MIND ON THE SPIRIT

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Welcome

Encouragement for the 10m Service to pray about making room: What new person could take your seat?

Vision Sunday..... is next week. You do not want to miss it.

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Mindset Part 4: The Mind ofnThe Spirit

Romans 8:1–8 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 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. 5 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. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Quick little Series recap: My hope is that this has been helpful to you!

Week 1 - The mind is a battlefield, and strongHOLDS can form easily - We need to BREAK them. and we need to TEST the thoughts that come in and ensure they meet the standard of JESUS and nothing LESS!

Week 2 - Changed and Still changing. The mindset towards what CHANGE IS… and WHAT CHANGE BRINGS. Are you opposed to CHANGE - or Ready to keep changing?

Week 3 - Ps Jill, leave EGYPT, but has EGYPT Left you yet? (wasnt that a FANTASTIC Message)

Week 4 - This week. “Romans 8:5 “5 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.”

a MIND SET - ON THE SPIRIT

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The power of a renewed mind will require transformation.

That transformation only happens one way, Gods way.

God does the impossible: He, The Holy Spirit, empowers us to do what our own flesh is unable to do - which is to CHANGE OUR MINDS. HAVE A MIND THAT IS MADE NEW?

Do you want that?

Well, you will need HIM… i am talking about the HOLY SPIRIT

How does the impossible become possible in our lives? - by the power of the holy spirit in our lives.

Zechariah 4:6 “6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

And what happens is that through the power of the SPIRIT: we get a MIND of the SPIRIT. A SPIRIT MINDSET----A MIND that DOES what the SPIRIT EMPOWERS that Mind to DO: LIVE WITH THE SPIRIT LEADING THE WAY (beginning in the mind)

Write this word down: “RUACH”

Romans 8:5–6 (ESV)

5 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 (ruach) set their minds on the things of the Spirit (Ruach). 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.

This is the HEBREW word for SPIRIT. used hundreds of times in the OT and is the word that was translated into greek and is used in the NT: Pneuma

It means WIND, or BREATH of GOD.

Ruach. Wind of the SPIRIT

**** What happens when you sail? You need the wind. When the SAILS fill up, the WHOLE BOAT MOVES *****

Jesus refers to it in John 3:8 “8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.””

The RUACH is the breath of God that we need to focus our MINDS ATTENTION ON.

But how do we get there. We need the RUACH - How do we pursue?

2 Points this morning: as we finish out our series here in Romans 8.

1.REJECT THE FLESH.

Romans 8:6 “6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

To win the war in our minds & see a constantly renewed mind we have to make a conscious choice, a decision - a pre-determination if you will - to FIRSTLY, REJECT the FLESH as the one in the LEAD position.

“WHEN THE FLESH LEADS, THE DESTRUCTION BEGINS”

The flesh can TAKE OVER.

The desires of the FLESH can seem OVERBEARING at times, (Paul talks about that in Romans 7:15 “15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”

It can seem like its impossible to beat. but it can be put into submission - but you need to know what your dealing with. This is a spiritual battle.

There are forces at work - Your mind is a battlefield.

*** what can be empowering in and of itself is that JUST THE KNOWLEDGE THAT the flesh is an opposing force to the spirit - in fact the scriptures tell us that explicitly in Galatians.

This is what you are up against.

Galatians 5:16–17 (ESV)

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

so what do we do?>

How we change our mind about that?

Your mind has been given the conscious ability to make a choice:

We have the ability to CHOOSE.

the make a choice.

What will you choose?

Our first CHOICE. our first DECISION - Knowing what the WORD DSAYS / trusting in what GOD Says.. We MUST REJECT THE FLESH AS THE LEADER

or the one in CONTROL:

Let me put this in a context we can understand - because in this country we understand government as a term, as a thing, as an authority: but in some translations say the mind “GOVERNED” by the Flesh or Governed by the SPIRIT.

The CONTROLLING PARTY

The PRESIDING AUTHORITY

SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE THIS: WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR LIFE, YOUR CHOICE - WHICH AUTHORITY DO YOU EMPOWER>? Which do you CHOOSE?

Here is a beautiful part of the CHRISTIAN life: God allows us the opportunity to make the DECISION OURSELVES!

It begins with a decision:

renounce the flesh as the LEADER, or the CONTROLLER of your MIND & Therefore yOUR LIFE.

The FLESH IS AN UNRELIABLE ALLY IN THE WAR & BATTLE OF YOUR LIFE: The Flesh wont take you anywhere GOOD!

Jesus said it this way:

John 6:63 ESV

63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

reject the flesh as the superior force now at work in uour lives.

Matthew 26:41 (ESV)

41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

are you ready to REJECT the flesh? Reject the desires of the flesh to move on? Part of the maturation process of a believer is to recognize the shortcomings and shortfalls of the flesh. The flesh will always leave you with two embedded feelings?

a feeling and a sense of being Unsatisfied: Your flesh will always want more

a sense and a feeling of being Unfulfilled: Your flesh will always think it needs more

THIS IS WHERE IM GOING TO HAVE A REAL DIG HERE AT THE SELF ESTEEM ISSUES THAT EXIST IN OUR CULTURE TODAY:

This is not just Women, This is men - but its most prevalent amongst YOUNG People… And we all know WHY - SOCIAL MEDIA.

the issue with social media---- is its a Distinct appeal to the flesh. not the spirit. ITS A SELFIE CULTURE that has been shaped via the use of social media. the issue with alot of social media is the SELF-OBSESSION it creates & then permeates. Its a feeling thats created because someone liked the post you created that has a picture of you - or something YOU CREATED.... IT CREATES A DESIRE OF THE FLESH: Check this out.... You feel a temporary HIGH or RUSH when you feel the grafification “that person likes the picture of me or what i posted” and it makes you feel good for a moment.... But then also on the flipside a huge LOW when there isn’t a like, or a comment or a follow or a share..... We feel an immense LET DOWN. This is the limitations of the flesh that the bible warns us about -----It pushes for a desire to chase the flesh, but the issue is that it never leads to you being satisfied so you continue in it, becoming addicted to it - and it leads to death.

What kind of death? Death to the LIFE you could have - set on the spirit.

Proverbs 27:20 NLT

20 Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied.

So who gets control? Who then is the governing authority of the MIND of your LIFE - The Cockpit of the LIFE God has given you. Who gets the ability to govern?

so 1.Reject the FLESH!

2.EMBRACE THE SPIRIT

Set your mind on the SPIRIT. and what happens?

WE ARE HELPED!

Romans 8:11 (ESV)

11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 8:19–26 (ESV)

19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Where does it lead?

Where does the RUACH take us?

the SPIRIT LEADS US to certain places in our lives:

Romans 8:6 “6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

to LIFE. & PEACE

If your mind is set - you have a MINDSET - to be focused on the spirit things - What happens is thaty you begin to walk / do like / SPIRIT led!

Galatians 5:16 “16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

Galatians 5:18 “18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

You can be spirit led if you aren’t spirit filled.

But to be SPIRIT Filled it first begins with being born again, by the SPIRIT - Being SPIRIT RE-BORN

There are three baptisms:

Blood - Salvation - When we are saved, we accept Jesus christ as our LORD and Saviour, The holy Spirit baptizes you into His body, the body of CHRIST. This is what the SPIRIT of God does. He does this Baptism

Water - Repentance - This is the baptism that the disciple does. We baptize in WATER here at our church.

Oil - Spirit. One baptism but many fillings. We indeed need the holy spirit to come and fill us again. But the power of God.

What the spirit does is it helps, Its leads. it REVEALS

Matthew 16:17 ESV

17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

If you want HOLY SPIRIT revelation you need HOLY SPIRIT

Three ways to set your mind on the SPIRIT:

Be Filled - if you’ve never been filled with the holy spirit were going to ask him to fill you for the very first time today.

Be Willing - Through obedience to go where He Goes

Be Led - Go where He goes

Troy’s story: I recently was with some new friends from an amazing organization called CONVOY OF HOPE. they are an aamazing JESUS centered not for profit helping people all over the world and i got to chatting with my new friend TROY. He is the person thats connected us in there and works for them. Grew up in church, Dad was a pastor, Went to Youth his whole life and i was asking him about his story. His life.

He told me he was a phenomenal baseball player. At High school he got around some people who took him off course, his heart got bitter - got fired from the baseball team because he didnt show up to practice and that caused a series of events that led him away from Church, from God. But he had people praying for him. His parents, Grandparents. the call of ministry on his life. He slowly came back. But he had much to change in his thinking, His life, His ways: AND THE BIG SHIFT HAPPENED - HE GOT ON FIRE FOR JESUS

So i asked thim: “troy… what was the difference maker? how did you get things RE-SET in a way where you. He said i was at CHurch, I heard the message, But in worship - i had a moment, an encounter with the Holy Spirit - with God - and my MIND CHANGED. He changed me, I was renewed. i was refreshed - From that moment i was NEVER EVER THE SAME

What is the HOLY SPIRITS Role in our lives?

quick reminder but the HOLY SPIRIT Baptizes us into JESUS

He Helps us

He convicts us of SIN, convinces us that our salvation and righteousness in Christ is BETTER than the SIN Nature we wrestle with

He leads us (into all truth)

He ushers in PEACE into our hearts

He brings things to our MIND, our MEMORY - Be

REMINDER from the SPIRIT: when a verse comes into your mind, who do you think does that? im sorry but you just arent that GOOD. its the HOLY SPIRIT - who reminds you of that truth, that word that verse that is your choice to

Meditate on it

or leave it and embrace what the flesh is tring to say to you (ie your feelings of your emotions.. or your intellect)

Its what we do when we pray in the SPIRIT

Meditation on the WORD (hide it in our heart)

Worship with our song

Prayer in the SPIRIT

Speak in Faith & Prophesy (proclaim)

Agree with what the spirit of DOING, and Where it is He is leading

Jesus said to Paul - Why do you kick the goads