Titus 2:11
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“Why Cant I Stop??”
“Why Cant I Stop??”
welcome
recap
talk about this weeks sermon
does any of us have a bad habit we just cant seem to break or stop?
Maybe you prayed, Promised God, “if you just help me stop this “bad habit”…oh I don’t know maybe ill stop cussing…only to fall back into it??
maybe you want God to help you stop losing your temper on your wife and kids and…lets go with stop cussing
you wake up on a Sunday, yes we are using a Sunday = tell joke story….
get deeper
talk about gut punch messages
talk about surface level of this message and the deeper part of this message…
pray…
What's going wrong whenever you want to stop something, you wanna change a behavior, but you can't seem to do it.
I would suggest that in most cases, there are a lot of people that have the right intentions, but the wrong strategy.
talk about fighting…
now I do want to make clear here that this might seem incomplete and thats simply because we don’t have the time…
When you ask why haven't I changed? I would just say there would be multiple factors working against you, that keep us stuck in the lifestyle that often we would like to live in a different way
for example, I'll show you some of the factors and then try to get to the root.
Why is it that we can't change? For almost all of us, there would be practical reasons that we find it difficult to change.
For example, why do I always eat the wrong food?
Well, the answer might be because you have access to the wrong food and not the right food. There's a practical reason.
Why do I oversleep every morning? It could be because you're binge watching Netflix until two in the morning.
And if you don't set your alarm, there's a practical reason why many of us don't change.
so there are practical reasons but there are also emotional reasons why we don’t change
A lot of us, we have emotional wounds, we have some baggage, we have some unresolved issues that often lead us to coping in an unhealthy way.
So there might be practical reasons, emotional reasons,
and then there would be relational reasons.
In other words, it's really, really hard to get healthy when we're surrounded by unhealthy people…= say that again…
then theres a physical element, meaning some of us are stronger in some areas and we're just more vulnerable in other areas.
We might have bad neural pathways, we might have a chemical imbalance.
so all in all we see we have many factors that cause us to struggle with change…
practical, emotional, relational, and physical = affect us in our battle to change
however like i said earlier i want to get to the root of this problem
and so at the root of it all or the heart of it all theres one area that cause us to struggle with changing…a spiritual challenge
At the heart of the reason why most people can't change, the root issue is often a spiritual issue.
talk about our inner man/woman and the spiritual element to it all…
And what happens is many people, whether they're a Christian or not a Christian, they're trying to meet a spiritual need with something besides God.
And there is a void, there is a longing, there is an emptiness.
They're looking for something to meet that need, to fill that void with something besides God that leads them into a very destructive lifestyle.
So Why can't you change?
For so many people, the reason you can't change is because you're
focusing on the poison of religion and forgetting the power of grace.
and this is the spiritual issue…
so many people always ask aren’t you a religious person??
tell story of Alex friend Rachels boyfriend…
Jesus did not like religion either he was about relationship
One definition of what religion is is this,
religion is our attempt to earn God's approval by following all the “rules.”
talk about Jesus hating religious spirit and why we cant change = because we are trying to change for God without God…
It's our attempt to please God, to earn his love by following and obeying the law.
Essentially, it's our attempt to please God, without God,
the reason you can't change, is you're trying to change by religion and not by grace.
talk about verse
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
What is it? The grace, God's grace has appeared.
And that grace offers salvation to all people.
I've got to pause there for just a moment and say, this is the most amazing news that you will ever hear. The grace of God offers salvation to all people.
If you are a follower of Jesus, you likely know that you're not made right with God by your works, by your religious efforts, by your best attempt, but you're made right with God by the grace of God through faith, our sins are forgiven by grace.
We're made right with God by grace.
God loves us because of his grace.
We are saved by grace and grace makes salvation available to anybody.
No matter how bad you are, no matter how mean you are, doesn't matter how many bad things you've done, doesn't matter how many bad thoughts you've had
God's grace is available to you.
and what is grace?
Hebrew word for grace is = charis (χάρις)—the unmerited goodwill and favor of God.
it's unmerited. It's unearned. It's God's favor, it's God's power. It's God's strength.
And the good news is, it's always a gift.
no earning it no working for it its free its a gift and even more amazing we are saved by Grace…
are we starting to understand here? are we starting to build a good strategy here?
Many Xians—believe i am Saved by grace—however, Now it’s all on me.
Now I’ve got to get it done! Try hard. Check boxes. Follow rules. Trying be good. Trying not to be mad. Trying not lust.
make clear here there are two ways to look at this…
talk about the lazy way if you will and the religious way…
The grace that saves you is also the grace that sustains you.
Ok, so how do I change with Grace pastor? or how does grace help me change?
lets go to scripture again
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
preach on this…
• It teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness.
• It teaches us to deny our worldly passions.
• It teaches us to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.
What is the “it” that teaches us to live this life?
It’s not—Rules—Law—Religion—Angry God watching.
so again i ask…HOW DOES GOD’S GRACE CHANGE US?
lets first look at what a lot of our problem is and that is focusing on religion…
The focus of religion is outward.
talk about what we recently talked about when Jesus called out the pharisees for focusing on the outward…
lets look at that scripture again
And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.
tell story of someone who can eat whatever in high school and cant now and wanting to change that…
For example—For years, I could eat whatever I wanted! (*)
Early 40’s—High-Metabolism-person—Fuller-Faced- person (pants)
Dr—Noticeable outside—Prob inside—Change diet—Tried/Tried. God convicted me—Spiritual—Not outside—Honor God!
This wasn’t Change of Behavior—Change of Heart.
Change behavior—But don’t change heart—Behavior comes back.
Real & lasting change is reflection of God’s work/grace on inside.
Focus of religion outward—Focus grace inward.
Religion says try harder…(Trying. Up to me. Need do better. Need stop.)
Grace says trust more, rely not on your own power but rather on Gods power…
lets look to 2 Cor 12.9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Not trying harder—Trusting more! (Keys start changing)
When I trust— i understand that God will always love me—Grace sustains—I
can be honest. Honest w/ God—Honest w/ others.
You are only as strong as you are honest
Get help—Light! Sin grows best in the dark.
Asking for help is never a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of
wisdom
Why cant i change?
You’re trying to meet a need or relieve a hurt with
something besides God’s grace
So what is it about then? how do i chnage?
understanding Gods grace is a gift for you and when you understand its not about you or what you can do you begin to trust God more and when we trust him more we can then be honest with him and begin to ask for help…
but pastor you dont know the sin i have committed, you dont know the wrongs ive done, you dont understand how bad ive been…
idk if theres enough grace to save me…
romans 5.20
Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,
Bigger Battle—Good News!—More grace!
Grace doesn’t just forgive you from sin. Grace frees you from sin!
Grace that saves you—Same grace that sustains you!
preach
HOLY SPIRIT TAKE OVER…
PRAY…