Sunday Sermon: I am FREE in Christ, September 13, 2020
Sunday Sermon at Grateful Church in Phoenix
The load and ignorance of sin are heavy burden to carry that Christ died under the weight to break the shackles off our necks. God is not a stranger to our struggles but calls the unconverted soul of man to embrace freedom in Christ. He is the Sun of Righteousness with healing under His wings. The preaching of Jesus Christ is to recover our sight from the blindness of sins, to open a world of possibilities, and hope for the prisoners of sin. I am free in Christ Jesus and you can too. Reading from the text:
Acts 9:1-21
9 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. (It will take a mere man to instruct you on the ways of salvation and what to do)
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. (Those who bear the name of the Lord will also bear the cross)
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
Our ignorance is a heavy burden to Jesus Christ: Why persecutest thou me?
He speaks of our ignorance with heavy heart of compassion on the cross: Father forgive them for they know not what they do. He was pressed under the weight of our ignorance and sin in the garden of olive press in Gethsemane
Paul said I am the chief of sinners at my worst state, carrying out my will and the evil intent of the High Priest, not knowing the voice of the lord
1 Tim 1:12-15
12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.
13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
Saul thought he was a saint and had to be made to see himself for what he was, a great sinner against God
The power of the gospel is to break the strong hold of Satan in our live: Who art thou Lord?
The gospel leads captivity captive, parading triumphant the captives of sins in chain as prisoners of Christ. It advances the live of the people in a way that the powers of Satan cannot prevail against it by:
Reviving sin in our lives that we may die to it and resign from it to the direction and governance of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Arousing a sincere desire and hunger to be instructed in the way of salvation
In Jesus, we trade our shackles of sin for freedom. Song: “I came to church someday and my heart was not right, but something got hold of me”. That something is Jesus Christ
Paul was blinded by the ways of the High Priest, the Pharisees, and His own will until the scale fell off his eyes when Ananias prayed
Jesus turned his unconverted soul on the way to Damascus from darkness to light, from self-worship to worship of the living God
Great conversion is wrought upon the will of men in resignation to the will of Jesus Christ. What would thou have me to do?
God chooses the instrument He employs in His work – Paul / Ananias:
Isa 45:4
4 For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.
Ex 33:12-13
12 … and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee ...
He uses ordinary people, calls them by name, knows the street we live, the house, the frame of our circumstance, and employs our services to answers people prayers for guidance about salvation. Ananias said:
Bro Paul, the Lord sent me that you might receive your sight
Filled with the Holy Ghost
Be baptized
When Paul got converted in his heart, he was baptized of the water and of the Holy Spirit. The bible tells us how he was baptized
Acts 19:1-6
1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied.
1 Cor 14:18, 22
18 I thank my God; I speak with tongues more than ye all:
22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, …
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