What Keeps People From Jesus

27 Turn to Ephesians Chapter 4:17 So where was the problem with the Gentiles? In the futility of their minds. Their problem was in their thinking.

4:18 What keeps people from following Christ? They are blinded in their mind. When it says they have hardness of the heart, it means that their minds have become hardened. They have put God out of their thoughts and minds. Have you ever heard someone say, "I don’t want to hear it." That is a hardened mind.

4:19 They have become callous, they are hardened. People indulge in sin when they have lost their sensitivity in their mind. People who live in blatant sin have lost sensitivity to the things of God. In the story of the Prodigal Son what you find there is before he turned his life around and came back to his Father there is a phrase that is used there, it says "He came to his senses" Where do you come back to your senses at? In the mind. He came back into his right mind.

There is the law of diminishing returns. Everything has this law. Remember the first time you held hands with a girl? You were excited. But then in a short time, the only thing that happens is you have sweaty palms. Because the human mind wants more. So then you put your arm around her shoulders, but before long, all that happened was your arm went to sleep, because the human mind wants more. I want to tell you this, the human mind always wants more and the here is why the law of diminishing returns works. Fantasy or imagination can never be equated by reality. Reality can never match fantasy or imagination. Fantasy or imagination are always beyond imagination. The root word for fantasy is Fantasia. You thought Fantasia was just a name for a Disney film. I am sure Disney knew what the word meant when they named the film. You see, Fantasia means ghostly. And many people live in this realm of allow their mind, their imagination, to constantly run beyond reality, and here is the problem today. It use to be when they created movies leaving a whole lot to the mind, but now they show everything and it pushes the mind to overdrive because the mind always tries to out think reality unless it is disciplined and founded in the Word of God.

Let me tell you what happens when this takes place, and I want to be direct with you. We have all heard of people who abuse children sexually. I don’t understand how someone can do that, but I do understand how it works. The mind allows a person to be pushed to do what we might have considered unthinkable. If you are driven by your mind, you will do unthinkable acts.

4:20. How do you know Christ, in the mind, in the spirit.

4:21 Where are you taught, in the mind.

4:22 Your computer has been programmed. How many of you know you own the greatest computer in the world, it is your mind. How many of you know that you can program your mind wrong.

4:23 You need to reprogram your computer.

4:24-27 Don’t give the devil a foothold, where? In your mind. How many of you have ever climbed and you have to get a foothold. It is amazing how much you can push up with a little foothold. And the devil comes and he wants a little foothold, and when he has it, he will push everything that he has in your mind. DON’T GIVE HIM A FOOTHOLD IN YOUR MIND.

What are some of those footholds? (bitterness, music, television, any kind of innocent thing that could have an influence on your mind like books--its great to read but there is a lot of junk out there. Like Stephen King--he has a warped mind--. ect.)

Hebrews 4:12-13 states (READ) The Word of God divides the mind and the spirit. It judges thoughts and attitudes. Where do are thoughts and attitudes come from, the mind.

It says that nothing is hidden from God’s sight. God is video taping your mind, where would you like to have that video played? God not only sees, but He is also wanting an account.

Church, understand, feelings always follow thoughts and the word of God has the energy and power of God in it and it does this:

1. It discerns what you are thinking

2. It tells you why you are thinking it if you allow God’s Word.

3. It will tell you what is motivating your thinking. Nobody thinks a thought without motivation. Nobody does an act without motivation. People just don’t do things because there was nothing else to do. You do it because you are motivated. Why do you eat? Because hunger motivates you. Why do you drink water? Because thirst motivates you. There is something that motivates you for everything that you do. The word will tell you.