Holiness For Today - Part 3

on us. We are working on our series holiness for today. Since this has been going on, you know, a little longer than maybe I anticipated, we begin to rethink maybe what we should call the series. Maybe we should simply call it we've only just begun. >> Or maybe are we there yet? and then you know to infinity and beyond. But I think my favorite that we came up with was part two section five subsection A and the next day and the next day and the next day and the next day. So no, we we've enjoyed this and I've purposely went a little slower. some of these things it it's good to go slow so we can get our minds around it. What's going on? The these things are important. Our apostolic identity and understanding the why we do what we do. It was a few years ago. I was doing a series similar to this and I made the statement that if I ever hear someone ask you why you do what you do and you respond because my pastor said so that's going to frustrate me so much. Don't ever do anything because I say so. You know, you can say, "Well, my pastor showed me in the word of God." That's acceptable. But don't just do anything because I said to do it. Hopefully, I've been able to show you what the word of God says, and then you've processed it.

You've prayed about it. You've drawn your conclusions on how you can best live the life that God has for us to live. It's important to live the way he wants us to live. >> Amen. Amen. So, today we're going to go and start talking about holiness for men. My first scripture for us tonight is 1 Timothy 2. And it's one that we've read already a few times launching into this. And it reads this way. Again, it's always good to know the context in which the letter is written. So Paul is writing to Timothy who's a young pastor and he's dealing with some things. So Paul being the seasoned man there, his mentor is addressing some issues as he's writing this letter. He said this in 2:8. I would therefore that men pray everywhere lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. In like manner also the women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamef faceness and sobriety with not broaden hair or gold or pearls or costly ray but which becometh woman professing godliness with good works. Now, tonight my goal is to talk about things that men, specifically men, tend to deal with. Now, this is not all-encompassing. It means doesn't mean that anything I talk about tonight is not something that women sometimes may not deal with, but as a whole, as a whole, tonight's issues are things that men tend to struggle with.

And I believe that's why God was very specific when he moved on Paul and other writers there in the New Testament to deal with this that we deal and we handle things differently as a whole. Again, there's always exceptions to rules. For the most part, there's always exceptions. And what I always find interesting is the individuals who always want to hang on to the exception and not the rule. No, more often than not, the rule is going to apply. Maybe or maybe not, you're the exception. I doubt it. So, you're better off if you just go with the rule and work with it. So, that's why I say in this series, the last two Wednesday nights, I've talked about things that in general women oftentimes struggle with. It doesn't mean that men doesn't don't struggle sometimes those things. I'll even talk about that as a begin tonight. But again, we're talking about as a rule of general. And everybody okay? All right. So, in this we're going to be talking about areas. Now, I draw your attention back and if whoever's on the projection could just put 1 Timothy 2 and 8 back up one more time. I'm going read it to you again. I want you to pay attention. I will therefore the men pray everywhere lifting up holy hands. Everybody say appetite. Appetite. >> Appetite without wrath. Everybody say anger. >> Anger. >> And doubting.

Everybody say apathy. >> See these are three areas tonight where I'm going to spend a little time because what is generally the rule is men often times will struggle with the appetite, the anger, and the apathy. So we see this in this Paul addressed these three things that he wished men would do there tonight. True biblical holiness, ladies and gentlemen, has two components to it. It is separation from the world and dedication to God. I've talked about that quite a bit. We're separated from something, but we're also separated unto something. So, it's from the world and we'd want to draw in closer to God. I have discovered and I can speak with this because I I'm talking directly about my own life that as I draw in closer to God, the only way I can continue the process of getting even more close, I know that's not good English. It's good southern, not good English. Me getting closer to him requires less of me in that equation. And whether in other words, there has to be less of my flesh involved. And as the writers in the New Testament, Paul specifically talked about going from glory to glory, in order for me to continue to move in my direction in and drawing close to God, there's things I have to let go of. And the goal for me knowing him is that I have to let more of me go.

I hope that makes sense. I have to let more of me go. I have to let more of my desires go. I have to let more of my and being specific tonight, more my appetites go. when we're going to talk about these things, but the two components. Separation from the world, dedication to God. Paul talking to the church at Corenth in 2 Corinthians 6 says this, and we're going, and remember, I say this because we're going to go from chapter 6 into chapter 7. But as I said last week, and it's always important to remember this, when they were writing, when Paul was writing this, he didn't say, "All right, now chapter 7." Okay? He was writing a letter. And then as we have it in our Bible, there are chapters in there that helps us read it better and we can reference it quicker. But I want you to know that Paul didn't write the letter with chapters. That's why we can read continuously through and keep the thought that is there. So we're going to do that tonight. Chapter 6:1 17. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate, sayeth the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you. Verse 18. and will be a father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, sayaeth the Lord Almighty. Chapter 7, verse number one, the thought continues on.

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse oursel from all filthiness of the flesh, the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Now, I say perfecting holiness, and I want to draw that out there because when you look at it, the literal translation is you are going to be practicing, moving in. This is something that you grow in. Okay. It it's something that we are doing. And you remember early in talking to you guys the very first Wednesday night of this month as I brought this series to you, I talked about that we are about the process of sanctification. That's us that we are being discipled and all of us are at different phases and all of us are at different walks in life and that's okay. We are all in different places in our walk with God. None of us have arrived yet. Why? What's the answer is? We're still here. All right. We're all still here. Look around the room. Everybody, everybody in this room right now, look around. You are not in heaven. You are here. So, that's a good way to know you haven't arrived. Because as long as you're here, that means you're not there. And there there's there is the possibility that you could mess up and not make it. Okay? And this is not about earning salvation. We've already talked about that, right? I don't believe in my salvation by works.

I don't You can't earn your way in. You can misbehave your way into hell, but you can't earn your way into heaven. But obedience is the key. He purchased salvation at Calvary through the death, burial, and resurrection. And when we receive that, we apply that to our life. That finished work that sets us on the path to move forward. But as we're walking that path, you and I are to continually be maturing in our walk with God. And as I've already said in this series, the best way to do that for the for most of us, most of us in this room are old enough to that you can look back 10 years ago and where were you at 10 years ago compared to where you are now. Specifically, I'm asking about where you were spiritually. Okay? You could do that financially. You could do that relationally. But I'm asking you right now to think most of us in the room are old enough to do this. 10 years ago, where were you at spiritually compared to where you are now? There should be growth. You should be closer to God. If you can't say that, okay, then I would warn you that you need to really evaluate, are you walking with God? Because he's always drawing you in closer to him. He's always pulling you along. And the it's hard sometimes to track that year over year.

Sometimes you can. You can have big moments and big life things that have happened and you're like when you first come into the church, that's a big year, right? You remember that first year? That was a big year. Now, that was an obvious change. But as we continue this, we should have a slow and a steady increase in our spiritual disciplines and walk with God. Again, we're not earning our way in. Our goal is to be pleasing to our Lord and Savior, be pleasing to our king, to discover what our purpose is in his kingdom because he didn't create you to just breathe. He didn't make you to take up space. He didn't create you to just be a tithe payer. Okay. You were created with a purpose and a plan. And part of sanctification is the process of discovering what those talents and gifts and things he put in you were to be used for his kingdom. >> Everybody okay? >> So part of this sanctification process is discovering that along the way. Because sometimes it's hard to know exactly what it is you're supposed to do because we're so selffocused. Everybody okay? We're very me centric by default, very protective and but being being God centered means that I have to purposely think about what it is that he wants me to do with my life. So that is the process of perfecting holiness.

By definition, wholeness involves both the inner man, so what my experience and then the outer man is the evidence that you can see there. Now 1 Corinthians 6 verse 19 and 20 say this. What know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which you have of God and you are not your own? Anybody confused about what he just said there? Any anybody there? I feel like it's pretty plain that you belong to God. Anybody else have another conclusion from that scripture? Yeah, we belong to him. Verse 20. for you are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are gods. Now, this really flies in the face of someone who says, "Well, you know, if you if you've come in and you've received God, please know my heart when I say this. This is not meant to put anybody in their place. I'm just I'm asking for you to think with me for just a minute." This really seems to go against the argument, well, you can come in and you can receive God and it's okay. you're good to go. Once you've received him, you're good to go and you can go on living your life and do what you do what you want to do. That that's not what Paul is saying. He says you're the temple of the Holy Ghost.

You're the temple of the Holy Spirit. There's something special about that. You should treat it with respect. And then he says, you were bought with a price. You were purchased. You are not your own. Therefore, glorify God in your body and your spirit. Notice two different parts there. He didn't just say glorify God. Period. But he specifically says two things in your body and in your spirit is when you should do that. Which are gods. They belong to him. Inward holiness, ladies and gentlemen, will produce, please listen to this statement. Inward holiness will produce outward holiness. But outward appearance of holiness is worthless without an inward reality. I know some folks that can look the part, but they're mean as snakes. >> They do not represent God well. From a distance, they may look the part, but when you get close, you begin to talk to them, when you begin to see the fruit that they truly bear, you realize something's not quite right. But if the insides are right, as they should be, it will manifest itself on the outside. is what happens. Holiness includes our attitudes. It includes our thoughts. And this is something again I'm coming to the guys today. I'm talking to the men. Please listen to me. The attitude and thoughts are places where men often times struggle in this area. We struggle here. Matthew 27 Matthew 5 27. You've heard it that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery.

But I say unto you, now this is these are red letter words. This is Jesus speaking here. But I say unto you that whosoever lookth on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Now if you've spent time studying scriptures, I know many of you in this room are very studied in the scriptures. And I love that. I love that we have a good Bible-based knowledge. I encourage you to study the scriptures out. But let me ask you a question. When you've studied out scriptures, you've run across times and instances in the scripture where it talks about the attire of a harlot. But have you ever one time ran across scriptures where it addressed the attire of a whoreonger? Now the difference between those two things is a harlot was a woman. A was a male prostitute. But not one time in scriptures do we have any reference where it is addressing the attire of a whoreonger. You ever ask the why? Why? I know most of you like I never even thought to ask the question why on that. Well, I've asked the question why. Like why is it not there? And it's not because men can't sin in the way they dress, but it's because typically outward holiness is not a primary problem area with most men. Again, the rule as a rule, this is not an area that most men struggle with.

Are there some men who struggle with it? Yes, but not as a whole. So, it wasn't addressed scripturally in there. And you can see often times, and I spent the past two weeks, and if you're just now joining us tonight, I would encourage you to go back the past two Wednesday nights, and as we did a deeper dive into things that often times ladies struggle with. You know, men could wear immodest clothing, but typically even you think into our society right now, okay, as a whole, as a general, the modest apparel that you see wore and even advertised, what overwhelmingly is it men or women that you see immodestly dressed, whatever your version of immodest dress is, what do you see normally? Is it men or women? It's women, isn't it? It's typically it's women that have more seductive attire in there. It's not that you don't see a you know a whatever it would be with a guy. I don't even know how to paint that word picture, but whatever it would be there for you that would be there. It does h it does happen. Okay. So, I'm not saying it doesn't. But as a whole, overwhelmingly it is the attire of a woman that's that way. You just it's just there. And that is because different things are at play. Different things are at work here. And I'm going to try to my the best I can to dive into this.

Men could be wearing very modest clothing and loads of jewelry and start letting their hair grow long. But in general, they never get involved to the same extent that often times women do. Now notice Jesus never said, "Whosoever lookth on a man to lust." Anybody ever noticed that? That does it not mean that women don't lust? No. Women can struggle with less, too. It's just not the general normal rule. Men are very driven by sight. They are. They're there. That doesn't mean that women don't have a problem from maybe they do, but not not as a whole. It's not that way. Now, we can get mad about this if we want. We can say it's not fair. We can say it's sexist. He can say all you're free to say all those things. I would just encourage you. You go to the word of God and you discover why it is that he wrote specifically to men about these things and specifically to women about these things and ask yourself the question why. As I've said throughout the entirety of this series, men and women are different. We're different. If you haven't noticed that yet, I would I don't know how you would notice that, but if you haven't for some reason, then come see me and we can talk a little bit and maybe we need to get your eyes examined. But there's a difference there.

And I'm not trying to be harsh with that, but there is a difference. Our creator made us different on purpose. He made us to be complimentary when we put together. He made them male and female as he created them. The Hebrew word nad meaning complimentary nature that we were put together. And when we are together as man and woman, we are to complement one another. You know that's we I was just we were having this conversation out here in the foyer just a little bit ago about how husbands and wives view things differently for the long come in. He said when he leaves the house in the morning, he has looked in the mirror and made sure everything's okay. And he there's no need for him to look in a mirror until he goes, you know, the next morning he's good to go. When he left, he was good to go. And Sharon said, "That's why I'm here to tell you, no, you're not. Something has changed along the way. You had a helmet on your head. You did all this stuff." Yeah. So, automatically, we see a difference between a man and a woman. Jesus never said, "Who are they looking for a man to lust?" It's not because he couldn't, but it's not the norm. Christian men generally don't mind holiness teaching because somehow in their mind they think it doesn't really affect them.

How wrong they are. Both men and women are to exemplify holiness to those who stand around them. And God's holy people always stand out. So now, you ready to start? You're probably looking at the handout like we have not even gotten to the We're getting to the handout. Okay, get your hand out ready. Everybody got a hand out? >> All right, let's go. First blank coming up. Apostolic women will generally stand out by their appearance and apostolic men will generally stand out by their actions. Now, I'm going to say this to all the men in the room. God will help you. Things I'm going to talk about tonight, God will help you, but God will not force you. You need to you need to really let that settle in your mind. God will help you with these matters, but he will not force you. You have to see it and determine for yourself if you're going to embrace it and make the change necessary. So, here are three areas we're going to spend in. We're going to start with appetite first. When men came before God in worship, they were admonished to approach him with holy hands. What does that mean? What is this holy hand business? What's it talking about? Ever since Adam's failure, men have been plagued with outofcontrol appetites, lust within their own bodies that war against holiness. Appetites are God-given, gentlemen.

They're God-given, but they have to be controlled. Appetites have to be controlled. The appetite for food is natural. The appetite for food is necessary in human beings, but if it's unrestrained, it will lead to obesity. It'll lead to bad health. That's a lot of what's going on in our society today. We are one of the most obese societies that have ever lived. And it's because we have a couple things going on. We have an abundance of food. It's everywhere. And we don't always control our appetites. Now, some probably would wish I just didn't have an appetite. You know, that would be great. Except if you didn't know to be hungry, if you didn't know to eat and you just didn't eat, you would end up dying. So, it's there for a reason. There's the appetite for that. So, God, again, they're God-given appetites. They're there for a reason, but they have to be controlled. You have to learn how to control this. Men will not, excuse me, God will not remove this next blank, our appetites, for this would do imper irreparable damage to our masculinity. But he does expect us to control them. So, I'm going to throw a chart up here and you got it on your hand out there. Let's talk about four appetites that men have. They are the drive to conquer, the drive to compete, the drive to control, and sex drive.

Now, you can see there what happens when it's controlled, and then what's happens when it's uncontrolled. I'm not going to read through those things. I mean, I gave you the handout for you to take home and read there for yourself. But what I want you to take away from this is these appetites are there for a purpose. They're there for a reason. And you need to learn how to control these appetites that are God-given. If they're uncontrolled, they cause destruction. They will bring frustration and they will ultimately end up destroying you if you don't learn how to control these things. The Bible has a whole lot to say about appetites, but especially those that get out of control because they will end up destroying your spiritual life. You have to remember the lust is not just a wrong sexual appetite but any wrong appetite. Any wrong appetite. If you sit around and think about food all the time, that's all you do is you think about food. It's constantly thinking about food. Your whole world is just wrapped about the next thing that you're going to eat, the next things you're going to eat. That's it's running out of control. Your appetite is out of control. You're lusting for those things by the base definition of lust. 1 Peter 2:11 says, "Dearly beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul." Paul again writing to Timothy says this in 1 Timothy 6:6, "But godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out, and having food and raignment, let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and in many foolish and hurtful lust, which drown men in destruction and predition. For the love of money is the root of all evil, which will which while some covet after, they have aired from the faith and pierce themselves through with many sorrows. Since, and this is your next set of blanks you have coming up in your handout right there, since the appetites that can cause lust cannot be removed from our lives, there's only one way to deal with the lust, we must subdue by bringing into something that's more powerful. You got to learn how to bring these things before God. There are times when you've allowed these appetites to go uncontrolled for so long that it does feel like it is an impossibility for you to ever to be able to control those things. And if that is the case, and I don't know everybody's story in the room. I don't know where you are. I don't know what everyone's dealing with. But if this is you, if you have one of these appetites, and I'm really speaking to the men, but this applies to everybody. If you have one of these appetites that are out of control, I'm telling you, it will cause you to destroy yourself spiritually if you don't bring it under control.

But I encourage you to reach out to our God and ask him to help you bring that appetite under control to reign it in to where it needs to be to keep it inside and subdued by his power. Only as we yield to God will we not be able to yield to the lust. I'm going to tell you one of the best ways that you can handle this. And nobody likes it, but I'm going to tell you it is one absolutely one of the best ways that you can control the out of control appetites. And that is through fasting. Now, I know what you're saying, Pastor Kevin. Every time I fast, I get hungry. Yeah, I know. It's odd how that is. And every time I fast, I get hungry, too. And every time I fast, I don't like it. And my head hurts. And every time I I'm going to have a fast, everybody wants to carry me to lunch. Every time I fast, somebody's going to bring something by the church. Every time. Every time. Just guarantee. Just call the fast. It's going to happen. So, we all go through that. Don't think it's that well God doesn't want me to fast because he just surrounds me with food when I fast. Yeah, I know. Happens to me too. But it doesn't negate the power of the fast. Now let me say this about fasting.

This is a very important thing to understand about fasting. When we fast, fasting has nothing to do with bending God's will and making him do something we want him to do. Okay? Like, well, God, I'm going to I want this to happen. I'm going to fast until it happens. You know what? You think God's like, "Oh, well, they got me now. They started fasting, so I got to do it." Like, we got his arm up behind his back like, "I got you. I'm fasting. Oh, oh, oh, oh, okay. Okay, okay." No, fasting has everything to do with you. Has nothing to do with God. It has everything to do with you. It's bringing your flesh into subjection. It's bringing your appetites back into a place where they can be controlled. It's through fasting that we can draw in closer to him. When the disciples were trying to cast the demon out of the boy, the father brought him in there and Jesus was up on the mountain transfiguration. Peter was trying to build tabernacles up there being crazy. Y'all know the story. Sometimes if you don't know what to say, it's best not to say anything at all. But they come down and there's the man and they're trying to see what's going on. Jesus said, "What happens?" "Well, I brought him to your disciples." They couldn't. He looked at him and said, "Oh, you of little faith, right?

cast a demon out. They said this kind come out but by prayer and fasting. Now is fasting giving them power? Fasting ladies and gentlemen is always about bringing your flesh under subjection. Fasting is always about you having a humble spirit and having a right mindset. what he was trying to tell them basically is you're getting too big for your britches and you're getting a little puffed up in your ability. It's not about your ability. It's about what God can do through you, not what you can do. Fasting is one of the most powerful things you can do if you're struggling in your life with appetites that are out of control. I don't know where everybody is, but if you have one that's out of control, I promise you the most shorefire way you have of subduing it is through prayer and fasting. Romans 6:12, "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, that you should obey it in the lust thereof, neither yield you, ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourself under God, as those that are alive from the dead, and that your members are instruments of righteousness unto God." Galatians 5:16. This I say then, walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lustth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would.

Ephesians 4:22 that you put off concerning the former conversation of the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you may put on the new man which after God has created in righteousness and true holiness and one more Romans 13:14 but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. next blank. Lust is a process that always ends in death. Now, here's the deal. Most people, and I'll give you more specific, most men somehow convince themselves they can handle it. You can't handle it. Do you hear me? You can't handle it. You can't you may can have behavior modification for a little while, but if you don't break it, it will rear its ugly head again in your life. Many of you know exactly what I'm talking about because there have been seasons when you've been okay. You've went for a month, two months, three months, six months, maybe even a year and everything was okay and then out of nowhere it reared its ugly head again. You got to learn how to subdue that thing. You got to learn how as we just read, you got to learn how to walk in the spirit so that you don't fulfill the lust of the flesh. That's why it's important that you have a right prayer life with God.

If you're not praying every day, I'm going to tell you right now, you're failing. Yeah, I said that you're failing. If you're not praying every day, that's a reality. You cannot like what I just said and I don't want you to not like me. But I'm telling you, it is an absolute truth. If you don't have a daily time where you are connecting to God in the spirit, your flesh is ruling you that day. Guarantee 100% of the time without any question or hesitation, you are failing in the flesh. You have to have a prayer life. You have to be connected in the spirit. I've used this reference before because I think it's appropriate. Just like you go through the pre-flight check every time you get on the airplane. And those of us who traveled quite a lot, we can memorize the seat belt. You know, it's like, man, if you guys can't figure a seat belt out, well, how did you even get on the plane? You know, your exit may be behind you, all that stuff. But I'm gonna tell you right now, if the plane's going down, you're gonna want to know what those directions were. You like to do the pre-flight check. To me, I like to get up every morning and have a little pre-flight check. I like to go to my prayer closet. I like to get down and I like to make sure I'm tapped into the spirit.

I want to make sure that I'm okay. That doesn't mean that I'm going to live perfect throughout the day because throughout the day there are times when I'm going to check in again because hey somebody this is you know it's Murphy'sboro you drive across town I got to repent. Maybe you don't but I do. There's a lot of stuff that happens every day and throughout the day that I got to stay checked in because if I don't check into the spirit I know my flesh is going to rule the day. That's why you got to make sure you're doing these things. You can't just go from Sunday to Wednesday and Wednesday to Sunday and think it's going to be okay. You're failing. >> You're failing. I hope I don't hurt your feelings. I'm trying to help you. My goal is to get you to heaven and it's going to take it's going to take part, Pastor Kevin. That takes a lot of time. I'm busy. I know. And there's going to be a lot of busy people that go to hell. >> I don't know what else to say. You know, this applies to so many areas in your life, but I don't know if there's any area more important than your spiritual life. If you're ever going to be committed to one, be committed to your spiritual walk. I mean some of you would be it would be amazing if your spiritual walk was as dedicated as your health walk was or your vocational walk was or your educational walk was because you are committed to those things.

Please don't they're all important things. Okay? None of that is more important than your spiritual walk. >> Why would this spiritual walk be way down the list? But for some of you it's and again I'm hoping this is convicting. For some of you, your spiritual connection is way, way too far down the list. Often times, people think it'll never affect me, but it shows up in your actions. It shows up in your actions. I've said this before. If you end up getting mad or frustrated or something happens to you that surprises you in some way and then what however you reacted whether it was verbal or physical or whatever the case may be and you're surprised by that that's a real good indicator you're out of touch with your spiritual life. And if somebody scares you and just a string of explicitives come out of your mouth you're probably out of touch. You know, if somebody cuts you off in the Walmart parking lot and you, you know, you're giving the California hellos and hanging out the window, you're probably out of touch with your spiritual life. See, all those are indicators. You know, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. What's your mouth speaketh in? is it only speaketh in good things when you're here, but outside of here or at the water cooler >> or here on your social media page when somebody politically doesn't align up with you or how you feel about some things, how are you spec meant to be convicting because all of those things are an indicator of where you are.

Y'all okay? >> We're never going to finish this. Furthermore, next blank. God already has a problem with it being in their thoughts long before he's ever put it into their action. A lot of times you're like, you haven't done anything wrong. Okay, but what are you thinking about? Some of you, some of you when someone mistreats you, your first thing to do is you just eviscerate them in your mind. They say something to do, do something to you, and you never verbalize it. You would never say it. You would never act on it. But in your mind, you've killed them 17 times. You have thought things. I mean, you've killed their dog. You've killed their goldfish. You you've wished hemorrhoids on them. You've done all this stuff. in your mind. You've never acted it out. You never would do it. You never would say it. But it's right here. Guess who knows what's right here, too. >> And it always starts in your thoughts. I'm telling you, the biggest battlefield you have is right up here. >> Right up here. If you can get this one conquered, man, you got it. You got to get it right up here. Men, we cannot have holy hands without a holy heart and without a holy mind. James 1:13, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.

But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own what?" and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin. And sin when it is finished bringeth forth death. That's always the end goal is death. It's always where it's headed. Proverbs 23:7. For as a man thinkketh in his heart, so is he. So you may never say it. All right? You may never act it out. You may never post it on social pages. But if you thought it, there it is. Man, Pastor Kevin, you're being tough. I know my goal is to get you to heaven. Appetites. Appetites. You got to learn to control the appetites. You got to learn, men. Look at me. You got to learn to control the appetites. Let's go on to the next thing. Anger. In this age, as in the previous one, often times manhood will end up being defined as the ability to control one's emotions. This has gotten us into a lot of trouble, but we still do it. Most men, again, there's always exceptions to the rules, but most men at one point or another struggle with anger. There was a time in my life when I really, really struggled with anger. early and I realized it was getting the best of me and I remember really coming to a moment when I had my oldest two daughters, Kaylee and Avery. Avery was just a little thing.

They were both in car seats and I was out here and this is that this is no bragging. This is I know you may smile. I don't mean to smile and this is something this is something I'm very ashamed of. Very ashamed of how I behaved. But I was up here turning off of Clark on the onto Memorial where the U-Haul store is and right by Donut Country right up there. And this person had already been acting a fool. But then I acted like a bigger fool because when they cut me off that last time, I spun around the car. I flew in front of them. Slam my brakes on. I'm hanging out the window. I'm yelling. And I didn't cuss. might as well custom. I my heart went in a good condition. When I looked in the rearview mirror and I seen those two little girls' eyes and I could see the fear they had in their face, I'm telling you, it just wrecked me. It just wrecked me. And I remember praying later that night, God, please help me get my anger under control. help me bring it back into a place where it needs to be. Have no place allowing it to control me the way it was controlling me. And it was there was nothing to be proud of in that moment. Nothing to brag about. It was pitiful. I was pitiful that I allowed myself to get in that position.

And here here's what I know is I'm I know I'm not the only man that struggled with anger because anger is a deal that more often than not men we struggle with from time to time. And I'm telling you, it kills. It destroys men who dare not reveal their vulnerabilities by outwardly expressing their emotions normally experience a greater and greater level of inner stress that ultimately ends up turning into anger. There was a study done back in the 80s that identified the most stress producing situations for men as those in which they perceive themselves as physically inadequate, emotionally expressive, subordinate to women, intellectually inferior or performing inadequately. The problem is men typically never talk about it. We don't talk about it. There's been so many great strides made in dealing with these issues and I thank God that we have counselors and therapists and I thank God for Sister Deborah Driggs, Dr. Driggs and Fred and everybody that works the DEPri Center and these count. I thank God that we have Holy Ghost fil people that can help us work through these things because it's a real deal. It's a real situation. And I'm going to tell you right now, if you if you're at the point that you can't control these things and you've tried everything, you know, there's nothing wrong with seeing a counselor. Let someone walk with you through this. Use resources that God gives us.

I It's nothing wrong with it's not taboo. You know, you you have no problem going to the medicine cabinet when you have a headache and taking Advil. It's like, well, just you need to pray harder. Well, yeah. Prayer is always in order. It's always in order. But God gives us other things, too. >> The biggest organ you have is your brain. >> Sometimes things aren't always working the way they should. There could be a lot of reasons with it. So, I'm telling you, don't discount that. Are y'all okay? There's something about sometimes men think that's you're being weak. Not being weak. To me, that's being strong. To stand up and say, "I got an issue. I need help. It's wrecking my family. It's wrecking my life. It's wrecking my spiritual walk. It's wrecking my career because I can't control it." Anger is simply, this is another blank, a strong emotion of displeasure. Displeasure arising from feeling of injury. Anger itself is not sinful. Amen. The Bible tells us that God next blank can become angry and even give us permission to be angry without sinning. Ephesians 4:26 says, "Be angry and sin not." So there are times when it's okay to be. You see, anger is something that's given to us for a reason. God gives us that emotion and there are times when it should be used. When you see someone being taken advantage of or something happened, there are moments when the anger is there.

God gave it for a reason. This is not right. This is wrong. Whatever that is. But notice the key is be angry and what? Sin not. And men we struggle with this part. And often times we can't be angry and sin not. Anger is sinful when here's the next blank. When it explodes quickly without time to think rationally. When the injury that caused it is only imagined and not real. When it is disproportionate to the offense committed. Boy, I've been guilty of that. Other things going on, all of a sudden something happens and you just check out. And by no means did it even come close to being proportionate to the situation he were dealing with when it is directed against the innocent rather than the guilty. And last, when it is prolonged over time and becomes revengeful. Some dictionaries point out the old English word anger originally meant to choke or to strangle. You got to be careful because sometimes that's what we feel like we want to do to someone when we get so mad. We do not remember anger does this to us. Anger releases a rush of adrenaline that makes you feel powerful and can even temporarily overwhelm pain. But on the other hand, unresolved anger can literally strangle you on the inside. There's so many things overwhelming this. I'm by no means an expert to talk about this but what little study I have done through the years about anger both for personal reasons and to teach on it come to the conclusions there are so many physical problems that have been caused inside of people because their anger has went unchecked in their life from things like ulcers and high blood pressure and heart attacks and arthritis and kidney stones gallbladder trouble there's all these illnesses often times they can trace it back to where someone has let anger build up for years inside themselves and I handled it and took care of it.

This has nothing to do with the ongoing things that are past that like psychological problems and substance abuse and aggressive abusive behavior. Relationship struggles whether anger is expressed through words or behavior or repressed through denial or internalizing. It's damaging. Depression is defined in one place I read as anger turned inward and through it is bottled up for a time and eventually it blows up into aggression. Next blank. The physical damage caused by anger is only exceeded by the spiritual harm it caused because unrestrained anger is sin. As you're writing those blank listen to these scriptures I'm going to read to you. Psalms 37:8. Cease from anger and forsake wrath. Fret not thyself, if any wise to do evil. Proverbs 25 and28. He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that hath broken down without walls. Proverbs 16:32. He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. Colossians 3 and8. But now ye also put off all these anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication of your mouth. Ephesians 4:31, "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice, and be you kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." One more. James 1 verse 19. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man workketh not righteousness of God.

Men remember these two principles here. These are your blanks coming up. Anger is always the second emotion in any experience. The challenge is to recognize the first emotion that is causing the problem and express that rather than expressing the anger. Number two, nobody can make you angry. You have the power to choose what you do with the feelings you're experiencing. >> What do you do with it? Some feel the way that when they struggle with anger. For me, you know, I feel like that old saying, I once was blind, but now I see. Here's what I know. I cannot control you, but I can control me. I cannot choose how you react, but I can choose how I react. I'm not always able to control my circumstances, but I am able to control my response. That's on me. That's my choice. And when I allow that to go out of control, then that I'm also giving whoever it is that's doing this or whatever the circumstances is the ability to control my life. So every time you lose control and you lose your temper and you get angry and you act out, the other situation or the other person is controlling you. You're not controlling you. You're allowing that to control you. Some point you got to take ownership. I realize that I have to take ownership. I'm responsible for me. I'm responsible for my actions.

You may say hurtful things. You may do something. You may use me in some way that I don't agree with. But I get to choose how I respond. I'm taking control of what I'm going to do. Some of you grew up in households that was anger constantly. No one likes being around a situation where someone's angry all the time. No one does that. But that brings in and so many people, so many dysfunctional homes and multiple generations down all because people couldn't control their anger. that men couldn't control their anger. Anger is not worth it. Anger is not holy. My last part here is apathy. And I got one minute. It's well known that men are reasoners as a general rule and women are more feelers as a general rule. Again, there's always exceptions. That's why men often times when our wives come in, they begin to tell us about something that's going on. Smart men, wise men, men that have been married for decades, learn to ask qualifying questions. You learn to feel the room out. Is she wanting me to listen or is she wanting me to fix? Because by default, men do what? fix. Yeah. She starts talking and we're like, "Well, I mean, if you just do this and this and this without a problem. You should walk into this and this and this and then that's a whole another conversation for a whole another sermon.

YouTube the video, it's not about the nail." Like, go watch that. It's not about the nail. And everybody's going to laugh later when you watch that video because it's exactly what I'm talking about right now. You got to figure that out. But men as a whole, typically we're trying to figure out how we can reason our way through the situation. Studies have shown of the brain that women perceive things differently than men. In general, men try to be dominated by the left brain while women tend to be dominated by the right brain. The word most descriptive of the left brain is think while the right brain best word is feel. Men usually like think about it. We don't really feel it for a while. We're not normally as a whole. We're not normally tapping into the feelings in there. Now, if someone ask us about it, we'll stop. We're like, "Oh, yeah. Well, I mean, if you're going to ask me how I feel, then maybe I feel a little different." But my natural inclination is to simply think, "No, that's dumb." Which is not a good way to have a conversation with your wife. That one was free. Western civilization is so devoted to left brain education that the left sides of our brain have been shown on some studies to actually be heavier than the right side during the school years. Statistically shows statistics show that almost all children rank high in creativity and emotional expression before entering the school.

But by age seven, things begin to change. Now, there may be some updated since I researched this just a few weeks ago. I didn't go into ind depth in it. And again, I would say to you, I'm not an expert on this. Just what research I did to seem to back up that somewhere along the way though, we move into an area where we move away from expressing ourselves to more thinking our way through it. There certainly appears to be some correlation between our idolization of logic and the death of expression. And for this, males in particular pay a heavy price due to their left brain tendencies. Men tend to be thinkers first, feelers second. However, Christian men must realize that their natural tendency towards logic, skepticism, and critical thinking, which serve them well in the business world, are not foundational principles of God's kingdom. There's your blank. I say that because the writer of Hebrews says this in Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, that he has rewarded him that digitally seek him. Mark 10:15, "Verily I say to you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." Men tend to be the ones who reason themselves out of prayer, out of worship, and sometimes even out of salvation because it doesn't make logical sense.

And their cynicism becomes their worst enemy in their relationship with God. Paul in his writing, he ties a man's willingness to overcome this predominantly male trait to a man's personal holiness. He says that men are to pray everywhere lifting up holy hands. Man, you should live in such a way that people are not really paying attention to what you wear as much as how they see you behave and what you do. If you tell someone you're a Christian, men, and they're surprised, you probably are not doing something right. There should be such a life lived by you that if it comes up and it says, "Well, I'm a Christian." They're like, "Well, I knew that. I knew that. I know you. I knew you're a man who fears God." That's the way you should live. Men are to live to be everywhere lifting up holy hands. You pray everywhere lifting up holy hands. He says that men do that. In other words, their faith should be on display publicly. Just as a women are to take the lead in the matters of external holiness, men must take the lead and like men are also in the matters of internal holiness. Yet, how many times grown up in the apostolic world have I seen the opposite? That the women are the ones leading the prayer room. The women's are the one leading the prayer. I thank God when I go into that prayer room on Sunday morning, I see so many men in there praying.

We're to be the leaders. We're the spiritual leaders in home. We are to be the ones who set the spiritual temperature in the house. Men, it's us to do that. It's God ordained. It's how he set it up. It's what he wants it to be. Let me ask you, men, do your kids know what it sounds like to hear you pray? Do they know your voice in prayer or do they only know mom's voice in prayer? Do they know that you walk with God or they only hear you talk about it? How many times have we seen it wrong? It's time for men to assume their rightful place to be the leaders in the home, the leaders in prayer, the leaders in worship, the leaders in witnessing, the lead leaders in living for God. It doesn't make us better than anybody. It doesn't make us better than women. Not at all. Again, it's complimentary nature. We're to work together in what we do. We represent him. We are ambassadors everywhere we go. And God uniquely created us distinctively different on purpose so that when we was being addressed about these things that you deal with when it comes to holiness standards, holiness lifestyle, convictions, things were addressed differently for men and women. It doesn't mean that the men get off and we don't have to do all this. Not at all. It's the same standard across the board.

Same standard across the board. Same standard across the board. God wants his Christian women to stand out in matters of modesty, but it's God's will for Christian men to stand out in ways of worship. Holiness is quite often awkward in our culture, but God still desires us to be holy. Your last two blanks. Our men should be just as distinct in their actions as our women are distinct in their appearance. Men, if you've not been holy before God as you should have been. If you've if you have somehow lost the struggle with appetite, anger, and apathy, it's time to stand up and stand out for our God. Micah 7:8 says, "Rejoice not against me, oh my enemy. When I fall, I shall arise. When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me." It's important in the day we're living in. If ever there's been a time, if ever there's been a time to let your light shine, it's now. So many are lost. So many are confused. So many are trying to figure out what we feel like should just be basic things. I'm telling you, there's something to be said about men and women who stand for truth, who stand on the word of God in this day and age. People are hungry for what we take for granted daily. >> As you stand with me tonight, I'm quite sure that there's been some questions that maybe I have caused to be in your mind.

I want you to know if you have questions, I'm here. I'd love to answer those questions for you. I'm going to take a few weeks off. I have a trip coming up. Chasse and I are going to take a couple of weeks and we've been invited to teach pastors in South Africa. We're going to go down spend some time teaching them leadership principles and stuff that we bring here to you on a regular basis. So I'm going to take the month of September. I'm still going to be preaching. I'm not leaving the whole month. I'm just gone for about two weeks while I'm doing that. But I'm going to pick back up in October. We're going to do some more teaching like this. There's a lot more to this apostolic life that I want to make sure that we know. >> Yes. >> I want to make sure that we get our heads around about being true disciples and following after him. I feel like it's the right thing to do considering the day and age and we're living in right now. I want to be close to him. I want to be close to him. I want to live right before I wanna I want to pray and lift up holy hands without wrath or doubting. I want him to be proud of me. I'm looking forward to the day that he says, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." And I hope that's your prayer, too.

I hope that's your prayer, too. So, thank you for being receptive to this. My prayer is not to offend anyone. Again, if this is something maybe you're not fully on board with or you're not got your head around, I want to show you welcome at this church. We love you. I want you to be a part of it. God loves you. We all are at different stages in our walk with God. My goal with this for the past four weeks is simply to bring you the truth that I feel like is in scripture to you and for you to pray about it, for you to search it out, for you to study, and for you to draw the conclusions that you should draw from this. But I hope you feel my love. Let's pray. I love you, Jesus. I'm so thankful that you were with us for the past few weeks and even the past few minutes. God, I've felt your presence move in this room so strong. God, I pray you keep us and watch over us as we leave this place. be with us this Sunday. God, move in a mighty way in Jesus name.