Let Freedom Ring

Preached by Chris Broom, 7/1/2007

Carolina Sanchez (2nd from right) gets baptized and Christina Dawson (3rd from left) gets restored

Let Freedom Ring - Outline

This is part three of our Daniel study series.

Challenge for the Church:
Care more than others think is normal.
Admonish more than others think is kind.
Risk more than others think is wise.
Encourage more than others think is necessary.

July 4th is Independence Day- celebrate freedom

America (My Country, ‘Tis of Thee)

1. My country, ’tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrims’ pride,
from every mountainside let freedom ring!

4. Our fathers’ God, to thee,
author of liberty, to thee we sing;
long may our land be bright
with freedom’s holy light;
protect us by thy might, great God, our King.

Our countries founders were very focussed on God.

Of the 55 men who formed the constitution, 52 were active members of their church. Founding fathers like Noah Webster, who wrote the first dictionary could literally quote the Bible, Chapter and Verse, But alot has happened since Jefferson called the Bible the cornerstone for American liberty … since James Madison said, “we’ve staked our future on our ability to follow the 10 commandments with all our heart” In his farewell address, Washington said “you can’t have national morality apart from religious principle,” and its true. In the 40’s and 50’s student problems were chewing gum and talking. In the 90’s it’s rape and murder as kids carry guns to school. Abe Lincoln said, “The philosophy of the school room in one generation, will be the philosophy of government in the next.” So when you eliminate the word of God from the classroom and politics, you eliminate the Word of God from our nation. One nation under God no more. America is now number 1 in teen pregnancy and violent crime. Number 1 in illiteracy, drug use and divorce. Every day … 5,000 unborn die - abortion, and pornography floods our lives. If there has ever been a time to rise up church, its now.

So for our 1 year anniversary, it is time to proclaim from every mountainside… LET FREEDOM RING

Daniel 3:1-18

Here, in ancient Babylon we find a kingdom that was quite unfriendly toward God and His ways. We also find three young men with backbones of steel, who would not bend, bow or burn. They give us inspiration and hope as we too live in a world that is becoming increasingly unfriendly toward God, Jesus, the Bible, and the believer. Today, as in Daniel’s day, God’s people are a persecuted people. Why? Because Of our standards and their stand.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow to that image (either of his favorite god, or more likely of himself). Nebuchadnezzar demands that they bow to his will instead of the will of God, but heir faith in God would not allow them to.

2 Corinthians 6:17-18 “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Colossians 3:1-2 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

Even when threatened with a horrible death, these men refuse compromise and take their stand in spite of the personal cost.

Note: The true believer should square his shoulders and take his stand for Jesus. We are to be totally committed to God.

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

Whether you are baptized, restored or placing membership in this church, the standard is the same. It’s Jesus’ standard.

Matthew 10:37-38 “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”

Luke 14:26-27 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

Note: If we are going to live for Jesus in this world, if we are going to be his alone, if we are going to refuse to let this world squeeze us into its mold, then we are going to suffer persecution.

That is what the Bible teaches us.

2 Timothy 3:12
In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

1 Peter 4:12-13 “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”

There will be furnaces of criticism, intimidation, hatred, temptation and trials like you cannot imagine, but these furnaces of life are all good for us! Just as gold and silver are placed in the furnace and are purified through the process, persecution has the potential to remove the dross from our lives.

REFINER OF SILVER

A refiner must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining is exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured. Christ sees it needful to put his children into a furnace; his eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying, and his wisdom and love are both engaged in the best manner for them. Their trials do not come at random; the very hairs of our head are all numbered. Also, the refiner only knows when the process of purifying is complete, by seeing his own image reflected in the silver. When Christ sees his own image in his people, his work of purifying will be accomplished.

Persecution helps us to change and helps us to LET FREEDOM RING. If they would have compromised, there would have been no persecution and no miracle, and we wouldn’t be telling their story and God wouldn’t be getting the glory.

Nebuchadnezzar said, “What God will rescue you from my hand?”

They said, “We are in God’s Hand.”

They were confident. God is sovereign. Their faith made them free of fear and anxiety. They were not bound by Nebuchadnezzar’s command or their own desires, but by God.

They were content. They trusted God. He is able, but if… no compromise (Daytime analogy and food / job comparison, test me).

They were courteous.

If God does exist, would you want to know him or just live as you are?

Romans 1:18

Isaiah 55.10-11 (700-500 BC)
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

- Water cycle: 1700s to 1800s evaporation & condensation discovered

Isaiah (40:22) He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth… 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue… Greek KHUG means “sphere” … More than 1 dimensional.

2 Peter 1:20-21 “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Bible is incredible…right and wrong. Thief gets mad if you steel from him… liar… murderer…

2nd law of thermodynamics: Disorder cannot lead to Order

Either you believe in God / Creator / Designer - or you believe you’re an accident: a freak of nature.

I don’t have enough faith to believe there is not a God.

Not only does God exist. God is sovereign, and God is awesome. God rescued his servants. God used the fire to free them. God used the fire to loosen these men from the ropes that held them. (Note: When the fires of persecution and affliction come into your life, God is merely freeing you from some of the things that have had you bound in your life. As the flames burn away the ropes of your sins, bad attitudes, bad habits, etc, you will find that you are freer in the fire than you were outside the fire!)

Often, persecution seems like the worse possible thing that can happen in our lives. But, it can prove to be the best thing we have ever experienced because it causes us to stand up and stand firm as Jesus did for us.

JFK said, “The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crises maintain their neutrality.”

God was not neutral with us. When God does something, He does it all the way. When He heals, He heals completely! When He saves, He saves completely! When He forgives, He forgives completely. Whatever He does, He does it all the way!

God used this horrible moment in the lives of those three Hebrew believers to touch the hard heart of a lost, heathen king. (Note: You never know what God will do with the afflictions in your life. As we pass through the furnaces of life, leaning on the grace of God to sustain is, it may be that God is using those moments in your life and mine, those moments that hurt so much, to show a lost world that He is God and He can help them. That is why we need to submit to the furnaces of life, trusting God’s grace to be sufficient, 2 Corinthians 12:9.)

Also, God never really uses anyone in a great way until He first takes that person through the furnace of affliction. On the other side of the furnace, they are promoted in the kingdom.

Yesterday’s News: 2 car bombs found in London and a car in Glasgow Scotland tried to ram the airport door. The car burst into flames and the man poured a petrol container over himself to enlarge the flames. Two staff tried to put out the flames with an extinguisher and the man didn’t seem to like it. Police stopped the passenger from entering the airport building.

So many (60 million) are bound.

God wants to rescue them, through us.

John 8:31-32 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

People don’t care how much you know til they know how much you Care.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 (Jew, gentile, weak.)

1. Care more than others think is normal.

Call more. Go more. Give more. Serve more.

We are willing to die for the cause and die for each other.

1 Corinthians 10:1

2 Admonish more than others think is kind.

Peter on the water. You of little faith. Lack of faith causes people to fall away.

3. Risk more than others think is wise.

“If you haven’t found something worth dying for, you’re not fit to live.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Civil Rights Movement)

Luke 9:62; Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

4. Encourage more than others think is necessary. Hebrews 3:12-13 (often and specific.)

Encourage while you have the chance.

Let me close by encouraging you with this:

One year ago, the church was a dream. So many of you have sacrificed so much. There have been some really tough times.

(What are friends for except to go through the fire together. To go in and come out together.)

16 came from Syracuse - 4 from Portland - 4 from Madison - 2 from Hartford, Connecticut - 3 Chicago = 29 / Today 58 (Bob in Madison preaching to.Joe & Irene / Reed in Indiana.)

There are so many memories: from the Retreat at the Travel Lodge to the Inaugural Service in Oak Park to our first home at the Duncan YMCA to Whitney Young!.

We had 122 at our 2006 inaugural service - then reality hit the next week with 45. During the month of June 2007, we had over 100 every Sunday.

The greatest highlights were these:
Dave
Deborah
Olga
Theresa
Rodrigo
Juan
Dre
Mark
Iwona
Laura
John
Ginger
Henry
Maria
Jonathon
Bob
Tiffani
Robyn
Patrick
Renee
Barb
Lauren
Theo Jr.
Kathy
Theo Sr.
Leslie
Val
Tia
Eileen
Nicole