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Remaining Free
Sermon by David C. GrabbeGod's deliverance of His people from the house of bondage is a central theme of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, reminding us of His mighty hand in freeing us from slavery and the environment of sin. He has brought us out of spiritual captivity, and His instructions are given to ensure we do not return to bondage. The phrase "house of bondage," used repeatedly in Scripture, carries a warning against rebellion and the danger of re-enslavement if we ignore His ways. God's law, described as the law of liberty, is not a source of bondage but a guide to remaining free by defining sin and teaching us how to avoid its enslaving power. Remaining free requires worshiping the true God as He commands, without additions or deviations, and observing the Sabbath and annual feasts that anchor us in His deliverance. Forgetting God by neglecting His commandments, judgments, and statutes leads to spiritual captivity, as does allowing worldly influences or false teachings to draw us away from His prescribed path. True freedom comes from abiding in His word, knowing the truth through Christ, who embodies it, and allowing Him to set us free indeed. Sin enslaves, as Jesus Christ teaches, making whoever commits it a slave to its power. Covetousness, identified as idolatry, further binds the heart, pulling it into Babylon's commerce of souls. Even as we are delivered, the process of sanctification and final deliverance continues, requiring us to identify areas where we remain in bondage and fully surrender to God. We must guard against cultural influences, materialism, humanism, anxiety, debt, and other forces that diminish our faith or corrupt our worship, ensuring we do not conform to this world but are transformed by renewing our minds in His will. Ultimately, freedom is maintained by yielding to Christ's righteousness, becoming slaves to obedience rather than sin. This feast reminds us to fill our minds with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, cooperating with Him to remain free from sin, worldly entanglements, and the influence of the adversary.
The Summertime Soldier and Sunshine Patriotism
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe must put our lives, treasure, and honor on the line, picking up our cross daily, declaring our independence from carnality, evil and bondage to sin.
The Present and Future Crisis (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe need to exercise diligence, acquiring economic stability by submitting to God's counsel, sacrificing now before forces usurp our economic substance.
The Commandments (Part Six)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughGod gave the Sabbath to His people so they can know Him intimately. Idolatry, scattering, and captivity are the natural consequences of Sabbath-breaking.