07-29-12 AM - Se7en Series: Greed

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Acts 20:35b It is more blessed to give than to receive.”                                        
1. Generous with my time.

And every day God has given you 86,400 seconds, 1,440 minutes, or 24 hours in the day.            

“God, what’s the best use of my time right now.”
Luke 10, the Good Samaritan.
1. Priest.
2. Levite
3. Samaritan
Jesus asks, “Which of these should you be like?”
“Go and do likewise.”

Your time is your life,

I Corinthians 15:58, “So my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever wasted.”


2. Generous with my talents.

“I have invested $5million in you.  You don’t have a choice but to use what I have given you to make a difference in the world.”

Look at your abilities, look at your personality, your health your strength, your analytical insights that you have.

Ephesians 2:10 “God has made us what we are, in Christ Jesus, to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.”
ICor. 12:7 “A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.                              

3. Generous with my treasure.

Being generous with money is the only antidote to materialism and greed.

Matthew 23:23 NLT “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

The tithe means the first tenth of what you earn.   10%    

1. consistent.
2. proportional.
3. sacrificial.
The goal in generous giving is to invest our treasure in something that is going to outlast us.

Matthew 6:19-21 He said, “Don’t store up treasures here on earth where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty and where thieves break in and steal.  Instead, store your treasures in Heaven.”

4. Generous with my testimony.

Acts 26:16, “I have appeared to you to appoint you as My servant and My witness.  You are to tell the world about this experience.”

-What was my life like before I became a Christian?
-And then what difference did it make?

Being ready, to give your treasure, your testimony or use your talents and pray—“God, what is the best use of my time, right now?”

Philemon 1:6 “You were generous because of your faith.  And I am praying that you will really put your generosity to work for in so doing, you will come to an understanding of all of the good things that we can do for Christ.”

07-22-12 PM - Clean Inside & Out

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1 John 3:18-24  18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Do we have a clean heart?
1. We Obtain a Clean Heart by Loving in Word and Deed.

18-19  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in  truth. 19And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.    

2. We Obtain a Clean Heart by God’s knowledge.

20-21 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

God not only knows our hearts, He knows all things.                                

Jeremiah 2:22 For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.

God knows how to assure our hearts and how to give us confidence in Him.                                                                                                                    

John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.                                                                                                                        

Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

3. We Obtain a Clean Heart by Keeping the Commandments.

22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.                                                            

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.                                            

4. We Obtain a Clean Heart by Keeping the Supreme Commandment.

23 And this is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.                                    

The first- We must believe on the name of God’s Son Jesus Christ.

The second- we must love all others.                  

5. We Obtain a Clean Heart by His Spirit Dwelling in us.

24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.                                                                                                                    

Rom. 8:16-17 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

2 Cor. 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Acts 1:8 2:4; 38 4:31 8:15-17; 10:44 19:2

07-22-12 AM - Se7en Series: Anger

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Matthew 5:21 “You have heard that the Law of Moses says do not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment”.  22 “But I say if you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment”. “If you call someone an idiot you are in danger of being brought before the high counsel, and if you curse someone you are in danger of the fires of hell”.                                                                                               

Anger leads to more destructive sins;- like murder.                      

Unresolved anger in our life is a spiritual issue that will destroy us from the inside out.                                                                              

The philosopher Seneca wrote, “anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured”.                                                                                      

Aristotle wrote, “Anyone can become angry, that’s easy, but to be angry with the right person to the right degree at the right time for the right purpose and in the right way, that is not easy”.                                                                                                            

FIVE BAD RESPONSES TO ANGER:

1. I can satisfy it.

2. I don’t get mad, I get even.                                                       I

Romans 12:19 “Do not take vengeance my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath for it is written vengeance is mine, I will repay says the Lord”.

3. I can express it.

Proverbs 15:18 “Hot tempers start fights; a calm cool spirit keeps the peace”.

4. I can displace it.                                                                            

Ecclesiastes 7:9 “Do not be eager in your heart to be angry, for anger is the friend of fools”.                                                                    

5. I can repress or suppress it.

Repress -hold it inside.

Suppressing -pretend it’s not there.                                                      

Ephesians 4:26-27 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

Matthew 11:28.  “And Jesus said, come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest”.                

Four steps to turning our anger over to God.                                          

#1: Identify what triggers my anger.                                                        

#2 Pray and ask God to help us control anger in the area of ______.                                                                                                      

Proverbs 19:11 “People with good sense restrain their anger”,          

 “When you’re angry count to 10, when you’re very angry count to 100, and if you’re still angry keep on counting”.                                                                                                      

Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath but harsh words stir up anger”.

“God, I’m getting angry right now, help me to control my anger”

“God, help me to remain calm”,

“God, help me not to say something foolish”.

#3. Practice the discipline of silence.                                                      

Proverbs 4:29 “Those who control their anger have great understanding; those with a hasty temper will make mistakes”.   .

#4 - Leave the vengeance to God and respond with love.    

Romans 12:17a-21 Do not repay anyone evil for evil…If it is possible as far as it depends on you live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath for it is written it is mine to avenge, I will repay says the Lord. 20On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head”. 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.                                                                                                            

#5 Repair the damage already caused by anger.                          

Matthew 25:23-26.  “so, if you’re standing before the altar in the temple offering a sacrifice to God and suddenly you remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there beside the altar, go and be reconciled to that person, then come back and offer your sacrifice to God”.                                                                                                    
“then, come to terms quickly with your enemy before it is too late and you are dragged into court, handed over to an officer, and thrown into jail.  I assure you that you won’t be free again until you have paid the last penny”.

“We’re not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God”

07-15-12 PM - Marked by Love

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1 John 3:10-17 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

1. You have experienced God’s love.

2. Have you turned from your sin?

3. Does love mark our lives?

1. Love reveals our true nature

(10) In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.  
John is saying that righteousness is defined by love.

Love is righteous deeds in action.

2. Love has always been the message
 (11) For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.                                                  

3. Love goes against the world

(12-13) Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

Matt. 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.                

John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

4. Love gives life not death

(14) We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death

-A person who has not partaken of Christ is spiritually dead.
 John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

-A person who waists his life in riotous living is spiritually dead.
Lk. 15:32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.                                                  

–A person who lives in sin is said to be spiritually dead.
 Eph. 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

- A person who is alienated from God is said to be spiritually dead.
Eph. 4:18-19 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

–A person who sleeps in sin is spiritually dead.
Eph. 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.                                                                                                      

– A person who lives for pleasure is dead while he lives.
1Tim. 5:6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.                                    

– A person who does religious works is dead.
Rev. 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

5. Love cannot hate
(15) Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.                                                                                          

Matthew 5:21-22 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

“Love is the only security against hate. And as everyone who does not love is potentially a hater, so every hater is potentially a murderer. A murderer is a hater that has expressed his feelings in the most emphatic way. But the tempter of the two is the same.”

1John 2:9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

6. Love reciprocates Christ’s love
(16) Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.                                                            

John 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

7. Loves expresses compassion
(17) But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

 “Worlds Goods” -  necessities of life, livelihood, or the means to sustain life.

Acts 20:35b … It is more blessed to give than to receive.                                                                      

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07-15-12 AM - Se7en Series - Gluttony

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Galatians 5:22.   “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.”

Gluttony is an inordinate desire to consume more than one requires.

Pope Gregory—unless we first tame the enemy dwelling within us, namely our gluttonous appetite, we have not even stood up to engage in spiritual combat.                    

1. I must find and admit my areas of gluttony.

“The Big 8” - eight areas where we can fall into gluttony.
Food
Shopping
Pornography
Environmental resources
Drinking
Smoking
entertainment or idle activity.

1. Admit it.

Psalm 32:5 “Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity.  I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and You forgave the guilt of my sins.”

2. Ask for God’s wisdom.

Luke 22:19 “Then He (Jesus) took a loaf of bread and when He had thanked God for it,  He broke it in pieces and He gave it to the disciples saying, this is My body given for you, do this in remembrance of Me.”

Sonya Thomas holds the record for eating over five pounds of beef in less than 10 minutes, and she only weighs 105 pounds.

Proverbs 28:7 “Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son.  But the companion of a glutton shames his father.”

3. Set the boundaries of your “enough zone”.                                  

Proverbs 23:20-21 “Do not carouse with drunkards or feast with gluttons, 21 for they are on their way to poverty, and too much sleep clothes them in rags.”                            

A predetermined limit to control consumption.


4. Take the fasting challenge.

Matthew 6:16-18, “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

I Corinthians 10:31 “Whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, you must do it all to the glory of God.”

Gluttony is trying to fill a spiritual vacuum with a physical remedy.

07-01-12 AM - Se7en Series - Envy

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Hebrew 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress and let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.”

Sin is anything that keeps us from being what God created us to be.

Envy is the desire for other’s traits, status, abilities or situations.

1. It’s one of the Ten Commandments.  “Thou shalt not covet.”
2. It’s the one sin on the list that has no pleasure in it whatsoever. All of the other sins can be enjoyed for a moment, or a temporary period of time.

Anger.  Ever felt the relief from just riding out your anger on somebody?
Greed, entices us with visions of expensive vacations and fast cars.
Sloth, who doesn’t enjoy sleeping in?  Putting things off till tomorrow.
Lust,  I don’t even have to explain why lust is enjoyable for a season.

Matthew 20, Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard.

1.“For the kingdom of Heaven is like the owner of an estate.”  And the owner of the estate in this parable represents God.  So it says, “The Kingdom is like the owner of an estate who went out early one morning (6am) to hire workers for his vineyard.”  “He agreed to pay the normal daily wage, and sent them out to work.  At 9 o’clock in the morning, he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing, so he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. At noon and again around 3 o’clock, he did the same thing. At 5 o’clock that evening, he went to town again and saw more people standing around.  He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’ And they replied, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
So the owner of the estate told them to go on out and join the others in my vineyard.  That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in to pay them beginning with the last workers first.  When those hired at 5 o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage.”

“When those hired earlier came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more, but they, too, were paid a day’s wage.  When they received their pay, they protested.  ‘Those people only worked one hour and yet you paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’  He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair.  Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage?  Take it and go.  I wanted to pay the last workers the same as you.  Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money?
Should you be angry because I am kind?”.

                                  Five Negative Traits of Envy.
1. Envy robs me of happiness.                                                                        

Proverbs 14:30 “A relaxed attitude lengthens life, jealousy rots it away.”

Envy causes stress, depression, and high blood pressure.

2. Next, envy causes conflict in my life.

James 4:2 “You want what you don’t have so you scheme and kill to get it.”

3. Envy makes me a resentful person. Envy is the art of counting the other fellow's blessings instead of your own. Harold Coffin

Titus 3:3 Our lives are full of resentment and envy.  We hated others and they hated us.

4. It leads to other sins.
Cain was envious of his brother, Abel, and it led him to murder.
Jacob was jealous of his brother, Esau, and it led him to betray him and steal his birthright from him.
Joseph’s brothers were jealous so they sold him into slavery and they lied.
King Saul was jealous of young, David, and spent a portion of his life consumed with anger in trying to kill him.
Jesus’ disciples were envious of each other, and that envy turned friends into adversaries and they were fighting over Jesus’ attention.
James 3:16 “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and evil practice.”                                                                                              

5. Envy distracts me from God’s purpose for my life.                                      

Psalm 37:8 “Do not envy others.  It only leads to harm.”

Let’s look at three steps to overcome envy.
1. Stop comparing myself to others.

Galatians 6:4 “Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy personal satisfaction of having done your work well.  Then you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.”

2. I have to start being thankful for who I am and what I have.                  

Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

3. Show kindness to the person I envy. Tough one

Galatians,5:19-21 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,  20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

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

Godly actions precede Godly feelings.