Freedom Study - Week 2

Well, welcome back for week two of Freedom. I am so glad that you're here. You know, just by showing up, you're investing in the future version of you. And I don't know if it was desperation or maybe curiosity that led you to this study, but either way, I believe that the work we do here together is going to change things for you. They're going to change things spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. So let's lean in. You know, last week we talked about how in order to find freedom, we need to break free from three things. The sins we can't leave, the hurts we receive, and the lies that we believe. So for the next two sessions, I want us to focus on how to break free from the sins we can't leave. So we're going there. We are talking about sin. But before I jump into this heavy topic, I just want to frame our time together with a little story. And I was thinking back this week about when Jefferson was little, he was about three or four years old, and he was an only child. So Todd and I were actually his playmates a lot of the time, right? And so we would play these games, and one of his favorite games was hide and seek. And I remember that for me, I always wanted games to be a learning situation, right? Like a life lesson. So I made it really hard for Jefferson to find me, right? And I wanted him to learn a lesson, but Todd, he was like, he was such a better parent than me, let's face it. But he would make it really easy for Jefferson. So he would hide, and then when he'd get behind the curtain, he would always make sure that if he was behind the curtain, he would like whistle so that Jefferson could hear him, or he'd put his toes out from under the curtain, and Jefferson would find him, and as soon

as he found him, they would hug and laugh, and they'd have this moment, and I was still stuck under the bed somewhere, right? But here's the deal, Todd was a really, really good dad, and he was making it really easy for Jefferson to find him. And what I want you to get is this picture in your mind that God is this good father that wants to be found, and no matter how old you are, you are his child, and he finds delight in you. He finds delight when you find him, and even when we think we're the one looking, he is always finding ways to reveal himself to us, to pursue us. Like Todd, with the toes under the curtain, he'll do whatever it takes to connect with you and to close the gap of this separation that might be between you. And when I think about this season with Jefferson before he experienced the heartbreak, when he really believed that the truest thing about him was what his adoring parents said about him, there was just this innocence. And I want to stop there for a minute and just talk a little bit about this whole idea of innocence, and I want to start by asking you this question. What comes to your mind when you hear the word innocence? I actually Googled the word innocence, and the first several images were cute babies like Jefferson, cute small children. Some of them were oblivious, without worry, completely unaware of what was going on in the world and what the world can do to a person over time. There were pictures of children before they reached the terrible twos and before they could say no. Some of the images showed children running and playing. It was easy to see the freedom that flows from a life that hasn't been burdened with shame and sorrow and pain and regret. And when I hear the word innocence, I actually think of the children, but I also think of a documentary that I once watched. And it wasn't about a child, it was about a man who had spent 20 years in a prison for a crime that he didn't even commit.

Can you imagine? I mean, I'll never forget watching this documentary, and when the truth finally came out and the DNA evidence cleared this innocent man's name, he walked out of the prison with tears streaming down his face. Why? Because after spending two decades behind bars, he was finally free to live his life in the way that it was meant to be lived. It's almost impossible to separate innocence and freedom. Innocent people are free people. And maybe you're thinking, well, there's no way that I can ever be free. I can't be free because I'm definitely not innocent. I've done some pretty bad things in my day. How can freedom be found when my innocence has been lost? Well, that's what I want to talk about today. See, the story of creation, it actually shows us that God created us to be innocent and free. And I believe that this is still his heart for us today. And so as we journey together toward freedom, I want to take us back to God's word to see when freedom was lost. was first given, and then when it was first lost. How did we lose our freedom in the first place? I believe that there's a lot we can learn when we study the first place that a subject is mentioned in scripture. So let's get back to the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, back to Genesis 1, verse 27. It tells us that God created mankind in his own image. In the image of God, he created them. Male and female, he created them. See, this verse tells us that we were created

to be image bearers, to reflect this perfect and holy God. And then it goes on in Genesis chapter two, it says that now the Lord had planted a garden in the east, in Eden, and there he put the man that he had formed. And the Lord God made all kinds of trees to grow out of the ground, trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. So what we've got in the scripture is this perfect people living in a perfect place. It sounds great, right? Like, where do I sign up for that? From the very beginning, God's design was that we would live lives full of beauty and purpose. And then it goes on to say, in verses 15 and 16, that the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to take care of it. And then he commanded the man, he said, you are free, don't miss this. See, God's first words to Adam and Eve were words of freedom. I know that's not the end of the sentence yet, but let's take that in. His first words were words of freedom. It wasn't a rule, but a release. Both an invitation and a command to enjoy all the good God had created for them.

And with one critical boundary line, God went on to say, you are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it, you will certainly die. See, for a long time, I wondered why would God even put that tree in the middle of the garden? Why even create an option or an opportunity for Adam and Eve to sin? But then I realized something. See, freedom without choice isn't really freedom at all. Let me say that again. Freedom without choice isn't really freedom at all. From the very beginning, God gave us the freedom to choose him, to trust him. It's all about relationship, to believe and to take him at his word. Adam and Eve, they weren't enslaved to God. Remember, he made them to be image bearers, not robots. He gave them the gift of freedom, but it was a gift that came with guardrails. You see, it was because Adam and Eve had real freedom that they needed clear guardrails. They needed these clear guardrails put into place for their protection. See, God's first command, it wasn't a form of punishment, it was a means of protection. And the same thing is still true today. See, this book, the Bible, is filled with commands

that are meant to keep you safe, commands that are meant to protect your innocence and your freedom. So freedom, it was clearly given in Genesis 2, but it was quickly lost in Genesis 3. Prior to Genesis 3, Adam and Eve had enjoyed a close, intimate, personal relationship with God. They literally walked with him through the garden, but all that changed when they bypassed their God-given boundary. Let's go back to the garden and see how that story unfolds. See, Adam and Eve were enjoying paradise when Satan, the devil, slithered onto the scene and struck up a conversation with Eve one day. Now, I wanna take a few minutes to look closely at this conversation between Satan and Eve, because it was a conversation that changed all of humanity. Genesis chapter three, verses one through five says this. It says, now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden? And the woman said to the serpent, we may eat from the trees in the garden, but God did say you must not eat from the tree that is in the middle of the garden and you must not touch it or you will die. You will certainly not die, the serpent said to the woman, for God knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God,

knowing good and evil. See, I think it's important to note that Satan, the most cunning creature, didn't tempt Eve with something like, hey, let's go murder Adam. Isn't he getting on your nerves right now? Or I wonder what would happen if we burned this garden to the ground. No, he didn't tempt her with something wild and extreme. He tempted Eve with a theological question. He caused her to stumble with a twisted truth because even in his question, there was this lie. See, God never said they couldn't eat from any tree. He actually said they could eat from every tree except one. But the enemy's question cracked the door, and he cracked the door of doubt wide open. He cast a shadow on God's goodness and God's pure intentions. Why? Because the temptation will never look beautiful unless God first looks less lovely. Scripture goes on to tell us that when Eve looked at the tree, she found it to be good for food and delightful to look at. No doubt, Eve had passed by this tree countless times, like every day. So why did it all of a sudden look delightful on this day? It was because Satan had convinced Eve that God wasn't as good as she thought he was, that God was holding out on her. And when she began to doubt God, sin all of a sudden looked delightful. See, when you think back over your life and the mistakes that you've made or the sins you've committed, you can see a similar pattern. Before there was devastation, there was probably doubt. Before you wandered away, you first wondered if God could really be trusted, if he really had your best interest at heart. Yes, the devil is cunning, but I'm not sure that his tricks have changed very much.

Of course, we all know what happens next. Eve gave in to the temptation, ate the fruit, then shared it with Adam, and in an instant, sin, guilt, and shame, and regret invaded the pages of history. In a moment, freedom was lost. Freedom was lost when there was a separation between God and the man and the woman. Separation caused this disconnection, and this disconnection led to bondage. See, right here, right here at the start of our freedom journey, I think it's so important for each of us to understand the difference at this point in the story between how God responds to sin and separation and how people respond to it. See, we can learn a lot about our humanity by studying the first two humans, right? We see our natural response to sin with incredible clarity in this story. Genesis chapter three, verses six through nine, says that when the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. And then their eyes were both open, and they realized that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God, and he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord. Among the trees of the garden they hid, but the Lord God called out to man, where are you? See, immediately after their disobedience, Adam and Eve felt exposed and unworthy. They literally tried to cover up their shame. And when they heard the sound of God walking through the garden, they hid from him among the trees. And when Adam and Eve messed up, they moved away from God. Why? Because of their shame. Their shame drove them to hide when they heard him coming. And I imagine as the Lord's footsteps grew closer, their hearts began to beat faster.

Added to their initial embarrassment and horror was now this fear of rejection or retribution. Not only had they failed, but they were about to be found out in their failure. And how many of you know that sometimes that is the greatest fear of all? So hiding just made the most sense, because who wants to be seen in their sin? Hiding felt natural. I bet hiding even felt like the right thing to do. But how many of us know that while Adam and Eve felt shame, God has never once been surprised by our sin. He already knew what they had done, and he loved them anyway. So God still showed up that day in the garden, just like he had done every day before. His deep love led him to call out, Adam, Eve, where are you? See Satan led them away with a question, and now God was calling them back with a question. And even though Adam and Eve hid, God showed up in the garden. He moved in their direction and invited them back to him by asking once again, where are you? He closed the distance. He bridged the gap. He later clothed them and gave them a new covenant so that the relationship could be restored. This is what God does for us, for you and for me. He always moves towards us, and he always makes the first move. Just as he was the first one to search for Adam and Eve in the garden, when our sin separated us from God, he made the first move by sending his son Jesus to pay that price for our sin on a cross. And there was no way that we could make things right. He chose to... right all of our wrongs. Why? Because he wants a relationship with us. He wants it desperately, so much so

that he was willing to sacrifice his innocent son so that we could be restored back to innocence and freedom. What I want you to understand today is that even when we hide from God, he is always pursuing us, not to punish us, but to restore us and to protect us. It's like Todd with the toes behind the curtain. He wants us to find him. And that picture in the garden, it really hasn't changed. God is still asking, where are you? And God isn't asking, where are you, because he wants something from you. He asks us because he wants so much for you. He wants freedom for you. He wants protection and peace for you. And he knows you can't experience those things when you're shackled to sin and shame. He's saying, where are you? I came to help. See, so many times we see God, who is perfect and blameless, as harsh and uncaring, because he calls us to obedience by giving us these guidelines and guardrails. But I want you to hear is that God's boundaries, they're a blessing. His guardrails are for our good. He calls us to obedience, not because he wants something from us, but because the freedom he has for us. See, God loves you, but he hates sin. He hates sin because he knows the damage that sin does to us

and what our sin takes from us and what it takes from our relationships. Think about it. Good relationships are built on trust. So lying erodes trust. So he tells us not to lie because he wants you to have life-giving relationships. And lying is a relationship killer. 1 Corinthians 6 tells us to flee from sexual sin. Sexual immorality is having sex with whoever you want to, whenever you want to. See, God's not trying to keep you from having a good time. He hates adultery because it destroys marriages. It breaks up families. It wounds children. And if you're single, no matter what culture tells you, every time you give yourself to someone sexually, you give a piece and a part of yourself away. And you carry all those experiences with you into your future. And God has so much more for you than a broken heart and a string of broken relationships. I could go down the list, but I think you get the picture. See, most of all, God hates sin because it separates us from him. And he's fighting for your freedom because he doesn't want you to blindly stumble into sin and then get stuck in that cycle of shame. Again, don't miss this. After Adam and Eve's sin, they hid from God.

God knew about their sin, and yet he still came looking for them. They hid from God because they were ashamed and afraid of his reaction. And the truth is, Adam and Eve misjudged how God would respond to their sin. He wasn't watching from behind a tree, waiting for them to fail so he could judge them. God searched for them. And he walked through the garden. And as he walked through the garden, he called out, where are you? Because he loved them. Now, I want to spend the rest of this lesson talking about what we do when we sin. Because it happens to the best of us, right? And from a lot of personal experience and many years in ministry, I have seen three ways that you and I will respond to sin when it happens. And if you find yourself in one of these categories, just so you know, you're in good company. And the first way that we sometimes respond to our sin is with guilt. Guilt is actually a good thing, right? If you feel a little guilty, it's actually a good thing. See, when we disobey, like Adam and Eve did, God comes looking for us. His spirit in us will let us know that something just isn't right. And that's called conviction.

And there's a difference between conviction and condemnation, just as there is a difference between guilt and shame. See, God loves you. But as a perfect and holy God, he can't tolerate your sin. It creates a distance. And conviction is how he reminds you of that. So when you step outside the boundary lines he has given us, then we should feel the sense of conviction or guilt. That's the Lord whispering, where are you? What have you done? Come back to me. See, conviction is the voice of the Holy Spirit. It's his way of saying that, hey, you're better than this. Condemnation sounds more like, you'll never be better than this. See, because sin creates a distance between us and God when we sin, guilt is like this warning light that comes on in our souls saying something's wrong and it requires immediate attention. So guilt is actually a good thing, OK? And so if you feel guilty, it's time to confess and respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. But the second way we can respond to sin is with shame. And that's when we don't confess. And we let it go on a little bit too long. Guilt's a good thing, but shame's a bad thing. Here's the key difference between guilt and shame. Guilt says, I did something wrong. But shame says, I'm wrong. Guilt says, I did something wrong. made a mistake. Shame says, I'm just a big mistake. Guilt says, I failed. Shame says,

I am a failure. Guilt is a sign that we're still connected to God's voice, but shame drives us deeper and deeper into separation by whispering in our ear, run, hide. God and other people in your lives, they're not going to accept you or love you now. Shame's going to convince you that you've gone too far, messed up too much, or failed too many times. And the enemy, remember, he's very cunning. He knows that if he can keep you shackled to shame, you'll forfeit the freedom that God purchased for you by sending his son to the cross. First John 1.9 says that if we confess our sin, he's faithful and just and will forgive us of our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we confess our sins to God, he's faithful to forgive us. That means when we feel guilt and we process our sin with the Lord through prayer and scripture, we can accept his forgiveness and move on. Feeling bad about sin isn't a problem. It's actually the beginning of freedom. Conviction is a beautiful thing because it's what leads us to repentance. Okay, so here's the third way that we can respond to our sin. We respond to our sin sometimes with blame. For some of us, it's not shame that prevents us from walking in freedom, it's blame. In Genesis, when God asked Adam why he ate the fruit, Adam said, hey, the woman made me do it. And then he was like, the devil made me do it. And I love the old saying, if the devil died tomorrow, we would still sin. Why? Because we're sinners. And blame is just another natural response that we have to our own sin. You know, if you have kids, you've seen this played out time and time again, right? We justify, we deflect, we point fingers. Really, these are all just different ways to hide. They're ways of saying, don't look at me, look at what that person did. I mean, we think if they didn't do this, then I wouldn't have done that. And of course, we all have been wronged by other people, but we are responsible for our response. We're responsible for our responses and our actions. And I like to think of it that we are all response-able. That means that we are able to choose our responses. And I know this is hard to hear and even harder to put into practice, but it's the truth. You're never going to find true freedom if you see yourself as a victim. When you own your mistakes and your sins, you actually have power because you're saying, I did this wrong, but with God's help, I know that I can do better next time. I can learn and grow and not make the same mistake again. I want to end our lesson today by circling back to the question that God asked Adam and Eve. He asked the question, where are you? Are you hiding from God in the shame because of your sin? Are you being held captive by the blame game? Or are you letting your guilt lead to conviction and bring you back to God? Wherever you are, I want you to know that I'm

so glad that you're here. And I believe that God wants to set you free. Over these next few weeks, he's going to do it. He wants to set you free from the sins you can't leave. He wants to set you free from the shame that has kept your life small for far too long, free from the blame that has been blocking your growth. See, innocence was lost for us all in the garden, but freedom can be found at the cross. If you're here today and you've never experienced that personal relationship with Jesus, I want to give you an opportunity to take that step. Because when he asks the questions, where are you? He wants you to come close. And that's the first and the most important step that you can take towards your freedom. And as I said at the beginning of this session, freedom without choice isn't really freedom at all. So today, I want to give you the opportunity to make a choice. God has been pursuing you all your life. And today, he's not just putting his toes out from under the curtain or whistling, he is making himself known to you. Today, it's your turn to choose to make a move toward him. Maybe you've never had a relationship with Jesus, or maybe you had a relationship with him at one point, but there's been some distance between you. And today, you want to close that gap. Remember, he's already moving toward you. So stop hiding, stop running from him, and start running toward him. If that's you, I want you to pray with me. I'm going to ask everyone in the room to repeat this prayer, but you're going to pray it just a little bit louder. By praying this prayer, you are saying, I want a real connection with God, and I want to walk in the freedom and the forgiveness that he has for me. So I want you to bow your heads and repeat this prayer after me. Let's pray. Dear Jesus, thank you for loving me just the way I am. Today, I give you my life. Forgive me of my sin. Help me walk in and freedom, make me a new person, and I will follow you the best I know how for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. Hey, if you prayed that prayer, you just made the best decision that you could ever make it. I am so proud of you. So make sure you tell your pastor and your table leader so we can celebrate with you.

And for everyone, don't forget to do your homework this week. The scriptures that you're gonna study and the practical exercises you do are all important parts of this journey. So don't miss it and don't rush through it because that's where chains break and freedom begins. Hey, enjoy your group time and we can't wait to see you next week.