The Pop Pulpit – Part 2

The Pop Pulpit – Part 2

How important is freedom to you? 

Secularism is a cultural framework that works against belief and undermines anything supernatural  

Two kinds of truth:
Opinion Truth: True for you 
Unchanging Truth: True for everyone  

Getting Reality Wrongwill destroy your life  

This Culture’s Religion “Feels Truth”  

The world’s secular culture is spiritually driven  

1 John 5:19 We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.  

We hate the World’s values
We love all people  

Romans 12:2 (Philips) Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within 

Good Tolerance: I will tolerate people I disagree with/ I will accept all people as loved by God 

Twisted Tolerance: I must believe what others believe as true  

Jesus is the only way to God 
Jesus is the only truth of right and wrong
Jesus is the only life worth living 

Culture’s Secular Religion…  

Individual freedom, Self-definition and Self-expression as our highest good 

God gave Freedom to Choose: We are free beings able make choices  

Twisted Freedom: I am free to do whatever I want for my happiness  

Two foundational beliefs of the Secular World 

  1. All humans are inherently good  

My inner child is pure goodness, sin is low self esteem & unhappiness   

  1. The highest good is individual freedom pursuing happiness  

Secular Culture’s Religion says Christians are evil because we restrict individual freedom 

Individual Freedom First Brings Isolation  

True Freedom is following Jesus  

All humans were created good, but are enslaved 

John 8:34-36 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a child belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  

Romans 6:12-14 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.Sin is no longer your master,  

Romans 6:16-18 Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. 

Biblical Freedom means we are free from the power of sin, free to be righteous 

Romans 6:20-22 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right.And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.  

Mark 8:34-35 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 

Personal Freedom First, Enslaves You  

Deny Your Old Self and Follow Jesus, Sets You Free 

How can we be free?  

Abide with Jesus  

Ask for Power from Holy Spirit  

Tune into the Spirit’s voice  

Personal Freedom First, Enslaves You  

Deny Your Old Self and Follow Jesus, Sets You Free