There will not be a sermon post next week, as I am on vacation. See you soon,
We have spent the last three months looking at the visible character traits that are to be found in our lives, if we profess to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
As we’ve pondered and studied these traits, there is one major theme that has become evident: these qualities are only produced in the lives of those individuals who are surrendered to Jesus Christ.
The Bible says: “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22, NLT2)
What God is looking for in His people is obedience, and if we are committed to Him; He will produce in us the qualities that He wants to come out of our life.
The Bible says: “…the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control….” (Gal. 5:22-23a, NLT2)
These nine fruit are to be found growing in and coming out of our life; but have you ever considered why?
Why have we spent 9 Sunday Summer Sermons examining the qualities
that are to be found in the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ?
Certainty it’s not for a lack of preaching material!
No! We’ve spent the last 3 months looking at the fruit that God wants to grow in our lives because our lives do not belong to us.
The Bible says: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20, NIV)
In Galatians, Paul wrote: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20, NIV)
We’ve spent the last 3 months looking at the fruit that is to be found growing in our life, because our life doesn’t belong to us.
“Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” (Romans 6:14, NLT2) Our life now belongs to our new Master, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Because we belong to Jesus, He wants to grow in our lives qualities that are good; character traits that will prove that we belong to Him.
ILLUSTRATION- I love baseball. Specifically, I love to watch baseball. I could sit and watch a baseball game for hours.
This generally does not happen, for one reason or another, but the fact still remains that I love baseball.
While there’s much about baseball that I don’t understand, there is at least one thing I do understand: members of the same team wear the same uniform.
It would be very confusing if members of the Toronto Blue Jays walked out on the field wearing New York Yankees uniforms.
It would be pandemonium if the NYY walked out on to their home field wearing Toronto Blue Jays uniforms.
To eliminate all guess work, members of the same team wear the same uniform.
If we profess to be disciples of Jesus Christ, we will: “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance…” (Luke 3:8a, NIV)
If we belong to Jesus, the Holy Spirit of God will produce in us the Fruit of the Spirit; the character traits that were evident in the life of Jesus Christ.
The Bible says: “This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:5b-6, NIV)
I trust that the Lord has been working on your heart and in your life over these last several weeks. You can take heart in knowing that God’s not finished with you yet!
Speaking of not being finished, we still have one more fruit to examine. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit wants to produce in us the fruit of the Spirit called Self-Control.
ILLUSTRATION- As some of you may know, Thursday’s are my sermon days. I try to guard them as close as I can. I try not to schedule anything else on those days, to ensure that I have the proper time to work on my messages.
What you don’t know was that this past Thursday, tickets came on sale for Third Day, my all-time favourite Christian Rock band.
I left instructions with my wife to log into my account and purchase the tickets for me; but about the time that I was supposed to be working on a message, I found myself checking to see what seats I could potentially get, if I was getting the tickets myself.
When I realized that I could get excellent seats, I texted my wife and told her that the online sale had begun.
She promptly returned my text by saying: “Getting to it… trust me”
Well, needless to say, that wasn’t what I wanted to hear!
I wanted to hear that she was on top of things, doing her best to ensure that she was getting me better seats than what I could get, and to sit back, relax and write my sermon…
For the next half hour, I sat in my office, unable to focus on anything but Third Day tickets, and I was getting, dare I say it, somewhat impatient.
I wanted to pick up the phone and ask her what was going on… but because I was “working on” a message, I prayed for self-control.
When the phone finally rang, it was my wife expressing her concern, and slight frustration that she couldn’t get things to work… (so I ended up getting the tickets myself…)
I share that with you today to remind you that I am not there yet… I haven’t reached the point in my life that I can honestly say I’ve made it... I am in constant need of the Holy Spirit and all that He longs to bring.
I also share that with you today as a reminder that sometimes we all lack a little thing called “self-control”.
ILLUSTRATION- Fire, water and wind are all immeasurably useful when under control and within their boundaries of service.
But any of these things out of control do vast damage and bring needless
suffering. (Caldwell, 1976, 70)
When we act in a certain way, or when we speak a harsh word, we are out of control and we can cause damage to those around us.
You see, self-control is not “…just getting hold of one’s self or sitting on one’s passions by sheer determination.
“It is a Fruit of the Spirit which grows by surrendering to Christ and committing our way to the Holy Spirit” (ibid)
Exercising self-control is not something that we can do on our own. We cannot sit in a room full of temptation and say: “I won’t give in, I won’t give in…”
What will happen is we will end up doing the very thing that we said we wouldn’t do because by nature, we lack self-control.
ILLUSTRATION- A little boy told his class at school that all of his goldfish had died during the night.
When asked why, he replied that some water softener had gotten into their water and they had all been softened to death.
Many of us have been softened to death by: carelessness, ease, indifference, or just plain laziness---by a lack of self-control. (Caldwell, 1976, 72)
The Bible says: "Everything is permissible"-- but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"-- but not everything is constructive.” (1Co
10:23, NIV)
We live in a world today where it seems, that there are no wrongs. Even if something was “wrong” if you have enough money—or a really good lawyer, you can be exonerated… “Everything is permissible.”
“But not everything is beneficial”
For the disciple of Jesus Christ, there are to be some things that we should avoid. While the list is in no way complete, we are to avoid things like: gossiping, slander, not speaking truthfully, being rude….
The Bible says: “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.
These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.” (Gal. 5:17-18, NLT2)
We are to exercise self-control because some of things have the power to hinder our walk with the Lord.
“It was customary in Paul’s day to compare the Christian experience with athletes—to be a real athlete means to deny one’s self everything that would
possibly decrease one’s best performance.”
“It also means to actively pursue everything which will increase ones best skills… the secret is that the same spirit of determination and discipline asserted by the athlete must be devoted to Christ.” (Ibid)
Paul said: “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.”
(1 Cor. 9:24-27a, NLT2)
Paul said that becoming all that God wanted Him to become involved hard work. It takes time and effort to develop the Fruit of the Spirit, in particular the Fruit of Self-control.
As one author has said: “Self-control comes when God is in control” (Glenn D. Black.)
Is God in control of your life? Does He have your all? Are you avoiding certain things- saying, doing and thinking certain things—because they have the potential to be detrimental to your faith?
While everything is permissible, not everything is beneficial!
Susanna Wesley, the mother of John Wesley, once told Him: “Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish of spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of your body over mind, that thing for you is sin.” (Filed under gal. 5:23 “temperance”)
The Bible says: “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.” (James 4:17, NIV)
So what do we do? How can we develop Holy Spirit produced Self-control?
GRACE!
The Bible tells us that the grace of God: “…teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…” (Titus 2:12, NIV)
As we surrender our lives over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and let His grace teach us and flow through us; we become people who are filled with, and who will exercise, self-control.
We will do the things that we should do, and avoid doing the things that we shouldn’t do. God’s Grace will teach us how we are to live in this broken world.
Arnold Lobel wrote a children’s book entitled Frog and Toad Together. In a section of the book called “Cookies” we read the following:
ILLUSTRATION- Toad baked some cookies. “These cookies smell very good”, said Toad. He ate one. “And they taste even better” he said. Toad ran to Frog’s house.
“Frog, Frog,” cried Toad, “taste these cookies that I have made.”
Frog ate one of the cookies. “These are the best cookies I have ever eaten!” said Frog.
Frog and Toad ate many cookies, one after another. “You know, toad,” said Frog with his mouth full, “I think we should stop eating. We will soon be sick.”
“You are right, said toad. “Let’s eat one last cookie, and then we will stop.” Frog and toad ate one last cookie. There were many cookies left in the bowl.
“Frog” said Toad, “let’s eat one very last cookie and then we will stop.” Frog and Toad ate one very last cookie. “We must stop eating”, cried Toad as he ate another.
“Yes” said Frog, reaching for a cookie, “we need will power”
“What is will power?” asked Toad.
“Will power is trying hard not to do something that you really want to do.”
“You mean like trying not to eat all of these cookies” asked Toad.
“Right,” said Frog. Frog put the cookies in a box.
“There,” he said. “Now we won’t eat any more cookies.”
“But we can open the box,” said Toad.
“That is true,” said Frog. Frog tied some string around the box. “There,” he said. “Now we will not eat any more cookies.”
“But we can cut the string and open the box,” said Toad.
“That is true,” said Frog. Frog got a ladder. He put the box up on a high shelf. “There,” said Frog. “Now we will not eat any more cookies”
“But we can climb the ladder and take the box down from the shelf and cut the string and open the box” said Toad.
“That is true,” said Frog. Frog climbed the ladder and took the box down from the shelf. He cut the string and opened the box.
Frog took the box outside. He shouted in a large, loud voice, “HEY, BRIDS. HERE ARE COOKIES.”
Bids came from everywhere. They picked up all the cookies in their beaks and flew away.
“Now we have no more cookies to eat,” said Toad sadly. “Not even one”
“Yes,” said Frog, “but we have lots and lots of will power!”
“You may keep it all, Frog,” said Toad. “I’m going home to bake a cake”
“Toad’s will power is about as strong as that of some of us! My point is this: what in your life to you need to “feed to the birds?” What do you need to avoid?” (Warren, 2006-208)
If we want to live self-controlled lives, we must say “yes” to things that are good, and avoid the things that are bad.
The Bible says: “…make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” (2 Peter 1:5-9, NIV)
Church: God has called us to move forward in faith; to not be stuck in reverse. He wants to grow in our lives good things, and it’s up to us to open our lives to His Holy Spirit.
God wants to work in your life. God wants to transform you into a “…new
creation…”. (2 Cor. 5:17, NIV)
He wants you to cultivate the traits that He will produce in your life, but you must remain connected to the vine.
Remember, it was Jesus who said: “… apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5b, NIV)
The Bible tells me that God wants to work in your life. The Bible tells me that God wants to produce in your life: “…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control….” (Gal.5:22-23a, NIV)
The only question that remains to be answered is: will we let Him produce in us the fruit that He wants grown in our lives?
Will we surrender our life—mind, body, soul and spirit—over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ?
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