9 Ways To Clean Dirty Deeds Pt. 1 Series

9 Ways to Clean Dirty Deeds (Part 1 of 2)

Gal. 5:19:21Aug. 14, 2005 FBC, Chester Mike Fogerson, Pastor

Introduction:

SheeP: clean animal, avoids garbage

Hog: Unclean, wallows in filth

A Noah, after the rain stopped, sent a raven from the ark which never came back. Then it came about at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; 7 and he sent out a raven, and it flew here and there until the water was dried up from the earth. Gen 8:6-7 (NASB)

1 The raven was a carrion-eating bird & found plenty to eat.

2 But when Noah released the dove (clean bird) it came back. Why? It doesn’t eat dead flesh or foliage.

3 The last time Noah released the dove, it didn’t return. Why? It found a clean place to settle down, therefore, the waters had receded.

B Our old nature is like the hog/raven, always looking for something unclean to feed on (total depravity: man is born basically good or bad. Scripture maintains that humankind is inherently corrupt and depraved).

1 Our new nature in Christ is like the sheep/dove, yearning for what is clean and holy.

2 No wonder a struggle goes on in the life of a believer. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. Gal 5:17 (NASB) OPPOSITION

3 A lost person knows nothing of this struggle because he does not have the Holy Spirit. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. Romans 8:9 (NASB)

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal 5:19-21 (NASB)

ETS: Believers in Galatia were to have lifestyles that made it easy to believe they were believers.

ESS: A believer sins less after they get saved.

OBJ: I hope my listener will sweep their hearts for dirty deeds.

PQ: When was the last time you made a significant revitalization in your life?

TS: Let’s look at two areas of deeds done in the flesh that can help us as we sweep our hearts for dirty deeds.

I The first area is...the flavor of the deed.

A The Judaizers Paul was confronting in Galatia were stressing behavior/works over grace. (Yet, Paul didn’t advocate sinful lifestyles, either).

1 Paul lists 15 specific flavors of deeds done in the flesh (most commentaries put these sins into 4 catagories).

a Category One: sexual sins v. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality Gal 5:19 (NASB)

aa Immorality: adultery, fornication, homosexuality, incest, prostitution (fornication is to single people what adultery is to married people).

bb Impurity: filthy uncleanliness in our thoughts, life, speech, actions.

• If you were impure, you couldn’t come into God’s presence.

• Medically refers to a pus-oozing, infected sore

cc Sensuality: gay pride, boast of your sexual sin.

• Also, the guy/girl who brags of their sexual exploits, and flaunts their lifestyle.

• Don’t care what people (or God) thinks

b Category Two: religious sin v. 20a idolatry, sorcery Gal 5:20 (NASB)

aa Idolatry (bowing to a pagan god/idol):

• Simply, putting anything ahead of God

• Jesus tells us that whatever we worship, we serve. Then Jesus said* to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, ’YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’ " Matt 4:10 (NASB)

bb Sorcery (pharmakeia): In Paul’s day, drugs were used to bring about their evil effects (potions, poison).

c Category Three : societal sins (when the flesh controls us, interpersonal problems are the result). v. 20b-21a enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying Gal 5:20-21 (NASB)

aa Enmities: hateful attitude, opposite of love/freindship

bb Strife: Outward working of hatred

• Wrong attitudes=wrong actions

• Ever know someone who likes to stir the pot just to catch people get angry, worried...that person has this sin.

cc Jealousy: a form of anger/hateful resentment caused by coveting for oneself what belongs to someone else.

• I see this played out when a Christian competes with another to try and make one another look bad in the eyes of others.

dd Outbursts of anger: unrestrained expressions of hostility toward others.

(IL) Mount St. Helens-blow your top with little or no provocation or justification and you show your ash to everybody.