FRESH part 2
HOW DO WE DEFINE REALITY?
Colossians 2:8
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
“Vain” = Kenos there is nothing of truth or reality.
“Deceit” = apatao = cheat, delude, deceive, beguile.
It describes that which gives a false impression.
KENOS APATAO = “Deception based on no truth or false reality.”
HIS, HER, or THEIR TRUTH
FALSE REALITY = A little bit of TRUTH and a lot of EMOTIONS
~ CREATING A FALSE STORY. ~
Matthew 24:4
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
“Deceive” - planao = lead astray or to wander off course.
1) FEAR - wars and rumors of wars.
When afraid - logic and reason fade away - instinct = run or fight.
2) RACIAL WARS - ethnos against ethnos.
Satan’s M ode of O peration from the beginning.
When we are busy fighting among ourselves, we are not focused on the real issues.
3) ECONOMIC and ENVIRONMENTAL CHAOS -
Chaos keeps us distracted.
We are so caught up in daily survival that we cannot see the Kingdom anymore.
4) PERSECUTION -
Silence those who dare to speak the truth, and you create a culture of conformity.
1 Timothy 4:1
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
DEPART: aphistemi — apo and istimi.
APO means away
STIMI means to stand.
To distance oneself from; to withdraw from.
“The FAITH” = both your belief and community.
GIVING HEED - paying THE MAJORITY of your attention to….
SEDUCING SPIRITS and DOCTRINES OF devils - THIS IS SUPERNATURAL WARFARE!
SEDUCTION = EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION TO make someone comply!
ANYTHING you allow in your ear and eye gate has the potential to seduce you away from truth.
THE DEVIL wants you to FOCUS LESS ON “IT IS WRITTEN” AND FOCUS MORE ON “IT FEELS LIKE”
BE CAREFUL of any group, party, church, pastor, minister, etc. that gets you so upset about an issue that you stop wondering what the Bible has to say about it.
DOCTRINES OF DEVILS -
ANYTHING THAT PROMOTES STEALING, KILLING OR DESTROYING.
TWO of SATAN’S GREATEST DOCTRINES:
• RELATIVISM = there is no such thing as absolute truth… your truth, my truth, etc.
• SUBJECTIVISM = Believing that you personally have the right to determine what is right and wrong…
If we are not careful…THE FAITH OF A WHOLE GENERATION IS
• lulled into singing the same songs OF SEDUCING SPIRITS
• agreeing with the mantra of DOCTRINES OF DEVILS!
Thus, SIN IS NOT REALLY SIN -
It is “their truth”; “It is just a good person who is misunderstood”…
::THE WORLD IS PEDDLING DOCTRINES OF DEVILS TO STEAL, KILL AND DESTROY through
1 Timothy 4:2
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
SEARING - BRANDING IRON…
When you get burned… you lose all sensitivity in that area…
NOT YOUR WHOLE BODY… just that area…
THE HOLY SPIRIT said - don’t listen to that:
- don’t go that way
- don’t do that thing
AND WHEN YOU DID…
YOU BRANDED YOURSELF With SEDUCING SPIRITS and DOCTRINES OF DEVILS!
EVERY TIME THAT YOU Have a tug from the HOLY GHOST and DECIDE TO NOT OBEY - YOU ARE
- All of a sudden… I don’t know why I’m okay swearing at my kids or my spouse………. I sure wasn’t okay with it years ago…
- All of a sudden - not sure how I started into sin… I wasn’t there a while ago…
- I don’t know why that music doesn’t mess with me anymore…
- I don’t know why I’m okay with that sin…
Eventually you stop hearing God speak in that area at all.
1 Peter 5:8
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
SOBER = DO NOT allow anything to intoxicate you to the point that your mind does not work the way God wants it to.
• YOU CAN BE DRUNK WITH ANGER
• YOU CAN BE DRUNK WITH GREED
• YOU CAN BE DRUNK WITH PRIDE
• YOU CAN BE DRUNK WITH FEAR
They are so
VIGILANT = WATCH OUT!
VERSE 8 IS THE CLIMAX OF VERSES 1 - 7
PETER GIVES US 4 TRUTHS TO HAVE FRESH VICTORY OVER THE FALSE EVIDENCE OF THE WORLD.
~ 4 TRUTHS TO A FRESH VICTORY ~
1 Peter 5:1 - 7
1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
~ FEED THE FLOCK - the message on Sunday is IMPERATIVE to your week.
God gives you a specific meal that is to help you be sober and vigilant against the attacks of the enemy!
~ OVERSEE THE FLOCK WITH A READY MIND - the Pastor gives DIRECTIVE and SUPPORT from His time in the SPIRIT and His time in the WORD.
~ BE AN EXAMPLE TO THE FLOCK - the Pastor should be showing you through life illustration the call you have… it helps you to not be “DRUNK ON PERSONALITY”
• YOU DO NOT WIN WITHOUT A TEAM - HAVE A COMMUNITY OF CHRISTIANS
- Christians with no church are lost.
- Christians with no community are orphans, not sons and daughters…
~ VIGILANCE happens with multiple eyes.
~ LIVING SOBER only happens with accountability.
~WITHOUT A TEAM - you attach yourself to WHATEVER truth makes you FEEL MORE IMPORTANT:
- Whatever truth makes you FEEL more connected.
- WHATEVER MAKES YOU HAPPY and you gravitate toward.
Without being connected WEEKLY to the place you are called to:
- you open yourself up to deception
- your faith stops being FRESH
- your faith starts being SPOILED by the FALSE REALITY laced with emotional connections…
YOU DO NOT WIN WITHOUT SACRIFICE -
HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE GOD {do not live for your own pleasure}
LACK OF HUMILITY gets us drunk on our own emotions, convictions, thoughts and our own feelings in the moment…
LACK OF HUMILITY makes us stop being vigilant because we close our eyes to the truth of situations because it makes us “uncomfortable”…
HUMILITY = WE sacrifice our feelings, our thoughts - FOR THE KINGDOM GOOD.
Hebrews 13:16 NLT
16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
THE CHURCH IS NOT ABOUT US - We am here for Him and others.
GIVING IS NOT ABOUT US - Him and others.
• YOU CANNOT WIN WITHOUT
(verse 7) “casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
Care = merimna - talking about how you think
~ from root merizo - means to “DRAW IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS”. ~
Your mind keeps going DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS!
Christ says “I need you to THROW YOUR THOUGHTS on me”, FOCUS on ME….
- QUIT FOCUSING ON YOU!!!
- DRUNK ON SELF DEGRADATION = I’m a horrible, I’m no good, I can’t do it...becomes full of self-hate and loathing
It is a seducing spirit with emotion, it is a doctrine of devils promoted by culture around us!
YOU HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST!
CAST YOUR FOCUS ON HIS DIRECTION AND WHAT HE SAYS!
• REPENT and DIRECT YOUR MIND. REPENTANCE means A CHANGE OF MIND.
“CAST your CARE” =
- STOP focusing on YOU
- STOP focusing on IT
- STOP focusing on THEM
FOCUS ON CHRIST!
John 10:10
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
SEDUCING SPIRITS and DOCTRINES - To get you out of authority and power.
THE DEVIL WANTS TO DESTROY YOUR LIFE.
HE WANTS to spoil your faith and GET YOU OUT OF VICTORY
- BY GETTING YOU OUT OF AUTHORITY (no pastor)
- OUT OF COMMUNITY (no church)
- OUT OF HUMILITY (I want this, I need this)
- INTO ANXIETY (I am a victim; I am never going to go forward)
John 10
10b I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Jesus came to give you LIFE and MORE ABUNDANTLY:
- by giving you a pastor (= heirling)
- by putting you in the church he built (sheepfold)
- by giving you the strength to sacrifice
- by cleaning your mind with the Word to focus on Him!
IF YOU REFUSE TO BE DECIEVED, YOU REFUSE TO ALLOW YOUR FAITH TO BE SPOILED!
YOU DO NOT DISCOUNT HIS SACRIFICE…..
- WHEN YOU HAVE A COACH
- WHEN YOU HAVE A TEAM
- WHEN YOU ARE WILLING TO SACRIFICE
- WHEN YOUR MIND IS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION…
~ YOU ALWAYS WIN AND TASTE THE SWEET FRUIT OF VICTORY! ~