You Can't Have It Both Ways!
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18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Subtitle: The Battle Between Covetousness and Humility
I know I talk, teach and preach a lot in the terms of battles, fights and conflict.
I do so because that is the best way to understand what we are doing!
We have to understand that we are in a fight.
It’s not a leisurely walk in which I set my own pace...
It’s a fight to the finish!
We are commanded:
Fight the Good fight of faith (1Tim6.12)
War a good warfare(1Tim1.18)
Fight smart (1 Cor. 9:26)
You have to violently push into the kingdom (Mat 11:12)
We put on armor (Eph6.10-11)
We are a spiritual warfare in 2Cor10.4-5
Protected from the evil one (2Thes3.3)
The devil wants to devour us (1Pet5.8-9)
The enemy come to kill, still and destroy in (Jn10.10)
We are delivered from the power of darkness (Col1.13-14)
We are conquerors (Rom8.37-39)
Do I have to continue?
We are in a fight!
The fight of this age is Selfishness vs. Selflessness!
It is Covetousness vs. Humility
COVET, COVETOUS Inordinate desire to possess what belongs to another, usually tangible things.
Josh 7.21 gives us the story of Achan
Mic 2.2 covetousness leads to violent theft
15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
Ephesians 5:5 (KJV 1900)
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Covetousness is a real problem.
FACT: It’s the first problem!
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
Pleasant = desired
Desired = coveted
If Adam and Eve were less concerned with self and more concerned with God then…
Selfishness was man’s first battle.
Selfishness is mans current battle.
Selfishness will be mans last battle.
Selfishness will always be mans greatest battle.
This is why you have to teach your children to share!
The Bible calls selfishness covetousness.
We put our desire for things above all else.
Only one way to fight that.
Humility!
Humility is vastly miss-understood, which is probably why selfishness abounds!
Humility can refer to a state of being—generally lowness in status rank or economic means. In this sense, humility is the opposite of importance or wealth. It can also refer to a virtue that involves a modest self-perception. In this sense, it is the opposite of pride and arrogance.
Here is what is wrong with this… EVEN BIBLE DICTIONARIES GET IT WRONG!
People confuse the word Humility with Humiliate
Humiliation is the picture of the priest beating his back bloody with a whip, yet he has not idea what the word humility means!
Humility is the absence of self!
What Jesus was teaching about in
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Humility is the understanding that my desires are irrelevant!
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Humility is the key to brotherly love!
Not long ago we had an (almost) fistfight develop in the foyer.
Why? Two people cared more about what they wanted than than what everyone else needed!
Bottom line: we care to much about ourselves and not enough about everything else!
Covetousness = gifting your desires to yourself - self gift
Makes covetousness idol worship because you place your desires about God’s, worshiping yourself!
24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Conclusion:
Stop perusing the American dream and choose God.
African church - stop chasing the dollar and chase God!
American church - stop chase education and chase God!
George Mueller lived from 1805-1898, caring for 10,024 orphans during his lifetime,[1][2] and provided educational opportunities for the orphans to the point that he was even accused by some of raising the poor above their natural station in British life. He established 117 schools which offered Christian education to more than 120,000.
When a man asked George Mueller the secret of his service, Mueller responded: “There was a day when I died, utterly died; died to George Mueller, his opinions, preferences, tastes, and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends; and since then I have studied to show myself approved only to God.”
Are you ready to die to your will?
You can’t have it both ways!
Either you will pursue God or yourself!
Time to stop coasting!
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