 00:23:45.059 will not pull on the stake. It will not pull 00:23:45.059 --> 00:23:47.859 it out of the ground. It has learned to be helpless. 00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:51.599 It has learned, right, bondage. It has learned 00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:54.660 to stay inside the circle of bondage. And this 00:23:54.660 --> 00:23:58.180 is what happens to us. We were born into sin. 00:23:58.359 --> 00:24:02.769 We understand bondage. from birth. We live in 00:24:02.769 --> 00:24:06.690 it, we breathe it, we accept it, we walk in it 00:24:06.690 --> 00:24:09.569 day after day, and then all of a sudden we get 00:24:09.569 --> 00:24:12.750 saved and we're free, and we've got the strength 00:24:12.750 --> 00:24:16.269 of the elephant in Jesus, but we're still tied 00:24:16.269 --> 00:24:20.029 to the stake and the string. Satan comes along, 00:24:20.210 --> 00:24:22.329 and every time we feel like we're going to jerk 00:24:22.329 --> 00:24:25.650 free, he just waves the stake of fear, right, 00:24:25.809 --> 00:24:28.410 and the string of anxiety and ties it to our 00:24:28.410 --> 00:24:34.609 leg. And we sit down. Faith in Christ begins 00:24:34.609 --> 00:24:38.829 to break that bondage. It begins to break who 00:24:38.829 --> 00:24:42.230 we are. It's not a secret formula. It is simple 00:24:42.230 --> 00:24:45.769 physics, folk. To break anything that binds me, 00:24:45.849 --> 00:24:48.470 right, I simply have to have something more powerful 00:24:48.470 --> 00:24:51.690 than what is binding me. And anything that is 00:24:51.690 --> 00:24:55.720 binding me, Christ is more powerful. Steel fetters 00:24:55.720 --> 00:25:01.740 cannot withstand a file or a saw. A glass ceiling 00:25:01.740 --> 00:25:04.839 cannot withstand a sledgehammer. A wooden box 00:25:04.839 --> 00:25:08.519 cannot withstand a pry bar. No power in hell 00:25:08.519 --> 00:25:12.299 can bind the power of God in our lives. No power 00:25:12.299 --> 00:25:15.220 in hell. The Word of God tells us that. It's 00:25:15.220 --> 00:25:20.670 true. It's true. Luke 8, 10, 18 says this, and 00:25:20.670 --> 00:25:22.670 he, and this is Jesus speaking, said to them, 00:25:22.829 --> 00:25:25.250 I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 00:25:25.549 --> 00:25:27.990 Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpents 00:25:27.990 --> 00:25:30.569 and on scorpions and over all power of the enemy 00:25:30.569 --> 00:25:33.349 and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, 00:25:33.650 --> 00:25:36.009 do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are 00:25:36.009 --> 00:25:38.190 subject to you, but rather rejoice because your 00:25:38.190 --> 00:25:41.049 names are written in heaven. The word of God 00:25:41.049 --> 00:25:44.710 tells us be humble, but know, but know that Christ 00:25:44.710 --> 00:25:48.119 has the power over all things in our life. He 00:25:48.119 --> 00:25:51.400 really does. And it takes just that seed. And 00:25:51.400 --> 00:25:54.240 listen, I get it. I was bound by the same things 00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:58.019 you were and are at times. But it is when you 00:25:58.019 --> 00:26:01.960 start to exercise that seed that you begin to 00:26:01.960 --> 00:26:04.920 walk into liberty. It doesn't happen instantly. 00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:06.920 I'm not going to stand up here and tell you in 00:26:06.920 --> 00:26:09.640 a flash, in a heartbeat, in a second, you're 00:26:09.640 --> 00:26:11.380 going to be free from everything. That's not 00:26:11.380 --> 00:26:13.539 always how it works. It does sometimes in Christ. 00:26:14.059 --> 00:26:15.859 But other times, it's going to be just a little 00:26:15.859 --> 00:26:18.420 taste of liberty. I know what it was to be bound 00:26:18.420 --> 00:26:21.339 in fear. I was there. I remember that. I remember 00:26:21.339 --> 00:26:23.779 the anxiety that went along with that. And just 00:26:23.779 --> 00:26:26.140 for a moment in time, I began to believe God's 00:26:26.140 --> 00:26:28.319 word. And I began to believe the power of Christ. 00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:30.839 And for a few moments, I would be free. And then 00:26:30.839 --> 00:26:33.039 I would slide back again, right? And fear would 00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:35.200 grip my life again. And anxiety would take over 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:37.319 in the same situation. And then I would just 00:26:37.319 --> 00:26:39.680 one more time, I'd start preaching and teaching 00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:41.539 myself the word of God and praying the word of 00:26:41.539 --> 00:26:44.079 God. But I'd start believing it. I start believing 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:46.119 in my heart and I get free just a little bit 00:26:46.119 --> 00:26:48.559 longer. I'm up here today because he broke me 00:26:48.559 --> 00:26:52.900 free of fear. That's why I'm here. He'll do it. 00:26:53.240 --> 00:26:56.720 I'm not special. I'm not any more special than 00:26:56.720 --> 00:26:59.839 anybody else sitting here. He'll do it. Freedom 00:26:59.839 --> 00:27:04.279 then, freedom now. Freedom then, freedom now. 00:27:05.019 --> 00:27:07.960 Walk in the faith and the freedom that comes 00:27:07.960 --> 00:27:10.579 in Christ. The first scripture that we read said, 00:27:10.619 --> 00:27:15.000 stand fast. Hold your ground in liberty we have 00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:19.779 by faith in Jesus Christ. I'll say it this way. 00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:23.900 Defend your faith and freedom in Jesus. Defend 00:27:23.900 --> 00:27:28.500 it. Say it. Defend my faith and my freedom in 00:27:28.500 --> 00:27:32.339 Jesus. Quote it to yourself, right? Worship team, 00:27:32.380 --> 00:27:35.779 you can begin to come. Understand something. 00:27:42.339 --> 00:27:45.880 peaceful agreement between the 13 colonies and 00:27:45.880 --> 00:27:49.619 Great Britain. As a matter of fact, it led to 00:27:49.619 --> 00:27:53.519 a war, the Revolutionary War. It was not an easy 00:27:53.519 --> 00:27:56.380 war. It was a long war. Battles took place in 00:27:56.380 --> 00:27:58.539 North America, in the Caribbean, in the Atlantic 00:27:58.539 --> 00:28:01.420 Ocean, and the war's outcome actually seemed 00:28:01.420 --> 00:28:04.009 uncertain for most of the war. But Washington 00:28:04.009 --> 00:28:07.390 and the Continental Army's decisive victory in 00:28:07.390 --> 00:28:11.170 the siege of Yorktown in 1781 led King George 00:28:11.170 --> 00:28:14.150 III and the Kingdom of Great Britain to negotiate 00:28:14.150 --> 00:28:19.029 an end to the war. But not before 25 ,000 people, 00:28:19.190 --> 00:28:23.349 soldiers, were killed. What am I saying? In the 00:28:23.349 --> 00:28:26.589 moment you declare freedom in Jesus Christ in 00:28:26.589 --> 00:28:29.829 any area of your life, get ready for a fight. 00:28:30.650 --> 00:28:34.259 Get ready for war. Get ready to wage a defense 00:28:34.259 --> 00:28:37.539 against the oppression, the oppressor, and the 00:28:37.539 --> 00:28:40.440 one who will come to take you down. Be ready. 00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:44.420 Satan will go to war to keep your head, to keep 00:28:44.420 --> 00:28:47.559 your heart, to keep your body, to keep your mind, 00:28:47.700 --> 00:28:51.240 to keep your flesh in bondage. And he's willing 00:28:51.240 --> 00:28:53.039 to go to war, so you've got to be willing to 00:28:53.039 --> 00:28:55.579 go to war and defend the freedom that comes in 00:28:55.579 --> 00:28:59.240 Jesus Christ. I'm amazed how many Christians... 00:28:59.819 --> 00:29:01.660 really kind of make our Christian walk about 00:29:01.660 --> 00:29:04.299 this nice stroll with Jesus through life, right? 00:29:04.480 --> 00:29:06.680 We just make it like, oh, you know, we sing in 00:29:06.680 --> 00:29:08.980 a couple songs, and it's going to be all good. 00:29:09.099 --> 00:29:13.960 Man, you got to wage war. You got to wage war. 00:29:15.079 --> 00:29:18.079 The enemy is going to come. He's going to come 00:29:18.079 --> 00:29:21.000 and try to take the freedom that you have in 00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:24.579 Christ. It is dangerous to know that there's 00:29:24.579 --> 00:29:27.450 a fight in front of you. It's dangerous. Ignorance 00:29:27.450 --> 00:29:30.170 is not bliss in this. It really isn't. Freedom 00:29:30.170 --> 00:29:33.130 means you may go to war, and you've got to defend, 00:29:33.529 --> 00:29:35.789 right? Freedom means that you're going to fight. 00:29:35.930 --> 00:29:39.390 Freedom means that you'll never know when the 00:29:39.390 --> 00:29:41.210 war might be coming to you, and you've got to 00:29:41.210 --> 00:29:44.930 be ready, ready to fight for freedom in Christ 00:29:44.930 --> 00:29:51.589 Jesus, faith in Christ. Be ready. Listen, church, 00:29:51.849 --> 00:29:56.140 we're free. in this nation. Matter of fact, we're 00:29:56.140 --> 00:30:00.039 free to travel anywhere we want, right? We can 00:30:00.039 --> 00:30:03.039 travel from state to state. Some of you hop on 00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:05.299 in your cars and go on vacations all the time. 00:30:05.359 --> 00:30:08.160 Some of you have RVs, and you cross state lines 00:30:08.160 --> 00:30:10.259 all the time. How many of you ever think about 00:30:10.259 --> 00:30:12.119 crossing state lines for one second? None of 00:30:12.119 --> 00:30:14.740 us do, right? Because we're free in this place. 00:30:14.940 --> 00:30:17.559 But what if, just pretend in your mind, okay, 00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:19.779 this is my brain working. Just go with me for 00:30:19.779 --> 00:30:21.660 a little bit. You can decide to turn around and 00:30:21.660 --> 00:30:22.940 go the other direction if you want a little bit. 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:25.839 But, you know, what if we hopped on Route 81? 00:30:25.880 --> 00:30:29.140 I hopped on Route 81 south, and I decided I'm 00:30:29.140 --> 00:30:31.910 going to head out of Carlisle. towards the Maryland 00:30:31.910 --> 00:30:36.430 border, and I'm going to go down to Maryland, 00:30:36.490 --> 00:30:39.410 actually to Hagerstown, Maryland, to Foster's 00:30:39.410 --> 00:30:41.869 on the Point, and I want to get me a burger, 00:30:42.029 --> 00:30:43.730 all right? They got the best burgers around, 00:30:43.890 --> 00:30:46.670 apparently. gourmet burgers. And let's pretend 00:30:46.670 --> 00:30:49.450 I'm traveling down to 81 South and I'm heading 00:30:49.450 --> 00:30:51.829 to get a burger and I get to the Maryland border 00:30:51.829 --> 00:30:53.990 and all of a sudden there's blockades up all 00:30:53.990 --> 00:30:56.029 over the place. And it's not the military, it's 00:30:56.029 --> 00:30:58.250 not the police, it's not any government authorities 00:30:58.250 --> 00:31:00.529 in our state, but it's this group of individuals 00:31:00.529 --> 00:31:03.250 who decide to block Route 81. They got their 00:31:03.250 --> 00:31:05.809 shotguns out, their guns, and they formed their 00:31:05.809 --> 00:31:07.430 own militia and they're just blocking the road. 00:31:07.549 --> 00:31:11.089 And I stop and I explain my plight like, gentlemen, 00:31:11.210 --> 00:31:14.130 I'm trying to get to Hagerstown, Maryland because 00:31:14.160 --> 00:31:17.059 because I need a gourmet burger from this restaurant. 00:31:17.559 --> 00:31:20.640 I need to have this burger. And they say, well, 00:31:20.680 --> 00:31:22.140 you're not going through. And I say, well, I 00:31:22.140 --> 00:31:23.380 really want to go through. And they say, no, 00:31:23.440 --> 00:31:25.400 you're not going through. And they turn me back 00:31:25.400 --> 00:31:27.619 around. How many know I've got two choices at 00:31:27.619 --> 00:31:30.700 that point, right? I've got two decisions to 00:31:30.700 --> 00:31:33.039 make. I can turn around and I can head back to 00:31:33.039 --> 00:31:35.259 Carlisle, and I can come back and lick my wounds 00:31:35.259 --> 00:31:38.259 and say, you know what? You know, I want to exercise 00:31:38.259 --> 00:31:41.119 my right of freedom here, but I'm not going to 00:31:41.119 --> 00:31:43.299 go down there. I really want that burger. I can 00:31:43.299 --> 00:31:44.900 taste that burger as I'm sitting right here in 00:31:44.900 --> 00:31:46.880 my living room right now. I need that burger, 00:31:46.980 --> 00:31:51.180 right? And I can moan and groan about it, and 00:31:51.180 --> 00:31:53.700 I can just sit in my house, right, in bondage, 00:31:53.700 --> 00:31:56.319 or I can get ready to fight for my freedom, for 00:31:56.319 --> 00:32:01.170 my burger. That's what Satan will do to you. 00:32:02.630 --> 00:32:05.049 He'll try to take your freedom. He'll pull one 00:32:05.049 --> 00:32:07.430 of his weapons, stand on the road that you're 00:32:07.430 --> 00:32:11.089 traveling down with fear, shame, guilt, intimidation, 00:32:11.089 --> 00:32:14.630 inadequacies, your past. He'll pull up any of 00:32:14.630 --> 00:32:17.289 it, and he'll try to send you right back where 00:32:17.289 --> 00:32:20.569 you came from, right back to the bondage that 00:32:20.569 --> 00:32:24.769 you were currently in, previously in. But what 00:32:24.769 --> 00:32:28.109 if I were to turn around and I come back home, 00:32:29.130 --> 00:32:33.690 And I have a tank parked in my driveway. Yes, 00:32:33.829 --> 00:32:37.869 from the military surplus store. I bought myself 00:32:37.869 --> 00:32:41.569 a tank, all right? And I decided, you know what? 00:32:41.650 --> 00:32:45.549 I really want a burger. So I hop in my tank and 00:32:45.549 --> 00:32:49.029 I head back to the border. How many think I'm 00:32:49.029 --> 00:32:51.769 gonna get through to get my burger? Amen, thank 00:32:51.769 --> 00:32:53.529 you. About half of you believe me, all right? 00:32:53.990 --> 00:32:55.730 I know, that's how my brain works. Just work 00:32:55.730 --> 00:33:00.960 with me. Church, we have a tank. Jesus is the 00:33:00.960 --> 00:33:07.240 tank. The Holy Spirit is the tank. Satan always 00:33:07.240 --> 00:33:10.720 brings a knife to a gunfight. He always does. 00:33:10.900 --> 00:33:13.839 He brings the string and the stake and tries 00:33:13.839 --> 00:33:18.660 to get you to hold fast. Don't buy it. We have 00:33:18.660 --> 00:33:21.859 the tank. All God wants you to do, you don't 00:33:21.859 --> 00:33:24.000 even have to be the tank. You just got to crawl 00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:28.259 into the tank, the tank of faith. And God's going 00:33:28.259 --> 00:33:31.200 to move you to a place of liberty. Galatians 00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:33.779 5 .1, right? I'm going to read it again. Stand 00:33:33.779 --> 00:33:37.420 fast, therefore, in the liberty by which Christ 00:33:37.420 --> 00:33:44.640 has made us free. Defend, fight. Many died and 00:33:44.640 --> 00:33:46.660 bled for the freedom that we have in this country. 00:33:47.079 --> 00:33:51.940 Jesus bled and died to empower us to be free 00:33:51.940 --> 00:33:57.170 in this life. We have the tank at our disposal. 00:33:58.009 --> 00:34:05.529 We really do, if you'd stand. So if you're a 00:34:05.529 --> 00:34:09.530 follower of Jesus, I'm gonna ask you to listen 00:34:09.530 --> 00:34:13.349 to me for just a moment. And I want you to bow 00:34:13.349 --> 00:34:14.989 your head so you're not looking around, you're 00:34:14.989 --> 00:34:20.730 just focused. Close your eyes. Don't be the elephant 00:34:20.730 --> 00:34:25.659 held bound with a stick and a string. Just a 00:34:25.659 --> 00:34:30.420 mustard seed of faith will begin to move you 00:34:30.420 --> 00:34:34.019 forward into freedom and liberty. You might not 00:34:34.019 --> 00:34:37.280 cross the freedom line today, but it will begin 00:34:37.280 --> 00:34:40.940 the journey. Climb into the tank and go to war 00:34:40.940 --> 00:34:45.079 with the devil. Go to war with the mindset. Go 00:34:45.079 --> 00:34:48.880 to war with your history. Go against the paralyzing 00:34:48.880 --> 00:34:53.500 emotion that takes you over. He's the tank. Just 00:34:53.500 --> 00:34:57.780 crawl in. Just declare your faith in Jesus Christ. 00:34:58.780 --> 00:35:02.039 Name that thing that has been holding you back, 00:35:02.079 --> 00:35:05.260 that has had you bound. Name it. You can't fix 00:35:05.260 --> 00:35:08.500 what you won't name. You've got to name it. And 00:35:08.500 --> 00:35:12.039 then by faith, turn it over to him. We're going 00:35:12.039 --> 00:35:14.389 to pray that way first. And then we're going 00:35:14.389 --> 00:35:16.050 to do a second prayer for those who don't know 00:35:16.050 --> 00:35:18.550 Jesus. Father, I come to you right now. God, 00:35:18.630 --> 00:35:20.869 you know who's in the house on this 4th of July 00:35:20.869 --> 00:35:24.210 weekend. God, 250 years celebrating freedom in 00:35:24.210 --> 00:35:26.190 this nation. And God, I'm calling for freedom 00:35:26.190 --> 00:35:29.090 in this house. God, some here are bound. Lord, 00:35:29.190 --> 00:35:31.139 there's areas of their life. God, they may be 00:35:31.139 --> 00:35:33.099 free in so many other areas, but there's areas 00:35:33.099 --> 00:35:35.940 where they're bound. Things have them. God, they've 00:35:35.940 --> 00:35:37.460 pushed them down. They felt like they've been 00:35:37.460 --> 00:35:39.460 pulled back. They feel a lot like that elephant 00:35:39.460 --> 00:35:42.039 that's been chained to a post, and they just 00:35:42.039 --> 00:35:44.239 can't get free. And I'm here to tell them today 00:35:44.239 --> 00:35:46.739 that they can begin to move forward in Christ. 00:35:47.309 --> 00:35:50.110 That you are the tank. And Lord, we don't have 00:35:50.110 --> 00:35:52.409 to have the power within us. All we have to do 00:35:52.409 --> 00:35:54.710 is have faith in you. And God, you will drive 00:35:54.710 --> 00:35:57.230 us forward. God, you'll get us across the border. 00:35:57.369 --> 00:35:59.590 You'll get us beyond the reach of the enemy. 00:35:59.829 --> 00:36:02.750 God, you'll push us through those lines. So Lord, 00:36:02.789 --> 00:36:05.349 I'm praying right now. God, as they pray. And 00:36:05.349 --> 00:36:07.650 God, as they name that thing. Lord, that freedom 00:36:07.650 --> 00:36:10.989 begins right now in the house of God. Freedom 00:36:10.989 --> 00:36:13.610 begins right now in their heart. Because they're 00:36:13.610 --> 00:36:18.739 coming with faith. Faith. In Christ. You'll set 00:36:18.739 --> 00:36:21.280 them free. Let them begin the journey today. 00:36:21.659 --> 00:36:23.820 God, there may be one here that you just completely 00:36:23.820 --> 00:36:26.320 deliver them. The light bulb may have come on. 00:36:26.559 --> 00:36:28.920 God, deliverance is in their life. God, I pray 00:36:28.920 --> 00:36:31.079 that you touch them in this moment. But, Lord, 00:36:31.199 --> 00:36:33.519 for many, they'll be like me. They're starting 00:36:33.519 --> 00:36:35.360 the journey. God, they're going to walk, and 00:36:35.360 --> 00:36:36.739 they're going to have to fight. They're going 00:36:36.739 --> 00:36:39.000 to have to stand. And every time the enemy comes, 00:36:39.159 --> 00:36:40.380 they're going to have to crawl back into the 00:36:40.380 --> 00:36:42.920 tank of faith. Every time the enemy comes, they're 00:36:42.920 --> 00:36:45.420 going to have to lean on your word. Every time 00:36:45.420 --> 00:36:47.000 the enemy comes, they're going to have to believe 00:36:47.000 --> 00:36:49.260 what you said and not what's going on in their 00:36:49.260 --> 00:36:51.619 life. their head or out of somebody else's mouth. 00:36:52.119 --> 00:36:57.099 In Jesus' name, I pray this. And as your heads 00:36:57.099 --> 00:36:59.360 are bowed and your eyes are closed, there might 00:36:59.360 --> 00:37:01.480 be somebody in the house today or listening online, 00:37:01.739 --> 00:37:04.079 you don't know Jesus. You're not a follower of 00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:06.380 Jesus. You've never even considered it until 00:37:06.380 --> 00:37:10.300 today. And you want to come into the kingdom. 00:37:10.599 --> 00:37:13.320 You want to get in the tank. You want to be free. 00:37:13.460 --> 00:37:15.760 You want to be in relationship with a God who 00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:18.000 loves you more than anyone will ever love you. 00:37:18.059 --> 00:37:20.559 You want to know him. I'm here to tell you, he 00:37:20.559 --> 00:37:23.639 died on a cross. He rose from a grave so you 00:37:23.639 --> 00:37:26.199 could be free. He rose from a grave so you could 00:37:26.199 --> 00:37:29.880 be washed clean of sin. And so no past, no anxiety, 00:37:30.440 --> 00:37:33.880 no fear, no troubling thing can have a grip on 00:37:33.880 --> 00:37:37.179 you for all of your life. Lord, God, I pray for 00:37:37.179 --> 00:37:39.260 that person right now who wants to surrender 00:37:39.260 --> 00:37:40.960 their life. And they're willing. They're saying 00:37:40.960 --> 00:37:43.519 right now in their heart, I will follow you. 00:37:43.599 --> 00:37:46.360 I will follow you, Jesus. I will do what you 00:37:46.360 --> 00:37:49.219 say. I will follow you. And I will come into 00:37:49.219 --> 00:37:51.280 relationship with you. Forgive me of my sin. 00:37:51.420 --> 00:37:53.699 Forgive me, Lord, of what has separated me from 00:37:53.699 --> 00:37:55.679 you. And they'll come into my life right now. 00:37:55.920 --> 00:38:00.239 In Jesus' name. God, I pray for freedom in their 00:38:00.239 --> 00:38:02.480 life. God, it's their wash clean in their spirit. 00:38:02.760 --> 00:38:04.960 God, it'll begin. What's on the inside will begin 00:38:04.960 --> 00:38:10.760 to flow on the outside. In Jesus' name. Jesus' 00:38:10.880 --> 00:38:16.800 name. And amen. Now here's what we're going to 00:38:16.800 --> 00:38:19.659 do. The Word of God tells us that we overcome 00:38:19.659 --> 00:38:21.460 by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our 00:38:21.460 --> 00:38:24.940 testimony. Jesus provided the blood. He provided 00:38:24.940 --> 00:38:29.460 the power. He provided the tank. Now you've got 00:38:29.460 --> 00:38:32.159 to testify of what He's going to do in your life. 00:38:32.320 --> 00:38:35.199 You might not see evidence of it yet. Faith is 00:38:35.199 --> 00:38:37.619 not what you see. It's what you hear and know. 00:38:38.199 --> 00:38:41.550 Right? Faith is evidence. Come on, it's true. 00:38:43.289 --> 00:38:47.170 So if you pray to be free of something this morning, 00:38:47.230 --> 00:38:50.570 and you believe the journey in faith in Christ 00:38:50.570 --> 00:38:53.170 is going to begin today to freedom, you need 00:38:53.170 --> 00:38:55.289 to declare that to someone. Now, I know this 00:38:55.289 --> 00:38:57.510 is uncomfortable. Don't do it unless you're comfortable 00:38:57.510 --> 00:38:59.170 with somebody or the person that you're standing 00:38:59.170 --> 00:39:01.690 beside or somebody that you know. But you need 00:39:01.690 --> 00:39:04.010 to name that thing and you need to testify. We 00:39:04.010 --> 00:39:06.610 overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word 00:39:06.610 --> 00:39:09.500 of our testimony. As soon as you declare it, 00:39:09.539 --> 00:39:12.039 as soon as you speak it, as soon as you testify 00:39:12.039 --> 00:39:14.760 of it, you're releasing God's power in your life 00:39:14.760 --> 00:39:17.739 and into the air. The enemy will hear it. He 00:39:17.739 --> 00:39:21.139 will know. Got to get ready to fight. But you're 00:39:21.139 --> 00:39:24.519 going to be free. Amen? So here's what I'm going 00:39:24.519 --> 00:39:27.639 to do. I mean, they're going to play a song. 00:39:27.719 --> 00:39:29.900 And while they're playing and while they're praising 00:39:29.900 --> 00:39:32.500 and while they're singing, here's what I want 00:39:32.500 --> 00:39:35.559 you to do. I want you to declare it to somebody 00:39:35.559 --> 00:39:38.690 beside you. Name it. And say, I'm going to start 00:39:38.690 --> 00:39:41.849 today. I'm going to become free. I got faith 00:39:41.849 --> 00:39:44.829 in Jesus. Not faith in me. I got faith in Jesus. 00:39:45.230 --> 00:39:48.010 I'm beginning the journey of freedom today in 00:39:48.010 --> 00:39:51.670 my life. You ready to declare it? Amen? It's 00:39:51.670 --> 00:39:54.550 true. If you got saved, you need to declare it. 00:39:54.550 --> 00:39:56.510 If this was the first day you prayed and you 00:39:56.510 --> 00:39:58.530 asked Christ to come into your life, declare 00:39:58.530 --> 00:40:00.289 it to somebody beside you. Declare it to me. 00:40:00.329 --> 00:40:02.670 I'd love to talk with you. Please come see me. 00:40:12.489 --> 00:40:15.750 message from Lifehouse Church. We pray that you 00:40:15.750 --> 00:40:18.849 were impacted powerfully by this message. If 00:40:18.849 --> 00:40:21.289 you have been personally affected by our ministry 00:40:21.289 --> 00:40:24.050 and you would like to partner with us as we love 00:40:24.050 --> 00:40:27.190 God, love people every day, visit our website 00:40:27.190 --> 00:40:27.610 at