Your Fight is Spiritual (2)

Key Ideas

Work & Family – it’s all connected and it all works together for the better or for the worse. How you behave at work, at home, in public matters.

Yes, you’re in a spiritual battle, but you fight it practically in the here and now.

Introduction

Fight Legends Example: Wrestling

We like watching it, something fun about it

2x4s hitting people over the head, chair bashing, enjoyable to watch people get hit

Ambassador of truth – it’s not real, careful choreography, well rehearsed

Series Recap: Life is like a fight – if you’ve lived at all you know it’s like this

The fight we experience everyday is so very real, so different than WWE

Not stage, it’s a grind and you feel like it’s beating you up

Struggle is spiritual – Eph. 6:12 – there is a battle taking place for your soul and it’s a spiritual one

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

12 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.

We are primarily spiritual creatures

The real YOU is your soul, and spirit… Because we are made in His image.

If you don’t understand that the battle is spiritual, you’ll never be satisfied

We need to understand that it’s not just any fight, it is a spiritual fight

Until you understand that, you’ll never be satisfied; will always be looking to fill that spiritual longing – life will never make sense

There is an enemy of our souls who is working to discourage the work of God in our lives

Struggle is not against flesh & blood … Eph. 6:12 – there is a spiritual battle and the devil wants to take you out … John 10:10

Do you find your own heart sensitive to the Lord’s presence, or are you among those who are “samplers” and “nibblers”? God help you if you are, for the child of the King isn’t a sampler and a nibbler—he’s a sheep who loves his Shepherd, and he stays close to his Shepherd. That’s the only safe place for a sheep—at the Shepherd’s side, because the devil doesn’t fear sheep—he fears the Shepherd. Your spiritual safety and well-being lies in being near to the Shepherd. Stay close to Jesus and all the wolves in the world cannot get a tooth in you. A. W. Tozer

Psalm 23; John 10:11–15

If you realize it, you’ve got a chance

Psalm 34:8 ESV

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

If you don’t realize it, the enemy is just going to drag you down

God wants us to win

First part of Ephesians, Paul says every spiritual blessing that Christ has, God gives you (Eph. 1:3) - graciously & freely

Wants us to fight like a champion, not FOR victory but FROM victory

Move forward confidently – you may be facing a battle right now, maybe of your own choosing, God says he wants to help you fight through that mess

What you do matters – fight in the light – bring dark parts of your life into the open

Don’t fight with your spouse, fight for your spouse

This week, talking about work & family. “We’ve Got Work to Do” - Jackson

Eph. 6: Spiritual battle you face is not just spiritual, it’s evidenced practical – it is a spiritual battle, but you fight it practically ways everyday

Everything is connected – spiritual life, how you treat your spouse, how you live at work – all interconnected

Make distinction between American slavery and the type of slavery discussed in this scripture (voluntarily vs. involuntarily – talking about work in Eph. 6)

Advice For Living Practical Faith

Points of Power

Fight like a slave (v. 5) – talking about work

Spend 54% of waking adult life at work

Many times just want to get through this life so we can get to the end (retirement)

View your work as a blessing from God – you’re working for God not your employer – change the motive of why you go to work and how you work.

How you work can either turn people to God or away from God

We are made to work – in the image of God

Be satisfied with a good, hard days work

Work is not something to be endured, but to be enjoyed. This means they work for Him; and in working for Him, they work not only to provide for themselves, but also to secure enough to give to others (Ep. 4:29)

You’ve been bought with a price: 1 Cor. 6:19,, you’re not your own anymore.

1 Corinthians 6:19 ESV

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,

Work to honor and serve God

God wants you to give it your best

Fight like a boss (v.9)

You have opportunity to worship God by the way you run your business – be kind, honest, fair, generous – so do that well

Middle Manager: honor the owner/boss and lead the employees underneath you – opportunity for worship when you do it in a way that honors God – honor, serve and point people to the one who’s leading you – Jesus

Fight like a kid (v.1-3)

When you’re a child and you live under your parents roof, obey your parents.

Kids, you matter and what you do matters – you’re not too young to live for God (1 Tim. 4:12)

You can honor God – obey parents and then honor them – respect – (transition when you’re on your own as an adult)

Involve them in your life and be involved in their lives

Take care of them when needed

God’s gift of family is precious and to be appreciated

Fight like a Dad (v.4)

Don’t frustrate your kids – don’t make life intentionally difficult for your kids (not just Dads but parents in general)

Overdoing leadership in their lives

Overdoing discipline – over the top, crushing their spirit

Be engaged but don’t overdo it

Don’t under do your leadership in their lives – need a parent, not just a friend

Sometimes kid needs to hear “No”

Train them up in the instruction of the Lord – talk about God

What you’re learning and what God is teaching you

Ask what they learned in kids church

Pray with them about life (not just over food)

Be real, honest when you miss the mark – you’re going to fail your kids, be honest when you do

Fess up to your mistakes with your kids

Ask for their forgiveness

This will help develop your kids into people who are real with God, not samplers or nibblers.

Let’s go on a journey together and let’s fight like God wants us to fight!