Renew Your Mind Capture your Potential

Intro:

This morning as we wrap up our series on the renewed mind I want to share a message with you that I have entitled Renew your mind capture your potential.

Over the past four weeks we have looked at:

How the mindset we carry will affect every aspect of our life. That the current crisis of mental health is really a crisis of the un-renewed mind. Because of this we are commanded in Proverbs 4:23 to “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.”

How the mind is the spiritual battlefield of humanity. It is the place where satan wages war against the souls of men. Within this battle I shared with you that Victory or Defeat lies simply in our ability to honor the truth.

In the battle we have been given weapons to overcome. The first is the place of our focus. We must set our minds on things above. The second is to put on the nature of the new man in Christ. We will not have victory if we choose to live life in the flesh. We must walk in the love and wisdom of God protected by the armor of God.

Last week I contrasted the difference between a kingdom and fleshly perspective. We looked at Isaiah 55 to understand that God’s ways and thoughts our higher than ours. That Jesus revealed in Matthew 5-7 that mankind’s perspective didn’t line up with God’s perspective. The truth is that we must turn from our ways and turn to His. Our time to seek God is limited.

This morning in the final message of this series I want to give you some tools to help you capture your full potential. In life, many people do not reach their full potential.

Why is that? Often we can become so caught up in the everyday that it is easier to continue in old patterns rather than change. Yet, I believe that all of us deep down have a God-given desire to live to our full potential. In order to achieve it will have to make changes in our lives.

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Submit:

In the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:18-23 Jesus gives us the key to unlocking our potential.

Lets look at the the parable of the sower explained by Jesus in Matthew 13:18-23 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

All of us feel deep down ‘There must be more to life’. Jesus says, in effect, ‘Yes, there is!’. The potential for every human being is great. Jesus wants you to live a highly productive life. He wants you to produce a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. The minimum is a thirty-times multiplication.

The key to your potential lies in your relationship with Jesus. That relationship can be as close as you want it. It is possible to live a life of real purpose that will make a difference to the world, because of what you receive from him.

What is kingdom fruit?

It’s Matthew 6:9-13 “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Kingdom Fruit is His will being done on earth as it is in heaven. That looks like changed lives, saved souls, divine healings, casting out demons, raising the dead. It looks like kingdom wisdom and understanding impacting homes, schools, cities and nations.

Matthew 10:7-8 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”

Acts 10:38 “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

Reaching your potential isn’t about being driven by ambition or success to make money and build your portfolio. Its not about the next physical asset that you can purchase. It is about recognizing who you are in God, and who He is in you.

As you seek him and live your life according to His purposes, you will bear much fruit. The more you begin to fulfil your God-given potential through obedience, the more He entrusts to you. Understand that this will often include financial increase, but that is not the goal. The goal is the kingdom. God may give you strategy to increase exponentially in business but the increase is to be about His kingdom.

I believe that God wants us to live a life of abundance, but more importantly a life of impact. However, in His wisdom He warns us that although there is great *potential* in each of us, there are *pitfalls* ahead that we will have to avoid.

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Apply:

We are going to take a few moments to look at how can we can avoid pitfalls and fulfil our potential.

1. Possess humility

Turn with me to Deuteronomy 8:6-9 ““Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper.”

In this passage God is revealing His plan of abundance for His people, but I want you to see what pitfall awaits abundance. Deuteronomy 8:6-18.

Deuteronomy 8:10-18 “When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you. “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; who led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end—then you say in your heart, My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth. And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

Pride will crush your potential. Humility will advance you. James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

2. Pursue intimacy

Intimacy is the experience of really knowing and being known by another person. The degree to which we are intimate with another person is rooted in trust. Intimacy is more than a sexual relation its a closeness shared. You can sit next to a person and yet feel distant. James 4:8.

James 4:8 says “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Intimacy is more than knowledge. Closeness to God is more than knowledge accumulation. Like Jesus said in John 4:22 its possible to worship what you do not know. “You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.” Draw near to Him, renew your mind with the Word of God, and stay close to him each day and you will fulfil your potential.

3. Put down roots

The highs of spiritual experiences are very important, but if they are not combined with deep spiritual roots there is the danger of shallowness, which can lead to falling away. Be aware of this pitfall. We can all fall away in our hearts even while we are doing the right things.

Jesus talks about the seed that falls on shallow ground. It springs up quickly but withers because it has no root Matthew 13:6. Jesus would later explain that the person who has no roots lasts only a short time because they fall away when trouble or persecution come Matthew 13:21.

Your spiritual roots are the parts of your life that no one else sees – your secret life with God. This includes your time studying the word, prayers, your giving and your thought life. If you want to fulfil your potential make sure you develop deep, strong and healthy roots in your relationship with God.

4. Protect your heart

It is so easy for people to be distracted by the busyness of life. Many things can fill your life and push out time for God, church and other ways in which your spiritual roots could be developed. Again, this is a danger for us all.

Jesus warned about thorns that choke the plant Matthew 13:7. Later on, he explains that the thorns are ‘the worries of this life’ and the ‘deceitfulness of wealth Matthew 13:22. Mark 4:19 adds the desire for other things. Distractions rob us of our potential.

5. Purify yourself

James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

This passage speaks to our actions and our thinking (James 4:8). Remember where the mind goes the man follows. Sin and wickedness limits our potential. (James 4:6)

James 4:6 says “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.””

When we walk impurely in pride and arrogance overestimating our abilities, possessions, or self importance we will find that God himself will resist us. Proverbs 8:13, Psalm 31:23

Proverbs 8:13 “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.”

Psalm 31:23 “Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person.”

____________________________________________________________________Closing:

The fulfillment of our potential lies in the depth of our relationship with God. Grow your potential by storing up God’s word in your heart. Proverbs 2:1-12.

Proverbs 2:1-12 “My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path. When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you, To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things,”

My prayer today is that you would make the decision to trust God. To follow His ways so that you might fulfill your potential in life.

Let’s Pray!

Salvation

Hungry Hearts