Today I want to speak to you about a great concern...

... I have for the body of Christ. In John 8:31‑36 (NKJV) it says “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, 'You will be made free'?" Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” We talk about freedom, we sing about freedom, and we say we Live In Freedom Everyday but do we really?

As pastors we have to deal with multiple things every day and sometimes it is almost shocking the things people share with us...I said “almost” because it seems to be the norm. Church folks are addicted to prescription drugs, addicted to pornography, living together out of wedlock, and bound by so many strongholds in their lives and it seems that cannot find their freedom in Christ. Jesus in speaking to those Jews who believed in Him and was telling them that they could be free but they denied that they had ever been in bondage to anyone. Excuse me, but were they not in bondage through most of the Old Testament and as Jesus was speaking to them they were under the bondage of the Romans.

Here lies the problem, until we admit that we have given the devil access to an area of our lives and have allowed him to be our master, we will not be free. Pastor Rick, I cannot be in bondage because I am a believer!  I do believe that you are a believer but if we were all honest, we have all allowed the enemy to take us into bondage in one area or another in our lives. It may be pride, a critical spirit, sexual addictions, drugs, alcohol, watching junk we shouldn’t watch, or whatever. So what’s the answer? We must come to Christ and confess our sin (our bondage) and allow Him to set us free. That is His will that we all be free. John 10:10 (NKJV) “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”