Biggest Loser: fight of faith

Series: Biggest Loser
Message: the fight of faith
1-17-10
Intro
Mat 4:1-11 NLT
Obj
 John 1:1,14
 In order for the Word to become flesh in you, the Word must come to you.
 Must be an investment process
Question?
 How many people have home exercise equipment?
 How many would say that you use it, other than a bookshelf, and coat rack.
 Richard Simmons back in the day used to be a fitness guru.
 That’s when it was still pretty girly to workout to a fitness video or show.
 Now we have Tony Horton’s P90X Extreme Fitness Programs, designed to get you ripped.
 One of the great reasons for a starting a Bible reading process that is pretty extreme is to develop a new sensitivity to the Word of God.
 I can’t go through the whole year reading as much as I am, but it is there to jumpstart my year
 Ex: if your car battery dies and you are out and stranded the first request that you will have for anyone is for a jump, just to get a spark, just to get the car to fire
 That what an extreme Bible process will do for you as you begin to hear from God, hopefully you become more like Him and less of yourself
 Another extreme diet program to follow for a short period of time is the Atkins plan.
 Atkins removes all carbs out of your diet.
 It will make you want to kill your grandmother for a piece of bread!
 Cool thing about atkins is that meat is safe-bacon.
Ex: now for me the greatest snare to me is not drugs, alcohol, adultery or pornography, but noodles. Pasta. I like Pasta with Meatsauce, or without, with white wine sauce, or the favorite trinity of food, butter salt and cheese. I will take Pasta anyway I can get it.
Normally a plate of pasta with Meatsauce gets me started and then I have a second helping just for taste without sauce, and butter salt and cheese. But if it’s not in front of me I won’t eat it.
Sometimes an extreme lifes problems require extreme means for survival.
 Jumpstart your desire for the Word of God. New way of living
Stats
 You could read the whole New Testament through in one month by spending 30 min per/day
 Avg person in America watches 4 hours of TV p/day=120 hours p/mo
 At that rate you could read the whole NT thru 7 ½ times in a month
 30 min of Bible reading p/day still leaves you with 104 min of TV for the month
Bible reading is for your spiritual training, discipleship and personal relationship with Jesus
 Christian Cardio for the spiritual resistance that you get all week
 It’s hard work following Jesus and keeping up with Him
 No easy way to know Him, no lipo or gastric bypass for attaining scriptural knowledge
 Make a commitment to know God through His Word
 You need to be very skeptical of someone who supposedly is always hearing from what they think is God, and you ask them how much they have been in the Word and they can’t even quote John 3:16
 Jesus reveals Himself through the written pages of scripture
Ex: I used to be big into body building when I was in highschool and early college, 4% bodyfat, big and ripped
Body builders are only big just for show, so some other guys can look at them while that pose and look at their gluteous maximus.
I don’t do this for show or to be a poser, but to drive back the lies of the enemy, bring healing to my body, prosperity to my family and salvation to my soul!
 Im not here for everyone to look at me and say wow look at his spiritual strength and look at how much Dan know’s,
 I am here for John 3:30 that says I must decrease so He can increase
4 Purposes of the Word of God
1. The Word of God is the only offensive weapon to win the fight of faith
 It is written-Jesus wielded a weapon against Satan, the Word of God to sabatoge every attempt of the enemy
 Offensive strategy-Know the Word
 Every time the Devil opens His mouth you open God’s Word
 The Word is a weapon to win the war-Know the Word
Hebrews 4:12 (King James Version)
12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Eph 6-7 pieces of artillery in our arsenal that cause you to triumph this fight of faith
 This is not a parade , this life is a war a fight and the devil doesn’t want to see you win,
 The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, every other piece is defensive , the sword is dangerous to the enemy.
 You lose if you don’t know the Word, don’t go to battle with just your shoes, and your helmet, can’t win with a shield, but you can with a sword.
 No armor for the back, because you swing a sword moving forward
2. Program your Paradigms with the Purpose of God
Joshua 1:8-9 (New Living Translation)
8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Meditate: continue to bring it up, like a cow chewing cud with 4 stomachs
Jesus declared it is written 3 times
 Jesus knew the book and the devil left Him
Romans 8:28 (King James Version)
28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:1-2 (King James Version)
1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you
Psa 139 you are fearfully and wonderfully made
Temptation
Mat 26:41 PRAY THAT YOU DON’T ENTER INTO TEMPTATION
1 Corinthians 10:13 (New Living Translation)
13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
3. Know the Whole Counsel of God
 Know what God says so you can be what He wants you to be
 Don’t just be salad bar Christians/readers,
 When it comes to lifting weights, the worst thing is bad form
 Ex: on stairmaster boys workout with me and lift, trying to teach them form so they donn’t hurt themselves, no cheating!!!
 Good form-understanding God’s word, so you don’t miss what is being said,
 Understand the context of the day it was written, what is being said to you today, and how that applies to you and to others
 Word becomes flesh by you comprehending the Word, meaning, context for then and for you today. Break it down!
 Everything must line up with the Word! If God supposedly said something to your best friend but can’t find evidence in scripture to back it up, then she’s wrong! God doesn’t contradict Himself
4. Nothing can stop the Word of God
 Acts Word of God spread rapidly-turbocharged by others following the Word
 Acts 8 Word spread in Samaria, Acts 10 to Roman Centurion, Turkey, Greece, Rome itself
 It hasn’t stopped for 2000 years
 Word of God is alive living and powerful, not bound, viral, and will spread to every part of you
 It will awaken the dormant the dreams in you, Word of God is like having a personal trainer
 It will get the laziness out of your flesh,
 Prioritize the Word of God, to program your paradigms of life
You are in the fight of your life pick up your sword of the Spirit and win this fight