Reminder of some past ministry:
Spiritual Laws – Cooperate with them
Graces – Receive, discover, and labor in them
Promises – Possess them
Commandments – Do them
Authority – Exercise it
Callings – Answer them
Gifts of the Spirit – Flow In them
The Believer’s Arsenal - a collection or supply of weapons or munitions.
The Name
The Word
The Anointing of the Holy Spirit
The Gifts of the Spirit
The Fruit of the Spirit (secret weapons)
Let’s remember…We do not wrestle against flesh and blood
Our power is in the realm of the spirit
Main text: 1 Cor. 3:3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (NKJV)
The phrase: “Behaving like mere men”
Is an attention getter
It makes a distinction between two different types of human
The natural fleshly person and the supernatural spirit person
A few other translations:
1 Cor. 3:3…and in the manner of men do walk? (YNG)
1Cor. 3:3…behaving yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men? (AMP)
1 Cor. 3:3…are you not influenced by the flesh and behaving like unregenerate people? (NET)
1 Cor. 3:3…Aren’t you living like people of the world? (NLT)
There’s a supernatural walk: And then there is a natural walk
Today: Supernatural > Natural
We’ll be looking at:
Whatever we Feed Takes the Lead
God’s Help to Live in the Supernatural
Cooperating with God
One: Whatever We Feed Takes the Lead
Referring back to the scriptures: we can
Either live in the manner of men - or yield to the nature of God
Either model human standards - or model God’s Standards
Either act like unregenerate people - Or act people alive in Christ
Either live like people of this world - or like the people of God
It’s set BEFORE US for OUR CHOOSING
We don’t have to stay the same after we are saved:
The natural man thinks one way – the supernatural man thinks another way
The natural man talks one way – the supernatural man talks another way
The natural man behaves one way – the supernatural man behaves another way
STORY: Body building - (when I was 17 years old)
I was warned not to get big muscles
Because when I was an older man my muscles would turn to fat
They are 2 different kinds of cells
Fat cells and muscle cells
They both grow and shrink depending on how they are tended to
We have a choice:
We have two components
The flesh and the spirit
Whichever one we feed will grow
Whichever we starve will become less
Rom. 13:14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (ESV)
Provision: the providing or supplying of something
Do not feed your flesh… Do not provide stuff that will keep it alive/active/or stirred up.
“To gratify it’s desires” - NOTE: the flesh has desires and it wants gratified
We have a part: We feed the Spirit and starve the flesh.
STORY: One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is evil, which is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good, which is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith”. The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
STORY: 30 years ago a fruitful minister friend - Decided to take a 2-week vacation - He didn’t read his bible for those 2 weeks - We saw him after his vacation - He said it was a challenge getting back into the Word of God
QUOTE: “I fed the flesh for 2-weeks and my flesh liked it” “I had make a quality decision to get back into God’s Word”
The supernatural man is fuelled by God’s Word and His Holy Spirit
STORY: Compare: My father and Patsy
My father liked to argued with sales people and those he did business with
I would notice Patsy – go up to counters in stores or airports, make phone calls and talk politely to people – use the word please and thank you
I noticed she almost 100% of the time was serviced and received exactly what she needed – great favour
Prov. 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (ESV)
Patsy acted like a new creation and was always blessed with good service
My father acted like a natural mere man and had to argue and fight for better service
The strongest person isn’t always the loudest person
The strongest person isn’t always the best disputer
Two: God’s Help to Live in the Supernatural
One thing He does: He gives people assignments to help us:
Col. 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. (ESV)
Paul knew this man prayed for the believes - it must have been talked about
I have met believers who feel called to pray for fellow believers
It was explained more thoroughly by Paul:
Col. 1:27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Col. 1:28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
Paul had an assignment - to present everyone mature in Christ
God PUT that IN Paul
Paul couldn’t escape it
Col. 1:29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (ESV)
This is an amazing verse:
Because it has a few Greek words that have to do with God’s power
Paul said he was working - (toil)
Struggling with God’s energy - (Energy - in the N.T. used only of superhuman power, whether of God or of the devil)
That energy THAT GOD POWERFULLY (dunamis) works in me
Paul was labouring with SUPERNATURAL power to do his mission:
Get people saved
Get them matured
He WASN’T doing it in his own strength
Paul had understanding that Christ by the Holy Spirit was IN every person who called Him Lord:
He wanted to help those people grow
He couldn’t escape what was working on the inside
Trick Question: Should Paul have taught and prayed that these Christians would be more dedicated?
Here is what Paul did:
Eph. 1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
Eph. 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,
Eph. 1:18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, (ESV)
ANSWER to TRICK Question: Paul prayed for greater revelation because revelation fuels consecration, dedication, behaviour
Another thing He has done: He imparted His Word and Spirit into us
2 Cor. 3:3 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. (ESV)
God has people praying for us - He has ministry gifts
He also has put THINGS IN US
Three: Cooperating with God
When thinking about cooperating with God: it means He has His part and we have our part:
Eph. 3:20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
2 Tim. 1:14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard ithe good deposit entrusted to you.
James 4:5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
2 John 2 because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:
Here we see something we do:
Phil. 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, (ESV)
When we were saved he imparted a lot of stuff into us
God does His part by imparting every good thing into us
Why allow all that we have lay dormant?
We are to work out the stuff on the inside
Supernatural starts on the inside and shows up on the outside
James 1:21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. (ESV)
Put away all filthiness and…receive with...
Have hands laid on us?
Have someone pray for us?
Get a prophecy about spiritual growth?
Have someone motivate us? No
When it comes to growing and maturing:
There isn’t a short cut
It’s humbly receiving God’s Word
And doing His Word
Notice what happens - when we receive:
Our souls get saved
The first thing that gets saved is our spirit:
We become supernatural on the inside the second we are born-again!
But our minds or souls need renewed
We COOPERATE with God - to renew our minds
Let’s break this verse down:
Put aside ungodly activities
Why is that necessary?
As long as anyone is dabbling in ungodly activities they won’t give themselves to God and His Word
“AND” receive with meekness the implanted word:
The Word planted in us is what will save our souls
Even though it’s planted in us – we are told to receive it
With meekness – that is being teachable
Not saying “I heard that already…I know that…”
A saved soul means we think like God and thinking like God changes us
CLOSE: I would like to give 3 invitations this morning - 1st - if you have not yet received Jesus as your saviour - 2nd - if you are a believer but you realise you need to set aside wrong behaviour and receive the implanted Word - and 3rd - if you would like to be filled with the Holy Spirit