Back when I was playing ball, back in college, you had your times of working out.  Nothing interfered with that.  Some of us are still that way right now.  Here’s the order of life: working out, breathing, eating, praying, serving others.  It may not be that way, but some of us are so fanatical.  Our routine is so much part of our nature that we’re not able to get through the day if, somehow, we didn’t get our workout in.  Some of you are like, “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”  It’s true.  Now, for you, it’s probably your nap.  But we all have those things in our lives.  Right?  You don’t miss a day!  We can miss praying, but not working out.  How about some book you’re reading?  Some of those novels must be pretty good.  I’ve seen people driving in work traffic on 495 reading a novel.  We’re all getting the point; right?  If you want to do it, if you want to be a master in something, you’ve got to be moderate and have a life that’s controlled, so that you can spend adequate time in that which is primary in your life.  The discipline is not in just doing what needs to be done—the praying, the fasting, the study of the Word of God.  The discipline is in not letting these other things overtake us so that we can’t give the priority to that.  Amen?

The Spirit, speaking to us here, says if we’re going to be masters then we have to be temperate, or control our lives, so that all these other things that are lusting against or fighting against what our goal is, can be overcome and properly prioritized.  Paul is admonishing us in this particular principle that has to become a reality in our lives.  Galatians 5:17 tells us that, “The flesh is lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.”  Then look what he goes on to say in that next phrase, “The flesh is lusting against the Spirit, the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would.”

Doesn’t that ring in your ears when you read that?  Doesn’t Chapter 7 of Romans ring in your ears?  What is it Paul said, “The thing I want to do I can’t do.  And the thing that I don’t want to do I find myself doing.  Oh, wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:19, 24).  Your body can cause your soul to die.  This body, if not disciplined and brought under the power of the Holy Spirit, can kill you with its lusts.  When I’m talking about body, I’m talking about soulical realm:  emotions, intellect, will.  That’s why, here with our discipleship training, by the time our children graduate, they should be trained to the capacity where nothing entices them on the outside.  Amen?

I watched a great documentary yesterday.  I’d encourage anybody who would like to watch it.  It’s called, “Home on Sunday.”  There was a group called Casting Crowns—how many of you remember that group?  Years ago, they were really big.  I understand they’re still touring.  Toward the end of their most popular point, they were at the Grammys.  Their producer got a text from the guy that was in charge of it that said, “They’re all here tonight.”  The producer at first said, “Oh man, after all these years, you’ve done so well, and after all these years, you’re now impressed with all of these movie stars, the singers?”  Then he continued his text, “All of them are here who are trying to destroy the minds of my young people.”  See, he was a youth pastor.  He refused to be called a “singer/songwriter.”  He said, “I am a youth pastor, and the church has an outreach of music.”  And he would be home every Sunday.  Sixteen Grammys—home every Sunday.  Would only tour three days a week.  Insisted on being in church on Sunday, in his office on Monday, in services at midweek.  And they would sacrifice their own time and energy and sleep and go only as far as would allow them to get back for church.