The Bondage of a Dead Man s Mantle

Transcription

1 The Bndage f a Dead Man s Mantle Eph. 4:1-2 KJV Jhn 19:23-24 KJV I want t challenge ur lcal cngregatin t a very pwerful shift in ur visin and directin fr 2018! Lk back at Eph. 4:3, all visins, ministry, church wrk, and family successes is based n this ne phrase called: The Unity f the Spirit A. When we have crprate unity frm the spirit and nt frm a prgram r manmade agreements, we will experience a great flw f the spirit. Bth in ur hmes and in ur crprate church services. B. I am discerning sme disruptins f the flw f the spirit in this ministry. C. We have great unity with ur staff and ur VCA wrkers. We have experienced mre unity in the last 3 years here at POW than its last 18 years. I m very grateful fr the departments that have experienced great participatin with wrkers cnsistently serving in manna, nursery, J-crew, sund, music department, the finance team, ushers, and greeters. There has been a tremendus unity we have seen with the faithfulness f even the department heads. D. But the disruptin f the flw f the spirit I am referring t this new challenge the Hly Ghst has given us fr shifting int multiplied grwth and reprducing urselves. And I m sensing we are all nt n the same page with regards t allwing Gd t speak t us fr new assignments. Again my fcus is unity with the spirit and nt with just a pastr r a schl missin statement. Let me explain what ges int the real definitin f the phrase unity f the spirit fr crprate visin. Lk at Eph 4:1-2. This phrase, unity f the spirit, is defined in part in these verses. 1. The prisner f the Lrd a. I am shackled t leadership and the saints t intentinally prmte unity against my wn pinins and views when they g against the unity f the spirit. b. I m in bndage t yu at all cst t d whatever Gd asks t prmte the unity f the spirit. 2. With lwliness f my attitude a. Always watching my attitude when in cnfrntatin with thers. b. Always seeking t prmte the unity f the spirit with lwliness twards Gd s peple and my spuse and children. 3. With gentleness in my dealings with thers a. I cannt walk in the spirit f unity with a harsh r impatient attitude twards the bdy r family when we disagree. b. Paul says it s ging t require gentleness, lwliness, and an attitude f a prisner. 4. With lngsuffering a. Lngsuffering keeps the unity f the spirit. b. This is why Paul says t endeavr. This wrd means t wrk at a relatinship. c. T put frth a cnsistent effrt t keep unity with the crprate visin with lngsuffering and yu. Vs Bearing with ne anther in lve a. My jb is t nt allw anything t break the spirit f unity in the church. b. By frbearing in lve, in times f strng disagreements. This is endeavring in the bnds f peace. 1

2 c. Because if I dn t, I disrupt the crprate flw f the spirit in the lcal church and at hme. d. Yu see, I cannt tell Gd what I m ging t d r wn t d and nt expect a disruptin f His flwing presence as a crprate bdy. e. These 5 pints define the unity f the spirit, when we chse t becme prisners t each ther fr the visin f the church. f. But permit me t g a step deeper t define the spirit f unity thrugh Jhn 19: Why d sldiers want t gamble fr the clthes f a dead man? a) What des anybdy need with the clthes f a dead man? b) Perhaps t use as memrabilia t shw their friends and family? c) But in reality, a dead man s clthes serves n purpse unless yu re a part f the KCC. d) I say this because this mantle f Jesus nly had pwer when He died. e) This wrd mantle r the mantle f Jesus was symblic f: a. Pwer in the spirit because f His death. b. Represents the transferring f a ministry frm ne persn t anther c. The phrase mantle represents a particular single philsphy, visin, and aninting f a ministry. d. It means a spiritual unity in pursuit f the Kingdm Cmmunity Culture. In ther wrds withut yu and me intentinally pursuing after the single visin mantle f Jesus Christ we cannt perate in the spirit f unity here at POW. Gd links ur lives tgether thrugh the mantle f Christ but als the mantle f the lcal church ministry. The pwer f unity is in the mantle f peple wh are dying daily t selfishness and pride. Mantles are hard t keep n 1) They fall ff easy, especially when yu are wrestling in disunity with thers. 2) Mantle s can fall ff easy if I d nt intentinally seek 2 majr Christ like mantle qualities. a. Seeking cnstant purity with Gd b. Submitting my will and attitude twards the unity f the spirit A. Because purity with Gd and submissin t the spirit f unity prduces pwer with Gd. B. Yur pwer level with Gd is in direct prprtin t yur purity and submissin with Gd. C. And with purity and submissin Gd can trust us t release His glry thrugh us. D. Withut purity and submissin ur sin human nature will try t take Gd s glry by ignrance and default. Read Cl. 3:5, Math. 5:8, Titus 2:5, 2 Cr. 6:6-7, Phil. 2:14-15 S seeking purity with submissin gives us true unity f the spirit with each ther. 2

3 What des it mean t Operate in Purity with Gd? A. N guile B. Quick t repent C. Nt playing with sin casually D. Cnstantly seeking t increase the fear f Gd in yur life. E. Taking cnvictin hard and serius in yur life. F. Desiring t perate under spiritual authrity. G. Putting Gd s Wrd abve yur very wn pinins and strng feelings. H. Willing t live and perate as an armr bearer at all times, even when yu have been prmted. I. Yu desire t live and increase hliness in yur life. J. Daily prayer is a heaven r hell issue. K. Yu take rebuke with a teachableness. *Saul did nt have a pure spirit (he lived his life thrugh the eyes f the peple). Seven sns f Sceva did nt have a pure spirit Neither did Simn, the srcerer Judas did nt have a pure spirit The sns f Aarn did nt as well Neither did Eli s sns Impurities cme ut f us thrugh: 1) Relatinship, it inflicts t reveal the cntent f ur hearts (when a district elder handled me rughly) 2) Thrugh financial hardships (yu are tested t be hnest when yu have t hnr yur wrd t thers fr yur financial cmmitments). a. Thrugh illness and lng term sicknesses b. Thrugh peple wh get ver n yu and get away with it c. Thrugh carnal and prideful leaders wh rub yu the wrng way d. Thrugh peple wh practice sin and yu are arund them e. Lved nes wh back slide f. Delays fare n Gd when yu finally thugh the trial was ver. And Gd is silent. But I must wear and seek the mantle that prduces unity in the spirit. Paul said act like a prisner in bndage t the spirit f unity. Because the mantle can easily fall ff if I d nt seek the purity f the spirit with submissin. It s nt a pleasure t wear a mantle. The mantle cvers yu where yu really lse yur identity, strng pinins, self-centeredness, and yur wants fr yur life. Yu are a prisn f unity. Yu are in bndage t preserving peace with a dead man s mantle. Sme f us are struggling with submitting t the unity f the spirit fr what Gd wants fr yur life and nt what yu want. Fr example: 3

4 Gd is saying if we need t expand t tw facilities will yu supprt the unity f the spirit r will yu let yur mantle fall ff yu because yu knw yu will be stretched r it s just nt what yu feel the church shuld d. Yu are a prisner in bndage t a dead man s mantle. Smetimes ur pinins are adverse t what Gd wants. Sme f yu will quickly lay hands n peple after yu ve been tld nt t. Sme f us can t wrk in clse ministries with thers withut verextending the gifts f the Spirit n peple t justify why yu are nt serving in ministry. Sme f us refuse t give up cntrl in a relatinship. S yu let yur marriage partner suffer. Yu wn t let them be intimate with yu r yu withdraw yur emtins. Yu are in bndage t a dead man s mantle. Sme f yu wn t jin a ministry r serve in leadership because f peple yu dn t agree with running a department. Or yu dn t want t pay the price t g the next level t live by leadership guidelines at POW. The church is a mnarchy and nt a demcracy. Jesus is ur Head nt me, and His mantle prduces purity and submissin. This then prduces the spirit f unity. Yu see, the sldiers gambled and parted r divided the mantle f Jesus. S, when I dn t pursue inner purity, gentleness, lwliness, frbearance, lng-suffering, I am gambling like the sldiers with my hliness f the heart. I am causing divisin with the mantle f Jesus and this disrupts the flw f the spirit in ur hmes and in the church. Yu are cvered by Gd when yu wear the mantle. He increases purity in yur life. He increases yur ability and capacity t grw the KCC visin at POW. Read 1 Kings 19:13, 19 A. In Elijah s depressin and facing Jezebel he ges t transfer his mantle t Elisha. He just ran 88 miles frm Jezebel. B. Gd tells Elijah, If yu are ging t wear the mantle f the spirit f unity yu must be in unity with what I tell yu. Read vs. 15, 18 C. Yu fight depressin and persnal failures by submitting with a pure heart t the spirit f unity. Yu must submit t Gd redirecting yur attitude. Yu are in bndage t a dead man s mantle. A mantle is significant in being wrapped in Gd s authrity. 4

5 Ntice where Elisha was when Elijah fund him in vs. 19, in the field wrking. He wasn t prcrastinating r lazy. He was available. Sme f yu can t r wn t return a leaders phne call r . Yur mantle has fallen ff f yu. The mantle Elisha put n caused him t change his attitude abut his ccupatins and his wrk ethics. This is real unity, by the bndage f a dead man s mantle. Gd wants t challenge sme hidden sinkhle areas f purity issues with sme f us. It hinders the flw f the spirit in ur services. Yu must endeavr and wrk hard at keeping the unity f the spirit in yur life. Internal purity prduces external submissin. This releases the pwer f Gd t use us in the prprtin f ur inner purity. The pwer f unity is in the bndage f a dead man s mantle. What des it mean t perate in purity with Gd? T endeavr t keep in unity means: a) Nt t shw discurse b) Nt t divide myself frm thers c) T be in mind, ne accrd d) T face difficult cnversatins with patience, lve, and lng-suffering because if I d nt it will affect the singers and the pulpit. e) Unity is described as the bnd f peace because shackles restrict yu in the lve f Gd fr unity with each ther. f) Cmpliance and suppressin is nt unity, it s tleratin withut a pure heart and a mantle. g) Pssible title, THE BONDAGE OF A DEAD MAN S MANTLE. a. I am restricted in shackles t lng-suffering and walk in peace and unity with the saints. b. This prduces unity t the visin f the church. Read Eph. 4:1-2 We restrict the flw f the mve f Gd when we are nt in unity f the spirit in ur private lives. (Like Simn in Acts, r Ananias, and Sapphira. DLR/ag 5