WEBVTT 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:08.240 This podcast is brought to you by Grand Parkway Baptist. 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:12.480 Helping people to know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:17.920 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit GrandProquay.org. 00:00:19.440 --> 00:00:20.399 Let's pray together. 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:27.760 Lord, we understand when we sing simple hymns like that that the thing that you desire the most, the thing that you place the most value on, is us. 00:00:27.920 --> 00:00:30.160 It's not our stuff, it's not our money. 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:32.399 It's us. 00:00:33.039 --> 00:00:35.439 With your blood, you purchase people for God. 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:37.280 You've always valued us. 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:43.600 You're not here to get your hand in our pocket today. 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:49.600 You're here to put your hand on our heart and say, like the seagulls in binding Nemo, mine, mine, mine. 00:00:49.920 --> 00:00:51.520 It all belongs to you. 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:54.159 So, Holy Spirit, lead us into the truth today. 00:00:54.320 --> 00:01:05.920 Illuminate the scriptures today so that we'll be provoked to godly thinking, so that our minds will be brought into submission and alignment with the truth, and our lives will be freer when we walk out than they were when they walk in. 00:01:06.079 --> 00:01:07.599 This is the byproduct of truth. 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:09.680 It's not oppression, it's freedom. 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:12.319 So we've come today because we are created for freedom. 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:13.840 We want to understand freedom. 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:16.079 We want to experience more freedom today. 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:20.400 Holy Spirit, make that happen as a result of what you do in our head and our heart during this time. 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:21.519 We pray in Christ's name. 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:23.439 And everyone said, Amen. 00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:23.840 Amen. 00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:24.480 You can have a seat. 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:27.680 If you got a Bible, I invite you to take it and open up to Galatians chapter 5. 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:29.120 Galatians chapter 5. 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:38.239 Now, if you're our guest, I want to just tell you, we're preaching through the book of Acts, and we were kind of got to Acts chapter 24, and we got on a we got on what we call where I grew up a honey hole. 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:41.120 If you go, if you if you like the fish, say amen. 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:44.000 Okay, well, I was I grew up in East Texas in a small town. 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:54.879 There was a weird man in my church that I started going to once I was converted, and he would go around, he was weird because at Christmas, he would go around at church and tell everybody, put your Christmas tree out by the street, and I'll come by and pick it up. 00:01:54.959 --> 00:01:58.239 And this cat would have a flatbed trailer full of Christmas trees. 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:06.239 What we didn't understand is that he would tie them all together in bundles, load them on his boat, and then go out in the lake and he'd sink them in a certain spot. 00:02:06.400 --> 00:02:10.080 And basically he had this great barrier reef of sunken Christmas trees. 00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:13.680 Well, what happened was little bait fish get in there because it's safe. 00:02:13.919 --> 00:02:16.159 They feel like they're safe from bigger fish. 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:18.159 And then he would go out there and just slay them. 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:19.840 He'd fish one spot every time. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:22.879 And every time he went, he would come back with a boatload of fish. 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:27.919 And finally, someone followed him and said, Oh, dude, he's got a man-made honey hole. 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:31.520 I remember I was 18, I didn't know what that was, but man, I want one of those. 00:02:31.599 --> 00:02:34.240 Uh, because every time he went, he came back with success. 00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:37.680 We stumbled across just such a thing in Acts chapter 24. 00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:41.840 Uh, you don't have to turn there, but I want you to understand why we're gonna be in Galatians 5 this morning, okay? 00:02:41.919 --> 00:02:45.039 We were in Acts 24, starting in verse 24, and we read these words. 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:51.199 After some days, Felix came with his wife, Drusilla, who is Jewish, and he sent for Paul and he heard him speak about faith in Christ. 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:51.680 Okay? 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:56.560 He's Paul's in prison in Acts because he got in, he preaches the gospel and gets in trouble. 00:02:56.639 --> 00:02:57.199 He's in prison. 00:02:57.360 --> 00:03:01.360 Felix, like, hey, you're on trial, but I want to understand this whole faith in Jesus thing. 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:03.520 Look how the Bible talks about faith in Christ. 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:08.080 It says it, he said for Paul, heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 00:03:08.240 --> 00:03:17.360 As he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, Go away for the present, and when I get an opportunity, I will summon you. 00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:21.120 But see, according to the Bible defines biblical faith in a way that we don't. 00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:26.240 It says, uses words like righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment. 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:28.080 A couple of weeks ago, I talked about righteousness. 00:03:28.240 --> 00:03:32.800 Today I want to talk about everyone's favorite subject, self-control, just in time for the holidays. 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:33.280 Amen. 00:03:33.919 --> 00:03:36.080 Uh, it's not what you think. 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:39.199 Because if you think, well, matter of fact, I'll just give you three introductory thoughts. 00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:40.479 Let me just warn you, okay? 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:42.560 I've been studying with this for a couple of weeks. 00:03:42.719 --> 00:03:46.000 This is in my bones, and so it's gonna be a lot this morning. 00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:53.759 Uh, so if you have a phone with a camera, you might want to get it ready and just take pictures of things that pop up on the screen because you might not be able to write them all down, okay? 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:54.719 Uh, does that make sense? 00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:55.680 Say amen. 00:03:55.840 --> 00:03:57.039 Uh, but let me say this. 00:03:57.280 --> 00:04:09.039 Few things in my life, I'm a little giddy this morning because few things in my life, I can, well, not few, nothing in my Christian life has made a bigger difference in my Christian life than what I'm gonna teach about this morning. 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:13.280 When I understood this, and I'm not gonna say my faith went to the next level. 00:04:13.439 --> 00:04:15.919 No, my faith got enjoyable. 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:18.319 It wasn't labor, it was reflex. 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:20.639 It wasn't duty, it was delight. 00:04:21.439 --> 00:04:23.199 And I and I want you to get this. 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:27.680 Let me just give you some uh I want to talk to you in part two about components of biblical faith, self-control. 00:04:27.839 --> 00:04:29.199 Let me give you three introductory thoughts. 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:32.399 Number one, there's a difference in self-control and self-discipline. 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:34.639 There's a difference in self-control and self-discipline. 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:35.680 We confuse the two. 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:41.120 Deciding to stop eating sweets for the holidays or after the holidays is self-control. 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:44.319 Start to eat vegetables is self-discipline. 00:04:44.639 --> 00:04:47.120 You can succeed at one and fail at the other. 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:55.680 And I would say in our day and age of personal trainers and life coaches and protein sheikhs, uh, I believe we're succeeding at self-discipline and we are failing at self-control. 00:04:55.839 --> 00:04:59.519 So we have prettier people who live less moral lives. 00:04:59.839 --> 00:05:02.240 That's not success, beloved, that's failure. 00:05:02.319 --> 00:05:09.519 Because self-discipline makes you appear uh uh better on the outside, uh, but but but that doesn't mean you're changing on the inside. 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:15.600 Uh self-control is evidence of the spirit's work in your life because it changes you from the inside out, okay? 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:17.600 Second introductory uh thought. 00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:21.600 Uh thinking about this should cause you to think deeper about your salvation. 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:24.879 Thinking about this should cause us to think deeper about our salvation. 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:29.279 Translation, many people uh have never been genuinely converted. 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:38.720 Uh instead, they just get they go to like a camp or to a comment or to church and they get more self-discipline for a brief period of time, but at their core, they've never really changed. 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:42.879 Uh, thirdly, self-control requires a power greater than ourself. 00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:46.560 Self-control requires a power greater than ourself. 00:05:47.040 --> 00:05:47.920 You say, What do you mean? 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:49.360 That's what I want to talk about today. 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:55.439 Because self-control is not you hating you and requiring more of you and increasing your determination. 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:57.759 I would say that's legalism. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:03.360 Self-control, as the Bible talks about it, is not about determination, it's about understanding. 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:11.360 And when I understood this section of scripture, it is like I went from a black and white TV to a colored TV, and I was like, shut up. 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:13.040 I ain't never going back. 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:15.839 Are any of you old enough to remember a black and white TV? 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:18.319 I just said something, and you kids are like, What are you talking about? 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:19.439 Black and white TV. 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:19.759 Yeah. 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:22.879 And I any of you remember rabbit ears, you had that on top of the little thing. 00:06:22.959 --> 00:06:26.319 I lived in the country, my dad goes, We got there and turned in, Tim, the cowboys are on. 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:31.199 And I had to turn the pole, and my dad's screaming at my brother, who's screaming at my brother, who's screaming at me. 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:34.000 And I'm just like, just come out here and whip me and get it over with, okay? 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:37.839 Because I never could could find the right place where it wasn't all staticky. 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:44.000 Uh now we got DVR, we got satellite, we got direct TV, we got Hulu, we got D, we got everything. 00:06:44.240 --> 00:06:56.959 I just want to say, when you went from a black and white TV to color, it's kind of like, oh my gosh, if you understand what Galatians 5 talks about today, when it comes to self-control, it is like going from black and white to color. 00:06:57.040 --> 00:07:01.360 But let me just warn you, there's 27 words in this section of scripture that get all the attention today. 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:03.439 Uh, I don't want to focus on any of them. 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:10.000 There's 27 words, you'll recognize them, and you'll be like, that's what the church in America has focused on those. 00:07:10.079 --> 00:07:14.399 I'll let you figure out what they are, but I'm just gonna say this they are not the focus of the text. 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:20.000 And matter of fact, if you focus on those 27 words, you are going to miss what the Bible is saying. 00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:25.120 So without without more introductory statements, Galatians chapter 5, I'll start reading verse 16. 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:28.800 But I say, walk by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:33.600 For the desires of the flesh are against the spirit, and the desires of the spirit are against the flesh. 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:37.920 For these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 00:07:38.160 --> 00:07:41.120 But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:53.439 Now the works of the flesh are evident sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. 00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:58.079 I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:05.600 Verse 22 says, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:07.839 Against such things there is no law. 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:12.639 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:16.079 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:20.560 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another and envying one another. 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:24.399 Now, to experience self-control, which by the way is a fruit of the spirit. 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:30.079 Now, when I say a fruit of the spirit, what I'm saying is that this is something that the Holy Spirit of God produces inside of you. 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:35.600 Now, I don't have time to get into this part of it, uh, but eventually I want to preach to the book of Galatians because it's a very helpful book. 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:43.279 But notice that they got these nine things that are plural, and the Bible uses the singular word fruit, because the fruit develops symmetrically. 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:46.879 You don't just get better at being loving or patient or more self-control. 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:49.600 All of these things, when you and I walk in the spirit, you understand? 00:08:49.679 --> 00:08:52.080 When I say walk in the spirit, I'll give you a definition of that in a minute. 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:57.600 But when you become a Christian, that God's Spirit, He puts it, His the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you, okay? 00:08:57.919 --> 00:09:03.840 And you're to be led by, you're to be full of the Spirit, you're you you're to walk by the Spirit. 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:10.720 It's the thing, and here's how I say it: you stop living from the outside in and you start living from the inside out. 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:13.679 It makes the hugest difference in your life. 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:24.320 And so uh to experience self-control, which is a fruit of the spirit, uh, which means it's something the spirit of God does inside of us, uh, to experience self-control, you need to understand four things from the text. 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:26.960 Number one, you need to understand what it means to walk by the spirit. 00:09:27.120 --> 00:09:28.240 Verse 16 says this. 00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:28.960 Hear it again. 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:33.519 But I say, walk by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:44.639 We have tried everything in the American church to get people to stop sinning, except saying, hey, you need to learn to walk by the spirit, because if you walk by the spirit, you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:48.799 Now, when the Bible says the desires of the flesh, do you know what the desires of your flesh are? 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:50.159 Say yes or no. 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:53.759 Some of you are like, all too well. 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:54.879 Exactly. 00:09:55.360 --> 00:09:55.679 Exactly. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:10:00.480 So when I say walk by the spirit, you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:02.799 Okay, so what does it mean to walk by the spirit? 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:03.919 Let me give you a definition. 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:10.559 To walk by the spirit is what happens when the desires produced by the spirit are stronger than the desires produced by the flesh. 00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:17.919 To walk by the spirit is what happens when the desires produced by the spirit are stronger than the desires produced by the flesh. 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:24.480 The Holy Spirit produces desires in us that are in keeping with God's word and lead us into the experience of God's will. 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:25.039 Okay? 00:10:25.440 --> 00:10:28.399 Uh Christianity is not just forgiveness for living in your will. 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:32.080 It's not just forgiveness for oh, the desires of the flesh got me again. 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:32.559 Okay? 00:10:32.879 --> 00:10:38.159 Uh now, the the opposition of spirit and flesh, people say, oh, a lot of times in counseling is I don't know what my deal is. 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:39.039 I know the right thing. 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:39.759 I just don't do it. 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:41.600 And I say, Well, I can explain it to you. 00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:42.799 It's right here in the Bible. 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:46.720 The opposition of spirit versus flesh is what keeps you from doing what you want to do. 00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:50.480 See, I don't doubt people when they say, I want to do the right thing. 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:52.399 I don't doubt that at all. 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:57.200 I doubt people when they say, I don't know what the wrong, I don't know what the wrong things I want to do are. 00:10:57.279 --> 00:10:58.080 I'm like, really? 00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:00.480 Have you read read the Bible before? 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:19.279 Because if you look right here in Galatians chapter 5, verse 17, after he says, Hey, if you walk by the Spirit, you will not gratify the desires of the flesh, he said, 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 you want to do. 00:11:19.600 --> 00:11:33.039 See, the Bible affirms you want to do the right thing, but it is your flesh, it is your natural way of thinking and being morally, physically, emotionally that is in opposition to what the Holy Spirit wants inside of you. 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:37.519 So, walking by the Spirit, let me just say this: this is not a new thing, okay? 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:42.320 Walking by the Spirit is the fulfillment of a promise God made to his people a long time ago. 00:11:42.480 --> 00:11:47.360 So I want you to understand it's not like, oh, well, this is the latest book that they're selling at the bookstore. 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:52.720 No, uh, this kind of living has always been God's desire and God's design for his people. 00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:55.360 The spirit-led life is God's design. 00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:57.279 Let me read something from the Old Testament. 00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:00.480 This is way back there, the book of Ezekiel, chapter 36. 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:03.440 God says this listen to this promise God makes to his people. 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:08.240 He says, I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:22.639 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness, and from all your idols I will cleanse you, and I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 00:12:22.799 --> 00:12:29.279 I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:34.639 It's that little line right there at the end I want you to draw your attention to, and be careful to obey my rules. 00:12:34.879 --> 00:12:38.399 Have you ever had the experience where you feel like I'm fixing to obey, to disobey? 00:12:38.559 --> 00:12:41.679 I'm fixing to, I know this is wrong, but I think I'm gonna do it anyway. 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:44.559 And something inside of you just says, be careful. 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:46.399 Be careful. 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:47.919 That is the Holy Spirit. 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:51.360 Then the Bible says that what God does when his spirit comes to live inside of you. 00:12:51.519 --> 00:12:52.639 This is the Old Testament. 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:55.840 This is the way God's designed you and I to live, not from the outside in. 00:12:56.000 --> 00:13:01.440 I heard a sermon or I went to a Bible study or I read a book and I gotta get this, and I'm gonna force it inside of me. 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:03.279 If it kills me, it will. 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:08.000 You will become just another burned out, joyless Christian that no one wants to be like. 00:13:08.320 --> 00:13:13.919 But God says, I'll take out your heart of stone, that's your natural heart is hard towards God and the things of God. 00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:17.039 And I put in you a heart of flesh where you can feel what this feels like. 00:13:17.120 --> 00:13:25.279 And I put my spirit in you, and he says, and I will move you and I will cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:27.600 He's talking about what everything the Bible says. 00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:34.159 You should have the experience as a Christian of consistently hearing the the Spirit of God kind of just whisper, be careful. 00:13:34.240 --> 00:13:37.039 And sometimes he doesn't whisper, sometimes he gets very loud. 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:38.559 It's kind of like the game Operation. 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:39.440 Remember you were a little kid? 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:40.960 You ever play the game Operation? 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:43.039 What happened when you touch the sides? 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:45.120 You're like, hoo, hoo, hoo. 00:13:45.360 --> 00:13:47.600 I remember the first time I played the game Operation. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:50.799 If I didn't know the word trauma, but if I did, I would have used it, okay? 00:13:51.039 --> 00:13:54.080 Because they thought, oh, we're just taking plastic bones out of these little holes. 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:55.279 And then I took those metal. 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:58.559 I should have known when the metal tweezers had a wire connected to them. 00:13:58.799 --> 00:14:00.000 Something's going on here. 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:02.480 I touched the side and I was like, oh my God. 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:05.279 And they go, grab the thing, go, your turns up. 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:09.279 And I was like, well, thanks for the shame and the deep sense of failure. 00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:15.919 But if you were ever going to experience one of the components of biblical faith, which is self-control. 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:19.200 Self-control does not come through self-hatred or determination. 00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:22.000 It comes, first of all, you got to understand what it means to live by the spirit. 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:25.279 Secondly, you've got to understand what it means to be led by the spirit. 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:27.039 To be led by the spirit. 00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:28.320 That's what he says in verse 18. 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:32.240 And notice this, he says, but if you're led by the spirit, you're not under the law. 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:34.240 You are not under the law. 00:14:34.480 --> 00:14:37.919 Now, that does not mean that the law is no longer in effect. 00:14:38.080 --> 00:14:50.639 What he's saying is that the Spirit of God works in you in such a way that the righteous demands of the law are being met, not by external rule keeping, but by an internal reality that you're enjoying on an ever-increasing level. 00:14:50.879 --> 00:14:52.720 Does that make sense to anybody besides me? 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:53.759 Let me say that again. 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:59.279 Now, when he says, hey, verse 18, again, but if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:04.320 Do you remember when your kids got old enough to where you didn't have to, you could parent them differently? 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:07.840 Some of you are like, no, we're not there yet. 00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:11.200 There should come a point where you can parent your kids differently. 00:15:11.279 --> 00:15:13.679 You can say to your kids, hey, can you be trusted? 00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:18.320 Because I'm not gonna stand over you all the time and ground you and take your phone away and blah, blah, blah. 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:20.399 Grow up and be able to be trusted. 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:21.919 By the way, God's the same way. 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:25.519 It's why he says in Hebrews chapter 5, hey, you people are still on milk. 00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:28.080 You should be on to solid meat, okay? 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:31.360 But you're like little babies because you still need milk. 00:15:31.600 --> 00:15:37.679 There should come a point in a time where you outgrow milk and you've moved on to meat in the way you relate to God. 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:43.039 The Bible says this is what happens when the language used, it says, be led by the Spirit. 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:46.559 If you're led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:47.519 Now, what does that mean? 00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:48.399 It means two things. 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:50.720 You're not under the law's condemnation. 00:15:50.960 --> 00:15:56.000 You're not have this sense of, uh, I'm just consistently failing and I don't know what my deal is. 00:15:56.159 --> 00:16:00.000 By the way, I was in a Bible study last week and I wanted to just scream, okay? 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:06.879 Because apparently the guy didn't study or something because he just got up there and plattered on and he just kept saying, hey, we're all losers. 00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:09.039 You know, that's just you, you're just loser. 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:11.679 You got to embrace the loser in you, and that's when you win. 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:14.960 And I just thought, no, no, unamen. 00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:26.240 Because here's what it is we just lower the standard by just saying, Oh, we're all losers, we're all losers, we can't do this. 00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:29.279 Well, why did God put his spirit in you if you could never do it? 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:41.039 You can't, but the spirit in you can, and you should experience the spirit's power or go back and check your salvation experience because you didn't get a defective model, a broken model, or a discontinued model. 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:46.399 You got the spirit of God, which is a third member of the Trinity, not the junior executive of the Godhead. 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:48.559 And he lives inside of you. 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:52.960 And it's not like, hey, you're just a loser, everyone else is a loser. 00:16:53.039 --> 00:16:56.080 So, so this is why we love the word community in church so much. 00:16:56.159 --> 00:16:57.440 We're all losers. 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:04.000 That's not the gospel, that's you lowering the standard and letting yourself off the hook. 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:06.160 Be led by the spirit means two things. 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:09.200 I mean, excuse me, he says if you're led by the spirit, you're not under the law. 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:09.839 What does that mean? 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:10.400 Two things. 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:12.079 You're not under the law's condemnation. 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:14.880 Secondly, you're not under the law's constraint. 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:19.680 In other words, you don't need the law trying to make you do things you have no desire to do. 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:23.039 You should not need the law, the rules. 00:17:23.359 --> 00:17:24.240 This right here. 00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:31.680 You shouldn't read the Bible just to feel bad and like, okay, okay, give me three things to do today that I absolutely hate. 00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:41.519 Like your mom students waking you up and kind of going, hey, listen, I don't really care about you, but I'm contractually obligated to cook you breakfast and take you to school. 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:43.519 So get up, let's get this over with. 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:48.640 You should at some point be like, it's okay, I want to be adopted. 00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:49.519 Okay? 00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:50.880 Yeah. 00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:54.319 See, there's a progression in our posture towards the Holy Spirit. 00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:55.519 Let me say that again. 00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:58.960 There's a progression in our posture towards the Holy Spirit. 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:00.720 It's this four-step process. 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:06.079 It starts with knowing and then understanding and then trusting and then enjoying. 00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:07.200 Let me say it again. 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:11.359 It starts with knowing, or you just you don't just I just know God. 00:18:11.519 --> 00:18:18.079 No, but but I know what the Holy Spirit's like, how he leads, what his voice is like in my head and in my heart. 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:22.079 Knowing, understanding, understanding. 00:18:22.319 --> 00:18:23.039 So, what do you mean? 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:26.160 What questions come up on you when people talk about the Holy Spirit? 00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:30.480 I the church I preached at last week, super charismatic in Amarella. 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:33.279 I mean, they had banner dancers in the back waving stuff around. 00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:35.359 I was like, easy gonna poke someone's eye out. 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:37.759 And the pastor leaned over to me and goes, Are you are you are you okay? 00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:38.640 We're kind of in a spirit. 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:42.880 I said, Charismatics don't have a I didn't corner the market on the Holy Spirit. 00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:44.720 Be careful. 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:46.799 Be careful. 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:48.640 The Baptists have the Holy Spirit too. 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:50.400 He's like, Oh, I don't know about that. 00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:53.119 Whether they realize it or not, they do. 00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:55.599 Knowing, understanding, trusting. 00:18:55.759 --> 00:19:01.440 You want to get to the point where you trust who the Holy Spirit is and how he leads in your life. 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:03.519 And then lastly, enjoying. 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:07.359 This is what you want to get to as soon as possible, where you just enjoy the life. 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:17.440 This is why you walk in the spirit, you'll not fulfill the desires of your flesh, because you enjoy the life the Holy Spirit introduces you to more than you enjoy the life that your flesh introduces you to. 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:20.880 You don't need your parents standing over you going, be home by 11. 00:19:21.519 --> 00:19:23.279 Did you smoke weed today? 00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:25.039 Grow up. 00:19:26.160 --> 00:19:29.039 You will never here's the sad part about all that. 00:19:29.279 --> 00:19:45.599 You will never enjoy this life, the way God intended it to be enjoyed, and the way you were created to enjoy it, if you're always under constraint, you're never moving and growing in your understanding of, your trusting in, and your enjoyment of. 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:46.000 Okay? 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:48.400 Again, not saying the law is no longer in effect. 00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:53.359 I'm saying the spirit works in such a way that our lives is reflex, not labor. 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:55.440 It's just reflex. 00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:57.519 You're just like, oh yeah, yeah, that's what I do. 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:03.440 Uh the Bible talks about if you're in Galatians 5, you got a Bible and see this, turn back just a couple chapters to Galatians chapter 3. 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:05.279 I'll start reading verse 10. 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:08.160 Hear the way God structured this from the beginning. 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:11.039 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse. 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:11.839 Uh-oh. 00:20:12.559 --> 00:20:18.960 If you're here and you think you can be, your good is gonna outweigh your bad, the Bible's fixing to indict you. 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:20.559 It's fixed to punch you in the throat. 00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:21.359 Get ready. 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:29.839 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse, for it is written, cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law and do them. 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:34.400 Anyone here, can you abide by all things written in the book of the law and do them? 00:20:34.559 --> 00:20:35.440 Say amen. 00:20:36.960 --> 00:20:37.599 Unamen. 00:20:38.000 --> 00:20:38.640 Yeah. 00:20:39.759 --> 00:20:40.559 Verse 11. 00:20:40.640 --> 00:20:46.880 Now it's evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for the righteous shall live by faith, but the law is not of faith. 00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:49.599 Rather, the one who does them shall live by them. 00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:54.079 Verse 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. 00:20:54.240 --> 00:21:01.519 For it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree, so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles. 00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:06.720 So that's you and me, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:10.319 See, Jesus did, here's what Galatians 3 is telling you. 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:13.920 Jesus did what he did so you could receive the Holy Spirit. 00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:19.759 So you couldn't just get a Bible and kind of go, Well, I'm gonna try my best and I hope it's enough. 00:21:19.839 --> 00:21:20.720 It's not. 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:22.400 It's not. 00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:27.599 Remember a couple weeks ago, all your righteous deeds are as filthy rags in the sight of a holy God. 00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:28.079 Okay? 00:21:28.240 --> 00:21:31.200 And so you say, Well, okay, well, I don't know what you mean. 00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:32.799 Be led by the Spirit. 00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:34.079 Look at verse 19. 00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:35.519 Here's the 27 works. 00:21:35.839 --> 00:21:39.759 When you talk about Galatians 5, here's the only part that people are accustomed to. 00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:44.400 And it's not your fault, it's it it's the fault of lazy preachers who like lists. 00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:48.400 We like lists because lists appeal to our desire to actually do something. 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:49.519 But look at verse 19. 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:50.559 This will sound familiar. 00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:53.200 After he says, But if you're led by the spirit, you're not under the law. 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:59.599 Verse 19 now the works of the flesh are evident sexual morality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:00.640 Jealousy. 00:22:00.720 --> 00:22:02.720 This sounds like topics for youth camp. 00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:09.279 Fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. 00:22:09.359 --> 00:22:12.000 And when he says orgies, he's talking about drunken revelry. 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:12.480 Okay? 00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:17.599 So not only do these people get drunk, but they get drunk together and they act like fools, okay? 00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:21.599 And before that, those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:27.920 He says, and things like these, and I warned you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 00:22:28.079 --> 00:22:29.279 That's the naughty list. 00:22:29.359 --> 00:22:30.880 Now, here's the nice list. 00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:38.000 But, verse 22, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. 00:22:38.160 --> 00:22:41.599 Now, what the church does is say, hey, you don't want to be on the naughty list. 00:22:41.759 --> 00:22:43.119 You want to be on the nice list. 00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:50.400 And then preachers stand up and try to teach you how to be more loving, how to have more self-control, how to be kind, blah, blah, blah. 00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:52.480 And I'm just submitting to you this morning, look at me. 00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:53.920 I'm just submitting to you this morning. 00:22:54.079 --> 00:23:01.119 If you'll learn to live by the Spirit and be led by the Spirit, the Spirit of God will produce those realities inside of you. 00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:07.440 That's not what Christianity, it is Christianity is not you looking at the list and kind of going, oh man, okay. 00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:12.559 Today I'm gonna be, I'm gonna practice goodness and faithfulness and gentleness. 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:13.920 Gentleness. 00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:16.240 Until I get cut off in traffic. 00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:21.839 Or let me stop myself, driving back heroically from Birmingham. 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:27.519 I got up at three in the morning to get my wife home so you could have hot tea, okay, before it was too late for her to consume caffeine. 00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:30.720 Uh, we're driving on I-10 East, and I'm on world record pace. 00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:36.079 I don't know about the rest of you men, but I'm looking at the clock and I got a personal record going here, and I'm like, man, it's gonna be great. 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:39.440 I'm gonna hit the HOV lane and just zip down I-10. 00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:44.799 Well, there's two HOV options when you get into Houston on I-10 West, okay? 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:45.839 When you're coming in. 00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:48.880 The first one takes you to 290, okay? 00:23:49.119 --> 00:23:52.079 It says Katie something, but it takes you to 290. 00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:59.359 The second one is the one I want to be on, which just allows you to just speed down I-10 and beat everybody and set your personal record. 00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:01.599 I was in a state of exhaustion. 00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:03.599 I saw Katie Toway or HOV. 00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:04.480 I thought, oh, that's me. 00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:08.799 I pulled, and by the way, once you get in that, you can't get off for 12 miles. 00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:10.319 There is no exit. 00:24:10.480 --> 00:24:12.880 You were walled in on both sides. 00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:16.240 And the lid on the pot was starting to rattle. 00:24:16.559 --> 00:24:20.000 I was like, Sakawe, are you kidding me? 00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:23.039 And I look over, my wife's just doing this. 00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:32.079 And clear as a bell, the Holy Spirit said, now we're talking about self-control on Sunday. 00:24:33.519 --> 00:24:39.519 And I tried to circumnavigate where the where the uh where the metro buses are and get out, and they had I-10 East blocks. 00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:43.359 I gonna drive over the curve, and but and so I just had to just take my medicine. 00:24:43.440 --> 00:24:46.799 And it said, in 12 miles, take the exit. 00:24:47.200 --> 00:24:55.759 And then I had to, you know, in my mind, and maybe a little bit out loud, talk about what idiot designed this where you cannot get off for 12 miles. 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:57.359 This is not fair. 00:24:57.519 --> 00:24:58.480 I said that. 00:25:00.240 --> 00:25:06.960 And then I just started saying to my wife, I want to bring you out here and see you how Jersey Village, how, how, how developed Jersey Village has become. 00:25:07.359 --> 00:25:09.279 Look, they have a Whataburger. 00:25:09.519 --> 00:25:11.039 And she's just shaking her head. 00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:14.720 And I'm looking at this as like 19-minute setback right here. 00:25:14.960 --> 00:25:16.960 And I am not happy about it. 00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:21.920