Earlier this week On my way out of the house, leaving, coming to VBS here at the church, I hopped into my car. It was a nice cool 102 degrees, like 7 in the morning here in Arizona. And I put the key in the ignition and click, click, click click, click, click, click. I'm like, OK, that's weird. Click, click click click, click, click, click. I said, oh, I know. If I do this 20 more times, it's going to change. Anyone done that with me? OK. Um, it clearly did not change because the issue was the battery died. Arizona is notorious for being rough on batteries and the heat. And so it didn't matter how many times I clicked, I'll be honest, there was a moment where I said, God, I'm a pastor. Come on, come on. Uh, it did not help. Uh, so, and, and, uh, as many times as I turned the key, nothing happened, because I really didn't need to turn the key harder. I, I needed a new battery. I needed a different power source. I think many of us approach Christianity that way. I think when it comes to making choices and going throughout the week, we try to do it on our own power, on our own strength. That in reality, scripture tells us that we have access to the very power that created and sustains the world and that defeated death itself. And so when we want to talk about transformation and life change, we really need to understand that we need a deeper, a better, a stronger power source in our lives. And so this morning's message is entitled Spirit-filled Self-control. Spirit-filled self-control. Self-control is the last. Of the list of nine fruit of the Spirit. It is singular in nature, meaning that God's gonna grow all these characteristics together as we become more like Jesus. We don't get to pick and choose, like, well, I'll take love. I'll take joy. I don't need self-control. Like, no, all of this is really the fruit that is produced in us as the Holy Spirit is transforming us day by day, moment by moment. But we can't just force it. See, this morning's message, I believe, is one of the most practical and powerful messages you can hear because Self-control is so relevant to every single person in this room. Maybe you're not religious. Maybe you were forced to be here today. By guilt and shame or your parents made you come. I don't know. But self-control, I promise you, is applicable to your life. Maybe you've been in church your entire life. You've, you've got decades of experience. You've memorized the Bible. Self-control is still gonna be an issue for you. Because we're human. You see, mankind was created in Genesis 1 and 2. Sin doesn't enter the world until Genesis chapter 3. But here's the reality. You need God, not because you're a sinner. You need God because you're human. And that the power of God works in and through your life. You need him every single day in every single moment. If you're taking notes, I encourage you to write this down, that every act of self-control is ultimately an act of worship. Every act of self- control is ultimately an act of worship. On the surface, this English word is the most direct, no punches pulled, no poetic twists. You can imagine self control. Now, in the Greek in the original language here, there's several words for self-control, but at the root of it is power, the word for power. And then there's this idea of in power. And so the thought is that whoever controls your life, really is the God of your life. Whoever controls your life is the God in your life. So do you follow an addiction? Do you follow the pursuit of money, the fame, or acceptance? What is it that you struggle with? And so the idea of mastering your own desires. is that you need a different supernatural power in order to do so. That we need it in our lives, because at the end of this morning, I'm gonna ask you. And you can begin thinking now, what is one area in your life in which you need more self-control? What is one area in your life in which you need more self-control? Because little and big. Self-control infiltrates every area of life, doesn't it? I think God places self-control in the at the end of the list in our passages today, because it impacts all the others. And see, in our scripture, we see two words that are used, we see flesh, and then we see fruit. Now, my middle school self, when I hear the word flesh, I think of Monty Python, and it's a really stupid movie. Talk about a flesh wound, and if, if you don't get that, you're probably more spiritual than me. And if you do get that, let's be friends. Um, but what is the flesh and what is the fruit, and why do we need the difference? Well, the flesh, simply put, is a sinful heart. It's a human heart Is that in our own choices, in our own free will, and our own willpower, we will choose self. And then the fruit is actually the evidence, not the effort, the evidence of God working in our life. So in other words, today is a spirit-filled, spirit transformed heart. And all summer long, we've talked about how in order to become more like Jesus, we need to be spirit-filled and then spirit led. In other words, the power of Jesus Christ himself coming inside the life of the believers so that he will change us over time from the inside out. It says in Galatians 5:16 and 17, he says, but I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the spirit and the desires of the spirit are against the flesh. For these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things that you want to do. I think everyone's felt that tension before, right? That tension of there's something good I should do, and then I don't, right? Just look at the success rate of New Year's resolutions. Right? How long before you broke yours this year, right? I mean, one of my goals was to lose 20 pounds this year. We're halfway through the year, and I'm feeling good, only 25 to go. Do you feel that tension, right? It's because there's something waging war of we know what to do, and yet, we don't always do it. Why? Where does that come from? Why is that? We're gonna talk about that today. But if you missed some of the earlier weeks this summer, let's review our theme passage for this series, which is found in Galatians 5:22 to 24. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self- control. Against such things, there is no law, and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. You see, we need self-control in our lives, because we need it to change our lives, because without it, it's just the opposite. We're out of control. We're out of control. It says in Proverbs 25:28, it says, a man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. Does that describe your life? I hope not. Although if you wanna have some fun, if you have someone who's a little out of control, like, hey, I read Proverbs 25:28, I thought of you today. Right. That verse doesn't tend to make on Instagram, right? Or on crocheted blankets or things, does it? But it does describe the life of somebody who's out of control. That we are all controlled by something, but that when God enters the scene, he brings about with him order, structure, fruit, growth, whereas if we give in to the desires of the flesh, it leads to destruction, distraction, chaos. Right? Sin is a lot like a tornado, right? When a tornado runs through, it never, it never builds, it always destroys. It always leads to chaos. Wouldn't it be cool if the reverse was true though, right? Can you imagine if like, everywhere a tornado went, like a theme park was made on the other side? You know, no, we always talk about the destruction that comes, the chaos that comes when things are out of control. And that's the life apart from the power of God. So today, I want to look at 3 things together as a church family. We want to look at number 1, the battle we feel. 2, the lies we believe, and then number 3, the power God provides. We wanna take a look at the battle we feel, the lies we believe, and then the power God provides. First thing here, the battle we feel. I've heard it said that there are 2 kinds of people in the world. There are those that do and those that might. Right. I really, you know why they say in gift giving, it's the thought that counts. I wish that applied in every other area. You know what I mean? Like being good, being healthy, right? How's your diet? How's your exercise? Uh, I thought about it. Doing great. There are those that do and those that might, and we struggle with it. And there's that tension because self- control rarely gets the headlines when done well, does it? It definitely gets the headlines when it's done poorly. And the reason this is such an important fruit in our life. It's because it can bring destruction in your life. I don't know a lot of pastors who are out of ministry because they weren't joyful enough. I do know of pastors who are out of ministry because they didn't have self-control. And it's those who tend to make the headlines. But we don't need headlines to understand that we all struggle with it. Well, just, just one more Oreo. Just 5 more minutes scrolling. Just, just 1 more Amazon purchase. Just one more drink. One more angry word. It's, it's true. It's how I was feeling. See, every area of our life when we take a look at speech, food, phone, entertainment, drink, sexual purity, work, rest, sleep, thoughts, time, our words, our relationships. Every area of our life is impacted by self-control. And we feel that tension because we, we start the day thinking, OK, we're gonna do this. And then we don't. So what does Paul have to say? Paul, if we, if we had rankings, right, he'd be right up there, right? You know, if they had pageants, he would be Mr. New Testament. Is that fair to say? I mean, if you write most of the New Testament, and you have these intense story and then the most intense persecution, and you, you were blind on the road to Damascus, and then you're healed, and now you're planting churches, building leaders, persecuted for your faith, standing up against the Roman guards, standing up against these, these political rulers, presenting the gospel over and over and over again. I mean, clearly, he didn't struggle. Or did he? Open your Bibles to Romans 7. move the verse first, then we'll come back to the quote here that applies to this. Let me just read verse 14 and 15. It says, for we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh sold under sin. For I do not understand my own efforts, for I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing that I hate. Then jump down to verse 21. It says, so I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inner being. But I see my members, another law, waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Verse 24, wretched man am I. Who will deliver me from the body of death? Now, if I stopped there, that'd be kind of depressing, right? If Paul is saying this, what hope is there for you and I? Right? But it doesn't stop there. Thankfully, we have verse 25 as well. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh, I serve the law of sin. In other words, God can provide the victory. God can provide the power and the strength to move forward. And we know that because in the very next chapter, Romans chapter 8, verse 13 and 14, it says this, that for if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit, you will put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit are sons of God. Sees the attention. It's a battle. But there's actually a story in the Old Testament, in the, in the greater story that actually should resonate to you and I today. And that is the story of the people of God. Earlier in the spring, we studied the Book of Exodus and how Moses led the the Israelites out from under slavery, through the wilderness into a land that was promised to them. But right before they entered the land, he passed away. And then the mantle was given to Joshua. And in Joshua 1:9, God says, Do not be afraid, but be strong and courageous, for I am with you always. In other words, I will give you the land that I have promised you. And so with the promise of God and the power of God, Joshua rallies the people, they miraculously cross the river, and they go in. But what I find fascinating. Is that even after the promise of the land in Joshua one, it's not till many chapters later, they actually possess it. They actually have to go town by town, village by village, fight after fight. Slowly possessing the land that God had promised them. And I think that's valuable to you and I today, because the same is true in our lives. God has promised life eternally. God has promised life abundantly. But we have to understand that the goal of life is not to arrive safely at death. It's not I pray a prayer when I'm little or when I'm old. God saves me. Cool. Thanks, God. And now we're just kind of twiddling our thumbs. Well, OK. And then if I die, maybe I get a cloud and a harp and it's gonna be cool. I get to ask like David some questions. No, God wants you to experience eternal life. Now, the most common language in the Gospels is his kingdom come. Meaning that heaven comes down, that he is restoring his people and this place through the promises and the power of God, so that through him, we can slowly but surely take possession of the life that God has called us to. But it's gonna be a fight. Ed Welch put it this way, as the Hebrews were promised the land, but had to take it by force, one town at a time, so we are promised the gift of self-control, yet we must also take it by force. So that's the tension in the battle that we feel. But now let's talk about the lies we believe. What are the lies that we believe? There's many. May just highlight a couple. Uh, we believe that we won't have battles. OK, I'll, I'll pray. I'll receive God into my life. Cool. And I won't have anything bad ever happen to me again. Does that work for anybody? No, cause you're still broken. And we live in a broken world filled with broken people. You know, when I've talked with people out in the community, And they say, John, I want to come to church, but it's filled with hypocrites. My response is typically, it's OK, we got room for one more. Because we all are, right? That on this side of eternity, there's gonna be this flesh nature that we're gonna have to fight against. That when left to our own devices, they're always gonna choose self. But yeah, with the power of the living God that promises eternal life tomorrow, but abundant life today, that we can actually experience, get the tiniest glimpse of heaven as we get to know Jesus better and deeper and more. You see, self-control is not about trying harder. It's about trusting deeper. Self- control is not about striving as much as it is about surrender. It's this idea of saying, God, I can't do this on my own. I need you to work in my life. And that impacts the lies we tell ourselves. One of the lies is that we say, well, I'm not gonna have any battles. OK? It doesn't work if you're in a battle. Right? If you're, if someone's at war, you can't just walk out into the battlefield and go, I'm not at war. You guys are. I'm not. It doesn't work like that. Another lie we tell ourselves is that we say, well, my sin doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. Let's not be so prideful. Or arrogant. To diminish the very thing that Jesus had to die for. Does sin, does God takesin seriously? Yeah. Jesus had to die for it. You think after giving up his son, he wants to like it doesn't matter. And is God's grace sufficient for all? Yes, it is 100%. But there are earthly consequences to that. David, a man after God's own heart, right, killed Goliath. It was lack of self-control that ultimately led to the downfall of his kingdom. Several family members died and he never reached again. The, the height of influence that he had. Some of you are experiencing earthly consequences from whether choices you made or maybe the choices others made. Sins are very real, with very real consequences. But at the same time, understand that God can work in every story. Your story doesn't have to stop in the middle. Right? Imagine if you, if Star Wars fans in there. Imagine if you just stopped at Empire Strikes Back, the second one, where he's like, oh, yes, Darth Vader wins. Right, I guess there's no hope for, for those guys. And sorry if I spoiled that for you, it's a little bit of an older movie. Right It doesn't have to be the end of your story, but don't, don't, don't miss the fact that God will not be mocked, that what you reap, you will sow at some point. So we believe that I won't have battles or or or we say my sin doesn't matter. Or when we try to change, he's like, well, I just got to try harder. And that works for a moment. Like I'm a leadership book junkie and a productivity book junkie, so there's some great books out there. Like, personally, I love Atomic Habits, if you read that by James Clear, um, The Power of Habit, uh, Charles Duhigg. There's some great systems and things you can put in place that can help bring some change. Temporarily. But your willpower is fleeting. And we know that. Why else would the shopping channels make their most sales at night? Right? Be honest with yourself. How many of you have started down the health journey? Maybe even you had a salad for lunch. You're feeling pretty good. Next thing you know, you're down in Mickey D's at 10 at night. No, just me? OK, thanks. Thanks. Appreciate it. Uh, don't judge. OK. We all struggle, don't we? We all have an issue. And if you don't think you have an issue, pride is an issue. Right? You don't get more productive, the more tired you are, right? Because willpower is depleting. So why not tap into the power that defeated death? It's only through supernatural, you can accomplish anything through that. See, there's a thing beneath the thing. Uh, another, another thought on this. I, I had a family vacation, went to California, and I, in some ways, very much feel like a large child. Uh, I love building sand castles and I'm not even good at it, but I just like making sand castles. And it was cute when my kids were little. Uh, now they don't even necessarily like doing it anymore, so now I'm just a grown man on the beach. So, uh, again, stop judging. Um, But I can spend all this time building this mound or castle looking thing and all it takes is one wave, and it's gone. Reality is the Bible tells us for those that listen to the word but don't do it, it's like building your house, your life on sand. All it takes is one storm, one phone call, one choice, and your life is a wreck. But if you build your house on the foundation of His word and His power, you can experience transform transformation that changes your life from the inside out. One of the things Satan does when we sin is that we try to solve the symptoms without actually getting to the root of the disease. Uh, in, in Puritan writings, and I, I, I heard about this from more recently from uh Tim Keller, but there's a lot of pastors who've referenced it, but Uh, a few theologians, uh, for about 100, 200 years ago, uh, really had this interesting discussion about the difference between surface and source idols. So surface is like the action on the top. Source is like, why are you doing that, right? Like maybe you have too much to drink, but why are you drinking? Maybe you're scrolling too much, but why are you scrolling? Maybe you're looking at stuff that you shouldn't be looking at, but where does that come from? Right? Maybe you are bursting out in anger, right? Maybe the circumstance requires like a level 3 reaction and you're reacting at like an 8. You know what I'm talking about? Why is that? Source idols go beneath the thing. And there's 4 of them. That primarily drive all of our decisions. Number one is power. And an idol really is when you place anything in the God position. Even good things in the God spot become idols when we worship them instead of God. Power. It's when people have a longing for influence or recognition. So many choices are made because people want power in their lives. They want authority, they want influence, and in their hunger for power. You see this all over the place, don't we? Cause people to do things that are not good. Second source idol is control. It's a longing to have everything go according to my plan. Right? That's tough. Right? Something is out of control in our life over here. So then in this area, I'm gonna try to control it. I'm gonna try to control people. I'm gonna try to control circumstances, right? And they cause us to sin and do things that are unhealthy for the sense of fake safety, right? Control. Third source idol is comfort. This is a longing for pleasure or ease of life. Well, God wants me to be happy. Cool. Sounds good. Where does the Bible say that? I see where he wants you to be holy. I see where he wants you to have joy, which is deeper. But where in Scripture does it say if it feels good, do it. If you have a friend that just wants to run off a cliff, well, it feels good. Uh, no. It'll feel good until gravity kicks in. Right? This is like, if sin doesn't feel good, you're not sinning well. OK. But the reality is, is it's gonna be killing you, slowly but surely. Then the other one is approval. The the longing to be accepted or desired. We do so many things to feel good enough or worthy of other people. But here's the thing, if you leave this list up here, all 4 of these can be solved when you turn to God. If you come to know and believe that God is glorious, Then you understand that he has enough power and you don't need to have it. If you come to believe that God is great, and God can move mountains with just the mere faith of a mustard seed. Then you don't need to be in control of everything. Cause you have a God who is in control. When you believe that God is good. Then you don't need the temporary sinful pleasures of this world. So our struggle is not that we pursue pleasure too much, is that we don't pursue it enough because what God has to offer is so much better than any temporary thing that this world has. He's good. And then last, if you truly believe in the grace of God, then we come to understand and believe that his grace and His love gives me approval. I don't need to seek someone else's approval because I already am loved and enough in the image of God. It says in 2 Peter 1:3-4, it says, his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who has called us to his own glory and his excellence. Verse 4, by which he granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them, you may become, I love this phrase, partakers of the divine nature. Having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. He is inviting you into a greater, bigger, stronger, more significant story than you could ever ask or imagine. Why would we give that up for something that'll give us indigestion in an hour? You know what I'm saying? God has given us so much more. And it's not that God is opposed to effort. Dallas Willard put it this way, he said, grace is not opposed to effort. It's opposed to earning. When I, when I fell in love with my wife, one of the one of the things that I knew she was the one. Was that because I felt loved and accepted and believed in. I wanted, like, I told her this, this is a great line if, if you're sitting with others not in the room and you wanna use it later, steal it. Um, I accidentally said it and I was like, oh, that was good. Um, I said to her at one point when we were in the kind of the dating courting phase, I was like, you know, because, because of you, I want to be a better man. Because I was loved, I wanted. To be more, do more. You see the difference? Because we live from our identity, not for it. You don't have to go grasping after drink and drug and scroll and purchasing and power and fake image and approval of people that you don't even know, when you are fully loved, fully known by a God who died for you. He said, I'm gonna help you. That's the power we need. So we talked about the battle we feel, we talked about the lies we believe. So let's close this morning talking about the power God provides. Because he promises God power. that can help you overcome addiction, struggles, battles. Yes, Paul struggled, and if Paul struggled, we're going to struggle. There's a natural tension of knowing what to do and still struggling to do it. But we know it's his game plan because almost 600 years before Jesus even even came, God spoke these words to the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 36:27. He says, and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statues and be careful to obey my rules. I'm gonna give you the strength. I'm gonna give you the power. And then one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture, 2 Timothy 1:7, For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self- control. A little behind the scenes here, uh, when the band finishes up their opening music set, and I'm standing on the side here, I say that verse every single Sunday. And I say, God, may I step out from my own humanity, step into whatever your spirit has for us today, and may I not be afraid. May I not be nervous to proclaim your word, but instead, may I speak with power and love and self-control. May 25th of this year. There's a really cool news story of a 17, then turned 18 year old. His name is Ali Bergquist. He sailed a 32 ft sailboat from Northern California to Hawaii in 20 days. He left a 17-year-old. And landed an 18 year old. His birthday was in between. So in a sense, you could say he left a boy, came back a man. Might be a little cheesy. OK. Anyway, what's wild is that here is this kid. Who was moved literally from one place to the next, on a sailboat. He could not physically take himself from one place to the next. But what he did was 3 things. Number 1, he put his boat in the water. 1. Number 2, he raised the sail. So when the winds came, he moved. And number 3, he didn't quit. Now there were some days more than others in which the winds were stronger, in which the waves were surrounding. But here was a 17, soon to be 18-year-old kid, who traveled thousands of miles because his boat was in the water, his sail was raised, and when the wind blew, he moved and he stayed with it. Some of you are wanting to be Christians and wanting to follow Jesus, but you never put your boat in the water. And even if you did, you're trying to move on your own strength. Imagine being in this massive sailboat, and then doing one of these. You're not going anywhere, right? Then stop living your Christian life like this. You look silly, or at least I look silly based on your judgment in your eyes. Thanks so very much. Put your boat in the water, raise the sail and see what God can do. Same word for Holy Spirit is actually the same word where we get a root word for wind. JI Packer put it this way. He said the Christian life in all aspects, intellectual and ethical, devotional and relational, up surging in worship and outgoing and witness is supernatural. Only the spirit can initiate and sustain it. So apart from him, not only will there be no lively believers and no lively congregations, without the Holy Spirit, there will be no believers and no congregations at all. Without the Spirit, there is no mission growth. Without the spirit active and alive in your life, there is no life change. We have to be spirit led, spirit-filled. Because every act of self- control ultimately is an act of worship. Here's what I want you to do this week. I asked earlier to think about what is one area in your life in which you need more self-control, big or small. You, you, you're not gonna be able to change everything. I want you just to pick one thing. Whatever that one thing is for you, not your spouse or your neighbor. Here's your one thing, OK. I think we know you're suicidal with control. Um, anyway. Whatever your one thing is, I want you to do these 3 things, OK? Number 1. In whatever area you're struggling, before you fight the behavior, I want you to try to identify the idol. Whatever the action is, try to ask yourself, why am I making that action? Is it comfort? Is it approval? Is it control? Is it power? Try to identify that idol that's under the surface. Number 2, I want you to replace trying harder with trusting deeper. In other words, surrender. Can you give that area up to God? And then the third thing. is I want you to win the next decision. For me, when is to what's important now. The struggle, if you're still struggling with sin, doesn't mean you're less mature. It might actually mean you're more. Because you got the Holy Spirit in you, convicting you of sin. Matt Chandler in his latest book, Becoming like Jesus talked about the Christian life is a lot like a coil. Moving forward. We love to say that God works in our lives when we're on the mountaintop, right? We're on the top of the coil. I'm here to tell you that even when you struggle, when you sin, when you question, when you doubt, when you worry, God's still working in that area too. He wants to keep maturing you, keep growing you, keep moving in you, and ultimately, if you trust him. And surrender. Stay connected to Jesus, the Holy Spirit over time is gonna produce fruit in your life. Will you pray with me? Dear Heavenly Father, just thank you for who you are. Yeah, self-control is not something that we want to talk about, but every single person in this room struggles with. So God, I pray that we can think of it as an act of worship. God may we identify the idols that are underneath our actions. May we give them over to you, trusting you, surrendering our need for power, control, comfort, and approval to you. And through your spirit, when we make the right choice, take one step to walk in and with your spirit. Become closer to you today. Whatever that area is, I pray that you would transform us from the inside out. Help us to grow, because you do not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control. Replace our spiritual battery. Help us raise our spiritual sail and through your wind moving in our life, may you take us to where you want us to go and who you want us to become. We love you, God, and, and we pray. Amen.