Fortify || Faith and Focus
Matthew 6:22-25 & 31-33 New King James Version
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
…
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Holy Spirit Desires to FORTIFY Your Focus through Faith
Men of God, Holy Spirit Longs to FORTIFY You in 2025
Jeremiah 1:18-19 New King James Version
18 For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land— Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to deliver you.”
Fortify - Misbar (H4013)
Fortification, Fortress, Fortified City, Stronghold
Men of God, God Wants to FORTIFY You
A FORTIFIED man is a FORTIFIED marriage
FORTIFIED marriages are FORTIFIED households [Fortress]
FORTIFIED households are FORTIFIED cities
A FORTIFIED church is a stronghold where people can run into during times of war
Today You Will Begin to FORTIFY as Holy Spirit Leads You into Health in Following 5 Areas
The Iron Pillar of Spiritual Health [Psalm 1:1-3]
The Iron Pillar of Physical Health [Proverbs 3:7-8]
The Iron Pillar of Financial Health [Proverbs 3:9-10]
The Iron Pillar of Mental Health [Matthew 11:28-30]
The Iron Pillar of Interpersonal Health [John 13:34-35]
This Morning I Have the Privilege of Addressing the Fourth Pillar [Mental Health]
What Does it Mean to FORTIFY Focus through Faith?
Trusting God’s Leadership in Our Mental Lives
Faith - Emun (H529)
Faithfulness, Trusting
Faith in Holy Spirit’s Leadership will Produce FaithFULLness in our Submission to His Leadership
This is How God Works
We put our faith in Him, and He works through that faith in us
Ephesians 2:8-9 New King James Version
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Philippians 2:13 New King James Version
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Men of God, This Weekend is about RAISING the Standard and LIGHTENING the Load
Matthew 11:28-30 New King James Version
28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
If you will put your faith in God’s ability, and respond faithfully to His leadership, Holy Spirit will begin to supernaturally FORTIFY you today
Yokes become easy and burdens become light in His presence and under His leadership
Win the War Within
The Greatest Battles Most Men Fight Are in Their Heads
The Enemy Knows If He Can Occupy Our Minds, He Can Dismantle Our Lives From The Inside Out
Fear, Worry & Anxiety
Identity
Shame & Depression
Lust & Pleasure
The Strategy of the Enemy
Matthew 6:22-25 New King James Version
22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
If Your Eye is Good - Haplous (G573)
simple, single
whole
good fulfilling its office, sound
of the eye
If Your Eye is Bad - Poneros (G4190)
full of labours, annoyances, hardships
pressed and harassed by labours
bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness; causing pain and trouble
bad, of a bad nature or condition
in a physical sense: diseased or blind
in an ethical sense: evil wicked, bad
The Enemy Desires to Divide and Distract Our Focus as Men
The enemies knows that if our focus is on the Lord alone, we are dangerous
Psalm 27:3-4 New King James Version
3 Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.
4 One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
Isaiah 26:3-4 New King James Version
3 You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength.
This is why the enemy implements strategies (devices and wiles) to divide and distract our Focus
2 Corinthians 2:11 New King James Version
11 lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. [mental perception/thoughts]
Ephesians 6:11 New King James Version
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles [cunning arts, deceit, craft, trickery]of the devil.
5 Wiles and Devices of the Devil
1. The Enemy Wants to Distract Us with LESSER Pursuits
Luke 8:14 New King James Version
14 Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
Cares - merimna (G3308)
Anxieties that distract or remove attention from the purpose or goal at hand
The spirit of fear aims to take our Focus off of Faith in Jesus and place it on our ability to control outcomes
Riches - ploutos (G4149)
riches, wealth
abundance of external possessions
fulness, abundance, plenitude
a good i.e. that with which one is enriched
The spirit of mammon [Matthew 6:24] aims to take our Focus off of Faith in Jesus and place it on the availability of financial resources
Pleasures - hedone (G2237)
Pleasure
Desires for pleasure
Self pleasure aims to take our Focus off of Faith in Jesus as our strength and place it on our comfort and convenience
2 . The Enemy Wants to SEAR Our Consciences
1 Timothy 4:1-2 New King James Version
4 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,
Men that have seared consciences, or a lack of sensitivity to sin, are susceptible to following demonic and deceiving spirits rather than the leadership of Holy Spirit
We lose the ability to see and focus our own sins and instead only focus on the sins of others
2 Corinthians 11:14-15 New King James Version
14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.
Are we more sensitive to our sin today, than we were 1, 2, 5, 10 years ago?
When was the last time we confessed our sins to someone?
When was the last time we processed our sins with someone?
Men who refuse to acknowledge and confront the sin in THEIR personal lives, lack the authority and ability to confront sin in their marriages, households, cities, and churches
Eli and his sons, David and his sons, etc.
3. The Enemy Wants Tempt Us With a FALSE Identity
When your Focus shifts, your identity drifts
Begins when we entertain validation from sources outside of God
Luke 6:26 New King James Version
26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
For so did their fathers to the false prophets.
Identity informs and forms activity
Men work hardest for the sources that validate our sense of identity
Are we satisfied being sons of God?
Our jobs are not our identities
We must be most careful when work begins going well
If our church/professional lives are more successful than our home lives, we’re on the verge of collapse (it’s a slow collapse)
Do our spouses and immediate family members get our left overs?
CAUTION || Men, we were created for honor
If we have cultivated an atmosphere where we are more honored in our work places than in our homes, we are on the verge of destruction
Remove the ministry, the travel, the work, if we’re not satisfied with our home lives, we are in trouble
4. The Enemy Wants to Convince Us to HIDE Our Sin
1 Corinthians 6:18 New King James Version
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
The scariest sin is the sin that we can keep hidden
We can do everything possible to run from sin, but we cannot escape it apart from CONFESSION
James 5:16 New King James Version
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
There is an unspoken shame and lie that the enemy puts upon men
“You cannot expose or disclose what you are going through”
If you partner with this lie you will be taken further and further into sin
Bringing sin into the light, wisely, and to the right people brings freedom
Men confess to older, more mature men walking in victory
Women confess to older, more mature women walking in victory
Husbands, confess to your wives, and wives to your husbands
Children, confess to your parents
Ephesians 5:13-17 New King James Version
13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:
“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
If you are honest with the small things, they won’t become BIG things
Testimony of the devil’s grooming in my life
iPhone games and Wawa runs
5. The Enemy Wants to Steal, Kill, & Destroy through the OPEN Doors in Our Lives
2 Chronicles 7:14 New King James Version
14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Proverbs 28:13 New King James Version
13 He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
1 John 1:8 New King James Version
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
We must confess and forsake, or turn from, our sins
This looks like moment by moment confession to trusted brothers or sisters that provide genuinely accountability [Spouses, spiritual leaders, AND small groups]
The very thing the enemy is deceiving you into believing will happen is the very thing that WILL happen if you do not confess!!!
If we’re honest with ALL of the small things, they won’t become BIG things [Tell on the Devil]
Holy Spirit Desires to FORTIFY Your Focus through Faith
Matthew 6:33 New King James Version
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
5 Ways God has FORTIFIED My Focus through Faith
1. Daily Secret Place [FOCUS on First Things - ABC’s]
2. Practice Sabbath [REFOCUS in Rest, Remembrance, Restoration, & Response]
On sabbath I choose to REST because my success depends on Jesus’ leadership, not my ability
On Sabbath I choose to REMEMBER all that the Lord has done for me
On Sabbath I am RESTORED in the presence of my family and by the voice of the Lord
On Sabbath I choose to RESPOND to the Lord with thanksgiving and praise
3. Stewardship of Time [FOCUS Your Time - Create and Implement a Schedule]
A steward is a manager of resources that do not belong to them
Ask Holy Spirit how He wants you to spend His time
Many of us are fearful and stressed out because we are not stewarding our time well
Be practical - What NEEDS to get done
Be intentional - What needs to get done FIRST
Be wise - What can I get done today, in order to better steward tomorrow
You are not stewarding what you are not
Doing on PURPOSE
MEASURING
EVALUATING
4. Journal [Focus Your Thoughts]
Gratitude - Tell God what you are thankful for
Goals - Tell God what you want to accomplish
Guts - Tell God all about how yesterday or today made you feel
5. Telling on the Devil [Identify the Real Enemy]
