WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.880 --> 00:00:05.040 Now you've heard of the weapons of mass destruction, but 2 00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:07.639 I want to talk to you about what the Bible 3 00:00:07.719 --> 00:00:11.720 teaches about the weapons of self destruction. There are things 4 00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:15.119 that you do to yourself all the time that dammage you, 5 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:18.440 that hurts you, that cause you to self destruct, that 6 00:00:18.600 --> 00:00:25.920 caused you enormous stress, enormous pain, enormous unhappiness, and. 7 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:29.239 Unneeded pressure in your life. 8 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:31.440 And then I'm going to show you, from God's word 9 00:00:31.559 --> 00:00:35.159 in Romans chapter eight, how the Bible tells us that 10 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:37.880 the spirit of God living within you can give you 11 00:00:37.960 --> 00:00:38.880 the antidote to. 12 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:40.039 Every one of these weapons. 13 00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:42.719 Now, before we even get into the text, I want 14 00:00:42.759 --> 00:00:44.359 you to write these seven things down. 15 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:46.159 It's not on your outline, so you're. 16 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:47.880 Just gonna have to write it somewhere, scribble it over 17 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:52.000 on the side. These are the seven weapons of self destruction. 18 00:00:52.359 --> 00:00:55.240 You can talk to any psychologist and they'll tell you 19 00:00:55.399 --> 00:00:58.719 that these are the seven things that mess up people's 20 00:00:58.759 --> 00:01:02.280 lives more than in anything else. And we're going to 21 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:05.599 look at the cure for these weapons of self destruction. 22 00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:08.879 The first weapon of self destruction is shame. 23 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:10.400 Shame. 24 00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:15.799 You cannot be happy and feel ashamed at the same time. 25 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:19.400 When you feel ashamed, when you feel guilty, when you 26 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:23.000 feel regrets, that just robs all your happiness. God doesn't 27 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:25.599 want you to walk around feeling guilty. God doesn't want 28 00:01:25.599 --> 00:01:28.680 you walk around feeling shamed. God doesn't want you walk 29 00:01:28.680 --> 00:01:30.920 around with regrets. In fact, that's why I send Jesus 30 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:33.719 on the cross to die for all of your sins. 31 00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:39.319 But shame is the first number one destroyer of happiness. 32 00:01:39.480 --> 00:01:45.959 The second weapon of self destruction is uncontrolled thoughts. If 33 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:49.599 you don't learn how to control your thoughts, your thoughts 34 00:01:49.799 --> 00:01:53.359 will ruin your life because you say to stuff to 35 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:58.000 yourself that causes unhappiness, causes grief, causes pressure. 36 00:01:58.239 --> 00:02:00.480 You must learn how to control your thoughts. 37 00:02:00.920 --> 00:02:07.480 The third weapon of self destruction is compulsions. Compulsions are 38 00:02:07.480 --> 00:02:11.479 those inner drives, inner desires. You can call them less 39 00:02:11.560 --> 00:02:14.120 you can call them habits, you can call them impulses. 40 00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:16.240 But there are those things in your life you feel like, 41 00:02:16.479 --> 00:02:19.400 I felt like I just had to do it, even 42 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:21.319 though you knew it was wrong. I just had to 43 00:02:21.319 --> 00:02:24.719 do it. And those compulsions. You got to learn how 44 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:27.120 to deal with those and how to fight that weapon 45 00:02:27.159 --> 00:02:30.639 of self destruction. Because if you do things by your compulsions, 46 00:02:30.800 --> 00:02:33.840 you'll mess up your life. The fourth weapon of self 47 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:40.000 destruction is fear, and fear is an enormous destroyer of happiness, 48 00:02:40.039 --> 00:02:43.639 of potential, of God's purpose for your life. It will 49 00:02:43.719 --> 00:02:46.680 limit your life. You got to learn how to master 50 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:52.439 your fears. The fifth weapon of self destruction is hopelessness. 51 00:02:53.479 --> 00:02:58.120 Hopelessness keeps you from keeping on. When you start to 52 00:02:58.159 --> 00:03:01.479 feel hopeless about anything, you get discouraged and want to 53 00:03:01.479 --> 00:03:04.439 give up. If you feel hopeless about your marriage, if 54 00:03:04.520 --> 00:03:08.000 you feel hopeless about ever getting married, if you feel 55 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:11.280 hopeless about your finances, or you feel hopeless about your health. 56 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:16.479 Hopelessness is a self destructive weapon that you use on you, 57 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:20.159 and when you turn it inward, it robs you of 58 00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:21.639 God's plan for your life. 59 00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:22.479 Number six. 60 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:30.199 Bitterness is a huge weapon of self destruction because life 61 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:33.479 is unfair and we don't all get the same thing, 62 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:38.520 and life is broken and we're stuck, and some people 63 00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:40.759 get better than you, and you get jealous and you 64 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:43.479 get envious, and some people hurt you. 65 00:03:43.479 --> 00:03:44.319 You can either. 66 00:03:44.120 --> 00:03:47.879 Get better or bitter, and bitterness is a cancer that 67 00:03:47.919 --> 00:03:51.039 will eat you alive and will It's a poison that 68 00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:54.159 will eat you on the inside. You never hurt other 69 00:03:54.199 --> 00:03:57.319 people with your bitterness like you hurt yourself. You always 70 00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:01.280 hurt you the most. It is a self destructive emotion. 71 00:04:01.719 --> 00:04:04.800 There is no value to bitterness in your life. There's 72 00:04:04.840 --> 00:04:07.439 no value to holding onto a grudge. All it does 73 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:10.319 is make you miserable. And the seventh weapon of self 74 00:04:10.360 --> 00:04:15.080 destruction is insecurity. You gotta deal with this one because 75 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:18.079 if you don't learn how to deal with insecurity in 76 00:04:18.120 --> 00:04:22.000 your life, it's going to cause you to do foolish things. 77 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:25.000 When you're insecure and you're trying to show everybody else 78 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:29.199 that you're very confident, you'll say stupid things, you'll do 79 00:04:29.279 --> 00:04:34.480 stupid things. You'll pose And the only people impressed by 80 00:04:34.560 --> 00:04:40.199 posers are other posers. Okay, everybody sees through it. The 81 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:44.199 only people are impressed by fakes are other fakes. So 82 00:04:44.839 --> 00:04:47.800 you know, when you're insecure, you can't hide it. 83 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:50.399 You have to deal with it. Now. 84 00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:55.959 The classic passage on dealing with these weapons of self destruction. 85 00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:58.439 Is Roman seven and Romans eight. 86 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:01.319 Now, at the end of Rome seven, Paul says this, 87 00:05:01.399 --> 00:05:02.360 look up here on the screen. 88 00:05:02.839 --> 00:05:04.879 He's outlined the battle going on. 89 00:05:04.839 --> 00:05:07.639 Inside himself, and he says, what a miserable person I 90 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:11.480 am because I'm miserable. You know, as I said, all 91 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:13.199 those things I want to do that I know are good, 92 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:15.160 I end up not doing, and all those things that 93 00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:16.879 I don't want to do, I end up doing. And 94 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:20.000 I'm really messing up my life. What a miserable person 95 00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:23.560 I am. I've tried everything and nothing helps. He says, 96 00:05:23.720 --> 00:05:28.040 who will free me from this life dominated by sin? 97 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:31.439 Now he doesn't say what will free me? Because the 98 00:05:31.480 --> 00:05:35.680 answer to you, the problem inside you, the mess ups 99 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:37.839 in your life that you'd like to change. The answer 100 00:05:37.879 --> 00:05:40.399 is not a pill. It's not a program, it's not 101 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:42.600 a book, it's not a tape, it's not a seminar, 102 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:47.079 it's not hypnosis. The answer is a person. It is 103 00:05:47.240 --> 00:05:52.439 Jesus Christ and his spirit inside you. And Romans eight 104 00:05:52.720 --> 00:05:56.240 is the answer to Romans seven, that the spirit of 105 00:05:56.240 --> 00:06:00.360 God inside you gives you the antidote to all seven 106 00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:04.279 of these negative emotions. Now, what I want us to 107 00:06:04.279 --> 00:06:07.279 look at this weekend is how can I be free 108 00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:08.040 from me? 109 00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:12.079 How can I be set free from me? 110 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:15.839 And the way we're gonna look at this is the 111 00:06:16.279 --> 00:06:19.120 truths of Romans eight. I have put them in a 112 00:06:19.160 --> 00:06:23.279 practical way. Of listing seven mental habits that you need 113 00:06:23.319 --> 00:06:25.879 to do that will help you apply the truth of 114 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:27.000 Romans chapter eight. 115 00:06:27.839 --> 00:06:28.600 And so we're. 116 00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:31.920 Gonna look at these seven mental habits that explain the 117 00:06:31.959 --> 00:06:35.319 great truths of Romans eight. Romans eight is the greatest 118 00:06:35.399 --> 00:06:39.120 chapter in the Bible. In my opinion, it's the greatest 119 00:06:39.160 --> 00:06:43.720 chapter they want to to study of Bible scholars and said, 120 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:45.399 if you could only have one chapter of the Bible 121 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:47.279 and you're on a desert island, which one would you take? 122 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:50.600 And about ninety percent of them said I'd take Romans eight. 123 00:06:51.160 --> 00:06:54.399 So this is a very strong passage. You need to 124 00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:55.680 take a lot of notes today. 125 00:06:56.199 --> 00:06:56.720 Number one. 126 00:06:57.240 --> 00:07:02.639 The first step in being set free from me is this, 127 00:07:03.160 --> 00:07:05.680 I must remind myself. 128 00:07:05.319 --> 00:07:10.199 Daily what Jesus did for me. That's the starting point. 129 00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:14.519 I got to remind myself every day of what Jesus 130 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:18.560 did for me. What is salvation? What are the benefits 131 00:07:18.600 --> 00:07:20.240 of it? You see, we have a lot of people 132 00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:22.519 who saved. You don't act like it. They run around 133 00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:24.920 all the time filled with shame and uncontrolled thoughts and 134 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:28.680 compulsions and fear and bitterness and insecurity. And they're believers, 135 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:32.480 but they're not set free from me. And the first 136 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:36.120 step is you've got to remind yourself what Jesus actually 137 00:07:36.279 --> 00:07:38.480 did for you. And this is how the Holy Spirit 138 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:42.399 sets me free from shame. Let's look at these verses 139 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:46.839 Romans eight one to four. First, he says, so now 140 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:52.000 there is no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus Christ. 141 00:07:52.160 --> 00:07:53.800 And let me stop there before we go any further. 142 00:07:54.959 --> 00:07:58.480 No condemnation means God doesn't judge you for all the 143 00:07:58.519 --> 00:08:02.240 things you've done wrong. You've trusted Christ because Jesus took 144 00:08:02.279 --> 00:08:05.000 all that judgment on the cross. He doesn't have to 145 00:08:05.079 --> 00:08:08.319 judge you. Because Jesus was judged, he doesn't have to 146 00:08:08.360 --> 00:08:12.639 condemn you. Because Jesus took your condemnation. He took your wrap, 147 00:08:12.680 --> 00:08:17.560 he paid your penalty, He did your time for you. Now, 148 00:08:17.800 --> 00:08:20.480 the Bible says that if I'm a believer, I belong 149 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:24.199 to Christ. Look at that verse. There is no condemnation 150 00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:26.879 for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Circle the phrase 151 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:30.720 belong to Christ Jesus. This old passage is talking about 152 00:08:30.759 --> 00:08:34.039 people who've given their life to Jesus. This doesn't apply 153 00:08:34.159 --> 00:08:37.039 to you if you haven't made that decision yet, But 154 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:39.919 if you've received Christ in your life. The Bible says 155 00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:45.320 you're under no condemnation. I means God doesn't get mad 156 00:08:45.320 --> 00:08:48.360 at you when you sin. Did you hear that God 157 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:50.559 does not get mad at you when you sin if 158 00:08:50.600 --> 00:08:54.600 you belong to Jesus Christ, because he's already taken the payment. Now, 159 00:08:54.679 --> 00:08:58.120 notice it doesn't say that after I become a Christian, I. 160 00:08:58.080 --> 00:08:59.799 Won't sin, You're still going to sin. 161 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:02.519 It doesn't say I'm not gonna make mistakes. You're still 162 00:09:02.559 --> 00:09:06.120 gonna make mistakes. It doesn't say I'm not gonna fail 163 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:09.000 and look stupid, You're gonna fail and look stupid. It 164 00:09:09.159 --> 00:09:12.960 just says you're under no condemnation. In other words, you 165 00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:16.840 don't have to walk around with shame. You don't have 166 00:09:16.919 --> 00:09:20.159 to walk around with guilt, because when Jesus Christ died 167 00:09:20.200 --> 00:09:22.759 on the cross, he not only paid for all of 168 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:26.200 the sins you committed last week, last year, and your 169 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:29.120 entire life he committed. He's already paid for the sins 170 00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:32.080 that you're gonna commit tomorrow, next week, and the rest 171 00:09:32.080 --> 00:09:36.200 of your life. They're already paid for. That's good news. 172 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:42.120 That is good news. No condemnation. That means there is 173 00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:45.360 no reason for a Christian to walk around in shame. 174 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:49.919 Because I stop and I remind myself Jesus paid. 175 00:09:49.639 --> 00:09:50.799 For all of my sins. 176 00:09:50.919 --> 00:09:53.519 He already knew before I was born, every sin I 177 00:09:53.559 --> 00:09:56.720 was gonna do, and He paid for it. Now, the 178 00:09:56.759 --> 00:10:00.440 next part of that verse says, for the power of 179 00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:03.480 the life giving spirit, that's the Holy Spirit. God's Spirit 180 00:10:03.879 --> 00:10:07.559 has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of 181 00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:09.480 sin that leads to death. 182 00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:10.759 And what does that verse mean? 183 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:13.840 The second thing I remember is that because I'm a 184 00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:16.639 believer and I have Jesus, I have a new power 185 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:21.039 in my life, greater than willpower. You see, before you 186 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:23.519 became a Christian, the only thing you had to use 187 00:10:23.559 --> 00:10:25.799 against your bad habits was sheer willpower. 188 00:10:26.039 --> 00:10:27.440 And how long does that work? Now? 189 00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:32.759 Very long, he says. Now there's a new power in you. Unfortunately, 190 00:10:32.840 --> 00:10:35.840 a lot of Christians are still simply relying on willpower 191 00:10:35.879 --> 00:10:38.919 to change. They've never figured out how to connect into 192 00:10:38.960 --> 00:10:42.480 spiritual power, into the power of the Holy Spirit, into 193 00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:44.639 the power of Jesus inside you. He says, there's a 194 00:10:44.679 --> 00:10:47.360 new power in you. There's a new sheriff in town. 195 00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:49.720 And when you want to change things in your life, 196 00:10:49.759 --> 00:10:51.200 it's not just if it's to be. 197 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:51.840 It's up to me. 198 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:58.440 It's not just my own willpower. It is God's power 199 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:01.519 in me. I have been given the power greater than willpower. 200 00:11:01.519 --> 00:11:04.200 We're gonna look at this more in the next versus, 201 00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:05.440 then the next thing. 202 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:09.720 It says the law of Moses could not. 203 00:11:09.960 --> 00:11:15.480 Save us because of our sinful nature. Now laws, keeping 204 00:11:15.559 --> 00:11:17.480 God's laws cannot save you. 205 00:11:18.159 --> 00:11:20.200 Guy says, well, I know I'm going to heaven. You say, 206 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:22.360 how do you know? It's because I keep the Ten Commandments. 207 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:26.279 I say, name them. 208 00:11:26.679 --> 00:11:29.840 You don't not only not keep the ten commandments, you 209 00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:32.399 couldn't even name all of them. If I ask you 210 00:11:32.440 --> 00:11:34.679 to stand up right now, you couldn't even How can 211 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:36.519 you keep them if you don't even know them all? 212 00:11:37.720 --> 00:11:42.240 By the way, keeping laws never works. Why, it says, 213 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:46.679 because of our sinful nature. Laws simply work on outside behavior. 214 00:11:46.879 --> 00:11:50.919 They don't work on inside change. They don't change you 215 00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:53.240 on the inside. For instance, if I were to bring 216 00:11:53.320 --> 00:11:58.000 a pig out here, a big sow that had been 217 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:01.279 rolling around in the mud and the dirt and eating garbage, 218 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:04.240 and it stinks to high heaven, and say what is this, 219 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:08.320 you'd say, it's a pig. Now I take that pig backstage, 220 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:10.480 and I run it through a couple of car washes, 221 00:12:12.360 --> 00:12:15.759 and then I put it in a bathtub, and I have. 222 00:12:15.879 --> 00:12:17.960 Bath salts and perfumed. 223 00:12:17.960 --> 00:12:20.720 Soap SuDS, and I get it all cleaned up, and 224 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:25.480 I brushed the you know, their teeth, the pig's teeth. 225 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:29.159 And then I sprinkle some foo foo juice on it. 226 00:12:29.159 --> 00:12:31.960 You know some corral number five, you know that would 227 00:12:31.960 --> 00:12:36.679 be appropriate for a pig, okay, And I rub it 228 00:12:36.720 --> 00:12:40.799 down with oil of olet so its skin is just silky, 229 00:12:41.159 --> 00:12:45.080 silky soft. And then I tie a ribbon around its neck, 230 00:12:45.320 --> 00:12:47.960 and I put a bonnet on it, and and I 231 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:52.159 put some eyeshadow and fake eyelashes on this pig. 232 00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:54.080 And I put a dress on it. 233 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:56.879 And then I put some lipstick on this pig. And 234 00:12:56.919 --> 00:12:58.919 I bring this pig out, and I say, now, what 235 00:12:59.120 --> 00:13:01.759 is it still a pig? 236 00:13:02.559 --> 00:13:02.960 Okay? 237 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:07.320 You may have spiffed up the outside, but the nature 238 00:13:07.559 --> 00:13:11.559 has remained unchanged. And this is what happens with self 239 00:13:11.559 --> 00:13:15.919 help programs, is that we spiff up the outside and 240 00:13:15.960 --> 00:13:19.080 we my sheer will powers say, I'm gonna take a bath, 241 00:13:20.600 --> 00:13:23.559 I'm gonna get on some new clothes, I'm gonna change 242 00:13:23.559 --> 00:13:27.320 my behavior and all the outside looks different, but inside 243 00:13:27.519 --> 00:13:31.639 it's still the same nature. If you're gonna have radical change, 244 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:35.759 transforming change in your life, it's got to change your nature, 245 00:13:36.200 --> 00:13:39.720 and only God can do that. No self help program 246 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:42.440 can change your heart, which, by the way, is why 247 00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:48.279 I'm not a politician. I have zero faith in politics 248 00:13:48.360 --> 00:13:53.360 or laws to change human behavior. Why because it's just 249 00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:56.120 fixing the outside. You can pass a law that says 250 00:13:56.360 --> 00:13:59.519 nobody will be a bigot or a racist. Is that 251 00:13:59.559 --> 00:14:04.639 gonna change anybody's heart. No, Only Jesus can change that heart. 252 00:14:04.759 --> 00:14:07.279 And I have seen people come to Christ and they 253 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:11.080 change from a racist into a compassionate person, and from 254 00:14:11.120 --> 00:14:14.600 a bigot into a loving person. Only Jesus can change that. 255 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:18.120 If I thought you could change human behavior by laws, 256 00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:21.960 I'd be a politician, But there's no track record that 257 00:14:22.039 --> 00:14:27.120 it actually changes people. Only God can change the inside, which, 258 00:14:27.159 --> 00:14:29.399 by the way, is why we don't spend so much 259 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:32.759 time promoting all political laws. You know, there are some 260 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:34.960 Christians who think they're going to make the world a 261 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:37.879 better place just by creating a law. 262 00:14:37.639 --> 00:14:38.879 Will people just break it? 263 00:14:39.879 --> 00:14:41.720 I mean, they want a law against this sin, and 264 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:44.080 a law against this sin and the law against this sin, 265 00:14:44.120 --> 00:14:46.320 and the law against this sin, and the law against 266 00:14:46.360 --> 00:14:51.360 this sin. And they think that's going to change people. No, 267 00:14:51.559 --> 00:14:55.679 people just going to break the law you do. God 268 00:14:55.720 --> 00:14:57.879 has given all kinds of laws in his word, and 269 00:14:57.960 --> 00:15:01.799 you don't obey those, and you break them all the time. 270 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:02.639 See. 271 00:15:02.679 --> 00:15:04.720 One of the things we know here at Saddleback is 272 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:08.039 you don't expect somebody to act like a believer until 273 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:12.360 he is one, because he doesn't have the power to change. 274 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:16.600 He doesn't have the ability to change. So passing a 275 00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:18.960 law that says everybody is going to be moral or 276 00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:22.519 everybody's going to do this, that doesn't change that's fit, 277 00:15:22.679 --> 00:15:23.600 that's cleaning. 278 00:15:23.320 --> 00:15:23.799 Up the pig. 279 00:15:25.320 --> 00:15:28.960 It doesn't change our nature. God put into effect. Notice here, 280 00:15:29.080 --> 00:15:32.120 so God knew that laws couldn't save us. But God 281 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:36.440 put into effect a different plan to save us. He said, 282 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:39.759 his own son in a human body like ours, except 283 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:44.039 that ours are sinful. And God destroyed sins control over 284 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:47.480 us by giving his son as a sacrifice for our sins. 285 00:15:48.200 --> 00:15:50.759 In other words, he gave us the power to make 286 00:15:50.799 --> 00:15:53.519 those changes, to forgive us and to change us. And 287 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:57.440 then it said he did this. Jesus died on the cross, 288 00:15:57.679 --> 00:16:01.039 so that the requirement of the law would be fully 289 00:16:01.080 --> 00:16:02.840 accomplished for us. 290 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:06.960 Circle the phrase for us. What is he saying there? 291 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:10.080 That Jesus not only paid for all your sins, he 292 00:16:10.120 --> 00:16:14.559 did all the right things for you, those of us 293 00:16:14.600 --> 00:16:16.480 who no longer follow our sinful. 294 00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:19.799 Nature but instead follow the spirit. Now, if you. 295 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:23.240 Really are serious about changing your life for the better, 296 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:26.679 you've got to start where God tells you to start. 297 00:16:27.159 --> 00:16:30.279 And God says you don't start with your behavior, your actions, 298 00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:33.679 and you don't start with your feelings, your emotions. You 299 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:37.440 start with your mind. The battle for you to be 300 00:16:37.559 --> 00:16:42.440 set free from Me starts in changing your mind. Be renewed, 301 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:46.600 be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The Bible 302 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:51.600 teaches very clearly that the way we act is determined 303 00:16:51.639 --> 00:16:54.639 by the way we feel, and the way we feel 304 00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:58.559 is determined by the way we think. For instance, if 305 00:16:58.600 --> 00:17:04.000 I'm acting depressed, it's because I feel depressed, and if 306 00:17:04.039 --> 00:17:07.960 I'm feeling depressed, it's because I'm thinking depressed thoughts. 307 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:10.000 And if I want to get over. 308 00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:13.920 My depression, I don't force myself to change my behavior. 309 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:19.960 That doesn't work, And I don't force myself to change 310 00:17:19.720 --> 00:17:24.119 my feelings you can't change a feeling. You cannot force 311 00:17:24.440 --> 00:17:27.200 a feeling. A guy says, you know, I don't love 312 00:17:27.319 --> 00:17:30.240 my wife anymore. So I said, well, okay, what are 313 00:17:30.279 --> 00:17:31.599 you going to do about it? Well, I'm just going 314 00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:33.519 to force myself to feel that I love her. How 315 00:17:33.559 --> 00:17:37.880 will that work? It doesn't work. You can't force a feeling. 316 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:40.839 It's like telling the crying kid, now I command you 317 00:17:40.920 --> 00:17:41.440 to be happy. 318 00:17:41.559 --> 00:17:43.240 I try it, dad of you crying. 319 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:47.920 You cannot force a feeling. In fact, when you try 320 00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:50.400 to force a feeling, everybody knows you're faking it. 321 00:17:51.880 --> 00:17:55.960 You can't force a feeling. You can't fight that feeling anymore. 322 00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:05.480 That that you're really old. Okay, you are really really old. Okay. 323 00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:09.640 Now, what you do is you change the way you think. 324 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:13.319 And if you change the way you think, that's going 325 00:18:13.400 --> 00:18:16.160 to change the way you feel, and it will change 326 00:18:16.200 --> 00:18:18.400 the way you act. So if you say, you know, 327 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:20.680 I don't have any feelings for my wife anymore, you 328 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:23.000 can act your way into a feeling, and you can 329 00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:25.319 think your way into feeling, but you can't feel your 330 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:30.119 way into feeling. If you start acting loving towards your 331 00:18:30.160 --> 00:18:33.200 wife and you start thinking loving thoughts toward you, right, 332 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:35.480 I'm gonna tell you what. The feelings will come back. 333 00:18:36.839 --> 00:18:40.039 They will return. You act your way into a feeling, 334 00:18:40.039 --> 00:18:42.079 and you think your way into a feeling, but you 335 00:18:42.119 --> 00:18:45.559 don't feel your way into feeling. Now, the good thing 336 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:48.359 about this is that now that you're a Christian, you 337 00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:51.960 have the Holy Spirit inside of you, and so you 338 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:54.720 can ask him to help you put good thoughts in 339 00:18:54.759 --> 00:18:57.039 your mind. So now you're not just on your own. 340 00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:00.079 You're not just out here trying to think up stuff 341 00:19:00.119 --> 00:19:00.759 by yourself. 342 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:02.480 And what would be a good thing for me to 343 00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:03.000 think about? 344 00:19:03.240 --> 00:19:06.599 You can say, Holy Spirit, put good thoughts in my mind. 345 00:19:07.319 --> 00:19:10.200 That's the second thing we learned from Romans eight. Write 346 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:13.920 this down number two. The second mental habit to defeat 347 00:19:13.960 --> 00:19:18.200 the weapons of self destruction is I ask the Holy 348 00:19:18.279 --> 00:19:24.160 Spirit to give me better thoughts. I ask the Holy 349 00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:27.440 Spirit to give me better thoughts. And if you ask 350 00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:29.359 him to give you better thoughts, do you think he will? 351 00:19:29.480 --> 00:19:32.640 Of course he will. Of course he's going to give 352 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:35.400 you better thoughts. That's a prayer he's going to answer. 353 00:19:35.960 --> 00:19:38.599 I ask the Holy Spirit to give me better thoughts. 354 00:19:38.599 --> 00:19:43.000 This is the second key to permanent change in your life. Now, 355 00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:45.319 this is what it says in the next two verses, 356 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:46.240 Verses five and. 357 00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:47.279 Six of Romans eight. 358 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:53.440 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their 359 00:19:53.519 --> 00:19:59.359 mindset on what the nature that nature desires, But those 360 00:19:59.400 --> 00:20:02.039 who live in a accordance with the Spirit have their 361 00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:05.839 mindset on what the Spirit desires. Now, there's two kinds 362 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:09.640 of mindsets circle the mindsets. There's the mindset of your 363 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:12.640 old nature, and there's the mindset of the Holy Spirit. 364 00:20:12.920 --> 00:20:15.359 There's the mindset of the way I normally think about 365 00:20:15.400 --> 00:20:18.119 my life, and there's the mindset of how the Spirit 366 00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:21.400 sees my life. Which one's gonna be true the one 367 00:20:21.400 --> 00:20:24.480 that the Spirit says. So I have to choose between 368 00:20:24.480 --> 00:20:28.319 these mindsets. Am I gonna set my mind on the 369 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:30.480 way I normally think about my life? Or am I 370 00:20:30.519 --> 00:20:33.480 gonna set my mind on the way God thinks about 371 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:37.839 my life. Now, there's a big difference in choosing these mindsets, 372 00:20:38.039 --> 00:20:40.480 because if you choose one, you're gonna get one response, 373 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:42.279 and if you choose the other, you're gonna get another. 374 00:20:42.599 --> 00:20:44.319 And the next part of the verse tells us what 375 00:20:44.440 --> 00:20:49.960 that is the mind of sinful man is what that means, 376 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:53.200 it's self destructive thoughts that you come up with yourself 377 00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:55.200 are going to tend to be self destructive. 378 00:20:55.759 --> 00:20:57.599 The mind is sinful, man is death. 379 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:02.079 But the mind controlled by the spirit is what life 380 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:05.920 and peace. Okay I don't normally do this, but how 381 00:21:05.960 --> 00:21:07.839 many of you would like to have life and. 382 00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:08.880 Peace this summer? 383 00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:12.599 Yeah, me too, I would like to have life and 384 00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:16.400 peace of summer. And it's all about the mindset you choose. 385 00:21:16.839 --> 00:21:21.720 The economy may not change, it probably won't. Your problems 386 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:26.799 probably won't change those ones that are persistent, but your 387 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:30.880 mindset can change. And that's the difference between a life 388 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:35.880 of self destruction or a life of life and peace. Now, 389 00:21:36.599 --> 00:21:42.319 this is the Holy Spirit's answer to uncontrolled thoughts. What 390 00:21:42.359 --> 00:21:44.480 I do is I ask the Holy Spirit to give 391 00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:48.680 me better thoughts. And this is the principle of replacement. 392 00:21:48.759 --> 00:21:52.200 I want you to write this word down, replacement. The 393 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:56.240 principle of replacement is anytime you want to change something 394 00:21:56.279 --> 00:21:58.960 in your life and you're serious about changing it, you 395 00:21:59.039 --> 00:22:00.200 don't resist it. 396 00:22:00.440 --> 00:22:01.400 You replace it. 397 00:22:02.279 --> 00:22:05.079 When you got something negative in your life, you don't 398 00:22:05.119 --> 00:22:09.240 resist it, you replace it. You say, I want to 399 00:22:09.240 --> 00:22:12.599 stop smoking, you don't smoking. I want to stop smoking. 400 00:22:12.799 --> 00:22:15.200 I want to stop smoking. I want to stop smoking. 401 00:22:17.079 --> 00:22:19.400