Fight or Flight Response Part One (Fight)
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction:
1. Everyone has an automatic physiological reaction known as the fight or flight response.
A. It is a natural response to a frightening situation in which a person is backed into a dangerous corner in a life threatening circumstance and chooses either to fight to survive or run away.
1. For example—a person finds himself staring down at an extremely venomous Texas Diamondback Rattlesnake only a few steps away in his garden while hoeing weeds. This person only has a split second to make a decision, whether he believes that he can safely kill the snake with the hoe or if it would be better to run away.
A. This reaction is probably not going to be a conscious response but a subconscious one, or at least at first.
1. Though this response is more than likely going to be a subconscious one at first, it does not mean that it is not a trained response.
A. If the person exposed to this situation is a person who is commonly exposed to snakes, especially rattlesnakes, this person’s reaction could be to fight and kill the snake.
B. But if this person is someone who has never encountered a snake or rarely encounters snakes, especially rattlesnakes, then this person’s reactions could be to run away—flight.
B. The fight or flight response, though it is a physiological response, is affected by our environment.
1. It is affected by how we were raised.
2. It is affected by the type of life we have chosen in adulthood.
3. It is affected by our attitude toward life and who we are.
B. This physiological reaction has a spiritual application as well, but it has to be trained to respond properly.
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
A. God built into every person a conscience, which in application is a spiritual fight or flight response.
1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake.
1. Everyone alive has a response to righteousness and to sin, and who you are will dictate what that response is.
A. Training this response starts with childhood.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
B. And does not end until we pass from this life.
10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
B. The best part about this is that God does not leave us in the dark.
1. He explains in His word in detail what we should fight for and what we should flee from, so that we can train this flight or fight response to respond properly.
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
C. How should this fight or flight response be trained?
1. What should we innately respond to with fight?
2. And, what should we innately respond to with run away or flee (flight)?
2. Today, we are going to discuss when our innate response should be fight.
Body:
1. As Christians, we should have an innate response to fight against those things which are against God.
A. We should have an innate response to fight atheism.
1 The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.
1. This does not mean to consider the person our enemy but the ideology.
A. Psalm 14:1 focuses on the works being corrupt and abominable.
B. The ideology of atheism is attacked when God is revealed.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
1. Our innate response to atheism should be to help them see what God has shown to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
2. We should have an innate response to fight atheism with evangelism.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
B. We should have an innate response to fight that which is against nature.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
1. This is an evil that even nature fights against, because society cannot survive it.
2. Again, this is not a fight against people but against an evil ideology, and knowledge is the only solution.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
C. We should have an innate response to contend (or fight) for the faith.
3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
1. When the government makes laws that are against God, we should have an innate response to contend for the faith.
28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” 29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.
2. When people defile the church, we should have an innate response to protect it by contending for the faith.
11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed;
A. Paul instructed Timothy to protect the doctrine of the church.
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.
1. Paul instructed Titus to protect the doctrine of the church by setting in order the things that are lacking.
5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—
B. Paul instructed Timothy to protect the church from the shipwrecked faith of some of it’s members.
18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
C. Paul instructed Timothy and Titus to protect the leadership of the church by giving them qualifications for the elders and deacons in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1.
Conclusion:
1. As Christians, our fight or flight response needs to be refined so that who we are shows forth instinctively.
A. When you stub your finger or toe, who are you?
B. When placed in a fight or flight situation, who are you?
1. Is your instinct to stand up for God?