The Battle For the Mind: The Servant’s Mind # 2

Recap from last week

Age is a matter of mind. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.

Anonymous

Why did the brain refuse to take a bath? It didn’t want to be brainwashed

Philippians 2:5 “5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

Week 1: The Battle for the Mind: A Competing Mind (flesh vs. the Spirit)

Week 2: The Battle for the Mind: A Unified Mind (mine to God and mine to each other)

Week 3: The Battle for the Mind: A Servant’s Mind

Mind: the element, part, substance, or process that reasons, thinks, feels, wills, perceives and judges the processes of the human mind

The diseases of the mind are more destructive than those of the body.

bio.mtulliuscicero

1. The Ready Mind to Receive Truth

In Acts 17, the Bereans had a excellent disposition and ready to receive truth...

And they received the truth with cheerfulness, willingness and without reluctance...

Then they searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so...

There was a genuine love for truth...

We must have a willing mind and receive truth without reluctance if we’re going to be a true servant for the Lord...

2. The Ruined Mind to Resist Truth

The Servant mind loves truth, but the corrupted and reprobate mind resists truth…

Our corrupted flesh will reject truth…

3. The Ready Mind to Serve God

1 Chronicles 28:9 “And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind:

The Willing mind is a mind that delights in, takes pleasure in and desires to serve God...

But, it is with the mind that I make this adjustment in how I view my service to God...

4. The Replicating Mind to Serve God

Because of the Corinthian’s cheerfulness, readiness and boldness to give, their zeal encouraged the Macedonians to do likewise...

Our cheerful, bold, and service without reluctance should encourage others to do likewise...

Now to this week...

5. The Resilient Mind to Remain Steadfast

1 Chronicles 22:7 “And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God:”

Background:

David was king of Israel

He had a burning desire in his heart to build a house for the Lord

David spent time, effort and energy to build up his assets and prepare to build God’s house...

God ended up saying no and for his son Solomon to build it instead

Where did this desire come from?

David’s mind (thought, feeling and desire) was to build an house for the Lord...

He stored up money for it,

Stored up and collected materials for it,

Had the plans all ready to go...

In the end, God said “no” and wanted it done through his son, Solomon...

But his “mind” was to do something for God...

He was a “man after God’s own heart” after all… As God’s righteous servant, he wasn’t perfect, but he DID desire to do the work of God with his mind...

Do you desire to do the work of God?

Story of Nehemiah:

Nehemiah was a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes i

Nehemiah was a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes in Shushan the Palace

One of Nehemiah’s friends came to him and told him the remnant that returned to Jerusalem was in great affliction and reproach and the walls of Jerusalem were tore down…

Nehemiah 4:6 “So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.”

Look at the mind games that Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem weathered through:

a.) Distance and inconvenience

It took about 4 months over 900 miles to get from Shushan the Palace to Jersualem where Nehemiah would rebuild the wall

Distance and effort didn’t matter because he had a mind to work…

b.) Great affliction and reproach

Nehemiah 1:3 “3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.”

Great affliction and reproach didn’t matter because they had a mind to work…

c.) Beginning with few men…

Nehemiah 2:9–12 “9 Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. 10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. 11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. 12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.”

Beginning with only a few men didn’t matter because they had a mind to work…

d.) Distress

Nehemiah 2:15–18 “15 Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned. 16 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work. 17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. 18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.”

Being in distress didn’t matter because they had a mind to work…

e.) Mocking

Nehemiah 2:19–20 “19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? 20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.”

Nehemiah 4:1–3 “1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. 2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? 3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.”

When Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem mocked them, it didn’t matter because they had a mind to work…

f.) Hindering the work

Nehemiah 4:7–8 “7 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, 8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.”

When Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem tried to hinder them, it didn’t matter because they had a mind to work…

g.) Threat of imminent attack

Nehemiah 4:17 “17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.”

With fear of imminent attack possible, it didn’t matter because they had a mind to work…

h.) Attempted distraction and mischief

Nehemiah 6:1–4 “1 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) 2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. 3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? 4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.”

With continual attempted distraction and mischief, it didn’t matter because they had a mind to work…

i.) Slander, threats and deceit

Nehemiah 6:5–8 “5 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; 6 Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words. 7 And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. 8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.”

With the slander, threats and deceit of Sanballat, it didn’t matter because they had a mind to work…

b.) It took 52 days of hard labour

Nehemiah 6:15 “15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.”

Why? Because they had a mind to work…

The Battle for the Mind: The Servant’s Mind

Nehemiah and the people battled against:

Distance

Inconvenience

Great affliction and reproach

Beginning with few men

Distress

Mocking

Those trying to hinder the work

Threat of imminent physical attack

Attempted distraction and mischief

Slander, threats and deceit

Yet, none of that mattered simply because they had a mind to work…

Do you have a mind to work?

What would it take to get you to stop being a servant?

You CANNOT have a true servant’s mind if you don’t have a mind to work… That means, work through trouble, trials and difficulties and be steadfast in your mind to commit that NOTHING will stop you from serving God and finishing the work He has called you to do…

6. The Reverent Mind to Remain Humble

Acts 20:19 “Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:”

Colossians 3:12 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”

The servant’s mind serves in humility, free from pride and arrogance...

Not like the Pharisees who stand in the streets and pray aloud for all to hear of their great and wonderful prayers and service to God...

It is with the mind that we remain humble...

Conclusion:

The Ready Mind to Receive Truth: Love and desire truth… Do you have a ready mind?

The Ruined Mind to Resist Truth: You can’t accomplish your task as a servant without it… Do you have a corrupted mind?

The Ready Mind to Serve God: Be a willing servant who takes pleasure in and delights in serving God… Do you have a ready mind to serve God?

The Replicating Mind to Serve God: Serve willingly and you will replicate true servants… Do you replicate something good or bad from your example?

The Resiliant Mind to Remain Steadfast: Continue and finish the job despite the difficulty… Do you have a mind to work?

The Reverent Mind to Remain Humble: Stay humble while you serve Christ… Do you have a humble mind?

Being ready to serve, being willing to serve, replicating your example of servant ship, being steadfast in your service and staying humble while you serve is something done with the mind.