Here are my notes from Joyce Meyer's conference at Lakewood Church this weekend. Since I've heard most of Joyce's stories many times, often in my note I don't record the whole story. It was a great teaching, I hope my notes bless you!
Please visit my blog just for sermon notes at http://AnointedMessagesNotes.blogspot.com/
Date: Thursday November 17th - Saturday November 19th
Speaker: Joyce Meyer
Title: Fruit of the Spirit
· Too often we are more concerned about gifts but fruit is necessary
· Great ability without great humility will cause you to fall
· All the fruit of the spirit come out of love
· You can’t have kindness, patience without love
· All of this is held in place by self-control
· They are like bookends with love and self-control on the end
· Tonight we have faithfulness
· Gentleness is actually humility
· I have a seed of everything that God has in me
· He expects me to grow and mature and eventually become like Him
· As His children He wants us to emulate Him
· We need to be faithful like God is faithful
· You learn how to do what’s right and you do it all the time
· 2 Timothy 2:13 If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself.
· God is what He is – faithful, love
· Even when we are faithless He still remains faithful
· That means He never changes no matter what we do
· We have to stop letting what other people do change us
· We have to walk in the fruit of the spirit all the time
· You might have to love someone for a long time before you see them change
· Our reward comes from doing the right thing, not the person’s response
· What the world needs to see from us is stability
· Not based on the reward we get but because it’s right
· If you’re not weary in well-doing you will receive
· Only God knows the appointed time
· Many years ago Joyce had a dream
· And was called into ministry
· God is not slow but He certainly doesn’t seem to be in a hurry/early
· She kept getting that scripture: do not be weary in well doing…
· At first it was nice then it started to irritate her
· A prophet called her out and said be not weary in well-doing…
· It made her mad
· She almost felt like hitting the guy
· God is that all You ever have to say to me
· When she left she was kicking rocks and angry
· She said God what does that mean
· He sweetly said just keep on keeping on
· Even when you’re not getting the result that you’d like to have yet it’s important to do what you know to do
· God wants us to hold steady in the storm
· Faithfulness is a wonderful thing
· When Dave was confirmed in the Lutheran church as a child they gave him a verse on faithfulness
· Faithful means do your best
· Do what you know is right to do
· Dave has been a faithful man
· He has never cheated on her
· He’s been faithful in stability and his example
· He is so faithful he doesn’t even look at other women
· She’s been faithful to Dave for 45 years
· It’s better to do the right thing than to do the wrong thing
· The Bible even says where have faithful men gone?
· When Joyce was younger it was common for people to have the same job for several years
· Today people don’t want to stick with jobs/things
· People have a sense of entitlement and want to get without earning it
· We don’t appreciate things if we don’t have to work to get it
· We don’t need to be wimpy and weak and pitiful
· We are anointed with the Holy Ghost and power
· You have the HS smeared all over you
· It’s around you
· We don’t have that power so we can be quitters
· We are anointed for hard
· God has anointed us to go thru difficult things with a degree of ease
· Because God is on your side
· Stop telling God you can’t take it anymore
· God promised He won’t let you have it any longer than you can take it
· God is the author and finisher of our faith
· He doesn’t start things and not finish them
· We need to finish what we start
· It doesn’t take a great deal of character to start things
· Later when you have hardships and people telling you to quit it gets hard
· Talk is cheap
· To finish…
· Father glorify Me now because I have completed the work that You gave me to do
· The Patriarchs in the Bible finished what they started
· Finish the little projects in your home
· We don’t get public success unless we’re successful behind closed doors
· Moses got faithful out in the backside of the desert for 40 years
· That’s where he learned faithfulness; when he was hidden
· 40 years!
· 40 years in the wilderness
· 40 years leading people into the promised land
· It irritates Joyce when people judge successful people when they have no idea what it took for them to get it
· Faithfulness
· You’ve got to make some decisions
· Decide to go deeper so you can go higher
· Make your mind up about what you know is right for you
· Don’t spend all your life in this same little place
· Faithfulness means you know what God is telling you to do and you do it over and over and over again
· When we do the right thing we will get a reward
· But that’s not the right reason to do the right thing
· God blesses giving but the reason to give is to be a blessing
· Motives are very important
· We should never give a gift to get a gift
· We have to do what’s right because it’s the right thing to do
· Regardless of the result we are going to be what we are
· God cannot deny His nature
· We need to become something rather than just doing something
· It’s not what we do once that brings victory in our lives
· It’s what we do over and over and over again
· You didn’t do one wrong thing and get into a mess
· You practiced it over and over again
· It’s what we get revelation on and do it because we know He wants us to do it
· Christians tend to be too event oriented
· Joyce wants our lives to change
· It can’t just be an event
· Come with your heart wide open
· Come to grow
· Come to change
· Otherwise it’s just like going to a football game
· Dave and Joyce tithed because Dave grew up learning to tithe
· Joyce had the call and only taught a couple of Bible studies
· She quit her job to go into ministry
· She had the school of the HS
· She couldn’t go to Bible college because she had 3 kids
· Every month they needed a $40 miracle just to pay the bills
· They were difficult days
· Joyce thought surely God was going to show up with outrageous miracles
· He did do miracles because they paid their bills every month
· Joyce doesn’t despise the day of small beginnings
· They taught her faithfulness
· She wasn’t getting speaking engagements
· She wanted the opportunity to preach
· She had a friend in ministry that got many opportunities
· Then he realized he might have been making Joyce feel bad
· Part of her asked “God when is my time coming?”
· God will set you up by having someone come testify to you about what you want
· Maybe someone not nearly as spiritual as yourself
· God is dealing with judgment and pride
· It was a hard day but a day of victory because she cried and had a fit and tried to get God to feel sorry for her
· You already know you’re not giving up when you say it
· You’ve got nothing to go back to
· God is compassionate but He doesn’t feel sorry for us
· God we’ve been giving and I quit my job…
· When the Israelites were in the wilderness their clothes didn’t wear out but they didn’t get any new ones
· We come to the land of lack and the land of even before we come to the land of plenty
· It had been so long since Joyce had a new outfit
· She learned how to cook with a little
· She learned integrity (not stealing chickens by exceeding the coupon limit)
· How many times do we compromise…
· Joyce lived in the land of even a lot longer than she wanted to
· After she had a fit she said I will continue to tithe and give even if I never see a result until the day I die because I know it’s the right thing to do
· Something broke in her that day
· Things changed
· We have to stop doing things as a way of controlling God
· Yes we reap what we sow but the Bible doesn’t say when
· In due time
· At the appointed time
· It means when God is ready and knows you are ready
· And that means you have the fruit of the spirit going on in your life
· There are so many rude Christians
· Joy?
· If you get yourself off your mind and start loving people then you’d get your joy back
· Joyce was compromising in that grocery store
· God taught her many lessons in the grocery store
· Compromise means to do a little less than what you know is right
· A little bit late is a compromise
· If you’re coming to church late every week it’s a compromise because we know it’s not right
· We do unbelievable damage to our spirits through all the little compromises
· If you’re late all the time then it’s a character thing
· It’s a compromise when we talk negatively
· How do you treat people
· We reap what we sow
· If you spend too much you will be in debt
· If you don’t clean your house it will be dirty
· Joyce was studying Mark 4 and how the same kind of seed was sown…
· Even when the same seed was sown it didn’t produce the same kind of harvest
· If the soil was good and the seed was the same why did some get 30, some 60 and some 100
· Joyce believes it was because of the little compromises
· Some bear fruit
· Some bear excellent fruit
· Some bear fruit that remains
· Only Moses went to the very top of the mountain
· What price are you willing to pay
· Will you get up early to spend time with God
· Will you watch 15 min less TV
· Will you give what God tells you to give
· How deep do you want to go?
· 30 fold, 60 fold or 100?
· Let’s assume we’re all the good soil
· Even then we all have decisions to make
· When we compromise we don’t get the full reward
· There is a responsibility to being blessed
· If Joyce didn’t tell us the truth she’d be setting us up for having our hopes dashed
· Yes God wants to bless you but you have to be responsible
· Matthew 25:
· There are 3 distinct stories
· 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins
· A foolish Christian will never do anything extra
· Squeeze in the door at 8
· The wise Christian will get there at 7:50
· The foolish Christian will play on the internet instead of working
· Well bless God they don’t pay me enough anyway
· You may be tithing but compromising
· If you don’t know something you’re not responsible for it
· Well now you know
· You don’t get to go home and be in the foolish group
· It’s especially what we do right when nobody is looking
· God is always looking
· Do it right for God
· Not just to get a reward
· The foolish virgins tried to get oil from the wise ones
· And there were the servants given talents according to their own personal ability
· The 1 who received one buried it
· God will ask you what you did with your time/life
· This isn’t about salvation
· It’s about rewards
· Matt 25:23 His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, [a]admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the [b]blessedness) which your master enjoys.
· How would you like to have the same kind of joy that God’s got
· Some have lost their joy because they haven’t been faithful
· Doing a little of what’s right and a little of what’s wrong
· When you stand before God He’s not going to ask you about anyone else
· Have you thought of a couple of areas where you can come up higher?
· The Word of God is there to encourage us and rebuke us
· Sometimes you need a spanking
· Maybe your leaders are tired of changing your diapers
· 3rd example is the goats and the sheep
· Sheep are cooperative
· Goats buck up against everything
· Do not expect overnight results
· Expecting an immediate breakthrough is a setup for disappointment
· The bible said God delivers us from our enemies little by little
· Advertising doesn’t help
· Promising us immediate results
· People buy this stuff because we’re always looking for something for nothing
· Longsuffering means long suffering
· As long as the earth remains there will be seed, time-------------, and harvest
· We’ve got to be strong in the Lord
· Make up your mind tonight you’re not going to be a quitter
· Even if you never get one thing from God
· We’re still going to be faithful
· The fruit of faithfulness is a beautiful thing to develop
· While you’re at your job be faithful
· Do the most excellent job that you can possibly do
· How you leave a place is how you’ll enter the next place
· Be a faithful person
· Be on time
· If you’ve got 25 half-baked projects going on at your house finish them
Friday night
· A partner is someone who believes in what you’re doing
· If Joyce can keep doing this then we can keep sending her
· When you work hard for God it keeps you young
· Partners get benefits
· Pray for Joyce she gets older every year J
· Offering and videos
· Joyce started this series in Cleveland 2 weeks ago
· Faithfulness, Gentleness (humility) and Self-control
· Self control is really freedom
· Gentleness/humility/meekness is probably the most difficult of the Christian virtues to fully develop
· The person who really needs humility doesn’t think they need it
· Matt 12:23 you will know them by their fruit
· They won’t even know us by our gifts
· In John Jesus said if we bear much fruit our Father is honored and glorified
· If we don’t our Father will cut us off
· God is determined we will bear fruit
· God called us to be fruitful not busy
· Humility is major
· People want to hear about what God can do for them but not many want to hear what they need to do
· Humble people are happy because they’re real
· Free to be wholly and completely who they are
· They are satisfied with who they are
· The truly humble person can be happy as the greatest singer or greatest toilet cleaner
· If God is asking us to do something that the world considers lowly it takes humility to do it
· God’s got everything covered
· We all have a job to do
· He doesn’t see one position as high and another as lowly
· There’s a plan and we all fit into it
· People ask how Dave handles Joyce’s position
· God put in Dave I’VE PUT A GIFT IN YOUR WIFE AND I WANT YOU TO SUPPORT THAT GIFT
· If you do it you will have joy
· People don’t have joy because they’re not satisfied with who they are
· God is not impressed with what we do but with our motives
· If our motives are wrong then nothing is acceptable
· Matt 11:28- Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will [a]ease and relieve and [b]refresh [c]your souls.]
· I will cause you to rest
· Not taking a nap but rest!
· Your soul is your mind your will and your emotions and that’s where you need rest
· Vs 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest ([d]relief and ease and refreshment and [e]recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.
· It’s worth it to learn about humility
· Jesus is comfortable to be around
· Jesus’ most amazing quality was His gentleness, humility and meekness
· Meekness is not weakness
· Meek means strength under control
· Jesus didn’t have to go to the cross
· He could call for a legion of angels but He humbled Himself
· He didn’t use His power to get out of something but to go thru it
· If someone really did Joyce dirty and she had the ability to get them back but didn’t for God’s sake then that’s meekness
· That’s a powerful person
· It takes a lot more power to wait on God than to take matters into your own hands
· Restaurant gossip story about Joyce
· Joyce had the ability to decrease their income
· HS said no
· You’re going to do what you tell others to do
· Forgive, pray and bless
· She sent them gifts and told them she appreciated their service
· A meek man is a powerful man, a real man
· What has happened to gentlemen?
· Men used to at least not swear in front of women
· We need to be good examples everywhere we go
· Not just a faint glow coming off your life
· You can begin to drift in days like these
· If you don’t set a good example in your home your kids are in trouble
· Love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control is the best thing you can show them
· People think they already know about love
· I love you with the love of the Lord
· Well where were you when I needed help?
· If you have love then you’ll be happy, joyful and peaceful
· And patient because love is patient
· Love never gives up (faithful)
· Philippians 2:3 Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves].
· That doesn’t mean think lowly of yourself
· It means don’t think you’re better than anyone else
· Are you willing to listen to them?
· To consider they might be right and you might be wrong
· God can use anyone to speak to you
· A person with a humble attitude is willing to receive
· Never mistreat someone because you think you’re better than them
· Phil 2:4-7
4Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others.
5Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:]
6Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [[b]possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not [c]think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped [d]or retained,
7But stripped Himself [of all privileges and [e]rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being.
· Jesus coming down and becoming a human would be like us seeing a little tiny ant and deciding to be an ant and crawl around in the dirt to save the ant community
· Even when He was thinking about his assignment He sweat blood
· Vs 8-10 8And after He had appeared in human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!
9Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has [f]freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name,
10That in (at) the name of Jesus every knee [g]should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
· Humility comes before honor, and pride goes before destruction
· Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
· Proverbs 15:33 The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord brings instruction in Wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
· Pride destroys us
· Humility promotes and blesses us
· The devil’s sin was pride
· Humility had to come to overthrow the plans of the enemy
· We were stolen thru pride but humility won us back
· It’s all about me
· You need to get thoroughly fed up with yourself and humble yourself
· Get tired of thinking about yourself
· Then you can have ease
· If Dave hadn’t accepted his calling ‘behind the scenes’ he’d be frustrated
· Dave is the happiest person she knows
· If he was full of pride and aggravated he’d be miserable
· Not many men can handle it
· It takes a real man to let his woman be all she can be
· And not be threatened by her
· Ain’t no woman gonna teach me nothin’
· God hates pride
· Prov 6:16 These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: 17A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
· The 7th is an abomination and all discord comes out of pride
· God doesn’t like when we think little of others
· Especially when we look down on others because they can’t do what we can do
· Really gifted people are sometimes the worst trainers because they don’t understand why others don’t catch on quickly
· Some teens think they know everything
· You don’t have to wait to be 50 to start humbling yourself
· God hates pride
· Humility is freedom from pride
· Having a consciousness of your own defects
· Not under condemnation but just understanding you’re not perfect
· God leaves weaknesses even in His choicest of saints
· You’re never gonna get it all right
· You have to get comfortable with having some weaknesses
· Know what you’re good at and know what you’re not good at it
· If you’re not good at something find somebody who is
· Joyce wanted to lead worship and preach but she can’t sing!
· To stay under the mighty hand of God
· To stay somewhere that you’d like to get away from but you know God is telling you not yet not yet
· Remain a light where God has placed you
· When will we get around for living for God?
· Everything doesn’t have to be comfortable and feeling good
· To stay somewhere where you don’t want to be
· To do something you don’t want to do
· And to not defend yourself
· The more you try to defend yourself the guiltier you look anyway
· God You’re in charge of my reputation and if it’s not good it’s Your problem
· Nobody is free until they have nothing to prove
· And you’re not trying to impress anybody
· Meek in the vines Greek dictionary means gentle, mild, the Christian adornment and is the opposite of self absorbed
· It has to be worked in us
· You can’t get this in the prayer line
· You have a seed of it in you
· Galatians 5 tells us this is the fruit
· But it has to be watered and nurtured and receive sunlight
· You have to study and spend time with God
· And go thru things where you have to apply this fruit
· 4 scriptures
· 2 Cor 1:8-9 8For we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about the affliction and oppressing distress which befell us in [the province of] Asia, how we were so utterly and unbearably weighed down and crushed that we despaired even of life [itself]. 9Indeed, we felt within ourselves that we had received the [very] sentence of death, but that was to keep us from trusting in and depending on ourselves instead of on God Who raises the dead.
· Paul was having a bad day but it was to keep him from trusting in himself
· You find yourself in over your head so you realize only God can do it
· The more God is using you the more He is blessing you the more you will have these kinds of situations in your life
· We can’t stay right if all we have is blessings and good
· We start to get prideful
· Pride puffeth one up
· I must be doing it right now…
· So God lets us walk into some stupid trap of the devil’s
· He’ll get us out but not until He’s done with it
· He has to keep us in a position where He can use us
· We have to stay humble and submissive
· And we need to learn how to do it with a good attitude
· You have to learn how to come under authority before you’re fit to be in authority
· Submission doesn’t mean you do what you’re told with a bad attitude
· God if this is the job that You’ve given me right now then I’m going to trust You and do it with a good attitude
· The love of Christ constrains me
· We’ll trust God to get us what we are supposed to have at the right time
· 2 Cor 12:7-8 7And to keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceeding greatness (preeminence) of these revelations, there was given me a thorn ([a]a splinter) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted. [Job. 2:6.] 8Three times I called upon the Lord and besought [Him] about this and begged that it might depart from me;
· Paul’s famous thorn in the flesh
· It’s easier to say amen in here than at home when you have to do it
· Paul had a miraculous conversion
· Experienced miracles
· Had great revelations
· The greatest revelation on grace…
· To keep him from being puffed up and excessively exalted he was given a thorn
· He begged God to remove it but God said no
· You’re more valuable to me in that situation than out of it
· My grace is sufficient
· I’ve given you a weakness so you will need Me
· But I’ll give you grace to deal with it
· You need Me
· Joyce would be petrified to get up here and try to preach without studying
· If He doesn’t show up she has nothing to say
· Pride is independence
· We inherently don’t want to need anybody
· We’d rather be self-sufficient
· Job was righteous but he’d gotten a little into self-righteousness
· He needed a little attitude adjustment
· God will bless you more after you correct yourself
· Job 10:16 If I lift myself up, You hunt me like a lion and again show Yourself [inflicting] marvelous [trials] upon me.
· Job 33:16-17 16Then He opens the ears of men and seals their instruction [terrifying them with warnings], 17That He may withdraw man from his purpose and cut off pride from him [disgusting him with his own disappointing self-sufficiency].
· Joyce got tired of rebuking the devil and nothing changing
· And she figured out it wasn’t all the devil
· It was God growing her up
· He was teaching her how to act in all circumstances
· Joyce loves teaching people to grow up
· Otherwise you’re a tree with no roots
· When we’re acting bad God warns us but we don’t always listen
· Is anybody disgusted with their own self-sufficiency
· What hard work it is trying to impress people
· Joyce ruined her feet preaching in high heels
· Joyce has a list of the 50 fruits of pride
· Want to be well known or important
· I like position/title
· I prefer leading to following
· Overly competitive
· Want to impress people
· Martha wanted to impress Jesus
· Namedropping
· If you’re going to be impressed with anything be impressed with the anointing flowing thru her that comes from God
· You draw attention to yourself
· You desire recognition and praise
· You’re not fulfilled in serving others
· Self-sufficient
· Anxious – always worried because they think they can solve their own problems
· Perfectionistic
· Think more highly of themselves than they ought to
· Ways pride shows up in our lives…
· Pantyhose story
· Why do we sometimes lose our testimony when we give it?
· Because sometimes we give it in pride instead of to glorify God
· There are times when your testimony is just gloating
· Don’t be insensitive, haughty and unloving!
· We should only give our testimony when it’s going to glorify God
· God wants to lift you up
· He wants to bless you in amazing ways
· But first we got to humble ourselves
· We must prove we will do whatever God asks us to do with those blessings
· Otherwise we become dangerous
Sat morning
· Baptism in the Holy Spirit
· Every morning Joyce asks God to fill her fresh with the HS
· Every church should have a strong missions program
· Job said if I don’t use my arm to help people someone should yank it out
· Self-control
· You have the fruit of the HS in you if you’re a Christian
· For anything to grow you have to exercise it
· If we learn how to live in the fruit of the HS it brings great ease and peace to our lives
· Galatians 5:22-23 22But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, 23Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [[f]that can bring a charge].
· If you can walk like this even the devil will find it difficult to condemn you
· What we focus on grows in our lives
· Years ago Joyce realized she hadn’t focused enough on her love walk
· It’s how we treat people
· She has grown tremendously in that area
· If you have areas where you need to use more self-control then you need to focus on it more
· Learn to be a good fruit inspector
· A person isn’t spiritual because they go to church, etc
· You will know them by their fruit
· Sometimes we have pet areas we excuse
· I can’t control myself in that area
· You can control yourself if you really want to
· You may say you can’t say no to ice cream
· If someone had a gun to your head and threatened to kill you you would say no
· It’s extremely important for us to learn we can do what’s right with God’s help
· God never tells us to do anything without giving us the ability to do it
· As long as we believe we can’t then we won’t
· Confess that you have the HS in you helping you
· Every day I grow in the fruit of the HS
· I am a self-controlled person
· I walk in love
· I can control myself
· The bible teaches us that we can have what God says we can have
· We need to say that we can
· Stop saying you’re impatient, etc
· You have the power of the universe in you and you can’t say no to a cookie?
· Suppose you were having a royal temper tantrum
· And Joyce Meyer knocked on the door
· How quickly could you control yourself?
· You’d get it together in less than 30 seconds
· We can behave well around people we want to impress
· Understand God sees everything
· Live to impress God
· No one gets victory until they learn to live for the all-seeing God, and for His glory and not to impress people
· Learn to control yourself for the love of God
· We tend to love God in degrees
· When you love someone you want to please them
· 2 Cor 5:14-16
· Self-control is your friend
· Messages like this aren’t dessert messages
· These are grow up messages
· If you want change then you have to change something you’re doing
· God will help you change
· It’s not by works of the flesh
· Study what the Bible says and tell God you want to do it for His glory
· Pray ahead when you know it’s an area of temptation
· You will be tempted all of your life
· You can pray ahead of time
· If you don’t get your day started right the rest will go wrong
· At least honor God with 5 min when you start the day
· Joyce’s 10 yr old granddaughter is like her
· Joyce told her to start day with God and ask for His help
· We have years of saying wrong stuff so take the time to correct it
· We have so much trouble because of our mouth
· What goes in and what goes out of it
· Speak it, say it, and pray
· Don’t pray and then tell 3 people you don’t have self-control
· Stop thinking you aren’t a disciplined person
· Stop agreeing with the devil if you don’t want his plan for your life
· I operate in self-control
· If your focus is on not having self-control that’s the fruit you’ll get
· 2 Cor 5:14, 15, 16
14For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that [if] One died for all, then all died;
15And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake.
16Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a [purely] human point of view [in terms of natural standards of value]. [No] even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a man, yet now [we have such knowledge of Him that] we know Him no longer [in terms of the flesh].
· Jesus died so we no longer have to live selfish, self-centered lives
· The love of Christ controls us
· The more you love God the more you’re willing to control yourself
· How do you handle money
· What? You want me to clean up my own mess?
· The crippled man lay at the pool for 38 years
· Jesus listened to his excuses and asked him a question
· Do you really want to get well?
· Yes God is a miracle-working God but we wear that out
· Maybe you need to take a little action too
· How do you take care of yourself?
· Do you get enough sleep?
· Do you control your eating?
· Do you exercise?
· Start by parking far away if you can do nothing else
· Do you take excellent care of what God has given you?
· How do you look when you go out?
· Wrinkled? Messy?
· We are His representatives in the earth
· We are His personal representatives
· Don’t dare tell someone you’re a Christian and live a sloppy life
· Do it for the love of God
· Do it because you want to represent Him well
· Would you pick the worst church to attend? Broken down and neglected?
· Or the one nice and painted and pretty?
· People are affected by what they see
· We need to be excellent people who go the extra mile
· It’s a lot of work but it’ll keep you from being bored
· Laying on the couch with the remote
· When the crippled man was there 38 years he complained someone always gets ahead of him, no one to help him
· Jesus didn’t feel sorry for him He said get up!
· Use your time wisely
· We have a very short time here on earth
· Discipline yourself to help others
· And do it all for the love of God
· Ephesians 5:22 Wives, be subject (be submissive and adapt yourselves) to your own husbands as [a service] to the Lord.
· Wives submit to your husband as a service to the Lord
· Most of the stuff we start fights over is just pride and rebellion and we don’t want anybody telling us what to do
· Why does God tell us to submit?
· There has to be order
· Ephes 6:1 CHILDREN, OBEY your parents in the Lord [as His representatives], for this is just and right.
· Children obey your parents as a service to the Lord
· If you have parents that you’re ignoring shame on you
· You can do a lot of things for the love of God that you wouldn’t want to do
· Thank God He’s given us self-control so we don’t have to be controlled by our feelings
· I feel like choking you but the Bible says to forgive you and love you
· I don’t feel like giving my money away but I can
· I will do what I need to do and I will do it as a service to the Lord
· Stop living wild lives and going to church every week jumping up and down
· We’ve got to have good fruit
· Vs 4 Fathers, do not irritate and provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to resentment], but rear them [tenderly] in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord.
· Fathers don’t irritate your children
· Don’t force your way on them, encourage them in God’s way
· Vs 5 Servants (slaves), be obedient to those who are your physical masters, having respect for them and eager concern to please them, in singleness of motive and with all your heart, as [service] to Christ [Himself]--
· employees be obedient to your bosses
· As a service to Christ Himself
· Rebellion is the spirit of anti-Christ
· And we have a big problem in our world with rebellion
· Nobody wants anybody telling them what to do
· Most of us think our ideas are better than yours
· I can’t be rebellious and be blessed
· Get rid of the silliness
· Instead of slandering your boss pray for them
· Vs 6 Not in the way of eye-service [as if they were watching you] and only to please men, but as servants (slaves) of Christ, doing the will of God heartily and with your whole soul;
· Colossians 3:23 Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men,
· Clean your house for God not for men
· Stop doing it for people and in your heart do it for the Lord
· Discipline yourself for the love of God
· How could you walk in love without self-control?
· Love is not a feeling it’s a decision
· If I only do what I feel like I will have problems
· Who would want to use self-control to come and hear a message on self-control
· Love is not a feeling it’s an action
· It involves how we treat people
· All people
· Galatians 6:10 So then, as occasion and opportunity open up to us, let us do good [[i]morally] to all people [not only [j]being useful or profitable to them, but also doing what is for their spiritual good and advantage]. Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith [those who belong to God's family with you, the believers].
· Col 3:14 And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony].
· Put on love
· Make a plan to walk in love
· It doesn’t mean to wish you felt more loving
· We have to do these things on purpose
· What about joy?
· If I don’t feel joyful or like smiling?
· Use self-control
· You can do it
· If you want to be joyful be a blessing
· 1 Peter 3:10 For let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days [good--whether apparent or not] keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from guile (treachery, deceit).
· Increase your joy exponentially by using self-control with your mouth
· Don’t say I’m in a bad mood
· Say the joy of the Lord is my strength
· It is a lot of work but you have nothing better to do
· Would you rather sit around being miserable
· Make yourself happy by getting yourself off your mind
· God show me something that I can do for somebody else today
· It’s not our circumstances that steal our joy, it’s the way we think about them
· Thank God for self-control!
· How about peace?
· Psalm 94:12-14
12Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law,
13That You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked.
14For the Lord will not cast off nor spurn His people, neither will He abandon His heritage.
· Vs 13 we have the power to keep ourselves calm
· While we’re waiting for God to deal with our enemies, we have enough self-control to keep ourselves calm
· You don’t have to be upset about your circumstances
· If we don’t learn how to be peaceful by using self-control the devil will run us ragged
· John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]
· Do not permit yourselves to be fearful…
· The worse your problem has been the more difficult it will be in the beginning but celebrate every victory and keep going
· Patience?
· You can’t operate in patience without self-control
· This is only a test; my fruit is being squeezed
· Somebody’s trying to pick my fruit
· If you’re starting to lose your peace use self-control
· The devil wants us to have a bad attitude towards self control
· Joyce used to hate exercise until everything fell down
· She wanted a whole body lift
· The HS spoke to her and said if you don’t start working out you won’t be strong for the last 3rd of your journey here on earth
· Joyce was sore for 2.5 years
· Now her body craves it
· She needs to exercise
· Use self-control to form new habits
· Goodness, kindness, faithfulness – they all require self-control
· Over and over and over again
· Humble yourself – use self-control
· Someone hurts your feelings? Instead of getting them back use self-control
· Acts 24:25 But as he continued to argue about uprightness, purity of life (the control of the passions), and the judgment to come, Felix became alarmed and terrified and said, Go away for the present; when I have a convenient opportunity, I will send for you.
· Felix was hearing about things he didn’t want to hear
· Felix sent Paul away when he started talking about controlling his passions
· Stop waiting for a convenient time to do the right thing
· There’s no time like the present
· Proverbs talks a lot about restraining yourself
· Restrain yourself from hanging out with sinners whose lives are in a mess
· The world’s slogan is if it feels good do it
· Be careful about your mind and self-control
· Set your mind
· Mindsets are so important
· It’s amazing what you can do with God’s help once your mind is made up
· But you have to make your mind up
· When you first begin to make the change it will hurt
· It won’t all be easy but it will be worth it
· 1 Cor 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but [only] one receives the prize? So run [your race] that you may lay hold [of the prize] and make it yours.
· How are you going to run your race?
· Temperately (with self-control)
· In ALL things
· 1 Cor 9:27 But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit].
· Stop telling others what to do and not doing it yourself
· Preach at all times and when necessary use words
· Let your life be sermon
· I can do what God wants me to do
· I am excited about my new life
Please visit my blog just for sermon notes at http://AnointedMessagesNotes.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment
Feel free to leave a comment. Your feedback is welcome.