GETTYSBURG ILLUSTRATION:

On Nov. 19, 1863, Pres. Abraham Lincoln stood on the battlefield at Gettysburg to dedicate a portion of that land as a national cemetery.

The featured speaker of the day was Edward Everett, acclaimed as possibly the greatest classical orator of his time. A former United States senator, Governor of Massachusetts, and President of Harvard University, he spoke for more than two hours to an audience of over 25,000 people. His was a masterful address, broad in its scope and dramatic in its presentation.

Next was a musical interlude by the Baltimore Glee Club. And then, finally, Pres. Lincoln was formally introduced, and the people settled back down in their chairs and on the grass to listen to him. Lincoln spoke simply and clearly, and startled the people by the briefness of his remarks.

Now folks, I realize that most of you are already familiar with what he said, but would you listen again to a portion of it? After his opening sentences, he said:

"We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting & proper that we should do this.

"But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.
"The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here; but it can never forget what they did here.

"It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, & that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

Gettysburg does not stand alone in our memory. Time would fail if I sought to mention such places as Valley Forge, Flanders Field, Omaha Beach, Iwo Jima, Pork Chop Hill, Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Afghanistan's Operation Enduring Freedom.

But folks, we must realize that if freedom is to be carried on from generation to generation if our children and our grandchildren are to enjoy freedom then we must be willing to pay the price, because "freedom is never free."
 
"Freedom is never free." It sounds like a paradox when you say it, but it is true. "Freedom is never free."

Over 1.1 million men and women have died to guarantee our freedom as Americans.  They gave their all so that we might enjoy the blessings of this great land.  Today, we honor their memory and sacrifice.  Thank God for every one of them. We will never forget them.

 

Memorial Day weekend - May 29, 2011

Pastor Phil Roland - Sheepfold Ministries

 

FREEDOM ISN'T FREE

FORGIVENESS ISN'T FREE, EITHER

Luke 7:36-50

I. FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE - Text

            A. What is Freedom?

                        1. Doing what you want, when you want

                        2. Freedom to acquire money, sex and power?

                        3. Living the Good Life

                        4. Building castles in the sand?

                        5. Life's tides soon washes it away

            B. Who is really free?  John 8:36

            "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

                        1. Easy to become a slave to sin - John 8:34

                        "Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever

                        commits sin is a slave of sin."

                        2. All have sinned. - Romans 3:23

                        "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"

                        3. Everyone is bound to or by something

                        4. Longing for the spiritual connection

                        5. Many are willing to settle for a human connection

                        6. Human connection alone cannot satisfy

                        7. Human heart can be at peace w/two connections

                                    a. Life-long friend, lover and mate

                                    b. Spiritual connection with God thru Jesus Christ

 

II. FORGIVENESS IS NEVER FREE, EITHER - Text        

            A. Jesus is invited to a Pharisee's house

                36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the             Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city            who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the

            Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,38 and stood at

            His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her          tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet

            and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had

            invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a

            prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is

            touching Him, for she is a sinner."
                        1. Pharisees saw Jesus as the enemy

                        2. Simon invites Jesus to his home

                        3. Servants wash guest's feet

                        4. Guests were greeted by hosts with a kiss

                        5. Symbolic gestures of honoring guests

                        6. Anoint heads of male guests with sweet smelling oil

                        7. Didn't happen at Simon's house for Jesus

FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE, cont., p.2

 

            B. Jesus was given none of the traditional welcoming rituals

            C. As they began eating a woman intrudes on the dinner

                        1. Immoral woman, probably a prostitute

                        2. Falls at the feet of Jesus and begins weeping

                        3. Her tears drip onto Jesus' feet

                        4. She dries them with her hair

                        5. Breaks an expensive vial of perfume

                        6. Anoints his feet and kisses them

                        7. Embarrassingly intimate personal gesture

            D. Two Men's reactions: Simon and Jesus

                        1. Simon sees her and judges her as "unclean," a sinner

                        2. Simon judges Jesus w/same contact lenses

                        3. Horrors: Jesus allows himself to be defiled by her touch!

                        4. Simon probably "owly" because she did what he neglected

            E. Jesus sees her as a grateful, repentant sinner

                        1. Penitent who is expressing love and appreciation

                        2. Finds expression at the feet of Jesus

            F. Implied here that Jesus had met her before - verse 37

            "When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus   was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of           perfume,"  NIV

                        1. She had heard Jesus' message of forgiveness and love

                        2. She was responding with an expression of adoration

                        3. Jesus responds in a theologically "hot," dramatic way - v. 47

                        "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for                             she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

 

III. JESUS FORGIVES THE WOMAN'S SINS - Vs. 40-43

"And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it." 41 "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."
            A. The greater the sin, the greater the forgiveness

                        1. A denarius equaled a day's wage

                        2. 50 working days vs. 500 working days

                        3. One man owed fifty working days / 10 weeks of work

                        4. One man owed five hundred / 100 weeks, almost 2 years

            B. Simon must have been dumfounded and confused

                        1. No moneylender in his right mind would forgive either debt

                        2. Especially true of the 500 debt!!

            C. Jesus drives home the teaching with a question

                        1. Which one will love more?

                        2. Obviously the one with the largest debt
                        3. Jesus drives home the point with his comparison

FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE, cont., p.3

 

IV. WE ARE ALL DEBTORS TO JESUS  - Vs. 44-47

"Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.
46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."
            A. We are in debt to one another - Romans 13:8

            "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another

            has fulfilled the law."

                        1. Simon had a poor memory concerning his debts

                        2. Simon's attitude toward Jesus was,

                        "God you're so lucky I'm on your team, I've memorized the law,                                   learned beautiful prayers, do charitable acts. I'm a good Pharisee!"

                        3. Simon didn't see his sins of the heart

                        4. He forgot he was a sinner who needed forgiveness, too!

            B. We are indebted to those who've paid the price for our Freedom

                        1. Jesus was preparing to pay the ultimate price of Freedom

                        2. Neither Forgiveness nor Freedom are without price
 

V. WE CAN NEVER REPAY THAT DEBT

            A. The woman gave all that she had, her funeral preparations

                        1. Alabaster box was very expensive

                        2. Simon invested only in a free meal

            B. Supposing all your creditors called in your debts at the same time

                        1. Not one of us in this room could repay all at once

                        2. Overwhelming, so too, if we had to pay our debts to God                                  and mankind
            C. We can never pay Jesus back, so great is our sin

 

VI. FORGIVENESS IS AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE      

            A. So is Freedom available to all

            B. God's forgiveness and freedom are available to all

                        1. We need only to accept it

                        2. We need to be like the penitent woman

                        3. Lay down everything at Jesus' feet

 Robert McCormack was a sergeant in WW I. He nearly lost his life while saving the life of Major Henry Parkin. Fortunately, both men survived the war. From that day on, until he died 25 years later, in April of every year Parkin wrote McCormack a letter of gratitude.

The last letter Parkin wrote contained this brief note:

"Dear Bob, I again want to express to you my appreciation for another year of life which I would not have enjoyed had it not been for you & the price you were willing to pay to save my life. I want you to know, I am grateful."

 FREEDOM ISN'T FREE, Text:

LUKE 7:36-50

36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.
37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil,
38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.
39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."
40 And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it."
41 "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"
43 Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."
44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.
45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.
46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.
47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."
48 Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."
49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"
50 Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."