Consecrated - Message 2: A consecrated mind
Last week we introduced the idea that as we follow Christ towards maturity we experience three distinct gifts from Him:
1. Salvation – the moment in time when God offered to change your nature from sinner to SAVED!
2. Baptism of the Holy Spirit – the moment in timed when God offered to fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit!
3. Consecration – the moment in time when you offer your life fully back to God as an expression of gratitude to Him!
Consecration is what Paul writes about in Romans 12:1
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1
In order to become who God created you to be – you’ve got to step away from self-centered ‘soulish’ and ‘fleshly’ living and become a truly spiritual person.
God wants you to have a consecrated SOUL: mind, emotions and will. TODAY we are focusing on having a consecrated mind. God wants to change the way your think!
“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:21-26
This story illustrates the need for a transformed mind. Jesus is teaching that He will suffer and die, and then He will be resurrected. As Christians, we know that this was His ultimate mission on earth – without this, we’d have no hope. But, we have the benefit of seeing the whole story unfolded.
Peter didn’t get it. His mind couldn’t conceive of what God was really up. Look at verse 22…
“Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” v. 22
Do you get what Peter did? Imagine the scene – Peter saying: “Uh, Jesus, can we step over here and talk for a moment.” And then when he gets Jesus alone, he says: “What are you doing! Knock it off! There is no way on God’s green earth that we are going to stand by and let this happen to you! We’ve got your back!”
And Jesus lands on him – vs. 23:
“Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” V. 23
Peter’s fleshly and soulish thinking was in DIRECT OPPOSITION to the plans of God! And Jesus tells him so in no uncertain terms – he calls him “Satan” and says he is a ‘stumbling block’ – why? Because Peter isn’t thinking like a spiritual man! He is thinking like a mere man!
That’s our problem – we think too much like humans. We need our MINDS transformed. We need to experience what Paul talks about in Romans 12:2…
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
We need transformation. We need the mind of Christ!
Turn to 1 Corinthians 2:12…
12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: 16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:12-16
v. 12 - Transformation of our minds comes from the Holy Spirit living within.
“but the Spirit who is from God”
v. 12 – The Holy Spirit enables us to UNDERSTAND the things of God!
“…that we may understand what God has freely given us.”
v. 13 – Christians speak God’s truth, taught by God’s Spirit!
“This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.”
v. 14 – The spiritual things cannot be comprehended in the flesh!
“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned”
v. 15 – Spiritual people are not subject to fleshly standards!
v. 16a – God doesn’t need our counsel!
“The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: 16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?”
v. 16b – Maturing Christians have transformed minds!
“But we have the mind of Christ.”
Now in chapter 13:1-3 Paul says some strong truths to the people in the Corinthian church:
3:1 “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Paul says – “Corinthian church – you are having all kinds of problems in your life and in your church – all of this jealousy, fighting and competition is the direct result of your spiritual immaturity! And, you say that you want the deeper truths of God, but you are proving that you simply are not ready for it by your attitudes and behavior.”
John Wimber, the late pastor and founder of the Vineyard churches wrote…
“As church leaders, we have little control over who shows up in our churches. It would be nice if we could form a “dream team” of capable, happy, well-adjusted, disciples who are willing to do anything necessary to conform their lives to the teachings of Christ and to His church- and give ten percent of their income. Unfortunately, everyone who comes to Christ, also come with all kinds of emotional and spiritual baggage.
That’s the raw material we deal with. Furthermore, as leaders we have what seems like an impossible goal. In describing his labor for the church, the apostle Paul writes: “We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ” (Col. 1:28). Paul wasn’t interested in presenting everyone reasonably OK in Christ. His goal wasn’t to present everyone sort of together in Christ, but Paul aimed to present everyone he had any degree of influence over perfect in Christ.”
And that is my goal as well. I desire two things:
1. That I’d be a truly spiritual man.
2. And that I’d have influence over others who desire the same thing.
Dear friends: We are not merely men and women. We are GOD’S men and women! And in order to grow in that reality – we simply must allow Him to transform the way we think – away from soulish, self-centered, humanistic thinking and towards genuine Holy Spirit inspired, Christ-centered, God honoring thinking!
WHERE DO WE BEGIN?
Paul said to the people of Corinth that ‘I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ…” And then he taught them food that was appropriate for babies. There is no shame in being a baby in Christ – but there is something desparetely wrong with remaining one!
If we are going to have consecrated minds – holy unto the Lord, we must begin where we are and acknowledge our need for transformation. Your worldly thinking will not develop spiritual life! You need to be changed!
If we are going to move forward, one of the first things we must do is to:
• Ask the Lord to reveal worldly thinking.
David wrote in Psalms 139:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalms 139:23, 24, KJV.
PRAYER: Oh Lord – we invite you to examine us. Evaluate us. Look in every corner, behind every door, bringing revelation to us of anything that isn’t from you. Leave no hidden place unexamined! We need you to do this, and we know that your examination of us will be for our own good. And as you examine, we will repent and turn away from that which is not from you, because we do not want to remain worldly and weak. It is our desire to be Spirit-filled and strong in you! In Jesus’ name – Amen
Now, as His Spirit brings revelation…
• Take captive those thoughts and make them obey Christ.
Paul wrote:
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
If we are going to move to spiritual maturity, overcoming worldly thinking, than we simply cannot allow thoughts to remain unchecked! We must – as the Lord examines our thinking, and brings us revelation – submit those thoughts to the authority of Christ as Lord!
You cannot walk around claiming to be a Spirit-filled Christian if you are going to hold on to some sins as if they were your pet. Every thought must submit to Christ – no matter how precious that thought may be to your flesh or soul!
It is the little compromises that will destroy you! In Song of Solomon 2:15 we read this warning:
“Catch the foxes, the little foxes, before they ruin our vineyard…” Song of Solomon 2:15 GNT
God is very thorough in bringing about transformation – and you simply cannot hold on to ‘little unconsecrated thoughts’ if you are going to become a person of the Spirit! Those thoughts must submitted to the Lordship of Christ!
Then, as you move through this ongoing process…
• Ask the Lord to renew your thinking.
Your soulish thinking will not be changed by soulish effort – you need God to intervene with His transforming power.
God’s will is that you become renewed in your way of thinking. Ephesians 4:22 says…
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24, NIV.
And how does God renew our minds? He causes us to change our source of information.
Garbage In – Garbage Out.
Good stuff in – good stuff out!
Philippians 4:8 says…
“Finally, brothers, 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
If you are serious about having a consecrated mind that honors Christ – you need to evaluate all of your sources of information, and focus on those that build you up in Christ!
One of the areas that few Christians think about is ENTERTAINMENT. When we are watching TV, listening to music, reading books and magazines, surfing the Internet – do we EVALUATE? Do we ‘take captive’? Do we flee that which corrupts and run towards that which builds up?
Without being legalistic – I challenge you to consider carefully what you allow to enter your mind – in light of your desire to grow in Christ!
CONCLUSION:
Peter had a mind set on worldly things – and it was in direct contradiction to the purposes of God. Fortunately, God changed Peter’s mind. And he became a powerful force for the Kingdom of God!
This can happen in your life as well. God can work miracles in your thinking!
Consecrate your mind to Christ!
PRAYER
1. Salvation – the moment in time when God offered to change your nature from sinner to SAVED!
2. Baptism of the Holy Spirit – the moment in timed when God offered to fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit!
3. Consecration – the moment in time when you offer your life fully back to God as an expression of gratitude to Him!
Consecration is what Paul writes about in Romans 12:1
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1
In order to become who God created you to be – you’ve got to step away from self-centered ‘soulish’ and ‘fleshly’ living and become a truly spiritual person.
God wants you to have a consecrated SOUL: mind, emotions and will. TODAY we are focusing on having a consecrated mind. God wants to change the way your think!
“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:21-26
This story illustrates the need for a transformed mind. Jesus is teaching that He will suffer and die, and then He will be resurrected. As Christians, we know that this was His ultimate mission on earth – without this, we’d have no hope. But, we have the benefit of seeing the whole story unfolded.
Peter didn’t get it. His mind couldn’t conceive of what God was really up. Look at verse 22…
“Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” v. 22
Do you get what Peter did? Imagine the scene – Peter saying: “Uh, Jesus, can we step over here and talk for a moment.” And then when he gets Jesus alone, he says: “What are you doing! Knock it off! There is no way on God’s green earth that we are going to stand by and let this happen to you! We’ve got your back!”
And Jesus lands on him – vs. 23:
“Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” V. 23
Peter’s fleshly and soulish thinking was in DIRECT OPPOSITION to the plans of God! And Jesus tells him so in no uncertain terms – he calls him “Satan” and says he is a ‘stumbling block’ – why? Because Peter isn’t thinking like a spiritual man! He is thinking like a mere man!
That’s our problem – we think too much like humans. We need our MINDS transformed. We need to experience what Paul talks about in Romans 12:2…
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
We need transformation. We need the mind of Christ!
Turn to 1 Corinthians 2:12…
12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: 16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 2:12-16
v. 12 - Transformation of our minds comes from the Holy Spirit living within.
“but the Spirit who is from God”
v. 12 – The Holy Spirit enables us to UNDERSTAND the things of God!
“…that we may understand what God has freely given us.”
v. 13 – Christians speak God’s truth, taught by God’s Spirit!
“This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.”
v. 14 – The spiritual things cannot be comprehended in the flesh!
“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned”
v. 15 – Spiritual people are not subject to fleshly standards!
v. 16a – God doesn’t need our counsel!
“The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: 16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?”
v. 16b – Maturing Christians have transformed minds!
“But we have the mind of Christ.”
Now in chapter 13:1-3 Paul says some strong truths to the people in the Corinthian church:
3:1 “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Paul says – “Corinthian church – you are having all kinds of problems in your life and in your church – all of this jealousy, fighting and competition is the direct result of your spiritual immaturity! And, you say that you want the deeper truths of God, but you are proving that you simply are not ready for it by your attitudes and behavior.”
John Wimber, the late pastor and founder of the Vineyard churches wrote…
“As church leaders, we have little control over who shows up in our churches. It would be nice if we could form a “dream team” of capable, happy, well-adjusted, disciples who are willing to do anything necessary to conform their lives to the teachings of Christ and to His church- and give ten percent of their income. Unfortunately, everyone who comes to Christ, also come with all kinds of emotional and spiritual baggage.
That’s the raw material we deal with. Furthermore, as leaders we have what seems like an impossible goal. In describing his labor for the church, the apostle Paul writes: “We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ” (Col. 1:28). Paul wasn’t interested in presenting everyone reasonably OK in Christ. His goal wasn’t to present everyone sort of together in Christ, but Paul aimed to present everyone he had any degree of influence over perfect in Christ.”
And that is my goal as well. I desire two things:
1. That I’d be a truly spiritual man.
2. And that I’d have influence over others who desire the same thing.
Dear friends: We are not merely men and women. We are GOD’S men and women! And in order to grow in that reality – we simply must allow Him to transform the way we think – away from soulish, self-centered, humanistic thinking and towards genuine Holy Spirit inspired, Christ-centered, God honoring thinking!
WHERE DO WE BEGIN?
Paul said to the people of Corinth that ‘I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ…” And then he taught them food that was appropriate for babies. There is no shame in being a baby in Christ – but there is something desparetely wrong with remaining one!
If we are going to have consecrated minds – holy unto the Lord, we must begin where we are and acknowledge our need for transformation. Your worldly thinking will not develop spiritual life! You need to be changed!
If we are going to move forward, one of the first things we must do is to:
• Ask the Lord to reveal worldly thinking.
David wrote in Psalms 139:
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalms 139:23, 24, KJV.
PRAYER: Oh Lord – we invite you to examine us. Evaluate us. Look in every corner, behind every door, bringing revelation to us of anything that isn’t from you. Leave no hidden place unexamined! We need you to do this, and we know that your examination of us will be for our own good. And as you examine, we will repent and turn away from that which is not from you, because we do not want to remain worldly and weak. It is our desire to be Spirit-filled and strong in you! In Jesus’ name – Amen
Now, as His Spirit brings revelation…
• Take captive those thoughts and make them obey Christ.
Paul wrote:
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
If we are going to move to spiritual maturity, overcoming worldly thinking, than we simply cannot allow thoughts to remain unchecked! We must – as the Lord examines our thinking, and brings us revelation – submit those thoughts to the authority of Christ as Lord!
You cannot walk around claiming to be a Spirit-filled Christian if you are going to hold on to some sins as if they were your pet. Every thought must submit to Christ – no matter how precious that thought may be to your flesh or soul!
It is the little compromises that will destroy you! In Song of Solomon 2:15 we read this warning:
“Catch the foxes, the little foxes, before they ruin our vineyard…” Song of Solomon 2:15 GNT
God is very thorough in bringing about transformation – and you simply cannot hold on to ‘little unconsecrated thoughts’ if you are going to become a person of the Spirit! Those thoughts must submitted to the Lordship of Christ!
Then, as you move through this ongoing process…
• Ask the Lord to renew your thinking.
Your soulish thinking will not be changed by soulish effort – you need God to intervene with His transforming power.
God’s will is that you become renewed in your way of thinking. Ephesians 4:22 says…
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24, NIV.
And how does God renew our minds? He causes us to change our source of information.
Garbage In – Garbage Out.
Good stuff in – good stuff out!
Philippians 4:8 says…
“Finally, brothers, 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
If you are serious about having a consecrated mind that honors Christ – you need to evaluate all of your sources of information, and focus on those that build you up in Christ!
One of the areas that few Christians think about is ENTERTAINMENT. When we are watching TV, listening to music, reading books and magazines, surfing the Internet – do we EVALUATE? Do we ‘take captive’? Do we flee that which corrupts and run towards that which builds up?
Without being legalistic – I challenge you to consider carefully what you allow to enter your mind – in light of your desire to grow in Christ!
CONCLUSION:
Peter had a mind set on worldly things – and it was in direct contradiction to the purposes of God. Fortunately, God changed Peter’s mind. And he became a powerful force for the Kingdom of God!
This can happen in your life as well. God can work miracles in your thinking!
Consecrate your mind to Christ!
PRAYER
posted by Doug Love at 3:31 PM
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