“It’s All in the Mind”
Joshua 1:1-9; Romans 12:1-2
When expectations are high it’s tough to wait. An Olympic athlete trains and prepares for years – then the Olympics are canceled due to political unrest. An elderly retired couple has saved for a lifetime in order to return for a once-in-a-lifetime visit to their native land – then one of them gets ill and the trip is postponed. A young navy bride is at the airport awaiting the arrival of her husband who’s coming home from the war – she receives a message that he has been detained and may not be coming. And most of us have some personal account of a period of frustrating waiting.
Imagine, then, the Israelites; 40 years of living and wandering in the wilderness – on the brink of but never entering the Promised Land; 40 years of frustrated waiting. Then God spoke: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them--to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. ... No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ...you will be prosperous and successful.” The Israelites’ future was now! All they needed to do was believe and act accordingly.
And that’s the way it is with God’s promises. For what fulfillment have you been waiting? For what promise do you long? I want you to know this morning that TO CLAIM THE PROMISES OF GOD WE MUST HAVE THE PROPER MINDSET. We must be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
The first element of a proper mindset, according to Romans 12:2, concerns our FRAME OF MIND: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world...” From what perspective do you see things? Perspective makes a difference. Do you see a glass half empty or half full? As Einstein said to his secretary, “2 hours with a beautiful woman is like 2 minutes; 2 minutes on a hot stove is like 2 hours.” Perspective makes a difference. Saul’s soldiers thought Goliath was too big to kill; David thought he was too big to miss! It’s perspective. An American writer put it, “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” So through what glasses do you see? THE GLASSES THROUGH WHICH WE SEE DETERMINE WHAT WE SEE.
The book of Romans clarifies this concept. In Romans 1:28 we read, “...since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind... they have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity.” Paul knows that each of us has a bent of mind, inclinations, a perspective from which we see. We have a mindset through which we think. In Ephesians 2:2 (NLT) he wrote, “You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.” There is a world order; it began in Genesis 4 when Cain went out of the presence of God to build a city, a city without godly principles. In Romans 12 – “Do not be conformed” – Paul is stating that we are not to allow our minds, and our lives, to be fashioned by, schemed together with the mindset of this world. We are not to be influenced by the world’s perspective of mind, not to look through these worldly glasses, which led to the crucifixion of Christ. The late theologian and Pastor John Stott wrote, “We need to repent of the haughty way in which we sometimes stand in judgment upon Scripture and must learn to sit humbly under its judgment instead. If we come to Scripture with our minds made up, expecting to hear from it only an echo of our own thoughts and never the thunderclap of God's, then indeed he will not speak to us and we shall only be confirmed in our own prejudices. We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behaviour.” (1)
We must grasp the fact that there is a difference in perspective. The world speaks of ‘my rights’ – the Bible speak of ‘my responsibilities;’ the world says ‘if it feels good do it’ – the Bible says ‘if it’s right, do it;’ the world believes sex is beautiful and should be plentiful because it’s meant for our enjoyment – the Bible states that sex is the ultimate act of a single, devoted love; the world promotes ignoring the sin and loving and giving special rights to the sinner – the Bible demands recognition of and punishment for sin while loving the sinner; the world advertises that there is no standard of right and wrong – the Bible shows that for everyone to do what is right in their own eyes leads to chaos; the world promotes the belief that no one can impose his or her beliefs on another – the Bible teaches that Jesus is the way, truth, and life; the world says there are many ways to God; Jesus said He alone was the way. So ask yourself: ARE MY GLASSES WORLD-COLORED OR WORD-COLORED? Romans 8:6-7 (CEV) – “If our minds are ruled by our desires, we will die. But if our minds are ruled by the Spirit, we will have life and peace. 7Our desires fight against God, because they do not and cannot obey God's laws.” We must have the right frame of mind.
And how do we procure the right frame of mind? With a proper FILLING OF THE MIND. Romans 12:2 – “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” As the New Living Translation puts it, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” Forming our mindset is A PROCESS OF TIME NOT A POINT IN TIME. The word used for ‘transform’ is the same word which describes the transfiguration of Jesus, and is also used by Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:18 when he wrote that we are being transformed into Christ’s likeness. We become like Christ by renewing our mind.
And how do we do that? We allow the Word of God to fully penetrate our minds. THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP A BROKEN VESSEL FULL IS BY KEEPING THE FAUCET TURNED ON. We need to spend significant time in the Word so the Holy Spirit can pump the holy water of God into us. In other words, we must master the Word of God. In his familiar invitation Jesus invited his followers, and us, to ‘learn of him’ (Mt. 11:29). The word he used for ‘learn’ was from the root of the word for ‘mathematics.’ Jesus was saying, “Study me, watch me; observe me; figure me out.” To the church at Ephesus Paul wrote (4:23-24 NLT): “Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” That’s a process. The Word seldom hits us like a lightning bolt; rather it is much more like a vitamin from which we feel no immediate effect, but which over time keeps us healthy and strong. It is the constant flow of water which keeps the vessel full. So how committed are you to mastering the Word of God? How much time do you spend in it learning of, figuring out Jesus? How many of you believe what you read or hear on the newscasts or in the paper? How many believe what you see in the Soaps or prime time shows? How many believe what you read in the Word? Why is it, then, that we spend more time listening to the media than we do studying the Word? Notice I said studying the Word, not just reading it. An old rabbi was walking down the village street. A member of his congregation came up and boasted loudly that he had read through all the volumes of the Talmud three times. Instead or praising the man the Rabbi replied, “The important thing is not how many times you have been through the Talmud, but whether the Talmud has been through you!” IT’S NOT HOW MANY TIMES YOU’VE BEEN THROUGH THE BIBLE BUT WHETHER THE BIBLE HAS BEEN THROUGH YOU. Part of the thrust of the Reformation was getting the Bible in the hands of every person so everyone could study and be reformed according to the Word. So what’s in your mind? What is your level of commitment to the Word?
There’s an appropriate little poem entitled “A Tragic Choice.”
On the table side by side; The Holy Bible and the TV Guide.
One is well worn but cherished with pride, (Not the Bible, but the TV Guide.)
One is used daily to help folks decide, No! It isn’t the Bible; it’s the TV Guide.
As pages are turned, what shall they see? Oh what does it matter, turn on the TV.
So they open the book in which they confide (No, not the Bible, it’s the TV Guide).
The Word of God is seldom read, Maybe a verse e’er they fall into bed.
Exhausted and sleepy and tired as can be, Not from reading the Bible, but watching TV.
So, then back to the table, side by side, Is the Holy Bible and the TV Guide.
No time for prayer, no time for the Word; The plan for salvation is seldom heard.
Forgiveness of sin so full and free Is found in the BIBLE, not on TV!
We develop the right frame of mind when we stay at the task of filling our minds with the Word of God.
When we fill our minds in this way, we will then have the right FOCUS OF MIND. Romans 12:2 – “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is...” Filling our minds must lead to obedience. Just as filling our car with gas does no good unless we get in the car and drive, so filling our minds does no good unless we live obediently. As the preacher wrote in Proverbs 4:25-27: “Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” The Reformation had a two-pronged emphasis – the leaders took their stand ON the Word but they lived UNDER the Word. A MIND BENT TOWARDS THE WORD PRODUCES A WILL BENT TOWARDS GOD. Look at Joshua 1:7-8: “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.” The purpose of God’s speech to Joshua was to encourage and demand obedience. There were walled cities to conquer and chariots of iron to fight – God would win the battle if the people would be strong and obey. And it is still true today – God will win the battles and deliver his promises if we obey.
What is your obedience quotient? Understand that THE HARDEST PERSON TO PUT UNDER THE CORRECTION OF GOD’S WILL IS ME. What is the bent of your will? Do you stand under as well as on the Word of God? Is obedience the focus of your life? There was a lumber town in the Old West. The citizens wanted a church so they built one and called a minister. He was well received, but one day he discovered some of his parishioners clawing onto the banks some logs floating down river from another village up stream. Each log was marked with the owner’s stamp on one end so the parishioners were cutting off those ends. The next Sunday the minister preached a forceful sermon on “Thou shalt not steal.” The people congratulated him enthusiastically. Yet he observed during the next week that the log stealing continued. So he prepared a follow-up sermon on the topic, “Thou shalt not cut off the end of thy neighbor’s log.” The church members ran him out of town. Is your life focused on obedience?
The issue of obedience is important because of the FORCE OF THE MIND. To Joshua God said, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” In Proverbs 4:20-22 the wise man urges us to keep the commandments “for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.” Moses told the Israelites, “I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you ...to keep his commands...” We can claim the promises of God through our obedience: BLESSINGS AND CURSES FLOW PROPORTIONATELY FROM OUR LEVEL OF OBEDIENCE. If I choose to live by the law of gravity, I will stay alive and function well; if I choose to jump out of an airplane without a parachute, I will be broken by the law of gravity and die. As Daniel Webster said, “If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering...but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.” As we sing in that great hymn “Trust and Obey”, “For the favor he shows and the joy he bestows are for those who will trust and obey.”
So the Reformers had it right: THE WORD HAS POWER TO CHANGE US AND THE WORLD. Reformation happens first in people – in us – and then in our world. And we are reformed, transformed, first through the renewal of our minds. It was Mahatma Gandhi who said, “You Christians have in your keeping a document with enough dynamite in it to blow the whole of civilization to bits; to turn society upside down; to bring peace to this war-torn world. But you read it as if it were just good literature, and nothing else.” Has that power changed your life?
So what’s in your mind? What do you want there? What will you do with the Word of God? Some of you will go away and continue to let the Bibles in your home collect dust beside the TV Guide – your life will miss out on the blessings of God. Some of you will try to read it, but just because the preacher said to. Some of you will continue to let the Word master you. I challenge all of us to heed the words of Jesus (Jn. 7:17 GNT): “Whoever is willing to do what God wants will know whether what I teach comes from God or whether I speak on my own authority.” Answer the challenge - it’s the way to learn of Jesus, to figure him out; it’s the way to be slowly transformed day by day, into the image of Christ; it’s the way to claim the wonderful promises of God. Let us all be reformed and reforming according to the Word of God.
1 - From "Culture and the Bible" (Downers Grove: IVP, 1981), p. 33. --Excerpted from "Authentic Christianity", p. 105, by permission of InterVarsity Press.
