All right, guys, am I on? Can you hear me? All right. OK. So tonight, I'm starting a three-week series called Walking in Freedom. This first slide, I picked the picture of the hiker, because whenever I think of freedom, whenever I'm stressed or something like that, I think, I want to get out. I want to get away. And the most relaxing thing for me to think about is on a hike in the mountains. I like Oak Mountain State Park, it's nice, but I've been to some of the national parks and it's just amazing. You get out there and everything you see in the animals, in the mountains, in the smells, and I'm like, oh, this is it. And I say, wow, this is what God made. And I just feel so close to God, feel so relaxed. And that to me is a lot of, I need to get out there more, but that's just like freedom for me. So whenever I'm stressed or worried about something or dealing with some of the things we're going to talk about, that's kind of where my mind goes. At least my mind. But that's the kind of, freedom that I like, and I think once we understand the freedom that we have in Christ, this freedom to be close to him and follow his commandments, there's, I think, a few things that we can really take away. So I'm going to talk about three different things. The first is freedom from the past, and we'll get into that in a second here. So before we do that though, maybe kind of ask, give a couple examples, but what does freedom mean to you? So maybe it's the freedom not to do anything or be lazy or be retired. Not that retired is lazy. People who are retired stay plenty busy. But you have more freedom to do maybe more what you want. Or maybe if you're a teenager, I just don't want to do anything. It's freedom to be lazy laying a tree. Maybe it's freedom to choose your own career, choose your own path. In America, we can do that. We didn't used to always have that, not even in America. And in a lot of other countries, they don't even have the freedom to be educated at all. And just coming here, wow, what do you like? Immigrants that I've talked to, what do you like about this country? Oh, I can get educated. I can do what I want to do. And they say freedom. That's one of the first things it means to them. Give me another one. Hold on, what's going on here? Sorry, I'm getting all the weird things going up. Okay. There we go. All right, the next one. Murica, right? That's probably one of the first things you say freedom in America. You think of, oh, freedom, the red, white, and blue, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, or whatever you think. Some countries can be rated higher than freedom than America, and that's all a matter of perspective. But America is the land of the free, the home of the brave, right? So America. And then another one, church, or the freedom of religion. And even in church, maybe it's the freedom to practice at the church you want, you know? You guys are here as a choice because of the family, maybe because of the denomination, maybe because of particular things that are taught here. So it's not even just religion, but freedom to practice and worship God the way you believe he should be worshipped. So, thoughts. What does freedom mean to anybody else? I'm with you. I really love to get out. I like to be outside. Particularly out in the country, where our property's at, things like that. Just the cleanliness of the air. There's just something about it. You can smell it. Yeah. You can just, there's a nice little light breeze blowing, and the temperature's just right. Just being out there in the silence. It's a freedom to be on some land, some space without a lot of people, and in the silence and just the peace that brings. Well, it's just calming to the mind, and like you say, it's much easier to reflect on what God's made, you know, when there's not cars buzzing around or a lot of things going on. I have a very short attention span, so it's real easy. Yeah Free from the distractions of life everything that takes your mind away from what's more important maybe Anybody else Jim from a communist country. And fortunately, it was not communist anymore. But Romania used to be a communist country. And I've been in Bulgaria, that was a communist country. And I've been to Russia three times, and that was a communist country. Fortunately, it's not anymore. So I'm thankful to be an American. I'm always thankful to come back to the States. But it's fun to live abroad too, especially if you're serving the war as a missionary. That's great, that's great. So after having seen the difference in communist countries, seen the difference that freedom is here, how important that is. Yeah, lack of ownership and pride too, yeah. So, our main passage for this series is going to be John 8, 31 to 36. I'll read that. It says, Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, we be Abraham's seed, and we're never in bondage to any man. How sayest thou you shall be made free? Jesus answered them, verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever commit a sin is a servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house forever, but the son abideth forever. If the son, therefore, shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. So he's saying that belief in him means freedom from sin. You're not going to be a servant to sin. And the truth he's talking about is the gospel truth, that Jesus came to offer himself as a payment for our sins, and to set us free from sin and death, right? So he was the word made flesh, and he left us the word of God, which has instructions and commandments on how to live, and how to live out this truth. And I think that is really what I'm focused on here through these three-week series, three different things that really we can take home with us What are some ways we can apply this to our lives? So the first week, freedom from the past. And Philippians 3, 13-14 is the main passage for this week, which says, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." So here, Paul is encouraging the Philippians to forget the past and focus on the future, specifically God's calling for them. Not just what's tomorrow, but what's God's calling for you. He says, "...toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." So it's not like, I'm gonna forget yesterday and I'm gonna think about what I have to And I was gonna forget everything that I did in the past, everything that was negative, and what does God want from me? Just put that on his will. And I think most people on earth that breathe air struggle with things in their past. I don't know if that includes any of you guys, but no, nobody. So we're gonna look at some things today to help with that. So, a couple examples that I have. The first one is Paul. An example of how his past was bad and what happened with him. So, the first thing is, you guys all know this, but he was present and consented to Stephen, the disciple. So in Acts 7.55-58, it's talking about Stephen, it says, "...but he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly to heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens open, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice," this is the people, didn't want to hear him, "...and they stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul, or Paul, before he changed his name. And a couple verses later, in chapter 8, verse 1, it says, And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church, which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. So that was a pretty bad thing he did. He was there, he was present. Doesn't say whether he instituted it, but you know, maybe a lot of his actions inspired the crowd to do this. They didn't want to hear it. Kill the guy? Okay, good. One less. And of course we just read about some of his persecution, but in Galatians 1, 13 through 14, it talks about it again, or he actually talks about it. He says, For ye have heard of my conversation in times past, in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the Church of God, and wasted it, and profited in the Jews' religion, above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers." He said, man, I was a really, really great Jew. And we didn't believe that Jesus was Messiah. We tried to shut it down, and I did a good job. He wasn't saying he was proud of it. He was just saying he did a good job. And then, reflecting back on this later, in 1 Timothy 1.15, he says, So he recognized his problems in his past. So let's look what happened to him, his redemption, his transformation. How did he get over his past? How did he have freedom from his past and focus on what God had for him? Well, we all know about his conversion on the road to Damascus, right? I'll read a few verses from that. Acts 9, 1 through 6. And Saul, yet threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, he was still high on this persecution, went unto the high priest and desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, the Christian church was called the way back then, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven. And he fell to earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou have me do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. So the men that were with him, he was blind for a little bit, took him to Damascus. And when he opened his eyes, he didn't see Jesus anymore. He was like, I heard him, but I didn't see him. And God told a disciple in Damascus named Ananias to go help Paul. Ananias didn't quite agree. He was like, wait, this is the bad dude who's been really problematic, and you want me to help him? But he agreed. he was sent to where Paul was staying. In Acts 9, 17-18 it says, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales, and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized." So, sometimes maybe it's a little more instant when you can get over your past and have freedom from that. Some people, maybe their past is so bad that it takes something like that from God, right? Gonna smack you down, blind you, and say, listen, you need to wake up. This is not the right way. Anybody had an experience like that? Seems like maybe that's easier. I don't know, you know, just get it get it. I just I can I can have this to go forward and forget it But that's what God did for Saul for his his redemption, so let's see what happened next So he boldly preached Christ everywhere he went Despite threats and persecution from the Jews, which which is, you know, Ron. These are the people the zealous Jew persecuting the Christians, and now as a Christian, he's getting persecution from the zealous Jews who were threatening, not only threatening, but put him in prison and beat him in multiple things. So he just turned around and got his taste of his own medicine, but he kept on. And what were some of his accomplishments? He became the first Christian missionary. I was trying to get a number I don't know if this is right But I was able to count like 17 distinct places where the Bible says he ministered he went to more places than that some of the places he went more than once but 17 specific places like cities and Cyprus and Malta and Asia Minor in Europe and Syria. He was quite the traveler, and back then, you know, I've been on a few missionary trips. I've been to Athens in Greece, and I've been to New York City a few times, specifically mission trips, and sometimes those feel a little, you know, a little scary getting out there, but can you imagine a thousand years ago, they didn't have planes to get around. The ships frequently sink, and everywhere you went, people were out to attack you, you know, and and here even some You know freedom to to share the gospel and protections Yeah, they didn't they didn't like him anymore you were one of us and now you're not you're the opposite you know They they weren't very friendly to him He was also the apostle of the Gentiles. He took that upon himself. That became his ministry. Where I'd say, he didn't take it upon himself. That's what God called him to do. That was the mystery revealed to him. That was his special ministry. And that he is, his ministry that God had him do is why Christianity, one of the main reasons Christianity spread throughout Europe and even to America today. And throughout his trips, he wrote 13 books of the Bible, his epistles. And four of them were his prison epistles. He got thrown in prison multiple times, and he even wrote these epistles in prison. So he had quite the transformation, and God used him a lot. And Philippians 3, 5-17, our verse from before, if you read it in the rest of the context, he was going back, starting in verse 5, talking about all the things he had done. He goes, my former ways. This is how zealous I was. This is everything that I did. And he talks about these things and how zealous he was. And he wanted to learn so much. And he studied under Gamaliel, one of the most well-known Jewish leaders back in the day. So he was high up there. he thought he had attained a lot, but do you know what he said? He said it's all worthless. It's all worthless and all that matters now is Christ. In verse 8 Philippians 3 says all that matters now is Christ. And then in verse 17 he said we should have the same focus. So that's Paul. Look at his background, everything that he did, everything that he came through, and then reflecting back on it, It reminds me of Solomon, you know, vanity and vanity. Everything I did was worthless. Paul says everything that I did was worthless. It's the same thing. And then in Romans 8.1, it's almost like a bit of a conclusion of this. He says, So he's like, I understand. Everything I did was bad, but through Jesus, it's all washed clean. I don't have condemnation for my past. And now my life is to serve God. So a question that I have for you guys is, do you think God used Paul despite his past? Just because God chose, I'm not just gonna pick this guy, or, which God can, or because of his past? Both? Did his past come into play in his ministry? Oh, yes. I think it was foundational in being able to relate and to be... Sometimes our experience, I think, can give us credibility in a way that... You know, I've been pretty blessed for the most part of my life being raised in a Christian home, but some of the greatest Witnesses that I know are people who were saved out of really bad lifestyle or bad choices. Now, just like Paul, an example of, hey, look what God can do with somebody who's with such a bad past. I feel like if I say that God used him because of his past, Well, I mean, I don't think there's a requirement that we don't sin for God to use us, though. How about God used his past? Let me read a passage for this. Acts 9, 20-22. This is right after the scales came off of his eyes. Basically, right away, what happened? It says, "...and straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem? And came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? but Saul increased the moor in strength and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ." How was he able to do that? Because he was so well trained as a Jew. Because he was so zealous as a Jew. Because he had been so educated, he knew everything. Not necessarily the persecution that he did, but his past, and for how zealous he was, how well he knew the scriptures, the Old Testament, That's why he was able to be so affected right at first. Yeah. He thought it was righteous. He thought it was zealousness. He thought it was honoring God. Yeah. And also, like you said, because Because he was one of them. He was one of the persecutors and he's standing off against the persecutors Set because you you left our fold You weren't just one of Jesus disciples. You were one of us and you left You know gonna make him a lot more angry And maybe that's what God wanted Yeah, that's right. And he was able to use that on Mars Hill as well. His understanding that he had gained from all that time. And that's one of my favorite passages in Acts chapter 17. His sermon on Mars Hill. Which, by the way, I've been there. And they have it in old, I think ancient Greek, as a plaque on Mars Hill. It's really cool. I couldn't read it though, but I believed it was right. So I was able to read the passage in English up there, which is pretty amazing. So our next example is Peter. He's another person with a flawed past. Not many people in the Bible don't have a flawed past. Not many of us don't, but these are some examples I thought would be good. So, he starts off by, you know, famously saying, I'm not going to deny Jesus. In Matthew 26, 35, it says, Peter said unto them, though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise, also said all the disciples, I will die rather than deny you. He says, and we have it written down. Sorry, Peter, we got proof. And then what did he do? He denied Jesus. Not just once, three times. So Luke 22 54 to 62, it's recorded, and it says, And Peter followed afar off. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also with him. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth, this fellow also is with him, for he is the Galilean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. Peter remembered the word of the Lord how he had set up unto him before the cock crow Thou shalt deny me thrice and Peter went out and wept bitterly He imagined that In one of the other passages Yeah, it's like I don't know what you're talking about you're you're dumb. That's no huh wouldn't me at this some other Simon Peter but um yeah how how horrible you know what a um what a what a thing to try to come back from you know and i like i like this picture here of him just oh covering his face like oh my goodness what have i done just as predicted so let's look at his redemption and transformation so John 21 15 to 15 to 19 this is where Jesus restored him It says so when they had dined Jesus say it's I'm in Peter Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me more than these He sayeth unto him ye Lord thou knowest that I love thee he sayeth unto him feed my lambs He sayeth to him again the second time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me he sayeth unto him ye Lord thou knowest that I love thee and He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon son of Jonas, Lovest thou me? Peter was grieved, because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkest, whither thou wouldest. But when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee, whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, follow me. So after Jesus' resurrection, he didn't leave Peter stuck in his guilt. He didn't say well. He got he got what he deserved. You know he denied me three times Just like I said you know he's done. I can't use this guy. He's messed up He didn't say that but in this passage he personally restored Peter I read I don't you know who knows but he asked him three times and How many times did he deny Christ? Maybe there was a connection there And every time it's like he gave him a new purpose. Feed my lambs, tend my sheep, feed my sheep. Jesus wasn't just forgiving Peter, he was restoring him to a position of leadership and trust. And we all know he became a great leader in the church later on. So did Jesus see Peter as a failure? Do you think the other disciples did? Yeah. Like, oh man, I can't believe what he did. We didn't deny him. And they probably thought they were better than him. Jesus saw him as a leader, as someone who could shepherd his people despite his past mistakes. He didn't let his denial of Jesus define the rest of his life. And let's look at the rest of his life. Let's look at what happened. So in Acts 2, 14 to 48, he preaches at Pentecost. He was very bold in his preaching. Here's just a couple passages here. Now that's not just Peter, that's God through Peter. This is how Peter was used. they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayers and Fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done by the Apostles Wow, that's something to put in your resume, you know And not only there but he continued to preach boldly and a few examples of his bold has boldness despite threats and imprisonment and acts for Peter and John were thrown into prison in Jerusalem for preaching Jesus. And they were taken out of prison, and before the council asked to give a defense, and guess what they did? They preached about Jesus some more. Just what they were thrown into prison for. You're thrown into prison for preaching Jesus. What do you have to say for yourself? Let me tell you more about Jesus. They're like, ah, these guys, you know? In Acts 15, 17 through 33, The apostles, a group of apostles including Peter, were put in prison again in Jerusalem for preaching and performing miracles. And God opened the doors at night and let them out. Do you know what they did the next morning? They went into the temple. They were outside doing healing, and they got thrown into prison, and God broke them out and immediately go straight into the temple. That's kind of bold, right? And they're like, what are you guys doing here? You guys got to get out. No. But they didn't care. That's what they were called to do. They were bold. And then in Acts 12, Peter was prisoned by Herod because Herod planned to kill him. And God let him out. So despite all that, he was bold, very bold. And he became known as the Apostate of the Jews, whereas Peter was the Apostate of the Gentiles. He had a unique ministry there. Paul talks about it in one of his epistles. But even though then, Peter still struggled with the Jews, the acceptance of the Jews. And God gave him a vision, and he went and talked to Cornelius, and he found out that, oh, we are supposed to minister to the Jews. And he and Paul, the Gentiles, thank you. And he and Paul went to the Jerusalem Council, and they worked on the rest of the Christian Jews about this. So he had a very, great ministry was used of God despite his past. So he had a lot of fear in his past. That's why he denied God, right? That's why he denied Jesus, because of fear. And he was able to get over that. And he had boldness and courage afterwards. He didn't let the fear in his past dictate his actions. And I think that's something that we can struggle with, you know? Maybe it's sharing the gospel, maybe it's could be almost anything, you know. We have the fear of doing the right thing, you know. And you're tempted to take the easy way out. And denying Jesus for him was probably the easy way out because, oh, I don't want to be killed. I don't want to suffer persecution. A little fun side note here. Can everybody see in that picture what he's holding in his hand? It's a key. Anybody know what that key is it's really not part of my lesson. It's just for fun Yeah keys of the kingdom. So there's a lot of these paintings that have him holding one or two keys. Most of them are, you know, Catholic type paintings, but it's interesting. It comes from Matthew 16, 18, and 19, you know, that, you know, the Catholics like this verse a lot too. But it says, and I also say, under the rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall And I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, thou shalt be bound in heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, thou shalt be loosed in heaven. So normally there's two keys. There's like cross keys. There's a gold one, which symbolizes spiritual authority. And a silver one represents earthly authority. Just a little fun takeaway. I was looking for pictures of Peter. I'm like, they all have these keys. And I think it's his passage. But you know, what does it, what do they have it mean? So anyway, I just thought that was interesting. Any thoughts on Peter? Well, this is later in life, you know, after he had, you know, founded the church, so. He got a lot of fish back in the day, yeah. So, let's start seeing, you know, making this personal now. Do you let your past define you? So, Past mistakes, guilt, and regrets can weigh us down, can hinder our spiritual growth in our relationship with God. A lot of people struggle with self-worth issues, too. How can I be used of God? Or how can I do anything? I'm not worth anything. I'm just this puny little person. Nobody's going to listen to me. I can't be ineffective. I can't be used. And you get stuck thinking that maybe your past or that feeling of self-worth defines you. And maybe here's some questions that people may ask. Am I too broken for God to use me? I mean, everybody feels broken here and there. Am I too broken for God to use me? What if they knew about my past? Would they still accept me? Maybe I really wouldn't be able to fit in with this group or be used like I want to be used. Will I ever stop feeling guilty? Why do I keep making the same mistakes? Maybe that's a little more for other people as well. I mean, hey, I've tried to get over this, but I keep doing the same thing. I'm stuck in this rut. ones, what are some questions that you might ask about letting your past define you? Why did God allow me to go through things? Anybody else? So learn from your past instead of letting it control you. That's a good one. I like that. So, We need to understand God's forgiveness as a way to help us move past. Because in Christ we have forgiveness of sins. Ephesians 1.7 says, "...in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of grace." What sins do we have forgiveness for here? All the ones in the past. What about the ones that I haven't committed? Because if that wasn't the case, then you always have to worry about, I don't have forgiveness, and if you don't have forgiveness... Right, right. So, that doesn't make sense. And then 1 John 1.9, I'm going to give Pastor Danny's interpretation on this, says, if we confess our sins, he will restore us to fellowship. Sorry, that's, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Just a couple verses earlier, it's talking about fellowship. And since we know that all our sins are forgiven, I think as a Christian that has the context of restoring to fellowship, it's kind of like, you know, if you and somebody, you know, maybe your wife, you have an argument, or you do something to upset them, you don't ever Come and apologize or make that clean. That's still that's affecting your relationship, right? Maybe you just want to be quiet. Maybe maybe it'll go away Maybe you eventually start talking to each other, but there's always that Problem between you two and you talk about it, you know confess it. That's the same thing I think you know talk to God about it and you know, and maybe it's just the one side maybe like oh I I don't feel like I can talk to God right now because I've I I've done some sin that I haven't talked about. We don't need to go to a priest. We can go straight to God for it. So it's already totally forgiven, but we need to restore that relationship. And then I love this one. Psalm 103 12. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. They're not just like, he's just not going to put them under the table. They're gone. As far as the East is from the West, and I'm always thankful that God didn't save the North from the South, because that means, so... And I do think it's hard, even reading this and thinking about this, to believe that God's completely forgiven our sins. That's something that I think, you know, that's a personal thing that people have to realize that God's completely forgiven your sins. You need to realize that. Maybe you still remember it, but he doesn't. It's gone. And then with forgiveness, as a Christian, we have a new identity in Christ. We're not this old person anymore. We're not this person with this past. Second Corinthians 517, therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. You're new. You're a new person. You have a new identity. In Galatians 2.20, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives in me. That's that's who you have and you're a new person why because you have Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to Conquer sins and Then Romans 12 to do not be conformed to this world But be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God So a Christian is forgiven and transformed That's something else. That's that's a whole nother lesson or a whole series but that's part of this equation to to Freedom having freedom from the past is know that I'm a new person in Christ And I'm a little short on time so I'm gonna keep going here So I have a story that I want to share with you guys From John Newton. I love this story. I So, he was born in 1725. His early life started on a hopeful note. His mother was a devout Christian. She poured her faith into him, teaching him scripture and hymns, and she wanted him to become a minister someday. But when he was six years old, she passed away. That loss shattered his childhood, and his father, who was a sea captain, took over his upbringing, and by the time John was 11, he was out sailing with his dad. And you know, back in the day, life at sea was harsh. It was godless. It was full of temptation. And as he grew, he became rebellious and defiant. He rejected any faith that his mother had tried to instill in him. He often joked that he was beyond saving. By the time he was an adult, his life had spiraled into chaos. He bounced from job to job, and he even worked as a servant for a slave trader in Africa once, where he was even treated cruelly. Later, he became a captain of ships involved in the transatlantic slave trade, and he oversaw the transport of enslaved people. Although he felt no remorse, he was consumed by greed and ambition, and he lived a life of moral and spiritual darkness. And one day in 1748, there was a storm His ship was sailing back to England when it was caught in a violent storm off the coast of Ireland. The waves were so fierce that they started tearing the ship apart. As the crew struggled to keep the ship afloat, he faced his own mortality. He thought he was going to die. For the first time in years, he thought about God. And in desperation, he cried out, Lord, have mercy on us. Well, the ship didn't sink, and he survived the storm. But it shook him. It shook him to his core. He saw their survival as an act of God. He gave God credit for that survival, and it was a turning point in his life. And slowly he began to change. He began reading the Bible and other Christian literature, and he sought to understand the God who had spared him. Over time, he became a Christian. He came to faith in Christ. He repented of his sins, and he turned his life around. It didn't change overnight, though. It wasn't a miraculous thing like Paul's was. It took him years for him to fully leave the slave trade and embrace the transformation God was working in his heart. This reminds us that freedom from the past is often a process, not an instant fix. Eventually, he left the sea entirely and began studying theology. He became a pastor, and he poured his life into serving others and sharing the gospel. In 1772, John wrote a hymn. Yes, amazing grace. In those words, amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see. You know, think about his past and understand that those words came from the depths of his heart. He knew what it felt like to be lost and found, blind and then able to see. And him was reflection of his journey and the incredible power of God's grace. But that wasn't all. Later in life, he joined the abolitionist movement. And he spoke out against the very trade he'd once profited from. He wrote a detailed account of the horrors of the slave trade and publicly expressed his regret and shame for his involvement. His testimony became a powerful tool in the fight to end slavery. He even mentioned William Wilberforce, who's the leader of the abolitionist movement in England, and helped pave the way for the eventual end of the slave trade in Britain. John Newton's story is a testament to the fact that no matter how far we've fallen or how broken our past may seem, God's grace is greater. He doesn't just forgive us, he redeems us, transforms us, and uses us for his purpose. Newton's life shows that we don't have to be defined by our mistakes. When we surrender our past to God, he can turn even the darkest parts of our story into something that glorifies him. So what amazing grace God has for us to spite our past. I think that was a story that fit freedom from the past pretty well. Has anybody heard all that story before, knew that he was part of the abolitionist movement too? Yeah, that's a pretty powerful story. So, let's see if I can give a few things, practical things, to move forward with. Move past the past. Isaiah 43, 18 and 19 says, Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth. Shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." And God was talking to the Hebrew children about what he did. He made a way in the wilderness. He made rivers in the desert. So I think we can use this verse too. And I like that, don't remember the former things, I will do a new thing. 1 Peter 5, 7 says, casting all your care upon him for he cares for you. So what are you worried about? What you think your past is holding you back? Can you give it to God and you pray about it? Proverbs 3, 5, and 6 says, So maybe you're sitting there figuring out, how do I get over this? How do I move on? Do you have the strength or the power or the knowledge or wisdom to do it yourself? You give your words to God and trust in God, not yourself. So if something's holding you back from your past, talk to God about it. So maybe there's something, maybe a practical thing would be There's something you're thinking about write it down. So you don't forget to talk to God about it These are the things in my past that are holding me back. These are the things that are holding me back today Write it down Pray about it And seek God's will and focus on new spiritual goals What's that new thing like Isaiah 43 18 to 19 is talking about? What's God's will for your life? And of course, always important, stay faithful in church and fellowship with other Christians. You can't do this by yourself. You need God. But he also commands us and builds the church for this fellowship, for building accountability, for encouragement. Very important. And so one thing to take home tonight too is, what's the new thing? that you think God wants you to do in your life right now. Maybe write that down too. Something's holding you back and something that you can focus on for that new thing. What does he want me to do? Write it down. Focus on that. Pray. Ask for God's strength and direction in that. And then, everybody loves C.S. Lewis, right? His quote, is a good one for freedom from the past. Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward. I like that. Otherwise you're just still holding on. You might even be at the end, but until you let go of it, you're not going to be able to move on. So, freedom from the past is freedom to pursue God's future. God's future for you. Isaiah 40 31 Says but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles They shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint What is what is waiting on the Lord here How do we how do we do that I think it's trust and expectation. We trust God and expect that he's going to show us that new thing and help us with that. And then, as we've emphasized throughout this, freedom from the past is only possible through Christ. I don't know how I'd give this message or this encouragement to somebody without the Bible, without Christ. I was thinking about that as I went through this and all these scriptures, and I'm like, how would I do that? I mean, I guess a psychologist or somebody else, they would probably give all these nice feel-good things, but it's not true freedom. It's not true freedom without Christ. But since we do have Christ, which I hope you do, You have this freedom. We're still gonna struggle with things. We're still gonna struggle with the past That's why this is message isn't just for non-believers. This is for Christians how do we deal with that because we're still human and we have Freedom from sin, but we still have this in nature with us and Paul talked about that You know, I don't know why I do the things that I do So we still have the struggle But I think there's a lot of things here that hopefully we can take home and say, um, let's not let the past define me. Think about that new thing. Thoughts? Other things to add? I'm free and yet I did this. Yeah. And so I think that really hinders us and really holds us back because we think we're going to make those same mistakes again. And we probably will, but it's like you've got to learn that, okay, you know, hey, he gives us every morning, his mercies are new every morning. And we just have to realize that, that you know what, every day is a new day and we just, we get to start fresh. And you know, yeah, we made those mistakes and you know, it's hard, I think, to accept that when you're a Christian, like, oh my goodness. Yeah, I think one of the hardest things is what you just said and what I had earlier, why do I keep doing the things that I did? And like Paul said, I don't know why I do the things that I do. The old man's dead, right? But why do I still struggle with this? Well, the answer is we're not truly free from that sin nature in this world. We have the power of the Holy Spirit to help with that, though. And we have a direct line to God for that communication and for that help. So, next week, the second part, we're gonna do another freedom. It's freedom from comparison. Bet you nobody ever compares themselves to anybody else, right? And struggles with that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, nobody compares himself on social media. Oh look at them. They're they're so wonderful. Why can't I be like that? Um, yeah So come back and we'll talk about that and I got a I think another pretty interesting example. So All right. Um, let's close in prayer Lord, thank you for this night. You've given us and thank you for the truths in your word. I thank you for giving us the freedom over sin and death as a Christian. Thank you for what that freedom means. Thank you that we don't have to be tied to our past and that you've given us a calling. Help us to remember to forget the old things and to focus on what you have for us, Lord. Pray that you help us keep with us throughout this week and throughout our lives, Lord, and be with us as we go our ways throughout this week. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.