WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.419 Real joy is not dependent on circumstances. It 00:00:03.419 --> 00:00:05.599 can be a steady source of strength, no matter 00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:08.240 what you're facing. Discover how joy is more 00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:10.900 than a feeling, it's a way of life. Order your 00:00:10.900 --> 00:00:13.539 copy of The Strength of Joy by Dean and Jeffrey 00:00:13.539 --> 00:00:16.620 Forrest, now available on Amazon and Kindle. 00:00:18.120 --> 00:00:21.359 Week number nine in our series entitled Spiritual 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:25.280 Growth. Let's jump right in. 1 Corinthians 2 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:30.149 .14 says this, The natural man... does not receive 00:00:30.149 --> 00:00:33.390 the things of the Spirit of God, for they are 00:00:33.390 --> 00:00:37.710 foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because 00:00:37.710 --> 00:00:42.210 they are spiritually discerned. Let's move to 00:00:42.210 --> 00:00:46.170 chapter 3 in 1 Corinthians. And I, brethren, 00:00:46.270 --> 00:00:50.630 could not speak to you as spiritual people, but 00:00:50.630 --> 00:00:56.140 as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you 00:00:56.140 --> 00:00:58.240 with milk and not with solid food, for until 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:02.880 now you were not able to receive it. And even 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:07.359 now you are still not able. For you are still 00:01:07.359 --> 00:01:11.519 carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:16.239 divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving 00:01:16.239 --> 00:01:21.680 like mere men? We could use that word from chapter 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:27.969 2 and say natural. Men. So here we find that 00:01:27.969 --> 00:01:29.670 there are three types of people in the world 00:01:29.670 --> 00:01:32.609 today. Everybody say three types. The reason 00:01:32.609 --> 00:01:35.010 why I get you to repeat stuff is I keep you engaged 00:01:35.010 --> 00:01:38.590 because it's easy to wander off mentally. Think 00:01:38.590 --> 00:01:41.890 about something later today or be distracted 00:01:41.890 --> 00:01:44.890 by somebody scratching their ear in front of 00:01:44.890 --> 00:01:47.829 you or something like that. There are three types 00:01:47.829 --> 00:01:50.930 of people. First type of person is a natural 00:01:50.930 --> 00:01:53.890 person. Everybody say natural. A natural person 00:01:53.890 --> 00:01:56.469 is a person who is not born again. They're unrenewed. 00:01:57.409 --> 00:02:00.269 And the only thing they have to live their life 00:02:00.269 --> 00:02:03.750 by is their sensual nature or their soulish nature, 00:02:03.969 --> 00:02:07.430 we could put it that way, their flesh. So a person 00:02:07.430 --> 00:02:12.449 without Christ, they just can live by what feels 00:02:12.449 --> 00:02:16.909 good or what seems right in their own eyes. Then 00:02:16.909 --> 00:02:20.960 we have a carnal person. Paul was talking to 00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:25.319 the believers in Corinth. Everybody say believers. 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:30.219 He was talking to believers. But there were believers 00:02:30.219 --> 00:02:32.699 in Corinth who were living according to their 00:02:32.699 --> 00:02:38.580 flesh. They were carnal. You could see that by 00:02:38.580 --> 00:02:40.620 the fruit of their lives. There was envy and 00:02:40.620 --> 00:02:45.800 strife and division. Those are all results of 00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:49.680 carnality. Now this is an immature Christian 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:53.599 who lives on a childhood level spiritually because 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:57.439 they're not feeding on the Word of God. They're 00:02:57.439 --> 00:03:00.599 not growing. There's no spiritual growth taking 00:03:00.599 --> 00:03:04.699 place. And then we find the third type of person. 00:03:05.340 --> 00:03:08.840 That's a spiritual person. Everybody say spiritual. 00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:12.520 A spiritual person is a Christian who is led 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:14.639 by the Spirit of God through the Word of God. 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:19.020 This is a growing... Christian, who regularly 00:03:19.020 --> 00:03:23.620 receives the Word of God and walks in the Holy 00:03:23.620 --> 00:03:28.379 Spirit. They walk with God. Now, let's get this 00:03:28.379 --> 00:03:30.479 straight. A spiritual person has not arrived. 00:03:30.919 --> 00:03:33.599 For you to say that you are a spiritual person, 00:03:33.639 --> 00:03:35.639 it does not mean that you have arrived. I mean, 00:03:35.659 --> 00:03:42.699 I've got it all down. I've got it all. No, none 00:03:42.699 --> 00:03:49.870 of us have arrived. None of us will arrive. But 00:03:49.870 --> 00:03:53.509 we all need to be growing spiritually. We all 00:03:53.509 --> 00:03:55.969 need to be progressing. We all need to be moving 00:03:55.969 --> 00:04:00.449 forward. The only people who think that they've 00:04:00.449 --> 00:04:06.490 arrived are spiritual teenagers. Do you remember 00:04:06.490 --> 00:04:09.550 being a teenager? All of a sudden you got to 00:04:09.550 --> 00:04:11.849 a point where you thought you knew everything 00:04:11.849 --> 00:04:14.990 and your parents didn't know a whole lot. Anybody 00:04:14.990 --> 00:04:19.949 go through that phase? Okay, so some Christians, 00:04:20.029 --> 00:04:22.189 and it doesn't mean that you're in your teens 00:04:22.189 --> 00:04:25.050 as a Christian, but some Christians get to the 00:04:25.050 --> 00:04:27.170 point where they think they've arrived. They 00:04:27.170 --> 00:04:29.670 know everything they need to know. They have 00:04:29.670 --> 00:04:31.730 no more room for growth because they are completely 00:04:31.730 --> 00:04:34.629 mature. Well, that just tells you that they're 00:04:34.629 --> 00:04:38.870 a spiritual teenager. And if they'll keep moving, 00:04:39.069 --> 00:04:41.129 if they'll keep progressing, they'll find out. 00:04:41.939 --> 00:04:44.040 That they didn't know near as much as they thought 00:04:44.040 --> 00:04:50.120 they knew. But we're all in a process. We're 00:04:50.120 --> 00:04:56.339 all in a process. We're not all on the same spot 00:04:56.339 --> 00:05:03.079 of the spiritual gauge. But we all need to be 00:05:03.079 --> 00:05:07.860 on it. And we all need to be progressing. If 00:05:07.860 --> 00:05:09.600 we're going to be spiritual people, that's where 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:13.519 we are. So where does spiritual growth occur? 00:05:14.620 --> 00:05:17.300 Where does it take place? How does that happen 00:05:17.300 --> 00:05:21.860 in us? How do we grow spiritually? 1 Thessalonians 00:05:21.860 --> 00:05:25.899 5 .23 is one verse that we pointed out. In the 00:05:25.899 --> 00:05:28.279 first few weeks, we pointed out more verses than 00:05:28.279 --> 00:05:31.660 this, but this one is clear enough for all of 00:05:31.660 --> 00:05:34.920 us to take hold of it. 1 Thessalonians 5 .23, 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:39.660 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every 00:05:39.660 --> 00:05:42.910 way. Everybody say set apart. That's what it 00:05:42.910 --> 00:05:44.949 means to be holy. It means that we're set apart 00:05:44.949 --> 00:05:48.470 for God. Now may the God of peace make you holy 00:05:48.470 --> 00:05:52.649 in every way and may your whole spirit and soul 00:05:52.649 --> 00:05:57.610 and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus 00:05:57.610 --> 00:06:05.029 Christ comes again. So, we realize by reading 00:06:05.029 --> 00:06:09.139 this verse and others that Individually, we are 00:06:09.139 --> 00:06:18.040 a three -part being. We are a spirit. Everybody 00:06:18.040 --> 00:06:25.860 say, I am a spirit. I have a soul. And I live 00:06:25.860 --> 00:06:29.939 in a body. The scripture separates the three 00:06:29.939 --> 00:06:32.740 right here. Your whole spirit and soul and body. 00:06:34.120 --> 00:06:38.839 So that's what we're made up of. We are spirits. 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:42.319 We are spirit beings. When the Bible says that 00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:46.779 we are made in the image of God, it's telling 00:06:46.779 --> 00:06:49.980 us that we are a spirit being because God is 00:06:49.980 --> 00:06:56.500 a spirit being. When we come into a relationship 00:06:56.500 --> 00:07:01.500 with Christ, it's our spirit that is born again. 00:07:01.579 --> 00:07:05.779 Our spirit comes alive unto God at salvation. 00:07:07.689 --> 00:07:10.069 And at that point, at the point of salvation, 00:07:10.310 --> 00:07:14.370 your spirit is united with Christ. You were immersed 00:07:14.370 --> 00:07:17.389 in sin before then, and when you come to Christ, 00:07:17.449 --> 00:07:22.610 now you are immersed in Christ. Somebody smile 00:07:22.610 --> 00:07:27.410 or something. When we are immersed in Christ, 00:07:27.550 --> 00:07:31.670 we're united with him, and we put on the righteousness 00:07:31.670 --> 00:07:36.689 of God in Christ Jesus at that point. You are 00:07:36.689 --> 00:07:41.149 right with God. Listen, no one can be right with 00:07:41.149 --> 00:07:43.709 God based on their ability to keep the rules 00:07:43.709 --> 00:07:48.370 or their ability to perform. No one can. A lot 00:07:48.370 --> 00:07:53.790 of people try, but no one can. We're made right 00:07:53.790 --> 00:07:56.230 with God because of what Jesus did on the cross. 00:07:57.509 --> 00:08:01.170 That's what makes us right. And our righteousness, 00:08:01.329 --> 00:08:03.410 the Bible says in the Old Testament, is like 00:08:03.410 --> 00:08:09.810 filthy rags. But when we step into the kingdom 00:08:09.810 --> 00:08:12.889 of God, we put on the righteous robe of Christ. 00:08:13.069 --> 00:08:16.110 And guess what? You cannot grow in righteousness. 00:08:19.649 --> 00:08:22.389 If you could grow in righteousness, you would 00:08:22.389 --> 00:08:25.629 not need Christ. You can't grow in righteousness. 00:08:27.790 --> 00:08:30.509 Because when God looks at us, when we're in Christ, 00:08:30.730 --> 00:08:34.750 he sees us clothed in Christ. and it doesn't 00:08:34.750 --> 00:08:40.129 get any more righteous than that. We are complete, 00:08:40.309 --> 00:08:47.029 the Bible says. Our spirit is complete. Everything 00:08:47.029 --> 00:08:52.389 that belongs to God belongs to us. We are heirs, 00:08:52.549 --> 00:08:55.690 joint heirs with Christ. Our spirit is complete. 00:08:55.830 --> 00:09:01.909 We have everything we need at salvation. You 00:09:01.909 --> 00:09:07.200 are a spirit. You have a soul. Here's where the 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:12.899 problem comes in. Our soul is comprised of our 00:09:12.899 --> 00:09:18.159 mind, which is our thought life, our will, which 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:22.639 is our desires, and our emotions, or we could 00:09:22.639 --> 00:09:26.779 call them feelings. That's what our soul is. 00:09:27.419 --> 00:09:29.559 And how many of you know when you came to Christ, 00:09:30.480 --> 00:09:32.539 All of those things didn't just automatically 00:09:32.539 --> 00:09:38.259 become holy. Some of you are looking at me like 00:09:38.259 --> 00:09:44.539 yours did. Did your thought life just completely 00:09:44.539 --> 00:09:48.899 become holy? The day that you accepted Christ? 00:09:49.700 --> 00:09:51.799 Does anyone still struggle with their thought 00:09:51.799 --> 00:09:59.200 life a little bit? Or a lot? What about your 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:03.850 will? Was your will transformed the day you became 00:10:03.850 --> 00:10:09.429 a Christian? You no longer had any desires that 00:10:09.429 --> 00:10:14.230 originated in the flesh? Just all those desires 00:10:14.230 --> 00:10:20.370 just left? No? What about emotions and feelings? 00:10:21.649 --> 00:10:26.029 Did anyone, you've never had anything but a holy 00:10:26.029 --> 00:10:32.179 emotion since you came to Christ? This is where 00:10:32.179 --> 00:10:35.740 spiritual growth takes place. It takes place 00:10:35.740 --> 00:10:38.940 in the soul. It takes place in our thought life. 00:10:39.220 --> 00:10:42.460 It takes place in the transformation of our desires. 00:10:43.539 --> 00:10:47.299 It takes place in the transformation of our emotions. 00:10:48.700 --> 00:10:52.759 That's where spiritual growth takes place. And 00:10:52.759 --> 00:10:55.340 it takes place because now our spirit is alive 00:10:55.340 --> 00:10:59.169 unto God. Our spirit is in Perfect communication 00:10:59.169 --> 00:11:02.529 with the Holy Spirit, and it takes place when 00:11:02.529 --> 00:11:06.129 we start living as a spirit being instead of 00:11:06.129 --> 00:11:09.929 just living as a fleshly being or a soulish being. 00:11:12.429 --> 00:11:16.929 That's where spiritual growth starts happening. 00:11:17.090 --> 00:11:19.190 The difference between a carnal and spiritual 00:11:19.190 --> 00:11:22.830 person is the spiritual growth or the lack thereof 00:11:22.830 --> 00:11:27.259 of the soul. And here's what we need to know. 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:29.440 Spiritual maturity is not measured by how long 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:31.899 you've been a Christian. I've been a Christian 00:11:31.899 --> 00:11:36.480 over 51 years. But that doesn't make me spiritual. 00:11:37.879 --> 00:11:41.379 I know people who have been Christians longer 00:11:41.379 --> 00:11:44.700 than me, and by the fruit of their life, by the 00:11:44.700 --> 00:11:50.100 envy and jealousy and the division and the fighting, 00:11:50.259 --> 00:11:56.080 people have been Christians longer than me. Are 00:11:56.080 --> 00:12:00.659 very carnal. Has anyone ran into some carnal 00:12:00.659 --> 00:12:04.399 Christians before? Has anybody grown up in church? 00:12:04.580 --> 00:12:06.600 Spent any time in church? Have you ever met any 00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:09.960 carnal Christians? Some of the meanest people 00:12:09.960 --> 00:12:16.659 you'll meet go to church every Sunday. I'm just 00:12:16.659 --> 00:12:19.840 telling it like it is. I've met a lot of them. 00:12:20.740 --> 00:12:24.809 Because I'm a preacher's kid. I've met a lot 00:12:24.809 --> 00:12:29.090 of mean Christians. I was on the road for 20 00:12:29.090 --> 00:12:31.909 years, went to over 800 churches. I've met a 00:12:31.909 --> 00:12:37.730 lot of mean Christians. I'm glad none of them 00:12:37.730 --> 00:12:42.549 come to Elation Church. They haven't showed up 00:12:42.549 --> 00:12:44.210 yet, but we'll run them off when they get here. 00:12:50.190 --> 00:12:52.129 Spiritual maturity is not measured by how long 00:12:52.129 --> 00:12:54.850 you've been a Christian. It's not measured by 00:12:54.850 --> 00:12:57.250 how often you attend worship services. I mean, 00:12:57.250 --> 00:12:59.990 some people think, well, if I go to church on 00:12:59.990 --> 00:13:03.090 a regular basis, which in today's idea, that 00:13:03.090 --> 00:13:06.149 means that you go to church one and a half times 00:13:06.149 --> 00:13:10.309 a month, now you're regular. Regular used to 00:13:10.309 --> 00:13:12.389 be Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday 00:13:12.389 --> 00:13:15.529 night, you could consider yourself regular. Going 00:13:15.529 --> 00:13:17.809 three times a week, you could consider yourself 00:13:17.809 --> 00:13:20.330 regular. Does anybody know what I'm talking about? 00:13:21.259 --> 00:13:23.279 But in our culture today, it's like, well, if 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:26.120 I go one and a half times a month, I'm regular. 00:13:30.019 --> 00:13:31.759 I don't know how you can go half a time in a 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:34.000 month. I guess I need to say three times over 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:40.480 two months. How often you attend a worship service 00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:44.940 does not mean that you're spiritually mature. 00:13:45.019 --> 00:13:49.120 If you come every week, if you're here 52 weeks 00:13:49.120 --> 00:13:52.789 a year, That doesn't automatically mean that 00:13:52.789 --> 00:13:56.009 you're spiritual. It doesn't even matter how 00:13:56.009 --> 00:14:01.789 much scripture you can quote. I grew up doing 00:14:01.789 --> 00:14:04.370 Bible drills where you memorize scripture and 00:14:04.370 --> 00:14:07.549 find them real quick and stand out and you know, 00:14:07.570 --> 00:14:09.590 you got medals and all kind of stuff like that. 00:14:09.629 --> 00:14:14.629 Anybody know what I'm talking about? But just 00:14:14.629 --> 00:14:19.029 memorizing scripture does not make you spiritually 00:14:19.029 --> 00:14:25.399 mature. Now don't get me wrong. It's good to 00:14:25.399 --> 00:14:29.440 be a Christian. You're not going to be spiritual 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:33.620 without being a Christian. I'm not sure that 00:14:33.620 --> 00:14:36.139 you could say that you were spiritual and you 00:14:36.139 --> 00:14:38.460 neglected getting together with other believers. 00:14:40.759 --> 00:14:43.279 It's important to worship together with other 00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:46.539 believers. That's important. It's actually obedience 00:14:46.539 --> 00:14:51.759 to God. It's great to be able to quote Scripture. 00:14:53.399 --> 00:14:59.220 Hello? I'm not against any of these things. But 00:14:59.220 --> 00:15:01.639 just because you do these three things doesn't 00:15:01.639 --> 00:15:04.399 mean that you're spiritual. Because spiritual 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:09.100 growth takes place in the soul. Luke 6, 43 and 00:15:09.100 --> 00:15:11.500 44. Listen, for a good tree, this is Jesus talking, 00:15:11.700 --> 00:15:14.159 a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:17.100 a bad tree bear good fruit, for every tree is 00:15:17.100 --> 00:15:23.309 known by its own fruit. So here's where we find 00:15:23.309 --> 00:15:27.610 spiritual maturity. Spiritual growth is measured 00:15:27.610 --> 00:15:31.629 by spiritual fruit. By spiritual fruit constantly 00:15:31.629 --> 00:15:36.110 increasing in our lives. By spiritual fruit being 00:15:36.110 --> 00:15:41.690 evidenced in our lives. That's when we become 00:15:41.690 --> 00:15:45.210 spiritual. That's when spiritual growth takes 00:15:45.210 --> 00:15:49.169 place. Now, this whole series has been about 00:15:49.169 --> 00:15:54.649 self -examination. As you listen to the Word 00:15:54.649 --> 00:15:58.049 of God today, I don't want you to start thinking 00:15:58.049 --> 00:16:01.570 about somebody that you wish was here. Because 00:16:01.570 --> 00:16:06.070 they really need to hear this. You know? My brother 00:16:06.070 --> 00:16:07.909 -in -law really needs to hear this. I wish he 00:16:07.909 --> 00:16:12.909 was here today. My uncle really, man, he really 00:16:12.909 --> 00:16:22.190 needs this. No. Here's the deal. God knew that 00:16:22.190 --> 00:16:24.230 your brother -in -law and your uncle, He knew 00:16:24.230 --> 00:16:27.629 that they were not going to be here today. He 00:16:27.629 --> 00:16:31.009 knew that you were going to be here today. So, 00:16:31.129 --> 00:16:34.490 just go ahead and say, this is for me. This is 00:16:34.490 --> 00:16:39.110 for me. God knew I was going to be here. And 00:16:39.110 --> 00:16:42.149 this is what I needed to hear. God laid on the 00:16:42.149 --> 00:16:43.909 preacher's heart what I needed to hear today. 00:16:45.409 --> 00:16:47.570 Self -examination. We're all a work in progress. 00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:53.059 Galatians 5, 22 and 23 gives us the fruit of 00:16:53.059 --> 00:16:55.360 the spirit or spiritual fruit, but the fruit 00:16:55.360 --> 00:17:00.500 of the spirit is love. You might have to go back 00:17:00.500 --> 00:17:05.599 and listen to the other eight weeks, but what's 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:11.059 the measure of you walking in the agape love 00:17:11.059 --> 00:17:18.400 of Christ? Not just the people that are easy 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:20.960 to love, but even with the people who aren't 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:25.559 so easy to love. What does your love life look 00:17:25.559 --> 00:17:33.680 like? What is the measure of joy in your life? 00:17:35.880 --> 00:17:39.700 What's the measure of joy? It's a fruit of the 00:17:39.700 --> 00:17:44.740 Spirit. Are you experiencing the joy of the Lord? 00:17:44.819 --> 00:17:57.019 Is it your strength? Are you living in the peace 00:17:57.019 --> 00:18:00.519 of God that surpasses understanding? Does it 00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:03.160 guard your heart and guard your mind in Christ 00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:11.319 Jesus? What's the level of your peace? Not just 00:18:11.319 --> 00:18:16.740 when everything is perfect. What's the level 00:18:16.740 --> 00:18:19.819 of your peace? and joy when it looks like on 00:18:19.819 --> 00:18:21.680 the outside, like everything's falling apart. 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:27.140 What's the level of your joy and peace? If your 00:18:27.140 --> 00:18:30.519 joy and peace leaves quickly when things don't 00:18:30.519 --> 00:18:33.460 go your way, that means you're just living with 00:18:33.460 --> 00:18:36.680 natural joy and natural peace like the world 00:18:36.680 --> 00:18:43.220 gives. Because the joy and the peace of God is 00:18:43.220 --> 00:18:48.569 a lot different. And the joy and the peace that 00:18:48.569 --> 00:18:51.509 the world gives. What's your patience look like? 00:18:51.990 --> 00:18:54.309 This one's easier for us to see than all the 00:18:54.309 --> 00:18:56.369 rest of them. I mean, all you have to do is drive 00:18:56.369 --> 00:19:01.069 down 27 or I -4 and you can discover your level 00:19:01.069 --> 00:19:09.130 of patience. And you might say, well, you know, 00:19:09.150 --> 00:19:10.630 you're talking about spiritual things, so you're 00:19:10.630 --> 00:19:12.269 talking about patience that I have at church. 00:19:16.660 --> 00:19:21.579 No. I'm talking about love, joy, peace, and patience 00:19:21.579 --> 00:19:24.819 and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and 00:19:24.819 --> 00:19:33.140 gentleness that happens Monday afternoon, Friday 00:19:33.140 --> 00:19:43.339 evening, Thursday at lunch. That's where you're 00:19:43.339 --> 00:19:45.039 going to see if you're spiritually growing or 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:48.930 not. That's where it's got to be evidence. That's 00:19:48.930 --> 00:19:54.029 where it has to be growing. And then today is 00:19:54.029 --> 00:20:00.890 your lucky day. Because today, the last spiritual 00:20:00.890 --> 00:20:05.529 fruit listed in Galatians 5, 22 and 23 is self 00:20:05.529 --> 00:20:14.150 -control. The fruit of self -control. Somebody 00:20:14.150 --> 00:20:16.819 smile. Look at the person beside you and say, 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:20.680 I'm really glad I came today. Because I needed 00:20:20.680 --> 00:20:24.960 to hear this. Self -control. Here's the Greek 00:20:24.960 --> 00:20:27.180 word. The New Testament is written in Koine Greek. 00:20:27.819 --> 00:20:29.859 And here's the Greek word. I'm going to try to 00:20:29.859 --> 00:20:31.920 pronounce it. I may slaughter it. That's okay. 00:20:34.779 --> 00:20:40.680 See? It's hard to get the accent on the right 00:20:40.680 --> 00:20:44.450 syllable, you know? Or syllable. That's just 00:20:44.450 --> 00:20:47.069 putting it on the wrong. Thank you for getting 00:20:47.069 --> 00:20:55.849 that. And kratia. Is that okay? Now, it's a compound 00:20:55.849 --> 00:20:58.390 word. It starts with in, and it means in the 00:20:58.390 --> 00:21:03.109 sphere of. In the sphere of. And then kratos 00:21:03.109 --> 00:21:08.369 is dominion and mastery. So when you put those 00:21:08.369 --> 00:21:10.910 two words together, make one word, here's what 00:21:10.910 --> 00:21:15.759 it means. It means dominion within. Self -control. 00:21:17.380 --> 00:21:21.720 And the sphere of your dominion within would 00:21:21.720 --> 00:21:24.059 be in your thoughts, in your feelings, and in 00:21:24.059 --> 00:21:33.519 your actions. Y 'all quit smiling. Self -control. 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:36.960 Strong's definition gives us three words. Temperance, 00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:41.599 self -control, and continence. Temperance, self 00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:44.380 -control, and continence. I had to look up those 00:21:44.380 --> 00:21:50.480 words. Temperance, here's what it means. Temperance 00:21:50.480 --> 00:21:53.779 means keeping your appetites, passions, and want 00:21:53.779 --> 00:22:01.900 -tos in check. Should I say that again? That's 00:22:01.900 --> 00:22:07.160 okay, you don't want to hear it again. I'm going 00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:11.630 to tell you anyway. Self -control is keeping 00:22:11.630 --> 00:22:16.089 your appetites, passions, and want -tos in check. 00:22:18.230 --> 00:22:21.230 Because if you're not careful, your appetites, 00:22:21.230 --> 00:22:24.630 passions, and want -tos can take over your life. 00:22:27.109 --> 00:22:30.890 I'm glad some of you are agreeing with me. Because 00:22:30.890 --> 00:22:36.650 there's a fight there, right? Continents. I mean, 00:22:36.670 --> 00:22:38.529 I'm not having to wear the pin, but that's the 00:22:38.529 --> 00:22:45.529 only time I've ever heard that word before. Continence 00:22:45.529 --> 00:22:55.869 means to hold back. Why are you laughing? I heard 00:22:55.869 --> 00:22:57.690 that word on TV. That's how I knew what that 00:22:57.690 --> 00:23:03.490 word meant. If you're having incontinence issues. 00:23:05.130 --> 00:23:06.950 It means you're having trouble holding back. 00:23:08.890 --> 00:23:12.809 You're having trouble holding it all in. Why 00:23:12.809 --> 00:23:18.809 are you so red -faced? I'm just saying what the 00:23:18.809 --> 00:23:22.589 word means, right? To hold back, to have self 00:23:22.589 --> 00:23:29.009 -restraint, to hold it all in. And we're not 00:23:29.009 --> 00:23:31.410 just talking about depends here. We're talking 00:23:31.410 --> 00:23:36.779 about life. We're talking about... Because if 00:23:36.779 --> 00:23:42.480 you don't hold back, if you don't have any self 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:45.839 -restraint, sometimes we just need to hold it 00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:52.799 all in instead of exploding. Has anyone ever 00:23:52.799 --> 00:24:01.460 exploded before? Anybody think you need to hold 00:24:01.460 --> 00:24:04.500 back every once in a while to have some self 00:24:04.500 --> 00:24:09.900 -restraint? Self -control. It's the fruit of 00:24:09.900 --> 00:24:13.619 the Spirit. And then self -control, I looked 00:24:13.619 --> 00:24:17.960 that up too. It means self -mastery. It means 00:24:17.960 --> 00:24:24.740 not being controlled by your flesh. Not being 00:24:24.740 --> 00:24:30.819 controlled by your flesh. To have self -control, 00:24:30.900 --> 00:24:35.299 we can say it like this. I control my body. What 00:24:35.299 --> 00:24:40.230 I do. I control my mind. I control the thoughts 00:24:40.230 --> 00:24:44.410 in my mind. I've said this a lot over recent 00:24:44.410 --> 00:24:48.289 months, but listen, you're in charge of your 00:24:48.289 --> 00:24:51.349 thought life. You may think that you're not. 00:24:52.410 --> 00:24:54.750 Well, the only time that you're not in charge 00:24:54.750 --> 00:24:56.930 of your thought life is when you just let it 00:24:56.930 --> 00:25:01.009 run wild, when you have no self -control over 00:25:01.009 --> 00:25:04.049 your thoughts. We've got this little picture. 00:25:04.210 --> 00:25:08.180 I mean, we can't control. How many birds fly 00:25:08.180 --> 00:25:12.519 over our head? But we can control how many birds 00:25:12.519 --> 00:25:19.039 make a nest in our hair. You don't have to dwell 00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:22.279 on and set your mind on every thought that comes 00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:31.599 through your mind. You can take charge of your 00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:37.680 thoughts. I control my mind. A self -controlled 00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:40.480 person controls their body, what they do. They 00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:42.799 control their mind, how they think. And they 00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:47.660 control their actions, how they do what they 00:25:47.660 --> 00:25:53.740 do. Now listen, just before Paul lists the fruit 00:25:53.740 --> 00:25:56.700 of the Spirit, I don't know if you've backtracked 00:25:56.700 --> 00:26:00.420 any in Galatians chapter 5, but just before he 00:26:00.420 --> 00:26:03.539 lists this wonderful spiritual fruit that's going 00:26:03.539 --> 00:26:07.039 to lead us to spiritual maturity, He gives us 00:26:07.039 --> 00:26:09.279 a description of what it looks like when people 00:26:09.279 --> 00:26:14.480 are out of control. Look at the person beside 00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:17.960 you and say, don't get offended. He's just reading 00:26:17.960 --> 00:26:24.500 the Bible. Galatians 5, 19 through 21. People's 00:26:24.500 --> 00:26:30.660 desires make them give in to immoral ways, filthy 00:26:30.660 --> 00:26:35.500 thoughts, and shameful deeds. They worship idols. 00:26:35.599 --> 00:26:38.960 They practice witchcraft. They hate other people. 00:26:39.099 --> 00:26:41.839 Isn't it interesting how God puts hate right 00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:44.359 there in line with worshiping idols and practicing 00:26:44.359 --> 00:26:49.279 witchcraft? They hate other people. They're just 00:26:49.279 --> 00:26:54.099 hard to get along with. I mean, you know, chances 00:26:54.099 --> 00:26:58.400 are nobody's worshiping idols and practicing 00:26:58.400 --> 00:27:04.190 witchcraft, but... How easy are you to get along 00:27:04.190 --> 00:27:13.690 with? People become jealous, angry, and selfish. 00:27:16.130 --> 00:27:20.549 They not only argue and cause trouble, but they 00:27:20.549 --> 00:27:25.869 are envious. They get drunk, carry on at wild 00:27:25.869 --> 00:27:35.619 parties, and do other evil things as well. I'm 00:27:35.619 --> 00:27:38.079 looking at your faces. I'm just reading the Bible. 00:27:38.200 --> 00:27:39.740 Look at the person beside you and say, he's just 00:27:39.740 --> 00:27:41.440 reading the Bible. He's just reading the Bible. 00:27:43.579 --> 00:27:45.079 Tell him, if you've got a problem with this, 00:27:45.140 --> 00:27:48.000 take it up with God because he said this. The 00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:53.359 preacher's just reading it. I told you before, 00:27:53.680 --> 00:27:58.259 and I'm telling you again, no one who does these 00:27:58.259 --> 00:28:02.099 things will share in the blessings of God's kingdom. 00:28:03.480 --> 00:28:10.160 Listen. Carnal people will not experience the 00:28:10.160 --> 00:28:16.400 blessings of God's kingdom the way, in the same 00:28:16.400 --> 00:28:19.519 way or in the same level that a spiritual person 00:28:19.519 --> 00:28:26.880 can. Who wants to experience the blessings of 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:30.440 God? Well, then we need to grow spiritually. 00:28:31.500 --> 00:28:34.960 The more we grow, the more we're going to experience. 00:28:37.240 --> 00:28:39.880 Proverbs 25, 28. Look at the person beside you 00:28:39.880 --> 00:28:43.259 and say, listen fast. Y 'all got to listen faster. 00:28:44.779 --> 00:28:47.380 A person without self -control is like a city 00:28:47.380 --> 00:28:52.579 with broken down walls. So if we don't have self 00:28:52.579 --> 00:28:56.619 -control, we're like a city that has no borders. 00:28:56.720 --> 00:28:59.980 It has no... walls around it. Now, in ancient 00:28:59.980 --> 00:29:04.559 times, walls protected cities from enemies. And 00:29:04.559 --> 00:29:07.619 when there wasn't a wall, anything could enter. 00:29:07.740 --> 00:29:12.200 Anybody could enter. Wild animals could enter. 00:29:12.339 --> 00:29:16.640 Enemy armies could enter. And the Bible tells 00:29:16.640 --> 00:29:20.400 us without self -control, we're unprotected. 00:29:22.619 --> 00:29:28.619 Anything can come in. and try to destroy us. 00:29:29.980 --> 00:29:35.279 Anything. If we don't have self -control. See, 00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:38.259 many believers live spiritually exposed lives 00:29:38.259 --> 00:29:41.579 because they lack self -control. Every emotion 00:29:41.579 --> 00:29:44.799 winds up controlling them. Every temptation winds 00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:48.279 up pulling them down. Every impulse directs them. 00:29:50.839 --> 00:29:59.440 Self -control creates stability. We need stability. 00:30:02.700 --> 00:30:06.019 When are we going to get tired of our lives being 00:30:06.019 --> 00:30:10.619 like a roller coaster? When are we going to say, 00:30:10.660 --> 00:30:16.140 no more, that's it? I'm going to grow spiritually 00:30:16.140 --> 00:30:20.440 and become stable. Where I'm not tossed back 00:30:20.440 --> 00:30:23.099 and forth and thrown with every little thing 00:30:23.099 --> 00:30:26.099 that hits my mind and comes to me. It doesn't 00:30:26.099 --> 00:30:32.099 spin me. In a relentless loop, just like, what 00:30:32.099 --> 00:30:37.180 am I going to do? What am I going to do? Stability. 00:30:39.000 --> 00:30:41.680 And it's available to everybody in the room. 00:30:42.380 --> 00:30:48.099 Spiritual stability is available. Titus 2, 11 00:30:48.099 --> 00:30:53.539 and 12. For the grace of God. The grace of God 00:30:53.539 --> 00:30:56.539 means the kindness, the goodness, and the favor 00:30:56.539 --> 00:31:01.700 of God. It's the activity of God showing us and 00:31:01.700 --> 00:31:04.920 displaying to us His kindness and goodness and 00:31:04.920 --> 00:31:08.940 favor. The grace of God has appeared that offers 00:31:08.940 --> 00:31:14.680 salvation to all people. Listen. It teaches us 00:31:14.680 --> 00:31:19.039 to say no. Somebody say no. Say it like you mean 00:31:19.039 --> 00:31:23.099 it. No. It teaches us to say no to ungodliness 00:31:23.099 --> 00:31:28.500 and worldly passions. And to live. Self -control. 00:31:32.619 --> 00:31:36.299 Now, most of the time, when we look at self -control, 00:31:36.339 --> 00:31:39.079 we think that self -control just has to do with 00:31:39.079 --> 00:31:41.039 staying away from the negative stuff or staying 00:31:41.039 --> 00:31:44.279 away from the bad stuff. But it's bigger than 00:31:44.279 --> 00:31:47.700 that. It's not just about abstaining from access. 00:31:48.440 --> 00:31:52.140 It also involves the positive mastery and direction 00:31:52.140 --> 00:31:55.660 of one's energies and desires towards godly purposes. 00:31:58.029 --> 00:32:05.009 Because it takes self -control for your desires 00:32:05.009 --> 00:32:09.009 to change, for your actions to change towards 00:32:09.009 --> 00:32:13.430 godly purposes. It takes self -control for that. 00:32:14.710 --> 00:32:17.869 Just as much as it takes self -control to say 00:32:17.869 --> 00:32:24.529 no to temptations. The same way that it's to 00:32:24.529 --> 00:32:29.420 cast down imaginations that try to... some kind 00:32:29.420 --> 00:32:33.279 of imagination that's presenting itself as more 00:32:33.279 --> 00:32:39.900 important and more true than what God says. 2 00:32:39.900 --> 00:32:43.400 Peter 1, 3 -8. Look at the person beside you 00:32:43.400 --> 00:32:49.160 and say, this is good. By His divine power, God 00:32:49.160 --> 00:32:54.140 has given us everything we need. Does it say 00:32:54.140 --> 00:32:57.609 He will give us everything we need? Is that what 00:32:57.609 --> 00:33:04.089 it says? No, it says He has. By His divine power, 00:33:04.190 --> 00:33:07.809 God has given us, He's already given us everything 00:33:07.809 --> 00:33:11.890 we need for living a godly life. And we received 00:33:11.890 --> 00:33:16.670 all of this by coming to know Him. The One who 00:33:16.670 --> 00:33:19.309 called us to Himself by means of His marvelous 00:33:19.309 --> 00:33:27.519 glory and excellence. And because of his glory 00:33:27.519 --> 00:33:31.700 and excellence, he has given us great and precious 00:33:31.700 --> 00:33:39.299 promises. Thousands of promises in the scriptures. 00:33:42.099 --> 00:33:46.460 Thousands. Because of his glory and excellence, 00:33:46.680 --> 00:33:48.680 he has given us great and precious promises. 00:33:49.380 --> 00:33:52.599 These are the promises. Listen. These are the 00:33:52.599 --> 00:33:55.940 promises that enable you to share His divine 00:33:55.940 --> 00:34:00.700 nature. Everybody say spiritual. To become spiritual. 00:34:01.259 --> 00:34:03.900 These are the promises that enable you to share 00:34:03.900 --> 00:34:07.559 His divine nature and escape this world's corruption. 00:34:08.559 --> 00:34:14.699 It's caused by human desires. Natural desires. 00:34:16.239 --> 00:34:21.519 Flesh desires. Soulish desires. In view of all 00:34:21.519 --> 00:34:26.340 this, in view of everything He's given to us, 00:34:26.380 --> 00:34:30.340 in view of all of His promises, make every effort 00:34:30.340 --> 00:34:33.960 to respond to God's promises. See, we have to 00:34:33.960 --> 00:34:40.039 respond to receive, just like salvation. We have 00:34:40.039 --> 00:34:45.360 to respond to receive. And sometimes we think 00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:49.000 that that's it, but... Everything we receive 00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:51.519 from God, we receive it just like we receive 00:34:51.519 --> 00:34:54.820 salvation. It's His grace gift and His grace 00:34:54.820 --> 00:34:58.239 promise, but we're saved by grace through something, 00:34:58.400 --> 00:35:06.900 and that is through faith. So we connect to these 00:35:06.900 --> 00:35:11.639 promises. We respond to these promises with faith. 00:35:11.860 --> 00:35:16.889 It just continues. Supplement that faith. supplement 00:35:16.889 --> 00:35:20.949 your faith with a generous provision of moral 00:35:20.949 --> 00:35:24.210 excellence and moral excellence with knowledge 00:35:24.210 --> 00:35:29.309 and knowledge with self -control. Everybody say 00:35:29.309 --> 00:35:32.610 self -control. And self -control with patient 00:35:32.610 --> 00:35:35.389 endurance and patient endurance with godliness 00:35:35.389 --> 00:35:38.510 and godliness with brotherly affection and brotherly 00:35:38.510 --> 00:35:42.530 affection with love for everyone. Listen, the 00:35:42.530 --> 00:35:47.829 more you grow like this, the more productive 00:35:47.829 --> 00:35:51.590 and useful you will be in your knowledge of our 00:35:51.590 --> 00:35:57.170 Lord Jesus Christ. Supplement your faith with 00:35:57.170 --> 00:36:00.449 a generous provision of self -control. Everybody 00:36:00.449 --> 00:36:05.809 say self -control. And that will make you more 00:36:05.809 --> 00:36:09.530 productive and useful in the kingdom of God. 00:36:13.360 --> 00:36:15.420 I know it lists a lot of other things, but we're 00:36:15.420 --> 00:36:19.619 focusing on that one thing today. If you want 00:36:19.619 --> 00:36:21.599 to be productive and useful in the kingdom of 00:36:21.599 --> 00:36:24.440 God, you need to supplement your faith with self 00:36:24.440 --> 00:36:30.639 -control. 1 Corinthians 9, 24 -27. Listen, don't 00:36:30.639 --> 00:36:34.460 you realize that in a race everyone runs, but 00:36:34.460 --> 00:36:38.679 only one person gets the prize? So run to win. 00:36:40.280 --> 00:36:41.699 Look at the person beside you and tell them, 00:36:41.739 --> 00:36:48.420 run to win. Run to win. Don't run just to be 00:36:48.420 --> 00:36:50.739 at the back of the pack and not get swept. Has 00:36:50.739 --> 00:36:54.980 anybody ever been in a... I'm glad they didn't 00:36:54.980 --> 00:36:58.460 sweep the 5K that I did. That's about as far 00:36:58.460 --> 00:37:02.679 as I've got. But if you go above a 5K, guess 00:37:02.679 --> 00:37:05.800 what? There are people in the back. And if they 00:37:05.800 --> 00:37:09.619 pass you, you're out. And some people just do 00:37:09.619 --> 00:37:12.230 it just for fun and they don't care. And then 00:37:12.230 --> 00:37:18.090 they get swept. No, we need to run to win. This 00:37:18.090 --> 00:37:20.710 life, this spiritual life is like a marathon. 00:37:20.730 --> 00:37:25.550 We need to be running to win. We don't need to 00:37:25.550 --> 00:37:30.530 be running like... We don't need to strive for 00:37:30.530 --> 00:37:38.730 a D -. We just don't care as long as we make 00:37:38.730 --> 00:37:45.199 it. Run to win. Don't you realize that in a race, 00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:47.599 everyone runs, but only one person gets a prize? 00:37:47.760 --> 00:37:52.900 So run to win. Listen, all athletes are disciplined. 00:37:53.179 --> 00:37:57.460 Guess what? That's the exact same Greek word 00:37:57.460 --> 00:38:02.800 as self -control. Exact same word, just translated 00:38:02.800 --> 00:38:08.179 differently in English. All athletes exercise 00:38:08.179 --> 00:38:13.869 self -control. in their training. We're not just 00:38:13.869 --> 00:38:17.329 talking about running a race. We're talking about 00:38:17.329 --> 00:38:22.110 spiritual things. See, they do it to win a prize 00:38:22.110 --> 00:38:26.329 that will fade away. But we do it for an eternal 00:38:26.329 --> 00:38:33.349 prize. So I run. I live my life with purpose 00:38:33.349 --> 00:38:38.659 in every step. I'm not just shadow boxing. I 00:38:38.659 --> 00:38:42.920 discipline my body like an athlete, training 00:38:42.920 --> 00:38:46.659 it to do what it should. Listen, this is a picture 00:38:46.659 --> 00:38:50.059 of your spirit being in control of your soul 00:38:50.059 --> 00:39:00.739 and your flesh. Self -control is essential to 00:39:00.739 --> 00:39:07.130 live with purpose and to live in victory. I'll 00:39:07.130 --> 00:39:10.429 say that again. Self -control is essential to 00:39:10.429 --> 00:39:15.889 live with purpose and to live in victory. So 00:39:15.889 --> 00:39:19.550 many people think that the solution to their 00:39:19.550 --> 00:39:22.590 problems is for everybody around me to change. 00:39:23.829 --> 00:39:28.510 Boy, if everybody around me would change. If 00:39:28.510 --> 00:39:37.099 my situation would change. Boy, my life would 00:39:37.099 --> 00:39:40.519 be amazing if it wasn't for all those people 00:39:40.519 --> 00:39:42.440 and wasn't for all these situations that I'm 00:39:42.440 --> 00:39:53.780 facing. Everything would just be amazing. Everything 00:39:53.780 --> 00:40:01.780 can be amazing. No matter if anyone around you 00:40:01.780 --> 00:40:05.760 changes. No matter if your situation changes, 00:40:05.920 --> 00:40:11.340 everything around you can be amazing. See, we 00:40:11.340 --> 00:40:14.699 can't control everything or everyone around us. 00:40:15.940 --> 00:40:20.440 We can control ourselves. We can control our 00:40:20.440 --> 00:40:23.039 thoughts. We can control our feelings. We can 00:40:23.039 --> 00:40:28.239 control our actions. Listen, when we look at 00:40:28.239 --> 00:40:32.719 Paul, Everything wasn't always peachy king. That 00:40:32.719 --> 00:40:35.099 probably won't translate into Spanish or French. 00:40:37.940 --> 00:40:40.519 When we look at Paul, everything wasn't a bed 00:40:40.519 --> 00:40:46.900 of roses. He's in prison and he's writing about 00:40:46.900 --> 00:40:55.900 the joy of the Lord. He was not defeated even 00:40:55.900 --> 00:41:00.110 when he was shipwrecked. Even when he was beaten. 00:41:00.630 --> 00:41:03.630 Even when he was in prison. Even when a group 00:41:03.630 --> 00:41:05.269 of people said they're not even going to eat 00:41:05.269 --> 00:41:11.309 until they kill him. He was still living an amazing 00:41:11.309 --> 00:41:17.969 life. I'm not asking you to sign up for those 00:41:17.969 --> 00:41:25.829 things. But I'm telling you, if you'll have self 00:41:25.829 --> 00:41:31.219 -control over your thoughts, and over your emotions, 00:41:31.260 --> 00:41:33.380 and over your flesh, if you'll have self -control 00:41:33.380 --> 00:41:36.840 over those things, you can rise up no matter 00:41:36.840 --> 00:41:39.639 where you are. No matter what you're surrounded 00:41:39.639 --> 00:41:48.260 with, you can rise up. I love this in the HELPS 00:41:48.260 --> 00:41:51.340 Word Studies, looking up this word self -control. 00:41:51.360 --> 00:41:54.159 Listen, self -control comes from within yourself, 00:41:54.420 --> 00:42:00.289 but it's not just by yourself. Somebody say, 00:42:00.329 --> 00:42:04.449 I'm not alone. I'm not alone. I'm not telling 00:42:04.449 --> 00:42:07.969 you today that you just need to pull yourself 00:42:07.969 --> 00:42:11.010 up by your bootstraps and work harder. That's 00:42:11.010 --> 00:42:15.530 not what I'm telling you. Self -control is a 00:42:15.530 --> 00:42:19.730 fruit of the Spirit. It does come from within 00:42:19.730 --> 00:42:24.789 yourself, but you're just not by yourself. Spiritual 00:42:24.789 --> 00:42:29.159 fruit naturally grows. Where a healthy connection 00:42:29.159 --> 00:42:34.400 exists. Jesus said this in John. He says, I'm 00:42:34.400 --> 00:42:38.900 the vine. You're the branches. If you'll abide 00:42:38.900 --> 00:42:42.420 in me. Everybody say abide. That means live. 00:42:45.400 --> 00:42:49.300 If you don't just come visit me every once in 00:42:49.300 --> 00:42:55.380 a while. But if you abide. I'm not sure we'll 00:42:55.380 --> 00:42:58.960 ever get everything God has for us just by coming 00:42:58.960 --> 00:43:05.940 to visit Him on Sunday morning. If we abide in 00:43:05.940 --> 00:43:11.900 Him, His Word abides in us, what's going to happen? 00:43:14.699 --> 00:43:16.599 He's the vine, you're the branch. What's going 00:43:16.599 --> 00:43:21.780 to happen on the branch? Fruit's going to start 00:43:21.780 --> 00:43:26.639 coming out. Because you're connected. You're 00:43:26.639 --> 00:43:32.739 abiding. And fruit is going to grow. The branch 00:43:32.739 --> 00:43:43.760 doesn't go. The fruit flows through the connection. 00:43:50.119 --> 00:43:53.000 True mastery from within can only be accomplished 00:43:53.000 --> 00:43:59.300 by the power of the Lord. God's going to help 00:43:59.300 --> 00:44:06.699 us. But we have to cooperate. We have to set 00:44:06.699 --> 00:44:09.340 our sights on this spiritual fruit. And then 00:44:09.340 --> 00:44:16.039 we have to yield. We have to cooperate. We can't 00:44:16.039 --> 00:44:20.679 just say a prayer on Sunday morning. And not 00:44:20.679 --> 00:44:24.300 acknowledge God until, I don't know, what is 00:44:24.300 --> 00:44:28.619 that, one and a half times a month. You can't 00:44:28.619 --> 00:44:31.239 wait three weeks later to acknowledge God again 00:44:31.239 --> 00:44:36.820 and expect any spiritual fruit to grow. Self 00:44:36.820 --> 00:44:42.179 -control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. The Holy 00:44:42.179 --> 00:44:46.820 Spirit, listen, here's... We've shared verses 00:44:46.820 --> 00:44:50.250 in the series. As you know, it's time for me 00:44:50.250 --> 00:44:55.650 to be quiet, but listen. The Holy Spirit is God 00:44:55.650 --> 00:44:59.510 taking hold of the things that God has for us. 00:45:00.210 --> 00:45:04.769 All those promises, all those things, the inheritance. 00:45:05.750 --> 00:45:11.090 The Holy Spirit takes hold of those things and 00:45:11.090 --> 00:45:15.809 declares them, intensifies them, makes them known 00:45:15.809 --> 00:45:22.889 to us. He is the connector. He's the connector. 00:45:23.889 --> 00:45:26.829 That's why self -control is called the fruit 00:45:26.829 --> 00:45:32.650 of the Spirit. He is the connector. Self -control 00:45:32.650 --> 00:45:36.409 is a vital part of the Spirit -filled life because 00:45:36.409 --> 00:45:41.469 our actions and our thoughts begin to align with 00:45:41.469 --> 00:45:43.969 what God wants instead of just what we want. 00:45:46.059 --> 00:45:48.380 Starts aligning with God's will. Starts aligning 00:45:48.380 --> 00:45:53.059 with God's word. Self -control is cooperating 00:45:53.059 --> 00:45:56.059 with the Spirit of God to change the way you 00:45:56.059 --> 00:46:00.679 think. To change the way you live. And he does 00:46:00.679 --> 00:46:04.880 this through the word of God in such a way that 00:46:04.880 --> 00:46:10.699 we start becoming led by the Holy Spirit. We 00:46:10.699 --> 00:46:15.780 become spiritual people. Instead of being led 00:46:15.780 --> 00:46:19.719 by our flesh all the time and being a carnal 00:46:19.719 --> 00:46:29.400 Christian. So how are we going to grow spiritually? 00:46:29.820 --> 00:46:36.280 This has been our end every week. It's not by 00:46:36.280 --> 00:46:42.000 self -effort, self -determination. Because all 00:46:42.000 --> 00:46:45.139 of us have tried that before. Has anybody tried 00:46:45.139 --> 00:46:48.000 that before? Just try to do it in your own strength. 00:46:50.159 --> 00:46:57.400 I've got to have self -control. Come on. Why 00:46:57.400 --> 00:46:59.820 do I not have self -control? I really want to. 00:46:59.880 --> 00:47:01.860 I've got to do it. I've got to be better and 00:47:01.860 --> 00:47:04.219 do better and do better. It's not about self 00:47:04.219 --> 00:47:09.559 -determination. Because spiritual growth is going 00:47:09.559 --> 00:47:15.389 to flow. Through abiding in Christ. It's going 00:47:15.389 --> 00:47:19.409 to flow when we start acknowledging the indwelling 00:47:19.409 --> 00:47:25.449 presence of the Holy Spirit. We have to acknowledge 00:47:25.449 --> 00:47:34.170 Him. And walk in the Spirit. There shouldn't 00:47:34.170 --> 00:47:37.269 be any area of our life that God is not involved 00:47:37.269 --> 00:47:39.789 in. That the Spirit of God is not involved in. 00:47:43.369 --> 00:47:50.250 We should yield to his leading. Listen. The Bible 00:47:50.250 --> 00:47:56.230 says those who are led by God are the sons of 00:47:56.230 --> 00:48:04.110 God, daughters of God. We need to live our lives 00:48:04.110 --> 00:48:12.150 led by the Holy Spirit. The level of our self 00:48:12.150 --> 00:48:17.440 -control. Self -control of our soul, our mind, 00:48:17.440 --> 00:48:20.539 our will and emotions, our body and our actions, 00:48:20.539 --> 00:48:25.539 our flesh is a good measure of our spiritual 00:48:25.539 --> 00:48:29.159 maturity. I want to leave you with this picture 00:48:29.159 --> 00:48:33.940 one more time. Did anyone grow up having a doorpost 00:48:33.940 --> 00:48:37.940 in a room where at different ages your parents 00:48:37.940 --> 00:48:41.099 would like stand you up at the doorpost and maybe 00:48:41.099 --> 00:48:44.880 mark a mark on the doorpost? And write your age. 00:48:44.940 --> 00:48:47.539 And if you had other brothers and sisters, they 00:48:47.539 --> 00:48:50.139 might even put your name and your age. And then 00:48:50.139 --> 00:48:54.400 you'd come back next year and stand at that same 00:48:54.400 --> 00:48:58.380 place and put another mark. And then you could 00:48:58.380 --> 00:49:02.420 see how much you've grown in between last year 00:49:02.420 --> 00:49:04.539 and this year. I mean, look how much I've grown. 00:49:04.579 --> 00:49:10.300 I've grown like three inches this year. Well. 00:49:13.480 --> 00:49:17.320 The fruit of the Spirit. I want you to picture 00:49:17.320 --> 00:49:25.760 it that way. As your love walk grows, you're 00:49:25.760 --> 00:49:32.599 growing. As your joy grows, and peace, and patience, 00:49:32.880 --> 00:49:39.079 and kindness, and gentleness, goodness, as those 00:49:39.079 --> 00:49:43.059 things increase, You're growing spiritually. 00:49:47.960 --> 00:49:56.780 Self -control. Is that increasing? Is your self 00:49:56.780 --> 00:50:05.719 -control increasing? That's a mark of spiritual 00:50:05.719 --> 00:50:08.019 growth. That's a mark of spiritual maturity. 00:50:09.360 --> 00:50:11.980 This online worship experience was brought to 00:50:11.980 --> 00:50:14.619 you by the friends and partners of Elation Church.