Ever seen other Christians and wished you could be more like them? Or maybe you’ve struggled with a sin that you just couldn’t get past? This week, Kent helps us diagnose what’s actually going on and gives you something practical you can do to start moving forward today with a different kind of spiritual velocity.Help us advance the Kingdom, support our online ministry (harmonychurch.cc/give). Got kids? Check out Harmony Kids online (updated weekly) https://www.harmonychurch.cc/harmony-kids-online/!
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OPENING ILLUSTRATION: Last summer – riding the alpine slides with kids. Can’t remember which one, but had the brakes on the entire time. Hardly had any velocity – I’m sliding down these suckers as 90 mph and they are barely moving…
On a thing should have been moving fast – but we were stuck sometimes, I think there are people who experience this in their spiritual lives…
what’s that all about? Why do some people get it and others don’t-If you came to Christ and nothing much changed about your life-or look at Christians who on fire for Jesus wonder why your life can’t be like that-maybe struggle with sin that just completely overwhelms you and you feel like there’s no way you will ever find victory
We say – I just need to read the bible more, try harder, stop doing this…We are missing something. Does that make sense? I call this “Spiritual Velocity”
back to physics class real quick, read the definition of velocity… :)“Velocity refers to “the rate at which an object changes its position.” Imagine a person moving rapidly – one step forward and one step back – always returning to the original starting position. While this might result in a frenzy of activity, it would result in a zero velocity. Because the person always returns to the original position, the motion would never result in a change in position. Since velocity is defined as the rate at which the position changes, this motion results in zero velocity. If a person in motion wishes to maximize their velocity, then that person must make every effort to maximize the amount that they are displaced from their original position. Every step must go into moving that person further from where he or she started. For certain, the person should never change directions and begin to return to the starting position.”-physicsclassroom.com
hear the last sentence? most powerful spiritual statements ever read on the “physics” website: Every step must go into moving that person further from where he or she started. For certain, the person should never change directions and begin to return to the starting position.
All of us have the same starting point all of us are under the law of right and wrong. Christian or not – what you do has an impact – may not care about impact-all lied and known was hurting people you loved. -run to sex and know the guilt that came along with it… -know you are under a law of right and wrong. All of us have failed at doing what’s right because we are all slaves to our desires…
Listen to how apostle Peter describes these desires…1 Peter 2:11Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.
Peter’s speaking to Christians – telling you, there is the enemy within wallsYour sinful desires are waging war against your soul
SO many misdiagnosed when it comes to salvation…We came to Jesus for salvation saying, “I want to be forgiven for all the wrongs I’ve done”
But we didn’t know that meant death to our desires and ourselves
This is why Christians baptize people – it’s not a public declaration – it’s a funeral and resurrectionPaul describes this misdiagnosis SO well in Romans 8:5Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
ILLUSTRATION: teaching kids to ride a bike – you go where your looking
Listen, the reason we still struggle with certain sins in our lives, is because we still have desires that we have not died to-it’s where our eyes are focused still go towards those things because they fill a desire inside of us and so my eyes are focused on them. This takes brutal honesty – it takes you determining if you REALLY want Jesus or just wanted to a quick fix.
This is what “death to self” means. To die to your old desires AND set your desires on something different – Jesus.
Paul says, way to do this – thing to set eyes on is desires of Spirit…
This is how you get spiritual velocityThe problem is, most of us took one step forward towards Jesus and returned right back to where we were focused on our own desires.
We had the right solution but the wrong prescription…
My goal has been to dilate your eyes have you see more clearly…The solution to your spiritual paralysis is to change your desire point – it’s to do the hard work of death to self and putting your eyes on Jesus
CLOSING ILLUSTRATION: 1973, two men broke into a bank robbed it in Sweden. took 4 people, hostage, for 6 days, people were kept in a terrifying situation… can’t even imagine how terrifying would be… Eventually, hostages were released, robbers captured. where the story gets crazy. After hostages released, they refused to testify – even began raising money for the defense of captors… imagine that? Someone kept you against your will for 6 days you end up going back to them after you are free… We call this Stockholm Syndrome today… Because of this incident…
someone goes through a traumatic situation after being freed, wants to return to it…
Sound familiar? Some of you were set free by Jesus – He died to become your desire and you are still returning to those old patterns
You haven’t learned to walk in the SpiritWalking in the Spirit is intentionally dying to your desires and choosing to desire what God desiresGalatians 5:1616 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Stop going back… Do the hard work of brutal honesty. Ask the question, “why do I go to this sin…” and keep asking “why” till you get to the answer (what desire does it fulfill?)Then ask God to start to become the answer to the “why”
It’s interesting, on alpine slides kids learned to go fast – they stopped pulling up and started pushing down…
