Renewing Your Mind
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INTRO
New Sermon Series: “TRANSFORMED”
6 Weeks series on being transformed into the image of Christ!
Renewing our Mind on 5 life changing viewpoints we must have as followers of Christ.
If you love LHC… Share it! Invite others and talk about what God is doing in your life and your families life!
Grab Your Bibles and turn with me to Romans 12:1
We are going to spend the next 6 weeks diving into Chapters 12-15.
I am really excited about this series!
God has been leading me to this passage of scripture and to preach on it.
I truly believe that if you will not just hear it, but start applying it… You will see God bless your life in amazing ways!
A little history of Romans:
Written by Paul to the Romans.
Considered by many Christians as the single most important writing in the entire New Testament.
Why? Because Paul gives us a good understanding of what it means to be a follower of Christ. He clearly defines core doctrines that have shaped the church of today.
Now with us understanding the value of Romans… And it’s importance… Let’s read it and allow it to begin to Transform us into who God has called each of us to be!
PRAYER
SERMON
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Paul is speaking specifically to the Roman Church. These are Christian Men and Women.
And he is pleading with them (I urge you) to live lives that is holy and pleasing to God.
Did you know, that you can be a follower of Christ and not live a life that is Holy?
Did you know, that you can be a follower of Christ and not live a life that is Holy?
You can live your entire Christian life and not live it pleasing to God!
You can live your entire Christian life and not live it pleasing to God!
This should be a sobering thought to each and everyone of us.
Praise God for His faithfulness in your salvation… But there is more to being a Christian than receiving your salvation.
You can come to Christ just as you are… But Paul urges us… and I urge you today… choose to live your life as Holy and Pleasing to God.
As much as singing praises is important to worshipping God… True and Proper worship (according to Paul) is to willingly lay down your old life and begin to live Holy and Pleasing to God.
You may be wondering today… How do I do that?
Great question! The answers are in here… THE WORD OF GOD!
That is why it isn’t just something you should read on Sunday’s.
We need to read it each and every day. We need to study it, meditate on it, and apply it in our lives!
Only then will we know how to live Holy… and Pleasing to God!
This morning I want to help us start this journey by beginning with the most important issue that prevents us from living Holy and Pleasing lives.
And that begins with our Mind! Our way of thinking!
HOW TO LIVE A HOLY AND PLEASING LIFE TO GOD:
HOW TO LIVE A HOLY AND PLEASING LIFE TO GOD:
Verse 2 of Romans 12 explains this.
2 Do not conform 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.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world...”
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world...”
The word “world” here actually means “Age.”
The word “world” here actually means “Age.”
As in a time or date.
So you could actually read Romans 12:2 like this:
Do not conform to the pattern of this age...
Right here we see that there are 2 ways of thinking.
There is the way of this time we live in… and there is God’s way.
Each one of us are inclined to conform to the thinking of this age.
Each one of us are inclined to conform to the thinking of this age.
Look at 1 Peter 1:14 with me.
14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
Just because you are a follower of Christ, does not mean you no longer will battle with the enticing thinking of your old life.
The World is always calling us to follow its logic and its wisdom.
The World is always calling us to follow its logic and its wisdom.
It gives us a false confidence in its relative truths… Seems right in our own eyes… and feels right...
But it’s ways are not the Lord’s ways.
Many followers of Christ have fallen away because they continued to conform to the patterns of this Age. (Been in the news lately)
And slowly but surely, their thinking leads them away from the truth.
Paul warns us in Romans 12:2 to not conform and think as this age thinks.
And He understands how hard this is!
No matter how long of a Christian you have been… You are always needing to fight the draw to worldly thinking.
The antidote to this addiction is through transformation!
The antidote to this addiction is through transformation!
Look at Romans 12:2 again.
2 Do not conform 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.
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind...”
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind...”
“Transformed” here is where we get the Word Metamorphosis.
“Transformed” here is where we get the Word Metamorphosis.
It’s the process of when a Caterpillar changes into a butterfly.
There is a complete change in the physical nature of the insect.
It’s way of thinking and living totally changes!
It doesn’t crawl to places… it now flies!
How foolish it would be for a butterfly to only walk...
That’s how foolish it is for us as Christians to continue to be conformed to the thinking of this age.
Instead...
We need to transform by changing our thinking!
We need to transform by changing our thinking!
In other words… We need a reprograming of our minds.
To delete our old thinking and the thinking of this age...
And program our minds with God’s word and His thinking...
In fact this is the normal battle that is going on inside each and every one of us as we read the Word of God.
There is a battle of two thoughts. The thinking you have had and held onto for all these years… And the teaching of the Word of God.
And when there is conflict… We struggle with accepting what we are reading.
Today… in our Age…
The world wants us to read and translate the scriptures in light of what we “know” to be true based on our own wisdom and experience.
The world wants us to read and translate the scriptures in light of what we “know” to be true based on our own wisdom and experience.
And if the Scripture is in conflict with our thinking… then we look for ways to adapt the intent of Scripture to fit our thinking.
This leads to false doctrine and lives that are not Holy and Pleasing to God.
Instead…
We need to read the Scripture with the intent to overwrite our old programming with the correct thinking found in Scripture.
We need to read the Scripture with the intent to overwrite our old programming with the correct thinking found in Scripture.
We have to renew our minds daily… Fighting against the draw to the thinking of this age… and transforming our lives in accordance to the Word of God.
Another way to say it is…
We need to have a Biblical World View.
We need to have a Biblical World View.
As you renew your mind with the Truth of God’s Word, your perspective shifts through the lens of God’s Word first and foremost.
Statistics show us that most Christians don’t spend time reading the Bible.
So many of us have not been transformed by the renewing of our mind. Instead we continue to operate out of our own opinions and our own thinking.
Church, we must remember that our way of thinking leads to destruction…
So we need to make it a priority to dive into God’s word and grow in our understanding as we become transformed!
That leads us to the rest of Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform 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.
“Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
“Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
This verse is commonly mistaken to mean that You will know exactly what God’s will for your life is.
No! It means…
When you have transformed your mind you will find it easier to know what is God’s way and what is this worlds way.
And you will find that...
God’s way is good!
God’s way is good!
You will discover it is the right way and good for you and all of mankind.
And you will find that...
God’s way is pleasing!
God’s way is pleasing!
Following God’s ways brings satisfaction and peace!
As we follow and renew our minds in alignment with God’s Word, and as we begin to live it… We find how enjoyable it really is!
And you will find that...
God’s way is perfect!
God’s way is perfect!
You can only understand how good, pleasing and perfect God’s will is through the renewing of your mind!
You can only understand how good, pleasing and perfect God’s will is through the renewing of your mind!
CLOSING
Will you please stand with me?
The next several weeks are going to be powerful and life changing!
I urge you to spend time reading Romans 12-15.
And I urge you even more… Bring a friend with you!
We mission at LHC is to Restore People and Change lives… These next 5 weeks will do just that!
NEXT WEEK: Sermon Title:
SOBER UP Romans 12:3-8
This is how I am going to close today.
In just a few moments we are going to open up the altars...
But before we wrap up with prayer and the Altars open...
- Ask God to help you live a life that is Holy and Pleasing to Him by renewing your mind!
- Now, grab someone next to you, and pray with them before you go! Pray for Transformation in their life! Pray for them to live lives Holy and Pleasing to God!
DISMISSAL PRAYER
NEXT WEEK: Sermon Title:
SOBER UP Romans 12:3-8
Altars are now open.
- If you are here and you don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ and would like to start that relationship today, please come and see one of the Prayer team members up here before you leave.
- And if you need healing, please come and let us know so that we can pray over you and anoint you with oil.