Overcoming Conflictedness

Yet others are words that seem to be on the increase in the use of vocabulary these days and probably here at Cornell that I've ever heard it in the past, except word of conflicted that's a word that really all it saving 20 years ago was not a word that is so common and of course social scientists are very anxious to immediately give you an explanation is that while the reasons are more people conflicted today than they've ever been before, is because our culture moves so fast technology and and they cannot cope with the changes fast changes of culture other people. Of course, will put a different spin on it but the reality is we are more conscious of it now, but it is always been the condition of the human heart conflicted and this has always been part of the human heart are different degrees.

Ever since Adam and Eve went their own way and went against the word of God and disobey the word of the Lord they become not only conflicted mother passes condition of conflicted mess to all of us and to all of humanity. What is the condition of being conflicted and how you overcome it or John gives us the answer. Today I want to show you three things from the second part of chapter 2 on keeping you from losing life at its best.

You say wait a minute Michael can you lose life at its best. Well you sure can lose its joy. You sure can lose its benefits.

Usual can lose its blessings. Usual can lose the peace that comes from life at its best and you can lose it for a minute or an hour or a day or a month or a year or years, depending on your desire to come out of that loss and turned back on the road to life at its best, because continuous life of being conflicted is not only harmful to your health, but is sure way of depriving you from the joy of life at its best.

Being conflicted is like the man who went to a baseball game, but he was rooting for both teams vigorously enthusiastically true story.

This man was enthusiastically and vigorously sharing for both teams. No matter which team met a hit which teammate around each year boisterously well both sides omitted both sides were angry at, but is his explanation his as well. You know I live way out in the country and I don't get too many games so I pull for both sides. That way, no matter who wins. I go home happy, but I had to tell your eye shadow and I think about his future, especially the boisterous fans of said certain things well move on but John gives us us three things to avoid being conflicted.

Rooting for both teams and to avoid the loss of the joy that comes from being conflicted. Here they are number one. He said keep your gates tightly shut versus 15 to 17. Secondly he says keep your eyes wide open verses 18 to 23. Thirdly, he said keep your mind firmly anchored verses 24 to 29. Keep your gates tightly shut. In the last message we saw how those who hate members of Christ's family are living in spiritual darkness in the last message we saw how love and light lived together and died together. If you love Christ in this family. You are in the light. But if you hate living in spiritual darkness and you will remain there until you get up and move from darkness to light and huge on the saying that there is another kind of love that you need not to exercise love Jesus love his family, but there is a love that you need to avoid the saying there is a good love that you must exercise that is a bad love that you shouldn't do. What is it allowed for the world but somebody told me.

Actually, not so long ago. He said you know this thing about not loving the world and here I read in John 316 everywhere, for God so love the world power, God loves the world, but I don't get the level of wealth.

The question is is is that of motive. Listen to me when God loves the world because he wants to redeem his children out of that world.

But when we love the world, we want to be part of the world. When Christ loves the world, is because he wants to save his children from very soon.

But when we love the world is because we love the sin that's in the world when God loves the world, it is out of compassion for his children who are in the world. But when we love the world is because of indulgence that we want to find ourselves in the work when Christ loves the world, it is out of sacrificial love. But when we love the world was out of selfishness is a question of motive or someone stillness, I will. Michael what is that world anyway. What does it mean the world when the Bible talks about the world. When John particular in the way he uses the word cosmos, the word world. He is talking about the world system, not the creation of God, and I'm really confident in second. He is talking about anything that is contrary to the word of God weather would be indulgence will be a morality whether it is an sensuality, whether it is compromises here and there, whether it is selfishness. What might be, you know, I know what it is. Anything that is contrary to the word of God is the world anything contrary to the nature of God.

That's the world. Anything that is contrary to the character of God, lessor is not talking about the beautiful nature that God created. That's God's world is not talking about the beautiful relationships that God blesses us with in the world know he is not talking about the pleasures and in the joys that God gives us in this world.

None of this companies talk about because the created world is God's world and he owns it all. But the world system and God are in constant enmity with one another and one is in capable to love both you can never love God and the world at the same time and said James are you going to hate one and love the other, you can't love them both look to simplify this a little bit whatever contrary to the word of God is the world whatever contrary to the character of God is the world whatever occupies our attention.

All of it and all of our energies and all of our desires. That is not glorifying to God. Lessor make it simple for yourself what ever does your spiritual senses vessel world, whatever turns you away from being passionate and committed to the glory of God in the world that's world and the loving of the world will destroy your fellowship with Jesus. Listen to me. You might not lose your salvation, but it will destroy your fellowship with Jesus, it will destroy your relationship. Your daily walk with Jesus on illustrate this. If I touch and exposed electrical wire with my hand.

I'm going to be burnt toast right in a very short order. But if a bird alights on that same exposed wire. Nothing happens you know why because the burned safety is in the fact, listen carefully. The burned safety is in the fact that when it comes in touch with the electric wire. It is not touching anything else.

It is holy totally completely on that wire.

But when I touch that same LiveWire I'm either standing on the ground or leaning or holding to something else and that something else serve as the ground and the current will go through me like there's no tomorrow. Listen carefully. Please because, beloved, I want to tell you it works the same way. In my spiritual walk in your spiritual walk.

It works the same way when ever I have 1 foot in the world and 1 foot was Christ. Whenever I have one ear to the Lord and one Antichrist.

Whenever I keep one eye on the Lord and one eye on the world whenever I have one hand holding onto Jesus and the other hand holding onto the world and the world system it will fry me spiritually speaking, the electricity will go through me and I'll be fry and the reason why there are so many believers are spiritually fry today is because they are keeping all of those gates wide open for the current. The command what these gates free in number, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the and the pride of life. In fact, there are sequential you go through one than the next and the next.

There are sequential. The first gate is I want the second gate in the bulges was cannot rest until I get and then the third gate is the bragging about it. I got it so simple is the craving for grabbing and it's a bragging. It's that simple. The three things, three gates, that is talked about. I want to be clear on this one.

Listen to me very carefully. I am not talking about I don't think the apostle John is talking about somebody who works hard and accomplishes things and achieve things and have things that they need for life on that list always talk about long delay falls built on yourself on this one, but he is talking about greed. He's talking about covetousness is talking about fried and these are the three gates that John is talking about. That's what he calls him the lust of the flesh, the lust of that and the pride of life and did you know that these are precisely the same three gates that Satan walked Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to exactly the same three gates if you can get. You will be like God and then look at it doesn't look good. I look so great doesn't it. And then they got it and bragged about it and when they allow Satan come through these three gates in their lives. They not only plunge themselves into the darkness of disobedience, but all of humanity. But listen, here's the good news. These are the very same three gates that Satan tried to take the Lord Jesus Christ through in the wilderness and the temptation you remember the temptation in the wilderness. Most of the slaves, three gates, but praise God.

Jesus shut the gates tightly and therefore because of that you and I are saved and have a terminal life but that's not all. We have been given the power to shut these gates to serve is not just about everyone and his overlap will not. The Christian life is not an uptight life it's surrender it's all coming up with those gates every morning, as the Lord I send them to you shut them and you will you ask him. He will do it craving what somebody else has grabbing all you can and bragging about it. These are the three gates that we must close tight and I'll think about this and I realize what the problem is the problem with all of us. The preacher listeners everybody all of us. We have never stopped long enough to ask ourselves the question, how much is enough. I can tell you, you take time to ask yourself the question, how much is enough and you gonna find that those three gates begin to shut themselves because we want more of this one more of the other thing we were more of that one and we want more of this and more of that.

The more the other thing and it's more and more and more.

You must ask yourself the question, how much is enough because as long as you give getting more and wanted more and more and more and more will forever gonna keep those three gates wide open and enemies going to come straight through them and the electricity of the enemy is going to fry your spiritually listen to me because the natural man is never able to stop and ask how much is enough. But the spiritual man and woman can stop and ask the question to the addicted person can never stop with 1 to 3. More and more and more and more and the diction is more than alcohol and drugs of addiction is to a lot of other things, sexual addictions, shopping addictions, all kinds of addiction such keep the gates shut tightly. Secondly, keep your eyes wide open verses 18 to 23. John is basically telling us look you have to understand that we will always be involved in a battle for the truth that battle for the truth never goes on vacation that battle for the truth never takes a holiday that battle for the truth never goes to sleep and yet it is a battle that we must win that we have no option but to win, you heard it said you are what you eat, but I want to tell you this morning. You are what you believe your what you believe and to allow yourself to be taken in by the novelty of religious salesman about the spiritual merchants of mirages about the smooth talking of false teachers by watering down of biblical truth. All will inevitably going to lead you into that and doubt will lead you into out and out departure from the truth. Look at verse 18. John said there is an antichrist, but there are also many antichrists in the plural. The antichrists job is to soften our hearts toward God and toward the truth and to prepare us for the big lie of the antichrist, the antichrists job will preach to us. Pluralism and tolerance of sin and compromises here and compromises their and when that is accomplished, the antichrist will come in an outright oppose Christ, all of antichrists will denied the divinity of Christ. That's what John said and they will make it to be acceptable and they will try to get us very low. Ever so slowly and very smoothly and to the point of saying will all religion the same about the respect all religions will do all the same and we can actually even worship together. That's what antichrists are doing, then the antichrist and the singular will outlaw the Christian faith, keep your eyes wide open. Keep your eyes wide open for those in the churches see those antichrists are not out there in the world bearing the churches because they can do more harm than the enemies of Christ. Why because they are softening us for the antichrist. They are soothing us for the kill. They are wooing us into the wilderness and away from the truth into doubt.

They tried to manipulate us and intimidate us into shutting our mouths and then would become an easy prey for Satan. Someone said that Nero could not accomplish the devastation of the early church as much as the heretics who work in the church. Keep your eyes wide open. Say no and say no, a million times strength and accept criticism. There is no price to dear, then there's no cost that's too high. And please don't ever forget what John says here is that you have God's anointing. What is it mean you have God's grace. You have God's power you have God's authority.

You have God's anointing, you're not alone. You don't stand alone and John is saying look on not telling you anything you you know all this, I am not giving you some novelty. I'm not telling you about some spectacular thing. I am merely reminding you of the truth of what you already know when you're tempted by doubt, don't surrender to it when you tempted by fear given to it when you're tempted by weariness don't get spiritual refreshments, but keep your eyes wide open to the truth of the word of God when you're tempted to stay away from Christian Fellowship get back as soon as you can get back immediately because that is how Satan tries to get your way. And once you get your way, like getting a log out of a fire is going to be surely die down.

Keep your gates tightly shut.

Keep your eyes wide open. Thirdly, keep your mind firmly anchored verses 24 to 29 in our beloved there are so many believers in Jesus who think that the Christian life can go on autopilot and my polyp friends tell me all about that.

Well you not sign the decision card. I walked down the aisle made my profession of faith Becky under and I've done this and I've done this and then rest of my Christian life is just on autopilot. It's okay for the 747 to go on autopilot, but is not okay for you. It's not okay for me or think about it like a plant that constantly needs nurturing the constantly these watering the consummate sunlight your spiritual walk to stay and not to lose life at its best. You have to daily daily daily daily feed upon the word of God six times in six verses John says remain continue abide all the same word in Greek. He just keeps repeating and keeps repeating in the translators and the English got give you different words. Same thing, and on the every day stay.

Look at verse 28 and now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

If you want to live life at its best. Always ask yourself the question what if Jesus showed up at my house with Jesus showed up at my office.

What if Jesus shows up time in my private thoughts of your shows up will be ashamed or is it Lord the confidence I have is an confidence in the part of the Holy Spirit that has been empowering me to please you as what John is saying here, ask yourself the question, would you be embarrassed when you say the some things I should've. I'm sorry.

I would be confident, because daily on keeping short accounts daily on walking daily and cleansing daily.

I am bringing you confidence O'Shea that the two choices you have and I have and the secrets were either is whether you are abiding in Christ, trusting him, obeying him all your life is in autopilot and living away from his word is or how do I know that I am abiding in Christ. How do I know so that I don't lose the joy as I don't lose that piece of lose that contentment that the real happiness that comes from abiding in him while you know Jesus said in John chapter 15 verse five he said if you stick to me just like a branched extra vine, you will bear much fruit that soon you know that you are abiding and so the question that you need to ask yourself is this all my fruit bearing believer or am I drying up on the vine, productive or destructive, producing and consuming my dynamical deadly. Am I a blessing and coasting my giving or taking am I enriching or impoverishing, increasing, decreasing, that's how you know if your abiding today. Someone may be conflicted. You came to this place.

You know your conflicted in your heart and your spirit. These up right about it not prayed about it and I asked God to deliver me from the condition of conflicted nests, but seem to be going nowhere. Stop and ask yourself the question from first John chapter 1 verse nine if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

But if we what is the first step. The confession and then ask yourself the question on my on the road that is leading me and taking me the life of its best.

Whatever the source of your conflicted notice. Whatever the cause of your conflicted nest. I can tell you on the authority of the word of God and I can tell you is a first-hand witness as a personal testimony you can overcome. You can overcome. I was talking to a reporter here this week and will talk about sin of ALYSSA. Different people have different temptations of different struggle, certain sins, but I want to tell you my sin was short temper and I could've said like everybody also trying to make an excuse is that what God told me it's okay. That's what people do in the church today because they cannot overcome sin is so aggressive it's okay that doesn't contradict his word. I went to my face and I said God you have to deliver me from this scene is exactly what was and is and I know firsthand God delivered you can overcome because God wants you to be in overcome her. He does not want you to be defeated if conflicted life does not want you to live in this rep wanted to live in joy and bringing glory to his name because of you going to continue in this condition of conflicted nests you could become spiritually fried and you're not even aware of it.

Ask yourself, do I have a divided allegiance to Christ that have a divided hard drive divided loyalty and if the answer is yes. That's okay because, listen to me honestly honors God.

You can tell God anything.

He knows. Anyway, the opposite is true.

Hiding it from him is dishonoring to him. So that's okay yes on conflicted Lord and why and here's why today I'm calling upon the power to cleanse me and empower me so that I'll be able to keep those gates tightly shut. That will keep my eyes wide open, that I might keep my mind firmly anchored.

Thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org that's LTW.org