Troubled Minds
LUKE 1:67-75
I. For decades now secular experts have told us prosperity is the answer to what ails human kind.
A. a good education
B. a good job
C. a nice house
D. money in the bank
These things are to provide human kind with peace and dignity. The experts say that if everyone had these things it would solve the crime and drug problems.
II. If that’s so why are a growing number of doctors, lawyers and business leaders becoming alcoholics?
A. They have satisfying jobs
B. 6 figure incomes
C. multiple cars
D. second homes
E. frequent vacations
III. Why aren’t they happy? Why are they so troubled in mind? They have everything they’ve been told they need to be fulfilled.
A. They smoke $50. Cigars
B. Drink $300. Bottles of wine
C. Drive Expensive cars
Yet they get stoned just to make it through the day. Why can’t they enjoy a calm, satisfied mind?
IV. They live in fear of losing everything! They’re afraid the economy will crash. And suddenly everything they have accumulated will vanish
It Is Because:
V. There are many voices in the world analyzing why people are so perplexed and troubled. But, these result in nothing more than a Babel of confusing reasons.
A. The truth is no true believer will be troubled or worried over the loss of material things.
B. Rather the true man or woman of God will be troubled by the things in the spiritual realm.
C. Paul knew the true causes of perplexities and distresses. He addresses it in Romans 7 “For that which I do, I understand not, for what I would do, that I do not; but what I hate, I do.”
D. The apostle Paul is saying, “The very thing that I do NOT want to do, I end up doing. But, the one thing that I would love to do, in obedience to God, I find that I cannot find in myself to accomplish it.”
E. Paul is speaking for multiplied thousands of believers. They’re troubled simply because they can’t find victory over sin.
F. They want to do right, to live pure and holy before God.
G. They hate the sin that so easily tempts them and disrupts fellowship with God.
H. Yet they keep going back to it.
VI. They end up distressed, troubled, weary and crying, “Oh wretched man that I am.
A. Why am I so weak?
B. Why can’t I endure the struggle?
C. Will I go through my whole life crying a river of tears, confessing, repenting and ultimately turning back to my sin?
VII. Such believers aren’t worried about economic crashes or the world’s crisis’s as much as they are fretting over the failures of last week.
A. They thought they’d conquered that besetting sin, but suddenly it came back on them and came with power.
VIII. I personally believe that a true measure of holiness is how troubled we become over our slightest sin.
A. Some Christians only grieve over what we call the “Big sins”: adultery, gossiping, cussing, drinking, drugs.
B. But, to the truly spiritual believer, he or she knows that there are no small or big sins.
C. Sin is sin. Every dirty joke: telling it or listening to it; every thought of adultery participating in it or fanaticizing over it; every little white lie is sin.
D. ROMANS 6:17-18, 22:23 “Ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness and become the servants of God. Ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end is everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death.”
IX. Free from sin? A servant of righteousness, producing holy fruit?
A. As we read this we have to honestly admit, We are not free from sin. We are not dead to it. We’re still under the power of a secret sin- and that troubles us. If the wages of sin is death, then what hope is there for us?
B. Being a youth pastor for 7 years I heard this over and over.
C. Cries from the heart for help against the besetting sin.
D. And as I told them I tell you: That troubling, that turmoil that inner cry that battle of the mind is the work of the Holy Spirit.
X. God sent His precious Holy Spirit to wage war against our flesh and its lusts.
A. So if your aren’t troubled when you fail - if your able to shake off your sin with no guilt sorrow or regret. Then the Holy Spirit isn’t in you doing warfare.
B. However, if you are being convicted by the slightest transgression, you’re close to true victory.
C. He’s winning the battle in your heart and producing a Godly sorrow that leads to true repentance; forsaking of sin.
XI. There is victory, true victory over the things that trouble our mind.
A. It’s wrapped up in the covenant that God made with Abraham. LUKE 1:71-75
B. God’s oath to Abraham and his descendants is crystal clear: He will deliver us from all our enemies, so we can live without fear, untroubled and at rest all the days of our lives.
C. This covenant applies to every one of us living today.
D. According to Paul all who have received Christ as Lord by faith are “Abraham’s seed”
E. “They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.” Romans 9:8
“Know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the children of God.” Gal. 3:7
Jews are no longer the only ones counted for the promise. It is you and I children of God who trust in Him by faith.
F. How can we lay hold on the covenant promise? Abraham asked a similar question of the Lord when he saw no release from his dilemma.
G. He asked, “What will you give me Lord seeing that I have no child?”
H. Here’s what the Lord said, “I am thy shield, and thy great reward.” Genesis 15:1
I. The Lord told Abraham, “I am giving Myself to you. I will be you defender and your great reward. You never need to fear another enemy as long as you live, because I will be God to you.
K. The Lord gives us a promise just like this one in His Word. Hebrews 8:10 “I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people.”
L. In fact all through Scripture we hear, “I want to Be God to you.”
XII. The Lord’s plan for us has always been simple. He tells us:
A. “You don’t have to fear any power that comes against you. I’ll act as your defender at all times.
B. If you’ll simply trust My covenant promises, casting yourself into My care by faith, I’ll be Almighty God to you.
C. I’ll conquer all you enemies and cast them down before you. You’ll be victorious more than a conqueror living out your days in peace with out fear.”
D. Actually, God says essentially the same thing in all His covenants: “I’m looking for a people who will believe I’ll deliver them from all their enemies.”
E. “The covenant that I made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other god’s. But, the Lord your God shall ye fear and He shall deliver you out of the hand of ALL your enemies.” II Kings 17
XIII. In the Old Testament the enemies were the Hittites, the Jebusites, the Moabites, the Philistines.
A. Today our enemies are of the spiritual realm.
B. Demonic powers, fleshly lusts, evil desires
C. And God repeats to us: “I’m going to be God to you. You’re going to be a son a daughter to Me. In fact you’ll be My child from now to eternity.”
I. If you wonder why you keep falling, why you continue to feel weak and powerless, doing the very thing you hate: It isn’t the size or power of the temptation.
A. God says that He will not put more on you than you can bear. Your temptation is common to all men. And, God has made a way of escape for you.
B. God made all these promises to Abraham.
C. Promises to be his shield, his reward, and to defeat all his enemies.
D. And God said that his faith was credited to him as righteousness.
E. Likewise the moment we give up fighting our spiritual enemies in our own strength, setting in our hearts that whatever God promises, He is able to perform.
Trusting everything into His hands, that is the beginning of our righteousness.
G. The Holy Spirit of God who resides in our hearts is the power of God that declares war on all the demonic powers.
H. According to Gal. 5:17 “The Spirit fights against the flesh.”
I. The Spirit declares, “This is now My dwelling place Devil. I’ve set up head quarters hear, and I’m raising up the Banner of Almighty God.
J. You no longer rule here. Your battle is no longer against My child.
K. Your battle is with Me devil, I’m going to hunt you down in every corner and dark place of the heart, and shine the light in.
L. This child is now the Temple of the Holy Ghost.
II. Walking in the Spirit is not complicated. It is simply believing what God has said.
A. Trust the Holy Ghost. Believe His pledge to fight for you. Walk in the power of that promise.
B. Do you see what the Holy Spirit is saying. He will fight for you.
C. He will cleanse you and give you a new heart.
D. And who is the devil to fight against the Holy Ghost?
E. When you’re tempted and tried you tell that thing, “You go fight the Holy Ghost. You’re battle is not with me devil, you’re battle is with the Holy Ghost. And who are you to come against the Lord Most High, awesome and doing wonders? David Goliath
Conclusion
This new year remember:
1. God has raised up a horn of salvation Jesus Christ and horn by the way means mighty, powerful.
2. Through Him we are saved from our enemies and all who hate us. (Lust, satan)
3. He will perform the oath that He swore to Abraham so that we can serve Him all our days in holiness and no fear of our enemies.
4. Our job is to completely trust, believe, love and entertain the Holy Ghost. Let Him fight for you.
