Strongholds

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Strongholds

 

 

Sunday 06/11/17 

Series: Doers of the Word

Message – Strongholds

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Strongholds

  • Doer
  • Kingdom of God
  • Christ in you
  • Bearing fruit
  • Heart soil
  • Warfare

…these are all essentially different ways of representing the same thing in the Christian life!

 

James 2:14-18 – Being a doer is just being honest and true to who you are.

When a Christian lives a Christ centered life, they are doing nothing but being honest with themselves. Once we belong to Him, the seed of Christ remains in us and we cannot “produce” sin from our spirit any longer. Paul says it this way…

“If I sin, it is NO LONGER I who does it but the sin that resides IN ME, because IN ME – THAT IS IN MY FLESH, nothing good dwells. For to want to do right is true of me in my every moment, but how to actually DO that which is good I find not.” (Paraphrased) ~ Rom. 7:17,18

So Paul is saying that if a Christian sins, it is no longer being produced like fruit from our spirit. That potential died when we came to Christ. If we would awake to our spiritual nature of right standing with God and NOT believe the lies of the enemy that sin is “normal and natural” for the Christian because it is our nature, then we would walk habitually in the Spirit and not give into frequent acts of sins. (Rom. 8:9-11)

“Awake unto Righteousness and sin not.” ~ 1Cor. 15:34

 

Summery statements from the past few weeks:

  • Heart soils are Life potentials.
  • The living of your faith so NEVER exceed your soul type.
  • We will either be captive to our fleshly cravings and desires or our minds will be held captive to Christ.

 

Let me ask you a question…

Did you prepare your heart for hearing the word this morning? If not, do not be surprised if you walk away from this teaching with nothing. The weeds and distractions of your heart which you brought with you WILL choke out the word and nullify it’s effect in your life.

Pulling down Strongholds

2Cor. 10:3-5,

“(3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  (4)  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,  (5)  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

 

Guard your heart with all diligence…. Out of it NOT FROM it.

  • You are not a source!
  • You will never be a vine…weakness is NOT bad.
  • Weakness has gotten a bad wrap.
  • I was designed to be the kite to His wind.
  • He said… When He made us… It is good… so my lack of ability cannot be bad.
  • Our “branchness” is not a result of the fall… It is part of our design!!!! IT IS Good that we need Him.

 

Eph. 6:10-14,

“(10) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  (11)  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  (12)  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  (13)  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  (14)  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,”

 

“Stand” means to be constant and firm in your faith and duty. Perserverance!

  • We are in warfare
  • Our weapons are not of the flesh
  • We are not fighting people
  • We ARE fighting against the sin and death in OUR flesh
  • We are fighting against demons
  • Our enemy’s weapons are arguments against our trust in Christ
  • Our weapons are God inspired, spiritual weapons OF trust in Christ
  • The battlefield is in our soul (mind, will and emotions)
  • We obtain victory through surrender (heart-obedience) to Christ

Sin and death is in the flesh – Romans 7:17-18, 20, 23

 

The heart is to the tongue what the tongue is to the Life.

 

Romans 12:2,3

Rom. 12:2-3,

“(2) Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. (3) For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.”

The word “conformed” means to be fashioned and molded into an outward pattern.

The word “transformed” is metamorphoo and means to literally become transfigured, to change one’s form and condition.

 

Strongholds are fortifications, fortresses and are used metaphorically of any arguments in which one trusts.

An argument may not take the form of an oral debate in one’s mind, it may simply be an inner struggle of the will, the emotions or a mental battle of giving into a besetting sin. When we have established any pattern of running to this sin often enough it becomes a STRONGHOLD.

 

Our besetting (strongholds) sin is building another kingdom. Were saying “I can trust this” You… not so much!

 

Feeling like a Christian becomes more important than BEING a Christian. I am side stepping my responsibility to the Kingdom in me, because putting take overs the blinking light on the dashboard is easier and makes me feel better than dependence upon Christ.

 

If Jesus Christ can’t calm and settle the souls of His people He isn’t much of a God….but He Is able!

 

In fact, ironically, we begin to treat our sins as strongholds of safety rather than prisons of sin and death.

 

Isa 26:1-4,

“(1) In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks.  (2)  Open the gates, That the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in.  (3)  You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.  (4)  Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.”

 

We will pick up here next week…Blessings! 

 

I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

You have a special place in God’s family & kingdom. If you do not know Him, please use our ‘Contact Us‘ page and reach out so we may have the privilege of introducing you to the Lord. Neither money nor attendance at our church will be mentioned.

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Blessings!

 

Pastor Mark

View posts by Pastor Mark

Hi my name is Mark and though I am opposed to titles, I am currently the only Pastor (shepherd/elder) serving our assembly right now.

I have been Pastoring in one capacity or another for nearly 30 years now, though never quite like I am today.

Early in 2009 the Lord revealed to me that the way we had structured our assembly (church) was not scriptural in that it was out of sync with what Paul modeled for us in the New Testament. In truth, I (like many pastors I am sure) never even gave this fundamental issue of church structure the first thought. I had always assumed that church structure was largely the same everywhere and had been so from the beginning. While I knew Paul had some very stringent things to say about the local assembly of believers, the point of our gatherings together and who may or may not lead, I never even considered studying these issues but assumed we were all pretty much doing it right...safety in numbers right?! Boy, I couldn't have been more wrong!

So needless to say, my discovery that we had been doing it wrong for nearly two decades was a bit of a shock to me! Now, this "revelation" did not come about all at once but over the course of a few weeks. We were a traditional single pastor led congregation. It was a top-bottom model of ministry which is in part biblical, but not in the form of a monarchy.

The needed change did not come into focus until following 9 very intense months of study and discussions with those who were leaders in our church at the time.

We now understand and believe that the Bible teaches co-leadership with equal authority in each local assembly. Having multiple shepherds with God's heart and equal authority protects both Shepherds and sheep. Equal accountability keeps authority and doctrine in check. Multiple shepherds also provide teaching with various styles and giftings with leadership skills which are both different and complementary.

For a while we had two co-pastors (elders) (myself and one other man) who led the church with equal authority, but different giftings. We both taught in our own ways and styles, and our leadership skills were quite different, but complimentary. We were in complete submission to each other and worked side-by-side in the labor of shepherding the flock.

Our other Pastor has since moved on to other ministry which has left us with just myself. While we currently only have one Pastor/Elder, it is our desire that God, in His faithfulness and timing, may bring us more as we grow in maturity and even in numbers.

As to my home, I have been married since 1995 to my wonderful wife Terissa Woodson who is my closest friend and most trusted ally.

As far as my education goes, I grew up in a Christian home, but questioned everything I was ever taught.

I graduated from Bible college in 1990 and continued to question everything I was ever taught (I do not mention my college in order to avoid being labeled).

Perhaps my greatest preparation for ministry has been life and ministry itself. To quote an author I have come to enjoy namely Fredrick Buechner in his writing entitled, Now and Then, "If God speaks to us at all other than through such official channels as the Bible and the church, then I think that He speaks to us largely through what happens to us...if we keep our hearts open as well as our ears, if we listen with patience and hope, if we remember at all deeply and honestly, then I think we come to recognize beyond all doubt, that, however faintly we may hear Him, He is indeed speaking to us, and that, however little we may understand of it, His word to each of us is both recoverable and precious beyond telling." ~ Fredrick Buechner

Well that is about all there is of interest to tell you about me.

I hope our ministry here is a blessing to you and your family. I also hope that it is only a supplement to a local church where you are committed to other believers in a community of grace.

~God Bless!