Sermon Tone Analysis

*THE MONSTER WITH-IN *

 

     Within each of us is *the potential* to do good or evil; we have the freedom to choose whether we do and say what is good or those things that are evil.

This *can be compared to feeding a terrible monster.*

The monster pokes at our weaknesses.

It is through us giving in to these temptations that the beast can survive.

Each time we give in to the monster's requests to feed him with ungodly behavior, he increases in strength and size.

each day, it becomes increasingly difficult to harness the monster.

*The more we feed him the more the monster tries to dominate our life.*

* *

*Romans 7:15* I do not understand what I do.

*For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do*.

16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.

17 As it is, *it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin (The Monster) living in me.* 18 */I know that nothing good lives/ in me*, that is, /in my sinful nature/.

For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

20 *Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin (the Monster) living in me that does it.

*21 So I find this law at work: *When I want to do good, evil (The Monster) is right there with me.* 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, *waging war against the law of my mind* and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

NIV

* *

*Romans 8: 1* Therefore, *there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus*, 2 because through Christ Jesus *the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death*.

3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.

And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

5 *Those who live according to the sinful nature (What the monster wants) have their minds set on what that nature (The Monster) desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.*

6 *The mind* of sinful man is death, but *the mind* *controlled by the Spirit* is life and peace; 7 *the sinful mind* is hostile to God.

It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

8 *Those controlled by the sinful nature* cannot please God.

NIV

 

* Two laws (*the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death)*

* *The battle for your mind*

* Their minds-set (to have a certain mind set)

* *

*Mindset: Def: (postoj, přístup ) *a habitual or characteristic mental attitude *that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations* [syn: mentality, outlook, mindset]

 

* On what you natural man wants

* *Those controlled by the sinful nature* cannot please God

* On what your spirit man wants

* *the mind* *controlled by the Spirit* is life and peace

 

Maybe you have seen some of these monsters?

I have a few that want to live.

Hate, Greed, Alcoholism, drug abuse, addictions, anger, selfishness, pride and Lust.

Thankfully, there is a secret to ridding one's life of such terrible beasts.

The secret is to *starve them*.

Without their constant supply of giving in to sinful behavior, the monster quickly begins to weaken and lose its hold on your life.

·         *Addictions are basically an abuse of something God intended for good*, but now, due to its abuse, has turned in to an evil.

o   For example, God knows we need to eat food to survive, yet when we over eat and abuse food, our bodies are then brought to an unhealthy state of obesity, where we are then prone to obesity-related disease and even, emotional distress.

o   The same is true with sexual addictions.

God created man as a sexual being, sex being a form of intimate and sacred communion between husband and wife.

While marital sexual relations are good and godly, the misuse of sex can quickly turn into a destructive and powerful force that can lead one to such out of control behaviors and a general obsession with sex.

It doesn’t matter what you feed your Monster, but the more you feed him the more he is in control of your life.

The more you FEED the monster, the more he HUNGERS.

Thus,* the ONLY way to destroy him is to slowly starve him of his 'food source.' *

 

When an addiction controls you, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless.

Alone, these bonds can be difficult to break, but with God as our strength, we can do all things!

The impossible is made possible!

The steps in breaking the bonds of addictive bondage.

·         Admit there is a problem (Your desire to be free from this problem must be SINCERE.

Mere lip service will not do it.

You must WANT to be free of the problem~/addiction)

·         \\ Call out to God for help.

If you do not have a relationship with Him, MAKE ONE.

Pray a heartfelt prayer of repentance and tell God of your desire to be set free from this particular bondage.

Invite Him in to your heart, your life,and allow HIM to be your strength during your time of weakness

 

·         Begin to starve 'your monster' by taking away the 'foods' he so loves.

Don't surround your self with it.

Be AWARE of WHEN your addiction is nudging you, and apply WISDOM and DISCRETION to pull your self AWAY from those particular tempting times, instead, replacing them with some other good and godly activity.

\\ \\ ·         If you should fall to temptation again, don’t fret too much, but use this incident as an opportunity to learn of what your boundries and weak spots are.

Wipe the dust from your pants, stand up, repent again, and continue to walk forward.

One important point is that when we fight to break free of sin, satan will do his BEST to PULL YOU BACK.

Realize this.

Be aware.

Be strong.

o   The fist few times you REJECT sin, it will be difficult, because you are so used to GIVING IN to it..giving IN to cravings as over-eating, drinking too much, or giving IN to every fleshly tingle.

With each passing day, it will become easier and easier to say "NO" to sin, and each time you DO say "NO," you will begin to feel STRONGER and more IN CONTROL, rather than letting that terrible addictive monster control YOU!

During this time, you may also experience some feelings of withdrawl.

Realize, your body AND mind (and spirit) is going through a transformation, and you may find your self needing more sleep, more moments of peace and quiet.

Life may seem a little empty, but this is only because your body and mind is still used to the extreme (sinful) HIGHS you taught it to enjoy.

What was learned, must now b

What do I do if my flesh is ruling me?

* Starve him.

That’s what fasting is all about.

Weakening, denying, and starving the flesh man.

Food consumes our waking moments, earning the money for it, buying it, preparing it, eating it, cleaning up after it.

Not only food, but also starving our other input gates.

Eyes, ears (TV, internet, fun activities, senses, touch (sex) etc…

 

* Feed the spirit man

o    *Romans 12: 1* Therefore, I urge you, brothers, *in view of God’s mercy*, to *offer your bodies as living sacrifices*, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

*2* *Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world*, but *be transformed by the renewing of your mind.*

Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

NIV

* *Offer your bodies as living sacrifices*,

* *Do not conform *

* *any longer *

* *to the pattern of this world*

* but *be transformed *

* *By the renewing of your mind.*