You know what bondage is?
Bondage is sitting in your home on a Saturday night saying,
I wish I could be doing something else.
I wish I could be doing drugs or drinking alcohol or partying or doing this.
You know what freedom is?
Freedom is living the life that God has given you and being satisfied.
See, where does that come from?
It comes from denying self.
It comes from contentment and loving God and being thankful for what God has given you.
And I thought to myself, one day when my wife and I are old and our kids are grown,
we will enjoy that too.
We will enjoy that time.
One day, Lord willing, we'll have many grandkids and we'll enjoy that time.
But you know, right now, I'm not wishing my kids were gone.
Some of you are.
You're wasting your life.
I'm not wishing people see that the life of a human being is always wanting something more, right?
Little kids want to be older kids.
Little kids want to be preteens.
Preteens want to be teenagers.
Teenagers want to have a license.
Kids that have a license want to be 18.
Kids that are 18 want to be 21.
We're just constantly wanting something else.
And you wonder why you're so miserable.
Jesus says true freedom is found in being content with what God has given you and denying self.
Does that mean we have everything we want?
Does that mean there aren't things that couldn't be better?
Does that mean that there aren't things that we wouldn't want to change?
Of course not.
But true freedom is found in denying self.
What does discipleship look like?
Here's what it looks like.
Let him deny himself.
But it's not just that.
It's deny self.
Notice the words.
Luke 9 23, and he said to them all,
if any man will come after me, let him deny himself.
Notice the words.
And take up his cross daily.
You say, what does discipleship look like?
Here's what it looks like.
Deny self, die to self.
You say, well Pastor, you understand I got all these desires.
I've got all these things I wanted.
I can't be happy.
Well, you got to die to self.
Go back to Galatians, Galatians 5.
Galatians 5.
You know what your problem is?
You haven't died to self.
Here's a question you should wrestle with.
When did you die?
You know a problem many Christians have, Christians that are not happy in the Christian life,
is that you've never died to self.
Galatians 5 24, and they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
I've got all these affections and lusts.
Okay, kill them.
I've got all these things I want.
Put them to death.
Put them on a cross.
This is the how of discipleship.
Go to Galatians chapter 2.
You're there in Galatians 5.
Look at Galatians chapter 2.
Galatians chapter 2.
Look at verse 20.
It's the how of discipleship.
How does discipleship work?
You deny self and you die to self.
Usually that doesn't sound fun.
You know what the truth is?
You actually have more fun.
Denying self and dying to self.
Paul said it this way.
I am crucified with Christ.
Nevertheless, I live.
Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.
And the life which I now live in the flesh,
I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me
and gave himself for me.
He said, what is a Christian life?
It is a Christian of dying to self.