What Makes You Tick?

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Get Attention:

Illustration - Brinks Armored; "When liability goes missing, nine out of ten times, it was an inside job." - Chris MacDonald, Training Instructor.

Raise Need:

Illustration - Clark Kent removing his dress shirt revealing Superman's "S" emblazoned on his uniform underneath.

We all have something to hide; secret desires, but the truth is, instead of be something super, it really is something sinful.

Orient Theme:

The longer we live, the more intimately we know what Paul humbly confessed, "I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing..." (Rom. 7).

State Purpose:

To help you define and discern the spiritual health of your wants (wicked or wise)that you may sow accordingly to minimize consequences you wish to avoid and maximize the long-term enjoyment of what you wisely desire.

Main Thought:

CPT:

What you sow is directly related to what you want and why; and what you reap is the consequence of how, what, where, when you sow.

CPS:

In order to achieve your hearts wise and honorable desires without, your worst enemy within must be defeated.

Sub-Introduction:

Connecting Context:

"The Galatians were enamored of their own efforts. They approached each other with self-confidence. As a result they forfeited their joy, put themselves back on a performance basis for acceptance with God and each other, and distorted the grace of the gospel (; ; ). To help the Galatians counter these errors, Paul affirmed his own weakness, saying ['I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.'] (). Therefore, he asserted ['But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.'] ().

Paul, although an apostle, writer of more than a dozen New Testament letters, trail-blazer through Europe and parts of Asia, and an ambassador of Christ before kings and members of Caesar’s household, had nothing in his humanity to commend himself to God and make him spiritually acceptable—except the cross of Christ. All his achievements and attainments he considered as ['dung.'] His boldness to 'press on' was not because he had 'already [attained]' some advanced state, or was 'already perfect.' He pressed on [because 'Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.'] (; ).

This is a profound picture of supernatural hope and deeply anchored faith." - Rick Horne

I. Root Determines Fruit; Seed Determines Root (, ).

A. The Lust of the Flesh ():

Galatians 5:19–21 KJV 1900

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

State Point -

We cannot negate the foolish wants that we have, they typically fall in line with Paul's list somewhere.

Anchor Point -

"Are manifest. Plain, well-known. The world is full of illustrations of what corrupt human nature produces, and as to the existence and nature of those works, no one can be ignorant." - Barnes, Albert

Validate Point -

"Adultery23 is unfaithfulness in the marriage relationship. Fornication is unlawful sexual intercourse. Uncleanness is moral evil, sensuality. Lewdness is shameless conduct involving absence of restraint. Idolatry is not only the worship of idols, but also the immorality that accompanies demon worship. Sorcery is witchcraft, the Greek word being related to drugs (pharmakeia). Because drugs were used in sorcery, the word came to mean intercourse with evil spirits, or the use of magic spells. It may also include superstitions, “bad luck,” etc. Hatred means strong feelings of malice directed toward individuals. Contentions are discord, variance, quarrels. Jealousies are distrust, suspicions. Wrath is outbursts of hot anger or passions. Selfish ambitions are self-centered strivings to be “number one,” even at others’ expense. Dissensions are separations caused by disagreements. Heresies are sects formed by men with self-willed opinions. Envy is displeasure at the success or prosperity of others. Murders24 are unlawful killing of others. Drunkenness refers to intoxication caused by strong drink. Revelries are riotous gatherings for entertainment, accompanied by drunkenness.

Paul warns his readers, as he had told them before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. The passage does not teach that a drunkard cannot be saved, but it does say that those whose lives are characterized by the above catalog of fleshly works are not saved.25

Why should Paul write in this manner to churches of Christians? The reason is that not all who profess to be saved are true children of God." - Believer's Bible Commentary

Explain Point -

"Paul argued in that such activities warrant the death penalty! The list includes 15 specific vices and the catchall comment, ['and such like'] (). The list resists ordering, though it is possible to recognize in the list the following: concerns about loose living (items 1–3); opposition to Christian faith (items 4–5); patterns of conflict (items 6–13); and lack of sobriety (items 14–15)." - Cornerstone Bible Commentary

B. The Fruit of the Spirit ():

Galatians 5:22–23 KJV 1900

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

State Point -

While we recognize the tendency for our flesh to want things that will ultimately be bad for us, we also have to not throw the baby out with the bath water when it comes to our wants. I'm sure that deep down in EVERY single person here tonight, there are some "wise wants" too.

Anchor Point -

"People want peace, love, joy, and acceptance by God (or a god). These are some of the 'wise wants' that God has wired into our natures. [Young people and elders alike] appreciate beauty, fairness, justice, sacrifice, and kindness. They value truthfulness, integrity, loyalty, freedom, and respect. The list of virtues they esteem, to one extent or another, goes on and on. This does not mean they practice these things. Their self-centeredness, like ours, gets in the way of being what they want underneath.

In its naked and unrestrained form, our sin would destroy us and everyone else. But such uninhibited, total abandonment to one’s own self-glorification never reaches full flower in any of us. Something restrains us. By common grace, there is in everyone some measure of respect for virtue. Paul refers to this general human desire by noting that ['For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)'] (). The sense of the moral law of God—that which is right, admirable, and desirable—is imprinted on each of us as creatures of God.

These desires are in [young people] too. In , for example, Solomon says, ['He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: But the hand of the diligent maketh rich.'] When [your] parents are urged to reason with [you] about laziness and poverty, [it’s] because the connection between diligence and wealth makes sense to [you]. All of the proverbs have assumptions of 'wise wants' like this lying beneath them...None of us should lean on our own understanding. But the Bible is a book of knowledge. It teaches us that certain choices bring about certain consequences. In order to take advantage of this knowledge we obviously must employ our understanding." - Rick Horne

Validate Point -

Illustration - "On January 12, 2007, at 7:51 a.m., world-renowned violin virtuoso Joshua Bell, dressed as a common street musician, played for forty-three minutes at the top of an indoor escalator system serving the L’Enfant Plaza subway station in Washington, DC. An artist who commands more than $1,000 a minute for his performances, Bell played six classical masterpieces on his $3.5 million Stradivari-designed violin from the early 18th century. More than 1,000 commuters hurried past Bell. Only a few gave him more than a passing glance, one recognized him from a concert she had been to the night before at the Library of Congress, and a grand total of $32.17 was tossed into his open violin case. In the presence of greatness, virtually no one recognized him and none honored him as arguably the greatest violinist in the world!

Joshua Bell was part of an experiment sponsored by the Washington Post to study how context affects the way people respond to a person or event. In other words, how does what I’m looking for affect what I see? Three days before, Bell had sold out Boston’s stately Symphony Hall at $100 per ticket for a 'pretty good' seat, according to the Post article. Those concert-goers had been expecting a spectacular artist and were duly rewarded. Indeed, every other time Joshua Bell plays his violin in public, people are astounded. But the busy, chilly commuters on that January morning, coming upon a violinist in jeans and a baseball cap playing for spare change, allowed their observations to take the path of least resistance. As a result, they saw what they expected to see: nothing particularly noteworthy." - Rick Horne

Explain Point -

“'What Do You Want?' - Jesus incorporated the 'what do you want?' question into [His] work with people. Three of the gospel writers recount the story of blind men who were brought to Jesus outside of Jericho. While some of the details differ from account to account, in each of them Jesus first began his interaction with a question, [“And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?”] (; ; ). Isn’t what they would want obvious? They were blind! What would blind men want more than their sight? But this is where Jesus began." - Rick Horne

[Apply Point] -

"Many of the proverbs assume that youth:

• want a reputation for trustworthiness and honor

• want their parents to be proud and joyful because of their choices

• want to have healthy friendships, including delightful romance

• want to live with a sense of security and confidence

• want to be useful in the lives of others

• want to be competent and successful in work

• want to earn a good living and be prosperous

• want to have a positive influence in the lives of others

• want to be discerning and thoughtful

• want to use good judgment

• want to be able to respond effectively to others’ questions and demands

• want to combat laziness, selfishness, anger, lying, and lust

• want to not be seduced, exploited, deceived, or misled" - Rick Horne

It's not that you need to get rid of your "wanter" altogether; but perhaps you just need to start making decisions that will ultimately glorify God, which will in turn work out the best for your long-term good. Let me illustrate by sharing a story about a young lady named Marsha, who was beginning to believe what everyone else in her life was telling her, namely, that she couldn't make any good decisions:

"It can be humorous and still make the important point that [young people are] capable of making good decisions that bring good results.

• 'Marsha, this morning when you woke up, did you feel a kind of pressure in your mid-section, get out of bed, go down the hall to a little room, and, shortly thereafter, feel relief?' Typically the young person will laugh and say, 'Yeah, I went to the bathroom.' Your response can be something like, 'That was a good decision. Seriously. You could have just stayed in bed, messed yourself, and lay in it all day. There are people in institutions that do that. You made a good decision!'

• 'I notice you have clothes on . . . That is a good decision. We’ve both read or heard about people who go out in public without their clothes on.'

• 'Did you drive to school . . . stop at red lights, turn left from left lanes, and keep the doors closed while moving? Those were good decisions.'

• 'Have you gone to class today? Did you stand up and curse at the teachers? Did you throw a desk out the window or books at the teacher? There are schools where these things happen. You’ve made good decisions to behave differently.'

Change is possible. It occurs because we make different decisions from those we have made in the past. 'God has created you with the ability to make choices. That comes with being created in his image. Yes, you may have made some bad decisions, even terrible ones. That’s OK. I’m going to love you and walk with you through whatever those things may bring upon you. But until you are no longer living on this planet you have the ability to make other choices that can have different outcomes.'" - Rick Horne

Application:

"In an era when 'bad' is sometimes slang for 'good' and sadly misguided sexual choices can come under the banner 'gay,' it is important to rediscover this text, which defines virtue and vice in clear terms and does not manipulate meanings or pander to deviant patterns of behavior. Paul was particularly [clear] in his call for accepting the direction of the Spirit and avoiding the sinful patterns of humanity.

In an era when 'bad' is sometimes slang for 'good' and sadly misguided sexual choices can come under the banner 'gay,' it is important to rediscover this text, which defines virtue and vice in clear terms and does not manipulate meanings or pander to deviant patterns of behavior. Paul was particularly lucid in his call for accepting the direction of the Spirit and avoiding the sinful patterns of humanity.

Paul explicitly defined these evil patterns in terms of 15 degenerate activities. Although the list is not complete, it is so encompassing and so precise that it touches upon nearly every sin. Paul similarly listed nine characteristics of those being led by the Spirit. While the list may again not be complete, it is sufficiently indicative of what proper alignment with God means for a person’s lifestyle. Paul closes each list with a strong exhortation. He directly warns that following the way of sin will deprive a person of an inheritance with God. He commissions Christians to accept the step-by-step leading of the Spirit and to avoid self-centeredness, superiority, and various improper attitudes toward others.

For Paul, the horrible crucifixion of Christ was not merely an event in history involving Jesus of Nazareth. As indicated in , it was equally an event that personally involved all ['...they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.']. As Paul told the Galatians earlier, he had been 'crucified with Christ' (). The Christian accepts the terrible event of the crucifixion as bringing all of life’s motives and actions into conformity with the crucified Savior (cf. ). Thus, all desires and passions are nailed to the cross and a new way of life emerges—life in the Spirit of God. Paul intended nothing less than a transformation of life.

To say that the verses of this section are relevant for our era is an understatement. The text challenges [us] to ... [establish] standards of behavior ...in a world that has lost its guidelines and boundaries. At the same time, the Christian ...must not attempt to do so from a pedestal of superiority, fearful reaction, or self-preservation. As Paul instructed, it must flow from a genuine sense of following Christ and of loving service to others. Clearly, Christians have been called to live by and for the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who leads each person by the Spirit. Only in this way can Christians experience the characteristics of the Spirit and exhibit them in daily life." - Cornerstone Bible Commentary

Transition:

We've seen that our "wanter" is not completely broken, per se, but it is in serious need of repair. The question is not "can I stop my wanter wanting?" but rather, "How can I keep my wanter wanting what God wants, because I can trust that He knows what will ultimately be best for me to want?" This leads us to our second main consideration, namely:

II. Soil Determines the Success or Failure of the Seed ().

Matthew 13:12 KJV 1900

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

A. Soil Number One: Wayside

State Point -

These are the "way side" seeds, i.e. on the fringes, not all in.

Anchor Point -

These people are described as easy prey for "the wicked one" because they don't understand the Word of God. The devil's birds come and "harpoon" the truth of God right out of their life.

Explain Point -

This is the great enemy of your soul, the Devil.

B. Soil Number Two: Stony-Shallows

State Point -

These seeds fell on "stony places where they had not much earth", i.e. hard & shallow.

Anchor Point -

These heard God's Word, got excited, and went out rejoicing, but pretty soon, things got hard, particularly when they were persecuted for sharing God's Word, they quickly forgot about God's Word, and went back to doing what they wanted, because they couldn't hold up under others "scandalizing" them because of God's Word.

Explain Point -

This is your soul's great enemy, called the Flesh.

C. Soil Number Three: Thorny

State Point -

These seeds fell among "thorns", i.e. too many other life-suckers.

Anchor Point -

These heard God's Word, and when life happened again, and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches lured him away from God, he wound up barren and dry in the end.

Explain Point -

This is the great enemy of your soul, the World.

D. Soil Number Four: Good Ground

State Point -

These seeds fell on "good ground" and are the ONLY ones that Jesus said "brought forth fruit."

Anchor Point -

Note the progression: Heareth the word, AND understandeth it. These keep producing fruit (Gal. 5:22-23).

Explain Point -

This is no enemy, but the dearest friend your soul could ever have, the Lord Jesus, the Word of God, our Savior.

Application:

The outcome of what you want that runs contrary to God's Word will leave you withered and dead in the end, with nothing to show for it but a wasted life. Those "wise wants" deep down inside of you, however, when coupled with the seed of God's Word in the soil of a heart tender toward the things of God, will sprout up, and when nurtured, will bring forth all those things that God put in your soul a yearning for: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Conclusion

Summary/Review:

For much of my young adult life, I lived a lie. I lived that lie because I had believed it. That lie was that ALL my wants were okay, and that I should pursue whatever wants I wanted. I followed them so hard, and was motivated to get what I wanted, that I endured great pain to get what I desired. I was highly motivated. I put up with people over me punishing me. I endured my friends alienating me. I went through living in a self-inflicted prison every day of my life chasing after my desires to get what I wanted. Every time I peeled back that covering I put on every day, all I saw was what I wanted to see, someone who could do whatever I wanted, as long as I knew where the edge was; yet over time that line continued to get more blurry. But when my hopes and dreams all came crashing down, God brought me to the end of myself, and I finally came to agree with Him. I saw myself no longer as worthy, but as reality - a depraved sinner.

God Wants You To:

Crawl to the cross of Christ in your weakness, and plead to His beautiful mercy to be crucified with Christ, living your present life in the flesh by the power of the Son of God. Bring your wants in line with His wants ().

Galatians 2:20 KJV 1900

Gal. 2:20

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