God's Answer to Right Thinking: Part 1

We Live in an Improving World

Violent crimes per capita have dropped almost 13%

Divorce rates have decrease by almost 10%

Abortion rates have decreased by almost 230,000 a year (horrendously the number is over 800,000)

We are currently in a peacetime economy which aside from upstate NY is doing quite well.

Aside from rare circumstances there is no reason a person should go hungry or not sleep in a bed.

Despite These… There Are Signs We Are Not Doing Well.

Symptoms consistent with major depression increased 52 percent in adolescents

63 percent in young adults age 18 to 25 .

. There was also a 71 percent increase in young adults experiencing serious psychological distress in the previous 30 days from 2008 to 2017 (from 7.7 percent to 13.1 percent). The rate of young adults with suicidal thoughts or other suicide-related outcomes increased 47 percent from 2008 to 2017 (from 7.0 percent to 10.3 percent).

There was also a 71 percent increase in young adults experiencing serious psychological distress in the previous 30 days

The rate of young adults with suicidal thoughts or other suicide-related outcomes increased 47 percent.

Anxiety, stress, depression is increasing at a rate that despite the surroundings is alarming.

No One Really Knows Why.

There a more and more counselors joining the work force as the need and the money grows… but despite the fact that more people are receiving counseling than ever before, the issue keeps growing.

Social media… debatable. On one side it keeps a person from entering their immediate surroundings; however, it provides a place for people to connect in ways that can promote health.

They increased the defined amount is sleep that a person is supposed to get to 9 hours, but the fact of the matter is that the most successful people typically get 6 hours of sleep.

s sleep that a person is supposed to get to 9 hours, but the fact of the matter is that the most successful people typically get 6 hours of sleep.

The fact is that the world keeps throwing answers, but the issue isnt getting better… in fact, the numbers keep getting worse.

That does not mean I am against counseling and medication and am convinced that when handled correctly, they do help… but I don’t think they are the complete answer.

We will get to the answer in a minute.

Interesting Things About Brain Chemistry.

When hooked up to the machines, when you are remembering something or imagining the future, the same parts of your brain light up.

When you are depressed, anxious, etc. those same parts of your brain light up.

What that means is that in a typical person depression, which is typically caused by getting stuck in a negative thought pattern from something that happened in your past, or anxiety, which is typically caused by getting trapped in a negative thought pattern worrying about the future, they all come from the same part of your brain.

Trained Buddhist monks who have spent considerable about of time learning how to meditate… when hooked up to the machines not only have shown that they can shut off the part of the brain that cause depression and anxiety, but they turn on the part of the brain that releases all the chemicals needed to promote happiness..... THEY THINK THEMSELVES BETTER.

Now I’m not saying lets all become Buddhist because there are pitfalls

Only those that spend considerable time away from the world get the best results… and the Word of God has never said go lock yourself in a room on a mountain… It actually says the opposite.

Being around people for any length of time often destroys the benefits that the monks have received.

so again .... we don’t have an answer.. but we have a clue.

The Devils Best Trick

The devil is smart enough not to come up to you and say, “Hey, I’m evil.” He simply tries to pervert the good by deception and trickery.

Adam and Eve.

Tempting Jesus to pick a “faster and easier” path to the same result… I’ll let you save the world if you bow to me.

The Buddhist (and all other religions and groups that teach meditation) teach a technique that requires you to “empty yourself” to find your “true self.” But is Jesus is not connect to the disposing of depression and anxiety, worse things happen.

Luke 11:23–26 ESV

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there. And the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

Luke 11:23-

emptying yourself is not the answer.

It is a trick… learning to quiet and empty your spirit is the opposite of the answer. In the song drugs or Jesus… its the drug.

It’s a substitution and a deception from a paramount principle

The Principle

Joshua 1:8 ESV

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Psalm 1:2 ESV

but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Psalms

Ephesians 5:18 ESV

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

How that applies.... do not turn to things that are substitutes… do not empty yourself.... fill your self..

Longest Intro to the Shortest Message.

TODAY WE BEGIN A SERIES ON CHRISTIAN MEDITATION AND START A PATH TO HEALTH BY EXPLORING GOD’S ANSWER TO RIGHT THINKING

Psalm 1 ESV

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Quickly… You will be BLESSED (happy and healthy) if

Don’t do these things

Do this.

What happens if you don’t.

Don’t Do These Things

Walk in the counsel of the wicked. That is to heed the advise of those people or thoughts that are contrary to God’s word.

How do you know? Well it’s not in God’s Word.

How do you know if it’s in God’s Word? - well, you read it or listen to it....... all the time.

Stand in the way of sinners. That is to align yourself with the sinners agenda… even if you don’t necessarily agree.

The word is truth… There is nothing in the word that is incorrect.

The second you make and excuse for yourself or someone else for the sins that they are committing, you are standing in the way of sinners.

Is that harsh, yes. Is it right, Yes. Is it close minded, Yes.

GRACE DOESN’T MAKE SIN ANY LESS THAN SIN. IT OFFERS FORGIVENESS FOR THE UGLINESS OF SIN.

MERCY DOESN’T MEAN WE DON’T DESERVE THE PUNISHMENT, IT JUST MEANS THAT WE AREN’T GETTING WHAT WE DESERVE… AND THAT WAS ONLY DONE BECAUSE JESUS TOOK THE PUNISHMENT.

Sit in the seat of mockers. That is to count God as unimportant or take Him out of the equation.

Do These Things.

Only One. Meditate on His Law.

We are going to define this a little better next week, but at the very least this word is intentional and deliberate. It requires effort. And it requires PRACTICE.

Litmus Test. Does the thought of taking deliberate and intentional actions to filling yourself with God’s word fill you with delight? Or is it a chore.

I want to help you with that. Two things.

Start small. Start with this verse… Think about what it means to meditate on the verse day and night.

As thoughts come up ask yourself how the Word might have helped you in that situation.

Imagine how things could have been different is you would have applied God’s Law.

Then ask God to forgive you for not applying His Law.

Imagine other situations that might come up … and apply God’s Law to your worry.

The second thing.... don’t stay small. Grow. If you want Him to fill you .... there has to be growth involved.

The devil knows this technique… almost every religion out there does this....

Relax. Breath in. Breath out. Let the rest of the world just fade away.

They are saying.... start small. Let’s focus on breathing.

Conclusion.

I am becoming convinced that the world’s answer is trying to teach us to get in touch with our true self. Here’s the the issue. Our true self is not as good as what we think it should be. We lie. We steal. We hate. The more we look at our true self, the more we see that we are full of flaws. I think that is a major source of depression and anxiety.

What I have suggested here is that instead of trying to find our truth, let’s find out what His truth is and reflect that. The path to great mental health is not in emptying our minds, it in filling our minds.

Philippians 4:8 ESV

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

and what we will find is ...

Philippians 4:7 ESV

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.