“Where God is on one side, you may be sure to find the devil on the other.”
- William Gurnall, 1655 

 

Phil. 3:10 (GN)  "All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of His resurrection."

 

From Ash Wednesday until Easter -- traditionally known as the time of Lent -- Cedar Park has been studying the Spiritual Disciplines. The Spiritual Disciplines remind us that we should not be controlled by anything other than the Holy Spirit who is at work in those who belong to Christ. Many people do not feel that Christ is fully in control nor are they in control over certain areas of their lives. These areas are in control of them. Something more than "more discipline" may be needed. On March 17th, 2002 Cedar Park Church will hold it's fifth annual "Freedom from Life Controlling Habits" service: A special day of prayer and intercession for removal of life controlling habits. It has been an annual service since 1998. After listening to the morning sermon by Dr. Joseph Fuiten, those participating filled out a card naming the issue or area that they were not in control of - an area that was in fact controlling them. They then made their way to the front of the sanctuary where a ten foot cross stood. One by one they would tack their papers to the cross, then make their way to a place of prayer - or to be prayed for. We have made resources available here for you. You can read a message from this sunday, it is also available to you in audio form. Pastors are able to help with the needs you may have.

 

The whole goal of living a discipline life is freedom to be a better worshipper. Worship requires freedom for us to worship God. Because if we are not free, then we are slaves – slaves to sin. Exodus shows us that God would not allow his children to remain in bondage in Egypt and worship him. This is why God called Moses and called the children out of Egypt into the desert to worship him. Be honest with me, with God and yourself today. Do no ignore it. Do not rebel.

 

How is it Defined:

Worship –our recognition of God actively present in our lives and our response to Him in appropriate ways that bring Him glory and us joy.

Sin – is a failure to recognize God’s active presence in our lives and a failure to respond (either out of rebellion or indifference).

I. HABITS

Freedom to worship. For us to be free to worship some things must die. Depending on how you respond to God’s initiative will lead you to worship or to sin and rebellion. You cannot worship as a slave. You must be free to worship God. I can speak but if your heart is not receptive, then there is nothing that can be done to help.

A. A habit is a pattern of behavior acquired through repetition. Habits can be moral (putting my kids to sleep), amoral (neither good nor bad, just the we handle it), or immoral (we know that if we hang out in certain places then certain behaviors will follow). Habits will drive us either to or from God. Habits are intended to be a gift of God that simplify life and build momentum.

B.  A habit becomes strengthened through repetition and is more difficult to break. It is not just me that is participating in the habit that we cannot break – there is a spiritual activity. Habits meet a need/desire.

·         Need – something we cannot live without.

·         Desire – something we don’t want to live without.

2.          We have legitimate and genuine needs. We need God, grace, truth Love, friendship & affection. Over time a desire can deceptively pose as a need and they get confused – so needs starts to elevate itself as a genuine need. We think we NEED a drink, we NEED sex, we need,,,

3.          Control: to exercise authoritative or dominating influence over; direct. To hold in restraint; check. To exercise the highest influence.

Romans 6:12 “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to it’s lustful desires.”

Romans 8:5-8 (NLT)  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. [6] If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. [7] For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. [8] That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

 

4.          But, our fallen nature tends to develop sinful habits instead of godly ones. Does not need to be everyday for it be a pattern. Could be every day, every week, every month. The spirit of God convicts us of our sin, and the need for repentance - we are not in the dark about of life habits. Do not allow this opportunity to be missed – this is not just an theological discussion – these are things that need to be owned by you

a.       External

1.       Sexual

2.       Alcohol

3.       Gluttony

4.       Lying

5.       Stealing

6.       Drug

7.       violence/abuse/temper

b.       Internal

1.       Coveting

2.       Greed

3.       Pride

4.       Lust

5.       disagreeable spirit

Whole world may be capable of seeing what your sin is and you may think it’s hidden. You may have done very well in not having it discovered, but you must really address them. Luther says that Satan, world, flesh are all our adversaries.  We will talk only about the first one today…

II.  OUR ENEMIES

A. Satan: enemy of God. In no way is God’s equal, but he wants to be like God. All he is steeped in pride.

·         What motivates him? Pride (Isa. 14:12-19, Eze. 28:12-19)

B. What are his primary tactics?

1.       father of lies – if you are a liar – tells who your father is. (John 8:44) “God can never forgive me…” that is a lie. If at any point you are believing a lie you are in a place of letting the enemy have a major foothold in your life.

2.      temptations (Luke 4:13) temptation that is a lie. All you need to do Jesus is participate in a lie and you can still get the kingdoms of the world and avoid the cross.

3.      accusations (Revelation 12:9-10) convicted, sick, broken feeling but you do not know why you felt that way? Enemy will speak lies and accusations but you will never know what you did. Accusation crushes the will of the children.

4.      scripture twisting (Matthew 4:6 ) Satan told Jesus, “it is written…” using God’s word to get to his own end.

5.      murder or mixture (John 8:44, I John 3:7)

·         Satan will seek to destroy a Christian.

·         Satan will seek to mix a Christian with the world so they are polluted in both their doctrine and morals. And you will become an evangelist for the devil by living such a poor example.

V. DESTRUCTIVE HABITS

A.   Gerald May’s (addiction and grace) five essential characteristics of genuine addiction:

1. Tolerance: God convicts us of something and because we are not immediately punished we come to the conclusion is that’s it’s not that big of a deal. So, we learn to live with it.
2. Withdrawal symptoms: coffee drinkers – know the power of a day without caffeine?
3. Self-deception: start to justify. I am only looking at porn on the Internet, it’s not like I am with an actual woman/man. I know I go shopping most everyday, but it’s not like when I shop I buy things not on sale. Don’t think your still a really good person just because you are making progress. Sin needs to be cut off.
4. Loss of willpower: some have cast off all restraint. Now you cannot control it.
5. Distortion of attention: Now this thing that you were going to participate in just a little bit, now has the whole of your life going toward this behavior. Counseling centers have a whole new category of behavior to deal with where some are online 12-15 hours a day – sports must be played and watched! Food must be eaten.

B.      I Cor. 6:12 “Everything is permissible for me” – but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me” – but I will not be mastered by anything.”

VI. How we kill the sinful desires

Rom. 8:13-16 “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.  For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry ‘Abba, Father.”

Sin must be killed. Sin is like a cancer. It will keep growing until one of two things happens – it kills you or you kill it!

Some sins are intrinsically a part of who you are.  Some have tried the legalistic rout and have tried to by shear will power overcome a sin habit. You have tried and have lasted no more than a day or two. But if by the spirit you put to death the misdeed the body. Those sins in your life that you have held onto – do you want them to do? Not managing them so they are under control so you can bring them back when you want, Paul makes it painfully clear, either you put them to death or they will put you to death. Maybe you are used to trying to do things on your own, but Paul tells us here that you are a son/daughter of God. You have a new family, the family of God.

Most of us really love what God has done in our lives, and we live under the myth that we are free to go back to our sins. Whereas really we are free not to go back. Am I willing to trust God and let him kill my flesh and then trust him for the next step?

Like some women, who could never get free of abusive men cannot think of a life without that man in her life? Odd that we would find that type of life so obviously a distortion, but not see that same attitude when we will not let go of our sine because we cannot imagine our life without it.

 

THE POWER TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE is found in the CROSS of jesus Christ

 

1.      IT'S THE POWER TO CANCEL YOUR PAST.

"He has forgiven all our sins... and canceled ever record of the debt we had to pay:  Christ has done away with it by nailing it to the cross."  Col. 3:14 (JB)

"There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  rom. 8:1

2.  THE POWER TO CONQUER YOUR PROBLEMS

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall trouble or hardship or danger..."  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us!"  Rom. 8:35 & 37

 

Coming to the Cross for Prayer

Will come forward to the cross this morning, putting our sins on the cross. I want to you picture something with me. When you come forward to pin your sin to the cross, think of the point of the pin as an extension of you. And when your pin pierces the wood of the cross I want you to think of it as tapping into the very power of Christ.

Heavenly Father,

We pray that today would be a turning point in these lives. May each of these look back and say that was the day when I became free or when I started on the path of freedom. As we pin the bondages and addictions to the cross, we pierce the wood.

Thank you Jesus, that you let them piece you so that we could be free. You were bound to the cross, unable to escape, so that we could escape our bondages today. By your stripes we are healed and we pray for that healing today.

Restore the years that the cankers have eaten. Restore health, restore vitality, restore strength, restore peace!

See more at this site

www.cedarpark.org/habits