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Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000723S
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00:01 (Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:06 Sermon #B723 - "You're Free" 00:20 Dr. Byrd: Today in harmony with the season, we have chosen as our text - book of John chapter 8 verse 00:30 number 31. John chapter 8 verse 31. and I'm going to read through verse 36 from the King James Version 00:38 of the Bible. The word of God says, "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, 00:44 if he continue in my word then are ye my disciples, indeed. And ye shall know the truth. 00:54 And the truth shall make you free. They answered him. "We be Abraham's seed 01:00 and we're never in bondage to any man. How sayest thou, ye shall be made free." 01:08 Jesus answered them. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 01:18 And the servant abideth not in the house forever. The son abideth forever." Verse 36, "But if the son, 01:29 therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." 01:38 Today, I just want to remind you on the subject. I want you to know 01:42 and be reminded today that you're free. In the Name of Jesus, you're free. 01:49 Because if the son sets you free, you shall be free indeed. Let's talk to the Lord. 01:54 Father God, right now. Speak, Lord, your servant heareth hiding behind your cross. 01:58 We thank you for what we've already experienced in worship and Lord, we need a word from you. 02:03 So, speak through this your servant this day. And go through the television airwaves, 02:08 and the internet airwaves, in the smartphone, and iPad airwaves. 02:13 And go through the airwaves of this church and God speak your words to Your people. 02:18 And we promise we'll give you the praise, the honor, 02:20 and the glory for what you're going to do today through your Word hiding behind your cross. 02:24 Forgive me of my sins. It's in the Name of Jesus we pray. Let everyone say, Amen. And amen. 02:31 You're free. You're free. Verse 32, "And you shall know the truth. And the truth shall make you free." 02:40 Now, the opposite of the truth is a lie. So, if the truth sets me free, then, a lie keeps me bound. 02:50 And what the enemy loves to do, he loves for you to live a lie. He wants you to believe a lie. 02:56 He wants you to accept a lie at the expense of your freedom. Spiritually, 03:02 he wants you to believe a lie. What does he say? "You don't have to follow the word of God to be free. 03:07 " Well, that's a lie. Socially, he wants you to believe a lie. You don't have to have godly friends. 03:13 Well, that's a lie. You don't have to marry a godly man. You don't have to marry a godly woman. 03:18 Well, that's a lie. 03:21 Your race was cursed because God cursed Noah's son, Ham. Well, that's a lie. 03:28 Your race is inferior because of the color of your skin. Well, that's a lie. 03:34 Financially, he also wants you to believe a lie. You're not really in debt. 03:38 You just have no cash money, but you can just keep charging it up on your credit card. 03:43 It's a different kind of money. Well, that's a lie. Physically, he wants you also to believe a lie, 03:50 what does he say? He says, "You can still eat ice cream late at night and lose weight." 03:54 Well, that's a shown-off lie. But there comes a point in time in your life. 03:59 When you begin to examine your life, 04:02 and you begin to understand that it is not of God for you to live a lie. 04:06 God doesn't want you to be bound by a social lie. God didn't want you to be bound by a financial lie. 04:14 God doesn't want you to be bound by a physical lie. 04:18 And God shown-up doesn't want you to be bound by a spiritual lie, 04:22 which I had a witness in this place. So, let me first talk about is a social lie. 04:27 Then, a financial lie and a physical lie. And we'll go with the social lie. 04:31 And then, I'm going to close with a spiritual lie. Is that all right, everybody? 04:34 Now remember, I told you earlier, and you know it, that today is June 19th. 04:40 Some of you may not know the significance of this date. So, let me help somebody. 04:47 More than just being June 19th. Today is what we call "Juneteenth". 04:52 Juneteenth, whether you call it Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, 04:57 or our country's Second Independence Day - Juneteenth is one of the most important anniversaries 05:04 in the history of the United States. I wish I had somebody who knew who I was talking about. 05:08 It's important because on this date, 156 years ago today, June 19, 1865, 05:18 that Major General Gordon Granger of United States federal troops led an army of Union Soldiers to a 05:25 city in Texas called Galveston. And he delivered them to Galveston, 05:30 Texas to deliver a very important message. 05:34 What was the message? The Civil War is over. Slavery is over. Understand that the union had won. 05:44 The Confederate South had lost. When General Granger entered Galveston, 05:50 he read out General Order Number 3, informing residents that slavery would no longer be tolerated. 05:57 That all slaves were now free. And all slaves when now, henceforth, be treated as hired workers. 06:05 But remember, I told you just now that Juneteenth was on June 19, 1865. But Abraham Lincoln, 06:15 you will remember. He signed the Emancipation Proclamation 2 years before on January 1, 1863, 06:24 that all persons held as slaves were and henceforward should be free. But not only that, 06:30 if you study your history, the 13th amendment to end slavery was passed 06:34 by Congress on January 31, 1865. Four months before Juneteenth. 06:44 But the reality, friends of mine, is if you're doing the math. 06:47 That the Emancipation Proclamation didn't instantly free the slaves. 06:51 Neither did the 13th Amendment instantly free the slaves. Because slavery was still going on. 06:59 Because slavery in many cases and in many places - many slave owners didn't tell their slaves that 07:07 they were free. But kept the truth from these slaves. 07:12 And the opposite remember of the truth is a lie. A lie keeps you bound. 07:17 The slave owners wanted to keep the slaves bound. 07:22 They didn't want to tell the slaves they were free because that would hurt their profits. 07:27 They didn't want the slaves to know the true narrative because the false narrative benefitted them. 07:33 And then, for the slave owners, who had a little sense of morality, 07:37 they didn't want to tell the slaves they were free until after harvest season. 07:43 Oh, but when General Granger got to Galveston, it signaled freedom for Texas' 250,000 slaves. 07:50 And he made it clear to slave owners 07:53 because sometimes you got to talk in a language that people understand. 07:56 He made it clear to the slave owners that the union had the manpower. 08:02 And the union had the weaponry to enforce the end of slavery. 08:08 He says, "So either you're going to stop or we going to stop you." 08:11 Are you hearing what I'm saying? 08:13 I need you to understand that you're free today. 08:16 So you need to walk like it. You need to talk like it. You need to act like it. 08:23 You need to hold your head up like it. You are free today and ye shall know the truth. 08:30 And the truth shall make you free. But it's not just Juneteenth we're celebrating this weekend. 08:37 It's also Father's Day. Praise God for our fathers. Happy Father's Day. Hallelujah. Somebody. 08:47 Because we have to say Happy Father's Day because I'm here to let you know that there's 08:52 another narrative out there. And there's another narrative out there. That's a bold-faced lie. 08:59 And it's a narrative about fathers, specifically, black fathers. 09:04 And remember that the opposite of the truth is a lie. And if the truth sets you free, 09:09 then, a lie keeps you bound. And too many people including Black Folk have been bound 09:16 by the line that all black fathers are not in the home. That all black fathers are not present. 09:23 That all black fathers aren't smart. That all black fathers aren't raising their children 09:29 because black fathers are either deadbeats in jail, behind bars, 09:33 or controlled by some illegal substance. But in the name of Jesus, that's a lie. 09:39 And just like Slavery, too many of us are still buying into these lying narratives that aren't true. 09:46 And if it's not truth, it's a lie. And you shall know the truth. And the truth shall set you free. 09:52 The words of President Barack Obama have been twisted. Taken out of context and with a broad stroke, 10:00 been erroneously painted on all black fathers. What am I talking about? It was in 2008 in the speech, 10:06 delivered on Father's Day, at his church on Chicago's South Side. That President Obama said, 10:11 "We all know the statistics, that children who grow up without a father, 10:15 are 5 times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime, 10:19 9 times more likely to drop out of school, and 20 times more likely to end up in prison." 10:25 And yes. While he said this, it was born out of his experience as a black man who grew up without a 10:33 father as a child. 10:36 But don't you get it twisted. Don't you twist his words. 10:39 The statistics that President Obama quoted were quoted and based on those who grew up without fathers 10:45 in the home. But you need to be reminded today that there are also statistics, 10:49 our fathers, who are in the home. You see the false narrative. 10:54 Many want you to believe is that the majority of the black fathers are not at home 10:59 or involved in the lives of their children. But these beliefs are stereotypes. 11:03 They are fabrications. And in many cases, just flat-out lies. 11:09 And the impact of these thoughts is fixed in the foundation of American Society from systems of 11:16 education, to access to employment, to incarceration. 11:19 In an article, entitled: "No, Most Black Kids Are not Fatherless," written by Josh Leaves. 11:26 In The Huffington Post, Leaves deconstructs the 70% of black children, 11:31 our Fatherland Smith that many people want you to believe. Wake up, he quotes data from the CDC, 11:37 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which also, by the way, tracks data 11:40 and researches topics, friends of mine, like this 11:43 and verifies that the majority of black fathers actually live with their children. 11:49 2.5 million black fathers, live with their children versus 1.7 million who don't. 11:58 So do the math. More black fathers live with their children than fathers who don't. 12:03 I need some help today. But not only that. 12:06 Whether living in the same home or not. 12:08 Black fathers are the most involved of all primary recorded race and ethnic groups. 12:13 Stop believing the lies. Stop believing false narratives. 12:17 Stop believing what somebody told you because most black children are not fatherless. 12:21 And African-American fatherhood is very much alive. Hear me loud and clear. 12:25 Every black father is not in jail. I'm one of them - I'm not in jail. 12:29 Every black father is not on dope. Every not black father is not on some street corner doing nothing. 12:36 There are many fathers who love their children. Support their children. Provide for their children. 12:41 Live with their children. And are good examples to their children. 12:45 And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. 12:49 Dr. Waldo E. Johnson, professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, 12:56 who leads an effort to re-educate about black fatherhood says, stereotypes, 13:01 and anecdotal or circumstantial evidence. 13:04 He says, "Pair with inflated data to produce a dish that is as superficial as the Fatherland image 13:11 of fast food we see in marketing ads." He continues, "The dish is served and sadly consumed. 13:18 So often that people eat it up. And perpetually, we serve it to audiences and this must stop." 13:25 He says, "The impact of this narrative makes its way into policy and law formation. 13:30 Curriculum access and discipline in our education systems, law enforcement, 13:34 profiling and use of force, biases in court-based custody decisions, and many more unknown 13:39 and unseen implicit ways in which society perceives black males. 13:44 And rather than focusing on the root cause, a structural, institutional, 13:48 and implicit racism. Violence in racism. Violence, poverty, 13:53 and general lack is scapegoated onto the backs of black fathers. 13:58 But let me add this to you today, let me give a little some sum from Carlton Byrd. 14:02 Why the ideal is for 100% presence of black fathers in their children's lives here me good. 14:09 The reality is, that responsible fatherhood, 14:13 can only go so far in a world plagued by institutionalized racism. What am I talking about? 14:21 The presence of black fathers would not change racist, drug laws, mass school closures, 14:29 the poisoning of water in urban areas, or the prosecutorial protection of police officers who kill. 14:35 Let me say what I'm trying to say. Let me remind somebody watching right now, 14:42 that Trayvon Martin had a father. Jordan Davis had a father. Tamir Rice had a father. 14:49 Ahmaud Arbery had a father. But that didn't stop them from being killed. 14:54 Even with the presence of fathers in the home, the persistently, 14:58 the high black male unemployment rate would do little to close the existing 15:03 and increasing racial wealth gap in America. 15:05 Which is at current phase where it takes 228 gears for black households to catch up. 15:13 But because many in the majority want to focus on the alleged absence of black fathers. 15:18 We allow ourselves to believe a narrative that is false and keeps us bound. 15:24 While further scapegoating black men for American Societal ills. 15:29 But ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. Now, don't get it twisted. 15:38 Don't misquote me. Don't take out of context what I'm saying. I'm not justifying deadbeat dads. 15:47 I'm not excusing absentee fathers. I'm not turning a blind eye to irresponsible Patriarchs. 15:54 Fathers need to be responsible and handle their business. Can you say, Amen? 16:00 Any man can make a baby but it takes a father to raise a child. 16:04 The pain of a missing father is real and should not be discounted. 16:10 And yes, there are studies that show the children who grow up in two-parent, 16:13 father and mother two-parent homes, perform better in schools, are less likely to commit crime, 16:19 and have a higher earning potential. But what these studies don't often take into account, 16:24 is the impact of depressed wages, chronic unemployment, discriminatory hiring practices, 16:31 the history of mass incarceration, housing segregation, and inequality in educational opportunity. 16:39 But in the Name of Jesus, fathers, you're free today. In the name of Jesus, 16:48 black fathers, you're free today. 16:52 Now, people don't want you to be free. People want you to be bound. But then, 16:59 why would they tell you you're free? Why would they tell you you're valuable? 17:04 Why would they tell you're smart? Why would they tell you you're intelligent? 17:10 Why would they tell you you're brilliant? Why would they tell you your future is bright? 17:15 Because they want you to believe that narrative that you're bound. That you're enslaved, 17:20 that you're chained up. But in the Name of Jesus, you are free. So pull your pants up. 17:29 You're free. Get an education, you're free. Get off the street corner, you're free. Grow up, 17:39 you're free. Start your own business, you're free. Stop renting and get a house, you're free. 17:48 Buy some land, you're free. Invest in stocks and bonds, you're free. Join a reputable, 17:56 respectable club or organization, you're free. Get involved in church, you're free. 18:04 Minister to your family, you're free. Provide for your family, you're free. 18:10 You're not enslaved anymore. You're not in jail anymore. 18:15 The Emancipation Proclamation has been signed. The 13th Amendment has been ratified. 18:21 General Granger has seized Galveston. Juneteenth is a national holiday. 18:27 But more than that, Jesus has set you free. And if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed. 18:38 Now. I can stop right there. But I got to finish out the text and move from the social, financial, 18:50 and physical slavery. That has people bound to a spiritual slavery. That has people bound. 19:00 Jesus says in verse 34, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, 19:05 whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house forever 19:17 but the son abideth forever." Now I like the way the Message Bible puts it, it says, 19:23 "I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in it, dead end life. 19:29 And is in fact, a slave." A slave is transient. Who can't come and go at will, 19:35 but the Son has an established position. The Son has the run of the house. 19:44 Now, remember I said at the beginning, that the opposite of the truth is a lie. 19:50 And Satan wants you to believe a lie because a lie will keep you bound. 19:54 So if the truth sets me free, then, a lie keeps me bound. 19:59 In verses 34 and 35, Jesus is also saying that there's a direct correlation between our freedom 20:07 and the way we live. Because the way you live, greatly impacts your ability to be free. 20:12 If you choose to live a sinful life, you're bound. And anything that goes against God is a sin. 20:20 And when you get caught up in sin, you become a servant of sin. 20:26 Now the Greek word for lave is "doúlos". That's a Greek word for servant, which means slave. 20:33 So in the text, a servant is a slave. A slave to sin, one who obeys a master. 20:41 And when you're a slave to sin, rather than a slave to God, you obey sin. 20:47 And when you enslave other people, you're obeying sin. When you participate in the false narratives, 20:54 you're obeying sin. 20:56 But verse 35, "The servant abideth not in the house forever. But the son abideth forever. 21:04 "Which means that a slave may abide with a family for a time. 21:10 But a slave is not a permanent member of the family. The slave is transient. 21:16 The slave is transitory. The slave is temporary which means you don't have to be a slave forever. 21:23 You don't have to believe the false narrative forever. You don't have to be bound forever. 21:28 Because the slave is not bound in the house forever. But then, the son on the other hand, 21:34 it's permanent. 21:36 Because back in the day, a slave was not a member of the family. He didn't live in the big house. 21:40 He didn't live in the master's house. Slave state in the outhouse of the slave quarters. 21:45 So, a slave had no rights. A slave had no property. A slave had no inheritance 21:51 or the slave had nothing. In fact, a slave was owned. But the ownership could have been passed on to 21:58 or sold to somebody else. But then, no slave can make another slave free. The Son of the Father. 22:05 It was fully accredited. Permanent member of the family. Who participated in the inheritance 22:12 and he had the right to set a slave free. Now, let me say this 22:18 because I don't want anyone to get this twisted. God didn't call you to be a slave then, 22:22 and God's not calling you to be a slave now. 22:26 Slavery - social slavery, financial slavery, and physical slavery is over. 22:35 Slaves have been set free. 22:38 Don't let anybody make you their slave. Slavery is done. But, the owner's son, 22:49 the one with the inheritance could free a slave. And the spiritual application here is, 22:57 that because I was a slave to sin. Because you were a slave to sin. Because we were slaves to sin. 23:08 Two thousand years ago, the owner send his son. The owner sent his son, Jesus, 23:16 to save you and me from sin. And now I'm free. Now, you're free. 23:25 And if the son set you free, you shall be free indeed. 23:30 The Son of God by the shedding of his own blood has paid the purchase price for slaves of sin 23:38 and now we're bound. No, now we're free. No longer bound. No more chains holding me. 23:46 Jesus died for me. Jesus died for you. Jesus bled for you. Jesus hung for you. 23:54 Jesus was crucified for you. Jesus rose again for you. Jesus told the devil ,you didn't create them, 24:01 I did. You didn't make them, I did. You didn't die for them, I did. 24:06 And you can't save them, I can. But if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed. 24:13 He was wounded for my transgressions. Bruised for my iniquities. 24:17 The chastisement of our peace was upon him but by his stripes, I'm healed. 24:22 Today, do you want to be free? Today, do you want to be liberated? 24:27 Today, do you want to be emancipated? Today, do you want to be made whole? 24:34 Today, do you want to be free? Some of you watching right now don't realize that you're caught up in 24:40 the devil's penitentiary. Some of you are caught up on sinner life sentence. 24:45 We're just so used to living a certain way. We're so used to being lied to. 24:50 We're so used to believing a lie. We're so used to believing the false narrative. 24:54 We just resigned in our spirit that it will always be this way. I'll always be this way. 25:00 Things will never change. There's nothing that's going to change you. 25:03 There's nothing that's going to change me. There's nothing that's going to change us. 25:07 But I'm here to tell somebody, you're serving a life sentence you don't have to serve. 25:11 It's time for you to come out of Satan's jail. The blood of Jesus makes you free. 25:16 Somebody needs to tell the devil and look him dead in the eye today and say devil, 25:19 you played me for the last time. Devil, you tricked me for the last time. Devil, 25:23 you lied to me for the last time. Devil, you made a fool out of me for the last time. 25:28 Because if the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed. So, start the fireworks. 25:35 Bring out the party favors. Bring out the Holy Ghost barbecue. 25:41 Tell the devil, I'm not going back to that earthly hell. 25:46 I'm not going back to that earthly hell that had me bound. But because of the blood, 25:51 I'm now wrapped up. I'm tied up. I'm tangled up. In Jesus. He's all I need. 26:02 I'm trying to take my seat, but my soul's get happy. Free your mind and the rest will follow. 26:08 Stop believing a false narrative. Stop believing fabrications. 26:13 Stop believing lies about social slavery, financial slavery, spiritual slavery, physical slavery. 26:21 If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed. I'm not a slave. You're not a slave. 26:30 We're not slaves. The Son has set me free. And if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed. 26:39 I refuse to come to church bound. If I want to clap my hands. I'm gonna clap my hands. 26:44 If I want to stomp my feet, I'm going to stomp my feet. If I want to say, hallelujah. 26:49 I'm going to say hallelujah. I refuse to be bound. I have been set free. 26:54 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Give God a praise right now. 27:00 I got to end. Stop Believing the lies. Society wanted you to think. 27:09 But it for parents to think that they were not free, but you're free. 27:15 Society wants you to believe a lie about fathers. Specifically, black fathers, 27:21 but I'm here to tell you you're free today. 27:24 Society spiritually wants you to think that you're spiritually bound. 27:30 That you got a habbit. If you've got an addiction. If you have a sin. 27:36 If you have a challenge. Society wants you to think that Jesus can't set you free. 27:41 I'm here to tell you. I'm here to tell somebody. That if the Son set you free, 27:51 you shall be free indeed. Today, who wants to be free? 28:00 Thank you very much for tuning in to this week's Breath of Life broadcast. 28:04 We hope and pray that you've been blessed by Dr. Byrd's inspirational message. 28:09 If you would like to hear this sermon in its entirety, 28:11 please feel free to visit us at www.breathoflife.tv. 28:17 Or, call us at (256) 929-6460. 28:23 [END] |
Revised 2021-06-24