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Freedom's Ark Sunday Sermon
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Freedom's Ark Sunday Sermon
Continue exploring
Connected by scripture or shared themes.
When Jesus spent three years with his disciples, he was doing far more than simply preaching the good news. He called everyone to believe the gospel—the message that he came to lay down his life for us. But to some, he issued a deeper invitation: to follow him, to sacrifice comfort and convenience, and to walk in his presence day after day.
Jesus didn't ask everyone to become a disciple. Out of all the people who heard his teaching and witnessed his miracles, only those who genuinely committed themselves to follow him—who went wherever he went—became his disciples. The rest came at their pleasure, heard the good news, and saw the evidence of his power. But the disciples? They stayed. They watched not just his public miracles, but his private life. They saw how he prayed, how he responded to accusation and offense, how he showed compassion, how he endured tiredness.
After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and gave them this command in Matthew 28:18–20:
"I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey the commands I have given you, and be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Notice what Jesus was asking. He didn't say, "Go and tell everyone what I taught the crowds." He said, "Teach them the things I taught you—the things you learned by spending three years with me. The things the 500 didn't get to learn. Make new disciples the way I made you."
Three years he spent with them. He taught them how to pray. He showed them things happening in heaven. He revealed how he related with his Father. All of this—the intimate, the deep, the transformative—was what he wanted them to pass on.
Paul understood this perfectly. He was personally discipled by Jesus Christ, and Barnabas also took him aside to instruct him in the things of Christ. When Paul wrote to the young believers in Ephesus about how to raise new disciples, he said in Ephesians 5:1–2:
"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God."
That's the method: imitation. The disciples watched Jesus so they could become like him. Paul was saying the same thing to the churches he planted: your pattern should be Christ, not me.
In fact, when the church in Corinth began to boast about which apostle had converted them—"I follow Paul," "I follow Apollos," "I follow Peter"—Paul rebuked them sharply. He told them in 1 Corinthians 3:1–11:
"Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people, to mature people. I had to talk to you as though you belonged to this world, as though you were infants, babies in Christ. I had to feed you milk, not solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still are not ready. You are still controlled by your sinful nature. You were jealous of one another, you quarreled with one another. Doesn't that prove that you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren't you living like people of the world?\n\nWhen one of you says, 'I am a follower of Paul,' another says, 'I follow Apollos'—aren't you acting just like the people of this world?\n\nAfter all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God's servants through whom you believe the good news. Each of us did the work God gave us as servants. I planted the seeds in your heart; Apollos watered it. But it was God who made it grow. What is important is not who does the planting or who does the watering—what is important is that God makes the seed grow.\n\nFor we are both God's workers, and you are God's field, God's building. Because of the grace God gave to me, I laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful, for no one can lay any other foundation than the one already laid: Jesus Christ."
Paul's point was clear: I am not here to disciple you to be like me. I am not building a following. My plan, our plan, is that we should all grow to the full stature and measure of Christ Jesus—so that anyone who sees me and then sees you will see Jesus in both of us.
In Colossians 2:6–10, Paul outlined the foundation of discipleship after a person has answered the call to salvation:
First: You must continue to follow.
"Just as you accepted Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him."
You cannot say, "I have accepted Jesus Christ," and then go your own way. That is not discipleship. That is like the multitude who, when they hear things that are too hard, simply choose their own path and their own lifestyle, regardless of who they have committed themselves to. Discipleship is not a moment; it is a direction.
Second: Your roots must grow deep in him.
"Let your roots grow down in him. Let your lives be built on him."
What are roots for? They seek nutrients, nourishment, the sustaining power to keep you vibrant and flourishing. A disciple considers themselves like a plant that would wither without Christ. The Bible says, "Without me you can do nothing." Your spiritual nourishment comes from knowing him, learning from him, abiding in him.
Third: Christ must be your foundation.
"Let your lives be built on him."
A foundation does two things: it stabilizes a building, and it sets the plan of the building. Once you set a foundation, the structure is determined. You cannot change the structure without unearthing the foundation.
This is why it is so dangerous to neglect your roots in Christ. You may think it is okay to build however you want—"This is what Christ says, but this is how I want to live." But the Bible says your house will collapse. The winds will come, the waves will beat against it, and if it is not built according to the foundation and the plan Christ has set, it will fall. But the house built according to the plan, on the foundation already laid? It will stand.
As disciples, we cannot say, "This is my foundation, but this is what I want to build on it." We must find out what the plan is and build our lives according to it. Christ is the master architect. We are the builders who must follow his design.
Fourth: Do not be captured by empty philosophies.
"Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ."
The Bible says the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men. Yet the world is full of high-sounding ideas—philosophies that seem logical, theories that promise power, thoughts that appeal to our desires. Paul warns us that these do not come from Christ alone; they are empowered by spiritual forces that want to keep you from knowing you are complete in Christ.
Disciplines are quick to recognize this. They cast down every imagination that exalts itself above the knowledge of God. When a thought comes that contradicts God's truth, they bring it into submission and say, "Listen: all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus Christ. He told me I am seated with him in heavenly places, above all principalities and powers. Why would I accept thoughts from things that are beneath me?"
You are not subject to these powers. The Bible says Christ is the head over every ruler and authority. If the head is the head of all powers, what does that make the body? You are the body of Christ. How can you listen to things that are under your feet?
As you grow in these four marks of discipleship, you must always remember: You are complete in your union with Christ.
"For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in human body. So you are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority."
This awareness—24/7, 365 days a year—should shape everything you do, think, and say. Know the place of Christ in all things. When you do, all the anxious, fearful, or foolish thoughts that tempt you will fall away.
Moreover, this completeness is not meant to be private. Paul says:
"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, through psalms, through hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
When you gather with other believers, the way you admonish one another should reflect what Christ has done in you personally. Nobody should be a believer in your midst and not know that they are complete in Christ. Nobody should remain ignorant of their authority and identity. This is how discipleship is lived out together.
But there is one more thing—and perhaps the most important. Jesus himself told us what the evidence of discipleship is. In John 13:34–35:
"A new commandment I give you: that you love one another just as I have loved you. By this will all people know that you are my disciples—if you love one another."
Notice something remarkable here. Jesus had already taught his disciples the commandment from Moses: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself." The entire law and the prophets hung on these two commandments.
But now Jesus gives a new commandment. And the difference is crucial: He does not say, "Love one another as you love yourselves." He says, "Love one another just as I have loved you."
Why is this new? Because your love for yourself is limited. You are aware of your own failings, your own unworthiness. If your ability to love your neighbor depends on how well you love yourself, your neighbor is in trouble. If your neighbor must wait for you to fully love yourself first, he will be waiting a long time.
But Christ's love? The Bible says, "God is love." His love is not based on what you deserve. It is radical, unconditional, and freely given. And that is the love he calls us to share with one another.
Jesus illustrated this in Matthew 5:38–48. Under the old law, it was "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." But Jesus said:
"But I say to you, do not resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat also. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.\n\nGive to those who ask, and don't turn away from those who want to borrow. You have heard the law say, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in Heaven.\n\nFor he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect."
This is the evidence that sets disciples apart from the world. The world can love those who love them back. The world can help the poor and give to the needy. But the world cannot love its enemies. The world cannot bless those who curse it. The world cannot do good to those who hate it.
When Jesus commands this love, he is asking us to do what the world cannot do. That is how people will know we are his disciples.
Jesus illustrated the seriousness of this with a parable. Two servants were owed money by their master. One owed a thousand denarii, the other owed a hundred. The master forgave the first servant his entire debt out of love and mercy. But that first servant, having been forgiven so much, turned around and threw his brother into prison for the small debt he owed. When the master heard this, he was enraged. He said to the servant:
"I forgave you that enormous debt. Should you not have shown the same mercy to your brother?"
Then he handed him over to the jailers to be tortured.
The point is this: when you have truly experienced the love of Christ—when you understand that your debts have been forgiven, that you are loved without earning it, that you have been shown mercy you did not deserve—your heart is transformed. You cannot help but extend that same love to others. If you refuse to, you show that you do not truly understand what has been done for you.
This is not easy. Loving as Christ loves is not something you can achieve through moral effort alone. It is not something you can think your way into. It requires the Holy Spirit, the presence and power of God himself.
This is why Paul prayed for the churches. In Ephesians 3:14–19, he prayed:
"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. That Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust him. That your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.\n\nThat you will have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to fully understand. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of love, life, and power that comes from God.\n\nNow all glory to God, who is able through his mighty power at work within us to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever. Amen."
If you are here today and you do not yet know this love we are talking about, I want you to know the Master's love. It does not demand repayment. It does not hold you by the neck and force you to recompense what you have done. The Bible says, "For God so loved the world that he gave himself." This is love: not that we love God, but that he loved us and gave his Son for us. It is radical. It is real. And it is available to you today.
When Jesus spent three years with his disciples, he was doing far more than simply preaching the good news. He called everyone to believe the gospel—the message that he came to lay down his life for us. But to some, he issued a deeper invitation: to follow him, to sacrifice comfort and convenience, and to walk in his presence day after day.
Jesus didn't ask everyone to become a disciple. Out of all the people who heard his teaching and witnessed his miracles, only those who genuinely committed themselves to follow him—who went wherever he went—became his disciples. The rest came at their pleasure, heard the good news, and saw the evidence of his power. But the disciples? They stayed. They watched not just his public miracles, but his private life. They saw how he prayed, how he responded to accusation and offense, how he showed compassion, how he endured tiredness.
After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and gave them this command in Matthew 28:18–20:
"I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey the commands I have given you, and be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Notice what Jesus was asking. He didn't say, "Go and tell everyone what I taught the crowds." He said, "Teach them the things I taught you—the things you learned by spending three years with me. The things the 500 didn't get to learn. Make new disciples the way I made you."
Three years he spent with them. He taught them how to pray. He showed them things happening in heaven. He revealed how he related with his Father. All of this—the intimate, the deep, the transformative—was what he wanted them to pass on.
Paul understood this perfectly. He was personally discipled by Jesus Christ, and Barnabas also took him aside to instruct him in the things of Christ. When Paul wrote to the young believers in Ephesus about how to raise new disciples, he said in Ephesians 5:1–2:
"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God."
That's the method: imitation. The disciples watched Jesus so they could become like him. Paul was saying the same thing to the churches he planted: your pattern should be Christ, not me.
In fact, when the church in Corinth began to boast about which apostle had converted them—"I follow Paul," "I follow Apollos," "I follow Peter"—Paul rebuked them sharply. He told them in 1 Corinthians 3:1–11:
"Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people, to mature people. I had to talk to you as though you belonged to this world, as though you were infants, babies in Christ. I had to feed you milk, not solid food, because you weren't ready for anything stronger. And you still are not ready. You are still controlled by your sinful nature. You were jealous of one another, you quarreled with one another. Doesn't that prove that you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren't you living like people of the world?\n\nWhen one of you says, 'I am a follower of Paul,' another says, 'I follow Apollos'—aren't you acting just like the people of this world?\n\nAfter all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God's servants through whom you believe the good news. Each of us did the work God gave us as servants. I planted the seeds in your heart; Apollos watered it. But it was God who made it grow. What is important is not who does the planting or who does the watering—what is important is that God makes the seed grow.\n\nFor we are both God's workers, and you are God's field, God's building. Because of the grace God gave to me, I laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful, for no one can lay any other foundation than the one already laid: Jesus Christ."
Paul's point was clear: I am not here to disciple you to be like me. I am not building a following. My plan, our plan, is that we should all grow to the full stature and measure of Christ Jesus—so that anyone who sees me and then sees you will see Jesus in both of us.
In Colossians 2:6–10, Paul outlined the foundation of discipleship after a person has answered the call to salvation:
First: You must continue to follow.
"Just as you accepted Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him."
You cannot say, "I have accepted Jesus Christ," and then go your own way. That is not discipleship. That is like the multitude who, when they hear things that are too hard, simply choose their own path and their own lifestyle, regardless of who they have committed themselves to. Discipleship is not a moment; it is a direction.
Second: Your roots must grow deep in him.
"Let your roots grow down in him. Let your lives be built on him."
What are roots for? They seek nutrients, nourishment, the sustaining power to keep you vibrant and flourishing. A disciple considers themselves like a plant that would wither without Christ. The Bible says, "Without me you can do nothing." Your spiritual nourishment comes from knowing him, learning from him, abiding in him.
Third: Christ must be your foundation.
"Let your lives be built on him."
A foundation does two things: it stabilizes a building, and it sets the plan of the building. Once you set a foundation, the structure is determined. You cannot change the structure without unearthing the foundation.
This is why it is so dangerous to neglect your roots in Christ. You may think it is okay to build however you want—"This is what Christ says, but this is how I want to live." But the Bible says your house will collapse. The winds will come, the waves will beat against it, and if it is not built according to the foundation and the plan Christ has set, it will fall. But the house built according to the plan, on the foundation already laid? It will stand.
As disciples, we cannot say, "This is my foundation, but this is what I want to build on it." We must find out what the plan is and build our lives according to it. Christ is the master architect. We are the builders who must follow his design.
Fourth: Do not be captured by empty philosophies.
"Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ."
The Bible says the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men. Yet the world is full of high-sounding ideas—philosophies that seem logical, theories that promise power, thoughts that appeal to our desires. Paul warns us that these do not come from Christ alone; they are empowered by spiritual forces that want to keep you from knowing you are complete in Christ.
Disciplines are quick to recognize this. They cast down every imagination that exalts itself above the knowledge of God. When a thought comes that contradicts God's truth, they bring it into submission and say, "Listen: all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus Christ. He told me I am seated with him in heavenly places, above all principalities and powers. Why would I accept thoughts from things that are beneath me?"
You are not subject to these powers. The Bible says Christ is the head over every ruler and authority. If the head is the head of all powers, what does that make the body? You are the body of Christ. How can you listen to things that are under your feet?
As you grow in these four marks of discipleship, you must always remember: You are complete in your union with Christ.
"For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in human body. So you are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority."
This awareness—24/7, 365 days a year—should shape everything you do, think, and say. Know the place of Christ in all things. When you do, all the anxious, fearful, or foolish thoughts that tempt you will fall away.
Moreover, this completeness is not meant to be private. Paul says:
"Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, through psalms, through hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
When you gather with other believers, the way you admonish one another should reflect what Christ has done in you personally. Nobody should be a believer in your midst and not know that they are complete in Christ. Nobody should remain ignorant of their authority and identity. This is how discipleship is lived out together.
But there is one more thing—and perhaps the most important. Jesus himself told us what the evidence of discipleship is. In John 13:34–35:
"A new commandment I give you: that you love one another just as I have loved you. By this will all people know that you are my disciples—if you love one another."
Notice something remarkable here. Jesus had already taught his disciples the commandment from Moses: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself." The entire law and the prophets hung on these two commandments.
But now Jesus gives a new commandment. And the difference is crucial: He does not say, "Love one another as you love yourselves." He says, "Love one another just as I have loved you."
Why is this new? Because your love for yourself is limited. You are aware of your own failings, your own unworthiness. If your ability to love your neighbor depends on how well you love yourself, your neighbor is in trouble. If your neighbor must wait for you to fully love yourself first, he will be waiting a long time.
But Christ's love? The Bible says, "God is love." His love is not based on what you deserve. It is radical, unconditional, and freely given. And that is the love he calls us to share with one another.
Jesus illustrated this in Matthew 5:38–48. Under the old law, it was "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." But Jesus said:
"But I say to you, do not resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat also. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.\n\nGive to those who ask, and don't turn away from those who want to borrow. You have heard the law say, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in Heaven.\n\nFor he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect."
This is the evidence that sets disciples apart from the world. The world can love those who love them back. The world can help the poor and give to the needy. But the world cannot love its enemies. The world cannot bless those who curse it. The world cannot do good to those who hate it.
When Jesus commands this love, he is asking us to do what the world cannot do. That is how people will know we are his disciples.
Jesus illustrated the seriousness of this with a parable. Two servants were owed money by their master. One owed a thousand denarii, the other owed a hundred. The master forgave the first servant his entire debt out of love and mercy. But that first servant, having been forgiven so much, turned around and threw his brother into prison for the small debt he owed. When the master heard this, he was enraged. He said to the servant:
"I forgave you that enormous debt. Should you not have shown the same mercy to your brother?"
Then he handed him over to the jailers to be tortured.
The point is this: when you have truly experienced the love of Christ—when you understand that your debts have been forgiven, that you are loved without earning it, that you have been shown mercy you did not deserve—your heart is transformed. You cannot help but extend that same love to others. If you refuse to, you show that you do not truly understand what has been done for you.
This is not easy. Loving as Christ loves is not something you can achieve through moral effort alone. It is not something you can think your way into. It requires the Holy Spirit, the presence and power of God himself.
This is why Paul prayed for the churches. In Ephesians 3:14–19, he prayed:
"When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. That Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust him. That your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.\n\nThat you will have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to fully understand. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of love, life, and power that comes from God.\n\nNow all glory to God, who is able through his mighty power at work within us to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever. Amen."
If you are here today and you do not yet know this love we are talking about, I want you to know the Master's love. It does not demand repayment. It does not hold you by the neck and force you to recompense what you have done. The Bible says, "For God so loved the world that he gave himself." This is love: not that we love God, but that he loved us and gave his Son for us. It is radical. It is real. And it is available to you today.
