Inside Out
At The Movies 2020 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 10 viewsEvery person has an inner battle that will ultimately be lost without Jesus.
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At The Movies
At The Movies
This sermon series started last year and was borrowed from another church. I loved the creativity that it evoked and it seemed to be a hit with the members. With the series I seek to use movie titles you may be familiar with and use their themes to discuss biblical truths. On today our movie is Inside Out.
Inside Out (Synopsis)
Inside Out (Synopsis)
Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) is a happy, hockey-loving 11-year-old Midwestern girl, but her world turns upside-down when she and her parents move to San Francisco. Riley's emotions -- led by Joy (Amy Poehler) -- try to guide her through this difficult, life-changing event. However, the stress of the move brings Sadness (Phyllis Smith) to the forefront. When Joy and Sadness are inadvertently swept into the far reaches of Riley's mind, the only emotions left in Headquarters are Anger, Fear and Disgust.
INSERT PICTURE HERE
WE: We have all been in similar situations in our lives.
We have told lies that we knew we should not have told.
We have said things we know we should not have said.
We have been stuck in patterns/cycles of wrong that we wanted to break but we felt as though we could not.
But what happens in real life when there is an inner struggle within all of us?
How do we handle?
Can we even handle the war within?
Let’s look at what God’s word has to say...
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.
17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,
23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Who’s Fault is it? 13-14
Who’s Fault is it? 13-14
13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
Open up Scripture portion by briefly explaining what Paul is talking about at the beginning of 7. Some things to make clear…
Law-(nomos) In the past we have simply referred to it as the old covenant. But I want to think of it in terms of instructions. It is authoritatively commanded instructions.
The ineffectiveness with the law and human beings. The law what was right and what was wrong. But the human psyche, the inner man looked at it, identified it, and said that is exactly what I will do!
A Child & A Box of Matches: No child has much desire to play around with a box of matches. A match box is not very enticing alone. It cannot light a match on its own, it cannot make smoke appear, and it cannot by itself ignite. But if a child sees the match being taken out, struck, and used to start a candle or the fireplace all of a sudden there’s a desire to duplicate the action that is taboo. The relationship between the law and sin worked much the same way.
In our text Paul picks up on his struggles with the dilemma...
13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
God is not causing you to sin.
Sin seems to be personified here as the one causing all the problems
Is it the fault of the devil?
No!
See Job 2:6
6 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”
With Job the devil was only allowed to do what God willed to happen.
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
It is me!
“But I am of the flesh.”
It’s the only being left in the equation. US!
You are more than you think!
mt 10 28 (Soul & Body)
28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
1 cor 5 3 (Body & Spirit)
3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing.
1 thes 5 23 (Spirit, Soul, & Body)
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Whether you believe you are a Dichotomy or Trichotomy you are more than just a body!
So what God gave was spiritual but Paul is saying that he is of the flesh. He is a human being at the moment and he is “...sold under sin...”
14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
The personification of sin happens here for a reason.
Sin is the master and the flesh is the slave.
But if the fault lies with sin, who let sin in?
James 1:14-15
14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Desire —> When a forbidden desire is acted upon it gives birth to sin —> Sin gives birth to death.
We give clearance to sin.
We are at fault.
When it comes to the problem of sin, humanity (individually) is at fault.
The War Within 15-20
The War Within 15-20
15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Paul is confessing what every human being has experienced!
“I don’t understand my actions...”
“I do what I hate”
Every Christian has a dislike factor for sin but I suggest we develop a HATRED for the sin WE commit. “Not focused on other folks sin”
When sin is present in our lives humans have an inability to do what is right!
Pay attention to the “I’s” here
I do not understand my actions
I do what I hate
16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.
The hypothetical scenario of verse 16 is good when the actions are in line with God’s will.
“I agree with the law
17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
It’s not me but it is the sin which is housed in me!
We know that we put it there but we are hard pressed for a solution within us!
18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
“Nothing good dwells in me”
Didn’t he just say that he wants to do good?
This is a different “I”
This is the flesh
Flesh- the psychological aspect of human nature which contrasts with the spiritual nature; in other words, that aspect of human nature which is characterized by or reflects typical human reasoning and desires in contrast with those aspects of human thought and behavior which relate to God and the spiritual life
The Jewish thought at this time pointed to the law as a way to awaken the good impulse within man. The law was thought to be a way to activiate it. But early in chapter 7 Paul disagrees with this thought pattern. He says that the combination of the flesh and sin are too powerful! Look back at verse 18!
18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
“I have the desire to do right, but I lack the ability...”
I can not do it!
This “I” belonging to Paul cannot keep the good instructions from God.
EX. I remember in high school getting a descent growth spurt. I shot up from 5’ 8” to 5’ 11” 225 lean muscle. Now I had always been somewhat athletic and played many sports but basketball was not one I succeeded at. I wanted to be able to dunk so badly. I remember the frustration of it all. I had the vertical to grab and hang on the rim but could not palm a basketball and could not stop hitting the ball against the rim. There’s no happy ending to this story I COULD NOT do it EVER! And Paul is saying here that he can not carry out God’s spiritual instruction that he wants to do!
19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
The war within rages on!
It sounds unfair because he wants to do right but he can’t! And that’s frustrating to want to do something and not be able to do it.
I remember there being a young man we went to school with and people used to make fun of him. I remember at times being a part of it myself, I later ran into him as an adult and begged for his forgiveness. But this young man had a stuttering problem. Now understand that he was intelligent. He would write brilliant things on paper but when he opened his mouth to speak! His mouth would not express what his mind wanted to get out. It would be the same words over and over. He would shake his head as if he were trying to shake the rest of the sentence out of his mouth! And I believe that a lot of us are familiar with this frustration! We know the will of God, we know what we are supposed to do!# But because of the sin that dwells/lives within us, we just can’t get right!
There is a battle going on within you!
The battle with self, sin, & righteousness is a frustrating battle that if we try to handle it alone, there will never be a victor.
Is There Hope? 21-25
Is There Hope? 21-25
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
We need to understand that evil is never too far behind righteousness! The proximity ought to keep us in an always prepared state!
I’m reminded of Cain who missed the mark in his offering to God in the book of Genesis. God gave him a warning before he killed his brother. He said to him in Genesis 4:7 “sin desires to rule you, but you must rule over it...”
7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
Sin is powerful!
We mustn’t play with it or ignore its proximity!
22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,
23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Paul says the law of God makes him happy!
But he understands that there is no hope for the human who seeks to conquer the bully called sin alone.
When we go to war with sin alone, we lose! Not only does it defeat us but we become slaves to it!
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
IS THERE ANY HOPE?
When you open your Bible and see hope I want you to understand that it is that hope is
Hope- to look forward with confidence to that which is good and beneficial.
Elpizo in the Greek and Qivah in the Hebrew
When I belong to God and I look at hope I’m looking at hopeless situations saying “Alright! Here it comes!” Because God has come through in so many hopeless situations before. I remember...
Noah being saved in the ark when the earth flooded
I remember Abraham and Sarah having a child past their child bearing years
I remember the young David going to war with a giant with no armor, only 5 smooth stones
I remember Ruth, the Moabite widow, having no hope of surviving with her mother in law
I remember Elijah witnessing his fellow prophets being killed and living as a fugitive for the Lord
I think about Daniel being lowered down into a den of hungry lions
I think about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abenego being in the fiery furnace!
I can almost smell the waters of the Red Sea as the children of Israel have nowhere to go when the pharoah is coming after them
I can feel the rumbling of the ground as the Israelites are marching around the city of Jericho.
There are many hopeless situations in history where God has answered in the presence of hopelessness! So as I am at war with myself and you battle with yourself I am thankful to be in relationship with God! But I needed to be hooked up first! Paul says in verse 25…
Yall been there before! When someone was out of your league but you knew somebody who knew them! You go to that person and you say “Hook me up!” “Put me down” “What you know about them?” “What’s their story?” If you want help with this war within you must be hooked up to Jesus!
25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Me & my flesh may be wretched but my Lord Jesus is wonderful!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Inside out I am, you are, and we are a mess! But with Jesus we are a ministry! I know there’s a battle within each of us. It’s dangerous, tiring, and can feel tiring! But with Jesus, victory is guaranteed! 2