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Jeff Fry
  - Joined on 07-31-2006
- Lichfield, UK
- Posts 237
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19 Truth Encounter - Seven Steps to Freedom in Christ
Truth Encounter - Seven Steps to Freedom in Christ
by Jeff Fry based on Neil Anderson's "Freedom in Christ" Matthew 7:20 - 29"So then, you will know them by their fruits. 21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' 24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell-- and great was its fall." 28 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Thesis: We must apply Christ's teaching to our life in a practical way
I. Intro
A. The Truth of God will help us to resolve our spiritual and personal conflicts through repentance. This repentance (exposure of lie, change of mind) will lead us to freedom where we will be in a place to receive God’s truth.
B. Spiritual and personal conflicts if left unresolved
C. As we said recently we must ACT
1. Acknowledge our sin (confess, 1John 1:9)
2. Choose to believe the truth (repent = to change one's mind, Acts 3:19)
3. Turn to God (continually renew our mind with His truth & follow God)
D. The "Seven Steps to Freedom in Christ" will actually walk us through applying ACT to seven important areas:
II. We must apply Christ's teaching to our life
A. State
1. Seven Steps to Freedom in Christ
a) Counterfeit vs. Real
(1) Non-Christian Spiritual Experience Inventory
(a)Checking for …(i)Occult(ii) Other religions(iii) Cults
(2)Many of us, if not all, have past experiences in which we have turned to counterfeit powers instead of God
(3)In this step we will renounce the counterfeit powers in our past (e.g. cults, occult, etc) and commit ourselves to God’s ways
(4) My example: Grandmother’s Ouija board
b) Deception vs. truth
(1) A quote from Newsweek article written by Richard Dawkins: " .. As the bumper sticker slogan put it, "When Clinton lied, nobody died." Officially, Bill Clinton was impeached not for sexual misconduct but for lying about it. But he was entitled to lie about his private life: one could even make a case that he had a positive duty to do so .."
(2) Examples of Deception Today
(a) Believing that acquiring money will bring me lasting happiness (see Matthew 13:22; 1Timothy 6:10)
(b)Believing that excessive food and alcohol can relieve my stress and make me happy (see Proverbs 20:1; 23:19-21)
(c)Believing that an attractive body and personality will give me what I want (see Proverbs 31:10; 1Peter 3:3,4)
(d)Believing that gratifying my sexual lust will bring lasting satisfaction (see Ephesians 4:22; 1Peter 2:11)
(e)Believing that I can sin and get away with it without any consequences – e.g. sex outside of marriage (see Hebrews 3:12-13)
(f)Believing that I need more than what God has given me in Christ (2Cor. 11:2-4, 13-15)
(g)Believing that people who refuse Christ go to heaven anyway (1John 5:12)
(h)Believing that I can read, see or listen to anything and not be corrupted (see Proverbs 4:23-27)
(i)Believing that I must gain the approval of certain people in order to be happy (Galatians 1:10)
(j) Believing that I must measure up to certain standards in order to feel good about myself (Galatians 3:2,3; 5:1)
c) Bitterness vs Forgiveness
(1) We will write on a piece of paper 2 columns
(a) column 1 - those who have offended and hurt us
(b) column 2 - exactly what that person did to me
(2) Then what I need to forgive myself for (e.g. some bad decisions in life)
(3) Then what I need to forgive God for
d) Step 4: Rebellion vs. Submission
(1) Christians are called to submit to their rulers and not to rebel against them
(2) Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4 For he is God's servant to do you good.
(3) God calls us to submit to :
(a) civil authorities
(b) parents
(c) teachers
(d) employers
(e) husbands / wives (Ephesians 5:21ff)
(f) church leaders (Hebrews 13:1ff)
(g) God
e) Pride vs. Humility
(1) Pride Destroys
(2) Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
(3) Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
(4) Proverbs 29:23 A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.
(5) We will confess such things as:
(a) Having a stronger desire to do my will than God’s
(b) Leaning too much on my own understanding than on God
(c) Relying on my own strengths and abilities rather than on the power of the Holy Spirit
(d) Being more concerned about controlling others than on developing self-control
(e) Having a tendency to think that I have no needs
(f) Finding it hard to admit when I am wrong
(g) Being concerned about getting the credit I think I deserve
(h) Often feeling that my needs are more important than another person’s needs
(i) etc
(j)
(k)
f) Step 6: Bondage vs Freedom
(1) Being trapped by the sin-confess-sin cycle
(2) repeatedly committing any of the following: stealing, lying, swearing, anger, lust, gossip, greed/materialism, procrastination, etc (see Mark 7:20-23, Galatians 5:19-21, Ephesians 4:25-31)
(3) Sexual sins, divorce, homosexuality, abortion, suicidal tendencies, substance abuse, eating disorders, drivenness, perfectionism
g) Step 7: Curses vs Blessings
(1) Renouncing the sins of your ancestors as well as Satanic assignments against you or your ministry
(2) Exodus 20:4-6
(a) Exodus 20:4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
(3) You are not guilty of the sin of your ancestors, but you may be influenced by the physical and spiritual atmosphere in which you were raised and you may be predisposed to tendencies or weaknesses from your heritage.
B. Illustrate
C. Apply
III. Conclusion
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