Breaking Free Of Controlling Habits!

“Father, I am your servant, willing and desiring to be used to bless your people.”

The Fields are white and the laborers are few!

2. C.H. Spurgeon said, “If God does not save a man by truth he certainly will not save them by lies, and if the old gospel is not competent to work a revival, then we will do without the revival;

In our churches, there are three kinds of people. There are spectators, anticipators and participators.

The spectator is just there to observe; the anticipator is expecting real blessings but not doing anything about it; and the

participator is busy singing, praying, ushering, planning and doing the work. The participators are the minority, the

sacred few who are doing "more than others."

Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ

hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Today I want to speak to you about how to break free from life controlling habits. Turn with me to:

2 Peter 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

2 Peter 2:19 “ For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.” (NIV)

Listen to the verse in the (LB) “For a man is a slave to whatever controls him.”

Many of the times when a message is brought about breaking free from habits, people minds immediately switch to…well this will be good one for the drug addict and the alcoholic, they need a message like this.

And I agree they do need it, but 2 Peter goes so much further than that and many who sit in this room today need to break free from something.

Peter says, “You are a slave to whatever has mastered you.”

You will never know the freedom of being in God’s presence as long as you remain enslaved.

Psalms 24:3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

Psalms 24:4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Some people are a slave to work, some people are slave to jealousy, some people are slave to gossip, Some are slave anger, pornography, various drugs, and many other vices that hold us in bondage.

Whatever it may be 2 Peter 2:19 “ For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.” (NIV)

So Today I want us to take an inventory of the Controlling NEGITIVE HABITS we allow in our lives, that needs to be broken

There are several questions I would like to answer today.

#1. HOW DO WE IDENTIFY A CONTROLLING HABIT

A controlling habit is something you find yourself doing even though it is destructive ether physical, mentally, emotionally, relationally or spiritually. Or you consistently do something you wish you wouldn’t do, but you find yourself doing it any way.

Romans 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do

I not; but what I hate, that do I.

Listen to (TCNT) twenty- century new testament.

“I do not understand my own actions for I am as far from habitually doing what I want to do that I find myself doing the very thing that I hate.” (TCNT)

The apostle Paul fully understood his dilemma even though he had good intentions.

You must understand many good people are bound by bad controlling habits

Some of us, reason in our minds, if we admit we have a habit than we are less than spiritual. Denial is not the way to deal with the problem.

Be honest, look at your life and like Paul, evaluate the things you find yourself doing that you hate. Realize the importance of the identification process and then submit your own inabilities to make the necessary changes.

Take a moment sometime today or tonight and write down the habits in your life that you want to see absolute victory in.

In a recent survey in Discipleship Journal Magazine, readers reported that their greatest spiritual challenges came from

1. Materialism

2. Pride

3. Self-centeredness

4. Laziness

5. Anger/Bitterness (Tie)

6. Sexual Lust

7. Envy

8. Gluttony

9. Lying

Survey respondents noted that temptations seemed more potent when they neglected their time with God and when tired physically. We are also vulnerable during these time. We can become self-confident, instead of God confident. We should be aware that we are also vulnerable to overconfidence when we experience a spiritual victory.

In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident. It wasn’t a technology problem like radar malfunction-or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ships presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to yield first. By the time they came to their senses, it was too late.