The Director — Jim Cymbala

Let's prepare our hearts with another thought on our minds. I like to teach or talk about something here. I think that's needful. The communion table the bread in the cup reminds us that Jesus's work is finished what he did on the cross Satisfies the justice of God the holiness of God and All penalty do us for our sins has been taken care of by Jesus.

How many say amen to that. So when Christ said it is finished when he laid down his life. We don't need as unfortunately the mass teaches. Catholic mass teaches. There's a re-offering up of Christ's body and blood that is once and for all he laid down his life for us.

Salvation Is Complete in Christ

And it is sufficient for our salvation. There's nothing we can add to it. There's nothing we can do to get more saved. You're saved or you're not saved. You're born again, or you're not born again. And by faith in Christ simple childlike faith, we can come into salvation.

Now when this message was first preached in the early church. It caused a conflict with the legalistic mindset of Judaism. That was prevalent and characterized by the Pharisees and their teaching and their leading rabbis so sometimes when Paul would go to a city and he would preach the gospel and start a church and he would preach the Simple gospel message people would get saved.

They would be in the Christian Church. He would ordain leaders. Sometimes only there are a small short period of time and then he would leave in. Some of the places he went in Corinth, but especially in the Galatian churches.

That's an area not one city. The glitter to Galatians is that area of Galatia? People would come in after him who were locked into the law. Which they said was holy and just and that all of that is true and they would say it can't be that simple.

It can't be that simple. You just can't be saved and have all your sins washed away and have the gift of eternal life by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, but that's Paul's message. Confess your sins believe on though if you put it all together confess your sins repent of them and then Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.

Whether you're Gentile Jew from Africa from Puerto Rico. Wherever they came on top of Paul and said no. No, no. No, no, you got to do some other things because what was good enough for Abraham. Let's say circumcision.

That was the sign of the Covenant in the Old Testament and Paul in one sentence Just dismisses circumcision and says it doesn't matter if you're circumcised or uncircumcised. The only thing that counts is faith that works by love and faith in Jesus Christ.

Legalism Versus the Freedom of the Gospel

Well, he was doing away with thousands of years of Jewish teaching. So this rankled those who were traditionalists and didn't understand the new covenant. So they tried to add things and say yes believe in Jesus, but you got if you're male.

You got to be circumcised. You got to observe certain feasts and they would add on these things now you would think that that would be innocent. But it wasn't Paul said if you add anything on to it now.

You got to obey the whole law if you're trying to earn acceptance by doing something you want to do something good obey the whole Law then that's the only way you'll be accepted. Paul said if you anybody's circumcised fine.

If you think you're gonna be circumcised to make you acceptable to God then obey all the rest of the law. Which nobody can do amen. Paul says we have a freedom in Christ that nobody can come on top of this message of the gospel.

In fact, Paul said any of the gospel that anyone preaches let that person be cursed if they take away or add anything to that Gospel, let them be a curse. That's very strong language, isn't it? So because what it's saying is that Christ is not all sufficient what he did represented by this Communion was not enough.

You got to add something to it. You got to do this. You got to read the Bible one hour a day you got to do this then you're saved. You got to join this church. You got to be baptized a certain way. Whatever.

So this was the first attack on one side. We don't have it so much anymore, but it can come to people we have a young woman here today that grew up in a cult a Christian cult that was surrounded by legalism and She still battles with the brainwashing that was in there.

This was a control where they told you who you were gonna marry when you were 14 years old they set that up you couldn't leave the state unless they the pastor permitted you and It was you have to belong to this church.

Everyone else is an error. You have to belong to that church. So anytime you hear that anytime you hear that, you know, there's trouble right? Salvation is not in the Brooklyn Tabernacle. How many say amen?

It's in Jesus Christ. So Paul says in this letter to Galatians He starts off with this first verse in chapter 5 and he says freedom is what we have. Crisis set us free stand then as free people and do not allow yourselves to become Slaves again slaves to what the law.

I got to do more. I got to do better. I'm not saved yet. I grew up around people who thought that my mom and dad they were going to a very very legalistic church. So my early life was strict legalism the grace of God accepting it as a gift that was unheard of you you believe in Jesus and Then you live a certain good enough life and then he'll let you go to heaven.

But the question is how good a life? That's always the question and then the devil comes in and always points out that it's not quite good enough. How many know what I'm talking about now? You're in condemnation, you know, is my life good enough?

Grace Must Not Become an Excuse for Sin

Okay, so Legalism and they attack from that side was something that Paul had to address. But then Paul knew there was an attack on the other side. Not in am I good enough, but no I understand God's grace.

I am saved. I am a child of God. I have put my faith in Christ in Christ. So it doesn't matter how I live. Mm-hmm. That's more America now, right? 2014 so let's look same chapter. Paul says this as For you my friends you were called to be free in other words not under the law.

But do not let this freedom become an excuse for letting your physical desires control you. Instead let love make you serve one another as for you my friends believers in Galatia. You were called to be free.

You're not under the law. You're saved by grace through faith, but do not let this freedom Become an excuse that word means Some other things in other Translations it means I think one time in my Bible I wrote down on that some other translations when I was studying it.

Let's see if I can give you some other words. So maybe it'll help you because that helps me sometimes when I read other translations, they give me some other words. Yeah, here it is. So it says don't let that become an Excuse or become an incentive or don't let it be give a foothold or an excuse to indulge the flesh.

The word in the Greek is sar X arcs, which means human desires apart from God, which is which are always characterized by self gratification or Selfishness the root of all sin is selfishness. I want to.

I want what I want when I want it. I'm angry I want to curse at that person. I will curse at that person. I want that money. It's not mine. I'll find a way to steal it or be crooked and get it whether it's in the realm of sexual getting drug high on drugs or Being prejudiced.

I hate. I hate people of another race. So I'll indulge that hate. So Paul says now now that you're free, you can't get more saved grace. Can easily become if we're not careful an excuse. For living any old way.

It was a man a minister who had a very large church in Uruguay who got taken up with living with women and He got to the place he's related to a close friend of mine and He got to the place where he did kicked his wife out started living with different women having affairs and He got to the point where his conscience must have got seared and he said listen.

It doesn't matter how we live because God only saves your soul. The body doesn't matter. No, this is what he said and my late father-in-law actually met him and talked to him and said listen. You at one time had a good ministry and he tried to reason with him and he said it was like talking to an empty suit.

Nobody was home so Paul says One side legalism you got to do this do this do more now you're safe now. The other side is no I am saved by God's grace. How many are saved by God's grace? How many of you died tonight are going to heaven not because of you but because of Jesus.

Amen. So he said now Paul's warning the church in Galatia. Don't let that assurance that position that peace. Be a springboard for your Flesh your human nature is translated a different way your selfish desires to spring into action.

Because praise God, I'm free. It doesn't matter how I live now notice. You can't live in certain way do be saved. But now that we are saved he's saying one of the proofs of being saved is that you want to live for Jesus.

When you meet people who are living together and are not convicted about it. And they're not living with their husband or the wife and there they're shacking up and living whether it's a week or five years.

And they come to church and they move and cry. I wouldn't care what they do. They are not Christians. It is impossible to be a Christian and live in sin. It's impossible. God will bother you. God will torment you.

Come on. How many of us ever been convicted, right? That is impossible. No, but that's the way you see it. No, that's not the way I see it. That's the way God sees it. That's John and others have all kinds of writing if anyone says He loves God but lives in darkness and he's in the light.

He's a liar. The truth is not in him. I'm not calling a liar God saying all of us are liars if we live that way stay in it and Come and say no, but I go to church or my mother loved loved gospel music or whatever.

Communion and Holy Living

So let's go to the third passage. Now. What I say is this. Now the question is we're gonna take communion, but I don't want to take communion and then live in sin tomorrow. How many are with me? Someone once said never be afraid of the devil, but sin is something to be careful about.

Because there's a song that has a line that has always stuck with me. George Bethea used to sing this song. I'd rather have Jesus, you know that song. I'd rather have Jesus and then it says then houses in right and one line says Then be held in sins.

Dread sway because sin can be not just what you do. It can become a current it can become a River of molten lava coming down a hill. So now we don't want to take we want to thank God for what he's done for us.

But we want to live overcoming lives we don't want to celebrate communion and then have prejudice or be fighting with people or be living secret lives of immorality or Dishonesty and all of that how many are with me say amen, right and if you hear people say the other listen.

They got programs now on TV. Someone was telling me about I wouldn't watch it if you paid me Preachers of this place and preachers of that place and all this stuff. That's all just nonsense. I'm telling you it's nonsense.

But the American thing is now live any way you want it's if you make up your own religion live any way you want but go to church on Sunday and You're fine and if anyone says different that's the way you see it.

I don't see it that way. Well, I mean that's that's human religion. That's not God's religion. That's man is the center of religion. That's not God is the center but Christ is the center of our religion.

Amen. Okay, so then how he's writing now and he's saying how do you overcome these things? How do you live victoriously and I want you to notice here that he never changes when God saves you. He never changes your flesh.

He never deals with it. He can't be changed. That's why he doesn't change it. Many of us are trying to change our flesh. Beat down desires that are just some of us ingrained since we were teenagers. So let's learn together.

Walking by the Spirit

What I say this is let the Spirit direct your lives. That's a hymn and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature. What's the only way not to satisfy the desires of the human nature the only way?

Let the Spirit direct your lives. Let him control you. Let him order your words and your thoughts or Walk in the Spirit as the King James has it walk in the Spirit and you won't fulfill the lust of the flesh.

This is a more contemporary Good News Bible translation Let the Spirit direct your lives and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature for what our human nature Wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants.

Hello. How many know that as a fact say amen and There's teaching now today that this is false and this is not true and Christians who are really saved don't have a flesh nature and All of that and that's all nonsense.

That's just a new spin on verses that obviously Contradicted he's writing to Christians what our human nature wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants and what the Spirit he Wants is opposed to what our human nature wants.

These two are Enemies these are contrary Forces and this means that you cannot do what you want to do. What he's saying here is that Inside of Jim Simbala is Jim Simbala without Christ and he is opposed to the Holy Spirit.

Oh, yes, he is and The Holy Spirit now living inside of me, which makes me a Christian is opposed to Jim Simbala. Oh, yes, he is and It says here that these are contrary principles Jim Simbala and The Spirit and he said because of that there are times in your life.

But you cannot do what you want to do you will to do something and you don't do it. Don't we know that look that can happen if everyone lived just exactly the way we want. We'd never sin. Amen. But what's temptation pulling us away from what we know better in our conscience in our minds, am I correct?

The easiest way to see that is when you go on a diet. Come on, am I right or wrong? Doctor tells you That the cholesterol is sky-high your sugars at 300 this that the other and you go man I don't want to die.

I want to live. I want to live. Are you kidding? I'm gonna die. What do you think? I'm stupid. What do you think? I'm gonna die. Nobody nobody can put a gun in my head and make me eat. And then there's the voice coming from the cupboard.

Chocolate-covered pretzels start calling you, right? Do you know it's bad for you? Do we know sometimes it's bad for us. Do we know it's not gonna help the situation at all. Do we eat it? Yeah. So that's the perfect illustration for what Paul's trying to say here.

Sometimes you want to pray but the flesh fights your prey, but let's look at the other thing. Sometimes this flesh tells you to do things in the spirit says no you can't go there. Oh Yeah that it works both ways think of what the spirit inside of us has saved us from.

Because once the flesh gets going No, I got saved and sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost. I never get tempted. You're also a liar. You're not telling the truth, right? How many are with me so far.

Just lift your hand, right? So He says and this is true and people say it's not victorious enough I you got to have it more positive than that. Listen, you can't be more positive than the Bible. The Bible is telling us about the struggles all Christians have gone through all Christians.

Pastor Tim, do we know people have gone through these battles? Do we not know pastor Brian pastor Johnson, right? We all go through everyone the greatest Christian in the world Goes through times where they feel that battle so but now how to win that battle so he's saying that's that's The system that's what's happening on the ground verse 18 now if the spirit leads you the spirit is controlling you your words your thoughts your actions if You're under his control.

The name of this tape is the director. Someone's gonna be directing them either Jim Simba's gonna direct me or the Spirit of God is gonna direct me every day every hour. Someone will be directing me. Can you face that Donna?

Can you face that Donna tomorrow? Either you're gonna direct yourself the old Donna or the spirits gonna direct you. God put the Holy Spirit in us so we could have an answer for The power of sin because the Bible says here if the spirit leads you then you're not subject to the law and what that means is When you do those things that the spirit tells you there's never gonna be a Bible verse that will contradict you or condemn you.

Because the spirits gonna lead you into love and kindness and peace and joy. There'll never be a law that will say you shouldn't have done that you shouldn't have been done that notice this Revolutionary idea of how to be Christlike and godly.

It's not trying to be Christlike and godly at all. It's not trying to be righteous. It's trying to be led and directed by the Holy Spirit who already lives inside of us. I wish somebody would have told me that when I was young I bit my lip a thousand times and fasted in the fourth grade trying to you know becomes.

Really what I wanted God to do was change my flesh. No one told me you can't change your flesh. You only overcome your flesh by obeying the Spirit who lives inside of you. So notice you become a Christian first.

The Spirit lives inside of you now. You live it can live a holy life a Christlike life not in order to be saved. But because you are saved can we all put our hands together and say amen. Now I want you to notice here in these next passages God never changes these things and this is the volatile part of this.

He never changes these things. There's no hint that he alters these things. They're there the victory is in another place not by obliterating them. Look. Now what human nature the flesh Sark's does is quite plain.

The Works of the Flesh

It shows itself in immoral filthy and indecent actions. Those words are in the King James adultery fornication and Indecency. That's what the flesh does. That's what the flesh gravitates toward. No. No.

Yes. Yes. Now different strokes for different folks. It's not everyone who's tempted in that area. The most other people can control themselves in that for different reasons. But their temptation is in another area, but this is Paul writing to Christians.

He's telling Christians this now what your human nature my human nature does is quite plain if you let it control you. This is what it leads to or in idolatry or in witchcraft. That's very interesting that the flesh has An allure mint to witchcraft or sorcery.

Some people have linked it because of the Greek word. There's a connotation of drugs there. So some people have said it not just doesn't mean witchcraft sorcery but it means to get in into altered state which witchcraft would do back then and And into being altered by drugs.

People also in the flesh become enemies and they fight they become jealous angry and ambitious. They separate into parties and groups. Just think of all the churches that that have are living. Look at that.

They separate into parties and groups in a local church. They do the West Indian group. Ah Wow, I Hit one there right on the nose, didn't I? Yeah, the black African group the white group the Hispanic group.

They separate in groups the Baptist group the Assemblies of God group the Pentecostal group the charismatics. Paul says I didn't come from God. No, God's all-inclusive. His love makes you treat everybody the same old pastor symbol be real.

No, I'm being very real that's what the Bible says one of the works of the flesh the same flesh that sometimes and manifests itself in fornication or Sorcery or an idolatry worshiping anything more than God and by the way, Paul tells us that idolatry many times is greed.

He says he translates idolatry to greed that you can make money. You're idle because most of us don't have idols physical idols in our house, but we have them in our wallet. $50 bills $100 bills $10 bills.

He said you worship that more than God. That's all coming from what? The flesh this is like oh, this is like a robot. This is not will it it will this is not sometimes all the time. Just different who's watching and how we've been raised how much conscience we have but this is what the flesh always tends toward self-gratification.

Separate into parties and groups. They are envious. They get drunk. They have orgies and do other things like these. I warn you now, why would he warn them? What if why would he warn them if they're Christians and if this never went on in churches?

And they didn't have to deal with these problems. Why would he say I warn you he wouldn't even talk about it. I warn you and I want to say to all of us I warn you that those that do these things their life is Dominated by these practices will not possess the kingdom of God.

End of story. So, how do you think my heart is broken when I hear from pastor Petri and other pastors? We counsel couples who come here. They're not even married. They're coming to church here. They're living in immorality and then they're singing Jesus paid it all.

How do you think that no, no, don't laugh. How do you think I feel? I feel like a failure. I feel like a hundred Percent failure like I can't preach I can't communicate but I just can read the Word of God to you today.

Did you read what it just said there? Don't be deceived. God is not my anybody who practices these and are not convicted by now do Christians battle with things. Oh, yeah. Yeah, you don't change overnight.

Conviction, Perseverance, and the Christian Struggle

Nikki Cruz got saved. My late friend Dave Wilkerson gave him a big Bible. He was saved a week. He was carrying his Bible to school or in the neighborhood to show off. He was a Christian somebody mocked him and Said you stupid Holy Rower Nikki put down the Bible and beat the tar out of that guy right there in the name of the Lord.

Was Nikki a Christian? Yeah. Did Nikki beat him up? Yeah. But then God deals with you. Come on, how many have ever gotten into disobedience even in a slight way? One sentence and God puts the pressure on lift your hand if you know what I'm talking about.

In fact when you become a Christian your conscience becomes more sensitive. So these battles I'm not trying to make be simplistic here. But I'm saying if somebody lives with no qualms and justifies themselves and they're living in sin.

They are not a born-again Christian that cannot be it's impossible. It's impossible. Not judging them. The Word of God is judging all of us and says if anyone says he's in the light but lives in darkness.

He's a liar. The truth is not in him. Do we battle with things? Do we struggle with things? Yes, do we have besetting sins? Yes, but you can't live in it and be comfortable. That is impossibly impossible.

So Paul says the only way to overcome this is not by fighting it. Because God will never change the flesh. Do you notice here? He never says now here's the way to overcome this. God will pull down those lusts and do it.

No, he says no. The way only way you deaden them. The only way you get victory over them is being directed by someone else. In fact the more sometimes you concentrate on them the more you're tempted. You have to be careful how you listen to even people's confessions.

Because sometimes people can talk about something and it's an area where you've been weak and you can be tempted by their confession. So by being led this way, I can't go that way. I cannot it can't go two ways at once.

But if I'm not led that way and I try to stay in some middle ground, ooh, there is a pullback that way. So Paul says here's what just keep following. He's in you. He'll lead you. He'll guide you. He'll strengthen you.

Just be sensitive surrender a thousand times a day if you have to but say Holy Spirit. I'm yours. I'm yours. I yield to you notice by yielding you get victory by surrendering you win the victory not by fighting by surrendering to someone else.

Because someone's gonna be my director either Jim Simbala. I Told you about that minister denying. Let me just repeat it that at the end of his life I told you a great commentator on the book of 2nd Corinthians also on Isaiah from 40 onward.

I just booked up picked up his book from 2nd Corinthians yesterday. I was looking at a particular verse and I told you about him on Sunday in both services. I think where I heard him when I was just two or three years in the ministry driving in New Jersey.

And he was speaking at a conference. He was retired couldn't pastor anymore older and Well advanced in years and just writing books or whatever and how he shared how out of nowhere out of the ministry revered spiritual leader and all of that how he said it was like someone opened up a sewer top and Every foul filthy demonic thing came up at him.

He thought he was going crazy. He started dislike his wife. She irritated him and then he said a lot more. I can't remember all of it, but he said then out of nowhere. I got tempted to curse. I Would get fits of anger and I wanted to curse.

I never cursed before I was a Christian. I never cursed and now I'm gonna curse and he said There was a lot to it, but he said one of the things he learned Was that God never changes your flesh. That to try to see that's who he was.

That's who I am. I know that's hard for some of us, especially in the day of mental positivism that we live in. It's hard to say that without Christ. That's who I am. Come on, how many of you are not so hot without Christ?

Come on without Christ. What were you before? So if you lose and if you lose fellowship with God, what do you think? Which do you think you're gonna go back to? What do you think you're gonna go back to?

You're gonna go back to the tendencies you had before we know that throughout church history and all the rest so God never works and changes who Jim Simba is which keeps us humble. Oh, it should humble all of us.

Because there but for the grace of God goes me. This takes away all judgmental spirit if you understand it who can look at someone and go. Oh Horrible, how did you do that? Oh, yeah. How about you and me if Jesus didn't hold us?

Where would we be today? Right if the Spirit doesn't control us. So we're free. We're saved. But if we want to please the Lord we have to be led by another. Otherwise we could be into some heavy times.

Why would he say to them? Walk in the Spirit and you won't fulfill the lusts of the flesh. What is he implying if you aren't led by the Spirit? It won't be that pretty at all. It won't be Christ honoring.

Someone told me just the other day. They said you know what? I'm not sanctified in the morning till I have a cup of coffee now. I don't know if that's in the Bible, but someone told me do not talk to me.

Don't come near me till I get my Starbucks. I am NOT a nice person, but God can make us nice even without coffee. How many say amen? All right, so notice. Now you saw the works of the flesh you saw what you are.

Naturally, I'm sorry to break that news to you, but it's true. But the Spirit not you you have nothing to do with this. Jim symbol has absolutely nothing to do with this. It says that but the Spirit produces Love when he's in control, you're gonna be loving people.

You're gonna have joy. You're gonna have peace. You're gonna have patience with people. Why. Because you've been working on patience. No, because the Spirit is controlling you and he is patient. Is he not patient with us?

You're gonna be kinder. You're gonna be full of goodness and faithfulness. There'll be humility and self-control. Now there's no law against such things as these. Let's close now those who belong to Christ Jesus notice.

Because we belong to him we've put to death. They've put to death their human nature with all of its passions and desires. The Spirit has given us life. He must also control our life. Why are we born again?

Because the Spirit is in us now that the Spirit is in us. Should we stop at that or should we let him control our life. Do you get it? The Spirit has given you life. You're a born-again believer now.

Don't stop there now. Let him control every moment of every day. I want that how many want to be so much like Jesus that no one even recognizes you anymore, right. People by the way who aren't born again, but who come to church they have no such desires and if you're here tonight and you like get mad at yourself when you say or do the wrong thing and If there's that hunger in you to be like Jesus, that's a sure sign.

You're a believer. Because people who are unregenerate they could care less. They don't want to get caught. They don't want a scandal, but they want to do their thing. Oh. But when you love Jesus and know Jesus and you start to stray can he make it hard or can he make it hard?

Holiness as the Fruit of Salvation

What's that Psalm 32? When I didn't confess my sins. Your hand was heavy upon me. You took all my strength from me. I couldn't sleep at night. No God. Modern stuff. No God just want you to be happy live any way you want.

He just wants you to be happy. How ridiculous is that? He wants you to be holy. Because if we're holy we'll be happy how many say amen, but if we're not if we're not pursuing Christ likeness to control of the spirit of our lives, then we lose our peace.

We lose our joy. Someone once said when sin gets in your life, you can't even enjoy your children or a good meal. It's true. You can't even rejoice in your children the natural pleasures of life the good meal.

Because God just says no. I love you too much to let you go that way. He just bores in on you come on am I right. You're acting like you're also sanctified. You don't know what I'm talking about. Come on.

How many are with me say amen. All right, so. So now we take communion tonight. We go out these doors soon. Not just saying thank you Jesus. Yeah, that's right. I do surrender all. We're gonna take communion saying thank you Jesus for what you've done, but we also want to say I surrender all.

What does that mean to let the spirit control you. How about this start with just these two things tonight and meditate on them su cabeza y su boca. Your mind and your thoughts spirit. Give me your thoughts.

How many know if the spirit gives you thoughts you're gonna be in good condition. You're gonna be in a good place and Let him control your lips because talking gets us in a lot of trouble. Did you know that wrong talking can stir up other passions in you.

Angry words can stir up the flesh you. I've talked to people all the time. We've seen it you you give in to angry words and the next thing you know. The other other parts of your flesh say, all right, I'm ready to party now.

You let that out. Let some more out. Come on, am I talking here the truth? So this causes us to just need Jesus every day. The most mature Christian in the world is not the one who struts around and knows everything.

It's the guy who's just leaning on Jesus doesn't want to take a step without him. Who knows that in the flesh dwelleth? No good thing. You can get to the place if you believe this that someone can walk up to you and say you're not so hot and you'll Say you're right and you don't even know the half of it.

I'm not so hot but Jesus is wonderful and he's my life. Christ who is our life. What does that mean? It means he wants to be my life. He wants to live through me by the Spirit. He wants to live through you.

I hope this word has been an encouragement to all of us tonight. All our sins are gone. They've been washed Under the blood of Jesus Christ. There's no record of any sins. We've committed anywhere in heaven.

There's no book. There's nothing written down. It's all been obliterated all because of Jesus. Oh praise God. No wonder we love him so much tonight and Because we love him. We want to live a life pleasing to him.

Loving Christ Through Obedience

How do we live a life pleasing to him if you love me keep my commandments not if you love me. Not if you want to be saved keep my commandments and nobody would be saved. But if you love me Do those things that are pleasing to me and The two main things that he gave he never gave a long list of commands.