2024.08.14 - Reliance - Renew Your Minds

[00:00:00] [SPEAKER_00]: I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies

[00:00:04] [SPEAKER_00]: a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not

[00:00:11] [SPEAKER_00]: be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may

[00:00:16] [SPEAKER_00]: prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through

[00:00:21] [SPEAKER_00]: the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more

[00:00:26] [SPEAKER_00]: highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

[00:00:32] [SPEAKER_00]: For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function.

[00:00:37] [SPEAKER_00]: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually, members of one another.

[00:00:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given us, let us use them.

[00:00:48] [SPEAKER_00]: If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith. Our ministry, let us use it

[00:00:54] [SPEAKER_00]: in our ministering. He who teaches and teaching, he who exhorts in exhortation,

[00:00:59] [SPEAKER_00]: he who gives with liberality, he who leads with diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness.

[00:01:06] [SPEAKER_00]: Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Be kindly

[00:01:12] [SPEAKER_00]: affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.

[00:01:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Rejoicing in hope,

[00:01:23] [SPEAKER_00]: patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints,

[00:01:30] [SPEAKER_00]: given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those

[00:01:38] [SPEAKER_00]: who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another.

[00:01:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble.

[00:01:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil.

[00:01:52] [SPEAKER_00]: Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_00]: you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to

[00:02:03] [SPEAKER_00]: wrath. For it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore if your

[00:02:08] [SPEAKER_00]: enemy is hungry, feed him. Be as thirsty, give him a drink. For in doing so you will heap coals

[00:02:13] [SPEAKER_00]: of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

[00:02:19] [SPEAKER_00]: Lord, thank you for your word. Thank you that you never fail, Jesus. Thank you for your mercy,

[00:02:26] [SPEAKER_00]: your grace, your glory. Thank you for all of your provision. Thank you for salvation.

[00:02:33] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for the good and perfect gifts you have provided to us. We bless you, Lord, and pray that

[00:02:40] [SPEAKER_00]: you would redeem this time, that you would use this broadcast, Lord, for your glory. Holy Spirit,

[00:02:48] [SPEAKER_00]: quicken our minds and our hearts. Renew our minds, Lord. Let us be mature in you as we see

[00:02:57] [SPEAKER_00]: the kind of behavior that you call us to, the kind of attitude, the kind of mindset that you call us to.

[00:03:05] [SPEAKER_00]: You are worthy of it, Lord, and we know that your power is efficacious and working in us

[00:03:12] [SPEAKER_00]: for transformation and for good. Let us live up, Lord, to your standard only through your power

[00:03:19] [SPEAKER_00]: and not through our own. We love you, Jesus. We bless you and we praise you. In your name, amen.

[00:03:26] [SPEAKER_00]: This didactic and instructional chapter in Romans 12 has so many different widely quoted

[00:03:35] [SPEAKER_00]: scripture verses, so much encouragement, so much in the way of practical discipleship.

[00:03:44] [SPEAKER_00]: And it would behoove us to go through this type of scripture frequently and to allow the Holy

[00:03:54] [SPEAKER_00]: Spirit to speak to us through it so that we could understand what step we need to focus on next,

[00:04:02] [SPEAKER_00]: because in certain cases it may be that we need to go through a season of a transformation of the

[00:04:09] [SPEAKER_00]: renewing of our mind. When we are saved, we are put in a position where we are finally able

[00:04:20] [SPEAKER_00]: to reason properly in many ways, because if we are in Christ and we have been created in His image,

[00:04:31] [SPEAKER_00]: then we have properly understood the foundational component of reality that everything else is

[00:04:38] [SPEAKER_00]: built on. This doesn't mean that we can't approximate truth or have a logical appropriateness

[00:04:46] [SPEAKER_00]: to reasoning outside of Christ or that that's related to intelligence or other attributes.

[00:04:53] [SPEAKER_00]: But if there is, and we've spoken about this several times, if there is a fundamental and

[00:04:59] [SPEAKER_00]: foundational misapprehension of the nature of reality, then there are going to be consequences

[00:05:07] [SPEAKER_00]: to that in terms of everything that is downstream, whether it is our thoughts,

[00:05:13] [SPEAKER_00]: our decisions, our actions, our beliefs. And this isn't to say that people within the body of Christ

[00:05:22] [SPEAKER_00]: can't get things wrong, but if you are outside that scope, then I pray that you would receive the

[00:05:31] [SPEAKER_00]: Gospel and that you would repent and that you would call on Jesus and place your faith in him

[00:05:38] [SPEAKER_00]: as God and that you would accept the atonement and the work of the sacrifice of the cross

[00:05:45] [SPEAKER_00]: that is completely sufficient and absolutely able to cleanse you of all your sins and to bring you

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_00]: into right relationship with God. But let's understand about this renewing of the mind.

[00:05:57] [SPEAKER_00]: If God exists, if Jesus is God, if he is our Savior and we believe those things, then we are

[00:06:04] [SPEAKER_00]: in a position to learn and to grow. And that is a position that is not commensurate with

[00:06:13] [SPEAKER_00]: someone who does not believe those foundational things. And again, if you're not in that camp,

[00:06:19] [SPEAKER_00]: then assume that it's true. You would clearly understand that there in different worldviews,

[00:06:27] [SPEAKER_00]: if one is correct and the other is not about the core fundamental truths, then the one that is

[00:06:36] [SPEAKER_00]: correct has a better chance of apprehending things properly. And for Christians living in the world

[00:06:47] [SPEAKER_00]: that is suffused with sin and challenge, it requires a continual transformation and a continual

[00:06:57] [SPEAKER_00]: renewal of our mind simply because we are not going to encounter the same things today that

[00:07:04] [SPEAKER_00]: we encountered yesterday. We will be presented with new situations, new narratives, new perspectives,

[00:07:11] [SPEAKER_00]: and we have to be ready to continually grow. We cannot afford to ossify in our faith. It is

[00:07:20] [SPEAKER_00]: perfectly appropriate, and I would argue necessary for us to ask important questions, for us to

[00:07:28] [SPEAKER_00]: directly take on the things that we encounter, for us to challenge ourselves. And we don't

[00:07:36] [SPEAKER_00]: push that too far. We just have to accept the nature of the challenges that the world presents us.

[00:07:42] [SPEAKER_00]: We certainly don't have to go around seeking challenges out. Challenges exist and they will come.

[00:07:48] [SPEAKER_00]: And when we encounter these on even a daily basis, an hourly basis, it is an opportunity

[00:07:56] [SPEAKER_00]: for the renewing of our mind and it should be viewed as such. And in any event, the appropriate

[00:08:04] [SPEAKER_00]: manner of going about it is to reconstitute our dependence on God, to understand with an

[00:08:13] [SPEAKER_00]: attitude of humility that everything is made for him and by him, and that to him and through him

[00:08:20] [SPEAKER_00]: are all things. And that he is working to transform us and that eventually the entire world will

[00:08:30] [SPEAKER_00]: be transformed and there will be a new creation. So just as there will be a new creation, that

[00:08:37] [SPEAKER_00]: procedure, that process, that development should be beginning with us in our own hearts and minds

[00:08:44] [SPEAKER_00]: and continuing on that trajectory. And how does this apply? Well, whether we're talking about

[00:08:53] [SPEAKER_00]: your relationship with your family, your understanding of the word of God, your apprehension

[00:08:59] [SPEAKER_00]: of the world around you, what's going on in your career. God is involved with everything

[00:09:08] [SPEAKER_00]: and wants to be involved with every aspect of our lives. And so it should create this sense of

[00:09:16] [SPEAKER_00]: proper peaceful dependence when we recognize what is right about the world that we are dependent

[00:09:27] [SPEAKER_00]: on God. It's God's power that sustains his creation in existence from moment to moment.

[00:09:35] [SPEAKER_00]: And there are many things about the creation that we fail to understand completely or that

[00:09:43] [SPEAKER_00]: remain invented narratives concocted to potentially describe things. But I want to encourage you that

[00:09:53] [SPEAKER_00]: it is okay for us to look at our awareness of things around us and to appreciate that

[00:10:03] [SPEAKER_00]: what we think, whether it's taught in textbooks, this is particularly about the world around us,

[00:10:11] [SPEAKER_00]: whether it's history, science, any of these different subjects. When we are talking about

[00:10:18] [SPEAKER_00]: making observations of the world, clear reasoning is incredibly important. And yet

[00:10:26] [SPEAKER_00]: there are many different things that have been established and that are now assumed to be generally

[00:10:33] [SPEAKER_00]: true and are certainly presented as such and taught as such that may not in fact be the

[00:10:39] [SPEAKER_00]: case. And this doesn't mean that all of those approaches to worldview of the physical cosmos

[00:10:48] [SPEAKER_00]: are necessarily wrong, but it means that we should not be afraid to ask questions and

[00:10:58] [SPEAKER_00]: to provide scrutiny even if that ends up running a foul of a particular worldview or

[00:11:07] [SPEAKER_00]: particular approach. And whether you want to ask questions about the validity of the big bang or

[00:11:15] [SPEAKER_00]: creationism or evolutionism or anything else like that, I would encourage you to do so for the

[00:11:23] [SPEAKER_00]: purpose of renewing your mind, not for the purpose of taking other people to task, especially

[00:11:30] [SPEAKER_00]: as it pertains to the body of Christ. It doesn't mean that people should be above approach or that no

[00:11:38] [SPEAKER_00]: correction or guidance or participation in conversations is necessary. In fact, the

[00:11:47] [SPEAKER_00]: conversations need to happen, but we need to behave in such a way that comports with the word

[00:11:55] [SPEAKER_00]: of God. And if that is not guiding our steps in these conversations with other people about the

[00:12:02] [SPEAKER_00]: science, about morality, about politics, about family affairs, about anything that comes up in

[00:12:10] [SPEAKER_00]: the course of our lives, then we are doing ourselves a disservice and you could argue by

[00:12:16] [SPEAKER_00]: extension being disobedient to the word of God. So here in Romans 12, when we are taught to bless

[00:12:26] [SPEAKER_00]: those who persecute you, to be of the same mind toward one another, to not be wise in our own

[00:12:33] [SPEAKER_00]: opinion, we are to be humble and loving and caring. And in this day and age, it's a constant

[00:12:43] [SPEAKER_00]: complaint that that kind of approach has been lost. But I do want to encourage everyone

[00:12:54] [SPEAKER_00]: because when I encounter people in the real world, as opposed to seeing narratives that take place online,

[00:13:04] [SPEAKER_00]: I find that people in the real world are completely unlike the conversations that are

[00:13:09] [SPEAKER_00]: happening online with all of the vitriol. And it doesn't mean that there aren't negative emotions

[00:13:16] [SPEAKER_00]: or bad behaviors in the real world, but it's completely different. The internet has presented

[00:13:26] [SPEAKER_00]: this mask over reality that if we entertain and incorporate it into our own approaches too

[00:13:33] [SPEAKER_00]: much can really lead to significant spoiling and tremendous over the top cynicism. Now,

[00:13:43] [SPEAKER_00]: being skeptical or wary of certain things and not being naive is of course important, but

[00:13:51] [SPEAKER_00]: to have cynicism or fatalism is to reject many of the promises that are outlaid for us in the

[00:14:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Bible. And so when we see here this guidance about behaving like a Christian, repay no one evil for

[00:14:09] [SPEAKER_00]: evil and to understand what our place is to be a representative and what God's place is

[00:14:17] [SPEAKER_00]: to be a judge and a meter out of justice, then we must understand that when God is giving us

[00:14:28] [SPEAKER_00]: this guidance that it is for the best. It is part of God's perfect will. And if we step outside of that,

[00:14:39] [SPEAKER_00]: then we are exposing ourselves to challenges that are unnecessary and maybe from time to time we

[00:14:47] [SPEAKER_00]: need to learn those lessons the hard way so to speak. But if we don't have to, if we can get

[00:14:53] [SPEAKER_00]: that through the Holy Spirit and through the transformation of our minds by reading the Word of

[00:14:58] [SPEAKER_00]: God by staying in prayer, by diligently directing our attention to seeking the kingdom of God,

[00:15:03] [SPEAKER_00]: then we can move up all these learning curves faster. And again, not for our own sake, not

[00:15:09] [SPEAKER_00]: for our own self aggrandizement, not so that we can puff ourselves up, but rather so that we

[00:15:16] [SPEAKER_00]: can get to a place where we can serve the Lord more effectively, where we can learn and grow

[00:15:23] [SPEAKER_00]: and serve others more effectively so that we then understand that we have a particular place,

[00:15:29] [SPEAKER_00]: a particular role to play. And that can change from different times and different seasons.

[00:15:36] [SPEAKER_00]: But in all of those different cases, we are not to be conformed to the world,

[00:15:41] [SPEAKER_00]: but transformed by the renewing of our mind. And what does that do as verse two in Romans 12

[00:15:48] [SPEAKER_00]: states? It proves what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. It is a showing forth

[00:15:56] [SPEAKER_00]: of the supernatural power of God to transform lives, and it should be an internal witness

[00:16:03] [SPEAKER_00]: of the activity of the Holy Spirit. Now, down in verse 10, how are we to treat

[00:16:10] [SPEAKER_00]: fellow Christians? Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love,

[00:16:16] [SPEAKER_00]: in honor, giving preference to one another. Now, I suppose you could interpret this as saying,

[00:16:22] [SPEAKER_00]: okay, well, we should favor Christians in all things if we're ever deciding in any

[00:16:28] [SPEAKER_00]: circumstance between a Christian and nonbeliever, we should always choose the Christian. And that

[00:16:32] [SPEAKER_00]: may be true in certain cases. But in the context of this verse, when it's speaking of brotherly love,

[00:16:39] [SPEAKER_00]: when we give preference to one another, I think we can also take this in the plain sense of

[00:16:46] [SPEAKER_00]: caring more for the other person's well-being than our own, of making sure that other people

[00:16:54] [SPEAKER_00]: are taking care of before ourselves. And this is leadership, it is beneficence and benevolence,

[00:17:03] [SPEAKER_00]: and it is something that is demonstrated to the fullest extent in Jesus, in his Atonement,

[00:17:11] [SPEAKER_00]: in the cross. He was kindly affectionate, he loved the world, and he laid down his life

[00:17:20] [SPEAKER_00]: paying the ultimate price for our sakes to give us an incommensurable good of an eternity with him,

[00:17:29] [SPEAKER_00]: and the establishment of the right relationship with God for us to be brought into that kind

[00:17:36] [SPEAKER_00]: of fellowship and into the family of God, and to be called friends of God and children

[00:17:41] [SPEAKER_00]: of God. And if Jesus gave us this preference, if he preferred to focus on our well-being

[00:17:52] [SPEAKER_00]: rather than his own, then we must do the same thing. And this requires a continual

[00:17:59] [SPEAKER_00]: renewing of our mind because the world is self-focused, the world is self-directed.

[00:18:08] [SPEAKER_00]: And when we look around and we see empathy and love and kindness, certainly we see that more so

[00:18:20] [SPEAKER_00]: in the real world than we do online where all sorts of different narratives are perpetrated.

[00:18:28] [SPEAKER_00]: Many of them completely made up out of whole cloth in order to put people into an emotional

[00:18:34] [SPEAKER_00]: state where they're more easy to manipulate. We have to notice what is good. We are to abhor

[00:18:42] [SPEAKER_00]: what is evil and to cling to what is good, and we can see that readily in our environment if we

[00:18:49] [SPEAKER_00]: understand what to look for. And if you don't see it in your environment, then you have to

[00:18:55] [SPEAKER_00]: create it. You have to be that example to others. Culture in human society is extremely contagious,

[00:19:07] [SPEAKER_00]: and we even talk to our children who are rather young about the impact that their behavior has

[00:19:15] [SPEAKER_00]: on those around them, particularly to our oldest, to let her know that what she does

[00:19:23] [SPEAKER_00]: is going to set the tone for her siblings and that she has the ability to steer that

[00:19:31] [SPEAKER_00]: in a positive direction or in a negative direction, and that even if ultimately

[00:19:39] [SPEAKER_00]: the parents are in charge, the activities of the children have an influence, an important

[00:19:46] [SPEAKER_00]: influence. And according to the Bible, we are intended to give preference for one another,

[00:19:56] [SPEAKER_00]: and this is a tendency that is certainly not hardwired into us when we are born. We need

[00:20:03] [SPEAKER_00]: to be continually and regularly transformed by the renewing of our mind so that we can say

[00:20:10] [SPEAKER_00]: that the Lord has supernaturally given us the ability to put away our old self and to pick up

[00:20:18] [SPEAKER_00]: a newness of life that will move us forward, that will show forth to others, that will set a good

[00:20:25] [SPEAKER_00]: example so that we can honestly say that we are pursuing a state of affairs where we are not

[00:20:34] [SPEAKER_00]: lagging in diligence, where we are fervent in spirit, where we are serving the Lord,

[00:20:39] [SPEAKER_00]: when we are rejoicing in hope, when we are patient in tribulation, when we are continuing

[00:20:45] [SPEAKER_00]: steadfastly in prayer, when we are distributing to the needs of the saints, when we are given

[00:20:50] [SPEAKER_00]: to hospitality. Brothers and sisters, as we say so often on this program, if even

[00:20:59] [SPEAKER_00]: those verses of Scripture, let alone all of the other glorious gifts

[00:21:04] [SPEAKER_00]: suffused with supernatural power that's contained in the books of the Bible, if just these components

[00:21:11] [SPEAKER_00]: setting this standard, showing us what the way is, and giving us a direct understanding that

[00:21:19] [SPEAKER_00]: these things are not capable of being manufactured or accomplished by our own strength, that it

[00:21:25] [SPEAKER_00]: requires humility, that it requires submission to the Word of God and it requires the supernatural

[00:21:31] [SPEAKER_00]: activity of the Holy Spirit that we have to be receptive to along with all of the correction that

[00:21:37] [SPEAKER_00]: comes along with it, with all of the humbling that comes along with it, with all of the repentance

[00:21:42] [SPEAKER_00]: that comes along with it. But wouldn't our homes and our families and our churches and our

[00:21:49] [SPEAKER_00]: workplaces and our communities and our towns and our cities and our states and our countries

[00:21:55] [SPEAKER_00]: and our world and the entire creation be a better place if we even all just took a handful of steps

[00:22:04] [SPEAKER_00]: forward towards not lagging in diligence, being fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing

[00:22:08] [SPEAKER_00]: in hope, patient tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the

[00:22:13] [SPEAKER_00]: saints, given to hospitality. I pray that the Holy Spirit would lift up one of those things,

[00:22:21] [SPEAKER_00]: at least one for you today and that you would ask the Holy Spirit what you can do to move forward

[00:22:31] [SPEAKER_00]: in that area. What can you do to take a step further in your walk with God? What can you

[00:22:38] [SPEAKER_00]: do to grow in this respect and that you would be transformed by the renewing of your mind so you

[00:22:44] [SPEAKER_00]: can focus your mind and your intention on improving in these areas even if you don't know exactly what

[00:22:53] [SPEAKER_00]: that looks like. I pray that the Holy Spirit would grab hold of your heart and that you would say

[00:22:57] [SPEAKER_00]: to the Lord, Lord help me to be more fervent in spirit or Lord help me to not lag in diligence.

[00:23:03] [SPEAKER_00]: God, help me to continue steadfastly in prayer. Lord show me what it means to be patient in

[00:23:10] [SPEAKER_00]: tribulation. God bless me with rejoicing in hope. Lord help me find an opportunity to be

[00:23:17] [SPEAKER_00]: hospitable and to be given to hospitality. Lord help me to serve you. All of these things,

[00:23:25] [SPEAKER_00]: glorious, good, worthy of our attention are things that we should be focused on. There is so

[00:23:32] [SPEAKER_00]: much to lead us astray and the world has this inevitable gravitational force that wants us to

[00:23:41] [SPEAKER_00]: be conformed to it. But we can refuse that by the grace of God we can say I am going to follow

[00:23:49] [SPEAKER_00]: the Lord and obey the Lord rather than following the world and obeying it and we'll need God's

[00:23:57] [SPEAKER_00]: help. We'll need God's help all the time every single day supernaturally to move us in that direction.

[00:24:04] [SPEAKER_00]: So let us remain humble while we're doing this but let us all take important steps forward for

[00:24:10] [SPEAKER_00]: the sake of the glory of God and of His kingdom and for the sake of our families, ourselves and

[00:24:17] [SPEAKER_00]: those around us. If just these pieces of scripture, these phrases, these ideas, these portions, there is

[00:24:27] [SPEAKER_00]: so much richness and importance and glory in them. If we would just dig in and ask the Lord to help

[00:24:36] [SPEAKER_00]: us in these matters, do you not think that the God of all creation who created you and loves you

[00:24:44] [SPEAKER_00]: enough to give his own son to pay the price for your sins? If you ask him for one of these good

[00:24:52] [SPEAKER_00]: things that he has told you that he wants to see in your life, that he will not help you in this.

[00:24:58] [SPEAKER_00]: If you are a parent, if you have regularly told your child I want you to share more, I want you

[00:25:06] [SPEAKER_00]: to be kinder and they came to you and said how can I be kind? How can I share better? Can you help me?

[00:25:15] [SPEAKER_00]: Will you then turn a blind eye to that request that is humble and obedient and

[00:25:24] [SPEAKER_00]: desiring what your will is? God help us if we would turn our children away from something like

[00:25:29] [SPEAKER_00]: that and God is a good father, a perfect father. He will help you in this. He will give you the

[00:25:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Holy Spirit so earnestly desire it, seek him and you will find him. Lord thank you for this time.

[00:25:47] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for your word. Thank you for the opportunity that we have to be discipled by you

[00:25:54] [SPEAKER_00]: and through your Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit help us to latch on to these different characteristics,

[00:26:02] [SPEAKER_00]: these important dynamics. Help us to see who we need to be. Help us to understand that we can only

[00:26:08] [SPEAKER_00]: do that through your supernatural power and your transformation. Lord help our minds to be renewed.

[00:26:16] [SPEAKER_00]: Renew our minds today Lord that we would serve you, that we would glorify you and that we

[00:26:21] [SPEAKER_00]: would be able to focus and to cling to what is good rather than getting sucked into all sorts of

[00:26:29] [SPEAKER_00]: different narratives that are intended to destroy and to disrupt and to distract us. Lord let us

[00:26:38] [SPEAKER_00]: focus on you, let us walk with you, let us move forward with you. Jesus help us, help us in

[00:26:46] [SPEAKER_00]: particular to be affectionate to one another with brotherly love and to give preference to one another,

[00:26:51] [SPEAKER_00]: to look after each other's needs rather than preferring ourselves and focusing on our needs.

[00:26:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Lord you are above all and your name Jesus is above all names. Let your name be glorified

[00:27:07] [SPEAKER_00]: in our hearts through the renewing of our minds and all throughout this generation. We love you

[00:27:14] [SPEAKER_00]: and we bless you Lord. In Jesus name, amen.