WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.925 --> 00:00:08.025 Galatians says that we are to live by the spirit and not gratify the 2 00:00:08.025 --> 00:00:10.125 desires of the flesh. 3 00:00:11.325 --> 00:00:13.225 What are these desires of the flesh? 4 00:00:13.225 --> 00:00:15.925 Well, they're listed for us begin in verse 19. 5 00:00:17.225 --> 00:00:18.625 The act of sinful nature 6 00:00:18.625 --> 00:00:24.225 obvious, sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, 7 00:00:24.225 --> 00:00:29.425 hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, 8 00:00:29.425 --> 00:00:30.925 factions, envy, drunkenness, 9 00:00:30.925 --> 00:00:33.225 orgies, and the like. In other words 10 00:00:33.625 --> 00:00:37.325 there's a lot more that could be added to this list. 11 00:00:38.925 --> 00:00:44.725 We desire a lot of things, not all those desires are necessarily 12 00:00:45.325 --> 00:00:46.125 sinful. 13 00:00:47.125 --> 00:00:56.425 So for example, I desire to be a good godly professor husband, and and 14 00:00:56.425 --> 00:00:57.825 that's a good Godly thing. 15 00:00:58.525 --> 00:01:01.825 God speaks about the importance of doing that. 16 00:01:01.825 --> 00:01:05.825 It is his will so to desire, that is not sinful. 17 00:01:06.725 --> 00:01:12.125 I desire to be a good upstanding Christian and to give God glory and 18 00:01:12.125 --> 00:01:15.125 do what he says, I should do being a Christian. 19 00:01:15.825 --> 00:01:17.625 That desire is not sinful. 20 00:01:17.625 --> 00:01:22.725 It matches God's will and his word and what he asks us to do. 21 00:01:23.825 --> 00:01:26.325 Now, I also desire other things. 22 00:01:27.225 --> 00:01:32.625 I desire that my taxes be low, I desire that when I go to the gas pump 23 00:01:32.625 --> 00:01:36.225 that it doesn't cost me as much money as it's currently costing me. 24 00:01:36.925 --> 00:01:39.125 Now, whether or not that's sinful or not 25 00:01:39.125 --> 00:01:44.125 I mean, God doesn't say anywhere in Scripture that we should desire 26 00:01:44.125 --> 00:01:49.125 our taxes to be low or desire that we don't pay so much money at at 27 00:01:49.125 --> 00:01:50.125 the gas pump. 28 00:01:51.625 --> 00:01:53.325 But I have other desires. 29 00:01:54.925 --> 00:01:55.725 For example, 30 00:01:56.825 --> 00:02:03.925 I desire a 70 inch LED HD, Smart, Roku TV. 31 00:02:05.025 --> 00:02:06.225 I prayed about it. 32 00:02:06.825 --> 00:02:08.225 I said, dear God. 33 00:02:08.525 --> 00:02:11.125 Will you give me one of these for my birthday? 34 00:02:11.125 --> 00:02:11.925 Amen. 35 00:02:12.725 --> 00:02:13.625 It didn't happen. 36 00:02:13.625 --> 00:02:15.225 My birthday was September 8. 37 00:02:15.225 --> 00:02:16.725 No TV showed up. 38 00:02:17.125 --> 00:02:21.225 So, is that a sinful desire to want something like that? 39 00:02:22.025 --> 00:02:23.925 Well, maybe it depends. 40 00:02:24.925 --> 00:02:29.625 See some desires are not necessarily sinful, but they are if they go 41 00:02:29.625 --> 00:02:32.625 against God's word and go against his desire for us. 42 00:02:32.825 --> 00:02:39.425 The other problem is this is when desires turn into a demand. 43 00:02:40.325 --> 00:02:46.425 And we begin to demand that certain things happen, so that we can get 44 00:02:46.425 --> 00:02:47.325 this thing. 45 00:02:47.325 --> 00:02:48.425 Whatever it is. 46 00:02:49.225 --> 00:02:53.725 When we desire something so much, that were willing to sin to satisfy 47 00:02:53.725 --> 00:02:54.825 that desire. 48 00:02:54.925 --> 00:03:00.225 That's when it becomes a problem, especially when that desire turns 49 00:03:00.225 --> 00:03:06.025 into a demand that I have to have this, I must have this. 50 00:03:07.325 --> 00:03:11.525 Now, when we get into that kind of a category where desires, turn into 51 00:03:11.525 --> 00:03:12.325 a demand, 52 00:03:13.425 --> 00:03:16.625 I called this the double oo effect. 53 00:03:18.225 --> 00:03:24.725 James Bond had a license to kill in order to be able to accomplish the 54 00:03:24.725 --> 00:03:25.525 objective 55 00:03:25.525 --> 00:03:27.325 that was put before him. 56 00:03:27.925 --> 00:03:34.125 He could use lethal force to get what he desired and what he wanted. 57 00:03:35.125 --> 00:03:40.225 And the problem is, is sometimes, we do the same thing. 58 00:03:40.825 --> 00:03:42.225 We desire something. 59 00:03:42.425 --> 00:03:44.225 It turns into a demand. 60 00:03:44.625 --> 00:03:51.725 And now we act, as if we have a license to kill and we can destroy, 61 00:03:51.725 --> 00:03:57.725 and kill and eliminate, do all these things in order to get the thing 62 00:03:57.725 --> 00:03:59.725 in which we want. 63 00:04:01.025 --> 00:04:06.525 So when the desires of the flesh turn into demands, we act 64 00:04:06.525 --> 00:04:11.525 as if we have a license to kill destroying everything that gets in our 65 00:04:11.525 --> 00:04:11.925 way. 66 00:04:13.525 --> 00:04:15.625 So, let me give you an example of this. 67 00:04:18.225 --> 00:04:21.425 My son who is 17 years old 68 00:04:22.225 --> 00:04:28.725 went to the refrigerator, got himself a peach cut it open and he has 69 00:04:28.725 --> 00:04:30.925 this really big knife. 70 00:04:30.925 --> 00:04:33.025 It's not just a kitchen knife or a pocket knife. 71 00:04:33.025 --> 00:04:37.625 It's a really good size knife and he's holding the peach in his hand 72 00:04:37.825 --> 00:04:42.525 and he takes the knife and he thought it would be fun to poke the seed 73 00:04:42.525 --> 00:04:46.725 that's in the peach and see how hard he can poke that seed and on one 74 00:04:46.725 --> 00:04:50.625 occasion as he went back with the knife and he went for the seed. 75 00:04:50.725 --> 00:04:51.925 He missed the seed 76 00:04:52.125 --> 00:04:56.025 missed the peach and the ended up having the knife go through one of his 77 00:04:56.025 --> 00:04:56.825 fingers. 78 00:04:58.125 --> 00:05:00.125 Mom, took him to the emergency room 79 00:05:00.125 --> 00:05:00.825 of course. 80 00:05:01.525 --> 00:05:02.525 I wasn't available. 81 00:05:02.625 --> 00:05:04.225 Got him all patched up. 82 00:05:04.225 --> 00:05:05.425 He's all good to go. 83 00:05:06.525 --> 00:05:10.725 So I got in the mail, the bill for the ER visit. 84 00:05:13.225 --> 00:05:20.925 And after insurance paid their part, we still owe over $1000 for this, 85 00:05:20.925 --> 00:05:22.025 ER visit. 86 00:05:22.625 --> 00:05:29.225 So I took a picture of the bill and I texted it to him and then I sent 87 00:05:29.225 --> 00:05:33.725 a text message and said, Andrew, I think it would have been cheaper 88 00:05:33.725 --> 00:05:35.625 just to cut the finger off. 89 00:05:40.325 --> 00:05:41.625 $1.000. 90 00:05:42.125 --> 00:05:44.925 So I went on Best, Buy Target 91 00:05:44.925 --> 00:05:49.425 all these places where you can look at these TVs and do you know what 92 00:05:49.425 --> 00:05:53.425 kind of a TV I could buy for $1.000? 93 00:05:55.125 --> 00:05:55.525 Alright 94 00:05:55.525 --> 00:05:57.525 I found this seventy inch 95 00:05:57.525 --> 00:06:01.025 UHD LED curved smart Roku TV. 96 00:06:01.025 --> 00:06:04.725 I have no idea what UHD is, but it sounds pretty cool. 97 00:06:06.125 --> 00:06:08.225 And the fact that you could get a TV that's curved. 98 00:06:08.225 --> 00:06:10.525 I'm gonna have to go and see these TVs. 99 00:06:10.525 --> 00:06:12.025 I didn't know there was such a thing. 100 00:06:12.325 --> 00:06:18.025 I could get a lot of stuff features in my TV that I want. 101 00:06:18.125 --> 00:06:22.625 You see now if I just desire, that's one thing, but when I desire and 102 00:06:22.625 --> 00:06:24.825 now he started demanding it and if 103 00:06:24.925 --> 00:06:28.625 start acting as if I have a license to Kill. 104 00:06:28.625 --> 00:06:30.725 Whoa, that becomes something else. 105 00:06:32.125 --> 00:06:37.225 So I told Andrew, I said, you know, if you ever do something this 106 00:06:37.225 --> 00:06:41.625 stupid again, I'm not going to take you to the emergency room because 107 00:06:41.625 --> 00:06:44.525 I could use that money to get my TV. 108 00:06:45.925 --> 00:06:47.925 And, and can you see it 109 00:06:47.925 --> 00:06:48.425 now? 110 00:06:48.625 --> 00:06:50.225 He shows up at school. 111 00:06:51.025 --> 00:06:54.625 He has a missing finger and his friend says, Andrew 112 00:06:54.725 --> 00:06:55.625 what's going on 113 00:06:55.625 --> 00:06:58.625 you're missing a finger and his response is 114 00:06:58.625 --> 00:07:03.025 well, it's kind of a long story, but my dad needed a TV more 115 00:07:03.025 --> 00:07:04.225 than I needed a finger. 116 00:07:06.525 --> 00:07:07.425 You see that 117 00:07:07.425 --> 00:07:10.725 that's when we start acting as if we have a license to kill and we 118 00:07:10.725 --> 00:07:13.625 don't take into consideration the interest of other people. 119 00:07:14.325 --> 00:07:18.625 All we care about is ourselves and we are willing to destroy and kill 120 00:07:18.625 --> 00:07:19.825 and eliminate people. 121 00:07:19.825 --> 00:07:25.425 If they get in our way of getting the thing in which we want so badly. 122 00:07:28.225 --> 00:07:29.425 And by doing this, 123 00:07:30.625 --> 00:07:33.725 we put ourselves in the place of God. 124 00:07:35.025 --> 00:07:41.325 And we expect people to bow down to us to worship us and to do what we 125 00:07:41.325 --> 00:07:42.625 want them to do 126 00:07:42.925 --> 00:07:47.525 and if they don't we'll punish them will threaten them. 127 00:07:47.625 --> 00:07:49.525 Like I did my son, right? 128 00:07:50.225 --> 00:07:53.425 Because our desires and our wants and our demands are very different 129 00:07:53.425 --> 00:07:56.125 many times from other people who are around us. 130 00:07:57.025 --> 00:08:02.125 And any time we put ourselves in the place of God, that is a dangerous 131 00:08:02.125 --> 00:08:02.725 thing. 132 00:08:03.625 --> 00:08:06.125 And yet, that's kind of the progression, how it works. 133 00:08:06.125 --> 00:08:09.825 It goes from desiring to demanding to acting as if we have a license 134 00:08:09.825 --> 00:08:14.325 to kill so that we can be like God. 135 00:08:15.725 --> 00:08:17.125 Paul Tripp says this. 136 00:08:18.625 --> 00:08:22.725 I'm no longer comforted by God's desire for me. 137 00:08:26.025 --> 00:08:26.925 I am 138 00:08:28.425 --> 00:08:29.625 threatened by it. 139 00:08:31.625 --> 00:08:39.425 Because God's will potentially stands in the way of my demand. 140 00:08:41.725 --> 00:08:47.225 When our desires turn into demands and we act as if we have put 141 00:08:47.225 --> 00:08:54.925 ourselves in the place of God, that is a huge problem. Standing before 142 00:08:54.925 --> 00:08:56.225 evil itself 143 00:08:57.425 --> 00:08:59.025 James Bond said this. 144 00:09:00.625 --> 00:09:03.425 History isn't kind to men who play God. 145 00:09:05.925 --> 00:09:08.425 Well, then we get to verse 22. 146 00:09:09.525 --> 00:09:12.325 And verse 22 in the text is a hinge. 147 00:09:13.125 --> 00:09:19.425 You see, we can choose to live according to our flesh and the desires 148 00:09:19.425 --> 00:09:24.825 of the flesh, but there's another option we can choose to live 149 00:09:24.825 --> 00:09:28.825 according to the spirit and walk in the spirit. 150 00:09:29.425 --> 00:09:33.425 And so here in verse 22, it's laid out what that looks like. 151 00:09:33.425 --> 00:09:38.025 Now, I think a lot of people who put themselves in the place of God 152 00:09:38.225 --> 00:09:38.925 act like they have a 153 00:09:39.325 --> 00:09:40.325 license to kill and destroy. 154 00:09:40.325 --> 00:09:44.025 So they can get their desires and their demands met think that that's 155 00:09:44.025 --> 00:09:47.225 going to bring them peace and joy and all these wonderful good things. 156 00:09:47.525 --> 00:09:50.525 And usually what they find out it just ends up destroying them and 157 00:09:50.525 --> 00:09:51.625 everyone around them. 158 00:09:52.625 --> 00:09:57.525 But here in verse 22, if we follow the way of the Holy Spirit. 159 00:09:58.325 --> 00:10:03.825 The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, 160 00:10:03.825 --> 00:10:06.225 kindness, self-control. Against such things 161 00:10:06.225 --> 00:10:08.825 there is no law. Those who belong to Christ 162 00:10:08.825 --> 00:10:14.325 Jesus have crucified, the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 163 00:10:14.325 --> 00:10:17.125 So we live by the spirit. 164 00:10:17.125 --> 00:10:23.225 See we can put aside all those things of our sinful fleshy 165 00:10:23.225 --> 00:10:28.225 desires, that really isn't going to bring us much joy or comfort in 166 00:10:28.225 --> 00:10:28.325 the 167 00:10:28.425 --> 00:10:33.225 way we think it's going to and instead we can follow the Holy Spirit 168 00:10:33.425 --> 00:10:37.225 that does bring us all these fruits that are listed here. 169 00:10:38.625 --> 00:10:41.125 You see when we are in Christ. 170 00:10:42.925 --> 00:10:49.125 We can put aside our flashy sinful desires and demands of the flesh. 171 00:10:50.025 --> 00:10:54.825 When we are in Christ, we don't go around acting as if we have a 172 00:10:54.825 --> 00:11:01.025 license to kill and destroying and and, and eliminating, all these 173 00:11:01.025 --> 00:11:04.225 things that get in our way of getting the thing that we want. 174 00:11:05.225 --> 00:11:06.825 When we are in Christ 175 00:11:07.825 --> 00:11:11.925 we know that we are not God. 176 00:11:13.225 --> 00:11:14.925 When we are in Christ 177 00:11:15.725 --> 00:11:18.725 we know that God's desire for us 178 00:11:20.325 --> 00:11:27.025 is redemption, justification, sanctification. The devil has been 179 00:11:27.025 --> 00:11:27.825 destroyed. 180 00:11:28.525 --> 00:11:36.225 Sin has been paid for. We no longer live our lives according to the 181 00:11:36.225 --> 00:11:37.825 sinful flesh. 182 00:11:38.925 --> 00:11:44.825 But instead, we live our lives, according to the spirit of God, who 183 00:11:44.825 --> 00:11:49.525 brings us life in the name of Jesus Christ. 184 00:11:51.025 --> 00:11:51.525 Amen.