Karl Clauson: When Self-Help Isn’t Enough

Often times we go to the Bible or go to prayer to prove that we love God but he's trying to talk to us praying God's way, reading the Bible, God's way is key in the Mike reading something out of Galatians to have been crucified with Christ is no longer I live, but Christ lives in me in life and I live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, man, that the power and keyed the mike God talk to me that you that you welcome to family life today. We want to help you pursue the relationship that matter most and nothing on Dave Wilson and you can find us@familylifetoday.com or on our family life. This is family life today, so the hardest things in the Christian life I think is stuck. I think we all get stuck we get stuck. It's like worry you start out well. You think when you start out.

This is never in a slowdown to be run after Jesus as hard as I am right now. My whole life and I tell you what I honestly don't know a lot of Christians that have been followers Christ, 20, 30, 40 years who were running hard on fire for Jesus. In that decade of their life.

Yeah, it's like you get tired.

He gets keys and I start dying. I don't know what it is but you get out of that rut. Yeah yeah so you help get out of that rut today. We got Carl Clawson in the house. You know he's a radio host up in Chicago. This is what he does sit behind a mic and dogs but girl, you are friend for my life.

You are formally a family life. We can remember speaker you and you and anyway led heavier. It's a joy to be with you guys really is. II see you guys this fellow freedom fighters yeah I I really believe that having it means that there is a freedom that we have in Christ. That is been far too elusive for too long for the average person in the Western church and it's all due to my meanness itself help. I live to close the gap between where we are today. The battles that seem unwinnable those hurts those hangups those habits that junk it's a 10% that sits in the shadows and we hope it can kinda stay over there or we minimize it so hope it goes away. We can't seem to run it always run stride for stride with us but man I live to see people close the gap between where they are today and the promises of God because sometime that gap.

It's often far too large.

Well if I think anybody can help us get unstuck. Unlike in your one of the first things that would come to my mind, your book really about that call. The seven resolutions were self-help ends in God's power begins. We've Artie talked about a couple of these resolutions are readily and we start with joy in God. We didn't talk about number two, and I'm guessing these are in order. Yeah there's some order to them. I mean join got has to be at the front end of this let me give you metaphor from Alaska here, let me take you back was born in Homer, Alaska little to bed hospital raised in Alaska. My dad went there he went to Alaska before was the state found to be a tent maker. Each school be a principal and share the gospel and he was the real deal.

He was a freedom fighter needs to this day at 94 years of a but I gotta tell you, man. It is imperative that we stop the madness of trying to live the Christian life on our own. Galatians 31 through three was written for me pulp and said, 00 foolish Carl who is bewitched you. He said Galatians that you egos on verse three I believe it says it's down there.

He says that you began in the spirit. Why are you working out the flesh and the whole goal of Paul was to try to get the Galatian church back to living in utter dependence joining God not doing work for God so my Alaska story that makes this just come home for me in Alaska. I fished eight seasons.

Commercially we can't the wily red sand. Is there anything you haven't done a few things. Earlier I said are you driving a forklift done. The Iditarod now your commercial fisherman commercial fisherman I could start commercial fishing when is 19 years old and I did eight seasons of it and it was amazing mainly because the harder you work the more he made, I mean I had when I was 19 years old had 24 hours.

When I made 5600 bucks is not bad and it was a boom or bust kind of industry but man it was, we were always on the razors edge of swamp in the boat to put 20, 30,000 pounds of fish on a 32 foot gillnet are out in the open ocean get some challenges. One day we had a boatload of fish in our captain was looking for the ship that we were getting delivered to any got on the VHF radio, which stands for very high frequency and he got on the radio and he's radioing for the ship but we couldn't see it and are our glory and see which was the navigation tool that we had back then we could not spot that shipped the fog was thick but the waves were high. It was one of these weird mixes and were like man the keel going across the sandbar whom we hit the sandbar whom we like. We gotta get off this thing.

So my Capt. Marvin the rear of the ship uses a this is the Jean M.

We need some help here where you get look at. We got offload and then he let loose of the mic we get the instructions from the ship would move little further.

E.g. the mic a here's where we are right now where we go from here boom let loose the mic when I see join got logistic prayer. I know strong Bible reading in throwing fasting to highroad Christianity right. Often times we go to the Bible or go to prayer to prove that we love God but he's trying to talk to us praying God's way, reading the Bible, God's way is key in the mic reading something out of Galatians to have been crucified with Christ is no longer I live, but Christ lives in me in life and I live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God through man power and then you on key the mic and you go God talk to me and egos at you that you and so you're praying in you talking to God. Joining God is uncanny in the mic and going where am I in listening.

That's the beauty of God's power. I get children now fired up about the Carl what about the person that says I want to hear and I hear nothing really good question. Sometimes just go from a pastoral experience.

Sometimes it's an under exposure to the word of God. Sometimes people do not have enough truth that there armed up with. I'd say getting your prayer closet and pray, but pray with the Bible open.

I do this all the time. I find now that is I'm reading the Bible. I have per content constantly and it's awesome. I used to digest it to preach it. Now I digest it to live it. Talk with my God.

So yeah joining God. Resolution number one we gotta do that and the reason is all seven of these resolutions are designed to fix broken systems in our life. Jeremiah to we find these words all Israel done to sins man you forsaken God made the God the God of living water, man, meaning spring runoff just pouring down and you've carved out cisterns that can't hold water. Big old dog out of the rock cisterns we have life systems in the Western church that can't hold water in my goal start with joy in God and then think truth and kill sin and choose friends and take risk and focus effort and redeem time.

All of those are systems that have been co-opted by Western mindset that need to be reclaimed by God's power. When we agree with God. Unbelievable stuff can and let it number three kill sin yeah is a big one. So we do have sin, sitting around in her life. At times we all do we all do we all do. I was preaching at this church called Mariners in Southern California is about 30 minutes before the message and I sit, can someone get me a hurdle like fast. Somebody did the wind under a high school tempo forever. Yeah, I used to be a hurdle or she is big time her handlers. Yeah, he's a guy conference. I was 110 Lowe's going to close. You are hurdle to go and not only saved but sanctified for spell Iditarod go to Alaska so I had a hurdle brought and done, you know I put that hurdle in front of me and I said you sometimes were faced with things in her life that we need to deal with and we try to run around that thing we get on the land we try to run around and we try to outrun it. God and his goodness put several right back up there front of us.

Again is good in his goodness. No, no, this is the good grace of God doesn't remind us of our sin to punish us. Every commandment of God is inextricably linked to greater reward everyone. God never tells us to do something that it isn't good for us to do..

So sin is that we got it out here in its running stride for stride force can out run the stupid stuff and maybe we got systems or an addiction or something. And a lot of times we think well yeah boy, those guys that do drugs and alcoholic poor Carly was on cocaine Crown Royal. No no no no no don't diminish it that way is one of the reasons I love recovery ministry, but I don't like recovery ministry because recovery ministry in churches can give a false stigma and it creates an us and them mentality. Last I looked in the word of God and being a pastoral recovery poisoning recovery here: the world is not in recovery. And I'm talking about, you know, gossiping, talking about fudging the truth I'm talking about tax forms filled out that you know good and well aren't truthful. I'm talking about the secret sins how you don't eat out of the refrigerator. The refrigerators eat you and every other thing under the sun so that since it's over there and so the agreement with God and the resolution to kill. Sin is a powerful one. I see three constant reoccurring themes of how to deal with sin and this is rarely done, but II want to make you promise your listening right now want to make a promise you do these in your going to start breaking chains and running free, like you never have in the past, one exposing. Gotta bring it into the light. Gotta bring it into the light, not only before God. You gotta bring someone else around to someone trusted don't put this in front of a fool, but bring it before someone that you can trust bring it in, like, go here. It is don't minimize it.

Don't explain it away to say here it is. That's number one number two. This is radical Jesus said if your eye causes you to sin. What he say guys counted out, gouge it out like this not make a movie out of this parable and if your arm cause you to sin, cut off, what's Jesus saying he say and take extreme measures to kill what's killing you.

So is there effort in this growing process yeah but your effort and in God's power not your own strength, so expose it, attack it, and I mean attack put to death. Therefore, whatever belongs to sin. And Paul writes about putting sin to death by the power of the Holy Spirit. It's replete. It's everywhere in Scripture. As I was studying I'm like wow this is everywhere and this is done simply I help guys right now and I do this myself. My phone turns into a dumb phone at 8 PM every night and my wife and my son have my screen code. Why do I do that because I'm weak and I can't handle it yeah yeah that's it. But in my weakness he is strong and I'm cold to do something radical.

Now I've helped other men who struggle with porn take smart phones and turn them into dumb phones and it's a powerful thing that you have to take extreme measures to kill what's killing you and exporting in grace and the way to do that is bringing out of the open and then get honest with God. But then you go to the book of Galatians, there is one verse that is at first blush looked at it in your listen to Paul rightness in your like this can't be this simple, but it is he says but I say, walk by the Spirit of Holy Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

What you will not will not gratify the desires of the flesh. So if you want to kill sin. It's not a matter of going out saying and here's what we sometimes say a minute do it this time I'm in a get victory over it. I'm in a suck up that self-help. You aren't going to do dip deadly. Nothing you're going to do it Jesus In the power of the Holy Spirit. So you bring it into the light yet tacky you take extreme measures had about a friend of mine who said I just Eaten junkman and I said what would you do he says he knows I was listen what you're talking about but taken extreme measures I decided forget this. I'm not putting anything in my house for a season that isn't healthy to eat. I'm not going to keep these stupid things that are killing me and hurt my physical body.

I'm not immune to have them in close proximity to me and he said I am get victory taken extreme measures kill with killing me. My bride knows all went to a group and said ladies, I gotta be honest with you shopping is eaten my lunch. It's hurt my marriage I talk to women are saying Amazon is killing me all you because it can be there the next day.

Yet, in its comfort, comfort carbs, so she said first shot was. I need to be honest with you about this second shot was. I need to be really honest with you I'm a show you my bank statements are. I want to show you that there's no way I'm doing an end around her to go get some needs met.

Now you might say that's radical it is. But the radical reward of getting victory over those things that are been killing you whose freedom Katie bar the door.

That's freedom.

Let me ask you this before you get there, done often when I was pastoring a man would come up to me and exposed some sin to me as Enola Gay aminos me because I was, but I don't know him and so he's almost a stranger tell me is porn struggle or whatever it is and here's what I notice he thinks I'm done.

I told Dave and he goes way back and I always said you can't tell me he has SMA and OSHA llamas in a walk with you on a walk with you unless you're my friend so it's gotta be right or scary somebody that urinal doing life with somebody you can trust. With this information and smiled that a walk beside you and that's how does this is super important. So glad you mentioned this, it can't be the group of guys that you meet with every week and you commiserate over how you fell in a ditch again last week.

You gotta have a man or two that has been there done that and they've gotten victory and they're not perfect but they're willing to hold you to it and are willing to talk with you.

Honestly about it.

And then there willing to strategize with you.

How are we gonna put the machete to this and are we can gouge this out. Yes, it is so many men's groups and I can't offer women's groups, but I know they're just that Carl they come in every week and said blue again yeah dude me to okay list this try harder elves try harder not kill incentives to derail disciples clubman. I mean it's just it's just get together and commiserate over how they blew it last week that he tell your wife yes please tell your spouse sure, absolutely never to kill. That said, if you don't expose it conversation with your spouse, both husband and wife. What is your area of sin that you're just struggling with. You feel like you just keep falling back into it. I think we have those conversations on the time this oneness. This this beauty mean I get mad at each other and it's scary.

It's scary to see more Medicare but it's it's necessary. It is Jesus that I think is John three.

We love our sin and therefore we keep it in the dark. It's scary to bring it into the light were afraid of the light and yet that's where sin gets guilty, I get killed the dark design wins the light kill sin, talk to the guy or maybe even the wife who sang my husband doesn't have a friend he has nobody to talk to and the guy would say I really know and I don't need a friend. Well, the latter is a straight up lie.

The former happens all the time.

I will say this man, you gotta take a riskier you gotta take a risk you gotta walk to the front of the church and ask a pastor and you gotta tell them. Look, I know you can't be my friend and tell him that please because he can't. I mean there's he's got a dozen friends and that's what he can handle because Jesus put the limits on it himself and then you say can you point me somewhere I need help. I think most guys that are dishing up the word will help you. I think so, but you gotta take a risk you gotta find that person and you've got a get honest, so you expose it you attack it but overwhelming it. Here's the key about being filled up with the Holy Spirit. The lesser third 10 element yes overwhelmed and this is almost what will keep you now from it. There's a certain amount of protection in this and I really mean this. Paul said I miss it again. But I say, walk by the Spirit in you will not gratify the desires of the flesh on the promises that you think you can say sometimes bright, sometimes you all, but that he saying you will not. I gotta take him at his word. So what's this look like you're listening to David and Wilson with Carl Clawson on family life to where more in just a minute. The first we wanted you to hear a special message Carl himself about weekend to remember that Carl Clawson here and I want to lay down a challenge and it's a good one for you. A lot of us think of different things were investing in this world the weekend to remember woe don't turn away. I know you heard a bunch, but you want to see something rock your world. You want to take hold of God's power.

You want to get challenge in a way and get hope in a way like you haven't lately week and to remember something to fire those boilers of love in your marriage that may be has been gone for a long time. I'm telling it put fuel in your soul and you will find your marriage radically transformed want to encourage you to check it out right now.

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Register now for your weekend to remember and get 50% off@familylifetoa.com right now, back to David and with Carl Clawson and what walking by the spirit looks like in a Christian's life is just having a daily quiet time. I think there needs to be enough space in our life, not just once, I love quiet times, but they're often a misnomer.

I'm about all the time. Quiet times are good, they fuel you up with some good word.

They get some good time with prayer. That should be the launching pad into an ongoing conversation with God. First time I ever realize that the Holy Spirit actually wanted to really lead me into all truth, and that when Jesus said it's to your advantage that I go to your advantage that I go to the Holy Spirit will come sit in an office. I was working for Robert Lewis and Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock and I was just reading something by Prince Wolf in the lawn and I thought oh my goodness. The Holy Spirit is here, here, here, and your work and I walked into my meeting with another pastor named Bill. And as I sat down.

The Holy Spirit was prompting me through the word of God how to talk how to act, how to talk about tough stuff.

The Holy Spirit was working at me we need to be so careful here because some people maybe your listening right now and you've not heard much about the Holy Spirit. I want to apologize on behalf of most Bible believing preachers out there because we minimize it, and I think part of that is that there's been guys with cheap suits middle of the night preachers that are been exploiting the Holy Spirit. But don't let that steal away the reality that the Holy Spirit is at work in the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth. So I look at my life like… Imagine a 55 gallon drum. There's a manhood illustration. That's an oil drum, and you take a little off that thing let's say you got one day you comported whatever you want flesh or spirit. The more mindful we are throughout the day. Holy Spirit fill me up from Sydney right now living this right now as I'm sitting here the Holy Spirit is guiding me and if you, as were guided along by the Holy Spirit. More were filled up with the Holy Spirit. Last time I looked, you won't have room for a gallon of flesh. And that's what Paul saying be filled up with the Holy Spirit. I think listeners hear that there is this yearning like I do want that I want that in an Carl as you sit there and say I'm doing it right now that feels very elusive in some ways to people. So, explain how do we walk day by day, minute by minute in the power of the Holy Spirit will this is art not science. This is like music, not mechanics. Dave plays a mean guitar and it's fun to watch and kinda pick around and even here before we went on Erin and I stick around on this thing. Walking with God is picking around on this and it's allowing the Lord to make music in your heart with the word of God now is what I'd say it is almost impossible to be led by the Spirit without the word of God in your heart. Why do I know that to be true because Jesus said the primary role. The Holy Spirit is to guide us into all truth.

We can't guide us into truth. We don't know anything. So knowing the truth is going to set us free, and the way the Holy Spirit works with me, the Holy Spirit reminds me of things I'm sitting you're going okay that's a great story about Alaska and the Iditarod in this but the Holy Spirit will prompt me. Let's not get self-aggrandizing in this.

Carl let's keep this story just as it was, it's good enough and working to keep plowing here and Carl you might be coming up empty for words here right now but that's okay I'm in a reload you. That's what happened in this interview. So for now that might sound crazy, but it's really what the sensible did I got my great-great-grandfather's Bible given to me here about two months ago my cousin who is not a follower of Jesus, yet always say yet about people that are following Jesus by the women throw that in for free. But he said you want this more than me and I opened it up and I could not believe my eyes. Guys, it's dated in the back barely faintly reading penciled in. My great-great-grandfather immigrated from Sweden to Chicago.

He was sitting listening that DL Moody get this 1886 April 8, 1886 or is it 96 it's close within a decade, and he says listening the deal Moody preach on the power of the Holy Spirit in Chicago.

This is before audio recordings and then I go to the book of acts in my great great granddad has every Holy Spirit reference underlined guys the church didn't happen without the Holy Spirit, and now were trying to become knowledge brokers today and all I'm saying is good, learn the word but make certain the Holy Spirit interpreting this thing into your everyday life.

Yeah, I'd say what hearing you say that fires me up because I think it's the mindset of the current community of God. The church is not overwhelm it. It's mediocrity.

It psychologists up and down every day of this trial. I'm saying what we live perfectly still say hello yeah always going to sin but to have a mindset. This is not the power of the Holy Spirit means I live a different life. My life will not look like my unbelieving neighbor. If it does something wrong here because I have the literally the resurrection power of God living within me in the other should be in a sense that there is an overwhelming of sin in my life again. I'm not saying we don't sin. We will sin but man I'm going to live in a did it. It should be the opposite should be my neighbor comes over as is due.

I'm watching your life where you got you got some that I've never seen it is like were perfect like now I can tell you what I got it Amy it's Jesus and you can have and to that's the overwhelming power the Holy Spirit right yes CS Lewis said if you consider the unblushing promises of God's word, it would appear that we've not shot too high to little Carl modification of the quote but we settled for too little. Those are his words.

He says we fooled around with drink and sex and other ambitions.

When this vast goodness of God, labor force, I want to be careful here because the minute we say yet working to sin that becomes sometimes now the catchall or permission for guys to live with shadow since the gals lived with shadow since so wanted say yes, but don't settle for too little. If you consider the unblushing promises of God look at him. I know words like success and prosperity been co-opted by crazies. I get that but you look at Joshua one. Josh was promised success and prosperity.

Yes we redefined it into a Bentley or whatever your car would be. But that's minuscule compared to what God wants to do. If you look at the fruit of the spirit Galatians 5 all self-control and love and joy and peace, patience, my goodness, CS Lewis was right, and we need to go back and reclaim man what God wants for us.

I'd say until your life is taking hold of the promises of God, stop settling for too little will you sin, yes, but that's an Asterix and I'm not talking about some holiness movement word sinless perfection, but there's a big gap between where most of us are live in the promises of God and I'm just begging you close that gap in the power of God even listening to Damien Wilson with Carl Clawson on family life to his book is called the seven resolutions were self-help and God's power begins. You can get a copy@familylifetoa.com or by giving us a call at 800-3583 29 that's 100 F is in family L as in life and in the word today that we can to remember that we were talking about earlier this one happening in Tampa Florida. We love it if you join us in praying for all the couples who will be attending their STT next week as the Wilson's are joined with Michael and Melissa Kruger talk about the importance of praying for your spouse on behalf of David and Wilson. I'm shall be added you back next time for another edition of family life, family life today is a production of family life.

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