SERMON: 2/21 Pastor Mitch Falk

 Romans 4:21-22

Yet he did not waiver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised. This is why “it (his faith) was credited to him as righteousness. Abraham did not waiver through unbelief. He was fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised. Faith is not complicated – either you believe God has the power to do what he had promised or you don’t.

II Timothy 3:1-5

But mark this: There will be terrible time in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. It looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, swims like a duck, has the form of a duck – but is it really a duck? This verse is not addressed to the world or to the nations, but the church. I John 5:4&5 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Things in the world can be conquered through faith. Lack, sickness, and unemployment, can be conquered through faith – this is the victory. The bible says that, “the righteous shall live by faith”.

Romans 4:22-24

This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness. The words it was credited to him were written not only for him alone, but also for us, whom God will credit righteousness – for us who believe in him who raised Jesus out Lord from the dead. So what part of our being does faith or unbelief take place. In our mind – Joyce Meyer calls it the battlefield or the mind. You will either win or lose the good fight of faith in the place (the arena of your mind). The world’s educational system will educate you for success in the world – the Word of God will teach and instruct you in the kingdom of God.

I Peter 2:11

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul. (your mind, will, and emotions). Man is a spirit being with a soul and a body. You do not have a spirit, you are as spirit being made in the image of God. Your body will do whatever you tell it or want it to do. When the bible says flesh it is referring to a mindset regarding your body rather than the physical part of your being. To operate in the flesh means that you are operating in a way that is in opposition to the things of God. It is silly to say that we cannot control our flesh. If you gossip, your mind is telling your mouth to say things from your mind. To say that it just popped out of your mouth is not really accurate. You made it pop out of your mouth as you made a conscious choice to do so. Yes your physical body gets involved, but it is a result of a mindset – either fleshly or of the Spirit. We are told to walk in the Spirit means that we need to have a godly mindset instead of a fleshly mindset. Lust is an intense appetite which comes from a fleshly mindset. It is not your physical body that lusts after something – lust comes from our mind, will, and emotions. When we give into this lust of the flesh, we instantly begin to wage war in our minds. We know that we should not do it, but we give into it. This is why we are told to abstain from sinful desires. These wage war against you soul. A mind set is like a cruise control on you car – you will go the same speed until you decide to change it. Who or what is setting your mind. Your mindset will determine your life.

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles , un let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Many times we blame the God or the Devil. Who or what is setting your mind.

Sermon: February 28 Pastor Mitch Falk

Galatians 3:11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”
Last week we started this series on faith and increasing our faith.  
We learned that if we increase our faith we increase in our living.
We gained understanding in what Joyce Meyer’s has said for years that the battlefield is in the mind and that our “mindset” is important in living the victorious life in Christ Jesus.
We also talked about us being spirit beings that have a soul and a body.  The soul being our mind, will, and emotions and our body being your physical bodies.
We then differentiated between our physical bodies and the when the bible talks about our flesh it is different from our bodies.
Our flesh has to do with our thoughts regarding our body rather than our spirit.  Meaning we can walk by the flesh or we can walk by the spirit.
We cannot say that our physical body makes us do things we should not be doing, but the flesh can because of it being a mindset and our mind controls our body, not the other way around.
Remembering that the flesh are also worldly ways or those things the world does.
Our sermon text today then is a follows.

II Corinthians 10:3-3 KJV 

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (fleshly) but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; (in this case what strong holds?) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity ever thought to the obedience of Christ.
In this scripture we find that we are in a conflict.  But where is the conflict?  In the world, or in our thoughts and in our imaginations.
We know as Christians that we are engaged in a tremendous battle with the Devil and the forces of evil.
These forces of evil have one purpose and goal and that is to render the body of Christ powerless and helpless concerning the things of God.  They want to destroy us and make our witness ineffectual.
There is a battle going on – but this warfare has to do with mental activity.  In other words, the area that Satan is most likely to attack us in – is in our minds.
He will move to attack our mind first and then to our physical bodies.
If we allow Satan to control our thoughts, then he is able to control our faith and if he controls our faith – then he will control our lives.  This is why I referenced the scripture, that “the righteous will live by faith”.
In other words – Satan will attack our mind which controls our thoughts and imaginations.  If he can gain control, then our flesh will control our bodies instead of the Spirit of the Living God.
You physical body is the servant of your mind – which should be controlled by the spirit and not the flesh.

Verse 5 says, Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity ever thought to the obedience of Christ.
What is a reliable source for the knowledge of God?  The word.  If we don’t know what the word says then how do we keep our mind in check or in line with the Spirit of God?
Some believe that they can rely on the Spirit of God to keep their mind in check.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God.
This is where believers need to watch for deception.  It talks about every high thing.  
High things will appear to be very spiritual – wise – and knowledgeable.  When people talk about the “sovereign will of God” – for me to accept it I need to know what scriptures you are referring to.
You mindset is going to determine your life set.  I said last week, who or what is giving you your mindset.
Many things will affect our mind, our will, and our emotions.  
Circumstances will attempt to control your mindset.  The Devil is great at setting up circumstance in you life by controlling the minds of the people around you.  Don’t allow circumstances to affect your faith and what you a believing God for.
Television and what we watch on TV can control our mindset without know it.
The people that are in our lives and friends we surround ourselves with can affect our minds.  You had no thought of getting a new car until your friends did.
There is nothing wrong with getting a new car.  
Remember this.  Satan is very good at deception.  He will add just the right amount of truth to it to make is seem right.
How do we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ?
We cannot control thoughts with thoughts – but with words – and better yet the Word of God and better yet speaking the Word of God.
What do you know that is more powerful.

Hebrews 4:12 KJV  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Do you really want things to work powerfully and quickly in your life?
So how do we know if we are living according to the Spirit or living according to the flesh?
If we live according to the Spirit then our minds and our physical bodies will act according to the Word of God.
If we live according to the Flesh then our minds and our physical bodies will act according to what is contrary to the Word of God.
Our mindset needs to be based on the Word of God.
This is why there are Christians who are carnal.  They may come to church, and hear about the goodness of God, but don’t experience that goodness in their lives.  They may hear about a way out of trouble, but don’t know which direction to go in.  They hear about a victorious life but never have the victory.  They hear about the blessing, but for them it goes from one problem to the next.

Romans 8:9-11  You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.  And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.  But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give live to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.