Exodus 16:1-3- The entire Israelite community departed from Elim and came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt. 2 The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!”
Exodus 17:1-3 - The entire Israelite community left the Wilderness of Sin, moving from one place to the next according to the Lord’s command. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So the people complained to Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why are you complaining to me?” Moses replied to them. “Why are you testing the Lord?” 3 But the people thirsted there for water, and grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you ever bring us out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
Colossians 3:1-3, 5-10 - So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. 5 Therefore, put to death what belongs to your worldly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, God’s wrath comes on the disobedient, 7 and you once walked in these things when you were living in them. 8 But now you must also put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.
JESUS FOLLOWERS ARE TO BE IN A CONTINUAL STATE OF BEING RENEWED IN THE KNOWLEDGE & IMAGE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Romans 6:4 & 6 - Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin.
Romans 6:11-13 - So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. 13 And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God.
Romans 6:16-18 – Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey —either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were transferred to, 18 and having been liberated from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.
BEING ENSLAVED TO RIGHTEOUSNESS MEANS WE CHOSE GOD AND RENEWAL OVER SIN AND CONFORMITY.
THE CONTINUAL PATTERN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: PURSUE RENEWAL IN CHRIST OVER CONFORMITY IN CULTURE.
CONTINUED PURSUIT OF JESUS LEADS TO RELIANCE ON THE HOLY SPIRIT.
NEVER STOP FIGHTING SINS DESIRE TO MAKE YOU A SLAVE AGAIN. SIN DOESN’T HAVE THE LAST SAY AS LONG AS WE STAY SURRENDERED TO OUR SAVIOR.
RESPONSE TO THE SPIRITS CONVICTION & CALL TO SURRENDER:
• HAVE YOU BEEN RECEPTIVE OF THAT?
• HAVE YOU BEEN OBEDIENT TO THAT?
• HAS THERE BEEN REMOVAL TO ALLOW FOR GOD’S RENEWAL?
SIN & IDOL REMOVAL CARDS
WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU FEEL CALLED TO SURRENDER, REMOVE, OR LET GO OF—AND PLACE IT AT THE ALTAR AS AN ACT OF COMMITMENT.
ASK YOURSELF:
• WHAT IDOL DO I NEED TO SURRENDER?
• WHAT SIN DO I NEED TO REPENT OF?
• WHAT HAVE I ALLOWED TO ENSLAVE ME THAT I NEED TO GIVE TO GOD?
