War Against The Soul: Part 1

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War Against The Soul: Part 2

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So I believe we're on the air and I like to title this message War against the soul war against the soul.
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This will be part one one of a two -part series If I can get it all in and I'm going to go rapid this morning because we've got a lot of verses of Scripture to cover
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And these two verses of Scripture are loaded up to what the Bible has to say about warring against the soul
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So, please open your Bible with me as we continue our study in our time of worship in God's Word to the first epistle of Peter chapter 2 first Peter chapter 2
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The text we have before us is verse 11 and verse 12 verse 11 and verse 12
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Aren't you glad for this wonderful study? And aren't you so glad of God's Word in our language this morning?
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What a privilege what a wonderful privilege Like I said, this is an exhortation
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To sanctification and I believe it's very timely because I needed this personally. It's very practical its application this the this
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Two verses the two verses we're going to be looking at is full of application But we're gonna be looking at some application at the end of the message
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So the Apostle Peter is speaking through the Holy Spirit And how believers are to live before the world that's critical, isn't it?
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Very timely very relevant. The Word of God is always relevant most of the rest of this
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Text of what Peter is speaking to concerns the conduct That should characterize the
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Christian in various relationships of his life So here the word of the
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Living God verse 11 Beloved I urge you or in another translation.
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I beseech you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lust
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Which wage war against the soul? Verse 12 keep your behavior excellent
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Among the Gentiles so that in the thing in which they slander you as evil doers
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They may because of your good deeds as they observe them glorify
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God in the day of visitation Or as another translation says or as a result of Christ is coming again in judgment
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That's powerful. Let's Let's go to the
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Lord in prayer father. I pray this morning as we come to you and Reverence Fear and trembling
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But also Lord Recognizing that we are your people and the only way we can come before the throne of grace is through the precious blood of Jesus There's no other way
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Father I pray that you would sanctify us through that truth. That word is truth We plead with you
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Oh God to give us eyes to see ears to hear What the Spirit is saying to the church?
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Not what the preacher is saying but what the Spirit is saying to the church Lord, you're the teacher
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Most important Lord give us a Heart give us a heart Oh God to perceive and to understand
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The knowledge of the Holy the truth that you've given to us Not just in our head
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Lord. We need it in our heart so Lord all this is impossible to us this morning unless Your blessed
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Holy Spirit Does the work? Unless he gives us the grace and the power to do so Lord we would ask for the giving of These graces from you, but Lord we would pray that as you give the graces to your people that we would give back to you the obedience
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Which is the fruit? The fruit in which you have given unto us
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All things is from you So father we richly comes from you. We give back to you to the praise and the glory of your grace
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And we would ask this in Jesus name and for his and for your glory. Amen.
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And amen Was a German philosopher Honey Honey, honey, it's a
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German word pose this to Christians long ago and He said show me your redeemed life and I might be inclined to believe in your
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Redeemer That's a very good saying and this is a man that didn't know and did not know the
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Lord Alexander McLaren the great Scottish preacher wrote this The world takes its notions of God most of all from the people who say that they belong to God's family
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They read us a great deal more than they read the Bible so true
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And he goes on to say this. In fact, they see us and they only hear about Jesus They hear us
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They see us they hear about Jesus, but our lives is actually a walk in Testament And know what the
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Word of God says we're living epistles So whether you know it or not you preach a sermon every day far more than what
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I can preach this morning Or what any other preacher would preach today? so the bottom line in this and Especially the text we're looking at is evangelism and it's not what we say necessarily that counts.
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It's what we do it's our actions that speak louder than words as the old saying goes and And That's what we need to remember
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When another person said so wisely years ago Some of us speak so loud by what we do that.
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No one can hear what we say Sounds like an oxymoron, but kind of chew on that a little bit the principle for Peter's discussion in this text this morning before us is in verse 11 and 12 comes from The Lord Jesus Christ on the
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Sermon on the Mount He gets this from Matthew chapter 5 verse 16
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Jesus is the one who taught this Actually Peter James and John give commentary on it in their epistles
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But in Matthew 5 16 Jesus said this as he was teaching the greatest sermon that was ever preached
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Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven
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Let me say that again Let your light so shine
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Before men that they may Hear know that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven
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You know beloved that is precisely what the Apostle Peter is saying in verse 12 It is as they the
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Gentiles see your good works that they will glorify God in the day of visitation And that's exactly what he said
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And beloved so we are called as Peter said and we've been looking at it We're called out of darkness into God's marvelous light we saw that in verse 10 for you were once Were not a people but now you are the people of God you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy and then now
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He gives us the application in the way we are to live before the world You know, this is so timely.
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This is so critical in the hour in which we live in living in today It's always critical, isn't it?
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But you know as I was thinking about this Pete the Apostle Peter is given this exhortation to persecute persecuted
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Christians in his day They were persecuted Christians throughout Asian minor They were but they lost everything they had everything was burned up.
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They had they were being persecuted for the name of Jesus and Here Peter gives them an exhortation of how to live before the world
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Isn't it amazing and here we are was so spoiled as Christians and then you know many times the persecuted
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Christians are stronger than we are aren't they they are because they're being tried and purified and and It's like the dross is coming up and God's doing a purifying and we think they have arrived
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But that's the thing about it Peter says no be careful That even you who are being persecuted and strong in the faith
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You can he tells them abstain from these fleshly lusts
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Don't let the cares of this life Choke out the Word of God So there's always that warning in Scripture that anyone can
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Go apostate and Fall away from the faith Why you think the
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Word of God says so many times these warnings after warnings after warnings To take heed to be careful to watch and pray and constantly
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He's urging him to be on alert There's a reason and he says it right here
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Peter reminds the believers that you're sojourners You're pilgrims in verse 11 and he begins by saying beloved.
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I urge you I beseech you In that beautiful Peter begins his exhortation by addressing the persecuted believers in his day by saying beloved now
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This is a way of saying and that implies that they are objects of God's immeasurable love beloved
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You are beloved of the Lord You are beloved of God Beloved means loved of God But they had a duty to obey the one who loved them and Don't we have a duty as well to obey the
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God in which who loves us so much on that basis on that basis
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He can urge them or beseech them as the old King James says
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Or to encourage them to God's love by living in obedience before God Now this is where God wants to take us
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We need to live in obedience to our God and This is what he's talking about.
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This is a this is an encouraging a word about sanctification how we should live before the world
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So Peter further identified the believers as alien strangers Another translation sojourners or pilgrims same thing.
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So in other words, they were not True members of this world the world's gonna look at you strange
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Matter of fact, you're supposed to be different After all, what did Peter say you've been called out of darkness into?
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God's marvelous light you see Jesus taught this to the disciples again, everything is based upon the teachings of Jesus and John chapter 15 verse 18 to 9 19 you could go with me if you'd like to go there
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But that this whole chapter Jesus is teaching them About the relationship
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That you're going to have to the world and the world's relationship to you now, let me say this very quickly a lot of people can't handle this because They had this need to be accepted by everybody
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Be accepted by the world Or they're gonna feel rejected But I don't see it that way.
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My primary concern is I want to be accepted by God And if God accepts me, then
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I'm okay with the world hating me. It's not vice versa being accepted by the world and Rejected by God in other words, who would you rather be a friend with?
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Who would you rather be reconciled with would you rather be reconciled or friends with the world and go to hell for eternity?
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Or would you rather be friends of God? And be rejected by the world and enter into the glorious path of heaven forever
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Well, obviously everybody's gonna say heaven, but there's a cost There's a cost
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People don't like that But the Jesus of the Bible talks about a cost now in this chapter who
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Jesus is talking about this relationship this cost Listen what he says in verse 18 and 19
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He's teaching his disciples Before he's going to be crucified before he goes away
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And he's he's actually he's going to go into teaching about the Holy Spirit's gonna come and comfort you But he also says he speaks about love and hate relationships
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And he says this about the world if the world hates you You know that it has hated me before it's hated you verse 19 if you were of the world the world will love its own, but because you're not of the world and Listen the reason but I chose you out of the world underscore that Because I chose you out of the world because of this
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The world hates you The world hates you
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That's the reason why the world hates the Christians It's not because of who they are
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It's because of the truth It's in Jesus now. Let me say this And the reason why people hates
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Jesus, and they won't come out and say it with their mouth if they do in their heart It's because Jesus interferes where they're lavish loving sin
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The gospel is offensive Am I right about that this
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Bible is the most offensive book in this entire world
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You read it out. You tell me if people don't get offended about it, especially when it comes
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Right down what it means to follow Jesus People don't want to deny themselves People don't want to take up a cross and follow
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Christ Now are they ready to love themselves? Oh you you preach ain't get preachers and motivation
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Speakers talk about self -love people be clapping and standing and hey, it'll fill these rooms packed full
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Talk about denying yourself People give out they don't leave they don't want here
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First John chapter 2 15 through 17 Here's a command
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Do not love the world Nor the things in the world There's a command
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You're not the love the world nor the things in the world God is to be the first love
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Beloved keep in mind. This is not a suggestion. This is a command And this is what he says if anyone loves the world the love of the
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Father is not in that is straight black and white teaching in it If you love the world the love of the
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Father's not in you Wow Love of the world the love of the
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Father is not in him for all that is in the world He names it right here the lust of the flesh now you could put in the word lust desires the the desires of the flesh
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The desires of the eyes and the boastful pride of life those three things right there
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Is that what you see in the world today? Is that evident? Yes, it is the lust of the flesh
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How much flesh you see going on just just cut on your iPhone sometimes and see all the flesh on there
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Just cut the TV on see all the flesh. Just go to the grocery store and look at the magazines of all the flesh
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They named books and magazines self Vogue it's all about the flesh
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Go to the malls You smell the aroma of food eat drink and be married
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I'm not saying it's simple to go to the mall and shop
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I'm not saying that ladies, but I'm saying we got to be careful not to be indulged in the things of this world
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To have us. I like what body Bachman said. He says God's not against us having things
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But he is against things having you You see that's the priority there
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Jesus said seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things to be added unto you
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God desires us to enjoy life and there's nothing wrong having these things But you better not have let those things have you it better not be an idol to to us
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God is to be first our first love in all things and he richly gives all things for us to enjoy, right?
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And if you read that in Scripture the Apostle Paul addresses this in first Timothy chapter 6
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He says you're not to put your faith and trust in uncertain riches and Then he says but yet you are to charge those that are rich in the world.
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So Jesus taught about this about Warning us about the love of money and The things see after all brother people brought this out this one all things come from God But the problem is as our heart has a tendency to make idols out of these things
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We can make an idol out of anything Make an idol out of that car out there. We can make an idol out of a human being a person
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Look at America today. I believe the idol in America is sex Do you agree with me?
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I mean you see this everywhere and They use this on television to sell their things
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You always see a woman on specially on Super Bowl Sunday And I don't watch it by the way, man and you see these things and they promote their way to sell trucks because Cars and trucks men are watching.
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So what do they do? They put these women on there to appease the guy, you know, the devil's cunning on these things
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Well, why did I bring this up do not look at the world nor the things of the world Love means what are you given first place to?
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That's what it's talking about. We're not the lust after these things. We're not the desire after these things
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Why because we aliens and pilgrims and for sojourners? Well, he goes on to say the world is passing away and also it's lust it's all going to burn up folks
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It's going to pass away. Everything you see is going to pass away one day God's going to burn it up one day
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You got to be kidding me Read it Yeah, but I can't see that happen.
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How can that happen? God can make it happen. God could do all things Hey God made the worlds by the way, this world's upheld by the word of his power and us little worms go about thinking
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We're in control of it If God, you know even scientists will tell you this if the world is to to go off course from from its
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Gravity and its rotation everything will go chaos And God can make that happen
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And by the way, he's going to make that happen you read in Revelation this world just comes apart So we're heading in that direction
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Folks I'm telling you God holds holds everything by the word of his power The world is passing away and all of its lust and but the one who does the will of God lives abides forever
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Keep in mind Christians You're foreigners in a secular society You're you don't fit here.
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You're born again from above This world's not your home. You're just a passing through Paul said in Philippians 324 our citizenship is where in heaven
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Our citizenship's in heaven, aren't you glad? From which also we eagerly wait for a
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Savior the Lord Jesus Christ So as spiritual pilgrims and aliens believers are to shun the things of this world to abstain from it
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Now I'm gonna go into detail a little bit in just a minute about this and unpack this but it means a lot
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Peter gives us the very reason to shun and abstain from it these fleshly desires
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What do they do they wage war? Against the soul now, that's the heart of the text
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There are two things I like for us to see and this is my outline today we're going to just look at the issue of the battle for the soul
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Lord willing next week. We're going to look at the battle for the glory of God So the great two issues before us here is the salvation of the soul and the second is the glory of God Let's keep those in mind the salvation of the soul the glory of God Let's look at it verse 11 the issue how the soul might be destroyed
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And then he says in verse 11 the issue is how the glory of God might not be belittled
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So then he says keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles so that the thing in which they slander you as able -doers
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They may on account of your good deeds as they observe them Observe them glorify
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God in the day of visitation and we're going to look more at that Lord willing next Lord's Day But today
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I want us to look at the issue of the salvation of the soul. Let's look at the soul There's a lot the Word of God has to say about the soul
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It's who you really are It's your inner being You're housed in this flesh.
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God has given you this is a house for you. It's a temple in a sense Went to a
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Funeral showing yesterday and I thought about They had they had an open cast it and they were gonna have to read they're gonna have to cremate this particular
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Lady that she died in her mid -60s And a friend of mine that I used to work with as they used to work with us a milkman
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To help me get the job that God ultimately got the job, but he was a vehicle in which God used to help me get on board
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Through the prayers of the Saints. I remember lots of people praying about this and it was ordained of God But I love this dear soul and his wife passed away after knowing he was married with her for 45 years
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And I couldn't help but think When I saw the open casting and I saw just a shell of a body right there and that's what it is
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She's not there no more. She's in eternity. She's moved out of that house folks. And that's what happens when you die and Scripture is very plain
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The moment that you leave this body you if you're in Christ, you're at absent from the body.
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You're present with the Lord but if you're not in Christ You're right immediately into hell and that is a holding place like a jail until you're sentenced to prison to the lake of fire
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Folks, this is what the Word of God says. This is not me so it is appointed for once man to die and after that judgment and Each one of us is going to face that day
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It is appointed for once man to die God has an appointment day for you and me and the
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Sobering thing about this is that we must be ready to meet our God That's all that matters
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Is to have mercy from God now The Apostle Peter is talking about something very important here
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He's talking about the salvation of the soul in the sense because he's talking about what wages war against the soul
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Very serious thing It's a very important thing Salvation of the soul again this is an exhortation to godly living in order to live godly in an ungodly world and And it's only by the help and the power of the
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Holy Spirit to help us in these matters But he says to this to effect to abstain from fleshly lusts
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You're to abstain from it and there's a reason why we have to abstain from it The ultimate issue in this verse is that the human soul is in serious danger of being destroyed
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Now, why do you say that? Because there's a war taking place Right at this moment a war is being waged against your soul
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Your soul belongs to God or it's going to belong to the world and even if it does belong to God, we're still to persevere to the end and Jesus said he that endures to the end shall be saved it's not until you get to the end end of the track and to Glory itself and you hear the
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Lord say well done and die good and faithful servant. Welcome into the joy of the Lord That's what
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I longed here. Amen you two and That's all that matters But not until we come to that point
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We can say we've arrived even the Apostle Paul was careful They're not leaning too hard in the sense of his race with the
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Lord knowing that he's already made it through He knew he was gonna make it through until he saw Jesus and the same with us as well a war is being waged
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With your soul, especially if you don't know the Lord But if the war is successful in this sense
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The soul would be lost Why you say that pastor
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Jesus said this in Matthew 16 26 listen to the words of the Lord What will it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lose his soul?
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And what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
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And then a powerful question, oh What are you going to give to exchange of your soul and I thought about it, you know as I Pray and they said this lady was a
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Christian and I trust and pray that was the case But God the judge knows I didn't know her but I thought there's no second chances in eternity
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Once you're there, there's no second chances And that's the way it is We got to remember that Ravenhill said this there's a million roads to hell but not one road out and That's sobering a million roads to hell, but not one road out, but you know,
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Jesus has made a way there is a way By the way, that seems right into man, but the way thereof is death
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But Jesus says I am the way the truth in the life There's no one that can get to the father but through the way of the cross through Jesus People can take their roads of religion
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They can make themselves feel good about whatever they go and the book path they go, but Jesus is the only way to the father
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So keep that in mind what will it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lose his soul
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One preacher once says there's a lot of people that lost their souls and they and even the richest people in the face of this
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That lived in this world didn't even gain the whole world Yet they lost their soul
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Interesting if you really think about it The issue is the war against the soul and the glory of God and those two great issues that the world that the world gives attention by the way, let me say this gives least attention to Have you noticed that in this world?
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They're not going to give much attention to your soul and they're sure not going to give attention to the glory of God But the
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Bible makes a makes it as a very important matter God sees it is an important matter, especially to the people of God.
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These are two of the most important issues. I think there are The issue of the soul affects everybody without exception and let me add this and it affects everybody forever in the ultimate sense in a serious way and Yet our fallen world does not give serious attention to it.
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But to God's people. This is a very very serious issue The text goes on to say as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul
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So the battle for the soul there are two levels to fight this fight The first level is at the level of desires then that goes to the level of behavior the way we conduct ourselves
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So we are What we do then again abstain from fleshly lust now through regeneration
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To those have been born again of the Spirit of God God produces within us a new disposition for God Himself and let me add to things that are holy
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Now is that what happened to you when you came into the kingdom? When God cut the light on when you were born again to the
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Spirit of God All of a sudden you saw sin in a different light. You saw sin that God hated sin
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And yet you saw the love of God that God brought you into the beloved
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Adopted you in but your relationship with the world and God changed you're reconciled to God and yet the world sees you different and then you see the world different and that's the way it should be and As the
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Holy Spirit produced within us and gave us a new heart new desires After the things of God and the and God himself that new life which comes from the
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Holy Spirit which remains in Incarcerated within the old unredeemed flesh and this is what
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Peter is going to you're still in the old unredeemed flesh
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This is where the battle takes place It's an ongoing battle
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Between the Spirit and the flesh that will rage and can I say this? It's going to rage until the day you go home be with the
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Lord This will rage. This is a battle that will take place The Spirit in the flesh the
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Spirit in the flesh The things of God and the things of this world our depraved nature
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That's still part of us in a sense Will rage until we are glorified in heaven now, can you give me chapter and verse?
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Oh, can I give you chapter and verse go with me Romans chapter 7? I'm going to try to go through some scriptures here as fast as I can
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I'm not going to be able to really stop and comment a lot I may make a few comments, but I want to read through it go to Romans 14
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We're going to read to 25 Apostle Paul says this 14 through 25.
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Let me let me comment real quickly here many many commentators Scholars interpret this passage of Paul's inner conflict as describing his life in BC times before Christ Now I don't take that view
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Why well, they point out that Paul describes the person sold unto sin in verse 14
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He has nothing good in him verse 18 and as a wretched man trapped in a body of death in verse 24
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Yet these descriptions seem to contradict The way that Paul describes the believer in chapter 6.
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Let's read it and let's look at it He says for I know that the law is spiritual, but I am of flesh
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Sold into bondage and to sin for what I am doing. I do not understand and what
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I'm not practicing What I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing
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I hate But if I do the very thing I do not want to do I agree with the law confessing the law that the law is good
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See the conflict So now no longer am I the one doing it
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But sin which dwells in me. This is the Apostle Paul folks
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Now a lot of people thinks he's talking about his BC times, but he's talking about the struggle. He's having now
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In verse 18 for I know that nothing good dwells in me boy, can't we see that? Amen, Paul.
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We're right with you Nothing good dwells in me That is in my flesh
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This house. It's unredeemed flesh. That's what he's talking about for the willing is present in me or we wills to do good, but Notice, but the doing of the good is not verse 19 for the good that I want
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I do not do but I practice the very evil that I do not want You have to read that slow.
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Sometimes are you and get all mangled up but in verse 20 He says but if I am doing the very thing
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I do not want and I am no longer the one doing it But sin which dwells in me again, it's sin that dwells in me verse 21
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I find in the principle of that evil is present in me and the one who wants to do good
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I For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man
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See he delights in the law of God, right? Is that another translation? He delights in the law of God with the inner man
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Verse 23, but I see a different law in the members of my body What does he say?
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Waging war that's that's what we need to remember right there waging war against the law of My mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, which is in my members
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Wretched man that I am You can almost just feel him hearing him say this wretched man that I am.
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Oh Who will set me who Set me free from the body of this death.
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Oh, he answers it first 25 there's only one Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our
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Lord So then on the one hand I myself with my mind
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I'm serving the law of God But on the other with my flesh the law of sin now you see
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The importance of that. There's a war that's raging. There's a conflict
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That's taking place. And like I said, I take the view that Paul is not talking about his BC times
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But he's talking about his present Conflict with those unredeemed body and The battle of sin sins always before us right
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David said this but my sin is Is ever before you God and it's also ever with me
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So we don't believe in sanctification entire sanctification.
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In other words, it's eradicated. We looked at that before didn't we it's not eradicated There's a process of growing in the grace and knowledge of God and that process is on a daily basis and that process is
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Repenting every day. It doesn't mean that I'm trying to earn my way to heaven good words
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I'm already saved but it's seeing this sin as God sees it and it's a it's a horror to me and The more close you get to the
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Word of God and the more close you get to the holiness of God and the heart of God The more we see our sin you see
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It's that desire. What do you desire? More than anything
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Paul desired holiness, but desired Christ. Oh The believer in chapter 7 desires obey
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God's law He hates his own personal sin. He hates that own personal condition
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We see the conflict We're going to Peter going back to Peter Peter mentions holiness, right?
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He talks about holiness of life many times and we looked at this in chapter 1 verse 14 through 16
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Let me repeat it. You could go there we already went through it, but let me read it again as Obedient children what kind of children obedient children?
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He says this do not be conformed to the former lust or the former desires Which were yours in your ignorance, but in verse 15, but like the
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Holy One Who called you that now there it is again, he called you that's it goes back to what
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God has called us He's called us out of darkness into his marvelous light
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Because he owns us he's taken ownership. He's our Lord and We're no longer of this world
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Our citizenships in heaven. We've been born again of the Spirit of God. God owns you he's purchased you with his blood
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So you don't do the things that you want to do It's not like that. God is saying I'm holding back things from you
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No, God wants you to enjoy certain things, but God is first and foremost in all things
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But we need to be careful when we do God does bless us with things and when God knows when your heart is
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Enraptured in those things. He can take those things away from you. I like what
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John MacArthur said I sent this to brother Keith yesterday These preachers nowadays, it's it's it's not hard to sell a
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Jesus that wants to give you everything he wants But what about a Jesus that takes away everything from him he says try that Do you still love the
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Lord even if he were to strip you Well look at Job God blessed him with children
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Ten of them. He was the richest man on the face of the earth at that time period Satan goes before we didn't see in chapter 1
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Satan goes before the Lord And God says have you considered my servant
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Job? Satan says oh, yes, I have He bragged on him and then he says
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Satan says you take the hedge away, but he knows he had a hedge God gave God blessed him with everything Take that hedge away.
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He had cursed you to the face. I said, okay Took everything God God allowed that to happen folks
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God was sovereign over all that and God allowed Satan to get at him to take strip him
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Took ten of his children all at once took his servants took everything he had then later on.
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He took all his health One preacher say he left them with his wife. They wanted him to curse
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God and die. I see Teresa back there Get this what did
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Joe do? He Praised him. He loved God just as much as he loved him from the beginning
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Now can we do that? Folks, I've got five children and all friend and if I were to lose them all at once Could I fall down on my face before God and say the
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Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be the name of the Lord If God were to take everything from you allow that to happen
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Could you get down on your face and say bless you Lord and mean it Joe Bennett and that's what we're talking about loving
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God God's got to be first and foremost in everything and Peter says don't
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I'm sorry abstain from these fleshly things. Don't hold them tight because they're gonna all pass away
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So the fight is at the level of our desires right our desire, what do you desire?
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What do you desire above everything today? What moves you to the level to godly living
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Well, the Scriptures answer that go to James chapter 1. We looked at it. It's already what went through the book of James didn't we?
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James chapter 1 14 and 15 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust
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His own lust yes his own lust his own desires Then when lust has conceived it gives birth to sin and when sin is accomplished it brings forth what death
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That word carried away is interesting. I've already preached on this but I want to remind ourselves again of this
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It implies the Greek word to describe a wild game. That's lured into traps Wild animals that are drawn into their death by giving them a something attractive in a trap
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It's like setting a trap for a bear. You put a big piece of steak there the bear goes after it
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He doesn't pay attention to the trap. But what happens he puts his foot in the trap he snagged could be put to death a
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Mouse and a mousetrap the perfect example that Temptations like that Satan always baits the hook for something that would go after Sin never comes in ways of something.
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We don't like it's something that we like It's something we desire. It's something that we
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We are attracted to and folks. It's not the exit. There's two things here.
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We got to see There's the external and the internal and the biggest problem is the internal It's my heart it's what's in my heart, what do
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I desire? What do I love? And so the temptation is there but it's a if God I'm not let me get ahead of myself if these things are baited by Satan and We're tempted to it and that temptation promises something good, which in reality is harmful
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They can have serious eternal Consequences to them That's why we should not go after them
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You know you think about a lot of people say it's oh, it's the environment that causes me really
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Go to the book of Genesis and look at Adam and Eve. They were in a perfect environment God says you can eat up any tree here in this whole entire garden
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That one tree right over there the knowledge of good and evil Don't don't don't don't touch it.
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Don't eat of it Guess which one they go right after You know, it's interesting children are like that.
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I've seen children do this You did you put them in a playground tell them this play with any toy you want this one toy
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Don't you dare touch it and guess what happens? That's the toy I want
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Have you seen it happen? I've seen it happen human nature.
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It's our fallenness We're born with it We have a tendency to go after the things that kill us and take us down I'm telling you do we love our sin or do we love
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God? That's what it comes down to that word enticed The Greek word for that is like a fishing term
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It means to capture Catch it with bait No, it's a parallel here be carried away
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Our own lust our own desires to refers to the strong desire to the human soul to enjoy something to fulfill the flesh
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Notice his own lust this describes describes the individual nature of lust It's not necessarily by the way, it could mean sexual sins, but it does
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It does include that but the application here talks about What James's speaks of and Peter speaks of much more wider and a broader application to abstain from it
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Which is different from for each person in a sense as a result of the inherited tendencies the things that we we are attracted to the upbringing the personal choices that Could include this overindulgence in food
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Which is gluttony catering to the body which is
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Loving the look at look around today how people love yoga love their body love themselves The lustly flesh that's what they're lusting after after their own bodies
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Worldly pleasures it's covers a multitude of sins folks Because it is a direct agent of the cause of one's sinning
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It's the desire John MacArthur said according to this text here.
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He says in his commentary Flat quote fleshly lusts are personified as if they were an army of rebels or guerrillas who in this
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Incessantly and cessate Lee. I'm sorry search out and try to destroy the
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Christians joy Peace and usefulness in quote and isn't that the truth?
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well How true this is? Well, I'm heading toward application here go with me to first Peter chapter 4
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How are we to deal with this? How? First Peter chapter 4 we're going ahead.
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I'm going ahead of myself a little bit, but I want you to see this Chapter 4 verse 1 through 3 listen what it
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Peter says therefore since Christ has suffered death in the flesh What does he say underscore this arm yourselves?
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That's a military word arm yourselves Also with the same purpose because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin
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So as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lust of the man But for the will of God, that's what we live
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We see the will of God the desire of God God's pleasure God's glory above everything in this world
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Because we know God's eternal. His kingdom is eternal and everything in this world is going to pass away.
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That's bottom line First three for the time already passed is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the
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Gentiles Listen, what he says here having pursued a course this is what they did
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Paul talks about the same thing in Ephesians to a course of sensuality lust drunkenness carousing drinking parties and Abominable idolatries now is the way that was 2 ,000 years ago
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Is that not relevant for today? Let's go on to look at this application.
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The believers should be armed Folks, you got to arm yourself as Christians This is a terminology that realizes you are in a battle
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You're in warfare. I'm in warfare every day that you and I live as a Christian a believer it's warfare and It's even more warfare as you and I see it in the spiritual realm
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People that are lost in the world, they don't see it as warfare they get up they go about their same routines
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They don't see a need to get on their faces before God and knowing that there's an enemy out there
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That's really ready to destroy them Because they already got that Satan's already happened.
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They're in darkness But we that are children of light we have we see the reality of this battle
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How love what Peter says here he get arm yourselves the same thought that was manifest in the sufferings of Christ This is the victory and through the sufferings of Christ through the sufferings of Christ You know, it's interesting.
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He mentions about the sufferings of Christ why because he's talking to suffering believers at that time They were suffering greatly and he said no you look at the one who suffered the most
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Yeah, but he suffered physically I'm sure some of them suffered something very closely physically as Jesus no, no, no
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Jesus not only outdid them Suffering physically, but spiritually he took the wrath of God of all the sin upon him
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No one could do that, but only the
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Lamb of God He was led as one to the slaughter What else we know about the victory?
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First John chapter 5 verse 4 and 6 go with me there, please first John chapter 5 4 and 6
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You want to you want to have the victory listen to what the Word of God says the Word of God says Whatever is born of God Overcomes the world aren't you glad for that?
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Are you born of God today? If you're born of God Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world
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If you're born of God, then you overcome the world you're born again child of God and This is the victory listen is this is the victory that has overcome the world.
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What is it our faith? That's what he says It's our faith
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Our faith verse 5 Who is the one who overcomes the world?
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Here's a question who is the one who overcomes the world but he who believes That Jesus is the
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Son of God. And by the way, let me mark. Let me give this correctly here. It's not a intellectual belief
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James talks about this. It's a belief. He said you believe in God Tough. Okay big deal.
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That's what he's saying. The demons believe in the God and they even tremble at it What he was saying is a real believer is one that shows fruits of obedience
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He shows it. This is why Peter goes to when they see your good deeds.
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You see that the desire Then the behavior the desire the conduct
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That's why When you see a person living obediently Fruitfully unto righteousness loving
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God and and and hating sin he has right theology folks He's if he's humble.
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He's meek. He's down on his face. He fears God Like Job did he's got the proper theology.
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He's got the proper teaching That's what he says right here. This is our this is what overcomes the world our faith verse 5
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Who is the one who overcomes the world but he who believes in that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came by water and blood
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Don't you love the water and blood? Jesus Christ not with water only
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But with the water and the blood it is the
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Spirit who testifies Because the Spirit is the truth this is how believers overcomes all fleshly lusts beloved and strong cravings of the depraved flesh
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Abstain from it stay away from it Fleshly desires do not give place to the devil first Peter chapter 5 verses 6 through 9
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Turn over a few pages there Notice what he says therefore humble yourselves humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in Proper time in due time casting all your care your anxiety on him casting is like throwing it you throw all your
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Anxiety all your care kind of like a fishing rod brother Keith gave this illustration one time you throw in that fishing line way out there you cast your cares and your anxiety on God He could take it
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Why because he cares for you Peter said that he cares for you Be sober spirit be on the alert then he gives a warning.
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Oh, he loves you He cares for me, but hey you'd be on alert You'd be sober
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Don't you let your guard down You're at why because you got an adversary out there he's the devil he prowls around like a roaring line
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Seeking someone to devour What does he say in verse 9 resist him?
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flee from him Stand firm in your faith knowing that the same experiences of sufferings.
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No, he's Thomas Just persecuted believers that are suffering the same experiences of sufferings are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world
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It's good to know that you're not alone isn't that encouraging sometimes
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I always was encouraged as a pastor I'd go to Some conferences at times and I and then
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I got to talking to other pastors and I would begin to sharing notes Something that would vent off of one another and then come to find out
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I said, you know That's happened to me just the same thing the same reasons that and it was so encouraged
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Don't you get encouraged when you go see a brother and sister in the Lord? That's going through the same things that you're going through and you can hold hands and say, you know, praise
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God Let's pray together and pray for one another because we understand one another. We're like -minded. We'll want a court
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That's the way the church operates She's lifted up. I'm built up. Then when
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I leave I'm built up in the faith. I said praise God. I Got someone a brother in the
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Lord or a sister in the Lord that understands what I'm going through God gives us gifts like that.
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He gives us one another So, how do we overcome fleshly desires we abstain
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We abstain from it. We stay away from these fleshly lusts. We resist we run from it. We flee from it
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Don't go running toward it Beware beware
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This is a serious battle for the soul He says flee youthful lust
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Flee youthful desires And you know something read the Bible Read the
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New Testament. It has a lot to say about sexual lust In that context there are many kinds of lust in the world, but sexual lust is a big one
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Let me give you and I'm trying to close this down a little bit But let me say remember the classic allegory that we know about Pilgrims progress don't we but there's also a second edition of that called the holy war by John Bunyan appeared to him
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He wrote this while he was in prison He went to prison because he was preached he preached the
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Word of God Stayed there many many years made he was useful, too He wrote those two allegories, but in this allegory the holy war he pictures a city and he calls the city
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Mansoul Mansoul who's Familiar with this. Yeah. Amen. Isn't it? Great. You haven't read it.
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You need to read it. It's great but Mansoul because it represents the soul of man and He pictures the city is surrounded by high walls and the enemy wants to assault the soul of man but there's no way over the walls and the only way the enemy can get to the soul is through the gates and Of course
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Bunyan has four or five gates, but you could see it reduced down and simply say there's only one gate
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So the only way that Satan can get into into the otherwise Impregnable soul of a believer
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It's the only way he can get into is through the gate of fleshly lust that one gate a lot of times that could be the eye gate and Jesus gave a
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Radical picture of this if it if it's something that's going to keep you out of heaven Pluck it out
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And you know what? He's talking about. He's talking about repentance and he gets serious about we need to hear that We need to hear this.
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I Need to hear this the church needs to hear this and Jesus is basically saying cast it from you
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Cast it away Pluck it out. In other words just suffer a little pain now so later on Your whole body your whole soul fall out into hellfire repentance
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That's how Jesus said to deal with it. Repent repent repent repent repent.
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I Know you got a Ruby relating with me on this Gotta repent
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Let's do that gate that fallen desire beloved. We must keep the gate closed So the question arises how how can we do that on will lead to this so much time
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I got Oh my goodness I'm out of time.
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What if I leave you hanging? Nah, I wouldn't do that to you Let me just give you one example here and I'll pick it up Lord willing next week
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The answer doesn't come from the world right or the great intellects of the world. No, it comes from the
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Word of God the Bible. I Want to just give you one I got so many reference to this.
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I got 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 I got Romans chapter 8. I got Romans chapter 13.
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I got Ephesians chapter 4 I've got Galatians chapter 5
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Ephesians chapter 6 I'm gonna go one.
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I was gonna go to Romans 8, but let go to go with me to Romans 13 I think this is a good one. There's many more scriptures on this, but this is the one
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This is the this is the verse and then I'm gonna leave you leave you with this. This is the verse that St.
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Augustine was converted by he was in a park and He heard children playing by the providence of God.
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There was a Bible there But in the game He heard a child say pick up and read pick it up and read it
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Child was saying that the child didn't know but God was using that job. He picked up the
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Bible And he went to this verse This is his conversion folks.
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This is how God converted this man And he became one of the greatest theologians in the early history the historical church
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He said this Paul says in verse 11 do this knowing the time
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That it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep for now
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Salvation is nearer to us than we when we believed The night is almost gone and the day is near therefore.
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Let us lay aside the deeds of darkness And put on the armor of light Let us behave properly as in the day
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Notice what he says not in carousing and drunkenness not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality not in strife and jealousy and Then he says it here
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But put on the Lord Jesus Christ And what is he saying and make no provision for the flesh?
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in regard to its lust Make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lust
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Put on the Lord Jesus Christ Have you put on the Lord Jesus Christ today?
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Are you in Christ So you can ever stay abstain from these fleshly desires of the world
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May God grant you mercy and his power to do so Lord willing we'll pick right up there next week.
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Let's pray father We thank you for this hour of study in your word. It goes by so quickly because it's so good
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Lord you're so good Your word is good because you're good You're eternal this word is eternal because you're eternal
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Lord forgive us forgive us for Falling For the wrong things of this world
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Oh God for desiring the things of this world as we shouldn't
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Lord Not just the things that you've given us to enjoy but father
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I'm talking about those things that are not good for our soul That's what we're talking about Lord keep us from falling prey to the things that will harm our soul
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Those things that wage war against our soul Oh God everything you desire for us is nothing but good
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Lord. I pray that we would Not listen to the slanderer the liar the one that accuses us
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Oh God the father of all lies Satan himself and all his fallen
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Demons Oh God There's so many lies and so many people believe a lie and they're being damned for it this very hour as we speak
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Oh God help us Help us May we saturate ourselves with thy word?
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Which is your truth and only the truth can set us free Father as anyone here today
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Lord needs that truth to be set free. I pray Lord by your mercy and grace Set him free by your power as only you can do
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And Lord, we thank you and help us to love you above everything else in this world and we will ask this in Jesus name