OUT OF OUR MINDS!
PHILIPPIANS 2:5
02/01/95
It was in 1929 that a German scientist by that name of Hans Berger proved what many scientist had suspected for years that there is electrical activity in the brain. He proved that some of us run on 220 volts while other are running on about 110. Just kidding.
But his discovery led to the development of the, (pay attention now because this is the biggest word I have ever tried from the pulpit) elec-tro-en-see-fala-graph. What this device enabled medical personal to do was measure and record the electrical activity of the brain known as an EEG. This was found to be very helpful in diagnosing disorders and malfunctions of the brain. For the first time in history man was able to take a look at what was going on inside the brain.
We now have many modern devices which allow even a closer look at the brain. Thinks such as CAT scans and brain scans, all of which are very helpful to doctors.
But while we can see the function of the brain we cannot know that thoughts of that are inside. We cannot know what another person is thinking. This of course is for the better. As you can imagine what would happen if we could each others thoughts.
(Remember that Gilliagan island episode were they found those berries that let them read each other thoughts)
But let us say that it was possible for them to open up your mind and see what was in there. What would they find. I would say that if they could they would probably find some good stuff, but I also believe that they would find stuff that would bring to you much embarrassment and shame. I know they would with me.
If they could open our minds ups and have a look Paul tell us that what they would find in the mind of a Christian should be vastly different then what they would find in non-christian. Paul states what they should find in the mind of a Christian is the mind of Christ!
Let us look at our passage for today. Philippians chapter 2 verse 5;
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,"
In reading this what does it mean to you to have the mind of Christ? Let us take a look today at what scientist should find if they could look into the mind of a Christian. Let us look today at what the Word of God states is have the mind of Christ!
In doing this I just want to say that we will be looking at several other verse, you may want to jot these down and look then up later as you strive to have the mind of Christ.
In looking into this subject we can begin by saying that when they look inside the mind of Christian they should see that the Christian has the attitude of Christ. The Christian as the likes that Christ has. The Christian has the dislikes that Christ has. The mind of Christ is that mind that asks "What would Christ do in this situation?" It is a mind that seeks to imitate Christ in all that it does and thinks.
The mind of Christ would be one that is found to be asking questions such as, "Would Christ watch this movie?" Would Christ watch this TV program? Would he act the way I act at my job? Would he treat his family the way I treat my family? The mind of Christ is that which continues to ask itself "What would Christ do?"
And if you ever need the answer to that question just look it up in the Word of God. And I guarantee you will find it there.
So the mind of Christ is one that has the attitude of Christ and seeks to imitate Christ. Another thing the scientist would notice if they could look inside the mind of a Christian is that it is a renewed mind! It is a mind that is untainted by original sin, a mind that does not have it’s thoughts centered on this world, but on the things of above.
Romans 12:2 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
A renewed mind as the scripture states is not that has been conformed to this world, but a mind that is concerned with the perfect will of God. It is mind that does not agree with the immorality of this world just because society states that it is OK. It is a mind that knows what is good and acceptable according to the will and word of God.
To many time we in fact do allow society to shape how we feel about things, we allow ourselves to be conformed to this world. I think of the things they show on TV now a days. The swearing, the nudity, the violence. If you showed this stuff on TV ten years ago you would have had a tremendous outcry. Today, nothing, we just accept it as how society is. Am we accept it because we have allowed ourselves to be conformed to this world.
But for the Christian their mind should be renewed, they should be repulsed by what they see and refuse to take part in it.
Another thing which the scientist should see when he looks into the mind of a Christian is a mind that is full of the love of God. Love that is found in every part of the mind. Love that just kind of oozes out!
Luke 10:27 "So he answered and said, " ’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ’your neighbor as yourself.’ "
The love of God should be found in our minds. Notice the Scripture states that we should love God not with half our minds, but all our minds. Let me ask you, when is that last time you told God you loved Him? When you pray to God do you tell him how much you love Him? If you don’t you need to. You need to let the Love that you have for God fill every corner and crevice of your mind. And the love which we have for God needs to effect all of all thoughts, in fact if we do love God with all our minds as we should, everything that comes out of or into our minds should be affected by that love.
Another thing which our scientist would find if he could look into the Christian mind, or I should something he would not find, and that would be anxiety. The worry that would be found in most minds would be absent, or should be absent in the Christian mind.
Luke 12:29, The word of our Lord; "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind."
The Christian mind, the mind of Christ, is one of trust. It is a mind that trusts in the Lord. The unbeliever really as nothing to trust in other then him or her self. And we all know what that leads to, worry. When we trust in the Lord we can escape that worry. The Christian mind need to place his trust in God, because God controls all things. It is His world, He created it, He runs it, He is in charge. And that Christian mind is not an anxious mind because it trusts in the one who is in charge.
The scientist would also find that the Christian mind is a mind that has been set on humble things. It is not a mind that is obsessed with the riches of the world, it is not a mind that is concerned with keeping up with the Jones. It is not a mind that want power and authority, but it is a humble mind.
Romans 12:16 "Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion."
When you think about a humble mind is one that already has those thing we already spoke of. A renewed mind, controlled by the Spirit, a mind that love God, a love that puts God first. A mind that does not worry because it knows that God is in change. When you have these things, in the measure which you ought to have, it shows that you have a humble mind.
Now as our scientist digs deeper into our minds he begin to notice that in every Christian he looked at there minds would be the same. They would all have the same traits, the same concerns, the same purpose. Now they may differ in how to accomplish that purpose but the purpose would none the less be the same. They would all have that love of God oozing out of them, all have that lack of anxiety, all have the humbleness. He would see that the Christian minds are like one another.
Romans 15:5-6 "Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
In all the references in the Bible that deal with the Christian mind the one theme that is repeated over and over is that we are to be like-mined, that are to have one mind. And that mind of course is the mind of Christ.
Now last week talked about that at length, so I will not go into it here. But I do want to remind you just as the Bible does, that we are to be of one mind with each other.
As our scientist continues to probe the mind of a Christian he notices that it is a willing mind. A mind willing to obey God. A mind willing to do the things God has called it to do.
2 Corinthians 8:12 "For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have."
In the context of this verse Paul is speaking of giving, but in the broader context it speaks of having a mind which is willing to obey the Lord. It is mind willing to do those things which the Lord has called on us to do. Do many times we do not have a willing mind. We have a mind that is closed to God, a mind that wants to do what it wants to do. But the Christian mind, the mind of Christ is a willing mind, willing to obey God regardless of what it cost, regardless of what others may think. It is mind that wishes to show it’s love toward God by being obedient to Him.
Another thing our Scientist cannot help but notice about the Christian mind is that it keeps it thought on the things of above. It keeps it thought not on the things of this world which are passing away but on the thing that are eternal.
Colossians 3:2 "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."
How hard it is to do this. To keep our minds on the things of above. Yet this is the mind of Christ which are to have. Living in this world it can be at time difficult to realize that all that we see here, this church, the trees, the houses, all of it will be gone. And the only things that will be left are the thing that really matter. And those are the things we need to keep our minds on. For the only things which will last are the things of above.
As our scientist again goes to work looking into the Christian mind he again realizes that something is missing that he notices in other minds, and that is he notices that other peoples business is not there. He finds that the Christian mind is one that mind it’s own business.
1 Thessalonians 4:11 "that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,".
Now of course the Christian mind is not one that knows nothing about others. It is not a mind that minds it’s own business to the point of apathy, of not caring for others. It is a mind that may know others business for the purpose of bring that business up for prayer. For helping out that other person. If we known others business for the purpose of wanting to tell others, or for the sake of knowing something someone else does not know, then as Paul states the Christian mind, the mind of Christ, should mind it’s own business.
Now the last thing that our scientist notes in looking into the Christian mind is that it is a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
A sound mind is one that is not carried away with every wind of doctrine. A sound mind is one that does not go for superstitions. A sound mind is one that discerns between what is of God and what is not. A sound mind is one that does not go along with something because it sounds good. A sound mind tests everything according to the Scripture. A sound mind is what a Christian mind ought to be.
So that is what a scientist would find if he could look into a Christian mind. That is what he would find if he could look into the mind of Christ that we are all supposed to have.
Now we all know that that can’t be done. There are only two beings who know what is in your mind. That is you and God. No one else knows for sure. So look at your mind, what do see? Do you see that mind of Christ?
Do you have a mind which is renewed by the Holy Spirit of God. Do you have mind which is full of the love for God, do you love him with all your mind. Is your mind set on humble things the things of above? Or is it set on the things of this world, of the riches of this world?
Is your mind like that of other Christians? Are you like-minded with other Christians? And don’t kid yourself into thinking that they are the ones that need to change their thinking. Because maybe it’s you.
Do you have a willing mind? A mind that is willing to obey God? A mind willing to stand up for what is right in God’s eyes?
Do have a mind that minds it’s own business? A mind that desire to know about others for reasons of prayer and to help out. Or a mind that just want to know things so you can tell others.
Do you have sound mind? A mind that can discern that things of God? A mind settled on the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Only you know that answers to these questions. The rest of us can only guess what kind of mind you have by your actions. And know that if you have not trusted in Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour you cannot the mind of Christ. You can have none of what we have talked about today.
And while those who have placed their faith in Christ can have these things in their minds how many of us do?
So I call on each and every one of you here today, just as Paul called on those in Philippi, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus".
SHALL WE PRAY
