Clearing Hurdles
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 3 viewsNotes
Transcript
Split Personality
Split Personality
This morning I want to discuss with you something that I am continually growing in understanding about. Every decision in life will either bring you closer to God or farther from him. And the reason I titled this message split personalities is because I have found that every major decision in life, I call them pinacle points, makes me feel like I have split personalities and this is because my flesh and my Spirit are always at war.
17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
I have found that When you are feeling like you are being pulled in two separate directions while making a decision the decision is usually bigger than you think.
The church of Galatia was in an argument to some degree about circumcision. This was the biggest hurdle, I believe, that kept men from converting to Judaism, but this argument arose. You have to keep in mind that the majority of believers were of Jewish decent and it’s hard to let go of family traditions even when there is something better being given to you. And if you go deeper a tradition is nothing more than a behavior pattern that can be used to separate us from God. There are many things we are patterned to do that are harmless. People have habits of morning routines, things we say or do, or even comments we make when certain words are used.
I developed a habit that every time one of my kids state they are hungry. I say I hungry I am daddy. It’s a pattern that sometimes even annoys me, but it comes out of my mouth before I even think about what I am saying.
In this case the pattern behavior was once used as a sign of a promise made to Abraham from God back in Genesis 17. It was a beautiful promise that showed God’s love for Israel and his desire to keep them, to multiply them, and to draw them unto Him but that old promise was getting in the way of God’s new design and kingdom expansion into the gentile nations. But God told his people that he is doing New things.
19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
So now the church is at a critical point-Do we follow what we know and are comfortable with or Do we take this leap into the unknown? or in other words.
Do we follow God or Stay Comfortable?
As I stated before these types of decisions will usually leave you feeling like you have a split personality. Everything inside of you will want to stay with the flesh, but everything inside of you will want to move with God. The reason is because when God moves it’s usually against roots we have firmly planted within ourselves.
So how, in those moments of major decisions to we draw closer to God?
What is the true decision?
In our verse this morning Paul shifted the entire argument away from circumcision and went directly to the root of issue. If we zoom out and back up to verse one we see that Paul calls out the true issue behind this agreement.
1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Most major decisions aren’t about your job, who you should marry , or what Church you should attend. Most major decisions come down to are you following God or are you walking away from Him. Jesus will never be in two places at once.
God was in circumcision. At one point he commanded it, but then Jesus freed the Jewish people from the Levitical law, which is another sermon completely, and he shifted into the Law of Faith.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
The true Question is
2. Where is Jesus?
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
or
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
To answer this question it may take some time and discernment, but I don’t believe that, if you’re true desire is to follow God, you won’t accidently miss the exit.
I have witnessed far to many Christians suffer from
Analysis Paralysis
So afraid that they are going to miss step they don’t make a step.
Galatians 5:19 (ESV)
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident...
If you continue reading it gives you a list, not an exhaustive list, but a list of the works of the flesh, but I want to stop here for a moment because there is a promise here.
Your decisions won’t be masked.
When I prayed about moving from youth ministry to senior Pastor ministry God didn’t give disguised answers. My senior pastor at the time came to me and said if you don’t make this jump your fired because he knew and was in tune to what God was doing.
When my wife, then girlfriend, told me she wasn’t going to Marry me and I was distressed. God woke me up in the middle of the night and gave me
4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
With the loss of my secular job I had been struggling with what my next steps were. A women, whom we used to be close to and grew apart from called my wife and told me wife she had a dream about me and in the dream she told me to take care of my family. I knew what that meant the moment it was said.
Let me tell you…Marriage isn’t easy, But I know Jesus is in this one. So it will prosper.
Senior Pastor ministry isn’t easy, but I know Jesus in this one
Owning my own businesses isn’t easy, but this is where Jesus is.
Change isn’t easy, but If Jesus is in it, than every hardship you endure along the way you will overcome.
My father in law posted this Friday:
NLT- John 6:21 Then they were eager to let Him (Jesus) in the boat and immediately they arrived at their destination. When Jesus arrives you are where you need to be.
Over the next few weeks we will be discussing Growing closer to God and what that looks like in our walk. But I challenge you to commit this verse into your memory. Because when the waters get rough, the decisions get hard, and the walk becomes challenging. Remember: When Jesus is with you- you are exactly where you should be.