3/7/10 “Beliefs” Part 1: The Mask
Beliefs Series Part 1 - The Mask
3 7 10 HT AM
Ephesians 6:10 – 17 NKJV
Open your Bibles to the book of Ephesians -
The Apostle Paul writes this letter to the church at Ephesus, actually penned it from a Roman prison cell. You could separate Ephesians into two halves, part one he address the Church – the second he addresses the life, the calling of every Christian their conduct and he concludes with conflict. Neither his topic nor sequence is insignificant!
Pick up the final part of the final chapter in this book.
Ephesians 6:10 NKJV
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Ephesians 6:11
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:12
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:13
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Ephesians 6:14
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
Ephesians 6:15
and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Ephesians 6:16
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Ephesians 6:17
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
This morning I want to talk to you about living an Authentic Life – Statement –“No one has the ideal life, but anyone can have an authentic life”.
As you read Ephesians 6 -The first item addressed in the armor of God is of the utmost importance. The belt of truth, lets talk about this word truth in its original language.
TRUTH
Two separate meanings from this word truth in the original language.
1. Reality – Our surroundings
2. Integrity – Ourselves
First meaning and application for today;
1. Reality
John 8:31 NKJV
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
John 8:32
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Jesus here presents Himself as a “person” of truth – tangible, visible “truth”
We live in a culture where reality is shifted from sincerity to sensational. We watch, listen and live out things that appeal to our desire for the sensational.
From reality TV, Social Networking to Urban Legends – we assume the false to be fact! Nothing wrong with these items in general, it is wrong to not live in reality. It’s wrong because this falseness in culture today is cultivated by the father of falsehood who would love to lead us out of reality and impacts our beliefs!
Second meaning and application for today;
2. Integrity
Ephesians 4:14 NKJV
that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,
Ephesians 4:15
but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—
Matthew 5:34 NKJV
But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne;
Matthew 5:35
nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
Matthew 5:36
Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
Matthew 5:37
But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
Living in truth is the first step for every person and every believer. Truth is the very first thing you look for in making a determination in life.
The Bible speaks of truth;
Know the truth and the truth sets you free
Jesus is the truth
Lets talk about truth today;
What is the truth about you
What is the truth about God
Any belief not grounded in truth is a false belief – false belief systems know NO limits!
Lets talk about your beliefs today;
Your Beliefs today – Keep our opening text in mind ☺
1. Do you believe your in a conflict between good and evil?
Matthew 4:1 NKJV
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Matthew 4:2
And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
Matthew 4:3
Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
Pretty sure that if Jesus Himself faced conflict so will each of us. As you look around the world today – its imperative that you have a Biblical world view of the destructive nature of the enemy –
John 10:10 NKJV
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
2. Do you believe that you can sustain in this present conflict by yourself?
Opening text – wrestle NOT against flesh and blood
• You will need his help!
1 Corinthians 10:13 LB
But remember this—the wrong desires that come into your life aren’t anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. He will show you how to escape temptation’s power so that you can bear up patiently against it.
I can barely win the battle with an oreo – why would I think I could win the battle of temptation in life outside Gods help
• Your strength will not sustain, but His Spirit will
Zechariah 4:6b NKJV
‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.
Your asking what does the mask I referred to have to do with the conflict around? Great question!
The same mask we use to cover our own face conflicts with our ability to see the truth/reality around us. The mask must come off because the mask we wear gives foothold in our life to the enemy of our soul.
Satan is known as the father of lies or deception – Its often said, that the “Devil is in the details” the truth is the devil is not in the details, rather he is in the “doubts”
John 8:44 NKJV
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
Every place in our life were we choose deception over dominion we have given a foothold to the enemy our life!
Ministry time – you today are struggling with the war raging around you! Today God is your
Psalm 46:1 NKJV
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:2
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Psalm 46:3
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.
Extra verses ;
2 Corinthians 10:3 NKJV
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
2 Corinthians 10:4
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
2 Corinthians 10:5
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Genesis 3:1 NKJV
Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
Philippians 4:8 NKJV
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things