In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of discipline in various aspects of life. He encourages listeners to discipline their bodies and their time in order to deepen their knowledge of the Bible. The speaker also highlights the significance of being orderly in one's personal life, as it can make life easier for others. Additionally, he reminds listeners that no matter how many times they may fail, they should not get discouraged but continue to persevere and run the race of life with determination. The sermon draws examples from biblical figures such as Abraham, Moses, and Paul, who made mistakes but still found contentment in their circumstances.

So we continue our study in the bad habits that we have to be free from. We've already looked at five of them. Pride, dishonesty, unbelief, impurity and ingratitude. Number six is discontent. That means you're not content with your circumstances or the type of face God has given you, the type of intelligence God has given you, or discontent with your parents, discontent with your job and grumbling and complaining that have come out of that. Many of these things are connected, but it's better to look at them separately so that we don't miss out on something. Many people, their life is full of a lack of joy because they've always got something they're unhappy with. A Christian life is meant to be one of perfect contentment. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4 and verse 11, I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. That was one of the great secrets of his life. And what was his state? Sometimes he was in a prison, sometimes he was beaten and left on the road on the fields half dead. He was content. Sometimes he was praised because God used him to heal the sick. He was content. One was not different for him than the other. Whatever lot God appointed for him, he was content. History tells us that the Apostle Paul was only 4 feet 11 inches high. So if he was standing in the pulpit, you'd just about see his head. He had to lower the mic right down there. He was bald with a hooked nose. He wasn't very good looking. But that's the man God used to turn the world upside down. But he was content. He could never have turned the world upside down if he was discontent with his appearance or his looks and say, Lord, why don't you make me a little taller, a little more handsome or something like that. As long as you're discontent, the devil's got a hold on you. Something. Make sure that you've eliminated discontentment completely. Some of you got married many years ago, but you still haven't become content with your partner. What are you waiting for? For her to die? So you can find someone better? I tell you, the next one you get will be worse. So be content with what God has given you. I believe many of your problems will be solved. You can learn contentment. I have learned. It's an education. It doesn't come automatically. Paul said, I have learned to be content. Be content with the husband God's given you. Some people are not content with the children God's given them. They feel they should have been more intelligent or better looking or something like that. Well, whatever they got, they got from you. Don't blame them. Be content with what you have. Be content with your circumstances. If you can find a better job, by all means, look for a better job. But until you get that one, be content. Because by perpetual complaining and grumbling, you're only disappointing yourself. It's really true that the joy of the Lord is our strength. And the devil knows that, even if you don't know it. Nehemiah 8, verse 10, the joy of the Lord is our strength. And if the devil wants to make you weak, all he's got to take away from your life is the joy. Haven't you discovered that when your life is full of joy, you're able to do a lot of things which you thought you couldn't do otherwise? How it's very difficult for temptation to overcome you when your life is full of joy? So you've got to eliminate discontentment completely from your life. Completely. Lord, I'm going to be content. And I'm not going to compare myself with somebody else's lot in life. I'm going to be content with what I have. And when I'm content with what I have, I'll never be jealous. Jealousy comes out of discontentment. I'm not happy with what I have. I feel somebody else has got something better. And then I'm jealous of them. And that jealousy destroys me. So you've got to eliminate discontentment if you want to eliminate jealousy. God knows exactly what is best for you. And be happy with your present circumstances until He changes them. Sometimes our circumstances may be difficult. When Paul is in jail, he doesn't say, OK, I'm happy to live in jail forever. He wanted to be free, just like anybody in jail wants to be free. But he says in Philippians, I think you Philippians are praying for me, and I believe your prayers will deliver me from jail. That's what he said. So discontentment doesn't mean acceptance of some complicated situation. No. Acceptance is different. I don't accept it, but I'm content with it until God changes it. That's the meaning. Certain things, as I said, marriage and all, you can't change. But a job, for example, you move into a house and you're not very happy with it. There's nothing wrong in looking for a better house. So I don't mean you don't take my words in a stupid way. I'm not saying you've got to accept something which you can change. But like that old prayer says, Lord, give me the serenity. Serenity means the calmness of mind. To accept the things I cannot change. Courage or the boldness to change the things that I can change. And the wisdom to know the difference between the two. Which things I can change and which things I cannot change. Very good prayer. Lord, give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I can. And the wisdom to know the difference between the two. So, there are certain things which can never be changed. For example, the way you look, the color of your skin and things like that. And certain circumstances can never be changed. You can't ever change your parents, you can't change your wife or husband. You can't change your children, I mean the type of children you have. We hope they'll be better. But, if we are content there, there can be a transformation in that situation. So, we've got to eliminate from our life all discontent. Even spiritually, don't compare yourself with somebody else and wish you had what you had. Okay, number seven. Another bad habit that we've got to eliminate from our life is the habit of wastefulness. When Jesus distributed the five loaves and two fishes, He said, gather up all that remains, don't waste anything. That means Jesus made much more than was necessary. He said, don't waste it, gather it up. And they collected twelve baskets full. And because they collected, that wasn't the broken bones which people had chewed and thrown out. He wasn't telling them to clear up the countryside. That He already did. He probably told them themselves, all the five thousand. You can't imagine twelve people clearing up the countryside of ten thousand people's rubbish. I think Jesus would have told them to clear it up themselves. But, what was left over of good loaves and fishes, that's what He said, don't leave it lying around here. And because they collected it, each of those twelve disciples had a basket to take home and show their families. See what the Lord did. This is not ordinary loaves, this is miraculously produced loaves, taste it and see. You never tasted loaves like this. God blesses our families. So, something good can come when we stop wastefulness in our lives. In the lives of a lot of young people, there's a lot of wastage of time. Because when they have plenty of time, they tend to waste it. There's a lot of wastage of money on unnecessary purchases. So we must learn to be frugal, to be careful. I tell you that will help you tremendously when you get married. If you marry a waster of a woman, boy, you're going to be bankrupt. But if you marry a woman who is known in her home to not waste anything, not throw away a pair of socks just because it's torn, stitch it and use it. And just because a garment is torn a little bit somewhere, say, throw it away. No, stitch it and use it. Don't waste money. God tests us in all these things. I know in my younger days, I earned a lot of money as a naval officer. But I tried my best not to waste any of it. I would live very simply. If I had to eat outside, I would find some clean hotel, but a cheap one, not an expensive one. And if my clothes were torn, I'd stitch it up and use it again. And these are little things. But when God sees that you're faithful with little things, He'll commit a ministry to you. The same with time. See, I was working when I studied the Bible. But I found there were bits of time during the day which I could use. I used to carry a New Testament in my pocket. Sitting in a bus stand, I could read the New Testament. Waiting in a garment office, I could read the New Testament. That's how I learned the Bible. There are lots of bits of time during the day. Don't waste them. Make use of them to grab those opportunities to study the Word. See, if you have extra money because you saved it somewhere, you can use it for something good. I remember the money I saved by not spending on extra clothing. I could buy some Bibles for some poor people when I was a young man who couldn't afford to buy a Bible. I used to give them Bibles or something like that. And I find that so many people were helped and blessed by little things you can do. But if you only think of yourself, say, I've got plenty. You don't care for others. I don't think God will ever in His life, ever in your life, give you a ministry. But if He sees you're thoughtful and you're careful with not wasting money. Don't waste time or waste money, but you're frugal and careful. I believe God will watch that. Because the Bible says, He who is faithful in a little thing is faithful also in much. And when God sees you're very faithful with money and material things, The Bible says in Luke chapter 16 verse 11, He will give you the true riches. When I was a young man and I said, Lord, I want to speak your word. And the Lord said to me, be careful with your mouth and be careful with your money. And then I'll be with your mouth. That means I had to be careful with the words I spoke in private conversations. That I wasn't a gossiper, a backbiter. And I wasn't a listener to gossip and etc. And I wouldn't transmit information that somebody told me. I would keep it secret. If I was careful with my mouth. And the second area was to be careful with money. That I wouldn't waste money. I try to do that even today. Then the Lord said, I'll be with your mouth. And I know why the Lord is not with the mouth of many people. Because they're not careful with their speech. And they're not careful with money. I believe God can use many of you young people. I believe many of you young sisters. You may not be preachers, standing up on a platform. But you can have a tremendous ministry of blessing many sisters and young people who are needy today. If you're careful, not to waste. Number eight. Another thing we've got to get rid of completely from our life. Is particularly young people. Discouragement. Discouragement is a no entry road. We follow God's traffic rules. When you see the road discouragement. There's a sign there that says, only one way. That means you can come out of there. But you can't go in there. Okay. Discouragement. Condemning yourself. These are all roads which are no entry. You're not supposed to go in. You can come out of there. Only one way. Why? Because. When you get discouraged. When you get discouraged. It's the first step to another failure. Definite. You know, in my younger days, I wish somebody had told me this. I found. I'd slip up and fall somewhere as a believer. And I'd get so discouraged. And then the devil would say. What does it matter? You've already fallen. You might as well fall a second time. And I'd fall a second time. It took me years to discover. This is a very clever trick of the devil. He'd get me discouraged over my first failure. And then I'd fall a second time. Now if I had not got discouraged over my first failure. At least I've fallen only once. Not a second time. And you notice that in your life? When the devil makes you discouraged. About anything. Maybe your exam results that came yesterday. Or whatever it is. But see, some of you are encouraged because of the exam results that came yesterday. Do you see how you can get a little victory over sin today? Example. How encouragement really helps you. So don't allow the devil to discourage you. Ever. Nothing is serious except sin. Even your exam results are not serious. Not at all. I don't know whether Peter ever came first in his class. I don't think so. I think my guess is that Peter came pretty close to the bottom of the class. But he didn't get discouraged. I mean, he did once upon a time when he failed the Lord so badly. He said, I'm going back to my fishing. But the Lord called him right back. I want to say to you. It doesn't matter even if you have denied the Lord three times like Peter. Don't get discouraged. The Lord has a plan and a ministry for you. No matter where you are. No matter how much you have failed. No matter how much you have sunk. Even when you hit rock bottom. Don't get discouraged. While there is life, there is hope. And no matter even if you have fallen more than anybody else. You say, I will not get discouraged. I am going to still make it. Even if you are running a marathon race and you have already fallen a hundred times. That's fine. I'm still going to run. I'm going to run as if I'm going to win. And you'll be amazed what God does through you. The Bible is full of examples of its great men who failed many times. Abraham told lies more than once. He didn't learn a lesson the first time. He went and told a lie a second time. And many other mistakes he made. And a lot of other people made mistakes. Moses made mistakes. Paul made mistakes. David made mistakes. But God still used them. But if they got discouraged and said, oh well, there is no hope for me. Then they would have wasted the rest of their lives. So you must determine in your life that by the grace of God, you will never get discouraged. No matter how much you have failed or how deeply you have failed. Even if everything goes wrong around you, you are going to have hope. God is still almighty. He will do something for me. And you know, if you live like that, you can be a tremendous encouragement to other people. And don't ever look back over decisions you made in the past. This is a great way in which the devil discourages people. He reminds you of some decision you took two years ago. Oh, if I had not taken this job. Or if I had not moved to this place. Or if I had not done this thing. Or if I had not married this person. You keep on thinking like that. You feel full of the joy of the Lord when you think like that? No. That itself shows it's the devil who tells you. And he keeps on adding to the list. And then just think of this other thing you did. And if you hadn't done this. And you hadn't done this. And you hadn't done this. You know, there's a sense in which all of us have to say we get more wisdom. As we go forward, we look back. And we say, yeah, I could have done that better. But that only shows that we are growing. You see, for example, if I look back over something I did five years ago. And I say, I have no regret over that. That means I'm not growing. I'll tell you honestly, I have regret over things I did last year. Which proves that I'm growing. And next year, I'll have some regret over the things I did this year. Hopefully, if I'm growing. So when you have regret over something you did in the past, it only means you're growing. Spiritually. I can do it better now. Sure I can do it better. So what are we going to do? Get discouraged over something we did 20 years ago? I remember when we started our church 30 years ago. In my home. I was a stupid young man of 35 years old. I mean, not the type of person who was a wise person. And the number of stupid things I did, perhaps only Brother Ian knows fully. The rest of you don't know, thankfully. But I'll tell you this. I did a lot of stupid things. But I don't live my life in regret over them. No. I said a lot of stupid things. Did a lot of stupid things. But I tried to learn from them. And I'll tell you another thing to encourage you. I did not learn by doing it once wrong. Sometimes, some things I did 3-4 times wrong before I learned it. And even more than that. But gradually, I said, Lord, I want to learn something from my mistakes. Even if I did it 20 times. Okay, I did it. I won't get discouraged. I did the same stupid thing 20 times. But I'm going to learn something. And I learned it. So, don't get discouraged by any failure in your life. Okay. Number 9. This is one you will all love. Don't be stingy. Don't you love that? We must be free from stinginess. Miserliness. See, we are all born misers. Whether you know it or not. Whether you realize it or not. Adam is a miser. And all the children of Adam are misers. We're stingy. We cater to our own needs and our family. But we are very miserly towards other people. God is not like that. God is large hearted. God says, give and it will be given to you. Learn to be large hearted. Learn to be hospitable. You know the Living Bible paraphrase. I like that paraphrase. I think it's 1 Peter 4. Where it says, be hospitable. Towards one another. One of those verses in 1 Peter 4. And the Living Bible paraphrase is like this. Get into the habit of inviting people home for a meal on Sunday afternoon. Great. Get into the habit of inviting somebody home once in a while. I want to ask you. Particularly you young people who are newly married. Who don't have children. If you are not hospitable. If you don't invite people home when you don't have children. Can you imagine what your condition will be? What a big miser and unhospitable person you'll be when you have 3 or 4 children. Have you ever thought of opening your home to bless lonely young people? In your church, people you know well. There were others who were hospitable to you when you were a lonely person. Have you forgotten that? Why don't you open your home now? To other people. I'll tell you there'll be a blessing. I remember in the early days when we had the meetings in our home. We used to have very often young people staying in my house. And they were not a nuisance. They were a blessing. They were a blessing to my children as they grew up. I thank God for them. People used to land up at all types times. And sometimes late at night they couldn't go home after the meeting. They'd stay right there. And they'd get up early morning and go to the kitchen and make coffee and go off to college. Yeah, it was great. And I'm thankful that my children saw that. And they're young 8 years. What are your children seeing? Now if you have a very small home, I can understand you can't allow, enable people to stay there. But you can surely invite a me person to share that little rice and sambar that you have. You know I tell you a lot of people when they, they're not looking for a grand chicken curry or ice cream or any such thing. They're just looking for fellowship. There are a lot of lonely people in your church. And I praise God for those who have the gift of hospitality. Some people have a unique gift of hospitality. I don't think I can compare myself with them. But all of us can be generally hospitable. And we're not hospitable because we're stingy. We're miserly. We think only of ourselves. And that shows the low level of our Christianity. So I want to encourage you, right from the day you get married. I'm not asking you to invite people to stay in your house when you get married. No, I don't think that's wise when you get married to have people staying in your house right from day one. But invite them for a meal. And you don't have to make anything grand. Just divide your portion for two into three. If you don't know how to do it, I'll tell you. I'm not asking you to invite me home. But I'll tell you how to divide the portion of two into three. My wife is an expert at it. When suddenly people end up to suddenly divide it into a few more plates. You ask her, she'll tell you. You don't have to make anything grand. Just share the little that you have. You eat a little less. That's the whole secret of it. And there'll be something left over for that person. But I tell you, God will bless you. The Bible says, don't hesitate to entertain strangers. Because some have entertained angels without knowing it. It's true. Welcome them and you'll find some way the person will be a blessing to you. And if you have children, they'll be a blessing to your children. So let's get rid of this stingy, miserly attitude. Which only thinks of ourselves. Lord, I want to think of other people as well. It's a great habit to develop. And I believe all of us Christians must be known. And I'll tell you this. I'll tell you something I have seen through 40 years of traveling in India. The most hospitable people in India are poor people. Very poor people. I've been into small little homes and huts in Andhra Pradesh. Some remarkably hospitable people in Andhra Pradesh. I've been into their homes, small little huts. And boy, I feel almost awkward to eat what they set before me. I know that they honor me as a servant of God. And they've gone to such tremendous lengths. I don't know whether they've even missed a few meals during the week. In order to provide that for me. I just feel so humbled when I go there. But I know God will bless them and their homes. And I've seen the blessing of God in their homes and their children. As they open their hearts. Because God says, if you do something like that for one of my children. I'll do something wonderful for you. He does that. And I've seen it. And do you know how much you have missed? By not being hospitable. So here's something that if we have not been in the past. Never mind. Don't get discouraged. Repent. And say, Lord, I want to be really different from now on. I mean, if you're a selfish person. This is the best thing for you. For you. The best thing for you is to be hospitable. It will go well with you. Aren't you all interested in it going well with you and your children? Sure, this is the best thing for you. It is. And I'll tell you, God will amazingly well look after your children. If you, I have seen this. People who are good to others. God is amazingly good, not only to them. But also to their children. God takes care of their children in wonderful ways, in different situations. Because they were very good to others and to God's people. So, if you don't do it for any other reason, at least do it for a selfish reason. So that God will bless you and your children. That's not the best reason to do it. But that's the lowest reason to do it for. But do it because you're a Christian. Because that's God's nature. To be good to other people. If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he's thirsty, give him something to drink. Okay, we go to number 10. Number 10, we must eliminate all bitterness from our life. Another bad habit, like stinginess, is a bad habit. Bitterness is another very bad habit. I believe there are lots of people sick among believers. Because they are bitter. Stinginess does not bring sickness. Ingratitude may not bring sickness. And wastefulness may not bring sickness. And even dishonesty may not bring sickness. But bitterness. I believe there are more sicknesses among believers due to bitterness. And an unforgiving spirit. Than perhaps any other sin. Whenever people come to me. And ask for prayer for healing. I always ask them one question. Have you got any bitterness against anybody? I don't ask them, are you wasteful? Are you hospitable? I don't even ask them, are you utilised? I ask them one question. Are you bitter against anybody? Have you forgiven everybody? Why do I say that? I want to show you two verses. First of all, Matthew chapter 6. Where Jesus taught us the Lord's Prayer. In Matthew chapter 6. And he said this. After teaching the Lord's Prayer. What is known as the Lord's Prayer. Our Father who art in heaven, etc. In verses 9. And there are wonderful things in the Lord's Prayer. 9 to 13. And if you were to ask me. Pick out the most important request. Out of the six requests there. You know what I'll pick out? Hallowed be thy name. And what the Lord could have said is. Now of all the requests I told you to pray. Remember this, hallowed be your name. That's really very important my disciples. But that's not the one he picked out. Do you know which one he picked out? To emphasize. And re-emphasize. Forgiving others. Look at the end of it. Because verse 14. If you forgive others. Your Heavenly Father will forgive you. He's talking to believers. He's not saying God will forgive you. If you say God will forgive you. Then you're talking to unbelievers. When you say your Heavenly Father will forgive you. You're talking to believers. It's common sense. Your Heavenly Father. That means you're a child of God. God will forgive you. But if you as a child of God. Do not forgive others. Your Heavenly Father. You're a child of God. Your Heavenly Father will not forgive you. So what happens to this child of God. Whose Heavenly Father does not forgive him. Supposing he dies at that moment. Where do you think he'll go? Even if he's been a believer for 40 years. And the last minute he dies. Without forgiving somebody. I don't care how long he's been a believer. I believe the word of God. Either this word is true. Let's say there is a chap. Who lived for 40 years a very good life. And just before he died. He refused to forgive somebody. And he died. If God takes him to Heaven. I'll have to tell the Lord Jesus. Lord. You know there's one lie you told when you were on earth. I'm sorry to remind you. But you told a lie. You said this guy will not go to Heaven. But he's in Heaven. Because. And I suppose the Lord said. Yeah but he did go for 40 years. So he didn't forgive somebody. So I overlooked that verse. I tell you it will not happen. It will not happen. Don't believe this ancient heathen theory. That in the final day. God will take a balance. And put all your good deeds on one side. Put all your bad deeds on the other side. And decide whether you go to Heaven or Hell. That's an ancient false religion. Don't believe it. If you do not forgive others their transgressions. Your Heavenly Father. He is your Heavenly Father right now. Will not forgive your transgressions. And if you die in that state. And you stand at the judgment seat of Christ. There is at least one sin that is not forgiven. You say but he can forgive me after I die. Oh. If you believe that. Then everybody in Hell will go to Heaven. If you believe that after you die. Also God will forgive people sins. In some purgatory or something like that. Then you are a Roman Catholic. No. There is no forgiveness. That's appointed unto men once to die. After this the judgment. If you want to forgive somebody. You better forgive them right now. How much longer do you have to live on this earth? Tell me. Do you know what James says in chapter 4? James says if God wills. We will live tomorrow. And we will do this. That is what a godly man says. If God wills. I will see tomorrow morning. And I will do this. He doesn't even a godly man doesn't even know whether he live till tomorrow. He lives from day to day. So if you are interested in your own self. Forgive everybody right now. You say but that fellow did something terrible to me. Well something more terrible will happen to you if you don't forgive him. Whatever he did was terrible. But going to hell is much more terrible than that. Let me ask you this question. Can anybody go to Heaven without his sins forgiven? Supposing a man got only one sin not forgiven in his life. Can he go to Heaven? Impossible. One sin can keep a man out of Heaven. And that one sin may be. That he didn't forgive somebody. Even if he did 40 years of good. Take me. I have been a believer 46 years. I have tried to do a lot of good things in 46 years. But today. If I develop a bitterness against somebody. Who did me some harm. Or took me to court. Or did some evil. Or told some lie against me. And I keep that in my heart. And I don't forgive him. I don't release him. With all my preaching in the conferences. I will go to hell. I apply that to myself. But I won't do it. I am not a fool. First of all I don't want to do it. God has given me his nature. Which loves to forgive others. It's not an effort to forgive. Not at all. Not at all an effort. It's easy. You know God can make forgiving others as easy. As it is for you to eat chicken biryani. You don't have a great struggle to eat chicken biryani. God can make it that easy for you. If you ask him. But I want to ask you. Some of many of you think you have forgiven others. I will tell you how the Lord showed me sometimes. I had not forgiven somebody. When I heard. That something good happened to that person. I felt little unhappy. And the Lord said you have not forgiven him. In another case. When I heard something bad happened to someone. I was little happy. And the Lord said you haven't forgiven him. I said thank you Lord for showing me that. Thank you for showing me. And I want to ask you this. If you feel happy. When you hear that something bad happened to somebody. Did you get it? You feel happy when you hear that something bad happened to somebody. Who are you in fellowship with at that moment? God or the devil? Sure the devil. That means you haven't forgiven that person. Or. The other way round. If you feel a little glad. When something bad happens. Or you feel little unhappy. When something good happens. Something good happened to that person. You feel a little unhappy. Of course you will. Force yourself to say well praise the Lord. I am glad to hear it. But the weakness of your smile shows that. You are not really too happy about it. Just be honest. And say Lord. I think my relationship with that person is not right. It's usually a believer. I will tell you the other thing. It's usually a believer. Whom you don't like. Whom you got a little grudge against. Are you determined to eliminate. All bitterness from your life. Completely. So that there is not even a smell of it left. You read the Old Testament story. Of David and Shimei. It's a terrible story. Like in Samuel 16. You read how Shimei cursed David. And one of David's soldiers said let me chop off his head. And David said no. God has permitted him to curse me. Because David was running for his life from Absalom at that time. Shimei thought it was a good time to curse him. Because Shimei was a relative of Saul. David said it's okay. I forgive him. But then David came back. Absalom was defeated. He came back as king. And Shimei got all scared. He came before David and said oh I'm really sorry. I never meant all that. I said David said it's alright. Forget it. I forgive you. I won't kill you. I assure you I won't kill you. Years later when David on his death bed. He's giving his son Solomon last instructions how to build the temple. He's told him everything about building the temple. And Solomon one more thing. Does this guy Shimei. I promised I'd never kill him. But you never made that promise right. You finish him off. Don't let him go to the grave and ordinary death. Imagine how many years this David kept that in his heart. And you know the next verse after that. In 2nd Kings chapter 1 or 2. Solomon and David died. It's the last thing written. Did David go to heaven? Sure. Because he was under the old covenant. He didn't have the Holy Spirit. There was no verse like that in the Old Testament. If you don't forgive others you won't be forgiven. But today you can't do it. Today we have a verse which says if you don't forgive others you won't be forgiven. I'm just warning you. Ok. Number 11. Another thing we got to get rid of from our life is impatience. Patience is the greatest virtue of love. According to 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patience. Bears all things. Impatience is the greatest opposite of that. Impatience is what ultimately makes us burst out in anger. We must ask God to give us a control over ourselves. So that we can. The fruit of the spirit is self control. Because many things we are impatient about do not have eternal consequences. Stop and ask yourself 2000 years from now is it going to make that much of a difference if this thing is not done as quickly as I think it should be done. You know we can get worked up in our spirit with impatience. Could be with our children, it could be with a servant at home, it could be with a neighbor who is creating problems or it could be with somebody at work or I mean we are surrounded by opportunities to get impatience. You can get impatience on the roads when the traffic is blocked for a long time and somebody cuts in between and squeezes in here and there and almost causes an accident. Impatience we are surrounded everyday by opportunities to be impatient. And you got to say Lord fill me with the spirit of patience. Long suffering. Lord give me the spirit of long suffering with spelled L-O-N-G. Suffering. That type of long suffering. Lord give me that. Give me that. Only you can do it. The fruit of the spirit is long suffering. Please give me that. I don't have it within me. The children of Adam are not patient. I believe that one of the marks of spiritual growth that even your children will see is patience. The Bible says in the book of Proverbs a good man is kind even to his animals. That when a man gets born again, even his animals recognize it. Isn't that an amazing verse that even animals can recognize, hey something happens to my master. He's not so impatient like he was yesterday. Animal, a bullock, a donkey. So I believe your children will certainly recognize that God has done a work in your heart. If you're filled with the Holy Spirit and it was a genuine experience, you won't just speak in tongues. You'll become more patient. So but we got to work at it. Add to you these virtues, this one also to be. If you overcome impatience, you'll be able to overcome anger. Because a lot of anger comes up because of built in impatience and then the pressure cooker explodes. It's on the roof and everywhere else. So make sure the safety valve is working and the steam is let out at regular intervals so that it doesn't explode and harm other people. Okay, we go to number twelve. Number twelve Another bad habit we got to free from is indiscipline. I'm very sorry to say that today's generation, young generation is a very indiscipline generation. They're indiscipline in the use of money. They're indiscipline in their study habits. They're indiscipline in punctuality. They're indiscipline in keeping things tidy, cleanliness, orderliness in their lives. And you know, the Bible says that God has given us the spirit of discipline. We must be disciplined in our eating habits for example. It's very sad that a younger generation is growing up that does not know how to fast and pray. They know how to feast. The younger generation knows which are the best restaurants for food but they don't know how to fast. And you won't be spiritual till you've learned to discipline your bodily habits. You'll learn to discipline to fast. I know the body craves for food but I would encourage you to develop the habit of fasting. I suggested some time ago to people try and fast from giving your opinions about people for one week. Just for one week. You want to give your opinion. Put your hand in your mouth. No, I'm fasting. I'm not supposed to say anything about anybody for one week. You'll see what a struggle it is to be disciplined about just yeah, so many people are talking about so and so and you've got no opinion to give. You've got plenty in your head but you're not going to. You're fasting. Just try it for one week and you'll be so blessed by it you'll probably want to make it a permanent fast from giving opinions because your opinion is not all that valuable. It's good to remember that. But fasting from food and overcoming the lust to eat especially if any of you want to be useful in the Lord's service I would encourage you to discipline your bodily habits because the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9 I discipline my body making it do, the last few verses, making it do what it should do, not what it wants to do. Making it do what it should do, that's the living Bible, not what it wants to do lest otherwise I'll preach to others and finally be rejected myself. I remember as a young man I was working in the Navy and I felt the Lord may call me for His service so I decided to discipline myself while I was working on the ship I would sometimes fast for two days just live on liquids and do my job mainly because I love food, like everybody else. And I decided I've got to conquer this if I want to serve the Lord. I mean I may be in some situation somewhere where I don't get food, then what do I do? If I'm a slave to food I'll be finished. I've got to conquer it before I come out to serve the Lord. So I would do it on a regular basis, now and then skip meals for two days and just live on juices or milk or something, only liquids and then I would learn to sleep on hard floors without a mattress so that I could be tough I can do it even today. Don't if you love a comfortable life I'm not saying you should sleep on the floor if you've got a mattress but you must learn to be happy to sleep on the floor if you don't have a mattress and the only way to do it is to try it out sometime when you have a mattress, see whether you can sleep on the floor. You know if you really, I'm talking about if you really want to serve the Lord I mean if you're one of those people whose aim in life is to be some business executive and you're going to retire like that, I'm not talking to you but I'm talking about people who really want to serve the Lord maybe go to some difficult places to serve the Lord some remote villages perhaps you won't get those comforts there which you get everywhere else so you've got to be disciplined discipline your body and I believe that if you discipline your time and study habits, many of you would have known the Bible much more than you know it today discipline yourself to listen to some good Bible study material on CDs or tapes and to read books that speak to your heart I did that to read missionary biographies and books that challenged my heart and those days if I had CDs in those days, we never had CDs those days I would have listened to anything that would help me to know the Bible much better so I believe that God can use many of you if you will discipline yourself to study and you know, life can be much easier for other people in your home if you're orderly in the way you keep your things and people will remember it and it's a very good testimony I remember as a young man I visited a home I was in the Navy and I was had gone somewhere preaching I was just 24 years old, 25 years old and I was staying in a home for 2 or 3 days we had meetings and then I came back to work years later about 30-40 years later that brother had died his daughter who was much grown up now said she was a little child there in those days when I used to visit that home and she said the thing her mother told her was that Brother Zach would always fold his bed and bed sheet and mattress neatly and they forgot all my sermons that's the only thing they remembered years later and I just want to tell you that it's not all the wonderful things you say that people will remember if you stay in a house they'll see how you kept the room when you left it they'll remember all their life it's a good testimony as a Christian do you know that when Jesus rose up from the dead he folded the napkin and kept it there? Did he ask one of the angels to do that? No, I don't think so Jesus rose up from the dead, you read that in the gospels the disciples saw the napkin folded and kept there who folded that? Jesus got up and said hey this napkin is a bit, let me fold it and keep it up and went out of the grave imagine, after the resurrection just making sure that the napkin is folded boy, what an example for us who haven't yet got to the resurrection we should definitely do it before we get there that means that was the habit of Jesus' life from childhood and the habits that you have from childhood, you'll have even after your resurrection great, I want to be like that that's what it means to follow Jesus it's not just walking on the water and raising the dead let's start with folding the napkins we'll come to raising the dead and all a little later okay, number 13 very important we must get rid totally of this disrespectful attitude we have in our conversation and behaviour towards other people disrespect is another bad habit and it's very prevalent in the world today among young people disrespectfulness it's prevalent you know in the Old Testament we read in Leviticus 19 the Lord told the Israelites whenever you see a grey haired man you must stand up respect him it's a principle, I'm not talking about the letter of it but the principle of respect for an older person it is almost totally absent in the world today and I'm sorry to say it's totally absent among a lot of our young people they just don't have any respect for older people it's very sad the Lord has taught me to respect everybody older to me even if he's a beggar if he's older to me I must speak respectfully to him but I'm amazed at the way a lot of young people speak to people, the way a lot of young sisters speak to older sisters the way a lot of young brothers speak to older brothers it amazes me but it just teaches me that like the book of Leviticus says you shall rise up before the grey haired man because that's how you prove God says that you fear me and this proves that people don't fear God no matter how loudly they clap their hands and sing the praise of worship, they haven't understood the basic fear of God and where there is no fear of God there's no wisdom so let's learn to let's ask God for grace to eliminate every smell of disrespectfulness God has taught me to speak respectfully to every person older to me and even people younger to me except when I'm rebuking them for sin you won't get any respect from me when I'm rebuking you for sin because there I'm speaking to you as a servant of the Lord but in every other area I guarantee that I'll speak respectfully to every single one of you, young or old or even a child because that's Christ likeness develop it young, develop it when you're young, it will help you tremendously in your life yeah number 14 we have to get rid totally of the bad habit of partiality partiality partiality, the Bible says in James chapter 2 is a sin the Bible says some rich fellow comes along to your church, this is James and you say oh brother brother, sister come and some poor person comes, he says in torn clothes and you just ignore him you'll never be spiritual, not in a hundred years we do honor people in the church but not people who are rich we honor those who fear God we honor those who are humble I will honor certain people more than other people in the church but not because they are rich not because they are educated but because they are God fearing and humble I mean there is a respect we show to people in society for example if the chief minister of Karnataka came to our conference, I would certainly give him a place in front not because he is respected in the church but because the Bible says we must respect secular authority that I'm obeying the Bible there I'm not saying that we shouldn't do that but we don't show respect to a person in the church just because he's got money there's a lot of it in Christendom today particularly pastors they just show respect to rich people because they want their money and their tithes I say I don't want their money or their tithes we are not to show partiality to someone because he's like me or because he flatters me I couldn't care less for that there are many areas where you may discover you are partial some parents are foolishly partial towards their children shall I tell you the best way to destroy one of your children listen tell your child why can't you be like your older brother aha that child is doomed that child you have made that child a permanent enemy of his older brother for life why can't you study like your older sister why can't you be a good girl like your older sister please don't say such stupid things and destroy your children many parents do that don't be partial God is not looking to see whether people come first in the class some of your children who don't come first in the class may turn out to be more wholehearted disciples of Jesus than that other one who comes stops the class and is so well behaved and nice like the elder brother in the home the prodigal son may be the one who finally sits next to the father so let's not be partial let's treat our children equally let's love them equally and let's do everything we can for one that we do for the other and the same way in the church I am partial like Jesus was to Peter, James and John to those who are God fearing I do spend more time with those who are God fearing and I am not ashamed of that but that's not because they belong to my community or because they are at my intellectual level or because they are rich no, it's because they are God fearing why did Jesus spend more time with Peter, James and John God is partial in that way to those who are God fearing if any man loved me I will love him and my father will come and make our abode with him why doesn't he do it with the others what I am saying is partiality due to earthly reasons oh we speak the same language or I like your face, you are at the same intellectual level as me, no there are many other forms of partiality let's get rid of all of them ok number 15 is closely linked to partiality and that is prejudice we have to eliminate all prejudice from our mind let me give you an example maybe 5 years ago people behaved in a somebody behaved in a certain way towards you and you have a prejudice against that person ah, that person I know how he is he is always like that just be honest, say he was like that 5 years ago how do you know he is like that today he may have changed I remember, I learned from my own mistake I said that many years ago I thought of somebody about maybe giving some responsibility to him and I had a bad experience ah, that person I only said it to myself no, no, no, I wouldn't think of that and the Lord said to me have you changed in the last 5 years I said yes Lord I think I have can you allow for the possibility that he may also have changed in the last 5 years oh is that possible and I realized yeah, it's possible that he is also changed so why should I judge him by what he did 5 years ago or 10 years ago no, we are not to assess a person today by what they did 5 years ago or even last year I am not the same, I was last year and I want to believe that you are not the same as you were last year I believe you are responding to the word of God so we must not be prejudiced against people there is a lot of prejudice in our minds which is destroying our fellowship with certain people and preventing us from having a good relationship with them, because we think they are always like that there are many husbands who feel their wives will never change and they tell them also ah, you will never change that's the best way to make sure they never change because your wife will tell you you think I won't change, ok, I am not going to change I am going to be like that you are going to see me 20 years from now just like this, you have made your life miserable why not tell her honey, I think you are really going to change in one year she will go away and say, boy, I am going to change in one year because my husband really got some expectations from me look at a different wife, I am not teaching you a psychological technique, I am just telling you we must not be prejudiced and think that people around us will never change and have such a high thought about ourselves, of course we will change, but nobody else will change don't be so conceited let's not be prejudiced in any other way, like I mentioned that before because of community or language let's not have a prejudice means a pre prejudgment let's not have a prejudgment, that's prejudice no Lord, I want to be open minded to people who were probably very bad in the past last of all we need to overcome the cowardice that prevents us from being witnesses for Christ you know, there is a lot of cowardice we are not bold to be witnesses for Jesus Christ I am not saying we should just go and tell everybody we meet on the streets but an openness say Lord I always want to be available to be a witness for you wherever I am, I don't know where the opportunity will come if it comes, I want to take it I want to be a witness for Christ I want to be a witness for Christ it may come now if somebody says something and there is an opportunity there to share a little word for the gospel it could be anything I remember in the navy, I used to be in these naval parties and I'd be drinking orange juice while everybody else is drinking alcohol and they say, hey, why, Zach why orange juice? immediately, my opportunity for a witness I am a Christian so, it could be a little thing like that hey, why are you dressed like this? why are you dressed so simply? I'll give the reason or, why don't you do this man? everybody does it in the office what are you going to say? I am honest get the glory for yourself why not say, I am a Christian give the glory to Christ at that moment, instead of getting some honor for yourself that you are such an honest, upright person we miss opportunities like that because we are cowards you know who we can learn from? we can learn from the Hindus who put their marks right on their forehead and come to the office every day and tell you boldly on their forehead, I am a Hindu who worships my God who hangs a calendar with an idol picture there I'm not ashamed, that's the idol I worship Christians are cowards they won't hang a calendar with a Bible verse on it ashamed to testify to Christ let's pray that God will eliminate this cowardice from our life completely say, Lord, make me a bold witness for Jesus Christ ok let's think of these 16 things I'm sure there are 100 other things also, but a lot of them can be children of these 16 things but these are things that came to my mind when we think of freedom from a cage and we want to be totally free I thought here are some things that we can really ask the Lord to deliver us from completely, and I want to say this one last word let's pray that God will write his laws in our mind and in our heart say, Lord, I can't do this, this is a wonderful standard I've heard now Lord you've already produced a desire in me haven't many of you got a desire already to live this life? I believe you have the God who gave you the desire you must say, Lord, I believe you'll give me the ability also you're going to give me the power to change, not overnight but little by little, it's going to be different from today, I'm going to add to this virtue, another virtue, another virtue another virtue, like Peter says and one day I'll have an abundant entrance into God's kingdom