Spiritual Conflict 9
Salvation
1. The enemy is not into being holy, so he may seek to deter us from holiness
Ephesians 5:1 “Be imitators of God”
- The attack is thwarted if we:
- Love each other
- Treat women / men in a holy fashion and do not lust
- Hold marriage in honor
- Groom our reputation such that “yes” is “yes” and “no” is “no”
- Do not need to retaliate because we believe God is our justifier
- Love our enemies and pray for our persecutors
- The attack is successful if we imitate our fallen culture’s ethic
- Back bite and speak evil of each other
- Lust is the order of the day
- Marriage is a tool to my happiness
- We have to swear to get people to believe us
- Retaliation is the dominant thought when we are wronged
2. The enemy is not into repentance, so he may seek to make us resistant to putting to death the deeds of our fallen bodies
Romans 8:12, 13 “…but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
- The attack is successful if we believe we can continue in sin and it’s acceptable
- 1 John 3:1-10
- Matthew 5:29-30
- We must deal severely with sin
- If we do not put to death the deeds of the body, we evidence we are not
children of God
- How does the enemy sell Jesus without repentance?
- Cheap grace
- Salvation without repentance
- Belief in a God that does not discipline his children
3. The enemy is not into the application of God’s wisdom gained in salvation as a means of repentance, but the foolish living of the one who acts as if there is no God
Proverbs 6:27-28
Illustration: Guys and Girls and boundaries
- The attack is successful if we believe we can imitate unregenerate activity without
incurring temptation
- The attack is successful if we believe we can imitate unregenerate activity without
the appearance of evil
- 1 Thessalonians 5:22
The attack is thwarted when we:
- Treat each other as holy and belonging to the Lord
- Refuse to touch what is not mine
- Make strong and fast boundaries we refuse to cross
- When we do pursue (men), we do so to marry not to test drive
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Spiritual Conflict 8 Faith
Spiritual Conflict 8
Shield of Faith
The Enemy Targets Faith Ephesians 6:16 / 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5
What is it that the enemy targets if he targets faith?
- Faith is not a mental assimilation of information
- 278 references, and all point to some action and not the assimilation of information
- Faith is: Hebrews 11:1
- Assurance of our hope
- Who gives us hope?
- What is our hope?
- How is it assured?
- Undertaking of action based on unseen realities
- Why do I hope in something I do not see?
- Why am I acting on this unseen thing?
This is not logical. It is supernatural. This is the essence of what it means to be converted by the Gospel.
- We are given hope
- We are assured in our hope
- We act on our assured hope
1. The enemy targets our assurance in Christ
- Feelings of guilt
- Feelings of doubt
- Feelings of accusation
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Feelings of uncertainty in God’s promises and his faithfulness
- Feelings of uselessness
- Feelings of despair
- Feelings of suspicion
- Feelings of misplaced and unholy anger
2. The enemy targets our action based on our assurance
- Busy / Tasks
- Fear (failure, injury, death)
- Apathy
- Distraction with inferior pursuits
- The self as an end and not a means
How do we defend with faith?
1. Seek the Lord like your life depended on it
- Jeremiah 29:1-14
- Jesus in the Gospels stopped short of explaining what he meant so that
only those who sought would find
- Matthew 6:33
- Seeking people get to discover that it is Father who pursues us because he loves
us and want us to enjoy him (illustration of “Horse and his boy”)
How do I seek?
1. Read
2. Pray
3. Think deeply
4. Write
5. Fast
6. Get quiet
7. Spend time alone
2. When you get a glimpse of glory, drink deeply and enjoy it
1. Often those days come with many dry days between them
2. Store up the experience for the fight to remember God’s faithfulness
3. Enjoy forgiveness and freedom without reservation
Illustration: the depth and sufficiency of cave spring is not attested to by rationing it’s content. It’s depth and sufficiency is attested to by tapping it, using and continuing to do so. That kind of activity puts cave spring on the map. Kids take field trips there to see it. People go to swim in its bounty. I’ll shower in it. Animals drink from it. People fish in it.
If we approach God’s forgiveness of us with reservation and rationing, we do not glorify it’s depth and sufficiency. We glorify God when we drink deeply of his forgiveness without guilt or the least thought that it could run out. We continue to come to the Father in confession knowing that the well will never run dry. There is no limit to his grace in kindness for his people.
Faith enjoys God’s grace with out any sort of guilt.
Shield of Faith
The Enemy Targets Faith Ephesians 6:16 / 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5
What is it that the enemy targets if he targets faith?
- Faith is not a mental assimilation of information
- 278 references, and all point to some action and not the assimilation of information
- Faith is: Hebrews 11:1
- Assurance of our hope
- Who gives us hope?
- What is our hope?
- How is it assured?
- Undertaking of action based on unseen realities
- Why do I hope in something I do not see?
- Why am I acting on this unseen thing?
This is not logical. It is supernatural. This is the essence of what it means to be converted by the Gospel.
- We are given hope
- We are assured in our hope
- We act on our assured hope
1. The enemy targets our assurance in Christ
- Feelings of guilt
- Feelings of doubt
- Feelings of accusation
- Feelings of worthlessness
- Feelings of uncertainty in God’s promises and his faithfulness
- Feelings of uselessness
- Feelings of despair
- Feelings of suspicion
- Feelings of misplaced and unholy anger
2. The enemy targets our action based on our assurance
- Busy / Tasks
- Fear (failure, injury, death)
- Apathy
- Distraction with inferior pursuits
- The self as an end and not a means
How do we defend with faith?
1. Seek the Lord like your life depended on it
- Jeremiah 29:1-14
- Jesus in the Gospels stopped short of explaining what he meant so that
only those who sought would find
- Matthew 6:33
- Seeking people get to discover that it is Father who pursues us because he loves
us and want us to enjoy him (illustration of “Horse and his boy”)
How do I seek?
1. Read
2. Pray
3. Think deeply
4. Write
5. Fast
6. Get quiet
7. Spend time alone
2. When you get a glimpse of glory, drink deeply and enjoy it
1. Often those days come with many dry days between them
2. Store up the experience for the fight to remember God’s faithfulness
3. Enjoy forgiveness and freedom without reservation
Illustration: the depth and sufficiency of cave spring is not attested to by rationing it’s content. It’s depth and sufficiency is attested to by tapping it, using and continuing to do so. That kind of activity puts cave spring on the map. Kids take field trips there to see it. People go to swim in its bounty. I’ll shower in it. Animals drink from it. People fish in it.
If we approach God’s forgiveness of us with reservation and rationing, we do not glorify it’s depth and sufficiency. We glorify God when we drink deeply of his forgiveness without guilt or the least thought that it could run out. We continue to come to the Father in confession knowing that the well will never run dry. There is no limit to his grace in kindness for his people.
Faith enjoys God’s grace with out any sort of guilt.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Spiritual Conflict 7 Righteousness
Spiritual Conflict
Ephesians 6:14 Righteousness
1. Deal with the enemy’s ground for attack.
- Repent of ungodly involvements
- Repent of ungodly lifestyles, deeds and affiliations
- Avoid habitual sin
- Avoid the new age type spirituality and fascination with angels
2. Determine to resist the enemy James 4:7
- Submit to God
- Submit in advance of temptation
- 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
3. Draw near to God
- Pray
- Meditate on the Scriptures
- Be involved in the Great Commission
- Know who you are in Christ and know your resources in Christ (Colossians 2:15)
- Be meaningfully attached to the body of Christ.
- Expect Christ to give the win!
What is the result of righteousness?
Hebrews 12:11
When we are disciplined by the Father as children and we apply the self-discipline of acting in righteousness we get peace!
Ephesians 6:14 Righteousness
1. Deal with the enemy’s ground for attack.
- Repent of ungodly involvements
- Repent of ungodly lifestyles, deeds and affiliations
- Avoid habitual sin
- Avoid the new age type spirituality and fascination with angels
2. Determine to resist the enemy James 4:7
- Submit to God
- Submit in advance of temptation
- 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
3. Draw near to God
- Pray
- Meditate on the Scriptures
- Be involved in the Great Commission
- Know who you are in Christ and know your resources in Christ (Colossians 2:15)
- Be meaningfully attached to the body of Christ.
- Expect Christ to give the win!
What is the result of righteousness?
Hebrews 12:11
When we are disciplined by the Father as children and we apply the self-discipline of acting in righteousness we get peace!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Spiritual Conflict 6 Readiness
Spiritual Conflict 6
Readiness
The Gospel of Peace produces Readiness
- The picture is one of a person no longer distracted by a war they can’t win resulting in
bitter and nasty divisions among people, and now ready for the fight the enemy
is sure to bring to halt the advance of this message of peace
What does READINESS look like?
1. Readiness is inclined to mission leanness and preparedness
- Luke 10:1-20
- Prays for helpers v. 2
- Satisfied with lean provisions v. 4-9
- Heals sickness v. 10
- Preaches the Gospel message v. 10
- Experiences authority over the demonic v. 17-20
2. Readiness expects a fight
FOOLISHNESS EXPECTS SMOOTH SAILING
- The enemy is looking for an opportune time Luke 4:1-13
- If the evil one came after Jesus, the evil one is sure to come after me
- Don’t be surprised 1 Peter 4:12
- The trial is not arbitrary, but used by the prowling and lurking evil one
to target faith (5:9)
3. Readiness recognizes the enemy and defeats the enemy
- Acts 16:16-18
How did Paul know this was demonic?
- Those who are ready train discernment
- Hebrews 5:14
- Grow in the basics v. 12
- Acclimate to the Gospel and understand the work of Justification v. 13
- Practice evaluating events and circumstances
- Ask analytical questions: who, why, what, how?
- Use the Scriptures
- Listen for Holy Spirit and don’t expect to manipulate him
- Persevere
- Pray
- Evaluate results of attitudes and actions
4. Readiness is quick with the truth
- Ready people do not play around with a lie, but they expose it
5. Readiness is eager to talk about Jesus
- Attribute Old Testament quotations to Jesus
- Know the various encounters Jesus had with individuals, understand the encounter
and apply Jesus to the setting you are in
Readiness
The Gospel of Peace produces Readiness
- The picture is one of a person no longer distracted by a war they can’t win resulting in
bitter and nasty divisions among people, and now ready for the fight the enemy
is sure to bring to halt the advance of this message of peace
What does READINESS look like?
1. Readiness is inclined to mission leanness and preparedness
- Luke 10:1-20
- Prays for helpers v. 2
- Satisfied with lean provisions v. 4-9
- Heals sickness v. 10
- Preaches the Gospel message v. 10
- Experiences authority over the demonic v. 17-20
2. Readiness expects a fight
FOOLISHNESS EXPECTS SMOOTH SAILING
- The enemy is looking for an opportune time Luke 4:1-13
- If the evil one came after Jesus, the evil one is sure to come after me
- Don’t be surprised 1 Peter 4:12
- The trial is not arbitrary, but used by the prowling and lurking evil one
to target faith (5:9)
3. Readiness recognizes the enemy and defeats the enemy
- Acts 16:16-18
How did Paul know this was demonic?
- Those who are ready train discernment
- Hebrews 5:14
- Grow in the basics v. 12
- Acclimate to the Gospel and understand the work of Justification v. 13
- Practice evaluating events and circumstances
- Ask analytical questions: who, why, what, how?
- Use the Scriptures
- Listen for Holy Spirit and don’t expect to manipulate him
- Persevere
- Pray
- Evaluate results of attitudes and actions
4. Readiness is quick with the truth
- Ready people do not play around with a lie, but they expose it
5. Readiness is eager to talk about Jesus
- Attribute Old Testament quotations to Jesus
- Know the various encounters Jesus had with individuals, understand the encounter
and apply Jesus to the setting you are in
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