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The battle within

The battle within. 12-5-10. Striving for Authentic Christianity. Expect conviction Expect the messages to be very hard, and very easy Commit to putting them into practice for an entire week Share the praises the following week. Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis.

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The battle within

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  1. The battle within 12-5-10

  2. Striving for Authentic Christianity • Expect conviction • Expect the messages to be very hard, and very easy • Commit to putting them into practice for an entire week • Share the praises the following week

  3. Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis • How much of myself must I give? • We start with our ordinary self, call it our natural self • We admit there is something more that we need to obtain – morality, decent behavior, being good people • Bad stuff is “wrong”, Good stuff is “right”

  4. But what about me • We hope that when all the other demands are met, there is still time for us • Someday when I retire • When I get my next pay increase • When all other demands have been met • The stress it creates is just like a rubber band • We can give up trying to be good • We can frustrate ourselves by trying to be good

  5. The lazy kid concept • Were you the type of person who memorized answers to questions, or were you the type who studied to understand the concept? • Memorizing is easier in the short term, but causes cramming before the exam. In the end, the easy way takes more time • Understanding takes effort initially, but saves time, health, and energy in the long run

  6. Both harder and easier • Mark 10:17-22 – our friend George, the hard part • Matthew 11:30 – the easy way • Christ promised them both – No – He’s not confused, He’s being honest • Remember the lazy kid concept • The egg analogy – you cannot stay an ordinary egg

  7. The internal conflict • We know what we want to do • We try real hard to make our natural self respond that way • We frustrate ourselves because we don’t do it – Romans 7:15-20 • And we have set ourselves up to fail because we try to do it via our natural self - Matthew 15:15-20 • Jesus says “Be perfect” – but how can we???

  8. The other voice • Do you wake up in the morning met with the challenges of the day? • Do cares, concerns, fears, frustrations, worries, all that stuff, come rushing at us as soon as we wake up • 1 Sam 1:19, 2 Chr 13:11, Psalm 88:13, 92:2, 119:147, 143:8 - worship, seek, pray, and honor Him in the morning

  9. Authentic Christianity • The whole of Christianity is this: • You cannot reform your natural self – you must destroy it and accept His nature • To not destroy it is to invite religion, conflict, and frustration in your attempts to become more like Him • More like stain than paint

  10. Assignment – if you so choose Commit to wake up every morning and ask God to lead you in all that you do that day

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