July 30th, 2006 – July 31st, 2006
The Sinful Nature Study – Edition #5: Never Give Up Overflowing
A wife concerned with her husband’s driving said, “Dear, aren’t you driving a little too fast?”Her husband replied, “Don’t you believe in a guardian angel? He will take care of us.”
His wife said, “Yes, I do. But I am afraid we left him miles back!”
“Never give up… never surrender.” It’s a great quote from a very humorous movie, but I know there are some things to give up. There are some things that it is OK to surrender. It’s good to give into the good things and not the sinful things. It is good to give up sinful ways.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
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.
1st Chronicles 15:1-7
The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded. He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them. In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
Luke 14:25-33
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’”
“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”
Luke 18:1-8
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’”
“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!’”
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Galatians 6:1-10
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Hebrews 10:23-25
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Proverbs 1:10
My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.
Never give up (doing the will of God)… live a life of surrender!
1st Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1st Corinthians sums it up rather well. I can fight all day long, do all sorts of deeds for my LORD my God, but if there isn’t love within the frame of my heart, then what? I have nothing. I can take care of my family, give all sorts of gifts to everyone I see, but if there isn’t love pumping the blood through my body, I have nothing. It is good to not give into sinful ways, but the best way to make sure that Proverb holds true is to have the love of God in me. How can I be strong and not give in? – Love the LORD my God with all my heart. How can I put everything in this world to second behind Christ? – Love the LORD my God with all my heart. How do I keep strong faith to keep focused? – Love the LORD my God with all my heart and pray continually. The word pray is used 34 times in the book of Acts, by the way. To not give up in being a Christian, there has to be prayer. But there also has to be encouragement, in doing good for others, in lifting others up, like saying “Todd, that was a great message yesterday.” Or “Rozbeh, it was wonderful sitting next to you in service.” Or “Thanks for everyone who serves in the babies class, my son simply enjoys being there.”
Psalms 119:171
May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees.
Luke 6:43-45
“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”
My actions and words will reflect if I am giving up a sinful life. My heart will overflow with praise, gratitude, and servitude. I went visiting a seriously ill friend in the hospital and when I went into his room, he was leafing through the Bible. I asked, “What are you doing?” He replied, “Looking for loopholes.” Although this is a joke, it really does describe, if not ask, does my life reflect a “looking for loopholes” type attitude, or am I overflowing with gratitude and servitude? Do I try to put God in every situation or do I try to rationalize him out? The overflow will speak for itself in if I am giving up in the right areas and not giving up in the others.
The Sinful Nature Study – Edition #5: Never Give Up Overflowing
A wife concerned with her husband’s driving said, “Dear, aren’t you driving a little too fast?”Her husband replied, “Don’t you believe in a guardian angel? He will take care of us.”
His wife said, “Yes, I do. But I am afraid we left him miles back!”
“Never give up… never surrender.” It’s a great quote from a very humorous movie, but I know there are some things to give up. There are some things that it is OK to surrender. It’s good to give into the good things and not the sinful things. It is good to give up sinful ways.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
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.
1st Chronicles 15:1-7
The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded. He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them. In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
Luke 14:25-33
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’”
“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”
Luke 18:1-8
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’”
“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!’”
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Galatians 6:1-10
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Hebrews 10:23-25
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Proverbs 1:10
My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.
Never give up (doing the will of God)… live a life of surrender!
1st Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
1st Corinthians sums it up rather well. I can fight all day long, do all sorts of deeds for my LORD my God, but if there isn’t love within the frame of my heart, then what? I have nothing. I can take care of my family, give all sorts of gifts to everyone I see, but if there isn’t love pumping the blood through my body, I have nothing. It is good to not give into sinful ways, but the best way to make sure that Proverb holds true is to have the love of God in me. How can I be strong and not give in? – Love the LORD my God with all my heart. How can I put everything in this world to second behind Christ? – Love the LORD my God with all my heart. How do I keep strong faith to keep focused? – Love the LORD my God with all my heart and pray continually. The word pray is used 34 times in the book of Acts, by the way. To not give up in being a Christian, there has to be prayer. But there also has to be encouragement, in doing good for others, in lifting others up, like saying “Todd, that was a great message yesterday.” Or “Rozbeh, it was wonderful sitting next to you in service.” Or “Thanks for everyone who serves in the babies class, my son simply enjoys being there.”
Psalms 119:171
May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees.
Luke 6:43-45
“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”
My actions and words will reflect if I am giving up a sinful life. My heart will overflow with praise, gratitude, and servitude. I went visiting a seriously ill friend in the hospital and when I went into his room, he was leafing through the Bible. I asked, “What are you doing?” He replied, “Looking for loopholes.” Although this is a joke, it really does describe, if not ask, does my life reflect a “looking for loopholes” type attitude, or am I overflowing with gratitude and servitude? Do I try to put God in every situation or do I try to rationalize him out? The overflow will speak for itself in if I am giving up in the right areas and not giving up in the others.
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