All-Church Retreat January 3rd, 2009Saturday Evening

All-Church Retreat January 3rd, 2009Saturday Evening

Talk 4:KINGDOM VISION:

Kingdom Defense: Fighting Sin

Talk 4:KINGDOM VISION:

Kingdom Defense: Fighting Sin

Outline of Talk 4 Review

Foundation Point #1: Killing Sin the Same Way We Got Saved

Foundation Point #2: The Place of Gratitude in Fighting Sin

KILL SIN Challenge #2: Covetousness KILL SIN Challenge #3: Lust KILL SIN Challenge #4: Unforgiveness KILL SIN Challenge #5: Impatience

Review from Morning…Review from Morning…

We fight sinBy the Spirit

Through FaithIn His promises

Grace flows

We fight sinBy the Spirit

Through FaithIn His promises

Grace flows

Foundation Point #1:We Kill Sin the Same Way We

Get Saved

Foundation Point #1:We Kill Sin the Same Way We

Get Saved How did you get saved? Ephesians 2:8-9 Fighting sin is NOT advanced

Christianity We never outgrow our need to live

by faith…faith in promises

How did you get saved? Ephesians 2:8-9 Fighting sin is NOT advanced

Christianity We never outgrow our need to live

by faith…faith in promises

Foundation Point #2: The Role of Gratitude in

Fighting Sin

Foundation Point #2: The Role of Gratitude in

Fighting Sin River-Reservoir Illustration..We Need Today’s Gas Christian obedience is called the "work of faith,"

never of the "work of gratitude" (1 Thess 1:3; 2 Thess 1:11)

We find expressions like "live by faith” (Galatians 2:20) and "walk by faith" (2 Corinthians 5:7), but never any expression like "live by gratitude" or "walk by gratitude."

River-Reservoir Illustration..We Need Today’s Gas Christian obedience is called the "work of faith,"

never of the "work of gratitude" (1 Thess 1:3; 2 Thess 1:11)

We find expressions like "live by faith” (Galatians 2:20) and "walk by faith" (2 Corinthians 5:7), but never any expression like "live by gratitude" or "walk by gratitude."

Foundation Point #2: The Role of Gratitude in

Fighting Sin (cont)

Foundation Point #2: The Role of Gratitude in

Fighting Sin (cont) "faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6), but not "gratitude

working through love."

"the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5), but not "from sincere gratitude."

Sanctification is by "faith in the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13), not that it is "by gratitude for the truth."

"faith without works is dead" (Jas. 2:26), but not that "gratitude without works is dead."

When Jesus deals with the disciples' hesitancy to seek the kingdom first because they were worried about food and clothing, he did not say, "O men of little gratitude," he said, "O men of little faith" (Matthew 6:30).

"faith working through love" (Galatians 5:6), but not "gratitude working through love."

"the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5), but not "from sincere gratitude."

Sanctification is by "faith in the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:13), not that it is "by gratitude for the truth."

"faith without works is dead" (Jas. 2:26), but not that "gratitude without works is dead."

When Jesus deals with the disciples' hesitancy to seek the kingdom first because they were worried about food and clothing, he did not say, "O men of little gratitude," he said, "O men of little faith" (Matthew 6:30).

KILL SIN Challenge #2:Battling the Unbelief of

COVETOUSNESS

Definition: Desiring something not for God's glory or in such a way that we lose our contentment in God.

Hebrews 13:5-6

“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," 6 so that we confidently say, "THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”

• Do we believe this?

Gracious Warnings about the Dangers of Desiring Money and Things

Abundance of Possessions is Not Life

• Killer JP Quote

• “Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” Luke 12:15

Desiring to be Rich Destroys the Soul

• “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.” 1 Timothy 6:9

Gracious Warnings about the Dangers of Desiring Money and Things

Money Is No Final Help in Death

• “For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.” 1 Timothy 6:7

Loving Money Spans All Kinds of Sins

• “For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10

Pray for a Heart for the Truth and Not for Money

• “Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to gain.” Psalm 119:36

KILL SIN Challenge #3:Battling the Unbelief of

LUST

Definition: Pursuing illicit thoughts or images in the mind with a view to stimulating sexual pleasures - with or without external stimuli.

Massive Battle

Sex obsessed culture• “We select our sexiest individuals and accord

them the status of gods and goddesses, ogle over the details of their lives, broadcasting their bodily statistics.” Phillip Yancey

• Some Stats• The Casualties are Piling Up• Men and Women are different• Word to Women

Lust Grows out of Suppressing the Knowledge of God and His Promises

• “Lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit.” Ephesians 4:22

• As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance...” 1 Peter 1:14

• “Each of you [should] know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God.” 1 Thessalonians 4:4-5

• “…He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” 2 Peter 1:3-4

It Is a Lie that Losing Sex Is Losing Something Essential

• “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

• Jesus was the most-fully human that ever existed and he never had sex

Unfought Lust Will Destroy the Soul

“I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” Matthew 5:28-29

• Donald Wyman, Punxsutawney, PA

Unfought Lust Will Destroy the Soul (continued)

• “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against your soul.” 1 Peter 2:11

• “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:12-13

• “Little souls make little lusts have great power.” JP

A.N.T.H.E.M. (Piper) Google it!

• Practical strategies are important

• A-AVOID

N-NO

T-TURN

H-HOLD

E-ENJOY

M-MOVE

• Sex is God’s Idea-Fire in Fireplace; River with Riverbanks; Sex & the Supremacy of Christ 1&2

KILL SIN Challenge #4:Battling the Unbelief of

Unforgiveness-Bitterness

Definition: Holding a grudge or savoring the thought of getting even with no true desire for the salvation and reconciliation of the offending person.

A Crucial Consideration of Bygone Grace

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:32

• This is a mega issue today

• Justice

Bitterness Biggie #1

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Romans 12:18-20

Bitterness Biggie #2

• “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” 1 Peter 2:22-23

• JUSTICE will be served perfectly, either in Hell or at the Cross

• Implications on Marriage

KILL SIN Challenge #5:Battling the Unbelief of

Impatience

Definition: Murmuring, frustration, anger against the goodness and providence of God when we are forced to walk the path of obedience in an unplanned place or at an unplanned pace. Long fused…Eeyores in the house?

Philippians 2:14-15

• “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

• Stories are VERY, VERY helpful

• Story of Joseph

• B.B. Warfield & Annie Kincaid

• Missionary Lady in Africa

• Lady on Plane-Isaiah 64:4

• Caterpillar Shovel

SUMMARY & Prayer

SUMMARY & Prayer