3 Battles You Can’t Afford To Lose

3 BATTLES YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO LOSE

1 Tim. 4:16

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. Jason’s an 18 year old known for his addiction to video games and his total lack of study, so when his graduation day arrived, his grandfather felt these traits needed a little correction.

2. So when the family gathered to give Jason presents, he was given a book “How to Succeed in U.S. Business,” a set of tomes, “The Greatest Writings of All Time,” and a copy of the Bible.

3. His grandfather then stood to make a speech, "My dear Jason. You have received today a number of treasures that will enlarge your mental capacities and make you a success in life. Use them well!”

4. Then the grandfather pulled out an umbrella, "I also present you with this umbrella because I want to give you at least one thing that I’m certain you will open!"

B. BATTLES OF LIFE

1. Many things in Life are Negotiable. It doesn't make a lot of difference which way they go (kind of car, house, soap, etc.).

2. But there are some things which are vitally important:

-- Our freedom

-- Our family

-- Our faith

-- What we're going to eat for lunch- No!

3. It's the same in the Spiritual Realm. There are many things that won't affect your overall spiritual well-being. But there are some that will.

C. TEXT & THESIS

1. “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” 1 Tim. 4:16.

2. In all the Battles of Life, there are some battles we can afford to lose, others we cannot.

3. I want to speak to you this morning about "3 Battles You Can't Afford To Lose."

I. THE BATTLE OVER BITTERNESS

“…looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled” Heb. 12:15.

A. IDENTIFYING A ‘ROOT OF BITTERNESS’

1. Define: ‘Bitterness’ -- "The state or quality of being bitter, severity of temper, biting sarcasm, painful affliction, deep distress of mind."

2. Occurs when a person feels he/she has:

a. Been wronged by someone;

b. Suffered a great injustice;

c. Is deeply hurt by the circumstances of life.

3. It’s the cumulative effect of continuing to dwell on an offense.

4. Jewish proverb: "A Jewish wife will forgive and forget, but she'll never forget what she forgave."

B. POWER OF ROOTS

1. Bitterness begins as a "root" -- very small, but grows into a tree!

2. Power of Roots – they can bust concrete, upset buildings, bend steel, invade pipes.

3. Bitterness shapes you. It's not just a sin, but an infection, making you bad tempered toward everybody and everything, (& not just the person intended).

C. ITS EFFECT ON YOU

1. Is it helping you to dwell on the offense? Is it improving your life?

2. If we're bitter toward another person, is our bitterness really hurting them or us?

3. Bitterness is like one person drinking poison and expecting the other person to die of it.

4. Bitterness will drag you down; it can even drag you down to hell.

5. Cain developed a root of bitterness because his offering wasn’t accepted. Resentment became hatred and hatred became murder.

D. RESOLVING BITTERNESS (3 things to do:)

1. Don't keep re-opening the old wounds; meditating on the wrongs only makes wounds worse.

2. Confess it. Ask forgiveness of God and healing from Jesus for it.

3. Let it go; bury it in an unmarked grave. Forgive them just as God forgave you.

4. Illustration.

a. In the 1800s, land armies used to lug large numbers of cannonballs around with them just in case they met the enemy in an unusual place.

b. 99% of the time, the cannonballs were an unnecessary burden that they should’ve never had to bear. Same with us!

5. Do like God, who throws our sins into the midst of the sea and puts up a sign which says, "No Fishing!"

II. THE BATTLE OVER THE AWE OF GOD

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. Ps. 33:6-9.

A. WHY IS OUR ‘AWE OF GOD’ SO IMPORTANT?

1. IF WE LOSE OUR AWE OR OUR WONDER OF GOD, WE LOSE:

a. Our respect, and reverential fear of God;

b. Our freshness;

c. The reality of spiritual things and of the Word of God.