Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth - July 18, 2010

7 Deadly Sins
7.6 – Sloth

Proverbs 6:6-11 (New International Version)
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

What is it?

Why is it such a big deal?
Matthew 6:25-27 (NIV) – Jesus’ Words
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 (NIV) – Paul’s Words
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat.

How do we fight sloth? (As a choice)
1.    Take Proper Rest.
Exodus 20:8-11 (NIV)
Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

2.    Work for the Lord, not for men.
This seems cliché but it is true.
Colossians 3:22-24 (NIV)
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
 
Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Some Questions to ask:1.    Am I burnt out?
2.    Do I need a break?
3.    Am I battling depression? Is that circumstantial or chemical?
4.    Am I taking advantage of breaks?
5.    Is my diet or exercise hindering my ability to accomplish things?
6.    Do I regularly put things off that should be done sooner?

Seven Deadly Sins: Pride 7.5 - July 11, 2010

7 Deadly Sins
7.5 – Pride

James 4:6-7 (New International Version)
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

What is it?
Why is it such a big deal?
People have tried all kinds of ways to deal with the issue of pride in life…
 
Proverbs 16:2 (New International Version)
All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.

What does a humble person look like?

1.    A Humble Person Sees People From God’s Perspective.
Ephesians 4:29-32 (New International Version)
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Philippians 2:3-5 (New International Version)
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Matthew 6:1-2 (New International Version)
Be careful not to do your “acts of righteousness” before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

2.    A Humble Person Trusts God’s Timing.We somehow get the idea that God is holding out on us.  When we believe that we “deserve” better than God is giving us, we press our own agenda.  That never works out well.
 
Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 (New International Version)
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

3.    A Humble Person is Beneficially Honest. In 2 regards – self and others
Romans 12:3 (New International Version)
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Ephesians 4:29 (New International Version)
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

4.    A Humble Person Finds Value in What God has Made Them.
Ephesians 2:10 (New International Version)
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
 
Psalm 139

Some Questions to ask:1.    What do I want people to say of me?
2.    Do I see people from God’s perspective?
3.    Do I trust God to take care of the details in my life?
4.    Do I feel like I need to be vindicated when I am wronged?
5.    Do I see my value from God’s perspective or the world’s?
6.    Do I look for opportunities to build others up or build myself up at others’ expense?

Seven Deadly Sins: Lust 7.4 - July 4, 2010

The 7 Deadly Sins
7.4 – Lust

Review: Envy, Gluttony, Greed
1 John 2:15-17 (New International Version)
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
 
What is it?
   •    Very strong sexual desire… this can be expanded to be any strong desire for something temporal.
   •    Lust is a focus on acquiring earthly things.  It is a drive to have temporary things attempt to give
         you peace and hope.
 
Romans 8:23-25 (New International Version)
Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Why is it a big deal?
   •    Lust always takes us away from God’s perspective.
   •    We cannot honor God and be consumed with lust.
   •    Lust in the brain… turns off judgment centers in the brain.
   •    What do I do with lust?
      o    The “M” word
      o    What if I am single?
      o    What if I am married? Is it okay to “lust” for your spouse?  This is not taking us away from
            God’s perspective. 
      o    Sex in a marriage is not “using” your spouse to masturbate.  It is the mingling of souls.  For
            many couples, they use the act itself totally for personal pleasure… that is lust at its core.
      o    One of the problems with porn is that it has taken away the drive for men to be good lovers for
            their wives.  We have become very selfish in our sexuality – even in marriage.
   •    Dealing with lust is not just about stopping the actions lust causes.  It is about dealing with the
          perspective that allows me to see the world from a skewed view.
 
Colossians 3:1-8 (New International Version)
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

How do we battle Lust?
1.    Starve the Monster!   •    You are going to fight this monster in your life.  Do you want to fight a strong monster, or do you want to fight a weak monster?

Job 31:1 (New International Version)
I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.
   •    You cannot always be looking at things that you shouldn’t and then expect to not struggle with
          lust.
   •    Modesty is a key.
 
2.    Protect the wound!   •    It is not enough to acknowledge that there is a problem.  We actually have to deal with it.
 
2 Corinthians 10:5 (New International Version)
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
 
Colossians 2:20-23 (New International Version)
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
   •    We cannot do this on our own.  It is not a matter of the will.  It is a change of the heart.  A change
          of perspective.
 
3.    Vomit on a friend!
James 5:16 (New International Version)
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
   •    Satan plays in the dark

Some tools to help:
Safe Eyes (www.xxxchurch.com)
X3watch (this does not stop visiting the websites, but reports questionable ones)
   •    Things like these deal with the fruit of lust, not the root.  They do not help heal lust.

Me and 3 groups
Sampson and the Pirate Monks groups
Pure Warrior (Book – some good practical helps)
Pure Warrior Ministry – Stuart Vogelman (Executive pastor at Real Life in Spokane Valley)
Some clear next steps:
Turn off the internet and cable at your house
Talk to someone about it
Begin to pray together about it
Read books
Read the Bible

Seven Deadly Sins: Greed 7.3 - June 27, 2010

The 7 Deadly Sins
7.3 – Greed

Review:Ephesians 5:1-6 (New International Version)
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 (New International Version)
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
What is it?
Why is greed such a big deal?
 
How do we fight greed?
1.    Generosity is the action that conquers greed.
2 Corinthians 8:7 (New International Version)
But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

2.    Eternal things is the focus that conquers greed.
Matthew 6:19-33 (New International Version)
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
 
Some questions to ask about greed:
1.    Do I give to the church (the way God defines it)?
2.    Do I keep from giving to others in the name of “thrift?”
3.    Do I run to my possessions for comfort?
4.    Do I find value in what I have?