Rise of the Absalom Spirit

Main Passage: 2 Samuel 15

Introduction

• Spiritual power ARE at work
• In America
• In the Church
• In our own life

Absalom--History

• Genealogy
• Murder
• Revolt--2 Sam 15:1-6
• Death

Characteristics of an Absalom Spirit

• Origin in the House of the King
• Entitlement Mentality
• False promises with an agenda
• Rebellion
• Division
• Death

The Answer--The Love of the King

• The Love of THE King would have given Absalom anything...
• The Love THE King will restore our nation...
• The Love of THE King will revive the church...

Conclusions--

• Do you see any of the spirit of Absalom at work in your life?
• Do you sense the power of that spirit influencing your view on life right now?
• Are you controlled by a sense of entitlement?
• Ask God to change your heart!!

Financial Faker

Key Verse:

One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be

poor, yet has great wealth. Proverbs 13:7

I am cool because I have…

iPhone, iPad, Mac, Xbox, cable, car, clothes—can’t pay cc/afford 2 eat

·      Play now… pay later…

·      Great Depression never did

o   Baby boomers adopted this

Under 30 cashed in retirement. 70% have 0 cash reserve.

Where are you going on your honeymoon?

·      Exotic locations and charged it and start off on debt.

o   Start off the marriage in bondage

·      Paid for Honeymoon without debt

o   Planned for

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The Lie:

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served

created things rather than the Creator — who is forever praised. 

Rom 1:25

·      Money is the #1 competitor for our hearts!

·      "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matt 6:24

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MONEY AND THINGS PROMISE

1) HAPPINESS

Money and things doesn’t buy happiness

·      We believe this intellectually 

·      But not emotional

Make your life a little better

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2) SIGNIFICANCE

Drive up in a new car… clunker, Right jeans, school, neighborhood

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3) SECURITY

Trade health for more, Time w/kids for more. How much more? Little

 

God can provide! Happiness, Significance, Security

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We have a spiritual problem… not a financial problem.

·      Mask… Anxiety, Worry, Tension, Fear, Guilt

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DROP THE MASK AND EXPOSE THE TRUTH

• WE TRUST MONEY FOR HAPPINESS BECAUSE WE

DON’T KNOW WHAT WE HAVE IN CHRIST.

• WE TRUST MONEY TO MAKE US SIGNIFICANT

BECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW WHO WE ARE IN

CHRIST.

• WE BELIEVE MONEY WILL MAKE US SECURE

BECAUSE WE TRUST IN MONEY AND NOT IN

CHRIST.

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Defenses: My parents didn’t teach me, My job didn’t pay me enough,

Economy’s bad, Spouse spent too much, Can’t help that kids’ needed

braces, my car broke down. Not as bad as most… Nice things.

Actions reveal what we really believe!

Actions say we love and trust and worship things more than God!

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Behavior follows Belief

·      When we put our belief in Christ

When we change what we believe—change how we behave.

  

TRUTH

• TRUE HAPPINESS, SIGNIFICANCE AND SECURITY

ARE FOUND IN CHRIST ALONE. 

7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of

Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the

surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake

I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ…

Phil 3:7-8

Dropping the mask and tell the truth…

Money and things will never fulfill me.

Say it over & over & over & over & over again until you believe it.

…A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

Luke 12:15

Repeat with me…

I am not what I have.   I am not what I wear.

I am not where I live.   I am not what I drive.

I am who God says I am.

 16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil. 

17 Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf

with hatred. Prov 15:16-17

Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant than pretend to be

somebody and have no food. Prov 12:9

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and

godliness… 2 Peter 1:3

If a fish flops on the beach would it be happy?

If you give the fish a big wad of cast is he happy?

If you give a fish a big fish condo is he happy?

If you give a fish a carona beer and a play fish mag will he be happy?

Why is the fish not happy, because he was created for the ocean not the beach.

-Max Lucado (retold by C. G)

Overcome the seductive lie of what the world tell.

Get out of debt, get your life on track, give, and enjoy nice things. 

Where's Waldo?

HIDING YOUR SIN

AFTER YOU SIN, YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES

CONCEAL YOUR SINS.

CONFESS YOUR SINS.

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13

In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army…But David remained in Jerusalem. ² One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, ³ and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" ⁴ Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her...Then she went back home. ⁵ The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, "I am pregnant." 2 Samuel 11:1-5

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.

Luke 8:17

… you may be sure that your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23

For the story of Nathan confronting David, see 2 Samuel 12:1-14

Nathan Rebukes David

2 Samuel 12:1 The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

 4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

 5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this must die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

 7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

 11 “This is what the LORD says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”

 13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

   Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the LORD, the son born to you will die.”

WHAT ARE YOU COVERING UP?

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TWO TYPES OF CONFESSION

CONFESS TO GOD FOR FORGIVENESS.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

² Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin...¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:1-2, 10-12

CONFESS TO PEOPLE FOR HEALING.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed… James 5:16

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3

Where's Waldo?

HIDING YOUR SIN

AFTER YOU SIN, YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES

CONCEAL YOUR SINS.

CONFESS YOUR SINS.

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13

In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army…But David remained in Jerusalem. ² One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, ³ and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" ⁴ Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her...Then she went back home. ⁵ The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, "I am pregnant." 2 Samuel 11:1-5

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.

Luke 8:17

… you may be sure that your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23

For the story of Nathan confronting David, see 2 Samuel 12:1-14

Nathan Rebukes David

2 Samuel 12:1 The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

 4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

 5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this must die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

 7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

 11 “This is what the LORD says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”

 13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

   Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the LORD, the son born to you will die.”

WHAT ARE YOU COVERING UP?

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TWO TYPES OF CONFESSION

CONFESS TO GOD FOR FORGIVENESS.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

² Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin...¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:1-2, 10-12

CONFESS TO PEOPLE FOR HEALING.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed… James 5:16

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3

Man in the Mirror

A Look at: SELF DECEPTION

·      People who tell a lie so many times that we start to believe the lie is true

·      How many of you are self-deceived

·      How many of you know someone who is self-deceived

THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW, DON’T KNOW THEY DON’T KNOW.

TWO TRUTHS OF THE SELF DECEIVED

1) THE LONGER WE VIEW OURSELVES THROUGH A DISTORTED LENS THE MORE LIKELY WE ARE TO BELIEVE A DISTORTED TRUTH.

    ·      David speaking about this: For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. 3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. Psalm 36:2-3

  ·      If we cannot detect our sin then we live in ways that destroy us and those around us. (gossip, rude, pride

2) OFTEN THE MORE CONVINCED YOU ARE YOU’RE RIGHT THE MORE LIKELY YOU ARE WRONG.

    ·      Great example: the Pharisees

     o   Thought they were all right and everyone else was wrong.

    ·      Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will." 34 "I tell you the truth," Jesus    answered," this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times." 35 But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you…" Matthew 26:33-35

     o   Addictions and people reactions to this

     o   Please listen for yourself

THREE STEPS TO LIVE IN TRUTH

1) PRAY

    Is there anything in me that is true that I don’t see as truth?

       Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

  Challenge: Pray this for the next 7 days

2) LISTEN

   He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. 32 He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding. Proverbs 15:31-32

      If more than one person who loves you is telling you that you have a problem with something you need to listen.

  What is God or a loved one trying to tell you? 

3) CHANGE

    When God shows you!

       22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  James 1:22

   Today is the day to take the mask off, no matter what you are dealing with (religious, cutting, addiction to cell phone, sexual sin, perfect marriage)  

      ·      A lot of times we are afraid to take the mask off because we are afraid of what the truth is.

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:3

      ·      Remove the lies and embrace the truth of Christ.

Journeymen October Update!

Hey guys,
We've have had a couple of good planning meetings so far and I'm excited about the things we have going on.  Here's an update:

Month of October - Journeymen Food Drive
                            Bring non-perishable food items each Sunday this month
                            We will deliver them October 29th @ 10:00AM after our next meeting

October 8th - Courageous - Hollywood 10 Theaters - 1:30PM
                    We will be meeting as a group to watch the movie Courageous
                    Bring your friends, your dads, your sons, your brothers.....
                    See the link below.
                   
                   
http://www.courageousthemovie.com/


January 21st 2012 - Mens Workshop - 6-8PM - Word of Life Church
                             Speaker will be Joe Ehrmann - former defensive lineman for the Baltimore Colts
                             More on this later - Watch youtube video below

http://youtu.be/JefNqedPoTE


October 29th - Next meeting 9:00 at Perkins


As you can see we already have some cool things going on.  Please feel free to forward this to anyone you think might be interested in joining us in any of these events.  Also, bring someone to the next meeting for food and fellowship.

Hiding From God

*Link to listen to this message online at the bottom of this post*

The Very First Masquerade

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. 25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Gen 2:24

shame: buwsh (boosh); to be ashamed; to be disappointed, to be confused, to become dry.

Not ashamed. Not disappointed. Not confused. Not relationally dry. Absent of everything that separates.

       ·      No sin… No shame… No games… No masks

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Serpent tempted… She gave some to her husband

       ·      “Did God really say…”

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Gen 3:7

   ·      I can’t bring the real me

   ·      I am not good enough

   ·      I am unworthy

   ·      After what I have done I can’t let you see the real me

      o   This was the first instance of hypocrites

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Jesus was hardest on hypocrites

hypocrite: hupokrites (hoop-ok-ree-tace'); an actor playing a role, someone wearing a mask to misrepresent reality.

SATAN’S SHAME GAME

   ·      You experience something deeply painful or sinful.

   ·      You connect what happened with who you are.

   ·      You believe the only way to be safe is to hide.

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8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Gen 3:8

   ·      “Hid from God”

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9 But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." Gen 3:9-10

   ·      “Where are You?”

   ·      I was afraid because I was naked so I hid.

   o   I felt vulnerable

   o   I knew I was imperfect

   o   I did feel good enough

   o   If you knew what I done you wouldn’t love me

   §  How could God love me

    ú  Afraid because I sinned

   §  Pastor’s Mystique

    ú  People want to believe you are a normal regular person, but when you are they can’t handle   it.

    ú  “Can’t believe a man of God did that!”

    ú  Have to guard

                    ·      You learn to fake it

                    ·      If you are struggling

                    ·      Have marriage issues

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WHERE ARE YOU WITH GOD?

(Lowest) 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10 (Highest)

High Rating

   ·      Close, intimate. Word is a priority. Care about what he cares about. Heart breaks for the lost. Serving passionately in his church. Trusting him in your finances. Person of deep and committed prayer.

Low Rating

   ·      Pretending. In church today. Ignored God all week.

   ·      Call it what it is. You’re spiritually posing.

   ·      That is just some sins I am going to live with

   ·      Personal worship

  o   Who has time for that

Be Honest

   ·      God already knows

   ·      I haven’t spent time with God in a long time

   ·      I am too busy (still believe) just life has gotten in the way.

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Drop the mask

   ·      Talk about it with the person next to you.

   ·      Why you are there

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“You cannot do what all God wants you to do wearing a stupid mask”- Craig G.

The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. Gen 3:21

   ·      Killed an innocent animal to cover their sin

   ·      For us today: Only covering… clothed with Christ

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