When willpower isn't enough

Automatically generated from the video captions and lightly tidied, so expect the odd misheard word.

So, what I'm going to do is I'm going to give us a little bit of a university lecture. So does anybody know who this man is? Does anybody know who this man is? I'm not actually sure if that's his picture because he lived in the 19th century. So, this is Vfredo Pareto. So, V Yeah.

So, this is Vredo Pareto. So, he lived in the 19th century. He was an economist. So he as he was doing his work and looking at patterns. So he discovered something quite interesting. All right.

So let me just draw what he discovered. It was earthshattering and we use it even today. So what Pero Roto discovered is as he looked at wealth and income distribution in England he found that 20% of 80% of the land right so 20% of people owned 20% of the land he thought I was like you know that's not earthshattering I could tell him that right the rich people who know the hand. But what was rather remarkable was the pattern was true despite the country. Whether that's England, France, or Italy, whatever, the pattern stood true. 20% of people own 80% of the land.

And not only did it stand true per country, it is stood true for different eras. As he went throughout history, he saw that 20% owned 80% of the land. But then here's the thing, he didn't think too much about it. So he went on and he just did some other things. But here's the crazy thing. Some people came later and they were like, "Oh, wow.

Pareto was a genius and they called this rule the Pareto principle or the 8020 rule. So people discovered this 20% of movies make 80% of the revenue. Think about this year it is Spider-Man, it's u it's Odyssey. It is Michael. It is Mario. It is Toy Story.

Those movies making 80% of the sales. Think about books, the best sellers. The Bible is a bestseller, by the way. They don't even include it in the list because it is way in front. The Bible, Harry Potter, go to ES, you see Harry Potter. So, 20% of books make 80% of the sales.

What about restaurants? And I a restaurant menu might have 50 menus, but guess what? 20% make 80% of the sale. I mean, take it to This stood true. Tony, please could you take that back? Did you guys like the board?

Did you like the board? Yeah. Yeah, David like the board. Yeah. Okay, Ma, you can go to the next slide. For those who didn't like the board, there you go.

There's a PowerPoint clip. But 20% of causes make 80%. I mean, even in if you're a businessman, if you're a businessman, business woman, I guarantee you 20% of your clients make 80% of your profits. Like it is just like everywhere. And in case like I mean sometimes it might be 19 point something sometimes might be 18 point something. So don't I'm just the idea that I want you guys to get is the distribution is uneven.

Only a few things make a ton of a difference. So only a few things make a ton of a difference. So then I started how about if we think about these paral principles in terms of the struggles that we have. So think about the struggles that you have in life and for instance if you're a if you're a Christ follower think about the temptations you struggle with what about if they also follow this partoal principle that a few of the temptations that you have are actually the ones that are causing so much devastation. So 20% of the temptations are accounting for 80% of the sins that are causing devastation in your life. You see like on the on the next slide to me that is scary and exciting.

You know it is it is it is and encouraging. Discouraging in the sense of when I look at my own life. The temptations that I struggle with now, I struggle with them when I was in high school. I struggle with them in college. I struggle with them now as a grown man married and with four kids. I struggle with them.

That is But it is also encouraging in the sense that if I can fix this small bit that results are going to be what the results are going to be outside. So I want to ask you like on the next slide that we had which was what is your 20%. What is your 20%. What is your 20% that you struggle with? And you know in your heart of hearts, if I can fix this area, it will go a long way to helping me with the struggles that I have. And by the way, the slide that was here before these things I call them treat predispositions or tendencies or proclivities.

These are hard things that are wired into you. Last week, like on the next slide, last week we talked about influencing factors. Remember, influencing factors are things that are external to you, right? The family that you grew up in, right? Where you grew up, where you live, what happens to you, your family history. These are things that are external to you and they try to shape who you become.

But your predispositions, they're not external to you. Nobody has to try and influence you into anything. You just do them naturally. And the thing of these predispositions who you become in your future. And these few these 20% shape what man you become, what woman you become, what parent you become. But then the question is how can we make sure like on the next slide how can we make sure that the 20% doesn't make you become the thing that you hate.

It doesn't make you become the thing that you do not want to be. So on the next slide this way we come to our story. So now we come to so yeah so your p dispositions mustn't determine who you become just because you have a proclivity to these things it must not determine your future it must not determine who you become you must not be mastered by these predispositions that you have so now this is where we come to the story Joseph. So let me just remind us about Joseph again. So Joseph was a fine young man 17 years of wage and his brother sold him into slavery. Actually first they wanted to kill him and then they downgraded to selling him to slavery.

And what was his offense? That he was a favorite of his father. So instead of taking it out on the father, they take it out on poor Joseph and they sell him into slavery and he goes to Egypt. He goes to the house of this guy called Portifer. So Porto was his boss. But then when he's down there, this is what you read.

And Yahweh or the Lord was with Joseph and he became successful and was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And then and the next one and his master observed that Yahweh was with him and everything was in his hand to do Yahweh made successful. And then in the and it happened that from that time he appointed him. So Piper appointed Joseph over his house and over all that he had. Yahweh blessed the house of the Egyptian on account of Joseph. And the blessing of Yahweh was upon all that he had in the house and in the field.

So I'm just going to take a little bit aside here, but don't block your blessing. Have you ever observed maybe in your workplace, maybe in school, they're just whom God is blessing like things are just going well for them. So if it's like a football team, there was somebody who's just hot. He's on a hot streak, right? And he's scoring goals. So, you can get jealous.

You can play the competition game and just not try to acknowledge that there is something going on with that person. And if you do that, you're blocking your blessing. But what I like in the story of Joseph is Piper goes, "Man, that guy is blessed by Yahweh. I'm not competing with him. I am not trying to stand in his way. I'm not going to try and push him down.

No, I'm actually going to encourage that person. I'm going to cheer them on and I'm going to be on their side. And guess what? It goes well with Portifer. So, you know, maybe the way to actually get blessed wherever you are in your work or even in church, somebody sings better, somebody preaches better, somebody's good at PowerPoint. Instead of competing with them, you actually encourage them.

And guess what? When it goes well with it's going to go well with you. But that's an aside. It's not it's not in the flow of the thing. So, let's continue the story. Guess who else It is Annie.

Annie notices. Oh my goodness. Yahweh has indeed blessed this man. He is a fine young man. Like I said, a young Denzel Washington, a young Brad Pitt. And man, Annie is like, "Woo, I want to jump on that fine young man." Right.

Right. This is this is this is this is this is what Annie is thinking, right? This is what he's thinking. And then like on the next slide, Joseph goes, "Wait a minute. Kind of kind of hold up. Hold up." Right?

He goes, he goes, "No, Annie. My master has no there's no one in this house with greater authority than me. A and he's withheld anything is not withheld anything from me except you, ma'am. Except you, Annie. Be because you're a married woman, Annie. You're a married woman.

I know you're independent and I know you want to get what you want to get, but you are married." any. So, so, so, so hold up. You're not one of them single ladies that Beyonce was singing about, right? So, so, so, so just hold up. Hold up. So, it just kind of stops it right there.

But Annie, no, now she this lady determined. Annie is determined, right? So, then on the next one, so one particular day, he came into the house to work and none of the other men were there in the house. And then on the next line, and she seized him by his garment. She seized him and Joseph had to flee. He had to run for his life.

But I want to show you something here. Remember what I said? The Bible, especially Genesis, talks in images and symbols and stories and it repeats them. Where else have we seen somebody sees someone and take their garment? I'll just show you on the next on the next slide. Remember, and it happened that is Joseph came his brothers, they stripped Joseph or they seized Joseph off his robe and his long sleeve and it was upon him.

So Annie is doing what the brothers did, seizing Joseph. And guess what? They then identify Joseph based on what? His clothes. They go to his dad and they say, "Are these the clothes of your son?" Guess what Annie is going to do with Joseph's clothes? She's going to with his clothes.

And guess what we said last week? On the next slide, on the next slide, we said last week the brothers were acting like wild animals. Why? Because wild animals act on impulse. They act on instinct. They have no restraint.

They have no self-control. So in that story last week, you were saying the animals are actually the brothers. And that theme is repeating again in this story. Guess who's acting like a wild animal? Guess who is not showing restraint, self-control. Guess who's just acting on their predisposition?

Guess who's just acting on instinct? It's Annie. It's Annie. And then on the next one, like Annie, like her instincts just led her to this part where she's even so mad. She is so mad. She is just so mad.

So she calls the servants and the servants come in and they're like, "Annie, are you okay? Are you okay? Are you okay, Annie?" Right? You should have seen that coming, right? Are And Annie was like, "No, no, I'm not okay. No, I'm not okay.

This Hebrew slave. And guess what she's now saying? She is so clever. She is so clever. Like when she's just like on the next slide, she goes this. Then she put his garment beside her because Joseph wouldn't go beside her.

She's like, "Okay, I'll get the clothes." Okay. Beside her. Until the master came to his house. But now listen to how scheming she is like on the next Then she spoke to Portifer. So him as Portifer according to these words that Hebrew slave that you Portifer you brought this guy to us to fool around with us. So it is your fault Porifer becomes angry and he puts Joseph in prison.

Actually, how much of this how much of that story Portifer believes is actually up for debate? Because normally what Joseph is accused of, he would have just been killed straight on the spot. The fact that he was actually put in prison might actually hint the fact that Port didn't even believe his wife. But for family honor, he had to put Joseph somewhere. So he puts him in this prison where the king's prisoners go. Like it wasn't just an ordinary prison.

It was just a prisoner way king's prisons go. So then on the next slide yeah so she's still reporting and then on the next one. So here's the main point of our sermon and this is what we learned from Some temptations are not overcome by fighting. They overcome by running away. Some temptations are not overcome by fighting. They're overcome by running away.

So like on the next slide, so forget what Beyonce says in you're not fighting temptations. You they're just some temptations you do not fight. You run you run for your life. And on the next one. Yeah. So, so the thing is before we go into this, I just want to say h how's Joseph running for his life?

You see it in three ways. Mostly when I say run, it's actually metaphorical. It's just like to put guard rails that keep you away from temptation. Wh what does Joseph do at first? He tells Annie, "No, you're a married woman." Like, he just sets his boundaries right there. That was the first time.

The second one is in verse 10. He doesn't he doesn't even want to be near her. He just physically separates himself from her. Oh, that's Annie coming over there. Then he'll run and go somewhere else. Right.

A and then when she seizes him, he runs away. You can go, man, is Joseph a CC why can't you like just do a hand off like in rugby, right? Just keep her away, right? Yeah, he's likely stronger than her. Just keep her away. But Joseph knows something that we all should know here that if he stays in that place, no matter how strong he is, willpower on the next slide, we some of us really need to understand this.

Willpower is an inexpendable resource. It is like the phone in your battery. It drains. Sorry. Thank you. It is the battery in your phone right there.

Yeah, it is the battery in your phone. It drains. It drains. And to prove it to you, I'm going to tell you about an experiment. There was an experiment, the cookie experiment, right? So, the cookie experiment, there were three groups.

So, in the first group, they were brought into a room that was smelling of freshly cooked cookies. They were so good. And they were allowed to eat them. Just allowed to eat. Eat the cookies, guys. And the second one, they put radish beside the cookies.

And they said, "Hey, hey, hey, hey, don't you touch the cookies. Just eat the veggies." Right? Eat the veggies. So, the guys resisted and they ate the And then in the third group, they took away the cookies and the radish and they just put them in a room to sit. Right? So in this one, no resistance needed.

No willpower needed. You don't need any willpower. In that group C, you don't need any willpower at all. Right? You're just chilling. But in this one, they needed some willpower because the cookies were right there.

So they needed to resist. So but they did well. They resisted. So then after that they then gave them a test, an impossible test. Nobody could solve it. They just wanted to see how long people will persist in trying to solve it.

And guess what? The first group, it took them 20 minutes. They tried to solve it. 20 minutes. 20 minutes. Like we'll get this done.

But after 20 minutes, they're like, "Oh, it's too much." Second, group C. Same thing. 20 minutes. 20 minutes to tried. 20 minutes trying. Anyone want to guess what group B was?

Higher or lower? Lower. It was lower. These jokers here, they could only last eight minutes. Guess what? Only eight minutes.

Why? Because they had already exhausted their willpower before. So when it came to now this impossible task, willpower was gone. And I mean you don't need no experiments to tell you this. Anyone who's ever tried to be on a diet, I've been on like I don't know 50 diets by now. Like I've tried them.

You know this. You might have so much willpower in the world. You must have the strongest motivation in the world, but you find yourself awake at 3:00 a.m. In the morning. I mean, looking through the whole kitchen, looking under the kitchen sink. I mean, you're looking in the fishbowl.

You're looking for cookies and snacks everywhere. The only thing that will save you is if there is genuinely no cookies in the house. If they are cookies, you will find them. You even search the car, you even drive to the shops if you have to, right? You know this. So on the next slide, so guys, the thing is there just some things you just have to run away from.

Don't don't don't fight. Jesus put it puts it this way. I love Jesus. I should, right? I love Jesus, but I love the way he puts things. I like the way he puts things, right?

Like it's so graphic. Like he's like if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out or godge it out and throw it out from you. It is better for you that one of your members be destroyed than your whole body be u thrown in hell. Of course, that's hypo hyperbole by the way. That's just exaggerated language. Don't go out and indulge in your eyes, right?

But just the same idea. Flee, run, don't fight. And then St. Paul puts it this way on the next slide. But flee from youthful desires. The same idea.

Flee, run, run away. Don't use your willpower to try and resist them. So on the next back to my point. Some temptations are not overcome by fighting. They are overcome by running away. Run for your life.

Then the question becomes temptations do you fight and which do you run away from? And the answer goes to our guy on the next slide, Parto. Right. So the few temptations that have been causing you issues all your life, they're the ones that you run away from. So I'm going to be a little honest here. I love movies.

Like I've talked to you guys. I love movies. So, ego, I love YouTube. So, I love YouTube. So, I can be on YouTube. You know, before I know it, I've wasted 5 hours on YouTube.

You know, I tell myself, "Oh, I'm doing research. I'm supposed to be researching for the sermon. Oh, I'm doing research on YouTube. I'm doing research for YouTube." And before you know it, 10 hours are gone. Right? That is something that I've struggled for a long time.

I remember when we just got married, I used to watch this program called 24. Like this program was so addictive. I would watch it from about 12 until 6 and then shower and go to work and watch it on the bus. That's how much I would just This is just the thing that I'm pre predisep predisposed to. My proclivity is just watching stuff. So guess what I finally heeded this advice.

I just decided not to fight but to run away because last week I told myself, "Oh, I'm just going to watch this movie for like the first 10 minutes." This was like a 12 at night. I'm going to just watch it for 10 minutes and then I'll go to sleep. Guess what? Finish the whole movie. Slept it too. And you know the worst thing?

It was a terrible movie. It was a terrible movie. But I still watched it, right? So, I'm like, "Okay, this is not something for me to fight. I'm not going to fight it." So, I'm going to run away. So, I went to my phone and I did something that's so painful.

So painful talking about it now. I deleted YouTube from my phone. There is no YouTube. And my life is, oh my goodness, how much time I have. I've got time to read now. I got time to take walks.

Oh man. Like I was like, I just like I don't know what to do with myself. Like we like we went to Dublin like on a holiday trip and everybody went like on the YouTube in the watching 7 just by myself with the hotel. I'm like what shall I do? So then I went to the gym like but I've got so much time cuz I decided to run to run for my life. So I'm going to ask you guys on the next slide what temptation do you need to stop fighting?

That's fighting. What temptations you need to stop fighting and what temptations do you need to run from? Like just think it through like fighting is for your willpower and that's a depleting asset. It's like the battery in your phone. It depletes. Be honest with yourself.

What do you to just stop fighting and just run away from it? Like just put guard rails because on the next slide I hope this is the thing you go with. The temptations you run from today shape who you become in the future. You will never regret running away from a temptation now because you're be going to become a better person in the future. I'm going to end with this story. One of my favorite visionary leaders is a guy by the name of Craig Cresell.

If you have a phone on your smartphone, it is a U version app. It's been downloaded over a billion times. It is through the visionary leadership of Craig Gashelle. But Craig Gashelle, I'm not I'm not reporting on him or anything. This is he's very open about this. He's spoken about it a bunch of times.

When Craig was 13, going to try and use some code here. So when Craig was 13, he was invited to go childmind for some parents you know that he knew. So as a 13year-old, he went to child mind for these parents. But unbeknown to him, these guys, these jokers, they just left these magazines like on the coffee table. Like loads of magazines. You know the magazines I'm talking about the magazines that you shouldn't leave outside and he saw these magazines and for about two years he was then withdrawn he was then drawn to the things that were in those magazines for about two years he was captivated by what he saw there but then later he came out of it he became a Christian he wasn't a Christian when he was 13 he became a Christian in college then he became a minister.

But up to this day, if you look at his it is like a child's phone. It's like a child's phone like he can't search for simple terms on his phone because got it's got so much restrictions on it. He put it on purpose. It's got so many restrictions that he cannot use it. They trusted people who literally have his password. They can just come lift up his phone, look at his phone.

There are so many people who look through his emails. There's so many people who look through what he's doing on social media. And again, it's restricted. It's like a phone. And sometimes people go to him, you don't you don't struggle with this. This was when you were a teenager.

You were like a teenager back then. Like what's what's wrong with you? And he answers and says, "I am running away. I don't even I don't even want to give myself an opportunity where I have to use my willpower to fight this. I am just going to run. I'm going to run for my life." And this is what I am urging you guys to do.

Run for your life. And then next week we will we'll continue in the story of Joseph. We're going to be talking about faithful in the forgotten. And we're going to just see that how Joseph has been moving from his parents' home and then he goes to the pit and then he goes to Portifer's house and then he goes from Portifer's house. He then goes to prison and from prison he goes to the palace. Guys, you like the peace moving in the P.

I usually don't like that stuff, but I thought it worked here. I thought it worked. But in that, we're going to talk about this idea of fruitfulness, stewardship even in the hard times. But anyway, let me pray for Dear heavenly father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for the spirit that you've implanted in that you can enable us to be wise in the choices that we make in our So Lord, I pray for each and every person here. You know the struggles that we have.

You know the weaknesses that we have. We might hide it from other But you know, we know you know. So in those areas, can you help us to be wise, to choose wisdom? Help us to flee. Help us to run so that we'll become the people you have called us to become. The fathers, the mothers, the friends, the parents, the aunties, the uncles, the co-workers that you've called us to who do not struggle in secret.

But what we are in secret is what we are in public because we running away from the predispositions that are looking to pull us down. We pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. Do I hand over to Oh, nope. All right. So guys, if we all can be upstanding and we sing so good, let us I believe that's the song.

This is my