A Heart Set Free 3
A HEART SET FREE #3
3/9/2002 and 3/10/2002
(WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?)
Psalm 119
32 I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.
-We have all heard people say that when they were angry with someone, “Who do you think you are?”
JOKE: A famous man was playing music and the people weren’t responding. Finally he said, do you know who I am? A woman in a wheelchair said no, but if you go to the nurse’s station they will tell you.
Peter Sellers, the actor in the Pink Panther series was walking down the street and trying to get into his character. People said aren’t you Peter Sellers? He answered, NOT TODAY.
-I’m going to review then focus on our thinking today.
REVIEW:
We looked at the eternal purpose of God that was accomplished in Jesus when He died, was buried and rose from the dead. That purpose tells us WHY God did what He did and how He plans to use that demonstration of His love and you the object of His mercy to show the universe what He is really like.
The primary key to having a truthful self-image is to have the proper God image. If you misinterpret who He is you will misinterpret who you are. In His light we see light.
We then looked at the mystery of the ages. This is the method God used to unveil His plan. This tells us HOW God did what He did. God designed a mystery and told clues little by little to unveil His plan. The mystery was hidden for us but is now revealed to us. The fulfillment of this mystery is when Jesus Himself is revealed to the world. That is what the book of Revelation is about. It is the apocalypse, the unveiling of Jesus. For now the mystery is CHRIST IN US.
Last week we looked at our identity some more. 1-Stop asking the world who you are. 2-Look at Jesus-your identity is hidden in Christ with God. 3-Let Jesus live through you and your true identity will be released in its uniqueness.
Your purpose in life and eternity in its simplest form is to be born again in the image of God. It is then to become like Jesus. The more you are like Him, the more you behold Him, then the more you reflect Him to others.
The question is this, Are you willing to lay aside your search for identity and significance apart from God? It really is an issue of selfishness versus love. The devil wasn’t willing to do it. He wanted to make a name for himself instead of reflect God.
Are you willing? Will you lay down your life so Christ can live through you?
We looked at the example of Moses. God was sending him on a mission and Moses asked several questions of God at the burning bush incident. He said, WHO AM I? And WHO ARE YOU?
God answered him the same for both questions with just a slight variation, I WILL BE WITH YOU. He didn’t base anything on Moses’ qualifications, good or bad. He based the success of his mission on whether or not God would be enough for him.
1. YOU HAVE TO LOSE YOUR IDENTITY TO FIND IT
Here is another example.
-In Genesis 11 we see the tower of Babel and men trying to be somebody apart from God. We hear them say,
11:4
4 Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."
-Of course God intervenes. But then we see the book of Genesis make a switch. Man comes to the end of his ability and God puts into place His plan.
Genesis 12
1 ¶ The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."
-I count six times that God says, I WILL.
-Compare that the satan and his rebellion against God in Isaiah 14.
12 How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
15 But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit.
16 Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: "Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble,
17 the man who made the world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?"
-I count 5 times that the devil says, I will.
-Whose will do you want?
-Remember Jesus said to pray,
Mt 6:10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Mt 26:42 He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."
-The issue is, who is in charge of my life?
-The devil said me, God says I have to be or you can’t follow me.
Joh 10:17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life-- only to take it up again.
Joh 13:37 Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."
Joh 13:38 Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the cock crows, you will disown me three times!
Luke 9
18 ¶ Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say I am?"
19 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life."
20 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God." (Another gospel says that Peter only knew this by revelation.)
21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.
22 And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life."
23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
Matthew 19 Amplified
Whoever finds his [[Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.] lower] life will lose it [the higher life], and whoever loses his [lower] life on My account will find it [the higher life].
(Whole Chapter: Matthew 10 In context: Matthew 10:38-40) Whoever finds his [[Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies.] lower] life will lose it [the higher life], and whoever loses his [lower] life on My account will find it [the higher life].
(Whole Chapter: Matthew 10 In context: Matthew 10:38-40)
-Notice the connection between who Jesus is and who you are. You have to lose, lay down and deny that scream inside you to be somebody and be somebody in Jesus.
-Only when you lose yourself in Jesus do you find yourself in Jesus.
2. YOU HAVE TO PUT OFF THE OLD SELF IN ORDER TO PUT ON THE NEW SELF
Ephesians 4
22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Colossians 3
1 ¶ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 ¶ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.
7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.
8 ¶ But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips.
9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 ¶ Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
-Interestingly, this story looks like putting off old clothes and putting on new clothes.
-We are told to clothe ourselves with…….
-There are some things we have to get rid of and some things we have to put on.
-Notice it involves our actions, what we do, words, what we say, and most of all our thoughts, what we think.
-We are going to focus on that last one today for a few minutes.
3. YOU HAVE TO THINK DIFFERENT TO BE DIFFERENT
2 Corinthians 10 NLT
3We are human, but we don't wage war with human plans and methods. 4We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds. 5With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ.
KJV
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
-Notice thoughts become picture or imaginations which become strongholds.
Romans 12
1 ¶ Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
-We have to be renewed in the attitude or spirit of our minds.
-We have to control our thoughts.
-How do we do that?
CONTROLLING OUR THOUGHTS
1. RECOGNIZE THAT THE MIND IS THE BATTLEFIELD OF YOUR LIFE
-The way the enemy tries to control you is through your mind.
Ro 8:5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
-You have to win on the inside before you can win on the outside.
2. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR THOUGHTS/CHECK UP ON YOUR THOUGHTS
-What are you thinking?
-We are told to take thoughts captive.
-Sometimes you have to ambush a thought.
-Everyday I have WWF in my mind.
Confront wrong thoughts
3. BE PATIENT AND THOROUGH TO DRIVE OUT WRONG THOUGHTS.
-Monitor your thoughts and compare them to the Bible. Stick with them until they vaporize.
-Don’t make wrong thoughts comfortable in your mind.
4. WHAT ARE YOUR SENSES BEING EXPOSED TO?
-Be aware of what you are taking in. That may be people, TV or whatever.
-You begin to think what you have been exposing yourself to.
-Don’t listen to people who are always critical.
5. READ AND SPEAK THE BIBLE
STOP SAYING WHAT YOU THINK AND START SAYING WHAT GOD THINKS.
-Replace your thoughts and words with God’s thoughts and words.
Beth Moore has a good perspective for strongholds: Read her outline.
-This whole thing is a process.
-Learn to replace old thoughts with new thoughts.
1Co 2:16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" {Isaiah 40:13} But we have the mind of Christ.
