Living By The Spirit – Part 3

Joke: A guy is at the pearly gates, waiting to be admitted, while St. Peter is leafing through the big book to see if the guy is worthy of entering.
Saint Peter goes through the book several times, furrows his brow, and says to the guy, “You know, I can’t see that you did anything really good in life, but you never did anything really bad either. Tell you what, if you can tell me one really good deed that you did in your life, you’re in.”
The guy think for a moment and says, “Well, there was the time when I was driving down the highway and I saw a group of biker guys gathered around this poor girl. I slowed down my car to see what was going on, and sure enough, there were about 20 of ‘em tormenting this poor girl.”

“Infuriated, I got out of my car, grabbed a tire iron out of my trunk, and walked straight up to the leader of the gang, a huge guy with a studded leather jacket and a chain running from his nose to his ear. As I walked up to the leader, the gang formed a circle around me. So, I ripped the leaders chain off his face and smashed him over the head with the tire iron.
Then I turned around and yelled to the rest of them, “Leave this poor, innocent girl alone! You’re all a bunch of deranged animals! Go home beforeI teach all of you a lesson in pain.”
Saint Peter, somewhat impressed says, “Really? When did this happen?”
“Oh, says the guy, about two minutes ago.”
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Last week we looked at the temptations in the desert.

Let me spend a very brief moment reminding you of what I talked about last week.

I mentioned that you don’t live by some of the words of God; you live by every word of God.

And God is always speaking, he is always revealing revelation. But it is for us to seek it out.

I also talked about when Jesus answered Satan’s temptations in the wilderness He always used the Word of God. IT IS WRITTEN. That is why it is so important that we read and meditate and know this Word.

I mentioned that Satan will question in your desert, what God told you at the river. At the river Jesus heard, this is my beloved Son. In the desert he was asked IF YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD!

And I believe one of the very first things Satan wants to challenge you with is your identity.

The way that we see our self, the way that we understand who we are in Christ the greater authority you will work in.

Don’t settle for an identity that is less than what God has called you too.

OK now for the message for today:

I want to start this part of the series and this is the first part of Keeping the Spirit King.

There is a divine order that God has set up in which we are to live. And that order is the Spirit is supposed to be King, the Soul is supposed to be servant, the soul is your mind will and emotions, and then the body is supposed to be slave.

The problem is, however, the soul constantly wants to dethrone the Spirit. Our soul wants to be in charge.

Before we came to know Christ our Spirit wasn’t even alive. So if you were 16 years old like I was before I ever came to know Christ that means for 16 years I lived with a dead spirit. And for 16 years I lived with my soul in charge. My soul was king of my life. I did what my mind, will, and emotions told me to do.

That’s why in school I walked into Mr. Wong’s history class (tell story) because my mind said that would be fun.

But when I came to know Christ at 16 my spirit came alive. But like most Christians I really didn’t have good teaching on not allowing my soul to govern my behavior and that I am supposed to keep it in subjection and let the spirit take control of my life.

There is a story about. . . “A young man and his commanding officer boarded the train heading for the mountains in Switzerland. And they could not find a place to sit except for two seats right across the aisle from a young woman and her grandmother. After while it was obvious that the young woman and the young soldier were interested in each other because they were giving each other those looks. Soon the train passed into a tunnel and it became pitch black. There was the sound of a smack of a kiss, followed by the sound of a smack of a slap. When the train emerged from the tunnel the four sat while not saying a word. Then grandmother is thinking to herself, it is very brace for the young soldier to kiss my granddaughter, but I’m so glad she slapped him. The commanding officer is sitting there thinking, I didn’t think the young marine was brave enough to kiss the girl, but I sure wish she didn’t miss him and slap me instead. The young woman was sitting there thinking, I’m glad the soldier kissed me, but I wish my grandma would not have slapped him. But the young marine sat there with a satisfied smile on his face and he thought to himself, life is good, when does a fellow have a chance to kiss a girl and slap his commanding officer at the same time.”

See the problem is church it is difficult to know exactly what’s happening in the dark, when there’s no light to give a proper perspective.
And when you don’t walk in the spirit and you’re in darkness things get all out of whack.

When your soul is in charge and doing what it wants to do, you are just tore up inside. There’s chaos and confusion, disturbance and on easiness. But when you learn to say soul get in line with the spirit. All of a sudden there is rest in your spirit. There’s a peace that comes inside of you, in fact Isaiah 26:3 says 3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

In other words if you don’t control your mind it will go off and you will be worrying left and right. But when you keep your mind right then everything is in control, but we have to keep our soul submitted to our spirit.

Let me explain something to you for a moment in order to really know what submission means you really need to break the word down. Submission means sub mission. You come under the mission.

A lot of times whenever you mention submission or submitting to people even in church a lot of times they start getting this ugly feeling inside of them they even get angry or upset sometimes.

Can I tell you submission is not a negative thing? In fact if you get those negative angry feelings when someone brings up submission to you, I can almost guarantee it is because you have had a bad experience with someone that had authority over you. It could have been a husband, father, boss; it could have been a pastor. But someone abused you took advantage of their authority and so now submission to you is an ugly word. Can I tell you submission is one of the most beautiful words there is? I love submission, I love being under authority, because I love the protection and covering that it brings. When I am submitted to my Heavenly Father it brings a covering of the Holy Spirit, a protection from Papa God and a peace that passes all understanding.

Let me share what submission is not, submission is not obedience. Every parent knows that you can make your kids obey, but they are not in submission. Obedience is an act, submission is a spirit.

Obedience is something you do outwardly, submission is an attitude of the heart. And many times we think that just because we obey we submit. NOT TRUE.

See that’s why we need to do things not just out of obedience, you need to make sure your hearts in it. See we need to do things from our heart, giving from the heart, helping from the heart. So obedience is not submission.

The other thing that submissions is not is agreement. In fact you don’t even know if you are a submissive person until you are in the position where you know 100 percent that you’re right. You know that you know that you know. There is not one ounce of doubt that you are right and your boss is wrong. Until you get to that place you don’t even know if you are a submitted person.

And can I tell you if your boss tells you and I’m not talking about sinful behavior, I’m just talking about decisions. If your boss or someone in authority tells you to do something and you know it is wrong don’t do it. But if it is not sinful and you have respectfully tried to show them how they are wrong behind closed doors. Remember praise in public correct in private. The best thing to do is do what they ask they are the ones that will get in trouble if it doesn’t go as expected. God is going to bless you because you were obedient and submissive.

Sorry, that was free, let me get back on track.

Listen our soul is not at rest when it is on the throne. Whenever things are in order there is blessing.

If we will learn to feed the spirit man, the only way that your spirit will remain king is if we learn how to keep it strong by feeding the spirit man and I’m going to take a couple of weeks some of which may even seem a little elementary. But we need to increase our understanding of even the elementary things.

Look with me at Galatians chapter 5 verse 16. 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.

The same terminology you find in Romans 7 and chapter 8. Romans 7 Paul talks about all the things he doesn’t want to do he does, but he says there is victory through Jesus and then in chapter 8 he talks about living by the spirit same concept.

So he goes on and says in verse 18 – 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

See that, we are not under the law. There’s a phrase that says: The law comes down on whom? The lawless. The law breaker.

In fact John 14:15 says John 14:15 (NIV) – 15 “If you love me, keep my commands.

I have always read that in a negative connotation. Until now.

Here’s how I have read it. I’m going to prove to you that I love you by keeping your commandments. That’s how I read it.

That’s not what Jesus is saying. He’s saying this if you love me, you’re going to automatically keep my commandments so don’t fret it.

We have to move beyond what does God expect of me, and move to the next level and say I’m just going to love Jesus and if I will love Jesus not only will I keep His commandments, I will actually go the extra mile. And I will begin to develop the spirit of David where God said of David in Acts chapter 13 verse 22: Here’s a man after my own heart, and it’s not because he’s a great worship guy. He’s a man after my own heart because he does everything I want him to do.

See His commands are those things that He spoke. His will is the desires of His heart.

And he wants us. . .listen to this church the joy of serving Him is not just in the level of keeping His commandments, the joy of serving Him is when you love Him so much. It’s getting to a place where I just want to please the heart of God and do everything He wants me to do.

That’s Living by the Spirit. That’s living on the law of love not letter of the law.

Now watch this but if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law the acts of the sinful man. Notice the word the acts of the sinful man.
In your Bible’s look down at verse 22 and 23 of Galatians 5. Galatians 5:22 (NIV) – 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22 (The Message) – 22–23 But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments,
There are acts of His commandments or the sinful law, but when you get in the spirit you are no longer acting. There is fruit that is coming from your life.

See acts are from the sinful man, but there is fruit when you walk according to the spirit.

The acts are obvious there is sinful immorality, impurity, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and alike I warn you as I did before, that those who live ( it doesn’t say those who stumble into it once or twice ) ( it’s not like you go into a fit of rage and you lost your inheritance ) No it’s those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Let me pause here for a moment and tell yo, this is important church, you cannot earn the Kingdom of God, if you are going to get the Kingdom of God there’s only one way to do it. And that is through inheritance, as a son or a daughter of God.

Galatians 5:22–23 (NIV) – 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Why don’t these things have the law, because they are above the law.

Galatians 5:24 (NIV) – 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

I want you to notice something it says in verse 24 we are to crucify the sinful nature look up at verse 16

Galatians 5:16 (NIV) – 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

You have two choices you will either crucify the sinful nature, or you will gratify the sinful nature.

And we learned a couple of weeks ago that you do not crucify it through the soul only the spirit will bring into submission the soul.
I want to share with you one way and there are a bunch of them, but one way that we keep the spirit man as king.

There is a story of two bull dogs’ one black one white, there are equal in every way. Each one is as strong as the other, they are equal in every way. If they were to fight one another who would win? It’s the one that you feed.

Can I tell you one of the reasons why our soul is so much stronger than our spirit is because we feed our soul a whole more than we feed our spirit.
And we need to learn how to feed our spirit man so that he can remain on the throne. Remember when you were kids and you would play king of the hill? You get up on top and everybody’s trying to knock you off.

Can I tell you that is what’s happening inside of you. The soul and the spirit is constantly fighting to be on top. And who you feed is who’s going to be in control.

And there are several ways and don’t let the elementary of it rob you because I promise you I am going to show you something you may have never seen before.

The first thing you can do to keep the spirit as king and this is the only point for today, is by feeding your spirit man with the Rhema Word of God.

Listen, Rhema Word not the logos there is a huge difference.

Rhema means the living Word of God the Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Not the written word.

Listen when you first got saved you probably got a speech something like this: OK when you get home you need to read your Bible, you have to pray, and you have to witness.

And listen I don’t disagree with any of that. But what I do want you to know is that I think it’s time for us to go beyond the elementary.

Can I tell you something you have got to do more than just read your Bible, because too many of us our reading our Bible listen to me carefully in such a way that we are not feeding our spirit in fact we are reading our Bible in such a way that we are actually feeding the soul of man. I’ve been told I need to do this so here I a, doing it.

If you sit down this week, and you go 7:30 time for me to read my Bible. I have to read this chapter, that chapter oh and this chapter. (show reading the chapter hum, hum, hum).

Tell story of Reinhard Bonnie (Chronicles).

Can I tell you something, you are not doing yourself any justice, because you did not leave room there for hearing the voice of God.

You memorize a Scripture, and you get haughty, you get arrogant, you get prideful, you become un-teachable, you become judgmental, you become self-righteous, because you know the Word.

Listen I don’t want you to just read your Bible I want you to allow the spirit to make the Word come alive, in your spirit.

Listen before you open your Bible to read next time think about John 14:26 which says: that the Holy Spirit will teach me. This book is a spiritual book, it is not like any other book written by man.

It is unique it is the only book written by God.

This is a spiritual book, and if you want to know what it says you have got to allow the Holy Spirit to teach you. If you want to know what the author meant go to the author.

You need to say Holy Spirit teach me, and so that way when I sit down to read I’m not concerned if I get 5 chapters done today. I’m into one thing I want to read until I hear the voice of God.

Look at Romans 12:1-2 look at it carefully.

Romans 12:1–2 (NIV) – Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

It does not say the strengthening of your mind. It says the renewing that means some things need to change.

In fact if you look up the word renovate in Webster’s dictionary because the Greek word used here is a word translated renovation. Webster’s says this: To renew; to restore to the first state, or to a good state, after decay, destruction or depravation

Before you came to know Christ your mind was depraved, it was decayed, and it was destroyed. And there has got to be a re-constructing and part of that is saying mind you are not in control I lean know longer to my own understanding, but mind I am renewing you, I’m re-programming you, you are no longer king, you must submit to the spirit because there are things that God will ask you to do that makes absolutely no sense.

And you must renew your mind, when you get saved your spirit comes alive, but your soul needs to be re-programmed. It needs to be renewed and part of that is saying you are no longer in charge.

That’s why it doesn’t say the strengthening of your mind, but rather the renewing. Because it needs the re-programmed, renovated, re-built. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Why because you will have the mind of God. We have the mind of Christ church did you know that?

Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 8. 1 Corinthians 8:1 (NIV) – Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up. . .

Church I’m telling you, hear me. I want you to know this book. But listen to me don’t get it in the natural, don’t become a Pharisee, don’t get haughty and proud because of how much of the Bible you can quote, or understand. The more you understand the more humble it ought to make you. The more you understand the more gracious you ought to be, the more you understand the more loving and compassionate you ought to be, the more you understand the less judgmental you ought to be.

Because you will recognize just how deep and wide His love is for you, how gracious He has been to you.

But knowledge alone puffs us up. But love builds up.

1 Corinthians 8:2 (NIV) – 2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.
1 Corinthians 8:2 (The Message) – but sometimes our humble hearts can help us more than our proud minds.
1 Corinthians 8:3 (NIV) – 3 But whoever loves God is known by God.

You can quote this book word for word inside and out, but it is not about head knowledge it is about the heart that has been transformed by the love of God.

Paul said it this way in 2 Corinthians 3 verse 6: 2 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV) -6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Look with me to one last passage John 5.

Church what I’m trying to tell you is that if we want to keep the spirit man strong don’t just read the Bible sit down be still get your mind and your soul into submission ask the Holy Spirit and I promise you that the Words you read will leap into your spirit and come alive.

Here in John 5 Jesus is speaking to the Pharisee’s they were the religious leaders of the day.

John 5:37-39 (NIV) – 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice (how would you like a pastor that has never heard God’s voice?) nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, (this is a group of guys that had the first five books of the Bible memorized word for word when they were just a child) for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. . .

Listen church you don’t possess life by studying this book right here not in the soul, not in your intellect, Jesus said you think, you study this thing all the time so that you can kill people with it.

They had 613 laws.

Make it say what you want to say for your benefit, ripping people to shreds, self-righteous He says you study it left and right because you think that this possesses eternal life.

These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Later on in John chapter 6 verse 63 Jesus said this:

63 The Spirit gives life;

Hear what I’m saying I don’t want to confuse you the logos the written word will do nothing but puff up your soul. The spirit gives life.

Please don’t miss understand me. I’m not saying don’t ever read this book. I’m not saying don’t memorize Scripture. I’m saying that if that is all you do and you don’t let the Word speak up to you it will not benefit you like it was meant to, it won’t change you without the Spirit revealing some things to you.

the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.

What we need is the Rhema Word the living Word that God speaks to us. What is God speaking right now. Those Words. . . they are full of Spirit and life.

Next week we will look into our prayer closets.