The Call of Duty 1

Matt's Sermon Notes from The Call of Duty 1

From Mat Tullos' blog http://worship.squarespace.com//

Movie Quote from the Matrix: “The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inured, so hopelessly dependent on the system, that they will fight to protect it.”

There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves [i.e., the demons] are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight" CS LEWIS


Satan has a plan.
He wants to chain you to a defeated lifestyle.
He wants to escort you to an early grave.
He wants to distract you from your mission.
He wants to corrupt the blessing of a holy life.
He’s determined to fill your life with self-doubt and shame.
He wants to curse your future children.
He wants to cloud your vision.
He wants to convince you that you don’t deserve God’s plan for you.
He wants you strapped with addiction.
He wants to immobilize you.
He wants to offer you cheap thrills in exchange for your eternal passion.
He wants to keep you hopeless, helpless, and violated.
He wants to make you a stumbling block.
He knows that people who live a passionate Christian life are a direct threat to his mission.
He trembles to think of a generation of pure prayer warriors storming the gates of his kingdom.

MEET FLESH

flesh is our great superpower adversary-used by satan- caused by the fall.
flesh seeks to seduce us into doing things that will kill the pain and fill the void.

Flesh is the producer of those private, personal "tv commercials" that will play until you buy into the temptation. commericals include flashbacks of feeling good in the flesh, remembrances of times when flesh saved the day, and emotionally charged reasons you deserve to feel good momentarily. (all lies ofcourse...flesh is the original sick freak)

flesh will tell any lie to feed itself.
flesh is amoral- in other words, it doesn't understand the concept of moral reasoning. it doesn't understand faith, it doesn't understand God. That's why it's so dang hard and/or miserable to be a fleshy disciple.

All flesh knows is that it wants to use drugs, sex, food, accomplishments, selfrighteousness, money, angry outbursts, and entertainment as pain killing and feel better stuff.
Usually things that make us feel better have some use in the proper context: food is necessary, sex causes procreation, drugs can sometimes heal, and accomplishments- well- they accomplish. But alas, once flesh learns about how chemicals and experiences can push the feel-good buttons in the brain, it is incapable of seeing why we shouldn't just push those buttons all of the time.

Flesh will carry on a conversation throughout the day as you go to lunch, as you watch tv, as you stand before powerful minds and speak, as you drive down the road. "If only we could shut flesh up!"

Fortunately we have a Brother who has the power to shut that son of a gun up. That's not to say that flesh goes away when we walk the "cross road." It simply means that we have hope.

EPH 4:26-27"In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
•Why do we gossip? (I want to feel better about myself) Pride- it’s demonic
•Why do we rage? (I have a need to retaliate against people) Pride- it’s demonic
•Why do we get mixed up in inappropriate relationships? (My appropriate relationships are not enough for me.) Pride- it’s demonic
•Why is pornography so powerful? (I shouldn’t be tethered to realistic, God-approved sexual experiences) Pride- it’s demonic
•Why do we get so pharisaical? (We want to lift ourselves above others) Pride- it’s demonic

If only we could see with our spiritual eyes
The plan, the warfare, the intentional lies
The souls that are falling into the pit of despair
The catastrophes hidden, the unseen stair
The battle lines are drawn
Satan’s purpose is sure
Motives deceitful, dark and impure
It whispers, and pulls us
He plans our demise
He’s the craftsman of death
The father of lies
If only we could see with more spiritual eyes.