Pastor's sermon today reminded me of another sermon he gave over a year ago, in March of last year. The sermon title was "Pass it On." This particular message has stuck with me, and being reminded of it, I had to go back and learn from it again.
Today's message "Patterns of Good Works," was a challenge to the menfolk. These men are to be on fire for God, living in the freedom which the Gospel gives to us. We're not obligated to pay for our salvation, but we are motivated to good works by grace.
We've been set free from needing things. Alcohol. Drugs. Even coffee (me genoito, may it never be!) They don't control us.
As Christians, we should be known for what we are free from.
We're free from the opinions of others, instead, able to let God's opinion shape us.
We're free from laziness, doubt, self-centeredness, and fear. We're even free from the immediate, as God helps us to look beyond our current circumstances. To quote Rafiki in "Lion King 1 1/2," we've got to, "Look beyond what you see."
It is the Gospel which sets us free.
The reason this reminded me of the "Pass it on" sermon is the pattern of excellence which is evidence of a life surrendered to God; the theme of freedom. I wrote a poem about the Three Chairs concept from that sermon, and here is a portion of that poem.
"Was I prepared to choose
A choice where I’d be free
To do my will? Or, did I want
To free myself of me?
Resolved, I made my choice,
And sat in Chair One.
I chose to sit upon God’s grace,
And rest in victory won.
True freedom came at last
When I was born above,
And gave up all my chains of Want
To be bound in chains of Love!
True freedom, then, at last!!
No burden left to bear.
God took possession of my heart,
And I will leave it there!"
Pastor's sermon this week continued to explain the need of examples for the young men.
Another portion of the poem:
"My life is a message,
Which others, surely, will read.
Does my life show them the Truth and the Way
So they, too, can be freed?"
Our lives are meant to demonstrate these good works, not to show how good we are, but to show how good our God is, that we are now free to serve Him. We're not free to do whatever we want. That would inevitably lead us once more into captivity. All the strivings of this world are never satisfied. We are freed from ourselves. We are free to be bound with Christ to God in love, through the freeing power of the Gospel.
The good works that follow are a manifestation of freedom born in our hearts, a demonstration of our newfound identity as children of God.
John 8:36 "Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."
2 Corinthians 3:17 "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
http://kaikaisheart.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-three-chairs.html
http://templebaptistfircrest.sermoncampus.info/main/main/9841729
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