WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:05.559 Most of your unhappiness in life, most of your unhappiness 2 00:00:05.559 --> 00:00:08.759 in life is because you listen to you instead of God. 3 00:00:10.839 --> 00:00:14.240 And when you do that, you tell yourself stuff all 4 00:00:14.279 --> 00:00:16.440 the time that isn't true. 5 00:00:16.679 --> 00:00:17.480 Just because you have. 6 00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:20.239 A thought doesn't mean it's accurate, doesn't mean it's true, 7 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:23.359 doesn't mean it's correct. A lot of things you think 8 00:00:23.359 --> 00:00:25.600 of are not right, they're not correct. A lot of 9 00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:28.199 things I think of aren't right, aren't correct. In fact, 10 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:30.320 a lot of things I think are actually lying to 11 00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:36.359 myself rationalizing where we tell rational lies to ourselves. How 12 00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:40.880 can I be free from me? How can I be 13 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:44.200 set free from me? And the way we're going to 14 00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:48.079 look at this is the truths of Romans eight. I 15 00:00:48.119 --> 00:00:51.479 have put them in a practical way of listing seven 16 00:00:51.560 --> 00:00:54.479 mental habits that you need to do that will help 17 00:00:54.520 --> 00:00:57.200 you apply the truth of Romans chapter eight. 18 00:00:58.039 --> 00:00:59.280 And so we're going to look at. 19 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:03.119 These seven mental habits that explain the great truths of 20 00:01:03.240 --> 00:01:06.920 Romans eight. Romans eight is the greatest chapter in the Bible. 21 00:01:07.879 --> 00:01:10.159 In my opinion, it's the greatest chapter. They once stood 22 00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:14.319 a study of Bible scholars and said, if you could 23 00:01:14.319 --> 00:01:15.840 only have one chapter of the Bible and you're on 24 00:01:15.879 --> 00:01:18.120 a desert island, which one would you take? And about 25 00:01:18.200 --> 00:01:21.400 ninety percent of them said I'd take Romans eight. So 26 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:26.719 this is a very strong passage. The first step in 27 00:01:26.840 --> 00:01:31.480 being set free from me is this, I must remind 28 00:01:31.599 --> 00:01:35.120 myself daily what Jesus did for me. 29 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:37.359 That's the starting point. 30 00:01:37.400 --> 00:01:41.680 I got to remind myself every day of what Jesus 31 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:45.719 did for me. What is salvation? What are the benefits 32 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:47.400 of it? You see, we have a lot of people 33 00:01:47.400 --> 00:01:49.719 who saved. You don't act like it. They run around 34 00:01:49.719 --> 00:01:52.079 all the time filled with shame and uncontrolled thoughts and 35 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:55.840 compulsions and fear and bitterness and insecurity. And they're believers, 36 00:01:55.959 --> 00:01:59.640 but they're not set free from me. And the first 37 00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:03.280 step is you've got to remind yourself what Jesus actually 38 00:02:03.439 --> 00:02:05.680 did for you. And this is how the Holy Spirit 39 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:09.560 sets me free from shame. Let's look at these verses 40 00:02:09.639 --> 00:02:14.000 Romans eight one to four. First, he says, so now 41 00:02:14.360 --> 00:02:19.120 there is no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus Christ. 42 00:02:19.319 --> 00:02:20.960 And let me stop there before we go any further. 43 00:02:22.120 --> 00:02:25.639 No condemnation means God doesn't judge you for all the 44 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:29.120 things you've done wrong. If you've trusted Christ, because Jesus 45 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:32.000 took all that judgment on the cross, he doesn't have 46 00:02:32.080 --> 00:02:35.360 to judge you. Because Jesus was judged, he doesn't have 47 00:02:35.400 --> 00:02:39.199 to condemn you. Because Jesus took your condemnation. He took 48 00:02:39.280 --> 00:02:42.560 your wrap, he paid your penalty, he did your time 49 00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:43.199 for you. 50 00:02:44.560 --> 00:02:46.520 This whole passage is talking. 51 00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:49.479 About people who've given their life to Jesus. This doesn't 52 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:52.199 apply to you if you haven't made that decision yet, 53 00:02:52.680 --> 00:02:55.319 But if you've received Christ into your life, the Bible 54 00:02:55.360 --> 00:03:02.159 says you're under no condemnation. Now, notice it doesn't say 55 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:04.840 that after I become a Christian, I won't sin, You're 56 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:07.159 still going to sin. It doesn't say I'm not going 57 00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:09.840 to make mistakes. You're still going to make mistakes. It 58 00:03:09.879 --> 00:03:12.800 doesn't say I'm not going to fail and look stupid. 59 00:03:12.840 --> 00:03:15.400 You're going to fail and look stupid. It just says 60 00:03:15.560 --> 00:03:19.240 you're under no condemnation. In other words, you don't have 61 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:23.039 to walk around with shame. You don't have to walk 62 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:26.639 around with guilt because when Jesus Christ died on the cross, 63 00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:29.120 he not only paid for all of the sins you 64 00:03:29.199 --> 00:03:32.080 committed last week, last year, and your. 65 00:03:32.120 --> 00:03:33.439 Entire life he committed. 66 00:03:33.520 --> 00:03:35.520 He's already paid for the sins that you're going to 67 00:03:35.560 --> 00:03:38.400 commit tomorrow, next week, and the rest of your life. 68 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:41.759 They're already paid for. Now. 69 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:44.360 The next part of that verse says, for the power 70 00:03:45.400 --> 00:03:46.840 of the life giving. 71 00:03:46.520 --> 00:03:47.919 Spirit, that's the Holy Spirit. 72 00:03:47.960 --> 00:03:52.000 God's Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the 73 00:03:52.120 --> 00:03:54.639 power of sin that leads to death. 74 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:55.879 And what does that verse mean? 75 00:03:56.319 --> 00:03:58.960 The second thing I remember is that because I'm a 76 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:02.080 believer and I have g says, I have a new power. 77 00:04:01.800 --> 00:04:04.319 In my life greater than willpower. 78 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:07.919 You see, before you became a Christian, the only thing 79 00:04:07.960 --> 00:04:10.919 you had to use against your bad habits was sheer willpower. 80 00:04:11.159 --> 00:04:14.879 And how long does that work? Now? Very long, he says. 81 00:04:14.919 --> 00:04:16.639 Now there's a new power in you. 82 00:04:17.160 --> 00:04:19.000 And when you want to change things in your life, 83 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:21.160 it's not just if it's to be, it's up to me. 84 00:04:21.480 --> 00:04:27.720 It's not just my own willpower. It is God's power 85 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:30.800 in me. I have been given a power greater than willpower. 86 00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:33.519 We're going to look at this more in the next versus. 87 00:04:33.839 --> 00:04:37.720 Then the next thing it says, the law of Moses 88 00:04:38.480 --> 00:04:43.439 could not save us because of our sinful nature. Now, 89 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:48.279 laws keeping God's laws cannot save you. Guy says, well, 90 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:49.720 I know I'm going to heaven. You say, how do 91 00:04:49.720 --> 00:04:52.000 you know? It's because I keep the Ten Commandments? I say, 92 00:04:52.079 --> 00:04:59.000 name them. You don't not only not keep the ten commandments, 93 00:04:59.079 --> 00:05:01.560 you couldn't even name all of them. If I ask 94 00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:03.800 you to stand up right now, you couldn't even How 95 00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:05.839 can you keep them if you don't even know them all? 96 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:11.560 By the way, keeping laws never works, why, it says, 97 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:15.959 because of our sinful nature. Laws simply work on outside behavior. 98 00:05:16.199 --> 00:05:20.079 They don't work on inside change. God knew that laws 99 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:23.439 couldn't save us. But God put into effect a different 100 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:27.639 plan to save us. He said, his own son in 101 00:05:27.720 --> 00:05:30.399 a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. 102 00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:35.079 And God destroyed sins control over us by giving his 103 00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:38.639 son as a sacrifice for our sins. In other words, 104 00:05:38.759 --> 00:05:41.319 he gave us the power to make those changes, to 105 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:44.319 forgive us and the changes. And then it said he 106 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:47.920 did this, Jesus died on the cross so that the 107 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:52.680 requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us. 108 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:55.439 What is he saying there that Jesus. 109 00:05:55.160 --> 00:05:57.560 Not only paid for all your sins, he did all 110 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:01.959 the right things for you, those of us who no 111 00:06:02.040 --> 00:06:06.399 longer follow our sinful nature, but instead follow the Spirit. Now, 112 00:06:06.439 --> 00:06:09.759 if you really are serious about changing your life for 113 00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:13.199 the better, you've got to start where God tells you 114 00:06:13.240 --> 00:06:13.759 to start. 115 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:15.839 And God says you don't start. 116 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:18.560 With your behavior, your actions, and you don't start with 117 00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:22.759 your feelings, your emotions. You start with your mind. The 118 00:06:22.920 --> 00:06:26.879 battle for you to be set free from me starts 119 00:06:26.920 --> 00:06:30.759 in changing your mind. Be renewed, be transformed by the 120 00:06:30.800 --> 00:06:35.439 renewing of your mind. The Bible teaches very clearly that 121 00:06:35.560 --> 00:06:39.959 the way we act is determined by the way we feel, 122 00:06:40.439 --> 00:06:43.399 and the way we feel is determined by the way 123 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:44.079 we think. 124 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:46.839 Now, the good thing about this is that. 125 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:49.639 Now that you're a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit 126 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:53.120 inside of you, and so you can ask him to 127 00:06:53.240 --> 00:06:56.040 help you put good thoughts in your mind. So now 128 00:06:56.079 --> 00:06:58.680 you're not just on your own. You're not just out 129 00:06:58.680 --> 00:07:01.720 here trying to think up by yourself. And what would 130 00:07:01.720 --> 00:07:03.600 be a good thing for me to think about? You 131 00:07:03.639 --> 00:07:06.800 can say, Holy Spirit, put good thoughts in my mind. 132 00:07:07.560 --> 00:07:10.920 That's the second thing we learned from Romans eight. I 133 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:14.639 ask the Holy Spirit to give me better thoughts. And 134 00:07:14.680 --> 00:07:16.439 if you ask him to give you better thoughts. 135 00:07:16.439 --> 00:07:19.560 Do you think he will? Of course he will. Of 136 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:20.279 course he's going. 137 00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:22.600 To give you better thoughts. That's a prayer he's going 138 00:07:22.680 --> 00:07:25.759 to answer. I ask the Holy Spirit to give me 139 00:07:25.839 --> 00:07:29.160 better thoughts. This is the second key to permanent change 140 00:07:29.160 --> 00:07:31.800 in your life. Now, this is what it says in 141 00:07:31.839 --> 00:07:35.800 the next two verses, Verses five and six of Romans eight. 142 00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:41.279 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their 143 00:07:41.360 --> 00:07:47.199 mindset on what the nature that nature desires. But those 144 00:07:47.240 --> 00:07:50.600 who live in accordance with the Spirit have their mindset 145 00:07:51.079 --> 00:07:54.279 on what the Spirit desires. Now, there's two kinds of mindset. 146 00:07:54.720 --> 00:07:57.560 There's the mindset of your old nature, and there's the 147 00:07:57.600 --> 00:08:00.319 mindset of the Holy Spirit. There's the mindset of the 148 00:08:00.360 --> 00:08:03.000 way I normally think about my life, and there's the 149 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:06.519 mindset of how the Spirit sees my life. Which one's 150 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:09.519 gonna be true the one that the Spirit says. So 151 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:12.600 I have to choose between these mindsets. Am I gonna 152 00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:15.959 set my mind on the way I normally think about 153 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:18.279 my life? Am I gonna set my mind on the 154 00:08:18.279 --> 00:08:21.959 way God thinks about my life? Now there's a big 155 00:08:21.959 --> 00:08:25.560 difference in choosing these mindsets, because if you choose one, 156 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:27.800 you're gonna get one response, and if you choose the other, 157 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:29.839 you're gonna get another. And the next part of the 158 00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:32.840 verse tells us what that is. The mind of sinful 159 00:08:32.919 --> 00:08:38.399 man is what that means. It's self destructive. Thoughts that 160 00:08:38.440 --> 00:08:40.440 you come up with yourself are going to tend to 161 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:43.960 be self destructive. The mind is sinful man is death. 162 00:08:44.360 --> 00:08:48.600 But the mind controlled by the Spirit is what life 163 00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:53.440 and peace. And it's all about the mindset you choose. 164 00:08:54.440 --> 00:09:00.200 This is the Holy Spirit's answer to uncontrolled thoughts. What 165 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:02.360 I do is I ask the Holy Spirit to give 166 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:06.559 me better thoughts. And this is the principle of replacement. 167 00:09:06.600 --> 00:09:10.080 I want you to write this word down, replacement. The 168 00:09:10.120 --> 00:09:14.080 principle of replacement is anytime you want to change something 169 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:16.799 in your life and you're serious about changing it, you 170 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:19.279 don't resist it, you replace it. 171 00:09:20.159 --> 00:09:22.000 When you got something negative. 172 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:25.360 In your life, you don't resist it, you replace it. 173 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:28.759 Whatever if you focus on gets your attention. Whatever gets 174 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:32.360 your attention gets you. Satan gives you ideas. Those are 175 00:09:32.360 --> 00:09:35.639 called temptations. Holy Spirit gives you ideas. Those are called inspiration. 176 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:41.240 You get ideas. But the truth is you choose what 177 00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:45.480 you focus on. But now now that you're a believer, 178 00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:49.039 you have a helper, and you can say, Holy Spirit, 179 00:09:49.399 --> 00:09:50.679 I invite. 180 00:09:50.200 --> 00:09:52.279 You to give me your ideas. 181 00:09:53.120 --> 00:09:55.600 And a lot of times the Holy Spirit, the God's 182 00:09:55.600 --> 00:09:57.440 Spirit will say to me, Hey, Rick, why don't you 183 00:09:57.480 --> 00:09:58.559 think about this instead? 184 00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:02.279 Good idea, and I just change my thoughts. 185 00:10:03.240 --> 00:10:07.679 Now, I would encourage you to invite the Holy Spirit 186 00:10:07.879 --> 00:10:11.799 to have free access to your mind. You say, God, 187 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:15.200 you have put your spirit inside of me. I give 188 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:17.879 you free access to my mind twenty four hours a day. 189 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:20.960 I invite you to suggest good thoughts. Why because they'll 190 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:23.600 always be the truth, They'll always be right, they'll always 191 00:10:23.639 --> 00:10:26.559 be helpful, they'll always be pure. Those are the things 192 00:10:26.600 --> 00:10:29.600 we are to think on. So you invite the Holy 193 00:10:29.639 --> 00:10:31.159 Spirit to put thoughts in your mind? 194 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:31.399 Why? 195 00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:34.360 Because those who live according to sinful nature have their 196 00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:36.840 mindset on one thing, but those who live according to 197 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:40.120 the Spirit have their mindset on another. And the mindset 198 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:43.440 that I normally have leads to self destruction, and the 199 00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:47.480 mindset that God's Spirit gives me leads to peace. And 200 00:10:47.559 --> 00:10:51.000 I want peace in my life. Look at the next verse. 201 00:10:51.320 --> 00:10:54.120 The sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not 202 00:10:54.279 --> 00:10:57.039 submit to God's law, nor can it do so, it 203 00:10:57.080 --> 00:11:00.279 can't even do it. Those controlled by sinful name nature 204 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:03.159 cannot please God. So why do you work on passing 205 00:11:03.320 --> 00:11:06.080 law when they don't have the ability to change it? 206 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:09.600 To change, only God can change it. Change comes from 207 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:16.200 the inside out. Third principle. Third mental habit. You're going 208 00:11:16.279 --> 00:11:18.919 to need to develop to apply the truths of Roman's 209 00:11:18.919 --> 00:11:22.639 aid in your life, and that is this, I realize 210 00:11:22.799 --> 00:11:26.960 I have a new ability to say no. I need 211 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:30.279 to remind myself. I need to remember on a daily basis. 212 00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:33.279 I need to realize that now that I'm a believer, 213 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:37.480 I have a new ability to say no to the 214 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:40.200 things that are self destructive in my life. Now this 215 00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:44.159 is very important because before you became a believer, all 216 00:11:44.200 --> 00:11:48.399 you had was will power, and you lost most of 217 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:53.240 those bad habits because lost to most of them because 218 00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:55.120 you don't willpower wears out. 219 00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:56.320 It's not enough. 220 00:11:57.519 --> 00:12:00.159 But now, with the Spirit in your life, you have 221 00:12:00.200 --> 00:12:02.960 a new ability to say no, a new power, and 222 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:03.919 you need to learn. 223 00:12:03.720 --> 00:12:05.240 How to tap into that power. 224 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:10.840 Galatians five point sixteen says this, let the Spirit direct 225 00:12:10.840 --> 00:12:16.320 your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of 226 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:20.120 the old human nature. Now if I let the Spirit 227 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:25.360 live through me. Does it say I won't have those desires? 228 00:12:27.480 --> 00:12:30.200 Is that what it said? No, it said I won't what. 229 00:12:32.039 --> 00:12:37.279 I won't satisfy those desires? I won't satisfy those desires. 230 00:12:37.559 --> 00:12:40.360 In other words, do I still have the same desires 231 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:41.559 I had before as a Christian? 232 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:46.559 Yes? Do I still have the same temptations? Yes? Do 233 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:50.480 I still have the same urges and compulsions? Yes? Do 234 00:12:50.559 --> 00:12:53.320 I fulfill them? No? Why? 235 00:12:53.720 --> 00:12:57.399 Because I have a new power inside of me, And 236 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:01.639 it's not just will power any more. Now this is 237 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:04.039 the good news of Romans chapter eight. Look at the 238 00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:08.960 next verse, verse nine. But he says, you are not 239 00:13:09.080 --> 00:13:13.840 controlled by your sinful nature. You are now controlled by 240 00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:18.120 the spirit if you have the Spirit of God living 241 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:21.200 in you. Anybody who does not have the Spirit of 242 00:13:21.240 --> 00:13:23.960 God living in them does not belong to Christ. 243 00:13:23.960 --> 00:13:25.440 And let me stop here and explain this. 244 00:13:25.879 --> 00:13:29.200 Some people mistakenly think that you get God kind of 245 00:13:29.240 --> 00:13:32.000 piece meal, that Jesus comes into your life at one 246 00:13:32.039 --> 00:13:34.360 point in your life, and then maybe a little bit later, 247 00:13:34.440 --> 00:13:36.960 the Holy Spirit comes into your life, and then maybe 248 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:39.480 a little bit later, you get the Father into your life. No, 249 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:44.200 God is a trinity three and one When you got Jesus, 250 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:47.559 you got all of God. God doesn't come into your 251 00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:51.600 life piece meal. When Jesus comes into your life, the 252 00:13:51.639 --> 00:13:55.600 Spirit comes into your life. When Jesus comes in your life, 253 00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:58.240 the Father comes into your life. When the Father comes 254 00:13:58.279 --> 00:14:00.600 into your life, the Spirit in Jesus, I'm in your life. 255 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:03.120 You can't separate him. Now the question is does he 256 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:06.080 have all of you and the rest of your life. 257 00:14:06.120 --> 00:14:07.879 You're going to be given more and more of your 258 00:14:07.960 --> 00:14:10.279 life to him, and then the more you give, the 259 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:14.240 more power you have. But he says, because I have this, 260 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:15.960 I now have a new ability to say no. 261 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:16.960 Look at the next verse. 262 00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:21.879 So, dear brothers, you have no obligation anymore to your 263 00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:25.919 old sinful nature to do what it begs you to do. 264 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:28.720 This is how God sets me free from my compulsions. 265 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:31.919 But I have a new power, a new ability to 266 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:35.639 say no. Number four. The fourth fit mental habit I 267 00:14:35.639 --> 00:14:37.919 need to develop if I want to change my life 268 00:14:38.200 --> 00:14:42.480 is I need to turn my thoughts to God whenever 269 00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:46.919 I'm afraid. And this is how God spirit sets me 270 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:51.519 free from me with the attitude of fear Romans eight. 271 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:55.639 Look at the next verses, Verses fourteen to sixteen. For 272 00:14:55.720 --> 00:15:00.679 the spirit God gives you does not make you slaves 273 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:05.440 and cause you to be afraid. Instead, the spirit makes 274 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:09.679 you God's children, and by the spirit's power, we cry 275 00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:12.519 out to God, Father, my father. This is actually the 276 00:15:12.519 --> 00:15:16.919 Aramaic word abba. Abba is not the group it's It 277 00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:18.519 means daddy, papa. 278 00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:21.200 You know, it's it's dad, dad. 279 00:15:21.279 --> 00:15:25.399 It's the most basic intimate form of father, Daddy, Daddy, 280 00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:28.919 my daddy. We cry out to God, Daddy, my daddy, Papa, 281 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:29.639 my papa. 282 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:31.039 Ahba my Abba. 283 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:36.840 God's spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that 284 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:42.519 we are God's children. Stop focusing on your fear. Start 285 00:15:42.559 --> 00:15:47.879 focusing on your father. That's the antidote. Stop focusing on 286 00:15:47.919 --> 00:15:51.799 your fear. Start focusing on your father. Now, he says, 287 00:15:51.960 --> 00:15:55.720 the antidote to fear is two things. First, he says, 288 00:15:55.879 --> 00:15:58.799 the spirit that God has given you doesn't make you slaves, 289 00:15:59.679 --> 00:16:03.039 make you afraid, but he makes you God's children. 290 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:05.279 Whenever you are afraid. 291 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:06.799 The first thing you need to do is remember this 292 00:16:07.799 --> 00:16:11.919 whose family you're a part of. I'm a son of God. 293 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:17.039 I'm a daughter of God. I'm a child of God. 294 00:16:17.519 --> 00:16:21.720 I'm in the family and families take care of each other, 295 00:16:21.919 --> 00:16:27.360 and there's family protection. You're a child of God and 296 00:16:27.399 --> 00:16:29.639 He's going to take care of you. And second you 297 00:16:29.720 --> 00:16:34.960 call out to your father. Now, what are you most 298 00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:36.399 afraid of? What are you most afraid of? 299 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:42.600 These days? You know the number one fear people have. 300 00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:46.120 I know all the studies people say it's the fear 301 00:16:46.120 --> 00:16:48.480 of speaking in front of others, it's the fear of heights, 302 00:16:48.600 --> 00:16:51.759 or you know, the fear of new social situation. Actually, 303 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:54.000 what I've found as a pastor talking to people for 304 00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:57.519 thirty years, the number one fear people have is the 305 00:16:57.519 --> 00:17:01.799 fear of being out of control. And when you feel 306 00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:05.680 your life is out of control, it creates enormous fear 307 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:10.920 in your life. The Bible says that we should not 308 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:15.319 be afraid, but we turn to God two Timothy one, p. 309 00:17:15.400 --> 00:17:15.680 Seven. 310 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:20.319 For the spirit that God has given us does not 311 00:17:20.519 --> 00:17:27.079 make us fearful or timid. Instead, his spirit fills us 312 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:32.880 with power, love, and self control. Now get this, the 313 00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:35.440 more controlled you are by the Holy Spirit, the more 314 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:39.000 self control you're going to have. So if you are afraid, 315 00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:43.839 that's not from God. That fear is not from God. 316 00:17:44.119 --> 00:17:46.880 When God's spirit comes into your life, you're filled with love. 317 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:49.680 I want that you're filled with power. I want that 318 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:53.119 you're filled with self control. I want that. Okay, Holy Spirit, 319 00:17:53.160 --> 00:17:56.279 I want all you got fill me. The fifth thing 320 00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:00.480 we learned from Romans eight is about the end antidote 321 00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:05.920 to hopelessness, and that's verses seventeen and eighteen. And the 322 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:07.960 habit I want you to learn to develop is to 323 00:18:08.119 --> 00:18:12.000 focus on the long term, not the short term. 324 00:18:12.599 --> 00:18:12.759 Now. 325 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:15.599 When you think in long term, you're able to handle 326 00:18:15.640 --> 00:18:19.319 short term pain a whole lot better. You're able to 327 00:18:19.400 --> 00:18:25.200 handle short term losses, short term failures, short term hindrances 328 00:18:25.440 --> 00:18:31.200 because you're thinking long term now. Romans Chapter eight, verses 329 00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:35.000 seventeen and eighteen talks about focusing on the long term, 330 00:18:35.400 --> 00:18:38.240 and it talks about the promises of God. Since we 331 00:18:38.359 --> 00:18:42.160 are his children, we will possess the blessings He keeps 332 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:46.759 for his family, and we will also possess this is 333 00:18:46.759 --> 00:18:52.039 really cool, We will also possess with Christ what God 334 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:56.079 has kept for him. Did you know that the Bible 335 00:18:56.119 --> 00:18:58.599 says that when you get to heaven, you're going to 336 00:18:58.640 --> 00:19:02.240 get rewarded. You will be rewarded for how well you 337 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:04.799 did with what you were given. What did you do 338 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:07.039 with your time, What did you do with your money, 339 00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:09.880 What did you do with your influence? What did you 340 00:19:09.960 --> 00:19:12.799 do with your talents, your time, your talents, your treasure. 341 00:19:13.240 --> 00:19:15.160 This is called the stewardship of life. 342 00:19:15.960 --> 00:19:17.680 And God has put stuff in your hands and your 343 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:21.599 steward of you're going to be evaluated on that in heaven, 344 00:19:21.640 --> 00:19:24.759 and your rewards will be based on that, and you're 345 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:27.160 going to be rewarded if you're focusing all in short term. 346 00:19:27.160 --> 00:19:30.440 There's a one word for it. It's foolish. It's foolish. 347 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:37.160 Number six. The sixth habit is to remind myself that 348 00:19:37.319 --> 00:19:42.799 God is good and in control. This is an application 349 00:19:43.160 --> 00:19:48.599 of what the Bible teaches in Romans chapter eight. Remind 350 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:51.839 myself that God is good and in control. And you 351 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:53.920 are mean to remind yourself of that over and over 352 00:19:53.960 --> 00:19:57.640 and over and over and over every single day. In 353 00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:01.319 verses nineteen to twenty five, Paul says, everything in the 354 00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:06.480 world is broken. Everything in the world has lost its 355 00:20:06.519 --> 00:20:12.839 original purpose. Everything in the world is suffering, everything in 356 00:20:12.880 --> 00:20:16.559 the world is in pain, and everything in the world 357 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:23.160 is frustrated because sin broke it all down. Everything is frustrated. 358 00:20:23.200 --> 00:20:24.839 In fact, look at this verse on the screen verse 359 00:20:24.880 --> 00:20:31.119 twenty Everything created is subject to frustration, waiting to be liberated, 360 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:34.440 set free from me, waiting to be liberated. 361 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:35.400 From its bondage to decay. 362 00:20:36.440 --> 00:20:42.599 All of creation groans in pain like childbirth, and we 363 00:20:43.240 --> 00:20:47.039 groan inwardly. We're going, oh man, this is tough. This 364 00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:49.880 is hard, This is difficult. Why is life so hard? 365 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:50.759 Now? 366 00:20:50.839 --> 00:20:52.960 He says that the result of living in a broken 367 00:20:53.000 --> 00:20:56.759 world is pain, and the result of pain is bitterness. 368 00:20:57.839 --> 00:21:01.279 And we start getting resentful and we fail. Life is unfair. Well, yeah, 369 00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:04.880 what else is new? Life is unfair because it's broken. 370 00:21:05.839 --> 00:21:08.480 But the Bible says in Romans eight that there are 371 00:21:08.519 --> 00:21:13.079 four things you need to remember to get over bitterness. Now, listen, 372 00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:18.680 pain in your life is not optional. But misery is 373 00:21:21.720 --> 00:21:24.680 pain in your life. You're going to have pain in 374 00:21:24.720 --> 00:21:28.480 your life. It's called life. Suffering in your life is 375 00:21:28.519 --> 00:21:34.720 not optional. You're going to suffer. Misery is Moaning is optional. 376 00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:40.519 Bitterness is optional, And you overcome bitterness by remembering four 377 00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:45.119 magnificent truths. In Romans eight, verse twenty six and twenty 378 00:21:45.160 --> 00:21:49.039 seven says this, the Holy Spirit is praying for me. 379 00:21:49.400 --> 00:21:53.000 The Holy Spirit is praying for me. That helps me 380 00:21:53.039 --> 00:21:55.359 overcome bitterness because no matter what I'm going through. 381 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:57.319 I know God's on my side. He's praying for me. 382 00:21:58.119 --> 00:22:00.880 It says here, the spirit helps a with our weakness, 383 00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:03.960 and we don't know how to pray as we should. 384 00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:09.799 But the Spirit himself speaks to God for us. Okay, 385 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:13.519 the Spirit of God, it says, prays for us and 386 00:22:13.559 --> 00:22:17.480 even begs God for us with deep feelings that words 387 00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:21.559 cannot explain. God sees what's in our hearts, and the 388 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:24.240 Spirit speaks to God for his people in the way 389 00:22:24.279 --> 00:22:24.960 that God wants. 390 00:22:25.079 --> 00:22:26.079 So when you're no matter what. 391 00:22:26.039 --> 00:22:27.839 You're going through, the first thing, he goes, you know what, 392 00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:31.759 right now, the Holy Spirit is praying for me. That's cool. 393 00:22:32.319 --> 00:22:35.279 Second thing, God is using it all for good. That 394 00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:38.680 second thing, I remember, God is using everything in my 395 00:22:38.839 --> 00:22:42.240 life for good. It's not all good, but he's using 396 00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:45.359 it all for good. The next verse says this, and 397 00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:51.079 we know that in all things God works for the 398 00:22:51.119 --> 00:22:55.119 good of those who love Him, who've been called according 399 00:22:55.119 --> 00:22:57.680 to his purpose. It's not all good, but God is 400 00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:00.799 using it all for good. God is good, greater than 401 00:23:00.839 --> 00:23:07.319