The Diversity of Spiritual Disciplines

The Diversity of Spiritual Disciplines

Prayer:

God of grace, You make us softer, kinder, gentler, generous, forgiving and loving. Yet at times we know these gifts wear thin. We feel impatience rising, we sense resentment brooding and revenge is on our lips. So we pray today and all days for more of your Spirit. May the grace that you pour out open the door for a renewing of our mind, a restoration of our heart and a transformation of our soul.

Thank you That in you we find new strength Discover more patience And walk with grace at work in our life.

Amen.

Romans 12:1-2 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. 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. Introduction

Modern airliners are guided by their onboard computers. Pilots are told where they are and where they are to go by those computers. But airports still have runway lights. Pilots check the accuracy of the computer by visually watching those lights. So also the Christian. We are guided by our minds, in the process of being renewed so that they perfectly reflect God’s will. But because that process will never be complete in this life, we still need the external guidance of God’s commands.

❖ Spiritual Disciplines are the practices/actions that help Christians keep spiritual channels open.

❖ Spiritual Disciplines help to get the believer’s heart turned to God.

❖ Spiritual Disciplines can increase one’s heart, desire, and sensitivity to God. ❖ Any practice/action that turns you to God can be categorized as a Spiritual Discipline. ❖ Spiritual Disciplines allow us to place ourselves before God so He can transform us.

1. Some Spiritual Disciplines should be the priority of the church (corporate). Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2a

When we can get the mind to think as it should, then the body will obediently follow along. In this matter of conquering the mind, there are two steps that must be taken.)

A. Shunning The Mold - We are commanded "be not conformed to this world." The word "conformed" means "to fashion, or to shape." It literally means "to mold". We are not to allow this world to squeeze us into its mold. We are not to allow the world to make us like it is! You see the world, and those who are controlled by its influence, are vastly different from that which God intends men to be. This is made clear by a list of some of the works of the flesh as listed in Gal. 5:19-21. There are many other concepts that could be added to that list, but those are sufficient to see that the world is diametrically opposed to God. We are to avoid being squeezed into the world's mold! We must be different and remain different! B. Shaping The Mind - Then we are commanded to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind." The word "transformed" gives us our English word "metamorphosis". It describes the transformation a caterpillar goes through to become a butterfly. Did you know that the caterpillar and the butterfly are the same creature? What happens when the caterpillar enters the cocoon and later emerges is that the part of the insect that resides on the inside is allowed to be manifested on the outside. That is the change God wants to effect in each of His children! You see, He moved into our hearts when He saved us. He transformed our spirit and changed us into His child. Now, He wants to transform the mind (the soulish part of man) so that the flesh might be changed. What we must remember is that this flesh will do what the mind tells it to do. It is only when the mind is changed and brought under the power of God that the flesh can be brought under control. How is this accomplished? By surrendering the will to God. By filling the mind with the Word of God. By ordering one's life after the teachings and commands of God. By cutting oneself off from the influences of the world and by allowing the Spirit of God to control the mind. (Ill. There are basically three types of people in the church. These types are distinguished by the way their minds operate. Let me share these three types with you and let's see which category you fall into. 1. The Sensual - This kind of individual is ruled by the physical world around them. They live by their senses. Everything comes down to how they feel, what they see, how they are affected, what they want, what they hear, etc. They may be saved, but they are living far below their potential! 2. The Soulish - These people are those who are ruled by their intellect, their will and their emotions. These folks are harder to spot than the sensual. In fact, there is a very fine line between the soulish person and the truly spiritual person. To be intellectual, emotional or to possess a strong will is not necessarily to be spiritual! Let me illustrate: a. The Intellect - A person may know the Bible forward and backwards and be a walking concordance, but that does not mean that they are a spiritual person. Knowing the letter of the Word is far different from living out the spirit of the Word. b. The Emotions - A man may shout and cry in the services. He may lift his hands to praise the Lord. These things are not wrong, but neither are they always spiritual in nature! Too often they are merely actions of the emotions. The sane person who shouts on Sunday may be in the valley on Wednesday. If he were genuinely spiritual, he could shout in either place! c. The Will - A person may, when he gets saved, decide to stop smoking. He may be able to throw down the tobacco and walk away from it. That is a good thing, but it is not necessarily a spiritual victory. It may just be the exercise of a very strong will. 3. The Spiritual - This kind of individual is very rare in the church. These are people who are under the control of the Holy Spirit. He controls their thinking, their actions, their speech. He rules their lives. They have given over total control to Him and they have no life but that which He gives them! This is God's will for every believer - Eph. 5:18.) (Ill. How can we know the difference? Well, the sensual person is not hard to spot. They stand out because they are so selfish and carnal in the way they live. However, the line between the soulish and the spiritual person is so fine that there is just one indicator in the universe that can tell the difference. That instrument is the Word of God, Heb. 4:12. It is the only thing that can teach us the difference between the soulish and the spiritual. That verse says that it is the "discerner" of our thoughts and our motives. That word comes from the same word that gives us the word "critic." The Word of God is able to teach us the difference between that which is of us and that which is from God. The Word of God is the one thing that can tell us whether we are pleasing the Lord or living for ourselves! Therefore, it is Paul's statement that the mind must be renewed and the only was this is possible is by transforming it through the Word of God! You see, just as the body of the caterpillar hides the butterfly within, or flesh hides the glorious, new man living in every redeemed person this evening. The mind must be brought under the control of the Lord so that the flesh can be subdued and the new man, who is made in the image of God can be set free! Basically, what the Lord is attempting to do in each of our lives is to get us to think like He does, Phil. 2:5.)

Only When the Holy Spirit renews, reeducates, and redirects our minds are we truly transformed.

In conclusion, Some Spiritual Disciplines should be the priority of the church (corporate).

I WAS amazed at some of the testimonies in the funeral of Tom Landry, the former coach of the Dallas Cowboys, especially one testimony by one of the black players. This player said that he would have come even if he had not been asked to speak. He went on to explain how, during the sixties when society was still very racially divided, he always knew that when he came to the Cowboys’ football camp, this coach would treat him fairly. One African-American player after another came up and said that they knew Landry to be fair man at a time when the culture was unrighteous. What did this man have to show for it? Twenty years of winning and going to heaven with a good name. He didn’t let what was happening in society mess with his team. Too many of us let folks on the outside affect how we feel in our hearts and therefore we break up our winning season for the kingdom of God.

So, the secret of living a holy life boils down to God having control of our minds, our bodies and our wills. Does that describe the life you are living this morning? Is God in absolute control of all you have and are?

First, are you sure you are saved?

Second, is your mind being renewed by the transforming power of the Word of God so that the new person on the inside is being permitted to live on the outside?

Third, have you discovered and surrendered to the will of God for your life?

Are there needs this morning? I want to live a holy life. What about you? Will you join me at this altar this morning? Will you surrender all to Him? Will you get serious about this thing of serving the Lord? Will you allow the Lord to transform you and your life into an awesome thing in His hand? Let's obey Him this morning!