Taking Captive (Youth)

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Introduction

Look at this picture

Challenge: Your goal for the next 20 seconds is to do one thing

When I say “Go” all you have to do is not think of a pink elephant

Our thoughts are very interesting

Many times the emotions and anxieties and the fears that we feel are a result of the thoughts that we think that are usually brought on by the different events and circumstances in our lives.

If our thoughts have that much control and power over us....

If my thoughts can produce fear, anxiety, lust, doubt, hatred, anger, pride, bitterness

Wouldn’t you think it would be important to control our thoughts?

Heres the problem:

As this picture proved, controlling our thoughts can be extremely difficult, especially when it comes to “not thinking of something”

I told you not to think of a pink elephant, so what did you think of?

I’m sure many of you thought of other things during that time, but I guarantee you, at some point the elephant still popped up in your mind.

What we need to understand is that our thoughts are important.

Why are they important? Because they drive our emotions and many times, our actions!

So what can we do about it?

Story

I want to tell you a story from Scripture that I think can help us.

Background of story:

David (the same David that killed Goliath) had a group of men that he led and these men fought with David in several different battles.

On one such occasion, they left their homes to fight but the commander of the overall army, said he didn't’ want David and his mend to fight with them, because he considered him a part of the enemy.

So David and his men have to leave the battle to go back home…but when they get home something terrible had happened. That’s where this story picks up.

1 Samuel 30:1-6

1 Samuel 30:1–6 The Message

1 Three days later, David and his men arrived back in Ziklag. Amalekites had raided the Negev and Ziklag. They tore Ziklag to pieces and then burned it down. 2 They captured all the women, young and old. They didn’t kill anyone, but drove them like a herd of cattle. 3 By the time David and his men entered the village, it had been burned to the ground, and their wives, sons, and daughters all taken prisoner. 4 David and his men burst out in loud wails—wept and wept until they were exhausted with weeping. 5 David’s two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail widow of Nabal of Carmel, had been taken prisoner along with the rest. 6 And suddenly David was in even worse trouble. There was talk among the men, bitter over the loss of their families, of stoning him. David strengthened himself with trust in his God.

Davids family was taken captive, his men’s family were taken captive, their homes destroyed, their possessions plundered, and now the men were talking about stoning David.

What are some thoughts you think David might have had in that moment?

Why would God let this happen?

I need to run before they kill me

I’m never going to see my family again.

I’m a failure…I’ve let my family down, and my men down.

But the end of verse 6 says, “David strengthened himself with trust in his God.”

What is it that consumes your mind, where you need to strengthen yourself with by trusting God?

The problem is the more that you try to stop thinking about it, the more it consumes you mind.

Let me ask you a question: When we were doing the pink elephant exercise, even though the pink elephant kept coming back up in your thoughts....what did you do to combat thinking about the pink elephant?

You thought of something else!

You couldn’t just get rid of the thought, you had to replace.

You can’t control whether a negative thought comes to your mind, but you can control whether you choose to stay there, or to think of something else.

Philippians 4:4-8

Philippians 4:4–8 ESV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 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.

So what do we need to do?

You need to fill your mind with the things of God

Don’t listen to your thoughts, speak to your thoughts.

This happens through prayer, thanksgiving, reminding yourself of what God says.

Your worthless.....God died for me because he loves me

You are a shame because of the things you’ve done or want to do....God said there is no condemnation for those who believe in Jesus

I hate that person and couldn’t forgive them....no God help me to show the forgiveness you’ve given me to others.

Powerpoint (Find things to praise, and to thank God for)

Nature

Provision

Family/friends

Word of God

Love of God

Sustaining Grace

Life

Purpose

Jesus Saving me

And what begins to happen is even though this thought will want to creep in and still will at times, it is overshadowed by the things you fill your mind with.

Salvation

Now the point of this message is not “oh you just have to think positive.”

Positive thinking is a good thing, but in the context of Christianity it goes much deeper than just thinking good thoughts.

As a Christian, when you do this…you aren’t just filling your mind with good thoughts, you are exercising your faith and trust in God.

Just like how the Scripture said that David strengthened himself with trust in His God.

It is an exercise of faith

That faith only starts the moment we are born again

ABC of salvation

Prayer (pray this in your heart, as I pray it out loud)Dear Lord Jesus I believe you're the son of God. I believe that on the cross you took my sin, my shame, and my guilt, and you died for it. You faced hell for me so I wouldn't have to go. You rose from the dead to give me a place in heaven, a purpose on earth, and a relationship with your father. Today Lord Jesus I turn from my sin to be born again. God is my father, Jesus is my savior, the Holy Spirit is my helper, and heaven is my home. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Selah Moment

Now as we go into this next moment....we are going to have the scripture verse up on the screen

What is your pink elephant this week?

What is the thought, the doubt, the fear, the anger

Now take the next couple minutes and speak to it, pray about it.