Has anyone seen my Monster I

THE MONSTER WITH-IN

Within each one of us is the potential to do good or evil; we have the freedom to choose what we do and say things good or those things that are bad. (Pic#1 see him coming out of my mouth?)

We can see the monster sometime as we speak.

It almost seems like having a monster living inside of us.

This monster tempts us. Each time we give in to the monster's temptations, he increases in strength and size. (This monster may appear as something harmless-show second picture)

Each day, it becomes increasingly difficult to control the monster. The more we feed him the more the monster tries to dominate our lives. (Pic#3 Show picture)

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?

Maybe you know what I am talking about? Maybe you have a few monster of your own?

* I have a few that want to live in me too. Hate, Greed, Alcoholism, drug abuse, addictions, anger, selfishness, pride and Lust. Just to name a few.

A Monster is living in you still.

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.

Out of control

making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members
Addicted, captured by sin, or being controlled by the monster.

Addictions are often an abuse of something God intended for good, but now, due to its abuse, has turned into an evil monster that controls us.

For example, God knows we need to eat food to survive, yet when we over eat and abuse food. * 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. 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.

When the monster controls you, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless. Trying to break this bondage alone can be difficult, but with God as our strength, we can do all things! The impossible is made possible!

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

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Condemnation vs. Conviction

Condemnation is final judgment with a hopeless end
Conviction from God always offers a way of repentance, return and a new beginning.

No condemnation from God, but from yourself

You will sense it when you fall into the control of the Monster. First he will tempt you, then draw you into sin, after you sin, he will condemn you.

Why didn’t the monster die when I came to Jesus?

Jesus came to save your soul

Mind, will and emotions
The patterns of this world, old nature, are embedded into your soul. To remove them is to wipe out your soul.

How much of this world is still embedded we saw last night as they were singing the old songs.
These were our choices; this body is still our connection to this natural world.

There is a day when we go to meet Jesus or we die in faith that we will have a new body and a soul purified. All things will be made new.
Until then we must learn to overcome the old life and walk in the new one.

John 17:15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

The battle is for your mind.

V:5-7 Have 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]

How is your mind set?

On what you natural man (the Monster) wants

Those controlled by the sinful nature (The Monster) cannot please God

On what your spirit man wants

the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace

Thankfully, there is a way to overcome the Monster.

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 your monster, the more he HUNGERS.

The ONLY way to destroy him is to slowly starve him of his 'food source.'

Next week we will learn how to starve the Monster.

Pray.