Putting Down The “Me Monster”

Intro

Upon beginning our new lives in Christ

Given a new nature

Indwelling Holy Spirit

New nature

Our old sin nature does not go away

But we are no longer enslaved to it

Romans 6:6–7 ESV

6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.

We don’t have to obey it

1 John 3:4–10 ESV

4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning (All who are ones doing sin) also practices (is doing) lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one (Everyone) who abides (who are abiding ones) in him keeps on sinning (do not sin); no one who keeps on sinning (are sinning ones) has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices (The one doing) righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning (The one doing the sin) is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning (is not doing sin), for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness (the one not doing righteousness) is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

Brian Regan

Bit on the “me monster”

Person who likes to take up everyone’s time to talk about himself

Yet every one of us has our own “me monster”

This me monster is the one who sins

1. Understand the “Me Monster”

Old Sin Nature

The “flesh”

Described in Paul’s letters

Old sin nature

Opposed to the Spirit

Galatians 5:16–17 ESV

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Focused on Self

Self-satisfaction

Self-promotion

Self-indulgence

Self-protection

Self-preservation

Galatians 5:19–21 ESV

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

The Culprit in 1Jn 3:4, 6, 8

The Me Monster

Focused on “Me”

I want to satisfy ME

I want to promote ME

I want to indulge ME

I want to protect ME

I want to preserve ME

All at the expense of everything else and everyone else

At the expense of breaking laws

At the expense of the chaos and the destruction it might cause

That Me Monster (v.6)

1 John 3:6 ESV

6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning (Everyone who is abiding in Him not is sinning) ; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

Does the opposite of abiding in the Lord

Prevented from seeing the Lord

Prevented from knowing Him more deeply

You have a Me Monster

That Me Monster is sinning

No one is immune from his/her Me Monster

It is the target of every temptation thrown your way

That entices you with your own desires

That lures you away from where you should be

That prevents you from discovering the deeper goodness of God and the love that He has for you

That cuts you off from thinking about or considering anyone or anything else but ME

2. Embrace Being In Christ

In Christ

About Christ

He came to take away our sins (v.5)

1 John 3:5 ESV

5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

In Him there is no sin (v.5)

He is righteous (v.7)

He is the Source of the new birth (v.9)

When I am in Christ…

I am a new person

That new person does not sin

Who sins is the “me monster”

Which each of us have

Because we all continue to sin

1 John 1:8 ESV

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

What does it mean to be “in Christ?”

John 1:12—I AM GOD’S CHILD.

John 15:15—I AM A FRIEND OF JESUS CHRIST.

Romans 5:1—I HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED—I HAVE BEEN DECLARED TO BE RIGHTEOUS.

1 Corinthians 6:17—I AM UNITED WITH CHRIST, AND I AM ONE SPIRIT WITH HIM.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20—I HAVE BEEN BOUGHT AT A PRICE. I BELONG TO GOD.

1 Corinthians 12:27—I AM A MEMBER OF CHRIST’S BODY.

Ephesians 1:1—I AM A SAINT—A HOLY ONE—ONE SET APART BY CHRIST FOR HIMSELF

Ephesians 1:5—I HAVE BEEN ADOPTED AS GOD’S CHILD.

Ephesians 2:18—I HAVE DIRECT ACCESS TO GOD THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Colossians 1:14—I HAVE BEEN REDEEMED AND FORGIVEN OF ALL MY SINS.

Colossians 2:10—I AM COMPLETE IN CHRIST.

Romans 8:28—I AM ASSURED THAT GOD IS WORKING ALL THINGS TOGETHER FOR GOOD.

Romans 8:31—I AM FREE FROM ANY CONDEMNING CHARGE AGAINST ME. IF GOD IS FOR ME, WHO CAN BE AGAINST ME?

Romans 8:35—I CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM THE LOVE OF GOD.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22—I HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED, ANOINTED, AND SEALED BY GOD.

Philippians 1:6—I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE GOOD WORK GOD HAS BEGUN IN ME WILL BE COMPLETED.

Philippians 3:20—I AM A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN.

Colossians 3:3—I AM HIDDEN WITH CHRIST IN GOD.

2 Timothy 1:7—I HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN A SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT OF POWER, OF LOVE, AND OF A SOUND MIND.

Hebrews 4:16—I CAN FIND GRACE AND MERCY IN TIME OF NEED.

1 John 5:18—I AM BORN OF GOD, AND THE WICKED ONE CANNOT TOUCH ME.

Matthew 5:13-14—I AM THE SALT OF THE EARTH. I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

John 15:5—I AM A BRANCH OF THE TRUE VINE, A CHANNEL OF HIS LIFE.

John 15:16—I HAVE BEEN CHOSEN AND APPOINTED TO BEAR FRUIT.

Acts 1:8—I AM A PERSONAL WITNESS OF CHRIST.

2 Corinthians 5:17—I AM A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST.

2 Corinthians 6:1—I AM GOD’S CO-WORKER

Ephesians 2:6—I AM SEATED WITH CHRIST IN THE HEAVENLIES

Ephesians 2:10—I AM GOD’S MASTERPIECE

Philippians 4:11—I CAN BE CONTENT IN CHRIST.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5—I AM GIVEN GOD’S COMFORT—HIS PARAKLĒSIS—THAT IS PROPORTIONATE TO ANY SUFFERING I EXPERIENCE

So how do we put our “Me Monster” down?

Romans 6:11 ESV

11 So you also must consider (program) yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

3. Make Abiding Your Daily Goal

Key Action step

1 John 3:6 ESV

6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

What’s involved in abiding?

John 15:1–5 “1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away (He lifts up); and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Discipline

Pruning

Staying close

Because you know:

The Lord will be working all around you all day

It will be your opportunity to get in on what He is doing and come to know Him more deeply in the process

Keep Up…with your Eyes Up:

Yoke Up (Take My yoke upon you)

Step Up (Walk by the Spirit)

Keep Up (Abide in Him)

Look Up

Hebrews 12:2 NASB95

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Meet with Him daily

Give Him the right to rearrange your day as He chooses

Now What?

Putting down our Me Monsters is a daily battle

Remember that your Me Monster is only as dominant as you allow it to be

Remember what Jesus has done for you

Given you a new birth

Given you a new identity

You are IN CHRIST

Remember that you can live IN CHRIST if you ABIDE in Him

Embrace His discipline

Embrace His pruning

Because that is how you will produce more fruit of His power in your life

Stay close to Him

Staying in the word

Becoming a man/woman of prayer

Allowing Him to rearrange your day as He so chooses

Worship Team will be coming up

Song that we will sing embodies the gist of this message

I am weak

But God’s Spirit is strong

in me

My flesh may fail

But the Lord never will