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Welcome to the Islands Christian
Church podcast. 

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Subscribe to hear a new episode 
every week. 

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Thanks for joining us. 
He is risen. 

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Let's do it again. 
I'm going to say he is risen and

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you say he is risen indeed. 
You ready? 

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He is risen one more time. 
He is risen. 

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Amen. 
There are a lot of things in 

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life that we assume are true 
until something exposes that 

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they are not indeed true. 
One of the things I like to say 

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is it's not what you don't know 
that gets you in trouble, but 

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what you know that just isn't 
so. 

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Sometimes we think we know 
something and we're wrong about 

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it. 
We found out later. 

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For example, think about your 
finances. 

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You can think your finances are 
fine and everything is going 

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well until something breaks. 
Something falls apart and you 

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realize you weren't quite as 
good financially as you first 

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thought. 
You can think all of your 

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relationships are strong until 
something goes wrong, and then 

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you realize that's not as strong
as I thought. 

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You can think your life is on 
track, it's going right where 

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you want it. 
Everything is going smoothly 

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until something falls apart. 
And in those moments what you 

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realize is you can feel one way 
kind of inside and be completely

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wrong about reality. 
You can feel one way inside and 

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be completely wrong about 
reality. 

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And that's not just true about 
life like finances and 

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relationships. 
Jesus says that's true about 

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something even deeper, Freedom, 
the idea of freedom. 

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Now, most of us sitting here 
today and watching online, you 

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would say, hey, we're free, man.
We, you know, we make our own 

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decisions. 
We live where we want. 

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We pretty much do whatever we 
want. 

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But what if you are not as free 
as you think you are? 

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What if we were wrong? 
And this is the tension that 

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Jesus steps into in John chapter
8. 

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He's talking to a group of 
people in John chapter 8. 

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If you have your Bibles, you can
go there. 

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Around verse 31 is where we're 
going to be. 

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He's talking to a group of 
people in John chapter 8. 

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And Jesus is having this 
conversation. 

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And these people, they are good 
people. 

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They believe in him. 
They're good moral people. 

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Actually, the Bible says in John
that they were Jewish believers.

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In other words, they were, they 
were people who were Jewish, but

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they believed in Jesus. 
They're good people, they're 

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moral people, they're religious 
people. 

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And he tells them something they
did not expect to hear. 

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He tells them you need to be set
free. 

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And they respond the same way 
all of us probably would in the 

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moment. 
What do you mean I need to be 

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set free? 
What are you talking about? 

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I am free. 
And this is where the 

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conversation gets really 
interesting because what Jesus 

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says next challenges how we 
define freedom. 

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And it ultimately points us to 
why Easter matters at all. 

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What this is all about. 
And this morning what I want you

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to hear is this. 
If you're a note taker, here's 

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the big idea. 
True freedom can only be 

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received, not achieved. 
True freedom can only be 

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received, not achieved. 
And today we'll unpack that 

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truth in the text of John 
chapter 8 with these three 

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ideas. 
Number one, we think we're free.

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We all think we're free. 
Number 2, Jesus says we're not. 

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Number one, we think we're free 
and #2 Jesus says we're not. 

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And #3 Jesus sets us free. 
If you have your Bibles, John 

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chapter 8, verses 31 through 33.
So we're going to read 1st and 

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let's take a look at this 
tension between Jesus and really

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good people. 
These are not bad people. 

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These are good people we're 
reading about here. 

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Starting with verse 31. 
To the Jews who had believed in 

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him, well, that's the category. 
That's the group of people. 

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To the Jews who had believed in 
in him, Jesus said, if you hold 

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to my teaching, you are really 
my disciples, then you will know

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the truth comma and the truth 
will set you. 

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What's that say? 
Everybody say free, free and the

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truth will set you free. 
Well, they answered him, we are 

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Abraham's descendants and have 
never been slaves of anyone. 

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How can you say that we shall be
set free? 

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So number one, we think we're 
free. 

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We think we're free. 
Jesus offers these guys freedom,

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but they don't think they need 
it. 

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They scoff at his offer. 
They're looking around and 

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they're saying, hey, we feel 
free, bro, dude, we, we don't 

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need your freedom. 
They're considering how they 

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feel. 
They're considering what what, 

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how they see their reality. 
And you all do the same thing. 

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We all do the same thing. 
We, we look internally determine

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how we feel and we based on what
we feel, we we decide that 

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that's what reality is outside 
of us. 

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So we use our feelings to 
determine what is reality. 

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That's exactly what they're 
doing. 

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They're saying, hey, check this 
out, Jesus, we're good moral 

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people. 
We make good decisions. 

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We're Jews, we follow the law. 
We're descendants of Abraham. 

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That means we are the right 
heritage. 

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We are the right heritage. 
Jesus, like we are free. 

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And this is the problem with 
freedom. 

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Write this down. 
Freedom isn't always obvious. 

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Freedom isn't always obvious. 
It just isn't. 

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Think about this, when you were 
16 or 17 years old at home and 

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you could drive, do you remember
getting your license? 

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Who got their license right when
they turned 16? 

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Anybody. 
Yeah, me too. 

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I turned 16. 
I got my license like the next 

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day, man, It was an amazing 
moment, right? 

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Just like do you guys remember 
that feeling of all of a sudden 

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that I grew up, I was in high 
school in the 90s and so there 

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was before cell phones, I didn't
even have a beeper or anything 

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like that. 
So like when I left home in my 

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car, my parents didn't know 
where I was or when I was coming

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back or if I was coming back, 
right? 

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You guys remember that Those are
glorious days, right? 

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I would never want to been a 
parent during those days, but 

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they didn't know any different. 
Right now. 

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My my kids are anywhere. 
I know where they are at all 

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moments life 360 right? 
I just everywhere they go, I 

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know. 
And if their life 360 isn't 

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updating, I'm texting them, Hey,
Jack, your life 360. 

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Why is it not updating? 
Where are you? 

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But do you remember that 
feeling, man? 

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You, you, you could drive, you 
could go places. 

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You could, you just, you would 
leave the house in the 

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summertime and you might go to a
friend's house and you might go 

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somewhere else. 
You might go out, you know, go 

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out to the beach. 
You know, you just, you didn't 

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know where your day was going to
take you. 

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You know why? 
Because you were free. 

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And one of the best things about
that time when you were 1617 

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years old, driving is most, most
of us, I'm not going to say all 

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of us, but most of us, our 
parents covered most of the 

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bills, right? 
They paid the insurance. 

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They put, you know, my dad gave 
me a little gas money. 

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And there, now this was back in 
the day when you could roll 

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quarters for gas, guys, remember
that. 

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And I would go and like, you 
know, I won't say steal, but go 

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in the laundry room and find 
every quarter I could find and 

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try to gather up $3 of gas 
because $3 of gas will get you 

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through, you know, a couple 
days, you know, and I want you 

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were so free back then. 
Do you know what I wanted more 

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than anything else when I was 16
or 17, in the midst of all that 

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freedom, do you know what I 
wanted more than anything else? 

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I wanted to be free. 
Do you remember that? 

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I want to get out of here. 
I'm ready to move on. 

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Did anybody else have that 
feeling? 

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You were 1617 and you were you 
were living like the most free 

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you would ever live in your 
entire life. 

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And all you can think about was 
I want to be free. 

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I want to get out and be free. 
And then you, that happens, 

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right? 
It wasn't long before you're 

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out. 
At least this was true for me. 

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I wanted to be free. 
I wanted to be out of my parents

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house. 
I wanted to be gone. 

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I wanted to live my life and 
what is It wasn't long before I 

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was gone, living my life and 
paying my bills. 

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I wanted what to go back home. 
I wanted to go back home because

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like, it wasn't fun. 
It was freedom wasn't free. 

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I wanted to be the I wanted to 
have the freedom of being a 

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teenager again in a good home. 
And this is the thing. 

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Freedom isn't always obvious. 
It just isn't. 

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Think about partiers, people who
drink heavily on the weekend. 

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What do they tell you, man? 
I'm free. 

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We're free, man. 
We just free living on the 

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weekend, but later they 
acknowledge that they're 

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Alcoholics, they're stuck. 
They thought they were free, 

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they thought they were living 
free and they were actually in 

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bondage. 
Freedom isn't always obvious. 

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The same thing for like a 
driven, career minded person who

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sacrifices the time, the time 
with their children so they 

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could create financial freedom. 
I'm trying to give them a good 

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life and a good future, and the 
whole time they think they're 

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free and they're providing 
financial freedom. 

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And later they have to admit 
they're actually workaholics, 

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and now they're in bondage to 
loneliness because they don't 

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have a relationship with any of 
their family. 

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Freedom isn't always obvious. 
Think about it this way. 

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Here's here's an analogy I like 
about this. 

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What if you jump out of an 
airplane with a parachute? 

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That's defective. 
OK, And you don't know it's 

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defective. 
In other words, when the guy 

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handed you the parachute on the 
ground and you strapped it on 

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and you clicked it on, you were 
thinking, what? 

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This has been checked and 
rechecked and it's perfect. 

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But what you don't know is that 
the parachute is actually 

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actually defective. 
And you're in the plane the 

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whole time you're in the plane 
going up and you're getting 

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ready to skydive and you have 
this defective parachute on. 

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What are you feeling? 
You don't know it's defective. 

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So what are you feeling? 
You're feeling freedom when you 

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jump from the plane. 
The moment of ecstasy when 

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you're flying through the air, 
what are you feeling? 

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You're feeling free. 
You are flying through the air, 

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but in just a few short moments 
you're going to realize you are 

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always in bondage to a defective
parachute and you just didn't 

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know it. 
And this is the thing about 

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freedom. 
It isn't always obvious. 

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We may feel free, but what's 
ahead oftentimes is destruction,

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regret, and death, and we just 
don't know it. 

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Freedom isn't always obvious. 
You know, we're not the best 

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judges of our freedom. 
And This is why Christians 

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believe that Jesus is the one 
that defines our freedom. 

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And that's what he's attempting 
to do with these guys. 

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He defines their freedom and 
they don't like it because 

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they're already convinced 
they're free and they don't need

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the freedom Jesus offers. 
And this is how many people are 

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when it comes to Jesus still to 
this day. 

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Jesus defines what freedom is 
for them. 

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They don't like it, and they 
don't think they need the 

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freedom Jesus offers. 
We should relate well with these

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men. 
So number one, we think we're 

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free, but #2 Jesus says we're 
not. 

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So number one, we think we're 
free, but #2 Jesus says we're 

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not. 
Listen, let's keep reading verse

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34 and 35. 
Jesus replies to them. 

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So they say, hey, we don't need 
to be set free. 

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We don't need their. 
We don't need your freedom. 

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Jesus. 
We're Jews. 

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We're descendants of Abraham. 
We got the right heritage, we 

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got the right lifestyle. 
What are you talking about? 

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Listen to what Jesus said. 
Jesus replied, very truly. 

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I tell you, everyone who sins is
a slave to sin. 

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Now a slave has no permanent 
place in the family, but a son 

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belongs to it forever. 
And these guys are saying, hey, 

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we're fine, we don't need your 
freedom. 

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But Jesus says, no, you're 
wrong, you do need my freedom. 

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He says here is your actual 
reality. 

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Your actual reality is that 
you're not free, you're actually

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in bondage. 
You've jumped out of an airplane

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with a defective parachute and 
you don't know it. 

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You're actually in bondage. 
And why does he say they're in 

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bondage? 
Verse 34, Jesus replied, very 

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truly, I tell you, everyone who 
sins is a slave to sin. 

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00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,120
Why are you in bondage? 
Because he says to them, you 

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00:11:48,120 --> 00:11:50,840
commit sin. 
And what Jesus is actually 

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saying is everyone who sins is a
slave to sin. 

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Everyone who sins is a slave to 
sin. 

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Now, let's hit the pause button 
here for a second because I 

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know, especially if you don't go
to church very often, it's kind 

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of those things where you're 
like, this is one of the reasons

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00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:08,680
I don't go to church is the 
preachers always talking about 

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00:12:08,680 --> 00:12:15,200
sin, right? 
And the word wigs us out and 

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00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:18,200
makes us feel funny. 
And some of that's for good 

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00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:19,440
reason. 
Like, you maybe have some 

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00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:21,840
stories to tell. 
And I would be like, yeah, I can

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understand why that word would 
wig you out, but the word's a 

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00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:28,360
biblical word. 
It's a word that Jesus uses. 

247
00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,400
So we, we, we can't just throw 
the word out. 

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00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:33,600
It's a word that Jesus talks 
about. 

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00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:38,080
And you know, the word sin, it 
just simply means missing the 

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00:12:38,080 --> 00:12:39,640
mark. 
That's what the Greek word 

251
00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:40,600
means. 
How about toya? 

252
00:12:40,680 --> 00:12:43,320
It just means missing the mark. 
It carries the idea of like 

253
00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:47,000
being an Archer, you know, where
you pull the bow and you pull 

254
00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:50,360
the arrow and there's a target 
and you aim and you aim and you 

255
00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:53,560
aim and then you release and you
miss widely. 

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00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,280
You know, you're, you barely hit
the barn, the targets this big 

257
00:12:57,280 --> 00:12:59,880
and you ain't where you, you hit
way over here, even though you 

258
00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:02,920
were aiming for the target. 
Sin just means missing the mark.

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00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,560
To bring that into simple kind 
of terms for us, sin means not 

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00:13:06,560 --> 00:13:09,800
being morally perfect. 
That's all it means. 

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00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:14,600
It's not a big scary word. 
It just it means we are not 

262
00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:16,160
perfect. 
We are imperfect. 

263
00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:20,000
Now, most of us sitting here 
right now would probably argue 

264
00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:24,240
that we're good people, right? 
I've never met a person who said

265
00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:26,760
I'm not a good person. 
I tend to say that regularly 

266
00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:30,560
just to get shock effect. 
I'll say I'm not and I will say 

267
00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:32,280
it publicly here from the from 
the platform. 

268
00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,200
I'm not a good person. 
If there's anything good in me, 

269
00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:38,320
it's because Christ is my king. 
If there's anything superlative 

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00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:40,680
about me, it's because I am 
surrendered to Christ. 

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00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:43,360
That's it, That's all. 
I'm not a good person. 

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00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:47,440
But most of us when asked man on
the street, hey, do you think 

273
00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:49,360
you're a good person? 
What do you think most people 

274
00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:51,560
would respond with? 
Yes. 

275
00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:54,640
Everybody responds with yes, I'm
a good person. 

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00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:57,120
No one would say they're not a 
good person. 

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00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:07,040
But there's not a person in this
room who would say they're 

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00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:11,640
perfect, right? 
Is there anybody that would say 

279
00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:12,800
they're perfect? 
Now? 

280
00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,040
Almost, almost all of us would 
be like, I'm a good person. 

281
00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:17,240
Because when we say we're a good
person, what are we comparing 

282
00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:20,240
ourselves to? 
Other people we feel better than

283
00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:24,680
you never compare yourself to 
someone that you feel like it's 

284
00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:28,120
better than you, right? 
It's like, I, I mean, I'm a good

285
00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:29,360
person. 
I don't do anything bad. 

286
00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:31,320
Well, let's set you. 
Let's set you beside Mother 

287
00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:33,520
Teresa. 
How you feeling now? 

288
00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:36,160
You feeling like a good person? 
I don't know. 

289
00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:37,600
I don't know if you feel like a 
good person now. 

290
00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:40,880
I I mean, I know some people 
personally that when I'm near, 

291
00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:44,080
I'm kind of like, I'm not even 
sure if I'm saved. 

292
00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:48,000
Do you know what I'm talking 
about? 

293
00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,640
So this feeling of I'm a good 
person is a kind of all about 

294
00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:54,320
like who you compare yourself 
to, who you're standing about. 

295
00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:57,000
But nobody would say, nobody 
sitting here would say I'm a 

296
00:14:57,000 --> 00:14:59,440
perfect person. 
Nobody would say, hey, I've 

297
00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:02,800
morally got it all together. 
We all willingly admit we're not

298
00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:05,760
perfect. 
And so Jesus is simply saying 

299
00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:10,480
that sin is just not as being 
morally imperfect in which we 

300
00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:12,000
all admit. 
And so we can all say 

301
00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:14,480
collectively, yeah, you know, 
I've, I'm a Sinner. 

302
00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:17,880
Like I, I commit sin to use 
Jesus's words, because I'm not 

303
00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:20,200
morally perfect. 
Here's the problem. 

304
00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:23,560
Because we're all quick to say 
I'm a pretty good person. 

305
00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:27,480
I mean, I'm not perfect. 
We're all quick to say that. 

306
00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:32,320
But here's the problem. 
We think our imperfection is 

307
00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,200
just, our moral imperfection is 
just not a big deal. 

308
00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:39,200
We kind of look around and go, 
well, everybody's imperfect. 

309
00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:41,480
So it's just, it's not a big 
deal. 

310
00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:49,040
It doesn't really matter. 
Jesus says it is a big deal. 

311
00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:52,960
He says the opposite. 
Jesus actually argues here, to 

312
00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:55,400
be morally imperfect is a big 
deal. 

313
00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,600
Jesus says when we miss the mark
of moral perfection, also known 

314
00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:03,720
as sin, it isn't just like, oh, 
I'm a bad, I'm not always good, 

315
00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:05,520
I'm a good person, but I do some
bad things. 

316
00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:07,560
That's no big deal. 
Jesus says no, no, no. 

317
00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:09,680
Here's the problem. 
When you are morally imperfect 

318
00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:12,680
and when I'm morally imperfect, 
we are in bondage. 

319
00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:15,720
That's what he links it to. 
We're in bondage. 

320
00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:21,200
We may not recognize it, but all
of us when we commit sin are in 

321
00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,720
bondage. 
Because remember, freedom isn't 

322
00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:27,080
always obvious. 
It isn't always obvious. 

323
00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:30,480
What Jesus is trying to make 
clear to these guys and to us 

324
00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:38,200
today is that bondage to sin is 
a big deal because our 

325
00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:41,560
committing of sin puts us in 
bondage and that impacts our 

326
00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:43,440
relationship with our heavenly 
Father. 

327
00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:47,120
That impacts our relationship 
with our heavenly Father. 

328
00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:52,680
Let's look at verse 35 again. 
Jesus said these words in verse 

329
00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,920
35. 
Now a slave has no permanent 

330
00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:57,880
place in the family. 
Do you see that? 

331
00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:00,600
And what I just said to you was 
that Jesus is trying to say that

332
00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,680
when we commit sin, we're in 
bondage and that bondage is 

333
00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:06,000
impacting our position with our 
heavenly Father. 

334
00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:08,160
And here He is saying it in 
verse 35. 

335
00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:11,160
Now a slave has no permanent. 
The keyword in that verse is 

336
00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:13,400
permanent, permanent place in 
the family. 

337
00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:16,720
Jesus is saying that if you and 
I and I do and you do, and we 

338
00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:20,920
all do, if we commit sin, we are
in an unstable position with our

339
00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:23,800
heavenly Father. 
Jesus is saying that our moral 

340
00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:25,960
imperfection is actually a big 
problem. 

341
00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:28,800
And anyone who commits sin is a 
slave. 

342
00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,960
And a slave is not a resident in
the house. 

343
00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:36,280
A slave is a slave is there 
temporarily a slave can be 

344
00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:38,880
discarded. 
The slave has no security in the

345
00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:40,480
future. 
And what Jesus is saying is that

346
00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:44,000
my moral imperfection has kept 
me from being a son or a 

347
00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,880
daughter and it's made me a 
slave and I'm in bondage and I 

348
00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:50,120
do not have a secure future in 
the Father's house because of my

349
00:17:50,120 --> 00:17:53,240
moral imperfection. 
We like to think our moral 

350
00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:56,560
imperfection is not a big deal. 
Jesus is saying no, it is a very

351
00:17:56,560 --> 00:17:59,160
big deal. 
It is a serious problem. 

352
00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:01,680
It changes your status in the 
family. 

353
00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:06,840
Jesus in this text is explaining
that our moral moral failure has

354
00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:12,840
eternal consequences. 
Eternal consequences. 

355
00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:17,240
Our sins have the potential to 
jeopardize our future. 

356
00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:21,080
And that's what he's talking 
about there in verse 35. 

357
00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:25,840
Now a slave has no permanent 
place in a family. 

358
00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:29,360
If a slave has no permanent 
place in the family, who does 

359
00:18:29,360 --> 00:18:30,680
have a permanent place in the 
family? 

360
00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:34,360
Not a slave, but a child, a son,
a daughter. 

361
00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:38,120
Let me say this super simply so 
you can hear me say it. 

362
00:18:39,120 --> 00:18:44,680
Jesus is saying because we have 
missed the mark, because we have

363
00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:48,480
missed the mark, because we have
sinned, because we are not 

364
00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:54,760
morally perfect, we do not have 
a secure future with God. 

365
00:18:56,360 --> 00:18:58,040
I cannot say that more clearly 
than that. 

366
00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,400
But Stephen, I'm not that bad. 
I just, I have a few bad things 

367
00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:06,320
in my life. 
Bondage, freedom's not always 

368
00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:10,000
obvious. 
This is what Jesus is saying. 

369
00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,680
I like to say all the time, I 
don't write the mail. 

370
00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:14,680
I just read the mail. 
Friends, today I'm just reading 

371
00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:18,760
the mail to you. 
This is true for every single 

372
00:19:18,760 --> 00:19:22,160
person in this room and everyone
who's attending online, whether 

373
00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:25,520
we acknowledge it or not. 
Even if you think, here's the 

374
00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:27,360
thing, Steven, what you don't 
know about this, I hear people 

375
00:19:27,360 --> 00:19:29,240
tell me it's kind of crazy stuff
all the time, man. 

376
00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:31,840
What you don't know about me, 
Steven, is me and God, we good, 

377
00:19:36,280 --> 00:19:39,520
we good. 
We I'm like, what is what is 

378
00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,360
this? 
Does he know that you and God, 

379
00:19:42,360 --> 00:19:46,840
Does he know who made the 
decision that you and God were 

380
00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:49,280
good? 
Like how did he send you a 

381
00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:51,320
e-mail? 
Like how did you get word? 

382
00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:54,520
People say this to me, man, me 
and God are good. 

383
00:19:55,040 --> 00:19:57,360
Now listen to what I say. 
I know some of you, you think 

384
00:19:57,360 --> 00:19:59,320
this way. 
I don't need this Jesus. 

385
00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:00,560
I don't need this religion 
stuff. 

386
00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:02,000
I don't need Jesus. 
I don't need faith. 

387
00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,240
And you're just like these guys 
going, hey, we don't need to be 

388
00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:05,840
set free. 
We are free. 

389
00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:12,240
Me and God are good. 
Here's the thing, listen to me 

390
00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:14,320
carefully. 
It doesn't matter. 

391
00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:22,000
If you and I doesn't matter if 
we make up a God and then think 

392
00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:28,520
as our own judges that we're 
doing pretty good, that God 

393
00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:36,440
doesn't exist, the God that 
exists is the one Jesus is 

394
00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:41,440
talking about. 
This is the real God, and to 

395
00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:45,000
this God our moral imperfection 
is a big deal. 

396
00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:48,880
It guarantees that our parachute
is defective. 

397
00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:56,040
Our situation as imperfect 
humans, though, would be 

398
00:20:56,040 --> 00:21:01,920
hopeless except while as slaves 
we are temporary residents in 

399
00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,880
the family. 
Our situation would be hopeless 

400
00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:11,680
except the Father has a son, He 
has a son. 

401
00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:17,240
And that's our third idea. 
Jesus the Son sets us free. 

402
00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:19,200
So number one, we think we're 
free. 

403
00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:21,480
Number 2, Jesus says we're not 
free. 

404
00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:25,800
Moral imperfection. 
And then #3 Jesus sets us free. 

405
00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:28,120
The son. 
Listen to verse 30. 

406
00:21:28,120 --> 00:21:30,560
All of verse 35 and 36, listen 
to this. 

407
00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:37,080
Now a slave has no permanent 
place in the family, but a son. 

408
00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:43,640
Listen, belongs to it. 
Everybody say it forever, 

409
00:21:46,360 --> 00:21:51,160
belongs to it forever. 
The sun belongs to it forever. 

410
00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:57,720
And then verse 36. 
So if the sun sets you free, you

411
00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:00,680
will be free indeed. 
Now you see this, stay. 

412
00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,280
Look at this think Jesus is 
making this argument. 

413
00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:06,560
I'm not making this argument. 
Jesus is saying that if we have 

414
00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:09,600
moral imperfection, if we have 
sin, if we commit sin, then we 

415
00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,040
are, we're in bondage. 
We don't have a permanent place 

416
00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:16,480
in the family, but the Son who 
belongs to the family, who has a

417
00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:18,880
permanent place in the family, 
he's there forever. 

418
00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:25,320
That son is in his home and 
Jesus is the Son and Jesus, 

419
00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:27,880
Jesus has the insight to define 
what freedom is. 

420
00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:30,160
He's the one that comes 
alongside us and says you're not

421
00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,720
as free as you think you are. 
Freedom is hard to see. 

422
00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:34,680
It's it's not obvious. 
Listen to me. 

423
00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:36,520
I'm telling you what freedom 
actually is. 

424
00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:39,600
Jesus has the the insight to 
define freedom and he has the 

425
00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:44,400
authority to offer you freedom. 
He has the authority to offer 

426
00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:50,560
you freedom. 
The Son has the unique authority

427
00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:55,440
to declare people free from the 
bondage of sin even though they 

428
00:22:55,440 --> 00:23:00,640
remain imperfect. 
Now that is the best news you 

429
00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:08,360
will hear your entire lives. 
The Sun has the unique authority

430
00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:13,720
to set people free from the 
bondage of sin even though they 

431
00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:18,640
remain imperfect. 
That is our hope. 

432
00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:22,560
If that statement is not true, 
we're all done. 

433
00:23:25,640 --> 00:23:29,440
He has the authority to declare 
people permanent members of 

434
00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:34,240
God's family, even though they 
are imperfect, even though they 

435
00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:38,800
still morally fail. 
He has the authority to secure 

436
00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:43,840
your future in a home you did 
nothing to earn or deserve. 

437
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,440
He has the this is what This is 
why he says the son belongs to 

438
00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:50,760
it forever. 
This this idea of sonship. 

439
00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:54,920
This is authority. 
Jesus is saying I have authority

440
00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:57,880
to set you free. 
I have authority to make you 

441
00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:00,800
into a son. 
And I know we have the whole 

442
00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:03,120
gender thing is a confusion 
here, but you got to you got to 

443
00:24:03,120 --> 00:24:05,840
remember that in in Jewish 
culture and Roman culture, 

444
00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:11,080
sonship came authority, It came 
privileges, it came rights. 

445
00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:13,720
And so, yeah, to transfer that 
into the modern culture for 

446
00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:17,400
sure, right, Sons and daughters.
But the point that Jesus, Jesus 

447
00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:19,840
is trying to make is not just 
you're a member of the family. 

448
00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:22,120
It's not that you now have a 
permanent place in the family. 

449
00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:25,680
No, you have rights and 
privileges as a member of this 

450
00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:27,480
family. 
You belong in this family. 

451
00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:29,080
You can't be kicked out of this 
family. 

452
00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:31,320
This is what he's saying. 
He's saying, hey, the son has 

453
00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:35,160
the authority to make you now a 
permanent member of the family, 

454
00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:37,560
even though we still have moral 
imperfection. 

455
00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:40,520
I don't think you get how big of
a deal this is. 

456
00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:46,960
He has the authority to the 
secure our future in a home that

457
00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:51,040
we did nothing to deserve. 
That's the freeing authority of 

458
00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:54,440
the sun. 
And He has that authority 

459
00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:56,280
because of what we celebrate on 
Easter. 

460
00:24:57,560 --> 00:24:59,280
Jesus didn't just talk about 
freedom. 

461
00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:03,200
He accomplished it on the cross.
He paid the price for your sin 

462
00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:05,640
and my sin. 
Not just the obvious things, but

463
00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:07,200
all of it. 
The failure, the guilt, the 

464
00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:09,480
brokenness. 
He carried all of our sin with 

465
00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:12,160
him on the cross. 
And when he died, it looked like

466
00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,720
sin and death had won. 
But three days later, Jesus 

467
00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:19,080
resurrected from the dead. 
And when Jesus walked out of 

468
00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:22,160
that grave, he didn't just 
defeat death for himself. 

469
00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:26,640
He proved that sin, my sin, my 
moral imperfection, my moral 

470
00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:30,400
failure, my bondage. 
He proved that my bondage had 

471
00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:33,400
been fully dealt with. 
It had been accomplished. 

472
00:25:33,600 --> 00:25:35,760
He proved that payment was 
accepted. 

473
00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:38,920
So when Jesus resurrected, the 
proof was, hey, payment has been

474
00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:42,480
accepted on behalf of these 
people, that their sin is now 

475
00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:44,400
paid for. 
Because when he resurrected, it 

476
00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,600
was the proof that death no 
longer has the final say on 

477
00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:48,320
God's people. 
People. 

478
00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:52,080
He proved that the thing that 
enslaves you and the thing that 

479
00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:54,320
enslaves me has been broken off 
of us. 

480
00:25:55,120 --> 00:25:58,080
It no longer defines us. 
My moral imperfection no longer 

481
00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:00,720
defines me. 
My the fact that I commit sin no

482
00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:04,640
longer defines me. 
What defines me now is that I 

483
00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:08,400
and A son or a daughter with 
full rights and privileges in 

484
00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:11,400
the House of the Father, and I'm
no longer a slave. 

485
00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:15,240
And that's what the resurrection
acquired for me as a gift. 

486
00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:25,040
And now, my friends, by faith in
Jesus Christ, that victory can 

487
00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:28,080
become yours. 
It's just that simple. 

488
00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:33,320
We need Him to do for us because
we had no way of doing it for 

489
00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:36,520
ourselves. 
We could not undo our sins. 

490
00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:39,960
We could not overcome death. 
Jesus is our only hope. 

491
00:26:40,120 --> 00:26:43,840
We could not become permanent 
residents in the home because we

492
00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:46,560
tried really hard, or because we
weren't that bad, or because 

493
00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:49,600
we're pretty good people. 
That was never going to make us 

494
00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:53,720
permanent residents in the home.
We had to be set free. 

495
00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:59,720
So now this is what this means. 
This means that you are not 

496
00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:02,160
perfect. 
But the sin that you. 

497
00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:05,120
Battle against no longer has the
ultimate authority over you. 

498
00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:09,600
It means that your past, which 
we cannot undo, no longer 

499
00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:16,640
defines your future. 
It means that death which. 

500
00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:20,680
Comes for. 
All of us, death which comes for

501
00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:25,400
all of us, no longer has to be 
feared because death is not the 

502
00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:29,360
end of the story. 
This is why Jesus. 

503
00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:32,880
Can say, This is why Jesus can 
say if the sun sets you free, 

504
00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:34,040
you are free. 
Indeed. 

505
00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:38,960
He says it because he secured 
the freedom through his death 

506
00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:42,000
and through his resurrection. 
And I think this is where it 

507
00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:44,800
becomes personal. 
Some of you don't feel free. 

508
00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:47,120
You feel stuck. 
You feel like no matter how hard

509
00:27:47,120 --> 00:27:49,680
you try, you end up in the same 
cycle again and again. 

510
00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:51,920
Or maybe some of you are here 
and you're like, I don't even 

511
00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:53,880
know what real freedom would 
look like. 

512
00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:57,680
But this is where the. 
Resurrection speaks directly 

513
00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:00,480
into that. 
It tells us that freedom is not 

514
00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:04,920
something that you achieve, it's
something that you receive. 

515
00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:10,360
You receive freedom, but. 
Here's the problem. 

516
00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:13,200
You guys know? 
What the problem is right? 

517
00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:16,520
The problem is Jesus made the 
same offer to the people in John

518
00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:19,640
chapter 8. 
And how did they receive it? 

519
00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:22,680
They didn't. 
Receive it very well. 

520
00:28:23,640 --> 00:28:25,200
Who are you to say we need 
freedom? 

521
00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,280
You see the freedom. 
And the security Jesus offers 

522
00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:32,320
you. 
It can only be received. 

523
00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:36,480
By those who recognize they 
commit sin, are in and are in 

524
00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:39,640
bondage, and they actually 
realize they need it. 

525
00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:44,120
If we don't see that. 
We need the freedom Jesus 

526
00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:46,240
offers. 
We'll dismiss it. 

527
00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:48,640
That's silly stuff Christians 
believe. 

528
00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:53,040
But more than dismiss it, we'll 
get like these guys in John 8. 

529
00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:55,880
We'll get offended and get 
angry. 

530
00:28:57,120 --> 00:28:58,400
Who are? 
You to tell me that? 

531
00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:01,880
Because I sin, God will not let 
me be a permanent resident in 

532
00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:04,520
His house and that I have to put
my faith in Jesus in order to 

533
00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:06,120
have that permanent residency in
God's. 

534
00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:11,520
Who are you to say that to me? 
You see how we tend to. 

535
00:29:11,520 --> 00:29:18,240
Respond to the offer of freedom.
I recently watched a documentary

536
00:29:18,240 --> 00:29:21,840
about people living in North 
Korea and as you know, it's one 

537
00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:23,880
of the most restricted places in
the world. 

538
00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:26,960
But what? 
What struck me was this. 

539
00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:32,600
Most people who live in North. 
Korea actually believe what 

540
00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:35,680
they've been told. 
They believe their country is 

541
00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:38,040
great. 
They believe the rest of the 

542
00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:41,320
world is jealous and envious of 
the life they get to live there.

543
00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:44,280
They believe the rest of the 
world is worse off. 

544
00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:49,320
One young woman who. 
Defected shared that when she 

545
00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:52,600
was a child, her father secretly
modified a radio to pick up 

546
00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:56,120
South Korean broadcast and at 
first she was scared and did not

547
00:29:56,120 --> 00:29:58,280
want him to listen because she 
did not want him to get caught. 

548
00:29:58,640 --> 00:30:02,000
But eventually she began to 
listen to the broadcast and 

549
00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,320
later began to read some 
literature from South Korea. 

550
00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:07,560
And what she realized and 
listening and learning was that 

551
00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:10,640
everything she had been told was
a lie. 

552
00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:15,760
And this is what she said. 
The more I listened, the more I 

553
00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:18,760
realized what we had learned 
wasn't true. 

554
00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:22,720
I had been fooled. 
And that made me want to become 

555
00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:27,000
free. 
She just needed. 

556
00:30:27,720 --> 00:30:31,320
Not new information. 
New information doesn't cause 

557
00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:35,760
you to receive. 
She needed to believe the 

558
00:30:35,760 --> 00:30:41,480
information. 
She needed to believe that she 

559
00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:44,440
was indeed in bondage and needed
freedom. 

560
00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:47,680
And maybe that's where some. 
Of you are today. 

561
00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:50,480
Maybe you've started to 
question. 

562
00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:53,600
Things Maybe you've began to 
wonder if the life you're living

563
00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:57,960
is really all that free. 
Maybe there's a moment. 

564
00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:01,880
In you, a quiet sense that 
something isn't right, that the 

565
00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:06,560
parachute might not work. 
Maybe you're beginning to 

566
00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:10,360
question reality. 
And you have questions you? 

567
00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:13,560
Have questions about faith, 
about what all of this means 

568
00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:16,440
about this Jesus stuff and you 
just don't understand it you 

569
00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:19,200
just it's weird to you and you 
don't know where to start. 

570
00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:22,880
Maybe that's where you are. 
That's great. 

571
00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:28,360
I'm so glad that's where you 
are, because that's why we're 

572
00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:30,720
here. 
This. 

573
00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:32,880
Is why islands exist. 
Our mission is simple. 

574
00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:36,120
We want to help people connect 
to Jesus and to each other. 

575
00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:39,360
We want to help people just take
a step towards the freedom that 

576
00:31:39,360 --> 00:31:41,920
Jesus is offering them. 
So if. 

577
00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:44,520
You're not sure where to. 
Start this whole church thing, 

578
00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:47,480
Jesus thing. 
You're just confused and you 

579
00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:50,720
kind of want this freedom Jesus 
offers and you're not sure where

580
00:31:50,720 --> 00:31:52,680
to start. 
Let me tell you where to start. 

581
00:31:52,680 --> 00:31:55,160
You ready? 
Start here. 

582
00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,480
Just come back. 
It's just that simple. 

583
00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:05,280
Just come back next week and 
then keep showing up and this is

584
00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:07,800
a cool church. 
This is a cool place. 

585
00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:09,440
You can. 
I know you're like, well, of 

586
00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:13,920
course you would say that. 
You come for a few weeks and. 

587
00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:15,520
You will agree. 
Isn't it a cool church, those of

588
00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:16,520
you who come, right? 
It's cool, right? 

589
00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:21,520
It's a cool place. 
Reeling them in, baby. 

590
00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:27,480
It's, you know what's a cool 
church? 

591
00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:31,720
Because we're not afraid of 
questions and we're not afraid 

592
00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:33,440
of people who are doubting. 
We're not afraid of people who 

593
00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:34,800
are confused. 
We're not afraid of people who 

594
00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:36,280
think. 
We're not even afraid of people 

595
00:32:36,280 --> 00:32:37,640
who think it's all a bunch of 
hogwash. 

596
00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:41,600
We actually love it when they 
show up because we get to see 

597
00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:44,360
the biggest transition. 
The people who think this is all

598
00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:46,560
a bunch of junk, this is stupid.
I don't know why we can go to 

599
00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:48,960
church like 6 months later 
they're up here singing on 

600
00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:56,440
stage. 
Like so if you're not. 

601
00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:58,000
Sure, where to start? 
Here's the thing, this is a 

602
00:32:58,000 --> 00:32:59,760
great place. 
Just start here. 

603
00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:03,680
Just come back and take a step 
towards the freedom that Jesus 

604
00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:07,920
offers you and see where it 
leads, friend. 

605
00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:13,880
We are not. 
As free as we think we are. 

606
00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:19,160
But through his death and. 
Resurrection. 

607
00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:29,240
When Jesus got out of. 
The grave He secured, freedom, a

608
00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:33,560
permanent residence in the 
Father's house that cannot be 

609
00:33:33,680 --> 00:33:37,880
taken from us. 
Oh, what a gift is the 

610
00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:43,000
resurrection of our Lord, that 
though I remain imperfect and I 

611
00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:47,200
remain morally missing, the mark
He. 

612
00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:52,760
Has paid for my sin. 
And he treats me as a son and a 

613
00:33:52,760 --> 00:33:56,920
daughter because of his 
resurrection. 

614
00:33:57,920 --> 00:33:59,880
Will you stand with me? 
I want to say a blessing over 

615
00:33:59,880 --> 00:34:02,520
us, and then we. 
Will go and eat the. 

616
00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:07,840
Deviled eggs. 
As you head out. 

617
00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:10,719
Today, Fran, my brother and 
sister and my friend who isn't 

618
00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:14,280
quite sure what they believe 
about Jesus yet, my prayer for 

619
00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:18,120
you is this that you. 
Would see your life. 

620
00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:25,000
Clearly that you would recognize
that you need freedom. 

621
00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:31,320
And that you would trust. 
Jesus enough to take a step 

622
00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:34,840
toward him and. 
That you would know this. 

623
00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:40,639
Because Jesus resurrected from 
the grave, you do not have to 

624
00:34:40,639 --> 00:34:45,480
figure this out on your own. 
Freedom has already been secured

625
00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:49,159
for you. 
So take a step toward Him this 

626
00:34:49,159 --> 00:34:52,000
week. 
And see what he does. 

627
00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,120
Amen friends, we love you. 
Happy Easter, have a great day.