Learning Self-Control
Teach Us Sound Doctrine • Sermon • Submitted
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· 3 viewsDo you ever feel out of control? The truth is we are out of control most of the time, but the one thing we can control is ourselves. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit and therefore must come from the Spirit God has placed in us. As Titus ministered to the people of Crete, he challenged them to live in self-control.
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Transcript
Introduction:
Have you ever heard someone say, “Please control yourself.”
or, “You must be out of your ever lovin’ mind.”
How many of you have lost your salvation driving your car? The only reason you haven’t is because Jesus mercy and grace is sufficient to even cover your road rage. Can I get an Amen!!
Anybody have to count to 10 lately?
I’m fully convinced that when my father told me to go wait in his room for a whippin’, He was using that time to get himself back under control lest he slay me.
The world seems to to live out of control. I think we all know we have no control over our environment. Control is one big façade. But what is the one thing we can control? We can only control ourselves.
What is self-control? And how do we get it?
Self-control: “The ability to control one's emotions and desires or the expression of them in one's behavior, especially in difficult situations.” Oxford
Self-control: “The ability to control one's emotions and desires or the expression of them in one's behavior, especially in difficult situations.” Oxford
I think self-control manifests itself in so many ways:
The words you say
The things you do
The disciplines you keep
Hygiene
Biblical Self-Control: Letting your emotions and desires be governed by the truth of God’s Word in order to express the fruit of the Spirit within you.
Biblical Self-Control: Letting your emotions and desires be governed by the truth of God’s Word in order to express the fruit of the Spirit within you.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Spiritual Self-Control is not the oppression of sinful desires during moments of high stress or difficulty, but a change in heart and mind toward the difficulty that changes the outward expression.
Spiritual Self-Control is not the oppression of sinful desires during moments of high stress or difficulty, but a change in heart and mind toward the difficulty that changes the outward expression.
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Through this mini series in Titus, we are asking Him to “Teach us Sound Doctrine.” In Titus, we see this theme of self-control run through the entirety of the letter.
Chapter One: Appoint Elders of Sound Doctrine and self control
Week Two: We witnessed this in action with Kevin and Carry Scarbrough
This Week we finish this little book learning how sound doctrine brings self-control.
5 Times in the book of Titus we see the command for self-control in all of God’s people:
5 Times in the book of Titus we see the command for self-control in all of God’s people:
A qualification for an elder or overseer of God’s people.
A qualification for an elder or overseer of God’s people.
7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.
A qualification for older men.
A qualification for older men.
2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.
A qualification for older women.
A qualification for older women.
3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,
A qualification for younger women.
A qualification for younger women.
4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.
A qualification for younger men.
A qualification for younger men.
6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.
3 Steps to Gaining Self-control:
3 Steps to Gaining Self-control:
Be lead by Sound Doctrine for self-control.
Be lead by Sound Doctrine for self-control.
1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.
Renew your mind with the Word of God.
Renew your mind with the Word of God.
Self control begins with an understanding of the truth.
5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
In any given situation you will have two opinions. What you think and what God thinks. God is right.
Replace your words and thoughts with God’s word and thoughts.
Replace your heart with God’s heart.
When you know the truth, the truth will set you free.
When you know the truth, the truth will set you free.
Most lack self-control because they have believed a lie of some sort.
Lies we tell ourselves cause us to act in accordance with the lie.
Lies that others tell us skew our understanding of our world and cause us to make bad choices with bad information.
Be lead by the Spirit for self-control
Be lead by the Spirit for self-control
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Walking by the Spirit requires yielding to the Spirit
Walking by the Spirit requires yielding to the Spirit
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
Are you walking by the flesh or by the Spirit?
Who is reigning over you?
Walking by the Spirit yields the fruit of the Spirit
Walking by the Spirit yields the fruit of the Spirit
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Be lead by the Gospel for self-control
Be lead by the Gospel for self-control
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
We were all out of control once.
We were all out of control once.
If you find yourself out of control Jesus can make you whole.
If you find yourself out of control as a christian you might need to be reminded of what God has saved you from.
Let the goodness and loving kindness of God save you from yourself.
Let the goodness and loving kindness of God save you from yourself.