Will Power Is Not Enough — Shane Idleman

Willpower, Obedience, and Reliance on God's Strength

Willpower is not enough. Do you ever find yourself saying I'm not going to do that again? And what happens? Do that again. And it was interesting this week I was told about a show that chronicles seven and eight-year-olds playing golf at the national level and top seven and eight-year-olds in golf and it was amazing how good they play.

But I noticed that one of the kids just kept getting angry even though she won throw her golf clubs in the cart and just mad and crying and her dad was all upset and and finally at the end of the show it said on the on the bottom there that they are now seeing a sports psychologist to work on their anger issues.

And I thought you know how sad that we have the answer there there is an answer and that willpower is not enough. Just just meeting with somebody to try to just kind of change the way you think often is not enough.

We have to now let me clarify too because willpower is discipline it's it's obedience and we have to exercise that. The Bible's crystal clear. I've got an article in the bulletins you'll read about that obedience to God's Word is vital but we can't rely on just my willpower to get me through every single day every single week for the rest of my life we also have to rely on God's power on his strength and really it's an interesting concept because as we obey and we submit to him his strength becomes more apparent and that's how we get through things and that's how we conquer besetting sin.

So you can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. We have to we have to exercise our. That's why the Bible talks about the fruit of the Spirit. One of the fruits is or one of the fruit of the Spirit is self discipline and the Bible talks about do not conform to this world and and we've talked about that a lot.

I don't need to want to belabor that point but I want you get this point across that just trying hard enough without relying on God's strength will not work. It might work for a day or two but long term we've got to find the balance there and where we left off was Matthew chapter 15 verse 8.

I'm gonna read some of it that way you can follow along if you do have your Bibles. Matthew 15 chapter chapter 15 verse 8. I'm gonna read a little bit of what we read last week to kind of set this into context.

Jesus' Teaching on the Heart and Defilement

Jesus talking now says these people draw near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips but their heart is far from me and in vain they worship me teaching his doctrines the commandments of men.

When he had called the multitude to himself he said to them hear and understand not what goes into the mouth defiles a man but what comes out of the mouth this defiles a man. Then his disciples came and said to him do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying.

But he answered said every plant which my heavenly father has planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind both will fall into the ditch now.

That's kind of where we left off last week. So that's the context. But a few things I just want to bring out real quickly. And this isn't a surprise especially here but it's obvious that the truth offends.

It's interesting that these guys they said hey Jesus you just offended. These are religious leaders. And he said it doesn't matter let them alone. The truth offends. And there's he didn't. He didn't say well okay let me restructure what I said.

Let me go and apologize. And it's interesting they were offended. He said yeah they're offended. The blind are leading the blind. And then it reminds me also that salvation is God's work. But he answered every plant which my heavenly father has planted will be uprooted.

God's Sovereignty and Human Responsibility

Salvation is God's work that God saves. Yet we have this paradox where we the Bible tells us whosoever whosoever repents and believes will be saved. But then God says Jesus says but every plant that my father plants it will not be uprooted.

And we see this. We see this tension. And I'm not going to take time now because I have in the past of of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. We see there's a tension there that God is sovereign.

God is salvation is his job. Yet we have to repent and we have to believe in the gospel. And people say well how exactly does that work. Well we're not going to know it on this side of heaven. We just accept that both are true.

Then Peter answered and said to him explain this parable to us. So Jesus said are you still without understanding. Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated.

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witness and blasphemies.

These are the things which defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man. So this is interesting real quick. There's two points of application here as well. I believe Jesus is saying that these these things come out of a man.

This is what defile us. Adultery thoughts of murder evil thoughts theft stealing things a false witness line. We already know that. But this is a wake-up call. I believe on one hand to unbelievers saying if these things are mastering you if this is if this is what's coming out if this is what you're full of out of the abundance of the heart the mouth is going to speak.

You are defiled. You are not in a right relationship with God. But then we say wait a minute don't we struggle with these things. Yeah we do. But there's a difference as we've talked about before between a struggle and being a slave to sin.

And when a person is unregenerated they are unsaved. They are a slave to these these things. It's literally what comes what is in comes out. But then the believer now is a believer. They're on fire for God.

Hopefully they're believing in Jesus and the Spirit is guiding them. But the flesh is pulling them back to man. I've gotten evil thoughts or angry or or lust or and it's pulling. This influence is pulling.

But then the Spirit of God we're able to pull back and we're saying Lord with your grace I submit to you. I'm obeying what your word says. And it's this fight where an unbeliever is just trapped in these things.

This is a mark of who they are now they'll they'll they'll maybe act sometimes as if they've got all together. And this is why I don't believe that argument that people say well good people go to heaven or some people really just good others aren't.

But if we look inside the human heart there's really not a lot of good there. I mean let's just if we were to dissect the human heart. I mean look at your own thoughts over the course of this week my own thoughts are we always thinking pleasantries and love and joy.

No it there's there's something there. So that's why there's. I believe this is a two-point application number one it's it's a good wake-up call to those who are who don't truly know God. If this is coming out of you if there's thoughts and these evil and this is dominating your life you need to be in right relationship with God.

But then also thinking be encouragement to the Christian who struggles with these things because the enemy loves to pull us back into this mindset and these types of things. And really the context is the Pharisees are saying what I do is better than who I am.

They say I don't do this I don't do this. And I don't do this. But Jesus saying no it's about who you are in your heart. That's really what matters. And the word defiled there is interesting. It means to make filthy or dirty or polluted.

To defile a river with sewage would be an example. And a man or woman will always be defiled in the end before God if they do not accept what Christ did on the cross. You see how significant that is. Man is always defiled.

It doesn't matter how good a person says they they are or or a person they they think they are this good or good people go to heaven. It doesn't matter. People are defiled because this stuff is coming out.

This is what's in the heart. It's in the DNA of every person. Murders adulteries fornications. Oh it's in the heart. It's in the DNA when Adam first fell into sin that has been passed on. And it's it's it's in us.

So we're defiled unless we embrace God's gracious gift of forgiveness. And that's why the cross is so important. It removes that defilement. Now we can stand before right God righteous because of what Christ did on the cross.

That's something to be celebrated. I think it's something to be excited about even though we struggle from time to time knowing that we've been set free. And I and people people ask this question a lot.

And I've thought about before Paul says that we're no longer slaves to sin. And then most people think well if I'm no longer a slave why is it still alive in me. If I'm dead to sin why is it still alive in me.

And then Paul goes on to say that whatever we choose to obey becomes our master. So we can actually once a person if you notice this in your life once you begin to succumb to sin it's not it's not a I don't know how to put this.

It's not something you can kind of pop in and out of. Once you give yourself over to it it pulls you back. Ask somebody who's who's gone back into drinking or drug use or porn or any of these things. Is it.

You know you just pop back out know that addiction takes you back and it pulls you back. And it pulls you back into slavery. The thing that Christ died for the thing that we've been set free of it actually will pull us back in.

That's why obedience to God's Word is so important. And sometimes people get upset at this point and they say it's all about grace. It's all about grace. Yes it's all about grace. But because of grace I have to obey the Word of God.

When I obey the Word of God the grace of God covers me. But if you get out of that that that shelter and you begin to disobey and you begin to fall back into this these lifestyles it will take you down.

And it's interesting too. We've seen many people I'm sure you've experienced this too will give give up and they'll go back into sin. I don't need to name everything here but you you fill in the blank back into addictions.

Does it God you just haven't taken this away. You just have not taken this away your grace. You why haven't you taken this away. And we get mad at God. We say well I'm just I'm just made this way. He God has not taken this away.

But then God says no you helped to take this away all. And I'm gonna explain that here in a minute. And then Jesus said it's interesting he said are you also still without understanding. He basically kind of rebukes the disciples.

Are you still without understanding. And it reminded me to that we must mature in our faith. There's there's nothing worse than seeing somebody who's been a Christian 20 years resemble somebody who's been in the faith two years that a lot of this responsibility falls back on us.

Paul says when I was a child right. I thought as a child I understood as a child I spoke as a child. But when I became a man I put away childish things. And there becomes a point in all of our walks that we have to mature.

The fruit is up to God and maturity is up to God. But we also have to here's that word again obey and and put away these things and mature in our faith. It's almost like God comes alongside of us and helps us grow in these areas.

And I've just seen that the detrimental things that happen on both sides. If it's I got to do this I got to do this I got to follow a lot of rules. I can't do this I can't eat here I can't go there. I can't I can't you just you just in this disobedience.

Is this legalism type. It's all about rules and that doesn't work out because nobody can do that. But then you have the person. It's it's all about God's grace and God's just not changing me. Maybe I was born this way and we just okay.

God you got it. You've got to do this. You've got to rely. I'm just relying on you only. And then. But we go and participate in the sin it they come together. But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart.

Evil Thoughts and Taking Every Thought Captive

So let's talk about those. Since Jesus listed those number one evil thoughts. This is interesting. Evil thoughts we just that word. You're probably like oh I don't think those thoughts. Well well be careful there because most of us do.

I would say that everybody does in this form. If you look at what that means evil thoughts we are either we are either fueling evil thoughts or we are quenching them. Evil thoughts come into all of our minds.

Hatred bitterness. Have you ever become mad at somebody. Unwarranted jealous angry antagonistic judgmental. I mean these are evil thoughts that come into our minds. And this is where we have to take responsibility and bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

And a lot of this we're going back on things I've already spoke about the last few months. But some of I want to bring in because it's important your thoughts either in prison you according to the Word of God or you in prison.

Your thoughts. You when the Bible says take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ tells me that I can say no. We're not going in that direction. We're not gonna we're not gonna. We're not gonna go.

And we're gonna we're gonna do that. Some of you when you leave here will be tempted to go online. But do you entertain that thought. Or do you say no. We're not doing that. Bring this thought captive.

Some of you leaving here might want to stop by the liquor store. Some of you leaving here might want to end this. These are real thoughts that come in and we have to take those thoughts captive. And we say no you're not controlling me.

I'm controlling you. I'm taking that thought captive. And it's a daily struggle sometimes. But if you don't do that and you just give over to it then your thoughts will begin to control you and take you captive.

And I I've never realized how powerful our thoughts were until I did a study in putting on the armor of God and our thought life. And you know we wrestle not against flesh and blood. But you know you look at all these things in our thought life is really that's where the battle is.

That's where it's won and lost in the thought life. And if you can take those thoughts captive that's why Jesus said evil thoughts proceed out of unbelievers for sure. And evil thoughts are going to proceed in unbelievers.

If they don't take them captive they will dominate. The second thing he mentions here is murder. We say well thank God I don't do that. Well really what this is is explosive anger. It's explosive anger.

And of course it's murder taking innocent life. It's murder. But it's also explosive anger. The anger of man work. It's not the righteousness of God. So that explosiveness. Some people are passive. They don't have to deal with this.

Others are no you know exactly what I'm talking about. You ever heard the term fly off the handle. What does that mean. Or just raise. Or where does that come from. The the it comes from the sin nature.

And what we like to do is excuse it. Well she did this or well he did this. Or I'm under a lot of pressure or this isn't working out. I can't pay the bills. And we just let we just hide behind the veneer of excuses.

And I truly believe that's why a lot of people don't change is because they allow excuses. What's the word excuse. Pain to make excuses to continue in that destructive behavior. And that's why James 120 says the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Let me let me just share on this point. Anger never produces anything ungodly. Anger never produces anything good. It will destroy the marriage. It will destroy your kids because it's explosive and it hurts.

And the devil loves that he loves to bring anger and evil thoughts. You see how these are so important right. Especially keeping marriages together keeping our either relationship with our kids a solid.

And then he talks about thefts and we think of thieves which of course that is but it also can mean dishonest. Just schemes. Do you know people that are they just like this. They're scheming. They just they're just always into something making schemes and they're dishonest.

And they're not quite telling you what you need to hear. And they'll cushion this when they shouldn't. Just they're just dishonest people. Jesus said that's coming out of your heart. And then a false witness we think of as lying as a liar.

But you're bearing false witness. You're saying something that's not true and that's true. But it also can meet mean somebody who manipulates the manipulator. Or have you heard of the half-truth teller.

They're not lying. They're just just not telling the whole truth. It's a half-truth that's lying in God's eyes. And God says I hate a proud look. I hate it a lying a lying tongue in Proverbs. I hate feet.

They're swift to running to evil lying and deception. So the good thing about this and not the really a good thing but what we can take from the scripture is if a person's unsaved they could say all those things are coming out of me.

I need God. I am defiled before him. I need God. And that's the point of this. The other point of something like this for me calling these things out is for us to say you know what God my heart is not right.

These things are coming out of me this Lord help me. And then what happens. That beautiful word repentance takes place and purification where we leave here we're like repenting of these things. We're working on our anger.

We're working on our our dishonesty and our lying and our manipulating in the exaggerator falls in here too. God is not pleased with exaggeration. Where we exaggerate make things up and all this falls under the umbrella of lying.

So one of the reasons I believe that you when you preach the all of God's Word is it'll begin to convict in these areas where we need conviction because many of us unless we hear this and we hear because we know it like yeah I know I shouldn't do that.

But until we read it in God's Word and we're challenged by God's Word we won't change. And then what about blasphemies. Blasphemy. Arrogant words saying things that oppose the truth. That's what blasphemy is.

We're there saying words that oppose the truth. And sometimes in going back to anger when we lash out do we say things as well. And that anger say things that we wish we could take back say things that God is not happy with.

That's that's part of this whole idea of blasphemy. But at the root of it it's it's arrogant words. It's saying things that oppose the truth. It's challenging God and challenging his truth. And that's why when Christians now you're seeing the media the big thing is coming out you know with the gay marriage all that it's gonna be here for here to stay.

But if you look at a lot of these things these people are saying it is blasphemy it is blasphemy. There they are saying things about God that is not is not true. It's it's it's it's a they're opposing the truth and they're arrogant in their words and saying that.

Sexual Sin, Marriage, and the Necessity of a Savior

And then we move to the last two which I think are some of the most destructive nowadays. Adulteries. Adulteries. And I'm amazed at how many people don't understand what this actually involves. Jesus said earlier in Matthew 5.

But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. And then fornications. All sexual activity outside of marriage between a man and a woman is harmful and immoral.

And a lot of people say why. What's the big deal. The reason is anytime anytime you take the way God designed something and you pervert it. That's where actually the where the word perversion comes from is to take something straight and then make it perverted make it twist.

Anytime you take God's Word and you change it you pervert it. You are on dangerous ground. Because now it's not gonna work correctly now the blessings of God aren't there. Now all hell is gonna break loose.

That's why it's so important when God says this is how I created man male and female. This is why I did it. Here's my law here's my standard. We say I don't care doesn't matter to me. That's not the God of the Bible.

That's not the God of love. Well you better get that straight. You better go and and read research scripture and come up with your own conclusions. But God is crystal clear on these areas. Now it's interesting the word fornication in the Greek is pornea.

It's where the word pornography comes from. So we can't say I was born this way because we are all born to lie. We were born to cheat. We were born to lust. We were born to deceive. This doesn't make it right.

It makes me sinful in need of a Savior. Is that interesting. People say why I was born this way. Well I was born to sin to everybody in this room everybody on the planet was born to sin. It doesn't make it right.

It points me to the Savior. See you see the necessity of Jesus. It becomes more clear as we look to our desperate need for him. People caught in sin especially sexual sin often use scriptures on forgiveness and grace.

And Matthew 7 at the expense of others other scriptures. What I mean by that is you'll see a lot of times and I've seen on Facebook I've seen I see I've known people they left their spouse and they're seeing somebody else and they just love to quote post all the other.

God loves me God forgives me the grace of God. Well they just love to quote all this stuff. Wait a minute you're living in a very sinful destructive lifestyle and you have the audacity to sit and put those scriptures up there.

Blasphemy blasphemy. And then they'll quote Matthew 7 judge not judge not. But that's what sin does. It deceives. And then once it deceives us and leads us in we are living in deception. Now we'll use all these scriptures as and we'll use God to support our lifestyle.

Now God's grace and forgiveness would make a lot of sense. If she had repented or he had repented and they're working on their marriage and they need some. But it's almost like blasphemy in your face yeah I'm doing this.

But in your face yeah I'm continuing this lifestyle. But in your face your scriptures in your face and that's blasphemy as well. That's you are. You're so far out of line you don't even realize it. When anytime you use just anytime you use the scriptures to defend a sinful lifestyle the Bible would consider that blasphemy.

They would consider that clearly out of the will of God. If you don't think so then show me one scripture that would support us staying in a sinful lifestyle and enjoying it and then using scriptures to back that opinion.

And here's the interesting thing sexual sin leads to death. I wish I had more time. It's not really a message on on on sexual sin but something like pornography. Here's why it's so deadly. It steals the love from a marriage.

Communication vanishes joy leaves and passion fades. And honesty is nowhere to be found. That's how destructive it is. It'll literally tear the heart out of a marriage. And if you're single guess what men or women you don't get married and then instantly become a person of character.

If you struggle with it now and many many people say oh well once I get married it'll end. No it doesn't end. It actually grows grows legs and runs and just. And you don't just get over this. If you're not a Proverbs 31 woman now when you get married you say I'll make all these changes then.

No actually everything is magnified in marriage. Remember I often joke but it's true. I thought I was after three years of seeking God. Oh I'm the most humble gracious person. Oh my wife's gonna love me.

I'm Scott's taught me so much and you could put so you're single. You can go to sleep when you want. You can eat when you want. You cannot go places about. You can just be. You can live really comfortably as a single Christian.

And then when you get married wake up call beyond anything else you've ever had before. And you realize just how selfish you are. So I want to those who are not yet married. I tell this to young adults a lot.

And singles is you. Who you are now is who you become when you get married. Who the character you have now is the character you'll have on that day. You say I do and woe be. The person says I know he has all these flaws but I'll change them.

Or I know she's not a believer now. She's pretty lustful. She's addicted to porn too. But once we get married we can that. That's that you're actually going against scripture the whole point this is for somebody help.

But when you're single and you're dating I say this a lot. I want it. I hope it sticks in your mind. You need to follow after Christ wholeheartedly and simply see who keeps up. That's how you find somebody.

You don't lower your standard and backtrack because you're in a hurry. You follow after Christ and just see who's keeping up. Because that's the type of person you're gonna want. That's the type of person who's gonna go to the storms do the storms with you.

Sin, Addiction, and Taking Radical Steps

And on this point of dealing with sin a lot of people say and I've said this in the past but I'm trapped. But I'm trapped. I can't break out. I'm trapped. And I'm gonna make some bold statements here.

And when I do this I'm not minimizing I'm not minimizing the strong pull of sin. I'm not minimizing addiction. Anybody who's been there and is in it knows it's hell. It's not easy. That's why the Bible says it's a battle it's warfare.

But I've noticed that when people often say but I'm trapped so they continue in. I mean you fill in the blank. From Oxycontin to heroin to alcohol to drugs to porn whatever it is. They say I'm trapped.

I can't get out of this. But often we allow ourselves to be trapped. We allow ourselves to be trapped. Let me give you a few examples. A person who's addicted to pain meds they often find a way to get more.

Oh my back hurts again. Let me get in. They get fall back in there. Addicted to pornography. They don't take hardcore steps to remove it. They love hardcore porn. But they won't make heart take hardcore steps to remove it.

This this fact alone amazes me. At men's conferences I speak to hundreds of men in the past. And I here's what you got to do. Guess how many people want to do it. One or two. Oh man I don't get that serious.

Well then how bad do you want it. You enjoy your sin. That's why it's got you bound. The Bible says eradicate it. Remove your eye remove your hand. It means hey I'm getting rid of this computer or wife husband.

You have the password all the all the software the accountability. I'm it's gonna be like Fort Knox to try to get into an adult website. I want this so tight. Here's my phone. Here's my passwords. I'm leaving on the counter.

You can check it whenever you want. If it ever has deleted history ask you can take a massive steps. Nobody wants to. Nobody wants to those. So they're swimming in this addiction. They're caught. They don't want to take the necessary steps.

They're not trapped. They're trapping themselves. And because sin deceives they go behind the back and they pay for things. And then they hide things and then delete it. Oh I'm so trapped. No you're not trapped.

You're allowing that environment to continue. Now am I minimizing again the heart. That's a strong pole in the battle. No but nine times out of ten we enjoy it. And what did Jesus say when you said if your eyes causing you to sin cut it out or your hand cut it off that to me.

That's it. That what he's. Well here's what he's saying. Whatever whatever is causing you to sin remove it. That would mean going without a laptop for a month. Oh I couldn't do that. Oh sure you could.

If you wanted to. If I will give you $10 ,000 on the 30th day of no internet you would become a no internet user today. Who wouldn't do that silly challenge. I would. So you can. But you don't want to.

That's why I tell I tell guys like hey how about you don't even take a laptop. How about you don't even use it without your spouse. Oh I don't want to do ever. Exactly. So don't come up here and cry about it.

Go home and live it out. I'm tired of people crying. They don't want to live it out. They're not trapped. Many times they're creating that trap. And then they go and fool people. They go in and fool their accountability partner.

They go and fool their spouse. Anything off the hook. No you're not the hook. God sees it. And I know it because I've seen many many many times people do not want to make the necessary steps. What about this one.

This one kills me. People addicted to alcohol. Yet they head to an environment where it's gonna be there. I can list a half dozen people right now who are struggling with this yet. They'll head to Laughlin.

They'll go to Las Vegas. They'll go to the nightclub with their friends and just try to have ice water. I mean really you're gonna try. But I'm trapped. We know you're creating an environment for sin to flourish.

Wake up. When are we gonna wake up. God has given us the power through Jesus Christ. Through obedience. Through surrender. Through saying no and making no provision for the flesh. Don't plan ahead on how to sin.

So many times we say I'm just trapped. And it's an excuse. Here's why. So now the victim mentality comes in now. This is coming from somebody who has an addictive personality. So I'm not minimizing this at all.

I can get. I can get addicted to bubblegum. You know keep it in the counter. Hey Morgan hide this gum for a while. Cuz. So I know. But I know God makes provision. And I know we can make an excuses. I know the people who want it bad enough will make changes.

Think about that of all the men or women who now it's a big problem in women's lives as well that I talked to. I say listen get stuff on your phone that won't even allow you to enter porn websites. I don't want to do.

That's kind of a hassle. Six bucks a month. How about every email and it goes to accountability. Send it to a pastor. Send it to your spouse. Oh man I don't want to do that. I'm not really. So you're just gonna grin and bear it.

You're just gonna. You're just gonna be a click away from the enemy. I mean why. Because you don't want change bad enough. That's why you've been in it for 15 years or 20 years. That's why it's not gonna stop.

Because God is not some God up in heaven gonna take us. Oh take these things away and allow us and allow us to continue in what we enjoy. The only reason I'm hitting as hard on this is because it's true.

And I want people to change. If people are willing if they want the fight bad enough they'll win it. And on this issue too and with addicted to certain things I tell people you got to cut those relationships that are pulling you down.

Oh man such good friends though. Really you don't know who you slept with last week you woke up. You don't know how you got home. And they're such good friends. I mean look what what what kind of world do we live in.

Anger, Pride, and Taking Responsibility

But it goes back to this. We love our sin wish. And you're being pretty trans. You know being pretty brutal and up front. Yeah I have to. You have to go directly to where people are living in order to affect change.

You can't use big theological terms and not get to the heart of where people are at. What about this. I can't control my anger. I'm trapped. I cannot control this anger. But they never submit to anybody.

They never humble themselves. They never apologize they never put. One of the reasons we get angry is because things don't go our way. It's called being a big baby. Or is that just me. No I get angry when my day's not going like I planned.

My spouse is not doing what I thought my and you anger. But it has no place in a home. You you you go try and say Lord I'm gonna serve you today. Whatever you bring. I'm gonna make this one of the best days of my life.