Clear: Embracing Mental & Emotional Freedom

Part II

I Thessalonians 5:23

²³ Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I.                   THREE REALMS OF EMOTIONAL ATTACK

1.     Our Sin (Our Fallen Nature)

Guilt; Shame; Condemnation; Rejection etc.

2.     Satan

3.     People

a.      Abuse by Authority Figures

b.     Manipulation from Relationships

c.      Violation of Trust

d.     Physical Abuse

II.                EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES CAN MARK US

They don’t have to define us but they can mark us…

1.     Parents with Addictive or Compulsive Behavior raise Children that are:

Thwart with unpredictability, lying to cover up, disappointments, false promises, anger or rage. As a result children growing up in such homes usually encounter certain tendencies:

a.       Avoid Conflict

Adult children of alcoholics have a fear of people who are in authority, people who are angry, and do not take personal criticism very well.  Often they misinterpret assertiveness for anger.

b.      Became approval seekers and loose their identity in the process.

c.       Usually adopt some kind of compulsive behavior (Substance or workaholic)

d.      Usually Develop Fear of Emotions or Feelings
Adult children of alcoholics tend to bury their feelings (particularly anger and sadness) since childhood and are not able to feel or express emotions easily. Ultimately they fear all powerful emotions and even fear positive emotions like fun and joy.

e.       Have A high burden of responsibility and constant approval seeking

Adult children of alcoholics are oversensitive to the needs of others. Their self-esteem comes from others’ judgments of them, thus having the compulsive need to be perfectionists and be accepted.

f.        An inability to relax and have fun.

Adult children of alcoholics cannot have fun because it is stressful, especially when others are watching. The child inside is frightened, and in an effort to appear perfect, exercises strict self-control.

g.       Harsh self-criticism and low self esteem

Adult children of alcoholics are weighed down with a very low sense of self-esteem and respect, no matter how competent they may be.

h.      The tendency to confuse love with pity.

Adult children of alcoholics are often in relationships with people they can rescue.

i.        Tendency to see everything and everyone in extremes, when under pressure

III.             SIGNS OF UNHEALTHY EMOTIONS

1.     Being stuck in a repetitive cycle

2.     Walls, Afraid to let others in

3.     Consistently Unhappy Relationships

4.     Frequent illnesses

5.     A Deep sense of Unworthiness (Low Self Esteem)

Numbers 13:31-33

³¹ But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” ³² And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. ³³ There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

a.      We must have healthy self esteem to obey the word

Matthew 22:37-38

³⁷ Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Ephesians 5:28-29

²⁸ So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

6.     Perfectionism

These perfectionists have been programmed to unrealistic expectations, impossible performance, conditional love, and a subtle theology of works

Perfectionism is a constant and all-pervading feeling of never quite measuring up, never quite being or doing enough to please

7.     Super-sensitivity

IV.             THE BEGINNING PROCESS OF HEALING

Start by embracing the Love and Acceptance of God

1.     What right have you to belittle or despise someone whom God loves so deeply?

1 John 3:1

“Consider the incredible love that the Father has shown us in allowing us to be called ‘children of God’”

2.     What right have you to belittle or despise someone whom God has honored so highly?

Psalm 8:4-5

⁴ What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? ⁵ For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

3.     What right have you to belittle or despise someone whom God values so highly?

Romans 5:6-8

⁶ For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

4.     What right have you to belittle or despise someone whom God has provided for so fully?

Matthew 7:11

¹¹ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Luke 12:32

³² “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

5.     What right have you to belittle or despise someone whom God has planned for so carefully?

Ephesians 1:3-5

³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. ⁴ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. ⁵ God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.  NLT

6.     What right have you to belittle or despise someone in whom God delights?

Numbers 14:8

8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.

Answer Key: Condemnation; define, HEALING,

7 HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE SOUL WINNERS

 

 

Habit 1: Soul Winners Are Prepared

They are spiritually prepared.

• They walk closely with Christ and maintain a consistent devotional life.
• They are active in their churches and are members in good standing.
• They attend worship and Sunday school and study their Bibles regularly.

They are trained.

• Soul winners have been trained in one or more gospel presentation strategies such as FAITH, Share Jesus Without Fear, GROW, or The NET.
• They serve as trainers or mentors and model soul winning before others.
• They have marked New Testaments and are able to express the central truths of the gospel in simple and understandable fashion.
• They use tracts and other printed gospel materials to enhance their presentation.

Habit 2: Soul Winners Share Christ Anytime/Anywhere

Soul winners are open to sharing Christ

• At the office
• In a restaurant
• On a plane
• Over the phone
• Anywhere the opportunity exists.

Habit 3: Soul Winners Are Adaptable in Their Presentation of the Gospel

Most do not rely on mechanical or canned gospel presentations. They each have developed their own particular style which:

• Becomes personal and conversational
• Uses their own language and illustrations
• Each witnessing encounter will be unique and different.

Habit 4: Soul Winners See Their Interactions with Other People as Divine Appointments

They begin each day with a sense of expectation.

• They feel a divine sense of mission.
• They see themselves as instruments of God’s grace to others.
• They seek to make the most of their encounter with others by purposely initiating and leading the conversation into the spiritual area.

Habit 5: Soul Winners Do Not Worry About the Results

Soul winners realize that they cannot save anyone. People come to Christ only through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Habit 6: Soul Winners Are Involved in Church Evangelism Programs but Are Not Limited to Them

• Soul winners are active in their local churches. Most are involved in their church’s ongoing visitation and evangelism training programs. But they do not limit themselves to sharing Christ only during church-sponsored activities.
• They see every moment of every day as an evangelistic opportunity.
• Soul winners also seek to reproduce themselves in others. Most mentor or train others in evangelism programs.

Habit 7: Soul Winners Pray Consistently for Opportunities to Share Christ with Others

• Soul winners pray for those with whom they have witnessed.
• They pray for those with whom they have not yet witnessed.
• They pray for divine appointments and witnessing opportunities. 

The Five Laws of Persuasion

John 4:5-26

Today we are doing a little training that may make the difference between life or death, heaven or hell, joy, and peace or sorrow and heartache.  The laws of persuasion…

We discovered last week that God wanted us to share our faith:

a.       By our life- Matthew 5:13

b.       by witnessing- Matthew 28:18; Mark 16:15; Acts 5:20

New Convert Method- a woman at the well as soul winner- today how Jesus won her soul

This doesn’t mean that we don’t have to be trained; the better trained we are; the more effective we will be.

2 Sides to Salvation

1.       Divine side

2.       Human Side

Divine Side

Only the Holy Spirit can really save a man

Romans 3:11-‘ none that seeketh after God’

Psalms 58:3- ‘wicked estranged from the womb’

I Corinthians 2:14- ‘natural man recieveth not’

2 Corinthians 4:4- ‘Satan hath blinded the minds’

John 6:44- ‘no man can come except the father draw him’

But God works with us to such a degree that w/o us many things will not be done

Human Side

Dr. John Gerstner

‘We can save no one, but unless we proclaim to them the gospel, God will save no one’

Everything is God but there are more things you can do to help God to use you better.  We must do what we can do and God will do what he can do.  Today we are going to do what we can to train ourselves so God can use us better

5 Laws Of Persuasion

Over the years people have learned that this is how the heart and mind reach conclusions and take action

1.       Attention

2.       Interest

3.       Desire

4.       Conviction

5.       The close

Attention- are you a student, secretary, teacher, manager, salesman, ‘do you write often?’

Interest- I have something that is sure to improve your performance

Desire- special design actually relaxes the muscles to enable you to write better

Conviction- have you ever started a paper neatly and near the end, it goes real sloppy cause your hand got tired

Close- this pen is your answer- try it I have it and it works

Look At How Jesus Used It

1.       Attention - John. 4:7-

He begins where she was and got her attention; get the conversation going and get then related; no evidence you are about to witness.  Be friendly, human, and real

2.       Interest- John 4:10

Get them interested in what you have to say; the most effective way is to use what Christ did for you or can do for them

3.       Desire- John 4:14

You must cause desire; be enthusiastic, not bored; you must be convinced yourself

4.       Conviction- John 4:16-18

You really need this, you must have this; if you turn this down something is wrong with you

5.       Diversion- (v.19,20)

He didn’t’ ignore it; he used part of it to bring her back

6.       Close

Bring them to a decision; confront them with the decision now; we must learn these and use them to critique our next presentation of the gospel

*Did I fail to get their attention or hold their interest; if so why and what can I do to change this?

*How much desire was created for knowing Christ?

*Were they convicted concerning sins or need of forgiveness

*Did I confront the person clearly with his need to make a decision for Christ?

I.                   THE IMPORTANCE OF EMOTIONS

1.     The Trichotomy of Man

1 Thessalonians 5:23

²³ Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Spirit gives us God Consciousness; The body Houses World Consciousness and the Soul (Emotions) Bridges the two together.

2.     Our Brains prioritize Emotions

a.     We are a collection of chemical signals

Everything you see, smell, hear, taste and touch travel through your body in the form of electric signals.  These signals pass from cell to cell until they reach your brain.

b.     The signals pass through the feeling Center of the Brain first. Electrical Signals enter your brain at the base near the spinal cord but must travel to your frontal lobe (behind your forehead) before reaching the place where rational, logical thinking takes place. They pass the limbic system before reaching the frontal lobe (The Place where emotions are produced). You experience things emotionally before reasoning joins in (you feel before you comprehend)

c.      This is automatic

The rational brain cant stops the limbic system but they work together.

II.   GOD AND EMOTIONS

1.     God is full of Emotions

a.      Love

Jeremiah 31:3

³ The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving kindness, I have drawn you.

b.     Compassion

Psalms 103:13

¹³ As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

c.      Joy

Isaiah 62:4

⁴ You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate;  But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; For the Lord delights in you, And your land shall be married.

d.     Anger

Joshua 7:1

But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the accursed things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed things; so the anger of the Lord burned against the children of Israel.

2.     God made encountering Him the highest expression of our emotions.

Psalm 16:11

¹¹ You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 36:8

⁸ They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.

3.     The Greatest Commandment includes our Emotions

Matthew 22:37

³⁷ Jesus said to him, “ ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

Colossian 3:1

² Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

III.                THREE REALMS OF EMOTIONAL ATTACK

1.     Our Sin (Our Fallen Nature)

Guilt; Shame; Condemnation; Rejection etc.

2.     Satan tempts us using Emotions

Genesis 3:1-6

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” ² And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; ³ but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” ⁴ Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ⁵ For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.

3.     Folks

a.      Abuse by Authority Figures

b.     Manipulation of Relationships

c.      Violation of Trust

d.     Physical Abuse

IV.             SIGNS OF UNHEALTHY EMOTIONS

1.     Being stuck in a repetitive cycle

2.     Walls afraid to let others in

3.     Consistently Unhappy relationships

4.     Frequent illnesses

5.     A deep sense of unworthiness

6.     Perfectionism

7.     Supersensitivity

8.     Fear of Failure