Accept the responsibility for your freedom! (RFBC Meeting Notes: 03/23/2008)

Accept the responsibility for your freedom!

Accept responsibility for the fact that you have been set free.

Galatians 5: 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Exodus 16:32- through 17:7  

³² Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Two quarts of it are to be preserved throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”  ³³ Moses told Aaron, “Take a container and put two quarts of manna in it. Then place it before the LORD to be preserved throughout your generations.” ³⁴ As the LORD commanded Moses, Aaron placed it before the testimony to be preserved. ³⁵ The Israelites ate manna for 40 years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate manna until they reached the border of the land of Canaan.
³⁶ (Two quarts are a tenth of an ephah.) 

Exodus 17 
¹ The entire Israelite community left the Wilderness of Sin, moving from one place to the next according to the LORD’s command. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
² So the people complained to Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why are you complaining to me?” Moses replied to them. “Why are you testing the LORD?” ³ But the people thirsted there for water, and grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you ever bring us out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” ⁴ Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? In a little while they will stone me!”  ⁵ The LORD answered Moses, “Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take the staff you struck the Nile with in your hand and go.
⁶ I am going to stand there in front of you on the rock at Horeb; when you hit the rock, water will come out of it and the people will drink.” Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.
⁷ He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites complained, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

Numbers 33:11-14 (ASV)

11 And they journeyed from the Red Sea, and encamped in the wilderness of Sin. 12 And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, and encamped in Dophkah (Hebrew: דָפְקָה means knocking.)  13 And they journeyed from Dophkah, and encamped in Alush. 14 And they journeyed from Alush, (Hebrew: אָלוּש means leaven or crowding ׁ) and encamped in Rephidim, The name "Rephidim" (Hebrew: רְפִידִם) may mean supports.) where was no water for the people to drink.

There is a lot here, but the things we will deal with are:

God took them from the place of Idolatry, (things built on lies, false gods) to Knocking (seeking, a quest, unsurety) to Leavening (to make light by fermentation, separation, preparation) to Support. (foundation, strength)

The process took time

This passage points to Christ, in that: 1 Cor 10:4 (the rock is Jesus) John 19:34  But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.

God gave the tools to remember, but they chose to forget Because they let their immediate circumstances divert them from the larger situation/goals/objectives  (v.3)

How often do we do that? Why does it seem that in times of difficulty, we resort to the comfortable, destructive behaviors first…

 

What does it mean to be free? Freedom is defined as:

1.  The condition of being free of restraints.

2. Liberty of the person from slavery, detention, or oppression.

3. Exemption from an unpleasant or onerous condition: freedom from want.  

4. The capacity to exercise choice; free will: We have the freedom to do as we please all afternoon  

5. The right to unrestricted use; full access:

6. The right of enjoying all of the privileges of membership or citizenship

The Three Edwards

Thomas Costain’s history book The Three Edwards includes the story of the life of Raynald III, a fourteenth-century duke in the country of Burgundy (now called Belgium). Raynald III was grossly overweight, and he was commonly called by his Latin nickname, “Crassus,” which means, “Fat.”

After a violent quarrel, Raynald’s younger brother Edward led a successful revolt against him. Edward captured his brother Raynald, but he did not kill him, as was the custom. Instead, he built a room around Raynald in the Nieukerk castle and promised him he could regain his freedom, his title and his property as soon as he was able to leave the room.

This would not have been difficult for most people since the room had several windows and a door of near-normal size, and none was locked or barred. The problem was Raynald’s size. To regain his freedom, he needed to lose weight. But Edward knew his older brother, and each day he sent a variety of delicious foods. Instead of dieting his way out of prison, Raynald grew fatter.

When Duke Edward was accused of cruelty, he had an available answer: “My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so wills.”

Raynald stayed in that room for ten years and wasn’t released until after his brother Edward died in battle. By then his health was so ruined that he died within a year . . . a prisoner of his own appetite. – Dave Wilkenson

What can we learn from Raynald?

His freedom kept him a prisoner, because he would not discipline Himself.

We are free to do a great many things, the question always is: SHOULD WE? How often do we resort to the familiar to our own detriment, when the promise that lays before us is so much better, simply because we do not want to do the work, or we are afraid, or it’s hard, or (your excuse here) ?

Paul put it like this, in his 1st letter to the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.

God’s provision…..Deuteronomy 29:1, 16-19, 29 - 

1 These are the words of the covenant which Yahweh commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.

16  (for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed; 17 and you have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them); 18 lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turns away this day from Yahweh our God, to go to serve the gods of those nations; lest there should be among you a root that bears gall and wormwood; 19 and it happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart, to destroy the moist with the dry.

We can skip Verses 20-28, as they are the penalty phase, and we are not under this covenant…

29 The secret things belong to Yahweh our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

We can break that passage down like this:

16-17: You have gone through Egypt to LEARN, and over the last 40 years you have seen many cultures to LEARN, because you are accountable for what you KNOW

18-19: You have been allowed to SEE so that you are not deceived. Don’t fool yourself, constantly check yourself

29: WE are RESPONSIBLE FOR REVELATION

Notice that this is from God to the people, a covenant with ALL the people, not just the Pastor, not just Moses…

God’s desire is for us ALL to KNOW HIM, be knowledgeable about Him, and be so attuned to His voice that we can be truly obedient.

Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

How I choose to exercise my freedom affects me, and impacts those around me…

Freedom. Like the Kingdom (Rom 14:17) is a gift, but it is up to us to maintain it.

Our thoughts, words and deeds are the factors that determine or situations, and though grace abounds, many times it is we who, like the Hebrews in the desert, wish to return to the comfortable in times of stress.

2 Corinthians 1:18  But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. 19  For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. 20  For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 21  Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22  Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 24  Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand. (read this in the NIV)

2 Corinthians 3:17  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Grace is the gift, it is on us to obey…

In the two examples below, the gift was free, the follow-through, and maintenance were the responsibility or the recipient. It is the same for us today

John 9:7,11

7, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.  – 11,   He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.

John 5:4-15

4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. 5  And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.6  When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?7  The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.8  Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.9  And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.10  The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.11  He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.12  Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?13  And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.14  Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.15  The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

(11- I know what You say, but the one that healed me said…)

That’s the line to use on your temptations, the line to use on the devil

(I know what You say, but the one that healed me said…)