I don't know if you realize this or not, but each and every one of you is important in this church and in God's Kingdom!
As we continue with the series Understanding The Authority of God, Part 11
Today, I'll be speaking about The battle between Faith and Logic..
Heavenly Father,
We are gathered to worship and serve You.
And to give thanks to You for all that You have already done in our lives.
We thank You for counting each of us worthy to serve You and know You as the only true God.
Lord, accept our worship, thanks and praises in Jesus’ name.
Today is the day that You have made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Father,
As we continue with this service, open our hearts and minds to Your truth!
Fill us with Your unlimited joy and refresh our spirits.
Let everyone see Your glory and power through us.
Amen.
"And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”
Mark 2:6-11
“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool."
Isaiah 1:18
I am aware that the Lord said to come… There is a place for reason.
Figuring out how to submit to God!
SO WE ARE CAREFUL TODAY TO TALK ONLY ABOUT THE EXTREMES OF HUMAN REASONING.
Rebellion is such a difficult thing, it is quite complex and often hidden.
It often masquerades itself
LET’S GET PRACTICAL FOR A MOMENT:
Remember, you must find a person in which to submit.
Only practical application of this subject can hope to deliver us from rebellion.
So how does a man or woman manifest inner rebellion?
And later by his actions, but it always starts out in our words.
Walk in Love
NOTE: That among the other sins, are sins of the mouth!
"Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:34-37
Some of you probably aren't going to like this but..
IF YOU SAY NOTHING OR SAY VERY LITTLE, YOU CONDONE & FELLOWSHIP THE SPIRIT OF IT.
Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence!
IT IS ONE THING TO BATTLE JUNK IN YOUR OWN MIND, but once spoken, it is revealed!
Since AUTHORITY is chiefly the theme of the BIBLE…
Then rebellious words are of a grave nature.
"and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord."
Depravity of False Teachers
But these, like
natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the
things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own
corruption."
2 Peter 2:10-12
One of the chief threats to church unity is slander or rebellious words.
"Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
Heavenly Versus Demonic Wisdom
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom."James 3:10-13
DON'T JUST TALK THE TALK --- WALK THE WALK!!!
The world operates on human understanding and reasoning.
We as believers are called to be different from the world!
THE BIGGEST THING THAT KEEPS SO MANY PEOPLE FROM LIBERATING TRUTH
IS THAT THEY WALK BY REASON AND NOT BY FAITH & OBEDIENCE!
"It's the if I refuse to believe it or I can’t understand it, it must not be true? Right?" Mentality!
Moses was so effective because he walked above reason in the realm of FAITH.
"For we walk by faith, not by sight.."
2 Corinthians 5:7
THE TEST:
When God’s Command comes to us…
Do we stop to consider if there is a good reason why before we do it?
I am not saying we shouldn't verify the source of the command, making sure it is God.
Look, here's the bottom line...
In the book of Leviticus, every time God ordered something, He said… “I am the Lord your God”
IN OTHER WORDS, there is your reason!
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 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, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
Paul shows us that in reality, we like to build strongholds of reason around our thoughts.
Every high thing = barriers
The tendency to lean on our own reason goes back to the Garden…
Satan liked to play the reason game until snaring us.
Satan reasoned with Eve, she reasoned back and was snared.
BOLD obedience would have protected her!
Reason tends to set snares that thoughts fall into: PRECONCEIVED IDEAS
Therefore, reason is not the answer to reason, the answer is in the power of the Gifts of the Spirit!
"And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."
2 Timothy 2:24-26
Most walk through the thinking process fortified with reasoning.
But there comes a day when God smashes through all that and gets to our mind & will!
Full deliverance is when your mind has been given over to the order love of the Father…
and His word!
"Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
The Humbled and Exalted Christ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 2:4-5
To overcome reason is to break the enemies power over our mind!
But it doesn't end there, the next step is to enjoy Christ taking captivity of our thoughts!
When that happens we become less opinionated and more submitted to the simplicity of Christ’s logic.
“I used to have a lot of reasons to back up a lot of thoughts… but I have been taken captive.”
But after his encounter with Jesus: He lost everything… every will to reason the old way.
Don’t make the mistake of being struck down and still not submit to God’s will..
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions” Uzziah steadies the ark - Nadab & Abihu offered And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”
GOD IS READY AND ABLE TO AVENGE ALL DISOBEDIENCE - WHENEVER WE ARE READY TO BE CAPTURED!
And now for the blessing...
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
Brian Monzon Ministries