Uncaged Christianity

1.           Define the cage.

1.                       One of the things that's disrupting Christianity today is the cage of "sin."

1.           I believe it is our greatest enemy, sin.

2.           It's the kryptonite of our superhuman strength, ability, prayer life, and future.

1.                       Sin-an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law.

1.           Sin of commission-a sinful action, committed a sin. (Where you sin against God, a person, or a principle.)

2.           Sin of omission-a sinful failure to perform an action. (Where you know to do the right something and refuse to do it or failed to do it)

2.                       Defining the cage produces fear in us because we believe somehow that no one could rescue us from our dangerous, difficult and unfortunate situation.

1.           We have to recognize that defining the cage is the very first part of achieving, and obtaining our freedom.

1.                       Your cage is different than mine, your cage could be different than anyone else in this room, maybe even in the world but pay attention it's still a cage and freedom can still be yours.

1.           It's not just your temporary entrapment the Devil seeks to have it's your eternal entrapment he ultimately desires.

2.           Entrapment without hope, entrapment without rescue, entrapment with the inability to overcome.

2.           Plan an escape route.

1.                       When I was trapped, I came to the realization Christ was my rescuer.

2.                       I searched for others, I searched in other things but never found freedom until I found Jesus.

1.           You can become caged by agenda, you can become caged by religion, you can become caged by words, or the way people have treated you.

2.           You can become caged in your past, caged to your present, or caged contemplating your future.

3.                       Jesus is your escape route.

1.           Caging happens within yourself, and caging happens from others and in many forms.

4.                       Jesus is your escape route.

1.           I've seen so many people get released to only encage themselves by the very same addiction!

5.                       Jesus is your escape route to God.

1.                       Everyone has felt trapped, been trapped in the cages that this life has set to place us in.

2.           Jesus is your escape route.

1.                       He is the way you must take to freedom, He is the truth that will lead you into your destiny, He is the life that you'll be able to offer to so many others.

3.           Jesus is an escape route for all.

1.                       This is why we say,"I once was lost but now I'm found, I once was blind but now I see, I once was bound, chained, incarcerated but now I'm free."

1.           We now understand freedom because in our cage where Christ found us when we felt as if no one was looking, no one was searching, no one cared, He showed up.

2.           We no longer feel sin's grip over our lives, sin's blindfold covering our eyes, nor sin's grasp on our future.

4.           John 8:34-36 (NLT) "Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. [35] A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. [36] So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free."

1.                       You are a son, you are a daughter of God.

1.           Live in and with that promise.

3.           Remove all backup plans.

1.                       Many when they have identified their cage, even connected with Christ for release into freedom continue to think, "well just in case I'll hang on to this secret sin, secret challenge, or secret hurt for a rainy depressing day."

1.           What a detrimental mistake.

2.                       Many of the disciples left all that they were doing when Christ called them to follow Him.

1.           Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for those aged 15-24.

2.           Most in a state of depression.

3.           Depression is a cage, Christ has the power to set you free from it!

John 19:30 Jesus said, "It is finished."

1.   Jesus announces that His work, atonement, is completed.

2.   That humanity's debt to God is cancelled, that Jesus had finished His mission.

1.           "It is finished."

1.                       He has defeated the Tempter again.

2.                       Despite the agony, He has rejected temptation and cared for those around Him.

2.           His temporary duty on earth is complete.

3.           He has shown the way God wants us to live.

1.                       He has demonstrated the fact that faith, hope and love cannot be destroyed by anything men can say or do.

2.                       Jesus sees in the event of the cross that He has secured closure.

3.   We often speak of the work of the cross.

1.           This is a good word ‘work,’ because it reminds us that there was some effective spiritual activity taking place, something more than the transparently obvious business of being killed.

2.           So it is that when Jesus says these words ‘It is finished’ we know that God has achieved closure.

1.                       The 3 worded English statement, ‘It is finished’ is a single word translated from the Greek (τετέλεσται) te-te-les-tai (from teleo)

1.           It’s the same word which people would write on a bill after it had been paid.

2.           It means that the debt is dealt with, ended, completed, executed, concluded, discharged, accomplished, expired, filled up, gone over, paid, and performed.

3.           The price has been paid.

4.           Debts settled, worry no more.

5.           There is a feeling of release, of achievement.

2.                       The word has the connotation of having fulfilled one’s obligation.

3.                       The work is now complete and we can only guess at how that must have felt for Jesus.

1.           “It is finished.”

1.               He has bound himself by love, to both God and the human race.

1.   Refused to save Himself so He could save humanity.

2.   Thus He will continue to draw to Himself, and to heaven, everyone He can ... for as long as it takes ... until “whosoever will” has come.

1.           Here, Jesus is willingly giving up His soul into the Father’s hands, indicating that He was about to die – and that God had accepted His sacrifice.

Hebrews 9:14-15 (NLT) "Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. [15] That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant."

1.               Jesus has finished the work which His Father gave Him to do, He has accomplished the full and final task."

1.   It is upon that finished, complete work of Christ that we can now build our own lives.

1.           Jesus gave His life as a ransom for us the many, so that we no longer have to fear the wrath of God.

2.   We can pray confidently because we know that there is no obstacle of sin between us and God.

1.           He does not consider our offenses but looks at us only through the eyes of forgiveness, those same eyes through which Jesus looked at the soldiers, religious leaders, mockers and still pronounced forgiveness.

2.           We need not be weighed down by the pains and guilt of the past because Jesus has provided the closure which we could never find by ourselves.

3.   Jesus’ last words meant that His suffering was over and the whole work His Father had given Him to do, which was to preach the Gospel, work miracles, and obtain eternal salvation for His people, was done, accomplished, fulfilled.

1.           We owed a debt we could not pay He paid the debt He did not owe.   

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