CONSTRUCTION ZONE OR WAR ZONE?
Lk. 14:33
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
You need 3 things to succeed in life: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone. Tonight we’re going to be talking about having a backbone!
B. TEXT
“So then, any of you who does not forsake (renounce, surrender claim to, give up, say good-bye to) all that he has cannot be My disciple” Lk. 14:33, AMPC.
C. THESIS
1. Many Christians don’t think it matters much if they compromise a little, and allow a few partially-sinful activities to go on in their life.
2. The truth is, the failure to surrender all of your life to Jesus and to obey Him & His Word in ALL things, opens the door to Satan to be a part of your life.
3. No big deal, you say? But in the following discussion, you’ll see that it changes the entire fabric of what your life looks like in the spiritual realm.
4. The title of this message is “Is Your Life a Construction Zone or a War Zone?”
I. CONTRAST BETWEEN THE TWO ZONES
A. NATURE OF A CONSTRUCTION ZONE
1. A construction zone is an area where there’s a PLAN TO BUILD something. A BUILDER has a plan/ VISION of what he’s building and has pulled the resources and necessary technicians together to perform the building operation.
2. Building usually OCCURS IN SUCCESSIVE STAGES: utilities, foundation, superstructure, parking & out-buildings, interior, landscaping.
3. Construction is an INDICATION OF GROWTH. There is a need for enlargement; whatever existed before was insufficient for the current need.
4. It’s a work done in UNITY: all the workers work together to achieve the common goal of constructing the building, road, etc.
B. WHAT A WAR ZONE LOOKS LIKE
1. A war zone is an area where two opposing forces are battling – usually for land, sea, air, or space rights.
2. The purpose of each side is to destroy their opponent, take over their territory, and subjugate them.
3. In a war zone, the rights of neutral parties are suspended – meaning that third parties, who stray into the combat zone (on land, sea, air, or in space), are subject to being attacked.
4. War operations are not the product of unity, but of discord; they’re motivated by hate, and their goal is to defeat their adversary.
C. DESCRIPTIVE CHART OF BOTH ZONES
............................Constr. Zone..........War Zone
Organizer.............God.......................Satan
Purpose...............Build/Growth........Destroy/Subjugate
Friends/Family....Welcome...............Attacked
Product of............Unity.....................Discord
Motivation...........Love.......................Hate
Goal.....................Your Blessing.........Your Defeat
D. WHICH WILL YOU BE?
1. THE CHRISTIAN’S LIFE CAN EITHER BE A CONSTRUCTION ZONE (if we give God full rights & obedience over our lives) OR BE A WAR ZONE (where Satan has gotten a foothold and is battling to remove God from the believer’s life).
2. The key to which kind of zone our life is, is whether we have yielded the control of our lives to God completely or only partially. Many Christians withhold some areas from obedience to God, so they allow warfare to take place in their lives.
3. Paul said, “and do not give the devil a FOOTHOLD.” Eph. 4:27. A “foothold” is defined as: “a position that makes it possible to begin an activity or effort, or to use as a base, or for which (in military operations), an advance can be made.”
E. HUMOR: GOING THE WRONG WAY
1. There was a senior citizen driving on the highway. His wife called him on his cell phone and in a worried voice said, ''Herman, be careful! I just heard on the radio that there is a madman driving the wrong way on I-45!''
2. Herman said, ''I know, but there isn't just one, there are hundreds of them!''
3. Like someone said, “When everything is coming your way, you’re probably in the wrong lane!” Make sure you’re traveling with the right group!
II. 4 STEPS TO STOP WARFARE
A. CUT OFF THE SOURCE/ ROOTS
1. We must identify and fight the areas of our fallen nature that we’ve allowed. When the fallen nature surfaces, it is like an iceberg; we are just seeing the tip sticking out of the water, but there's much more beneath the surface.
2. We must determine what is feeding that nature: what thoughts, activities, or people are feeding that nature? It must be stopped.
3. We must exercise self-control and make "no provision for the flesh." Burn your bridges to the former life.
B. DISPLACE THE OLD WITH NEW LIFE
1. The best way to root out the old is to displace it with the new.
2. I've told the story about watching the brown oak leaf that held all through the winter and into the spring. It would not have turned loose from the branch; but finally, new growth pushed it out.
3. It’s not good enough to try to stop a negative thought or behavior, we must replace them with positive thoughts and behaviors.
4. We should get our minds full of the Word of God. Begin hanging around godly Christians rather than lost people. Bring your actions and emotions into obedience to what Jesus has told us we should do.
C. BE FILLED/ ENERGIZED WITH THE SPIRIT
1. Paul said in Ephesians 5:18, "Be filled with the Spirit.” The verb "be filled" is in the present, continuous tense, indicating not a one-time action, but that we should be continuously filled with the Spirit.
2. Ezekiel 36:26 and Romans 8:1-2 both indicate that we in our natural selves cannot obey God, but only as we are filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the power of God to do all God has commanded us.
D. TAKE THE NEW PATH OF OBEDIENCE
1. Obedience is putting into practice the Word of God. Our whole lifestyle must be changed from being world-centered or self-centered, to being Jesus-centered. Our daily life must begin to revolve around our walk with the Lord.
2. We must get up with Him, eat breakfast with Him, drop off our kids at school with Him, go to work with Him, come home after work with Him, conclude our day with Him, and go to bed with Him. Our thoughts should constantly include Him. Our conversation should include Jesus automatically.
3. And we should be going about “doing good” to others, showing the love of Christ, giving to those in need, and praying for those in crises. That is what Jesus has called us to do in this life (Matthew 25).
III. 4 PRINCIPLES OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH
A. NO GROWTH: IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN
1. If one of your children is not increasing in size & weight, it’s a cause for concern. It’s the same if YOU ARE NOT GROWING IN CHRIST, and increasing in faith & good works.
2. Listen to the Scriptures:
a. Col. 1:10, “so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.”
b. 2 Thess. 1:3, “your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.”
c. 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
B. GROWTH COMES ONLY BY CONNECTION TO CHRIST
1. Jesus told us we “branches” must stay connected to the Vine/trunk, because He’s the source of Life (John 15:1-7).
2. Colossians 2:19 tells us about the danger of losing our connection with Jesus: “They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.”
C. THE WORD OF GOD IS OUR GROWTH HORMONE
1. 1 Peter 2:2, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk [KJV – “sincere milk of the Word”], so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.” Just as babies can’t grow without milk, we can’t grow without the Word!
2. RENEWING YOUR MIND. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” ROM. 12:2. Your transformation will only be accomplished if you read and apply the Word to your life. No one else can do it for you. It’s food!
3. NATURE FORMS US; SIN DEFORMS US; EDUCATION INFORMS US; PRISONS REFORM US; BUT ONLY JESUS CAN TRANSFORM US!
D. SPIRITUAL GROWTH ALWAYS CAUSES OUTREACH
1. Reproduction is a sign of a health and abundance; any creature struggling to survive won’t have the extra nutrients to spin off another life. This is true of Christians too; if the life of God is flowing in us, we will communicate life to others. Life can’t be hidden!
2. Paul said, “Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand” 2 Cor. 10:15.
3. True spiritual growth will always lead to evangelism. You can’t help talking about the Person you’re in love with! If you walk with Jesus every day, He will be the first thing on your lips!
4. But if we see evangelism stop, you can be sure spiritual growth has stopped as well! So let’s make up our minds once and for all that we are going to grow as Christians and continue growing until Jesus calls home!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: THE NAIL
1. Dale Hays once wrote in Leadership magazine about a trip he made to Haiti. While there, he heard a Haitian pastor tell the people a parable, which went like this:
2. A man put his house up for sale. He found a potential buyer, but the man was so poor he could not afford the full asking price. After a lot of haggling, the owner agreed to sell the house for half price, with one stipulation: he would retain ownership of one nail sticking out above the front door.
3. After a few years, the original owner wanted the house back, but the new owner was unwilling to sell. So, the original owner found the carcass of a dead dog, and hung it from the single nail he still owned. Soon the stench made the house unlivable, and the man was forced to sell his house to the former owner.
4. The Haitian pastor was trying to teach his people, that, if we leave the Devil with one small nail in our life, he will return to hang his rotting garbage on it.
5. We all tend to judge things by appearance; if it’s a small thing, it won’t matter much. But in reality this is not true. It’s the difference between being a construction zone - building a life for Christ, or being a war zone - with Satan battling to take more ground and wreaking destruction. Which will you have?
B. THE CALL
1. There is no salvation without repentance. Repentance is a "turning away from." There is a difference between apologizing and repentance. Repentance involves action and apology.
2. Why Jesus died on the cross:
a. Our best is not good enough.
b. We are marked by the decisions that we make.
c. We do not realize that a life once-stained can now be changed. Jesus took our place and His power can transform us.
3. Let’s pray and surrender ALL to Jesus.
