Shippensburg First Church Of God Blog Site: Free for Freedom

Sunday is Coming!

This weekend we will observe Memorial Day, when we remember those in America’s history who have given up their own lives and their own freedom to strive for the freedom of others.

Did you know that Memorial Day traces its roots to 1868, following the Civil War? The holiday was proclaimed to honor the Union Soldiers who had died in the conflict. One of the greatest outcomes of the Civil War was the total abolition of Slavery in the USA in 1865. The Union Soldiers literally fought and died so that others could be freed from slavery. This certainly can remind us of Christ, who gave himself up for us so that we could be freed from slavery to ourselves and to sin. As His followers, we are meant to live sacrificial lives, putting the needs and freedom of others above our own, according to the Scriptures.

Paul says in Galatians 5:1

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

We’ve been studying the book of Galatians, and we’ve seen how Paul used Greek and Roman metaphors to explain the Gospel to the Greeks and Romans, so it can be fitting to use American metaphors to think about the Gospel as Americans. But we must remember that Freedom is not just an American thing, and it is so much more than the selfish or self-centered thing we often make it out to be… As Christians, let us proclaim that the Gospel is for ALL people, and our Identity in Christ must be the #1 thing that we value above all other personal attributes. It is Jesus who gives true freedom.

Part of what it means to wear the “uniform” of a Christian or be “clothed in Christ” (Galatians 3:27) is to realize that as free people, we are also called to strive always for the freedom of others. We must be “others focused” or else we will all become slaves to our own desires…

This Sunday we will take one more look at Galatians to consider an important aspect of our Identity in Christ:

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Galatians 5:13-18

Notice that central to our Identity in Christ is this truth that we have been set free by Christ, and He has freed us, both for our own good in an eternal future, and also for the benefit of others in the present.

Let us prayerfully ponder true freedom: We are freed by Christ ultimately to experience eternal life –

Everlasting

Never-ending

Perpetual

Full

Abundant life

Paul explains clearly in his Letter to the Romans,

“But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:22-23

Freedom from Sin means eternal life, but it also means serving God in this life. And notice there’s another benefit mentioned in there – Holiness. Before we experience eternal life in the age to come, Freedom in Christ also produces Holiness in this life.

We are free, not to follow our own wants and desires, but to live in step with the Spirit in obedience to God and for the benefit of others—and this is where we find true life and blessing and freedom!

When Paul says in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free,” does that sound a little redundant?

He’s saying that we have been set free so we can live holy lives, working for the cause of freedom. We are freed to set others free.

As Christians, we are called to be liberators!

We’ve been talking about being “clothed in Christ” and having the things of Jesus shape our identity. Take note of how Jesus identified himself at the beginning of his earthly ministry, according to Luke’s Gospel. Jesus read these words from Isaiah the prophet, and said that he was their fulfillment:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 4:18-19

We may not all be called to lay down our lives in service to our country for the freedom of others, but we are all called to lay down our lives in service to our Lord, striving with Jesus to proclaim the good news of freedom in every aspect of life, and the favor of the Lord!

This Sunday

8:30 –

Praise The One Who Breaks The Darkness #293

Grace Greater than Our Sin #344

And Can It Be? #347

Be Strong in the Lord #734

11:00 –

Glorious day

Graves into gardens

Reckless love

This is amazing grace

Contemporary Spotify Playlist

*Please Note: the Church offices will be closed on Monday in observance of Memorial Day, and staff availability may be subject to change throughout the week.

Summer Events!

“Ship Serve” Youth Missions Week

June 17-20

A team of young people from our youth group will be serving our community in a variety of ways for a week this summer, including hosting a community meal. You’ll be hearing more about this event, and have an opportunity to give financially on Youth Sunday (June 2), but you can begin prayerfully considering how you could be involved through some of the following ways:

Prayer Support
Financial Donations
Share Service Project Needs and Ideas
Donating Cookies & Cupcakes
Providing to-go snacks for work crews

Sign up sheets will be available around the building for various opportunities.

You can also share the free community meal event on our Facebook page to spread the word to our community.

Vacation Bible School

VBS is coming on June 23-27! This year we will be taking kids on an imaginary trip to the beach to learn about how God’s ‘Rock-Solid Truth’ stands firm in a world of ‘shifting sands!’

You will hear more about VBS from our Children’s Directors this Sunday.

Registration is available online at this link: VBS Registration

We are also assembling a team of adults and teenagers to serve together as part of our VBS team. Begin prayerfully considering how you could minister in one or more of the following ways—

Teachers*
Helpers*
Games*
Crafts*
Worship & Opening*
Decorators
Meal service
Snack service
Etc.

*be sure to complete all clearance processes and participate in Mandated Reporter Training if you are interested in working directly with children.

Ladies in Step Activities

All ladies are invited to participate and learn about some special activities together, like painting, succulent gardening, card making, and jewelry making. The first activity is June 5, and they will meet every other Wednesday at 6:30 in the Annex through June and July.

Please RSVP to Joyce Hornbaker for planning purposes. Succulent gardening on June 5th will have a cost associated with the materials involved. $15 is a suggested donation per person to cover the cost of these supplies.

Men’s Prayer Breakfast

All men are invited to meet at the Greyhound Restaurant from 7:30-8:45 on Wednesday Mornings from July 18-August 6. No RSVP is needed, simply feel free to join some men for fellowship and prayer.

Communications Updates

The May edition of our “FYI” Newsletter is now available. Look for it at the Welcome Desk or in the center section of the Sanctuary.

If you have information you would like to communicate, communication request forms are available from the church office or in the Gathering Place.

Let us live as free people, set free by Christ, to strive for the freedom of others!

Pastor Rodney Bistline

Shippensburg First Church of God

seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org