"THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY"
"THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY"
(James 1:25)
Preached by: Carolyn Sissom
(FREEDOM FROM CONTROL AND CONTROLLERS)
"The gospel is a law of lbierty, or of liberation. The ceremonial law was a yoke of bondage; the gospel of Christ is a law of liberty. It is a perfect law. Those who continue in the law and word of God are and shall be blessed in their deed. This blessedness does not lie in knowing, but in doing the will of God. It is not talk, but walk.” (M.H.)
Luke 4:18: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set a liberty them that are bruised, to preach the a acceptable year of the Lord.”
Let us talk about controllers. The Lord has set his people free from being controlled (victims) and/or the obsession of controlling others.
Controller: nags; lectures; screams; hollers; cries; begs; bribes; coerces; hovers over; protects; accuses; chases after; runs away from, tries to walk into, tries to talk out of; attempts to induce guilt in; seduces; entraps; checks-on; demonstrates how they have been hurt; hurt people in return so they’ll know it feels; threatens to hurt themselves; whip power plays on; deliver ultimatums to; does things for; refuses to do things for; stomp out on; get even with; whine; vent fury on; act helpless; suffer in loud silence; try to please; lie; do sneaky little things; do sneaky big things; clutch at our hearts and threaten to die; grab our heads and threaten to go crazy; beat on our chests and threaten to kill; enlist the aid of supporters – triangle; gauge our words carefully; sleep with; refuse to sleep with; have children with; bargain with; drag to counseling; drag out of counseling; talk mean about; talk mean to; insult; condemn; pray for miracles; pay for miracles; go to places we don’t want to go; stay nearby; supervise; dictate; command; complain; write letters about; write letters to; stay home and wait for; go out and look for; call all over looking for; drive down dark alleys at night hoping to see; chase down dark alleys at night hoping to catch; run down dark alleys at night to get away from; bring home; keep home; lock out; move away from; move with; scold impress upon; advise; teach lessons to; set straight; insist; give in to; placate; provoke; try to make jealous; try to make afraid; remind; inquire; hint; look through pockets; peek in wallets; search dresser drawers; dig through glove boxes; look in the toilet tank; try to look into the future; search through the past; call relatives about; reason with; settle issues once and for all; settle them again; punish; reward; almost give up on; then try even harder.
Controllers do not make things happen. They are the people who consistently and with a great deal of effort and energy try to force things to happen.” (
Controller: “People have always done what I told them to do. That is the way it is supposed to happen.”
Others do their dirty work undercover. These are usually passive controllers. This is the Jezebel who uses Ahab to do the dirty work. The hide behind a costume of sweetness and niceties, and secretly go about their business---Other people’s business.
Others, sighing and crying, claim inability, proclaim their dependence, announce their overall victimization and successfully control through weakness. They are so helpless. They need your cooperation so badly. They can’t live without it. Sometimes the weak the most powerful manipulators and controllers. They have learned to tug at the guilt and pity strings of the world.
Despite tactics, the goals remain the same. Make other people do what you want them to. Make them behave as you think they should. Don’t let them behave in ways you think they shouldn’t, but probably would, without your assistance. Force life’s events to unravel and unfold in the manner and at such times as you have designated.
Have you every prayed and told God what your deadline date is? The control is so strong that controllers think they can control God’s schedule with their demands. I have seen people so disturbed that they would scream at heaven for God to move and move now. This is a form of frustration and is an evil spirit. It is a controller who is not able to move heaven and earth by the force of their will or forcing the will of others.
When we attempt to control people and things that we have no business controlling, we are controlled. We forfeit our power to think, feel and act in accordance with our best interests.
Gal. 5:1: “Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage.”
Life situations can cause one to lose control of one’s life. People can be controlled by diseases such as alcoholism, long term illnesses, eating disorders, compulsive gambling, sexual addictions, lust for more money, lust for power, etc. etc.
These destructive disorders are powerful satanic forces that control the flesh, mind, will and emotions. Troubled persons are expert controllers. You will meet your match if you try to control them or their disease. However, we know that “all power in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus Christ. We are complete in Him which is the head of all principality and power in Heaven and in earth.
This means I can trust the Lord to take care of all that concerns me. You say, “Well I did that over and over and over again.”
So stop trying!
Control is an illusion. It doesn’t work. We cannot control anyone’s compulsive behaviors. We cannot (and have no business trying to) control anyone’s emotions, mind or choices. That is witchcraft. We cannot control the outcome of events. We cannot control life or death. Some of us can barely control ourselves.
People ultimately do what they want to do. That is why the Lord gave all of mankind freedom of choice. He will never over-ride your free will and no one on earth or heaven has that kind of authority over you once you become an adult.
People feel how they want to feel. They think what they want to think. They do the things they believe they need to do; and they will change only when they are ready to change. It doesn’t matter if they’re wrong and we’re right. It doesn’t matter if they’re hurting themselves. It doesn’t matter that we could help them if they would only listen to and cooperate with us.
This is Ministry 101. If you want to burn out, find yourself a good strong addict, think that you are his/her deliverer or savior and put your halo on to deliver this person.
We cannot change people. Any attempts to control them are a delusion as well as an illusion. People will either resist our efforts or redouble their efforts to prove we can’t control them. They may temporarily adapt to our demands, but the moment we turn our backs they will return to their natural state. Furthermore, people will punish us for making them do something they don’t want to do. It is a lose---lose situation.
If you find yourself a seasoned addict who will benefit from your ministry gifts, they will start pulling their tricks on you. They didn’t get seasoned overnight. Detach and surrender. Sometimes when we do that the result we have been waiting and hoping for happens quickly, almost miraculously. Sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it never happens.
This does not mean that we stop caring or loving. We simply do not tolerate abuse or ill-bred behavior from anyone. We don’t have to abandon constructive, problem-solving methods such as professional intervention. You only need to put your emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical hands back in your own pockets and leave things and people alone. Let them be. Make any decisions you need to take care of yourself, but don’t make them to control other people. Take care of yourself!!!!
For each of us, there comes a time to let go. When you have done all that you can do, bless them, detach and move forward. When you free others to be who they are; in so doing, you will set yourself free.
2 Cor. 3:17: “Now the Lord is that Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Romans 8:21: “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”
Ps. 119:45: “I will walk in liberty; for I see your precepts.”
John 8:32-36: And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, we are of Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man; what do you mean, you shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you. Whosoever commits sins is the servant of sin. And the servant abides not to the house forever; but the Son abides for ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, you are free indeed.
Preached by: Carolyn Sissom
Sunday, January 31, 2010, 6:00 p.m.