The Disciple's Mind

Connecting the Dots...

Before we dive into the first two verses of , want us to connect the dots this morning between what we talked about last time together and what we’re going to dive into this week.

Last time together we talked about our mission in this world. It is to spread the gospel and make disciples around the world. And so as we connect the dots, here’s the question...

How can we most effectively multiply the glory of Christ over there?

By maturing into the image of Christ over here.

This is what it’s all about. Look at the diagram in your notes. It’s Christ in us affecting our minds, our emotions, our wills, our bodies, our relationships… all for His mission.

There are many New Testament pictures of how Christ transforms our mind, but I think the one that best sums it up is .

Romans 12:1–2 NKJV

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. 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.

Let’s see what happens when Christ is in us and things begin to change. When Christ is in us...

Our hearts are transferred to His worship.

Our hearts are transferred to His worship.

At this point we’re going to draw the connection between verse 1 and 2. What happens when you offer yourself to God as a living sacrifice? There is a fundamental transfer that takes place at the core of who we are when we give our lives to Christ. What was dominated by the sinful nature is now dominated by Christ in us. There is a fundamental change of allegiance, or a transfer of worship. We no longer worship self. We worship Christ.

That’s what verse 1 is setting up. In verse 2 it says...

Romans 12:2 NKJV

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.

So what happens as a result of our worship?

We are commanded to avoid the pattern of this world…

One translation says in verse 2, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its mold.”

A.W. Tozer said, “The church has gotten to the point where almost everything the church is doing these days has been suggested to her by the world.”

But we need to remember that simply not doing what the world does does not automatically transform us to be like Christ. All we have done at this point is exchange a list of immoral behaviors for moral behaviors and we have missed the whole point of Christianity.

I want us to see that changing the mind is key to affecting our behavior. Let’s turn back to . Starting with verse 21. It gives us a clear picture of how our worship and the core of who we are affects our mind and how that affects everything else.

Romans 1:21–25 NKJV

21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Notice the progression...

Disordered worship.

v. 21 They neither glorified him, v. 25 worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator

But I want to show you how this worship problem is directly tied to the mind. Did you hear v. 21, Although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their…thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Disordered thought.

And then it says, “They claimed to be wise, but they became fools” and then as a result He gave them over to the desire of their hearts...

Disordered desire.

Our thinking changes our desires, and then changes our behavior...

Disordered behavior.

V. 24 behavior spiraling down...

Now here’s the tension…We are commanded to avoid the pattern of this world, but at the same time...

Yet we are called to live as pilgrims in this world.

This is the tension in which we live. So how do we do this?

Our minds are transformed by His Word.

Romans 12:2 NKJV

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.

Transformed… This is a great word. It’s only used one time in the gospels, it’s used when Jesus goes up on the Mount of Transfiguration. It’s literally the Mount of Transformation. It said His face shone as the sun. This is a transformation that is added on the outside, but is rooted in the inside. Inside out. The word literally means metamorphosis.

What we need to understand is that when we trust in Christ...

Jesus not only gives us a new heart; He gives us a new mind .

We spend alot of time stressing over our behavior. We don’t think much about how Christ affects our heads. We need to remember that our thinking affects our behavior.

I’m convinced that one of the greatest needs in Christianity today is...

We need to learn to think Christianly—letting the person of Christ, the Spirit of Christ, the truth of Christ, and the mission of Christ shape and direct our every thought.

We need to learn how to have a thoroughly Christian worldview, a Christ-saturated way of looking at the world.

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 NKJV

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Every thought we think we are to take captive to Christ. So how are we transformed...

We continually savor the person of Christ.

We humbly submit to the Spirit of Christ.

We diligently study the truth of Christ.

We fully surrender to the mission of Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:5 NKJV

5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.

Our lives are transitioned into His will.

This is the connection between our mind and our behavior.

We always live according to our beliefs.

The question: What do you really believe?

The answer: Look at our your behavior.

When God transforms our minds…

So what happens when God transforms our minds?

We are able to discern His will.

Romans 12:2 NKJV

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.

We begin to display His will.

We begin to display His will.

We then discover that His will is more satisfying than anything this world has to offer.