Sunday 6th September 2015 - It's All To Do With The Inside - Brian Nish

What this episode covers

IT’S ALL TO DO WITH THE INSIDE -OR- GUARDING OUR SOUL INTRODUCTION (Psalm 103v1-5 - Read) Pro 4v23 – Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it flows (springs) the issues of life 3 John 1v2 – Beloved I pray you prosper in all things and be in health just as your soul prospers ‘Soul’ – Your heart, inner man/woman, spirit Your mind, will, emotions Your personality, who you are, the real you – on the inside Why is it important to guard our soul? • Out of it flows the issues of life/it determines the course of our lives • We can prosper in all things and be in health PEOPLE WHO HURT Where do people hurt? • In their soul, heart, emotions Where do hurts come from? • Generational sins/curses • Other people • Self-inflicted Sometimes from what was NOT done to us • A toddler who was never cuddled • A child who never felt loved • An adult who’s never been loved or affirmed Or from the following • From deep disappointment beyond our control • A promotion that never came • A pregnancy that never happened CONSEQUENCES OF HURTS It is not an exaggeration to say that the results of hurts are just as crippling to our soul as disease is to our bodies. Some of the major consequences of hurts are as follows:- • Hurts affect the entire person • Hurts cause us to hurt others (Hurting people hurt people) • Hurts cause lies to become established (Ungodly beliefs) • Hurts cause ongoing vulnerability and hopelessness • Hurts cause shame • Hurts cause defence mechanisms • Hurts cause us to wear masks • Hurts restrict our growth • Hurts cause anger/disappointment with God • Hurts cause blocked emotions • Hurts cause fragmented personality • Hurts can lead to demonic oppression BELIEF – EXPECTATION CYCLE (Pro 23v7) Experience > Belief > Behaviour > Expectation You have a bad experience which leads to a wrong belief which leads to wrong behaviour which leads to wrong expectations. • You suffer some kind of abuse (Experience) • You believe you are a victim of abuse (Wrong Belief) • You act as if you are a victim (Wrong Behaviour) • You believe others see you as a victim (Wrong Expectation) • Therefore you get treated as a victim (Self-fulfilling prophecy) • It’s as if you’re wearing a sign on your head saying “I am a victim” RESTORING OUR SOULS (1 John 1v9 + Psalm 23v3 + John 8v32) God wants to heal and restore our souls AND set us free from the lies of the enemy. For Him to do this we need to:- • Forgive and repent where necessary • Remove demons where necessary • Receive healing of our soul • Change the LIES for the TRUTH 1) Identify the lie and write it down on a piece of paper 2) On another piece of papers write down what God says (begin to read, think about, and speak out several times every day) 3) Throw away your first piece of paper ESTABLISHING BOUNDARIES (Num 34v2 & 12 + Acts 17v26 + 2 Cor 10v13) Nations, cities, society, families, and individuals all have, or need, boundaries. Without boundaries the world would be in chaos. In the bible God clearly defined Israel’s boundaries as a nation. Cities also had clear boundaries, because they were surrounded by walls which provided protection from their enemies. In Proverbs it speaks of those who don’t rule over their own spirit, as being like a city broken down with no walls. In other words, when the walls around our lives are broken down, we are vulnerable to the enemy, who can just walk in and hurt and destroy our lives. We then need God to heal and restore our souls. But prevention is always better than cure. Therefore we need to guard our souls to prevent further hurts in the future. We can do this by setting clearly defined boundaries (putting walls up) around our lives. How do we do this? To have boundaries in your life is like having a wall around your garden. This wall lets people know that everything inside the wall belongs to you, and that trespassers are not welcome! This wall enables you to keep the good in, and the bad out – to keep the pearls inside and the pigs outside! Most walls have a lockable gate, which means that you decide when to open it – to let more good in, or more bad out. Examples • Our words. The ability to say “No” etc. • The truth. We must live within the boundaries of God’s word and be honest with ourselves and others. • Physical distance. Sometimes we may need to physically distance ourselves from a person or situation. • Emotional distance. In a relationship certain subjects can cause hurt for a short period of time, therefore keeping an emotional distance is often the wisest course of action. • Taking time out. There are occasions when we just need a break from someone or something, to re-charge our batteries and restore our soul. • Consequences of actions. When children or adults act in a certain way they need to know that there can be consequences for their actions. Having proper boundaries in place will not only enable us to guard our souls, and protect us from the enemy, but will also cause our souls to prosper. CONCLUSION • God want us to guard our souls and live life from the inside out – not the outside in • That’s why God came to live within us – we need to become more God inside minded • Guarding our souls will cause our souls to prosper – which then enables God to bless us in every area of life and ministry • Jesus came to bring us life, and life abundantly (life in all its fullness; life that overflows; a rich and satisfying life; life with joy and abundance)(John 10v10) AND IT’S ALL TO DO WITH THE INSIDE!!!

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