BAC Sermons

Deadly Desires Part III: The Traffic Light Named Renewal
1994-11-01	Ephesians 4:22

II. Our Temporal Desire must be replaced with God's Perfect Eternal Desire (Romans 12:1-2)

Recognize the Destructiveness of Defective Thinking and Self-Centered Behavior

Envision Consequences, Examine Motives & Process, then EXIT

New Thoughts Learned and Reprogrammed

Judge = Conscious level of thinking (10%)

Robot = Sub-conscious level, Automatic Pilot (90%)

Bible Study

Scripture Memory

Envision Behavior and Benefits

Meditation (thinking through the implications for applications)

Motivation

With God and Others

Dependence and Accountability

Allow yourself time to learn to walk, then run

Love the Lord loyally and you Love others (not just for your benefit - Corporate Individual)

Ps 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek...dwell...all the days...behold the beauty...to enquire in his temple.

Ps 145:16 opens hand, and satisfies the desire of every living creature. 19...fulfil the desire of them that fear him...hear...save them

Pr 8:11 For wisdom [is] better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired 02656 are not to be compared to it.

Pr 10:24 The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him: but the desire 08378 of the righteous shall be granted.

Pr 13:4 The soul of the sluggard desireth 0183, and [hath] nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

Pr 18:1 Through desire 08378 a man, having separated himself, seeketh [and] intermeddleth with all wisdom.

Pr 21:25 The desire 08378 of the slothful kills him; for his hands refuse to labour.

1Ti 1:7 Desiring 2309 to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor concerning what they affirm.

Ec 6:2 A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth it: this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease.

Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired you in the night; with my spirit in me will I seek you early: world will learn righteousness.

Lu 20:46 Beware of the scribes, who desire 2309 to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts;

2Co 5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring 1971 to be clothed with our house which is from heaven:

Php 1:23 For I am in a strait between the two, having a desire 1939 to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

Word for Growth 1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire 1971 the pure milk of the word, that ye may grow by it:

Reward Col 3:1-4 1Pt 1 Heb 11:16 they desire 3713 a better country, that is, an heavenly...for God hath prepared for them a city.

Lu 5:39 No man also having drank old [wine] immediately desireth 2309 new: for he saith, The old is better.

God execute justice Lu 17:22 days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see

Others be saved Ro 10:1

1Co 14:1 Pursue love, and desire 2206 spiritual gifts, that you may build up the Body (paraphrase).

Receive Reward & Glory 2Co 5:2 in this we groan, earnestly desiring 1971 to be clothed with our house which is from heaven:

Other's to grow and be pleasing to God Col 1:9; Php 4:17 I desire fruit that may abound to your account

Be first in service Mr 9:35 If any man desires 2309 to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.

Pray to filter desires Mr 11:24 Whatever things ye desire 154, when ye pray, believe that ye receive, and ye shall have them

A. TAKE IT OFF 22 put off concerning the former manner of life the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Repent 2Co 12:21 sinned & have not repented of the uncleanness and immorality and lasciviousness which they have committed.

Crucify Desires Ga 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and desires/lusts.

Kill it Col 3:5 Mortify the temporal...immorality, uncleanness, affection, evil desire/lust, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

Erase & Don't Embrace Jas 1:14...tempted...drawn away by his own lust...enticed 15...desire is embraced/conceived...sin...death.

Dethrone Desire Ro 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in its lusts. (cf Rom 13:12)

Abstain like a Backpacker 1Pe 2:11...as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul (Heb 12:3)

B. BE RENEWING/CLEANED UP 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Transplant the desire of our Father 1Jo 2:16 all in the world, lust of the flesh... eyes...pride...not from the Father...passes...abides

Be Controlled by the Word of the Spirit Ga 5:16 Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Know God 1Th 4:3 this is the will of God, your sanctification, that ye should abstain from immorality: 4 That each one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification & honour; 5 Not in the lust of passion, as the Gentiles who know not God

Desire the Word Ps 19:10 More to be desired 02530 than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

C. PUT IT ON 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Flee, Follow & Fellowship 2Ti 2:22 Flee lusts...follow righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them...call on the Lord...pure heart.

Promises 2Pe 1:4...exceeding great and precious promises...partakers of the divine...escaped the corruption thru lust.

Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts...live soberly, righteously, and godly...

13:14 put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the lusts of flesh.

Be mentally tough, objective driven, reward motivated, obedient, smart, self-remade, & different 1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15...be holy

Mentally Arm Yourself with Love then SUFFER (self-sacrifice for another's best) 1Pe 4:1...as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same mind: for he that has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin; 2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the desires of men, but to the desire of God. 3 For we've had enough time to have engaged in the desires of the Gentiles, when we lived without self-denial, always desiring more, craving champagne dreams, late night partying, getting high, and unscriptural service of God-substitutes.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. Can you give an example of how your desires have changed? What prompted and what was the process of change?

2. Why don't people buy the deadliness of desire? What could help someone see and believe?

3. What helps you keep your new clothes on when your old desires pound on your door? Do you suffer?

4. Name three desires that you've taken through the process of "Take off, Be Renewed, Put on." What motivated you to do it?

5. What desires are still lingering around and causing you to stink? What are you going to do about them?

1Co 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

If you haven't taken your old thinking thru the process of becoming new, it's still old.

Pr 3:15 She [is] more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her.

Ps 119:103 How sweet are thy words to my taste! [yea, sweeter] than honey to my mouth! {taste: Heb. palate}

Ps 119:112 I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always, [even to] the end. {to perform: Heb. to do}

Ps 119:111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they [are] the rejoicing of my heart.

Ps 119:131 I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.

Ps 119:127 Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.

Ps 119:143 Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: [yet] thy commandments [are] my delights. {taken...: Heb. found me}

Delight in God's Word Ps 119:35 Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for in that do I delight.

Our desires are influenced by others Jud 9:3 And his mother's brethren spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He [is] our brother.

1Ki 11:3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

Inclining our heart is our responsibility

Job 31:7 If my heart walked after my eyes

Ps 119:36 Incline my heart to thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.

Ps 119:112 I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always, even to the end.

Ps 141:4 Incline not my heart to [any] evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.

Pr 2:2 So that thou incline thy ear to wisdom, [and] apply thy heart to understanding;

Pr 22:17 Bow down thy ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thy heart to my knowledge.

Jer 7:24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels [and] in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

Jer 11:8 Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded [them] to do; but they did [them] not.

Ps 119:47 And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.

Ps 119:59 I thought on my ways, and turned my feet to thy testimonies.

Ps 27:4 One [thing] have I desired 07592 of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.

Ps 38:9 Lord, all my desire [is] before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.

Ps 145:16 Thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire 07522 of every living creature. 19 He will fulfil the desire 07522 of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.