Out of Control to In Control

In: 1. I love music, bass in church, drums in bands (pictures) concerts (Chicago)

2. Petra song- Killing my old man

a. Be killing sin or it will be killing you- puritan writer John Owen

3. Repentance- to change your mind, 180 shift

a. A child’s definition of repentance: ‘being sorry enough to stop’

4. Series- “From death to life”

a. Deuteronomy 30:19-20 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life

b. Ephesians 4:17-24 Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 Take off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God

c. Take off the old, put on the new

1) We dress for our new life as a new man

5. Our new man requires new clothes

a. Went from Lies and Falsehood and put on Truth

b. From being a Taker to being a Giver

c. From Tearing other Down to Building others Up

6. Today from being Out of Control to being In Control

a. 5:5-20 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. 3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. 10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” 15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7. In the context of living in these last evil days…

Ts: Take off being Out-of-Control and put on being In-Control

I. OUT OF CONTROL

A. We are not to be controlled by our passions

1. A person in the flesh is following their desires like a slave or an animal

2. Sexual immorality- sexual stuff outside of Biblical marriage (porneia)

a. We tend to think things are worse today than ever before

1) Covid- never been this bad- bubonic plague 200m, Spanish flu 100m, AIDS 30m, Covid 2m

2) Sexuality- Romans times

b. Chastity was the one completely new virtue Christianity brought into the world- Barclay

c. Take off/stop- sexuality outside of Biblical marriage

3. Impurity- dirty lusts, dirty motives (not clean)

a. Obscene talk, indecency, unclean speech, innuendos, dirty jokes

b. We should have boundaries. Don’t get so close to the edge

c. We can’t lead from the middle of the pack

1) Some things aren’t sin, they just aren’t wise

2) As a believer I want to be an example, one step ahead, to lead others

4. Greedy (the desire to have more)

a. Eve (tree), Achan (money/clothing), David (wife)

b. Woman’s shoes or a Man’s toys- we want more

c. Quit making life about us and our wants

1) Making others objects for our sexually

2) Crossing boundaries to satisfy our pleasure, popularity, position

3) Not being thankful for what we have but focusing on what we don’t have

5. These things shouldn’t be named (they’re not fitting, they don’t fit)

a. A selfish Christian is an oxymoron- Christ was unselfish

1) 5:2 follow the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us

b. v6 Don’t let someone deceive you by telling you it’s not a big deal, God’s wrath is coming because of this stuff

c. Jesus didn’t die for our excuses, He died for our sins- we must confess them

d. THEREFORE- don’t be a part of it with them 7 We are not part of that life anymore 8 We have been transferred from darkness to light, from death to life

B. Wastefulness

* 16-28 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that is wastefulness. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit

1. Don’t be drunk with wine

a. Alcohol interferes with the brain's communication pathways making it harder for the brain in controlling balance, memory, speech, and judgment, resulting in a higher likelihood of injuries and other negative outcomes.

b. 22-26% of community hospital admissions are alcohol related

c. Alcohol plays a role in 40% violent crimes, 70% drownings, 75% rapes on college campus

d. Think when you drink?

2. We should never give control of our mind to anything other than God

a. Alcohol, drugs, transcendental meditation

3. Because we should be “redeeming” the time

a. Making the most of every opportunity, not wasting it 16

b. Asotia- a-negative, sozo-save- that which can’t be saved, prodigal

1) Luke 15:13 “Squandered” his wealth

2) The “prodigal” son- wasted, reckless behavior, A reckless waste of life itself

4. We are out of control when we are at the whims of our feelings and desires

* Take off being Out-of-Control to our feelings, thought, emotions and desires

II. IN-CONTROL

* 1-2 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God

A. How do we redeem the time?

1. Imitate Christ

a. In everything we do- not just at church

b. Live a life filled with love 2

1) Follow the example of Christ

2) He gave Himself up for us

3) As a sacrifice to God

a) We are a living sacrifice- Romans 12:1

b) When was the last time we sacrificed for someone else?

c) A fragrant aroma- makes God happy

d) Makes us happy- JOY = Jesus 1st, Others 2nd, Yourself last

2. Live as people of light 3-14

* 8-13 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. 10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

a. Determine what pleases the Lord 10

1) Everyday put a smile on God’s face

2) Good- benefits others and yourself

3) Right- straightness, in line with God’s character

4) True- out in the open, nothing hidden

b. Run to the Light

1) We have nothing to hide

a) Sin, shame make us want to hide (Adam & Eve)

2) Sincere- without wax

3) We welcome God’s conviction, accountability

4) Growing relationships require honesty

a) Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

c. Expose the darkness

1) By turning on the light/being the light

2) By our speech- contrasting conversation (do people apologize around you?)

3) By our actions- contrasting lifestyle

a) Don’t be an expert on sinful things 12 don’t even talk about them

3. Being intentional

* 15-17 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlesslybut understand what the Lord wants you to do.

a. Wake up and let God’s light shine on you 14

1) Turn the lights on, get out of bed sleepy head

b. By making the most of your time (to be accurate, deliberate, In-control) 16

1) Walking as the wise, not foolish

2) Not thoughtlessly 17 – without thought, go with flow, out of control

3) Understand- to put together, intentional. Thoughts working together toward something

c. What are we working toward today? (Making the most of our opportunities)

4. Being filled with the Spirit 8 (instead of being filled with spirits- drunk)

* 18-20 Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

a. By being continually filled with the Spirit 18

1) Worshipping with your heart

a) Psalms, Hymns, Spiritual songs- songs of praise with/without instruments

b) Making songs from your heart- JC Walker- whistling

c) Gratitude, being thankful 20

2) Continually filled- By making room for more

a) Sharing what you have to make room for more

3) Refilling’s- Disciples- Acts 2:4, 4:8, 4:31, 13:52

a) There’s more

b) Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, so the Holy Spirit was always in him

· But in Mark 1:10 the Holy a spirit came on him

· Luke 4:1 Came from the wilderness full of the Holy Spirit

b. Being full of the Spirit helps us redeem the time because He directs us, prepares the way, makes us bold, inspires us with what to say

1) We must become more dependent on the Holy Spirit

2) We are all filled with something… what are you filled with?

a) Galatians 5:19-23 (Fruit of the Flesh) When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. (Out of Control)

b) 22-23 (Fruit of the Spirit) But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control (In Control)

* We are to put on a life that is In Control of our feelings, thoughts, emotions, desires

Cn: 1. Redeem the time- because the days are evil

2. Revelation 12:12 Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time

3. Instead of bumbling through life, following our desires, crossing boundaries- wasting our life

4. Or can we redeem the time by being full of the Holy Spirit, living a life filled with love

5. We take off being out of control and put on a life that is in the control of the Holy Spirit

Al: 1. Salvation- Who’s running your life. He gave His life for you will you give your life to Him

2. Become more dependent on the Holy Spirit- redeem the time, want more