Loving God With Your Mind Series

Loving God with Your Mind

Dr. Marty Baker / Mind Games #5 / February 16, 2003

stevenscreek.net

Over the last few days, I’ve heard several comments about the laptop computer story last Sunday. I’m still clean. There is one thing that I failed to tell you and that is, what’s inside this machine (hold up laptop). I am not talking about the twelve gig hard drive or the 128 meg of ram. I have the "most powerful word processor in America" loaded on this machine.

If you were to interview anyone in the office or on the tech team they would know what I am talking about. For the neophytes here this morning, the most powerful word processor in America is not Microsoft Word even though it’s the most popular; it’s not WordPerfect even though most lawyers prefer it. The most powerful word processor in America is Lotus Word Pro. I realize that most of you think Lotus only makes Lotus Notes and Lotus 123, but trust me hidden in that SmartSuite package is a tool that can help you communicate with great effectiveness.

The reason I am convinced of Word Pro’s power is that I have tried the others and found them to be good, but they pale in comparison to the ease of use, filters, and macros that Lotus provides. I will admit that the other pastors on staff are not convinced. In fact, they are Microsoft men, but between me and you, if Pastor Gene would have used Word Pro, his book Timely Words would have come out on time.

Some may say that the only reason that I am committed to the underdog in the software market is that I know it’s functions like the back of my hand. This may be true. I can maneuver text and create style sheets and even pull out a scripture from the Old Testament without even thinking about it. I can create tables, format frames, manipulate photos with a quick key stroke or a click of a mouse. I know Word Pro.

When tasks become familiar, we often times can do them without much thought. Many of you drive home from work every day and do not remember making certain turns or going through particular traffic lights. The drive home is so familiar that you appear to be using "autopilot". It becomes a "no brainer". We become so familiar with the drive or the situation that we coast right through it because we have it all figured out.

On occasion we approach God and the church with the same mentality. Church services become no brainer activities. People go through the motions of the day’s service without much thought. They sing the words off the screen, watch the dramas, and sit through the message without being really engaged in what is happening. Church becomes something they do instead of something they experience. It’s a "no brain" activity.

I believe that Jesus knew that we would wrestle with "autopilot" religion and that’s why he said in Mark 12:30 to:

Mark 12:30

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

When Jesus made this statement, he was talking to one of the teachers of the law. This religious attorney wanted to know what Jesus considered to be the greatest commandment in all of the scriptures. Jesus responded with this directive: to love God with your heart, soul, mind and strength.

Jesus encouraged this Scribe to be fully engaged in his relationship with God, and to keep his priorities in line. He encouraged this man to love God with his heart, soul, mind and strength. What does this mean?

To love God with our heart means that true worship is an act of our will. We make a decision to love God.

To love God with our soul focuses on our emotions. We allow our feelings to embrace God.

To love God with our mind focuses on loving God with our intellect. We reflect and ponder God’s word and wisdom.

To love God with our strength points to our willingness to obey his directives.

When we merge all of these together, we are well on our way to a high-speed D.S.L. Connection, not the Digital Subscriber Line, but Developing Spiritual Life. This level of spiritual devotion all begins with the mind. If we are going to connect with God, then we must open our minds to spiritual truth. To help us in this pursuit, we embarked on a series several weeks ago called Mind Games. This series is based on one scripture in Romans 12.

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.