WELCOME TO OUR CELEBRATION OF FREEDOM

Oh, to see the dawn of the darkest day:

Christ on the road to Calvary. Tried by sinful men,torn and beaten, then

nailed to a cross of wood.

THE POWER OF THE CROSS

CHORUS:

This the pow'r of the cross:Christ became sin for us;

Took the blame, bore the wrath -we stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the painwritten on Your face,

bearing the awesome weight of sin.

Every bitter thought, every evil deed,crowning Your bloodstained brow.

CHORUS:

This the pow'r of the cross:Christ became sin for us;

Took the blame, bore the wrath -we stand forgiven at the cross.

Now the daylight flees;Now the ground beneath

quakes as its Maker bows His head.Curtain torn in two, dead are raised to life;

"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

CHORUS:This the pow'r of the cross:

Christ became sin for us;Took the blame, bore the wrath -

we stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see my namewritten in the wounds,

For through Your suffering I am free.Death is crushed to death;

Life is mine to live,won through Your selfless love.

CHORUS:This the pow'r of the cross:

Son of God—slain for us.What a love! What a cost!

We stand forgiven at the cross!***

FREEDOM• What comes to your mind…?

• What is “spiritual freedom”?

• How can we have peace with God?• Romans 5.1

• Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

• Justified - Made right with God

• Cleansed from the guilt of sin and righteous in God’s eyes

THE MESSENGER OF FREEDOM

• John 1.6-8 “a man sent from God”

• Chosen by God before he was even born to announce the imminent arrival of the promised Messiah

• Mark 1.5 Why did people go out to see him?

• His looks, style, diet? v.6

THE METHOD OF THE MESSENGER

• Luke 7.24-26 What did they go out to see?

• They recognized that he was a prophet sent from God.

• Why did the go hear him?

• He was a man with God’s message

• He preached and baptized

THE MESSAGE

• What did they hear? Mark 1.4

• A message that related to the condition of every human heart.

• A message of forgiveness and freedom.

• Began with a call to repentance• Which leads to

• Freedom from condemnation.

Romans 8.1

• There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who no longer walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

• Why did the go hear him?

• Because it was a message of hope and “Good News”!!!

HOW IS THIS FORGIVENESS POSSIBLE?

• John pointed to a Savior, a Sin Bearer, a Forgiver, a Substitute.

• The communion table does too.

• How well we forgive others is an indicator of whether or not we’ve been forgiven.

• Then there is freedom from malice, etc.