More of You in my life
James 4:7-10
Introduction
George Mueller was a man of faith and miracles in the 19th century preaching, teaching, and praying through the work God gave him. He was asked onece what was the secret of his service, George Mueller said: “There was a day when I died, utterly died;” and, as he spoke, he bent lower and lower until he almost touched the floor—“died to George Muller, his opinions, preferences, tastes, and will—died to the world, its approval or censure—died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends—and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God.” —British Weekly
A man submitted to God and God alone. Whose whole life was so drawn near to God that he did not have time to give Satan audience.
I. Draw near to God
a) Submit
i) You have heard when we see the “Therefore” we need to find out what it is therefore:
ii) Therefore because of your wrongful praying, because of your clinging to the world, because the spirit is yearning jealously, because of the grace that is extended to us therefore “Submit to God” “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” what an invitation for us:
iii) Hermas said “The devil cannot dominate the servants of God who hope in Him with all their hearts. The devil can wrestle but he cannot pin. If then you resist him he will flee defeated from you in disgrace.
iv) The greek word for Submit means to obey or bring under control
v) Obedience is our spiritual obligation when we are called His disciples…
b) Seek (and find)
i) We are to Draw near to Him and the He will draw near to us not vice versa
ii) In the Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis the book The Voyage of the Dawn Trader shows one of the characters Lucy desperately seeking the presence of Aslan the Lion when suddenly he appears before her.
(1) “Oh Aslan, she says, “it was kind of you to come.”
(2) Aslan replies, “I was here all the time, but you have just made me visible.” Lucy replied, “Aslan, don’t make fun of me as if anything I could do would make you visible.”
(3) Aslan says, “It did! Do you think I would not obey my own rules?”
iii) What are God’s rules to being visible? To being found?
iv) Why is the agnostic and the atheist crying out, “If there is a God where is He?” They can’t see Him or feel Him or experience Him in anyway. Why?
v) Because God says:
vi) Jeremiah 29:11-14 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD.
vii) This is replayed over and over in scripture In 2 Chron 15:2…
viii) Asa’s rise and fall…
ix) You see he sought and found and then in a period of peace he forgot… even to his death he would not seek the Lord…
x) Asa drew away from God and when we draw away from God Satan is right behind us… “Oh hello.”
xi) Resisting the devil reverses that… backing away from Satan into God
II. Resist the Devil
a) The Devils Tactic
i) The Devil has his tactics… to destroy, discourage, etc.
ii) (Magazine at the trash).
iii) If you have a moment of weakness and are not submitted to Jesus that wouldn’t be as easy to do.
iv) Satan wanted to ruin the day of this preacher / and the Sunday…
v) He picked the wrong day!!
vi) The Devil has tactics we have weapons
b) Your Weapons
i) It is the Word of God that enabled me to have a victory in that situation not a topical study on pornography
ii) It is the God’s Word which says “resist the devil and he will flee from you” it is “submit yourself to God” that gave me victory not statistics on how many men are addicted to porno.
iii) Our weapons are not carnal pop-psychology and psycho Babble
iv) it is the BIBLE…!
(1) The Lamp unto your feet (Is 40:8)
(2) Pure (Prov 30:5) Seed (Luke 8) Truth (John 17)
(3) IT is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb 4:12)
(4) It is the Sword of the Spirit the only offensive weapon that is mentioned in the armor of God (Eph 6) helmet, shield, breastplate, waist, feet = protects
(5) And Jesus was swinging away at Satan with it poking at Satan with what is written in its context and not out of context… (Matt and Luke 4)
v) You have to get into what is written if you are going to Draw Near to Resist the Devil…
c)
III. Humble yourselves
a) Cleaning house (inside and out)
i) Cleansing the hands is an exterior behavior
ii) Purifying the hearts and change our minds is interior action
b) Humbled actions
i) God is not telling us to cry all the time
ii) Many times we are so bent on being entertained through this medium or that that we step over the things that are Jesus weeps over
iii) Jesus had much joy but he also wept… over death over rejection…
iv) What brings joy to the pro-choice movement is ground gained in the advances of a women’s choice to have an abortion (Jeremiah, Isaiah)
v) What brings joy to Jesus is every creation of His born
c) God lifts us up
i) God wants us humble to receive the lifting that He can provide
ii) GOD WANTS TO LIFT YOU UP!!
Conclusion
How close are you? How far are you? Does He seem so close or so far and who moved first?
Are you have trouble resisting the devil, can you realize it is because of how far you are from God?
Let God lift you up…
Song By Delirious
When all around has fallen your castle has been burned
You used to be a king here now no one knows your name
You live your life for honour, defender of the faith
But you’ve been crushed to pieces and no knows your pain
Come, come lay your weary head be still my friend
Come, rise I’ll place my sword upon your shoulder
Come, rise with me
When tomorrow has been stolen and you can’t lift your head
And summer feels like winter your heart is full of stone
Though all your hopes have fallen your skin is now your only armour
Wear your scars like medals defender of the faith
Come, come lay your weary head be still my friend
Come, rise I’ll place my sword upon your shoulder
Come, come lay your faithful head, be still my friend
Come rise with me
