This week we being our Lenten Series entitled "You Might be a Christian if..." with number five on the list "Self-Control". If you don't know, this sermon series was in some way inspired by jokes told by Jeff Foxsworthy that made light of "Red Necks". Since I can't really tell any of those jokes here, below are a few "You Might be a United Methodist if..." jokes instead:
*You might be United Methodist if you think "Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego" is the name of a rap group from Detroit.
*You might be United Methodist if you ask who wrote the Lord's Prayer!
*You might be United Methodist if you think Gideon wrote the Bible.
*You might be United Methodist if you know that a quadrennium is not a plant.
As you can see, none of these jokes is particularly funny, and likely neither will this sermon series be very funny. Just the same we are going to explore the top 5 signs that you or another person might be a Christian and this week we are talking about self-control.
First of all, I want to point out, that as Jesus warns in Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18, self-control or "acts of righteousness" (ie doing good things) should not be the end goal, but rather a means to an end. In other words while it's a good thing to sit quietly in worship and pay attention to the words, prayers, and songs, if that is your only goal, you'll be missing the whole point of being in WORSHIP!
Second it's important to remind everyone that self-control is a skill (like any other skill) and therefore requires practice in order to become succeful with controlling yourself (actions, behaviors, etc.). It's just like driving a car. When a person first learns to drive, he or she may be terrible! They might drive too slow, take turns poorly, run through stop signs, and even hit buildings! (This is an allusion to this Sunday's sermon analogy. If you missed it, you missed it.) Given the proper amount of practice a person can eventually go from being a danger to everyone else on the road, to actually becoming a safe and responsible driver. But only with practice. The same is true with self-control.
Third it's good to know that the season of Lent (which we are in currently) is a great time to practice the all important skill of self-control. Many Christians give up something or add something for the Lent. Examples of giving up could include various types of food & drink, television, the computer, certain behaviors, or pactically anything else. Examples of adding something might include increased church attendance, prayer, reading your bible, tithing, volunteering with a local charitable organization, or any number of other things. The key with practicing self-control by giving up or adding throughout Lent is to remember that the end goal should not be that which is given up or added, but rather increased relationship with God.
Therefore while you're wishing you could have that piece of chocolate, or while you're toiling away at the local food pantry remember that you're trying to improve your relationship with God, and you might even ask God to help out!
Self-Control is only #5 on our list, and isn't always the best indicator of Christianity, but certainly is a good place to begin. The next four should get us closer and closer to not only finding great ways to discern our own standing within Christianity, but also to describing the core of what it means to be a Christian. As you work on your own self-control I would encourage you to examine the other Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and see what fruits you already produce and what ones you could stand to produce in greater abundance.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Lenten Homework #1 - Go to a local athletic competition or town/village/school meeting and just listen quietly. Do not talk, do not cheer, do not interject, but merely sit and listen. If you are a person who already prefers to be quiet, then do the opposite (talk, cheer, and share your opinion). The urge you'll be fighting to either talk (if you're trying to be quiet) or be quiet (if you're trying to talk) will serve as a reminder that although we all have natural tendencies, preferences, and desires, it is we who are in control, not those tendencies, preferences, and desires. You will be practicing SELF CONTROL!
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