They Must Be Giants – Part 6:
The Giant Named Flesh
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
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SERMON INTRODUCTION
Most
of us are all familiar with the story of David & Goliath in 1 Samuel 17.
Remember these points from David & Goliath over the next few
sermons;
I.
The battle between the Palestinians and the
Israelites was a spiritual one.
II.
David had the Holy Spirit just as
all of those who belong to God have access to.
III. David recognized
the battle was spiritual even though everyone around him could not. He was walking in the spirit, not by sight,
but by faith.
IV.
When David faced the giant, he knew the
battle was not a man against a giant, but a giant against the power of God.
V.
The battle was the Lord’s! David had the right perspective.
We must remember these points in our lives as well when we face
things.
1.
It’s a spiritual battle
2.
We have the Holy Spirit if we belong to God
3.
Recognize the battles we face in our lives
are spiritual
4.
Those battles are the Lord’s
PREVIOUSLY
Part 1 - David and Goliath
Part 2 - The Giant Named Unforgiveness
Part 3 - The Giant Named Fear
Part 4 - The Giant Named Anger
Part 5 - The Giant Named Hate
TODAY’S SERMON
Part 6 - The Giant Named Flesh
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
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. 6 The
mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit
is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the
flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do
so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the
flesh cannot please God.
The overall message of this
series to the church is;
We wrestle not against flesh
and blood, the battle is Spiritual and the battle is the Lords.
I.
WHAT IS OUR “FLESH”?
a. Today we are
talking about our flesh. More specifically the battle between our flesh and our
spirit.
i.
I
took creative writing in school, and there were three major themes we saw
repeated in novels. man-against-nature, man-against-man, and man-against-self.
ii.
Like
many a great books, one of the plots that intrigue us as human beings is
man-against-self.
iii.
We
live “man-against-self” everyday as a Christian.
Romans 7:21 - 25
“21 So I find this law at work:
When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the
members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner
of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of
death? 25 Thanks be to
God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to
God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”
iv.
This
is why we need to win the war within our minds.
v.
As
the scriptures say; to take every thought into captivity of Christ
Jesus.
vi.
The
battle is in our minds. Not to say that
it does not exist, but that it exists and lives in our minds!
b. Here is something
very interesting, when we accept Jesus Christ, our souls are redeemed.
i.
BUT,
our flesh is not! Our flesh is not redeemed when we become Christians. We are redeemed souls living in corrupt
flesh.
1. Have you never
wondered why even though you accept Christ, you are still going to die and you
are going to receive glorified bodies?
2. This is why Paul
talks about the struggle between the flesh and the spirit, but concludes in
verse 25 of Romans 7, “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! In my mind I am
a slave to God’s Law...”
ii.
God
will never contradict His Holy Word.
1. God warned Adam
that if he ate of that tree he would surly die.
2. The scriptures say
that it is appointed to man to die once.
Genesis 3:17 – 19
“17 To Adam he said, "Because you
listened to your wife (instead of God’s
Word) and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat
of it,' (committing sin)
"Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.
18 It
will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By
the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return."
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return."
iii.
Our
flesh has been cursed because of sin.
iv.
When
Adam sinned, when he chose unrighteousness over righteousness, when he behaved
in fear instead of love, God’s spirit was severed from Him.
v.
Fear
of what?
1. Adam could have behaved in love for God and His Word.
2. Love for his wife, knowing that God warned not
to eat of the tree.
3. But he behaved in fear, perhaps fear of rejection from
his wife.
c. Relationship &
communion with God was broke because of sin, and the spirit of God which sustained
Adam and Eve was removed.
i.
From
this point on, food would sustain them, but only for a time.
1. Their flesh must be
returned to the dust. This is the curse.
ii.
When
we make Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, we return to relationship with God
the Father.
1. Our souls are
redeemed through the Holy Spirit.
2. But our flesh must
return to the dust as the Lord has said.
II.
THIS FLESH OF OURS IS CURSED
a. So our flesh is
cursed even after we accept the Lord.
i.
This
is why when we become Christians, we struggle with our flesh.
1. As the scripture
says, it is a constant battle between what our redeemed soul led by the spirit of
God WANTS to do, and what our corrupt flesh led by worldly desires wants to do.
b. This is why we are
told to walk in the spirit, because although we have accepted Christ and are
redeemed, we can still walk in the flesh.
i.
Walking
in the flesh only leads to sin and separation (Galatians 5)
ii.
It’s
easy to act in unrighteousness.
iii.
Jesus
said, “...wide is the road that leads to corruption...”, This is the act of
walking in the flesh (living by the flesh).
iv.
He
said, “Narrow is the path (the way, the Truth and the life) which is only found
in Christ Jesus. This is the act of
walking in the Spirit, living by the Spirit.
c. King David is a
perfect example.
i.
He
received the Holy Spirit at a young age, and yet, gave into his flesh and
sinned with Bathsheba.
Jeremiah
17:5
This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who
trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart
turns away from the LORD.
ii.
We put our trust in people, in ourselves, in flesh.
iii.
We depend on people, on others, on ourselves for getting things
done.
iv.
Flesh is not our strength, but our weakness.
v.
For the flesh of man is not redeemed, but cursed.
vi.
David “chose” to follow his flesh and its desires, and sinned
against God, although He had the Holy Spirit of God, he abandoned God, turned
away from Him. If David would not have
confessed and repented of his sin, he would have been in danger of dying in
that sin.
III.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY IN
UNREDEEMED FLESH?
a.
Better to ask, “Is the power of God’s Holy
Spirit greater than our flesh?”
i.
YES!, absolutely!!, righteous living is obtained through walking
in the Spirit of God.
1.
It is in my weakness He (the Lord) is my strength!
b.
Romans warns against becoming prideful,
arrogant, boastful or self-righteous about our flesh and its abilities apart
from God’s Spirit.
i.
We all sin and fall short of the Glory of God.
1.
But we don’t have to stay
in that sin.
2.
If we recognize our sin, confess to the Lord and repent then we
can have forgiveness, and mend our relationship with God.
ii.
If we continue to live in sin, or unrighteousness, we are choosing
to separate ourselves from relationship with the Lord.
1.
It is NOT God that fails us, rather we fail Him!
iii.
The scriptures say the Lord does not hear the prayers of the
unrighteous.
1.
This is a very important scripture to remember.
2.
We must call on His name and repent!
c.
When we walk in the flesh instead of the
spirit, we are living in unrighteousness, and God cannot hear us.
i.
Save but one prayer, Lord
forgive me.
ii.
Forgiveness only comes through confession to the Lord and
repentance. That's it.
IV.
SO HOW DO WE “WALK” IN THE SPIRIT?
a.
How do we live righteously?
i.
How do we choose love
over fear?
ii.
Believers have the Spirit of Christ, the hope of glory within
them.
Colossians 1:27
“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the
glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of
glory.”
iii.
Those who walk in the Spirit will show forth daily,
moment-by-moment holiness.
iv.
And if we slip and fall occasionally onto the broad path, if we
are in the Word, we recognize this, confess, repent, and we get back on our
feet and continue forward in righteousness.
v.
This is brought about by consciously choosing by faith to rely on
the Holy Spirit to guide us in thought, word, and deed.
Romans 6:11-14
“11 In the same way,
count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let (CHOICE) sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer (CHOICE) the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but
rather offer yourselves (CHOICE) to God, as those who have been brought
from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of
righteousness. (CHOICE) 14
For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under
grace.
John 3:3
“In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can
see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
Philippians 1:27
“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of
the gospel of Christ.”
vi.
We can know that we are walking in the Spirit if our lives are showing forth the fruit of the Spirit
which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control
(Galatians 5:22,23).
vii.
Being filled (walking), with the Spirit is the same as allowing
the Word of Christ to richly dwell in us.
Colossians 3:16
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and
admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”
b.
The result of being filled with Christ is
thankfulness, singing, and joy.
i.
Children of God will be led by the Spirit of God (Romans
8:14).
c.
When Christians CHOOSE not to walk
in the Spirit, thereby sinning and grieving Him, provision has been made for restoration
through confession of the wrongdoing and repentance.
Ephesians 4:30
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you
were sealed for the day of redemption.”
1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive
us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
i.
To “walk in the Spirit” is to follow the Spirit’s leading.
ii.
When the devil tempted Jesus, He tried to tempt His flesh, His
human side, underestimating and not understanding that the righteous have the
Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit of God is beyond tempting, and stronger than
anything because it is God.
CONCLUSION
It
is essential to “walk with” the Spirit, allowing Him to guide our steps and transform
our minds.
Just
as we have received Christ by faith, by faith He asks us to walk with Him,
in His Holy Spirit, until we are taken to heaven and will hear from the Master,
"Well done!" (Matthew 25:23).
If
you are at war with your flesh, your mind, sin, unrighteousness, come forward
today, and I will pray for you.
Walking
in the spirit is possible,
and living a fruit bearing life is
possible, being righteous is
possible, all through walking with the Lord.
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