DNA 101 NOTES

Influencers   -   January 22, 2022

In Chapter 12 of Hebrews, the writer has just talked about the great heroes of faith and he then turns his attention to us and starts to talk about running the race of life well.  

  1. He tells us that all of heaven is watching you run, so run the race well.    
  2. He tells us to look ahead and not behind
  3. He tells us to run with perseverance
  4. He tells us to understand that hard times can be good for you if you approach them with understanding and faith

This is describing a process of cleansing yourself. 

What does that mean?  

It means to shake off that pain, shake off that discouragement shake off negative attitudes that have accumulated.  

Listen to what the writer of the book of Hebrews says in chapter 12:

12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be Holy. 

Then it goes on to say:

 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause TROUBLE and DEFILE MANY. 

 The word trouble means to crowd in on… It means to be suffocated, pressured and hemmed in. Do you feel that way? If you do, you need to cleanse yourself.  

Now the word defilement means to make unclean…  To take something like a white t shirt and stain it with tomato sauce.  

He’s saying that just one person in your life can pollute the atmosphere of your environment and it can get onto you. Just like Covid spreads so quickly, 1 persons ‘issues’ can make everyone sick.  

This is what the writer to the Hebrew in chapter 12:15 is talking about.  

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’VE BEEN DEFILED?  

  1. It makes you annoyed at others
  2. It causes an attitude shift in you. 
  3. You don’t trust people as much anymore.  
  4. It’s causes you to question the integrity and nature of God.  
  5. It causes you to question your value
  6. It causes you to question your future
  7. It causes you to lose your integrity
  8. It causes a sadness that you can’t explain. 
  9. It causes uncertainty in you.  
  10. It causes a loss of confidence.

The truth is that all of us have in our lives people who have issues and whose issues contaminate us.   It brings trouble and defilement.

It’s not your dirt, but you still have to wash it off. 

JOHN 13:3-17

It was just before the Passover Festival. 4 Jesus he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.  6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”   “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”  Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”   “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”  10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Jesus cleansed them because of the dirt that had stuck to them.

It wasn’t their dirt, it was someone else’s dirt, but it had stuck to them.                                                              

HOW DO YOU CLEANSE YOURSELF?                           

  • The declaration of a spiritual vision from your mouth and in your heart cleanses you.  

Proverbs 28:19 “Without the prophetic declaration of a vision the people perish.”   

It’s a new day.  It’s a new start.  It’s a new beginning.  It’s time to take your next step.  

1.  Cleanse your heart by talking to people

Matt 18:15  If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 

2. Talk to the person, don’t talk about the person.   

Ask for forgiveness. Put things right with people. 

3.  Spend time with people whose positive attitude will cleanse you.

4.  Increase your worship time

5. A fresh encounter with God. 

Psalm 27: 3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.  I am confident that I will good in the land of the living.