August 30, 2015 NOTES NOT EDITED
Summer Fruit: “Strawberries of Self-Control”
1Cor. 9:19-27
SIS—We have “self” control when the Holy Spirit
“controls” our self.
The story is told
that during his term as President, Lyndon Johnson, struggled with being
overweight. This was a concern for his
wife so she confronted the Leader of the Free World. (As a side note I think we men especially
should note that the power behind any throne is usually a woman. Samson, for
example, ruled men with arms like tree trunks but was no match for the batting
of a beautiful woman’s eyelashes).
Anyway, back to the President’s weight problem. Ladybird bluntly said to the President, “How
do you expect to run a country if you cannot run yourself?” Being a wise man, L.B.J. took heed of his
wife’s wise counsel and dropped 23 pounds.[1]
The “diet industry”
rakes in over $20 billion each yea.
Statistics indicate over 100 million people are on diets. 85% of all those consuming diet industry
training and products are women. The
average salary for celebrity pitchmen pushing diet products is between $500,000
to as much as $3,000,000 per year! But,
here’s the real statistic that matters:
“Nearly 65 percent of dieters return to their pre-dieting weight within
three years, according to Gary Foster, Ph.D., clinical director of the Weight
and Eating Disorders Program at the University of Pennsylvania.” What does this indicate? It indicates that
for most people, “willpower is a myth.” Even a large number of people who go through
the risk and expense of surgery to lose weight gain back a significant
amount.
Nothing illustrates
the myth of willpower like the yo-yo dieting experience of millions of
Americans. That is why I choose a
delicious, tempting strawberry sundae as the visual representation for my
sermon on self-control—to demonstrate the “myth
of self-control.” When it comes
right down to where the rubber meets the road (or the spoon meets the mouth),
we all have significant deficiencies in the self-control/willpower department.
Diet industry
investors know this, and laugh all the way to the bank. Christians should know this also, especially
if you study the word, “self-control” as it is used in the Bible. Before we get into our study, let’s read our
texts together. READ: Gal. 5:22-23; 1Cor. 9:19-27.
Before we
investigate some ways in which we can establish a higher degree of
self-control, or discipline, in our lives let us understand what the Biblical
word, “self-control” (temperance) actually means.
We must understand
that God never expects us to “do it alone.”
We cannot “do it alone.” What God
desires is for us to surrender our self and our will to the control of His
indwelling Spirit. As we learn to do
that, the fruit of self-control will hang abundantly on the branches of our
lives.
The most significant aspect of the word, enkrateia (ἐγκράτεια,
en-krát-i-a), translated “self-control,” is that it was not a very significant
word in the N.T., as evidenced by being listed last in Galatians 5:22-23. In Classical Greek self-control was a highly
valued virtue. The Classical focus was
on human willpower. The N.T. does not
use this word often, and not at all in the gospels. The focus of the N.T. is
“Spirit-control.” Paul does use the idea
of human willpower as with the discipline of an athlete (1Cor. 9:25), but only
as an analogy of how the Spirit disciplines our flesh through His influence and
control. Enkrateia is related to the krat- stem family,
which denotes power, Lordship, or control in its various forms. Self-control implies an action performed by
the “self.” In the original, the “self”
is not the subject that controls, but the “object that IS controlled.” Self-control as a fruit of the Spirit refers
to the Holy Spirit’s control of our lives as we surrender to the Lordship of
Jesus Christ. Self-control is not about
what we “do,” but what Christ has “done.”
This is very essence of Christianity and what makes Christianity
distinct among world religions. Now,
let’s see how we can cultivate more of this fruit in our lives by understanding
the unique qualities of self-control.
1.
Self-control is All-Inclusive (v 27)
Too many Christians
compartmentalize their lives. They fail
to see how the physical, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of being human
integrate with each other. As a result, they
compartmentalize their Christian experience.
They save all their “spiritual stuff” for church, particularly Sunday
morning. The rest of the week, most
Christians simply put their Bible on the shelf, along with their faith. Paul said,
I discipline my
body and bring it under strict control (v.27)
The word, “body,”
in this verse is a figure of speech called a synecdoche. A “synecdoche” is the substitution of the name of an attribute of something for the
whole (like “a nice set of wheels” to refer to a car). Body is a synecdoche representing the whole of
life. Paul also uses the word, “flesh,”
in this same way. When Paul talks about
his body he is talking about the totality of his being as a human, created in
the image of God.
Self-control
involves the totality of our being. Our
faith must be integrated into every aspect of our lives. Self-control must be exercised as much in our
spiritual lives as in our physical and intellectual lives. In the very first story in the Bible, the
Word of God demonstrates the “integrated nature” of the human being (Gen. 2:7):
7 Then the Lord God formed the man
out of the dust from the ground (‘adama) and breathed the breath (neshamah,
pneuma) of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being (soul,
nephesh, pseuche).
Just as God is One
Being in Three Persons, in a similar way man is one being with three
aspects: physical (adama), psychological
(pseuche) and spiritual (pneuma). The
physical is the least important.
Allowing the Holy Spirit to control our mind and spirit is much more
important. Most discussions of willpower
and self-control center around physical issues like eating, drinking alcohol,
or sexual temptations. But the real
battle (conflict, brabeion (prize of the
conflict, v.24) is a “spiritual conflict.”
This is where self-control is most needed. Paul reminds us that our real contest (race,
battle, conflict) is in the spiritual realm, and not “against flesh and blood” (Eph
6:12).
Church must
challenge the mind as well as inspire the spirit. This is the “renewing the inner man” the Bible instructs us about (2Cor. 4:16)).
Our new Sunday School Curriculum will help you in this renewal process. It will challenge your mind as it inspires
your spirit. Our new seminary will give
you a chance to stretch your theological muscles even as you build your
spiritual strength. Many, perhaps most
Christians, have participated regularly in church for years or decades but have
never moved beyond what the Bible calls the “elementary
principles” of faith (Heb. 6:1). God
calls on us to move from elementary principles to maturity in the totality of
our being. This means we must grow
intellectually in our faith as well as spiritually. Or, perhaps it is more accurate to say, “we
must grow intellectually in our faith in
order to grow spiritually. Self-control
means that we dedicate our “whole” being to God: body, soul, and spirit. Self-control is “all inclusive.”
2. Self-control Seeks a Reward
(v. 24)
24 Don’t you know that the runners
in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to
win the prize.
Self-control
requires strength to swim against the current of self-gratification. Self-control requires self-denial. It requires sacrifice. It involves depriving oneself of something
one could just as easily indulge. So,
why would any of us do such a thing?
We exercise
self-control because we anticipate that by giving up something of lesser value
we gain something of greater value. In
other words, we get a “prize.” Now, some
hyper-pious people have told me, “I don’t serve God because of what I get from
Him, but because I love him.” In the
deli business we had a word for that—
b-a-l-o-n-e-y! We all love God for what He does for us on a daily—moment by moment—basis. In fact, the Bible makes this clear:
b-a-l-o-n-e-y! We all love God for what He does for us on a daily—moment by moment—basis. In fact, the Bible makes this clear:
1Jn.4:19 We love because He first loved us.
Man (and animals,
and perhaps even plants) respond to “positive reinforcement.” We are “prize-driven” creatures. This is an important quality of
self-control. It is a good thing,
programmed into our nature by a Loving God.
What exactly is this “prize?”
The word we
translate, “prize,” is interesting, though it appears very rarely in Classical
Greek, and only twice in the N.T. It
does not appear at all in the LXX (Greek Translation of the O.T.). Rarity can be interpreted in one of two ways:
either the object or idea is of little value, or like gold and diamonds, the
object is of great value. Paul indicates
here that the latter is the idea in play.
This “prize” is something of great and exceeding value. Paul tells
us that “only one” will win this prize.
He urges in the strongest sense to “run to win.”
The word, “prize,”
does not appear in the second sentence but it can be supplied from the context.
The word refers
figuratively to “winning the race of
life.” In both cases where Paul uses
this word alludes to the “crown” (stephanos, usually woven of olive
branches) awarded to the victors in the Olympic games (see vs. 25; 2 Tim. 4:8;
Ja. 1:12; Rev. 2:10; 3:11). Paul has in view the resurrection and the promise
of heaven’s bliss for those who remain steadfast in the faith (Phil. 3:13-14).
13 Brothers, I do not consider
myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and
reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the
prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. I pursue as my goal the
prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.
One of the
significant qualities of self-control is that it seeks to gain a heavenly
prize. Without this God-encoded drive in
a human’s heart, no one will make the sacrifices required to keep the faith as
Paul envisions.
3.
Self-control Demands Sacrifice (v. 25)
25 Now everyone who competes
exercises self-control in everything.
Now here is a good
example of why you need more than one Bible.
The HCSB is a very good translation and accurately translates the
participial contruction of the verse.
Literally, the translation is something closer to the KJV: every man (pas) that striveth for the mastery (agonizomenos). If you look closely at
that word, agonizomenos, you
will notice the root for our English word, “agony.” This is the Greek word often translated, “athlete,” (as in the ESV). Discipline, or self-control, involves
“agony.” Self-control is hard work, so
hard that without the power of the Holy Spirit in your life, you will not
achieve it. Some may have more willpower
than others as a matter of personality, but in the Biblical sense of remaining
steadfast in the faith until the very end, it will involve “agony.” Another interesting
point about this word is it is a “participle.”
This indicates the action is continuous and contemporary with the
“running of the race.” It is not a “hit
and miss,” trumped up, flash-in-the-pan attempt at discipline that leads to
such activities as “yo-yo dieting.” This
is an everyday-moment-by
moment-discipline-of-the-flesh-in-order-to-please-God virtue. Self-control takes sacrifice—and lots of it!
A few moments ago
we examined the idea of the “prize.” The Greek word literally translates as the “prize of conflict”[2]
The word reminds us that there is
not victory without a battle. So many
want the “spoils of war” without
spoiling there life of ease and self-gratification. Ain’t gonna’ happen! Self-control requires an agonizing effort or
our part—a complete and total surrender to the Holy Spirit regardless of what
sacrifices must be made. That’s the key
to “winning the prize.”
One of the greatest
(if not “the” greatest) professional basketball players of all time is Michael
Jordan. Have you ever thought: “what’s it take to be a great athlete like
Jordan?” ESPN gives an account of the
deciding game in the championship between the Utah Jazz and Jordan’s Chicago
Bulls. Here’s the account: “Jordan
got ill two days before their last and championship deciding game. The day of
the game, Jordan forced himself up off his bed and over to the stadium to play.
He was slow at first, but as soon as the Jazz took the lead in the second
quarter, Michael fired up and carried the Bulls to another championship
victory.” Jordan was so sick for two
days he could not get out of bed—but he did get out of bed. His disciplined life allowed him to fight
through the pain (agony) and gain the prize.
It took sacrifice. Self-control
always involves sacrifice.
4. Self-control
Requires Focus (19) Look back again to verse 19:
9 Although I am a free man and not
anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more
people.
Let me review for a
minute. The prize we examined earlier speaks
to the “what” of self-control.
The agony speaks to the “how” of self-control. Focus speaks to the “Who, or Why” of
self-control.
Why am I
sacrificing? For Whom do I seek to
control my passions and desires? Who is
the Lord (kratos) and Master of my
life? These questions go to the heart of
self-control. What is the “focal point”
of my life that steers my every thought and action?
Over the last few
years, if you have been involved in church to any degree, you have heard the
phrase, “purpose-driven life.” The
popularity of this phrase skyrocketed when a successful, Southern California
mega-church pastor wrote a book by that title.
Originally published in 2002, the total sales in the first year were a
staggering 500,000. By 2005 sales had
swelled to over 20 million. By 2010 the
sales were still climbing at over 30 million copies. The book had a very simple premise: “life
finds its greatest fulfillment and highest level of success by surrendering to
the purpose for which you were created.”
Rather than focus on success, one needs to focus on God. The first line of the first chapter of Rick’s
book is: “It’s not about you.”
The Bible is not a
book about man. The Bible is a book
about God. Man plays an important part
to be sure, but everything that exists exists for the purpose of bringing glory
to Yahweh, the One True God. The Bible
teaches us that:
3 Praise the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing
in the heavens. 4 For He
chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless
in His sight. In love 5 He predestined us to be
adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, 6 to
the praise of His glorious grace.
Paul repeats that
phrase, “to the praise of His glory,” several times throughout the
first chapter of Ephesians. The entire
creation exists to praise and glorify God.
Ps.
19:1 The heavens declare the glory of
God,
and
the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Listen to how the
NLT translates Paul’s view on self-control and focusing on God’s purpose in
verses 26-27:
26 So I run with purpose in every
step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like
an athlete, training it to do what it should.
Paul said that he
would not waste one step or one action in pursuing God’s purpose for his
life. He would discipline his mind and
body like a boxer preparing for a world title match. But, what was the purpose Paul exhorts us to
focus on? He makes this very clear if we
go back to verse 19 which we
read earlier.
19 Although I am a free man and not
anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order TO WIN MORE
PEOPLE.
A person can be
successful in every area of life, but if they are not passionately pursuing
souls to be saved, that person will die a failure. That is the purpose for which God was born in
our world. That is the purpose for which
God in Christ died on the cross. That is
the purpose for which Christ rose from the grave on the third day—TO WIN PEOPLE
FOR ETERNITY!
Self-control means
nothing if it is only for the purpose of “getting something for ourselves”—the
prize. That’s a part of the issue of
self-control, but only a part. We must
focus all of our efforts toward the single goal of winning people for Christ or
everything else we do in life—however lofty it might be—accounts for
nothing. At one point in his writing, as
the Holy Spirit moved upon him, Paul declared in verse 16 of this chapter: “Woe
is me if I preach not the gospel.”
The fruit of
self-control involves focusing on the
purpose of bringing glory to God by bringing many to faith in Christ. Ask yourself:
do I beat down my body into subjection in order that “every step I run is for the purpose of
bring others to Christ?” If you are like me, the answer to that question
should break your heart. I am very
easily distracted from the purpose for which God called me in Christ. Exercising self-control puts my life back
into proper focus.
CLOSE: Each week for the last nine weeks we have
placed a new fruit in our Summer Fruit Basket.
Our spiritual basket now contains, love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control. The source of this fruit is the Holy Spirit
that enters a person’s life at the moment of salvation. Without the Spirit, there is no
salvation. Without the Spirit, there is
no fruit.
I pray that we will
each visit this list often and ask ourselves how the “fruit harvest” it
going. God saved you to bear fruit. May your life be heavy with the fruit of
salvation.
<<end>>
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