The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Temperance

We got a lot to be thankful for. Let me get situated here. Okay. Well, thank you for being here. As I said, we have a lot to be thankful for a lot of my prayers have been answered concerning people that's in hospitals. And and we just look for continued Improvement on that and we want to continue to pray for all those involved with the covid. And I'll just don't seem like it wants to leave. So, but let's just continue to pray for that as well. Well, today we're going to continue in the fruit of the spirit. We're talkin about and Galatians chapter 5. So if you want to have your Bibles, go ahead and turn the Galatians 5 verse 22 and 23. Course, this is our series Victory in Jesus. I think we seen that this morning. So that's the title of our series. And today. We're going to talk about the Fruit of the Spirit. Is temperance. That's what the King James says. So we going to go by the King James this morning that the fruit of the spirit is temperance. Now, in Galatians 5, 22 and 23. I will put it up here on the screen and we will read it together. You can follow along in your Bible if you want. And this is what the Bible says about the Fruit of the Spirit. Is love joy and peace looking Which Way upward love joy and peace. Looking upward to God long-suffering gentleness and goodness. Looking outward to others, patient with others, Jenna with others, doing good for others and then Faith, meekness and Temperance. Looking. What in Word. So Faith, meekness and Temperance. And today, we're going to talk about Temperance and we'll get to the definition and just a minute. But if you have something else other than the King James version, what does your version use for that word temper? Anybody have something different or is everybody on the King James today? All right, if everybody's on the King, James, you have Temperance. I have a new King James here. It says, self control. Well, that's what it means. And I like that word self-control that we need to that cat. That should be a characteristic of us that we should be self-controlled. So I like that word but I don't like it and let me tell you why I don't like it is because we're talking about the fruit of the spirit. We're talkin about being controlled by the spirit. So when we talked about Temperance today, it's not so much self-control as it is Spirit controlled. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to control us so that we may be temperament in everything that we do. So, I think the Holy Spirit was wise and putting Temperance here at the end of the list. And you say why? Because it's the most difficult. I just think about if you want to use the word self-control this morning, you can if you want to use the word discipline and you can use that, but it hard to live a disciplined self-control. It's just hard to do very hard to do. So I think if he to put it at the first of the lives, we have probably been discouraged yet. I think it's probably the most important of them all, because if we don't have discipline or self-control, We're never going to be able to implement all the ones that come before it. The love the joy, the piece, the long-suffering, the gentleness, the goodness to Faith. The meeting us. We won't be able to implement that if we're not disciplined. Self-control or Spirit controlled people. So if we're so undisciplined and we lack discipline. And we never take time to do the things that God tells us to do for our growth than all these other characteristics that you going to look at them. And you going to read this and you going to say, they just unreachable, I can never do that. So, discipline is very important. Not only for those of us who have walked in the faith for many years, but it's also important for those who are younger Donald grey barnhouse was a Bible teacher. And he did some research on who's who in America and in his research. He found out that the men and women Who had found notoriety? In our country on average were age, 28. I think about that 28 years old. It's an illustration of how important the fact that discipline early in life. Paves the way for doing great things, if we are disciplined early in life. Now, most of us would agree that when it comes to the battle for, right kind of living. That the enemy is not out there somewhere, the enemy's right here. It's ourselves. It's within ourselves. And I think that's why the principal here of up Temperance or being discipline is so very vital. Because it's just the quality that helps us to achieve the goals that God has given us Samuel Chadwick. He was a Methodist preacher and he did a great work for God. He was the principal at Cliff College and someone asked him one time. Why do you think he had such a great impact? And he said, why I think it was because I was so disciplined every morning, spring summer, fall winter, didn't matter. He got up at 4 a.m. And took a cold shower. Right in the middle of winter didn't matter. He would take a cold shower. He said he would go to his study at 6 a.m. And he said, he would not turn the light off at some nights in his study until 2 a.m. He was so discipline to study the word of God and to give himself to the study of the word of God. So, let's define what Temperance, what it means. And let's define what it means for us today in our study. So I forgot my pointer again. I wish I had my laser pointer, but I forgot here. It is. Temperance is the Greek word. In. Craw.

In Catia. Be the emphasis is on the middle sellable, you pronounce it in Cartia. Can you say that? Say that in Cartia, one more time in karate? All right, here's what it means. It means strength and was told by the is Inner Strength, Inner Strength. Or Mastery over you, you can Master something or disciplined. So this is my definition. You won't find it Webster's. This is my definition based on this word. In crocky, the ability to hold in an exhibit strength and control over our desires and passions, especially evil ones. To restrain and be disciplined in all areas. So is the ability to hold in that when you're tempted to hold in and enter, have this Inner Strength is almost like you ability to grab something and keep hold. You ever heard. Someone say when someone's hysterical or something? And they're just so emotional. Somebody say, get a hold of yourself. Well, that's kind of what it means there. When you talkin to someone who's getting too emotional, will tell him. We just get ahold of yourself. Calm down. Let me give you a verse. And before before we put the verse up. Let me say this. This word Temperance is only used 5 times in the whole Detachment. And each time. It is used. It is talkin about the control of our passions and desires. And specifically, it talks about in many occasions, the control of our sexual desires. It's what is,. So this is kind of the way that I'm going to go with this this morning. The same way. The Bible does not. Let me show you an instance where this is used to look at 1st Corinthians 7 and 9. 1st Corinthians 7 and 9. Now, the first point that we have today is I just want to explain Temperance in our passions and desires that look at this here. This is Paul talking to single people. So if you hear this morning, you single back in the back if you're single and right here in the front. I watch this carefully, he says, but if they cannot exercise self-control, there's that word. It's the same word, temper. If they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. What he's talking about, he's talking to single people, and he's saying, if you can't control your sexual desires. Other than sinning against God and committing sometime of some type of adultery or fornication or something. He said, the best thing you do is get married. He says get married and watch this for, it is better to marry than to burn with passion. So it is better to get married than to run around out here being passionate about

Sexuality, it is better to get married. Then it is to date someone. And to be intimate with him outside the marriage context. He said it's better to get married. It's it's just it's so much better to get married. If they are not capable of having self-control in the area of sexual passion. Then let them get married over and over. Again, in the Bible. We are told about this living a discipline or self-control life and it deals specifically with our passion that has a lot of overtones. And let me give you some of them right now. When we talk about discipline Temperance or self-control, we're talkin about, it has physical. Overtones, if you are a person with self-control, You'll be able to constraint or restrain yourselves from the sexual passions. Not only that, in other areas of the physical life. You won't become a drunk. You won't become an addict. You won't become someone who spends every bit of money that you have because you can't stop by and stuff on TV on these shopping networks. You'll be able to exercise self-control. So it has, it has physical overtones. It also has mental over talk. If you are a person who is disciplined in their mind. You'll be able to get rid of the Lost of the mind. All these Ambitions and obsessions and attitudes of Pride guilt, maybe inferiority or whatever it is, cuz you won't be one of these people whose conscience at all. I'm so discouraged. I'm so depressed, or you're not going to think so much of yourself that you think you're better than everyone else. You'll you'll, you'll have a disciplined life. You'll see yourself. As God sees you, you won't be full of Pride. You won't be full of discouragement and depression and low self-esteem. If there's any such thing is that it won't because you will have discipline. It has mental overtone. It has devotional overtones. I mean, if you find it hard, sometimes to read your Bible and pray for 10:18 12 hours a day. We come home at State children here, have to do this, mowed the yard get my hair fixed. Then I have to cook supper. Then. I have to go to bed and do it all over again. There's just no time. There's no top, but if you are self-centered, if you are a disciplined Christian, you'll find time to spend with God, weather is in Bible reading. Weather is in your devotional time, or whether you're praying, or whether you just listen to me for 3 minutes, everyday on a daily devotion. Whichever one it is. You'll find time to do that. Thank you, Miss Farrow. I know you do because you call me and I appreciate that. All right, preciate it. But anyway, we'll find time. So it has devotional over time. It has social implications. If you are a disciplined Christian, you will not be conformed to this world. You won't because you'll see what the world offers. You see what has and you'll see that is totally against What God Says especially during this time of this sexual Revolution that we are experiencing in our world today, whether same-sex marriage or whether is married or having children out of wedlock, whatever it is the world sees that and they say it's okay to do that. But God has set boundaries that we are to do certain things within those boundaries. And he does that because it is best for us. So it has social implications. So limited Esplanade, life being temperate or being self-control, whatever, how you want to say. It affects everything that we do. But I want the focus in on the passion and desires because that's where the Bible focus is the day self control over our passions and desire. Well, that was number one Temperance in our passions and desires. Number two. We need to understand this that our bodies. Are temples of the Holy Spirit, best our body. Now? Let me tell you Paul lived in a day. In the Roman Empire and in that first century, in which Greek culture did not know anything about self-control. There was no self-control, you do what you want to do. You say what sounds like America, it was even worse. It was even worse than what we see in our own Nation. Their whole concept of life was given just to unrestrained giving in doing anything that you want. It kind of like to eat drink and be merry for tomorrow. You die. Just do whatever you want to do. And even among Christians self-control people would not even understand that concept. There was a totally new idea. Well, our culture is similar to that, but the Bible says that we are to control our passions because our bodies. Are temples of the Holy Spirit? Look at it first Corinthians. Chapter 6. 19 through 20. Do you not know that your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit? Who is Nu the Holy Spirit? Lives in you, whom you have from God. God sent it and you are not your own. You'd let me say this really clear. You do not own your body. So these people walking around here with signs saying? Yeah, we need abortion on demand because this is my body. It is not your body. You did not create your body. God, created your body. Now. You have the will to use your body, the way you want to. But God create it is his body and especially for those of us who are saying, who has the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us. He says, for you were bought at a price. What was the price Jesus Christ? Gave his life on the cross. That was the price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit. Why? Because they're God's your body. And your spirit belongs to God, that belong to you. It's not for you to do what you want to your mind, desires and appetite are all a part of your body. And since God, created your body, your body is hit that includes the Mind appetites and desires and passions. There. He is now, If you want to walk and control the spirit. Then your body must be under control with the Holy Spirit, not under the control of your appetites and desires. Because when they're under control of that, what do we get all the vices that we read before the fruit of the spirit jealousy and anger rap on and on and on and on that we read. So it is hit. So God. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit number 3. Our bodies are created. But I got now already mentioned that but the Bible. So often tells us to avoid. Sexual sins. And it doesn't if he says avoid it, like the plague. Look what 1st Corinthians 6:18 says. Flee sexual immorality. Says every sin that a man does is outside the body. But he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body? So everything else is outside, but when you commit some type of sexual, seeing you said you are you are committing sins against his own body, but that's not the only place. They're all the New Testament Epistles. They're just warnings everywhere about the problem of sexual immorality. Look at Colossians 3 verse 5 3 verse 5 says this put to death there for what is Earthly in you could he be talkin about or look in the first one? Sexual immorality, M. He goes right along with it. Passion. We've already talked about that evil desires. He says put to death this. So a lot of times I have counseled people in this area. Now. This is what I hear people say. Don't say this. I don't understand that. If God created me then he had to have created me with the sexual desires. And passions. Would you agree with that? Yes, he created us with a desire for. That was what they can't understand. Is been every time I try to put that in the practice. It's it's like God says okay that's off limits. In other words, God's in heaven. And when he sees me down here trying to do, no, just have fun. I have these desires and passions. He gave them to me and all I'm trying to do is for fill those passions and desires. And when I do, if I keep saying from Heaven out and I can't do that to have fun. So he's trying to stop me from having fun. The friends God has not forbidden, sexual immorality because he's trying to keep you from. What is enjoyable. God has drawn the boundaries because God, who created us. Knows what is best for us? And he knows what is best. As long as it is kept within the boundaries. He created these appetites in a But he wanted us to understand that you enjoy these desires inside the boundary of marriage, not outside. You do it inside the boundary of marriage and when this is violated outside, what the world said, just go do what you want to do. When you are outside the boundaries of God, it will do nothing but bring destruction to your life. The Bible is very clear on that. Let me show you how clear it is. Proverbs 6:32.

He who commits adultery lacks sense, but just ask whoever does this. They're just foolish their crazy. Why is that? He who does it destroys himself? You see the destructive power of fulfilling these passions and desires outside the boundaries, but you know, that's what we do it in. It it in it when when we think well God says I can't do this. What the first thing we do. The first thing we do is we think ourselves. Well how close to the edge? Can I get really wet out? Send it? I know I'm not supposed to be intimate before I married. But just how close. Can I get to the edge and walk that edge, without falling off the cliff? That's the first thing we think of is it? Here's what happened. We get to the edge and we walk and we get real close. We put ourselves in position is that we shouldn't be in and then all of a sudden when you walk in that close to the edge, it don't take much for the devil to reach out and grab that shoulder and pull you over the side. You say we need to be walking over here. Don't just say I'm going to see how far I can go and it not be seeing. I just want to get as close to it as I can because I enjoy it but I don't want to go all the way friend when you get that close to the devil, pull you over to his side. So we need to stay within the boundaries, but we need to stay off the edge. Why? Because he who does it destroys himself? So God says no to us concerning sexual immorality outside the bounds of marriage. Because God knows when two people come together in marriage. But that is the most. Beautiful, holy and exciting. Time to enjoy one another in a commitment of marriage. Not just from your own lust outside the boundary.

Do you say, who you talking to? I'm talking to everybody. Young old. It don't matter. I'm talking to everybody because the people's View today, our cultures view of sex and marriage, and dating is so skewed. It's just awful. It's just absolutely awful the way that it is today. So God says no sexual immorality because he wants for you to experience His blessings within his boundaries and that's when is most enjoyable. When we listen to the world's ideas about sex in the side. We got it figured out a lot better than God has within friends. We are taking a bitter pill and destruction is soon to follow. So number for, and we'll close with this. Let's look at some strategies. For a disciplined life. A first of all, you have to understand you're not alone. Lot of people experience these passions and desires and it won't tell anyone about it and they think to themselves. I'm the only one that's going through this. No, you're not. All of us. Go through it at one time or another, we all have passions and desires. That we want to fulfill but it's outside God's boundaries. Sometimes we even have good passions and desires, but they turn into bad. A good desire. Will turn into a bad desire. When that good desire becomes a ruling desire. When it rules our hearts, you said, I don't know if something's really my heart. It's only thing. You think about you go to bed, thinking about you, wake up, thinking about, you think about it at work and school wherever you are, even if it's a good desire, if you continually to meditate on it, it will become a bad desire because it becomes a ruling desire. You say, if I don't get this thing. I'm going to do such and such and such. Even something good can become something bad. You are not alone. Everybody goes through this. So there's help out there be

We need to control our thought life. The matter of discipline or self-control is a battle fought in the mind, because the mind will control the passions. The battle is fought in The Fault life. There's no conflict. So, severe as this conflict, right here. When you have something in your heart, in your mind, and you can't get it off. Now, there's some practical things God will use in our lives to help us move in the right direction. So, let me say this. Sometimes we have to fight these thoughts individually. What? I thought comes into your heart and you and also you start thinking about it and, you know, that it's not right. It's not from God. We need to get rid of it, right? Then now let me say this. It's not a sin to have bad thoughts. You can't help. What comes it? You have a lustful, thoughts come into your mind in your heart. You couldn't help that. It just all of a sudden, it appear and there it is. But we're a lustful fall, or any evil fault become seeing, is when we grab that thought, and then we won't let go of it. That's when it becomes sent, then we start thinking about it. It's like the good thing. I want my husband to talk to me. He won't talk to me. Something's wrong with my marriage. You go to bed, thinking about you wake up thinking about it a couple weeks later. He's got to start talking to me. And then three weeks later, if you don't start talking to me, I'm going to leave him. You see how a good thing became a bad thing. When the back when the good thing became a ruling thing. That's the way it is with thoughts. When these thoughts get there. We have to take care of it, right then? And there we war against it. Look what 2nd Corinthians? 10:5 says. 2nd Corinthians 10:5 says it casting down arguments and every High thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to The Obedience of Christ. Every thought you bring it. Is this good? Is this right with this bring glory to God? Will this help me? Yes, it will be okay. Will it go or if I got with this help me? No, it's not. It's a lustful thought it don't need to get rid of it. Bring it all into captivity. You see? And sometimes the more we become obsessed with our desire to get rid of the thought, the harder it is the harder. It is to get rid of it. You see, faults are worthless. We need to the Mist kind of dismiss them quickly. If we can for our mine. Will you say, well, what do we do? Then? Let's say a bad thought comes into my heart. What do I do? Look at Philippians 4:8. Philippians 4:8, finally, Brothers, whatever is true, whatever is Honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable if there is any excellent. If there is anything, worthy of Praise, think about these things. You'll bring honor to me. God, my family. Is it lovely? Is it pure? Is it commendable then? Think on it. If it's not get rid of it, bring it into captivity to Christ. You say, you can't do away with the fall sometime. But like I said, the sin is, is when we grab it and won't let go of it, and it's something that won't honor us or to honor. God. We have to let go of it control. Your thought life, C.

Know your own weaknesses. Do you know your weakness? You say? What do you mean? Do you know where you are susceptible to fall into sin? Maybe it's not your fault life. Maybe it's where your eyes go. Maybe it's where your feet take you. Maybe it's an attitude. Maybe it's anger. But you know, your weakness and you need to develop a strategy in your own life when it concerns living a disciplined life. What I find most of the time talking to people is people say, I don't know why but I can't stop doing this and whatever it is. In other words. They're continually falling into the same sin, I think about this. If you're, if you're going home at night and you're driving on the same road in a deer, runs out in front of you and you kind of swerve and you kind of run into ditch. That's understandable. Friend, if you go home every night in your car and you keep running in the same ditch every night, something's wrong. There's just something wrong. You need to take a different road. If you're running in the same ditch every night and it's the same way with our spiritual light, if I keep falling this same send. I need to take a different direction. I'm doing something wrong. I need to go in a different direction. So. It's not bad to fall in a ditch for the first time, but you can't do it every single night. It's not very smart. So if you struggle with this and you can examine where you fall. You going to probably discover kind of a recurring theme. There, certain places, certain times, certain things that make me fall, certain people that I'm with. Okay. Well, what do you do? If you hang out with these people here and every time you hang out with him, you constantly end up doing the same thing and it's wrong. What are you do you hang out with someone else? Stop hanging out with them? If you find it everyday at 4:30 that your mind wanders and you start thinking about this within friend, you know, you need to do do something. Everyday at 4:30. You need to occupy yourself, which brings us to the last point in that is this. A strategy for discipline life. We need to put off and put on you say with what in the world. Are you talking about? I'm talking about something and I call you won't see this in a book because if it's not there, it's just in my own head. I call it replacement theology. If you're doing something some attitude, some action, whatever. It is some deed that it's wrong. You need to replace it with something. That is good. If you are a smoker and you want to quit smoking.

Where is probably not a good thing you go out, buy a pack of cigarettes and set it on the table and just look at it all the time. So I'm not going to get one. I'm not going to get one. Not going to get one. You can't do that. By some guy was driving, you say to you. You said every day stopped and got donuts. He had to quit. He said started gaining weight and finally one day his wife. So I'm he was just circling the store around around around. She's so what are you doing? Is I'm waiting for a parking spot parking spots. I was waiting for one. Just don't go to buy the donut store. Don't do that. You go somewhere else, replace it with something else. You say. What is this put in? Put on? Let me show it to you in a Fusions for 22 through 24. And what's this? This is Paul talking. He says to put off your old self. That's the person before you were saved which belonged to your former manner of life and its corrupt through deceitful, there. It is. Desires. What we've been talking about. And to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, you see the fault life. You have to be renewed in spirit him out. Now, what and to put on the new self created, after the likeness of God and true righteousness, and Holiness. Paul says, you need to put off these things, these vices remember and Galatians, chapter 5, 17, 18, 19, 20, all those vices put off that but you can't just say I'm going to quit doing that. I'm just going to I'm just going to get in my heart mind. I'm going to clench my fists. I'm going to quit doing it. No you need to do something good in this place. If you don't you'll end up going back to that which is bad. Replacement theology might look at it again and Colossians 3 8 through 10. But now you yourselves are to put off all these look anger. Wrath, malice by filthy language out of your mouth. Let's say you got a problem with just cussing. You just can't help it. It seemed like every other words or cuss word. He said put it off with what I supposed to do. He says do not lie to one another. Since you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man who is renewed and knowledge, according to the image of him who created him. You replace it with pure speech. You do that, it won't happen overnight. But that's what you do. You can deal with evil false, by programming your mind, in a positive direction. You cuss a lot start memorizing, scripture. You are you have trouble reading the wrong material, start reading Christian book and Christian literature, start watching, wholesome shows on TV. Watch Sanford and Son things like that. Start watching Andy Griffith, wholesome shows and I like that start up lifting music. Not this trash that's going around and cussing in town by killing people and and all like that, don't do that. But I think the best way to deal with the struggle for control of your thoughts, and passions is to be occupied with something else and I can't think of anything else better than the word of God. And Jesus, just be occupied with Jesus, when you're occupied with him, you won't leave much room in your heart and life allow these thoughts to come in and take control. Now, some of you probably say, I mean, you know, something you always telling us to come to church and read their Bibles in the study and do devotions and all like that. You probably just want us to come to church. If so, we have a lot of people here and you only thing you concerned with are the numbers with. No, that's not it at all. The reason I want you to come to church and study and read your bio. Oh and pray reason I want you to do that is because I know that that is the greatest head that you can put around your life to save you from destruction. That is the greatest head that you can have to keep your adversary away. Focus your mind on Jesus Christ. Amen. All right, let's pray. Father.