Our name | Mission | Vision | Leaders Ministries | Schedule | Directions | Contact Home   Gateway Church gathers for worship Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Location: 6425 Jefferson Rd. (Hwy. 129) in Athens, Georgia. For directions, click here. Ministry of the Word: Recent sermons Our quarterly e-magazine Gateway Today For the Gateway family Pastor Jerry's Weekly E-Mail A GATEWAY SERMON SUMMARY AUDIO Free indeed! Jerry Varnado, pastor Gateway Church, Athens GA July 4, 2004 Main Scripture text: John 8:31-36. For more than 200 years, America has been a beacon of freedom and liberty around the world. But this nation isn't perfect. I recall the words of Dr. Mvume Dandala, now head of the All Africa Conference of Churches: "There is no liberty unless the oppressor is also liberated. Otherwise the oppressed who win their liberty become new oppressors." Through war and hardship our forefathers founded the "land of the free," but at the same time some of them owned slaves. The "liberated oppressed" became the oppressors. Another war ensued, and the slaves were set free. But hundred more years would pass before the laws of this land no longer discriminated against people because they were black. I was a teen-ager during most the civil rights movement. Raised in the Deep South and trained in the way of racial prejudice at an early age, I had neither respect nor use for a man named Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But a book of his sermons was mandatory reading in one of my seminary classes. As I began reading I wept, because I realized that this man I had criticized and maligned had indeed been to the mountain -- he had heard from God and he spoke the truth. I have come to two conclusions about freedom: Freedom is more than political liberty. Even when we legislate liberty, the hearts of our people can still filled with anger, bitterness, prejudice, and hatred. Only Jesus can make us free indeed, because freedom is really a love issue. Genuine liberty requires a change of heart and Jesus is the only true source heart-changing power. The devil is the author of hatred and its constant companion, bondage. If you obey the inclination to sin, you are a slave to sin. But if you give your life over to the love that comes from God, you'll find its companion, liberty. This is why Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." It's fitting that July 4 falls on a day when we're celebrating Holy Communion. In the Communion meal, we honor the one who surrendered His life on the cross to confront the evils of liberty lurking in the human heart. Jesus is the one who defeated the devil and sets us free from all the powers of hell! And when the Son of God sets you free, you are free indeed! Supporting text: Romans 6:16 A mp3 audio file of this sermon is here (17:00). (Download to a PC by right clicking on the link and choosing "Save Target As." Mac users: click, hold, and choose "Download Link to Disk." Depending on your connection speed, the file may take several minutes to download.) An audio tape of this sermon is available free of charge (U.S requests only). Request a tape by calling or writing the Gateway Church office. Please specify tape number 040704a: Free Indeed!. © 2004 Gerald R. Varnado To the Gateway Church home page How to contact us