Weapon of Worship
“Spiritual issues cannot be solved with natural solutions.”
The solution is revival.
Isaiah 35:1-10 (NLT) 1 Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. 2 Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the LORD will display his glory, the splendor of our God. 3 With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. 4 Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.” 5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. 6 The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland. 7 The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived. 8 And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there. 9 Lions will not lurk along its course, nor any other ferocious beasts. There will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will walk on it. 10 Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness.
THE HIGHWAY OF HOLINESS
Matthew 7:14 (NIV) Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Hebrews 12:14 (NLT) Without holiness no one will see the Lord.
1 Peter 2:4-12 (NIV) 4 As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone, 8 and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message--which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
The Highway of Holiness
1. A Determined Purpose
“Is your life set aside for Gods purposes, Or Have you set him aside for yours?”
“The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever”-Westminster Shorter Catechism
2. A Drastic Difference
1 Peter 1:14-16 (NIV) 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy.”
“Aliens and strangers”
“OUT OF Darkness Into light.”
Matthew 15:7-8 (NIV) 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Titus 1:6(NIV) They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.
3. A Dependance on Grace
How dependent upon grace determines what we say yes to what we say no to.
Titus 2:11-12 (NIV) 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
4. A Declaration of Jesus
Matthew 16:13-19 (NIV) 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" 14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT) 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Possess the Promise
We can focus on our selves in a self centered way or we can focus on our selves in a Christ centered way.
In the Kingdom of God it’s an exchange of identities.
John 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me,
Deny himself
Where does Jesus lead us with His cross?
To Golgotha. To Die.
We surrender our rights and become love.
Choose to take up your new identity, you in Christ and Christ in You.
2 Peter 1:3-9 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things
We have all things we need to walk through this life in Godliness.
Why? Because they are in Christ, and Christ is in us by the Holy Spirit.
Salvation isn’t meant to be a ticket to heaven, it’s a entry point into relationship with Jesus.
Shortsighted: Only seeing things
We take the distorting lenses of self centeredness off and we see through the clear lens of the Gospel.
You wouldn’t have a desire to do good, if your heart hadn’t already been changed by the truth.
Let the Holy Spirit be the decider of your thoughts.
1 John 4:12 No one has seen God at any time
“The blessed John the Evangelist lived in Ephesus until extreme old age. His disciples could barely carry him to church and he could not muster the voice to speak many words. During individual gatherings he usually said nothing but, "Little children, love one another." The disciples and brothers in attendance, annoyed because they always heard the same words, finally said, "Teacher, why do you always say this?" He replied with a line worthy of John: "Because it is the Lord's commandment and if it alone is kept, it is sufficient." - Jerome, 4th century Church Historian
John 17:22 And God’s glory is to manifest through our lives as we walk aware and engaged with the Holy Spirit in us and our mission to manifest His love.
”The substance of your faith is your life lived” - Dan Mohler
1. Fear is Wrong Self Focus -
2. Being Entitled is Wrong Self Focus -
The world owes us nothing and we owe the world an encounter with Jesus.
3. Your life can be Profuse -
John 1:25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
4. What we can Get from God vs. Giving Joyfully
James 4: 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
The church isn’t meant to be a luxury cruise, it’s meant to be a rescue boat.
5. Don’t let the Enemy take the fight out of you.
In the Kingdom we are at war.
1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Jesus ultimately has won the war but we must fight each battle and not give up.
The will of God is evident in the life of Christ, He healed all!
Luke 4:40 When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.
Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God
Jesus is what the will of God looks like.
Life Unscripted
Luke 15:20-24 (NLT) 20 “So he returned home to his father And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
“Slaves and sons both belong to the house but they both didn’t dwell in the house."
John 8:31-42 (NIV) 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." 33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" 34 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know you are Abraham's descendants.Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38 I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father." 39 "Abraham is our father," they answered. "If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41 You are doing the things your own father does." "We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself." 42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire.….47 He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."
3 Bondages
1. Sin
John 8:34 "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
Romans 8:12-17 (NIV) 12 Brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 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, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 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." 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
2. Fear
Fear is failure to trust.
3. Performance
“If the enemy can’t get us enslaved to sin he will enslaved to performance.”
Performance is driven by earning something versus loving someone.
“If we are obeying Jesus out of a burden we are operating as a slave not a son, a hireling not a heir, and a laborer not a lover.”
3 Breakers…
1. Encountering, Knowing & Following Jesus.
John 8:31-42 (NIV) 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
2. Trusting that Abba is good, perfect and loving.
Mark 10:14-15 (NLT) The Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”
1 John 4:18 (NIV)There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.
3. Simple, joyful obedience.
Hebrews 11:8 (NLT) It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.
Be Ok to simply obey. in the light.
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