Before You Do, After You Did Pt. 2 | Jerry Flowers | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Before You Do, After You Did Pt. 2

Time of Celebration Ministries Church • Nov 10, 2024 • 51 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

True wisdom begins with a holy reverence for God, guarding believers against making choices in ignorance and leading them into spiritual maturity. In times of relational or personal transition, believers must address hidden emotional and spiritual baggage before entering new seasons or covenant commitments. By seeking God's guidance daily and embracing self-denial, Christians can navigate life changes smoothly and honor God in their relationships.

Themes

Fear of the LordSpiritual Wisdom and DiscernmentTransition and TransformationCovenant MarriageDying to Self

Pastor's Points

1.

Before I do: Put the trash out and plead for the Lord to clean your heart so you don't carry unresolved baggage into marriage.

2.

Before I do: Focus on discovering and working your purpose so that a relationship doesn't become your identity or primary purpose.

3.

Before I do: Make purposeful choices by letting your divine call help you identify genuine candidates versus counterfeits and distractions.

4.

Before I do: Build a routine of serving, prayer, and fasting to normalize not getting your way before entering covenant.

Key Points

1.
The fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom, grounding believers in a holy reverence for God's all-seeing presence.
2.
Wisdom is the practical application of spiritual understanding; having biblical information without applying it still leaves one acting as a fool.
3.
Caterpillars often die in transition due to parasites, infections, wrong environments, malnourishment, and interruptions, illustrating how unresolved spiritual issues surface when we try to change.
4.
Changing who you are often requires changing who you are with, because keeping the same environment will undermine your transformation.
5.
A successful covenant marriage requires a daily, ongoing death to self and selfish desires from both spouses.
6.
Living in spiritual or physical intoxication leaves believers vulnerable to the enemy, who actively seeks to devour those lacking vigilance.
7.
Before entering a covenant, take out personal trash by asking God to purge and clean your heart so you do not carry unresolved struggles into marriage.
8.

Sermon Moments

“Sex does not keep men; the fear of the Lord does. Penalties and consequences do not stop people from taking risks, but knowing that the all-seeing eye of God is watching everywhere does.”

“You can't heed if you haven't heard, and you can't discern if you can't distinguish between God's voice, your voice, and the enemy's voice.”

“Many caterpillars die in transition because parasites and infections they were carrying only manifest when they try to change.”

“When you carry an infection in secret but get elevated to a public stage, your fall becomes public. God desires to deal with your Jacob at night, not at noon.”

“If you want your marriage to live, it requires a massive amount of death to your self-will and personal desires every single day.”

“A little small substance that takes you out of a state of spiritual sobriety can cause years of recovery seasons because you use it every time you feel pain.”

“Taking out the spiritual trash before entering covenant prevents both spouses from having to struggle through unresolved baggage together later.”

This Week

Surrender ungodly habits and daily vices to maintain spiritual sobriety and guard yourself against the enemy's traps.

Ask God to cleanse your heart and help you deal with personal 'trash' before entering into new relationships or covenants.

Establish a personal routine of prayer, fasting, and serving to practice dying to self on a daily basis.

Seek out godly wisdom and invite loving correction from spiritual leaders and trusted friends without taking offense.

Evaluate your close relationships and environment to ensure your current atmosphere supports who God is calling you to become.

Discover and walk in your God-given purpose first so that you do not make a relationship or another person your ultimate identity.

Practice submission and humility in your marriage or family life, choosing unity and grace over the need to always be right.

Remember This

True transformation requires spiritual wisdom and daily death to self, dealing with personal baggage before entering covenant so you can walk firmly in God's purpose.

A Challenge for You

Wisdom helps you skip unnecessary seasons of pain. Turn away from your own way, confess Christ, and ask God to give you a clean heart so you can faithfully serve Him.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.