I Love Freedom

The question is why?

Why this statement? For what reason do we wear the t-shirt, buy the mug or put the sticker in our car? Why is it that some people have a problem with it? Why does it raise so many questions?

The Bible speaks about a body that Jesus is the head of. It says that 'the body is made up of many parts and each part plays a role and carries responsibility but ultimately it's the 'head' that controls the movement and brings the thought'. The rest of the body is in submission to the head, or it should be! We, the church, are that body which the Bible describes. There is a global out working of this, the church worldwide, as a global phenomenon, but then there is the local setting which is the church locally. In the Bible, Paul wrote to specific local churches to address problems, help with situations, encourage and above all, lead. Churches across the globe in; Ephesus, Corinth, Thessalonica, Galatia... These were all local churches, people meeting together in their own towns, ministering to their own communities. They were all Christians, loved Jesus and all on a journey of being rescued, recovered and restored. They were part of the global church, but were the local expression of it. I believe these communities, these early pioneers, loved what they were a part of and what they belonged to, it was theirs! Yes, they knew they were a part of something bigger, however, they also knew they were making a local difference. You see the church in Africa has little effect on Bury. We affect Bury! We consistently and continually make a difference by the lives we live and the things we do. We are the outworking of God's overall plan in Bury! We are the local outworking of a worldwide phenomenon. So why love Freedom? Because it's God's church, it's His expression locally, it's about His business and it's that which you belong to or can belong to. We can confidently say that 'I LOVE FREEDOM', because we know, that Freedom is about God's great commission, we preach the gospel, we help those in need, we love and care. It is not the glorification of a building, or an arrogant thought. It is glorifying God's answer to our broken society. Freedom is the church community, a city on a hill, it's the body controlled by the head. So it's okay to 'love freedom', it's okay to be in love with what God is doing. It's okay to belong, to wear the t-shirt or put the sticker in your car, which lets Bury know your love for His church. We love Freedom, because we understand that we are honouring and glorifying what God is doing here in our great town of Bury through His church... FREEDOM!