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.   

Thanks for all your support and Join us soon at Youthrock: 

Black Ops "there's a soldier in every one of us."

Illustrate here: video opener Black Ops 

Please welcome to our service tonight: United States Army Combat Engineer Specialist, Josh Wood. 

Black ops-A black operation or black op is a covert operation by a government, a government agency, military organization, private companies or groups. A black operation typically involves activities that are highly secretive and often outside of standard military/intelligence protocol, sometimes against the law-Secret operation that cannot be traced back to the parties involved.

1.Soldiers reject the enemy and his tactics.

a. The enemy uses sin to lure us uses sin to distract us, and then finally his ultimate goal uses sin to destroy us.

b.Stay away from the lure of sin and you'll stay out of the trap.

c. The enemy desires destruction; Godly soldiers desire freedom, justice, and safety.

                                                           i.      Temptation is a tactic of tremendous turmoil.

                                                        ii.      Temptation causes you to question your God, question your destiny, and question your mission.

                                                     iii.      Reject the enemies plan by not listening to his voice.

1.Don’t listen to his banter, refuse his thoughts.

2.Social media of the mind where the devil posts a status and you allow it to affect, infect and control you.

2.Soldiers accept training and leadership.

a. As a soldier you have to allow God to break your spirit.

b.Spirit breaking can be positive or negative.

                                                           i.      Negative spirit breaking is allowing someone to control you through physical, mental or emotional abuse, therefore allowing them to control your thoughts, your will and your emotions.

1.Many people think this is the kind of God we serve when in fact they are so mislead, so deceived, so elementary in their view.

                                                        ii.      Positive spirit breaking is accomplished through submission.

1.Submitting your self to the influence of God.

a. God, when allowed, will inspire your influence, encourage your will, He will never use circumstances to control you, and will never use His power to exert His authority in, over, or through you.

2.That’s not who or what God is.  

a. Inspire your influence; He will literally breathe life into every situation you will ever face. 

b.Encourage your will. We all live under the mandate and opportunity of free will.

c. God will never puppet string your life; He will always allow you to choose.

                                                                                                                                   i.      I can choose Him, I can choose to disregard Him, and His love for me will never change.

1.His goal for me will never change, I am a soldier.  

2.It’s never Yes sir I’m so scared of you cause you hate me so, It’s always, “God what did you plan for me today? God what did you have in mind for my future, my relationships, my attitude?”

3.Soldiers expect justice as the reward.

Philippians 2:13-17 (NLT)

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. [14] Do everything without complaining and arguing, [15] so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. [16] Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I

did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. [17] But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.”

a. Justice is the quality of being fair, being reasonable, the right thing.

b.There is a wrong/right way to treat people.

c. There is a wrong/right way to serve, give, encourage.

d.There is a wrong/right way to live.

e. There is a wrong/right way to learn.

                                                           i.      God is fair, reasonable, and right.

1.I will choose to be like Him, I am a soldier.

2.As a soldier I will mimic His every move.

  

4.Soldiers lead courageously.

a. Be worthy of following.

                                                           i.      Good leaders will never lead you into a destructive place.

                                                        ii.      Good leaders will never lead you into temptation, compromise, or sin.

                                                     iii.      Just because I’m a leader does not mean fear is never present.

1.Though in the face of fear I have to function, I have to operate; I have to continue my mission.

b.Be headed somewhere.

c. Don't live life haphazardly.

5.Soldiers focus on the task at hand.

James 5:7-8, NLT “Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord's return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.”

a. The farmer must wait patiently for his crops to grow; he cannot hurry the process.

b.But he does not take the summer off and hope that all goes well in the fields.

                                                           i.      There is much work to do to ensure a good harvest.

                                                        ii.      In the same way, we must wait patiently for Christ's return.

                                                     iii.      We cannot make him come back any sooner.

c. But while we wait, there is much work that we can do to advance God's kingdom.

d.Both the farmer and the Christian must live by faith, looking toward the future reward for their labors.

                                                           i.      I’m not looking to just be blessed by my work for only tonight.

                                                        ii.      I have an eternal hope; I have an eternal mindset in that I expect God to continually reward my every effort for Him.

e. God is taking you through a process, don’t run from it!

f.    God is taking you through a process because you are a soldier, soldiers don’t run out, soldiers don’t quit, soldiers can’t dismiss the process and still expect to be soldiers.

                                                           i.      Those people are called civilians.

g.Don't live as if Christ will never come. Work faithfully to build his kingdom--the King will come when the time is right.

Illustrate Here: There’s a soldier in every one of us. 

h.The devil's surprise-destroy every human being he can.

i.     God's surprise-provide a rescue mission for every human through His son Jesus Christ.   

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NLT) “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on His shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [7] His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven's Armies will make this happen!”

6.Soldiers are trained to search, rescue and to never leave another soldier behind.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (NLT) "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the

archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. [17] Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. [18] So encourage

each other with these words."

a. Encourage one another with these words.

b.Live in anticipation!

                                                           i.      317 times in the New Testament heaven or the rapture is mentioned. (The word rapere and its derivations means to be caught up, plucked up, or taken by force.  It was the Latin word for the Greek word harpazo, which means “to seize upon with force” or “to snatch away” in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.)

c. Heaven is real declare it, live it out, talk about it!

                                                           i.      Live like your going to it!

d.“There’s a soldier in every one of us” means, there lies in the heart of every one of us the potential for doing unbelievable, physically in achievable miraculous works for God. 

                                                           i.      I love how that video shows everyday average people fighting for their cause and winning.

                                                        ii.      Surprising the enemy with what they didn’t ever expect, me having the upper hand, because of Christ. 

Next Month our seven core values: