LIBERTY III: Freedom to Choose

Past. Melody van der Merwe

23 October 2011 (am)

Josh 24:15

… Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,…

Foundation of all: Get Wisdom

Wisdom / Foolishness

Wisdom: Applying knowledge is wisdom….

• Wisdom comes from acting on knowledge

Wisdom comes from truth found and then acted upon and experienced.

Life is about choices.

• Bombarded all day with choices.

o       Cricket player, rugby player, tennis player…

o       Cleaning products – Household goods – advertising… to influence your choices.

This day:  Very Important

Choosing once is not enough, right choices daily.

Marriage (49 years), Diet (thin, healthy), Driving – tyres – ask Palm Tyres – Make and model – Not judging helping.

Serving God – DAILY – take-up cross – daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23 – Then Jesus said to them all, “if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”…)

Paul… 1 Cor 15:31(b) … I die daily (read v33)

Everyday Choose

–        Attitude

o       Don’t blame shift

o       Mood

o       Going out and coming in – friendly, forgive, love

We have sovereign will

§         In Jesus we are all chosen for eternal life – we choose to accept or reject

Freedom Brings Responsibility!!!

• Adam: Gen 2:16+17

Names all – Intelligent 19+20 (Knowledge)

Gets to choose Gen 3 -  1 Cor 15:33…do not be deceived; evil company corrupts good habits… (Acts foolishly no in wisdom).

V12. Blame shift – The woman whom You gave to be with me…

• Pharaoh – Egypt hardens his heart
• Joshua & Caleb
• Rahab – Hides spies – saves her life and the lives of her household, Jesus born from her lineage.
• Samson (Judges 13-16) – Nazirite from birth (Samson, Samuel, John the Baptist) (Hair, grapes, dead)

Taught by parents what is right – freedom…

Child taught to go to school daily – freedom university – Fails – no-one to blame but self.

• Naomi + Ruth (Orpah –returned)

Liberty – WW 1 Cor 10:29

• Habakkuk – from doubt to worship – under terrible circumstances (Economy, country)

Hab 3:17-19

• Elizabeth – chooses what the angel says.
• Paul – Chooses to follow Jesus – road of Damascus
• Jesus – Chooses God’s will for his life – Gethsemane

You have liberty – freedom to choose.

Choose Wisely!!

Make Godly Choices Daily!!

Don’t grow weary while doing good.

LIBERTY II: In Jesus

Past. Melody van der Merwe

16 October 2011 (am)

John 8:32

Intro: Last time: applying knowledge is wisdom. I.e. Wisdom comes from acting on knowledge. Wisdom comes from truth found and then acted upon and experienced.

Prov 4:7 … Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

Prov 2:1-6

John 14:16 (LB) … I am the way – yes, and the truth and the life….

The Way

Gen God made a way to restore fellowship with man. Jesus the way. Lamb – offering once for all.

2 Sam 22:31 …as for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him…

John 10:7-9. Blood – Heb 9:8+12; 10:19+20

John 14:6 …no one comes to God except (by) through me…

Jesus is the ONLY way to God.

The Truth

John 1:14+17

*WW John 4:24

*WW Ps 25:5

God’s truth continually preserves us. (Ps 40:11)

1 Cor 1:4-8

Jer 10:10 …but the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King.

John 8:32 – make you free

Rom 6:14,18+22

Rom 8:1+2 – make you free WW*

The Life

Zoe – everlasting life

John 10:10

Rom 8:1-5, 14-19

Know the truth – Walk in the Truth.

Time spent in the Word is time spent with God = Time well spent.

LIBERTY I: Know the Truth

Past. Melody van der Merwe

09 October 2011 (am)

John 8:32

Knowledge is power: Captive in a prison with unlocked doors.

John 8:31-47

(v32) … and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

(“KNOW” WW – know experientially)

Applying knowledge is wisdom.

Wisdom comes from the experience of acting upon knowledge.

Wisdom comes from truth found and then acted upon and experienced.

Eph 3:19 NKJ. To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God…

LB…and to experience this love for yourselves…

AMP…That you may really come to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; …

TAB… that you may really come to know – practically through experience for yourselves – the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge without experience…”

Truth – like uncut diamond – cut and polished diamond reveals true beauty of it – after being cut it is still pure diamond.

God’s truth is multifaceted – progressive – like cut diamond.

Truth must be received, believed and acted upon to bring freedom.

Ask a little girl where she lives

-         In my house – single layered truth

What do you do in the house?

-         Eat and sleep – additional truth

Go to her house and spend time with her

-         find no furniture – sleep on blanket – eats sour milk and cream crackers.

All she told you was true.

Spending time with her reveals much more.

You must KNOW (experience and act upon) the truth to be made free.

Personally.

Just reading and memorizing the word does not make you free, unless what you read to turn into experience and relationship.

John 5:37-40 (v40) TAB…and you still are not willing (but refuse) to come to Me, so that you might have life…

James 2:26 …faith without works is dead also…

Read how to ride a bicycle –may be accurate, but you must test it with practical hand-on experience. Take what you read to ride a bike. (You never forget how).

A man with an argument cannot beat a man with an experience.

Faith comes by hearing the Word, but faith grows by experiencing the Word.