Untitled Sermon (2)

There are two types of desire. One is for God and the other is for self.

Introduction

I. Desire for sin started in the very beginning Gen 3:1-4 “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall NOT surely die:”

A. God never said they could not touch the fruit Gen 2:17 “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not EAT OF IT: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

B. Where did God say anything about not touching it!? Eve’s desire for the fruit of the tree has made her rebellious to what God has commanded. Notice the doubt Satan places in Eve. “Did God really say you cant eat of every tree?” then we see Eves attitude toward God’s command. Notice satan adds one little word to the word of God and man is swallowed into sin.

II. Matthew 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” We cannot serve God and ourselves. we must either choose God in this life or be separated from Him in the next.

A. Why would anyone reject Christ now, but yet want to spend eternity with Him? They want to “have fun” now and also reap the benefits of living for God. What sense does this make? That would be like your wife cheating on you daily and spitting in your face then her expecting you to act like nothing is happening and tell her what wonderful wife she is. You would have to be certifiably insane to expect this. Yet so many expect this of Christ.

B. Jesus is very clear in John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

III. Jesus Christ is the savior of His church which He purchased with His own blood Acts 20:28 “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Eph 5:23 “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body.” The body is the church. The Church is the bride of Christ. Are we cheating on Him daily and spitting in His face all while expecting to be saved?

A. James 1:15 “Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full grown, brings forth death.” Selfish desires will lead us to become that evil, vile, and hateful wife to our husband (Jesus Christ) and it will cause us to be separated from him forever.

B. Gal 5:16 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” when we fill our minds with Gods word our desires change, our minds are renewed Rom 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

V. Luke 9:23  Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

A. In order to follow Christ we must desire Him more than ourselves in facts Jesus says we must deny ourselves in order to follow Him.