Who’s the Boss

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See terms and conditions at UNEs 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:30.080 dot co. 0:01:31.080 --> 0:01:34.800 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.080 --> 0:01:37.880 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:41.319 leave Inspire. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:44.360 every week. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the 0:01:44.440 --> 0:02:01.600 ministry going. Enjoy the message. Will God bless you. It's 0:02:01.640 --> 0:02:04.040 always a joy to come into your homes and if 0:02:04.080 --> 0:02:06.640 you're ever in our area, please stop buying. Be a 0:02:06.640 --> 0:02:09.280 part of one of our services. I promise you we'll 0:02:09.280 --> 0:02:11.760 make you feel right at home. But thanks so much 0:02:11.800 --> 0:02:14.840 for tuning in, and thank you again for coming out today. 0:02:15.400 --> 0:02:18.359 I like to start with something funny. And one Sunday morning, 0:02:18.639 --> 0:02:22.519 this man walked into church wearing blue jeans, T shirt 0:02:22.800 --> 0:02:26.400 and an old cowboy hat. Some of the members were appalled. 0:02:26.919 --> 0:02:31.359 They sent notes to the pastor expressing their concern. Afterwards, 0:02:31.400 --> 0:02:34.400 the pastor told the man he needed to pray and 0:02:34.480 --> 0:02:36.799 ask God what he should wear when he came back 0:02:36.800 --> 0:02:39.840 to his church. Next week, the man came back wearing 0:02:39.880 --> 0:02:43.040 the exact same thing. Pastor said, I told you to 0:02:43.080 --> 0:02:45.200 ask God what you should wear before you come back 0:02:45.200 --> 0:02:47.880 to my church. The man said, I did ask God, 0:02:48.160 --> 0:02:50.040 and he told me he didn't know what to wear 0:02:50.400 --> 0:02:55.840 because he's never been here before. Hold up your Bible, saying, 0:02:55.960 --> 0:02:58.720 like you mean it, this is my Bible. I am 0:02:58.800 --> 0:03:01.120 what it says I am. I have what it says 0:03:01.160 --> 0:03:03.720 I have. I can do what it says I can do. 0:03:04.160 --> 0:03:07.000 Today I will be taught the word of God. I 0:03:07.160 --> 0:03:11.320 boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. 0:03:11.639 --> 0:03:15.280 I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, God 0:03:15.320 --> 0:03:18.920 bless you. I want to talk to you today about 0:03:19.120 --> 0:03:23.079 who's the boss. There's a battle taking place in all 0:03:23.120 --> 0:03:26.720 of us. It's a battle between the flesh and the spirit. 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:31.320 The flesh is our natural carnal desires. That's what we 0:03:31.320 --> 0:03:34.520 were born with. Have you ever noticed how you don't 0:03:34.520 --> 0:03:38.240 have to teach a child to be impatient, to be selfish, 0:03:38.440 --> 0:03:41.280 to get upset? Or is it? A grocery store and 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:45.120 this little boy, probably two years old, was there shopping 0:03:45.160 --> 0:03:48.800 with his mother. She looked like a businesswoman, very professional, 0:03:49.040 --> 0:03:51.800 well dressed. Her little boy was as cute as can be. 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:54.680 And he went over and got something off the bottom shelf. 0:03:55.440 --> 0:03:58.200 His mother said, very lovingly, no, son, we have to 0:03:58.240 --> 0:04:02.080 put that back. At that point, he'd been happy, in 0:04:02.160 --> 0:04:05.120 a good mood. But when she took that away, it 0:04:05.160 --> 0:04:08.600 was like he turned into a different person. He started screaming. 0:04:08.960 --> 0:04:12.680 He fell down on the floor, flailing his hands and legs, 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:16.120 stelling this big fit. You thought he was dying. Of course, 0:04:16.160 --> 0:04:19.040 his mom was kind of embarrassed, and she tried to discreetly, 0:04:19.279 --> 0:04:22.840 quietly pick him up. He screamed even louder. Here's my point. 0:04:23.200 --> 0:04:25.840 Nobody had to teach him how to throw a fit. 0:04:26.760 --> 0:04:29.880 That's what we're born with. The scripture calls it the 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:36.320 flesh or our carnal nature. It's things like pride, selfishness, impatience, 0:04:36.520 --> 0:04:40.320 getting upset. And here's the key. The flesh wants to 0:04:40.360 --> 0:04:43.440 be in control. The flesh is not going to be 0:04:43.520 --> 0:04:47.479 happy unless it gets its way. The easy way is 0:04:47.520 --> 0:04:50.159 to do like that little boy and give in. And 0:04:50.200 --> 0:04:53.719 that's okay. When we're two years old, we're growing, we're learning, 0:04:53.920 --> 0:04:57.880 people understand why we're childish. The problem is not when 0:04:57.880 --> 0:05:01.640 we're two, but when we're forty and we're still throwing 0:05:01.640 --> 0:05:05.880 a fit. We're still being ruled by our feelings. We think, 0:05:06.560 --> 0:05:08.960 I feel like being rude, I'm gonna tell them off. 0:05:09.600 --> 0:05:12.440 I feel like being lazy, I'm gonna skip work. I 0:05:12.480 --> 0:05:16.559 feel like being impatient, I feel like compromising. As long 0:05:16.800 --> 0:05:20.000 as you're allowing your feelings to be the boss, it 0:05:20.040 --> 0:05:23.600 will limit how high you can go. The scripture talks 0:05:23.640 --> 0:05:27.800 about dying to the flesh. That means not giving in 0:05:27.960 --> 0:05:31.400 to what we feel. If you live on that shallow 0:05:31.520 --> 0:05:35.680 level of always having to please your flesh, you'll never 0:05:35.760 --> 0:05:39.919 discover what's really in you. The best of you, your gifts, 0:05:40.000 --> 0:05:43.520 your talents, your potential won't come out. You have to 0:05:43.600 --> 0:05:47.719 go beyond the surface. If you'll get past the temporary 0:05:47.839 --> 0:05:51.520 pain of not having your way and choose to follow 0:05:51.560 --> 0:05:55.200 the spirit instead of the flesh, God will at least 0:05:55.240 --> 0:05:58.520 more of his favor. You'll continue to rise higher and higher. 0:05:59.200 --> 0:06:02.640 But too many people live on this surface level of 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:06.760 letting their feelings their emotions run their life. The problem 0:06:06.920 --> 0:06:09.839 is our feelings will lead us down the wrong path. 0:06:10.680 --> 0:06:13.440 Your feelings will tell you you're tired, you don't need to 0:06:13.480 --> 0:06:16.920 go to work today. Just sleep in. Your flesh will 0:06:16.960 --> 0:06:19.440 tell you they were rude to you. Don't let them 0:06:19.440 --> 0:06:22.800 have the last word. Be rude back to them. Your 0:06:22.839 --> 0:06:25.640 feelings will tell you I want another piece of pie. 0:06:26.120 --> 0:06:30.160 Don't make me wait. I'm hungry. If you listen, you'll 0:06:30.200 --> 0:06:34.040 hear the spirit say no more pie. Seven pieces was enough. 0:06:36.720 --> 0:06:41.640 The flesh likes to be comfortable, but if you're always comfortable, 0:06:42.080 --> 0:06:45.839 you'll never grow. When you discipline yourself to do the 0:06:45.920 --> 0:06:49.599 right thing, the harder it is, the more you're growing 0:06:49.680 --> 0:06:52.680 in that area. Instead of seeing it as all man, 0:06:52.720 --> 0:06:56.520 this is so painful. Turn it around. This may be uncomfortable, 0:06:56.720 --> 0:06:59.760 but I know I'm growing a whole lot. I'm making progress. 0:07:00.680 --> 0:07:05.040 The scripture says no discipline at the time seems pleasant, 0:07:05.680 --> 0:07:10.240 but later on it will produce a great harvest. We 0:07:10.320 --> 0:07:14.559 need to think more about later on. Our feelings only 0:07:14.600 --> 0:07:18.600 tell us about right now. But a mature person doesn't 0:07:18.640 --> 0:07:21.480 get caught up in the emotion of the moment. They 0:07:21.560 --> 0:07:24.960 always take a step back and think about later on. 0:07:25.640 --> 0:07:28.920 Your flesh will tell you I want junk food. Colas, 0:07:29.080 --> 0:07:33.360 desserts make me comfortable. At the time, it may taste good, 0:07:33.640 --> 0:07:36.320 but later on you won't be as healthy as you 0:07:36.360 --> 0:07:38.920 could be. We get upset and think, I'm gonna go 0:07:39.000 --> 0:07:41.440 tell my boss off. I'm gonna give them a piece 0:07:41.480 --> 0:07:44.520 of my mind. You can do that, but later on 0:07:45.000 --> 0:07:49.240 you won't have a job. At home. We know we 0:07:49.280 --> 0:07:52.520 should bite our tongue not say something to our spouse, 0:07:53.080 --> 0:07:56.240 but it feels good to please the flesh. We say 0:07:56.280 --> 0:08:00.679 it anyway. Later on we're sleeping on the couch. Later 0:08:00.760 --> 0:08:04.640 on we've entered into World War three. Even though it's difficult, 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:08.320 it's much better to say, flesh, you're not gonna rule 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:12.600 my life. When you do that, later on, you'll not 0:08:12.680 --> 0:08:16.080 only still have a job, have a marriage, have good health, 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:20.120 but your character is coming up higher. God can entrust 0:08:20.160 --> 0:08:23.360 you with more. Maybe you're at the Sporting Good story 0:08:23.360 --> 0:08:27.320 and you see those shiny new golf clubs, the ones 0:08:27.360 --> 0:08:31.280 you know you can't afford right now. You know those 0:08:31.320 --> 0:08:34.679 funds are set aside for the monthly house note. But 0:08:34.760 --> 0:08:38.520 they're the latest, greatest clubs. And wouldn't you know it, 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:42.360 they're on seal this week. Only your flesh will tell 0:08:42.360 --> 0:08:45.920 you it's a sign from God. You heard Joel talking 0:08:46.000 --> 0:08:49.439 your due season year. You can't pass that up. Then 0:08:49.480 --> 0:08:54.679 you'll hear a still small voice, the spirit whispering, don't 0:08:54.679 --> 0:08:58.600 do it, be disciplined, wait for the right time. The 0:08:58.679 --> 0:09:02.880 flesh is always much louder, much stronger. I've got to 0:09:02.960 --> 0:09:06.400 have it. They're on sale. Plus there's a special rebate, 0:09:06.920 --> 0:09:09.280 and look today only. If you buy, you get a 0:09:09.320 --> 0:09:13.280 free umbrella, two packs of bubblegum. If you give in 0:09:14.160 --> 0:09:17.280 and let the flesh be the boss, well, later on, 0:09:17.960 --> 0:09:20.439 when you have to pay the bills, you'll be depressed. 0:09:21.280 --> 0:09:25.559 It's much better if you'll pay the price for discipline today. 0:09:25.679 --> 0:09:29.040 If you'll not get on board with those feelings, make 0:09:29.160 --> 0:09:33.280 decisions based off of wisdom, then later on there will 0:09:33.320 --> 0:09:36.120 be a great harvest. And when you see people that 0:09:36.160 --> 0:09:40.920 are blessed, successful, have good relationships. They didn't get there 0:09:40.960 --> 0:09:44.520 because they were lucky. They were disciplined, They did the 0:09:44.640 --> 0:09:47.840 right thing when it was hard. The people that reach 0:09:47.920 --> 0:09:51.559 their highest potential are the people that are good at 0:09:51.600 --> 0:09:55.199 saying no to their flesh. Those friends that want you 0:09:55.320 --> 0:09:58.040 to party all the time. Your feelings will tell you 0:09:58.080 --> 0:10:00.680 just do it. It's fun. You'll have a g great time. 0:10:01.200 --> 0:10:05.240 But later on there can be addictions, later on trouble 0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:08.520 in relationships. If you want to see the great harvest 0:10:08.880 --> 0:10:12.080 God's favor or blessing increase, you have to make the 0:10:12.160 --> 0:10:17.520 decision to choose discipline today. When I was in high school, 0:10:17.559 --> 0:10:20.480 I used to run track. One day, we got out 0:10:20.480 --> 0:10:23.640 at noon for a special program, and track practice didn't 0:10:23.640 --> 0:10:26.480 start until one point fifteen. It was a hot summer 0:10:26.559 --> 0:10:30.400 day in Houston. I was very hungry for Mexican food. 0:10:31.080 --> 0:10:33.240 I rounded up some of my friends and we went 0:10:33.280 --> 0:10:36.319 down to the local Mexican restaurant. As I was getting 0:10:36.320 --> 0:10:39.120 out of the car, very excited out of school early 0:10:39.200 --> 0:10:42.960 that day, at my favorite restaurant, I heard something down 0:10:43.000 --> 0:10:46.640 in here saying, you better not eat this food. It's 0:10:46.679 --> 0:10:49.839 one hundred degrees outside and in a few minutes you're 0:10:49.840 --> 0:10:52.440 going to be out on that hot track running. I 0:10:52.520 --> 0:10:55.160 no more paid attention to that. I didn't want to 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:58.120 hear that. I had my mind already made up. Now. 0:10:58.160 --> 0:11:02.720 I ordered this big Mexican day Cheloopah's enchiladas to Molly's 0:11:02.800 --> 0:11:06.400 Faheedahs chilik and caeso rice beef. Had all this food. 0:11:07.160 --> 0:11:10.040 When it came out, it smelled so good I could 0:11:10.120 --> 0:11:14.760 almost taste it. But once again I heard something whispering, Joel, 0:11:14.800 --> 0:11:17.840 you better not eat this. This is not a good idea. 0:11:18.480 --> 0:11:22.240 I thought, get behind me, Satan, this is a good idea. 0:11:23.040 --> 0:11:26.360 I ate, and ate, and ate. A few minutes later 0:11:26.440 --> 0:11:29.559 I was out on the track. The coach said today 0:11:29.760 --> 0:11:33.680 we're gonna run eighteen four hundred and forty yard sprints, 0:11:34.440 --> 0:11:38.840 not jogging, but sprinting. On my fourth sprint, I started 0:11:38.840 --> 0:11:43.960 feeling dizzy, nauseated, sick to my stomach. I went over coach, 0:11:44.120 --> 0:11:46.920 I can't run anymore. He looked at me and said, 0:11:47.240 --> 0:11:50.160 you don't have a choice. You have to run. I 0:11:50.200 --> 0:11:53.760 wanted to cast the devil out of him too. I 0:11:53.880 --> 0:11:56.160 was so miserable. I'd run a little wild, throw up, 0:11:56.280 --> 0:12:00.160 run a little wild, same thing. The funny thing when 0:12:00.200 --> 0:12:02.960 I was eating that Mexican food. I never thought about 0:12:02.960 --> 0:12:07.559 it later on. My flesh never once said later on, 0:12:08.040 --> 0:12:09.000 this is gonna be a problem. 0:12:09.080 --> 0:12:09.240 Bro. 0:12:10.600 --> 0:12:13.120 It tastes good going down, but it's not gonna taste 0:12:13.200 --> 0:12:17.360 so good coming back up. All my flesh told me 0:12:17.960 --> 0:12:20.560 was give me Mexican food. Give it to me now, 0:12:20.640 --> 0:12:24.600 don't make me way. The spirit was trying to warn me. 0:12:25.360 --> 0:12:28.240 God was saying, in effect, you better stay away from 0:12:28.240 --> 0:12:32.400 Mama Nphus today. Go down there the subway, get something easy, 0:12:32.440 --> 0:12:36.320 something light. Here's my point. Your feelings will tell you 0:12:36.400 --> 0:12:39.240 what you want, but that doesn't mean that's what's best 0:12:39.280 --> 0:12:43.199 for you. Your feelings will tell you they hurt you, hold 0:12:43.240 --> 0:12:47.120 a grudge, live bitter. The same time, you'll hear a 0:12:47.400 --> 0:12:51.680 still small voice whispering, let it go, forgive, Let God 0:12:51.720 --> 0:12:56.120 be your vindicator. The flesh and the spirit are constantly 0:12:56.120 --> 0:13:00.680 at odds. You get to choose who's the boss. Nobody 0:13:00.760 --> 0:13:03.400 can make this decision for you. We can encourage you, 0:13:03.800 --> 0:13:06.000 cheer you on, tell you that you have what it takes, 0:13:06.679 --> 0:13:10.160 but only you can make the decision. I am not 0:13:10.240 --> 0:13:13.240 going to live at this surface level. I'm not going 0:13:13.320 --> 0:13:16.400 to let the flesh control my life, taking the easy 0:13:16.400 --> 0:13:19.760 way out. I'm going to dig my heels in. Instead 0:13:19.760 --> 0:13:22.760 of letting my feelings rule me, I'm gonna start ruling 0:13:22.800 --> 0:13:26.559 over my feelings. You've heard little kids use the phrase, 0:13:27.000 --> 0:13:30.280 you're not the boss of me. Next time your flesh 0:13:30.360 --> 0:13:35.760 tell you compromise, get upset, give in to temptation, just 0:13:35.880 --> 0:13:38.600 answer back, You're not the boss of me. I am 0:13:38.679 --> 0:13:41.920 not living on that surface level. I'm going deeper. I'm 0:13:41.920 --> 0:13:46.920 gonna become all God created me to be. Paul setting Galatians. 0:13:47.360 --> 0:13:51.720 If you sow to the flesh, you will reap decay, ruin, 0:13:52.000 --> 0:13:55.480 and destruction. But if you sow to the spirit, you 0:13:55.480 --> 0:13:59.400 will reap life and life eternal. Notice when you do 0:13:59.480 --> 0:14:02.240 the right thing when it's hard, when you sow to 0:14:02.280 --> 0:14:06.360 the spirit, you're gonna reap blessings, favor increase not only 0:14:06.480 --> 0:14:10.560 eternal life, but abundant life here on this earth. But 0:14:10.720 --> 0:14:14.880 when we give into our natural carnal desires, keep doing 0:14:14.880 --> 0:14:17.840 what we feel. I feel like being lazy. I'm gonna 0:14:17.840 --> 0:14:21.240 be lazy, I feel like compromising. I'm gonna give into 0:14:21.240 --> 0:14:25.119 this temptation. I feel like staying up all night watching television. 0:14:25.760 --> 0:14:28.800 When we sow to the flesh, we won't reap anything good. 0:14:29.600 --> 0:14:33.240 But when you discipline yourself to take the high road, 0:14:33.720 --> 0:14:37.040 to say no to your feelings, you are sowing to 0:14:37.120 --> 0:14:40.680 the spirit. It may not happen overnight, but if you'll 0:14:40.760 --> 0:14:44.000 keep making those choices, you will come in to a 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:49.480 great harvest. Romans talks about those who follow the dictates 0:14:49.520 --> 0:14:53.240 of the flesh. That's saying, the flesh wants to be 0:14:53.280 --> 0:14:57.200 a dictator. The flesh wants to control your life. What 0:14:57.240 --> 0:15:00.320 does a dictator do? Tells you what to do, to 0:15:00.320 --> 0:15:03.760 do it, how to do it. They make all the decisions. 0:15:04.000 --> 0:15:07.280 You just sit back and follow the orders. In other words, 0:15:07.440 --> 0:15:10.800 you get stuck in traffic. Your flesh tells you get upset, 0:15:11.320 --> 0:15:15.640 be stressed out. So many people follow the dictates of 0:15:15.680 --> 0:15:19.080 the flesh, just like a good soldier. When they hear 0:15:19.120 --> 0:15:22.360 those orders, yes sir, right away, sir, they get upset, 0:15:22.760 --> 0:15:25.560 go through the day stressed out. Or you wake up 0:15:25.600 --> 0:15:28.600 in the morning. Your feelings may tell you you're depressed, 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:32.720 nothing good is in your future, feel lousy. Some people 0:15:32.880 --> 0:15:36.920 get on board. They go around depressed no passion. When 0:15:36.960 --> 0:15:40.040 you say, Joel, I can't help what I feel. I'm 0:15:40.080 --> 0:15:43.360 not asking you to not feel anything that's not reality. 0:15:43.960 --> 0:15:47.760 God made us as emotional beings all through the day. 0:15:47.840 --> 0:15:51.640 You will feel things. But just because you feel it 0:15:51.680 --> 0:15:55.560 doesn't mean you should act on it. David said, be 0:15:55.760 --> 0:16:00.000 angry and sin not. You may feel the emotion of it, 0:16:00.760 --> 0:16:03.840 that's okay, just don't act on it. Don't fly off 0:16:03.880 --> 0:16:07.640 the handle. You may feel offended, just don't give in. 0:16:07.720 --> 0:16:10.480 I'm not getting on board with those feelings. Or you 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:14.240 may feel tempted to compromise so strong you don't see 0:16:14.240 --> 0:16:17.640 how you can control it. But God wouldn't ask us 0:16:17.680 --> 0:16:20.880 to feel something and not give in if we couldn't 0:16:20.880 --> 0:16:23.840 do it. Yes, the feelings are real, but you have 0:16:23.920 --> 0:16:27.360 to ask yourself. Is what I'm feeling going to move 0:16:27.440 --> 0:16:31.000 me toward my destiny? Is it going to help me improve? 0:16:31.920 --> 0:16:35.560 Or is it just my natural fleshly desires that are 0:16:35.560 --> 0:16:38.880 going to keep me from rising higher? Who's the boss 0:16:38.920 --> 0:16:42.400 you or your feelings? Are you going to let the 0:16:42.440 --> 0:16:46.440 flesh stay on the throne be the dictator? My flesh said, 0:16:46.480 --> 0:16:49.880 get upset, so I got upset. My flesh said, don't 0:16:49.880 --> 0:16:53.000 clean the house. So I didn't clean the house this week, 0:16:53.600 --> 0:16:58.200 this month, this year. My flesh said, hook up with 0:16:58.280 --> 0:17:00.440 this other person, so I kind of miss stuff in 0:17:00.440 --> 0:17:04.840 my relationship. Living by what we feel is a very 0:17:04.880 --> 0:17:09.920 shallow way to live. I'm asking you to dethrone the flesh. 0:17:10.200 --> 0:17:13.760 It's time to have a change in authority. You've seen 0:17:13.800 --> 0:17:17.480 how in foreign countries when they have a dictator that's 0:17:17.600 --> 0:17:21.040 very oppressive, pushing the people down. They can't vote him 0:17:21.040 --> 0:17:24.480 out of the office. They don't have a democracy. They 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:28.280 have to take drastic measures. They rise up and overthrow 0:17:28.359 --> 0:17:32.960 the dictator. They forcefully throw him out of office. In 0:17:33.000 --> 0:17:36.440 the same way, your flesh wants to rule your life, 0:17:37.040 --> 0:17:39.359 wants to stay in control. Tell you how to feel, 0:17:39.640 --> 0:17:42.520 leads you down the wrong path. Let me warn you, 0:17:42.920 --> 0:17:45.840 it's not gonna go down easily. When you don't give 0:17:45.880 --> 0:17:49.000 it what it wants. It's gonna throw a fit, get upset. 0:17:49.880 --> 0:17:53.119 You have to dig your heels in, be determined, and 0:17:53.200 --> 0:17:56.240 say enough is enough. Flesh, You're not the boss of 0:17:56.280 --> 0:17:59.640 me anymore. Feelings. You are not going to rule my life. 0:18:00.040 --> 0:18:02.960 I am taking you off the throne. From now on, 0:18:03.359 --> 0:18:06.600 I'm going to start being ruled by the spirit. See 0:18:06.640 --> 0:18:11.280 the apostle Paul said, I die daily. He was saying, 0:18:11.320 --> 0:18:14.080 every day I have to say no to my flesh. 0:18:14.520 --> 0:18:18.240 Every day. I have to take my feelings off the throne. 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:20.480 This is not something that we do one time and 0:18:20.520 --> 0:18:24.760 then we're done. It's an ongoing process. Paul wrote over 0:18:24.800 --> 0:18:27.000 half of the New Testament. It's one of the great 0:18:27.000 --> 0:18:30.000 heroes of faith, Yet he still had to deal with 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:33.080 his flesh. You never get to the point where you're 0:18:33.080 --> 0:18:36.119 so mature, you're so spiritual, you don't have any of 0:18:36.119 --> 0:18:40.480 these fleshly carnal desires. Like Paul, every day we have 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:44.880 to learn to say no to certain feelings. One time, 0:18:44.920 --> 0:18:47.879 my father had a disagreement with my mother, and it 0:18:47.920 --> 0:18:50.160 was really no big deal, but my father was put 0:18:50.200 --> 0:18:52.880 out over it. He knew the right thing to do 0:18:53.400 --> 0:18:56.080 was just to let it go and move forward, but 0:18:56.160 --> 0:18:59.639 he felt like being offended, He felt like feeling sorry 0:18:59.680 --> 0:19:03.280 for him. Instead of ruling his feelings, he let his 0:19:03.359 --> 0:19:06.880 feelings rule him. He put them back up on the throne, 0:19:07.040 --> 0:19:09.920 and he decided to give my mother the silent treatment. 0:19:10.680 --> 0:19:12.919 She would walk by him in the house and he 0:19:12.920 --> 0:19:16.320 would ignore her, act like he didn't see her. She 0:19:16.359 --> 0:19:19.720 would ask them something. He would answer back in the shortest, 0:19:19.920 --> 0:19:23.919 most unfriendly way he possibly could. He liked how it 0:19:24.000 --> 0:19:27.199 made him feel when you give into the flesh, there 0:19:27.320 --> 0:19:31.080 is pleasure. Feels good to have a pity party, feels 0:19:31.119 --> 0:19:33.879 good to eat the twelfth bowl of ice cream, feels 0:19:33.880 --> 0:19:36.159 good to skip school, go down to the beach. The 0:19:36.240 --> 0:19:39.320 flesh loves to have its way, loves to stay on 0:19:39.359 --> 0:19:42.960 the throne. A couple of hours later, my mom got 0:19:43.080 --> 0:19:46.520 tired of having the cold shoulder treatment and decided to 0:19:46.520 --> 0:19:50.159 do something about it. She went and hid behind the 0:19:50.280 --> 0:19:54.320 door and stayed there as quietly as she could. My 0:19:54.440 --> 0:19:58.399 father looked and looked and looked everywhere throughout the house. 0:19:59.080 --> 0:20:02.399 It's hard to ignore or somebody when you can't find them. 0:20:03.760 --> 0:20:08.720 The longer he looked, the more worried he became. He thought, 0:20:08.720 --> 0:20:11.040 dear Lord, maybe the rapture took place and I got 0:20:11.119 --> 0:20:16.120 left behind. A few minutes later he passed that door 0:20:16.160 --> 0:20:19.399 where my mother was hiding. She jumped out on his back, 0:20:19.880 --> 0:20:23.159 put both legs around him, said, John, I'm not getting 0:20:23.160 --> 0:20:26.760 off until you cheer up. They laughed so much my 0:20:26.800 --> 0:20:30.560 father forgot what he was mad about. No matter how 0:20:30.600 --> 0:20:33.560 mature you are, every day to have to take those 0:20:33.600 --> 0:20:39.520 feelings off the throne, Paul said in First Corinthians, everything 0:20:39.760 --> 0:20:44.639 is permissible for me but everything is not profitable. I 0:20:44.720 --> 0:20:48.119 will not become a slave to anything. See, there are 0:20:48.119 --> 0:20:50.240 a lot of things we can do and get away with. 0:20:50.680 --> 0:20:54.920 We can go through life bad attitude, hot temper, compromising impatience. 0:20:55.359 --> 0:20:59.760 That's permissible, but it's not very profitable. If you live 0:21:00.040 --> 0:21:03.919 at that shallow level, letting your feelings rule you, you 0:21:03.920 --> 0:21:07.560 can only go so high. Yes, you'll survive, but it 0:21:07.600 --> 0:21:11.000 will be much less than you were created for. I'm 0:21:11.040 --> 0:21:15.760 talking today about reaching the fullness of your destiny. Paul said, 0:21:15.880 --> 0:21:19.520 I won't become a slave to anything. When we let 0:21:19.560 --> 0:21:23.600 our feelings rule us, we become a slave to anger, 0:21:24.040 --> 0:21:27.720 a slave to luss, a slave to self pity. Because 0:21:27.800 --> 0:21:30.720 we're letting our flesh stay on the throne. It's like 0:21:30.760 --> 0:21:34.439 we're serving those things held by their power. But I 0:21:34.480 --> 0:21:38.880 believe this is a new day. The flesh is being dethroned. 0:21:39.480 --> 0:21:42.719 No more living as slaves. We're rising up and saying, flesh, 0:21:42.840 --> 0:21:45.800 you're not gonna control us. We're gonna take the throne. 0:21:46.040 --> 0:21:48.840 We're gonna make decisions that honor God and move us 0:21:48.840 --> 0:21:55.040 toward our destiny. The scripture says we are unspiritual when 0:21:55.040 --> 0:21:59.639 we are under the control of ordinary impulses. It doesn't 0:21:59.680 --> 0:22:04.119 say that these ordinary impulses will go away. The feelings 0:22:04.119 --> 0:22:07.360 will always be there. The problem is when we give in, 0:22:07.720 --> 0:22:11.320 we come under their control. When you said, Joel, I've 0:22:11.359 --> 0:22:14.880 always had a problem with my temper, I've always been impatient. 0:22:14.920 --> 0:22:17.520 I'll never change. Well, here's how you do it. You 0:22:17.640 --> 0:22:22.080 have to quit feeding those feelings. Anything you feed is 0:22:22.119 --> 0:22:26.239 going to grow when that emotion of anger comes. If 0:22:26.320 --> 0:22:29.159 you keep giving in, getting upset, flying off the handle, 0:22:29.400 --> 0:22:32.320 all you're doing is making it stronger. You're giving it 0:22:32.359 --> 0:22:36.359 more power. If you keep feeding that self pity, going 0:22:36.400 --> 0:22:40.360 around feeling sorry for yourself. It's just like a person 0:22:40.720 --> 0:22:43.359 that's addicted to a drug. The more he takes it, 0:22:43.640 --> 0:22:46.119 the more he has to have it. He craves it, 0:22:46.280 --> 0:22:51.240 the desire becomes stronger. Whatever area you're letting your feelings rule, 0:22:51.800 --> 0:22:55.200 it's going to grow. If you get stressed out every 0:22:55.200 --> 0:22:59.920 time you get stuck in traffic, you're feeding the impatience man, 0:23:00.119 --> 0:23:03.000 and you're serving it a meal. You get real upset. 0:23:03.040 --> 0:23:06.680 Here's a steak dinner. Here's some vitamins. If you want 0:23:06.760 --> 0:23:11.000 to get out from under the control of the ordinary impulses, 0:23:11.640 --> 0:23:14.639 you can't pray them away. They're a part of life. 0:23:15.200 --> 0:23:18.360 The way you break free is you quit feeding them. 0:23:18.920 --> 0:23:22.080 Next time you're tempted to get upset, you feel that 0:23:22.320 --> 0:23:27.199 ordinary impulse, don't respond. Put on some good praise music. 0:23:27.680 --> 0:23:30.680 Think about all you have to be grateful for what's happening. 0:23:30.960 --> 0:23:35.520 You're feeding your spirit person instead of feeding your flesh. 0:23:36.000 --> 0:23:40.560 As your spirit grows stronger, your flesh is getting weaker. 0:23:41.520 --> 0:23:45.120 You have to starve the self pity, starve the anger, 0:23:45.520 --> 0:23:49.600 starve the bad attitude. If you keep sowing to the flesh, 0:23:50.040 --> 0:23:53.920 you'll reap defeat. But if you'll start sewing to the spirit, 0:23:54.200 --> 0:23:58.760 you'll reap victory. And even though those fleshly normal impulses 0:23:58.800 --> 0:24:02.880 still come, they won't control you anymore. This is how 0:24:02.920 --> 0:24:05.280 you know that you're mature. Not that you don't have 0:24:05.359 --> 0:24:09.400 any temptations, not that you prayed away everything that bothers you. 0:24:09.960 --> 0:24:14.440 A sign of maturity is you still feel the negative emotions, 0:24:14.640 --> 0:24:17.040 but you don't act on them. You don't put them 0:24:17.080 --> 0:24:20.159 back up on the throne. You're the boss of your life, 0:24:20.520 --> 0:24:25.760 not your feelings. Proverb says, a person that doesn't rule 0:24:25.840 --> 0:24:29.760 his own spirit is like a city with broken down walls. 0:24:30.640 --> 0:24:34.240 When we keep giving into these ordinary impulses. Our walls 0:24:34.280 --> 0:24:38.320 are down, we have no protection. We're defenseless. The enemy 0:24:38.359 --> 0:24:41.399 can come in and have a heyday with our life. 0:24:41.440 --> 0:24:44.800 Here's the solution God has given each one of us 0:24:45.160 --> 0:24:50.119 self control. Self control is like a muscle. If you 0:24:50.240 --> 0:24:54.240 never use it, if you never discipline yourself, your self 0:24:54.280 --> 0:24:57.080 controlled muscle is going to be very weak. You have 0:24:57.160 --> 0:25:01.440 to start exercising it, start saying no to your flesh. 0:25:01.520 --> 0:25:05.840 You have a destiny to fulfill. God has amazing things 0:25:05.880 --> 0:25:10.000 in your future. But the scripture says, as long as 0:25:10.080 --> 0:25:14.640 the error is a child, he will never receive the inheritance. 0:25:15.560 --> 0:25:18.119 If you're throwing a fit at two years old, that's okay. 0:25:18.800 --> 0:25:22.240 But if you're twenty years old, forty years old, sixty 0:25:22.320 --> 0:25:27.040 years old, still giving in to the ordinary impulses, God 0:25:27.119 --> 0:25:31.399 is saying it's time to grow up. If you'll take 0:25:31.480 --> 0:25:35.800 your flesh off the throne, God will start releasing some 0:25:35.920 --> 0:25:40.040 of these amazing things that He has in your future. See, 0:25:40.119 --> 0:25:44.440 spiritual maturity has nothing to do with how long you've 0:25:44.440 --> 0:25:47.600 been in church, how long you've known the Lord. It 0:25:47.640 --> 0:25:51.040 has everything to do with what kind of fruit are 0:25:51.080 --> 0:25:53.920 you displaying in your life? Are you not living by 0:25:53.920 --> 0:25:57.840 your feelings? Are you saying no to these emotional impulses. 0:25:58.760 --> 0:26:02.920 I read something interesting about mountain climbers. When they're out climbing, 0:26:03.320 --> 0:26:05.200 one of the main things they have to watch out 0:26:05.320 --> 0:26:09.280 for are poisonous snakes. The snakes can be hidden behind 0:26:09.280 --> 0:26:11.960 a rock, they move it and get bitten, or the 0:26:12.000 --> 0:26:15.240 snakes can be on the ground disguised they look just 0:26:15.359 --> 0:26:19.119 like the terrain they accidentally step on them. A snake 0:26:19.200 --> 0:26:22.080 bite way up in a mountain can easily be fatal, 0:26:22.520 --> 0:26:26.760 can take hours even days to be rescued. So constantly 0:26:26.800 --> 0:26:30.200 watching out for poisonous snakes, it's always on the forefront 0:26:30.200 --> 0:26:35.400 of their mind. But there's something called the snakeliine. When 0:26:35.440 --> 0:26:39.120 the climbers get to a certain altitude, when they get 0:26:39.200 --> 0:26:43.480 up high enough because the air is so thin, they 0:26:43.520 --> 0:26:47.480 know that snakes cannot live at that level. They don't 0:26:47.520 --> 0:26:50.639 have to worry about getting bitten by these poisonous snakes 0:26:50.680 --> 0:26:54.760 at that height. In the same way, if you'll keep 0:26:54.880 --> 0:26:59.040 ruling over your emotions, not letting the flesh have control, 0:26:59.680 --> 0:27:04.800 as you continue growing, maturing, coming up higher, you will 0:27:04.800 --> 0:27:08.000 get to the place where the snakes where the enemy 0:27:08.240 --> 0:27:13.520 cannot bother you anymore. It doesn't mean that you want 0:27:13.600 --> 0:27:17.960 still feel the emotional ordinary impulses. They'll still be there, 0:27:18.200 --> 0:27:21.880 but they wan't affect you. Your flesh has been dethroned. 0:27:22.440 --> 0:27:24.640 Those feelings may try to get back up there from 0:27:24.640 --> 0:27:28.159 time to time, but you've developed so much self discipline. 0:27:28.680 --> 0:27:32.240 You've sewed to the spirit so long. It's like you've 0:27:32.280 --> 0:27:36.640 crossed that snake line. The enemy cannot go where you're going. Now. 0:27:36.640 --> 0:27:39.720 We may not all be there just yet, but don't worry. 0:27:39.840 --> 0:27:43.639 You're getting closer. We're coming up higher. The flesh is 0:27:43.680 --> 0:27:47.760 getting weaker, the spirit is getting stronger. Who's the boss. 0:27:47.920 --> 0:27:51.320 You're the boss. Now do your part. Keep saying no 0:27:51.440 --> 0:27:55.639 to the flesh like Paul, keep dying daily. If you'll 0:27:55.680 --> 0:28:00.600 do this, as you continue to grow, I believe and decline, 0:28:00.680 --> 0:28:04.560 God is going to release the inheritance the amazing things 0:28:04.560 --> 0:28:07.360 he has in store. You're gonna step in to the 0:28:07.359 --> 0:28:11.560 fullness of your destiny and become everything He's created you 0:28:11.640 --> 0:28:15.200 to be in Jesus' name. If you receive it, can 0:28:15.280 --> 0:28:19.480 you say a man today? We never like to close 0:28:19.520 --> 0:28:23.280 our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus 0:28:23.359 --> 0:28:25.720 the lord of your life. Would you pray with me, 0:28:26.480 --> 0:28:32.400 Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins, Come 0:28:32.440 --> 0:28:38.200 into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. Friends, 0:28:38.200 --> 0:28:40.560 if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:28:40.560 --> 0:28:43.960 born again. Get in a good Bible based church. Keep 0:28:44.000 --> 0:28:47.000 God first place. He's gonna take your places that you've 0:28:47.040 --> 0:28:47.720 never dreamed. 0:28:48.560 --> 0:28:52.000 Thank you for listening to the joelous Deine podcast. Help 0:28:52.080 --> 0:28:54.800 us continue to share the message of hope with those 0:28:54.920 --> 0:28:58.800 all over the world. Visit Joelostin dot com slash give 0:28:58.880 --> 0:29:00.600 Hope to give again today. 0:29:01.840 --> 0:29:04.760 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. I hope 0:29:04.760 --> 0:29:08.160 you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest podcast to 0:29:08.240 --> 0:29:11.440 keep you inspired all through the week. We're praying for you. 0:29:11.600 --> 0:29:14.080 I know God's best is still ahead. We'll see you 0:29:14.120 --> 0:29:14.719 next time. 0:29:23.160 --> 0:29:25.680 More than ever before, people are turning to the church 0:29:25.720 --> 0:29:29.320 for their mental health struggles. Unfortunately, the church has largely 0:29:29.360 --> 0:29:32.480 been ill equipped to help. That is until now. Join 0:29:32.520 --> 0:29:35.520 nearly fifty thousand people just like you who've enrolled in 0:29:35.560 --> 0:29:38.479 the Mental Health Coach Training program and become equipped to 0:29:38.600 --> 0:29:40.960 help for a limited time. 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