Consecrated - Message 5: God's Benefit Plan

INTRODUCTION: Turn to Psalms 1
For the past four weeks we’ve been looking at what it means to be CONSECRATED TO CHRIST. We’ve looked at issues of what it means to have a consecrated:
Body
Mind
Wallet
And Heart

Today the Lord wants me to talk to you about the BENEFITS OF LIVING CONSECRATED TO CHRIST. In other words – what should a person expect to GAIN if they follow Jesus as Lord?

PRAYER

LOOK AT PSALMS 1
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” Psalms 1:1-6, NIV.

GOD says: There are certain benefits, certain blessings that come to those who follow me.

Verse 1 says: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.

Have you ever been to the LA County Fair? Or any other large fair? At those fairs they sell the coolest stuff that you do not need. Mops, car wax, inkjet refill kits, ladders, Those “As Seen on TV” products – anything you can possibly imagine is right there for you to purchase – and at ‘Special Fair Prices’. Those companies employ salespeople whose job it is to get you into their booths. If they can DISTRACT you from where you were going, ATTRACT you to themselves, it won’t be long before you are signing the CONTRACT to purchase their item.

This is exactly what God is telling us in verse 1:
“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” – your life is better when you do not allow the temporary to DISTRACT you from the eternal! DISTRACTION from your purpose as a child of God is one of the first tools that the enemy uses to ‘get you’.

You are walking along with God, just fine, then suddenly, you have an extremely busy week. Work goes into hyperdrive, the cars break down, you forget to make a deposit and you are bouncing checks, your toilet backs up – whatever – and suddenly you are not focusing your life on the goal of being in Christ – you are focusing your life of putting out the latest fire – and you are DISTRACTED by the world.

As soon as the salesperson has you distracted – he will try his best to ATTRACT you.

God says: “Blessed is the man who… does not stand in the way of sinners…”

You’ve stopped walking and you are now standing, listening to what the salesperson has to say and looking at what he has to sale. If they are smart, they let you touch it, maybe they’ll give you a sample of what you can cook with it…

God says – you are better off not to stop and listen to what this world is trying to sell you. Keep moving forward. Because as soon as you stop – they will have ATTRACTED you to what they’ve got.

Because – when you allow DISTRACTION and ATTRACTION to work… it won’t be long before you are signing the CONTRACT.

God says: “Blessed is the man who… does not sit in the seat of mockers…”

When you stop walking, and stand – you’ll soon be seated. You’ll soon join in. You’ll soon be signing the CONTRACT.

God says: Your life is benefited by staying focused on the goal of being with me! Don’t allow yourself to get DISTRACTED, ATTRACTED and CONTRACTED! You’ve got to stay CONSECRATED TO CHRIST – He is the goal. He is the objective. He is the purpose. Nothing else matters!

Look at verse 2:
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” V.2

Instead of allowing the world systems to distract, attract and contract you – away from your true purpose…
• The Consecrated Christian Life Enjoys God! V. 2
Delight in God! – The result of living consecrated to Christ is that you will come to really, truly enjoy your relationship with God! No kidding – simply being with Him is way better than anything this old world has to offer!

The Hebrew word for ‘delight’ in verse 2 is: “kayfets” – and it means: “pleasure, delight, enjoy”

One of my favorite scriptures is Psalms 37:4….
“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalms 37:4, NIV.

When being with God is my greatest desire – when He becomes the object of my life – then of course He will meet my heart’s desire!

What is the desire of the consecrated believer? Look at verse 2 again:
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” V.2

What is the law of the Lord? It is His revelation to mankind! In other words – the desire of every consecrated Christian is to hear the voice of God!

When you’ve begun to hear the voice of God – in worship, in prayer, in the Bible, in prophecy, in stillness – nothing else can top that!

To know that you are hearing the voice of the One who made all that there is – the voice of the One who is Almighty – the voice of the One who loves me with a perfect love – what can possibly compare?

Now that is a benefit that is hard to beat!

Now, look at verse 3 – because God reveals some more benefits to the consecrated Christian:
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” v. 3

• The Consecrated Christian life is planted deep and fed well! V. 3

What makes a tree strong? Water going to its root system! God says: If you will consecrate your life to me – I will nourish the deepest parts of you! How does He do this?

“Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says." (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive.” John 7:38-39 Message

God gives us His Holy Spirit to live within our spirit – The Spirit gives us counsel, guidance, power, gifts, the ability to hear the voice of the Lord! The Spirit enables us to be involved with God in the miraculous!

Nothing will feed you – nothing can be more satisfactory than to participate with God in His miraculous works!

Now – look at verse 3 again:
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” v. 3

• The Consecrated Christian life produces fruit! V. 3

You see, when your life is given over to Christ – consecrated – this enables the Holy Spirit to work within you to develop you, to mature you, to overcome your childish ways, to take back the rightful leadership over your body and soul – so that then, and only then, the fruit that God intended from the beginning can grow in your life!

You were created to live a glorious, beautiful, and powerful life. As you walk with Christ, the flesh is put off, the soul is under God’s control – and the Authentic You – that God created in His image begins to be revealed!

You know those character traits that the Authentic You desires? Returning anger with love, Forgiving those who harm you, Habits that glorify God – these desires can be realized! This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit living within!

You cannot produce these fruits, that’s not your job. Your job is to do what Jesus said in John 15:5…
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5, NIV.

Be consecrated to Christ – live in Christ – He will produce the fruit!

Look at verse 3 again:
“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” v. 3

• The Consecrated Christian life stays strong and healthy! V. 3

The evidence of a healthy tree is the condition of its leaves. Leaves that are strong and beautiful show that life is flowing within the tree!

Christ wants your life to be strong and healthy – up the very end of your days on earth!

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:16:
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16

Every one of us – will face death. If you live long enough, you’ll face old age. Your body will wear out. But – your Spirit – that’s another issue! God promises that so long as you remain consecrated to Christ, your spirit will stay strong and healthy! You will soar!

Too many Christians think that its okay to get bitter, brittle and beligerant – I’m hear to say: God has a better plan for you as you walk with Him! He promises that your leave will not wither up and die! You can become better! You can become beautiful! Why? Because you are the Beloved!

One last promise in verse 3: “Whatever he does, prospers!”

• The Consecrated Christian Accomplishes His Purposes! V. 3

And how could it be any other way? When you are sold out to the purposes of God – rest assured that the purposes of God will be fulfilled in your life!

Too many Christians are willing to settle for scraps from God’s table, when you are invited to sit with Him at the banquet! Your life matters! You and God can do anything He sets His mind too! All you’ve got to do is be consecrated to Him and His purposes, and He will do in you and through you exactly what He has planned.

Acts 13:36 says:
“For David served God's purposes in his own time, and then he died…” Acts 13:36

This can be said of each of us as we live consecrated to Christ!

Verses 4 & 5 tell us what the fate will be of the stubborn self-willed people who do their own thing:
“Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.”

What happens to the self-willed?

• Their lives have no substance – ‘chaff’
• Their lives cannot withstand storms – ‘the wind blows away…’
• They cannot stand in the Presence of God!
• They cannot stand being with Authentic Christians

Do you know why Christians are persecuted? Because are lives demonstrate the need for submission to God!

Verse 6 says: “For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”

Your personal choices determine outcomes!

• Chose to be consecrated to Christ – and you are guaranteed the watchful eye of God all the days of your life! Every stretch of the road of life – a constant companion and one who knows the road. He will see you through the death of loved ones, he will see you financial uncertainty, he will see you through marital problems, miscarriages and malignancies! There is nothing that comes as a surprise to Him and there is nothing that He cannot overcome for you!

• Chose to live self-willed – and you will not enjoy life! Self-willed means self-directed. And frankly, you don’t know the way through life. You cannot do it on your own. You can try, but you will fail.

CONCLUSION:
God says: Your life will be blessed when you give it over to me! I will pour out real life in exchange for your worn out life! Everything you ever dreamed can come true – only better!

Consecration is daily choice. A CHOICE that no one can make for you – it is personal and it is yours to make.

Joshua stood on the banks of the Jordan River and addressed the people of Israel, just prior to going into the Promised Land:
“If you decide that it's a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you'd rather serve - and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you're now living. As for me and my family, we'll worship God." Joshua 24:15 Message

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION

Consecrated - Message 4: A consecrated heart

INTRODUCTION: TURN TO 1 PETER 3:15
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” 1 Peter 3:15, NIV.

Today, we are going to discover what it means to have hearts set apart for Christ.

PRAYER

1. MY HEART IS GOOD. Ezekiel 36:26-27

God – through His prophet Ezekiel, spoke to what His intentions towards were – hear with the ears of your heart this truth from God:
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Ezekiel 36:26, 27, NIV.

Outside of a relationship with Christ, our hearts are in deep trouble. They lead us astray and generally cannot be trusted. This is what Jeremiah meant when he said:
“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9

But the cure for our hearts came when we allowed Jesus access to them!

In Christ – your heart has been…
• Transformed not reformed!

Jesus told Nicodemus that… ‘You must be born again.’” John 3:7, NIV

God gave us the Law of Moses to show us out desparete need for transformation – not reformation! The difference between transformation and reformation is that in reformation you are cleaning up and polishing what already exists, but in transformation you are changing something at it’s very core and nature. Christ said – ‘you must be born again’ – meaning that we need a complete makeover – a complete fresh start – a complete and utter transformation.

And transformation is exactly what happens to us when we come to Christ!

Paul put it this way in Galatians 6:15:
“It doesn't make any difference now whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people.” Galatians 6:15 NLT

And this is exactly what Christ did for you and I – He made us – at the very core of our beings NEW PEOPLE! In order to do that he had to…
• Remove my old heart! (The Cross of Christ)

Look again at Ezekiel 36… “I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

This is what Christ did on the cross – He did far more than simply forgive you your sin and tell you to ‘go about your business – trying harder to be good!’ – NO!

According to Romans 6:10-11, here’s what happened in the cross of Christ:
“Yes, when Christ died, he died to defeat the power of sin one time -- enough for all time. He now has a new life, and his new life is with God. In the same way, you should see yourselves as being dead to the power of sin and alive with God through Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:10-11 NCV

Christ’s death killed off the power of sin to rule our lives!

But there’s more – for after he removed the heart of stone – He…
• Replaced with a New Heart! (The Resurrection of Christ)

There is far more to the Gospel Message than the Cross of Christ!

We’ve received a heart transplant – where there was death – we are now ALIVE! And our hearts have been made GOOD in Christ!

And the key to this is the resurrection of Christ!

“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith… And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” 1 Corinthians 15:14,17

Without resurrection – we are hopeless and dead! But with resurrection – everything changes for us!

What did the Apostles and early church fathers focus on? THE RESURRECTION of Christ!

“…the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.” Acts 4:2, NIV.

“With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all.” Acts 4:33, NIV.

“…Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.” Acts 17:18, NIV.

John Eldredge wrote: “The reason the first and closest friends of Jesus focused on miracles, healing, and hopeful aspects of the faith such as the Ascension and Resurrection was simply that those are what God Himself wants us to focus on. Those are the point. Those make Christianity such very good news. A dead man is not a great deal of help to us; a dead God is even worse. But life, real life, the power of God is restore you… now that’s a whole nother matter.”

Jesus says in Matthew 12:33 says…“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good…” Matthew 12:33 – and that is exactly what He had done for you – He has made you a good tree! He has given you a good heart!

And – it is in this new and good heart…
• Where God lives!

The New Testament teaches us that are bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit – but where is the Holy of Holies – where is the place that GOD lives?

“…Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…” Ephesians 3:17

The Holy of Holies – the Dwelling Place of God – is in your HEART!

Your heart has been made GOOD by Christ – so SET IT APART for Christ!

With all of this being true – it should come as no surprise that…
2. MY HEART IS UNDER ATTACK.

If someone were to write a story – or make a movie – about your life – there would be a common theme running through it: You have been under attack. The enemy of your heart is out to get you. He works full time assaulting you and doing everything in his power to cause you to lose heart.

That’s why God’s Word says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23

Jesus helped us to see the true nature of our enemy:
“He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

Satan wants to kill you – and at the very least, he wants you to believe his lies. WHY? Because he fears what will happen when you start to live out of your true heart! You are a powerful source for good and for God in this world as you walk in the power of the resurrection! And anything that the enemy can do to keep you down is exactly what he’ll do.

Your heart is under attack.

Have you noticed how hard it can be to stay in a place where you are actually believing that you matter to God? That your heart is good? That God really truly cares and is actively involved in your life?

Have you noticed how easy it is to fall into a place of doubt – about yourself, about those around you and about God?

Your heart is under attack.

Then enemy works through subtle accusations, hoping that we will agree with him. Here’s some examples:
• You have an argument with your daughter on the way to school – “Well, I blew it again. Like usual. I am such a lousy parent…”

• You arrive late for an appointment, rushed and out of breath – “Late again? Why can’t I get anywhere on time? What is wrong with me? I wouldn’t blame them if they left without me…”

• You decide to pray, but suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere vile, filthy thoughts fill your mind – or – you cannot get quiet inside and all of your ‘to-do’s’ that aren’t done start crowding out space in your head for God – and you give up: “This prayer thing doesn’t work. I just get more and more frustrated – and how could God love me when I think such horrible thoughts…”

Your heart is under attack.

The Remedy? MAKE NO AGREEMENTS! The voice of God never condemns! The voice of God never leads to confusion and discouragement! MAKE NO AGREEMENTS!
The voice of Satan kills and confuses – MAKE NO AGREEMENTS!

• Do not AGREE with words that bring you down!
• Do not AGREE with words that are condemning!

Tell that lying spirit to go to Hell in Jesus name! MAKE NO AGREEMENTS!

INSTEAD – Ask the Lord: “What would you say to me? What do you want me to believe in this moment?” And – when Jesus speaks – AGREE! EMBRACE! SPEAK FAITH!

But how do I know what Jesus says about my heart?
3. MY HEART NEEDS REVELATION. Ezekiel 36:27

Look again at Ezekiel 36 – verse 27: “And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

God puts His Spirit within you – so that you are empowered to see with the eyes of His Spirit! You have the Holy Spirit so that you can have revelation of what God is really saying about you!

Jesus said in John 14:26…
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26

It’s as if Jesus said: “I am giving you the Holy Spirit for this very purpose: To give you revelation! To teach you the truth about who I am, what I am doing, who you are in me!”

The attack against you is great, and you cannot fight this fight with the eyes of your mind, flesh or emotions – you need spiritual eyesight, you need revelation. If you are going to ‘set apart Christ as Lord’ you’ve got to learn to see with the eyes of the heart!

Look at Ephesians 1:18
“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,” Ephesians 1:18

Paul isn’t using clever words here – he is going to battle for us: “God, open the eyes of their hearts – let them see things as they really are! They feel despair – show them the hope! They feel isolated and on their own – let them see your glorious plans for them! Open their spiritual eyes! Give them revelation!”

Paul also write in 2 Corinthians 4:16…
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

• In a life filled with trouble – do not lose heart!
• Instead – fix your eyes on the unseen – fix your spiritual eyes on the things of God, on the eternal!

In Ephesians 1:17 we read…
“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” Ephesians 1:17

Do you need the Spirit of wisdom and revelation?
Do you need to know Him better?

If Paul can ask – so can we.

We are going to take a very practical step right now – we are going to ASK God to give us spiritual eyesight – to give us revelation of Himself – to give us wisdom – to help us know Him better!

We are going to use the song “Open the Eyes of My Heart” as a tool. As we sing – seek the Holy Spirit. As we sing – seek the answers to your struggles. As we sing – place your heart before Him and ask Him for what you need in the battle.

OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART

What is God revealing to you?

Now – do these three things:
1. Agree with what He has revealed.
2. Agree to what He wants you to do.
3. Praise God for His revelation.

In the battle against your good heart, set your heart apart for Christ!

Consecrated - Message 3: A consecrated wallet

INTRODUCTION: TURN TO GENESIS 14:18

We are talking about LIVING CONSECRATED FULLY TO CHRIST.

Consecration means that you are dedicated to a single purpose: Loving God.

Today, I’m going to talk about the issue of TITHING and how tithing can demonstrate love for God.

PRAYER

1. WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT TITHING

• The Old Testament

Abram and Melchizedek – Genesis 14:18-20
The first time we see the word ‘tithe’ in the Bible is in the first book of the Bible – Genesis. Look at Genesis 14:18… The people of God have been robbed and kidnapped by neighboring tribes and Abram and 318 trained men went after them! They had a great victory and after the victory we read this:

“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.” Genesis 14:18-20, NIV.

Abram gave Melchizedek a tithe – 10% of everything that had been reclaimed in the battle! The word ‘tithe’ literally means “10% or a tenth”.

I want you to notice some really cool things in this passage:

• Melchizedek – in the Hebrew means: King of Righteousness
• And Melchizedek comes from “Salem” which means “Peace” – So Melchizedek is the King of Righteousness and Peace.
• Melchizedek brings Abram ‘bread and wine’ – a foretelling of the King of Righteousness and Peace (Jesus) bringing bread and wine as a symbol of His body and blood!
• Most Biblical scholars believe that Abram was visited by Christ Himself in the person of Melchizedek!
• And Abram gives the Christ figure a tithe. GET THIS: Abram didn’t have to – he chose to!

The Law of Moses – Leviticus 27:30, Malachi 3:10
The second time we see the word ‘tithe’ in the Old Testament is in Leviticus 27:30 – in the middle of the Law of Moses.

“‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.” Leviticus 27:30

The Law of Moses says that all of God’s people are to bring a tithe of everything they produce to the Lord – that in fact, the tithe BELONGS to the Lord.

In the last book of the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi lays this promise of blessing to those who will tithe to the Lord:

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Malachi 3:10

This demonstrates the purpose of the tithe: That God’s work will be provided for.
But God also lays down a challenge: “Test me… see if blessings will come!”

I have never known a faithful Christian who regrets tithing to the Lord. They have benefited far more than they have given out!

• The New Testament – 2 Corinthians 9:7

There is no scripture in the New Testament that directly tells Christians that they must tithe. Yet, how can we – permanently rescued from sin do possibly do less than people who were under law?

The Apostle Paul wrote of this freedom in 2 Corinthians 9:7…
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7, NIV.

New Testament teaching concerning tithing identifies several things that the Old Testament doesn’t:
1. Giving is a matter of the heart.
2. Giving that honors God isn’t done reluctantly.
3. Giving that honors God doesn’t come from obligation.
4. Giving that honors God is giving that is done cheerfully!

Beth and I – before we were ever married – chose to give at least a tithe – at least 10% - to the work of the Lord – because we knew that any less than 10% wouldn’t require faith and wouldn’t really be a stretch for us. And God has blessed up incredibly. In a million different ways that I can’t even list.

I want to talk to you about what happens inside a believer who becomes a consistent tither. TURN TO MATTHEW 6:19

2. WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE – Matthew 6:19-33

In 25 years of ministry, I’ve seen these truths I’m about to share with you lived out in hundreds of lives. Let me put it simply: There is a distinct and measurable difference in the level of spiritual maturity between those who learn to tithe and those who won’t. You may not like me saying that – but it is true.

Jesus is teaching some important truths in Matthew 6 – we begin at verse 19-21

19 ¶ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

• Consistent tithing breaks the stronghold of materialism – Matthew 6:19-21

By tithing – you are investing in things that last, things that cannot be taken away by rust and robbers! You are investing in God’s economy – and God’s economy is eternal. And as you make this investment, your heart goes with it! The core of you becomes more and more about God and His Kingdom! Your spirit aligns with His Spirit and you experience a taste of eternity!

When you begin to tithe, you’ll start seeing material possessions more accurately. They don’t define you. They don’t make you special. They aren’t the goal of life. They exist to serve you – you don’t exist to serve them. Materialism no longer controls you! And isn’t that what you desire?

And – now look at verse 22-23
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
23 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!

• Tithing frees me to move forward in the life of the Spirit! 6:22-23

When your ability to see the value of the things of God’s Spirit is made clear – everything else in your life will become clear as well! And you’ll be able to break free from the lesser things so that you can experience the BEST things – the things of God! And isn’t that what you desire?

Now look at verse 24:
24 “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.

• Tithing focuses my love where it belongs! 6:24

So long as I keep control over my wallet, I’m stopping God from leading me deeper into love with Him! I’ve got a divided heart – part of me wants to grow, part of me won’t let go and trust.

But when I finally release control into His hands, I find my love relationship with Him focused and moving forward! My heart is no longer divided. And isn’t that what you desire?

Now we go to verse 25-26:
25 “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?
26 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?

• Tithing overcomes my fear and anxieties. V. 25-26

Why don’t we let go? Because we are afraid.
What are we afraid of? That God won’t come through for us. That ultimately we are on our own.

So we grasp and cling to what we have, as if there is no God.
Listen with your heart right now: “Aren’t you more valuable than the birds of the air? Don’t you matter to God?”

When you begin to live in this kind of faith and trust – your fears are relieved and your anxieties dissipate. Why? Because God comes through – every time! And isn’t that what you desire?

Now, look at verse 27…
27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 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 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

• Tithing demonstrates the care and provision of God for His people. 6:27-32

When you begin to live a consistent lifestyle of tithing, your eyes will be opened to His care and to His provision for you. You’ll stand in awe about how God comes through just in the nick of time!

But when you hold on to the control, you’ll begin to believe that ‘if it’s to be, it’s up to me!’ And what a sad way to live. For what happens to you if you are disabled and cannot work? What happens to you if the winds of the economy shift and you are left out in the wind?

When you tithe consistently – you are saying: “God, I believe that you will meet all of my needs according to your riches in glory!” Which is exactly what Paul wrote to another church:

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

And isn’t that what you desire?

NOW, look at verse 33:
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

• Tithing involves me in the purposes of God on earth! 6:33

Tithing is a vital part of involving yourself in God’s purposes on earth! It isn’t all of it, but it is an important part.

And when I think of the people of this church – I think: There’s a group of people who could go to church anywhere – they could go disappear in the anonymity of the local mega-church – but they stay. Why? Because – I believe – it is because you see that we are increasingly becoming a Body of Believers who are taking God’s promises seriously and we are seeking to become a truly spiritual people. And, isn’t that what you desire?

So, if I’m not a tither -
3. WHAT DO I DO TO TITHE? - 2 Corinthians 9:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2

We look again at 2 Corinthians 9:7
“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7, NIV.

• Make a decision of the heart to give

Now, 1 Corinthians 16:2 says:
“On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.” 1 Corinthians 16:2

• Every Sunday after payday – give what your heart has decided to give.

Do this even when you miss Sunday services or go on vacation – because you are tithing to the Lord, not paying an admission ticket to church services.

Do this – every time you get paid – week after week, month after month – and before you know, you’ll be a consistent tither!

CONCLUSION:

PRAYER – BREAKING THE STRONGHOLDS
• Acknowledge that you’ve trusted more in money than you have in God
• Confess that as sin
• Repent
• Confess that you believe that He is not only able to provide, but you are depending upon Him to do so.
• Ask Him to reorient your mind, your priorities and your finances to be consecrated to Him
• Decide in your heart to be – as of today – a consistent tither.
• Take action based upon your desire to love Christ!
• Praise Him for helping you make this change.

Consecrated - Message 2: A consecrated mind

Last week we introduced the idea that as we follow Christ towards maturity we experience three distinct gifts from Him:
1. Salvation – the moment in time when God offered to change your nature from sinner to SAVED!
2. Baptism of the Holy Spirit – the moment in timed when God offered to fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit!
3. Consecration – the moment in time when you offer your life fully back to God as an expression of gratitude to Him!

Consecration is what Paul writes about in Romans 12:1
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1

In order to become who God created you to be – you’ve got to step away from self-centered ‘soulish’ and ‘fleshly’ living and become a truly spiritual person.

God wants you to have a consecrated SOUL: mind, emotions and will. TODAY we are focusing on having a consecrated mind. God wants to change the way your think!

“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:21-26

This story illustrates the need for a transformed mind. Jesus is teaching that He will suffer and die, and then He will be resurrected. As Christians, we know that this was His ultimate mission on earth – without this, we’d have no hope. But, we have the benefit of seeing the whole story unfolded.

Peter didn’t get it. His mind couldn’t conceive of what God was really up. Look at verse 22…
“Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” v. 22

Do you get what Peter did? Imagine the scene – Peter saying: “Uh, Jesus, can we step over here and talk for a moment.” And then when he gets Jesus alone, he says: “What are you doing! Knock it off! There is no way on God’s green earth that we are going to stand by and let this happen to you! We’ve got your back!”

And Jesus lands on him – vs. 23:
“Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” V. 23

Peter’s fleshly and soulish thinking was in DIRECT OPPOSITION to the plans of God! And Jesus tells him so in no uncertain terms – he calls him “Satan” and says he is a ‘stumbling block’ – why? Because Peter isn’t thinking like a spiritual man! He is thinking like a mere man!

That’s our problem – we think too much like humans. We need our MINDS transformed. We need to experience what Paul talks about in Romans 12:2…
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

We need transformation. We need the mind of Christ!

Turn to 1 Corinthians 2:12…
12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: 16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:12-16

v. 12 - Transformation of our minds comes from the Holy Spirit living within.
“but the Spirit who is from God”

v. 12 – The Holy Spirit enables us to UNDERSTAND the things of God!
“…that we may understand what God has freely given us.”

v. 13 – Christians speak God’s truth, taught by God’s Spirit!
“This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.”

v. 14 – The spiritual things cannot be comprehended in the flesh!
“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned”

v. 15 – Spiritual people are not subject to fleshly standards!
v. 16a – God doesn’t need our counsel!
“The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: 16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?”

v. 16b – Maturing Christians have transformed minds!
“But we have the mind of Christ.”

Now in chapter 13:1-3 Paul says some strong truths to the people in the Corinthian church:
3:1 “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3

Paul says – “Corinthian church – you are having all kinds of problems in your life and in your church – all of this jealousy, fighting and competition is the direct result of your spiritual immaturity! And, you say that you want the deeper truths of God, but you are proving that you simply are not ready for it by your attitudes and behavior.”

John Wimber, the late pastor and founder of the Vineyard churches wrote…
“As church leaders, we have little control over who shows up in our churches. It would be nice if we could form a “dream team” of capable, happy, well-adjusted, disciples who are willing to do anything necessary to conform their lives to the teachings of Christ and to His church- and give ten percent of their income. Unfortunately, everyone who comes to Christ, also come with all kinds of emotional and spiritual baggage.

That’s the raw material we deal with. Furthermore, as leaders we have what seems like an impossible goal. In describing his labor for the church, the apostle Paul writes: “We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ” (Col. 1:28). Paul wasn’t interested in presenting everyone reasonably OK in Christ. His goal wasn’t to present everyone sort of together in Christ, but Paul aimed to present everyone he had any degree of influence over perfect in Christ.”

And that is my goal as well. I desire two things:
1. That I’d be a truly spiritual man.
2. And that I’d have influence over others who desire the same thing.

Dear friends: We are not merely men and women. We are GOD’S men and women! And in order to grow in that reality – we simply must allow Him to transform the way we think – away from soulish, self-centered, humanistic thinking and towards genuine Holy Spirit inspired, Christ-centered, God honoring thinking!

WHERE DO WE BEGIN?
Paul said to the people of Corinth that ‘I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ…” And then he taught them food that was appropriate for babies. There is no shame in being a baby in Christ – but there is something desparetely wrong with remaining one!

If we are going to have consecrated minds – holy unto the Lord, we must begin where we are and acknowledge our need for transformation. Your worldly thinking will not develop spiritual life! You need to be changed!

If we are going to move forward, one of the first things we must do is to:
• Ask the Lord to reveal worldly thinking.

David wrote in Psalms 139:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalms 139:23, 24, KJV.

PRAYER: Oh Lord – we invite you to examine us. Evaluate us. Look in every corner, behind every door, bringing revelation to us of anything that isn’t from you. Leave no hidden place unexamined! We need you to do this, and we know that your examination of us will be for our own good. And as you examine, we will repent and turn away from that which is not from you, because we do not want to remain worldly and weak. It is our desire to be Spirit-filled and strong in you! In Jesus’ name – Amen

Now, as His Spirit brings revelation…
• Take captive those thoughts and make them obey Christ.
Paul wrote:
“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.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

If we are going to move to spiritual maturity, overcoming worldly thinking, than we simply cannot allow thoughts to remain unchecked! We must – as the Lord examines our thinking, and brings us revelation – submit those thoughts to the authority of Christ as Lord!

You cannot walk around claiming to be a Spirit-filled Christian if you are going to hold on to some sins as if they were your pet. Every thought must submit to Christ – no matter how precious that thought may be to your flesh or soul!

It is the little compromises that will destroy you! In Song of Solomon 2:15 we read this warning:
“Catch the foxes, the little foxes, before they ruin our vineyard…” Song of Solomon 2:15 GNT

God is very thorough in bringing about transformation – and you simply cannot hold on to ‘little unconsecrated thoughts’ if you are going to become a person of the Spirit! Those thoughts must submitted to the Lordship of Christ!

Then, as you move through this ongoing process…
• Ask the Lord to renew your thinking.

Your soulish thinking will not be changed by soulish effort – you need God to intervene with His transforming power.

God’s will is that you become renewed in your way of thinking. Ephesians 4:22 says…
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24, NIV.

And how does God renew our minds? He causes us to change our source of information.
Garbage In – Garbage Out.
Good stuff in – good stuff out!

Philippians 4:8 says…
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

If you are serious about having a consecrated mind that honors Christ – you need to evaluate all of your sources of information, and focus on those that build you up in Christ!

One of the areas that few Christians think about is ENTERTAINMENT. When we are watching TV, listening to music, reading books and magazines, surfing the Internet – do we EVALUATE? Do we ‘take captive’? Do we flee that which corrupts and run towards that which builds up?

Without being legalistic – I challenge you to consider carefully what you allow to enter your mind – in light of your desire to grow in Christ!

CONCLUSION:
Peter had a mind set on worldly things – and it was in direct contradiction to the purposes of God. Fortunately, God changed Peter’s mind. And he became a powerful force for the Kingdom of God!

This can happen in your life as well. God can work miracles in your thinking!

Consecrate your mind to Christ!

PRAYER

Consecrated - Message 1

We have spend a great deal of time and effort to learn about two basic Christian experiences:

1. Salvation – the moment in time when God offered to change your nature from sinner to SAVED!
2. Baptism of the Holy Spirit – the moment in timed when God offered to fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit!

Both of these experiences are the result of God intervening in your life and giving you a gift that you did not earn and cannot repay!

But, there is a third basic Christian experience that we need to encounter:
3. Consecration – the moment in time when you offer your life fully back to God as an expression of gratitude to Him!

Consecration is what Paul writes about in Romans 12:1
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1

Paul – urges the believers – because of the mercy they have received… SALVATION and the BAPTISM OF THE Holy Spirit – to respond to God by offering… your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God…”

The word ‘HOLY’ – hagios – literally that which is set-apart as special for a higher purpose! When we consecrate – or make holy – our lives – we are setting our lives apart from the ordinary way of living and beginning to live for a higher purpose!

The Lord is saying to us: “I have called you out of your sin, and out of this broken world – and I’ve brought you into my family, forgiven and freed – heaven is guaranteed – I’ve given you the power to live as overcomers – the power to have victory over the flesh, over your soulish nature and over Satan – therefore – dedicate yourself to Me – live to bring me glory! Be holy!”

Romans 12:2 tells us what the result of living consecrated to the Lord is:
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

As we yield self-will to His will - we will – personally experience – the goodness of God’s will! His plans will be lived out in our lives and we will say: “Yes! This is exactly what I wanted – even though I didn’t know it!”

Consecration is allowing the same Christ who Saved you and who Sent His Holy Spirit into your Spirit to become LORD and KING over our lives!

TURN TO 1 CHRONICLES 29:
In 1 Chronicles 29 – David is approaching the end of his life. God has revealed that David’s son, Solomon, will be the next King of Israel and will be given the task to build the Temple of God in Jerusalem. He makes a public pledge to give amazing amounts of his personal wealth to the building of the Temple and then David appeals to the people of Israel, and says…

“Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the LORD?” 1 Chronicles 29:5

Notice the word: “Willing” – Willingness is the result of a decision in your soul. Will you, David ask, make a choice – make a decision – to consecrate yourself to the LORD?

And we read in verses 6-8 their decision:
“Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. They gave towards the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron. Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the LORD in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.” 1 Chronicles 29:6-8

We see here a willing giving of self, to the work of the Lord! They didn’t hesitate… “in view of God’s mercy…” – they had experienced the mercy of God – and they realized that in the giving of themselves that they had nothing to lose!

Again, martyred missionary Jim Elliot’s famous quote fits: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose!”

Now, look at verse 9:
“The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.” 1 Chronicles 29:9

“The people rejoiced…”
This illustrates a very important principle: JOY always follows consecration!

There is something about participating in something far larger than self, that brings joy! These people saw the godly leadership of their nation – and their willingness to give – to serve – to sacrifice for the greater good – and they couldn’t help rejoice!

“for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. “
And the second principle that I want you to see in verse 9 is this: Consecration will heal your broken heart!

Notice – they gave freely and “wholeheartedly” to the Lord! The consecrated person is wholehearted! They are not headed in two directions at the same time! Their heart is whole because it is focused! They are living with a singular vision: My life matters – My life counts – My life belongs to God!

If there is brokenness and confusion: Consecrate your life to Christ! He will heal your heart!

God promises you this:
“And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their hearts of stone and give them tender hearts instead,” Ezekiel 11:19 NLT

Now – skip down to verse 14 – for I want you to see the source of consecration. Where does the ability to be consecrated come from?

The Source
David says to the Lord:
“But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” 1 Chronicles 29:14

“Everything comes from you…” Even the ability to consecrate yourself to Christ – comes as a gift from Christ! He provides for every need – even the need to follow! He is a far better leader than we are followers – so place your trust in His ability to lead!

Just as we received salvation as a gift – once for all time and yet, we must walk in our salvation daily – and just as we received the Holy Spirit as a gift – once for all time, and yet, we must allow the Holy Spirit to fill us on daily basis – in the same way – we must make an initial act of consecration and then walk daily in it!

Yet, we realize in our lives that even though we earnestly desire to be consecrated to the Lord, there are parts of us that aren’t in full agreement with that desire. That’s why Jesus said …

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

Self- refers to the old nature – and it doesn’t want to die. Self wants to rule. But for the Christian – we know that when self rules, trouble follows! So Jesus teaches us to deny the old nature, kill it off – daily – and follow Him!

And the longer we do this – the longer we deny the old nature it’s ways, and the more we allow Christ to lead us, transform us and mature us – the more consecrated our lives will become!

So what is consecration?

• Consecration is choosing to walk with Jesus daily.

This is what Jesus means when He says:
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33

Now, we know that Jesus has promised to be with us – every day of our life. And that promise is inviolate. He keeps His word.

However ---
The unconsecrated believer says: “This is where I’m going and this is what I’m doing – please come with me!”

While the consecrated believer says: “Lord, where would you have me go and what would you have me do today?”

How do I live consecrated to Christ? How do I learn how to do it?

One of the best ways to learn how to live consecrated to Christ is to grow in your understanding of the difference between soul, spirit and body.

• The Spirit of man is the innermost part of us which was created to have fellowship with God.
o It was dead in sin, but came alive when we became Christians.
o It is the home of the Holy Spirit in the believer.
o It is designed by God to rule over our soul and body.
o Your spirit is the most important part of you.

• The Soul of man is the part of man that has ruled ever since our fall into sin.
o It is comprised of three parts: Intellect, will and emotions.
o For the Christian, the soul is being transformed from evil to good.
o A soul yielded to God is wonderful – one that is not is a serious blockage to spiritual growth!
o As your soul is cleaned up by God – you are being ‘sanctified’
o The soul is a battleground!

• The Body of man is the area of the five senses: taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing.
o The body is where the soul and the spirit live.
o For the Christian, the body becomes the ‘temple of the Holy Spirit’

Now – here’s where it gets interesting: Your spirit in union with the Holy Spirit is supposed to be the CAPTAIN of your soul – and the submitted soul is supposed to direct your body.

I want you to look at the front of your bulletin – the picture of the ship.

• Where is says: CAPTAIN – I want you to write: “Spirit” – Now – what does a CAPTAIN do? He is the supreme authority over the Crew and the Ship!
• Where is says: CREW – I want you to write: “Soul” – The Mind, Emotions and Will, submitted to the SPIRIT (Captain) directs the affairs of the SHIP.
• Where is says: SHIP – I want you to write: “Body” – The Body, under the leadership of the Soul, following the commands of the Spirit – enables the person to get to the intended destination!

God’s plan for your life is to restore ORDER. Because of SIN – there is chaos on board. And the SHIP of your life is headed anywhere but to safe harbors!

To keep your life in order – to live truly consecrated to Christ – you need to know the difference between SOUL and SPIRIT!

Check out Hebrews 4:12…
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

When God speaks – He reveals the difference from SOULISH living and true SPIRITUAL life!

Why does the word of God reveal this difference?

• Because the soul is still a mixture of good and bad!
• The Bible never tells us to ‘walk in the soul’ or ‘live in the power of the soul’
• But it does say – over and over again: ‘Walk in the Spirit!” “Live in the Spirit” “Pray in the Spirit!” “sing in the Spirit” “Be filled with the Spirit!”

And only as we learn to walk in the spirit, with our souls in a place of submission the God’s Spirit, can our souls be cleansed, healed, restored and used to His glory!

Next week we are going to look closely at how the Holy Spirit can transformed a submitted soul. But for today – it is enough to say – that as we desire to live consecrated lives to the Lord, than we are in need of an extreme makeover – in how we think, in how we respond emotionally, and in the choices we make!

CONCLUSION:
• God restores us to Himself through the gift of Salvation.
• God fills us with Himself through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
• God glorifies Himself through the gift of consecration.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1

Let’s decide today to be holy unto the Lord!
• Who here would desire to live a life of worship unto the Lord?
• Who here today would desire to allow the Lord to change you so that your life – sacrificed to Him – will bring Him the glory He deserves?