Sermon Tone Analysis

Last week we started looking at these verses in known as the fruit of the Spirit or life in the Spirit.

We saw is that we do not do the things we want to do and the things we do not want to do we do.

Someone said afterwards it was a bit of a tongue-twister.

We want to do well but we fail; we not want to fail but we do.

There is plainly a war going on within ourselves.

We are called, though, to not walk in the flesh but to walk by the Spirit.

One of the things we saw was that we need to fix our minds on things above and upon Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith.

Today, before we move onto the actual fruit of the Spirit, we are going to look a little more about our minds and then on the negative fruit of the flesh and sinful nature.

To set our minds on things above means that we no longer have time for earthly things and over time we will have less and less passion for these things as long as we set, very deliberately, our minds elsewhere.

If our mind is on the muck then into the pit it will go, of our mind is set on godly things our mind becomes wholesome.

Now most, if not all of us, have TVs and we also have internet.

What we focus on in these areas; what we allow into our homes with these things; reveals where our minds are at.

The majority of us would not allow bad language into our homes.

We would think it very impolite if we invited someone who did that.

Yet into our homes we have done that with our entertainment systems.

We do have to evaluate the things we watch, the soaps and films and so on for the world’s thought system will influence us.

Of course as we read on we find that

Our thoughts are very important.

One thought can become many and can lead to action that you would not thought yourself capable of doing at the very beginning.

David himself started with a single thought for a particular woman named Bathsheba which led him to actually murder her husband by the hand of another.

And this man, God said, had a heart after God.

Everyone is capable of the heinous crimes just because of what we put into the mind.

Sin is the manifestation of what has already taken place in the mind.

“Watch your thoughts, they become words; watch your words, they become actions; watch your actions, they become habits; watch your habits, they become character; watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

How many of agree with this statement?

Well, I do.

It might surprise you to know it was Margaret Thatcher that said this.

I have said this on many occasion: Your thoughts become actions that become habits become who you are that influence your destiny.

So, how do we get to the right place in our minds?

In Philippians it says that we need to put our thoughts on things which true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of any virtue and anything that is praiseworthy.

Our lives will be transformed if we think upon these kinds of things, things which are pleasing to God.

In Philippians it says that we need to put our thoughts on things which true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of any virtue and anything that is praiseworthy.

Our lives will be transformed if we think upon these kinds of things, things which are pleasing to God.

The best way to keep bad thoughts at bay is to concentrate upon good thoughts.

Notice that Paul does not say ‘do not think bad thoughts’ which is not possible on its own.

No, he says think good thoughts.

Let me take you in your mind’s eye:

I want us to think of the plains of Africa, we are on Safari, and right there crossing the track in front of us is a herd of elephants.

Can you see them in your mind?

Perhaps recalling a David Attenborough programme.

There they go – but be careful now – if you make too much noise they may turn and stampede you.

Now I want you to stop thinking about the elephants.

I don’t want you to think about elephants anymore.

Stop thinking about elephants!

It’s a little hard to do isn’t it for the elephants are still there.

I want us to think of the plains of Africa, we are on Safari, and right there crossing the track in front of us is a herd of elephants.

Can you see them in your mind?

Perhaps recalling a David Attenborough programme.

There they go – but be careful now – if you make too much noise they may turn and stampede you.

Now I want you to stop thinking about the elephants.

I don’t want you to think about elephants anymore.

Stop thinking about elephants!

It’s a little hard to do isn’t it for the elephants are still there.

hard to do isn’t it for the elephants are still there – OK – but now I want you to think about the blue whale – the largest of all sea going creatures – it is coming up for air – spouting its water hundreds of feet into the air, oh, there’s not just one but 3 or 4. It is an amazing creature.

What happened to the elephant we were thinking about?

Unless you are very clever you stopped thinking about the elephant the moment we started to think about the blue whale.

One thought replaced another.

OK – now I want you to think about the blue whale – the largest of all sea going creatures – it is coming up for air – spouting its water hundreds of feet into the air, oh, there’s not just one but 3 or 4. They are amazing creatures - just look at the size of it.

What are we thinking about?

A blue whale right?

What happened to the elephant?

One thought replaced another unless you were very clever multi-tasking in one’s mind.

So, Paul isn’t saying don’t have bad thoughts because that just does not help – he says think about these other things instead.

Think on things which are good and honourable.

Jerome.

one of the very first translators of the Bible said he struggled with all sorts of thoughts that were in his mind but this changed when he started to translate the Bible from Hebrew into Latin.

It is clear that his thoughts were taken up by the words of Scripture instead of the other thoughts he originally had.

The New English Version says: “Fill your thoughts with these things”.

There are three main areas that we are called to think upon, and not just think upon but to meditate upon.

Jerome is a famous translator of the Bible and said he struggled with all sorts of thoughts that were in his mind but this changed when he started to translate the Bible from Hebrew into Latin.

Of course this may not be practical for us to do but it is clear that his thoughts were taken up by the words of Scripture.

We are told to think upon the good and praiseworthy.

The New English Version says: Fill your thoughts with these things.

Our thoughts have to be filled with things that honour God.

(NKJV) — 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

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This for me means to think more upon God’s Word.

Meditation has a bad press among Christians and rightly so if by it we mean the emptying of our minds.

I have met many Christians with empty minds!

I have nothing against the charismatic movement other than its excesses but part of this movement involved allowing the ‘Spirit’ to work in us by emptying the mind.

Well, this is just not Scriptural.

We can allow all sorts of things into our lives if we do this and not of the Holy Spirit.

We are called to think, to fill our minds.

(NKJV) — 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

Meditation for the Christian is likened to the rumination of a cow and its four stomachs churning over and over the grass until we get the milk for our teas and coffees.

Or let us think about coffee.

Coffee percolators in particular.

Water goes up a small tube and drains through coffee granules and then after enough cycles the coffee beans’ flavour has been transferred to the water that becomes our coffee.

Christians are to cycle our thoughts through the grounds of God’s Word until we start to think like God and act in a godly manner.

We are called upon to meditate upon three things:

God:

His Word

His Word

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(NKJV) — 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

His works

(NKJV) — 14 “Listen to this, O Job; Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.

For me it also means to think upon what God has created.