Rooted In Christ – The discipline of saying “No”
Colossians 2:6-7 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him”
Here is the thing about roots – Every root draws from something
Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.”
Who is Solomon writing to? His son
What does a guard do?
- Does not let everyone in
- Allows in only those with permission
Proverbs 4:25-27 “Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to thepaths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.”
GIVE CAREFUL THOUGHT TO THE PATHS FOR YOUR FEET!
Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life – Dallas Willard
John 15:1-4 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunesso that it will be even more fruitful… 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
John 15:6 “If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers.”
We must learn to be good at saying “No”
Mark 1:32-38 “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
Luke 5:5-6 “Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
Jesus said “no” to the crowds in order to say “yes” to the father!
Titus 2: 11-12 “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age”
Notice that the grace that comes to us teaches us something – To say no
Exodus 20: 8-10 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work”
John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing”
To say yes to Jesus means we have to say no to other things
John 1:1-2 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunesso that it will be even more fruitful.”
John 15:11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
It is important to realize this:
- Pruning is not God being angry at you
- Pruning is not a punishment
There are three things the devil is trying to accomplish to disconnect us from God (Genesis 3):
- Create Doubt – Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?
Focus on what is withheld rather than what is given
- Remove fear of consequences – “You will not certainly die”
Once doubt is planted he can outright contradict God’s commands
- Create desire and resentment “God knows that when you eat the fruit your eyes will be opened”
