Weakness to Strength | 4/11

[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] hey everyone welcome to our sunday service at sgt we are so excited about all that's happening at our church so let's take a closer look at what's coming up our next catch the vision class will be held virtually on sunday april 25th if you want to become a member or if you want to know more about who we are as a church this is the class for you sign up online by visiting ctv water baptisms are happening in just two weeks if you follow jesus but have never been water baptized we encourage you to take this next step the class will be held next sunday on zoom so use our church app or visit our website to sign up today thank you for joining us this morning for everything else happening at sgt go to our website or app and check out our digital bulletin if you're new to our church we also invite you to visit our welcome center located in our lobby thank you for listening now let's get ready to worship hello church family today is mission sunday and what that means is that every month we have the opportunity to pause and to hear about what god is doing across the world and to reflect on how we can participate in god's mission together you see as a church we can participate through prayer by praying for our missionaries we support nearly 50 missionaries across the world over six different continents and we've also adopted two unreached people groups who have never heard the gospel and at any moment you can go to our church website or a church app click on missions and see all the different missionaries that we support we just don't give to them financially we pray for them so let's pray together and secondly of course we send out a monthly support check to them to advance the kingdom thank you for giving thank you for giving unto mission and finally we participate in his mission through serving with our hands and feet by going to where the lost are by letting god use our lives for his glory and today i am so excited to announce to you a brand new division of mission that is going to focus on eradicating issues that are plaguing long island you see matthew chapter 5 verse 14 says that jesus said that we are the light of the world and that a city on a hill cannot be hidden church can i tell you that we are a city on long island our church is like a city on a hill we are a city on long island and god has caused called us to be his light and his salt and today you can participate in mission by eradicating human trafficking eradicating abortion and eradicating the drug epidemic you see those are three issues that we are going to go after in this new division of mission that we will be burdened by the lord god has called us to this mission we will continue to support foreign missions home missions and now we are going to support going after these issues together so let's pray let's give and let's serve sign up today in the lobby or online say saying i want to be part of one of these teams to eradicate these issues god is good praise god god bless you hey church welcome to today this is the day that the lord has made it is a day that we gather together that we worship together and today happens to be mission sunday as you heard in that announcement video i want to welcome all of you that are joining us online as well thank you for being part of what god is doing today here there is a pastor that will be available for you as you worship together online church can we stand together this morning i want to encourage you to remember to wear your mask when we are standing practice social distancing those sort of things when we do have us when you do sit down you can take your mask off but please consider those things now we have the opportunity today to pray together to pray for our missionaries to pray for these issues this brand new division of mission praying against abortion praying against human trafficking praying against the drug issue of long island together church we can make a difference but it's not us making a difference it's the lord in us we're advancing his kingdom it's his heart to eradicate these issues so let's pray together as we prepare our hearts to worship the lord god i come to you we come to you today we pray together lord minister to every person that is here god you know our needs you know those things that weigh upon us i pray for a freedom to take place this morning in our lives god that our minds and our hearts might be focused on being your hands and your feet that god no longer will just be about you having to minister to us but for us to say to you god use us for your glory let my life be used god to eradicate these issues of online let my life be used god to pray and participate in the mission that's ahead of us to pray for our missionaries all across the world god we pray for them right now in the name of jesus they're even watching some of them even watch every week online and we pray for them right now as they are watching as they are worshiping with us god minister to their knees in jesus name god now we just give you the service let your will be done let our ears and our hearts be attentive to your voice but receive our worship now god may you be glorified in our midst we love you lord in jesus name we pray amen and amen church let's worship the lord together all right good morning church we're gonna worship today [Music] just turn to somebody and just smile at him i know you can't see the smile maybe give a wave say hello good we are going to just worship the king today we're going to thank him this first song says i thank god how many remember being a grandkid and getting a present maybe from grandma or grandpa like a pair of socks or something you were not excited about anybody remember that just getting something from grandma you're like this is not really all that exciting right but what do you say thanks grandma right it's kind of proportionate to the gift is the thanks so before we sing this song i want to remind you of the gift that was given to you and in fact i i'm asking you to remind yourself of the price that was paid to set your feet on solid rock this song says he picked me up he turned me around he placed my feet on solid ground i thank the master i thank the savior because he healed my heart he changed my name forever free i'm not the same i thank god and so today i want our praise i want our thanks to be proportionate to the gift amen come on let's give let's just start right now you don't even need lyrics go ahead and just begin to thank the lord just begin if you want to give him a shout this morning if you want to give him a clap this morning just begin to thank him in proportion to the gift that he gave you come on now don't worry about the person to your right or to your left this is you and the one who saved you just begin to thank him today jesus we enter into your courts with thanksgiving with praise god we love you we are so grateful for you let's lift this together let's celebrate jesus i cannot deny what i have seen got no choice but to believe my doubts are burning like ashes in the wind say so long so long to my old friends burning and bitterness you can't just keep on moving i know you're not welcome here sing from now till i walk from now till i walk the streets of gold i'll sing of how you save my soul this wayward [Music] [Music] i thank the savior because he healed my heart he changed my name forever free i'm not the same i thank the master i thank the savior oh i thank god again cannot deny what i've seen got no choice but to believe my doubts are burning yes like ashes in the wind [Music] so so long to my old friends burden and bitterness you can't just keep on moving though you're not welcome here from now till i walk from now till i walk the streets [Music] is [Music] forever free i'm not the same i think the master i thank the savior oh i thank god i thank god yes [Music] sing this out today declare the truth hell lost another one oh i am free yes i am free oh i am free hell lost another one yes i am free oh i am free oh i am free yes i am free oh i [Music] place my am on solid ground i thank the master i thank the figure because he healed my heart he changed my name forever free i'm not the same i thank the master i think come on give us thanksgiving today oh hell lost another one who i am free yes i am free oh i am free oh hell lost another one i am free oh i am free because you pick me up you turn me around you place my feet on solid ground i thank the master i thank the savior because you healed my heart you changed my name forever free i'm not the same i thank the master i thank the savior i thank god yes lord we thank you jesus [Music] jesus we're here to praise you today to give you all glory and honor you are worthy you are worthy we give you thanks with our praise today [Music] jesus i see heaven invading this place i see angels praising your holy name and i sing praises i sing praises i give you honor worthy [Music] jesus [Music] and i see glory and i see glory falling in this place i see hope restored the healing of all disease and i sing praises i sing praises i give you honor worthy [Music] you jesus our god the one we live for [Music] i see glory oh i see glory it's falling in this place and i see hope restored the healing of all diseases i sing praises [Music] we give you praise [Music] [Music] let your angels be released let us [Music] let your presence fill this place [Music] face to face we give you [Music] give you grace [Music] live for we give you praise you're so worthy jesus you're so worthy jesus [Music] jesus oh jesus our king jesus we honor you king rain of jesus now has ended [Music] in the kingdom of light in the kingdom of light forever under your dominion you're the king of my life you're the king of my life [Music] there [Music] cross is work was finished god you poured out your life just to give us new life this is our part now from the lips of the forgiven hear an anthem arise cause jesus you're alive and you reign [Music] [Music] there is no higher name cause jesus the everlasting one there is no higher name cause [Music] oh jesus [Music] oh you sent the darkness running out [Music] out of an empty grave now seated alone in glory enthroned on the highest praise highest praises sent the darkness running out of an empty grave now seated alone in glory enthroned on the highest praise oh you sent the darkness running out of an empty grave conceded alone in glory enthroned on the highest [Music] now grace alone in glory enthroned on our highest praise [Music] jesus [Music] [Applause] [Music] hallelujah [Music] yes jesus [Music] thank you jesus [Music] [Music] see [Music] [Music] your power has no end the things you've done before in greater measure you will do again you've seen what you can do oh god of wonders your power has no wind just lift that up the things you've done the things you've done before in greater measure you'll do again cause there's no reason why you can't break through no mountain you can't move all things are possible there's no broken body you can't raise enough so that you can save all things are possible the darkest night oh you can light it up oh you can light it up oh god of revival [Music] oh victory and now you're seated forever on the throne so why should [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] there's no present a wall you can't break through no mountain you can't move all things are possible [Music] there's no broken [Music] you can [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] death is overcome [Music] [Music] come on let's declare this together [Music] come awaken your people come awaken this island oh god of revival pour it out pour it out every stronghold will crumble i hear the sheets hit the ground oh god of revival [Music] will [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] oh you can light it up oh you can light it up god of revival [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] there's let's live this one more time from the deepest part of ours [Music] i hear [Music] oh god of revival o god who overcame the grave [Music] your word says he who overcame the grave will he not also freely give us all things and so god we're asking today for revival on long island god we're asking that will begin in us a great revealing of jesus holy spirit we know that you are the one who reveals jesus we ask holy spirit that you would be released in new measure that it would be poured out without measure on this island on us on our minds on our thinking jesus we surrender to you right now our plans our preferences our comforts our desires our ambitions our agendas we lay them at your feet and we ask you holy spirit come and do as only you can do bring the fire of the holy spirit in this place all across this island that we might burn with holy passion for you [Music] thank you lord god i pray right now that you would just prepare our ears for the word that you carefully crafted for us today let not a single seed be robbed but god let our hearts be good soil right now prepare us that we might not just listen but that we would hear you god [Music] we love you we love you in jesus name amen amen i know that we say amen and amen that says lord so let this be so let it be thank you pastor matt and worship team and a prayer that was lifted is a prayer that pulsates i believe in all of our hearts here in the sanctuary there in the extended sanctuary overflow room and all of you that are joining us right now online that we are asking that god would do a great revival a great awakening within our own heart and that we would also see the great revealing of his unprecedented love and power in our generation i believe one of the most important aspects of this season in your life and mine is that god is making us stronger and stronger and stronger we want to yield to that process because it isn't always an easy process when he's making us stronger because to become stronger in the lord is pretty clear from both the teachings of the old and new testament that we have to engage in trials oh that's where you want to exit from this message right now trials but we're not unfamiliar with this we've gone through a myriad of them throughout this past year and i know that there's more trials ahead in the new testament the book of james it speaks about trials that god will author and orchestrate in your life and in mind not to depress us or to discourage us but to develop us that we come under his tutelage we are taught by him and in this gradual process of maturation we grow stronger and stronger as we trust in him but in the midst of every trial that we are exhorted in scripture according to james chapter 1 we are to embrace that there are also temptations that encircle and surround every trial that you and i contend with james chapter 1 points that very reality out and that is something though we're not to embrace embrace the trial but we have to resist the temptation there's a variety of different temptations that we'll contend with they'll come in and invite us to kind of calm the moment by succumbing to some coping mechanism some addiction that we think will comfort us help us to navigate through the storm those temptations can be very subtle or they can be very sharp and acute and distinct and strong and intense holy scripture gives us a strong exhortation though of the reality that we can be strong in the midst of any temptation and that's basically the direction of what i want to share with you because the lord wants us to be a recipient of his forgiveness yes that's promised to us in 1st john chapter 1 and verse 9 that if we confess our sins he's faithful and he's just to forgive us to absolutely and completely forgive us and then there's a freedom that explodes in our life as a result of that forgiveness galatians chapter 5 speaks of it was for freedom that christ set us free and in john 8 it says whom the son sets free is free indeed so to be forgiven and to be free is part of the process of growing in him however if we stay there we will find ourselves in a weak state when it comes to any persistent habitual intense temptation that comes your way hebrews chapter 12 and verse 1 says there is a sin that can easily ensnare you and beset you haha matia is the greek word that is used the specific particular sin that can get the better of you it may be different for you than it is for me that weak point becomes a focal point of assault you might easily succumb to the sin or the temptation of jealousy or envy maybe bitterness or unforgiveness maybe greed materialism lust lying thievery bigotry you know the one that can get so close and suddenly thrust you down the sin that can so easily ensnare you i don't have to awaken you to that reality you know what it is in your life i know what it is in my life and the scripture then exhorts us to place our focus and attention upon jesus who will give us the ability to become strong not just and i don't minimize that we want to be forgiven but not just forgiven and not just free but strong because you can be forgiven and free and then all of a sudden that temptation comes again knocks at the door and you're not strong enough to hold back or to resist it remember embrace the trial but you have to resist the temptation that comes in the midst of the trial for you it might be discouragement or depression that you battle with in the midst of your trial and so the scripture will say this in ephesians chapter 6 and verse 10 finally be strong in the lord and of the strength of his might finally be strong in the lord and in the strength of his might god wants to make us strong in him we want to receive his forgiveness it's like partaking of a meal sometimes we can become a little uh resistant to that because we come under condemnation and guilt and we have a big question mark over the fact will god really forgive me i stumbled again in that very same area it's been so habitual in my life i'm embarrassed surely god's grace or his mercy or his forgiveness is going to run out it's going to run out on me but realize it says in romans chapter 2 and verse 4 that is the kindness can i say that again it's the kindness of god that leads you to repentance the very impetus to push you forward to receive his forgiveness is god himself through his goodness and his kindness wanting you to repent and then receive that forgiveness could you imagine hypothetically if i invited one of you over to our home this afternoon to have dinner and diane can prepare a wonderful dinner and if i came to you and i said come on join me right now and we got in my car we drove to my home i gave you entrance into my house i sat you there in our dining room and i said now here and i put the meal before you and you respond this way you say well i don't i don't know if i can really eat that meal well first i'd say you're going to eat that meal my wife prepared it you're going to eat that meal but apart from that you might sit there and say oh i don't know i don't know pastor z if you if you really want me to have this meal if i really want you to have this meal how absurd how ludicrous how ridiculous i invited you i put you in my car we drove here together and brought you into my home i put you in a seat right by my table i put the meal in front of you i don't want you to have it it's ridiculous so it is sometimes when we come to the lord and say god i confess my sin and i ask that you would forgive me and oh i don't know do you really want to forgive me do you really want me to partake of this meal of forgiveness and we dismiss the scripture says it's his kindness it's his goodness that invited you got you in the car took you to the house and put the meal before you and said now look it's my kindness and my goodness that led you to this place so receive my forgiveness and when you receive it all of a sudden freedom will explode but realize at that moment now you must say but god i don't want to be just forgiven and free i want to be strong i want to be strong in you and in the strength of your might to contend with this temptation should it visit me again and it will because your weak point again becomes a focal point of assault the enemy knows that there's three battlegrounds that are clearly taught in holy scripture there's the battleground that you and i wrestle with with the world the influence of the world the world its culture its philosophy its educational systems its way of thinking its its way of dismissing god completely we're you know we we are impacted by a dark world that hits your life and hits my life and that's a battle that we are engaged in a battle with worldliness and then there's the battle from within that's the that's what the bible calls the the old man or the flesh or sometimes which is analogous to it their interchangeable terms and the scope of the new testament is the sinful nature that inclination within us to be at variance with god's will and his ways to disobey him straight up and straight forward from our flesh the sinful nature the scripture makes that very clear in galatians chapter 5 it talks about this battle with our flesh the sinful nature in romans 7 the apostle paul allows us to peer into his own soul a window into this conflict into this battle when he says to us listen the very thing that i know i'm supposed to do i don't do and the very thing that i'm not supposed to do i end up doing maybe for you like i said it could be bitterness or unforgiveness it could be it could be gluttony it could be lust it could be lying it could be greed it could be anger you become volatile with a destructive anger in the midst of a trial that just is so frustrating so irritating to you you get tempted to become angry and malicious and manipulative unto others the apostle paul says the very thing i don't want to do i end up doing and he says oh what is this it's the sinful nature the flesh he says in my flesh there's nothing that dwells there that's good oh who will set me free from this body of sin and death and then he proclaims through jesus christ that this battle can be won against the flesh the sinful nature by allowing jesus to empower us and to strengthen us as we deal with it there's a third battleground and that's what the demonic forces clearly taught us in ephesians chapter 6 verse 12 says you don't wrestle against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities in the works of darkness so we have the battleground of the world and the influence of the world that comes upon us our thinking our emotions our spirit our whole being a culture that runs askew from the will and the plans and the heart of god the darkness there and then we battle with our our sinful nature and then we battle with demonic forces you know god wants to help us and the scripture will say it this way in first corinthians chapter 10 and verse 13 when it comes to that environment of temptation be it from the world or our own flesh the sinful nature succumbing to a temptation or from darkness the demonic itself assaulting us it says in first corinthians chapter 10 verse 13 no temptation has overcome you except such as common to man you're not alone but god is faithful he's what he's faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able but with the temptation will also make the way of escape he will provide a way what is that way i believe first and foremost that way is jesus himself being with us and then the wonderful gift and promise according to acts chapter 2 verse 38 the gift of the holy spirit now that might seem mysterious when you're dealing with something so strong and so real when you're battling maybe with lust or lying or anger or pride or self-centeredness you wonder the holy spirit he's invisible i can't feel him i can't see him i can't touch him yet the promise in acts 2 38 is that we would be a recipient of the gift of the holy spirit the greek word that's used there is dorian the gift not the same word that's used in first corinthians chapter 12 and 14 charismata those are gifts or presents dorian is more the person himself being the gift it's like you going to a birthday party and i don't mean you're going to say this arrogantly but it's like you're bringing a gift but the best gift to that person is you coming honoring them more than what you bestow upon them and so the holy scripture is saying listen we need to keep our eyes fixed upon jesus he's going to be the author and the finisher of our faith and our victory and our strength jesus is going to make us strong and he's given us the gift of the holy spirit now we have to keep our eyes focused remember i was driving the other day with some of my granddaughters and i found myself kind of looking left looking right and just peering at my phone just momentarily a text had come in i thought no i can't answer that that's very dangerous let me just try to keep focused and my little one in the back my granddaughter emerson she noticed that and she said grandpa grandpa keep your eyes focused on the road i looked i said that was good you know you're not going to get ice cream now because of that but i'll heed that exhortation keeping our eyes fixed on jesus can be really difficult at times can't it and our reliance on the gift of the person of god the holy spirit but the holy spirit has come he's on assignment and you know he's responsible to do it he's on assignment to make you and me holy whole complete stable strong he's on assignment to do that you see the title holy spirit not only describes who he is and his attributes and his character as being the third person of the godhead he's not just an influence or a force or an energy he's god the person of the holy spirit but holy not only describes who he is but what he's assigned to do in your life and mine to make us holy so there's moments in my life when i say i feel so weak i feel so vulnerable in this area of my life this temptation could come on so strong this temptation not too bad nah not too bad but this one the one that can really get to me knocks on the door and i find my ear yielding to it and my my sinful nature opening the door up boy at that moment is when i have to say god the holy spirit help me help me to contend with this and to deal with this help me holy spirit it might seem mysterious or ethereal or even philosophical or abstract or surreal but he is so real and he's on assignment and i'll say holy spirit i know you're on assignment to help me to become not just forgiven and free but to be strong to be strong to make me holy to put me together so i'm not split and separated and divided fragmented but i'm whole help me holy spirit help me now there's some other things that i'll i'll do i don't do them mechanically but i take them into consideration when it comes to battling temptations in my life like you battling yours and i don't care if you've been walking with the lord for six months maybe some of you online you just recently made a decision to receive christ or maybe some of you been walking with him for 40 or 50 years i understand that but it doesn't matter there's nothing good that dwells in the flesh the sinful nature and we have a battle there and if the apostle paul was vulnerable enough to give us a window into his own soul and that own that that that tension that battle that was going on we know it goes on within us and so when that temptation comes i realize there's certain things that i need to do one i consider what jesus said in the gospel of matthew chapter 6 and verse 13 he said in our prayer lead us not into temptation the syntax would bear out this type of rendering i think it would come across more clearly as you lead us as my eyes are in you jesus as you lead us as you lead me i won't enter into temptation see as you lead me i won't give my eye or my heart or my hand or my feet to the temptation jesus also gives us an example in luke 22 when in the garden of gethsemane the trial was intense right the trial he needed to embrace there's trials that we have to embrace but in the midst of it there were temptations that were going on a temptation to give up or to be discouraged or to dismiss the father's will a temptation that in the midst of the trial instead of surrendering falling asleep and i don't mean that just physically sometimes we can fall into the sleep of some addiction and so jesus awakens his disciples and says listen you've got to pray so you don't enter into temptation so there's something about prayer here that is a resource of a means by which we can escape and it's not prayer that's just petitionary that's not in my moment when i'm lifting up specific requests it's my moment of my saying i'm connected to you i'm plugging into you like a lamp isolated from a plug you're never going to have that energy flowing into it you got to plug the lamp in you got to plug that engine in and then you begin to feel a flow of strength that starts coming into you when i say wow this temptation's really intense and i have found myself succumbing to it that weak point has become a focal point of assault and i'm embarrassed and i don't know if i'm ever going to gain victory i feel so vulnerable so defeated a captive lord i plug into you in prayer you said if you're leading me i'm not going to enter into temptation if i pray i'm not going to enter into temptation i'm going to connect with you i'm going to plug into you and thereby find strength start flowing into the veins and arteries of my spirit the totality of my being and a strength that's coming because god is my source you see even that picture in luke 22 when it says an angel came and strengthened him doesn't it say that jesus was in prayer connecting the whole idea when you connect with the father strength is going to come to you you're going to be able to do something you couldn't do normally in yourself jealousy gets the better of me bitterness anger gets the best lust captures me constantly no you'll have a strength because you're strong not in self it's not self-reliant i'm strong in the lord in the strength of his might the second thing that i'll do is i'll consider very deeply surrender surrender is not giving up but giving over it's yielding my hand that might be holding on to a particular sin letting go you got to let go in order to lay hold and grab god's hand when you grab his hand again it's like plugging into him and he'll put into your other hand not a curse but a blessing romans chapter 2 says to the soul that sins there's anguish and tribulation or negativity in other words that happens in their life so their hand is filled with that but when you put your hand not gripping a sin but gripping the lord then he'll place in your hand yes strength and blessing and provision you'll never be able to effectively say no until you sincerely authentically say yes james chapter 4 verse 6 and 7. submit to god that's the yes that's the surrender and you'll resist the devil i realize that in my life sometimes i engage in a battle i say no no no and then the sinful nature you know that battle the sinful nature rises up galatians 5 romans 7 romans 13. it's clear hey i thought that was eradicated when i was born again no it wasn't no you still contend with that you still battle with that we were delivered from the penalty of sin but not the power of it and the power of it is in that conflict in that that fight so what you feed will lead you got to feed your spirit man your spirit woman so it becomes strong feed upon the word of god feed upon his presence in worship feed upon him in the context of prayer feed upon him by listening godly advice to you listen you gotta you gotta what you feed will lead if you feed your flesh constantly habitually you're going to constantly be weak and falling constantly so when you say lord i'm going to surrender to you i'm gonna place my hand in your hand i'm going to say yes that will then place into your hand and into your soul and your spirit the ability to say no no to the demonic to the world and to the sinful nature it'll get crucified that's romans 13. and then the third is to recognize there is a seed within you that god has placed if you're born again and i say that to everyone here in the sanctuary those in the extended sanctuary overflow room i know you're listening those online if you're born again you didn't receive a religion but you received a living relationship with jesus christ and jesus said then you've been born again by the spirit what's been awakened in you now to contend with the sinful nature the fallen nature is a godly nature that's why it says this in first john chapter 3 in verse 9 at first this portion of scripture can be a little intimidating we back away from it because we think oh we're not a candidate for that we didn't stop sinning we still struggle with it even as a believer but it says this whoever's been born of god born of god didn't become religious it's not just cerebral you know about jesus i mean you've invited him into your heart to be your savior and your lord you've been born again whoever has been born of god does not sin for his seed that's referring to god's seed god's seed remains in him what is that that's the godly nature that's been deposited into you now and he cannot sin because he has been born of god that means for you as a believer you have a godly nature that does not sin but has to grow remember what your feed will lead so it does not sin you know when you read the scripture at first it's like oh that's a little intimidating whoever has been born of god does not sin how many of you here are born again you're a believer i didn't know there were so few of you and i haven't asked anyone online yet but those of you here in the sanctuary overflow room i'm looking i see you in there too if you've been born again you're a believer would you just raise your hand there you are okay good okay all right pastors online was not much more comforted otherwise i was going to go right into john 3 16 immediately now let me ask you an even more intimate question did you sin today no don't tell me what you sinned with please overflow room those of you online did you sit today you just turned it off they just turned me off how about this week okay i'm going to be bold i did now i'm going to read the scripture whoever has been born of god does not sin uh oh maybe we could evade this linguistically you know by the languages syntax no context nope nope it actually says that so what's being said well remember that the apostle john wrote this under the inspiration of the holy spirit so what he pens in the entire letter is by the unction of the holy spirit and if you look at just a chapter earlier in first john chapter 2 and verse 1 he says i've written these things to you my brethren he's speaking to believers so that you don't sin but if you sin no you have an advocate with the father jesus christ the righteous so how do these two verses coexist in the same epistle by the apostle john under the inspiration of the holy spirit he's identifying the reality that if you're a believer i've written these things to you in other words study the bible so that you don't sin hide his word in your heart but but if you do that means there's a possibility that you and i as a believer and i just identified the fact that i did this week can sin i know you have an advocate with the father jesus christ the righteous then why does he say if you've been born again of god you don't sin it's because his focus is on the godly nature the seed that's why in the very context there it talks about the seed the seed that you've been giving the godly nature that you've been given not the sinful nature the godly nature does not sin that's present within you so think of it i meditate on that reality i have god the holy spirit as a gift to me to help make me holy i can pray i can sit long in order to walk strong in other words sick with the lord not necessary quantitatively but quality to have quality time with him plug into him in prayer sit long so i can walk strong and and then i surrender to him i give him my yes so i can effectively say no and then i realize i have a seed within me the godly nature in me that is holy and doesn't sin but i've got to grow it i can win now through christ and then lastly he's given us a sword ephesians 6 10 the sword of the spirit which is the word of god and david said in psalm 119 and verse 11 through 13 it says your word have i hidden in my heart so i won't sin against you in the example that jesus gave to us in the midst of his trial there were temptations that were going on recorded in matthew 4 he what did he do with the word of god it is written it is written it is written so now i say i'm going to select a specific scripture that's going to help me in that specific sin that can so easily ensnare me i'm going to rely upon him now let's stand together can we everyone here in the sanctuary those of you in the overflow room extended sanctuary as well as at home be so kind just to stand up and say now just close your eyes and in your heart be able to say lord in the midst of the trials that i'm dealing with i know i'm gonna get tempted but you've provided a way of escape yes you have and that is first and foremost please with you just your eyes closed i want you to hear this just let it be refreshed in your heart he's given to you god the holy spirit he's right there with you he's given you the beautiful avenue of prayer so that you won't enter into temptation he invites you to completely surrender give him the yes and he'll help you to say no he's put in you as a believer the seed the godly nature that doesn't sin and you need to allow it to grow stronger and stronger and he's given and placed into your hand the sword of the spirit the word of god so you too like jesus in the midst of temptation can say it is written i don't know what you battle with but there's a particular scripture that you can select to say this is the scripture that meets this particular temptation maybe for you if you're listening you've never received christ i want you to pray this prayer jesus i invite you to come into my heart to be my savior the forgiver of my sins and to be the lord the ultimate leader of my life i want the seed of the father to come into me now the godly nature so i can live in obedience to you all the days of my life i receive your forgiveness your freedom and now a path of becoming strong in you lord we praise you god [Music] because he picked me up [Music] because he healed [Music] one more time because you [Music] because [Music] i thank the savior [Music] oh i thank god for the way of escape i thank god that's lifted one last time today because you pick me up you turn me around you place my feet on [Music] silence [Music] [Applause] [Music] i [Music] amen do you thank god today do you thank him today [Music] this is a life-changing message therefore there is no condemnation to those who are in christ jesus and we can focus on being his hands and his feet as we bring to him all of those temptations that god might lead us for his kingdom amen just always want to encourage you to remain faithful in your tithe and your offering as you're giving unto the lord you're not giving unto a church unto people but you're giving unto the lord and that is holy and that is sacred and god is using it for his glory to reach people to make disciples amen so you can give here right at the church as you exit into in our lobby areas or you can give online through our app or going right to the website but it has been good to be in the house of the lord together amen it's been good to be online together worshiping with you and right now you have the opportunity to receive prayer there will be altar workers that will come to the front of the sanctuary they're in the overflow room or even online there will be an email address that will come up that you can send your prayer requests to and we will pray with you the pastors and the leaders will pray over those needs so right at the conclusion of the service please come avail yourself to prayer and let's pray together now may the lord bless you and keep you may the lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you and may the lord lift up his face to you and give you peace amen god bless you let's leave this place united in the lord praise god [Music] you

Channel: Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle

Views: 1,213

Rating: 4.6666665 out of 5

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Id: 9ONNJJFXqnc

Length: 74min 40sec (4480 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 11 2021