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Lay aside

September 15, 2021 | In Sermon

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

INTRODUCTION

What are the things we have to lay aside and what are the things that we should not lay aside?

Malachi 2:16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away:…

The Lord who said I hate putting away in the Old Testament is advising the New Testament believer to lay aside some things.

If we hold on to things which we should lay aside, it becomes sin. Also if we lay aside the things which we should not, it becomes sin.

Let us look into the things we should not lay aside.

THINGS WE SHOULD NOT LAY ASIDE
Spouse

Matthew 19:8 He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

A husband or a wife, under no circumstance, should lay aside their spouse. It is the deceptions of the devil to separate families. Today we see many families divided and struggling.

They asked this question to Jesus; can a husband lay aside his wife? Moses said it is, okay? Jesus answered it is because of the hardness of their heart. But it is not so from the beginning. You should not break the family structure under any circumstances.

Matthew 1:19 Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

Joseph had a reason to lay aside Mary. He did not know that Messiah was conceived through The Holy Spirit, But he loved Mary very much. Since he was betrothed to Mary, he found it difficult to accept that Mary was pregnant. Everybody in the town knew about their engagement. But he did not want to shame her.

1 Corinthians 7:10-12 Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

You should always reconcile and not separate. God asked Cain; I gave you a brother; where is he? The same way He will ask you, I gave you a spouse. Where is your spouse? What will be your answer?

Counsel of elders

1 Kings 12:6,8 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”….But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.

Solomon’s son Rehoboam became the king. He discussed certain things with the elders or the older men. The young king said, “you are old, you have experienced many things. What should I do in this situation?” The elders said “Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us” We love peace; let us reconcile. Let us be lenient with difficult matters. Let the king show favour. Let us adjust and go. Then the king will be blessed. There will be peace, calm and rest in the land. They gave him wise counsel. King said, I let you know later.

What Rehoboam did, he heard their counsel. Then he had a visitation from his age young people. He told them, today I went through a situation. Some older people came and asked me for some help. I inquired about this with the older men; they said I should adjust and go. What do you say? The young people immediately said you should not adjust. You should not lighten their labour but tighten from the beginning “My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!. This was the counsel of the younger men.

Another example from the bible is, Amnon had a fleshy spirit. His cousin, a young and cunning man came to see him. Amnon was sitting sad and vexed. Amnon said I have this fleshy desire. His cousin said, this is nothing; if you do this and this, you can be satisfied.

2 Samuel 13:3 But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Now Jonadab was a very crafty man.

He listened to the counsel of this young man, and finally he messed up his life and died.

A problem raised in the nation because he rejected the counsel of the elders. It brought a significant defeat dividing the kingdom.

You and I need to respect the elderly, our father and our mother.

Servants of God

Job 5:1 Call out now; Is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn?

We should not lay aside servants or God or pastors. When you choose your own pastor rejecting others, who will be there when you go through problems, you need Pastors who care for your soul. Pastors who warn you, teach you and pray and support you.

Hebrews 13:7,17 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct….. Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

Never ignore, reject or speak against your pastor. They are the one who watch over your soul. If they make a mistake God will punish them. We need to respect them for their position as a pastor.

Covenant of God

1Kings 19:10 So he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

Today many have pushed aside the covenant they made with God. There is a relationship between you and God.

If God is the foundation and a cornerstone, then you are the building above the foundation.
If God is the bridegroom, you are the bride.
If God is the vine, you are the branches.
If God is your father, you are His child.
If God is your shepherd, you are His sheep.

Likewise, there are many different types of relationships between you and God.

From the time you got saved, God has accepted you as His son. So, He makes certain covenants with you. Similarly, as you are growing in your spiritual life, you make a covenant with God.

I will be faithful,
I will pray,
I will follow you.
Nothing can separate me from the love of Christ.

So, you and God become one through the covenant and there is no separation between you can God. He is your creator and the saviour.

Children of Israel had a habit of keeping aside the covenant. How many of you have laid aside the covenant with God? How many have pushed aside the fellowship you have with God? We should never lay aside the covenant we made with God.

Commandment

Mark 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.

They are holding the traditions of men but laying aside the commandment of God. After coming into Christ, our way of life should be according to God’s will.

Abraham came from a family who made idols and worshipped idols. The Lord appeared unto him. But he forsook the idols and believed in the Lord. His family tradition of making idols and worshipping idols were not found in Abraham.

Family traditions are passed down from generation to generation. Often these traditions change over time and no longer resemble the original practice. They often looked at the elders or the elderly to continue the traditions that were once practised. Traditions can be an excellent thing as they remind us of our identity, have significance and meaning as to why they are practised. But how do we determine whether a tradition is acceptable to God or not?

In Jesus’ public ministry, He firmly condemned elders’ teaching in Israel- the Pharisees and the scribes. Why? What was wrong with their custom of ceremonial washing? This wasn’t a matter of just washing your hands before they ate, but this was a ceremonial custom that needed to be done. It was viewed as spiritual.

Dear beloved of the Lord, there are times we religiously give importance to our traditions at the detriment of our spiritual growth.

Once you have come into the faith in Jesus Christ, you are a citizen of the kingdom. You should keep the commandments of the Lord and give less importance to the traditions we follow.

God’s counsel

Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

The counsel of God advices us of many things from the bible

Get baptised in water, don’t delay
Spend time in the presence of God.
Attend church services at the appropriate time because God is waiting for you. For example, before the Samaritan women came to the well, Jesus was already sitting there and waiting for her.
Serve God. When someone wants to do something, they will consult with many, and sometimes they will do it without consultation. But when we give someone a ministry, they will say I have to pray about it or talk to my family.

Do not lay aside the counsel of God.

Good conscience

1 Timothy 1:19 having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck

Whatever you do, your conscience will prick you. But we, as children of God, lay aside our good conscience.

David’s was convicted when he cut the hem of Saul’s garment. When days went by, this good conscience died. When he took another man’s wife and killed the man, his conscience did not prick because he laid aside his good conscience.

Never lay aside your good conscience.

THINGS WE SHOULD LAY ASIDE
Burden & Sin

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

We should leave aside every burden and sin

You may be a person who has died to sin
You may be a person who is opposed to sin
You may be a person who fights against sin

No matter how strong and good you are, as long as you are on this earth, sin will always wait at the door, waiting for you to give in to sin.

Genesis 4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

We have to lay aside our sin and hand ourselves to God for help to overcome.

You can say anything to satisfy your soul. You can even tell when Jesus comes; I will surely go. But God knows you very well and that you are carrying a heavy burden weighing you down.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;

You are carrying the burden concerning your child, your spouse, your work, or it could be any burden you are carrying now, and that is weighing you down. You don’t know what to do. You have to leave your burdens on to Jesus Christ, for He cares for you.

You have to lay aside the sin and the burden. Don’t allow it to weigh you down. It will destroy your anointing, your peace, your love for Christ and even remove you from the presence of God.

Strange things

Ezra 10:19 And they gave their promise that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they presented a ram of the flock as their trespass offering.

Strange connections. When Herod had his brother’s wife, Joshn the Baptist confronted him. John was put in prison and finally beheaded. We have to understand the truth in the right way.

In the passage, we read that they put away their strange or pagan wives. Once we have come into the faith, all strange things and pagan practices should be laid aside.

Nehemiah 13:26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin

God loved Solomon, but because of these pagan women, God rejected him. The practices of pagans will cause you to sin. You should lay aside all these pagan practices, pagan traditions, pagan beliefs, etc.,

Ezra 10:10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have transgressed and have taken pagan wives, adding to the guilt of Israel

They will make you more guilty. So spiritually, you have to cut off all the unnecessary things. If the Lord does not allow, you should not go after strange things.

Abominations

Ezekiel 20:7 Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, throw away the abominations which are before his eyes, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’

Abomination means doing morally wrong, wickedness, and disgusting thing. Throw away all abominations from your life. There are so many abominable things that do not honour God in your life.

Revelation 17:4-5 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH

Babylon is the mother of abominations. When we do abominable things, we can never attain the holy place of heaven.

Revelation 21:8, 27 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” ….. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

After coming into the faith, an anointed person, what abominable things they do.

Proud in heart – Proverbs 16:5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD;
Lord hates seven abominations – Proverbs 6:16-17 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

These are abominations should be laid aside.

Works of darkness

Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

Lay aside the works of darkness.

Walk in darkness

Psalm 82:5 They do not know, nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are unstable.

Wicked walk-in darkness, and their foundations are unstable. When we walk in the darkness, there will be emptiness and no sign of God. For example

The sermon is excellent, you take notes, but there is no response in your heart. When everyone else is feeling something, you don’t feel anything.
So you pray. You get on our knees and tell God you don’t feel so good. But there seems to be no answer from Heaven.
You walk out from worship; everyone else is “touched by God” and say to yourself: “What in the world have I done?”
Perhaps, you think it is an unconfessed sin. You apologize to everybody. You write letters of confession. You go through everything you can think of’, but it’s still the same—still nothing.

That shows darkness is all over you.

Throw the Word of God behind

Psalm 50:17 Seeing you hate instruction And cast My words behind you?

When darkness is all around you, your cast the word of God behind you. Word of God does not speak to you and provide you direction; it becomes a thing of the past.

Understanding is darkened

Once coming into the life of faith, our mind should not be in darkness.

Ephesians 4:18-19 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Your understanding becomes darkened, and your mind corrupted. You are not able to think straight.

You speak without thinking

Job 37:19 Teach us what we should say to Him, For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness

When a man is in darkness, they speak without thinking or preparation. You need to know how to talk with your spouse, your servant, your master, your pastor, your boss, etc.

My dear friend lay aside the darkness and walked into the Light of the Lord Jesus Christ.

CONCLUSION

Today Holy spirit has laid before you, what you should keep aside and what you should not. I believe, today, whoever believes in this word spoken to you, this word will continuously remind you to live accordingly until the return of Jesus Christ.

Surrender to the word of God. Some words could be easy to follow. Some words will be difficult. Receive Grace from God to follow every word spoken to you.