Well, I've been greatly helped over the years through good biographies, and so I have some here.
I actually read about some godly people. I was never really a history kind of guy growing up. I liked math and science. I wasn't really a literature and grammar person, and so history didn't really sit well with me.
But as I have grown up a little bit, I have come to appreciate more and more the beauty and the greatness of God showing up in the lives of saints of old.
Men and women, good biographies have helped to shake me out of my own complacency and helped me to realize how small I am compared to the men and women of old.
And I would commend that to you. I'll get to that towards the end of the message.
But I want to begin just with a story about one of my heroes. George Mueller was one of them.
He lived in the 1800s, and he lived till he was in his mid-90s.
A guy that till the day he died, he was actively pursuing a life of joy in God and a life of service to God.
Talk about a man of faith.
And it didn't begin that way for him because he didn't really come to Christ until he was in his mid-20s.
But once he made that commitment to Christ, and once he began to see who God was from the Scripture,
it began to change everything about the way he lived.
He saw that the Bible was talking about a real person,
and he saw and understood that the Bible's description of God was meant to be acted on.
Not just filling up the reservoir of data and knowledge in our minds,
but the knowledge was sufficient for faith.
It was sufficient for action.
Here is what he says at the very beginning of his time as a believer,
and this is the mission statement that guided him throughout the rest of his life.
He says,
I have joyfully dedicated my whole life to the object of exemplifying
how much may be accomplished by prayer and faith.
I have joyfully dedicated my whole life to the object of exemplifying
how much may be accomplished by prayer and faith.
Now, that mission statement began as a new believer in one form
and resulted in greater steps of obedience as he was tender and receptive to put those things to work.
As he continued to take baby steps into believing God
and trusting that God would do what he promised to do,
at the end of his life looking back,
you could see the landscape of amazing accomplishments,
not because of George Mueller,
but because of George Mueller's willingness and commitment to trust God to do amazing things.
To make good on the promises that God had given to George throughout the Scripture.
Now, I'm sure that many of you are aware of the commitment that George had to orphan care.
It started small and continued to grow throughout the course of his life.
There were just a couple people, a couple young children that he adopted into his family,
and that grew into dozens and then to hundreds and then to literally thousands,
so that during the course of his life he had as many as 5,000 kids at one time that he was helping to care for.
His commitment was that he would never ask anyone for money,
but that he would depend fully on the ability of God to answer the requests of his life,
the prayers that he would pray,
that God was sufficient to minister and to take care of the needs that George would have.
He opened his orphan house with these three goals in mind.
The first is that God may be glorified in so furnishing the means as to show that it is not vain thing to trust in him.
Two, that the spiritual welfare of the fatherless and motherless children may be promoted.
And that's a biblical thing.
And number three, that their temporal good may be secured.
Now, there is story upon story of how God showed up for George Mueller.
As a matter of fact, he has a journal that records over 10,000 answers to prayer that he had through the course of his life.
Specific requests that George had made that God fulfilled in very deliberate and specific ways.
But one story kind of gives an idea of what we're talking about.
A gentleman came and was visiting the orphanage and saw how many kids there were in this orphanage.
And he asks the lady who was overseeing this particular dormitory.
There were several of them.
They couldn't all fit in one spot.
And he asks her and says to her,
Of course, you cannot carry out these institutions without some good stock of funds, correct?
And the gentleman added,
Have you good stock?
Meaning, do you have good resources?
Do you have a bank account that's full?
No.
The response was this.
Our funds are deposited in a bank that will not break.
The reply drew tears from the eyes of the lady and the man, sorry, the man who asked the question.
And then a gift was given of five pounds, five dollars at the time, from the pocket of this gentleman.
A donation that was very timely because at the time there was not even a penny to be spared in the house.
But a commitment to the faithfulness of God to see this ministry through.
And there were countless opportunities, countless times in which the children would sit down at the table with nothing to eat.
A knock would come at the door.
And a delivery man said,
My truck broke down outside and I would love to donate my milk and bread to you.
And God faithfully supplied the needs of those who were in this orphanage.
Time and time again,
A commitment to faith demonstrated the faithfulness of God, the trustworthiness of God to come through at every moment.
What I'd like us to understand is the correlation now to our passage in Romans chapter 8.
Because the passage that we're going to be focusing on this morning, Romans chapter 8 verses 5 to 8,
begin to help us understand the significance of our thinking.
The significance of recognizing how fundamental our mind and our thoughts are in relationship to the spiritual life.
What you think about God and what you believe about God will help indicate for you where you stand with God.
So if you would turn with me to Romans chapter 8.
Let me read this passage for us and we'll begin our study.
It says,
In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh,
but according to the spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh set their mind on the things of the flesh.
But those who live according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit.
For to set your mind on the flesh is death, but to set your mind on the spirit is life and peace.
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile towards God.
It does not submit to God's law.
Indeed it cannot.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
As we've been walking through this chapter together, there have been some truths that have come to the surface.
We've begun to recognize the significance of the work of Jesus Christ in declaring for us no condemnation.
It is a work that Christ has accomplished in our place and in our stead so that we did not have to bear the condemnation that we deserved.
And that as a result of the saving work of Christ, the declarative work of Christ,
the formal doctrinal theological term justification, having declared us righteous, now leads to something else.
It leads to a sanctifying work, a setting apart work, a purifying work that happens in our life through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul has preceded this conversation in Romans chapter 8 to help us recognize that this struggle that we face now as those who are believers,
those who are in Christ, is not an easy struggle.
He says in Romans chapter 7, as he's talking a little bit about this struggle,
he compares it to a war that is raging within you.
Romans chapter 7 verses 22 and 23 says this,
For I delight in the law of God in my inner being, but I see in my members another law,
waging war against the law of my mind,
making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
He follows this in a later passage in 2 Corinthians.
He describes this similar struggle using similar terms in 2 Corinthians chapter 10.
Listen as I read, beginning in verse 2,
I beg you that when I am present, I may not have to show boldness with confidence,
as I count on showing against some of you who suspect us of walking according to the flesh.
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh,
but have divine power to destroy arguments.
We destroy arguments in every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God
and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
being ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.
So I'm going to frame our conversation this morning
in points that describe the battle that we are in.
It is a spiritual struggle.
It is you are in spiritual war against the heavenly places,
against the schemes of the devil,
who wants to come in and bombard you with temptations,
but also a struggle against your own flesh,
the difficulties you have of reverting back to your old way of life,
and the Holy Spirit, in fact, trying to overcome and help you
to live the pure, righteous life that he has called you
and enabled you to live.
But first, I want you to notice this morning
that this battle that we're in is a battle for the mind.
It is a battle for the mind.
For those who live according to the flesh
set their minds on the things of the flesh.
But those who live according to the Spirit
set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
It is a battle for your mind.
First and foremost,
what you think is what you believe.
And what you believe is what you'll act on.
We said this in the tail end of our series in 1 John.
You are what you believe.
Not what you say you believe,
but what you, in fact, really believe.
It will play out in how you live.
Just as it played out for George Mueller.
His commitment to believe that God was able and sufficient to provide
led him to trust God in very difficult and hard circumstances
that seemed impossible,
but his commitment to faith demonstrated the trustworthiness of God.
It is a battle for your mind.
There are really only two possibilities in life.
You are either one who is of the flesh,
one who is living consistently by the flesh,
and in this passage,
as Paul is beginning to demarcate between these two groups of individuals,
these are unregenerate people.
Those who are not in Christ,
and thus those who are condemned.
The other group, of course,
is those who are in the Spirit.
Those who demonstrate a consistency,
a pattern of life,
of an affection for the things of God.
Allowing the Holy Spirit to speak into their lives,
and to guide,
and to govern their thoughts,
their beliefs,
and their activities.
Those then would be the ones who are regenerate.
Those who are in Christ,
and thus those who are pronounced no condemnation.
It all begins, though,
with how we think.
Paul uses several words in this verse
to help us understand the significance
of the permanence of what he's talking about.
He uses the word to live,
which is given to us in a present active participle.
He wants us to recognize
that this is an ongoing way of life.
A perpetual, present activity of life.
Those who are living in a way
that is giving themselves to fleshly thinking.
He also uses the word according to,
which refers to their basic spiritual welfare.
What is their bent?
What is their tendency?
What is their likelihood or orientation
in relationship to how they think?
Are they those who think according to the flesh,
or are they those who think according to the Spirit,
governed by the things of the flesh,
or of the Spirit?
And the third word that is used consistently
throughout these next several verses
is the word to set your mind,
to establish or to set something.
It, again, refers to basic orientation,
a thought pattern.
It's not dealing specifically
with the intellectual way of life,
but it is dealing with attitudes.
It's dealing with affections and reasoning.
What governs the way you make decisions?
What helps to lead you and guide you
in the purposes that you have in life?
It's used, this word used four times
in these four verses.
Maybe you would remember this verse
in Colossians chapter four, verse two.
Set your mind on things above, right?
Not on the things that are on the earth,
for you died and your life is hidden
with Christ in God.
Same word.
You're, to establish or to set your mind
on the things that are either fleshly
or the things that are spiritual.
Now, to be clear, I want us to understand
and recognize that there are times in life,
and Paul has even talked about this
in Romans chapter seven.
There are times in life where even though
the pattern of life is set in thinking
about the Spirit, where we fall into,
we fall into areas of sin and thinking
according to the philosophies of the world.
We get caught up in fleshly,
earthly, temporal pleasures.
We're not guided by the Holy Spirit
in our affections, and we sin.
Paul is clear about how that war is raging
in his own life, and he says that he wants
to do, in chapter seven, he desires to do
what God calls him to do,
but he even sees in his own members
a law that is waging war against the members
of his mind, making him captive to the law
of sin that dwells in him.
There are times where even godly people
step in to sin.
But the consistent pattern of those
who are walking after the Spirit
and living according to the Spirit
is those who are setting their minds
on the things of the Spirit.
Maybe if I can put this in movie vernacular.
We've been watching Lord of the Rings
and The Hobbit at our house
over the last couple of weeks.
Now, I think that movie series
does a great job helping us to understand
the significance of the ring.
How many of you watched?
You don't have to raise your hand.
You've watched.
All right, good.
I have a taker back there in the back.
Thank you.
You know the journey of the ring,
taking that ring back to Mordor, right?
And dumping it into the fires of Mordor
to finally remove this blemish,
this spot, this stain on the earth.
But regardless of who takes the ring,
they are overcome.
By the burden of sin.
Whether you're an elf,
or whether you're a wizard,
or whether you're a dwarf,
wherever you might be,
even The Hobbit,
even Frodo at the very end
is unable to cast that ring
into the fires of Mordor.
It totally changes the heart and perspective.
It is a gripping anxiety
that overcomes everyone who carries the ring.
The same is true
only to a greater degree
the corruption that happens
of sin over an individual.
And Paul wants
to leave no room for confusion.
Those who deliberately
and consistently
walk and live according to the flesh
demonstrate
that their mind
is actually set on things of the flesh.
But those who consistently
live according to the Spirit,
the Spirit's life
will show up inside
and overcome
the sin barrier
that's in their heart
and help to lead them
and enable them
to godliness
and purity.
We find some of the corrupting force
of sin
found in Ephesians chapter 4
verses 17 to 20.
Look at some of these descriptive words
in this passage.
Now this I say
and testify in the Lord
that you must no longer walk
as the Gentiles do
in the futility of their minds.
They are darkened
in their understanding,
alienated from the life of God
because of the ignorance
that is in them.
Due to the hardness
of their hearts
they have become callous
and given themselves
up to sensuality,
greedy to practice
every kind of impurity.
But that is not
the way you learned Christ.
So those who are
in the flesh
have no choice
but to walk
in the way of ignorance,
to walk in a way
of futility,
to demonstrate
their true character
of those
who are alienated
from God.
The passage continues
in verses 22 to 24
to begin to describe
now the work
of the spirit
in your life.
You're to put off
the old self
which belongs
to your former manner
of life
and is corrupt
through deceitful desires
and to be renewed
in the spirit
of your minds
and to put on
the new self
created after
the likeness of God
in true righteousness
and holiness.
You see,
that's what the spirit does.
Jesus,
in speaking to Nicodemus,
wanted to help him
understand the significance
of the new birth
and he says,
that which was of the,
of the,
that which is born
of the flesh
is flesh
but that which is born
of the spirit
is spirit.
Nicodemus,
I tell you,
you must be born again
and Nicodemus
didn't understand
but what Jesus
was pointing to
was the work
of the spirit
in life
to help regenerate them
and to make them
a new individual
completely,
this complete
transformation
and as the Holy Spirit
who is God
and dwells a life,
he will help
the mind
overcome
the sinful
tendencies,
the sinful
desires
and lead us
to new joys,
to new satisfactions,
to lead us
to true
righteousness
and holiness.
There is a mandate
that God
has given to us,
a mandate
to align
our hearts
and our lives
to his,
the spirit's work.
There is a mandate
to alienate
our thoughts
and convictions,
convictions,
to align
our thoughts
and convictions
to God's thoughts.
His standard
then becomes
our path.
We look for direction
from his word
rather than the philosophies
of the world.
We saturate
our minds
in the things
of the scripture,
those things
that are pure
rather than those things
that are unwholesome
and unholy.
Philippians 4.8
says this.
It says,
Finally, brothers,
whatever is true,
whatever is honorable,
whatever is just,
whatever is commendable
and pure
and lovely,
if there's anything
excellent,
if there's anything
worthy of praise,
think about
these things.
Now, there was a time
where I did
some youth ministry
and the constant
complaint
or criticism
that I would get
was,
hey, I can listen
to that music,
I can watch
that movie,
I can play
that game
because God
doesn't forbid
that.
But the call
for us
as spiritual people,
those who are called
to a spiritual life
is not just
to avoid
the clear
ungodly things,
but it is
to pursue
the things
that are righteous.
It is to have
as a perspective
what is true
and honorable
and just
and pure,
that those things
will dictate
to us
the activities
and the thoughts
that we are to have.
What are we
filling
our minds with?
When we come
to really appreciate
the truth,
we come to understand
how vital it is
to condition
our minds
to think
God's way.
Just the other day,
I was driving home
with the windows open
and there was a guy
who pulled up
beside me,
his windows were down,
his music was blaring
and I could feel it.
You know,
you ever been
next to those?
You're like,
wow,
I like feeling your music
and hearing your music.
Well,
I have never listened
to violent rap music
before,
it's just not
something I do.
but I was absolutely
horrified
with the
violence
of the music
that he was playing
and I looked over
to see,
who is this guy?
and he was a normal guy.
But let me tell you,
if he actually carried out
the things
that were in his music,
he would be in prison
for life
because they were
murderous
and heinous
to the core.
I did a
quick search,
I probably shouldn't have,
the top 25 rap songs
that are the most violent
and it is
repulsive
to see
what our
kids
and what our
teens
and what the
younger generation
is filling their minds
with on a consistent
basis.
There is no wonder
why
we're a generation
of individuals
who is given
to violence
because of what
we fill our minds
with.
It's not spiritual
things,
not godly things,
not pure things,
not lovely things,
but vile
and wicked
and repulsive,
reprehensible
in every way.
The question
about our mind
is a question
about ownership.
Who
do you belong to?
Who is your
master?
Are you a
master to your
flesh
or are you a
master
to the spirit?
And here's why
it is so important
is because
in the next verse,
verse 7,
we finally see
the implications.
Here are the
implications
of a life
given to the
flesh versus
a life
given to the
spirit.
For to set
your mind
on the flesh
is what,
church?
Death.
But
to set
your mind
on the
spirit
is life
and peace.
It is a
battle
of life
or
death.
life.
That's
point number
two.
There is no
middle road.
There is no
both and
in this
scenario.
It is either
life
or
death.
Life
that begins
with God
and continues
for eternity
or death
that is
perpetual
and leads
to eternal
separation
and damnation
forever
separated
from God
and hell.
It is
a significant
and urgent
crisis that we
face.
A question
that we must
answer.
Because to set
the mind
on the flesh
is death.
James
chapter 1
talks about
this a little
bit because
we tend
to
push away
and point
fingers
and find
somebody to
blame for
our sin.
God wants
us to
understand
that sin
not only
leads to
death but
sin is
your problem
and it
begins in
the mind.
Here's what
he says.
Let no one
say when
he's tempted
I'm being
tempted by
God for
God cannot
be tempted
with evil
and he
himself
tempts
no one.
But each
person is
tempted when
he is
alert and
enticed by
his own
desires.
Then
desire when
it is
conceived
gives birth
to sin
and sin
when it
is full
grown
brings
forth
death.
Sin
begins in
your mind.
It begins
with how
you think.
It leads
to action
and then
leads to
death.
Not only
eternal death
and separation
from God
forever but
even death
today.
Barrenness
in your
relationships.
Fruitlessness
in your
personal life.
life.
No
fellowship
with God.
No
light
in his
presence.
No
insight
in
decision
making.
You have
nothing but
relational
conflict,
emptiness,
fear,
destructive
behavior,
deception,
ruin of
others for
personal gain.
Those are
all coming
from Romans
chapter 3
verses 10
and following
to describe
the consequences
of those
who carry
out the
sinful
fleshly
tendencies
that are
within them.
There is
nothing but
barrenness
and death
in their
life.
But don't
misunderstand
as the
psalmist is
looking at
those who
prosper around
him.
He asks
the question
why do
they seem
to prosper?
Why is
justice not
occurring?
his takeaway
after his
spending time
in prayer
with the
Lord?
He says
then he
considered
their end
and when
he considered
their end
he realized
it was an
entirely
different
scenario
because God
sets them
in slippery
places.
God will
enact
vengeance
on them.
Justice
will prevail.
None
will escape.
But
to set
the mind
on the
spirit
is life
and peace.
First
and foremost
it means
that we
have life
and peace
with God.
Romans
5.1
says
therefore
since we
have been
justified
by faith
we have
peace
with God
through our
Lord
Jesus
Christ.
Because
of the
work of
God
in our
lives
we can
enjoy
peace
with the
only one
that really
matters
and that
is God
himself.
We
can have
fellowship
with him
communion
with him
forgiveness
and cleansing
that comes
from him
intimacy
with the
God of
the universe
peace
and life
to look
forward to
because of
the work
of justification
that God
has worked
in our
life.
Eternal
peace
because
he is
our
peace
who has
broken down
the wall
of division
as we
find in
Ephesians
chapter 2
Jesus
absorbed
the wrath
of God
on our
behalf
so that
we don't
have to
experience
the wrath
that we
deserve
because
of our
sin
and now
as one
who has
the spirit
of life
within
we have
been tasked
to be
those
who are
life giving
to others
think about
the mandate
that God
has given
to us
as ambassadors
of Christ
to go
and to
make
disciples
of all
nations
to carry
the life
giving
message
of the
gospel
to those
who need
it
so desperately
to be
those who
are about
the ministry
of reconciliation
drawing others
back to
God
helping
to bridge
the gap
for them
and as
those who
have the
spirit of
peace
we are
called
to
the
peace
pursuing
ministry
Galatians
5 22
says
the fruit
of the
spirit
is love
joy
peace
it will
work its
way out
in the
lives
of those
who are
indwelt
by the
spirit
of peace
peace
making
will be
your
prerogative
Romans
12 18
says it
this way
if it
is possible
as much
as depends
on you
live
peaceably
with all
men
Ephesians
chapter 4
verses 1
and 3
says
I therefore
the prisoner
of the
Lord
beseech you
to walk
worthy
of the
calling
with which
you
were
called
with all
lowliness
and gentleness
with long
suffering
bearing
with one
another
in love
endeavoring
to keep
the unity
of the
spirit
in the
bond
of peace
those
who are
indwelt
by the
spirit
of peace
will show
the work
of the
powerful
spirit
in their
life
by pursuing
peace
with those
around them
if you
listen
to the
spirit
if you
are obedient
to what
he is
commanding
you to
do
you will
be one
who is
pursuing
peace
if
instead
you
pursue
the
flesh
and allow
division
to continue
then you
are
demonstrating
a
tendency
to the
flesh
rather
than
allowing
the
spirit
to have
his
way
in your
life
the next
point is
found
in verse
7
verse 7
says this
for the
mind
that is
set on
the
flesh
is
hostile
towards
God
it does
not
submit
to
God's
law
indeed
it
cannot
we
find
from
this
that
it
is
a
battle
you
cannot
win
in
your
flesh
it
is
a
battle
you
cannot
win
in
your
flesh
godly
righteousness
cannot
be
obtained
by
rule
keeping
godly
righteousness
cannot
be
obtained
by
better
discipline
by
being
a
harder
worker
by
having
more
rules
by
setting
more
boundaries
by
having
more
accountability
partners
being a
spirit led
person
is not
about
mastering
your
flesh
but
submitting
yourself
to the
power
and the
work
of the
spirit
Paul
makes
this
absolutely
and abundantly
clear
in
Galatians
chapter
3
he says
this
only
I
want
to
learn
from
you
did
you
receive
the
spirit
by
the
work
of
the
law
or
by
the
hearing
of
faith
are
you
so
foolish
having
begun
in
the
spirit
are
you
now
being
made
perfect
by
the
flesh
Paul
wants
them
to
understand
that
all
of
their
desires
to
conform
their
flesh
to
the
likeness
of
Christ's
standard
is
all
futility
it
is
not
something
you
can
accomplish
on
your
own
it
is
something
that
only
can
be
done
as
you
submit
your
life
to
the
spirit
himself
it's
not
that
those
things
are
unimportant
it's
not
that
those
things
are
to
be
excluded
certainly
we're
called
to
obedience
but
how
is
obedience
carried
!
out
in
your
life
it's
carried
!
as
the
Holy
Spirit
is
working
to
change
and
transform
the
way
you
think
we
find
from
Romans
chapter
12
verse
2
be
not
conformed
to
this
world
but
be
transformed
by
the
renewing
of
your
mind
it's
the
Holy
Spirit
who
does
that
work
and
makes
you
like
God
every
other
life
that
is
not
yielded
to
the
spirit
make
no
mistake
is
hostile
towards
God
you
make
yourself
an
enemy
of
God
if
you
refuse
to
listen
to
the
spirits
working
in
your
life
and
the
spirit
message
through
the
word
of
God
he
doesn't
mince
any
words
you
can't
have
it
both
ways
you
can
only
live
according
to
the
flesh
or
live
according
to
the
spirit
and
those
who
choose
to
do
what
the
flesh
is
calling
them
to
do
pulling
them
to
do
urging
them
to
do
they
can't
help
but
do
what
the
flesh
is
calling
them
to
do
demonstrate
that
they
have
no
spirit
in
their
life
and
thus
demonstrate
they're
rejecting
God
himself
they
have
made
themselves
an
enemy
of
God
well
how
does
the
spirit
speak
well
the
spirit
speaks
!
through
his
word
holy
men
of
God
spoke
as
they
were
moved
by
the
Holy
ghost
it's
the
spirit's
primary
goal
to
point
us
to
Jesus
tells
his
disciples
this
on the
night
before
he
was
crucified
he
says
when
the
helper
comes
whom
I
will
send
to
you
from
the
father
the
spirit
of
truth
who
proceeds
from
the
father
he
will
bear
witness
about
me
the
work
of
the
spirit
is
to
point
us
to
God
to
help
us
understand
his
thoughts
his
heart
his
priorities
and
to
see
and
to
show
his
glory
those
who
pursue
the
things
of
God
can
begin
to
think
God's
thoughts
it's
almost
incomprehensible
!
to
imagine
what
Paul
says
to
the
church
of
Corinth
in
1
Corinthians
chapter
2
he
says
you
as
regenerated
and new
individuals
indwelt
by the
Holy
Spirit
can
begin
to
have
the
mind
of
Christ
you
can
think
God's
thoughts
you
can
know
God's
heart
but
ultimately
in our
last
point
we
find
in
verse
8
it
is
a
battle
of
faith
it
really
boils
down
to
this
it
is
a
battle
of
faith
what
do
you
believe
those
who
are
in
the
flesh
cannot
please
God
well
the
corollary
is
found
in
Hebrews
chapter
11
verse
6
without
faith
it is
impossible
to
please
him
for
he
who
comes
to
God
must
believe
that
he
is
and
that
he
is
a
rewarder
of
those
who
diligently
seek
him
so I
want to
approach
this
from a
positive
standpoint
rather than
continuing
down the
negative
track
if you
want to
be one
who is
pleasing
to
God
you
must
recognize
that
fundamentally
this
is
not
only
a
matter
of
thinking
but
a
matter
of
faith
what
do
you
believe
about
God
without
faith
it is
impossible
to
please
him
God
I
want to
close
with another
illustration
a guy
by the
name of
David
Brainerd
who lived
in the
1700s
another
one of
my
favorite
guys
David
Brainerd
when he
was in
his early
20s
was still
unsaved
he was
still not
following
after Christ
and he
was going
to Yale
he was
at the
top
of his
class
but God
got a
hold of
his heart
one day
as he
was out
walking
and praying
alone
just
reflecting
on the
glories
of God
and
trying to
commune
with him
through prayer
and God
intervened
in that
moment
and
rescued
him
and
caught
him
up
essentially
to glory
and captured
his attention
and his
affections
well at
age 21
he
then
shifted
course
and said
I want
to be
a minister
in his
home state
without being
licensed
by
the
institution
so he
went to
Yale
and changed
his
major
but the
problem
was he
got expelled
one day
because he
said something
negative about
his teacher
he said
this teacher
has no more
grace
than a chair
and he
wondered why
the pastor
over the
institution
did not
drop down
dead
for
finding
students
for
their
evangelical
zeal
he
couldn't
get it
George
Whitefield
had just
been on
campus
had ignited
a flame
in the
hearts
of many
of the
students
they were
zealous
about the
things
of the
Lord
but the
pastor
over
this
institution
was trying
to
quench
the flames
and
David
Brenner
couldn't
understand
it
and for
that
slip of
the tongue
he was
expelled
and what
would seem
to be
a bummer
in terms
of circumstances
God used
then in
his life
to totally
make him
a person
who not only
loved God
but demonstrated
a commitment
to Christ
in the middle
of great
suffering
he suffered
with tuberculosis
which
in that day
is
in this day
too
is a
disease
of the lungs
he had it
from the time
he was
21
to the time
he died
at age
29
with increasing
intensity
so that he
could not
even hardly
breathe
and constantly
coughed up
blood
it was a
an existence
of constant
turmoil
distress
and pain
he describes
his experiences
in a journal
but what
comes
to light
is his
absolute
commitment
to God
in the midst
of intense
suffering
he says
when I really
enjoy God
I feel my
desires of him
the more
insatiable
oh for holiness
oh for more
of God
in my soul
oh this
pleasing
pain
it makes
my soul
press
after God
oh that I
might never
loiter
on my heavenly
journey
if I had a
thousand lives
my soul
would gladly
have laid
them all
down
at once
to have
been
with Christ
and this
deep
commitment
to faith
in God
in the midst
of incredible
adversity
and suffering
led him
to not
only
minister
to the
native
Indians
but to be
a catalyst
for the
worldwide
mission
across
entire
Europe
and Asia
if we
want to
be people
who are
spirit
filled
and spirit
led
we must
be people
of faith
how do we
go about
this
how do you
nurture
a renewed
mind
how do you
cultivate
a spirit
filled
mind
well there
are many
ways we
can do
this
but it
must begin
with the
word of
God
memorization
meditation
on the
scriptures
blessed
is the
man
Psalm
one
says
who
delight
in the
law
of the
Lord
and on
his
law
he
meditates
day
and night
he will
be like
a tree
planted
by rivers
of water
that brings
forth
fruit
in its
season
its
leaf
will not
wither
and whatever
he does
will
prosper
that kind
of life
that kind
of person
communion
and prayer
with God
but perhaps
the greatest
way that
those of us
in this room
need to begin
to cultivate
a spirit
filled life
is putting
aside
worldly
fleshly
thinking
that may
not be
bad
in and of
itself
but the
leisure
and the
media
that we
bombard
ourselves
with
day
after day
keeps us
from being
able to
listen
to the
spirit's
voice
whether
it's
sports
or news
or music
or movies
or tv
shows
or netflix
or whatever
you might
fill in
the blank
with
we are
becoming
numb
to the
things
of the
spirit
and not
listening
to his
voice
in our
lives
we must
listen
to the
spirit
and find
ways to
allow the
spirit to
transform
the way
we think
let's
pray
miracle
Thank you.