Fight or Flight Response Part Two (Flight) 9/11/2021

Fight or Flight   •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Introduction:
1. As Christians, it is important that we understand our spiritual fight or flight response.
A. It is in understanding this response that we start to understand who we are as Christians.
1. This is true in how our being (who we are in our inward parts) reacts to certain stimuli, either righteous or unrighteous.
A. When faced with either righteous stimuli or unrighteous stimuli, how does our inward man react?
B. What is our subconscious response before we even become aware of a conscious response?
Psalm 51:6 NKJV
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
1. Has it been trained to be Christian first and foremost?
B. In nature, our fight or flight response helps keep us safe.
1. In dangerous situations, our fight or flight response is triggered, causing this physiological response in order to keep us safe from death.
A. In the natural world, we as a people have a healthy respect for death.
B. In our spiritual lives, do we have the same healthy respect for spiritual death?
2. Last week, we discussed what we should fight for.
A. We should have an innate response to fight against those things which are against God.
1. We should have an innate response to fight against atheism.
2. We should have an innate response to fight that which is against nature.
3. We should have an innate response to contend (or fight) for the faith.
B. If we fail to fight these ideologies and do not make war with the wiles of the devil, then spiritual death is the result.
Ephesians 6:11–12 NKJV
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
1. We must learn how not to fight flesh and blood but train our fight or flight response to subconsciously respond to the host of wickedness with fight.
3. This week, we are going to discuss what we need to run away from as fast as possible, because it is simply too dangerous to handle.
A. Sin is too dangerous to fight while in the mist of temptation; it must be fled from because it brings spiritual death.
Romans 6:23 NKJV
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1. This does not mean that sin is not to be fought against but while one is being tempted by sin, the best course of action is to take the means of escape and flee.
1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
A. We flee from sin when...
1. The Christian submits to God and resists the devil.
James 4:7 NKJV
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
2. The Christian draws near to God.
James 4:8 NKJV
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
3. The Christian laments and mourns sin.
James 4:9 NKJV
9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
4. The Christians humbles themselves in the sight of the Lord.
James 4:10 NKJV
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
B. There are four sins that we are specifically told to flee from.
1. Sexual immorality
2. Idolatry
3. The love of money
4. Youthful lust
C. We must condition our fight or flight response to react appropriately, or these sins will overrun us.
Body:
1. How do we train our fight or flight response to react appropriately to the temptation of sexual immorality?
1 Corinthians 6:18 NKJV
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
A. Joseph had his fight or flight response trained appropriately.
Genesis 39:7–12 NKJV
7 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” 10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. 11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, 12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.
B. Part of training our fight or flight response appropriately to the temptation of sexual immorality is training it to react appropriately to modesty.
A. Included in the biblical sense of modesty is the idea of not drawing undue attention to yourself.
1 Peter 3:3–4 NKJV
3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
B. Modesty and humility go hand-in-hand together.
1 Peter 5:5 NKJV
5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
1. As God’s people, we must not be proud, which is drawing undue attention to ourselves, but humble ourselves and allow God to exalt us.
1 Peter 5:6 NKJV
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
2. Immodesty is the opposite of humility.
A. Anything that draws attention away from God and onto us is immodest.
1. As Christians, we should have crucified our flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:24 NKJV
24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
2. Therefore, we should have put to death anything that brings undue attention to us.
Colossians 3:5 NKJV
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
C. If we have trained our fight or flight response appropriately to the temptation of sexual immorality, then we will not desire to draw undue attention to ourselves with...
1. our dress.
2. our jewelry.
3. our hair.
4. our lifestyle.
D. It should be our desire, as Christians, to draw attention to Christ by our example.
1 Timothy 2:8–10 NKJV
8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; 9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, 10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.
E. Anything that takes away from this is immodest whether it is...
1. our dress.
2. our lifestyle.
3. or anything we own.
2. How do we train our fight or flight response to react appropriately to the temptation of idolatry?
Exodus 20:4–6 NKJV
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
A. Do we still have a problem with this today?
1. Anything that is placed above God in priority is an idol.
Colossians 3:5 NKJV
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
A. Any of the sins listed in this passage can become an idol, because one does not have to carve a wooden image to worship it and place it before God.
2. In order to train our fight or flight response in this area, we must recognize our priorities and be honest with ourselves.
Matthew 6:33 NKJV
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
A. If we have sin in our lives that we refuse to recognize as sin, then we are in bondage to it and serve it.
Romans 6:16–17 NKJV
16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.
B. If you have an idol in your life that you desire to remove, you must first recognize it as an idol.
A. Hezekiah recognized that Judah had been living in idolatry so in order to be Godly, he removed them.
2 Kings 18:1–6 NKJV
1 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. 3 And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan. 5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. 6 For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.
1. If we have idols in our lives, they must be removed, tore down, and broken into pieces, because this is the only way to train our fight or flight response to respond appropriately.
B. God is a jealous God, and He will not accept anything less than being the only God in our lives.
Deuteronomy 4:24 NKJV
24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
3. How do we train our fight or flight response to react appropriately to the temptation of the love of money?
1 Timothy 6:9–11 NKJV
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
A. First, we must learn to be content with what we have.
Philippians 4:11–12 NKJV
11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
1. The love of money begins with a lack of contentment in our lives.
1 Timothy 6:6–8 NKJV
6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
B. Secondly, we must always remember that our lives do not consist in the abundance of the things we possess.
Luke 12:15 NKJV
15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
A. We must also remember that where our heart is, there our treasure will be also.
Matthew 6:19–21 NKJV
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
C. Thirdly, we must remember that our value is not in ourselves but Christ.
John 15:5 NKJV
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
A. There is no possible way, no matter how wealthy you are, that you can provide sufficiently for yourself, let alone your family.
2 Corinthians 3:4–5 NKJV
4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
B. It is only when we have learned contentment and to rely upon Christ that we truly understand Philippians 4:13.
Philippians 4:10–13 NKJV
10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
4. How do we train our fight or flight response to react appropriately to the temptation of youthful lust?
2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV
22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
A. First, we must put away childish things.
1 Corinthians 13:11 NKJV
11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
1. We must put away childish things by becoming mature in understanding.
1 Corinthians 14:20 NKJV
20 Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature.
2. We must put away childish things that cause us to be carnal or worldly and babes in Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:1–3 NKJV
1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
A. Envy
B. Strife
C. Divisions
3. We put away the cause of strife.
2 Timothy 2:23 NKJV
23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.
4. We must pursue things that cause us to be mature.
2 Timothy 2:22 NKJV
22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
A. Righteousness
B. Faith
C. Love
D. Peace
5. We become mature when we put God’s Word to use in our lives and are able to discern both good and evil.
Hebrews 5:14 NKJV
14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Conclusion:
1. Who are we?
A. Are we those who name the name Christ? Then, let us depart from iniquity.
2 Timothy 2:19 NKJV
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
B. Let us be those who have trained our fight or flight response to run away from sin and receive the Word of God.
James 1:21 NKJV
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
2. Does your spiritual fight or flight response need to be trained?
A. Again I ask, who are you?
B. Does God recognize you as His?
C. Let us, as His church in Allen, Oklahoma, help one another to instinctively be the person that God desires us to be and train our fight or flight response appropriately.
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