Freedom through Submission

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Freedom through Submission Resistance

• Prayer Conference 15.11.08
• Bawtry Hall, Doncaster
• Ezra Loh

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The key to winning the war is to know
which battle to lose when to retreat in
order to advance

• Submit yourselves, then to God. Resist the
  devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to
  God and He will come near to you ( Js 57-8a)

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Outline of talk

• Understand the nature of captivity bondage in
  OT
• Deliverance in discipleship
• Personal worth appraisal
• Biblical guide for a good life
• Winning the battle for our minds

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Release from bondages

• "Therefore, say to the Israelites 'I am the
  Lord, and I will bring you out from under the
  yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being
  slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an
  outstretched arm and with mighty acts of
  judgment.

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Release from bondages

• I will take you as my own people, and I will be
  your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord
  your God, who brought you out from under the yoke
  of the Egyptians.

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Release from bondages

• And I will bring you to the land I swore with
  uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to
  Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I
  am the Lord.'"

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Freedom from captivity

• We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have
  not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you
  gave your servant Moses.
• "Remember the instruction you gave your servant
  Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will
  scatter you among the nations,

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Freedom from captivity

• but if you return to me and obey my commands,
  then even if your exiled people are at the
  farthest horizon, I will gather them from there
  and bring them to the place I have chosen as a
  dwelling for my Name.'

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Freedom from captivity

• "They are your servants and your people, whom you
  redeemed by your great strength and your mighty
  hand.
• O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer
  of this your servant and to the prayer of your
  servants who delight in revering your name. Give
  your servant success today by granting him favour
  in the presence of this man." (Neh 1 7-11)

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A Sabbath-Rest for Gods people

• We have come to share in Christ if we hold
  firmly till the end the confidence we had at
  first. As has been said Today, if you hear His
  voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in
  the rebellion (Heb, 314-15)

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Partnering with Christs mission

• "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has
  anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He
  has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
  and recovery of sight for the blind, to release
  the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's
  favour." (Luke 14 18 -19)

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Personal Worth Appraisal

• Success
• Significance
• Fulfilled
• Satisfied
• Happy
• How much fun are you having
• Secure
• Peaceful

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Belief Systems

• Our Christian walk is the direct result of what
  we believe about God and ourselves.
• How can I know if what I believe is right?
• Feedback system emotional signposts

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Anger

• Signals a blocked goal
• Blocked by forces beyond ones control
• e.g. Simon Peter cutting off the servants ear.

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Anxiety

• Signals an uncertain goal
• Hoping for something without the guarantee that
  it will happen
• e.g. Martha complaining to Jesus about Mary.

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Depression

• Signals an impossible goal
• An expression of hopelessness e.g. basing ones
  self-worth on the consequences of others choices
  in life or wrong concept of God.
• E.g. King David Psalms 13 1-2 5-6. God is the
  source of all hope! With God all things are
  possible (Psalms 435)

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Belief Systems

• Goals can be blocked, uncertain or impossible
• Our self-worth success can hinge on the
  achievement of such goals
• Our self-worth appears to depend on circumstances
  other people

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Goals frustrated

• bitter, angry or resentful
• resort to a martyr complex bitter defeat,
  learned helplessness, depression

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False perceptions

• Ive called you into existence, I ve made you
  My child and I have something for you to do. I
  know you wont be able to do it, but give it you
  best shot

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Unreasonable Request

• I want you to mow the lawn. Unfortunately, the
  lawn is full of rocks, the mower doesnt work and
  there is no electric supply. Anyway give it your
  best shot, my child

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The extravagant father heart of God

• Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will
  give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish , will
  give him a snake? If you, then, though you are
  evil, know how to give good gifts to your
  children, how much more will your Father in
  heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So
  in everything, do to others what you would have
  them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the
  Prophets (Matt 79-12)

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Learning from Mary

• The angel Gabriel said to Mary For nothing is
  impossible with God (Luke 137
• God doesnt assign you goals you cant achieve.
• His goals for you are possible, certain and
  achievable.
• We must learn to say as Mary said May it be to
  me as you have said (Matt 138).

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A godly goal

• is any specific result reflecting Gods purpose
  for our lives that does not depend on people or
  circumstances beyond our ability or right to
  control.

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A godly goal

• the only person who could block or render a godly
  goal uncertain or impossible is

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• ourselves!

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Freedom through Transformation

• Romans 121-2 Do not conform any longer to the
  pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
  renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to
  test and approve what Gods will is his good,
  pleasing and perfect will

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A godly desire

• is any specific result that depends on the
  cooperation of other people or the success of
  events or favourable circumstance one cannot
  control.

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Desires and Goals

• Desire (including godly desires) elevated to a
  goal and this goal when frustrated (blocked,
  uncertain impossible) anger, anxiety
  depression.
• Desire remain just a desire, not met
  disappointment

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Desires / Goals blocked

• Gen 46 Then the LORD said to Cain, Why are you
  angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what
  is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do
  not do what is right, sin is crouching at your
  door it desires to have you, but you must master
  it

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Disappointments handled rightly

• e.g. Joseph felt betrayed by his brothers and
  disappointed that he did not ever meet with his
  mother again before she died, after he was sold
  into slavery in Egypt as a teenager

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Disappointments handled rightly

• Gen 455 And now, do not be distressed and do
  not be angry with yourselves for selling me here,
  because it was to save lives that God sent me
  ahead of you

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Rescued from Captivity delivered from
Slavery

• Gen 5019 But Joseph said to them, Dont be
  afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to
  harm me, but God intended it for good to
  accomplish what is now being done, the saving of
  many lives

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Biblical guidelines for a good life

• Success (Goals) Josh 17-8 2 Peter 13-10
  self-worth based on our identity purpose in
  Christ
• Significance (Time) 1 Cor 314 1 Tim 47-8
  work which is remembered eternally
• Fulfilment (Role preference) 1 Peter 410 2 Cor
  520 bloom where you are planted

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Biblical guidelines for a good life

• Satisfaction (Quality) 2 Tim 47 deepening
  responsibilities through commitment to quality
• Happiness (Wanting what you have) 1 Tim 66-8 1
  Thess 518 be thankful not greedy
• Fun (Uninhibited spontaneity) 2 Sam 621 Gal
  110 not keeping up appearances

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Biblical guidelines for a good life

• Security (Relating to the eternal) Jn 1027-29
  Rm 835-39 Eph 113,14 taking on a firm grip
  on values relationships which endure
• Peace (Resolving the internal conflict) Rm 51
  Jn 1427 Col 315-16 Phil 46,7 Worship,
  prayer and engagement with Gods word

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A snapshot of oppression

• Constantly afraid
• Mind bombarded by angry hostile thoughts
• Ignorant of position authority in Christ
• Equally ignorant of satans schemes
• Feeling guilty and wonder whats wrong

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Walking in freedom

• Seek the LORD while He may be found call on Him
  while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way
  and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to
  the LORD, and He will have mercy on him, and to
  our God, for He will freely pardon.

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Walking in freedom

• For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
  are your ways My ways, declares the LORD. As the
  heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways
  higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher
  than your thoughts Isaiah 558-9

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Anointed biblical reasoning

• We are incapable of determining Gods thoughts
  through human reasoning, therefore we are
  dependent on divine revelation

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• The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of
  the world. On the contrary, they have divine
  power to demolish strongholds. We demolish
  arguments and every pretension that sets itself
  up against the knowledge of God, and we take
  captive every thought to make it obedient to
  Christ 2 Cor 104-5

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OT Captivity