WTTV - Part 15 - The Fight

FCF: Why we struggle to live godly when daily stresses make godliness most necessary.

Proposition: The reason we struggle to live Godly when daily stresses make godliness most necessary is because of a lack of real, all-out allegiance to the Master Yeshua expressed in your efforts to battle sin in your life.

1. Jonathan Bing by Beatrice Curtis Brown Poor old Jonathan Bing. He went out in his carriage to visit the king. But everyone pointed and said, "Look at that! Jonathan Bing has forgotten his hat!" He'd forgotten his hat. Poor old Jonathan Bing went home and put on his best hat for the king. But up by the palace, a soldier said, "Hi! You can't see the king! You've forgotten your tie!" He'd forgotten his tie. Poor old Jonathan Bing, Went home and put on a beautiful tie for the king. But when he arrived, an archbishop said, "Ho! You can't come to court in pajamas, you know! You can't come to court in pajamas, you know!" Poor old Jonathan Bing, Went home and addressed a short note to the king: "If you please will excuse me, I won't come to tea. Cause home's the best place for all people like me." Home's the best place for all people like me. Poor old Jonathan Bing.

2. Why does Jonathan Bing not just put on the right clothes to stand before the King? He is creating a problem that does not need to exist and then just gives up and punts the so-called virtue of being an “ordinary folk.” When in reality, the problem with Jonathan Bing is not a fight with the people, the soldiers or archbishop. The fight is within Himself. He denied Himself access to the King because He would not adorn himself in the right clothes. That is a fight that never needed to happen.

1. Jonathan Bing Poem

2. Why does Jonathan Bing not just put on the right clothes to stand before the King? He is creating a problem that does not need to exist and then just gives up and punts the so-called virtue of being an “ordinary folk.” When in reality, the problem with Jonathan Bing is not that standard was to high, He just was not ultimately loyal, did not have real allegiance to His King. No, like many people He felt like the King should conform to his will and ways. A very uncessary struggle indeed.

3. Our passage today is all about the struggle raging inside of us. A struggle that we can win if we are walking in the Messiah’s Victory.

4. Say the Ha-foke-ba.

5. Read

4. Say the Ha-foke-ba.

Colossians 3:5–11 TLV

Therefore, put to death what is earthly in you—sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed—for that is idolatry. Because of such things God’s wrath is coming upon the sons of disobedience. At one time you also walked in these ways, when you used to live in these ways. But now, set them all aside—anger, rage, malice, slander, and foul language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another. After all, you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self that is being renewed in knowledge, according to the image of the One who created him. Here there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, savage, slave and free; but Messiah is all, and in all.

5. Read -1.1

Neutral: During World War II there were some nations that stayed neutral, but the minute a nation decided not to be neutral anymore but to actually say, “I’m on this side,” immediately it would get attacked. By who? The other side.

A. The neutrality of the majority of Europe regarding Germany.

1. During World War II there were some nations that stayed neutral, but the minute a nation decided not to be neutral anymore but to actually say, “I’m on this side,” immediately it would get attacked. By who? The other side.

A. The neutrality of the majority of Europe regarding Germany.

B. 3/9/1939: Britain, France, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa declare war on Germany

C. On 10 May 1940, hours before the German invasion of France it became that the British had no confidence in Chamberlain's prosecution of the war and so Chamberlain resigned and Churchill became Prime Ministry.

D. “The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.” – Winston Churchill, 1936

C. On 10 May 1940, hours before the German invasion of France it became that the British had no confidence in Chamberlain's prosecution of the war and so Chamberlain resigned and Churchill became Prime Ministry.

D. “The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences.” – Winston Churchill, 1936

E. As soon as the British took a side, neutrality was over and a period of consequence began.”

Take a Side: As soon as you decide to say, “I’m on this side,” as soon as you decide to be complete and total in your allegiance for one side, to Yeshua, you immediately make an enemy. There has to be a fight.

E. As soon as the British took a side, neutrality was over and a period of consequence began.”

A. We are not neutral, we are in a fight right now. This whole message series has been an attempt to say, “Yes, the Victory has been won but the war goes on. The dethroned enemy is still fighting and so are we.”

2. As soon as you decide to say, “I’m on this side,” as soon as you decide to be complete and total in your allegiance for one side, to Yeshua, you immediately make an enemy. There has to be a fight.

B. FCF: Why are you not seeing victory against your internal struggles when victory is most necessary?

A. We are not neutral, we are in a fight right now. This whole message series has been an attempt to say, “Yes, the Victory has been won but the war goes on. The dethroned enemy is still fighting and so are we.”

B. FCF: Why are you not winning your struggle to live godly lives when godliness is most necessary?

Proposition: If you are not seeing victory against your internal struggles taking place right now it because of a lack of real, all-out allegiance to the Master Yeshua. Like Jonathan Bing, it is not the King’s fault you are not getting in, it is your fault for not taking off the old clothes and putting on the right clothes.

3. Proposition: If you are not winning the struggle taking place right now it because of a lack of real, all-out allegiance to the Master Yeshua expressed in your efforts to live a in conformity with your new identity.

A. Remember: At one point in time, we used to be in an impossible fight against God. We exhausted all of ourselves waging war against the One who could not be toppled.

A. At one point in time, we used to be in an impossible fight against God. We exhausted all of ourselves waging war against the One who could not be toppled.

B. Eventually, we surrendered. Better to say, Yeshua surrendered Himself on the cross and we laid down our arms and surrendered to God.

C. When you met the Messiah everything changed: by Him you are filled with the Holy Spirit, in Him you have a new identity and with Him you triumph through the cross.

B. Eventually, we surrendered. Better to say, Yeshua surrendered Himself on the cross and we laid down our arms and surrendered to God.

C. When you met the Messiah everything changed: by Him you are filled with the Holy Spirit, in Him you have a new identity and with Him you triumph through the cross.

D. This gives us incredible internal peace because now we are hooked up to the Messiah.

The Fight: Yet, the heart still wants to go back to its natural tendencies of selfishness, pride, it wants to get out from under this new ruler-ship. This is the new fight we are in.

D. This gives us incredible internal peace because now we are hooked up to the Messiah. Yet, the heart still wants to go back to its natural tendencies of selfishness, pride, it wants to get out from under this new ruler-ship.

4. Now, into the heart comes these new yearnings: it’s the principle of holiness, a yearning after God, a yearning for godliness, love, joy, peace, patience, all in that seed. It comes on in and it sets up camp. What ends up happening is you have, now, two parts to your body, to your heart, to your mind, to your will.

A. Yearnings: When you gave up your fight against God in your heart came these new yearnings: it’s the principle of holiness, a yearning after God, a yearning for godliness, love, joy, peace, patience, all in that seed. It comes on in and it sets up camp. What ends up happening is you have, now, two parts to your body, to your heart, to your mind, to your will.

A. You actually have two sides to you now. You have a side that still tends to want to live for yourself, and you have a side that now desires to live for God, and so there’s a new fight that shows up. You’re not fighting with God anymore. Actually, you’re fighting with your old self.

B. Two Sides: You actually have two sides to you now. You have a side that still tends to want to live for yourself, and you have a side that now desires to live for God, and so there’s a new fight that shows up. You’re not fighting with God anymore. Actually, you’re fighting with your old self.

B. Years ago, J.C. Ryle had a chapter in his book called “The Fight,” and in it he says a true follower of Yeshua is known not only for his inner transformation but also for his inner warfare.

C. Ryle: Years ago, J.C. Ryle had a chapter in his book called “The Fight,” and in it he says a true follower of Yeshua is known not only for his inner peace but also for his inner warfare.

D. : We are still in a fight but we are now fighting in a different location with a different General. The fight has moved to another spot. As a matter of fact, Rabbi Paul tells Timothy this is “the good fight of faith” ().

C. We are still in a fight but we are now fighting in a different location with a different General. The fight has moved to another spot. As a matter of fact, Rabbi Paul tells Timothy this is “the good fight of faith” ().

1 Timothy 6:12 TLV

Fight the good fight of faith! Take hold of the eternal life—you were called to it, and you made the good confession for it in the presence of many witnesses.

The old fight had ramifications and the new fight has ramifications.

5. The old fight had ramifications and the new fight has ramifications.

A. The old fight was a loosing fight. The old fight was against God, and you had to lose that. Whether you realized it or not you were fighting a war you would loose against God that could have had eternal ramifications.

B. But the new fight is against your old self, and you have to win it because it has present, immediate ramifications.

C. The old fight was a fight that actually brought disintegration and deterioration the more you fought against God. It was a fight you could never win. The new fight leads to elation, exhilaration and euphoria. The new fight is a fight that you can win if you have real allegiance to Yeshua.

i. you will win the fight against the idols of the heart.

ii. you will win the fight against violent emotional fires.

iii. you will win the fight against serpentine status cravings.

1. Overcome the inward struggle by guarding your heart (3:5-6).

A. Bible: Why should I take idolatry seriously?

1. Idolatry comes from the old part of you.

1. You will win the fight against the idols of the heart.

a. The Worldly Person, Carnal Person, Spiritual Person

b. All believers are wrestling with the old self and especially covetousness “greed.”

Colossians 3:5–7 TLV

Therefore, put to death what is earthly in you—sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed—for that is idolatry. Because of such things God’s wrath is coming upon the sons of disobedience. At one time you also walked in these ways, when you used to live in these ways.

Colossians 3:5–7 TLV

Therefore, put to death what is earthly in you—sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed—for that is idolatry. Because of such things God’s wrath is coming upon the sons of disobedience. At one time you also walked in these ways, when you used to live in these ways.

A. Therefore: If you are heavenly-minded then you will have to fight to be some earthly good.

c. Covetousness is a refusal to give total allegiance to God: hence, idolatry. Here it is more specific to Messiah.

2. Idolatry faces ultimate consequences.

B. Why should I take idolatry seriously?

1. To win this fight acknowledge the earthly in you.

3. Idolatry requires radical action.

a. The Usual Classification Does not Work Here

B. Illustration: I cannot stand running on a Treadmill.

1. I cannot stand running on a Treadmill I would rather run ten miles in freezing rain through the woods then have to run on a Treadmill. It is boring to just run in place for 6-7 miles.

i. Worldly

2. That is why if you ever see me at the Gym on a Treadmill I am always watching the Television. Not because the Television takes away the agony, the hard work or sweat. No, the Television entertains me and eventually hinders my real training that I am trying to accomplish.

ii. Fleshly

3. Eventually, the need to pay attention to the Television outweighs my concern for why I got on a Treadmill: to train for a half-marathon.

iii. Spiritual

b. We all got some earthly in us.

4. That is who idols are, they are entertaining distractions that pull you away from the real struggle and decrease your ability to fight.

i. Past Earthly

C. Application: I want to give you some tools to identify your own personal struggle with idolatry. These are powerful tools, powerful questions:

1. What causes you to loose sleep at night?

ii. Present Earthly

iii. Blind Spot Earthly Stuff

a. Humiliation – Power (Success, Winning, Influence)

2. To win this fight terminate with extreme prejudice your idols of pleasure.

b. Rejection – Approval (Affirmation, Love, Relationships)

c. Stress, Demands – Comfort (Privacy, Lack of Stress, Freedom)

a. This list of six makes a nasty hiss of “covetousness”

i. Extrapolation of all the Ten Words

d. Uncertainty – Control (Self-Discipline, Certainty, Standards)

2. How do people feel around you?

ii. The Dangerous Power of Un-submitted Desire

b. The hiss of a snake is the warning that a bite is coming just like the hiss of covetousness in your heart is a sign that idolatrous sin is coming.

a. Used – Power (Success, Winning, Influence)

c. Defeat that Hiss of the Six at the Cross ( Son of Man lifted up)

b. Smothered – Approval (Affirmation, Love, Relationships)

c. Neglected – Comfort (Privacy, Lack of Stress, Freedom)

3. To win this fight consider what it means to be on the loosing side.

d. Condemned – Control (Self-Discipline, Certainty, Standards)

a. You can see His wrath now and will see it fully later.

b. You can look back and remember.

3. What is your problem emotion?

C. Illustration: I cannot stand a diet because it restricts.

a. Used – Power (Success, Winning, Influence)

1. I don’t like dieting not because of what I have to eat but because of the limitations on how much of only certain stuff I can eat. When I started my diet with the Wells way back in September I made a commitment: whole hearted allegiance to the Doctor not my cravings. My cravings were idolatrous. Idols feed upon unrestrained desires because keeps you under their power. My diet did more than shed 30 + pounds it tore down some long standing idols in my life.

b. Smothered – Approval (Affirmation, Love, Relationships)

2. That is what idols do, they are entertaining pleasures that pull you away from the real struggle and decrease your ability to fight.

c. Neglected – Comfort (Privacy, Lack of Stress, Freedom)

D. Application: I want to give you some tools to identify your own personal struggle with idolatry. These are powerful tools, powerful questions:

d. Condemned – Control (Self-Discipline, Certainty, Standards)

1. What causes you to loose sleep at night? (RUSH)

2. Overcome the inward struggle by watching your mouth (3:8-9a)

a. Rejection – Approval (Affirmation, Love, Relationships)

b. Uncertainty – Control (Self-Discipline, Certainty, Standards)

A. Bible: Give your mouth to God and He will give your Life to You

1. The Tongue has the power of life and death.

c. Stress, Demands – Comfort (Privacy, Lack of Stress, Freedom)

d. Humiliation – Power (Success, Winning, Influence)

2. The Tongue reveals your true allegiances.

B. Illustration: Fences promotes one of the greatest lies ever: you got to accept the crooked with the straight.

2. How do people feel around you? (SUNC)

a. Smothered – Approval (Affirmation, Love, Relationships)

C. Application: If you let the Messiah get control of your tongue you will start to win some major battleground.

1. Do you know how much of the Bible is dedicated to the direct impact of speech? How much is directly related to using your words to turn enemies into friends rather than turning friends into enemies.

b. Used – Power (Success, Winning, Influence)

c. Neglected – Comfort (Privacy, Lack of Stress, Freedom)

2. When you are cooking a chicken and reading the recipe do you know what word comes up over and over again? Chicken, chicken, chicken.

3. Wives do you know what word should be peppered, salted in all your conversations with your husband? – Respect

d. Condemned – Control (Self-Discipline, Certainty, Standards)

4. Husbands do you know what word should be peppered, salted in all your conversations with your wife? - Love

3. What is your problem emotion? (BAWC)

a. Boredom – Comfort (Privacy, Lack of Stress, Freedom)

3. Overcome the inward struggle by embracing your new Identity (3:9b-11)

b. Anger – Power (Success, Winning, Influence)

A. Bible

c. Worry – Control (Self-Discipline, Certainty, Standards)

B. Illustration: Lasie/

d. Cowardice – Approval (Affirmation, Love, Relationships)

C. Application

John Calvin said a long time ago, “the human heart is, so to speak, a perpetual factory of idols.” Before that, Rabbi Paul said this whole business about idolatry is still our problem because if we are no longer fighting against God and no longer neutral. There are some idols in your heart – the list of six makes a nasty hiss of “covetousness” – that you need to terminate with extreme prejudice at the cross of Messiah. But now we are not out of the battle yet. We will win the fight against the idols of the heart by going to the cross of Messiah but we need to also win the fight against violent emotional fires.

1. J.K. Ryle in his book I mentioned earlier said this, “Every professing believer is the soldier of Messiah. He is bound … to fight Messiah’s battle against sin, the world, and the devil. The man that does not do this, breaks his vow--he is a spiritual defaulter; he does not fulfill the engagement made for him. The man that does not do this, is practically renouncing his faith. The very fact that he belongs to a congregation, attends a place of worship, and calls himself a follower of Messiah, is a public declaration that he desires to be a solider of the Messiah. - Ryle, J.C. (2013-06-03). The Good Fight (Kindle Locations 384-387). . Kindle Edition.

2. Win the fight against Violent Emotional Fires (3:8-9a)

2. I am not suggesting to you that the fight inner struggle against sin is going to be easy. As a matter of fact, it is going to be the hardest fight of your life. When the British chose to take a stand against Hitler that little island got pounded by Nazi weapons of war, pounded but not crushed, attacked but not overcome. And today, we do not see Nazi flags waving in the sky but the British flag.

(, TLV)

3. This fight is not easy, the struggle is real but you can overcome it by taking monotheism personally, by refusing the old, familiar path daily and by accepting your new identity in Yeshua ultimately.

Colossians 3:8–9 TLV

But now, set them all aside—anger, rage, malice, slander, and foul language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another. After all, you have taken off the old self with its practices

A. Bible: Your mouth is the smoke alarm of your heart.

1. Your mouth tells you there is a violent emotional fire in your heart.

a. The power of life and death are in the tongue.

b. The tongue also reveals the heart of a man or woman.

2. This list of six sounds the alarm that fiery lies all around.

3. You are on fire stop, drop and roll (apotitheme “set them all aside”)

B. Illustration: You need to pay attention to those alarms.

1. Canada Carbon Monoxide Alarm

2. We checked everything to make sure we were safe, we marked stuff up.

3. Your mouth tells you there is a violent emotional fire in your heart.

C. Application: If you let the Messiah get control of your tongue you will start to win some major battleground because you will learn to set them aside put out that fire.

1. Do you know how much of the Bible is dedicated to the direct impact of speech? How much is directly related to using your words to turn enemies into friends rather than turning friends into enemies.

2. Would you put out a fire with grease? NO!!! or gasoline!!! NO! You use water or a fire extinguisher.

3. Emotions are stupid things they only take on the life you give them.

a. Wives to Husbands

b. Husbands to Wives

Transition: Do you want to win the internal struggle the internal fight? Get victory when it matters the most? Watch your mouth becomes it is the alarm of the heart and do some damage on the idols of the heart.

These two things idols of the heart and violent emotional fires are hard to fight against and this last one SERPENTINE STATUS CRAVINGS are frustrating to overcome but is silly to keep going back to them.

Let me explain. When you take a shower, you don’t put on the same clothes that you had on before. If you did, you’d be canceling out the benefit of the shower. When you clean the inside, you want the outside to match it. Having a clean inside and a dirty outside cancels the point in being cleansed.

Now try to explain that to my little boy who gets so easily excited and in a great hurry to finish shower time and get to game time he often forgets his clean clothes and just puts back on his dirty clothes. It defeats the whole purpose of the shower.

The same thing is true of us. We are washed clean by the blood of the Messiah and it makes no good sense to go and put back on the old clothes of our old lives.

Now this last one might be the hardest because real allegiance to Yeshua means defeating the serpentine status cravings.

3. You will against serpentine status cravings (3:9b-11)

(, TLV)

Colossians 3:9–11 TLV

Do not lie to one another. After all, you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self that is being renewed in knowledge, according to the image of the One who created him. Here there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, savage, slave and free; but Messiah is all, and in all.

A. Bible: How you view yourself matters.

1. We love Status labels (3:9b-10a)

a. Ethnic Labels – Jew and Greek

b. Religious Labels - circumcised and uncircumcised

c. Linguistic Labels - barbarian, savage,

d. Economic Labels - slave and free

2. We should be in love with One Label: Child of the Kings (big “but”)

B. Illustration: My love affair with how Chicago kills Serpentine Status Labels

C. Application: Your Response to the battle is Your Responsibility

1. For some, your response to your battle with God is your responsibility.

2. How you make the Messiah “all in all”?

3. For others, your response to your battle with the old self is your responsibility.

a. When your teenage daughter or son come sneaking back into the house at 1am with the smell of alcohol on their breath: your response is your responsibility.

b. When you get passed over for that job promotion: your response is your responsibility.

c. When your wife and mother of your children dies slowly and painfully from cancer: your response is your responsibility.

1. J.K. Ryle in his book I mentioned earlier said this, “Every professing believer is the soldier of Messiah. He is bound … to fight Messiah’s battle against sin, the world, and the devil. The man that does not do this, breaks his vow--he is a spiritual defaulter; he does not fulfill the engagement made for him. The man that does not do this, is practically renouncing his faith. The very fact that he belongs to a congregation, attends a place of worship, and calls himself a follower of Messiah, is a public declaration that he desires to be a solider of the Messiah. - Ryle, J.C. (2013-06-03). The Good Fight (Kindle Locations 384-387). . Kindle Edition.

2. I am not suggesting to you that the fight inner struggle against sin is going to be easy. As a matter of fact, it is going to be the hardest fight of your life. When the British chose to take a stand against Hitler that little island got pounded by Nazi weapons of war, pounded but not crushed, attacked but not overcome. And today, we do not see Nazi flags waving in the sky but the British flag.

3. This fight is not easy, the struggle is real but you can overcome it by guarding your heart, watching your mouth and putting on your new identity.

WTTV - Part 15 - The Fight

Part 15: The Fight

Scripture Introduction (5 Moves)

Scripture Introduction (5 Moves)

Sermon Introduction

Sermon Introduction

Bible: Real Allegiance to Yeshua overcomes the inward struggle against sin.

Idols of the Heart

Conclusion

Violent Emotional Fires

Serpentine Status Cravings

Conclusion