Right Things, Wrong Attitude

Ephesians 4:22–24 NIV

22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

This evening, we are going to begin a journey that will encourage us to take a good long and deep look at… our ATTITUDE!

First off, I want to re-read the verse from Ephesians 4.

Secondly, I want you to highlight that verse either in your Bible or digital Bible. Why? Because I want all of us to know what it says and what it means. This verse talks about an amazing transformation… one that happens as we come into relationship with Jesus Christ.

When a person comes to know the Lord, changes begin to happen.

One, we are instantly forgiven of any and all sin and our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Two, our fellowship with God is restored meaning… the separation sin created is no longer there. God’s presence literally moves into our hearts.

Three, our minds are reprogrammed and we instantly become like Jesus. Our way of thinking is changed, our lifestyle changes, and our attitudes change.

Uh… well… at least I wish number 3 was true! But yet… there is some truth to it.

Change is a part of our walk with Christ. But that change requires effort. That change requires a desire that comes alive as Jesus comes alive within us.

And one of those changes… is attitude.

What is attitude?

Attitude is a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person's behavior

Let’s break this down a bit. Attitude is a SETTLED way of thinking. In other words, your mind has been made up regarding a person, place, or thing.

You come to that conclusion based off the information you have regarding that person, place, or thing. AND… that conclusion will be highly influenced by who or what is ultimately in control of your attitude.

Here’s a question I want you to consider:

Does your attitude reflect the ways of the world OR does it reflect the LOVE of Christ?

There’s a BIG difference between the two.

Secondly, your attitude shows up in two different places.

One, it shows up in your behavior. Attitude, good or bad, is often reflected in the way a person behaves or acts.

Two, it shows up in the way you think. Attitude may sometimes remain under the surface but it is impacting your thinking and view towards others. Take this guy for example:

PLAY VIDEO

I HATE THAT GUY… but I love Jesus.Anyone see any issue with this kind of attitude?

Now I realize this guy was saying these things out loud and a lot of times these kinds of statements stay hidden within our minds… but that makes NO DIFFERENCE.

When it comes to attitude, what you THINK is just as important as what you DO!

And I want you to consider this… maybe you are doing the right things but harboring a wrong attitude. Maybe you think all is good so long as you act right even though you’re thinking is wrong. Let’s see what Jesus has to say about such thinking.

Matthew 23:25–28 NIV

25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Hold the phone! Jesus just called these guys out!

Clean cup on the outside but filthy on the inside

My sister-in-law told us a story about how she went to a local fast food joint and got a soda. Cup looked great from the outside… but when she finished her Dr. Pepper, there was a used hair tie in the bottom of the cup!

Nasty, right? That’s what Jesus calls a person who puts on a good show, but is full of junk on the inside!

Blind to the truth… that is what Jesus accuses them of.

Next, he speaks of a white-washed tomb that are pretty on the outside but full of death on the inside. This illustration is a bit more revealing. Why? Because death is always found in a tomb… no matter how pretty the outside might be.

Jesus likens a person who is harboring a bad attitude to a tomb that is holding death.

This might seem harsh but consider this: an inward, unchecked bad attitude can absolutely bring death to relationships, emotions, to who you are as a person.

Our attitudes are on the inside, our behaviors are on the outside. If we work only on behavior, we are only painting the tomb or polishing the outside of the cup… while inwardly… we are spiritually… DEAD.

So how important is it for believers in Christ to have a Christ-like attitude? It is EXTREMELY important!

So here comes the question of the night: How does a believer in Christ gain a Christ-like attitude? Again, this is NOT something that happens overnight, but it is something that we need to be working on. Why? Because we don’t want to behave one way and think another way. THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS BE FAKE.

Ultimately that is how Jesus called out the Pharisees. He called them hypocrites… phonies… fake believers - doing one thing but thinking in negative ways.

We change this reality when we shift our focus. Instead of simply changing our outward behavior… we need to work on our inward attitude… first.

How we think on the inside will greatly impact what we do on the outside.

So I want to give you two areas of focus when it comes to changing your thinking… I pray your mind will be settled on having and displaying a Christ-like attitude. These two points will help you get there.

Transformed… NOT Conformed

This point comes from one of my favorite passages in the Bible, Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1–2 NIV

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. 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.

Paul, the author of this letter to the Romans, gives very clear and pointed instruction in this passage. Do not conform… but be transformed. This point is somewhat of a defensive strategy.

First he says NOT to conform. What does it mean to conform? It means to comply. To conform means to go with the flow. To conform means to go the way everyone else is going. Specifically, Paul says to not conform with the ways of the world.

Think about it… how often are we swayed or influenced by the world to think a certain way or to act a certain way? Have you ever found yourself not liking someone because someone else told you something bad about them? Have you ever found yourself thinking or acting in ways just to make your peers or your friends like you more?

Conforming is like cookie cutter living. You try to fit and to squeeze into a certain shape because you think that is what the world wants you to do.

The problem with the ways of the world is… its ways are not of the Word.

The attitudes and behavior that the world will try to push on you are not Christ-like in many ways. In fact, many of the attitudes the world would try to push on you are against Christ. And… if we’re not careful, we find ourselves playing the same game the guy in the video was playing. “I hate that guy… but I love Jesus.”

The answer to this problem is simple… instead of conforming, we need to allow the love of Christ to transform us from the inside out.

Romans 12:2 goes on to say we need to be transformed through the renewing of our minds. That renewing comes from knowing God’s Word and knowing God’s presence.

We need to become less concerned with what and how the world thinks and become more concerned with what the Word of God says.

AS THIS TRANSFORMATION TAKES PLACE… we are able to better understand and discern the will of God for our lives. This is something that is hard to do when trying to navigate through all the noise in this world.

Your mind… what you store in your brain… how you think… how you view the world… all of these things are extremely important to how you will live and who you will end up serving.

How you think… will eventually rise to the surface. You might be able to hide it for a season… but what is harbored within will eventually come out.

And… what you hide within… is really the reality of your situation. Jesus appropriately called it out in the Pharisees lives. They presented themselves as righteous teachers… but they were ultimately full of nastiness and death.

GOD WANTS TO RENEW YOU FROM THE INSIDE OUT. It starts by dropping the way the world thinks and allowing God to renew your mind.

Rejoice… NOT Regret

Secondly, this point comes from another great passage in the Bible… once again written by Paul the Apostle.

Philippians 4:4–9 NIV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

This point comes from an offensive strategy. This point gives us instruction on what we can do to advance in a good, Christ-like attitude… and it is centered on giving God praise.

To rejoice means to give God praise… to be thankful… to focus on the goodness of God instead of the trials of this world.

Praising God has a way of helping us move beyond negative words or thoughts we might have. It moves us beyond our feelings and circumstance. Praising God reminds us of how good God is even when things might be going bad.

Praising God moves us beyond… us… it helps us to remember what life is all about.

Choosing not to rejoice… can lead to regret.

Look at what the passage said. Verse 5 tells us not to be anxious about anything. DON’T STRESS OUT! Don’t lose it! Don’t let worry overcome you!

Have you ever done something you wished you hadn’t done because you were stressed out? Have you ever thought something you shouldn’t have thought because you were anxious or worried? These kind of thoughts and attitudes can lead us to points of regret!

But praise… rejoicing… will only lead a person to something that is truly remarkable - the peace of God. Verse 5 says the peace of God which is something beyond our understanding will guard our hearts AND our minds.

So you football guys in the room, think of it this way. You’re the quarterback… and the front line is the peace of God. How much better can you do as QB when there is no pressure to make the play? How much better can you do when that front line blocks as you need them to?

How much better can we think… can we live as Christians when the peace of God stands guard for our hearts and minds!?!

This is not an if statement… it is a promise! When we praise instead of complain, His peace guards our hearts. When we praise instead of be negative, His peace guards our minds. PRAISE PLACES GOD IN CONTROL OF OUR ATTITUDE INSTEAD OF OUR CIRCUMSTANCE.

Response

So tonight, what steps are you willing to take to make sure you aren’t a white washed tomb or a polished cup full of garbage when it comes to your attitude?

First off, I want to return to the question of the night: How does a believer in Christ gain a Christ-like attitude?

It all comes down to… choice.

First, if you want a Christ-like attitude, you need to know Jesus. You need to have a personal relationship with the One who gave His life for you.

His attitude toward you is amazing. Even though we sinned… even though we turned our back on Him, He was willing to die for us. How was this possible? Because He knew the will of God for His life. Jesus did not allow for the bad things of the world to influence His decision to follow God’s plan for His life.

Jesus’ love for you is real and it NEVER fails. If you want to be like Him, you have to know Him, first.

PRAYER - SALVATION.

Secondly, you have to CHOOSE not to conform. You have to choose to rejoice.

A choice not to conform is a choice to be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

How many would acknowledge that there are some things in your mind that need to be renewed? The details are between you and God, but tonight you are willing to say “I need some help with some thoughts and attitudes I am holding on to.”

If that is you, I want you to bow your heads, and start praying to God.

Ask Him to forgive you of the negative thoughts and/or attitudes. Ask Him to help you with what has been going on in your mind.

Lastly, I want us to go out praising Him. I want us thanking God for who He is and for all that He has done!