KNOW YOUR ENEMY (2 OF 4)
by Jeff Strite
Scripture: Romans 7:14-25, Romans 8:1-2
This content is part of a series.
Know Your Enemy (2 of 4)
Series: Fight Club
Jeff Strite
Romans 7:14-8:2
OPEN: In October of 1974 there was a heavy-weight boxing match held in Zaire, a country in Africa. It was called the ''Rumble In The Jungle'' and it featured two of the best heavy-weight boxers of the day.
Does anybody know who those two boxers were? (George Foreman and Muhammad Ali)
Foreman was heavily favored to win, principally because he was considered the hardest puncher in heavyweight history.
Ali was good, but Foreman was better.
But Muhammad Ali did something in that fight that no other fighter had ever dared to try before. He called it his ''rope-a-dope'' strategy. Essentially, when Foreman closed in on him, he'd lean back against the ropes, hold his arms against his face and allow Foreman to pummel away on his body. Every once in a while, Ali would strike out with a quick blow to Foreman's face, but other than that, he simply went 8 rounds absorbing Foreman's best blows.
For 8 solid rounds, Foreman beat and beat on Ali becoming more and more tired out and weary. And then, towards the end of the 8th round, Ali let go with a flurry of blows that dropped Foreman to mat - knocking him out and sending him into retirement.
Ali won the fight, but Foreman actually was the one who beat himself.
He kept hitting and hitting his opponent, flailing away until he was too tired to fight.
He was so worn out by the 8th round all Ali had to do was came off the ropes and land the decisive blow.
Foreman lost, because he was his own worst enemy.
And that's what Romans 7 is telling us.
We are our own worst enemy.
We're not supposed to sin… but we do sin, and we beat ourselves up because of it.
Notice how Paul describes the battle:
''I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.
As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.
I know that ...
Series: Fight Club
Jeff Strite
Romans 7:14-8:2
OPEN: In October of 1974 there was a heavy-weight boxing match held in Zaire, a country in Africa. It was called the ''Rumble In The Jungle'' and it featured two of the best heavy-weight boxers of the day.
Does anybody know who those two boxers were? (George Foreman and Muhammad Ali)
Foreman was heavily favored to win, principally because he was considered the hardest puncher in heavyweight history.
Ali was good, but Foreman was better.
But Muhammad Ali did something in that fight that no other fighter had ever dared to try before. He called it his ''rope-a-dope'' strategy. Essentially, when Foreman closed in on him, he'd lean back against the ropes, hold his arms against his face and allow Foreman to pummel away on his body. Every once in a while, Ali would strike out with a quick blow to Foreman's face, but other than that, he simply went 8 rounds absorbing Foreman's best blows.
For 8 solid rounds, Foreman beat and beat on Ali becoming more and more tired out and weary. And then, towards the end of the 8th round, Ali let go with a flurry of blows that dropped Foreman to mat - knocking him out and sending him into retirement.
Ali won the fight, but Foreman actually was the one who beat himself.
He kept hitting and hitting his opponent, flailing away until he was too tired to fight.
He was so worn out by the 8th round all Ali had to do was came off the ropes and land the decisive blow.
Foreman lost, because he was his own worst enemy.
And that's what Romans 7 is telling us.
We are our own worst enemy.
We're not supposed to sin… but we do sin, and we beat ourselves up because of it.
Notice how Paul describes the battle:
''I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.
As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.
I know that ...
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