God wants to redeem you, not exchange you. Inside your soul there is a battle between a flourishing self - the person you were created to be - and the languishing self. This message series is all about that battle as it moves from deep inside you to a world waiting for God's redemption.
RENEWING YOUR MIND
“The way we live will inevitably be a reflection of the way we think. True change always begins in our mind…What makes people the way they are – what makes you you – is mainly the way they think.” - John Ortberg
“Becoming the best version of yourself, then, rests on one simple directive: Think great thoughts!” - John Ortberg
“Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship." Romans 12:1
1. RECEIVE the gift of the HOLY SPIRIT.
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will [what?] receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38
2. MONITOR your mind.
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” Psalm 139:23
3. SET your mind.
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:2
Takeaway:
MEMORIZE a verse of Scripture.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
The Me I Want to Be
Message #2 - “Renewing My Mind”
Romans 12:2
OCC, 04/18/2021
John Mulpas
INTRODUCTION [series image]
Today I want us to begin by putting our THINKING caps on [put on hat].
Is your MIND awake?
A statement is going to come up on the screen and you need to decide whether it is True or False.
So, you have a 50% chance of getting these right – or wrong – depending how you THINK about it.
Each of these statements have to do with the MIND, okay?
Are you ready?
Here we go:
Memories start forming in the womb. TRUE or FALSE?
Next…
The average brain has between 50,000 and 70,000 thoughts a day. TRUE or FALSE?
And then, finally…
Sweating can temporarily shrink the brain. TRUE or FALSE?
Now, how many of you are confident you got ALL of these correct?
Well, if you answered ALL of them TRUE, you did!
Congratulations!
Now, when I was in school, I always appreciated a BONUS question at the end of a test because that gave me a chance to improve my grade.
So, I’m going to give you a BONUS question today, and if you’re the first to respond ONLINE with the correct answer, you will receive a FREE copy of The Me I Want to Be [book cover] book that we’re using for this series.
Just go to Orrville dot church, slash Live and type your answer in the comments - if you’re watching live right now, you already have a head start.
Again, the first person to respond with the correct answer will win the book.
We’ll send it to you this week.
Here we go: Where is the following verse found in the Bible?
We need the book, chapter, and verse.
8:30 - “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)
9:45 - “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27)
There’s actually MORE than one right answer, but...
11:00 - “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” (Isaiah 26:3)
Where in the Bible do we find this truth?
[8:30 & 9:45] Now, just in case you think you can help a friend or family member win a FREE book next service, this BONUS question will be different in each of our services today.
So, nice try, but that won’t work. [Ha!]
But look at what John Ortberg writes [with book cover on screen]:
“The way we live will inevitably be a reflection of the way we think. True change always begins in our mind…What makes people the way they are – what makes you you – is mainly the way they think.” (p. 90)
Ortberg continues:
“Becoming the best version of yourself, then, rests on one simple directive: Think great thoughts!” (p. 90)
The MIND is a powerful thing, isn’t it?
You and I, we are basically the sum of our thoughts.
Our feelings, our actions, our words - pretty much EVERYTHING about us originates in the mind.
And let’s be honest, we all have some “stinking thinking” going on.
Last Sunday I mentioned how our self-talk oftentimes is not truthful.
It’s this playlist that keeps repeating lies in our mind.
Maybe you think you’re never quite good enough; maybe you’re not cool enough or thin enough or athletic enough.
Or, maybe you’re too much of something - too loud, too quiet, too thin, too eager, or just fill in the blank.
But these thoughts and many others mold us into who we are and put us on a trajectory for the person we are becoming.
And too often, it’s not The Me I Want to Be [series image].
But I want you to know today, there’s HOPE.
You and I, with God’s help, we can change the way we think, and through that, we can become God’s best version of ourselves.
EXPLANATION
To see how this can happen, let’s turn in the Bible to Romans, chapter 12.
If you do not own a Bible, you can pick up a FREE copy at the Next Step counter in the back of this room or you can download the YouVersion Bible App on your smartphone or tablet.
Let me also say that on the Bible App, if you click on “More” at the bottom of the screen and then “Events” on the next screen, you’ll find our service there and can follow along.
Romans 12, I want us to read the first 2 verses:
“Therefore [in light of Romans chapters 1 through 11], I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy [that’s what Romans has been about thus far - a two-word summary, “God’s mercy”; in view of that] to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the [what?] renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
It’s interesting that the apostle Paul, who wrote this with the help of the Holy Spirit, mentions both our “bodies” and our “mind” here.
BOTH must be submitted to God.
Christianity is not just an internal, spiritual reality; it also includes the physical world, including our bodies.
As the old hymn says, “I surrender ALL” - body and mind ALL to him.
But today, I want to focus on the MIND.
What does the verse say?
“...be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
How do we do that?
Well, first, we need to understand that this is NOT something we can do on our own.
In fact, this is TOTALLY dependent on God - specifically, the Holy Spirit.
If you are a follower of Jesus, you received a very special gift when you accepted Christ into your life.
Not only were your sins forgiven, but you received the gift of the Holy Spirit; that is, God, through his Spirit, now lives in you.
Isn’t that amazing?
What a gift God has given!
And when the Holy Spirit DWELLS in us, he RENEWS us.
Check out these verses in the Bible; this is from Titus, chapter 3:
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. [Salvation is a gift we receive, not something we earn.] He saved us through the washing of rebirth and [what?] renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior…” (vv. 4-6)
You see, before Christ, we were in “double trouble.”
Not only were we GUILTY because of our sin, but we were also sin-sick.
We had this disease called SINFULNESS.
But when we accepted Christ, he declared us, “Not guilty!”
We were forgiven of ALL our sins.
And not only that, we were given POWER; we were given a potent medicine to heal us of our sin sickness.
That medicine is the Holy Spirit.
It’s like God hooked us up to an IV and now the Spirit is flowing through our veins to give us the power to live a holy life.
And that includes renewing our mind.
We cannot renew our mind on our own; we need a Helper, and that Helper is the Holy Spirit.
So really, the first step toward a renewed mind is to:
1. RECEIVE the gift of the HOLY SPIRIT.
How do you do that?
It’s simple - accept Jesus Christ into your life.
Respond to what he did for you on the cross.
Believe - put your faith in what HE did, not in what YOU can do.
Repent - turn to God and start walking his way.
Confess - declare with your mouth that you believe in Jesus.
Be Baptized - unite yourself with Christ; die to your old you and be raised to walk in a new you.
The apostle Peter said it this way in Acts, chapter 2:
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will [what?] receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (v. 38)
Today, if you’ve never accepted Christ into your life, you can!
God’s best version of you begins with him coming into your life.
He wants to renew you through the Holy Spirit.
If that’s a decision you’d like to make today, please drop by the Next Step area in the back of this room before you leave, OR if you’re joining us online, please leave us a comment.
We would love to connect with you.
“...be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
That begins and continues through the Holy Spirit.
But then what?
God does his work, no doubt.
But there’s also some work we need to do as well.
And so secondly:
2. MONITOR your mind.
Ortberg writes: “The spiritual life begins with paying attention to our thoughts.” (p. 91)
There are certains patterns of thought each of us have.
Our text says: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world…”
Including, and most importantly, those worldly patterns of thinking.
In Psalm 139, which is the Psalm I encouraged you to chew on last week, David prays: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” (v. 23)
The fact is, God knows our thoughts; he knows them better than we do.
And he can help us monitor the patterns of thought going on in our mind from one moment to the next.
The Bible talks about taking “captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
And so, when was the last time you paid attention to your thoughts?
What direction do your thoughts lead you?
Do they lead you toward life and God’s best version of you?
OR, do they lead you in the other direction?
I want to do an exercise right now that I think will help us with this.
On the screen is going to appear a list of words; these words represent the primary patterns that our thinking falls into.
As you read and reflect on this list, I want you to pick 3 words that most express the patterns of your thinking.
Okay, here are the words [all on screen at once]:
Grateful Curious Stubborn
Defensive Hopeful Angry
Self-preoccupied Passive Determined
Dissatisfied Anxious Engaged
Creative Courageous
Again, select which 3 of the words express patterns that tend to most characterize your thinking [include with words above at bottom of screen].
I’ll give you a few seconds to do this.
[Lauren, advance to next slide to play music]
[Play Jeopardy music in the background.]
Have you got your 3 words?
Now, this week, here’s your assignment:
Ask one or two people who KNOW and LOVE you to go through the same list and give you the 3 words THEY think most characterize you.
I know; that’s a little scary, right?
But take your phone right now and snap a picture of the screen.
That way you’ll have the words and ask a friend to pick the 3 words they believe most characterize you.
This will give you some insight into your thought patterns.
MONITOR your mind.
Become more aware of your thought patterns.
“Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
1. RECEIVE the gift of the HOLY SPIRIT.
2. MONITOR your mind.
And then, third:
3. SET your mind.
You and I, we can choose where our mind is set and the things we pay attention to.
The Bible says in Colossians 3:2 - “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
There’s a certain direction we need to set our minds, and that’s heavenward on God.
Romans 8:5 says: “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”
So, where is your mind set?
In the book, Ortberg tells a story of his friend, Danny, who went spelunking in the caves [pic to illustrate] of Iowa.
The man guiding took him deep underground, then said he would lead Danny through a passageway into a spectacular chamber.
Well, at first the passageway was small enough that Danny had to stoop, but eventually the only way forward was to lay on his back and push his body forward with his feet.
In fact, the ceiling was so low he had to stop, inhale, and exhale, and only then was his chest low enough to allow him to move.
By this point it was physically impossible to back out and Danny began to feel sheer panic; he was terrified.
He tried fighting his fear, but finally told his guide he was about to lose it.
The guide said, “Danny, close your eyes and listen to my voice. I will keep talking, calmly, and guide you through this. We will be okay. I have been here before. I will get you to the other side. But you must listen to my voice. It will not work for you to let your thoughts run wild. Just focus on my voice.” (pp. 96-97)
So that’s what Danny did, and gradually his panic and fear began to dissipate.
But what freed him from that was not trying hard to quit thinking fearful thoughts, it was listening to another voice.
What voice are you listening to?
There are so many in our world, aren’t there?
But there’s only ONE that can truly transform us and renew our minds.
There’s only one that can guide us through the cave when it’s dark and the ceiling is low and we can’t back out.
It’s the voice of God, our guide.
Are you listening?
You know, in my car, I have preset buttons [pic to illustrate] I can push to program certain radio stations.
There are a lot of frequencies out there; lots of voices to choose from.
But whatever I tune into will influence my mind either for good or bad.
That’s why the one preset I should always be tuning into is the God channel, and let me assure you, none of my presets are on country music stations! [Ha!]
But seriously, if we’re going to tune into God; if we’re going to hear and listen to God’s voice, we must set our minds on Scripture.
The Bible says: “All Scripture is God-breathed…” (2 Timothy 3:16)
It comes from the mouth of God; it’s his voice.
And if we’re going to set our minds on it, we must not only hear it and read it; we must STORE it in our mind.
We must download it and play it continuously.
It must inhabit our thoughts.
This is why memorizing Scripture is so important.
The late Dallas Willard once said:
“Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs.”
And what do our minds need?
Renewing.
The renewing of our ability to think correctly, especially when it comes to spiritual and moral matters.
The renewing of the inclinations and contents of our thought-life.
The renewing of our worldview, which often requires a complete paradigm shift or reprogramming.
So, here’s another takeaway for this week:
MEMORIZE a verse of Scripture.
APPLICATION
And here’s the verse I want you to work on: Philippians 4:8.
Here’s what it says: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.”
Allow this verse to challenge and change what you think about.
For example, ask yourself:
Is what I’m thinking true?
Is it noble?
Right?
Pure?
Lovely?
Admirable?
Is it excellent or praiseworthy?
If so, then think about it, but if not, set your mind on something that is.
At the end of day, all of these things are summed up in God.
He is true.
He is noble.
He is right.
He is pure.
He is lovely.
He is admirable.
He is excellent and praiseworthy.
Set your mind on God.
Because…
When your mind is fixed on him, you’ll have peace and joy.
When your mind is fixed on him, you’ll defeat things like worry and anxiety.
When your mind is fixed on him, you’ll become God’s best version of you.
“...be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
1. RECEIVE the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2. MONITOR your mind.
3. SET your mind.
Think great thoughts!
And you’ll become the me you want to be [series image].
Let's pray.