Okay, 2 Peter chapter 1, I want to particularly focus on the first 11 verses, so starting
in verse 1, 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 1, Simon Peter a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ
to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and
our saviour Jesus Christ. So this is obviously to the saved, this epistle is to the saved and
in verse 2 he says grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus
our Lord according as his divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and
godliness through the knowledge of him that have called us to glory and virtue. So basically we've
been given everything we need for life and godliness, in fact he's called us to glory
Verse 4 whereby given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might
be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Right, partakers of the divine nature sounds pretty good doesn't it? Verse 5 and beside this giving
all diligence add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge. Right, so diligence is steady
application in business of any kind, constant effort to accomplish what is undertaken,
exertion of body or mind without unnecessary delay or sloth, due attention, industry, assiduity
and care, heed and heedfulness. So basically the following list that we're about to see now
is something that we need to put constant maximum effort into but with all care as well. So it starts
with faith, we didn't put any effort into faith did we? It starts with faith but the diligence
is to then add to the faith. So this is an automatic, everything on this list doesn't
suddenly come naturally because you're saved, there's some of that false doctrine out there
you're just automatically going to become a good Christian. No, it takes all diligence, we need to
give all diligence it says okay. Right, add to your faith virtue. Right, what's virtue? Well virtue
basically is moral goodness so we need to add to our faith the moral goodness. Now this is something
that obviously we have to give some diligence to add to and basically it's getting our morals
and values in line with God's. So it starts after faith, faith is the beginning then it starts with
getting our morals and values in line doesn't it? And you can see when you see the progression
here because how could we add knowledge if our morals are off? If our morals and values are off
you're more likely to get offended by the Bible aren't you? You'd be more likely to get offended
than to build knowledge wouldn't you? If you read the Bible, you read the Bible as you know and we
could say as unsaved or as basically a baby Christian and a lot of that stuff's going to
offend you isn't it? You're going to find it hard to add knowledge. Can you imagine studying Genesis
19 or Romans 1 if your virtue is of the world, if your morals are of the world, studying about what
happened to Sodom and Gomorrah, studying about reprobates and you're still thinking how the
world thinks, oh you know it's love, love and we're all you know people are just born that way
and everything else. No you need to get your morals and values right first. How about even
proverbs on child rearing? How hard is that for a new Christian sometimes to deal with that
especially in this society that children need the rod of correction yeah and spare not for
their crying? That's tough to deal with isn't it? You've got to get that in line for us. What about
God's wrath in Revelation? That's not the God of the world is it? That's not the God of the Bible
we're told, sorry, that's not how we're told the God of the Bible is and going through Revelation
and seeing I mean there is some wrath spilling out of God there isn't there on everyone and
now it's hard to get your head around at the beginning even 1 Corinthians 5 on church
discipline yeah you imagine you just got saved you jumped straight into 1 Corinthians 5.
You're not going to build much knowledge there you're going to find out I think that's going
to be a stumbling block for you that what what drinking doesn't everyone in the world drink or
fornication what's wrong with that you know what get kicked out of a church what sort of a weird
place is that you know well no that's what that's what the Bible says Ephesians 5 on marital roles
without getting you without getting your morals in line with God without getting your values in
in line a wife submit to her husband what sort of people are you you know what sort of stone age
backwards prehistoric men are these you know what sort of stupid submissive wife and that's the sort
of thing that will go through people's heads and that's a stumbling block for many isn't it
so first we need to add that virtue but after virtue you can then add knowledge can't you
after virtue you can add knowledge once you're thinking how God thinks you can really start to
grasp the truths in life can't you and then it starts to open up to you psalm 119 you don't have
to turn there 66 says teach me good judgment and knowledge for I have believed thy commandments
so basically when you're studying accepting the truths in the words of the word of God
proverbs 26 says for the Lord giveth wisdom out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding
so the knowledge comes from the word of God doesn't it that's where it comes from the word
of God but you need to get get in line with God's way of thinking first be able to then add knowledge
okay verse six then says and to knowledge temperance what is temperance well basically
moderation particularly habitual moderation regard the indulgence of the natural appetites
and passions restrained or moderate indulgence as temperance in eating and drinking temperance
in the indulgence of joy on earth temperance in eating and drinking is opposed to gluttony and
drunkenness and in and in other indulgences to excess now basically temperance is moderation
another common word for itself control okay self-control now obviously we need the knowledge
to know what to be self-controlled about don't we so we've had to get the virtue to get the knowledge
we've got the knowledge to get the temperance because without the knowledge what is it that
we need to be self-controlled about now we need the self-control though because it says in verse
six and to temperance patience so we need the self-control before we can work on the patience
so how can i work on patience if i don't have self-control and and it's this i want to focus
on today the title of my sermon is improving your self-control improving your self-control
i was thinking about this after last week so last week if you turn quickly to first corinthians
chapter nine and we went through first corinthians chapter nine and at the end of first corinthians
nine in verse 25 the bible reads first corinthians 9 25 and every man that striveth for the mastery
is temperate in all things now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown but we and incorruptible
i therefore so run not as uncertainly so fight i not as one that beateth the air but i keep under
my body and bring it into subjection lest that by any means when i've preached to others i myself
should be a castaway okay now we're striving for the mastery of incorruptible rewards aren't we
therefore we need to be temperate or self-controlled in all things right
okay because they're doing it for a corruptible crown and it's saying people that's striving for
the mastery there they're temperate in all things in all things and i think sadly this is a stumbling
block for many many many christians this is a this is basically a blocker this is as far as
people get on this list often because self-control is needed for regular bible reading isn't it for
a good prayer life regular soul winning regular church attendance avoiding junk food junk drink
stuff like that in your life resisting other addictions smoking caffeine maybe netflix series
keeping your speech clean controlling your anger maybe it's doing regular exercise being healthy
giving to others being on time resisting sin and all the many different it all takes self-control
doesn't it all take self-control self-discipline whatever you want to call it temperance
it all requires that now have a look back to um back to second peter one there verse six then says
and to temperance patience and to patience godliness so how do we start learning and
working on the patience in temptation and tribulation if we don't have the self-control
to resist it in the first place how can we do that but it's after that then comes the godliness
after the patience the patience needed to persevere in those times of temptation tribulation
now godliness is a religious life a careful observance of the laws of god and performance
of religious duties proceeding from love and reverence for the divine character and commands
christian obedience clearly you need patience don't you to be able to to be what the what what
what's described as a godly person and we need the godliness because it then says in verse seven and
to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity so we need the godliness for real
brotherly kindness okay now many christians think they have the brotherly kindness down because they
like some other christians because they're buddies mates you know they get on with with some other
christians this is a talk this this here is talking about a kindness towards all your brothers and
sisters in christ not oh not necessarily oh just to be seen to be kind no it's the kindness it's
in your heart a wanting to give to everyone i don't mean just for our own gain or to appear to
be holy and it's not being best friends with everyone no one can be best friends with with
everyone unless if they're fake because the truth is we're not all going to have 100 in common with
everyone but it's talking about having a kindness having something inside you where you want to be
kind to your brothers and sisters um but it comes before the charity because how do you expect to be
filled with love charity to the non-believers to everyone else in the world if you can't be kind
to fellow believers first right okay but and and with that Colossians 3 14 says and above all
things put on charity which is a bond of perfectness so the real charity true charity
not the world's charity not the world's just giving money to bums on the street who are drug
addicts and alcoholics to go and to go and buy more not the charity of you know just telling
everyone what they want to hear you know just saying things and telling everyone how loving you
are but the real charity of wanting to give to others wanting to give to everyone is the icing
on the cake isn't it that's that that's where we're we're looking to to aspire to get to okay
but noticing that passage there there's a clear progression there isn't there faith to virtue
he's talking about adding them virtue to knowledge to temperance and like i said which unfortunately
i think as far as many christians get to now there are some great examples in the bible of
people that show that self-control um we're not going to turn there but in genesis 39 you've got
joseph and potiphar's wife um second samuel 16 you've got where david's getting cursed by shimmy
eye and and somehow he just manages to not just go over and chop his head off um you got you've got
daniel one with daniel shadrach mishak and abednego and and the pulse diet that they managed to go on
with all these fine meats and things being offered to them what about the patience of joe just
unbelievable isn't it um but one of my favorites turn to matthew 26
matthew chapter 26
and verse 51
and behold one of them which were with jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and
struck a servant of the high priest and smote off his here his ear then said jesus under him
put up again thy sword into his place for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword
think yourself that i cannot now pray to my father and he shall presently give me more
than 12 legions of angels but how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be so
jesus christ had some self-control there because if i had at my uh at my fingertips 12 legions of
angels i'll tell you what there'd be some stuff going on especially when i'm getting arrested
by those scum bags those angels would just be getting called up every five minutes you know
in the middle of this song when i'm seeing people drifting off and stuff angels get in there
but but he had some self-control didn't he and obviously he's a great example of jesus christ
is in many many places but um for me i like that because i think you know that you know you might
think oh well that's silly well no imagine having at your at your command 12 legions of angels i
think that would be hard to be controlled with that but you might be sitting there thinking look
i've i've got no self-control i find it hard to be disciplined what what can i do it doesn't just
come naturally like we said how do you what's the diligence how do you work towards that because
we're told to give all diligence aren't we now i think there are some practical things that i
believe can help with this and i was thinking about also in in like he talked about that those
striving for the mastery for corruptible crowns he's talking about people in the world for things
like that and they're things that we can apply because he's saying to do that that we should
be basically the way he's implying there is that we should be doing the same for our incorruptible
crowns so how do we improve our self-control well okay i've got a list here and and there's
seven points on this list and you might disagree with some of you might already have some of these
down maybe you can maybe take one of these things today i think it would be great um i think it might
help you and i think everyone really could work on their self-control to some degree but like i said
for many i think that you kind of you could easily just stop at that point can't you can stop at the
self-control bit and then you never really reach that next bit because it's easy to just go well
i'm a sinful christian well we're all just sinners that's it yeah we are all sinners 100
percent we're all sinners but we're told to give all diligence all diligence to go through this
list so number one i believe focus on specific goals so focus on specific goals so turn of
philippians chapter 3
and verse 13 philippians 3 13 brethren i count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing i
do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching unto unto those things which are before
i press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of god in christ jesus
let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if anything
ye be otherwise minded god shall reveal even this unto you okay so what are your goals your goals
maybe it's to read the bible cover to cover in x amount of time or maybe it's to give up a
particular addiction or sin set definite goals set that goal verse 13 there says says to reach
forth toward your goals he's saying here he's saying reaching forth unto those things which
are before okay verse 14 and 15 says to be single-minded or focused on your goals he says
that be thus mind if anything you be otherwise minded god shall reveal this unto you he's pressed
toward the mark for the for the prize of the high calling of god in christ jesus
now some people could picture their goal maybe write it down remind themselves each day and i
think you should keep that and like i said it there are goals there are things you're finding
oh with self-control set a goal for that try and achieve that oh never mind i just can't get over
this one thing no set a goal work on it and you'll see people do that in in sports and in many other
vocations where they want to achieve something they'll set that goal and they'll focus on that
goal i mean if you talk to to champions in in many different different sporting disciplines
they will actually focus on that prize they're focused on that winning they they will start
imagining themselves being up there with their hand lifted up the champion of whatever it is
and people and and for many people that will work for them because it's i'm not going to fail this
is what i'm going to achieve focus on but focus on that in your in your walk with god focus on
those individual things those individual hurdles that you need to get get over those individual
tests of your self-control uh turn to philippians uh so in philippians so turn to verse uh chapter
four verse eight he says here in chapter four verse eight finally brethren whatsoever things
are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure
whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and
if there be any praise think on these things so if your goals are true honest just pure lovely
of good report focus on them focus on you got nothing wrong with that is there focus on the
good things focus on where you want to be focus on on on the things that the place you want to
be after that that whether it be healthier less sinful in certain ways whatever it is focus on
no things um john four turn to john four sorry so gospel of john chapter four and verse 31
we see a great example of jesus doing this here where
says in the mean while his disciples prayed him saying master eat but he said unto them i have
meat to eat that ye know not of therefore said the disciples one to another have any man brought him
all to eat jesus saith unto them my meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his
work now jesus folks are finishing his work to the point where he didn't even need to eat with them
he's got a goal there his goal obviously was to going get the gospel out to all the lost sheep
of the house of his own he's out there just just just preaching the gospel he's saying and he goes
on there to talk about that afterwards but um but for us focus on it get a goal focus on it hit them
one by one get over those those hurdles those problems where you can't you you're just finding
that self-control you can't deal with so number one number one there sorry was was to focus on
specific goals number two is to have accountability so have accountability turn to proverbs 15
proverbs chapter 15
and verse 3 proverbs 15 3 says the eyes of the lord are in every place beholding the evil and
the good okay remind yourself regularly that god is watching everything i think it's easy to forget
that sometimes isn't it remind yourself have it in your mind that everything you do i mean let
alone everything you think but everything you do god is watching isn't he he's watching everything
you do have some accountability for that god is watching everything you do but if that's not
enough turn to hebrews chapter 12 because sadly that isn't enough for many people
hebrews chapter 12 and verse 1 hebrews 12 1 wherefore seeing we also accomplished about with so
great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking unto jesus the author and
finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the
shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of god now verse 2 is obviously a great
example of jesus focus on on his goal but verse 1 there is showing that we are accountable to
others aren't we we are accountable to others and and that's something you can picture you could
think look i've got a lot of people watching me whether or not you believe there are people
in heaven watching some people have different beliefs on that or whether or not it's just your
your your immediate family your church family whatever you are you are encompassed by a great
cloud of witnesses but if picturing that isn't enough tell your spouse tell your parents your
friends your family about your goal not to show off hey by the way i'm going to be reading the
bible for the 20th time this week and uh you know just thought i'd let you know just so
unaccountable no not to show off but but if there's something you need to get over share it
share it with with someone so you have some accountability because i mean there's i know
brother john here is and i was to to some degree a lot of people that get a personal trainer or
something a trainer of some of some point like that basically the one the number one reasons
is for accountability and they admit that look there's a lot of people you you'd be surprised
because you think when you work in these gyms and stuff you're looking at these guys and you're
thinking all these people are really wealthy they've just got all this money to get this
personal trainer a lot of the time they're not a lot of the time they're actually scraping together
the money because they know that if they don't have that accountability to someone where they've
booked in a time and they're going to be there waiting for them they know they won't turn up
they know they won't turn up and do the exercise they won't do the training it's that accountability
of someone who knows what their goal is what their target is and that they they have someone
to answer to okay having someone and obviously that should be god but for many if that's not
enough for you tell someone right this i'm going to give up this or i'm going to start doing this
or this is what i'm going to do use that use that to your benefit okay so improving your self-control
number three on improve your self-control is to remember the cost of failure remember the
cost of failure so turn to first corinthians chapter 11 okay first corinthians chapter 11
and this is speaking of the lord's supper we're going to be covering that next week but from from
verse 29 he says for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself
not discerning the lord's body for this cause many are weak and sickly among you and many sleep
for if we would judge ourselves we should not be judged but when we are judged we are chastened
of the lord that we should not be condemned with the world wherefore my brethren when you come
together to eat tarry one for another and if any man hunger let him eat at home that you come not
together unto condemnation and arrest will i set in order when i come now i'm sure that this part
of the letter to the corinthians and there's a lot of there's a lot of stuff as we've been going
through in first corinthians and a lot of chastisement but i think this part would have put them off
treating the lord's supper as some sort of feed up don't you think i think it would have put them
off just treating it as some sort of big feast and it would have been put them off just coming to the
lord's supper with all this you know just clear problems and issues and open sin and everything
else so god was punishing them wasn't he with he says here weakness sickness and death and i think
having having an eye on that like i said there having having a reminder of the cost of failure
is is is such a benefit to us that's why chastisement is there isn't it chastisement
and other repercussions of failure should help us stay on track shouldn't they and that's the
idea of chastisement but it's so common for christians to just ignore that part and to just
oh i'm being tested by the devil i'm being tested by the devil i'm being you know it's the devil
doing this and that and and you know sometimes the devil can be used chastisement i believe but
but i i do believe when things happen in life you should first be trying to look and pray and and
seek god and and think the first he should be thinking am i being chastised because god says
he'll do it doesn't he he's a loving father he said he said as a loving father he will chastise
us so why why do we many people never think they're being chastised but we know we're not
perfect and we want to be aware of the chastisement and if it's sin be sure that god does chastise look
at hebrews 12 11. i know many of us read you know part maybe hebrews 12 5 when we're soul winning
we read it do we really think about it ourselves hebrews 12 11 says now no chastening for the
present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yielded the peaceable
fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby okay so it should yield
shouldn't it the peaceful fruit of righteousness so when we're being chastised when and and the
thought of the chastisement that should be something which which should encourage us
to to get right should encourage us to improve our self-control it should encourage us to be
self-controlled when we know there that we're going to be getting punished for it so a good
thing to have in your mind that if it's not a specific sin and it's sometimes it's not this
it's necessarily a specific sin that we're trying to work on just remind yourselves of the negatives
of failure anyway because there are negatives aren't there to all these things that we want
to improve to lack of self-control it could be the impression of your kids it could be knowing
that your kids are watching you just indulging and not controlling the flesh having no self-control
and knowing that you're likely to form that in your child or maybe maybe you don't have kids
maybe it's it's people around you maybe it's your church maybe it's just that you're not doing as
much for god because of that lack of self-control with things um remind yourselves of the negatives
of failure okay so improve your self-control number four number four is aim for rewards
aim for rewards so turn to first corinthians two now first corinthians chapter two
the idea of this sermon is because it's you know often you know the preacher you'll just be on
sin and this is sin and that is sin but the idea is to hopefully give you some ways
that i believe can help you with with this which is a big problem isn't it self-control
is a hard thing i think in this culture as well maybe i don't want to blame it on the culture
we all have sinful flesh and we all choose to do things but but i think i think there probably is
more of an encouragement to just live life if you want to do what you like you know if it feels good
do it now we need self-control in life and number four aim for rewards so we're in first corinthians
chapter 2 and verse 9 says here first corinthians 2 9 but as it is written i have not seen nor
ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which god has prepared for them
that love him okay now that is one of many promises in the bible about rewards isn't it
one of many promises about rewards and look it says there it says it says i have not seen or
heard neither entered into the heart of man the things which god has prepared for them that love
him we don't even know he hasn't even we don't even know some of the many things that god has
prepared for us and god constantly is talking about the rewards in life crowns and rewards
in heaven as well as blessings on earth and i'm not talking about you know the the pentecostal
type thing but there are blessings on earth um and god tells us about the rewards for a reason
doesn't he because there are many many verses he has it just put them there just hey you know it's
going to be great he's telling us about rewards because rewards should inspire us they should
inspire us to go on to good things shouldn't they and they should inspire us to be self-controlled
because the rewards aren't just for going out soul winning and getting people saved
okay they're rewards for every part of the christian life and and like animals and kids
what do we do i mean people some people here i'm sure have trained an ant maybe trained a dog
and and okay we're not dogs but we do the same with kids don't we we offer rewards and we offer
chastisement and that's exactly how god deals with us as well but we need to want the rewards
and sometimes it can be hard because we do live a life of faith so it's not that right today i i
i got over a certain goal and tomorrow suddenly i've got you know some something great's happened
and suddenly i've you know a new car just just turned up at my house or whatever it is that
you know you feel is going to be a blessing in life um it doesn't work like that sometimes it
could be a lot a lot later and in the same way in the same way that the the rewards in heaven
it can feel like it's a long way off sometimes can't it but maybe remind yourself remind yourself
of the rewards keep reminding yourself of that and it might help you with your self-control
um use that incentive to improve your self-control and turn to galatians 6
and verse 9
Bible says galatians 6 9 and let us not be weary in well-doing for in due season we shall reap
if we faint not so don't give up don't give up you will reap if you keep the self-control
don't give up keeps the self-discipline keep that temperance keep that self-control
aim for the rewards keep them on your mind okay that was number four aim for rewards right
number five in improving your self-control okay this is a big one i think is avoid obvious
temptations avoid the obvious temptations okay it's not just oh well you know i i i need to have
these things in front of me to prove my self-control no i believe it's step by step you're never going
to improve your self-control if you just constantly just got all the temptations around
you the whole time things that you can control turn to proverbs 22 proverbs chapter 22 and by
the way this is identical in proverbs 27 and i think when you got got it written twice there's
good reason for it proverbs 22 and verse 3 says 22 3 a prudent man for seeth the evil and hideth
himself but the simple pass on and are punished okay prudent is cautious careful of consequences
like the diligence really that second peter one five commanded okay so if you're cautious careful
consequences if you actually care about that you care about your sin you care about yourself
control it says here that the prudent man for seeth the evil you should look for where the
problems are going to come from and hideth himself don't be simple and just pass on and
a punish okay we need to be aware of the risks ahead that's part of self-control
you know a little saying some people say is out of sight out of mind you might have heard that
before out of sight out of mind so if eating junk food is a problem don't have it in the house
if it's a problem don't have it in the house don't buy it and think oh well i'll just have the odd
thing if you just if you're one of them people that i you know goes to have a biscuit and next
thing you know the whole packet's gone in a minute a lot of people are like that aren't they
don't get the packet in the first place like why have it in the house you know um if your phone
is likely to distract you during bible time switch it off oh well i'll just keep it on just just
switch it off or you know maybe evening like we've talked about before there's a sinful time for you
so you just can't avoid any evening partaking in sinful things well get up earlier and go to bed
earlier get up earlier get up early when it's not a problem if you get up early you're going
to be tired earlier aren't you go to bed earlier um i turn to psalm 101
okay psalm 101
and i i mean this psalm's got so much about this in it and we're just going to read the psalm
okay psalm 101
and from verse one
okay i will sing of mercy and judgment unto thee oh lord will i sing i will behave myself wisely
in a perfect way oh when wilt thou come unto me i will walk within my house with a perfect heart
i will set no wicked thing before mine eyes i hate the work of them that turn aside it shall
not cleave to me so no wicked thing okay no wicked thing he doesn't want it in front of his eyes the
self-control is so much easier when it's not in your face isn't it it's so much easier when it's
not in your face so maybe it's a self-control not to lust after the opposite sex okay delete
your scantily clad worldly friends on social media just delete them or unfollow them if you're
worried about being rude at someone you really think that you're going to try and reach with
the gospel or avoid the trip to the beach at peak time when it's full of half-naked bathers
oh you're one of those you know prudy christians no we're trying to be sensible we shouldn't be
setting wicked things before before our eyes we know that it's wicked don't we is it not
wicked to walk around half dressed is is not it's not flawed your nakedness wickedness so why do we
then think it's okay to go and hang around at swimming pools and and beaches with a load of
load of people in dressed in next to nothing men in you know i don't want to give you the images
but why fronts and women in in bikinis and the rest of it and why why is that then okay why
would you do that especially especially when it's something that maybe does tempt you okay just just
get it out get it don't set it before your eyes and that's the same on stuff you watch because
sometimes you know you'll you'll try and scroll through youtube for a video or something and and
all the junk's coming up or if you're on facebook or whatever else it is instagram so much stuff
isn't it it's hard enough out in the world with that isn't it it's hard enough in the world and
and in certain workplaces and everything else let alone you don't need it on your phone as well do
you because for many people that is an issue that's a problem don't set it before your eyes
it says here in verse four throw would heart shall depart for me i will not know a wicked person
who so privily slandereth his neighbor him will i cut off him that hath an high look and a proud
heart will not suffer so avoid bad influences too avoid bad influences so is what's role one
role one if you're quitting an addiction what's the first thing that anyone would tell you is to
avoid people who are doing the same addiction surely no and it's funny how they flock together
instead but if you really want to stop whatever it is if you want to stop drinking are you just
going to go and hang out with your friends down the pub anyway no i've got you i'll be fine no
if you if it's a problem for you you need to cut them out okay now it might not be forever
and it might and and with drinking it should be but with other things you want to quit smoking
say you want to quit smoking why then spend all your time with smokers are you really going to
be able to do it i quit smoking before i couldn't be around a smoker because when i was it's so hard
and in the same way with many other things many other sins and i'm not just talking about
addictions as well but many other sins if you're around people that have a problem with it how on
earth are you going to stop that and i'm not trying to say right you've got to that's it if half your
friends do something cut them all out of your life but you need to be honest to them just say look i
can't i've i'd find that too hard because it does it just makes it a little bit more acceptable
doesn't it with many sins with many sins if there's someone that's openly sinful in a certain way
something you want to get rid of you have problem with self-controlling that sin then you need to
separate you need to have that time apart from them and hopefully then try and encourage them
as well if they want your friendship then hopefully they would maybe do the same thing
because a lot of these things are you know they're poison and and sin just is such a downward slope
isn't it what about what about you're trying to stop gossiping because gossip always sounds better
and i know i talked about this at length last week but always sounds better with other gossips
should you then just be hanging around with people that are gossiping you're just going to get drawn
back into it aren't you you will get drawn back into it what about pride maybe pride's your issue
maybe you just don't have that self-control to not lift yourself up to not puff yourself up
to not try and show off to others to not try and be that that that big person whatever in whatever
way why hang around with other prideful people then why do that because you're not going to be
able to cut it out are you so it's something that for me you know david's making it clear there he's
saying he's saying who so privately slandered with his neighbor him will i cut off him that
having high looking a proud heart will not suffer now obviously for the other reasons as well that
they're they're a problem in in many ways okay verse six he says mine eyes shall be upon the
faithful of the land that they may dwell with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me
so get around people that encourage your self-control if you have a problem with
self-control try and get around people that have that can handle it that have self-control
surely that's important isn't it that's what that's what we should we should try and surround
ourselves and we as a church that's how we want to be and that will encourage others in the church as
well to try and get get on top of these things verse seven says he that worketh deceit shall not
dwell within my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight get away from the dishonest
as well for some people that's the problem isn't it just those little lies lying about this lying
about that if you're spending all your time with dishonest people it just rubs off doesn't it you're
more likely and it's more excusable verse eight says i will early destroy all the wicked of the
land i may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the lord okay and obviously he goes he goes
hard at the end there doesn't he but first peter 211 says dearly beloved i beseech you as strangers
and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lust which war against the soul that means cut them out cut them
out that's not oh well you know you know i'm just i'm just a bit of a sinful christian yeah well i'm
not perfect no one's perfect no we're not but we should be striving for the mastery shouldn't we
we should be giving all diligence not just oh well that's just me no we should be working every day
all diligence that's hard work isn't it that's hard work and if we can't get over the self-control
we've got no chance to work on the patience do we we have no chance to work on the patience the
godliness how can we do that if we don't have the self-control and like i said if you're around
people like it could be really hard now you might find look i'm fine with that that's that's good
and then try and encourage those people as well but if it's a problem for you you need you need
to be around or you need to stop being around people who are partaking sins that you need to
get out your life issues addictions whatever it is okay improve your self-control number six
make a routine make a routine routines are good um now i'm not saying you have to bind your whole
life by routine every day but turn to psalm five psalm five
and verse three
psalm five three says my voice shalt thou hear in the morning oh lord in the morning will i direct
my prayer unto thee and will look up now that's a good way to start the day isn't it with prayer
and acknowledgement of god yeah okay what a great way to start the day doesn't it make your days
different any of you who do that and then you have that day have those days where you don't
where you don't acknowledge god you haven't managed to get around to praying reading your
bible in the morning it's a different day isn't it it is a different day um daniel prayed three
times a day didn't he that was his way that's what he did three times a day that's actually
how they called him out wasn't it but in psalm one it says that the blessed man meditates in the law
day and night yeah day and night he's meditating in the law
um turn to deuteronomy 11 though deuteronomy chapter 11
deuteronomy chapter 11
and verse 18
okay therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul and bind them for sign
upon your hands that they may be as frontlets between your eyes and you shall teach them your
children speak of them when thou sits in thine house when thou walkest by the way when thou
lies down and when thou risest up now that is a strong family bible study routine that isn't it
wow i mean look at that that's basically speaking of them when you're sitting in your house
when you're walking outside of the house when you're lying down and when you're rising up
and you're not just reading you're talking about it there that looks like a good bible study there
and that's a pretty strong routine but when you're doing that when you have a set routine and this is
when i'm doing this this is when i do that when you start the day well it's so much easier to
maintain it isn't it and i think that you start with that you'll keep that routine so especially
for things like bible study prayer church life whatever that's your routine that's when you do
it that's the time you do it it's so much easier to stick to when it's set in stone now that could
be hard i know for shift workers and others but you can still work the same way if you work if
you're a shift worker and you work nights whatever it is an hour before work is when i read my bible
for half hour whatever it is get just get get some some routine in there get it set in stone
write it down if you need to it's so much easier to keep that control then when you have a routine
i've always been a great fan of routine for things like that for when you're trying to
maintain something um and and i find it harder to pull away when it's set in stone a routine
rather than oh well i'll try and do it this or i'll do that at this you know i'll try and fit
this in it just doesn't happen does it it doesn't happen um okay the virtuous woman in proverb 31
she rises she rises early in the morning didn't she it says in 31 15 you don't have to turn there
but it says she rises also while it is yet night and giveth meat to her household and a portion to
her to her maidens so she she's that that's not just she does it now and again that's when she
rises she has a routine of rising obviously when it's still dark to get on with her day and and
that's that's an example to all isn't it that lady and and yeah i i do believe a good healthy routine
will really help with self-control as well um so like i say if you could just take one of these if
you take all of them great if there's some you're not sure if it'll work for you but try and take
something from this as well um right improve your self-control number seven number seven
there's something which has really helped me with things is to use constant prayer
constant prayer turn to romans 12
romans 12 and verse 12 says
rejoicing in hope patient in tribulation continuing instant in prayer okay continuing
gives you a picture of constant prayer doesn't it an instant is urgently so constant urgent prayer
and you know famous verse first thessalonians 5 17 says to pray without ceasing doesn't it
and yeah okay maybe that'd be a tall order if it was literally to live life in a non-stop prayer
um but pray constantly for self-control throughout the day just just be in prayer all the time i'll
pray like i'll pray in the middle of conversations and i'm sure some of you do maybe when you're
soul winning and stuff a little prayers in my head to guide me with certain things awkward
situations just to guide you just pray pray pray it doesn't have to be right you know now i'm
kneeling down and making a big yeah do do some some good proper structured prayer as well but
but little prayers little prayers pray without ceasing continuing instant in prayer pray when
you feel that temptation coming pray when you feel that temptation coming to to when the
self-control you can just feel that starting to go a little bit pray then turn to john 15
and from verse seven
john 15 and verse seven if you abide in me and my words abide in you you shall ask what you will
and it shall be done unto you here in is my father glorified that you bear much fruit so shall you
be my my disciples as the father has loved me so have i loved you continue ye in my love if you
keep my commandments you shall abide in my love even as i have kept my father's commandments and
commandments and abide in his love so basically pray before you're already sinning while you're
abiding in him ask what you will and it should be done unto you yeah so ask basically ask for
self-control ask for that help with problems with your self-control before it's already too late
before it's too late if you start to feel that anger coming on maybe it's anger road rage
whatever it is pray in your head pray for help with it pray before you're now outside the the
will of god yeah i know we pray a lot but when you're when you know you can feel that
self-control being being lost that's a good time to to pray before you're you're now it's already
it's a problem then it starts to put that block there doesn't it's hard then to pray you're
feeling bad you feel like there's that block between you and god pray pray before pray when
you're feeling it pray when things are going well as well pray for help just to maintain it pray for
self-control um okay so improving your self-control was number one focus on specific goals number two
have accountability number three was remember the cost of failure number four aim for rewards number
five avoid obvious temptations number six was make a routine and number seven was use constant prayer
okay back to second peter one then okay back to second peter chapter one
and we saw this list from verse five it said beside this giving all diligence add to your
faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience
and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness
charity okay four look at verse eight for if these things be in you and abound
they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our lord jesus
christ so we need all these things in abundance to be really fruitful okay we do if we have these
things in abundance if they abound in us then then we shall neither be barren nor unfruitful
in the knowledge of our lord jesus christ like i said we're a soul-winning church here it's not
just a soul winning is it and and you know it's easy to to to fall again it's easy to go back
downhill it's easy for problems to rise it's easy to be a bad church member it's easy to to fail in
many ways which which soul winning like we said before it doesn't cover the multitude of sins and
it can become that you eventually become unfruitful in soul winning as well in the
future if we can't get that self-control sorted um verse nine says but he that lacketh these things
is blind and cannot see afar off and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins so otherwise
we're blind a blind christian is that is that a fully effective christian it's not is it that's
what it says there it says otherwise we're blind and obviously it's not just talking about the
self-control but self-control is right in the middle of there a blind christian not fully
effective because there are many ways we can be effective as a christian verse 10 says wherefore
the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if you do these
things you shall never fall so again that diligence wasn't it the diligence that we
achieve those good works for god now the calling and election is unto glory and virtue look at
verse three there says according as his divine power given unto us all things that pertain unto
life godliness through the knowledge of him that have called us to glory and virtue because this
is one of them verses where the calvinists love to take out of context don't they and they start
talking about your calling and election see you're called and elected no it's it's talking about
your calling and election is unto glory and virtue okay remember ephesians 2 10 just after for by
grace you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it's a gift of god not of works that
any man should boast then verse 10 says for we're his workmanship creating christ jesus unto good
works which god hath before deigned that we should walk in them that's what he wants us to do he's
ordained that we should walk in them we should walk in good work sadly we don't all do that do
in fact sadly many don't but it's the things plural we've just seen seen there in verse 10
of second peter one it's the things plural that we need to do to not fall for if you do these
things you shall never fall okay and we need to get through that whole list don't we to do those
things so that we don't fall um in in our calling and election towards glory and virtue okay um he
says in verse 11 for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting
kingdom of our lord and savior jesus christ so here you know work salvation is oh look you've
got to do all these things to get into heaven well no because we already had the faith didn't we we
know it's it's it's by grace through faith yeah not of yourselves so what's it talking about here
well the key keyword here is abundantly so plentifully overflowing it won't just be an
entrance it'll be an entrance basically with all the bells and whistles that's i want to go to
heaven i want to go to heaven first class yeah i want to go to heaven i want to be be going in
there with the with the red carpet rolled out i'm not saying i'm there but that's my aim that's what
i want to get to i don't just want to be going i want to be going i want that entrance to be
abundantly okay and if you want that first class heaven experience yeah i'm selling it now anyone
wants anyone wants that first class heaven experience you need to tithe more no no you
you need to work your way through the list don't you you need to work your way through the list
and we can't just stop at one point oh well that's me no work give all diligence all diligence we
need to work hard and if some of these things help you great because proverbs 25 28 says he
that has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls that
is a useless city isn't it a city broken down and without walls and obviously it's talking about
defenses really there isn't it um and you don't want to be you don't want to be one of those
cities um on that let's pray emily father i thank you for your word thank you um thank you for that
clear structure there in in second peter chapter one and and thank you that you give us everything
we need for that for that and and but but help us to to give that due diligence that giving all
diligence to to achieve what you want us to achieve and help us to to focus on that help us
to focus on the rewards help us to focus on our goals help us to get in good habits help us to
improve our self-control and those of us that find that hard help us to to please take things
from this sermon not just to kind of close our ears and and just say oh well you know that's that
and and and bristle our backs or anything help us to actually think yeah your your word's given us
a lot of guidance a lot of help for this please help us to to apply it to our lives and help us
to have a great great day now and in jesus name we pray amen