Mind of Christ - Part 2

Mind of Christ - Part 2

05 July 2020

Rev. Renny Khoo
Sermon Outline
Topic: Developing the Mind of Christ Part II
Text: Roman 8:5-8

Today many studies are undertaken with regards to exploring learning and research of our minds. Interestingly how our mind works. The Bible tells us that God has created and given us our mind and is capable of spiritual discernment when we come to know Him. Two practical things why and how we develop our minds?

1. Principal – Why do we want to develop our mind?

1Cor 2:16, Apostle Paul said we have the mind of Christ, and we can discern Spiritual matters. The Spiritual thing that natural people who are yet to know our Lord Jesus would not be able to understand or see. Secondly, in Acts 2:38, when we have Christ in us, we are indwelt by the holy spirit.

Ravi Zacharias said, "The mind is the command control center of a human being," and Rick Warren said, "My thoughts control my life."

Do we want to change our lives or our circumstances to be better? Do we want to rise above our circumstances and see changes in our lives? And if we do, it all begins with our minds. Where there is a change in the way we think, there is a change in our lives. And if our mind is set on the spirit and the truth, we will grow discernment.

Growing discernment increases sharpness; you gain knowledge, insides, and we gain God's perspective, and that will helps us better evaluate and judge on matters on our lives. 

In Romans 12:2, we received a new spiritual mind when we received our Lord Jesus

Christ. We are partakers of His divine nature, and therefore our spiritual eyes will

enable us to see and discern spiritual matters. Many testimonies shared when they

come to know our Lord Jesus Christ, some will experience a dramatic change in their lives, and some are gradual because their spiritual eyes and their spiritual mind can conceive and perceive.

Eg. A human mind as a computer, the holy spirit is a unique program that can be

uploaded into the human hard drive. Once the program is uploaded, that mind can

affect all other applications and computer systems. It can take out the harmful

application (e.g., hurts, pride, Me, worldly things) and ready to replace them with the right functional application (e.g., love, joy, compassion, Goldly things). The mind of Christ rewrites our hard drive. Then we are capable of understanding and

interfacing with God, and we gain new desire, quality, humility, compassion, and other Godly fruits. We can see the reality before us that the world is temporal, and that we are meant for an eternal world. In Rom 12:2, we are not to be conformed to this world means we are not to squeeze into this world. We know it is a challenge to renew our mind, but scripture exalts us to transform—the metamorphosis - a change that is coming from the inside and live like a reborn child. Means "renewal," and that results in knowing what God wants us to do.

2. Process – How do we develop our minds?

A. Feed our minds with the truth – Matthew 4:4 and Psalm 1:2 says truth is eternal,

and when we feed our mind with the truth, nothing can shake us. Today's news can be fake news or genuine news. There is a call to feed our minds with the truth by going back to the scripture. The Word of God shapes our world view and perspective.

B. Free from destructive thoughts – 2Cor 10:3-5, we are to take captive, switch, and free our thoughts that are not from God, like temptations, condemnations, comparisons, lust, lies, false belief system, doubts and fear, the key is we can take captives of our thoughts. Our Lord Jesus Christ loves us and has never condemned us from the beginning.

C. Focus our mind on the right things

1. Pure things – Phil 4:8, Recently, our BCCM KKe prayer drive was a meaningful

and enjoyable experience for everyone.

2. Eternity – Col 3:2, Attending and conducting funerals brings perspective in our thinking.

3. Others – Phil 2:4-5, Make time to look to the interest of others and not only our interest.

4. Jesus – Col 6:6-8, Having the mind of Christ is not something that is exclusively reserved for perfect people. Every believer has access to the mind of Christ through faith. However, our old mind still gives in to the lure of sins and hinders by false doctrine. Choose our freedom in our unhealthy ways; therefore, our minds need to be continually renewed, moving away from the mind of the flesh into the mind of Christ.

Assurance – God is faithful to bring it to completion. The renewal of our mind is God's work in us and through us. When we submit and co-operate with Him, God will surely bring it to pass.

Questions:

1. How would you respond, “How does having the mind of Christ look like?”

2. Read Rom 12:1-2 in various Bible versions and languages. Share your understanding of these verses. How might you be applying them in your life?

3. Read Philippians 2:4-5. How are you looking “to the interest of others’ this season?