It's time to move through the wilderness
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Intro and Tension
Intro and Tension
Do you ever feel like there is an internal battle where you want to do the right thing but something is stopping you? You want to stop being comfortable | Stop feeling Condemned | Just stop that one habit that if you knew you could break would change your life?
It’s because there is an internal battle - The flesh, against the Spirit - Today, let’s talk about it.
Excited | What a series | Treasured Posession | Been here for a bit | It’s all based on God calling us his “Treasured possession” Segullah | Base of Mount Sinai, “If you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you will be my treasured posession” - Isrealites went on a trip, should of been 11 days - Lasted 40 years - In the wilderness we pick up these patterns | been talking about it | Comfort | Convinience | Condemnation - They all start with C.
Today, I want to talk about winning the internal battle.
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Today I want to talk about WHY we are in the Wilderness in the first place and how to PRACTICALLY win this war within. This is a BIG topic, so it’s going to be primer.
Title: Win the War in the Wilderness
My Hope: That you will take the practical steps forward to start winning the war within, the war against the flesh, that we will choose to be Spirit-Lead, in all that we do.
Who are we? Truth-Seeking, Spirit Led, Faith Filled, warriors of God.
Truth-seeking = Truth will set you free, Faith Filled = we have BIG FAITH God does and will move, Warriors of god because we are in a battle and Spirit Lead - Sinless, everything good is of the Spirit.
**Pray**
Sometimes, in a dry season, sometimes when we are in the desert, we might be like “Why God” - Why, can’t I just find someone to love, Why can’t I just get that one job, Why did that person hurt me so bad, why, are we wondering around wilderness | Maybe, The devil, is not the one that put you there.
Truth
Truth
Matthew 4 | Jesus has just been baptised | Just given identity
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Spirit lead Jesus into the Wilderness | This is a replay from the isrealites into the wilderness that couldn’t do what Jesus did | Jesus defeats Lust of the flesh - PLeasure | Pride
and Power | Jesus defeated the devil | Defeated tempation and gave us blue print for how to get THROUGH the wilderness | Jesus Christs Spirit lives in US to guide us, to help us through wilderness.
God’s plan was never for them to stay IN the wilderness, and it’s not HIS plan for you, we are to move THROUGH the wilderness.
Through the habit | Through the addiction | Through the wilderness
The wilderness is not always the devil | Sometime God wants to do something | He always does stuff in the wilderness |
Look what God said to the isrealites;
And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years.
Obedience | Humility | Character - The same things that Jesus defeated the devil on. The things that he is trying to develop in you, are the same things that the devil wants to use against you.
Your flesh wants to be rebelious, your flesh wants to be prideful, and your flesh has poor character, waiting to take over.
Nate - Lion - We all have that Lion - You have that lion
We are at war between the spirit and flesh |
Flesh = Humanity condition = The humanity in us that agitates for pleasure
If you are born into this world you are in this battle, you are recruited | God has given us everything to win this battle | Armour of God | His Word | Can’t do it alone | That’s why God gave us the Holy Spirit | The Holy Spirit, Unable to Sin | That’s why we are told | You will know them by their fruit.
So what is the difference between the flesh and the Spirit?
Let’s have a look;
Sin Nature | Spirit Nature
Status: Separated | Submitted
Dependance: Self | Saviour (GOD)
Home: Here | Heaven
Fuel: Flesh | Spirit
Fruit; Poison | Purpose
Let’s look at the battle;
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
The battle, you might be facing right now, might be God teaching you | Can’t win it in your own strength | God might want to teach you to live by the Spirit | There is a war, between your flesh dealing with current season | Spirit
Sometimes, we get “spriitual warfare” wrong - In our minds about what it is.
Jesus in wilderness = Ultimate Battle = Good Guy (Jesus) vs Bad Guy - Who comes to attack good guy.
Good guy, by himself, devel comes to attack Jesus (when we are committed remember)
This is a War, Clash of titans, Avengers - This is how Spiritual Warfare plays out.
We think Warefare is a battle of two things of the same strength - BUT, we shouldn’t be wondering - “Who is gonna win” - When you step into Spiritual Warefare, you need to KNOW you are coming from a place of already knowing YOU WIN.
The enemy knows the outcome - He was DEFEATED in the GRAVE | He is not trying to BEAT YOU to WIN THE WAR, He is trying to DISTRACT YOU and TAKE YOU OUT OF THE GAME | Trying to make you think, you can’t win | Hoping, if he distracts you enough, you’ll just quit yourself.
Can’t destroy you | destract you |
Gym Story - On Treadmill - I have decided that I will be a finisher - This is a funny story, but it’s so true.
Now, listen, you are in the wilderness | Bonds on you | We been talking about it | Enemy is trying to keep you there | it’s time to say | I WILL NOT STAY HERE - just keep moving
Pleasure | Power | Pride - That’s what Jesus was tempted with | We think Spiritual warefare are hte big things | Battle are also these small things | Enemy knows the tactics | Garden of Eden | Little Niggles | Always been the war, and today, is the war.
Paul tells us;
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
IF - There is FREE WILL HERE:
OK, so if we want to win the war, if we want to be Spirit led, how are we Led?
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
It’s Faith - Faith in Jesus Christ | Faith that he is COMING BACK FAith in the FINISHED Work, FAITH IN THE CROSS. however, the Bible tells us that we need to FEED THIS FAITH.
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
We need to feed the Spirit;
Paul says;
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
The problem is not a desire of fulfiment, the problem is where we get our fulfilment from.
How you fuel your fulfilment, will determine your future.
the flesh always wants instant fulfilment, the spirit wants delayed fulfilment.
Two Jars Illustration and Water - - Flesh one starts full - If you feed your flesh, you will pour from the flesh, this is what will come out - If you feed the Spirit, you will pour from the Spirit - You will build your FAITH on the PROMISES OF GOD.
This is why the apostles said, be DEVOTED - they where DEVOTED and what happened, the SPIRIT MOVED - If you want to be LED by the SPIRIT, then you need to FEED yourself Spiritual Food.
What do we do?
What did Jesus do?
And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
“ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
This is quoted from Deuteronomy! Did what the isrealites couldn’t to give us an blueprint for us to get out but more than that HIS SPIRIT LIVING INSIDE US.
Here, you have bonds, you have shackles, you have patterns, Behaviours - Here is how to break them. TURN TO MY WORD.
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
He sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destruction.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
You feel in the dark? Here is a torch.
What do we do?
WE TURN TO THE WORD OF GOD DAILY
2. We take our pour habit to God and repent - Listen - God already knows.
if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Pray to him
Prayer changes everything because prayer changes you!
3. Turn to Community - Get plugged in - Get accountable - Get serving -
Inspo and Close
Inspo and Close
What does your life look like? If you knew, for CERTAIN;
If you’re single, that if you get a wife or husband you would be content?
If your project failed, or succeeded, you are already victorious
It doesn’t matter what suffering comes, you know JESUS is coming back for you (someone give me an amen)
Let’s get real;
What does it look like, for that thing, that is holding you back, that thing that you are completly anxious about, that thing that is keeping you in the wilderness, was defeated? The enemy has distracted you for too long, The world has had it’s grip on you for too long, You have a job that is too important.
We need to make a decision as church - to be SPIRIT-LED Christians - It’s a choice every day, to pour, into the Spirit.
It starts with a step of Faith -
**altar call**
**Prayer**