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GENESIS 6:3

"STRIVING WITH GOD"
"MY SPIRIT...""HEREIN IS A BLESSING AND A CURSE"

I. HOW DOES GOD'S SPIRIT STRIVE WITH MAN?
        A. He seeks to reason with us about sin.
                1. "Come now, let us reason together..."
                2. He reveals to us our sin.
                        a. This is where the striving often begins.
                                1. I defend my actions.
                                2. I deny my guilt.
                                3. A conflict is set up inside.
                3. He points to Jesus Christ the sin-bearer.
                        a. Again we strive, we don't need Him.
                                1. We seek to substitute our good intentions "I'm going to do
                                   this..." Promises, promises."
                                2. Why do I need Him, why not my way?
        B. He uses different persons to speak to you.
                1. Someone in your family or a friend becomes saved and seeks to share His
                   love.
                        a. I should really appreciate their concern, but I resent it & get
                           angry and argue.
                        b. Its a spiritual battle, striving with God.
                2. God used Noah to speak to His generation.
                        a. Note the patience of God, 120 yrs.
                        b. The unbelief of the people.
                                1. They finally became believers, what will it take to make
                                   a believer out of you?
                3. Sometimes God uses the pastor.
                        a. As we talk about these things your defenses go up and you begin
                           to strive.
                        b. You start getting uneasy, "How did I get trapped."
        C. Often God uses tragedy to speak to us.
                1. In Leviticus 26 God speaks of the judgments He would use to speak to them.
                        a. Sickness, financial failure, defeat, death.
                        b. "And if for all of this you will not hearken unto Me, then..."
                2. Tragedy can work in a two-fold way.
                        a. I can strive & become bitter.
                        b. I can surrender and become better.

II. WHY DOES GOD STRIVE WITH MAN?
        A. God is not willing that any should perish.
                1. "God said, "I have no pleasure in the death..."
                2. Jesus said two things about His coming.
                        a. "He came- to seek and to save that..."
        B. God strives with you because He loves you.
                1. He seeks to keep you from the path of self destruction.
                        a. Like a life guard at a beach where dangerous rip-tides are running.
                                1. a group come intent on swimming.
                                2. You warn them of the danger, recommending a safe beach
                                   nearby.
                                        a. They begin to heap abuse on you "just trying to
                                           spoil a good time."
                                3. You stand in the way to keep them from the water, they
                                   force you away.
                                4. Are you responsible for their drowning?
                2. God seeks to lead you in a better way. He points you to the path of life.
                        a. Yet you strive with Him.

III. "MY SPIRIT WILL NOT ALWAYS STRIVE WITH MAN."
        A. It is possible to exhaust God's patience.
                1. If the message today interests or arouses you, be thankful, He is still
                   striving.
                        a. If you are totally unmoved it is possible He has ceased striving
                           with you, and any further words futile & prayers useless.
                2. How long has God been striving with you?
                3. There came a day when God ceased striving with Noah's generation.
                4. The day is soon coming when God will no longer strive with this generation.
        B. Woe unto Him who strives with His maker.
                1. You always lose.
                2. Why not cease your striving now and win?