It’s All In Your Mind

IT’S ALL IN YOUR MIND

Eph. 4:23

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. An 8 year old boy and his 5 year old sister were riding in the back seat of the car. Their mom was overhearing their conversation.

2. BOY: “There is so much to think about. I just think all the time.” He asked his sister, “Do you think all the time?”

3. GIRL, pausing, “No, I only think about half the time.” Funny, especially if she was blond, but someday she’ll learn that our brains are always working, even when we’re sleeping. Our mental computers are never shut down.

B. MANY HAVE TROUBLING THOUGHTS

Our constant thinking breeds, not only good thoughts, but bad thoughts as well. Examples:

1. A fine Christian businessman confided in his Pastor, “I’ve been having vulgar, disturbing thoughts. I try to control my thinking but nothing seems to work. Can you help me?”

2. A young Christian writer confides that when he gets in certain situations, or hears certain music, they trigger memories from his former ungodly lifestyle which troubles him.

3. WHAT SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT CONTROLLING OUR THOUGHTS?

C. TITLE

1. The title of this message is “It’s all in your mind.”

I. IT’S IMPORTANT WHAT YOU THINK

A. OUR MINDS ARE A BATTLEGROUND

1. Prov. 23:7, “As [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he.” We all have heard the message about eating good food – “You are what you eat.” We should ask ourselves the question, what kinds of information are we exposing ourselves to?

2. If we watch horror shows, we will likely have fears and nightmares. If we look at sexual material, we will develop lust, etc. If we harbor hatred, we will begin to meditate on harming other people.

3. On the other hand, if we limit our thinking to positive subjects, we will can have peace and positive emotions. Paul encouraged this type of thinking, “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” Phip. 4:8.

4. Someone asked me if it was a sin to be tempted. I responded, “Only if, after the initial thought (from Satan) you choose to keep thinking about it.” An analogy: “You can’t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair.”

5. We have 2 natures at war in us: the old fallen nature (connected to our bodies), and our new nature from Jesus.

6. ILLUS. There was a man in Alaska who had two dogs (one black & one white), which he allowed people to fight and gamble for. Sometimes one would win, sometimes the other, but the owner always seemed to know which would win. A close friend asked him, “How do you know which will win?” He said, “The one which I feed that day is the one that will win.” It’s the same with us; if we feed our lower nature, it will get stronger. If we feed our heavenly nature, it will get stronger. Paul said, “Make no provision for the flesh” Rom. 13:14.

B. CORRECT THOUGHT LIFE = 1ST STEP IN A CHRISTIAN’S PURSUIT OF HOLINESS.

1. “Do not conform 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” Rom. 12:2.

2. Eph. 4:23 says, “to be made new in the attitude of your minds and put on the new self, created to be like God....” Col. 3:10 says, “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

3. Critically important is Rom. 8:6, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” We’re supposed to “put off” our old nature and “put on” the new nature of Christ. This can only happen AFTER we have Jesus come into us by His Spirit – only He can change us from the inside out, but we still need to cooperate.

C. IF YOUR THINKING IS FAULTY AT THE BEGINNING, THEN YOUR BEHAVIOR WILL FAIL AT THE END.

1. ILLUS. In many great underground caves are huge stalactites and stalagmites. These immense stone pillars were formed over thousands of years by single drops of water, each leaving a tiny amount of sediment. It’s the same with our tiny thoughts slowly forming our character.

2. SOW..................................REAP

A thought........................an act

An act.............................a habit

A habit...........................a character

A Character....................a destiny

3. The believer’s goal? To capture every thought and make them obedient to Christ. “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 Cor. 10:5. How do we establish new patterns of thought?