Rev. David Holwick C Dealing With Your Deepest Needs
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
January 16, 2011
Acts 24:22-26
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I. Everyone wants to be in charge.
A. At least of themselves.
1) There are many self-help books on taking charge of your life.
2) We all acknowledge that our actions make a difference.
B. How much control is possible?
1) It is not as easy as we might hope.
a) Recent study: people tell a lie at least 3 times a day.
b) Many of us can relate to Paul's experience in Romans 7.
"I know that nothing good lives in me, that is,
in my sinful nature.
For I have the desire to do what is good, but I
cannot carry it out.
For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the
evil I do not want to do -- this I keep on doing."
Romans 7:18-19
1> We have the desire, but not the ability.
2> Our human nature gets in the way.
2) Yet we all know people who obviously have more self-control
than we do.
a) What is their secret?
C. Self-control definitely makes a difference.
1) The Marshmallow Test.
During the 1960s, psychologist Walter Mischel conducted
a famous experiment known as "the marshmallow test."
His subjects were some four-year-olds in the preschool at
Stanford University.
The object of the experiment was to assess each preschooler's
ability to delay gratification.
Each child was given one marshmallow.
They were told that they could eat it immediately.
However, if they waited until the researcher returned in 20
minutes, they would get TWO marshmallows.
Some kids in the group just couldn't wait.
They gobbled down the marshmallow immediately.
The rest struggled hard to resist eating it.
They covered their eyes, talked to themselves, sang, played
games, even tried to go to sleep.
The preschoolers who were able to wait were rewarded with
two marshmallows when the researcher returned.
Twelve to fourteen years later the same kids were
re-evaluated.
They weren't give a marshmallow again; instead, each group
was given a battery of tests.
The differences were astonishing.
Those who had been able to control their impulses and delay
gratification as four-year-olds were more effective
socially and personally as teenagers.
They had higher levels of assertiveness, self-confidence,
dependability, and a superior ability to control stress.
Remarkably, their Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores were
also 210 points higher than the "instant gratification"
group.
A key difference between successful people - leaders - and
those who struggle to get by is self-discipline.
As Confucius wrote, "The nature of people is always the
same; it is their habits that separate them."
#35490
2) Those who exhibit self-control do better in life.
3) Have you mastered it?
II. Felix misses his chance.
A. Today's passage is about a man who was a successor to Pilate.
1) What makes him stand out is that he was born a slave.
a) As a matter of fact, he was the first former slave to
become a Roman governor.
b) He was able to make this jump because he got in close
with Emperor Claudius.
2) Felix had a weakness for women.
a) His second wife had been the granddaughter of Anthony
and Cleopatra.
b) His third and current wife was Drusilla, a Jew.
c) She had been married to another guy, but Felix seduced
her away.
3) He had very low morals.
a) He would hire thugs to kill his friends if they were
getting in the way of his political career.
b) Once he even tried to hire hitmen for the high priest.
c) The Roman historian Tacitus said Felix had the power of
a king but the mindset of a slave.
B. Paul's chance to preach.
1) Paul was on trial for starting riots among the Jews.
a) Felix knew enough about Christianity to know this was
a false charge.
b) But he didn't want to upset the Jewish leaders so he
kept Paul in jail (really, more of a house arrest).
2) Felix must have been interested in Paul, or maybe he was
just bored, but he asked Paul to preach him a sermon.
3) Paul's sermon focused on three points: 24:25
a) Righteousness.
1> This means how God expects people to live.
2> Living right always honors God.
3> Much of Paul's writings discuss how people choose
to live wrongly.
4> Paul's conclusion is in Romans 3:10 - "There is no
one righteous, not even one."
b) Self-control.
1> This is related to the concept of temperance,
having a balanced life.
2> The word is used one other time by Paul - he lists
it as a fruit of the Spirit.
3> But he uses the verb form in 1 Cor. 9:25, which the
NIV translates as "Everyone who competes in the
games goes into strict training."
The expression "strict training" alludes to the
strict discipline that athletes have to endure
if they want to win.
That is the self-control Paul is talking about here.
c) Future judgment.
1> Throughout the Bible it is emphasized that God will
one day call us all to account.
2> Every action, every word, every thought, will be
judged by him.
C. Felix fails.
1) Paul did not preach a "safe" sermon.
a) In a similar situation, John the Baptist had preached
against Herod concerning his marital situation.
b) It ended up costing John his head.
c) John and Paul were more interested in the truth than
in playing it safe.
2) Paul definitely got a reaction - we are told Felix was
afraid.
a) He cuts Paul short, yet he calls him back repeatedly.
b) But Felix doesn't change.
c) His character is too set by now, and he maintains
contact with Paul only so he might get a bribe.
III. The backbone of self-control.
A. You can gain more control over your life.
1) Although perfect control is not possible, we can do better.
2) Self-discipline is hard work but lasts a lifetime.
Leadership guru John Maxwell says,
"I define self-control, in the beginning of life, as the
choice of achieving what I really want by doing things
I really don't want to do.
Once this becomes a habit, discipline becomes the choice
of achieving what I really want by doing the very things
I now want to do!
I really believe that a disciplined life becomes a joy - but
only after we have worked hard to practice it."
#17846
B. Know God's standards.
1) God sets explicit standards on sex, alcohol, temper, etc.
a) Sex is limited to marriage.
1> Not "we're pretty sure we'll get married," but
already married. To each other.
2> According to Jesus, even your thought-life must
be under control.
A> Lust is right up there with adultery.
3> Samson lacked self-control when it came to sex.
A> He was strong in body but weak in his spirit.
B> His weakness was women.
First, he tried to marry someone outside
his faith - she dumped him for the bestman.
So he found a prostitute.
Later, he married Delilah.
This woman exploited his weakness and got him
enslaved, then killed.
b) Alcohol.
1> Alcohol has similarities to spirituality - it
can make you feel peaceful, and it can make you
act weird.
2> Christians debate whether we should be moderate,
or totally abstain.
3> But drunkenness is always condemned in the Bible.
4> If anything makes you lose control of yourself,
you need to stay away from that.
2) The world's standards are much lower.
a) Sexual standards and drug use have all shifted.
b) Too many people settle for being socially acceptable.
c) Christians just have to ask one question - does this
honor God?
C. Choose God's standards.
1) Recognizing them is not enough.
2) You must accept them as your own.
a) Daily prayer and Bible reading to keep in touch with God.
b) We need constant reminders.
D. Recognize your weaknesses.
1) And be aware that you may be weak even where you think
you are strong. (be humble)
If you think you're generally good at resisting temptation,
you're probably wrong, scientists now say.
Loran Nordgren of the Kellogg School of Management says,
"People are not good at anticipating the power of their
urges, and those who are the most confident about
their self-control are the most likely to give
into temptation."
#35934
2) We need to acknowledge realities.
a) Biology has an impact.
1> We may have genetic predispositions.
2> But predisposition is not predestination.
A> We can overcome even biological weaknesses.
b) Family background is a big influence.
E. Watch who you associate with.
1) "Bad company corrupts good character."
a) Even some Christians may not be good for you.
2) Seek out people who are good examples.
a) Be encouraged by them.
b) Learn their priorities.
1> If you need to overcome, seek out others who
have overcome. (A.A., etc.)
2> There is strength in numbers.
3) Be accountable to someone who is strong.
4) Help someone who is weak.
IV. It makes a difference in the end.
A. Paul speaks of future judgment.
B. What kind of person do you want to be in the future?
1) Analyze where you are weak and start to change it.
2) Be intentional.
3) Do it for God's sake.
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
#17846 “Quotes On Self-Control” from various internet sources.
#35490 “The Marshmallow Test,” by Tony Allen-Mills, The Sunday Times,
November 2, 2008.
#35934 “Temptation Harder To Fight Than Thought,” by Jeanna Bryner,
Livescience.com, August 4, 2009.
These and 35,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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