SERMON SUMMARY
Sunday, December
2,
2007
The Year of the Invitation : Keeping the Light On
Sermon given by Senior Pastor, Dan Tabolt
Our Warfare
Obedience vs. Reasons
Ps 119:11-1211 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin
against You. NKJV
Illustration of the Rechargeable Batteries
A gift of power called blessing
The Power of total emptiness
The ever increasing power sources.
Last week we received communion. In the covenantal act we have been
instructed by the Lord to do a search and remove leaven or sin from our
lives. So today I would like to look at how to keep ourselves clean.
I. The Roots of the Conflict.
Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which
the LORD God had made.
And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of
every tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may
eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree
which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it,
nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'"
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 For God
knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will
be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was
pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of
its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were
naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
A. Looking at the Battlefield.
Reason vs. Obedience
Have you every heard someone say…I have reasons for why I am doing what I
am doing? The promise of the devil is we can be like God and know what is
right and what is wrong. We can never be the source of what is right and
wrong, that is determined by God’s word.
8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the
cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of
the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the LORD God called to
Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" 10 So he said, "I heard Your voice
in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."
11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the
tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"
12 Then the man said,"The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me
of the tree, and I ate."
13 And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"
The woman said,"The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: …
16 To the woman He said: …
17 Then to Adam He said …
B. God reaches to us again.
1. Man hides, God seeks.
2. God knows were we are, but wants us to know were we are.
3. Sin brings the blame game.
Think for a moment when you have seen someone, “Lose it”. One of the
things you hear is an on-going spilling out of the thoughts that have been
pent up inside them. Our thoughts build into action and our actions create
our life expressions.
II. The Battlefield of thought.
2 Cor 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the
flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God
for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high
thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every
thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to
punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. NKJV
A. What happened to Judas Iscariot?
John 12:1-8 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany,
Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet
of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with
the fragrance of the oil. 4 But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot,
Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, 5 "Why was this fragrant oil not
sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor ?" 6 This he said,
not that he cared for the poor , but because he was a thief, and had the
money box; and he used to take what was put in it. 7 But Jesus said, "Let
her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you
have with you always, but Me you do not have always." NKJV
After this Judas Iscariot went out and betrayed Jesus.
Matt 26:20 When evening had come, He sat down with the twelve. 21 Now as
they were eating, He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will
betray Me."
22 And they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to
Him, "Lord, is it I ?"
23 He answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will
betray Me. NKJV
III. Know Your Enemy.The Flesh, the World, and the Devil.
1. The Flesh… in scripture represents our humanity, our passions, and
desires. We need to recognize our human frame and the limitations that are
built into us.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells;
for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not
find.
1 Cor 9:27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest,
when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. NKJV
2. The World… or in some translation, “this age”, represents the
arrangements, principles and philosophy of this present world system.
Rom 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable
and perfect will of God. NKJV
3. The Devil.
James 4:7-8Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from
you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.NKJV
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks
about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him,
steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced
by your brotherhood in the world. NKJV
IV. Know your weapons and how to use them.
Our weapons of our warfare include, 1. Prayer, 2. Fasting, 3. The word of
God, 4. Prophetic words, 5. Binding and loosing 6. the blood of Jesus, 7.
Walking in unity within the body of Christ.
Ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. NKJV
Remember our warfare is won by obedience, not but human reasoning.
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