1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,080 We are one church. We love God, love people, love 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:06,960 His mission, and love His church. 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:09,520 Welcome to the One Church podcast. 4 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,680 The last three weeks have been brilliant as we've started to 5 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:22,680 look at what it means to love the Lord our God with all of our 6 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,320 hearts, our soul, our mind and our strength. 7 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,840 It's the greatest commandment. And when Jesus was asked by a 8 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:33,080 teacher of the law what was the greatest commandment, it was 9 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:36,200 Jesus answer. He said, hear O Israel, the Lord 10 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:39,120 our God, the Lord is 1 Love the Lord your God with all your 11 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:41,840 heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. 12 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,120 And the second is this, love your neighbour as yourself. 13 00:00:45,480 --> 00:00:47,880 There is no commandment greater than these. 14 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:53,000 The 613 commandments of the Jewish law summarised, squished 15 00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:56,480 into these amazing statements, this vertical movement of love 16 00:00:56,640 --> 00:01:00,040 to love God, this horizontal movement of love to love our 17 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:03,000 neighbours here at one church. This is our heart. 18 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,560 We love God, we love people, we love His mission, and we love 19 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,400 His church. But what does it really mean to 20 00:01:09,400 --> 00:01:15,000 love God with all of our heart, our strength, our mind, our soul 21 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,800 today? Love the Lord your God with all 22 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:21,120 of your mind. Now. 23 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:25,000 The mind is a powerful thing. The mind is also a fickle thing 24 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:26,840 that sometimes can be distracted. 25 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,840 Now when preparing for a wedding, it is important not to 26 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:34,400 get distracted. Sometimes one number can make 27 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:37,120 all the difference. I heard a story last week and I 28 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,920 have to share it with you. It's a true story of someone 29 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:43,040 that we know who used to be a minister is now retired, and 30 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:45,040 they were at a wedding where the following happened. 31 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:49,840 The prepared passage for reading was 1 John 4, verse 16, which 32 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:52,720 goes as follows. And so we know and rely on the 33 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:55,160 love God has for us. God is love. 34 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:58,040 Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them. 35 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:00,480 This is how love is made complete among us. 36 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,120 And then in verse 18, there is No Fear in love. 37 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:07,560 Perfect love drives out fear. Wonderful, the power of love. 38 00:02:08,039 --> 00:02:10,680 And in writing the notes for this they managed to miss out 39 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:12,920 the one. And so the reading for that 40 00:02:12,920 --> 00:02:18,240 wedding was John chapter 4 verse 16 which reads as follows. 41 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,640 He told her go call your husband and come back. 42 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:23,760 I have no husband. She replied. 43 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,360 Jesus said to her, you're right when you say you have no 44 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:28,480 husband. The fact is you have 5 husbands 45 00:02:28,640 --> 00:02:30,880 and the man you have now is not your husband. 46 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:33,400 What you have just said is quite true. 47 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:37,480 There is a very much apparel of missing even one number. 48 00:02:37,640 --> 00:02:41,520 Let me encourage you to check and check again. 5 husbands is 49 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:43,200 quite the revelation for a wedding day. 50 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,760 Battling for our mind was the theme of what we talked about 51 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,200 around a month ago. We talked about a mind 52 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:52,560 controlled by the spirit as life and peace. 53 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:56,600 We felt we were significant as a house to start to go to war with 54 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:58,560 some of the things that would come against our mind. 55 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:01,880 And we talk about the battle that's on for our mind, for our 56 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,400 thoughts. We pulled down strongholds. 57 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:06,760 We talked about believing truth, not lies. 58 00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:10,200 We talked about how the power of the Word of God and leading us 59 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,200 into praise and prayer can transform us from the inside 60 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:15,360 out. Let me encourage you to keep the 61 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:17,880 battle going. Do not give up the battle for 62 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:21,080 your mind. And today we will realise that 63 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:25,160 our minds were made for far more than just getting caught up in 64 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:28,520 little illusions and moments and things getting stuck in a rut. 65 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,760 The dark corners and the uniqueness of your mind, they do 66 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,920 not need to distract you today. But would you have a revelation 67 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:41,520 that your mind was created by God to fully love Him and 68 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:45,840 worship Him? Your mind was created by God to 69 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:49,880 love Him and worship Him in complete fullness. 70 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:54,600 I wonder today how is your mind doing at fulfilling its 71 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:58,280 God-given purpose? We talk a lot about the mind in 72 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,440 the English language. In English, you can change your 73 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:04,560 mind. You can set your mind, open your 74 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,440 mind and close your mind. You can clear your mind, free 75 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:09,880 your mind, lose your mind and read your mind. 76 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:12,640 You can speak your mind, make up your mind, sharpen your mind, 77 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,280 take a load off your mind and give someone a piece of your 78 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,320 mind. Something can cross your mind, 79 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:21,279 be on your mind, slip your mind, ease your mind, weigh on your 80 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:25,240 mind, and blow your mind. You can be out of your mind and 81 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,120 in two minds. You can have a frame of mind, a 82 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:29,960 state of mind, and a Peace of Mind. 83 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:32,680 And if you don't like how my mind works, I'll bear that in 84 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:34,280 mind. But really, you can mind your 85 00:04:34,280 --> 00:04:38,680 own business now. The mind is a wonderful place 86 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:40,920 for me. I'm always making connections 87 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:43,120 like that. I think in pictures most of the 88 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,320 time. So if you tell me a story, I'm 89 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:47,720 imagining the story. If you tell me a story of 90 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:50,480 something you've done that week, I'm picturing the supermarket, 91 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,800 I'm picturing the child you're telling me about, I'm imagining 92 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:56,440 your workplace. My mind is very vivid. 93 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:59,720 And I know some people, they, they picture things in words or 94 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:01,600 in factual information and other things. 95 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:04,000 And maybe you just have one thing and you don't store it. 96 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:06,720 For me, I forget certain bits of information. 97 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,840 I even know that just today, as I was out in the foyer, I know I 98 00:05:09,840 --> 00:05:12,200 called someone by the wrong name who I really shouldn't have 99 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,680 called by the wrong name. But I did because my brain 100 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,800 sometimes decides not to keep the very important information 101 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:20,840 of people's first and or second names. 102 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:23,120 Your mind is a very powerful thing. 103 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:26,160 Your mind is far more than just your thoughts. 104 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:30,760 Your mind is your inner being. It's the sum of your mental, 105 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:34,360 spiritual and emotional self. That's how the mind was viewed 106 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:36,920 in the days when the Bible was first written. 107 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,600 It's you. It's the encapsulation of you. 108 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:45,360 And every unique, wonderful, nuanced corner of your mind was 109 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,000 crafted and lovingly made by God. 110 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:51,480 And he longs to be loved with the mind that he created. 111 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:56,400 And a lot of our lives are spent learning, being educated, trying 112 00:05:56,400 --> 00:06:00,480 to enhance our mind, grow our mind, educate and help our mind 113 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:03,320 to learn. As I was preparing this, I was 114 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:06,640 struck by the thought that there are people here today listening. 115 00:06:07,280 --> 00:06:10,520 That you've been told in the past that because you have 116 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,640 failed a test or because you have not met the standard, or 117 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,800 because someone has labelled you as too dumb, inadequate, your 118 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:21,800 score was too low, you you didn't meet the grade and 119 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:23,960 therefore you'll never amount to anything. 120 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:27,880 Can I tell you today that God, He loves it when we make the 121 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:30,840 most of the gift we have. He loves it when we excel in 122 00:06:30,840 --> 00:06:32,240 life. He cheers us on. 123 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:37,440 But your mind was created to love Him and worship Him. 124 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,120 Anything else is an additional bonus. 125 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:43,880 And if you know Jesus, you have already known the fullness of 126 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:47,680 the greatest knowledge there is to know by any human mind. 127 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:50,480 You are not missing out on anything because you failed a 128 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:53,400 test, didn't meet the standard. No matter what a teacher, a 129 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:57,040 parent, an individual, a friend said over your life, you are 130 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:01,240 adequate and God, He longs and desires for your mind to be 131 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:05,800 fully devoted to Him, to fully love Him, and to fully worship 132 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,760 Him. You were created to love and 133 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:14,240 worship God. Jonathan Edwards, the teacher, 134 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:19,200 not the triple jumper, said that seeking after God is the main 135 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:23,880 business of the Christian. St Augustine of Hippo, born in 136 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,120 the three hundreds. That's a long time ago, said 137 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:28,280 this. We must believe in order to 138 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:31,760 understand. It was coming against the spirit 139 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:35,080 of the day, which said that if you know lots, you're important. 140 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,640 If you're smart, then you have status. 141 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,360 And I think sometimes that's part of our world today. 142 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:41,880 If you know a lot, you're important. 143 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:43,400 If you're smart, you have status. 144 00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:46,960 What Augustine said is this Faith is the gateway to 145 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:49,560 knowledge. Faith illuminates our mind and 146 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:53,480 guides our human understanding. In fact, to believe in Jesus is 147 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:56,680 the greatest understanding anyone could have, and 148 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:59,280 everything else is lit up by that knowledge. 149 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:04,480 The theologian RC Sproul argued that anybody evil and righteous 150 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:07,720 can conclude that 2 + 2 is 4. That's basic. 151 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:10,840 But he suggested that our pursuit of knowledge without 152 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:14,560 loving God first is futile and wasted. 153 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:16,880 Here are his words that spoke to me this week. 154 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:22,280 To love with the mind. It's to hold in high esteem to 155 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:25,320 think about God with reverence and adoration. 156 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:28,920 Because the more we love God with our minds, the more we'll 157 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:31,760 be driven to do the other thing that is alien to us in our 158 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:36,120 fallen condition condition. And that is to worship Him. 159 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:42,000 You were made to love and worship God with all your mind. 160 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:44,920 I wonder, are you living in that reality today? 161 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:49,160 Now we're going to look at a case study, Somebody whose mind 162 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:52,560 was transformed. For me, I love to see examples. 163 00:08:52,560 --> 00:08:54,320 I don't just want to hear about it can happen. 164 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:56,440 I want to see someone who's been changed by it. 165 00:08:56,680 --> 00:08:59,840 And so when I look to the Bible, I find the New Testament, the 166 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:03,560 new part of the Bible written after Jesus came Incarnate, came 167 00:09:03,560 --> 00:09:06,520 to earth, God with us now and forever. 168 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:10,840 And after Jesus came, we have this man who emerged as one of 169 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:14,240 the primary teachers that wrote lots of the New Testament. 170 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:17,280 His name is Paul. You will have heard of him. 171 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:20,880 Even if you don't know his name. You'll have heard the words of 172 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:23,240 the letters and the essay that he wrote. 173 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:27,760 Paul is a significant figure who wrote the New Testament inspired 174 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:30,120 by God. And I love what happened to 175 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:32,600 Paul. He used to be known as Saul of 176 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,360 Tarsus. He was someone who persecuted 177 00:09:35,360 --> 00:09:39,640 Christians, That's right. With his educated status, with 178 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:43,000 his knowledge, his prestige, with the fear that surrounded 179 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:46,960 him, he chose to persecute Christians, to take them and 180 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:49,520 imprison them. He was there and witnessed the 181 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:53,080 stoning of Stephen as he was martyred for his faith. 182 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:56,240 He breathed out murderous threats against people who 183 00:09:56,240 --> 00:10:00,200 shared Jesus and the good news. And he was travelling one day to 184 00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:04,120 Damascus to imprison believers and bring them back to be tried. 185 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:09,120 And on his journey, with all his knowledge, wealth of learning, 186 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:12,880 his awareness of the scriptures and grasp of God's word and 187 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:17,160 promises, with all of these things in his very well educated 188 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:21,120 mind, suddenly in a moment he realises that all of it is 189 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:26,480 futile and worthless without the one who shone and broke into his 190 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,360 life. In a moment, his life was lit 191 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:33,720 up, his mind was lit up, and physically a bright light shone 192 00:10:33,840 --> 00:10:37,240 and blinded him. And in one moment, Saul of 193 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:41,440 Tarsus heard the voice of the one that he'd been persecuting 194 00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:44,200 saying so, so why do you persecute me? 195 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:46,960 And in that moment he knew Jesus is real. 196 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:51,080 He is who he says he is. And suddenly that educated, 197 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:54,600 wonderful, brilliant mind that was used for evil was turned 198 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:58,120 around by God and used for good. Suddenly a mind that sought to 199 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:02,000 persecute was one that sought to tell the world that Jesus lives, 200 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,600 he's resurrected, and he's the way for all who comes. 201 00:11:05,240 --> 00:11:07,920 And people couldn't believe the transformation of Paul. 202 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:10,320 They couldn't believe how much his life had changed. 203 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:13,680 In fact, people did not trust him initially because they 204 00:11:13,680 --> 00:11:15,640 thought that he was just tricking them, going to come and 205 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:18,640 arrest them or do something, because that's what Saul of 206 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:21,320 Tarsus did. But his mind has been 207 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:26,600 illuminated from the inside out. It's been lit up by what? 208 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:28,760 It's been lit up by the light of Jesus. 209 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:33,080 Everything changes when our minds are lit up by the light of 210 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:36,520 Jesus. And suddenly Paul becomes this 211 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:40,800 incredible gift to the church. This wonderful mind is used to 212 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:44,560 spread good news. He writes, he encourages, he 213 00:11:44,560 --> 00:11:47,200 becomes, he goes out. We know him as the Apostle Paul 214 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:51,400 taking the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles, to many nations 215 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:54,960 and on different trips, taking the good news to many new 216 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:59,440 places, and today through the Bible, bringing the good news to 217 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:03,120 me and you. I love what God has done in 218 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:07,920 Paul's life, and I love that his mind was lit up and illuminated 219 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:12,480 by Jesus himself. So in Paul's writings, we can 220 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:17,400 see he truly does value the breakthrough that happens in our 221 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:19,680 mind because he's experienced it. 222 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:23,240 Maybe you've known someone who they've experienced something, 223 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:26,280 so they just always talk about it like something's happened to 224 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:27,960 them. So they'll always talk about it. 225 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,560 Usually it's a negative thing. Something happens to someone. 226 00:12:30,560 --> 00:12:32,680 It just keeps coming back up. They keep bringing it up. 227 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,480 Oh, I remember when I was, and that happened to me as well. 228 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:40,440 But with Paul, his mind has been transformed, renewed illusions 229 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:42,800 illuminated, changed in every way. 230 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:46,840 He now knows what it means to love God with all his mind and 231 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:50,880 he can't stop talking about it. And I'm hoping and praying today 232 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:54,280 that his words will begin to transform us too, as we seek to 233 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:57,960 love God with all our mind. Let's have a look what he said 234 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:02,440 in Romans 12 written by Paul. He says this, do not conform to 235 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:05,200 the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing 236 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:07,920 of your mind. Then you will be able to test 237 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:12,760 and approve what God's will is, His good, pleasing, and perfect 238 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:15,120 will. Here's Paul talking about the 239 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:17,280 mind again. It's important. 240 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:20,960 What can we conclude from this? It's easy to conform to the 241 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:24,680 patterns of the world. And also a renewed mind 242 00:13:24,680 --> 00:13:29,920 transforms a life and a renewed mind discerns the will of God. 243 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:33,520 If you've asked God recently, God, what do you want me to do 244 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:35,560 here? God, what can I, what, what are 245 00:13:35,560 --> 00:13:38,160 you asking me to say? God, where are you leading me? 246 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:40,720 God, is this right? Perhaps it's time to stop 247 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:42,680 saying, God, what's, what's your will? 248 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,440 Maybe it's time to say this, God, renew my mind. 249 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,960 And then just perhaps through the renewing of your mind, your 250 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:51,680 life will be transformed and you'll be able to discern the 251 00:13:51,680 --> 00:13:54,160 will of God because your mind has been renewed. 252 00:13:54,680 --> 00:13:58,800 So we can conclude from this, it is God's heart that you would 253 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,840 have a renewed mind and a transformed mind. 254 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:06,120 Acts 17. We hear this account of Paul and 255 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:10,560 some of his travels and you see his transformed mind on display. 256 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:14,360 They came to Thessalonica where there was a Jewish synagogue. 257 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:18,640 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue and on three 258 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:21,920 Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the scriptures, 259 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:27,080 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise 260 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:30,280 from the dead. This Jesus I'm proclaiming to 261 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:33,760 you is the Messiah, he said. Some of the Jews were persuaded 262 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:37,520 and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God 263 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:40,520 fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women. 264 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:43,280 I love the role there of the prominent women in those 265 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,920 converts who choose to follow. What can we conclude from this? 266 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:50,760 Well, you can use your renewed mind to do many amazing things 267 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:54,560 for God. You can reason, you can explain, 268 00:14:54,880 --> 00:14:58,920 you can prove, you can persuade, you can proclaim. 269 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:01,880 But note this. What did Paul do? 270 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:04,720 What was he proving, Persuading, reasoning, explaining? 271 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:07,120 It was all about Jesus. OK. 272 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:11,000 A renewed and enlightened mind that is being lit up by the 273 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:14,080 power of Jesus, the reality of who he is, that is filled and is 274 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:18,960 spirit filled, will always point and reason and explain and prove 275 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,720 and persuade for and proclaim Jesus. 276 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,880 It's God's heart that you would have a transforming mind, not 277 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:30,000 just a transformed. 11 Corinthians 2. 278 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:33,960 Some more of Paul's words. This is what we speak, not in 279 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,520 words taught us by human wisdom, but in the words taught by the 280 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:41,360 Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit taught 281 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,120 words. The person without the Spirit 282 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:47,480 does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, but 283 00:15:47,480 --> 00:15:51,240 considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because 284 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:53,200 they are discerned only through the Spirit. 285 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:57,720 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things. 286 00:15:58,080 --> 00:16:04,360 We have the mind of Christ and suddenly we see again, what's 287 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:07,160 the key to all of this? It's the Spirit's influence. 288 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:10,520 It's the Spirit transforming us, and it's us being renewed to 289 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:14,320 have a Christ like mind, the mind of Christ. 290 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:19,400 And what can we conclude here? Human wisdom is foolishness. 291 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:22,720 Sometimes it's fun to entertain for a short while. 292 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:25,920 Sometimes facts and knowledge and things are good to hold for 293 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:30,080 certain purposes, but in the end, human wisdom is foolishness 294 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:33,960 when compared to the spiritual reality that comes when we have 295 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:37,080 the mind of Christ. You were made for more than just 296 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:40,960 swelling your intellect. You were made to love God with 297 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:43,240 all of your mind and to worship Him. 298 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:47,000 And it's only when we enter into the spiritual reality of being 299 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,800 transformed by Him and having the mind of Christ that we learn 300 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:54,400 what God really wants from us to have a spirit taught mind. 301 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:57,600 He also longs for us to have a spirit governed mind. 302 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:00,360 Romans 8. The words of Paul speak out 303 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:02,320 again. Those who live according to the 304 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:05,920 flesh have their mind set on what the flesh desires, but 305 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:08,920 those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds 306 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:13,720 set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh 307 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:17,680 is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 308 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:20,800 Can you see these two contrasting views presented? 309 00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:23,720 Such a classic style of writing? I love that. 310 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:25,839 You can go this way or you can go that. 311 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:28,359 You can choose that path or you can choose this. 312 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:31,280 What do we see here? You can either set your mind on 313 00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:34,600 things of the flesh and it leads to death, or you can have a 314 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:38,360 mindset on the Spirit and it leads to life and peace. 315 00:17:38,520 --> 00:17:41,120 I wonder today, is there anyone here who would say, do you know 316 00:17:41,120 --> 00:17:43,280 what? I'm going to stay with a mindset 317 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:46,080 on the flesh just for a little bit longer because I want to 318 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:48,040 stay on this path that leads only to death. 319 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:50,640 I don't know there's anyone here who would want to proclaim that 320 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:52,720 over their life. I want to follow the words of 321 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:56,600 the Bible, inspired fully by God, written by Paul's hand that 322 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:59,680 says the mindset on the Spirit will lead to life and peace. 323 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:01,560 That's the kind of life that I'm striving for. 324 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:05,200 I want my mind to be a one that is full of life and one that has 325 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:09,120 peace that rests upon it like a cool and soothing balm everyday. 326 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:12,120 I want to be able to walk into fire and know that He's with me. 327 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,720 I want to go through conflict and struggle and strife but 328 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:20,080 still have life and peace resting on my mind because I'm 329 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:23,160 set on things above and I am governed by the Spirit. 330 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:25,000 I want to be a spirit governed mind. 331 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:26,760 I want to have it. And that's what God's heart is 332 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:30,960 for you and your mind. Philippians 4, My favourite book 333 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:33,680 of the Bible, Psalms Philippians one of the two. 334 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:36,880 Philippians 4. Verse 6 to 8 says this. 335 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,440 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every 336 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:41,960 situation, by prayer and petition, with Thanksgiving 337 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:45,320 present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which 338 00:18:45,320 --> 00:18:48,800 transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your 339 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:53,840 minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, 340 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:58,440 whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, 341 00:18:58,640 --> 00:19:03,200 whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, 342 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:08,440 if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such 343 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,760 things. I want to live a life like that. 344 00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:15,480 I don't want to get caught up in the dark corners of my mind 345 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:17,960 anymore. I want to live a life that is 346 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:22,120 fully Thanksgiving, that is completely prayerful, where I 347 00:19:22,120 --> 00:19:25,480 submit everything to Him and know that without Him I can't do 348 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:28,320 anything, but with Him I can do all things. 349 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:30,080 I want to live that kind of life. 350 00:19:30,360 --> 00:19:32,440 I want to guard my heart and my mind. 351 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:36,200 I want to love and think about things that are true, noble, 352 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:39,120 right, and pure. I want to live a life where in 353 00:19:39,120 --> 00:19:42,280 the depths of the night and first thing in the morning I 354 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:46,080 wake up dwelling on things that are lovely, admirable, excellent 355 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:49,280 and praiseworthy. I don't just want to give my 356 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:52,400 money and my time when I come on a Sunday morning. 357 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:56,160 Instead, everyday I want to give my mind to Him and let it be 358 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:58,160 filled with everything He wants from me. 359 00:19:58,360 --> 00:20:01,520 I want it to be filled with something wonderful, in fact, 360 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:04,360 something beautiful. It's God's heart that you would 361 00:20:04,360 --> 00:20:07,440 have a guarded mind. And it's God's heart that you 362 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:10,520 would have a beautiful mind where if you turned it inside 363 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,320 out, people around you would be amazed at what God's doing on 364 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:17,120 the inside. In Colossians 3, Paul writes 365 00:20:17,120 --> 00:20:20,920 again, he really does care about the mind, because God's heart is 366 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:22,360 that your mind would be transformed. 367 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:26,240 Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things, for you 368 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,400 died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 369 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:33,280 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly 370 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:35,280 nature. And there's a list that we'll go 371 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:38,600 through a little bit later. You have taken off your old self 372 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:41,320 with its practises and have put on the new self, which is being 373 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:44,400 renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 374 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:48,160 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly. 375 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:51,280 What do we conclude from this? Well, the Bible speaks to us 376 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:54,160 today and says this. You can set your mind on things 377 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:56,600 above. It also talks about what's 378 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:59,440 happened and it's the testimony of many people in this room. 379 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:01,840 And I believe for some of you, it's the testimony you're going 380 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:03,480 to have. And we'll declare over your own 381 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:08,600 life that you died and the old practises of your old life died 382 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:11,440 too, buried with Christ in the grave. 383 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,520 And you have new life. You are now risen with Christ 384 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:19,520 and hidden with Christ in God. You're being renewed day after 385 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:22,320 day in the image of your Creator. 386 00:21:22,520 --> 00:21:26,040 You're becoming more like Him. Your thoughts become his. 387 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,520 Like spouses who've been together for decades where they 388 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:32,760 just know what one another are thinking and they don't have to 389 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:34,760 say a word. Either that or they just don't 390 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:38,200 speak much anymore. It's one of the two, but for me, 391 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:39,960 sometimes I just know from a look. 392 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:43,000 Yesterday I had a moment like that with with my wife, with 393 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:44,760 Philippa. I just looked her in the eyes 394 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:47,400 and without her having to say anything, I knew exactly what 395 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:49,760 was going through her mind. I, I want to have that kind of 396 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:53,120 mindset with my Creator. When my thoughts are his, where 397 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:56,240 when he speaks as it's as if it's my inner conscience 398 00:21:56,240 --> 00:21:58,840 speaking to me. I want it to be so entwined with 399 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:00,560 Him. I want the message of Christ to 400 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:04,120 dwell among me, in me, through me and around me. 401 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:09,120 I want a heavenly mind and just as a name drop. 2 Timothy 17 God 402 00:22:09,120 --> 00:22:11,840 has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a 403 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:13,960 sound mind. God wants you to have a sound 404 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:19,520 mind and 1 Corinthians 2 verse 2 it is God's heart that you would 405 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:23,240 be resolved to know nothing while I was with you, says Paul, 406 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:26,120 except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 407 00:22:26,360 --> 00:22:29,720 It's God's heart that you would have a Christ filled mind. 408 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,240 These are the words of Paul spoken to us through the living 409 00:22:33,240 --> 00:22:36,640 Word, showing us today a little bit of what it means to have a 410 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:40,600 mind that is transformed to be more like Jesus, completely led 411 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:44,360 by the Spirit, but one that enters into the reality of what 412 00:22:44,360 --> 00:22:48,520 it was made to do. Your mind was created by God 413 00:22:48,520 --> 00:22:53,560 beautifully and intrinsically to love Him totally and to worship 414 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:55,840 Him. And if you are not loving Him 415 00:22:55,840 --> 00:22:58,640 and worshipping with your whole mind, then all of us have a 416 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:03,920 journey to go on today. So a renewed, transformed, 417 00:23:03,920 --> 00:23:08,640 transforming, spirit taught, spirit governed, guarded, 418 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:14,240 beautiful, heavenly sound and Jesus filled mind in Jesus name. 419 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:16,600 May that be true in my life. May that be true in my 420 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:18,960 children's lives. May they wake up every day with 421 00:23:18,960 --> 00:23:21,560 that kind of mind. May be true in my families. 422 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:24,720 May be true of everyone church kid in the whole of our church. 423 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:28,080 May they grow up from from birth and all the way up through their 424 00:23:28,120 --> 00:23:31,800 primary school years with that kind of mind transformed by 425 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:34,720 Jesus. But it's also important in the 426 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:39,000 midst of the repair and the renewal that we are forgiving to 427 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:43,520 ourselves that we don't see that and say, I'm so far from that 428 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:47,320 and I'm good on five, not so good on 4, and dreadful on one. 429 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:50,600 It's good that you're not too critical about yourself because 430 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:53,600 we'll start to slip into something which is not the kind 431 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:56,680 of mind you're called to have in Christ Jesus. 432 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:00,960 Maybe you've labelled yourself, I haven't got a big enough 433 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:05,360 attention span to really read the Bible and take it in and I'm 434 00:24:05,360 --> 00:24:07,120 not smart enough to grasp these things. 435 00:24:07,120 --> 00:24:09,800 So I'll just stay where I am. I'll, I'll understand that and 436 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:12,160 that will be enough and I'll, I'll leave it there. 437 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:15,200 Or maybe I'm not going to socially push myself out of the 438 00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:17,840 boat because I don't always know the words to say. 439 00:24:17,840 --> 00:24:20,120 So instead I'm going to not say the words at all. 440 00:24:20,120 --> 00:24:23,520 Stick to the people I know and just love ones and twos. 441 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:26,200 But I'm not going to put myself out there in the workplace in my 442 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:28,960 neighbourhood. Maybe you've limited yourself 443 00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:32,360 because you're aware of the limitations of your mind. 444 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:37,480 Well, today I love this. God doesn't leave you to do it 445 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:39,840 alone. The journey of the renewal of 446 00:24:39,840 --> 00:24:41,920 your mind is not something that he says. 447 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:44,320 Go on them. You're on your own kid. 448 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:48,440 Let's see how you do over the next 60708090 a hundred years. 449 00:24:49,120 --> 00:24:52,320 I love that he says, I'm going to partner with you. 450 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:54,840 What do those passages say? It's the peace of God, the 451 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:57,760 transformation of God, the mind of Christ, the guidance of the 452 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:01,080 Spirit, new life from Christ. It's from him. 453 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:04,640 He's in the business of renewing your mind, changing you from the 454 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:08,200 inside out. And in addition to that, you 455 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:12,600 also have a role to play, to have your mind set on things, to 456 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:16,760 think about such things, to put to death your earthly nature. 457 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:20,160 You have a role in it, but he's the one that orchestrates it. 458 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:23,600 But we partner in this. Do you love that we have a God 459 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:26,880 who partners with us in transforming us from the inside 460 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:28,720 out? He doesn't leave us to find 461 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:31,080 ourselves. He doesn't leave us to empty our 462 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:33,200 minds and see what the world pours in. 463 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:36,280 He doesn't leave you to go and search for yourself out in a 464 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:38,360 wilderness and try and see who you are. 465 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:40,520 No, He says, I'm going to partner with you. 466 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:43,400 I'm going to give you my peace, my transformation. 467 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:47,040 I'm going to give you my mind. I'm going to give you my spirit 468 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:50,360 in you working with you and I'm going to give you new life. 469 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:54,200 But what's your mindset? What will you think about? 470 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:55,760 What are you going to put to death? 471 00:25:55,760 --> 00:26:01,680 Every day we are to do our bit. Psalm 139 is a passage of my 472 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:04,360 life. Oh Lord, you have examined my 473 00:26:04,360 --> 00:26:06,880 heart and know everything about me. 474 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:09,600 He knows you from the inside out. 475 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:12,800 Verse 17 says how precious are your thoughts about me. 476 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:17,400 Oh God, they cannot be numbered. He thinks about you before we 477 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:19,080 think about loving him with our minds. 478 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:25,760 He's mindful of you, He thinks about me, He loves me, He knows 479 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:29,680 my name, He knows the number of hairs on my head. 480 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:33,840 He catches my tears in a bottle. He's mindful of me. 481 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:39,800 And in verse 23 and 24, search me, O God, and know my heart, 482 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:42,520 test me and know my anxious thoughts. 483 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:47,120 Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along 484 00:26:47,120 --> 00:26:52,960 the path of everlasting life. Point out anything in me that 485 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:56,040 offends you in Psalm 64. Thank you. 486 00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:58,160 There's another perspective of this. 487 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:00,960 Surely the human mind and the heart are cunning. 488 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:03,720 This is a Psalm talking about enemies of God. 489 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,640 But God will shoot them with His arrows. 490 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:10,280 I love visual pictures. I'm not going to pull a crossbow 491 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:13,400 out of this bag, just to let you know, even though that would be 492 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:17,280 memorable. If you don't like balloons, this 493 00:27:17,400 --> 00:27:19,520 you may just want to just hover your hands near your ears a 494 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:22,040 little bit. But it's party season in the 495 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:24,480 hind house so that we've got our balloons aplenty, which will 496 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:32,600 help me with this illustration. Search me, oh God, and know my 497 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:34,640 heart. Test me and know my anxious 498 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:36,760 thoughts. Point out anything in me that 499 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:40,240 offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life. 500 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:42,720 Point out anything in me that offends you. 501 00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:45,640 Point out anything in me that offends you. 502 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:50,760 It's a, it's a, it's a risky prayer to pray because he'll 503 00:27:50,840 --> 00:27:57,800 point it out. I wonder if you went through a 504 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:00,040 list of some of the things that Paul listed. 505 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:04,880 Where are the areas where God is pointing out something in your 506 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:09,080 life today? Perhaps it's an area of personal 507 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:14,280 weakness, so maybe it's something that is linked to an 508 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:19,680 old wound in your life, and it grows and grows. 509 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:22,120 This thought in the back of your mind, this mindset, what you've 510 00:28:22,120 --> 00:28:25,920 said about yourself, this weakness, this thorn in your 511 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:29,680 flesh, you could say, and it doesn't seem to disappear. 512 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:33,880 Occasionally it gets a bit smaller, but then in a moment of 513 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:37,120 peril or trial, there it is again. 514 00:28:37,120 --> 00:28:42,480 Well, what does God say? Well, the heart of the psalmist 515 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:45,360 is this. Point out anything in me that 516 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:50,000 offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life 517 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:53,080 today. God, if there's anything in me 518 00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:56,760 that offends you, anything in my mind that is not the mind of 519 00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:01,680 Christ, then come today. And even if it hurts, point it 520 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:04,880 out. Shoot it with your arrows. 521 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:07,720 The human mind and heart are cunning. 522 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:14,880 We are fallen humanity. We were far from God, fallen 523 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:18,800 short of His standard. We need saving, We need help. 524 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:23,920 Jesus came and has done everything required for you to 525 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:29,360 be completely restored in this life and in the next, but we 526 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:34,360 still need Him continually to point out in US anything that 527 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:37,560 offends Him. Here are 10 things on the screen 528 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:42,440 that Paul refers to. Lord, I want to love you with my 529 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:45,360 mind, but I'm struggling with following the world's patterns. 530 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:49,800 Lord, I want to love you with my mind, but I'm struggling with 531 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:55,040 foolishness, recklessness. Lord, I want to love you with 532 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:58,120 all my mind, but I'm struggling with personal desires. 533 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:02,760 Lord, I want to love you with all my mind, but I'm struggling 534 00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:05,560 with sexual immorality. Lord, I'm struggling with 535 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:09,240 impurity and lust. I'm struggling with evil desires 536 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:11,920 and greed. I'm struggling with idolatry. 537 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:15,360 I'm struggling with anger and rage. 538 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:19,040 I'm struggling with malice and lies. 539 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:25,240 Lord, thank you today that there's not spirit of 540 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:28,640 condemnation in the house. But we have asked that you would 541 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:30,360 point out anything in us that offend you. 542 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:35,960 So point it out. But don't you love that within 543 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:39,760 His Word is a response to every one of these things. 544 00:30:43,520 --> 00:30:46,000 If you're stuck in a place of following the world's patterns, 545 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:48,360 you're invited to follow the will of God. 546 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:53,680 If you're stuck in a place of living foolishly, you're invited 547 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:56,840 to have a mindset that pursues whatever is true and right. 548 00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,360 If you are struggling with personal desires, then today 549 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:04,320 your mind can be filled with whatever is noble and pure. 550 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:10,920 If you're struggling with anxiousness, anxiety, you can be 551 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:15,000 filled with patience and peace. If you are struggling with 552 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:19,200 sexual immorality, today your mind can be filled with whatever 553 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:22,120 is lovely. If you're struggling with 554 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:25,080 impurity and lust, your mind can be filled today with what is 555 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:29,160 admirable. Evil desires and greed can be 556 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:31,320 replaced by whatever is excellent. 557 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:35,960 Idolatry can be replaced by whatever is praiseworthy. 558 00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:39,640 And there's only one anger and rage replaced with compassion 559 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:42,720 and kindness and balance and lies can be replaced with 560 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:47,560 forgiveness and love. Lord, we ask that you would come 561 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:52,040 and right now in this room, point out anything in us that 562 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:55,480 offends you and lead us in your ways everlasting. 563 00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:58,800 If there's something we know is there in the back of our minds 564 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:01,680 that we need to address today, here in your presence, with 565 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:05,320 love, in the atmosphere, and with the reality of who you are, 566 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:08,400 flooding our minds right now with what is excellent, 567 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:11,680 admirable, lovely, what is peace and patience, noble and pure, 568 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:13,240 true and right. Lord, we ask that you would 569 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:16,240 flood our minds with what is good and come and point out 570 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:19,640 everything in us that offends you. 571 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:25,680 If you're able, why not put your hands on your head just right 572 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:27,400 now around the room? Let's begin to pray over our 573 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:30,320 minds, shall we? So going out loud together, 574 00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:34,320 we're going to pray. We think of Jesus who sweated 575 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:37,760 drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane as his mind was 576 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:41,720 filled with all that was to come, the weight of what was 577 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:44,680 about to take place. We, we know he is acquainted 578 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:47,200 with with our sorrow. He knew, He knows what it's like 579 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:49,960 to grieve, to feel pain. And right now He sees you as you 580 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:51,080 are. He sees you. 581 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:54,440 He knows every thought you have, He sees the anxiety in your 582 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:58,920 mind, He sees how far in some areas you are away from having 583 00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:01,920 the mind of Christ, but yet He loves you in the midst of it. 584 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:06,400 I wonder if round the room we just start praying over these 585 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:09,040 different things. And if it's you, then just in 586 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:12,200 particular, receive the healing of Jesus right now. 587 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:15,480 Lord, for those who are following the world's patterns, 588 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:18,760 have been swayed by the ways of the world right now, we pray 589 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:21,920 that you would come, You would break in, and You would help us 590 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:23,800 to follow Your will and Your way. 591 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:27,160 Lord, for those of us in the room who are struggling in the 592 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:30,760 area of foolishness and making bad decisions, Lord, we speak 593 00:33:30,760 --> 00:33:33,880 against them in Jesus name and we say that foolishness would be 594 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:36,280 gone and what is true and right would replace it. 595 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:40,080 Lord, we speak over minds right now that are pursuing personal 596 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:45,120 desires or anxiousness right now, sexual immorality, impurity 597 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:50,440 and lust, evil desires and greed, idolatry, anger and rage, 598 00:33:50,640 --> 00:33:53,560 malice and lies. Whichever one of these is true 599 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:55,880 in our lives. Lord, point out what offends you 600 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:59,080 right now and in the name of Jesus, would you cleanse our 601 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:02,840 minds and fill us with what is lovely, what is patient, what is 602 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:06,000 peaceful, what is admirable. We speak over our minds what is 603 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:10,120 excellent, praiseworthy. We speak compassion, kindness, 604 00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:13,600 forgiveness and love. May we have the mindset of 605 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:18,120 Christ even right now, so that, dear Lord, we may love you with 606 00:34:18,120 --> 00:34:22,199 all of our minds and that we may worship You as you deserve. 607 00:34:22,440 --> 00:34:25,360 Lord, we come to You today and we simply ask that You would 608 00:34:25,360 --> 00:34:30,040 transform us from the inside out and You would help us with 609 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:34,560 everything we have within, with the whole of our mind, with all 610 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:38,600 of who we are, with every bit of our heart, with our very soul, 611 00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:40,840 our mind, and with all our strength. 612 00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:44,520 Would we love You and would we worship You? 613 00:34:47,159 --> 00:34:50,960 The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine 614 00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:55,199 upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face towards 615 00:34:55,199 --> 00:34:56,880 you and give you peace.