Seeking Wholeness Summary 7 (Walking in the Spirit)

 

What does it mean to "Walk in the Spirit" and how do we do it?

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Outline:

• Introduction
• Defining Wholeness
• Peace
• Crucifying the Flesh
• Strongholds
• Your Doctrine
• All Things Work For Good
• God Over Mammon
• How to Walk In The Spirit

Scriptures:

• Galatians 5:25
• Romans 14:16-17
• John 14:26-27
• Proverbs 12:20
• Galatians 5:19-22
• Exodus 20:17
• 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
• 1 Timothy 1:3–4
• John 3:16-18
• Romans 8:28
• Genesis 12:1-3
• Matthew 6:24-26

Introduction

Galatians 5:25

25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well.

You won’t have victory because you have the Holy Spirit

• You have victory because you yield to the Holy Spirit

Romans 14:16-17

16Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

The Kingdom of Heaven Here is not talking about a place where you go after you die. It is talking about a way of living here on earth.

Belief

If you’re going to be in a store for about 15 minutes and the parking meter outside has 10 minutes on it…would you put in any money?

• Why [not]?

Beliefs

• I did it before… And nothing happened
• It’s only five minutes over… I don’t deserve to get a ticket
• It’s unlikely that someone will come in that 5 minutes..why waist a quarter
• It’s only a quarter why risk a $200 ticket
• I’ll invest a quarter to protect against a $200 ticket
• The city doesn’t need any more of my money…I worked hard for it
• Parking police don’t patrol here after 3:30…they should have more important things to do

What you believe is going to dictate your actions.

Your belief matters

Your thought process matters

In Jesus' sermon on the mount… He wasn’t just concerned with your behavior… But he was concerned with your thought process

We’re going to talk about how your beliefs can keep you from walking in alignment with the Holy Spirit

Things that prevent you from walking in alignment with the Holy Spirit are

• Your beliefs
• Your flesh
• strongholds
• your doctrine
• how are you view the Bible

Defining Wholeness

Wholeness is about being _______ healthy

• spiritually
• emotionally
• mentally

Free from oppression of

• Our past
• Bad thinking
• Strongholds
• The enemy

We’re talking about

• dealing with life’s current stresses
• being healed from experiences/wounds of the past

We’re promised eternal life

• We’re also supposed to have: joy, peace, patience, and self control here on earth

Through this 4 year series we have identified traits that we defined as the goal for wholeness

Traits of Wholeness

1. Authenticity
2. Honesty
3. Kindness
4. Behavior not influenced by external approval / validation
5. Living by values and principles
6. Setting Boundaries
7. Taking ownership of your responsibilities
8. Living with purpose and passion
9. Optimism
10. Confidence
11. Not losing control of your emotions
12. Free from addictions
13. Addressing Conflict with truth and love
14. Vulnerability
15. Not critical or Judgemental
16. Not jealous of others
17. Forgive those who have wronged you in the past
18. Know that you’re worthy of receiving love
19. Not afraid to fail
20. Able to manage irrational fear, worry, and anxiety
21. Selfless encounters with others
22. Not manipulating others trying to control their actions
23. You care about how others feel
24. Patient
25. Don’t give into peer/social pressure
26. Can communicate without antagonizing others
27. Recognize, manage, and take responsibility for your own thoughts and feelings
28. Slow to anger
29. Ability to maturely express your wants, needs and desires
30. Can listen without reacting
31. Can respect others without having to change them
32. Can function well… Alone or with others
33. Able to take responsibility for our own destiny in life
34. Able to maintain a non-anxious presence in the midst of anxiety and stress
35. Able to ask for what they need want or prefer clearly, directly and honestly
36. Has the capacity to resolve conflict maturely
37. Being led by the Spirit

Peace

John 14:26-27

26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful.

Jesus was called “The Prince of Peace”

So “Peace” must’ve played a significant role in Jesus’ purpose

But yet and still...we don’t have it

What is peace?

• a state of national tranquility
• exemption from the rage and havoc of war
• peace between individuals, i.e. harmony, concord
• security, safety, prosperity, felicity, (because peace and harmony make and keep things safe and prosperous)
• of the Messiah's peace
• the way that leads to peace (salvation)
• of Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is
• the blessed state of devout and upright men after death

Peace

• based on things outside of you
• based on things inside of you

Peace is security in the midst of turmoil.

• Freedom from care, worry and stress.
• It is well-founded confidence in God.

Example: if you have $1 million dollars deposited in your bank account every month

• Meaning of your worries we’ll go away

Your Response Determines if You Have Peace

A circumstance happens and it triggers a negative emotion that is trying to move you away from the word of God in your life.  

What happens in our life it’s based on how we respond to trouble.

Example : traffic

• Someone cuts in in front of you with not enough space

Life is a series of experiences and responses.

Things that Take Your Peace

What types of things rob people of their peace?

Devising Evil

Proverbs 12:20

Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil,

But counselors of peace have joy.

You will never have peace if you make evil plans.

Comparison

“Comparison is the thief of joy”

Bronze Medal Winners

https://youtube.com/shorts/oHUZXS_xYW4

Speech contest: 2nd vs 4th

Works of the Flesh

Galatians 5:19-22

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; 20 idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Inheriting the Kingdom of God is obtaining the promise of righteousness, joy and peace

• Our righteousness is imputed by Jesus

 You can’t have peace, joy, and self control if you

• Haven’t forgiven other people
• Covet what other people have
• Have addiction
• Are committing adultery
• Are a witch
• Are jealous

Discontentment

Exodus 20:17

17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male slave, or his female slave, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

1 out of every 10 Americans rents offsite storage

How much stuff is enough stuff?

John D Rockefeller was asked… How much money is enough money?

“Just a little bit more“

It’s not as much about how much you have as it is about wanting/needing more than you have.

If you increase the amount of money you need to be a success you will become more and more unhappy.

• We choose to set the goal post much higher than our current position.

If you are content that means that you don’t need anymore

In the world we think “I am not happy because what I have right now is not enough“

• “if I had more than I would be happy“

Expectation of Perfection

The enemy of your peace is your expectation of perfection

Peace is not found in a set of circumstances that are problem free

It is not that he delivers me from it… It is that he meets me in it

If I need people to change in order to have peace

• Then it’s out of your control

I don’t want a peace that comes from

• A promotion at work
• convenient circumstances
• Feeling
• Situation

I want a peace that the world didn’t give… And the world can’t take it away

You can’t experience peace when you are expecting perfection

Appearing Perfect

You’re never going to get peace trying to appear perfect

Crucifying the Flesh

“The flesh” is:

• Trying to make life work without dependence on God
• Giving higher priority to my satisfaction than God’s pleasure.
• A commitment to find joy for my soul outside of God.
• A belief that there is something truly good that God does not provide.
• Self dependence.
• Self preoccupation
• Self-centeredness.
• Attitudes that look to other people and things for satisfaction.
• Independence.
• A rebellion against God’s authority
• Independence that creates agendas in our lives that run directly counter to God’s

Crucifying the flesh means to intentionally live your life with the consciousness that everything about you should glorify the Lord

Crucifying the flesh is to:

1. Die to the mindset of the system
2. prioritize the kingdom over worldly goals and desires
3. resist the temptation of the devil
4. put God’s truth above all other truths

“Death” means to die to your

• Ego
• Plans
• Ambitions
• What you have built

Test: A dead man is not easily  offended

Strongholds

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

A stronghold is not a

• Sin
• demon

It is a belief.

Devils strategy

1. Toehold
2. Foothold
3. Stronghold

• Toehold is curiosity
• A foothold is when you choose to engage in the sin.
• A stronghold is the justification of why you tell yourself that it’s OK.

Those familiar beliefs can be strongholds

• How to express anger
• How you cope with disappointment, anger, depression, anxiety
• How you measure success
• How should you interact with your significant other

Examples

• As long as I’m happy and not hurting anyone that’s all that matters
• The Bible was written a long time ago and doesn’t apply to today
• As long as we love each other it’s OK
• The bible was written in a patriarchal society, we have evolved as a society since then
• My partner isn’t meeting my needs, so it’s OK for me to sin
• Everybody does it
• I’m not as bad as them, so my little sin is ok

What Do You Believe About the Bible?

Beliefs that lead people astray

• The Bible is old and antiquated and we’ve evolved since then and know better
• The Bible was written by men so it’s biased
• The Bible was written by humans so it’s flawed
• The Bible is not meant to be taken literally

The Bible is the inspired word of God

Your Doctrine

1 Timothy 1:3–4

3 Just as I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, to remain on at Ephesus so that you would instruct certain people not to teach strange doctrines, 4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to useless speculation rather than advance the plan of God, which is by faith, so I urge you now.

Doctrine is:

•  teaching or instructions of God
• a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a Church, political party, or other group

Everybody has a Doctrine

• The atheist believes that there is no God

Do atheists believe in miracles?

• Yes

Atheist miracles

• Life came from non-life
• Matter came from nothing

We have all been indoctrinated by

• lies or truth
• The news
• Books, CDs, music, television,

Whatever you are indoctrinated by becomes your regulation for a living

7 Some doctrines of the world

1. Do whatever makes you happy
2. If it feels good…do it
3. You can find happiness by looking within yourself
4. Look out for #1
5. Good people help other people
6. He who has the most toys wins
7. Everybody needs to find their own path to heaven

What are other doctrines of the world?

Believing in those doctrines can put you in opposition to the word of God

Faith vs Works Salvation

What does it take to be saved?

John 3:16-18

16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. 17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. 18 “The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

It is not your behavior that condemns you, but your belief

Notice it says that the believer… Is not judged

There is no judgment to determine whether you were good or bad… Whether you were naughty or nice

The law hasn’t changed you are just not even judged

The enemy wants to attack what you believe

believing is our only way to God

• Not preaching the word
• Not paying your tithes
• Not going to church
• Not reading the Bible
• Not following the law

Your faith is credited as righteousness

• Not because of your actions

Your belief will determine whether you end up in Heaven or hell

The Effects of Faulty Beliefs

The impact of faulty expectations of God

• Holding on to promises God didn’t make
• Believing God acts in ways He doesn’t
• Attributing things to God that weren’t caused by God
• Expecting God to do things that He’s expecting you to do

All Things Work For Good

Do you believe that all things work for good?

Some of you have had bad things happen and can’t see how it was used for good

Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

There are 3 conditions

1. Believe in God
2. Love God
3. Called according to His purpose

Called According to His Purpose

• Called
• For His purpose

This is something that is a call from God.

Example: preachers are called

“we should stop paying pastors… Then we will find out who is really called“

  —internet meme

(I think it’s fine for pastors to receive a salary)

You have to be in the process of doing what God specifically told you to do

When God called Moses and Abraham it wasn’t to give them the current desires of their hearts

• They were called according to His purpose
• They had to abandon many of their life desires that they had prior to that moment

Abraham

Genesis 12:1-3

1 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you into a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

”If I take care of God’s business, God will take care of my business”

Abraham and Moses are in the hall of faith.  

• Not because they didn’t sin
• Not because they didn’t mess up
• But because they were willing to reorientate their lives around God
• They gave up their life goals in favor of God’s plan for their lives

They messed up while on the path to where God was leading them.  

The focus isn’t on what we need to stop doing

• The focus should be on doing what God told you to do

God doesn’t want your daily activities, He wants your life goals

• Your 5 year plan

Using Your Gifts

Parable of the Talents

When we stand before God we won’t be accountable for the gifts we do not have

—Joyce Meyer

God Over Mammon

Matthew 6:24-26

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. 25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 “Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?

Don’t worry about

• Food
• Drink
• Clothes

Only Applies to the Kingdom Path

For this reason...

Mode of living

Jesus’ mode of living only applies if you’re living in the kingdom of God

If you are seeking the Kingdom of God then God will step in and provide these things when you need them

Not if your life is centered around  becoming

• a CEO
• an Olympic athlete

Olympic Athlete Example

Reorient life around your goal

• Job
• Diet
• Where they live

1 slice of pizza isn’t what’s going to make them win or lose

But if they want to become the top salesman at the company, they won’t be winning the gold medal

If you  are seeking the Kingdom of God as your main priority then all these things will be given to you

How to Test It

How can you find out if that is true?

There’s no way to find out if that is true unless you do it.

You have to be all in in this game

… but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness

How to Walk In The Spirit

You won’t have victory because you have the Holy Spirit

• You have victory because you yield to the Holy Spirit
• ~ having the Holy Spirit means you will know what the right choice is

How to Walk in the Spirit

1. Ask the Holy Spirit for a specific task in the Kingdom
2. Orient your life around that task
3. Deal with the daily problems that occur
4. Continually check with the Holy Spirit if you’re still headed in the right direction

Once you have set your path, now you can focus on the day to day challenges

Example: Missionary in Cambodia

• If God told you to be a missionary in Cambodia then orient your life around that

Orient Your Life Around that Goal

You set your path toward some goal. As you navigate towards that goal you have problems that come up day by day. You address those problems as they come up.  Then you can live in the day.  if everything you do every day is related to that goal… That makes every moment of the day super charged with meaning.  

What If No Direction Was Given?

If you haven’t gotten clear direction from God… Serve in the church

Your Target May Change

You know more now than you did 10 years ago. 10 years ago you knew more than you did 10 years prior. How can you assume you know everything right now?

Seasons change

• God's calling for you today May be different than is calling for you three years from now

Instructor: Michael Leadon

References

Finding Happiness and Peace

Your Beliefs Are Holding You Back

Your Beliefs Are Holding You Back - Part 2

Crucifying the Flesh

Extra

Mark 6:5-6

5 And He could not do any miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He was amazed at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages, teaching.