Surrendering Your ‘Self’ to God’s Will and your Attitude to God’s Holy Spirit
“And to knowledge temperance”
Acts 24:25
I. Introduction to Part One
A.
Faith (trust in the abilities of
Jesus Christ) gets us
into God’s family, and forms the foundation upon all
the rest of our life
B.
Virtue keeps us from getting
trapped and
defeated by sin by giving us the limits that we are to
live within – lines that we will never cross (porn, divorce, murder, etc)
C. Knowledge gives me answers for the problems I go through, and for the uncertainties in those troubles – in other words, if I could just KNOW some things, the devil cannot scare me!
D. But knowledge is not enough for this sinful flesh of mine – I not only need to know what I am doing wrong, and how to do right, but I need help in controlling myself when I still want to do wrong! That’s where temperance comes in!
E. According to Acts 24:25, the apostle Paul not only preached about righteousness, and sin, but of the inability of a person to control themselves when it comes to sin, and therefore their need for a new Master!
F. When it comes to a Christian’s life, Temperance is three things:
1. Dominion – Who is in Charge of my life?
2. Balance – Keeping things balanced
3. Grace – Handling Failures
G. Together, those three ingredients enable a believer to surrender my ‘Self’ to God’s Will and their Attitude to God’s Holy Spirit
II. The Opposites of Temperance
A. Out of Control
B. Undisciplined
C. Unruly
D. Unrestrained
E. Chaotic
F. Lawless
G. HELLO? That’s our society!
III. Dominion - Temperance is More Than Self Control (2Tim 2:24-26)
A. Majority of all people are SLAVES!
1. To their habits – think, do, and feel the way they have since childhood – can’t do any differently
2. To their peers – never stand on their own
3. To satanic pressures – fears, worries, inhibitions
B. Self-Control is good… but it’s not the best! (Prov 16:32)
1. Great men are under control (disciplined)!
2. But Self is flawed by sinful nature… will let you down
3. Otherwise Adam and Eve would have obeyed
C. Temperance is Placing Yourself under a Stronger Master than Yourself (Luke 11:21,22)… and living by His commands, and in His fear
D. Temperance in the Bible means to be 'under-control', 'restrained'. It was applied years ago to the use of alcohol (Temperance Societies), but it means that we are to grow in general restraint, because the more you know yourself, the more you realise your need of limits.
1. Oh, how dangerous you and I are. Our hearts are desperately wicked
2. How quickly our moods can swing.
3. How quickly our temper can flare.
4. How quickly irritability manifests itself.
5. How temptable we are to act on impulse instead of soberly.
6. In next to no time we can be swept up in a train of thought that becomes very dangerous, leading to wrath, and revenge and even murder.
E. The new birth (Biblical salvation) transfers my sinfulness to Jesus Christ, and receives forgiveness in its place – but that is not all
1. A Christian also receives new orders
2. A new boss
3. A new Master (Jn 13:13; Acts 9:6)
4. Every time someone got saved in the Bible, they submitted their lives to the dominion (control) of the Lord Jesus (Lk 23:42; Rom 10:9,10) – it was not a “free-for-all”!
5. If you only got your sins forgiven, but not your will submitted, then you are out-of-balance, and will never have joy
F. The reason why there is SO MUCH defeat in Christian homes and Christian hearts is because we may belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, but He is not allowed to be in Charge of our lives – the enemy still directs our steps, and lures us along, and traps us in his snares!
G. Temperance is Yielding to the Right Authority (Rom 6:11-18; Philp 3:8)
1. What do we normally give-in to? Habits, lusts, pressures – what we are used to giving in to
2. As a Christian, there is a need for “reckoning” – adding things up, and weighing them out to see which is better
3. Reckon …
|
Become Unresponsive (Dead) to |
Live for the thrill of… |
|
Sin – what you know to be wrong World – anything that is not of Christ (like Drink, Drugs, Sex before marriage) Flesh – self-serving interests Lusts – pleasure first Bad habits – what you do naturally like Laziness Bitterness and habitual anger DUNG |
God (Creator of this universe) Righteousness Grace Heaven (Col 3) Soul-Winning Family Pleasing God – “Well done…” Making a difference (i.e., Doctor) Saving our generation PRICELESS |
a. Dead to this world – it offers us nothing compared to Christ, and owes us nothing
b. Alive to Christ
c. It all is an either/or situation – can’t live in both worlds
4. Don’t let sin dominate any more – don’t obey IT anymore
5. Don’t yield or give-in to its deceptive pull
6. Yield instead to a better ruler over your life – Jesus Christ
7. Principles:
a. There are TWO KINGS who seek to rule your life
1) One is Satan – disguised as SELF and rebellion
2) The other is Jesus – meek and lowly
b. You are a servant of one or the other – no middle ground
c. You are the servant to that which you obey
1) The Pillow
2) The Euro
3) The fear of failures
4) The fear of man
8. No Christian is to be under the dominion of any sin – no sin should have any controlling influence over your life – period (Rom 6:14)
H. The moment you got saved, you became the servant of righteousness – stay there, and serve THAT King!
IV. Conclusion to Part 1
A. How Temperate/disciplined are you?
1. Thoughts under or out of control?
2. Attitudes?
3. Daily Routines?
4. Walk with God?
B. Self-Control Won’t Be Enough… must yield to a Greater Master
C. Reckon some things worthless, and some things priceless
D. Next week… Part 2 – Balance in the Christian Life
Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church
Ballincollig, Cork
Ireland