How to be spiritually big brain

Read Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Intro

A few months ago

a mysterious discovery

was made 6200 meters under the sea

in a region called the abyss

which is the deepest part of the ocean

other than deep trenches

that are technically deeper.

6200 meters is 7.5 Burj Khalifa’s the tallest building in the world.

While operating a robotic vehicle

scientists found 4 unknown black eggs (pic).

Now,

no one knows

almost anything about

that region of the ocean

the deepest part.

So this was a truly wild discovery.

And upon further study,

the scientists uncovered

that these were eggs belonging to a marine flatworm.

A creature usually known to live in shallow water, (flatworm pic)

but found in the deepest part of the ocean.

Students,

I could never do

what these marine biologists do.

It’s too big brain for me.

But you don’t have to be a scientist

to be big brain.

That’s why today’s title is

How to be spiritually big brain.

So that without being a scientist,

without having all As,

you can be big brain

but even better than that

spiritually.

Because there are very few

who are big brain spiritually.

Many young people today

suffer with so much anxiety

fear

and depression.

But God wants you to have a mind

that is big

and strong.

1. Recognize God’s ______ (11:33-36)

1. Recognize God’s genius (11:33-36)

First,

because we are in chapter 11 and 12,

you need to understand the context.

In previous chapters,

Paul was addressing Jewish concerns.

What kind of concerns?

The main one,

‘Has God abandoned Israel?’

After Israel crucified their own Messiah,

God punished them

by scattering them across the whole world.

Years later after Paul wrote this letter,

the Romans destroyed Jerusalem

and the temple

in AD 70.

So they became hopeless

and thought that God abandoned Israel.

But God had a plan.

While God was disciplining Israel,

He is using the Gentiles instead,

non-Jews,

to share the gospel with others.

To make this easy to understand,

I’m gonna use a sports analogy.

Basically,

he is simply subbing Israel out of the game. (benchwarmers pic)

They crucified Jesus,

they are about to foul out,

so God needs to sub them out

and put in some new players.

But there is another layer to this plan.

When starters get subbed out,

they start to get antsy,

and want to get back in the game,

and get minutes.

No one really likes just sitting on the bench

watching others play right?

You’d rather be in the game playing!

So God intended,

Israel being subbed out

to make them want to play better.

‘You want more minutes?’

‘You need to play better.’

We see this in Romans 10:19

Romans 10:19 (ESV)

But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”

God’s plan was,

when Israel is sitting on the bench,

watching all the other nations,

bringing glory to His name,

they will get jealous,

and want to get back in the game,

and bring glory to God’s name too.

Romans 11:11 (ESV)

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.

In the future,

God will bring back Israel,

and have them sharing the gospel

with the whole world.

Just like how they were supposed to

from the beginning.

You see students,

the old make you jealous,

girlfriend strategy,

is nothing new.

God has already did it

from eternity past.

This is the genius of God, students.

That God used

the greatest evil

the crucifixion of God’s son,

and turned it into the greatest good.

Acts 2:23 (ESV)

this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

It was God’s plan all along,

that Jesus would be crucified.

Turning the most vilest deed,

into the most beautiful good,

the salvation of both Jews

and non-Jews!

The salvation of the entire world!

You ever watch those shows or movies,

where the main character

beats the villain

without saying a word

and at the end

reveals

he had a plan all along!

And then you realize

what a genius!

Student’s, that’s God

the ultimate genius!’

If God can use the most wicked deed that has ever happened,

spitting on God’s face,

and crucifying Him

and then use it to bring

the greatest good ever,

salvation of the world,

how much more can God

use the mistakes you made,

the pain

and suffering in your past,

for good?

Romans 8:28 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

God has a genius plan

for your life.

All the good

and the bad

will add up

to something so good

you could never imagine it youre

When Paul realized the incredible wisdom of the mind of God,

he could not help but stand in awe and worship God for his ways.

That’s what we see in v.33-36

Romans 11:33–36 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.”

No one

can match God’s wisdom,

knowledge,

genius,

big brain.

No one can even truly understand

how genius

God is.

Therefore no one can counsel him either.

When rich people gain a lot of wealth,

they use financial advisors

to counsel them

on how they should use and invest

their money.

God needs no advisor

on how to use His unlimited and infinite

knowledge and power.

And realizing this,

Paul could not help but worship and praise God.

And give Him all the glory

that He deserves.

If you want to build a strong mind,

you must have a mind that is in awe of God.

Have you ever heard the phrase,

‘Great minds think alike’?

What does it mean? (ask)

If you want a spiritual big brain,

you must first

recognize His genius

and also think like God.

You need to ask, ‘what would please God today?’

That is a mind that is strong and protected from temptation.

This is what we see in Hebrews 5:11-14

Hebrews 5:11–14 (ESV)

About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God.

You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

The author of Hebrews was basically saying in this passage,

‘I want to teach you

some advanced lessons; Melchizedek’.

But you can’t handle it.

Because you’re too worldly.

Too busy

with what you can buy.

Too busy

worrying about your relationships.

They became bored of reading the bible

or listening to preaching

because their interests have become worldly.

So the author of Hebrews rebukes them

because they have been Christians for some time

and yet are still spiritual babies

that cannot handle deep teaching

but only the basics.

If you can’t explain the basics of your faith

to those less mature than you

or if you can’t share the gospel with unbelievers,

then the bible calls you spiritually immature.

And so the author of Hebrews concludes,

that mature

strong Christians

are those who have

constantly practiced

trained their senses for godliness.

Just as you would train in the gym

you must train your spiritual mind.

So if you want to become a mature Christian,

if you want to have a spiritual big brain,

you must train your mind to be sensitive

to the things of God,

and to appreciate His genius.

How can we train our minds to appreciate God more then?

By committing to daily prayer

and reading of scripture.

By committing to coming to church

to be fed the word of God

and serving one another.

These things are called spiritual disciplines,

because these are things that you must do

regardless of whether we feel like it or not.

Not everybody is in the mood to come to church in the morning,

but yet you must come

if we want to have strong minds.

The real test of going to the gym

and becoming strong

is ‘do you go on days when you don’t feel like it?’ (gym pic)

Do you do leg day

even if all you want to do

is arms and chest?

It’s no different

in training your spiritual mind.

So begin by disciplining yourself today

in any of these areas one step at a time

and you will have a spiritual big brain,

able to recognize God’s genius.

2. Live out your _____ (12:1)

2. Live out your faith (12:1)

We see this in v.1

Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

Your mind

is not separate from the body.

What goes into your mind

comes out

in the actions of the body.

If you want to have a spiritual big brain,

our actions must follow

after

our minds recognize God’s genius.

That is why Paul says,

‘therefore’

because action

must come after worship.

He urges us to live accordingly

to what we believe,

and he urges by the mercies of God.

If your mind recognizes God’s genius,

turning the greatest evil into the greatest good,

then the way you live

must align with that.

How?

By presenting our bodies as a

‘living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.’

In the Old Testament

they sacrificed animals

daily

because of sin.

More importantly,

it pointed forward

to the ultimate lamb of God,

Jesus,

who was the final sacrifice for sin.

But not only are we saved from our sins

through the blood of his son

our lives are transformed

to live like Christ

and to serve him.

That’s why Paul calls it a living sacrifice,

because every day

when you live out your faith,

that is your

spiritual sacrifice.

You are to live out your faith

daily.

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Paul realized

that when God saved him

on the Damascus road,

the old Paul,

Saul of Tarsus

has been slain by the Lord Jesus,

and now the new Paul lives.

The new Paul,

is actually Christ living in him and through him!

If you want to be spiritually big brain,

you must follow up

recognizing God’s genius

by action in your body.

Living out your faith.

You must give up

your body to Jesus,

that you no longer

have any authority

over what you do

with your body,

because

it is the Lord’s body,

and that you must obey his word

in whatever you do

with your life.

You must give up your life,

as Paul says,

‘a living and holy sacrifice’. .

And it’s a sacrifice

because you do these things regardless

if you feel like it

or not.

You must deny yourself,

take up your cross

and follow Jesus.

Your actions must please God,

as Paul says, ‘acceptable to God’.

Because if you are all talk

but then no walk,

then your faith,

is not real.

James 2:26 ESV

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

James was writing this

so you could tell

if someone had real faith

or not.

He’s not

saying that you are saved

by doing good deeds.

You are saved by faith alone.

But anyone can say they believe in Jesus

but then go and get drunk at parties on the weekend.

That’s not real faith.

That’s dead faith.

Faith is living.

It moves.

So live out your faith students.

Being spiritually big brain

means you also do

spiritual big brain things.

3. Be in the ____ (12:2)

3. Be in the word (12:2)

Look at v.2.

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

If you remember back in Hebrews 5,

when the author of Hebrews rebuked them

for being spiritual immature babies,

he said that they had become ‘dull of hearing’.

What leads to a mind

that finds the bible boring,

is a mind conformed to this world.

Don’t let your mind

fall in alignment

with how the world operates.

Check everything that you hear

whether it’s on the social media,

music,

or from fellow classmates,

co-workers,

even family and friends,

with scripture.

Or else you may end up loving the world.

James 4:4 (ESV)

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Don’t love the world students,

worldly music,

worldly content,

lest you make yourself an enemy of God.

Instead, be transformed

by the renewing of your mind.

And how do we do that?

By of course none other than with the sword

the Word of God.

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

There is nothing more revealing

than the Word of God.

Students this is the Venice Mirror. (mirror pic)

The most expensive mirror in the world

worth more than $21,000.

That’s a lot of money

just to look at yourself.

But you don’t need this nonsense,

when the Word of God

which is the absolute best mirror,

is right here

at your fingertips.

It is a sword

that cuts deep

and reveals who you truly are.

When you come across a Bible verse

that you know what it means,

but you don’t want to follow it

it shows who you truly are,

what your heart is

really after.

When a family member of mine

was confronted

when the Bible says,

do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers,

meaning do not partner with them in ministry,

and she chose to ignore it

and run off and marry a non-Christian

and showed that she did not worship God

but worship a man

and ended up reviling and hating God.

She looked into the most deadly mirror,

the sword of God,

the Word

and her true self

came out.

On the other hand,

if you are truly born again,

the Holy Spirit

has given you a renewed mind,

then the Word of God

will renew your mind.

And you will be able

to know and understand

the good and perfect will of God.

So if you want to be spiritually big brain,

you must be in the word.

Read your bible,

but not only that,

listen carefully to the preaching of God’s word every Sunday.

Commit yourself to prayer

over God’s word.

When you read the Bible,

pray the actual words,

back to the Lord.

Example Galatians 2:20

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

God I praise you

because you have given me new life,

Christ is living in me.

Thank you.

Please help me

to live by faith in the Son of God

who loved me

and gave himself for me.

This is how you overcome

fear and anxiety students.

Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV)

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

You need to let the word of God

the sword

do some cleaning

up there.

Like a machete

clear out the weeds

and overgrowth

that is causing you

fear and anxiety.

You will be surprised

what the sword of God

will reveal in your mind.

Like finding the massive clog in your drain.

You don’t know

what’s causing your sink

to not drain

until you do some digging

and pull out

the junk

that was causing it all this time.

Be spiritually big brain students,

by being in the word.

Conclusion/gospel

I want to conclude

by reminding you that it was God’s design (God’s design slide)

God’s plan all along

for you to be spiritually big brain.

But because of sin (sin slide)

our brains become weak and small.

And it makes us overly afraid

and worried

leading us to rely

on sinful activities

to try to find peace.

All this does is make a broken world. (brokeness slide)

But thankfully

the good news (gospel slide)

is that God is the genius

who had a plan all along

to save us

by being our substitute

on the cross

for the punishment we deserve

and resurrecting form the dead

to give us new and eternal life.

All you have to is put your trust and faith alone

in what Jesus did on the cross

and you will be saved.

And live a new life

and be restored (restoration slide)

to back God’s design

of you having a strong mind.

If you are not a Christian

I urge you to put your faith in Jesus today.

Let’s pray.