Let’s Lose Some Weight – 4

                                                             Let’s Lose Some Weight – 4

Subject – Pick Up the Pace

By Rick Welborne

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NKJV)                                                                                                                                                                                                                ¹  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
²  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
³  For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 

--I have said for at least the last 40 years that I wanted to lose weight and in my mind, I really thought I was attempting to do that. Two years ago this March I decided to give up tennis because of pain. Not your friend.

--I started biking outdoors and really was enjoying what I was doing and actually lost a little weight but still was struggling. I saw deer, rattle snakes, raccoons, rabbits, and even one Florida panther. Beautiful!

--I had finally built up enough stamina and conditioned my rear-end to endure the 31mile loop at the Santos Trails (the paved part). I was so happy I could do the loop in less than 2 hours.

--One day something happened on the trail that was extremely aggravating, extremely humiliating, and most importantly, extremely motivating. 

--You see, when someone says something negative to us or about us we have a choice. We can take those words and build resentment or use those words to be a launching pad for better things. Let me explain.

--At almost the 9-mile marker I was almost to the top of a half mile hill and I was breathing pretty hard, and in my mind, pushing myself at a really good pace, something happened.

--Another biker passes me and he is clipping pretty fast as he whizzes by me. I had never seen him before or since, but here are his words to me as I am sucking wind.

“Are you ever going to pick up the pace?”

--My first thought was one of humiliation and embarrassment, not only because he was going so fast around me but also, that he would have the audacity to say, “Are you ever going to pick up the pace?”

--My humiliation quickly turned to aggravation and even anger as those piercing words got deep into my spirit. Someone told me a long time ago that almost every negative statement has some truth to it.

--As I thought about that I began to ask myself a few questions: Could I actually pick up my pace? Yes. Would picking up my pace give me a faster time? Yes. Would picking up my pace help me lose weight? Yes.

--As I began to calm down from my anger Holy Spirit began to speak to me. I use my time on the bike to pray and to worship so He magnified those words in my spirit man: “Are you ever going to pick up the pace?”

--“Are the people of Life Church ever going to pick up the pace?”

Hebrews 10:23-25 (NIV)
²³  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
²⁴  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
²⁵  Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

1. Pick up the pace in the area of seeking after God.

--Wasn’t that what we were trying to encourage all of you to do during the first 21 days of prayer and fasting? Did you take advantage of that time? Did you fast? Did you pray? 

--Did you come out to the week of prayer and earnestly seek God corporately with the rest of us? I can seek Him at home. Okay, did you seek Him at home during that time? Probably not.

--Maybe you are like I was when I was in Elementary School and our teacher would ask us every Monday how many of us went to church? How many of you prayed? I would raise my hand because we blessed the food.

Hebrews 6:1&11-12 (NKJV)
¹  Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
¹¹  And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,
¹²  that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 

--The writer of Hebrews is telling us to grow past still being in Elementary School and to not become sluggish (to pick up the pace) in our relationship with God.

--Years ago James Dobson did a survey on Christians comparing their walk with God to where they would be in school. The results were sad but probably even worse today.

--Most men were at a fifth grade level or below in their Christian faith. Before you point your finger ladies, your score was not a whole lot better. You were at a seventh grade level or below. 

--Dobson’s conclusion was that little to no effort was being practiced in these men or women to help them grow spiritually. Just listening to a sermon once a week will never be enough. Pick up the pace yourself. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-19 (NIV) ¹⁶  Be joyful always; ¹⁷  pray continually;
¹⁸  give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.                                                  ¹⁹  Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 

--Do you remember when you first fell in love with your sweetheart and you thought about them 24/7? You wanted to talk to them all day long. You showered them with compliments.

--You wanted to spend time with them and you would spend every dime you had to buy them a gift. Sadly, something happens over time and you began to take them for granted. You lost your passion.

--Jesus warns the church about letting our passion for Him dwindle.

Revelation 2:4-5 (NLT2)
⁴  “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!
⁵  Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.

--Jesus is saying to all of us, “Are you ever going to pick up the pace?”

2. Pick up the pace in the area of missions. 

--Wow, Pastor Rick, what do you mean? Our church is in the top ten in the state in mission’s giving and in the top fifty in the nation out of over 13,000 churches, that’s pretty good. Are we giving Him our best?

--The verses I am about to read are going to sound harsh but sometimes I think we need a shock of reality to wake us up. The people in Malachi were bringing offerings to God but not their best.

--God took it personally that they were bringing to Him just tokens of their abundance and even the tokens they brought were insulting to the Lord All-Powerful.

Malachi 1:6-10 (NCV)
⁶  The LORD All-Powerful says, “A child honors his father, and a servant honors his master. I am a father, so why don’t you honor me? I am a master, so why don’t you respect me? You priests do not respect me. “But you ask, ’How have we shown you disrespect?’
⁷  “You have shown it by bringing unclean food to my altar. “But you ask, ’What makes it unclean?’ “It is unclean because you don’t respect the altar of the LORD.
⁸  When you bring blind animals as sacrifices, that is wrong. When you bring crippled and sick animals, that is wrong. Try giving them to your governor. Would he be pleased with you? He wouldn’t accept you,“ says the LORD All-Powerful.
⁹  “Now ask God to be kind to you, but he won’t accept you with such offerings,“ says the LORD All-Powerful.
¹⁰  “I wish one of you would close the Temple doors so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you and will not accept your gifts,“ says the LORD All-Powerful. 

--We all act like we are excited about Jesus coming back and when it is mentioned from the pulpit how many of you are expecting Him to come back soon, we all shout. Are we truly sincere?

-These people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, Isa. 59.

--I believe the Lord is speaking to all of us in these last days, “Are you ever going to pick up the pace?” We all believe that many of the prophecies have been fulfilled for Jesus return. Amen! What about this?

Matthew 24:14 (NKJV)
¹⁴  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 

--I privately speak with many of our missionaries who are concerned about the church having an escape mentality about the rapture while avoiding their responsibility to reach the nations.

--We play a major part in the return of Jesus (the rapture) by making sure this gospel is going to the ends of the earth. Time to stop with the tokens to God and get serious. “Are you ever going to pick up the pace?”

3. Pick up the pace and get the lead out!

--Years ago when we went to Kentucky to the horse farms they gave us this information about horse racing in light of “Get the lead out”

--It would refer to horse races, where the official handicapper assigns weights that each horse is to carry, to try to make them all even. In the weigh-in, the total weight was made up of the weight of the jockey & saddle, then with lead plates added until it came up to the handicappers assigned weight.  

 --In the back stretch of the race, some riders were known to dump their lead weights to reduce the load on their horse and hopefully increase its speed at the end of the race. 

--When riders would “get the lead out," their horses would sometimes speed up in the crucial final seconds of a race. It looks like we are in the final stretch. We must seek God, increase our missions, and get the lead out.

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NKJV)                                                                                                                                                                                                                ¹  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 

“Are you ever going to pick up the pace?”

Prayer and Spiritual Warfare – 2

                                                         Prayer and Spiritual Warfare – 2

Subject – Understanding the Weapons at Our Disposal

By Rick Welborne

Ephesians 6:10-13 (NKJV)
¹⁰  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
¹¹  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
¹²  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
¹³  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

--Let me say from the beginning of this message that there will be many who hate this message and many who will appreciate it…it all depends on how you fight spiritual warfare.

--There are many who, instead of magnifying the victorious work of Jesus over the powers of Satan and darkness, choose to add to the redemptive work of the cross of Jesus.

--In reality, all they are doing is changing one form of bondage for another but the second bondage is more dangerous because it is cloaked in a guise of being spiritual.

1. We do walk in the flesh.

2 Corinthians 10:2-5 (NKJV)
²  But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
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,

--Paul is saying, Hey guys, I am flesh, I am human, and I have no other choice but to live and operate in this fleshly tent God has given me. I eat, sleep, think, walk, and operate in this flesh in this earthly realm.

--He was saying that we are bound to these earthly bodies until the rapture of the church or until we pass from this life into the glorious next life.

--This should give all of some consolation…Paul said, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh…He was aware of the weakness and futility of his own natural man.

2. We do not war according to the flesh.

--Paul wanted us to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we do not war according to the flesh…according to his carnal natural body.

Rick Renner: The word “war” is taken from the word strateomenos, and it refers to the militant attitude of a trained soldier. It was particularly used to denote the committed attitude of a heavily dressed, trained to kill Roman soldier. 

--Roman soldiers, were no doubt, the finest military machines of their day and among the most skilled soldiers in the history of the world. They were trained to kill. 

--It was well known that these Roman soldiers had such a taste for blood that they requested being put on the frontline of a battle. That wanted to be able to strike first. Navy seals of that day.

--So what would Paul be saying to us about spiritual warfare…We do not war according to the flesh:

A. His attitude was that of a Roman soldier and that he was determined to win the victory.

B. He had no fear of being placed on the frontlines of the battle and going wherever God sent him.

2 Corinthians 10:15-16 (NLT)
¹⁵  Nor do we boast and claim credit for the work someone else has done. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow so that the boundaries of our work among you will be extended.
¹⁶  Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places far beyond you, where no one else is working. Then there will be no question of our boasting about work done in someone else’s territory.

--Paul was willing to go to places like Ephesus and Corinth where there was much sensuality and demonic activity. Paul was a frontline soldier of Jesus Christ. 

C. As a soldier of Jesus he knew he could not war according to his own flesh.

--Please keep in mind that Paul was very educated and impressive naturally speaking. Yet, he knew that all of his worldly qualifications would gain him nothing in spiritual warfare.

Philippians 3:4-6 (NKJV)
⁴  though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:
⁵  circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
⁶  concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

--He was the man but he said this fight…this fight with principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places cannot be fought with just education and experience…somethings cannot be reasoned away.

--Let me say here…this is not an invitation to be uneducated and to not learn from experience.

--Paul did not depend on his education to do spiritual warfare but his education submitted to the will of God made him more effective in his ministry (debating in cities of pagan gods), just my opinion.

--The point here is this…our flesh regardless of how impressive it is, is no match for a spiritual enemy.

3. We must fight this fight with spiritual weapons.

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 (NKJV)
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.

--As we do this series we need to pay attention especially to these three words in this verse…weapons, warfare, and carnal. Let’s look at weapons first.

--Paul lets us know from the beginning that we have powerful weapons at our disposal but they are spiritual weapons. These weapons are offensive and defensive. Eph. 6 the armor of God.

--We are dressed to kill with the full armor of God and that is wonderful but we must be willing to pray in the Spirit until we get a divine strategy on how to fight spiritual warfare.

Rick Renner: This, in fact, is the primary reason most believers don’t experience victory in their personal lives. It isn’t that they lack the proper weaponry, God has already given them what they need! However, they don’t have a strategy that tells them how to attack. Hence, their weapons are of no avail.

--In order to receive a divine strategy, you must be willing to hear from the Spirit of God. This means you will have to spend time in praying in the Spirit, reading the Word, and seeking wisdom from God.

--Think about this verse again from the perspective of spiritual warfare…think about the weapons and the warfare we are in and how God helps us.

Romans 8:26-28 (NLT)
²⁶  And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
²⁷  And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
²⁸  And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

--Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness…we are weak from the attacks of the enemy. We don’t know how to pray against this spiritual warfare…Holy Spirit prays for us according to the will of God…God works it out.

--When I read this verse about our standing with God my mind raced back to Eph. 6 where it says :When you have done all to stand, stand therefore…This standing is a military term…keeping standing and keep fighting.

--As they stand there in right standing with God, praying in the Spirit, God will surely defeat this enemy. Again think of these verses in light of spiritual warfare:

Romans 8:31-35 (NLT)
³¹  What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?
³²  Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?
³³  Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.
³⁴  Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
³⁵  Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 

--We know God is for us in a spiritual battle, He will give us everything we need, He will take care of the accuser of the brethren, there is no condemnation, and He will not allow the enemy to separate us from God.

Romans 8:37-39 (NLT)
³⁷  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
³⁸  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
³⁹  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Let’s Lose Some Weight – 3

                                                             Let’s Lose Some Weight – 3

Subject – You Have Die to Live

By Rick Welborne

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
²  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
³  For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 

--You have to die to live. Pastor Rick, we don’t even like the way that sounds. It sounds like we have to be sacrificial and willing to endure pain and suffering. Exactly.

--Think about the task of becoming what you want to be in the area of losing weight. Unless you have chosen just to take a pill, it will definitely cost you a lot of effort to lose weight.

--I’ve told this story before but let me remind you once more. After church, a man, probably a little younger than me came up and wanted to talk. Not unusual, but he wanted to talk about getting in shape. How can I?

--First, you probably need to change your diet. Eat more fruit, veggies, and salads. No! I don’t like salads. Okay, you need to do more cardiovascular exercise…run, walk, bike, swim. No! I hate that stuff!

--Can I just lift weights? Yes, but you will only be making muscle stronger under a layer of fat, you will probably not be in better health or shape. I see it all the time at the gym.

--Losing weight usually means death. It hurts and it takes sacrifice and discipline which a lot of people do not want to go through. When my triglycerides were 730. Don’t change your lifestyle, take a pill. I said no!

--People who are serious about losing weight or really getting in good shape look like they are trying to kill themselves. They sacrifice the pleasures of certain foods and they exercise like their lives depend on it. Moses.

Hebrews 11:24-26 (NKJV)
²⁴  By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
²⁵  choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
²⁶  esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

--Being a Christian or being a disciple of Jesus Christ all comes down to choices doesn’t it? Moses chose to suffer affliction…wow that sounds bad to us now but it is definitely still God’s way. We die to live.

--If you are going to lose some weight or become a true disciple of Jesus Christ it will happen because you have made the tough choices to die to yourself. Do you really want to be a disciple?

1. What the Apostle Paul said about dying to live.

--I believe one of the most profound things that Paul said about living a disciplined and sacrificial life can be summed up in this simple verse:

1 Corinthians 15:31 (NIV)
³¹  I die every day--I mean that, brothers--just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord.

--Here we find in scripture a truth that can help us be a true disciple of Jesus Christ and a truth that can help us get in the shape of our lives. 

--Most of the programs that are out there for getting in shape are short term or time limited but Paul is talking about something totally different. 

--I agree that systems like P90X can absolutely kick your rear-end for 90 days but what happens after the first 90 days is crucial. If you will maintain what you have gained, you have to continue. 

--That’s why event driven changes never last without some type of follow through. Explain please. You can have a great service, or a series of services (we call revival), but if we don’t die daily, it never lasts.

Beware of Revival by Michael Amico - There is nothing soothing about revival. Revival is not a season to be jolly. It’s not celebration or festivity. The church in revival is faced with the anguish of unforgiven sin. Like Isaiah of old the church cries out “Undone”. Revival often takes the church in its grasp and refuses to let go until every last ounce of sin and self has been squeezed out. There is nothing soothing about revival. Revival often scorches before it soothes! Revival burns before it blesses! Revival eliminates before it edifies! Revival hurts before it heals! Revival empties before it fills! Revival breaks before it builds! Revival breaks everything in its path! Revival breaks pride, programs, prejudices, and platforms! Revival makes demands, real demands! Revival demands painful repentance! Revival demands painful sacrifice! Revival demands painful commitment! Revival demands ambitious evangelism! Beware of revival! Revival is not all preachers and teachers have made it out to be.  Let me suggest that the next time you pray for revival, you first of all count the cost.

--Wow, Pastor, that sounds almost like death! It is the kind of death the Apostle Paul was talking about. Without there being the willingness for us to die every day, revival is only a dream.

Key – What is needed in our lives and what is needed in our church is not event oriented programs but is a lifestyle change!

--I am afraid that if we are not willing to die to ourselves daily we will never arrive at the destination that Paul did before he gave his life for Christ.

2 Timothy 4:5-8 (NKJV)
⁵  But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
⁶  For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
⁷  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
⁸  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. 

2. What Jesus said about dying to live. 

--If you think the Apostle Paul was tough about dying daily, there is a really good chance that you will not want to hear what Jesus had to say. Just as a reminder of what the writer of Hebrews said in our text today:

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)
¹  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
²  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

--Who for the joy that was set before Him…what could be joyful about dying? Bought salvation for all mankind and He was able to return to His Father and to spend eternity with Him at His right hand. 

--Could it be possible that when we are willing to die to ourselves (to die daily) that we could be the means of someone’s salvation and at the end of it all, be able to spend forever (siempre) with God. What did Jesus say?

Mark 8:34-38 (NKJV)
³⁴  When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
³⁵  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.
³⁶  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
³⁷  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
³⁸  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

--In our selfish world it almost sounds like Jesus must be kidding in verse 34…If you want to follow Me, be one of my disciples, you must deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me. 

--We live in such a “me-centered world”. We take selfies in a ridiculous number, we have IPhones, IPads, and it is definitely all about us. But deny yourself, Jesus must be speaking figuratively for sure.

--Take up your cross. Now I understand that…I wear a cross around my neck, I have cross earrings, I have a cross tattoo, and I have crosses all around my house. Jesus was talking about death…dying to ourselves.

--Have you ever thought about the idea of wearing a cross is really no different than in our day wearing a necklace with an electric chair or hypodermic needle on it. I am not opposed to you wearing crosses.

--Crosses should remind us of two things…Jesus dying on the cross for us and His call to us to die daily. For us here in America we are only being asked to die to ourselves not literally like Jesus and Christian martyrs. 

--Because everything I do leans toward missions I can’t help but believe the reason some do nothing for missions or only give a small token is because they are not willing to die to themselves. 

--The words to verse 35 blow my mind when it comes to dying to ourselves…For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. 

--Just living for yourself you become a dead man walking but dying to yourself, denying yourself, and following Jesus, you find what living is all about. 

3. Let’s Lose Some Weight…let’s die to ourselves.

Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)
¹  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 

--I hope all of you (who want to) will lose some weight and get in better shape in 2022 but more importantly, I hope you learn to lay aside the weight and sin that keeps you from being a Christ follower…a disciple.

--We are surrounded by people every day who are witnesses of us living a sacrificial life or watching us take care of number one. Our family is watching, where we eat they are watching (example of the 4 men praying).

--To be a true disciple of Jesus you have to die daily, you have to deny yourself, take up your cross, and you have to follow Jesus. 

--Come on, Life Church! Let’s Lose Some Weight!

Prayer and Spiritual Warfare – 1

Prayer and Spiritual Warfare – 1

Subject – How to be Effective Against the Enemy

By Rick Welborne

Ephesians 6:10-13 (NKJV)
¹⁰  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
¹¹  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
¹²  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
¹³  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

--Tonight, we will start a new series on Biblical Spiritual Warfare…obviously, we will look at what the Bible has to say about the subject and how that applies to us as believers.

--We will look at many aspects of spiritual warfare and how many of the modern day conceptions are based on people’s experiences not on the Word of God.

--Also, we will lead into putting on the full armor of God. Sister Browne challenged us to put the armor of God on…I have done that every day for several years. Tonight this is an introduction.

1. Spiritual warfare re-cycles through the Church every few years.

--There are times that certain things come and go in the Body of Christ and spiritual warfare is definitely one of them. It has been around a long time.

--The emphasis on spiritual warfare is good in the sense that it causes us to become familiar that we do have an adversary, the devil and how he operates.

John 10:10 (NKJV)
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.

--This is why Paul told the Corinthians what he did while dealing with church discipline.

 2 Corinthians 2:11 (NKJV) ¹¹  …for we are not ignorant of his devices. 

--On the other hand, when we overemphasize spiritual warfare it can have a bad effect on the church. If it is not taught biblically it has a unique way of captivating people’s attention…it is all they think about.

--What can happen is that believers begin to attribute to the devil more power than he has and to a greater degree than he deserves. The devil loves this because it is an open door for him.

Ephesians 4:27 (NIV) ²⁷  and do not give the devil a foothold.

--I heard one of the proponents of spiritual warfare to a destructive degree say…There is not a demon behind every bush, there are at least seven. It can get kooky! Deliverance seminar – Cocoa Puffs.

--When we go to an extreme (all extremes are dysfunctional) with spiritual warfare and step out into the non-

Biblical areas, the enemy has neutralized you for God’s Kingdom. The world thinks it is crazy! Masterpiece.

--Do not misunderstand me…I am not saying spiritual warfare is not real and I am definitely not against us preparing ourselves for the battle…the scriptures give us certain instructions:

Mark 16:17 (NKJV) ¹⁷  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (NKJV)
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,

--We have had to deal with those who have been bound by evil spirits here at Life Church (girl in youth) and I have seen times where the spiritual oppression was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

2. We have to agree that they are many who are being held hostage by the enemy.

--People have been held so captive especially in their minds to the enemy. In this point I want us to establish that Jesus came to deal with the devil’s influence.

1 John 3:7-8 (NIV)
⁷  Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
⁸  He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 

--The word “destroy” is taken from the Greek word luo, and it refers to the act of untying or unloosing something. It is the same word we would choose in someone untying their shoes. Matt.3:11 Not worthy…

--Therefore, we can conclude that Jesus came into the world to untie or unloose Satan’s binding power over us. At the cross, Jesus did away with Satan’s powers over us and we were liberated completely by His sacrifice.

Acts 10:38 (NIV)
³⁸  how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. 

--Since Jesus made it a big part of His ministry to set people free from the powers of darkness, we should be willing to do the same. 

Rick Renner: In order to free people from demonic oppression, we must learn how to recognize the work of the enemy and how to overcome his attacks against the mind, for the mind is the primary area he seeks to attack. Satan’s goal is to plant a stronghold of deception in some area of an individual’s mind. If he is successful, he can then begin to control and manipulate the person from that lofty position.

--As we seek to engage in spiritual warfare, we must be very careful to walk in balance. We must realize we are dealing with more than just the devil. 

--We must give Holy Spirit the control of our own minds and be willing to crucify our flesh. The truth is the devil’s attacks against our lives would not work if our flesh and mind did not cooperate.

Romans 6:2 (NKJV) ²  Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

--Remember this: Dead men are incapable of responding to anything…this is how we walk out the crucified life. Hear this: Living the crucified life is a critical part of spiritual warfare.

--Let me explain, you can scream at, command, demand, cast out, tell him (I mean the devil) to come out or to stop his activity but if you have not submitted your life fully to the Lord it will be of no avail.

--If you are going to engage in spiritual warfare it is imperative that you make sure you are filled with Holy Spirit power and living a life that shows you have died to yourself.

--The point is this: if you go into spiritual warfare only thinking of taking authority over the enemy and you do not even have the spirit of self-control yourself…you could potentially be opening yourself up to danger.

3. We must understand that the real battle was won at the Cross and at the Resurrection of Christ.

--This same victorious power dwells inside of us and this is why the Apostle John tells that greater is He that dwells in us than he who dwells in the world.

Romans 8:10-14 (NKJV)
¹⁰  And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
¹¹  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
¹²  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.
¹³  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
¹⁴  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 

--Our view of spiritual warfare must begin with a basic understanding of what Jesus has already accomplished over Satan. If we start with any other premise we will end with messed up conclusions.

--Hear me, since the victory has already been won; there is nothing we can add to the destructive work Jesus did to Satan’s domain when He was raised from the dead. The victory has been won!

Colossians 2:15 (NKJV)
¹⁵  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

--Another translation of this verse: He completely stripped principalities and powers and left them utterly naked, with nothing left at their disposal to retaliate.

--Though the battle is real, we must be careful to rely totally on the Word of God for our weaponry and Holy Spirit for our power in this fight.                                 

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)
¹²  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

--I encourage you from the very beginning of this teaching to go to Eph. 6 and read it and re-read it until you get it in your spirit…declare God’s weaponry (His armor) over you.

Ephesians 6:10-20 (NKJV) ¹⁰  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 

¹¹  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
¹²  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
¹³  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
¹⁴  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
¹⁵  and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
¹⁶  above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
¹⁷  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
¹⁸  praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
¹⁹  and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
²⁰  for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Let’s Lose Some Weight – 2

                                                               Let’s Lose Some Weight – 2

Subject – Hold Out Your Weakness

By Rick Welborne

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
²  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
³  For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 

--Just like people can find different ways to lose weight, there can also be different ways to lay aside the weight, the sin, or the thing (whatever that thing might be) that is in our lives. 

--Last week we said we needed to look to Jesus, look to His Word, and to be disciplined. As Christians, as disciples those things should come pretty automatic for us. Sadly, they don’t.

--So what do we do when there is an area of weakness in our lives that has been there for a long time and we have just assumed “it is what it is”?

Luke 6:6-11 (NLT2)
⁶  On another Sabbath day, a man with a deformed right hand was in the synagogue while Jesus was teaching.
⁷  The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees watched Jesus closely. If he healed the man’s hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.
⁸  But Jesus knew their thoughts. He said to the man with the deformed hand, “Come and stand in front of everyone.” So the man came forward.
⁹  Then Jesus said to his critics, “I have a question for you. Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?”
¹⁰  He looked around at them one by one and then said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” So the man held out his hand, and it was restored!
¹¹  At this, the enemies of Jesus were wild with rage and began to discuss what to do with him. 

--Until we admit, confess, or recognize what our weakness is, there is a really good chance that we will never change. If we are in denial (not the river) about the weight or our weight, we will not change.

--One of the great revelations of the last 20 years is how we have discovered how much spandex or elastic will stretch. You can be a 38 pants and buy 32’s as long as the waist has elastic. “I still wear 32’s.” Right!

--And someone needs to talk to a few people who believe spandex has no line of demarcation. Everything has limits and eventually something has to give. Someone needs an honest friend that says “no, please, no!”

--The writer of Hebrews is trying to have an honest discussion with believers by telling them to lay aside the weight and the sin which so easily besets or entangles us. 

--In this story in Luke 6 we see a man who obviously has a problem, an issue, an ailment, and Jesus is trying to help him deal with it. Let’s look at this man’s weakness and see if he can lay aside his weight.

1. Our weaknesses are sometimes publicly displayed.

--So what are we to do when it is obvious to us and to others around us that we have a problem? We can probably do what this man had done several times…leave and go home taking his problem with him.

--We can cover our problem under a robe of shame or pride. Please, God, let no one see this thing.

--If you say you absolutely do not have a weakness, your weakness is obviously pride. But, if we are willing, we can hold that weakness out to Jesus and let Him heal it. Why would we do that?

2. Jesus promises to help us in our weakness. 

Isaiah 40:28-31 (NKJV)
²⁸  Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
²⁹  He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.
³⁰  Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
³¹  But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. 

-- He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.

Isaiah 40:29 (NCV)
²⁹  He gives strength to those who are tired and more power to those who are weak. 

--God is willing to give power to the weak. The question, are we willing to wait on Him to renew our strength?

--Yes, I do believe waiting on God means to get in His presence and to seek His face but I also believe to wait on God is to serve Him with all your hearts. We become waiters and waitresses for God.

--If God has said He will give power to the weak if we wait on Him, if we serve Him, then, let’s wait and serve.

3. We need to change our attitude toward our weaknesses. 

Joel 3:9-10 (NKJV)
⁹  Proclaim this among the nations: "Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, Let all the men of war draw near, Let them come up.
¹⁰  Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, 'I am strong.' " 

--We must prepare ourselves for battle especially if we perceive we are going through a time of weakness (Covid). There cannot be an attitude of complacency. We must lose the weight.

--Hear your pastor, what you say about your weakness is so important…Let the weak say, 'I am strong. This is more than just positive confession; this is a statement of faith. Paul in dealing with his thorn in the flesh:

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV)
⁷  And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
⁸  Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
⁹  And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
¹⁰  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Barnes' Notes on the New Testament - The word which Paul uses is worthy of special notice. It is that this "thorn in the flesh" was given to him, implying that it was a favor. He does not complain of it; he does not say it was sent in cruelty; he does not even speak of it as an affliction; he speaks of it as a gift, as any man would of a favor that had been bestowed. Paul had so clear a view of the benefits which resulted from it, that he regarded it as a favor, as Christians should every trial. 

4. Paul saw weakness as an opportunity for God’s power to be demonstrated.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NKJV)
¹  And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.
²  For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
³  I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
⁴  And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
⁵  that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 

--In your weakness determine to get to know Christ better and to know His sufferings…Him crucified.

--Acknowledge your weakness, your fear, and even your bouts with anxiety. Paul said I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. Paul was saying, I have this weight.

--Acknowledge your dependence is on God’s power not on man’s wisdom.

2 Corinthians 3:5 (NKJV)
⁵  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

5. Paul realized that his weakness could become someone else’s salvation.

1 Corinthians 9:19-22 (NKJV)
¹⁹  For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;
²⁰  and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;
²¹  to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law;
²²  to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

--Sometimes we have to adapt (not compromise) ourselves to our environment to win the lost. Identify with people in their pain and sufferings. We all have it at some point. Listen to this verse about Jesus:

Hebrews 2:17-18 (NKJV)
¹⁷  Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
¹⁸  For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

--So what is your weakness today? Swallow your pride and do not worry about anyone else. Get ready to lose some weight that is ensnaring you.

--Extend your weakness to the Lord like this man with the withered hand and let Him touch it.

--Please know that God’s grace and strength will be made perfect in you and in your weaknesses. 

--Whatever you are struggling with here today might just turn out to be someone else’s salvation. 

--Hold out your hand and lose some weight.