The mind of christ
INTRODUCTION:
Text:
Philippians 2:5-11 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Table of Contents:
1. CHRIST’s Freedom
a. Wisdom From Above
b. Mind of CHRIST
c. Fruit of the SPIRIT
2. CHRIST’s Lifestyle
3. CHRIST’s Servant-hood
a. scriptural adjectives that describe role of a servant
4. CHRIST’s Manhood
5. CHRIST’s Holiness
6. CHRIST’s Name
7. CHRIST’s Virtue
BODY: Freedom in christ
I.) JESUS came to free the prisoners from the prison house
A.) First Sermon after baptism of John
Luke 4:18-21 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
1.) References scattered through Isaiah
Isaiah 61:2 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
2.) “Preach deliverance” & “Set at liberty”
Isaiah 42:6-7 6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
B.) Freedom
John 8:31-36 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33 They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
3.) Those Jews did not understand
4.) Paul takes up the subject
Galatians 5:1 1 For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage.
Philemon 1:14 14 but without thy mind I would do nothing; that thy goodness should not be as of necessity, but of free will.
Romans 8:2 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.
5.) Are we REALLY Free
Romans 6:18-23 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
6.) Are you bearing “fruit of holiness?”
I.) WISDOM FROM ABOVE
James 3:13-18 13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
James 4:1-3 1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
A.) Adjectives that describe;
1. Pure, peaceable, gentle, easy entreated, merciful, fruitful, steadfast, honest. i.e. “meekness of wisdom” i.e. (that comes from)
2. Contrast; bitter jealousy, glory against truth, lie against truth, factious, confusion, vile
B.) James 4; Lusts at war
1 Peter 2:11 11 Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul;
1. Your Lusts, what are they?
2. Write list of your lusts.
3. Some good, some bad?
4. That lusts you have, like an itch you can’t scratch
5. Once you start, it is hard to stop
6. devil capture you thoughts for 5 seconds
7. Controls your attention for five minutes
8. If studies in sexual behavior are true
One minute I be thinking of spiritual things
Next minute something “devilish”
Average young male has sexual thoughts every five minutes
Where does that leave him?
10. Materialism: Have you conquered it?
List may prove different
Qualities I wish for
Qualities I actually have
MIXED
CONFLICTED
C.) Need to deal with our “WANTS”
D.) JESUS had “WANTS”
1. What are JESUS’ first recorded words?
Luke 2:49 I must be about my Father's business?
2. 18 years later, at beginning of Galilean Ministry
John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
3. 2 years later near end of Galilean ministry
John 6:38 I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
4. Cleansing Temple
John 2:17 his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
Our problem today, atheist, humanist, Muslims have more zeal than the Lord’s children
5. near end of HIS earthly ministry
John 17:4 I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
JESUS’ LIST OF WANTS CONTAINS NO CONFLICTS
E. Defining our conflict
1. Does “Purity” conflict with “Peace?”
2. Does “Peace” aid or interfere with “being Gentle?”
3. Does “Gentleness make on more “Approachable” or less?
Does it Clash or Harmonize?
4. Begin to see the HARMONY in the Mind of CHRIST
5. The absence of conflict in “Wisdom from ABOVE.”
John 17:21-23 21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
James 1:8 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
James 4:8 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
6. Characteristics of “Wisdom from ABOVE” are INTEGRATED!
7. Wisdom of the world is conflicted
One lust in conflict with another
Would you agree it NEEDS CORRECTING???
II.) Fruit of the SPIRIT
A. CHRIST is GOD
B. But HOLY SPIRIT is GOD, too!
C. Next we need to look and the Fruits of the SPIRIT
D.) Make List
E.) Fruits of SPIRIT should demonstrate same mind as CHRIST
Galatians 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
1.) Does Love and Joy go together?
2.) Love and Peace see JESUS last discourse John 14-17
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
3.) Do these blend or conflict?
4.) Integrated
5.) work together
6. All Harmonize
MIND OF GOD IS HARMONY, INTEGRATED
MIND OF MAN IS CONFLICTED
III.) 2 list of virtues
A.) James “Wisdom from ABOVE”
1.) List of ADJECTIVES
B.) Galatians “Fruit of the SPIRIT”
1.) List of NOUNS
C.) Are they in HARMONY?
1.) Can we say “PURE LOVE?” do they go together?
2.) Can we say “PURE JOY” does that work?
3.) Can we say “GENTLE GOODNESS?”
4.) Can we say “FRUITFUL FAITH?”
D.) Two List ALSO are in HARMONY!
E.) Further more…………..
1. If we change adjectives to their NOUN FORM;
2. And change NOUNS to their ADJECTIVE FORM;
3. Can we say “LOVING PURITY?”
4. Can we say “JOYFUL GENTLENESS?”
5. Can we say “”FAITHFUL HONESTY?”
Does that work???
F.) The MIND of GOD is ABSOLUTELY at one with ITSELF
1. NO CONFLICT; at peace
H.) BUT, what about MY MIND, i.e. WANTS, GOALS, LUSTS?
1.) I am NOT EVEN CLOSE
2.) How can I fix this?
3.) How can I Become GODLIKE?
4.) What do I do with my LISTS?
III.) OUR TEXT
A.) Freedom in CHRIST
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
1.) FINE; but, how do you get thgere from here??
Romans 6:14 sin shall not have dominion over you:
2.) I read these verses;
3.) But my LIST stays the same!!!
4.) Fruit of SPIRIT & Wisdom from ABOVE at harmony
5.) MY Lusts create conflict
6.) I am at war with myself
7.) WHAT is the answer
B.) Maybe, at least for now, I can’t rid myself of my conflicts
1.) There is one thing I SHOULD be able to do….
Matthew 6:33 seek ye first the kingdom of GODand HIS righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
2.) SURELY, I can at least BEGIN to work on PUTTING HIM FIRST
3.) Begin the weigh MY LIST against KINGDOM
4.) MY list is SELF SEEKING
5.) I need to make a change
Luke 2:49 my Father's business?
Luke 22:42 not my will, but thine, be done.
6.) Can I BEGIN to do that?
Wisdom from above has a starting place
PURE
Our motive can be PURE even if all our thoughts and actions do not fall perfectly in line…….YET
CONCLUSION:
CHRIST seeks to set us free
What is holding us back
BONDAGE
Areas of BONDAGE
Old Habits
JESUS had habits…………it’s just that ALL OF HIS WERE GOOD!
1. Getting up early to pray
Mark 1:35 35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
2. Going to the synagogue
Luke 4:16 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
3. Reading
Etc., etc.
