Who's Got the Remote?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
Have you ever thought about that pausing someone.
Putting someone on silent.
Turn them off.
Do you remember the movie Click ? Where Adam Sandler could rewind and pause his life he could skip things he could pause things.
The people in his life were being controlled by the remote.
Sometimes we do that in life we let ourselves be controlled by influences of friends, family, emotions, desires, outside influences even the enemy.
The way that we are controlled by theses things is through our Minds.
My questions to you tonight i want you to think about is Who has the remote?
Who is in control? Who is pushing your buttons? Just like a t.v. maybe even in a video game?
You have seen those movies were the main characters get sucked into video games and they are being played like characters in a game. It’s really so much like that. We are going to talk about who can control the remote of your Mind will and emotions tonight? Who can influence you ? Who can keep you in bondage and who can set you free. What do you need to do in order to make sure your remote is in good hands?
Who has the remote?
Who has the remote?
There are lots of untruths about who is really in control and who is really responsible for our thoughts and actions.
The Devil made me do it.
I was just to emotional i lost it.
God told me to tell you that.
I’m sorry i can’t see you anymore i feel like God wants me to take time for myself.
I had no choice.
He made me do it.
What else was supposed to do.
I was backed into a corner.
The truth is none of that is the truth but those are statements we use all the time. It takes the responsibility off ourselves and the responsibility off of us making the decisions we have to make in life.
The truth really is there is always a choice to be made. Maybe one that your not comfortable making but you always have a choice, because God gave us the power to choose everything we say, do and think it’s called free will.
The truth is at the end of the day we made the choice it doesn’t matter what or who influenced us the decision was ours to make.
We are responsible for our own choices, but we live in a world full of excuses.
I used to make excuses in mentor ship and i used to rationalize it that i was explaining what happened. You can explain what happened all day long but truly the buck stops here. Which mean it ends and begins with you.
I just wasn’t strong enough that’s not true you just wanted the easier softer way and the truth is you made the choice in that direction so it’s not a matter of strength it really is a matter of choice. You can say no and stick too it with your will power.
The donut hop will eventually cause more issues for me than the pleasure they bring me. The addiction to sugar will eventually lead to full blown diabeties i have high blood pressure and i’m pre diabetic right now. Why don’t i stop going to the donut shop completley why am i allowing myself a couple times of a week. Because i choose to. Why do i take candy and energy drinks when offered to me cause i love them and i choose too?
I am slowly being convicted to start to cut back on those things but the truth is i am going to have to change my thought patterns first. If i don’t catch those thoughts. A donut sounds good for breakfast.......to if you keep eating donunts you are going to eventually have health problems that are going to force you to stop eating them all together.
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
It’s nobody’s fault but our own and most of the time we are the one behind the remote who is holding the remotes desires that generate decisions and actions.
Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
The tug o war
The tug o war
There is a tug of war so to speak that goes on for the control of our mind between our will, the Holy Spirit and the oppressive thoughts of the enemy.
They all want the remote so they can control our thoughts that lead to words and actions.
Thoughts can lead to false belief systems
Iniquity- generational sin
Strong holds
Sin
Lets break that down.
Our Will
Our Will
There can be good and bad things to our will.
We can be in the right or in the wrong standing strong with what we want or desire to do.
Will power is what we are really talking about .
Will power is defined as Control exerted to do something of restrain impulses.
determination, resolution, resolve, drive, commitment, dedication, self-control.
Self-control is a fruit of the spirit.
Free Will -the ability to act at one’s own discretion. To make choices about my own life.
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
ESV Says Live as free men but do not use your freedom to cover-up evil; live as servants of God.
Work- I have the choice on how i do my job. I have the choice to work or not go to work. To do a good job or to be distracted. I have the choice in the quality of work i do. Yes there are consequences choices but i still get to choose. No one is gonna make me, but everyone is going to influence me.
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is your guide from God.
The Holy Spirit is a piece of Jesus living on the inside.
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
He guides us to truth
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
The Enemy
The Enemy
The reason we call him the enemy is because the battle is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers of this dark age.
The Devil, The evil one, Satan. Is a fallen angel.
He wants the dominion over the Earth that is rightfully ours. He is a fallen angel who was serving God. He wanted to be like God and tried to over throw heaven him and 1/3 of the angels. It is thought by theologians that he was the angel in Charge of Worship.
When the bible talks about loving your enemy it is not talking about loving this one
it is talking about loving your fellow man because we are all children of God and he loves each and every one of us.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
In other translations it literally says be sober minded in the ESV.
Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
What can we do ?
What can we do ?
We have to put on the full armor of God.
We have to be ready to battle at any time.
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Belt of truth-
Breastplate of righteousness-
Shoes of readiness-gospel of peace-
Shield of Faith-
Helmet of Salvation-
Sword of the Spirit- word of God
Praying at all times in the Spirit with prayer and supplication.