Delighting in Jesus - Jeremy Utley - August 11, 2019
http://rlcfchurch.org/rlcfsdg19 River of Life Christian Fellowship 1306 N Lincoln Avenue Loveland, Colorado - 80537, USA
Summary
The speaker discusses the challenge of resenting conviction, noting that in moments of temptation, the flesh often reacts with disappointment or resentment toward the Holy Spirit's prompting. The remedy, he argues, is twofold: growing in hatred of self (the flesh) and increasing delight in Jesus. By recognizing that the resentment belongs to the flesh, one can crucify that feeling and direct hostility away from God's voice.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Do we believe he is wholly desirable?Opening with Song of Solomon 5:16, the speaker asks if believers truly see the Lord as full of sweetness and wholly desirable, noting that our true beliefs are often tested in moments of conviction.Song of Solomon 5:16
Resenting convictionThe speaker shares his own struggle with resenting conviction during moments of temptation, explaining that God's remedy requires growing in both a hatred of self and a delight in Jesus.
Who actually resents the conviction?Using an illustration of a child burning her feet on hot asphalt and getting angry at the parent trying to rescue her, the speaker shows how our flesh mistakenly views the Lord's loving warnings as an attack.
The gift of a holy hatredDrawing from Frederick Faber's poetry and Hebrews 1:9, the speaker emphasizes that Jesus loved righteousness and hated lawlessness, meaning believers should ask God for the gift of hating their own flesh.
Wielding the sword of the SpiritIn the moment of temptation and conviction, believers must not passively accept the flesh's accusations against God's goodness, but must instead fight back with specific verses from God's Word.
Cultivating delight in JesusLike developing a taste for healthy food after years of junk food, delighting in the Lord is not purely automatic and requires renewing the mind and building spiritual disciplines over time.Romans 12:2
A warning against passivityThe speaker issues a warning based on the Song of Solomon that Jesus acts as a gentleman who will woo and call believers to Himself, but He will never forcefully whisk them away against their own will.Song of Solomon 2:9
An encouragement in God's delightClosing with encouragement from Song of Solomon 4:9, the speaker highlights the incredible truth that the Lord actually relishes our love and considers our delight in Him to be a pleasing fragrance.Song of Solomon 4:9–10
