Pastor Dave Martin Cross Creek Community Church Jan 6, 2008
“Getting Control of My Mind”
‘Building My Life’ series Part 2 of 10 ~ Eph 6:10-12
God’s Word is Powerful, Relevant, and Life Changing!
| Building my life series… you must be engaged in your spiritual growth… no growth autopilot. |
| I liken building our lives like what is happening outside… digging, footers, rebar, concrete, effort… |
| Signup sheet for workers… email/phone/availability… to “let you know” to help in construction. |
Review Last Week: “Getting Control of My Time”
| Time is a Divine Gift, Precious, Perishable & Limited |
| Choose to spend time wisely being cautious of “Time Bandits” |
| We learned 5 steps to implement to get control of our time… |
“Getting Control of My Mind”
| Critically important, this is the topic for our Bible study here every Wed night at 6:30… join us! |
| Getting control of our minds is a subject affecting everyone in this room… NO IMMUNITY |
| Good, bad & ugly, where do our thoughts come from? When they come, how do we handle them? |
| The age old struggle within… Paul tells us in Rom 7:15-25… the things he wants to do, he can’t and the things he doesn’t want to do, that’s what he does… oh wretched man I am… who will rescue me from this struggle - thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord! |
| Our sinful fleshly nature teams up with the world system coupled with the instigation of the devil… |
| There are three key truths we must understand in order to get to the practical steps… |
1. We’re engaged in an Invisible War with Eternal Implications.
Ephesians 6:10-12 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
| God commands all believers to be strong in the Lord & to stand against the devil’s schemes. |
| Why would God tell us this if it wasn’t extremely important? (with tremendous ramifications) |
| There is an invisible war… literally a battle for your mind… that has eternal implications… |
| Notice v12 says our hand-to-hand combat is not against flesh & blood but against demonic forces |
| Against the hierarchy/ranks of rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world & spiritual forces of evil |
| This battle is real… yet it’s often rejected, unknown or misunderstood… |
Seen Reality – Physical World
2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Unseen Reality – Spiritual World
2 Kings 6:15-17 15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. 16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." 17 And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
John 18:36 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."
| We are engaged in an invisible war with eternal implications. |
| The archway that bridges these two real worlds is prayer (Dan 10 – Wed night Bible study) |
2. The Devil Battles for Control of your mind.
2 Corinthians 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
| Who’s the “god of this age”? The Devil… He blinds the minds of unbelievers from getting saved |
| He also deceives the believer into thinking sin is OK, I can get away with it… we’re led astray... |
2 Corinthians 11:3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
| The devil is out to destroy you, your family, your church, anything connected with God whom he hates |
| The human mind is susceptible to the demonic unseen world’s attacks… this is the battle ground. |
| He battles to control your mind which controls your actions… the mind is ground zero. |
| It’s Critical; we must win this battle in our minds! This is where the struggle is won or lost. |
3. Half-truths, Lies, Suggestions, etc. are Planted in the Mind…
| Produces spiritual blindness (affecting truth) 2Co 4:4; Eph 2:1-2 |
2 Corinthians 4:4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
| Mt 13 parable of the sower – the evil one snatches away what was sown in his heart – the Word of God, truth… Matthew 13:19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. |
| Deceive, Defile, Discourage and Destroy Acts 5:3; Rev 12:10; Jn 10:10; Neh 2:19; Eph 6:11; 2Co 11:3; |
John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
| Genesis 3:4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. |
| I don’t need to teach Jr Church, someone else will do it… I’m not appreciated… I’m too busy |
| I can’t forgive them… so I’ll spend the rest of my life a bitter, resentful, unhappy person |
| The devil whispers lies… you believe them… relationships are destroyed, discouragement reigns |
Lying A Way Of Life
Lying seems to be a way of life for many people. We lie at the drop of a hat. The book “The Day America Told the Truth” by James Peterson & Peter Kim says that 91 percent of those surveyed lie routinely about matters they consider trivial, and 36 percent lie about important matters; 86 percent lie regularly to parents, 75 percent to friends, 73 percent to siblings, and 69 percent to spouses. Who’s behind it all? The Devil is the father of lies… that’s his native language.
| Mark Twain said, “Always tell the truth. That way, you don't have to remember what you said” |
Ephesians 4:26-27 26 "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
2 Corinthians 10:4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
| Footholds? Strongholds? What is God talking about? It about allowing the enemy to infiltrate & influence your life… It all begins in the mind… Let me give you an example… |
| Someone offended you in the past… you can’t let it go – thoughts keep returning, eats you alive, holding grudges – you refuse to get right with God… devils got you believing a lie… other person is spiritually soaring while you’re seething… that’s a stronghold the devil builds in your life… as a defeated Christian – no joy, bitter, negative, whiner, resentment, no spiritual growth |
| How about this one – the devil whispers… you can’t [pray, teach, sing, serve, give…] so you don’t… and this goes on year after year – living a defeated, miserable, angry, pitiful life… you’ve given the devil a foothold that grew into a stronghold which is harder to break free from. |
| These strongholds comes in every shape, size and color – addictions of every sort… from drugs & alcohol, eating disorders, hot temper, work alcoholic, sexual, cursing, unforgiveness, greed… |
| That is the reason God gives us this verse… |
Proverbs 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
· Remember our lives don’t run on autopilot… we must guard our minds!
· To do this it takes personal responsibility to guard your innermost being… living a Spirit filled life!
· Let the mind of the Master be the master of your mind. - Anon
Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason why so few engage in it. - Henry Ford, 1929
Five Keys to help you Get Control of your Mind…
Ephesians 6:13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
· When you go to war in the military, you better have body armor… Spiritual war requires –
· Belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, gospel of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit, prayer (the archway between the seen & unseen worlds)
· God gives us all the armor & weapons but we must utilize them or be defeated.
2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
· What do you do when temptation comes along or bad negative thoughts, some suggestion…?
· When an evil thought comes into your mind – you immediately take it captive for Christ
· If you ponder it – you’re dead meat! The devil’s got you… defeatville…
· He knows your weak link, he knows how to pull your chain… be ready to battle anytime! Heb 12:1
· The moment a thought comes, it should run through your biblical grid… if it doesn’t align with God’s Word… we take it captive… How? A deliberate conscious turning from it & turning to truth… bust forth in thanks & praise, verbalize God’s Word “Rehema”, claim a promise… get your thinking off the sin/temptation and onto the Lord…
· Result is to become more obedient to Christ.
John 8:31-32 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
· The devil is a liar… as a believer are you Bible illiterate – he’s got ya if you are…
· Get into the book of truth, obey God’s Word, stay clean from sin… watch your thinking change
Obeying – Bible – Prayer – Serving – Giving – Reaching
Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
· Get thinking about God’s glory, heaven, eternity with Him, salvation… not on worldly things…
· You only obey what you believe… how much time do you spend building your life spiritually?
· Being in God’s Word everyday learning & growing… praying for spiritual protection, your pastor/church/missionaries/CR/Teens/ministries… tithing giving back to the Lord a portion of what He has given to you, involved directly in ministry of Jr Church/nursery, greeters, ushers, parkers, behind the scene doers (the hero’s), volunteering time to help on the building (come out Monday), attempting to reach your family & friends for Christ before it’s eternally too late…
Colossians 1:13-14 13 For he (Christ) has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
· It’s all about Him! Jesus who rescued us from the dominion of darkness
· Understand the ramifications of this… Creator of the universe sent His perfect Son Jesus Christ
· Jesus who knew no sin became our sin bearing – dying in my place…
· Gospel presentation…
· Let’s Remember His Sacrifice Together! If the men would come at this time…
Mark 14:22-25 22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." 23 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many," he said to them. 25 "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God."
1 Corinthians 11:24-25 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
Let’s Pray