Understanding the Mind of Jesus
Introduction
• What if I told you that you can know the Mind of Christ?
o Would that be compelling?
o Would it encourage you to study God’s Word?
o Would you be encouraged to adopt His mindset?
? We are to become more like Him!
• What if I told you there are practical ways to discover and apply the Mind of Christ in every day life?
• What if I told you that you could not only learn to live the mind of Christ, but also help others to do the same?
It sounds like a sales pitch!
It must be “too good to be true”!
BUT
It’s NOT!
Now if it were up to me to discover some secret, or any man for that manner; or even for me to teach you this based merely on experience would be foolish!
Thankfully, God’s Word provides a clear and simple teaching on how ANYONE can know how to Understand and LIVE the Mind of Christ!
• The mind of Christ
o Is not incomprehensible mystery
o It is not a game of hide and seek
o It is not nuclear physics!
o It is not some secret that only the enlightened will discover!
o INSTEAD
? God displays it openly and clearly
? We find it in the book of Philippians
• Philippians 2:5 – often the WWJD text
o Some translations read: Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus
o CSB: Adopt the same ATTITUDE as that of Christ Jesus!
o But take it back a few verses and you will discover something AMAZING:
o 1-5 (READ)
o These verses will guide us over the course of the next few weeks!
• Why is this important?
o Another way to ask this question: Why aren’t more ppl living their lives according to the MIND of Christ?
? As Christians we SHOULD
? Perhaps some do not realize the benefits that come with knowing the mind of Christ, with UNDERSTANDING Him.
? Perhaps ppl have listened to mis-teachings, or mis-understood good teachings
? Perhaps there is this thought that we CANNOT understand God’s mind – that we are unable to fathom the mind of Jesus
• I will say it again: the Bible is crystal clear as to the instructions on how to live out the Mind of Christ!
• Common misconceptions
o Only the spiritually elite are able to live out the mind of Christ
? Well – Who exactly are the spiritually elite?
• Deacons? Pastors? Monks?
? This is 1 I have dealt with – thinking only some ppl “got it”.
• Namely the ppl who wrote the Bible, or those super wise and respected preachers of days gone by.
? This one is mainly brought on because there are those people who always seem to know what to say, what to do, and those who struggle.
• Which suggests (wrongly) that those who know what to say and do are spiritually superior.
• What this does is cause us to look at humanly examples – instead of what God says!
o Now this is double edged, because we SHOULD look to and have our heroes our mentors that we to be learn from, but they cannot replace the ultimate exemplar (Christ)
? We MUST not believe that we need to reach the spiritual level of (whomever) in order to reach the mindset of Christ -> we are unique and wonderfully made individuals!
o The Mind of Christ is some generalized, cliché, that cannot be specifically defined – and thus is really unachievable and unplayable.
? So this one is the exact opposite of Misconception #1.
? Instead of only a few being able to achieve it – none can
• None can ever really know what the mind of Christ is because it is so hard to define.
? This happens when we take Phil 2:5 and make it very GENERALIZED
• I have been guilty of this as well
• What happens is we think we are giving good advice, but we are not
• Something happens and we say, hey WWJD?
• Attempting to apply this broken theology to every minute situation, without ever really digging into the issue at the moment.
• Example?
• Simple catchphrase
? NOW – again, we should continue to use this – WWJD – but we can’t use it as a copout! We have to be willing to walk with our brothers and sisters though things – and in our own life, ask the question, turn to God, think through the issue, and then act!
? BUT when Paul wrote these words to the Philippians, HE NEVER meant for them to be used in a general fashion!
• They are not a blanket phrase for all Christian counseling session!
• Paul’s words were VERY SPECIFIC!
• SO What IS the Mind of Christ?
o That is exatly what we will be discussing over the next few weeks!
o Using the Book of Philippians
o Simply
o What does the book say about the Mind of Christ?
o HOW TO LIVE it!
o What do I want from you?
? BRING YOUR BIBLE!
? OPEN YOUR MIND!
? Be willing to learn!
