Prison Break [in a nutshell]

Last night we read Acts 16 together and looked primarily at Paul and Silas in prison. By looking at all of the other characters we saw that everyone was captive to something. Those who appeared to be free were actually captive.

But what about Paul and Silas. Were they free?

It depends on how you define free!

If you define free by the world’s standards: being able to do whatever they want, whenever they want, NO. By the world's standards they aren't free.

BUT IS ANYBODY TRULY FREE BY THAT DEFINITION?

Think about it.

I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. If I can take what I want, go where I want and do what ever I want to do, I may be free, but you won’t be. Not if you have what I want.
Somebody bigger is going to come along and then they will be free, and I won’t be.
And people are fickle.
When we get what we want, we often don’t want what we get.
Why is this?
Because of two blessings that became problems for humans.

The first blessing was that we were created to serve God
The second blessing was that we were created to serve Him for Eternity.

When we sin we turn those blessings into problems.

The first problem is that we are created to serve and if we aren’t serving God, then
We are going to serve somebody or something. We will live our lives serving something or lots of somethings. Somebody or lots of somebodies.

The second blessing becomes a problem because we are going to live eternally and if we don’t serve God in this life, we face an eternity of serving His enemy.

So, how do we find true freedom in this world AND THE NEXT ONE?

The answer is found in 2 Corinthians 3: 12-18.

12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. 14But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit
And
The access of Jesus Christ the Son
That we can boldly approach the Father.

Looking for freedom? You will find it only at the throne of the Father.
He is the source!
James 1:17 says
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

That means 2 things: He is our source and He doesn’t change!

Titus 1:2 says He CANNOT LIE

Hebrews 10:23 says He is FAITHFUL

1 Peter 1:13 says that because of all of this, we can put our hope fully in His grace.

AND BECAUSE OF ALL OF THIS, WE HAVE TO BUST LOOSE FROM EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE THAT WE SERVE BESIDES HIM

ONLY IN HIM WILL YOU FIND HAPPINESS
ONLY IN HIM WILL YOU FIND PEACE
ONLY IN HIM WILL YOU FIND FREEDOM