The human mind is an amazing thing Pt. 2

E.     Remind (Philp 4:8)

1.      There are some things that you can never allow yourself to forget!

2.      Look at Paul’s list!

a.       Things that are true – real

b.      Honest

c.       Just

d.      Pure

e.       Lovely

f.       Of good report

g.      If there be any virtue

h.      If there be any praise

i.        Think on these things!

3.      Constantly remind yourself of the following things

a.       Of what God has done for you (Psalm 103:2)

1)      Who forgiveth all thine iniquities! Has He saved you? Stop, close your eyes, and think back when you were born again, where were you, what were you like before Christ came in and saved your lost soul?

2)      Who healeth all thy diseases! Has he ever answered ANY of your prayers? I would really get serious about praying if He hasn’t! And if He HAS, then I would get more active in getting more prayers answered!

3)      Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies (4). Has he ever been better to you than you deserved?

4)      Has He given you ANY promises? (2Peter 1:4)

5)      Has He given you a family? A wife? A husband? Children? I bet He has!

6)      Has he given you a pretty good source for Biblical Treachings?

7)      A job?

8)      Just try and tell me what he HASN’T done for you??? (Jer 2:32)

b.      Of just WHO God is!

1)      Is He still the great I AM that Moses believed?

2)      Is He still the God Almighty that Abraham and Sarah believed?

3)      Is He still the God of the resurrection?

4)      Is He YOUR God?

c.       Of the HIGH CALLING of God – whatever God is asking you to go through right now, it is a HIGH calling!

d.      Of the cost of sin in your life, and the reward of godliness (Rom 8:6)

e.       Of Christ’s efforts for the likes of you (Heb 12:3)

f.       Of Jesus SOON return! Remember, He is at hand!

4.      We have reminders about everything, except about God

a.       Reminders about when to get up

b.      About what day it is

c.       About people’s birthdays and anniversaries

d.      About getting out the garbage

e.       About what bills to pay and when

5.      We need constant reminders about God

6.      It is a wicked person who does not like to be reminded of how good God is to them (Rom 1:28)!

F.     Read (Philp 4:8; 1Timothy 4:13)

1.      Christianity is based upon a Book! God has chosen to communicate Himself to us by handing us a Book. Christian spirituality is grounded not in having visions, not in hearing voices inside our heads, not in cultivating mystical experiences, but in receiving the Word of God. That is, by reading.

2.      Reading strengthens the mind! It teaches us to think in a logically connected way. It cultivates a sustained attention span. It conditions us to think in terms of abstract ideas, objective truth, and sustained reflection. But television and other media that depend on images condition us to subjectivism. TV cultivates a short attention span and a purely emotional response. It increases the demand for constant, entertaining stimulation.

3.      Today we have become a nation of channel surfers, and we are paying the price in political apathy, moral indifference, and the mad pursuit of sensation. Even our books are often reduced to the entertainment formulas of the pop culture. The old problem was illiteracy, that many people could not read. Today, although illiteracy remains even in products of our school system, the bigger problem is aliteracy, that many people can read but never do.

4.      So the command is for God’s people to give attendance to READING !

5.      Read folks! Turn off the TV 2 or 3 days a week – no computers, no TV, no youtube so that you force yourself to read and think!!!!

6.      Make sure you read right materials

a.       Start with the word of God – great thoughts start HERE!

b.      Books that explore and teach you right things

c.       Books that ask and answer questions

d.      Books that delight

e.       Books that challenge you

7.      Read actively – not passively

a.       Listen to the words

b.      Talk back to the author

c.       Critically evaluate what you are reading – ask questions

d.      Write in your books

e.       Learn things from your reading

8.      Read with the Bible as your light

a.       Let the Bible judge what you read as right or true – not opinion or popularity

b.      It is called the Biblical worldview – seeing things through the Bible’s viewpoint

c.       Most people look at and read the Bible with a worldly viewpoint

d.      And then wonder WHY their minds are a mess!!!

9.      Make sure you read, and make sure you are reading your Bible!

10.  A Bible reader is a sound thinker!

G.    Rest – Trust God is in Control (Philp 4:7; Psalm 127:1,2; 3:5)

                                                                                                                                               

1.      Rest is the absence of worry

a.       Not that there are no problems, or things TO worry about

b.      But, it is the decision to stop struggling, and start trusting!

c.       As it was in the sinking ship with Jesus in it!

2.      Only a Christian can rest!

3.      The proof of rest is patience – the ability to wait upon God to act on your behalf

4.      Christians need to get back to trusting in the LORD

a.       Be careful to not try and make sense of everything (Eccl 1:18)

b.      The Christian knows there is a limit to what we can figure out, and stops there

5.      Choose, by faith to…

a.       Replace Worry with Prayer and Praise

1)      Why do I have to keep saying this over and over?

2)      Because we just don’t do it

b.      Replace Talking with Listening (Pr 29:11)

c.       Replace Boredom with a Hobby (Eccl 9:10)

d.      Replace Rough Memories with New Ones!

1)      That’s what Solomon finally concluded

2)      He had so many bad memories, and disasters from his own stupidity and stubbornness, that he finally realised he needed to stop and smell the flowers, and start making some new memories!

e.       Replace anger with forgiveness

f.       Replace hours and hours wasted in front of the TV with ONE Book!

g.      Replace Fears with Faith and Trust in God!

H.    There is so much more – so many more simple steps you can take to renew and rebuild your mind

IV.             Results (Philp 4:7)

A.    Peace that passes all understanding

B.     A Clean Conscience

C.     A Quiet Home

D.    A Sound, healthy, active, fruitful and productive mind

E.     A Blessed Life

F.      A Kept Heart – heart that is under the Lordship of Christ!

V.                Conclusion

A.    The human mind is an amazing thing

B.     You can either build up, develop, and expand your mind, or you can destroy it

C.     It’s up to you!

D.    God says in Romans 12:2 that we need to constantly renew our mind, restore it, recharge it

E.     The question is, How do we do that? Especially if our minds are:

1.      Blind to God (2Cor 4:4) and spiritual things – thinking they do not need God (1Tim 6:17)

2.      Seared (1Tim 4:2) – burned out, past feeling

3.      Spoiled – ruined ( Col 2:8) – constantly conquered by images and lusts, and memories

4.      Reprobate (Rom 1:28) – vain, empty, rejected, a waste!

5.      Thin, Superficial, unable to discuss and debate about anything – only yell and argue

6.      In Bondage

7.      A Sewer (Titus 1:15) – filled with

8.      And Unconcerned – apathetic! People are proud of their ignorance of God! Proud of their ability to live without a conscience, and without guilt! Look at the rioters, and the homosexuals, and the trans-genders, and the lives of Hollywood stars!

F.     You Renew and Rebuild Your Mind…

1.      By Rejoicing - Praising God!

2.      By Refraining – setting limits

3.      By Repenting – Keeping yourself soft towards God and hard towards sin! The Lord is at Hand – what have you allowed yourself to get into the habit of thinking about? It’s time to repent and forsake it!

4.      By Requesting – Pray A Lot - Pray about everything

5.      By Reminding Yourself

a.       Of what God has done for you (Psalm 103:2)

b.      Of just WHO God is!

c.       Of the HIGH CALLING of God – whatever God is asking you to go through right now, it is a HIGH calling!

d.      Of the cost of sin in your life, and the reward of godliness (Rom 8:6)

e.       Of Christ’s efforts for the likes of you (Heb 12:3)

6.      By Reading

7.      By Releasing – Forgetting

8.      By Resting – Trust God’s in Control

Thank You for visiting this site. If we can be of help in any way, please do not hesitate to ask. Much Blessings on you and yours, Dr. Joseph A.Carson Northland Baptist Ministries