Two men ... who lived in a small village ... got into a terrible dispute that they could not ... resolve.
So, they decided ... to talk to ... the town sage.
The first man went to the sage's home ... and told his version ... of what happened.
When he finished, ... the sage said, ... "You're absolutely right."
The next night, ... the second man called on the sage ......and told his side ......of the story.
The sage responded, ... "You're absolutely right."
Afterward, ... the sage's wife scolded her husband.
"Those men told you two different stories ......and you told both of them ... they were absolutely right.
That's impossible ... they Can't Both be absolutely right."
The sage turned to his wife and said, ...... "You're absolutely right." (Long Pause)
Beloved ... We have ... this same type of conflict ... This same type of battle ...... within ourselves.
The flesh ... when it speaks to us... is trying to convince us ...... that it is absolutely right.
Trying to convince us ... to follow ...... it's yearning ... it's wants.
Tommy Lasorda ... the former Los Angeles Dodgers manager described his battle ... with the inner self:
He said ... "I took a pack of cigarettes from my pocket, ... stared at it and said, ...... "Who's stronger, ......you or me?"
The answer was me. ...... I stopped smoking.
Then I took a vodka martini and said to it, ... "Who's stronger, you or me?"
Again, the answer was me.
I quit drinking martinis.
Then I decided to go on a diet.
I looked at a big plate of linguine with clam sauce and said, "Who's stronger, you or me?"
And a little clam looked up at me and answered, "I am."
Lasorda said ... I just cannot beat ... linguine with clam sauce. (Long Pause)
The writer and theologian C.S. Lewis put it this way ... "No man knows how bad he is ... until he has tried ... to be good."
Beloved ... God's Spirit ... is drawing us to do what we know is right ... yet we often ... do not do it.
In our text, today ... Paul shares these words of truth:
BIBLE "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 that the law is good. 17 But in fact it is no longer I that do it, ... but sin ... that dwells within me." END (Romans 7:15-17)
In our text, Paul is describing his own personal struggle ... with his battle within ... He is describing his struggle with the old nature ...... sin.
Paul's struggle ... is A deep personal struggle ...with sin ... with his flesh.
It is a war ......within us.
It is a war ...... which results from conversion, ......a war ......which does not exist with all its force and furry......until we accepted Christ ......as our Savior and Lord. (Long Pause)
Many of us are familiar with the book by Robert Louis Stephenson......... that was made into several movies ... Titled ...... "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde".
The story is all about the good Dr. Jekyll ......who is working on a potion ... that will allow him to actually become another person ... to become the man ... Edward Hyde.
The two men could not be more different, ......Dr. Jekyll is a nice and well-respected person ...... whereas Edward Hyde is malicious ... He is a cold-blooded killer.
At first Dr. Jekyll can control...... the Hyde ... within him ... but after a while ......Hyde begins to emerge on his own ......taking control ... of the Doctors life.
The two men within ... fight for control of the body...... in which ... they both live. (Pause)
It is a classic novel about "Right and Wrong" ......"Joy and Despair" ... "The struggle of Good and Evil."
The struggle of the Natural man ... vs. the Spiritual man.
Mr. Stephenson ... was once asked, ... "Where did you find the model for your character ...... Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."
He said, ......"I found it...... in my nature."
Beloved ... Stephenson was a Christian ......and had come to the realization...... that there is indeed ... inside every child of God ......a Beast.
Every blood bought Christian...... is a new creation in Christ Jesus ......and has received ... a New Nature.
Yet ... the old Nature yearns to be in charge ......and battles ......for supremacy.
Stephenson went on to say......" I find that there is always a struggle with ...... The "Beast That Lives Within Me."
The sage's wife was insightful... they both cannot be right.
Be assured ... the old nature ... The beast within (Slow) "Is never removed ... and is ... never improved."
Now we know from our text today in Romans that...... the Apostle Paul ... had this same battle.
He fought ... The Beast That Lives Within Me. (Pause)
Now......Most of us who call ourselves followers of the Christ......want to please God.
We want to do and live ......in his will.
We want to be a light ... to the world ... And make a difference ... in the lives of others.
Yet, a battle rages within us ......And the Beast ...... The Mr. Hyde ... often shows his face ... and we yield to the allurement.
Which in the end ... crushes relationships, ... and veers us off the path ... of righteousness.
The Beast within ... seeks to fulfill ... its own desires.
This battle with our old sinful nature ...... still rages within us ......even after we have accepted Jesus ... as our Lord ... and our Savior.
Listen to how Paul described the battle with his own flesh:
* "I do not understand my own action"
* "I do the very thing I hate"
* "I do not do the good ......I want to do."
Many times, ... when we encounter The Beast that lives within ... we yield to its desires ... and after we do ... we feel great remorse ... for what we have done.
We may feel that we are hypocrites ... we may convince ourselves ... that something must be spiritually wrong with us.
You may begin to even doubt ... your own salvation.
For most ......this battle of Natures ... is waged in secret.
For most ... the Beast ... is hidden from view.
Few if any know about the terrible battle ...that goes on within our hearts ... within our minds.
And this leads some to feeling unworthy.
Paul's words also speak to this: BIBLE "Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" END (Romans 7:24)
Have you ever been caught in a place where you knew what God was asking you to do ... yet you still did something else?
There is a struggle ... going on inside of you ...and you are caught ...... in the middle.
And We often get hold of something in our minds ......and we cannot let go of it.
It may be due to anger ... It may be due to pride, ...... but we just cannot seem ... to let it go.
The Spirit is willing ......but the flesh is weak.
You have a hold of something ... That in reality has a hold on you.
Beloved ... It is time to let go!
Let Go ... and Let God.
Let Go of the anger ... the temptation ... do not hold on to the Beast. (Long Pause)
When a certain tribe in Africa .....hunts for monkeys ... They get a gourd or a coconut and make a little hole in it, ... just big enough for the monkey to get their hand in it.
They hollow it out and put melon or cooked rice inside it.
Then they tie one end of the rope to the gourd and ... and he other end to the base of a tree.
The monkeys climb down the tree ......because they smell the food.
They stick their hand in the gourd or coconut and grab the food inside.
But when they make a fist, ...... they cannot get their hand out.
They run up the tree ... with their hand in the gourd ... until they come to the end of the rope.
Bam! ... They fall from the tree!
Yet they still do not let go of the gourd.
Again, and again, they run up the tree ......and fall to the ground!
They continue to hold on to the delectable food inside the gourd.
When the hunters come along, they hit the monkeys over the head.
And ... They then have monkey stew ... with rice!
Isn't that just like we are?
We get a hold of something in our minds ......and we just will not let it go, ...... even though ......it may be killing us.
We love God ... and we want God's best.
Yet, we yield to The Beast ... that lives within.
"The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41)
Beloved remember God's words to us:
BIBLE "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." END (1 John 1:8-9)
The answer to this battle ... is in confessing ... confessing our sins ... to Jesus ... to the one we call ... our Lord and our Savior.
But ... In order for us to confess our sins ... we must first acknowledge our sins.
We must call them for what they are ... then ask God for forgiveness.
God's is so gracious...... so very gracious.
Not only does he forgive our sins ... but he separates them as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12)
......and He will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. (Micah 7:19)
Beloved ... If you are fighting the Beast within ... Then you can truly identify ... with the Apostle Paul's words:
BIBLE "Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Then Paul Goes on to proclaim the answer: Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" END (Romans 7:24-25)
Indeed......Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Beloved ... We are broken ...... and we cannot fix ourselves.
Rely on God ... Rely on the Holy Spirit to mend what we cannot fix ......in our own right. (Long Pause)
If you hired a plumber to come in and rework the plumbing in your house, .........and when they were done ...... none of the plumbing worked right ... all the joints leaked, ......would you hire that same plumber again?
Of course not!
When we convince ourselves ......that we can fix our self.
We are simply hiring the same person ... who (Point to Chest) messed up this house ...... to begin with.
Call on the one who is the creator of life.
Call on the one who is the way the truth and the life.
The one who died for you.
The one who loves you like no other.
And His name ... is Jesus.
O' Beloved ... get your hand out of the gourd......let go of the beast.
Yield to Jesus.
For he alone ... is the author and the finisher ... of your faith.
Amen and Amen!
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