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Ignite Church
Sunday Morning Service
Walking alongside people on their journey towards Christ!
Locations & Times
Ignite Church
1170 IN-229, Batesville, IN 47006, USA
Sunday 10:00 AM
“The Cost of Freedom”
Matthew 16:24-26
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?’”
Point 1 — Following Jesus Requires Surrender
Matthew 16:24
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”
Jesus never hid the cost of discipleship.
He did not say:
“follow Me when it’s convenient”
“follow Me when it’s comfortable”
“follow Me when culture approves”
He said:
“Deny yourself.”
Point 2 — Freedom Always Comes With Sacrifice
John 15:13
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
Every Memorial Day reminds us:
Soldiers:
leave behind comfort
endure hardship
train relentlessly
risk their lives
Why?
Because freedom is worth fighting for.
And spiritually, Jesus did the same.
At Calvary, Christ laid down His life so humanity could be free from:
sin
death
bondage
condemnation
We honor fallen soldiers because they sacrificed for earthly freedom.
We worship Jesus because He sacrificed for eternal freedom.
Point 3 — Every Soldier Needs Training and Equipment
A soldier does not enter battle unprepared.
They are trained:
how to fight
how to endure
how to survive
how to use their weapons
Likewise, believers are in spiritual warfare.
Ephesians 6:12 ESV
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
NLT
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
The enemy is spiritual.
The battle is spiritual.
So God gives spiritual weapons.
Ephesians 6:13-18 ESV
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,”
But there is something else believers need:
POWER.
Acts 1:8 ESV
“But you will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””
Point 4 — Pentecost Equipped the Church for Battle
Acts 2:1-4 ESV
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Pentecost was not merely an emotional experience.
The Holy Spirit gave them:
boldness
strength
endurance
discernment
authority
spiritual gifts
The Church cannot fight spiritual battles with human strength.
We need the power of the Holy Spirit.
Point 5 — We Fight for Souls, Not Soil
Soldiers fight for the freedom of a nation.
Believers fight for eternal souls.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ESV
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”
The enemy wants:
families destroyed
people addicted
hearts bound
souls lost
We fight:
through prayer
through truth
through love
through the Gospel
through the power of the Spirit
The battlefield is everywhere:
homes
schools
workplaces
communities
People are desperate for freedom in Christ.
Point 6 — We Understand the Cost of Freedom
Freedom always costs somebody something.
Soldiers paid with blood for national freedom.
Jesus paid with blood for spiritual freedom.
Matthew 16:25
“Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
The paradox of Christianity:
When we surrender everything to Christ, we discover true life.
Closing
The question is not:
“Is Christianity worth it?”
The real question is:
“What is your soul worth?”
Matthew 16:26
“What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”
The Church must recover that same mindset spiritually.
We are not tourists in the Kingdom.
We are soldiers in the army of God.
And God has not left us unequipped.
HE HAS GIVEN US THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!
Matthew 16:24-26
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?’”
Point 1 — Following Jesus Requires Surrender
Matthew 16:24
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”
Jesus never hid the cost of discipleship.
He did not say:
“follow Me when it’s convenient”
“follow Me when it’s comfortable”
“follow Me when culture approves”
He said:
“Deny yourself.”
Point 2 — Freedom Always Comes With Sacrifice
John 15:13
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
Every Memorial Day reminds us:
Soldiers:
leave behind comfort
endure hardship
train relentlessly
risk their lives
Why?
Because freedom is worth fighting for.
And spiritually, Jesus did the same.
At Calvary, Christ laid down His life so humanity could be free from:
sin
death
bondage
condemnation
We honor fallen soldiers because they sacrificed for earthly freedom.
We worship Jesus because He sacrificed for eternal freedom.
Point 3 — Every Soldier Needs Training and Equipment
A soldier does not enter battle unprepared.
They are trained:
how to fight
how to endure
how to survive
how to use their weapons
Likewise, believers are in spiritual warfare.
Ephesians 6:12 ESV
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
NLT
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
The enemy is spiritual.
The battle is spiritual.
So God gives spiritual weapons.
Ephesians 6:13-18 ESV
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,”
But there is something else believers need:
POWER.
Acts 1:8 ESV
“But you will receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””
Point 4 — Pentecost Equipped the Church for Battle
Acts 2:1-4 ESV
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Pentecost was not merely an emotional experience.
The Holy Spirit gave them:
boldness
strength
endurance
discernment
authority
spiritual gifts
The Church cannot fight spiritual battles with human strength.
We need the power of the Holy Spirit.
Point 5 — We Fight for Souls, Not Soil
Soldiers fight for the freedom of a nation.
Believers fight for eternal souls.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ESV
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”
The enemy wants:
families destroyed
people addicted
hearts bound
souls lost
We fight:
through prayer
through truth
through love
through the Gospel
through the power of the Spirit
The battlefield is everywhere:
homes
schools
workplaces
communities
People are desperate for freedom in Christ.
Point 6 — We Understand the Cost of Freedom
Freedom always costs somebody something.
Soldiers paid with blood for national freedom.
Jesus paid with blood for spiritual freedom.
Matthew 16:25
“Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
The paradox of Christianity:
When we surrender everything to Christ, we discover true life.
Closing
The question is not:
“Is Christianity worth it?”
The real question is:
“What is your soul worth?”
Matthew 16:26
“What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”
The Church must recover that same mindset spiritually.
We are not tourists in the Kingdom.
We are soldiers in the army of God.
And God has not left us unequipped.
HE HAS GIVEN US THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!