Sermons
Living A Harnessed Life
Series: The Way Of SalvationLIVING A HARNESSED LIFE
Sermon By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / December 01, 2019
In a letter written to the churches in the province of Galatia, the apostle Paul
writes candidly about the ongoing inner struggle between the Spirit and the flesh.
In Gal.5:16, Paul writes: But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.
The words, Spirit and Flesh, are not comparing a poltergeist with a flesh and bones body,
but rather they (Spirit v Flesh) represent two contrasting realms or ways of life.
The Spirit describes a life lived under the governance of God, as delineated in the sacred writings.
On the other hand, the Flesh describes a lived governed by Self - - it is a world that is focused on carnal appetites.
In Gal.5:19-21 Paul enumerates what he considers to be works of the flesh.
Without meaning to be exhaustive, Paul spells out what he means.
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry,
sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying,
drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you (now) just as I have fore-
warned you (previously) that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
He then completes this rather stark contrast in Gal.5:22-25 - -
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and SELF-CONTROL; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
This morning I want us to think together about the topic of Self-Control.
I know it seems cruel to speak on this theme on the heels of stuffing our faces during the Thanksgiving holiday.
While “self-control” may address and include dietary habits, its arms wraps themselves around arenas
much broader than just excessive food consumption. Indeed, the concept of “self-control” is far-reaching.
Few of us, if any, have mastered the art of self-control.
Some who eat smartly and in moderation, might struggle with their tongues. They appear to have reins
on what goes into their mouth, but they have trouble with what comes out of their mouth - -
mean-spirited, hurtful and vulgar words might slip from their tongues with very little restraint.
Some who are ever present in our worship assemblies find themselves battling with their thought life.
Some who run from adultery, fornication and carousing find themselves fixated on pornography.
Some, who are teetotalers, are doing a real fine job preempting the sin of drunkenness,
but they are caught up in a web called hoarding, and they can't say no to “things”.
Some who would never countenance playing around with sorcery or any other Satanic influences, have found themselves filled with envy and jealousy which gives rise to strife and dissension - - also works of the Devil.
Some who are quick to criticize others for what they're failing to do are bogged down in their own laziness.
It's easy to critique others while falling prey to a lack of industry ourselves.
We could go on and on, but I think I've said enough to convince you that I'm not pointing the finger at just a few of us, but rather, I'm addressing a challenge that confronts all of us at varying levels: SELF-CONTROL - - or the lack thereof.
To illustrate how difficult this concept of self-control really is, try this on for size.
Lift your right foot slightly and move it in clock-wise circles.
Now, simultaneously, using your right hand, draw in the air the number six.
Did you notice how you right foot instinctively (for whatever reason) refuses to cooperate?
With that to serve as our introduction, I want today speak about, Living A Harnessed Life.
I'm aware that this “harnessed” verbiage may not be too attractive to us.
Harnessed - - isn't that something we do to horses and other beasts of burden and dogs?
Actually I've been inspired by this language from Another whom I consider to be the best of teachers.
One of the most appealing invitations Jesus ever gave is found in Mt.11:28-30 - -
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
Now many of us would be happy if Jesus had stopped right there, but He continues in saying,
Take My YOKE upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart;
and you shall find rest for your souls. For MY YOKE is easy and My load is light.
Here we read a word, which for many is not very appealing - - YOKE.
Who wants to wear a yoke?
Who wants to live a harnessed life?
The truth is - - there is no better way to live.
In this regard, Jesus is our ultimate example.
Jesus provides a perfect picture of the positive virtues and qualities we long to adopt as our own.
Love … Kindness … Gentleness … Mercy … Grace … and so many more.
But He was a man who also wore a YOKE (take My yoke upon you...for My yoke is easy...).
I see this word YOKE as a synonym for SELF-CONTROL.
Perhaps we've not emphasized that enough.
Jesus is the very epitome of SELF-CONTROL.
We see it everywhere in the gospels.
The apostle Paul urges others by the MEEKNESS of Christ (2Cor.10:1).
Many people make the mistake of thinking this word meek is the same as weak.
There is a world of difference between meekness and weakness.
MEEKNESS is POWER UNDER CONTROL.
A hungry Jesus was tempted by Satan and He could have turned stones in bread (Mt.4:4), but He didn't.
Jesus was driven, not by personal interests and carnal appetites, but by doing the will of His Father.
Jesus could have thrown Himself from the pinnacle of Temple and the angels would have borne him safely (Mt.4:6).
But, He didn't. Instead He displayed self-control and restraint and He pressed on in doing the will of God.
When Jewish soldiers came to arrest Jesus on the night before His crucifixion, Peter drew his sword and cut off
the ear of the servant of the high priest. Jesus directed Peter to put his sword away and then added (Mt.26:53) - -
Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?
He punctuated these words, adding: How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way.
Collectively, the fruit of the Spirit is many things, but this virtue of SELF-CONTROL adds an exclamation point.
I could say what I am about to say regarding all of the fruit of Spirit - -
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness, but it is especially true of Self-control - -
These are fruit that are never out of season.
The Scriptures are high on self-control.
Do you want to be a mighty warrior for God?
Prov.16:32 / He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city
Prov.25:28 / Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit.
Paul writes in 1Cor.9:24-27 - -
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize. Run in such a way that you may win.
And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;
but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.
Jesus began His ministry by emptying Himself and becoming a servant.
This is central to the story of His arrival on earth as a helpless baby.
Perhaps nowhere do we see a surrender of control as much as we do with that of a newborn infant.
When Jesus began His adult ministry, even though He was without sin, he was baptized.
We often miss the point of His baptism. He was baptized to become like His brethren in all things.
Our Lord's opening comments to His apostolic band was, “come and follow Me” (Mt.4:19),
but from the outset, that following Him was predicated upon, “denying self” (Mt.16:24).
And it was not to be a one-time denial of self, but rather a daily denial (Lk.9:23).
As strangely ironic as it may sound,
it is this denial of self that is the consummate expression of self-control.
Paul once wrote to the young preacher Timothy.
I think we can rightly surmise by this text (and others) that Timothy must have wrestled with feelings of inadequacy.
Paul told him (2Tim.1:7) - -
God has not given to us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
It is this infusion of discipline with the other fruit of the spirit that supplies a dynamo to the gospel.
Who doesn't want to witness attributes in others, like:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness?
But when this array of “fruit” is wrapped up with a nice big bow called self-control, that is as beautiful as it gets.
Now, one final assignment.
Most of us know where we need to cultivate some self-control, perhaps even a lot more self-control.
If you don't, you'll need to muster up the courage to ask others around you - - those who know you well.
Let's get with it and start whittling away at honing this virtue called self-control.
It's an ongoing challenge in our discipleship.
We never arrive fully in our quest to obtain this sometimes-elusive attribute.
As someone has written, “The road to success is always under construction.”
I know almost nothing about sailing. That might be true for quite a few of us.
But we are all capable of grasping this final quote from, Dr. Bob Choppe - -
You can't always control the wind, but can control your sails.
“Controlling our sails” is the act of learning to live a harnessed life - - a life characterized by self-control.
This is the yoke that Jesus invites us all to shoulder as we follow Him.
