Fixer Upper Family sermon series Demo Day 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
DEMO DAY!
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
INTRODUCTION:
This month at Acadiana Baptist, we are putting FAMILIES FIRST in FEBRUARY. Each week will look at a practical and relevant FAMILY MATTER that will strengthen and encourage every family here. Last week, we looked at fundamentals of the family and today, we are going to start demoing the thing that we need to repair!
Within the family unit there are two words that are often incredibly hard to say, yet they are necessary to be said and heard, “I’m sorry.”
The Ten Commandments are an amazing list that teach us how to have a proper relationship with the Lord (Commands 1-4=vertical relationship) as well as how to relate to other people (5-10=horizontal relationships). What are the 5 and 6 of the Ten Commandments? Honor thy Father and Mother and thou shalt not commit adultery…family and marriage.
I’m not a big proponent of blaming your raising on all of your problems on your raising but I do believe certain patterns can cause great problems and dysfunction later in one’s life. Many adult issues are either learned because they are modeled by parents, or caused by poor choices by authority figures. God’s Word refers to these as STRONGHOLDS.
Strongholds come in various categories that manifest themselves with certain specific problems!
CATEGORIES: compulsions, obsessions, addictions, fears, anxieties
SPECIFIC PROBLEMS: greed, anger, pride, bitterness, jealousy, lust, resentment, spite, negativism, pessimism, condemnation, guilt, confusion, deviousness, vengefulness.
If we will deal with these trouble areas as possible strongholds, we will see immediate results and begin to experience a new measure of freedom in our life. Strongholds MUST BE DEMOLISHED! The good news for us is that Jesus has come to set captives free! Remember John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
Today is DEMO DAY and that brings me to our big idea…
BIG IDEA:
Whatever your stronghold is, today is the day to tear it down and experience true JOY and FREEDOM in your life and in your family!
BODY:
I. DEFINING STRONGHOLDS 2 Corinthians 2:11
Note: We have to begin by understanding what we are dealing with because ONLY the can we defeat it! Strongholds come in many shapes and sizes but basically can be defined as…
A. An Area of Life that Keeps Us from Becoming Like Christ
The word stronghold in Greek means, “a hard place.” It refers to a place on the battlefield that is an entrenchment or a fortress. Any place there is a fixed set of ideas, a mindset, thoughts and behavior in conflict with revealed truth, you can suspect a stronghold.
B. A Command Post for the Enemy to Attack From—the Bible speaks of a root of bitterness that springs up and defiles MANY
C. A Thought Pattern that is Contrary to the Word of God—the battle rages for your thought life!
D. A Place Where the Devil’s Lie is More Believable than the Gospel Truth—example you ARE loved but you think the opposite
II. DENYING STRONGHOLDS
Note: The longer a stronghold is allowed to go unchecked the harder it is to demolish! It is dangerous to allow such a negative thought pattern to have rule in ANY area of our lives!
A. The Pattern
1. we begin to make excuses for it.
2. we begin to justify it.
3. we begin to fight to protect it.
B. The Problem
Left unchecked, a stronghold will keep you from becoming fully like Christ and will stunt your spiritual growth! This is the Devil’s playground and must be shut down immediately!
III. DETECTING STRONGHOLDS
Note: You cannot defeat something that you cannot detect!
A. The Origin of Strongholds
1. An experience BEHIND us
2. An environment AROUND us
3. An error WITHIN us
B. The Obvious Symptoms
Many times, we have accommodated a stronghold for so long that our personalities are identified with it. We say things like, “I just can’t help it, that’s just the way I am.” Our problem is that we have acted in an abnormal way for so long that abnormal seems normal! Let’s look at that list again…
CATEGORIES: compulsions, obsessions, addictions, fears, anxieties
SPECIFIC PROBLEMS: greed, anger, pride, bitterness, jealousy, lust, resentment, spite, negativism, pessimism, condemnation, guilt, confusion, deviousness, vengefulness.
IV. DEMOLISHING STRONGHOLDS
Note: Look at our text…We are not to war in the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are mighty. Our weapons are empowered by God. Our weapons pull down “strongholds.”! No matter the size of the stronghold, it is NEVER bigger than God and His ability to destroy it! God has been tearing down strongholds for a long time…Egypt? Jericho? Babylon?
A. An Awareness—this is spiritual territory against a powerful enemy! 1 Peter 5:8
B. An Awesomeness—You MUST have confidence because we have weaponry that is POWERFUL through Christ and BECAUSE OF Christ! Hebrews 2:14
C. An Arsenal
1. The Word of God
2. The Name of Jesus
3. The Blood of Jesus
4. The Holy Spirit of God
5. The Word of Our Testimony
6. Prayer—a wall of prayer surrounding me
CONCLUSION:
Your family is worth it! Fight for your family by tearing down any existing strongholds, and refuse to model or create any new ones!
Whatever your stronghold is, today is the day to tear it down and experience true JOY and FREEDOM!
How? Receive and THEN apply the truth of God and your stronghold will come tumbling down!