Who’s in Control? Let’s be honest, is it God or me?

<p>Who’s in Control? Let’s be honest, is it God or me?</p>

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Restoration International

Man to Man

Tom Waters

Who’s in Control?

Tonight I'm going to be talking about who's in control.

I want you to think, and I'm going to be speaking especially to the men tonight, but I want you to think, who has really been in control?

Because we can have the profession of saying that God is in control.

We're good at filling out surveys, aren't we?

God is first in the Christian experience.

I have to say to you that what I ask you to do I do myself.

I don't ask any man to reflect upon what I have not been asked to reflect upon.

What has it been like over the last week?

The reason is that if we are in control, if I am in control, somehow between here and eternity, that has to change.

And I believe we're here because we recognize that and we're wanting to cooperate with God.

But between here and eternity, God has to be ultimately in control because the whole problem that we're dealing with in the Great Controversy started when somebody up in heaven said, I want to be in control.

Now he didn't come out and say it quite like that, did he?

But eventually he came to the position where he not only wanted to be in control and run heaven his way, But he wanted to put his throne above who?

And when that happens, friends, when we do that, we're in big trouble.

Because when I'm in control, then God does not force his way to be in control, does he?

Men, have you ever left your home late for an appointment?

You're in a hurry and someone pulls out in front of you.

I don't know how this can be, but when I am in the greatest hurry, or at least as I perceive that I really have an important appointment to meet, how is it that someone can pull out and appear, even though it's just a car, That car can appear to be in no hurry, just like a turtle in no hurry to get to its destination.

You're in a big hurry, how do you respond, men?

Now, those long beeps say something, don't they?

Those long beeps tell the person who is going very slowly something about the person who is pushing on that horn.

And especially if when you pass by that person that's going slow, there's a look that says something like this, what is your problem?

And that person, by the long beep and the expression upon a face of a man who is in control instead of God, tells that person who's in control, doesn't it?

You arrive home from work And you find out that your son has used your best screwdriver for a crowbar.

And now this screwdriver looks like a letter of the alphabet and it can no longer be used for its intended purpose.

Maybe I should ask our sons and our daughters.

We can chuckle, because isn't it the lot of humanity?

Isn't it our human nature to want to be in control?

When I let God be in control, when, by the way, that wasn't my son that did that to the screwdriver, but I've experienced that scenario in different ways.

But when God is in control, I can remember that I was a boy 1 time.

A boy that didn't always use the tools the right way.

But when I'm in control, men when we are in control and God is not in control, we can't think that way or we don't give time for God to let us think that way.

What ends up happening is not the picture of God in control, it's the picture of humanity separated from God that often is painted in that situation.

You see, I'm finding that yes, the lessons need to be learned.

Our young people need to learn to use the tools right, but the lessons are learned so much better when God is in control.

You know our Heavenly Father longs to have the full control of each 1 of us men.

He doesn't want control of us because he just wants to get us herded into a big group that he has control over and he can dictate.

Do you know that in heaven, before Lucifer introduced his selfishness, the angels didn't even recognize that there was a law that they were having to abide under.

Because the law of love in heaven was so powerful that it's just that was their highest service to serve God.

It wasn't like they were under a program.

God wants to restore us to that place where to serve Him is the spring of our action.

You see, He created us, He has redeemed us, and He will re-create us.

He will re-create us, completely restore us, if we will allow Him to be in control.

Isaiah understood that it was not an easy thing to do.

God speaking through Isaiah said, Woe unto him that striveth with his maker.

Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou?

Doesn't feel very good to be made something that I don't feel like being made right now.

It doesn't feel very good to be stretched when you don't want to be stretched.

It doesn't feel very good when the car pulls out in front of us And we have something very important to accomplish.

It doesn't feel good when God is asking us to let Him mold us into something that in the moment we don't feel like being molded into.

Verse 13 says, I will direct all his ways.

Will God really direct us or was that just something for the Old Testament times?

He will direct our ways if we will allow Him to be the potter and we the clay.

You see, real Christianity chooses to let God have control.

In spite of circumstances, in spite of the feelings, in spite of the emotions, in spite of the strong opinions, real Christianity allows God to have control no matter how convincing self may be.

Self-Government

You know the Bible illustrates 2 very contrasting characters in Israel's first and second king.

Isn't it interesting that both of these men, Saul and David, both men who were chosen by God.

Both the first king, Saul, and the second king, David, were chosen by God.

Saul proved the fatal results of allowing himself to be governed by self.

David proved the eternal results of allowing self to be governed by God.

Self-government is 1 of the most important aspects of the Christian life.

And here we are talking about self-government.

I thought God was supposed to be in control.

And now we're talking about self-government?

Well, we're going to talk about the difference tonight...

Or allowing God to govern us, being self-governed tonight.

You see, when Saul heard the command from God to destroy all, save neither man, woman, child, beast.

When he went in to take the orders to destroy the Amalekites, what did Saul decide to do?

Saul brought back a king, which was 1 of the customs back there.

Saul brought back a king and he brought back some...

He reasoned away a plain, thus saith the Lord.

The flesh and self And the push of the people against Saul, Saul was governed by self.

He was not allowing himself, he was not choosing to be governed by God.

Then his selfishness and the jealousies that developed in his heart caused him to begin to go after Israel's secondly anointed king.

But David proved to be self-governed under God.

When he was on the run from Saul, Twice he had the opportunity to destroy Saul's life.

Twice he decided that he would allow God to do it God's way.

That God could set up the kingdom in his time, in his way, and he would not interfere with God's plan.

Saul determined that his way was right and he reasoned away the word of God.

It got to the place with Saul that he could not be reasoned with at all.

And you probably remember the story of his own son, Jonathan, who under the direct guidance of God wrought a great victory for Israel, just with his armor bearer at his side under God's divine plan.

He didn't know the decree that his father had made that no 1 could eat, and so what did he do?

He was wearied from the day of battle and he had a little honey.

Saul had made up his mind his own son would have to be what?

And when he made up his mind, He couldn't be reasoned with.

And do you know why Jonathan wasn't killed that day?

The armies of Israel would not allow the king to carry out his command.

Saul did not learn self-government under God.

Proverbs 16.32 says, He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city." What does this mean?

The natural feelings that come up inside of us, the irritations, The emotions that want to rule us are not allowed to rule us.

But rather we choose to surrender those to God.

We choose to allow His Spirit to rule in us.

Man ruling under the governorship of God.

Because the text here says, He that ruleth his spirit, then he that taketh a city.

God expects us to make the choices, doesn't he?

We carry out the commands, but it's whether we are being ruled by God or we're being ruled by self.

The government of self that David demonstrated was letting God govern him.

Saul on the other hand, it was self-governing Saul.

Being run by the flesh, by the selfish motives of the flesh.

Man, the first verse, that verse says, He that ruleth his spirit, God is looking for men today, who will be self-governed men, real Christian men.

God is looking for self-governed Christian husbands and self-governed Christian fathers.

Aren't you weary of the results of self running your life?

Here are a few typical reactions that men tend to give in their fleshly response.

When self is governing, when self is ruling instead of Christ being in control.

When self is crossed, when self doesn't get my way, some men become irritated and agitated, angry and even violent.

Some simply withdraw and refuse to communicate.

Some men pout and feel sorry for themselves and begin to look for sympathy.

Some men cry when they don't get their own way.

Some become so manipulative that they will go to almost any length to get what they want.

Now as I shared those thoughts, those reactions of men, the Holy Spirit may have reminded you that this is like you in 1 or more of these areas.

You see, I will never challenge you from the pulpit on anything that God has not challenged me on personally.

If I'm challenging you tonight with these thoughts, it's because God is challenging me as well.

We have the same kind of flesh And we have the same personal God who is willing to deliver us from this flesh.

You see brothers, we have all been affected by our upbringing.

We have all had different baggage that we've come from different backgrounds.

We've been affected by the circumstances of our lives, by bad choices.

I could tell you many bad choices I've made and I've seen how they affected my life as I've looked back.

We've been affected by our inheritance, haven't we?

We've been affected by inheritance and certainly by the cultivated wrong habits.

Now that sounds very overwhelming, doesn't it?

You see, there's life-changing power in allowing Jesus Christ to have us in the present moment.

It doesn't matter where we've come from or how bad the baggage is, right now in this present moment, there is a Savior who is mighty to save.

I've had to find that Savior over and over, even here at this camp meeting, personally.

We are not in a once saved, once surrendered, always saved, always surrendered Christianity, are we?

True Leadership

You know, sometimes we can find our focus so narrowed down that we lose the picture that God wants for us.

His keeping power, His grace to work in our lives.

Sometimes I can find myself sitting at my desk with the things that sometimes feel like they're ready to overwhelm me.

And the Lord calls to my heart and asks me to pause for a moment.

You know, it's easy to just get narrow-minded, isn't it?

To find the focus of the day so intense and so pressing upon us that it's like our little world becomes all-consuming.

And God wants to open our minds and our hearts up to see a wider stage.

A very successful chief executive officer was at his retirement dinner.

Seated around him were young, eager executives.

Their great leader, their successful leader, was ready to speak to them.

He's going to give them some insights to his success.

They're hungry for his words, and as he stands up to speak, can you picture them waiting there for every word he's going to say?

As he stood up, he said, I know you want my job and I'll tell you how to get it.

Right on the edge of their seats, looking for every word, straining to listen.

Then he continues, Last week my daughter was married.

As she walked down the aisle, I realized I didn't know the name of her best friend, the last book that she had read, or even her favorite color.

If you want to pay that price, you can have it.

Were these the words that these young men were expecting to hear from their successful chief executive officer?

A brief few words from a successful worldly leader.

In my heart they called forth a spontaneous reflection.

Have you ever thought of that term, spontaneous reflection?

That means I didn't have to think about whether this was something that had significance to me.

Instantly, my mind went off in reflection.

I started taking inventory about my own family.

I started thinking about my oldest daughter, and then Emily, And then my son.

Did I really know what I thought I knew about each of them?

Was I really involved deeply enough in their lives?

Was I becoming too busy to really know what was going on?

Did it affect you the same way as you heard that story?

Because if you were like me, you were probably expecting a similar, a very different answer, but a similar response that these young executives were looking for.

The keys to this man's success, but he gave them a quick panoramic view of what it had cost for that success.

And I have had more than a few men sitting in my presence.

1 man that I remember particularly, a man in his 60s with tears running down his face, and he said, Oh, that I had understood the value of the things God has showed you as a young man.

He said, my young people, I gave them the best home, I gave them the best that I could give them in education, I gave them the best that money could buy.

But he said, you know, that 1 of my sons came to me recently and he said, Dad, there's only 1 thing that I really wanted and you never gave it to me.

He said, I respect you and appreciate you for all that you've given to me.

But what I longed for more than anything was you, time with you.

Men, God is looking for men who will take hold of true leadership in the world that we're living in today.

Men that will be successful leaders, men who will be Christians first, and then men that will be godly, God-fearing, honorable husbands.

And men who will be fathers that are faithful to their work in the home.

You know, it occurs to me that there may be a woman here tonight who is giving everything she has as a single parent.

She doesn't have a man standing by her side.

Everything I share tonight, by the grace of God, Jesus Christ will be the man for you to uphold you and sustain you as a woman tonight if you stand without a man by your side.

But I'm going to be speaking to men tonight.

Every man here should be a true leader in his home.

Those men need to learn how to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

Some men here were born followers who need to learn how to lead with the Lord Jesus Christ.

True leadership in the home is not dependent, men, upon how we were born.

But will we be born again by the grace of God, by choosing to cooperate with God?

Will we allow the transforming power of Jesus Christ to make us new men in Christ Jesus?

It's not how we were born, but if we're willing to let him remake us and be born again from above.

If you look at his history he was a conquering general.

He never lost a battle as he led his armies.

But Moses came to the place where he tried to prove his leadership by killing an Egyptian soldier.

He thought that this would bring the people to rally around him.

But God took Moses through a different kind of training program.

And Moses became a true leader under the divine power of God.

Moses became meek, humble, and teachable.

You will not hear those words very often in the society we live in today, men.

That was what made Moses a great man under God.

True leadership will only happen under God, brothers.

You see Moses did not then simply become a pushover.

When he became a meek man, he did not become a pushover, but Moses stopped being a pushy man when he learned how to become meek.

He was not a pushover, but he was not pushing any longer.

Moses did not lose control, but Moses stopped being controlling.

This society today equates meekness with weakness.

That's the simple definition of true meekness.

That is where meekness has its real meaning.

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Series

Man to Man

Who’s in Control?

Transcript

Description

Parent Series

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