TCA-YWAM Austin DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING COURSE      August 6, 2017 Topic: WALKING in spirit with Friend, Jesus (Compiled by Jon Dorris) (Permission granted for anyone to use freely)   Intro LIFE BEFORE A BELIEVER -I remember my life before I was a Believer.   -I was ignoring God and living what I thought would make me happy.   -I also was very deceived of who I thought God was and how He relates to mankind.   -My “good ideas” of how best to live life we spiraling me downwards to destruction.   -Unfortunately it took a series of crisis (that came from my bad sowing and reaping) to get me to turn to God for answers.   -The last of those crisis’ led me to read the entire New Testament.   -I was amazed at how amazing God IS.   -After I saw who He was (with the Holy Spirit’s help), I gave Him my WHOLE HEART.   -I got water baptized which I learned CUT OFF THE SIN NATURE in me,           but I also learned I had to REPROGRAM MY MIND with God’s truth.           (like a computer hard drive defaults to what is programed in it – so is our MIND)   -If you are a BELIEVER and have never been water baptized YOU NEED TO GET BAPTISED  and cut off the power of the SIN NATURE. -Then the faith fight gets a lot easier.   -That launched me on a beautiful journey into an ever increasing ABUNDANT LIFE.   -It just keeps getting better and better.   -But I had to learn God’s KINGDOM LIFE is totally contrary to the selfish evil world system.   -John 7:16-18 was one of the GREATEST TRUTHS I LEARNED early on.           EXPLAIN IT   -Then I had to walk out of the old system of evil world beliefs and habits by TRUSTING JESUS to WALK ME OUT, and lead me into HIS KINGDOM.     INTRO JOURNEY IN THE SPIRIT WALK -JESUS PAID a tremendously painful price on the Cross to buy for us a rich and fulfilling life.           -But it goes totally contrary to the TEMPTING EVIL WORLD SYSTEM.   -Today I just want to ENCOURAGE US with truths that will help us win this fight, that Paul calls “THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH”.   -Satan would love to keep us defeated, BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO LET HIM!   -Lets join together as a strong Family and help each other win this Kingdom FAITH FIGHT.   -Jesus said in John 10:10-11, “The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”   -Let’s grab this message today and DETERMINE TO DEFEAT THE DEVIL AND HONOR GOD by living the abundant life in the spirit that God intends for us.   Here is what we are going to cover today: 1. Do you want LIFE & BLESSING or DEATH & SORROW? (Our choices) 2. CLASH of the KINGDOMS & Our Defense / OFFENSE 3. YOU MUST make CHANGES in your LIFESTYLE!   1. Do you want LIFE & BLESSING or DEATH & SORROW? (Our choices)   -The Old Testament Book of Joshua is an amazing story of God working with His people to conquer all their enemies little by little and take all the Promise Land.   -It is a great picture of our New Testament life of working with God to take back the territories of our soul from sin and enter all the Promises of God for us to live an abundant life.   -If we are going to finish God’s call on us to bring the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, then we must first win the battle of taking back our own soul.   -For us that are Believer’s in Christ the battle is already won for our spirit man.   -Jesus Christ’s intense victory at the Cross, through His death, burial and resurrection bought for us complete victory in our spirit man.   -But now we must work with the Holy Spirit little by little to take back the Promise Land of our SOUL MAN – Our MIND, WILL, and EMOTIONS.   HERE IS THIS MISSION: 1 John 2:14-17, “14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. 2. CLASH of the KINGDOMS & Our Defense / OFFENSE   This is a CAUSE WORTH FIGHTING FOR! -LETS DO IT!    TOGETHER! HERE ARE SOME OF OUR POWERFUL WEAPONS: (READ TOGETHER) Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”   -This really is the true heart of worship.   -Guys I know full well the pull of the sinful world. It’s a hard fight but worth any effort it takes to conquer it.             -It really does come down to our moment by moment CHOICES.   -BUT God is with us to DO IT THROUGH US -Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. THAT IS GREAT NEWS   -2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh,4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,   -The KEY is to WALK IN THE SPIRT and NOT THE FLESH.   -The KEY to this is to ABIDE IN HIS PRESENCE = the KINGDOM-RPJ in H.S.   -Our GREATEST ENEMY is our flesh (sinful desires). -John 15:1-5, I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.   JON’s JOURNEY EX. -Describe my slow but sure climb up out of this sinful lifestyle   -After the first time I read the New Testament, I was hungry to dig deeper and learn and implement the NT so I could HAVE LIFE ABUNDANTLY, not the mess I had created for myself before I let God in my life.   -I began taking BABT STEPS but FALLING OFTEN.           =Dissipation of God’s Presence (Kingdom RPJ in Holy Spirit) (Ro. 14:17) -Ephesians 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,           =Condemnation, guilt, negative emotions, etc.           =I hated that -I wanted ABUNDANT LIFE not negative junk (DEATH)   -I kept TRUSTING GOD to live victoriously through you.           -Don’t get frustrated when you fail (Ro. 8:1)           -Just 1 John 1:9 get up and go again           -More and more you WILL SEE VICTORY -I proved this by keeping on with John 7:17   -The pain of the messy results of sin really MOTIVATED me to:           -GO AFTER GOD           -LEARN HIS BIBLICAL BLUEPRINT           -WALK VICTORIOUSLY IN IT (Rev. 12:11)   -I learned it was much more effective to DO IT WITH OTHER BELIEVERS   -I learned THE GOOD NEWS IS the more we fight the good fight of faith, the more we get on top and walk in the blessings of life in the spirit.   -JUST NEVER QUIT, then we WIN!   -JUST KEEP RUNNING TO GOD FOR GRACE to live out life in the spirit   -God is working to MATURE US INTO HIS SONS (male and female)           -Who KNOW His KINGDOM TRUTHS           -& KNOW HOW to work with the Holy Spirit to IMPLEMENT THEM ON EARTH as it is in HEAVEN.   -Here are some power scriptures that I constantly claim and decree if faith:   -2 Cor. 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed; …”   -2 Corinthians 12:09 “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”   -GRACE is POWER to do something. (God’s power)           -2 Peter 1:3-4, seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.   You may say, “Jesus forgave our sins, do our choices really matter now in NT?”   What does the New Testament say: -Gal 6:7-10, “ Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”   -So this Old Testament truth still applies today: -Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,…”   -Our choices effect the whole world.   -The Kingdom of Heaven increases on earth or diminishes depending on OUR CHOICES and ACTIONS.   -So let’s keep encouraging one another and keep fighting the “good fight of faith”.   -Joshua & Israelites took the Promise Land little by little.   -So let’s just keep patiently persevering.   Hebrews 6:10-15, For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 13 For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” 15 And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise. -During this “patiently waiting period” God is wonderfully shaping our character more into Christ’s character. -You will be pleasantly surprised at the TRANSFORMATION YOU SEE IN YOU. -JUST DO NOT QUIT EVER and YOU WIN   3. YOU MUST make CHANGES in your LIFESTYLE! -We just cannot have the fullness of relationship with Jesus AND live a fleshly life like the world.   LISTEN to these TRUTHS   Galatians 5:1, 13, 16-25 (Jon reads)  5:1, It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 5:13, For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 5:16-25, But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 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. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 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.  22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.           -We are going to have to make some hard choices all along the way in life if we want to live victoriously over the corruption that comes from selfish living.   A. Must adjust our lifestyle and make room to get in God’s word (daily if possible) and renew your mind to the truths Jesus paid for.   B. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help -Phil 2:12-13, So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.   C. Ask God for wisdom James 1:2-6 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. Then CHOOSE wisdom’s path.   D. Fasting seems to drain the power out of a fleshly life. You might try fasting something worldly one day a week or partial day per week (etc.)   E. Repent quickly when we blow it           Acts 3:19 9 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord           1 John 1:9,  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.           Ro. 8:1, Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.             -This helps you keep a clean conscience which is absolutely necessary if we are going to walk in faith (which is only way to receive from God)   1 John 5:4 (our faith overcomes the evil world system) For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.   Rev. 12:11, And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.   My current amazing place with God- IT WAS WORTH IT ALL           It just gets better and better!   Conclusion – Which way will you go now?           Invitation – Agree in your heart with my prayer if you want Jesus to walk you into Holy Spirit living -If you want to invite Jesus in your life please come see me. -If you want to get water baptized please come and see me.