I suspect that all of you have heard or seen or tasted some very American things this weekend.
! Yes, hamburgers. Anybody? Hamburger? Fireworks? Oh, okay. Whether you wanted to or not, didn't you?
Flags all over the place. All in celebration of the 250th anniversary of our independence, right?
That, in case you're confused, is why you haven't seen any kings being celebrated.
It just hasn't been going on this weekend. It is at the heart of our nation that nobody tells us what to do.
Especially if you think you're going to tax us without representation. We will dump all your tea in the ocean.
It wasn't even sweet tea. It's no big deal.
If there's anything that we Americans love, it's our freedom, isn't it?
We love to make our own decisions with no restrictions.
It used to be, when I was a kid, 31 flavors of ice cream was really exciting.
Now, we have hundreds of them.
And you can combine them however you would like and just put them all together.
You can have all the options you want.
It used to be, when I was a kid, if you had a hundred channels to choose from on your TV,
your house was the one everybody wanted to go to because that was a lot of options.
Some of you remember fewer than a hundred.
Now, now we have dozens of streaming services and every single one of them has thousands of options
that you can watch whatever you want to, whenever you want to.
You don't even have to wait for it to come on.
You just pick it when you want.
Young people feel that they have freedom when they can choose what to do, what to watch.
When they start driving and go where they want, when they want, that seems like freedom, right?
Sixteen-year-olds.
The one thing in our society that you better not touch these days is our freedom.
Having autonomous choices to run our own lives, how we want to run them, is such an assumed good for us
that we often don't even question its priority.
Nobody can challenge that, right?
You do you.
That's how we work.
And then we hear about Christianity.
Christianity.
And there's so many rules in Christianity that we have to group them into lists of ten just to keep track of them.
And many people start to feel that these restrictions are what the Bible is all about.
For example, telling me to exercise my sexuality only with my spouse.
Telling me not to lie or cheat or steal, but to love my neighbor because everyone else is as valuable as I am,
even when that's inconvenient.
Telling me to give money to God and to be generous toward others when I've got so many options and ideas for what to do with it.
Isn't Christianity restrictive of my freedom?
Many ask that, right?
Many feel that way.
So many have dismissed Christianity on this account.
That it fails the test of freedom.
That it restricts my flexibility to control my life and live it the way I want.
That it just generally cramps my style.
It's not cool.
Who needs it after all?
I'll let Jesus know if I ever need his help.
I'll tell him.
But not usually.
Not seriously.
Well, as it turns out, Jesus has a lot to say about freedom.
In fact, when Jesus introduces himself publicly, he reads from the prophet Isaiah about someone coming to proclaim freedom for the captives and liberty for the oppressed.
He's going to set people free.
He says.
Today, I want to focus on a conversation Jesus has with some religious people in John chapter 8.
Where Jesus seeks to clarify some faulty assumptions that they have about freedom.
Some misunderstandings that he is quite clear could be disastrous if they are not corrected.
He wants better for them than what they are experiencing.
And he wants better for us too.
Which is really exciting.
As we open his word together.
Let's read some of this back and forth that they have in this conversation.
And then we'll discuss what we learn from Jesus about freedom.
This is John 8.
Starting at verse 31.
God's holy word.
Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.
The slave does not remain in the house forever.
The son remains forever.
So if the son sets you free.
You will be free.
Indeed.
Thus far God's holy word.
Let's pray.
Jesus, would you indeed this morning set us free.
Would you do it by your truth.
You tell us as we know the truth.
As we know you will find this freedom.
So set us free by your truth.
Your word is truth.
Use it to challenge even the most basic assumptions of our hearts and our culture.
And give us hope and joy and purpose this morning.
I pray that you would do that by your spirit.
Amen.
One of the first things you notice in this passage that I just read is Jesus is offering freedom to people who think they already have it.
Right?
He's explaining how to get free to people who think they already are.
Jesus, what do you even mean you will become free?
We've never been slaves.
Interesting comment, isn't it?
From Jews presently under the rule of Rome.
Whose ancestors have been slaves in Babylon.
Further back than that in Egypt.
But see their belief was that as descendants of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.
They were royalty.
No matter what they were actually going through.
They were never really under the control of anyone else.
Just by their own status.
Their own way of functioning.
They considered themselves free.
But Jesus wants them and us to know that that's not really the case.
That in fact anyone who sins is a slave to sin.
In other words he's saying our natural condition.
Just being American for example.
Just being able to choose without someone restricting our options.
Does not make us really free.
It's actually the slavery that you put yourself in.
He's showing them when you rely on your own performance to get your free status.
When we think that we can give ourselves freedom.
We don't realize the slavery that we actually face naturally.
It's what Paul warns the Galatians about.
He says don't fall back into slavery.
By feeling you control even one piece of your lives.
One part of being good enough for God.
In the case of the Galatians it was circumcision.
Right?
He says if you require that.
If that's something you bring to the table.
You'll have to follow the whole law.
If you get bound to your own history.
To your own ethnicity.
To your own performance.
In order to be free.
Then you're stuck fighting that battle forever.
To be good enough.
To be free enough.
Do you see it's actually enslaving.
Even our culture's idea of freedom.
That I was discussing earlier.
Ends up being counterfeit.
This freedom that we think that we have.
Is classically referred to as the freedom of contrary choice.
Options.
Right?
A freedom from any restrictions.
To choose whatever our hearts desire.
Except that that's where it gets complicated.
Our desires are actually part of the enslavement.
The bondage.
Rather than the freedom.
We get that confused.
Because see we so often have conflicting desires.
Don't we?
And those leave us stuck.
When we insist that there are no restrictions on them.
No restrictions on any of our desires.
Except that they conflict with one another.
Let me give you a couple examples.
It's true physically.
I have a deep desire to eat sweet things all the time.
Just trust me.
It's deep.
And I have a desire to live a long and healthy life.
And not to have to buy new size of clothes.
Because I hate that.
And those are conflicting desires.
Right?
And we experience it emotionally.
We want to be accepted for who we are.
And we want to be thought extraordinary.
And worthy by many people.
Because of something special we do.
Which desire will win?
These desires famously conflict relationally.
We desire to be promiscuous in love with anyone we want and find ourselves attracted to.
Don't we?
We desire to experience love with you.
We desire to experience love that we can count on.
Conflicting desires.
You can't have them all with no restrictions on any of them.
They don't work together.
Another example from a different angle maybe.
Kids, have you seen fish kept in an aquarium before?
You know, in one of those glass boxes?
Like some of you maybe even at your own house?
Yeah, you've seen fish like that.
And sometimes you see the fish swimming around in the water in that aquarium.
And you wish that that fish could be free to swim in a pond or a lake or the ocean.
Right?
Just more room to roam.
More freedom for the fish.
Some of you, I've heard, have even thought it would be great if that fish could come sit on the sofa and watch TV with you.
Does that sound like freedom for the fish?
I mean, watching TV on the sofa is a pretty cool thing, right?
Huh.
Maybe, you know what you enjoy in the summer?
Playing in the sand and building sandcastles.
Would that be a free thing for the fish to do?
Or maybe lying in the sun and getting a tan.
The fish could do that with you, right?
It would be free if the fish had that option.
But think about it, kids.
If you give the fish freedom from that water that he's trapped in in the aquarium,
that freedom's not going to go very well, is it?
He's not going to be able to live very long.
He really won't know true freedom because true freedom is not merely the absence of restrictions,
but actually finding the right conditions or restrictions where one can thrive.
I'll be honest.
I'm not a big fan of red lights, personally, when I'm driving.
They feel restrictive.
They keep me from where I want to be going in the time I want to get there.
But see, it's just one example of a restriction on my life that actually,
when I live in that reality, it can be really freeing and life-giving
because when the light changes, I can actually relax and drive with confidence when it's my turn.
The freedom of contrary choice sounds appealing to us often,
but our desires really complicate that idea.
It's why Galatians 5 says,
You were called to freedom, but don't use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh,
or your translation may say,
to indulge the sinful nature, the sinful desires.
You'll find that's not freedom at all.
When you try just to live however you want in every moment,
to feel free, you'll find you don't.
Jesus is telling us our desires are naturally bound by sin.
So something needs to be done to us besides just turning us loose with our desires
if we are going to be truly free.
Otherwise, we will be fish out of water.
Maybe the one who made us will understand how we best function freely.
Maybe he can help.
Theologian D.A. Carson writes about Jesus' explanation of freedom here in John 8.
True freedom is not the liberty to do anything we please,
no restrictions,
but the liberty to do what we ought.
And it is genuine liberty because doing what we ought now pleases us.
We'll unpack that last part in a bit as we go.
But it's important for all of us to hear Jesus say,
don't get confused into thinking you have freedom without me.
No.
You may have something,
but it's not the real thing.
American brothers and sisters,
we're not truly free without Jesus.
That's what he's saying.
Would you look with me at the freedom Jesus offers
and why it's so different from just options, choices,
directing myself,
especially if you've never really given Jesus' message much attention.
I'd urge you to hear what he has to say.
Back to verse 34.
Jesus answered them,
truly, truly, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.
The slave does not remain in the house forever.
The son remains forever.
So if the son sets you free,
you will be free indeed.
Notice the differences in the freedom that Jesus offers here.
First, his freedom is received rather than achieved.
When the son sets you free,
someone gives you a gift.
Someone does something for you.
Someone tags your hand when you're frozen in the game of freeze tag
so that you can move again and play.
And this difference is monumental when you talk about freedom
because it means it's not all based on you.
Your performance doesn't have to keep up.
Your desires don't have to sort out.
Your consistency doesn't have to hold up all the time in order to be free.
No, he gives you freedom right where you are.
Freedom in his performance
so that you're actually free from your failures
and from relying on your good works
to keep up your success.
with just that one new reality,
can you feel yourself starting to breathe again?
Maybe like a fish thrown back into water.
It's not all on me.
I'm now living in an environment
where his performance makes me free
from the bad stuff and the good stuff.
Maybe Jesus knows what you were made for.
Jesus graces you with the gift of life,
of freedom.
And because it's received rather than achieved,
you can know that it's permanent
rather than contingent.
Jesus is saying here in verse 35,
you need to be adopted
to become a son in the Father's house
because then you're never leaving, right?
No one can kick you out
or snatch you away from him
or cause you to lose his love.
You're his son.
If you go on reading the rest of this interaction
in chapter eight, it's quite long,
but you'll find out that Jesus
is warning these religious people
that they are just slaves and not sons
if he hasn't set them free.
Not the way they were born.
Not something they assume about themselves.
If Jesus hasn't come to set them free,
then they're still slaves.
They may do some stuff for God.
They may hang around God's house a lot,
especially on Sundays.
But they're not sons
because they're not trusting Jesus for freedom.
They still don't realize the slavery
that they're living in.
So this is a warning for them and for us.
That's how serious it is for us to miss
the bondage that we're born in
and our need for Jesus's rescue.
You might be enslaved and never realize it.
And so how could you be set free?
See how this gracious freedom we receive from Jesus
is freedom that can never be lost?
Because even if another nation conquers us,
even if we get lost in our conflicted desires,
even if we realize that we haven't done well enough,
we don't even impress ourselves,
we're still free.
We're still in the family.
Our debts have all been paid.
Our eternity has been purchased and secured.
We're not punished for our performance.
You're free.
That kind of freedom resonates with my heart.
I bet it does with yours too.
The reason it does
is because it's actually freedom in relationship
rather than mere independence.
This is huge.
I want to try to explain it.
See, freedom of contrary choice,
that secular freedom from restrictions
is only freedom from something.
Then, what are you left with?
Yourself.
You're alone.
Jesus' freedom
is freedom from something,
sin,
self,
performing to earn your place,
and
it's freedom
for something,
towards something,
for living in relationship
with the God who made you
and knows exactly
what's the water you were made to live in.
Listen, here's the difference.
Jesus didn't come merely
to make bad people good
by giving us some better restrictions
so that we'd follow the right rules.
No.
No, Jesus came
to make dead people alive
because he knows
how we were made to live
and he doesn't want any of us
to miss out
on that glorious freedom,
being free indeed
because he makes us so.
See, Jesus knows what you're made for.
Jesus knows you were made
to breathe the air of heaven,
heaven,
of loving relationship
with Father,
Son,
and Spirit
in every corner
of his glorious relationship.
You're to breathe that air
in that relationship.
And Jesus knew
that our performance,
even with the best
of our desires,
was never going to be enough
to get us back
into that perfect
and joyous place.
So what did he do?
Jesus invaded
our confusion.
Jesus, if you listen
to his words
when he's here,
agonized over having us
home with him.
He pled with his father
that he might have the joy
of welcoming us
back to the family.
He even went so far
as to endure
our punishment
so that we prodigals
who left our father's house
to chase our own desires
could be adopted
back into the family,
could be sons
in the father's house
who never leave
because he knew
that when we got there,
we would love the father
so much that we would
delight in his freedom
because following
the house rules,
so to speak,
doing what we ought
would finally then be
what now pleases us.
We would have true freedom.
Did Jesus want us to know
the freedom from God?
Independence from God?
No way.
Friend, that kind of freedom
will ultimately leave you alone
and isolated
and you'll be searching
for people whose desires
you always affirm
and who always affirm
your desires,
whether you realize that or not,
and it won't work.
It'll never last.
But this freedom
in relationship,
it will.
It's a gift of grace
so you won't lose it
and you'll never enjoy it
apart from knowing the giver.
You're living in dependence
upon him.
It's entirely different.
I'm pretty sure
that I have said
more than I understand
where my mind can grasp.
So let me just back up
and look at John 8 again.
A slave
does not remain
in the house
forever.
That's a problem.
You're not in the relationship
with the father
forever
if that's where you stay.
But a son does.
Something needs to change
so that you can stay
in that relationship.
And when the son Jesus
sets you free,
when he makes you a son,
you will be free
indeed.
That's all a version
of answering our question today
by saying,
isn't Christianity
restrictive of my freedom?
No.
No, Christianity
is not restrictive
of your freedom
but actually offers you
true and full
and lasting freedom.
The kind of freedom
you're actually longing for.
But as we close,
I want to offer
a different answer
and a different angle
on this question.
Isn't Christianity
restrictive of my freedom?
I think some of you
are saying,
you're kidding yourself.
I've experienced it.
It is restrictive
of my freedom
and let me tell you how
and maybe you can come
afterwards
and tell me
how you've experienced that.
But I want to give you
an answer
that agrees with you
at some level.
An answer that says,
yes, it does restrict
your freedom
of contrary choice.
but in the most
beautiful,
life-giving,
purpose-filled way.
This requires us
to understand
that Christianity
is not merely
or primarily
a list of rules
which, friends,
if you read the Bible
with any intellectual honesty,
you'll realize
very soon.
It contains rules
but it's primarily
a story about God.
About a God
that I just described
as being perfectly free,
perfectly happy,
perfectly fulfilled,
who had every right
to live for himself
in uninterrupted peace
and unlimited prosperity.
That God
who nonetheless
gave up his freedom.
His freedom to live
just for himself
with no restrictions.
He gave that up
in order to sacrifice himself
for us.
And this is,
as you start to read that
in this story,
you realize you're reading
a love story
rather than a mere rule book.
In fact,
it's the greatest
kind of love story
where the strong hero
fights his way
to cross heaven
and earth
to rescue
the undeserving one
that he loves
even when the beloved
is unsure
she wants anything
to do with him.
His love
eventually
overwhelms her.
In time,
it earns her love.
It inspires
her love
in return.
See, friends,
listen to the good news
of Jesus.
It's not merely
that he was willing
to sacrifice
his freedom
to come live
and die in our place
because of the great love
with which he loved us,
although that is wonderful enough.
Amen?
He did do that.
But actually,
the good news of Jesus
is he knew
that kind of love
was the water
that we needed
to live in.
See,
for people
being put
in a relationship
of love
like that
is like finding
a fish
stuck on the sand
and quickly
pushing it back
into the water.
You can breathe again.
You can live
again there.
See,
God's love for us
in Jesus
sets us free,
sets us free
to live,
sets us free
to live
for him.
Free,
in fact,
then,
if you're living
for him,
to give up
our freedom
of contrary choice.
You see,
I've found
the one thing
that is truly
worth living for.
In fact,
the one person
truly worth living for.
I'll sell
everything else
to have this treasure.
I'll deny myself,
Jesus.
I'll take up
my cross daily.
I will surrender.
All to live
with you.
That's
where I start
to breathe.
That's such
good news.
Christian,
listen,
you have been
set free
not merely
to watch
fireworks
and eat
ice cream
and dream
of a job
and a white
picket fence
and two and a half
kids
and early
retirement.
Oh,
it's so much
better.
Let me lift
your eyes.
You've been
set free
to love,
even to give
yourselves
then to others
to reflect
the glory
of the one
who gave himself
for you.
Remember the true
freedom
that Jesus
gives us?
Don't use your freedom,
God says,
to indulge
sinful desires.
Jesus
died to kill
those
so they don't
please us anymore.
Rather,
what?
What pleases
us?
Through
love,
serve
one
another.
Love
your neighbor
as yourself.
As your neighbor,
Jesus
loves
you.
He said,
there's a purpose
worth living
your entire
life for.
The Christian
dream
of love,
unbounded,
unbroken,
and unending,
and y'all,
you just get to go
crazy there.
That's the freedom
you get with Jesus.
His laws don't
restrict your freedom,
they give you
life.
So find a friend
to astonish
with the pursuing,
generous,
forgiving,
listening,
laughing,
persistent
nature
of your love.
Cry
with
a grieving
neighbor.
Throw a party
for a lonely
widow.
Adopt
an orphan.
Rearrange
your life
and your schedule
for 50 years
for a spouse.
Pay your
employee better
than you pay
yourself.
Watch
as you do
these things
and a bunch
of others
your marriage
or your family
or your neighborhood
or your city
transform
because of
love.
Restrict
our freedom?
Are you
kidding me?
Go
crazy with this,
Jesus says.
You're free
in my love
to do all
of these things.
Oh,
Jesus,
please restrict
me from living
only for myself.
I need that
because that's
not the dream.
the real dream
that you were
made for.
The real story
you were made
to live in
is of living
in this
love
with all
your kids,
with everyone
else you can
love into this
family from
every tribe,
tongue,
language,
and nation
starting today,
lasting forever
with the God
who made you
and set you
free to enjoy
such wonderful
and life-giving
love
with Him.
That's
what you're
free for.
Let's pray.
Jesus,
praise you
for making
us free
indeed
and would
you protect
us
from giving
back into
a yoke
of slavery
in order to
feel good
about ourselves
or impress
you or
make others
think we're
something.
Forgive us
for that.
Forgive us
for failing
to use
your freedom
to love
the way
you've loved
us.
Would you
set our
hearts free,
our minds
dreaming,
our lives
as an
offering
to you.
Show us
what it will
look like
for each
of us.
Give us
joy
in your
freedom.
It's true
freedom
you promise
us.
May we
know it
more fully
even today.
Take our
lives,
Lord.
They are
yours and
we wouldn't
want to
live them
for or
with anyone
else.
We ask
that in
your name.
Amen.