Fire the Flesh

Sermon Date:  February 8, 2015

Sermon Topic: Fire the Flesh

Scriptures: Galatians 5:16, John 14:26, Ephesians 1:3, Galatians 5:22-23, John 16, Romans 8:12-14, Proverbs 23:20, 1 Corinthians 9:27, Joshua 1:8, 1 John 4:1, Psalm 18:32, Proverbs 28:6, 1 Corinthians 15:33,

Sermon Notes:

Galatians 5:16 – This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. You have to fire the flesh. The lifestyle of a believer. What do we look like to the world? A kingdom lifestyle can only be achieved when we use the power to live holy. The power to live holy is the work of the holy spirit. When people receive God at that very moment the holy spirit takes residence in their lives.

John 14:26 – But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. We as saints of God have power.

We don’t use the power, but we have it. Consider a new car with a speedometer of 180 but the driver never goes above 30 miles per hour. You have the power; why not use it.

When we are not walking in the spirit we will fulfill the lust of the flesh. Bad attitudes and weird thoughts indicate that you are not walking in the spirit.

There is no defeat when you are walking in the spirit. We can overcome any obstacle or temptation. When we are lead by the spirit all of heaven is at our disposal. Ephesians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Heaven is at our disposal.

Walk in divine health.

Our understanding of healing is far below God’s ways. Our ways aren’t his ways. Don’t worry about things. When you ask God for it, be willing to accept the answer. God answers our prayers, just not in the manner that you may want it to be answered.

When we receive God we receive the fruit of the spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. When I’m lead by the spirit my attitude, speech and actions demonstrate my willingness to do God’s will and to do it immediately.

We must obey God immediately because the scripture says that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. We must take delight in the agreement with God’s law. We must meditate on the law of God.

We must love the word of God.

1^st step is walking in the spirit – be aware of the conflicts that you’re involved in. Negative thoughts that are nourished will produce a stronghold in your mind. Submit yourself to God – resist the devil and he will flee. This demonstrates the power that we have.

We have been called to liberty. We are free. Don’t use the freedom to do crazy things. Just because you’re saved doesn’t mean that you can do what you want.

Fire the flesh. The word doesn’t work for the carnal Christian.

Jeremiah 17:5 – Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. You must understand the real you in Christ. Don’t trust another man. Trust God.

The real you. 1 Corinthians 6:19 – What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? Your body is the temple of the holy ghost. We can’t do whatever we want. Romans 8:12 – Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. If you live after the flesh, you are spiritually dead.

Romans 8:12-14 – to walk in the spirit we need restraints. Flesh is always lusting after something.

Proverbs 23:20 – Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh. Don’t mix with them. When someone’s lifestyle isn’t according to the spirit you can’t mix with them. Whenever you spend time with them you lose your light. As saints of God, who’ve received the power of the spirit, why do you keep going back to what you did before you were saved?

Whatever you did before you were saved is still in the flesh. That’s why some people can be in worship and praise God all day long, but if you cut them off on the road or dent their vehicle in the parking lot, another person will show up.

Carnal Christians can shift. We need restrains. 1 Corinthians 9:27 – But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. We must be disciplined – control the flesh.

You need:

·      Revelation

·      Role model

·      Righteous resolve without full understanding

A student of the scripture is always learning. Joshua 1:8 – This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. I can’t treat the word of God like a buffet table. We must take the whole law of the Lord.

1 John 4:1 – Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. We need a spirit of discernment.

Everybody with a robe is not preaching the gospel. You must know the word of God.

You can’t just take anything.

Be spiritually mature – we are to grow in grace and in the knowledge of God. Early will I seek thee.

Don’t allow anything to get in the way of your time with God.

Psalm 18:32 – It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. God arms me with strength.

Who trusts in his own heart is a fool.

Overcome temptations because temptation will come.

We can’t go thinking we did it on our own. Don’t be puffed up; this is a prime candidate for failure.

Every temptation – remember that God is faithful.

We need a spirit of discernment in order to make moral decisions.

Will this put me in immoral company? You can’t please everybody. You can’t make people do anything that they don’t want to do. You can share the truth with them, but they will do what they want.

Commit it to the Lord. You don’t have to go back and check to see how God is doing while he is working on your problems. You don’t need to set the parameters for God.

Thou he slay me yet will I trust thee.

1 Corinthians 15:33 – Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Be mindful of what you say.

Does this violate my conscious?  We secure spiritual maturity by putting away childish things.

Corinthians – When I became a man I put away childish things. You have the victory right now. You’re an overcomer right now!

Obey God, continually, joyfully and immediately.

There are things that God will allow in your life that you don’t like but you have been ordained to fix.

What you hate, you’ve been sent to correct.

When Jesus says we are the light of the world, we must be the light!