Give It All Away
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Title- Give It All Away
Passage-
Introduction- Ignoring road closed signs and the consequences
Attention-Just like it’s your choice to obey the road closed signs…just like its your choice where you will spend eternity…it is your choice how you will live your life until you reach eternity.
Problem- In our minds we know how we ought to live our lives but when it comes to following through it can be difficult.
Why?
We expect that God will just do the work for us....that we can just sit back and coast until eternity
Life is made of choices and those choices have consequences.
Historical Problem-Paul’s readers faced, in their essence, the same struggles we do…they did not have the New Testament to guide them so Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, sent them this letter.
CPS- Our approach to the Holy Spirit is as important as any doctrine we believe about Him.
Interrogative (CPS in a question) How then should a Christian approach the Holy Spirit?
Transition- In this text I find three approaches to the Holy Spirit
When you approach the Holy Spirit you should first come with an attitude of rejection
I. Approach With An Attitude Of Rejection
I. Approach With An Attitude Of Rejection
Explain Verses 15-21
Paul begins by challenging the believer to reject the lusts of the flesh…and walk (or live ) in the Spirit
-He goes on to explain that the flesh and the Spirit are contrary
*They are in opposition to one another…the word carries more of the idea of not just disagreement but a hostile disagreement.
Paul lists the works of the flesh…READ verse 19-21
Just to clarify…we are not talking about rejecting individuals…here Paul is referring to rejecting a worldview.
-To be clear, a worldview is exactly what the word implies…how one views the world.
-There are those who see the world through the lense of the world
-Get all you can, can all you get, and sit on the lid
-It is the mindset of the Greeks and Romans that this is all there is to the world sho we need to enjoy ourselves because if we were to die tomorrow we would miss out on some enjoyable experience in this world.
-There are those who look at life through the lense of scripture...
-Those, as best they can, strive to abide by the Word of God
-Those who try to keep their perspective not on this world but the eternity to come
Illustrate- It’s a little like playing softball.
-When you are up to bat and the ball leaves the pitchers hand there are a number of things that could grab your attention…you could focus on the 1st baseman, the outfielder, the shortstop, the runner on third....
-But where do you need to keep your focus? On the ball
-If you do not keep your eye on the ball does it matter where the shortstop is, or the runner on third…
-No, in that moment there is one thing and one thing only to focus on...
Argumentation- Friends, there are a lot of things in this world calling for our attention.
-I recently heard that the average American is bombarded with 6,000 advertisements per day.
-Satan has done a great job of entertaining and distracting us from the things that really matter.
Apply- As we have seen in past weeks, we have a choice to make, what are we going to give our attention to?
Transition- Whenever you make a choice it involves rejection of something…Do you like the blue tie or the red one…the black shoes or the brown…it cannot be both.
Jesus says in
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.
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.
If one chooses wisely and rejects the world then we have a nice smooth transition into our second approach to the Holy Spirit.
II. Approach With An Attitude Of Acceptance
II. Approach With An Attitude Of Acceptance
Explain Verses 22-23
In verse 22 we come to that small but all important word “BUT”
Here Paul is contrasting…in verses 19-20 we were presented with a worldview that is to be rejected by the Christian
Here in verses 22-23 we are given a worldview that we are to accept…and not only accept but to embrace and implement into our lives.
You can have the head knowledge of these verses but if you do not accept, embrace, and implement them into your life you might as well be at bat staring at the catcher.
I could go through each of these virtues and expound them…but quite honestly they are pretty self-explanitory...
The problem I have seen in my own life at times and in the church in general is that often we have very knowledgable Christians and no application or implementation of the truths we read and hear...
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Illustrate- I mentioned earlier in the series that I like fishing....
There was a point in life that when I was not at work and it wasn’t raining hard, I was fishing
What would you call me at that point....a fisherman
*More recently I have had less time for fishing…I spend more time talking about fishing and using fishing as sermon illustrations....at this point am I a fisherman? No
In order to be a fisherman I need to not only read and study about fishing…I need to implement what I have learned into the act of fishing
Argumentation- Often the world looks at us and calls us hypocrites…or they question the validity of our claims because we are really good at the learning and talking but not so good at implementing and living out the truths we claim to believe
Apply- Paul sums up the solution in
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
It’s time to wake up and refocus…time to not only reject the worldview the that the world brings us but we need to accept the biblical worldview as well.
Transition- So if one rejects the world and accepts the Holy Spirit and is filled with the fruit of Him, then what....is that it? Absolutely not!
I want to propose a third approach to the Holy Spirit and that is to approach with an attitude of philanthropy
III. Approach With An Attitude Of Philanthropy
III. Approach With An Attitude Of Philanthropy
Explain Verses 24-26
Here we come to the verses no one talks about. Once you get through verse 23 we’re good and we implement those truths into our life and we are good to go… No!!
Paul says in verse 25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk after the Spirit”
Here Paul is challenging the reader to be in step with the Holy Spirit…Walking with Him
*Not being drug along
*Not running ahead
*But walking with the Spirit
Illustrate- I was going to use the illustration of a three legged race....but are any of you people watchers?
-In you people watching (weather here or at the mall or wherever) have you noticed a married couple....and one of them is out and almost in the store…could probably be at the checkouts before the spouse gets the door open…They are not in step with one another
I have noticed from time to time couples walking through town and they are so in sync that they move the same leg at the same speed and same time…their swing their arms in unison seemingly without trying....
Apply- When it comes to walking with the Spirit which one are you? Are you running ahead? Lagging behind? Or are you in sync with the Spirit?
Verse 26 really is the key
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
What is Paul sharing here…It’s not about you!
-Any good you have accomplished is accomplished in you by the Holy Spirit…so don’t become prideful about your spiritual maturity.
-This verse is about generosity
Don’t desire the spotlight....don’t antagonize one another…don’t be jealous...
-What is the contrast of self glorification, antagonization, and jealousy
-Giving
What then is Paul saying in his concluding thoughts on this matter…
*Give it all away…or at least try to
And Paul is not talking about money or possessions but character…display and mentor godly character traits in others....how?
The Spirit fills you with love…give it all away
The Spirit fills you with joy…give it all away
The Spirit fills you with peace…give it all away
The Spirit fills you with patience…give it all away
The Spirit fills you with gentleness…give it all away
The Spirit fills you with goodness…give it all away
The Spirit fills you with faith…give it all away
The Spirit fills you with meekness…give it all away
The Spirit fills you with moderation…give it all away
This life is not about you…this church is not about you…or me…or any guests...
-It is all about the glory of the Creator
*If any or all of the good that has been produced in my by the Spirit of God is wasted in my own lusts and self promotion then God get no glory...
*No one else benefits from it either....the purpose of God leaving us here to continue on in htis life is for the purpose of helping one another.
Turn with me to
What is Paul saying here…whatever difficulties come your way are for the purpose of producing Christlikeness in you but not only that but so that you can come alongside others and through what the Spirit developed in you He can use you to produce those same characteristics in others.
Conclusion
Review of the Principles and the Sermon Proposition
It is true, we need to reject the worldview promoted by the world and accept the biblical worldview....but if we stop there we fall short of our intended purpose in this life…to glorify God in all that we do
There is one way that we glorify God
Give it all away
Closing Hymn
483 Like A River Glorious