All-Church Retreat January 3rd, 2009Saturday Morning

All-Church Retreat January 3rd, 2009Saturday Morning

Talk 3:

KINGDOM VISION: Kingdom Defense:

Fighting Sin

Talk 3:

KINGDOM VISION: Kingdom Defense:

Fighting Sin

Outline of Talk 3 Review

Foundation Point #1: Life is a Fight

Key Question #1: Are we threatened with death if we don’t fight sin?!

Foundation Point #2: We Kill Sin by the Spirit

Key Question #2: Who is doing the work in killing sin? Key Question #3: How is this done practically?

KILL SIN Challenge #1: Anxiety

Review from Talk #2…Review from Talk #2…

Love is Offense…God is love…

We ought to love…The way a fish

Ought toSwim.

Love is Offense…God is love…

We ought to love…The way a fish

Ought toSwim.

Foundation Point #1:Life is a Fight Tenacity in the Christian life… It’s a fight against our FLESH

"The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot." Romans 8:7

“Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” 2 Timothy 4:7

John Owen, The Mortification of Sin “Be killing sin or it will be killing you.”

Romans 8:10-17Romans 8:10-17 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the

spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- 13 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. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- 13 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. 14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Key Question #1:

Does the Threat of Death Imply We Can Lose Our Salvation?

Killing Sin Is the Result and Evidence of Justification

Killing Sin Is the EFFECT, not the CAUSE, of Our Justification

Foundation Point #2:We kill sin by the Spirit

Verse 13b: "If by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live."

3 verses give us a strong clue of HOW we do this…

Romans 8:5

"Those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit."

1 Corinthians 2:13-14

"We speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit. . . . But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him.”

Ephesians 6:17

"take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Key Question #2:

Who is doing the work in killing sin?

•1 Cor 15:10

“By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”•The sin killer gets the honor

Key Question #3: How do we do this practically?

• General to specific…• By works of law or by hearing with

faith? • “Does He who provides you with the Spirit

and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?” Galatians 3:5

• Socket (God’s Word) & plug (your faith)…

Practically (continued) “His divine power has granted to us all

things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” 2 Peter 1:3-4

In Summary…

We fight sinBy the Spirit

Through FaithIn His promises

Grace flows

KILL SIN Challenge #1:Battling the Unbelief of

Anxiety

Definition: The loss of confident security in God owing to feelings of uneasiness or foreboding that something harmful is going to happen;

Anxiety is not really a class of sin

Matthew 6:25-34

25 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

The Lamentations Connection

Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for

tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Lamentations 3:22-23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;his

mercies never come to an end;they are new every morning;great is your faithfulness.”

Some texts on anxiety

• When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. Psalm 56:3

• Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.1 Peter 5:7

• What is your battle if you are prone to be anxious?

Philippians 4:6-7

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Battling Anxiety about being useless

• “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” 1 Cor 15:58

• 41.5 years old

• Dream a new dream! VERY exciting…

Battling Anxiety about Feeling Weak

• And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Cor 12:9-10

• Summer camp in China

Battling Anxiety about Difficult Decisions

• “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.” Psalm 32:8

• Hmmmm….A or B?• “Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He

instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way.” Psalm 25:8-9

Battling Anxiety about People that are Against You

• “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?” Romans 8:31

• Henry Martyn at age 32

Battling Anxiety about Afflictions

“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Romans 5:3-5

Battling Anxiety about Aging

• “I’m not afraid of death…I’m afraid of dying.” R.C. Sproul

• Ramey; Nana• “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob, and all the

remnant of the house of Israel, you who have been borne by Me from birth and have been carried from the womb; 4 even to your old age I will be the same, and even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; and I will bear you and I will deliver you.” Isaiah 46:3-4

Battling Anxiety about Death

• Neck/Headache/Can’t think straight

• Read me the psalms when I’m dying• “For not one of us lives for himself, and not one

dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” Romans 14:7-9

Battling Anxiety about Not Persevering to the end

• “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 1:6

Summary

Pray

Summary

Pray