Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control - Selfward Fruit

The Christian life centers not on perfection but on who controls our lives. While many believers focus on spiritual gifts and talents, God prioritizes character development through the final three fruits of the Spirit: faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These fruits uniquely govern our relationship with ourselves, which then impacts every other relationship we have.

Faithfulness goes beyond mere belief to encompass trustworthiness, dependability, and loyalty. It manifests in three key areas: steady obedience to God regardless of feelings or circumstances, keeping commitments and honoring promises to people, and finishing the God-given tasks we begin. Human beings naturally tend toward inconsistency due to our fallen nature, but the Holy Spirit produces faithfulness in surrendered lives to counteract these tendencies. The reward of faithfulness isn't a bigger platform but greater access to what God has for us.

Gentleness represents strength under control, not weakness. Like a trained warhorse whose tremendous power is submitted to a skilled rider, gentleness is power restrained and energy redirected for purpose. It expresses itself through our tone of voice, approach to correction, response under pressure, and posture toward ourselves. Self-control serves as the foundation protecting all other spiritual fruit. Without it, we become like a defenseless city where every temptation has free access. Self-control governs five critical areas: our appetite, anger, tongue, desires, and time. Rather than relying on human willpower, true self-control comes from understanding that the flesh has been crucified in Christ and choosing to walk accordingly.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:08

It's our time. We must rise up and no longer disparage. It's our time, church, to honor our heritage. We have a savior. He gave it all on the cross. We stand beside martyrs who counted nothing as lost. They took God's mysteries, opened them up for us. Stephen, John the Baptist, Bonhoeffer, Jan Huss. Surrounded by a cloud of witnesses above, it's now our turn to model his unending love. Our mission is one we cannot confuse nor muddy up with some trite excuse. You say you're not well versed, ready, or able. I think Moses even tried to use that fable. The time we have, it's now more urgent. If we should hear, well done, faithful servant. Yeah, church. It's our time. It's our time to confess the ways we're mangled, the sins and selfishness that have us entangled. Lust, greed, and pride, their path leads to the grave. Yet we return to our sins as if we're a slave. Can we survive in this putrid dead sea? I quote Paul, may it never be. So let's cast aside our individual leprosy and begin to leave a biblical legacy. There's a glorious prize awaiting to be won, and the way to win is to start to run. Let's lace them up and fight the good fight, become to the world both salt and light. Our life on earth is merely a vapor. Our chapter must move from pen to paper. So, church, let's get to writing because it's our time. It's our time, church. We have what it takes to help the world from its slumber awake. To Jesus, we are his beautiful bride. Whom shall we fear with him on our side? We have each other, we are not alone. It's iron to iron in the combat zone. There's a promise of life full of adventure. As long as we give both talent and treasure. The workers are few, the harvest is plenty, with so many lives running on empty. Scores of people trying to cope. They've come to the end of their proverbial rope. Young eyes are wandering, looking for direction. Make sure we point them to his resurrection. The clock's ticking, we're on our dime. Hey, church, rise up. It's our time.

SPEAKER_00 2:40

So let's go. Open your Bibles quickly to Galatians chapter 5, verse 22 to 23, which is the uh what's it called, foundational scripture we'll be using for the last three, four weeks. Uh, and we're talking here about the fruit of the spirit. Again, I'm emphasizing it's not fruits, it's a fruit. And this is the nature and character of Jesus. Amen. So the Bible says that but the fruit of the spirit, it's love, it is joy, it is peace, long-suffering, kindness, gentleness, uh, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. And he concludes that with the profound statement, against such there is no law. Somebody say amen to that. Now, I'm gonna warn you today. It's gonna be get it's gonna get a bit uncomfortable today, okay? Um, as I was studying, reading through this, and uh, and please, number two, do not judge me, okay? We are all we're all figuring this out, amen. And so um uh I don't have to be perfect to teach this, but uh God was challenging me a lot as I was looking through these verses this week. And so it's gonna be a bit uncomfortable, but uh, you know, be just receive correction from the Holy Spirit. Now I want to start by an illustration. And can you go to image one for me, please? Uh as I go to image one for me. Now, every uh everyone who performs in the athletic arena or you know, sports or basketball or baseball or whatever they do, there are two battlefields that they have to encounter. The first one is the arena where you people, you folks go and pay and watch them win whatever sports they engaged in. But the second one, though, it's the gym. And in the public arena, the crowd sees it's a championship performance. But before you can get to the championship performance, there's a lot you need to do. The five o'clock, waking up, nobody sees that. The meals people skip 10,000 repetitions of the things they have to do to get them ready for the sport. We don't see that. And so what happens, and I want to cut up, you know, just to start to set a stage for this morning. Um, if you can't, please write this statement down. What happens in the private? When the person wakes up at 5 o'clock in the morning, when they go to the exercise, what's called the gym, when they lift weights, when they are doing all these things they do, when they get to the field on the day that they're actually competing, they stand out and perhaps they win whatever the trophies and all that. But what happened in the private determines what happened in the public. Amen. You don't just get up and relax and do what you have to do and then, you know, just go on to compete and then you win. No, you put this in time behind the scenes that nobody sees. And so before we get into the final fruits this morning, I want you to know that the fruits of the spirit are exactly like the gem. They are the fruit of the inner life. They are things that what people see outwardly are things that you spend years and years and years perfecting when nobody sees it. So I'm gonna say amen to that. So let's let's kind of recap. The recap of the nine fruits quickly. So the whole of the month of uh April, minus the first week, which was Easter, we've been walking through the ninefold fruits of the Holy Spirit all month. And here's your recap. Week one, we established that God values character of a charisma. Oh, I didn't hear that. Come on, agree with me. Right? God values character of a charisma. Okay? He values fruit over gifts. Now, week two, we looked at the first cluster. Remember, I told you guys that the fruits have been delivered and divided into three clusters. And so, week two, we looked at the first cluster, which is love, joy, and peace. And we call it the Godward fruits. These are the roots. Again, I emphasize these are the roots that grow downwards in God. And remember, I remember telling you guys that this is what really happens between you and God, okay? And what happens with the love, joy, and peace, and what's got the first cluster is that these are the roots that grow deep into God. Amen? And then last week we could we turn to the second cluster and we look at the patience, kindness, and goodness. We call that the man what fruits. And these grow horizontally towards people. Now remember, I remember uh Dr. Gogo also emphasizing this. So you look at it as a cross, right? The first cluster is the vertical relationship. It's all happening between you and God. And what happens between you and God happens between you horizontally and people. Amen? Do you understand that? And we said that, you know, the absence of the first three is going to be very, very difficult for you to be able to exercise the next three. And one of the things that is so profound, and we're gonna study that today as well, is that the way God has structured this thing. I mean, scripture, it's it's there's nothing out of place in scripture. Okay? And so when you read these scripture, the way that the Holy Ghost structured it, things flow from one to two to three. There is nothing out of place. And the truth is that if you don't, if we don't master or allow God to master the first three, it will be difficult for us to be able to extend patience, kindness, and goodness to the people around us. Okay? And again, we we made emphasis on this. This is not optional. This is the fruit of Jesus Christ that he has placed in us. And this is what differentiates those that belong to Christ from those that are not his. So these are not optional, these are things that God expects us to grow into. So today we are going to complete what I call the trilogy. We are going to look at the final trial: faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Now, I must admit, these the final three really challenged me this week. Because the thing is that when, you know, I've been saying this for many, many years. How are people going to see Jesus? They're going to see Jesus through what they see in us. Amen? And the nature that we're talking about, the fruit of the spirit that we're talking about, when we're talking about the whole of the month, it's again, it's the nature of Christ, okay? And so if we have received this nature, so Paul says, and we'll probably look at it before the end of the day, there's a scripture that says that if we are in the spirit, you know, listening to me, let us also walk in the spirit. Because being in the spirit is a position of truth, okay? As by nature of you being born again, it's a position of truth. But being walking in the spirit is something that you determine you are going to do daily. Doesn't make sense, okay? And so it's not about we have received Christ, and I say this, Christians, we wear this our faith on our sleeves a lot. But the nature, the things that we put in that are contrary to what we are saying that we are believed. And that is the focus this morning. So before we go ahead, I need you to understand this category that we're in. There are no primary, these are, excuse me, these last three are primary about how we relate, they are not primarily about how we relate to God. So remember we said initially that the first cluster, the first three, is how we relate to God. Okay? Does it make sense? But the last three, they are not, it's not primarily how we relate to God, but they affect how we relate to Him. Okay? They are not primarily about how we relate to others, though they profoundly shape that. These three govern something more fundamental. They govern how you relate to yourself. Does it make sense? So it's not so much about how we relate to God, even though it affects it. It's not so much about how we relate to people, even though it affects that. But this three, mastering this three really is going to shed light on how we relate to ourselves. So the question this morning is this it's not about, are you gifted? Because I know that there are folks that are super gifted, man. And many times we get attracted to the gifts that people have. And again, we've really established that that God is more interested in the character behind the gift than the gift you're putting forward. And so the question is not, are you gifted? The question even is not, are you kind? The question this morning, which we are going to dig deep into, is this who is in control of you? Who is in control? Not who controls your schedule, not who controls the platform that you stand on, but who actually controls Augustine? Who controls you from the inside out? That is what we're exploring this morning. So when you look at the text again, and you look at it the last part of the text, if you look at it quickly, you say that he talks about uh it begins with talking about um uh so faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, right? Those are the three that we're looking at. Okay. Now the Greek word for faithfulness is an interesting word. The Greek word used there that Paul used, and again, uh Daniel, my Greek scholar, can you please help me with that word, please? Thank you. Pistess. Okay. She's used a Greek scholar in the room here. So the Greek word that Paul uses, it's actually an interesting word. It's talking about trustworthiness. Okay? It's talking about dependability, it's talking about loyalty. So it's not about, it's not the same word used for just believe, but it's about faithfulness and reliability. Now it's interesting that the Holy Spirit will include this, and we all know that God is trustworthy, God is dependable, God is loyal. But then what Paul is telling this church in Galatia is that the nature we are received, part of it is that God expects us to be trustworthy. Part of it is that God expects us to be dependable. So the question is, you know what I mean? This is what I was so challenged, is that you have to be loyal. Okay? So that word, the first thing that we might say about this word is that it does not primarily mean faith in the sense of believing doctrine. So this is a different usage here. This word means faithfulness. Watch this now. The consistent, dependable quality of someone who does what they say they will do. Even when things do not fall or align with what they probably thought would it would happen, but they are consistent, dependable every time, whether or not anyone is watching them. It's in other words, that the quality here is not being a people pleaser. Does it make sense? You know, there are so many people who they they they're looking for stages to stand on for people to see how well they perform. Okay? But God says that this quality of being faithful here, it's about somebody who is consistent in the things they do. And this is not to be a showman or for people to see or hear you, but you know, I always say that you do the right things because the right things to do. Okay? And the question this morning is that are you dependable? Can God depend on you? Can your boss at work depend on you? Are you someone, if somebody was to describe who you are, would they include that in who you are, your character? Are you dependable? But God says that if you're a Christian or if you're a follower of Jesus and if you receive Jesus, dependability is part of the things that heaven expects us to be. Somebody say mention that. There is a reason God listed faithfulness as a fruit of the Spirit, it is because human beings are by nature inconsistent. Over the years, you know, as God has, you know, blessed my thoughts and the stuff I do. You see the way people are in and out all the time. And many times we start strong, but we finish very weak. We make vows that we cannot sustain. We show up when it's convenient and disappear when the cost, when it begins to cost you something. It's interesting that there's certain things that you expect people that do not are not in a covenant with Jesus to do. But it's interesting that people in covenant are also doing the same things. It's interesting. We start very strong. Many times we start programs and we're excited about those programs because at first we get something new. But then over in the time, and it's not so much about how you start, you know, it's how you end. And so we start, we make vows that we cannot sustain. We show up when it's only convenient. The moment, you know, I I keep you want to be you want who wants to be rich in this country? You want to be rich. Okay, figure out how to sell convenience, and you're gonna be very rich. But then again, the difference between what the world offers and what let me please understand this. The foundation of a Christian war, please, the foundation of a Christian wall is founded on sacrifice. There is no way that anyone, anyone can offer God anything out of convenience that's acceptable in heaven. It's impossible. Because Jesus, God Himself, when he wanted to reach mankind, had to sacrifice his best. And the foundation of a Christian walk is structured on sacrifice. But we live in a country that everyone is pursuing convenience. And so the mentality has crept into the church gradually. And so wherever there's uncomfort, wherever there's inconvenience a little bit, wherever something is out of the norm, we disappear very quickly. Because whenever cause is associated with something, that is when rubber hits the road, that is where the true nature of a believer is exposed and revealed. And so, faithfulness, please understand this. You know, um before we drift away from the subject, faithfulness is what the Holy Spirit produces in a surrounded life to encounter the natural tendencies towards inconsistencies. Let's understand this. Every single person who was born after Adam, we inherited something when we talk about the full nature of man. Consistency, inconsistency is something that we re-inherited as the nature of the fall of man. Okay? Now, the difference here is that we give our lives to Christ, and Christ comes in, and the Holy Spirit comes into us, right? And remember, the Bible says that the fruit of the Spirit, in other words, the evidence that the Holy Spirit lives in you is the manifestation of this fruit that we're talking about. Okay? So in your natural sense, you are going to be inconsistent. But God has given you the Holy Spirit so that when you surrender your life to the Holy Spirit, it tends, it changes around your inconsistencies to be consistent. Because most of the all these things that we're talking about, it's only about total reliance on God. You cannot produce these things yourself. Okay? And so if we understand the power that the Holy Spirit plays upon us, and it comes down to this critical point: how submitted are we to him? Because if he's in our lives and we are submitted to him, then that is how we are able to contract some of these negativities that's happening in society. Amen. And so it is not about you trying hard or you wanted to do something, it's about you submitting to him, and the life that he's living in you will live through you, okay? To be able to what be faithful, because by nature we are not, because we were all fallen. So there are three arenas of faith that we need to talk about. Faith operates in three distinct arenas. Number one, it's about your faithfulness to God. Okay. What is that? What does that look like? Steady obedience regardless of your feelings. Circumstance or convenience. Can I say that again? Faithfulness to God is your steady obedience regardless of how you feel, of your circumstances, or of convenience. This is a person who will pray when prayer feels dry, who will read the word when the word feels silent, who will worship when worship feels empty, but because of who hears. Consistency is not getting up in the morning, faithfulness are getting up in the morning and saying, I don't feel like doing this when God is in the equation. Now, faithfulness to God, people, it's not optional, it's not subject to how we feel. Okay, so faithfulness is not an emotional, it's not emotionally driven, it is a covenant driven. You promise God your life, not just your good days. When you came to the cross and you lifted up your hands and said you're my Lord and peaceful savior, that was an exchange, actually. So you promised God your life. You didn't tell him that when things are bad, I'm not gonna worship you. When I can't pay my bills and I get angry. Disappointed when friends have disappointed me. You know, we come to church at times or we we meet with fellowship believers at times and we feel so down and so beaten, and then God is the one that gets about ropes because things are not going the way they're supposed to. Our faithfulness to God is consistent. Number two, your faithfulness to people, keeping commitments, honoring your promise, fulfilling your vows. Let me tell you something, people. The world is desperate for people who mean what they say and do what they say they'll do. When a faithful person tells you something is happening, you don't need to check back with them three times to see if they actually mean it. Jesus said in Matthew 5, 7, let your yes be yes, let your name be near. And they said, everything else is from the devil. These days you have to look two, three times, and this is Christians and all. This is Christians and all. Number three, your faithfulness to the task that God has given you. So your faithfulness to God is the first arena, your faithfulness to people, and your faithfulness to the task that God has given you. You always gotta finish what you start, people. God does not call us to begin, he calls us to complete. Can I say that again? He just didn't call it to begin. He called you, Pastor Emmanuel says, Grace to begin, grace to finish. He called us to begin, and he called us to complete. In the book of Revelation, something 226. He said, We that overcomes and keeps my word until the end. Does it make sense? And they keep that word going until the end. Okay? So watch this now. Write a statement down. I think God bless you. Starting something is very inspirational. If you're like me, every time I'm trying to start something new. Starting something very inspirational. And we all get inspiration when we start things. We want to do things all the time. But listen, gentlemen, please listen to me. Finishing it is faithfulness. You don't start something, and when the going gets tough, you give it up. You start something, you stick to it, and you complete it. That's a faithful person. In 1 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 2, Paul says something. Moreover, it's required in stewards that one be found faithful. He begins the same man by saying, We have received the mysteries of God. In other words, God has entrusted something into our hands. And then he qualifies that by saying that it is required, it's a requirement for stewardship, that you are found faithful. And the wise man says something in Proverbs chapter 20, verse 6. He said, Most men will proclaim each his own goodness. But who was it, who can find a faithful man? Majority of the time, the kingdom struggles and suffers because church folks are not faithful. They are in and out. You know, the Bible calls Moses one of the meekest men. I was thinking about this this week. God doesn't just call anyone, you know, there's certain qualities that God expects you to have to be able to do what He's entrusted in your house to do. Many times the church struggles because there are people here very talented. The corporate world is doing well because people like you sitting here are putting in their work in the corporate world. But when it comes to church stuff, when it comes to the kingdom stuff, everybody gives God the leftovers. Oh, you don't want me to start going there. You know, Solomon's question is still the sharp knife in this passage. You see, Solomon didn't say, who can find a talented man? There are very lot of talented people. He didn't say who can find an anointed man. He says, Who can find a faithful man? Talent is plentiful, faithfulness is rare. How many people around leadership that your leader can totally depend on the people 100%? But these people are faithful. It doesn't matter what. They know in and out. When the going gets tough, these people are going to stick with me. This is what God is looking for. And in Jesus' own words, Matthew 25, he confirms the standard. He said, Well done, you good and faithful servant. Jesus never said you good and gifted servant. He said you're good and faithful servant. Jesus never said good and successful person. He says, good and faithful servant. Good and faithful, the reward of faithfulness is this. The reward of faithfulness is not for a bigger platform. You are not faithful because God is giving you something, a bigger platform, a big car, a TV ministry. No, no, no, no. The reward of faithfulness, listen to me carefully, a faithful person is greater access to what God has. You are faithful over the few, Jesus section in Matthew 25. I will give you, I will make you a ruler of many things. In other words, you've proven yourself in the small things and trusted you with. Therefore, I'm going to open greater doors for you, greater access to what I have, because I can trust you with them. God trusts people when they've proven itself with the leaf that God gives them. There are so many people, man. You would do. I know I don't want to go there today. So Jesus issues the ultimate charge. Look at Revelation 2, verse 10, quickly. It said, Do not fear. Now, this thing really challenged me this when I was reading this. Watch this. Do not fear any of these things which you are about to suffer. Isn't that interesting? You would have thought that Jesus would say, Don't worry about it. I'm going to send a leg of angels to deliver you people. Hmm, you're not hearing me. You would have thought Jesus would have said, Don't worry, Satan is about to attack you. But I got you covered, man. Look at what he's saying. He said, You are about to suffer. And he said, indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you in prison. But you may that you may be tested. And you will have tribulation for 10 days. Be faithful. Somebody said, be faithful. Well, you're not hearing me. Until death. And I'll give you the crown of life. So studying this, I'm thinking, so 10 days. What does this 10 days thing really mean? So is it 10 literal days? Or what does it really mean? And it's interesting. 10 is literally means on unlimited, it's a limited measure, uh limited measure period of suffering. And there's so many different things out there, so many different uh, what's it called, explanations are there? You know, some might say that, you know, 10 days explains the you know the different uh uh Roman empires that came that persecuted the church. But the key word here is that God is telling them that I see what is about to happen. These things are about to happen to you guys. But in the midst of all that, I expect you to be faithful. Because it's not so much about what is going on here, it's about the plans I have for you for eternity. Someone do you understand me? You know, the slightest thing happened to us, and we are so, so ready to give up. Because we prayed and God hasn't come through. We prayed and the prayer request has not been answered. We did this and that, we did this and that and that. So just ask yourself a question. Jesus is telling this church in the book of Revelation, and why did he not send angels to kill the devil or to stop these attacks? Why did he not do that? But instead he warned them and he told them, this is about to happen. But in the midst of all that, I want you to stay faithful to my cause. That being a Christian on this planet is not about prosperity and living a lavish life and you know what I mean, going on lavish holidays and and you know, like we call it, I'm sorry, but it's the American dream. And so we brought the American dream into the church. This is not it. You know, hearing me. These things are in scripture. And so the issue here is that when you're praying, when you're praying, okay, and it comes back to what is real prayer, and you know, the Bible talks about we should present our supplications before God. So we present, and this is interesting about God. He he said, axe what you want, axe. But the point is that your relationship with him is not determined on whether these things are given or not. And this is how Satan is challenging the church so much and manipulating the thought process of people so much. Because he's telling you that if God loves you, he can do it. Why is he not doing it? But in the meantime, you look through scripture and there are pure hardships. I keep saying this. If Apostle Paul was a pastor in plain field today, nobody be in his church. Because I've never seen a pastor who always get beaten, always gone thrown about, always in. Imagine you people woke up one morning and say a pastor is put in prison. Woo! Just imagine. But you look at this guy's writing to the church, as some of these letters he wrote, he wrote from prisons, man. His life just about to be executed, and he's telling people be of good cheer. It's not so much about circumstances around us, people. It's more than that. Does it make sense? So he says, be faithful until the end, because there is a reward. And I will give you the crown of life, not a crown of performance, not a crown of popularity, a crown of life for faithfulness. And to revelations that we love quoting the scripture so much we overcame the ending by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimonies. But it says, Because you do not love your life unto death. And so it's your life that's precious to you that Satan can just manipulate your thought process so much so that it affects your relationship with God. This is what he wants, people. So the 10 days is God's way of saying what you are going through has an expiration date. Okay? And so here is the encouragement in this. Jesus said, watch this now. I understand what is about to happen to you. I know what you're going through, but here it's it. It is not forever. There is a time limit to the suffering. Someone say amen to it. There's a time limit. Okay? And so when the time is up, and we listen, and when spreading away saying this, we all know how the story ends. Very quiet. We all know how the story ends. Unless you're not a student of the Bible, or you're not a student of eschatology, you don't know how the story ends. And so you live from day to day, from moment to moment, and you're you are manipulated by your feelings and your thoughts. That's how Satan manipulates you. But God says, listen, I'm aware of this. There's a reason why I'm allowing these things to happen. Because eventually you win. Testimony says you win. Okay? So the 10 days represent a limited, divinely controlled season of testing designed to refine your faith. Oh, you're not hearing me. Not to destroy you. God allows these things to happen, not because he hates you, but because there's a greater reward, there's a greater strategy that he has that we do not understand. I came to the conclusion many years ago, man. Even when I was sitting in the office, it just the thought just came back. God is not punishing me. If you think he's punishing you, what have you done for God to punish you? And so if things are the way they are, it's not mean that God is punishing you or it's allowed Satan to punish you. No, that's not it. The things are the way they are, it's simply God is drawing your attention to something more profound. Amen. Something more profound. And allow the Bible talks about allowing the word, living the word of that little word of liberty. Allow the perfect work of liberty to complete this work in your life. Amen. So go to image number two for me, please, quickly, Isaiah. This is the effects of an unreliable person. And every project manager will tell you one consistent, unreliable person costs more than the entire unperforming team. Every time that people do not show up, every time that they finish a half, a half-finished something, every time they drop the baton, five other people have to compensate for it. There's something called a domino effect. The one unfortunate person creates a ripple of damage that far exceeds their individual impact. This is what we don't seem to understand. One mistake that you make, we see, watch this now. Faithfulness is not a private virtue, it is a community asset. Do you write that down? Faithfulness is not a private virtue, it is a community asset. What you do in a community affects me. It might be in your home, it might be in your circle of influence that nobody sees. But so far as you're part of that community, that mistake affects every single person in that community. Amen. Let's go to gentleness. And I simply describe gentleness as strength under control. The word Paul uses here for gentleness is the same word that's translated as meekness or humility. By the way, this is no weakness, but control strength, power that's submitted to purpose. In our culture today, most people have misinterpreted gentleness as weakness. And so everybody wants to put in this, put on this macho thing that, hey, you can't, I'm not a punk, you can't punk me. Because when someone is gentle, they think that you are weak. We associate with, we associate gentleness with passivity, timidity, people who cannot stand on their ground. Now, watch this now. We have totally misunderstood the Greek word that Paul was using. That word here in the ancient world was used for train war horse. And this is not a horse that has lost his fire or his strength. It's a horse whose tremendous, dangerous power has been placed under the control of a skilled rider. The horse is still, can still keep through walls. It just does not do that. That is gentleness, people. Power restrained, strength submitted, energy redirected. Put on image ray for me quickly. Now, some of these times you see, you see, these horses are battlefields and the way they charge through. But this same horse, it's handled nicely. A little baby can ride a war horse. Why? Because it's not that the power it's been taken away from it. It's because a trained, skilled rider on the horse knows how to control that horse. A war horse is a gentle because it's no, it's gentle, not because it's weak, it's gentle because its power has been placed under control. In battle, its strength is terrifying. In the field, it is ready, steady, responsive, and safe. The power has not been removed, it has been mastered. This is the portrait of a gentle believer, not someone who has no strength, but someone whose strength has been fully submitted to the Spirit of God. The two greatest figures in human history, it's Jesus and Moses. If you look at Numbers chapter 12, verse 3, the Bible says, now the man Moses was a very humble man, more than all the men who were on the face of the earth. It was this same man who went to Pharaoh and told Pharaoh, Let my people go. The Bible says Jesus, uh what's it called? Uh Jesus, if you look at Matthew 11, verse 29, it said Jesus tells us, Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and low in heart, and you'll find rest for your souls. So, meekness, people, is no weakness, it is a holy boldness under divine authority. Okay? It's holy boldness and divine authority. Jesus is the same one that went to the temple and overtended the tables, whipped these people up, rebuked the storms. He faced crucifixion without a flinch. Gentleness is not the absence of strength, it is the presence of strength submitted to the Father. Gentleness shows up in four practical expressions. The first, the way the gentleness shows up, is the tone of your voice. So Proverbs 15, verse 1 says something. A soft answer taints away wrath, but harsh word taints up anger. Most of the time, I tell people, man, it's not what you say, it's how we said it. God has granted me grace to be able to do what I do and cancel uh uh married partners and all that. The same times you listen in the counseling session and you listen and you just draw a simple conclusion. It's just misunderstanding. It is just the harshness of the voice that people speak because they're angry. The Bible here says that listen, a soft answer taints away wrath. The same truth can land softly or land hard, depending entirely on how it is delivered. Gentleness, listen to this, chooses the tone that opens the door, not the one that slams it shut. Number two, your approach to correction. In 2 Peter chapter 2, verse 24 to 25, the Bible says, and a servant of the Lord, do not judge me now, must not quarrel but be gentle to all. Able to teach, patient. 25 says, in humility, correcting those who are in opposition. Now, watch this. This this word, those in opposition, does not mean those who stand against your wiki ideas. It's basically those who are in opposition to the faith, who do not understand the faith. Okay? And so someone that God has called corrects people in humility, correcting them, those who are in opposition to the faith, if perhaps God will grant them repentance so that they may come to know the truth. So it is a requirement that we that represent Jesus understand the the uh what's it called the benefit of being gentle in every situation. You cannot correct what you have already crushed. Okay? Number three, your response under pressure. Man, this one is something else. The real test of gentleness is not how you treat people when your life is easy. You know the people when they come to church and they're excited, they jump up and down. But when things are wrong, then you know them. It is how you respond when you are provoked, when you are misunderstood, or you are unfairly treated. Anyone can be gentle when nothing is at stake. A spirit-filled person is gentle when everything is on the line. Number four, your posture towards yourself. Now, this is interesting many times we know that the Bible tells us we should be gentle towards others. But some of us are very harsh on ourselves. You make mistakes and you are very harsh on yourself. But the same spirit of God that tells you to be gentle to others wants you to be gentle to yourself. You see, nothing just doesn't happen. It takes time for correction to happen. And give yourself that time as well for God to correct you. Does that make sense? God is patient with you, man. He's not, God is patient, you know? He's not moved by the mistakes you make. He knows you, he loves you, he chose you, and he's giving you the time to fix what you need to fix. So be gentle to others and be gentle to yourself. Matthew chapter 5, verse 5 says, And the blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. This is a paradox that's very interesting. Because the meek does not take the head by force, they inherit it by faithfulness. The one who insists on their own way may lose the most. The ones who submit their strength to the Spirit of God, find the God and trust them with everything. Let's go quickly to self-control. Time is nearly up. Now this one is hard. Daniel, what's that word again?

SPEAKER_01 44:31

A criteria.

SPEAKER_00 44:33

A criteria. A criteria. You know what a criteria means? Self-mastering. Discipline. Somebody said discipline. Temperance. The ability to hold oneself in to govern one's desire and impulses. Proverbs 25, 28. You know, there was a time, a season in my life that um I was going through some uh, you know, I was easily wind up. My my friends would just wind me up and just laugh at me reacting. Just wind up. So I started praying, man. I said, Lord, this is no good. I I gotta fix this. And I was looking through the Bible, man, and I came across this verse many years ago, about 30 years ago. So Proverbs 21, 28. They said, Whoever has no rule over his spirit is like a city broken down without walls. I said, ah whoever has no rule over his spirit. Now, just in case you understand this, in the ancient world, what they used to do when they build up the uh cities, they build walls around it, and strategically on four corners of the wall, they'll have these uh watchtowers that people watch over because what they did in the ancient times is that they just invasion, they'll come and invade your land and just you're just you know planting your goods and go away. And so these people who stand on the walls and watchtowers saw these attacks coming, and then they'll do what? They will intercept it. And so what it's saying categorically is that if you are not in control of your spirit, you're like a city that there's no walls. Anybody walks it at any time. Any Satan can do anything to you. You know, the the the proverb is interesting. It's like you are basically there is you are defenseless. And it's interesting why, again, Paul puts this as the last fruit. Because this last fruit, self-control, becomes the foundation of everything. If you don't have self-control, you can't be gentle. If you don't have self-control, you can't laugh. If you don't have self-control, you can't be faithful, you can't be long-suffering if you don't have self-control. And so basically, what Paul is got what the Holy Spirit is telling us that basically this last self-control is not something that you're saying, passing. You have to master. Now, how many of you watch social media see people do character? There are people who can do amazing things with their bodies. Okay? Amazing things, martial arts, amazing things with their bodies. Why is it that we lack so much control of the soul and the spirit? Anyone can walk in, anyone, anything could happen at any time. There is no protection, no boundaries, no contentment, nothing. If you are somebody that has no self-control, there is everything possible. You could love Jesus all you want, sink him very as much as you want. Satan will have you for lunch, breakfast, dinner, anytime, because he can manipulate you, convince you that what you're doing is the right thing to do. A person without self-control is like a city. Every enemy has a free access. Every what's it called, temptation walks through that open gate, every impulse oppressed without restriction. It is not accidental again that self-control is listed last in the ninth fruit. It is not the least, it is the foundational one. Every other fruit depends on it. You cannot practice faithfulness without self-control. You cannot sustain gentleness without self-control. You cannot laugh consistently, rejoice genuinely, or serve sacrificially without a capacity to govern yourself. So in 1 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 25 to 27, Paul's writing this. And everyone who competes for the price is temperate in all things. He said, Now they do not do this to obtain perishable crowns, but but we they do this to obtain perishable crowns, but we for unperishable crown. Therefore, Iran Das, you're not hearing me, not with uncertainty. That's a fight, not as one who beats the air, but I discipline. Somebody say discipline. I discipline my body and bring it into subjection. Now, ladies and gentlemen, let me please let me just put a caveat here. God, I'm gonna do this for you. God give me patience. God give you patience. Paul says, I discipline my body. It's your responsibility to take the strength, strength that God has given you, the spirit of God in you, and master your weaknesses through his word. Paul says, I discipline my body and bring it into subjection. You gotta do this. In Galatians, it says that you should lay down on the cross and place, pierce the nails through your hands, the same way that Jesus was nailed on the cross. You should nail those things to the cross. So you are you have the behavior, you have the character, you have something. We're all going through something. But the key word here is that you should master, you discipline it, you bring in the suggestion, is that least when I preach to others, I myself should become uncalled, disqualified. So this is the apostle Paul, man. This is the gentleman that wrote the New Testament, and he's using this, it's interesting. He says that he's using the metaphor as somebody who runs. He says that listen, man, I don't want to run this race and I want to win this race, but I'm not gonna do it like anyhow, I don't beat the air anyhow. We just don't talk. He says, first of all, the most important thing is that I discipline myself and I bring myself on a subjection. So that after I've done all these things, I myself will not be disqualified. Amen. And if Paul needs self-control, I mean if we know that we all need self-control. But here's the kicker self-control is not an achievement you arrive at, it is a discipline you maintain every day in every season. Because the tendency of we resolving back to reversing back to who we are, it's always, always strong. So it's something that should be at the back of your mind, something that you should master it every single day. Self-control, we share this and we pray, governs five critical areas in your life. Don't throw stones at me this morning now. Your appetite. What we consume, how much food, drink, media, information, entertainment, the body is craving for these things. And the cravings of the body are real, but self-control does not deny the body, it governs it. So, in other words, self-control governs how much food, what type of food you should put in your body? Because you know that certain things you put in your body is going to kill you. But lack of self-control every single day. You your doctor have told you, everybody has told you, everywhere you got information is another day. Carbohydrates, processed carbohydrates are no good for you. But you get up in the morning, there's a fresh you want to eat is processed carbohydrates. Oh, don't don't let me go back on my health stuff now.

unknown 52:19

Grass-fed.

SPEAKER_00 52:20

Grass-fed, grass finished. Self-control does not deny the body, it governs the body. So you're able to say no to certain things. You don't sit up and get up in the morning and go to social media and sit on social media as a believer for 10 hours a day. No, it governs you. Number two, anger. How respond to provocation? You know, if you look at Ephesians chapter 4, verse 26, it says something. He said, Be angry and do not sin. The emotion is not a problem. The uncontrolled expression is what it is. Not a tongue. James 3:2 says 4. We all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in words, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. In other words, this thing in our mouth. If you're able to control it, you're able to control the whole body. Words spoken in a moment of impulse creates damage that takes years to undo. My dad told us a story many years ago. It's a village in uh Ghana. There was this colored priest. And he was doing great work. And you know how the enemy always finds a way to come in. And this woman started these rumors about this priest. And the rumors spread everywhere. And the one found it, the one who tripped. So eventually this was so bad that it affected the guy that guy was admitted in the hospital. So this uh woman, after a while, realized that she's made a mistake. So he went to visit the priest in the hospital to apologize to him. And so he went and apologized, and the priest looked at her and said, I accept your apology, but I want you to do something for me. And he said, I want you to take a pillow and just cut that pillow open, and then all that caught into that pillow, just spread it out. And then try and gather every single one of them and see if you can't. What the man was telling us simply, I've forgiven you, but the things you've said have gone. There's no way that I can take them, contain them again. We have to be extremely careful of the words we say when we're angry. And self-control. It's what determines what you say and what you don't say when you're angry. And remember, this is an optional. Jesus, again, I said this last week. Jesus stood at the at the seat of uh judgment seat of Pilate, being accused of falsehood and never opened his mouth to say anything. That is a man who had self-control, desires. So we'll go through a list again. Number one, appetite, number two, anger, number three, your tongue, number four, your desire. Sexual impurities, financial integrity, freedom from convictuousness all require daily exercise of self-control over what the flesh wants. The mere fact that you believe it does not mean that you should live an explicit life in sex. It's wrong. You don't have control over yourself. People hide behind the marriage covenant to do stupid things. Again, I'm telling you something. It is not that you're going to go to hell, but Satan is always looking for an ally. And he looks for Allah and our weaknesses. And if he finds that there's a weakness in you, he is going to use that weakness to attack you. Your desires, taper them. And then finally, we'll talk about time. How we allocate our hours, reveal what we actually prioritize in our lives. Self-control over time is self-control over everything in life. What you owe, your schedule owns you. So Galatians 5.24, we end and say, and these, those who are in Christ, have crucified the flesh with these passions and desires. Can I read that again? Those who are in Christ have crucified the flesh. In other words, when the flesh is pulling one direction, you are master of other flesh. You are not going to allow yourself to get into things that you're not supposed to get into. I told you guys it was going to be tough today. So theologically, the theological engine behind all this is self-control is not just wide-knuckling the flesh, it is reckoning the flesh as already crucified in Christ and choosing to walk accordingly. Does it make sense? Self-control is understanding that the flesh has already been crucified in Christ and then choosing to walk in it accordingly. This is why self-control is a fruit of the spirit, not a product of human willpower. You can never. The Holy Spirit produces in us what we could never manufacture on our own. So it comes back to this one point. Living a life in the spirit means a life that is yielded to Christ. Because we can only manifest these traces and characters if we are truly connected to the man and submitted to him. That's the only way out of this. It's not about willpower, it's not about how many conferences you go to, it's not about what man is telling you. It's about your willingness to submit your life to Jesus. Let him rule, let the word have defined authority in your life. Well, actually, get close to the Holy Ghost. Remember, the Bible says, if you abide in me and I abide in you, it's about the abiding in the source that produces the fruit of the spirit. Does that make sense? So now we come to the most powerful single phrase in the whole passage, Galatians 5, 23. And the answer five words. It says, Against such there is no law. No court can persecute love. No authority can criminalize peace. No enemy can build a case against anyone who is faithful. You didn't hear me. Bible says Satan is always accusing us. There is no satanic force that can accuse anyone who is faithful. No spiritual force has a legal ground against any genuine self-control person. The life that is filled with the fruit of the Spirit is a life that hell cannot touch because there is nothing against that life. The Bible said complicated. God has laid it all down in his word. You want a life that rules over the force of darkness, exhibit these fruits in your life. So now we spend the last four weeks walking through these characteristics. And now I want you to see there must one complete portrait of your life. A life that is anchored in God, transforming towards people and governing from the inside out. Love and joy and peace are the roots. Patience, kindness, goodness flowing outward, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control holding the whole thing together. And this is not a self-improvement program. This is the Holy Spirit reproducing the character of Jesus in every believer who abides in the vine. So Matthew 7:16 says, You shall know them by their fruit, not by their talent, not by how eloquent they are, not by what they're demo, you know, their fruit. So before we pray, I'm gonna give you guys some assignments for this week. And we'll pray quickly. First, we'll talk about fruitfulness. Choose one commitment this week that you have been tempted to let slide. Show up, follow through, finish what you said you will do. What are they giving a commitment to? Let someone witness what faithful people actually look like. What is that thing that you committed to do? What was handed into your hands that you are letting it slide? Remember, God is looking for faithful people. Was it the US Summit that says uh men of villa, always faithful, something like that. There was a slogan like that. Always faithful. The church needs faithful people, gentleness. Identify one relationship where your tone has been harder than it needed to be. Choose one conversation this week where you will soften the approach without softening the truth. Strength and the control. When somebody provokes you this week, and I'm praying for strength, strength and control. Taking a deep breath. Just walk away. You know, I was thinking about this. Jesus said something in Matthew, he says that if somebody compels you to go one mile, go with him twice. That's self-control. If somebody slap you on the left, turn the right. That's self-cont. Control, strength under control. You could probably beat the living something out of the person. But you look at them and laugh and just walk away. Not because you are weak, not because you are stupid, but because you know whom you have believed. You are war horse under control. Amen. Self-control. Name the one area where the walls are broken down. Your appetite, your anger, your tongue, your speech, your time, and ask the Holy Spirit to rebuild that wall for you. Not by willpower, it won't work, but by the grace of the Holy Spirit. So Colossians 5 25 says something. If we live in the spirit, let us walk in the spirit. The moment you receive Christ, the spirit comes into you. But walking in the spirit is a daily, deliberate choice. It is a choice to abide. And everything we have talked about this month grows from that one decision. Stay connected, people, to divine.