Nine Fruits: Self Control Series

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Introduction:

Most people don’t live with Self Control

They live Controlled by the their Flesh

Many times and many people do what feels good to them

Many times we eat what tastes good to us

We watch what is entertaining to us

We say something because we feel like saying it

We belittle other people to promote ourselves

We buy things to promote ourselves

We consume things, buy things, eat things and do things

B’c it fulfills the desires of our flesh

Our natural response in this life is not to have Self Control

But it is to be Controlled by Our Flesh

The perfect picture of a person controlled by Flesh is a 2 year old

(And all of us in here at one point were 2 years old!)

A 2 year old is the Perfect Picture of a person controlled by flesh

B’c they do things simply based on if it feels good or not

-- They make messes in their rooms b’c it felt good to dump out all their toys

--Without any regard to the person who is going to have to clean that up

-- They stick their fingers in the birthday cake b’c it tastes good

--Without any regard to the fact that no one else wants to eat birthday cake that their grimy, boogery hands have been in

-- They go the bathroom in their pants

--Without any regard to the fact that now an adult is going to have to clean up that mess

-- They scream at restaurants b’c they don’t want to be there

--Without any regard to the paying customers around them

They do what feels good to them

-- They roll in the mud, they scream NO, they don’t share toys, they don’t play nice with others

All because they do what feels good to them

And its the parents job in those moments, to step in and shape the heart of that child

Its the parents job to step in and teach them what is right

Teach them what is right Biblically: don’t steal, don’t hit, don’t lie

But also Appropriate Behavior: don’t outburst, practice control

Safety: Run across street, play in street = live past childhood

Laws: Don’t steal candy bars = stay out of jail

Authority: Respect for authority = hold a job, get along

We know that the will lead better lives if they learn Self Control...

The problem is many Christians, spiritually never move on from the 2 year old stage

God doesn’t intend for you to stay in the 2 year old stage

I’m glad I grew out of that stage physically

It’s time some of us grew out of that stage spiritually

Paul said, I want to give you meat, but you’re still on milk

Its time for us to be full of the Holy Ghost

Its time for us to move on out of the Tantrums

Its time for us to stop tripping over every little thing

And be full of the Fruit that God desires for us!

It Comes From the Spirit

Galatians 3:2-3 NIV

2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?

3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?

Why is that we start our lives in faith

But then we try to keep things going and reach our ultimate goal of heaven by human effort,

forsaking the faith aspect that we started with?

I’m gonna not do this, I’m gonna start to do that,

I’m gonna not say that, I’m gonna not go there,

I’m gonna not eat that, I’m not gonna mess up

This is why I believe many people get stuck in the 2 Yr Old phase

They started out right, trusting God,

Believing that the Spirit is able to transform

Then they began to rely on themselves to control their flesh

When in reality its a Fruit of the SPIRIT

You have no power over sin

But its the Spirit that dwells in you

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:

Old things are passed away And behold, all things are become new.

A new creature!

Old things are passed away, All things new

The old me was controlled by flesh

The new me is controlled by the Fruit of the Spirit

The old man is flesh

The new man is spirit

You don’t have to be who you used to be

God has given you a new heart

He’s made you a new person