Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Entitled "freedom"
• A picture of someone in bondage
• Apposite due to lockdown at present
• This man was in far deeper bondage
• A picture
• A stark raving man
• He wandered around
• He couldn't be shackled
• Who would harm himself
• Of someone who is not living
• We see the destructiveness of the demons at the end

Freedom from Bondage

• Example
• If we came across this man - we would be afraid
• He is a picture of every person who is not in Christ
• We are all enslaved by our sinful nature
• Explanation
• Ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God - all of humanity has been enslaved and in bondage
• Children have a natural propensity to do wrong
• Our sinful nature is warped
• We are all born with it - it is only a matter of time until it shows through
• Only Jesus Christ was born without a sinful nature
• Because of common grace we are able to do good things
• However, we cannot please God because of our sinful nature
• The Bible tells us that we fall short
• There is an account of all of our wrong doing
• We are unable to pay this debt
• We are guilty in God's sight
• We are enslaved and unable to break free
• Like this man, we are all in the position of being enslaved to sin
• There is a position of freedom
• We must be rescued from sin

Freedom in Christ

• We must be rescued from sin
• The power of Jesus - He can break our chains
• How?
• The power of the Gospel
• Explanation of the Gospel
• We are impounded because we have broke God's law
• We cannot pay the fee to be released, but Jesus Christ has paid it
• His sacrifice was of infinite value
• Jesus smashes down the barriers and frees the people who have been given to Him
• The outcome: the man's life - clothed and sitting in his own mind (v35)
• The power of Jesus Christ is displayed
• This man is in his right mind
• Sin effects and warps us
• We were created for fellowship with God but are unable to do so because of sin
• Pleasant times are nothing compared to fellowship with God
• He is clothed
• He has his dignity restored
• We are clothed in the righteousness of God
• Just as Adam and Eve were clothed ...
• ... so is this man ...
• ... so are we
• He sat at the feet of Jesus
• Example
• Do you know what it is to sit at His word (the Bible)?
• Do you know His character and what this God is like?
• Why?
• Because he had been saved by Jesus
• He can see and think clearly
• When did you last sit at the feet of Jesus?

Freedom to Serve & Share

• Jesus instructs the man to go back and tell about what God had done (v39)
• We could be taken to glory immediately
• People can be saved at the eleventh hour
• What is more amazing - the privilege of being saved by God or telling others what He has done
• Quote from John 17:20
• There is a before and after - a life change
• God is able to make up the years
• He can restore to us the joy of our salvation
• We have the privilege to share and serve

Closing Remarks