Warfare & Will Pt. 4

The Holy Spirit’s Role in Spiritual Warfare

The foundation of Spiritual Warfare: God’s Holy Spirit IN US!

If we can grow in our connection to God’s Spirit…We win the warfare!

If we properly believe in and leverage the Power of God’s Spirit in us…

Romans 8:1-14

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

  • Forgiven sin can still cause condemnation, keeps you from seeking God’s will
  • What it means to belong to Christ (Biblical Truth you consider reality)

All extremes, except extreme devotion to the Enemy, are to be encouraged. ~ Screwtape

  • The Indwelling of God’s Spirit at Salvation gives you the only weapon you need

The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

  • The law represents what we can do by our own goodness / righteousness
  • Law was given for the express purpose of showing us we need God against sin
  • Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection provides the power (we have to use it)

He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.

  • If we surrender our life to God and let His Spirit lead us: Not condemned!
  • God empowers but doesn’t force us
  • If we surrendered our lives to Christ, why would we not seek God’s will?
  • What are we focused on? Our will or God’s will? Who is setting the priorities?

Once you have made ‘The World’ an end, and faith a means, you have almost won your man, and it makes very little difference what kind of worldly end he is pursuing. ~ Screwtape

So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

  • Who controls you mind / heart?
  • This is about habits, training, lifestyle, priorities, attitudes, wisdom
  • Once we recognize our specific sinful nature we then leverage the Spirit

He (God) made the pleasures: all our research so far has not enabled us to produce one. All we can do is to encourage the humans to take pleasures which our Enemy has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees, which He has forbidden. ~ Screwtape

  • At salvation we make a big picture decision but daily we make choices
  • What is having input on those decisions? God’s Spirit or YOUR sinful nature?
  • When we yield to temptation instead of The H.S. We are OUT of God’s will
  • Being out of God’s will is a dangerous place

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)

  • We can constantly reduce the danger by trusting God’s Spirit in us to control us
  • IF we have truly surrendered our lives to Christ and the Gospel we are HIS
  • Is that your all encompassing reality? If not, ask God to make that happen!

And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

  • The indwelling Holy Spirit is essentially Christ in You / You in Christ
  • At the point of surrender / salvation God creates a permanent spirit connection
  • That connection gives you GOD”S POWER over sin

Whenever they are attending to the Enemy Himself we are defeated, but there are ways to prevent them from doing so. The simplest is to turn their gaze away from Him to themselves. ~ Screwtape

  • We are Spiritually Alive (living desiring God’s will and Spirit control)
  • THIS is how we fight our sinful nature, The Devil & the sin controlled world

Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

  • We do not have to yield to temptation, but if we do we are not condemned

The Enemy has, for the time being, put a forcible end to your direct attacks… consequently you cannot use again what is, after all, our best weapon – the belief of ignorant humans, that there is no hope of getting rid of us except by yielding. ~ Screwtape

  • Spiritual Warfare is the fight to stay ‘Spiritually Alive’ (Hard Wired 2 God)

  • To please Him (which is to do His will) makes us who we are supposed to be!

When He (God) talks of their losing their ‘Selves’, He only means abandoning the clamor of self-will; once they have done that, He really gives them back all of their personality and boasts (I am afraid sincerely) that when they are wholly His they will be more themselves than ever. ~ Screwtape

Application Questions:

What role does condemnation play in your Spiritual Battles?

How do you specifically trust Christ’s sacrifice to end sin’s control of your life?

How is yielding to God’s Spirit and seeking His will ‘Spiritual Warfare’?

What convinces you to be controlled by God’s Spirit rather than your sinful nature?

How does your connection with God’s Spirit empower you to defeat temptation?

How can you bring an eternal perspective based on Scripture into Spiritual Warfare?

How can ‘A Child of God’ specifically leverage spiritual power over sin everyday?

There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight. ~ C.S. Lewis

Jargon, not argument is your best ally in keeping him from the church. Don’t waste time trying to make him think that materialism is true! Make him think it is strong, progressive, courageous…the philosophy of the future. ~ Screwtape

The Enemy does not want men to give the future their hearts, to place their treasure in it. He would therefore have them continually concerned either with Eternity (Him) or with the Present – meditating on their eternal union with or separation from Him OR obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace or giving thanks for the present blessing. ~ Screwtape

As long as he does not convert it into action, it does not matter how much he thinks about this new repentance. Let the little brute wallow in it. ~ Screwtape

Surely you know that if a man can’t be cured of church going, the next best thing is to send him all over looking for the church that ‘suits him’ until he becomes a taster or connoisseur of churches. The search for a ‘suitable’ church makes the man a critic where the Enemy wants him to be a pupil. ~ Screwtape

You must therefore zealously guard in his mind the curious assumption ‘My time is my own’. Let him have the feeling that he starts each day as the lawful possessor of twenty-four hours… The sense of ownership in general is always to be encouraged… We produce this sense of ownership not only by pride but by confusion. ~ Screwtape

The thing to do is to get a man at first to value ‘Social Justice’ as a thing which the Enemy demands, and then work him on a stage at which he values Christianity because it produces ‘Social Justice’. ~ Screwtape

What we want, if men become Christians at all, is to keep them in the state of mind I call ‘Christianity And’. You know – Christianity and the Crisis, Christianity and the New Psychology, Christianity and Faith Healing, Christianity and Vegetarianism. ~ Screwtape

Substitute for the faith itself some Fashion with a Christian coloring. Work on their horror of ‘The Same Old Thing’. The horror of the Same Old Thing is one of the most valuable passions we have produced in the human heart – an endless source of heresies in religion, folly in counsel, infidelity in marriage and inconsistency in friendship. ~ Screwtape

False spirituality is always to be encouraged. On the seemingly pious ground that ‘praise and communion with God is the true prayer’, humans can often be lured into direct disobedience to the Enemy who (in His usual flat, commonplace, uninteresting way) has definitely told them to pray for their daily bread and the recovery of their sick. ~ Screwtape

Prosperity knits a person to the world. He feels that he is ‘finding his place in it’, while really it is finding it’s place in him. ~ Screwtape

The general rule which we have now pretty well established among them is that in all experiences which can make them happier or better only the physical facts are ‘Real’ while the spiritual elements are ‘Subjective’. ~ Screwtape

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Warfare & Will Pt.3: YOUR HEART

Warfare & Will Pt. 3: The Battle for Your ‘Heart’

Is God’s Will your goal?

Is the life a Disciple of Jesus Christ about what you want to do or what God wants?

Spiritual Warfare is both Offense & Defense

Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. (Offense)

  • Has who God is captured your heart to the point where you revere Him?
  • How badly do we want to enact Christ’s will?
  • Are we willing to fight for His Will?

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. (Offense)

  • How are mundane things part of Spiritual Warfare?
  • Our connection to our forgiveness is made real by how we forgive others
  • Living by and in God’s Grace is enacting His Will

And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Defense)

  • This is called asking for guidance (Prayer & Scripture)
  • When we screw it up rescue us from being ensnared in habit forming sin
  • The belief He can do it is the power that makes the difference
  • The Amen is about agreement (Communal)

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (Offense)

  • God’s will for our lives is living as though Christ is everything!

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. (Defense / Offense)

  • Being sensitive to God’s Spirit and yielding to His leading
  • Prophecies = God’s Point of View…Evaluating what is consistent with His Word
  • Black and White Choices…Leave nothing in the ‘Fictitious Third Kingdom’

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

  • God is who does it (Sanctification) but HE will not force it on you
  • The desired result is Holiness / Set Apart
  • He calls you to it (Relationship with Christ) and if so, He will change you

And here is where the battle is fought…

Ephesians 6:13-18

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

  • The previous verses describe the Spiritual Opposition (Why we have to fight)
  • Because of that you need ALL the armor God supplies
  • There is no ‘If’ the battle happen, it’s coming
  • The whole point is to not lose any ground during the battle

 

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.

  • We have Ground! Our experience and trust in that ground makes up our ‘Heart’
  • Truth is critical since our enemy owns the realm of lies and distortion
  • Our righteousness is no protection, We need Christ’s! (Heart Issue)
  • Do we have ‘Shalom’ with our creator because the Gospel is enough?

 

In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

  • ‘In Addition’…you need it all. Any open spot will be exploited!
  • More to it than owning a shield, you have to use it (Work it out)
  • The arrows are coming, not if but rather ‘when’
  • You head is the most vulnerable part, it houses you ‘Heart’
  • ‘Heart Trust’ in the unshakable reality of your salvation is vital protection
  • ‘Take’ as in ‘Keep & Use’… God’s Word is Offense & Defense

 

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

  • Prayer pulls it all together
  • Warfare Prayer (Learn & Practice next week)

1st Timothy 6:11-12

But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

  • Are you a Woman or Man of God? If you love God you will hate evil
  • Offense as defense…busy going after God Will can keep you from evil

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.

  • Spiritual Warfare is fighting for true ‘Christ Discipleship’ (God’s Will for Us!)
  • But our ‘Identity’ as Christians, our ‘Heart’ for God cannot be treated lightly…
  • If it is real, then actively and intentionally pursue what you have been called to!

Application Questions:

How well do you understand the specific ways your life can reflect of God’s Will?

Where does you everyday life intersect with God’s Grace and your distribution of it?

In what areas of your life do you most need God’s power to protect and deliver you?

How do you leverage your relationship with Christ to be joyful through hard stuff?

What are specific habits you could build to intentionally pursue sanctification?

What does it look like to practically apply and use of ‘The Whole Armor of God’?

How can fighting for the true faith help you know what to run from & what to pursue?

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Warfare & Will Pt.2

Warfare & Will Pt. 2: The Enemy

Satan has many faces, schemes, and influences that are not obvious and evil looking. They can appear very lovely, sophisticated, educated, polite, and apparently good. But it is all an intentional program of attack designed to deceive and keep you from being close to God, I.e. ‘Living In His Will’.

Why study Satan? To be effective against an enemy you must know that enemy (Character / Methods / Strengths / Weaknesses) so you can be prepared to effectively counter his attacks.

 

We need to use what God has revealed to us in Scripture about Satan.

One key given us in God’s Word is that intentional discipleship of Christ makes us way less vulnerable to the attacks of the Devil. Life Application of: Sermon on Mount / Armor of God / Fruit O Spirit

 

We are building a ‘Biblical View of Satan’ Info from Scripture (in whole / in context)

Who Satan Is:

Who Satan IS begins with who He was: ‘Arch-Angel’

There are 3 Named Angels in Scripture (Michael / Gabriel / Lucifer)

Lucifer is Satan’s proper name: his former name because he became something else

Isaiah 14:12-14
How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’

Notice the ‘I’ statements

He wanted to be God

Ezekiel 28:16a-17b
So I banished you in disgrace from the mountain of God. I expelled you, O mighty guardian, from your place among the stones of fire. Your heart was filled with pride because of all your beauty. Your wisdom was corrupted by your love of splendor.

Pride is at the core of Satan, it’s who he is…

Revelation 12: Battle in Heaven
Dragon sweeps 1/3 of ‘stars’
He (Dragon / Satan) and his angels expelled from Heaven

He has 1/3 of the ‘Former Angels’ with him ‘Totally Corrupted Forever’

What Satan is not: Omnipotent / Omnipresent / Omniscient

What He Does:

Satan Distorts Who God Is

Genesis 3:3-5
God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Half Truth / twisting of truth

2nd Corinthians 4:4
Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God

Keeping people from seeing the reality of who Christ is

Satan Acts As A Counterfeit God

Matthew 24:24-25
For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.

Satan is all of the false God worshiped around the world

Matthew 4:8-9
Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”

He desires to be worshiped because He wants to be God
Satan Tempts Us to Sin

2nd Corinthians 11:3
But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.

Same program since the beginning

Subtle temptation, rarely an open invitation to evil

1 Thessalonians 3:4-5
In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.

He is predictable: he will tempt people trying to get close to God

We need each other in this war

1 John 3:7-8
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

He wants to get you to be like him: in rebellion against God
Christ is the key to victory
The Gospel is our road to victory over Satan

How We Fight Him:

Luke 10:17-19
When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy…

We have the power / Christ is the power!
James 4:7-8
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.
Humility / Active Resistance / Flee / Repent

Ephesians 6:12-13
For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

It’s a Spiritual Battle, we need to fight with Spiritual Weapons

Revelation 12:11
And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.

What Christ did at the cross, together with our surrender of our life = victory

Application Questions:
Why is it important to know the Biblical Truth about who Satan is?

To seek God’s will, what good is knowing who Satan is and how he works?

Why is it crucial that we don’t let Satan distort who God is?

How does ‘Idolatry’ or worship of ‘Counterfeit Gods’ keep us from God’s Will?

Why does the Devil want us to sin, even as Disciples of Christ?

How well do you recognize the ‘Schemes of the Devil’ in your daily life?

How would you describe the ‘Whole Armor of God’?

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Warfare & Will Pt. 1 ‘Overview’

Spiritual Warfare IS seeking God’s will

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

  • We cannot discover God’s will living in conformance to the pattern of this world

1st Thessalonians 4:1-3a

…We instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified…

  • We have to be sanctified in order to live by His will

Our Enemy

John 8:44b
…the devil… He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.

  • He is ‘distorted truth’ himself; he is the opposite of ‘The Truth’

Ephesians 2:2b

…the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

  • Controls and coordinates demonic activity

1st Peter 5:8

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

  • He plays dirty and he plays for keeps (always active)

Zachariah 3:1

Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Jeshua.

  • He plays to our emotional vulnerabilities

2 Corinthians 11:14

But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

  • Creating the deception of evil being made to appear as good

Matthew 4:1

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.

  • Persistent tempter; he even tried to tempt Christ!

The Battlefield: Our Minds

2nd Corinthians 11:3-4

But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed.

  • Our desire to ‘Fit In’ or ‘Be Accepted’ makes us vunerable

1 Corinthians 15:33-34

Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all.

  • The influences we surround ourselves with can subtly lead us astray

Galatians 1:6b-7

You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.

  • We have to know the ‘Real Thing’ so we can’t be fooled

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

  • Seeking God’s will from a place of ‘Spiritual Pride’ is a losing battle

The Self / Flesh

Romans 8:5-8

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

  • Living by ‘The Flesh’ will block attempts to discover God’s will

Galatians 5:16-17

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.

  • The conflict is a given; are you going to compete or quit?

Ephesians 4:22-24

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

  • Conformity to God’s will requires change; there will be opposition to that

Romans 13:14

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

  • What gets your priority? What captures your time, emotions & resources?

Prayer & Warfare (Prayer Service My 20th)

Ephesians 6:18

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

  • Diversity, Alertness & Persistence

Ephesians 1:19-20

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

  • God’s power is on our side in the battle; learn how to participate in that power

Daniel 10:12-14

“Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer”.

  • Humility and assent to God’s Will through a deep prayer relationship WORKS!

Matthew 6:16

“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting.

  • Prayer is not for show, it’s too important to let any pride into it

Warfare Prayer: ‘Spiritual Warfare is A Family Business’

OUR Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give US today the food we need, and forgive US our sins, as WE have forgiven those who sin against US. And don’t let US yield to temptation, but rescue US from the evil one.

Application Questions:

In your day to day life how do you connect seeking God’s will and Spiritual Warfare?

How would you describe Satan / The Devil, in three sentences based on Scripture?

What strategies do you use regularly to keep from being deceived and corrupted?

What are the forces you can identify that move you out of God’s will?

How seriously do you take spiritual warfare and why?

What role does your prayer life play in the seeking of God’s will for your life?

From these Scriptures, what is the #1 thing you want to concentrate on this week?

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Discipleship is all about Sacrificial Investment

Discipleship Is: Sacrificial Relationships

Colossians Pt. 8 (4:7-18)

Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you.

  • Co-Worker / Peer
  • Paul is making Intentional Connections; growing relationships
  • Showing up is a massive encouragement!

 

I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. He and Tychicus will tell you everything that’s happening here.

  • Onesimus is the ‘Go-Between’
  • Paul has ‘Teamed These Guys up’ (Discipleship Triad)

 

Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way.

  • Mark caused Barnabas & Paul disagree / Wrote the gospel of Mark
  • Paul had been let down by Mark yet continued to invest in him…

 

Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish believers among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been!

  • Fellow Jews provide comfort because they have the common history

 

Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. I can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

  • People praying for you that you may not know about
  • His Prayer is basically for them to be ‘Spiritually Mature’

 

Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas. Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.

  • The whole crew working together for and with each other
  • Obviously a Woman was playing a critical leadership role (Not Elder)

 

After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote to them.

  • They have a ‘Church Network’
  • Churches working together takes sacrifice amongst leaders

 

And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you.”

  • Encouraging others to grow into who they are called to be
  • Paul is affirming his investment, doing it publicly, as an example

 

HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING—PAUL.

Remember my chains. May God’s grace be with you.

  • Why remember his chains? Paul still needs people to invest in HIM!
  • God’s Grace is how he will continue to invest

Application Questions:

What can you do to intentionally encourage people in your life?

How can you purposefully connect others and bring people together?

How can you prayer life connect you to others and their needs?

How do you share important things with others on a regular basis?

How might you sacrificially help others realize their potential as a disciple?

How have you been influenced by someones sacrificial investment?

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Sunday 4/8 Colossians Pt.7: ‘The Fruit of Disciple-Living’

The Fruit of Disciple-Living
Colossians 3:16 – 4:6

Previous Messages from Colossians:

What it means to be a ‘True Disciple’ of Christ

Who Jesus Christ Is

How Christ Lives in Each of us

Fighting the Worldly Influences of Syncretism.

The Power of Relationship over Rule Following

How We are Hidden & Clothed in Christ

This Week: What it looks like to live as ChrIst’s Disciples: The fruit of disciple-living

Colossians 3:16-4:6
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

  • Filling our lives with the richness of Christ is true discipleship
  • Sharing and advising other in the body of Christ is an honor and a blessing
  • Praising God should be a regular part of our days: Fruit of Discipleship

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

  • If you are ‘Full of Christ’ than what will overflow will represent Him
  • Every part of our lives are to be brought under His Lordship
  • If He is your Lord, than live from thankfulness to that Lordship
  • We give thanks through Him by living like Him (lifestyle flows from discipleship)

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.

  • If you belong to Jesus, play the role He has given you
  • Plurality with headship…God has set it up that way
  • Husbands, cherish the gift of a wife that God gave you
  • Our marriages are a true test of our ‘Disciple-Living’

Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.

  • God cares about everything, family matters!
  • Pleasing God through obedience is not ‘Progressive’ or ‘Sexy’…just right
  • Parents have a crucial stewardship of their children
  • Our level of discipleship is reflected in our important relationships

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord.

  • People in authority over you are placed there by God’s sovereignty
  • Ultimately you are working for Jesus if you are His disciple
  • If you fear God you are released from fearing people

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

  • Eternal perspective in all areas of life ‘Holistic Christianity’
  • We must remember who we serve, and where our rewards come from

But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites. Masters, be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master—in heaven.

  • There are earthly consequences for sin, even if it is forgiven by God…
  • A position of power dosen’t afford you the right to treat people unfairly
  • A true disciple does everything for an ‘Audience of One’

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.

  • Devotion, alertness and thankfulness…fruit of true Christ discipleship
  • Praying for those dedicated to spreading the gospel get you ‘Gospel-centric’
  • Paul saw the opportunity to share the gospel in every circumstance

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

  • Living ‘wisely’, biblically defined, is living as a disciple of Christ
  • You may be the only ‘Bible’ a non believer has ever read
  • Being Gracious & Attractive comes from living out the fullness of Christ Discipleship

Application Questions:

How do you intentionally let the message of Christ fill your life / lifestyle?

What does it look like to represent the Lord Jesus?

What role do your family relationships play in your discipleship to Christ?

How do you bring your discipleship of Christ to your work life?

What is your level of devotion to prayer? What can you do to raise it?

How are you involved in the clear presenting of the Gospel?

How do you bring your life with Christ into your relationship with non-believers?

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Christ’s Resurrection: Our Peace, Proof, Pardon & Power

CHRIST’S RESURRECTION: OUR PEACE, PROOF, PARDON & POWER

The Bodily Resurrection of Jesus Christ is Crucial…but just part of the whole Gospel

7 Key Aspects of The Gospel of Jesus Christ:

Supernatural Conception

Humility of Birth & Life

Tempted but Sinless

Preaching The Kingdom

Suffering & Death

Bodily Resurrection

Ascent & Return

Luke 24:36-53

And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” He said. But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

  • Significance of ‘Peace be with you’ (In John’s version He says it twice)
  • Even the guys who were with Him on the road (Whole Group)

“Why are you frightened?” He asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet.

  • Humans are wired for doubt, Jesus addresses it head on
  • He want to show us He is real

Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched.

  • Christ wanted the Disciples to be clear that He had been ‘Bodily Resurrected’
  • Spirits don’t eat. He had a physical body, but it was a glorified body

Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

  • Christ points to the Hebrew Scriptures to validate what they are experiencing
  • It is the same with us: we filter our experience through scripture (objective)
  • Only through belief will Scripture make sense (Holy Spirit / Christ in Person)
  • Fulfilled Prophecy Proves Christ’s Sovereignty

And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.

  • The foretold Messiah would prove He was God Incarnate by dying & RISING

It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are witnesses of all these things.

  • Messiah = God…His Authority proclaims: Repentance = Forgiveness
  • If in repentance you make His name the ultimate authority: your sin is pardoned
  • They witnessed the reality: We too have witnessed the reality: ‘Testify’ w/ life
  • They have all the information to put the picture together…SO DO WE!

 

And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

  • Now that HE has fulfilled everything He depart and sent ‘The Helper’
  • The Father Promised the sending of the Spirit
  • It is God’s Spirit that in effects Resurrects all who repent & surrender
  • The power over sin and death is given to Christ’s disciples

Joel 2:28-29

‘And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.’

Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.

  • In Acts Luke states that for 40 days after resurrection He appeared many times
  • He blessed them with present experience authenticated with historical reality!
  • There is total understanding by Disciples that Jesus is God, so they worshiped
  • The joy of knowing The Risen Christ reshaped their priorities…

The Resurrection Completes the Process that gives us true Shalom With our Creator

The Resection fulfilled Prophecy, Proving The Sovereignty of Christ Jesus (God)

The Resurrection Demonstrates God’s Power over Sin, So Christ can Pardon Yours

The Resurrection Begins the time when God’s Spirit dwells in His People in (Power)

IF Christ’s Resurrection is your Peace, Proof, Pardon and Power…We Worship!

Application Questions:

How & why does the Resurrected Christ bring peace to your life?

How do you address your doubts when it comes to Christ Jesus?

Why is it important, as a disciple of Christ, to know He is bodily Resurrected?

Why does it matter if you believe the whole Old Testament is about Christ?

How do you connect Christ’s Resurrection with the pardoning of your Sin?

How real is God’s Holy Spirit in your daily faith walk? What role does Scripture play?

How do you experience worship of the Risen Christ in your average week?

 

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3/25 Palm Sunday: Our Response To Christ’s Humility (Luke 19:28-44)

(V28-29) …Jesus went on toward Jerusalem, walking ahead of his disciples. As he came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, he sent two disciples ahead.

  • Leading them into purpose, example
  • Even though He leads us He sends us as well (Luke 9 sends the Twelve & 72)

(V30-31) “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it.’”

  • Humility happen is real life in the shared spaces…
  • What Christ leads them to obedience without seeking to justify / explain

(V32-34) So they went and found the colt, just as Jesus had said. And sure enough, as they were untying it, the owners asked them, “Why are you untying that colt?” And the disciples simply replied, “The Lord needs it.”

  • Jesus Christ demonstrates to them His sovereignty.
  • His Sovereignty is the cornerstone of OUR HUMILITY!

(V35-36) So they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it for him to ride on. As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him.

  • The humbled is honored
  • How different than how it works in our world
  • Would you put your coat down on the road for an animal to walk on it?

Matthew 21:4-5 This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,“Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey—riding on a donkey’s colt.’” (combo of Isa. 62:11 & Zach 9:9)

  • Matthew was focused on a Jewish audience so He mentions their scriptures
  • The specificity of ‘Donkey’s Colt’

(V37) When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

  • Still well outside of Jerusalem, the crowd is growing
  • The attention is on God because of the way Jesus rolls…

(V38) “Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!” (‘Hosanna’: Matthew 21:9)

  • These are the highest of all praise, there is identification as the Messiah!
  • Matthew records use of the word ‘Hosanna’ which means ‘Save Us’

(V 39-40) But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

  • Pharisees never show ANY humility…only ‘false humility’
  • They try to get Christ to play their game
  • Jesus responds W/ reality, humility does not exclude Him or us from being real
  • Spiritual Reality: creation will rejoices in The Messiah (Then, Now and Future)

(41-42) But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes.”

  • Jerusalem represents The Corrupt Jewish Religious Establishment (Temple)
  • Christ again demonstrates His sovereignty so we can be humble (He knows)
  • Recognizing factual reality and dealing with it, as it is, takes humility (U know)
  • We can truly care for the spiritual wellbeing of other is to be humbled by love

(V43-44a) “Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you.”

  • Roman Invasion of Jerusalem in 77AD (perfect description of it)

(V44b) “Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”

  • The ‘Stones’ speak of The Temple which was completely destroyed
  • They put their faith in their religion (pride of performance) opposite of humility
  • Lack of humility will keep you from recognizing who God really is: Christ!

Application Questions:

At this moment of popular recognition, why does Jesus exemplify true humility?

How important is humility in the life of a Disciple of Christ? Rate your humility 1-10.

How do you react to getting attention for ‘Being Spiritual’?

What makes you react to attention like Christ? What has made you more humble?

When in your life has your true humility been honored by God?

What is the connection between humility and concern for people far from God?

If some people will not recognize Jesus, why obey God by trying to make disciples?

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Sunday 3/18: Discipleship: Hidden in Christ / Clothed in Christ

Discipleship: Hidden In Christ / Clothed In Christ

Colossians 3:1-15

Discipleship matters because maturity matters because Christ matters!

Discipleship is who we are & how we live…It’s our Ethos, Attitude, Worldview

It’s our identity (Who we are truly meant to be)

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

  • Are you there? By what means have you been ‘Raised to New Life’?
  • Eternal perspective is a result of God’s Spirit being in you.
  • If you believe you’re raised by the Gospel, part of that is where Christ is now

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

  • Think about things = The Practice of Focused Attention
  • Towards ‘Heavenly Perspective’ means away from ‘Temporal Perspective’
  • We are not disciples because we live for this life, we are dead and dying to it
  • Being ‘Hidden in Christ’ means God is not judging you on your life but on Christ
  • Biblical Gospel: Christ is coming back! His Disciples share His glory!

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

  • Putting them to death means you don’t let them have a place in your life
  • This list is happens when your flesh runs the show
  • It takes God’s Spirit, not religious rituals / posing / new ideas (see last week)

Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.

  • ‘These Sins’ speak of unrepentant sin
  • That was who we were before surrendering our lives to Christ
  • Willful, Deliberate, Joyful Obedience

Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

  • Old Self = Dishonesty / New Self = Truth
  • Participate intentionally in fully becoming your ‘New Nature’ (Discipleship)
  • Renewing… Learning… Becoming! (It’s a progression)

In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

  • The past is not the determiner of your future
  • Christ levels the playing field for us as disciples (Each ‘Saint’ has His Spirit)

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

  • Recognition of His call to ‘Follow Me’
  • Following Christ is ‘Being’ these five things

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

  • Hidden in Grace / Clothed in Grace
  • Recognition of what you have been forgiven creates the standard you forgive
  • Matthew 18: The parable of the unforgiving debtor

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

  • More clothing…Most important clothing
  • Only one way for ‘the peace that comes from Christ to rule your heart’
  • Thankfulness is a byproduct of your recognition of your eternal union W/ Christ!

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
Describe how you have died to this life & have been raised with & hidden in Christ

What does it look like to ‘put to death’ the sinful things lurking within you?

Describe ‘Stripping off’ your old sinful nature & putting on your new & renewed nature

What things about your past hinder your belief in Christ choosing you to live in you?

Of the five things listed in V 12, where are you strongest? Where are you weakest?

How does your level of forgiveness match up with what you have been forgiven?

How might you better cultivate love & peace from Christ ruling in your heart?

Why do you think Paul ends this passage with a call to be thankful?

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Sunday 3/11: Relationship Over Rules

Colossians Part 5: Relationship Over Rules OR Connection Over Compliance

2:11-23
When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

  1. Paul is connecting old testament with new
  2. Spiritual Circumcision is God placing His (Christ’s) Spirit in you, permanently
  3. The baptism he is referring to is the ‘Immersion’ of God’s Spirit
  4. Circumcision & Baptism are rituals to help us experience God setting us apart
  5. We get Baptized to ‘Confess’ what God has done, and our trust in it

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

  1. Sin awareness is crucial, we are all spiritually dead until surrendered to Christ
  2. We are spiritually alive eternally when we trust Christ to forgive that SIN
  3. Christ’s death on the cross cancels our Spiritual Death (when we surrender)

In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed (Exposed) them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

  1. God showed evil / darkness / rebellion / death / destruction to be powerless!
  2. God let those forces do their worst…and then He did His best!

So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.

  • We trust God, not religious traditions or ceremonies
  • Christ is to be our reality, not our ability to follow rules and create facades
  • God used the Law to set His people apart to bring Christ out of them

Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things.

  • Control by condemnation is classic ‘Cult / Heretic’ behavior
  • Leaders with ‘Unique Vision’ or ‘Special Revelation’ are not Orthodox Christians
  • These thing will always appeal to some form of pride

Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.

  • Worship of self, not Christ. Not Indwelt with Holy Spirit. Not disciples of Christ
  • John tells us to ‘Test The Spirits’ (1st John 4)
  • We need to be connected to Christ, through the body to grow to maturity

You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”?

  • Have you died with Christ? Tough question…
  • It is the ONLY way to be set free from the power of evil in this world
  • But if you have died then only Kingdom rules will matter

Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

  • Phariseeism, that is what it used to look like
  • Rules can never deliver you from evil without and within
  • The Law (Old Testament) was given to prove this point

Application Questions:
How would you describe ‘Biblical Salvation’? What role does Christ play?

Where are you in regards to receiving complete forgiveness from God in Christ?

What does it mean to your daily life that Christ ‘Disarmed’ the powers of evil?

Are there ares in your Christian life where you seek compliance over connection?

What influences your life, pointing you towards something other than Christ?

Where do you struggle with a compliance to rules over relationship to Christ

How might you live out connection over compliance in your discipleship of Christ?

 

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