Spiritual Rambo or Spiritual Dumbo

Spiritual Rambo or Spiritual Dumbo – Acts 5:12-16

We just got done with a revival and we got to see God move and many of us got to experience Him in greater ways

But, just like other things, our spiritual condition is subject to entropy. If neglected, it will not improve but get worse. We will not remain strong unless we continue on the path God set us on.

• [Heb 2:1-4 NKJV] 1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard [Him], 4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

God wants you to be an empowered Spiritual warrior who is faithful, not a weak, carnal reprobate with shifting allegiances

He doesn’t enjoy it when we backslide

A Spiritual Rambo walks in holiness and purity but a Spiritual Dumbo continues in sin

Something that you will notice if you read the Bible at all is that a great portion of the Scripture is devoted to instructing us in holy living and admonishing us to cease wicked living.

In fact the whole message of Salvation is God’s attempt to rescue man from the clutches of Satan and to free him from the bondage of sin but for some reason in America today the Gospel is preached with very little reference to Sin

• [1Th 4:3-8 NKJV] 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord [is] the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects [this] does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.
  • Here it says that it is God’s will that you be sanctified. In case you don’t know what sanctified or sanctification is, it means to set apart as holy or to be freed from sin or purified
  • This is a process that begins at conversation and continues throughout your walk with God
  • Are you concerned at all for your spiritual development? Do you care if there is unresolved sin in your life? Do the things of God bore you but you are excited by worldly things? Then you my friend are a Spiritual Dumbo

• [2Ti 2:19-22 NKJV] 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. 22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
• [Rom 9:18-23 NKJV] 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens. 19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who has resisted His will?” 20 But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed [it], “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? 22 [What] if God, wanting to show [His] wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 and that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared beforehand for glory,
• 2 Tim commands us to that if we name the name of Christ we must depart from iniquity but some people think that they can merely acknowledge the existence of Jesus and if they do this then that is the end of the matter

• Belief in God is only the beginning. It’s a starting point only after we belief in Jesus He has stuff He wants to teach us, things He wants us to do
• The Spiritual Rambo knows this and trains himslf to be useful to his master
  • [2Ti 2:3-4 ESV] 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.
• The Spiritual Dumbo gets his fire insurance and lives a carnal life with minimal thought to what his Lord requires
• [Pro 1:7 NKJV] 7 The fear of the LORD [is] the beginning of knowledge, [But] fools despise wisdom and instruction.
  • [Pro 8:13 NKJV] 13 The fear of the LORD [is] to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.
  • If you have any measure of fear or reverence for God then you will at least attempt to depart from wickedness but if you feel safe in your sins then you have no fear of God and the Bible says that you haven’t even begun to attain wisdom
  • If you haven’t begun to attain wisdom then you are devoid of wisdom and what do we call someone devoid of wisdom… a fool! Or Dumbo

• [Jas 4:7-10 NKJV] 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [you] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [you] double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and [your] joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
  • Again we are commanded to Cleanse our hands and purify our hearts without doing so we cannot be Spiritual Rambo
  • The spiritual Dumbo gets this spiritual backwards they submit to the devil and resist God
  • Do you resist what God plainly states in his word? DO you resist everything your brothers and sister in the lord tell you do you fight your Pastors?
  • Then you are submitting to the devil and resisting God and being a Spiritual Dumbo
• [2Co 6:17-7:1 NKJV] 17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” 18 “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty. 1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
  • God says he will receive us if we would just come out from our sinful state but we have to be willing.
  • Do you want to be accepted by God? To be received by Him? Do you want the God of the universe to be your Father and you to be His child? Then we must repent of our sins!
  • We can’t choose both our sin and God. It is an either or proposition and you must make the choice because God will not tolerate sin in his presence
  • So if we cling to our sins instead of Jesus the Messiah and savior of the world then we willing be cast out with our sin
• [1Co 5:6-8 NKJV] 6 Your glorying [is] not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened [bread] of sincerity and truth.
  • We must purify our associations as well as ourselves. The Bible says that Bad Company corrupts good morals and here it says that a little leaven leavens the whole lump!
  • Do you want to be received by God and his people then make sure you are not leaven, a tare planted by the enemy in the congregation of God
  • Anyone who truly has a repentant heart and attitude will find acceptance in any Bible Believing church
  • But if you don’t take this Gospel seriously and you still love your sin then it is not profitable for the church to associate with you since you have not desire to really follow God
• [Pro 26:11 NKJV] 11 As a dog returns to his own vomit, [So] a fool repeats his folly.
  • [Pro 26:12 NKJV] 12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? [There is] more hope for a fool than for him.
  • A spiritual Dumbo constantly falls back into his own sin and will not let anyone correct him

• [2Pe 2:21-22 NKJV] 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
  • Some people come to church for a variety of reason except to be saved from their sins. To have a place to belong, sure; to have marital help, sure; to get out of hell free card, sure but not to be saved from their sins
  • [Mat 7:21-23 ESV] 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

• [Psa 19:7 NKJV] 7 The law of the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD [is] sure, making wise the simple;
  • Are you a Spiritual Dumbo and want to be A spiritual Rambo then read the WORD!
  • Spiritual Dumbos don’t want to read God’s word
• [1Jo 3:3-10 NLT] 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. 4 Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. 7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
• The Bible provides the means to test ourselves to see if we are in the faith or to see if we are walking in disobedience
• It is possible to fool yourself but if we read the scriptures it becomes obvious who the Spiritual Dumbos are

A Spiritual Rambo has a ministry full of signs and wonders but a Spiritual Dumbo is powerless

• Spiritual Rambo
  • 12a “And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people.”
  • [Jhn 14:12-14 NKJV] 12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater [works] than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 “If you ask anything in My name, I will do [it].
  • [Mat 21:21 NKJV] 21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.
• Spiritual Dumbo
  • [Psa 34:15 NKJV] 15 The eyes of the LORD [are] on the righteous, And His ears [are open] to their cry.
  • [Psa 66:18 NKJV] 18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.
  • [Jhn 9:31 NKJV] 31 “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.
  • [Mic 3:4 NKJV] 4 Then they will cry to the LORD, But He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, Because they have been evil in their deeds.

A Spiritual Rambo is careful to surrounds himself with other Christians but a Spiritual Dumbo isolates himself from believers

• [Acts 5:12b NKJV] 12 … And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.
  • [Acts 5:12b NLT] 12 … And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade
• [Heb 10:23-25 NKJV] 23 Let us hold fast the confession of [our] hope without wavering, for He who promised [is] faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as [is] the manner of some, but exhorting [one another], and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
• [Mat 18:20 NKJV] 20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
• [Pro 18:1 NKJV] 1 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.

A Spiritual Rambo has a good reputation but a Spiritual Dumbo is a hypocrite

• [Act 5:13 NKJV] 13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly.
• [Pro 22:1 NKJV] 1 A [good] name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold.
• [1Pe 2:11-12 NKJV] 11 Beloved, I beg [you] as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by [your] good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
• [Pro 10:7 NKJV] 7 The memory of the righteous [is] blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot.
• [Rom 2:23-24 NKJV] 23 You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? 24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.

A Spiritual Rambo evangelizes but a Spiritual Dumbo does not

• [Act 5:14 NKJV] 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,
• [Mar 16:15-16 NKJV] 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
• [2Ti 4:5 NKJV] 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
• [Pro 11:30 NKJV] 30 The fruit of the righteous [is a] tree of life, And he who wins souls [is] wise.
• [Rom 1:16 NKJV] 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

People are healed as a result of being near a Spiritual Rambo but people are wounded being around a Spiritual Dumbo

• [Act 5:15-16 NKJV] 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid [them] on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
• [Mar 16:18 NKJV] 18 “they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
• [Jas 5:14-16 NKJV] 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 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.
• [Pro 13:20-21 NKJV] 20 He who walks with wise [men] will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed. 21 Evil pursues sinners, But to the righteous, good shall be repaid.
• [Exo 15:26 NKJV] 26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I [am] the LORD who heals you.”