Nathan Lewis – The Mind of Christ – Class 5: The Practice

1
00:00:01,120 –> 00:00:04,400
Good evening everyone, brothers
and sisters, friends, young

2
00:00:04,400 –> 00:00:09,080
people and especially those who
are watching in online, Father

3
00:00:09,080 –> 00:00:12,400
Colin and and the Jeffress
family included.

4
00:00:13,800 –> 00:00:18,260
So we’ve come to.
We’re up to our study five, so

5
00:00:18,260 –> 00:00:21,500
I’m sure we’ve all thoroughly
enjoyed the study so far and

6
00:00:21,580 –> 00:00:25,820
we’re all looking forward to
this talk which is going to be

7
00:00:26,100 –> 00:00:28,820
on the practice of having the
mind in Christ.

8
00:00:28,820 –> 00:00:33,060
So especially important part of
of getting the theory under our

9
00:00:33,060 –> 00:00:36,020
belt and now we come to the real
challenge.

10
00:00:38,890 –> 00:00:42,370
We’ll introduce Brother Nathan’s
words this evening.

11
00:00:42,530 –> 00:00:46,330
We’ll ask Brother Andy to come
up and read Second Corinthians

12
00:00:46,650 –> 00:00:53,290
chapter 10, verses 1:00 to 5:00.
Reading with your brethren and

13
00:00:53,290 –> 00:00:57,130
sisters and young people from
the 2nd Epistle to the

14
00:00:57,130 –> 00:01:03,090
Corinthians, I pull chapters 10
verses one to five.

15
00:01:05,410 –> 00:01:10,890
Now I pull myself beseech you.
By the meekness and gentleness

16
00:01:11,130 –> 00:01:17,490
of Christ, who in presence and
base among you, but being absent

17
00:01:17,490 –> 00:01:22,730
and bold towards you.
But I beseech you that I may not

18
00:01:22,730 –> 00:01:27,410
hold, be bold when I am presence
with that confidence, wherewith

19
00:01:27,730 –> 00:01:33,330
I think to be bold against some
which think of us as if we

20
00:01:33,330 –> 00:01:38,190
walked according to the flesh.
Although we walk in the flesh,

21
00:01:38,630 –> 00:01:43,430
we do not war after the flesh,
for the weapons of our warfare

22
00:01:43,910 –> 00:01:48,710
are not carnal, but mighty
through God to the pulling down

23
00:01:48,910 –> 00:01:54,270
of strongholds, casting down
imaginations, and every high

24
00:01:54,270 –> 00:01:58,550
thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God,

25
00:01:59,590 –> 00:02:03,870
and bringing into captivity
every, every thought.

26
00:02:04,290 –> 00:02:09,330
To the obedience of Christ.
Thanks, Brother Andy.

27
00:02:09,330 –> 00:02:11,970
So I’d now like to ask our
brother Nathan to come forward

28
00:02:11,970 –> 00:02:14,250
and to give us his talk.
The mind of Christ, the

29
00:02:14,250 –> 00:02:15,330
practice.
Thank you.

30
00:02:17,490 –> 00:02:19,850
Well, thanks brother Luke, and
good evening brothers and

31
00:02:19,850 –> 00:02:24,770
sisters and young people and
welcome back tonight I suppose

32
00:02:24,810 –> 00:02:29,170
is a little less expositional
and hopefully a little more

33
00:02:29,170 –> 00:02:34,430
practical and exhortational.
As we look at the subject of

34
00:02:34,430 –> 00:02:39,590
putting these things into
practice now, you remember from

35
00:02:39,590 –> 00:02:43,910
our last class that we looked at
the central governing principle

36
00:02:44,670 –> 00:02:48,630
that really defined, we said,
the essence of the mind of

37
00:02:48,630 –> 00:02:54,230
Christ.
And I hope that last time you

38
00:02:54,230 –> 00:02:59,870
were a little affronted by the
high calling that is the mind of

39
00:02:59,870 –> 00:03:02,590
Christ, death to self, if you
were.

40
00:03:03,030 –> 00:03:05,390
It is a completely natural
feeling.

41
00:03:06,670 –> 00:03:09,910
If you had, you probably had
instinctive feelings, a bit like

42
00:03:09,910 –> 00:03:15,790
the Apostle Peter, where he
rebelled against the enormity of

43
00:03:15,790 –> 00:03:18,510
this idea.
It doesn’t need to be so

44
00:03:18,510 –> 00:03:20,670
radical, Lord be it far from
thee.

45
00:03:20,870 –> 00:03:26,310
And instinctively our carnal
minds recoil at the thought of

46
00:03:26,310 –> 00:03:31,310
death to self.
Intuitively it feels so wrong.

47
00:03:31,670 –> 00:03:37,110
Our reptilian, instinctive
natural minds feel threatened.

48
00:03:38,510 –> 00:03:45,150
You mean death to self?
It seems so complete, so final.

49
00:03:45,150 –> 00:03:50,750
And naturally we want to reserve
just a little something for

50
00:03:50,750 –> 00:03:54,950
self, don’t we?
A way back we say things like

51
00:03:56,670 –> 00:03:59,550
but.
I’m of no use to anybody else if

52
00:03:59,550 –> 00:04:05,110
I don’t take care of myself.
I need time for myself.

53
00:04:06,150 –> 00:04:13,990
Me time, like giving the carnal
mind me time, won’t be addictive

54
00:04:13,990 –> 00:04:18,630
at all, like it’ll be satisfied
with just a little bit of me

55
00:04:18,630 –> 00:04:20,430
time and then it will be
content.

56
00:04:21,880 –> 00:04:25,040
Probably these natural feelings
that we all have that arise in

57
00:04:25,040 –> 00:04:29,840
us, the fact that our natural
minds rebel so readily, so

58
00:04:29,840 –> 00:04:35,120
strongly against this idea of
death to self, is really, I

59
00:04:35,120 –> 00:04:38,120
suppose, the ultimate proof of
its essential truth.

60
00:04:38,240 –> 00:04:45,720
Death to self is so unnatural it
can only be God’s solution.

61
00:04:47,520 –> 00:04:53,210
So tonight we want to move from.
The principle to the practice We

62
00:04:53,210 –> 00:04:56,730
want to look at the practical
ways in which this new way of

63
00:04:56,730 –> 00:05:00,490
thinking can really
revolutionize our lives, change

64
00:05:00,490 –> 00:05:05,690
us forever.
And then on Sunday morning, God

65
00:05:05,690 –> 00:05:09,410
willing, we want to.
We want to look at a couple of a

66
00:05:09,410 –> 00:05:12,690
couple of life transforming
ideas that we haven’t really

67
00:05:12,690 –> 00:05:15,370
mentioned yet, but are
definitely part of the picture.

68
00:05:15,650 –> 00:05:18,140
The power.
Of the mind of Christ.

69
00:05:18,140 –> 00:05:21,020
So we’re keeping a little bit of
that powder dry for Sunday

70
00:05:21,020 –> 00:05:22,140
morning.
So if you’re sitting there

71
00:05:22,140 –> 00:05:25,300
tonight thinking this just feels
like there’s a little more to

72
00:05:25,300 –> 00:05:30,140
this story of having the mind of
Christ in us, hopefully, God

73
00:05:30,140 –> 00:05:31,860
willing, will get there on
Sunday morning.

74
00:05:32,660 –> 00:05:37,020
Well, the practice.
I want to start tonight with a

75
00:05:37,020 –> 00:05:40,540
couple of quotations.
The first one’s from brother

76
00:05:40,540 –> 00:05:42,580
Dennis Gillett.
Genius of discipleship.

77
00:05:43,380 –> 00:05:47,260
The theory.
Is that the truth has top

78
00:05:47,260 –> 00:05:50,820
priority.
But every disciple knows that

79
00:05:50,820 –> 00:05:54,340
the practice is somewhat
different.

80
00:05:54,780 –> 00:05:56,500
You remember, he said in another
place.

81
00:05:56,700 –> 00:05:59,940
To talk of it is not to realize
it.

82
00:06:00,460 –> 00:06:03,380
The theory is that we are living
above the snow line, where the

83
00:06:03,420 –> 00:06:06,780
air is pure, the vision is
clear, the spirit is

84
00:06:06,780 –> 00:06:11,140
exhilarated.
The practice is that more likely

85
00:06:11,140 –> 00:06:14,350
we are living in the valley.
Where the atmosphere is

86
00:06:14,350 –> 00:06:17,230
sometimes murky, the children
are sick.

87
00:06:17,550 –> 00:06:20,390
The bank manager is not as
friendly as he’s made out to be

88
00:06:20,390 –> 00:06:23,950
in Too often we are tired and
frustrated.

89
00:06:24,350 –> 00:06:27,750
There’s a difference, isn’t
there, between the theory and

90
00:06:28,190 –> 00:06:31,750
the practice.
But the LG Sergeant says in his

91
00:06:31,830 –> 00:06:34,510
book a Sound Mind.
If life and the truth were easy,

92
00:06:34,510 –> 00:06:39,670
it would not be true.
How can we make this this?

93
00:06:40,010 –> 00:06:43,050
High calling and a little easier
for ourselves.

94
00:06:43,530 –> 00:06:46,370
How can we put these things,
these principles into practice?

95
00:06:46,450 –> 00:06:52,050
How can we stop that will that
we crucified today from

96
00:06:52,050 –> 00:06:54,690
resurrecting itself back to life
during the night and re

97
00:06:54,690 –> 00:06:57,930
enthroning itself as the master
of our universe by the time we

98
00:06:57,930 –> 00:07:02,010
wake up tomorrow morning?
Well, I want to start back where

99
00:07:02,010 –> 00:07:05,010
we were in our last session in
Matthew Chapter 16.

100
00:07:06,760 –> 00:07:09,480
Matthew chapter 16 in the words
of our Lord Jesus Christ.

101
00:07:09,480 –> 00:07:15,760
Because if what we are saying is
true, that there is

102
00:07:16,200 –> 00:07:21,440
extraordinary power in this idea
of putting self to death, that

103
00:07:21,440 –> 00:07:27,600
killing self can be an immensely
liberating and freeing thing,

104
00:07:27,760 –> 00:07:31,220
then this.
Is the start of something very

105
00:07:31,220 –> 00:07:33,980
special in our lives.
In fact, our Lord tells us

106
00:07:34,020 –> 00:07:38,620
exactly that in Matthew chapter
16 And look at verse 25.

107
00:07:39,180 –> 00:07:45,380
For whosoever will save his life
shall lose it, and whosoever

108
00:07:45,380 –> 00:07:48,660
will lose his life for my sake
shall find it.

109
00:07:49,780 –> 00:07:55,220
When we are truly prepared to
put self to death, we find

110
00:07:56,020 –> 00:07:58,850
something.
Something truly special,

111
00:07:58,850 –> 00:08:00,890
Something amazing.
A new life.

112
00:08:01,130 –> 00:08:05,730
Christ’s life in us.
Now you notice that the first

113
00:08:05,730 –> 00:08:11,330
half of verse 25 seems to be a
simple opposite to the

114
00:08:11,330 –> 00:08:14,170
second-half.
But there is a critical

115
00:08:14,170 –> 00:08:18,330
difference in the second part of
the verse is only when we lose

116
00:08:18,370 –> 00:08:24,930
our life for his sake that we
find it.

117
00:08:26,210 –> 00:08:31,530
Self denial is not the same as
denial of self.

118
00:08:33,090 –> 00:08:36,850
We can practice self denial to
simply lose weight.

119
00:08:38,010 –> 00:08:40,650
We can lose our lives for all of
the wrong reasons.

120
00:08:40,809 –> 00:08:44,210
But when we deny ourselves to
the point that we put ourselves

121
00:08:44,210 –> 00:08:51,130
to death for his sake, we gain a
new life, his life.

122
00:08:51,570 –> 00:08:56,590
It’s a truly liberating thing.
Christ lives in us.

123
00:08:56,710 –> 00:09:00,830
The new creature formed in us is
Him, and it can change our

124
00:09:00,870 –> 00:09:07,350
perspective about everything.
Because this simple truth is

125
00:09:07,830 –> 00:09:12,070
revolutionary in a world that’s
all about me, me, me.

126
00:09:12,630 –> 00:09:18,150
Christ is not telling us to just
dethrone self.

127
00:09:20,630 –> 00:09:24,030
He’s not telling us to imprison
self.

128
00:09:25,040 –> 00:09:31,920
To banish self, to punish it or
to rehabilitate self.

129
00:09:32,320 –> 00:09:39,000
He’s not even telling us to have
freedom from self, to rise above

130
00:09:39,000 –> 00:09:42,800
self, or even to be empty of
self.

131
00:09:42,960 –> 00:09:48,000
These are all euphemisms.
Nice.

132
00:09:48,500 –> 00:09:52,340
Ways of saying things that get
around the harsh facts of

133
00:09:52,340 –> 00:09:54,740
reality.
He is teaching something much

134
00:09:54,740 –> 00:10:00,340
higher, much harder.
Death to self, brother Denis

135
00:10:00,340 –> 00:10:03,020
Gillett said.
You’ll remember denial of self

136
00:10:03,060 –> 00:10:06,420
is the central thing, but I
believe that what he meant by

137
00:10:06,420 –> 00:10:10,780
that was death to self.
Just think how radically

138
00:10:10,780 –> 00:10:15,060
different this idea practically
is in our lives.

139
00:10:16,240 –> 00:10:20,440
There is no captive self
imprisoned but scheming to get

140
00:10:20,440 –> 00:10:24,240
free.
There is no self consigned to

141
00:10:24,240 –> 00:10:28,280
rehabilitation, waiting for
improvements before release.

142
00:10:29,600 –> 00:10:34,200
There’s no fugitive self
banished but plotting to

143
00:10:34,200 –> 00:10:36,560
overthrow the new government and
return to power.

144
00:10:37,640 –> 00:10:42,400
There’s no abandoned self
bitterly designing revenge.

145
00:10:42,560 –> 00:10:46,300
There is no self.
That can seize control again.

146
00:10:46,300 –> 00:10:48,620
Ever.
It is deed.

147
00:10:50,940 –> 00:10:53,820
Now just think about how this
changes our lives and just think

148
00:10:53,820 –> 00:10:59,020
about a subject we all struggle
with a lot, forgiveness.

149
00:11:00,700 –> 00:11:06,340
I’d like you to come to 1st of
Corinthians 13 and see if this

150
00:11:06,540 –> 00:11:09,900
doesn’t touch your life just a
little bit in a practical way.

151
00:11:10,220 –> 00:11:12,500
First of Corinthians in chapter
13.

152
00:11:14,670 –> 00:11:20,030
In this seminal chapter on love,
Paul is going to describe is an

153
00:11:20,030 –> 00:11:23,590
E, the 8 positive and the eight
negative characteristics of

154
00:11:23,590 –> 00:11:29,150
love.
And we know God is love.

155
00:11:30,230 –> 00:11:35,190
So First of Corinthians 13 is
really a description of the mind

156
00:11:35,470 –> 00:11:39,430
of God and by extension the mind
of Christ.

157
00:11:40,710 –> 00:11:43,070
And we read in first of
Corinthians 13 these words in

158
00:11:43,070 –> 00:11:49,480
verse 4.
Love suffereth long and is kind.

159
00:11:50,160 –> 00:11:57,200
Love envieth not love, vaunteth
not itself is not puffed up.

160
00:11:57,200 –> 00:12:00,080
These are descriptions really of
the mind of Christ.

161
00:12:00,800 –> 00:12:05,960
It does not behave itself
unseemly, seeketh not her own,

162
00:12:06,520 –> 00:12:12,800
is not easily provoked, thinketh
no evil.

163
00:12:13,920 –> 00:12:18,440
And one of the characteristics
of this new liberated mind in

164
00:12:18,440 –> 00:12:24,400
Christ is that it thinks no
evil.

165
00:12:25,440 –> 00:12:29,240
You know, the Revised Standard
Version translates that as love

166
00:12:29,240 –> 00:12:36,640
is not irritable or resentful.
And this word thinks is actually

167
00:12:36,640 –> 00:12:41,520
the Greek word logismi, and it
actually means to count.

168
00:12:42,930 –> 00:12:46,930
Means to count or to calculate.
You know, it’s the same word

169
00:12:46,930 –> 00:12:50,850
translated in Romans chapter 4
verse three to describe

170
00:12:50,930 –> 00:12:57,050
Abraham’s faith that was counted
unto him as righteousness.

171
00:12:58,170 –> 00:13:02,290
So the New International version
translates the end of verse 5.

172
00:13:02,690 –> 00:13:12,760
Love keeps no record of wrongs.
Love keeps no record of wrongs.

173
00:13:13,040 –> 00:13:16,800
It’s a word that describes how
we keep a Ledger of wrongs, a

174
00:13:16,800 –> 00:13:22,520
list of resentments.
Now think about our lives and

175
00:13:22,520 –> 00:13:25,920
how often we fall into
resentment in a kind of way of

176
00:13:25,920 –> 00:13:31,120
thinking because we keep record
of wrongs.

177
00:13:31,920 –> 00:13:34,400
You know, we see our children do
this all the time, and they’ve

178
00:13:34,400 –> 00:13:38,000
been born with a simple carnal
mind.

179
00:13:38,000 –> 00:13:41,770
They say things like.
Oh, but Johnny had two pieces.

180
00:13:41,770 –> 00:13:47,290
It’s not fear or but she got to
sit in the front last time.

181
00:13:47,930 –> 00:13:49,290
Her lives are full of this
stuff.

182
00:13:49,970 –> 00:13:55,850
Keeping record, keeping a
Ledger, a scale of justice in

183
00:13:55,850 –> 00:13:58,050
our minds.
And when we get a little bit

184
00:13:58,050 –> 00:14:01,090
older, well, it gets a little
more complicated.

185
00:14:01,090 –> 00:14:04,850
It looks like this, the scales
of justice.

186
00:14:05,330 –> 00:14:08,930
Firstly, someone does something
to hurt us.

187
00:14:09,820 –> 00:14:13,220
Could be a spiteful word.
We could have been left off the

188
00:14:13,220 –> 00:14:15,140
invite list.
We could have been taken

189
00:14:15,140 –> 00:14:17,900
advantage of anything.
For the purposes of our

190
00:14:17,900 –> 00:14:23,020
discussion tonight, I’m going to
say it’s Your wife forgets your

191
00:14:23,020 –> 00:14:27,980
birthday.
So on this left hand side of the

192
00:14:27,980 –> 00:14:35,060
Ledger is a hurt, There’s a
hurt, a wrong, a resentment.

193
00:14:35,340 –> 00:14:38,380
And so now the scales of justice
in our mind.

194
00:14:38,760 –> 00:14:42,080
Look a little like this, uneven,
unbalanced.

195
00:14:42,760 –> 00:14:45,560
And we hate our minds to be
untidy like this.

196
00:14:45,720 –> 00:14:52,120
So what we do is a few weeks
later we well, we intentionally

197
00:14:52,120 –> 00:14:59,200
forget her birthday.
We sin and we sin because in our

198
00:14:59,200 –> 00:15:05,560
minds this will even up the
scales like 2 wrongs will make

199
00:15:05,560 –> 00:15:08,860
it right.
You see then what happens very

200
00:15:08,860 –> 00:15:13,100
soon after is we feel terrible
that we did such a thing to our

201
00:15:13,100 –> 00:15:17,900
lovely wife.
We are overcome by reproach,

202
00:15:18,660 –> 00:15:22,180
self reproach, and the
grievousness of our intentional

203
00:15:22,180 –> 00:15:24,220
sin makes us feel terrible,
feels.

204
00:15:24,420 –> 00:15:28,140
We feel guilty and our sin seems
like well, a very severe

205
00:15:28,140 –> 00:15:31,300
punishment for what might have
been a genuine mistake on her

206
00:15:31,300 –> 00:15:35,900
part.
Our sins are now heavier than

207
00:15:35,900 –> 00:15:40,830
the hurts.
And so in order for the scales

208
00:15:40,830 –> 00:15:45,790
to be even again, well, we have
to have an excuse for our

209
00:15:45,790 –> 00:15:48,550
behavior.
And so we run over things again

210
00:15:48,550 –> 00:15:52,310
in our minds, and we accentuate
the hurts.

211
00:15:52,430 –> 00:15:55,710
We make the hurts bigger.
We make them feel more hurtful

212
00:15:55,830 –> 00:15:59,110
to even up the sins.
This is called resentment.

213
00:15:59,990 –> 00:16:03,190
Reliving the hurt and making it
worse in our minds.

214
00:16:03,430 –> 00:16:06,790
And so we imagine that maybe Suz
forgot my birthday on purpose,

215
00:16:07,830 –> 00:16:11,870
that she was really being mean
for some spiteful reason.

216
00:16:12,150 –> 00:16:19,310
Maybe she hates me and now
suddenly if we accentuate how

217
00:16:19,310 –> 00:16:22,780
bad the hurts are.
Suddenly the scales even up

218
00:16:22,780 –> 00:16:25,860
again, because now our sins are
justifiable if we imagine the

219
00:16:25,860 –> 00:16:27,980
hurts to be bigger than they
actually are.

220
00:16:28,180 –> 00:16:30,900
We do what Isaiah chapter 29
says.

221
00:16:30,900 –> 00:16:36,140
We watch for iniquity and we
make a man an offender for a

222
00:16:36,140 –> 00:16:41,220
word, and what we might have
overlooked in someone else

223
00:16:42,260 –> 00:16:44,700
assumes a far more sinister
appearance.

224
00:16:44,900 –> 00:16:48,980
We willingly believe the worst
of this person who has hurt us.

225
00:16:49,440 –> 00:16:53,280
So we can justify our own
wrongs.

226
00:16:54,400 –> 00:16:57,240
Now you see the problem.
In this particular situation, we

227
00:16:57,240 –> 00:17:04,000
are now grossly stuck.
Our hurts balance our sins.

228
00:17:04,240 –> 00:17:09,720
And if we try to forgive the
hurts, if we try to forgive the

229
00:17:09,720 –> 00:17:13,400
person, forgive the resentments
that have accumulated on our

230
00:17:13,400 –> 00:17:16,240
Ledger, well, we’re suddenly
just left with.

231
00:17:16,760 –> 00:17:21,240
Great big pile of our own sins,
our own unjustifiable sins to

232
00:17:21,240 –> 00:17:24,680
deal with and the scales come
crashing down on top of us.

233
00:17:24,680 –> 00:17:30,520
We can never forgive because we
keep record of wrongs.

234
00:17:31,000 –> 00:17:34,480
We balance them on a Ledger.
But you see in first of

235
00:17:34,480 –> 00:17:38,520
Corinthians 13 Paul is saying
that love, the mind of Christ

236
00:17:38,680 –> 00:17:42,320
does not do this.
Look at verse 11.

237
00:17:42,640 –> 00:17:49,870
When I was a child I spake.
As a child, I understood as a

238
00:17:49,870 –> 00:17:56,550
child, I thought as a child and
that word thought is logismai.

239
00:17:56,550 –> 00:18:03,030
It’s exactly the same word as
thinketh in verse 5I counted

240
00:18:03,110 –> 00:18:08,750
wrongs like a child, I kept
record of wrongs.

241
00:18:08,910 –> 00:18:11,230
This is what we learn to do as
children.

242
00:18:12,680 –> 00:18:16,920
When I became a man, says Paul,
I put away childish things.

243
00:18:17,040 –> 00:18:21,520
When I realized the spiritual
calling of a mature disciple,

244
00:18:22,160 –> 00:18:25,480
the one who has the mind of
Christ, I learned a more

245
00:18:25,600 –> 00:18:28,800
excellent way.
So now think about this little

246
00:18:28,800 –> 00:18:31,640
example of the forgotten
birthday and how the mind of

247
00:18:31,640 –> 00:18:35,360
Christ can totally change our
perspective and the way we think

248
00:18:35,360 –> 00:18:39,720
about forgiveness.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve

249
00:18:39,720 –> 00:18:46,960
grown up a lot of my life.
Thinking that well, we need to

250
00:18:46,960 –> 00:18:54,640
really become so spiritual, so
compassionate to have such

251
00:18:54,640 –> 00:19:00,960
control over our emotions that
we can be Christ like enough to

252
00:19:00,960 –> 00:19:07,360
like him graciously extend
forgiveness.

253
00:19:09,360 –> 00:19:13,880
But if what we’re saying about.
Death to self being the essence

254
00:19:13,920 –> 00:19:16,560
of the mind of Christ.
If that’s true, then this way of

255
00:19:16,560 –> 00:19:20,840
thinking is totally wrong.
To forgive in this way, to wait

256
00:19:20,840 –> 00:19:25,640
till we feel spiritual enough to
then graciously extend

257
00:19:25,760 –> 00:19:29,800
forgiveness, is to put self in
the foreground.

258
00:19:30,560 –> 00:19:34,120
It is to attribute a gracious
ability, a kindness to our

259
00:19:34,120 –> 00:19:38,800
carnal minds that it’s not
capable of if self is truly

260
00:19:38,800 –> 00:19:41,240
dead, if we truly have the mind
of Christ.

261
00:19:41,910 –> 00:19:46,990
Then there is nothing in us that
has been wronged.

262
00:19:47,710 –> 00:19:49,510
There is nothing that needs to
be forgiven.

263
00:19:49,590 –> 00:19:53,750
The part of me that felt hurt,
that felt harmed, injured,

264
00:19:54,190 –> 00:19:59,430
embarrassed, wronged when Suz
forgot my birthday is dead.

265
00:20:00,190 –> 00:20:03,750
It was the self important part
of me that felt aggrieved.

266
00:20:04,550 –> 00:20:07,990
It was the proud part of me that
wasn’t crucified that got upset

267
00:20:07,990 –> 00:20:12,830
when I got forgotten.
A part of me that thought I was

268
00:20:12,830 –> 00:20:17,630
so important that everybody
needs to remember my birthday.

269
00:20:18,190 –> 00:20:23,590
But a sound mind, the mind of
Christ doesn’t keep record of

270
00:20:23,590 –> 00:20:28,230
wrongs because it’s already put
that proud self, important self

271
00:20:28,230 –> 00:20:31,070
to death.
The mind of Christ does not need

272
00:20:31,070 –> 00:20:36,110
to forgive each time it
remembers no injuries or wrongs

273
00:20:36,110 –> 00:20:40,810
to itself because self is dead.
It does not deceive itself by

274
00:20:40,810 –> 00:20:43,570
waiting to feel spiritual enough
to forgive.

275
00:20:43,850 –> 00:20:49,810
It simply puts self to death.
And so lives a life of

276
00:20:49,810 –> 00:20:56,690
forgiveness, so simple and yet I
think, so powerful in our lives.

277
00:20:56,690 –> 00:21:00,890
This is a high calling, brothers
and sisters, but extremely,

278
00:21:00,890 –> 00:21:05,460
enormously liberating for us.
We don’t have to be slaves to

279
00:21:05,460 –> 00:21:08,700
ourselves anymore.
We can put our old master to

280
00:21:08,700 –> 00:21:16,100
death and live free now.
I’ve been really struck by the

281
00:21:16,100 –> 00:21:21,180
power and the simplicity of this
idea over the last year, 18

282
00:21:21,180 –> 00:21:24,740
months as I’ve thought about
this subject and I think it has

283
00:21:24,740 –> 00:21:29,180
really changed my thinking.
This death to self principle

284
00:21:29,900 –> 00:21:33,460
really is able to change our
lives if we let it.

285
00:21:34,590 –> 00:21:37,710
And I want to share with you a
very simple, practical question

286
00:21:37,710 –> 00:21:41,150
that I asked myself to help
myself with this.

287
00:21:41,150 –> 00:21:46,030
But but before I do, just
quickly I want to share with you

288
00:21:46,990 –> 00:21:52,910
what I’m calling here, the six
sins of self.

289
00:21:54,270 –> 00:21:58,270
Did you see how I very cleverly
wrote the East in a different

290
00:21:58,270 –> 00:22:02,850
color to look like a six?
666 It was in the middle of the

291
00:22:02,850 –> 00:22:04,450
nine.
I thought that was a great idea

292
00:22:04,450 –> 00:22:06,490
at the time.
The six sins of self.

293
00:22:07,090 –> 00:22:12,930
Alright, one of them we know is
self importance.

294
00:22:13,210 –> 00:22:17,610
We saw that in Romans 12.
If any man think more highly of

295
00:22:17,610 –> 00:22:22,730
himself than he ought to think,
self importance and self

296
00:22:22,730 –> 00:22:27,090
importance is going to lead to
self justification.

297
00:22:28,350 –> 00:22:31,950
You remember the man that came
to Christ and asked him who’s my

298
00:22:31,950 –> 00:22:36,710
neighbor and it says he sought
to justify himself and our Lord

299
00:22:36,710 –> 00:22:38,830
told him the story of the Good
Samaritan.

300
00:22:38,830 –> 00:22:43,030
Self importance leads to self
justification.

301
00:22:44,190 –> 00:22:47,390
Self justification leads to self
righteousness.

302
00:22:47,710 –> 00:22:50,830
These are the Pharisees who
trusted in themselves that they

303
00:22:50,830 –> 00:22:55,790
were righteous and despised
others and self righteousness.

304
00:22:56,300 –> 00:23:01,780
Is going to lead to a sense of
self entitlement, self

305
00:23:01,780 –> 00:23:05,860
gratification.
I get to do do a few nice things

306
00:23:05,860 –> 00:23:08,980
to myself.
I deserve it.

307
00:23:09,620 –> 00:23:12,740
I’m righteous.
And once we’ve gratified

308
00:23:12,740 –> 00:23:17,340
ourselves to the point of being
sick, we feel sorry for

309
00:23:17,340 –> 00:23:22,500
ourselves, self pity and self
loathing and we go then into a

310
00:23:22,500 –> 00:23:26,490
cycle of self pity.
Self gratification.

311
00:23:26,730 –> 00:23:30,810
Self pity, self gratification.
We feel sorry for ourselves.

312
00:23:31,050 –> 00:23:34,890
So we go out and spend some
money and buy some new clothes,

313
00:23:34,930 –> 00:23:39,530
retail, therapy, and then we
feel that doesn’t really satisfy

314
00:23:39,530 –> 00:23:41,090
ourselves.
We feel sorry for ourselves

315
00:23:41,090 –> 00:23:43,530
again.
So we go out for dinner, we eat,

316
00:23:43,530 –> 00:23:48,330
we have a nice meal and then
that didn’t work, so we so then

317
00:23:48,330 –> 00:23:52,650
we go have a holiday and then
still don’t feel that great.

318
00:23:53,210 –> 00:23:55,130
We’re in this endless cycle
here.

319
00:23:55,570 –> 00:23:58,570
Self pity and self
gratification.

320
00:23:59,650 –> 00:24:01,330
But do you know what it all
starts with?

321
00:24:02,050 –> 00:24:06,130
Brothers and sisters.
This tremendous cycle downwards

322
00:24:06,930 –> 00:24:12,570
of self, self, self.
It starts with what Galatians

323
00:24:12,570 –> 00:24:20,730
chapter 6 and verse 3 calls self
deception for if any man.

324
00:24:21,360 –> 00:24:29,080
Think himself to be something.
When he’s nothing, he deceiveth

325
00:24:29,120 –> 00:24:33,640
himself.
We are enormously talented at

326
00:24:33,640 –> 00:24:38,120
doing this now, often in life
decisions.

327
00:24:38,120 –> 00:24:41,360
Sometimes we get stuck, don’t
we?

328
00:24:41,360 –> 00:24:45,280
Wondering what does God want me
to do?

329
00:24:46,240 –> 00:24:49,480
What does God want me to do?
Should I apply for this job?

330
00:24:50,400 –> 00:24:54,120
Should I buy this house?
We have lots of questions in

331
00:24:54,120 –> 00:25:00,240
life like this and sometimes
this question what does God want

332
00:25:00,240 –> 00:25:03,480
me to do?
Is a valid question that needs

333
00:25:03,640 –> 00:25:09,640
thought and care.
But if I speak just for myself,

334
00:25:10,160 –> 00:25:17,680
I know I am a world expert at
this self deception of deceiving

335
00:25:17,680 –> 00:25:23,250
myself into thinking.
What God might want me to do.

336
00:25:24,050 –> 00:25:28,730
And it’s very easy for my
thinking to become muddied and

337
00:25:28,850 –> 00:25:32,370
complicated.
But I’ll tell you brothers and

338
00:25:32,370 –> 00:25:36,930
sisters, there is one thing in
my life which is always crystal

339
00:25:36,930 –> 00:25:40,010
clear.
I’ve never been confused about

340
00:25:40,010 –> 00:25:42,690
it.
It’s never been complicated or

341
00:25:42,690 –> 00:25:45,730
muddy.
And that thing is, what does

342
00:25:45,770 –> 00:25:52,520
Nathan Lewis want to do?
What does self want to do?

343
00:25:52,680 –> 00:25:58,120
I have never ever once had a
moment’s indecision or confusion

344
00:25:58,120 –> 00:26:02,480
about what I want to do.
It comes so naturally and so

345
00:26:02,480 –> 00:26:04,840
swiftly.
As we saw in our first study on

346
00:26:04,840 –> 00:26:08,960
the can of mine, 2 milliseconds,
we are hardwired to think only

347
00:26:08,960 –> 00:26:14,400
about ourselves, so to clear
away all the murkiness and to

348
00:26:14,400 –> 00:26:17,680
clear away all the self
deception.

349
00:26:18,210 –> 00:26:26,050
All I need to do is simply ask
what does self want to do and

350
00:26:26,050 –> 00:26:30,330
then put self to death.
Let me give you an example.

351
00:26:31,530 –> 00:26:35,290
We went on holiday at the end or
the start of this year and we

352
00:26:35,290 –> 00:26:42,850
thought providentially that we
had stumbled across a property

353
00:26:42,850 –> 00:26:47,330
for sale which we really wanted
to buy a holiday home.

354
00:26:48,110 –> 00:26:50,990
That we, well, we really wanted
to purchase this property.

355
00:26:52,110 –> 00:26:55,270
Do you know, it’s amazing how
easy it is for us to convince

356
00:26:55,270 –> 00:27:00,270
ourselves that if we owned that
holiday home that would be so

357
00:27:00,270 –> 00:27:02,670
great for our family.
I mean, think of all the

358
00:27:02,670 –> 00:27:05,310
wonderful family memories we
could create at this wonderful

359
00:27:05,310 –> 00:27:07,710
place.
It would be perfect for

360
00:27:07,710 –> 00:27:09,870
visitors.
We could extend hospitality.

361
00:27:09,990 –> 00:27:12,790
We could be so loving and caring
in the Ecclesia.

362
00:27:13,110 –> 00:27:14,830
And do you know what?
We could probably have School of

363
00:27:14,830 –> 00:27:24,610
the Prophets at this place.
When the reality was, well, our

364
00:27:24,610 –> 00:27:28,210
motivation was probably almost
entirely selfish.

365
00:27:28,290 –> 00:27:31,850
It’s a holiday home for us.
And do you know what the kicker

366
00:27:31,850 –> 00:27:34,330
is?
We don’t have any money.

367
00:27:36,530 –> 00:27:38,050
We can’t buy the property
anyway.

368
00:27:38,490 –> 00:27:43,410
But do you know how many hours I
lay awake at night wondering how

369
00:27:43,650 –> 00:27:47,340
I could manage?
To maybe get to a situation

370
00:27:47,340 –> 00:27:50,860
where I could have a go at
purchasing this property because

371
00:27:50,980 –> 00:27:52,460
it would be so great for the
truth.

372
00:27:53,540 –> 00:27:58,900
Her mind is so capable of
deceiving ourselves.

373
00:27:59,460 –> 00:28:02,900
I don’t even have the money and
I still am thinking about it.

374
00:28:04,540 –> 00:28:09,540
Let me give you another example.
This time it’s purely

375
00:28:09,540 –> 00:28:13,620
hypothetical.
Imagine you have a wife who is.

376
00:28:13,900 –> 00:28:15,660
Home schooling.
Two children.

377
00:28:16,700 –> 00:28:21,780
And she has another small
toddler who’s running around the

378
00:28:21,780 –> 00:28:26,100
house to boot.
And you are clearing away the

379
00:28:26,100 –> 00:28:30,220
dishes after dinner.
And I know what you’re thinking.

380
00:28:30,220 –> 00:28:32,140
You can’t imagine my me doing
that.

381
00:28:32,140 –> 00:28:33,380
But just imagine that for a
moment.

382
00:28:34,540 –> 00:28:39,220
You get to the dishwasher and
you open the dishwasher and it’s

383
00:28:39,220 –> 00:28:48,390
full and.
It’s it’s clean, full of clean

384
00:28:48,430 –> 00:28:50,070
dishes.
We all know that feeling.

385
00:28:50,070 –> 00:28:52,710
Now I’m just going to share with
you what happens in my mind.

386
00:28:54,590 –> 00:29:00,430
My first thought is I’m going to
put the dishes on the bench.

387
00:29:01,350 –> 00:29:05,830
I’ve already done a good deed
and I’m going to walk away and

388
00:29:05,830 –> 00:29:11,610
pretend that I never noticed.
My second thought, which comes

389
00:29:11,610 –> 00:29:15,290
in pretty quick, is this.
She’s been home all day.

390
00:29:16,170 –> 00:29:19,410
What has she been doing?
Why hasn’t the dishwasher been

391
00:29:19,410 –> 00:29:25,930
emptied?
Then I suppose if I allowed my

392
00:29:26,370 –> 00:29:30,890
thinking brain a little bit of
time, I asked myself this simple

393
00:29:30,890 –> 00:29:34,930
question.
What does self want to do?

394
00:29:34,930 –> 00:29:38,330
Do you know what?
That’s a very easy question to

395
00:29:38,330 –> 00:29:42,510
answer.
I want to blame Sues for not

396
00:29:42,510 –> 00:29:47,670
emptying the dishwasher and make
her feel guilty, lazy, And then

397
00:29:47,670 –> 00:29:52,310
I want to be unhelpful, selfish,
lazy myself and sit on the

398
00:29:52,310 –> 00:29:54,190
couch.
It’s easy.

399
00:29:54,190 –> 00:29:55,710
I can answer that in a blink of
an eye.

400
00:29:56,750 –> 00:30:01,390
Then I Simply put self to death.
I empty the clean dishes, put

401
00:30:01,390 –> 00:30:03,190
them away, and restate the
dishwasher.

402
00:30:03,830 –> 00:30:08,630
I don’t try to be spiritual
enough.

403
00:30:09,440 –> 00:30:14,080
Or Christ.
Like enough to magnanimously

404
00:30:14,080 –> 00:30:18,160
empty the dishwasher out of pure
goodness.

405
00:30:18,920 –> 00:30:23,440
You might all be virtuous enough
to do such a thing, but I just

406
00:30:23,440 –> 00:30:28,120
have to identify what self wants
to do and then put it to death.

407
00:30:28,160 –> 00:30:31,200
I’ve found this to be a life
changing idea.

408
00:30:32,240 –> 00:30:37,960
My decisions are often simple.
It doesn’t make life easier, so

409
00:30:37,960 –> 00:30:40,620
I’m not promising that.
Having the mind of Christ is

410
00:30:40,620 –> 00:30:44,100
enormously difficult because we
have to struggle so much against

411
00:30:44,100 –> 00:30:48,220
their natural minds that rebel
so strongly against the mind of

412
00:30:48,220 –> 00:30:51,260
Christ, death to self.
But it does make our decisions a

413
00:30:51,260 –> 00:30:56,300
lot less complicated.
And whilst this might not be the

414
00:30:56,300 –> 00:31:01,780
full picture, I understand that
death to the flesh also requires

415
00:31:01,780 –> 00:31:03,980
living to the Spirit.
I think most of the time,

416
00:31:03,980 –> 00:31:05,780
brothers and sisters, if you
were like me.

417
00:31:06,250 –> 00:31:09,170
When it comes to serving God, we
actually want to, don’t we?

418
00:31:09,530 –> 00:31:12,770
We want to live in the spirit.
It’s just that there’s this

419
00:31:12,770 –> 00:31:16,450
dirty, great, big, hulking thing
called self that keeps getting

420
00:31:16,450 –> 00:31:18,290
in the way.
And if I just stick to this

421
00:31:18,290 –> 00:31:21,530
simple question, what does self
want to do?

422
00:31:22,330 –> 00:31:26,490
And then put self to death, I
have yet to go wrong.

423
00:31:28,130 –> 00:31:31,210
By the way, I hope you’re
getting very strongly the

424
00:31:31,210 –> 00:31:35,130
impression that I am definitely
a novice at this.

425
00:31:36,220 –> 00:31:39,340
Floundering around, making so
many mistakes in these things,

426
00:31:39,340 –> 00:31:43,380
trying to figure it out.
I am so far from being exemplary

427
00:31:43,380 –> 00:31:47,060
in this, so please, whatever
you’re thinking, do not think

428
00:31:47,300 –> 00:31:49,940
he’s got it all sewn up.
I am so far from that.

429
00:31:49,940 –> 00:31:53,220
But we’re all trying, aren’t we?
We’re all trying.

430
00:31:54,820 –> 00:31:57,580
He’s something else that I find
helpful to me when it comes to

431
00:31:57,580 –> 00:31:59,940
decisions and perspective and
practical.

432
00:31:59,940 –> 00:32:01,700
Helps to have the mind of
Christ.

433
00:32:01,700 –> 00:32:08,630
Do you remember this slide?
Sound mind in the middle, death

434
00:32:08,630 –> 00:32:15,870
to self with the two thieves on
either side, the high minded and

435
00:32:15,870 –> 00:32:19,630
the feeble minded, Self
righteousness and self pity.

436
00:32:19,870 –> 00:32:24,670
No prizes for guessing that this
is a reminder, isn’t it, of the

437
00:32:24,670 –> 00:32:28,110
crucifixion.
This picture begs me to think

438
00:32:28,110 –> 00:32:31,550
about where Christ is to be
found and when I ask this

439
00:32:31,550 –> 00:32:34,350
question of myself, the answer
always is.

440
00:32:35,130 –> 00:32:38,730
In the middle, in the middle,
between the two thieves, who are

441
00:32:39,410 –> 00:32:44,690
the extremes on any subject.
So if we rearrange things a

442
00:32:44,690 –> 00:32:48,730
little and just think about it
like this, in the middle, we

443
00:32:48,730 –> 00:32:52,610
have the mind of Christ.
It is the truth being sound

444
00:32:52,610 –> 00:32:57,410
minded, but on either side if we
replace high mindedness.

445
00:32:58,120 –> 00:33:02,280
And feeble mindedness, those two
extremes with other extremes,

446
00:33:02,280 –> 00:33:04,640
Any extremes.
I think we’ll find that this is

447
00:33:04,640 –> 00:33:09,480
also true for life.
And if we were to ask ourselves,

448
00:33:09,640 –> 00:33:13,120
where is Christ?
He will always be in the middle.

449
00:33:13,840 –> 00:33:20,960
Whether we talk about Gnostics
and the and their immorality or

450
00:33:21,120 –> 00:33:25,320
Judaizes living after the works
of the Lord, these two extremes

451
00:33:25,320 –> 00:33:28,950
will always.
Find that Christ is in the

452
00:33:28,950 –> 00:33:33,030
middle.
Or if we were to say liberalism

453
00:33:33,110 –> 00:33:40,270
and conservatism, or if we said
legalism and salvation by works

454
00:33:41,430 –> 00:33:44,750
or unconditional grace, we don’t
need to do anything.

455
00:33:45,190 –> 00:33:48,910
Our our, the truth.
Our lives in Christ will be in

456
00:33:48,910 –> 00:33:51,310
the middle.
We are saved by our faith.

457
00:33:52,340 –> 00:33:54,540
And our faith will produce
works.

458
00:33:54,540 –> 00:33:56,820
We’re not saved by works in and
of themselves.

459
00:33:56,980 –> 00:34:01,300
Neither are they unnecessary.
Or if we were to put up

460
00:34:01,300 –> 00:34:05,340
something like this, these two
ideas on the atonement.

461
00:34:05,340 –> 00:34:08,580
Without even knowing the
technicalities of the arguments

462
00:34:08,620 –> 00:34:13,380
on the atonement, for instance,
I think this is a very helpful

463
00:34:13,380 –> 00:34:16,900
picture in my mind.
To think about where Christ is,

464
00:34:17,100 –> 00:34:20,219
we just need to draw a line that
represents.

465
00:34:20,699 –> 00:34:26,020
The spectrum of ideas on any
subject with the extremes on

466
00:34:26,020 –> 00:34:28,380
each end.
And then ask ourselves where

467
00:34:28,380 –> 00:34:33,500
will the truth lie.
And the answer is in the middle.

468
00:34:33,500 –> 00:34:38,659
Christ is always in the middle.
The extremes are thieves of the

469
00:34:38,659 –> 00:34:42,219
truth.
Some, some people might abandon

470
00:34:42,219 –> 00:34:47,620
peace to vociferously pursue
truth.

471
00:34:48,860 –> 00:34:54,860
Others might hide truth for the
sake of peace, but our Lord

472
00:34:54,860 –> 00:34:57,139
Jesus Christ will always be in
the middle.

473
00:34:57,860 –> 00:35:02,740
He will balance truth and peace.
It’s not that Christ is just a

474
00:35:02,740 –> 00:35:06,540
compromise between the extremes.
He’s the center.

475
00:35:06,540 –> 00:35:10,020
He’s the truth.
The extremes are a deviation

476
00:35:10,300 –> 00:35:13,260
from the center.
And just as we need balance so

477
00:35:13,260 –> 00:35:16,060
we don’t fall over, we need
spiritual balance.

478
00:35:16,680 –> 00:35:19,480
So coming back to our point, I
find this picture very helpful.

479
00:35:19,480 –> 00:35:24,640
Christ is not one of the extreme
views on anything.

480
00:35:24,640 –> 00:35:31,080
If we are in an extreme camp we
probably need to re examine the

481
00:35:31,080 –> 00:35:34,200
spectrum because the extremes
are self.

482
00:35:34,200 –> 00:35:37,760
They are falling away from the
center.

483
00:35:38,480 –> 00:35:41,840
If we put ourselves to death, if
we have the mind of Christ

484
00:35:42,120 –> 00:35:44,920
occupying the middle, If we put
ourselves to death.

485
00:35:45,390 –> 00:35:48,430
We will be much more likely,
won’t we brothers and sisters,

486
00:35:48,430 –> 00:35:53,790
to be balanced, to not swing to
extreme positions.

487
00:35:55,590 –> 00:35:59,390
Now we know that this is all a
process, a journey, the renewing

488
00:35:59,390 –> 00:36:02,150
of our minds.
This metamorphosis or

489
00:36:02,150 –> 00:36:05,070
transformation of our thinking
is not just something that

490
00:36:05,070 –> 00:36:10,790
happens to us with us being
totally passive, uninvolved,

491
00:36:10,790 –> 00:36:13,750
almost against our will.
This is something that.

492
00:36:14,290 –> 00:36:17,330
Well, if we’re willing to be
part of the gift of renewal,

493
00:36:18,090 –> 00:36:20,890
then there are some things we
have to do, some things we have

494
00:36:20,890 –> 00:36:24,730
to practice.
It’s a daily task.

495
00:36:24,730 –> 00:36:28,090
We are renewed day by day in the
inward man.

496
00:36:28,090 –> 00:36:30,850
Second of Corinthians foreign
verse 16.

497
00:36:30,850 –> 00:36:33,610
Do you remember?
It was Jonathan who said to his

498
00:36:33,610 –> 00:36:35,610
armor beer.
I think we looked at this on

499
00:36:35,610 –> 00:36:39,370
Tuesday night.
There is no restraint to Yahweh

500
00:36:39,370 –> 00:36:47,460
to save by many or by few.
But just not with none.

501
00:36:49,020 –> 00:36:53,820
We need to do our part.
We are in partnership with God.

502
00:36:54,660 –> 00:36:56,420
Now.
I find the words of Philippians

503
00:36:56,420 –> 00:36:59,060
2 very helpful in explaining
this idea.

504
00:36:59,460 –> 00:37:03,580
In Philippians 2 and verse 12
Paul says workout your own

505
00:37:03,580 –> 00:37:08,820
salvation and then in the very
next verse he says it is God

506
00:37:08,820 –> 00:37:13,340
which worketh in you.
We both have to do our part.

507
00:37:13,620 –> 00:37:21,020
We can’t do it without God, and
he won’t do it without us.

508
00:37:21,020 –> 00:37:25,020
The mind of Christ is something,
therefore, that we can learn

509
00:37:25,660 –> 00:37:30,540
something we can practice a
habit we form by reason of of

510
00:37:30,540 –> 00:37:36,060
use, while it’s God in us
working the miracle, slowly,

511
00:37:36,340 –> 00:37:40,050
imperceptibly changing us.
Into a butterfly.

512
00:37:40,210 –> 00:37:46,370
We are willing participants,
partners in his work, and so

513
00:37:46,370 –> 00:37:52,010
it’s the practice of a lifetime.
No sane person would expect any

514
00:37:52,010 –> 00:37:55,610
of us in one single bound to
suddenly become a doctor or a

515
00:37:55,610 –> 00:38:00,490
scientist, and neither does our
Heavenly Father expect us to

516
00:38:00,490 –> 00:38:04,010
suddenly, in a single leap,
achieve the mind of Christ.

517
00:38:04,770 –> 00:38:08,050
It takes training.
It takes effort.

518
00:38:08,790 –> 00:38:12,750
Takes practice.
If I want to be physically fit,

519
00:38:13,670 –> 00:38:16,230
none of us expect to achieve
that, do we in a single day?

520
00:38:16,230 –> 00:38:18,950
But we do know what to do.
We know what to do.

521
00:38:18,950 –> 00:38:22,550
And it’s just the same for the
fitness of our minds.

522
00:38:22,750 –> 00:38:27,390
The exercise of thought.
If a man makes no effort to

523
00:38:27,510 –> 00:38:33,190
overcome evil by the exercise of
strengthening thought, it

524
00:38:33,230 –> 00:38:37,750
indicates that his desire to
avoid the evil is not.

525
00:38:38,280 –> 00:38:42,920
Very sincere.
We have ample opportunities to

526
00:38:42,920 –> 00:38:46,840
practice this every day, and to
our shame, we often fall into

527
00:38:46,840 –> 00:38:49,520
this category like we get a
report card from school.

528
00:38:50,120 –> 00:38:54,840
Makes no effort.
How often is that ourselves?

529
00:38:55,680 –> 00:38:57,320
Well, here’s what the scriptures
have to say.

530
00:38:58,400 –> 00:39:00,520
Ephesians 4 Just listen to these
words.

531
00:39:00,880 –> 00:39:05,160
But ye have not so learned
Christ.

532
00:39:05,890 –> 00:39:08,770
If so be that ye have heard him
and have been taught by him, as

533
00:39:08,770 –> 00:39:12,410
the truth is in Jesus that you
be renewed in the spirit of your

534
00:39:12,410 –> 00:39:15,130
mind.
Renewal is something we learn.

535
00:39:16,170 –> 00:39:19,970
Colossians chapter 3 and verse
two, set your affection on

536
00:39:19,970 –> 00:39:23,570
things above.
Literally, we should translate

537
00:39:23,570 –> 00:39:27,490
that practice occupying our
minds.

538
00:39:27,570 –> 00:39:31,810
It’s a practice of having the
mind of Christ in us.

539
00:39:32,320 –> 00:39:35,960
For Hebrews 5 and Hebrews 12.
But strong meat belongs to them

540
00:39:35,960 –> 00:39:39,320
that are of full age.
Even those who by reason of use

541
00:39:39,320 –> 00:39:43,680
the margin has habit have their
senses exercised.

542
00:39:43,920 –> 00:39:50,200
To discern both good and evil,
we have to practice these

543
00:39:50,200 –> 00:39:51,480
things.
We’re not going to be

544
00:39:51,480 –> 00:39:54,800
transformed unless our minds are
open to transformation.

545
00:39:55,600 –> 00:39:58,520
We need to exercise our minds
like our muscles, and like our

546
00:39:58,520 –> 00:40:03,600
muscles they will grow.
To grow anything in a natural

547
00:40:03,600 –> 00:40:07,280
sense, we have to establish
conditions of growth.

548
00:40:07,360 –> 00:40:08,960
It’s just a natural law, isn’t
it?

549
00:40:09,480 –> 00:40:13,000
If you think about gardening,
when we get rid of the rocks,

550
00:40:13,000 –> 00:40:15,400
when we get rid of the weeds, we
get rid of the pests.

551
00:40:15,800 –> 00:40:18,560
Well, who would have guessed a
garden blossoms.

552
00:40:19,720 –> 00:40:23,080
Nothing will grow where it’s not
allowed to flourish.

553
00:40:23,880 –> 00:40:29,960
And the conditions of growth are
nourishment and use.

554
00:40:30,890 –> 00:40:35,490
We have to nourish and use our
minds for Christ.

555
00:40:36,330 –> 00:40:41,370
If our mind is a garden, what
type of garden do we want it to

556
00:40:41,370 –> 00:40:45,170
be?
Here’s what Brother Collier says

557
00:40:45,930 –> 00:40:51,930
in his book, The Guiding Light.
We are aware that many thoughts

558
00:40:51,930 –> 00:40:57,090
flit into the conscious mind,
unbidden and perhaps even

559
00:40:57,090 –> 00:40:59,980
undesired.
They may be presented to us

560
00:40:59,980 –> 00:41:02,580
through the senses, or they may
be thrown up from the great

561
00:41:02,580 –> 00:41:06,900
store of memory.
We cannot prevent this fleeting

562
00:41:06,900 –> 00:41:09,260
presentation even of evil
thoughts.

563
00:41:09,580 –> 00:41:13,060
But we are perfectly conscious
that we are able to make our

564
00:41:13,060 –> 00:41:19,900
selection of which thoughts to
encourage and which to reject.

565
00:41:21,260 –> 00:41:26,180
The tragic truth is that most of
us fail to realize properly that

566
00:41:26,180 –> 00:41:31,790
thought.
Is real, yet in one sense it is

567
00:41:31,790 –> 00:41:36,990
the only reality.
It precedes and causes action,

568
00:41:37,070 –> 00:41:39,150
and it remains after the action
is over.

569
00:41:39,430 –> 00:41:41,990
A man may indulge in evil
thought, supposing that it is

570
00:41:41,990 –> 00:41:43,830
only a thought and of no
importance.

571
00:41:45,190 –> 00:41:52,670
It may be only a thought, but in
the final issue it is the man

572
00:41:52,670 –> 00:41:57,370
himself.
Or as Proverbs chapter 23 and

573
00:41:57,370 –> 00:42:02,010
verse 7 puts it in Rotherham’s
version, for just as he had

574
00:42:02,010 –> 00:42:06,610
thought in his own mind, so he
is.

575
00:42:07,530 –> 00:42:13,130
Our thinking defines who we are.
That’s why it’s so important

576
00:42:13,130 –> 00:42:17,250
that we practice these things.
Just think about that for a

577
00:42:17,250 –> 00:42:19,810
moment, brothers and sisters,
and especially young people,

578
00:42:21,330 –> 00:42:23,010
when we get to the judgment
seat.

579
00:42:25,010 –> 00:42:28,850
It will be totally, totally
fair.

580
00:42:30,450 –> 00:42:34,890
It’s just a simple assessment of
what we have thought about the

581
00:42:34,890 –> 00:42:39,450
most.
We are what we think about the

582
00:42:39,450 –> 00:42:43,410
most.
And minds will be opened up in

583
00:42:43,410 –> 00:42:47,890
the in the millions of neural
connections that we have made.

584
00:42:48,810 –> 00:42:50,690
Our Lord Jesus Christ will
determine.

585
00:42:50,690 –> 00:42:54,290
Have we thought about Him
enough?

586
00:42:55,530 –> 00:42:59,490
Well, are there billions of
neural pathways that we’ve

587
00:42:59,490 –> 00:43:03,970
formed in our minds for sports
and for many, many, many other

588
00:43:03,970 –> 00:43:07,770
things, and he has to search
hard to find himself.

589
00:43:08,450 –> 00:43:12,050
What fruits are brought forth in
the garden of our minds?

590
00:43:13,330 –> 00:43:18,170
Fruits to self, as Hozier Teen
says, or fruits of the spirit?

591
00:43:19,610 –> 00:43:21,610
Well, what are some things that
we can try and remember?

592
00:43:21,610 –> 00:43:25,910
Some tips, if you will.
To practically allow the mind of

593
00:43:25,910 –> 00:43:30,790
Christ to be formed in us as we
try to put ourselves to death,

594
00:43:30,990 –> 00:43:33,550
what little things can we do
that might be helpful?

595
00:43:33,870 –> 00:43:37,230
To put the carnal mind, our
reptilian way of thinking, to

596
00:43:37,230 –> 00:43:40,350
death and allow the mind of
Christ to flourish?

597
00:43:41,430 –> 00:43:44,470
How can we practice what Peter
calls in first of Peter one

598
00:43:44,470 –> 00:43:47,790
verse 13, girding up the loins
of our minds?

599
00:43:47,790 –> 00:43:51,310
Now, this is not an exhaustive
list, but just some thoughts.

600
00:43:52,310 –> 00:43:53,670
Hopefully some of them are
helpful.

601
00:43:56,510 –> 00:44:00,550
The first one is very, very
simple and very practical one.

602
00:44:01,350 –> 00:44:05,470
When we’re stressed, control our
breathing.

603
00:44:05,470 –> 00:44:08,390
Do you know that controlling our
breathing is the only part of

604
00:44:08,390 –> 00:44:13,030
the autonomic automatic nervous
system that we can have any

605
00:44:13,030 –> 00:44:15,110
control over?
We can’t control our heart rate.

606
00:44:15,550 –> 00:44:18,730
We can’t control our blood flow.
Vascularity.

607
00:44:18,730 –> 00:44:21,130
Anything like that.
But we can control our

608
00:44:21,130 –> 00:44:24,810
breathing.
And when we do, we know that it

609
00:44:24,810 –> 00:44:27,610
settles our minds.
Remember our thinking.

610
00:44:27,610 –> 00:44:30,810
Brains need oxygen.
Think of Soil of Tarsus.

611
00:44:30,850 –> 00:44:34,370
Remember that picture of the
wild bull in Acts Chapter 9,

612
00:44:34,370 –> 00:44:36,130
Verse one?
He’s breathing and threatening

613
00:44:36,130 –> 00:44:39,410
some slaughter.
He’s tearing around in a foaming

614
00:44:39,410 –> 00:44:41,690
fury so that he didn’t have to
think.

615
00:44:42,090 –> 00:44:45,730
There was number pausing, No
thinking going on.

616
00:44:46,700 –> 00:44:49,180
We’ve got to breathe a couple of
times when things are hectic or

617
00:44:49,180 –> 00:44:53,140
rushed.
Nothing’s so important in life

618
00:44:53,980 –> 00:44:57,380
that it can’t wait just a few
seconds so we can gather our

619
00:44:57,380 –> 00:45:02,660
thoughts and let our thinking
brain catch up with the game.

620
00:45:02,940 –> 00:45:07,420
Here’s just an example.
And and if you are a parent or I

621
00:45:07,420 –> 00:45:11,660
suppose particularly a father, I
should say maybe you might know

622
00:45:11,660 –> 00:45:14,280
this feeling.
I know it says in Matthew 7 that

623
00:45:14,280 –> 00:45:17,920
fathers know how to give good
gifts unto their children.

624
00:45:17,920 –> 00:45:19,760
And it’s true, isn’t it?
We all love to give little

625
00:45:19,760 –> 00:45:24,280
treats to our kids, and I’ve got
little girls and I just love to

626
00:45:24,280 –> 00:45:26,440
give them treats.
But you know what?

627
00:45:26,440 –> 00:45:31,120
We’re not irritating and
frustrating, which happens a

628
00:45:31,120 –> 00:45:34,200
fair bit, and I’m tired, which
also happens a fair bit.

629
00:45:35,480 –> 00:45:39,240
It’s very easy instinctively,
immediately, isn’t it, to just

630
00:45:39,240 –> 00:45:43,270
say no to the kids?
We have some more water, Dad,

631
00:45:43,270 –> 00:45:50,590
No, but but if I give it a few
seconds thought and actually

632
00:45:50,590 –> 00:45:55,230
probably I’ll find I could
probably easily say yes to that,

633
00:45:55,990 –> 00:46:00,830
a little bit more water, sure,
that will be fine, no harm would

634
00:46:00,830 –> 00:46:03,590
be done.
And actually being a parent who

635
00:46:03,590 –> 00:46:11,230
stops, thinks and then says yes
or no and sticks to it.

636
00:46:12,070 –> 00:46:16,190
Is much better than one who says
no and then the child says oh,

637
00:46:16,230 –> 00:46:22,070
but why not dead?
All right, And we give way where

638
00:46:22,070 –> 00:46:25,350
our word is meaningless and
every no just invites A whinge

639
00:46:25,350 –> 00:46:27,590
to change our mind.
Are you sensing experiential

640
00:46:27,590 –> 00:46:32,990
knowledge?
Maybe if we just pause and just

641
00:46:32,990 –> 00:46:36,950
think for a second or two
breathe, we can make a better

642
00:46:36,950 –> 00:46:41,110
decision on a similar note, but
on maybe a slightly longer time

643
00:46:41,110 –> 00:46:43,200
scale.
Is this thought here?

644
00:46:43,280 –> 00:46:48,320
Always slow down and wait till
the emotions pass to make the

645
00:46:48,320 –> 00:46:52,280
best decision.
Remember, the reptilian brain

646
00:46:52,280 –> 00:46:56,920
reacts in two milliseconds and
it will quickly shut down the

647
00:46:56,920 –> 00:47:00,640
thinking analytical brain and
starve it of oxygen and

648
00:47:00,640 –> 00:47:04,200
nutrients.
Our thinking brains take a

649
00:47:04,200 –> 00:47:08,520
second or two to start up and
they react 100 times slower.

650
00:47:08,520 –> 00:47:13,220
So slow down.
Proverbs 14 verse 29 says he

651
00:47:13,220 –> 00:47:17,700
that is hasty of spirit, exotis
folly.

652
00:47:18,940 –> 00:47:21,660
You know, there’s an excellent
reference in Nehemiah chapter 5

653
00:47:21,660 –> 00:47:24,300
and I’d like you to come here
because I really find it.

654
00:47:26,260 –> 00:47:29,220
Whilst this might not be what
you might call a golden thread

655
00:47:29,220 –> 00:47:32,180
that runs through the
scriptures, it’s certainly here

656
00:47:32,380 –> 00:47:36,180
as a practical aid to us
developing the mind of Christ.

657
00:47:36,540 –> 00:47:42,880
Nehemiah and chapter 5.
And verse 7.

658
00:47:44,200 –> 00:47:46,360
Nehemiah is in the middle of
building the wall and he’s got

659
00:47:46,400 –> 00:47:49,360
enemies on every hand.
And now he finds out in chapter

660
00:47:49,360 –> 00:47:54,840
5 that the Jews, amongst all of
the other problems he’s got, are

661
00:47:54,840 –> 00:47:58,560
extorting their own brethren of
their livelihood.

662
00:47:58,800 –> 00:48:02,120
In a Nehemiah chapter 5 and
verses 6 and seven, he was

663
00:48:02,120 –> 00:48:07,120
furious and I was very angry
when I heard their cry in these

664
00:48:07,120 –> 00:48:15,200
words then.
I consulted with myself, and I

665
00:48:15,200 –> 00:48:18,080
rebuked the nobles and the
rulers, and said unto them, Ye

666
00:48:18,080 –> 00:48:20,360
exact usury everyone of your
brother.

667
00:48:20,520 –> 00:48:23,200
And I said a great assembly
against them.

668
00:48:23,200 –> 00:48:26,080
Do you know literally that
phrase?

669
00:48:26,080 –> 00:48:30,840
I consulted with myself.
Literally, that should be I

670
00:48:31,080 –> 00:48:38,880
ascended the throne to reign.
In other words, he slowed down.

671
00:48:40,080 –> 00:48:43,200
And he took control of his
emotions.

672
00:48:43,960 –> 00:48:47,720
Rather than react in white hot
anger and frustration, he took

673
00:48:47,720 –> 00:48:52,000
the time, as it sees in the
margin, to consult with his

674
00:48:52,000 –> 00:48:58,200
heart.
And then he responded rather

675
00:48:58,200 –> 00:49:02,600
than reacted.
And there is a huge, huge, huge

676
00:49:02,600 –> 00:49:08,880
difference between reaction and
response.

677
00:49:10,070 –> 00:49:13,870
There is always an interval
between the first contemplation

678
00:49:13,870 –> 00:49:17,110
of the problem and the final
time for action.

679
00:49:17,270 –> 00:49:21,630
So when a crisis moment suddenly
appears, don’t react, breathe,

680
00:49:22,870 –> 00:49:31,550
think, pause, consider, ascend
the throne to consult and then

681
00:49:32,750 –> 00:49:36,670
respond.
As James puts it, be swift to

682
00:49:36,670 –> 00:49:42,490
hear.
Slow to speak, Slow to Roth.

683
00:49:42,490 –> 00:49:44,530
There’s great wisdom in these
things.

684
00:49:44,610 –> 00:49:48,090
We take this time.
We will undoubtedly make better

685
00:49:48,090 –> 00:49:53,890
decisions, and we might even
choose to do what is right when

686
00:49:53,890 –> 00:49:58,970
it feels bad.
That is completely contrary to

687
00:49:59,130 –> 00:50:04,500
our instinctive brains.
And don’t forget, our emotions

688
00:50:04,500 –> 00:50:09,100
can either be controlled by our
basic instincts or the moral

689
00:50:09,100 –> 00:50:11,380
sentiments.
Emotions are not bad in and of

690
00:50:11,380 –> 00:50:13,300
themselves.
We need to make that clear,

691
00:50:13,300 –> 00:50:17,980
don’t we?
They just need time for the mind

692
00:50:17,980 –> 00:50:20,940
of Christ to regulate those
emotions rather than our

693
00:50:20,940 –> 00:50:22,300
instincts.
So what’s the lesson?

694
00:50:23,220 –> 00:50:25,180
Delay.
Our actions.

695
00:50:25,340 –> 00:50:29,580
Don’t make decisions when we’re
either happy or sad.

696
00:50:30,490 –> 00:50:33,610
Our emotions are able to sway
our thinking brain.

697
00:50:33,810 –> 00:50:37,850
Wait until the emotions have
passed and we will almost always

698
00:50:37,850 –> 00:50:41,090
make a better decision.
Do you know one of the things

699
00:50:41,090 –> 00:50:45,250
I’ve tried to do, which may
sound very much like

700
00:50:45,250 –> 00:50:52,250
procrastination, but it is Ask
myself when’s the last time I

701
00:50:52,250 –> 00:50:58,250
need to make the decision by?
Because if I do that then.

702
00:50:58,780 –> 00:51:02,060
I let my mind Mull over these
things and usually you come to a

703
00:51:02,060 –> 00:51:04,980
better outcome.
It’s amazing how 3 days and

704
00:51:04,980 –> 00:51:06,860
three nights can change your
thinking.

705
00:51:07,140 –> 00:51:11,820
Who would have thought?
How about writing down your

706
00:51:11,820 –> 00:51:17,620
feelings, Getting them on paper?
Do you know Abraham Lincoln used

707
00:51:17,620 –> 00:51:21,460
to control his anger?
He’s a president of the United

708
00:51:21,460 –> 00:51:24,180
States, by the way.
Abraham Lincoln used to control

709
00:51:24,180 –> 00:51:28,060
his anger by writing letters
that he would never post.

710
00:51:28,710 –> 00:51:30,830
He would vent his feelings on
paper.

711
00:51:31,350 –> 00:51:33,830
That would satisfy the reptilian
brain.

712
00:51:33,830 –> 00:51:39,030
And then he’d review it in a
week’s time later with the

713
00:51:39,030 –> 00:51:42,910
thinking brain.
And then he’d screw it up and

714
00:51:42,990 –> 00:51:46,870
pop it in the trash.
Wise counsel, you know, Second

715
00:51:46,870 –> 00:51:49,070
of Corinthians 13 and verse 10
says.

716
00:51:49,390 –> 00:51:53,030
Therefore I write these things
being absent.

717
00:51:53,770 –> 00:51:55,850
Being present, I should use
sharpness.

718
00:51:56,050 –> 00:51:59,970
Paul knew, didn’t he, that
writing things down would would

719
00:51:59,970 –> 00:52:03,890
slow himself down and temper his
feelings and give him better

720
00:52:03,890 –> 00:52:06,410
perspective.
If he was present he would use

721
00:52:06,410 –> 00:52:09,450
sharpness.
He’d be angry and frustrated.

722
00:52:09,450 –> 00:52:12,890
But if he wrote it down he would
be able to respond in a much

723
00:52:12,890 –> 00:52:17,610
more Christ like way.
So if you were this way inclined

724
00:52:18,210 –> 00:52:20,970
then get yourself a journal and
start writing down some

725
00:52:20,970 –> 00:52:24,180
thoughts.
Here’s another obvious one.

726
00:52:24,620 –> 00:52:30,260
Pray and meditate, and peace
will follow you.

727
00:52:30,260 –> 00:52:33,860
Remember what Philippians says,
and they they really are

728
00:52:33,860 –> 00:52:38,740
wonderful, wonderful words.
Be careful for nothing and

729
00:52:38,740 –> 00:52:41,700
everything.
By prayer and supplications with

730
00:52:41,700 –> 00:52:45,020
Thanksgiving, let your request
be made known unto God, and the

731
00:52:45,020 –> 00:52:51,060
peace of God which passes all
understanding, shall keep your

732
00:52:51,060 –> 00:52:55,990
hearts and minds.
Through Christ Jesus giving

733
00:52:56,070 –> 00:52:59,350
everything into God’s hands.
Remember what Wahtherms says

734
00:52:59,670 –> 00:53:04,390
about Philippians chapter 4 and
verse 7.

735
00:53:04,910 –> 00:53:10,350
The peace of God which rises
above every mind shall guard

736
00:53:10,350 –> 00:53:12,510
your hearts and thoughts in
Christ Jesus.

737
00:53:12,670 –> 00:53:14,390
Just think about those words,
brothers and sisters.

738
00:53:14,390 –> 00:53:17,230
That’s a promise from our
Heavenly Father.

739
00:53:17,230 –> 00:53:21,870
He promises us.
He guarantees that if we pray.

740
00:53:22,450 –> 00:53:25,410
We meditate.
He will give us peace.

741
00:53:25,530 –> 00:53:29,130
We just don’t do it.
But that’s his promise.

742
00:53:30,610 –> 00:53:34,090
Another obvious one.
Keep reading and being renewed

743
00:53:34,090 –> 00:53:36,930
in knowledge.
It’s the lesson of the

744
00:53:36,930 –> 00:53:38,730
Caterpillar.
Do you know what if you feel

745
00:53:38,730 –> 00:53:46,130
spiritless or weary?
It says in Hebrews 12, lest you

746
00:53:46,130 –> 00:53:52,760
be weary in your minds.
If we feel spiritless and weary,

747
00:53:53,000 –> 00:53:56,560
is it because we’ve stopped
devouring the Spirit word?

748
00:53:57,720 –> 00:54:02,280
Actually, probably yes.
Remember Hebrews 5, verse 14

749
00:54:02,280 –> 00:54:07,120
speaks of those who by reason of
use, have their senses exercised

750
00:54:07,400 –> 00:54:14,520
to discern both good and evil.
We saw on Sunday why reading is

751
00:54:14,520 –> 00:54:17,760
so important.
We don’t know, do we brothers

752
00:54:17,760 –> 00:54:22,400
and sisters, how Providence
works, how the angels work, how

753
00:54:22,400 –> 00:54:26,360
sometimes just the right quote
just pops into our minds that’s

754
00:54:26,480 –> 00:54:32,800
that answers our question.
Or we think my mind’s just all,

755
00:54:32,800 –> 00:54:37,480
let’s see, I’ll do a Bible
reading, and right there in the

756
00:54:37,480 –> 00:54:39,920
daily Bible readings is the
answer to our problem.

757
00:54:40,080 –> 00:54:43,560
This has happened to us probably
many times, for sure.

758
00:54:43,920 –> 00:54:47,330
Is this providential?
We might never know.

759
00:54:48,450 –> 00:54:51,530
But I tell you what, brother and
sisters, we can be absolutely

760
00:54:51,530 –> 00:54:57,090
sure about this.
We will never be able to recall

761
00:54:57,090 –> 00:55:03,090
a verse we’ve never read.
Think about the power of that.

762
00:55:03,570 –> 00:55:08,570
We will never be able to recall
a verse to mind at a time of

763
00:55:08,570 –> 00:55:14,020
need if we’ve never read it.
Our minds are insensibly or

764
00:55:14,140 –> 00:55:18,060
unconsciously affected.
Keep reading, and young people

765
00:55:18,060 –> 00:55:21,340
especially.
I’m almost your generation, so I

766
00:55:21,340 –> 00:55:27,020
include myself.
Let’s not fall into the trap of

767
00:55:27,020 –> 00:55:33,940
thinking it’s all on my device,
it’s all on my phone, or it’s

768
00:55:33,980 –> 00:55:37,740
all on livoniatapes.com.
I can access the information

769
00:55:37,740 –> 00:55:45,260
whenever I want.
Instead, ask Can God access his

770
00:55:45,260 –> 00:55:48,420
information in our minds
whenever He wants?

771
00:55:49,820 –> 00:55:53,980
What are we giving the angels to
work with in our minds?

772
00:55:54,540 –> 00:55:57,340
This is a powerful reason to
keep reading.

773
00:55:58,260 –> 00:56:00,900
We can’t expect to be
transformed unless we give the

774
00:56:00,900 –> 00:56:04,260
angels something to work with,
because we’ve put the Word of

775
00:56:04,260 –> 00:56:07,700
God in and we’ve read with
understanding.

776
00:56:11,560 –> 00:56:13,240
Here’s a thought that I find
very helpful.

777
00:56:15,880 –> 00:56:19,280
Always remember that while we
can’t control the first thought,

778
00:56:20,080 –> 00:56:24,200
we can control the second.
Do you know that’s extremely

779
00:56:24,200 –> 00:56:29,200
comforting to me?
Christ had a mind just like

780
00:56:29,360 –> 00:56:33,120
ours.
If it wasn’t just like ours, his

781
00:56:33,120 –> 00:56:35,400
victory over our mind is
meaningless.

782
00:56:36,750 –> 00:56:39,550
He’s susceptible in just the
same ways we are.

783
00:56:39,670 –> 00:56:41,910
He’s tempted in all points as we
are.

784
00:56:42,110 –> 00:56:45,230
He had those first thoughts too.
Pride.

785
00:56:45,910 –> 00:56:47,830
Resentment.
Anger.

786
00:56:48,550 –> 00:56:56,550
Frustration, Lust, envy.
But never once did he allow the

787
00:56:56,550 –> 00:57:04,350
second thought to linger on.
Never once did he dally with

788
00:57:04,350 –> 00:57:07,550
sin.
Was always death to self.

789
00:57:07,590 –> 00:57:11,670
I find this extremely helpful.
I can’t stop the first thought

790
00:57:12,150 –> 00:57:15,230
coming into my mind this side of
the Kingdom, and neither can

791
00:57:15,230 –> 00:57:18,590
you, brothers and sisters.
It’s part of a brain that needs

792
00:57:18,590 –> 00:57:21,510
replacing.
But I can.

793
00:57:22,350 –> 00:57:28,350
I should, I must take
responsibility for the second

794
00:57:28,350 –> 00:57:32,610
thought that follows.
And not allow that first thought

795
00:57:32,610 –> 00:57:36,250
to dwell in my mind.
I’ve got to choose, as we saw a

796
00:57:36,570 –> 00:57:41,130
little earlier, which thoughts
to think on and which to

797
00:57:41,170 –> 00:57:44,290
abandon.
It’s fighting the battle in the

798
00:57:44,290 –> 00:57:48,530
little things that connects us
to the sacrifice of Christ every

799
00:57:48,530 –> 00:57:53,850
day.
When we feel wronged, don’t keep

800
00:57:53,850 –> 00:57:58,490
record, but pray for other
people’s welfare and seek to

801
00:57:58,490 –> 00:58:02,310
cover their sins.
Instead of falling back on our

802
00:58:02,310 –> 00:58:06,190
childlike thinking where we
compile a Ledger of hurts and we

803
00:58:06,190 –> 00:58:10,430
keep a record of wrongs, pray
for those people that have hurt

804
00:58:10,430 –> 00:58:13,030
us.
Pray for those who despitefully

805
00:58:13,030 –> 00:58:16,670
use us.
Pray that they are just as

806
00:58:16,830 –> 00:58:22,070
blessed as we are, as we would
like to be ourselves.

807
00:58:22,870 –> 00:58:26,870
And then, And here’s the hard
part, and I’d like you to listen

808
00:58:26,870 –> 00:58:33,320
carefully.
If it just concerns us and no

809
00:58:33,320 –> 00:58:37,680
one else is going to be injured
by the hurt that’s happened to

810
00:58:37,680 –> 00:58:47,080
us in the future, then make sure
that nobody else ever finds out

811
00:58:47,080 –> 00:58:52,120
about that other person’s sin.
That’s a high calling.

812
00:58:52,560 –> 00:58:57,720
All we want to do is sneakily
surreptitiously.

813
00:58:58,340 –> 00:59:03,300
Quietly mention it to someone
else so that we feel a little

814
00:59:03,300 –> 00:59:06,540
bit better ourselves.
That is not the mind of Christ.

815
00:59:07,420 –> 00:59:12,420
If we have been sinned against
and that sin is not going to

816
00:59:12,420 –> 00:59:16,740
harm anybody else, then let’s
make sure that nobody else ever

817
00:59:16,740 –> 00:59:19,340
finds out about that brother or
sister’s sin.

818
00:59:21,420 –> 00:59:27,550
Love covers a multitude of sins.
Let’s not keep a lidger of

819
00:59:27,550 –> 00:59:30,710
wrongs.
But you know, making a lidger is

820
00:59:30,710 –> 00:59:33,590
not all bad.
We just have to make one about

821
00:59:33,590 –> 00:59:36,670
ourselves, about our own defects
of character.

822
00:59:37,230 –> 00:59:42,270
I’ve found this extremely
helpful thinking about how I can

823
00:59:42,270 –> 00:59:50,030
put myself to death.
Do you know I was 33 or 34

824
00:59:50,750 –> 00:59:56,360
before I ever sat down?
And wrote a list of my defects

825
00:59:56,360 –> 00:59:57,760
of character.
Can you believe that?

826
00:59:59,280 –> 01:00:04,480
That’s how self obsessed I was.
I was pretending, I suppose,

827
01:00:04,480 –> 01:00:06,320
that I wanted to follow Christ,
but never had.

828
01:00:06,320 –> 01:00:08,880
I examined myself where I wrote
down.

829
01:00:09,080 –> 01:00:10,960
Well, how fast short am I
falling?

830
01:00:11,360 –> 01:00:16,640
Am I guilty of these things?
Let’s pray for others, but judge

831
01:00:16,720 –> 01:00:18,760
ourselves.
My job, brothers and sisters, is

832
01:00:18,760 –> 01:00:21,760
not to point out the carnal mind
in each of you.

833
01:00:21,760 –> 01:00:26,890
I know it’s there.
My job is to identify it in

834
01:00:26,890 –> 01:00:31,090
myself and then put it to death.
Make a list of our own character

835
01:00:31,090 –> 01:00:36,170
flaws, judge ourselves, and then
actively seek to do the

836
01:00:36,170 –> 01:00:38,410
opposite.
If you are a spiteful person,

837
01:00:39,090 –> 01:00:43,170
deliberately do acts of
kindness, thoughtfulness, and

838
01:00:43,170 –> 01:00:47,770
see how God can slowly transform
us if we put our feet on the

839
01:00:47,770 –> 01:00:54,950
right path if we act first.
Then the feelings of wanting to

840
01:00:55,150 –> 01:01:00,510
will follow.
Be quick to apologize when we

841
01:01:00,510 –> 01:01:05,550
fall short and be willing to
take the blame when we do fall.

842
01:01:06,390 –> 01:01:09,870
Suffer ourselves to be defrauded
even when it’s not fear.

843
01:01:10,070 –> 01:01:13,510
Do you know our Lord died on the
cross like a criminal when he

844
01:01:13,510 –> 01:01:17,350
was the farthest from a criminal
that a man could ever be but

845
01:01:17,350 –> 01:01:23,420
self importance and self?
His own reputation was dead

846
01:01:23,500 –> 01:01:25,500
already.
Let it be the same with us.

847
01:01:26,860 –> 01:01:31,740
Let us make the first moves
towards healing and

848
01:01:31,740 –> 01:01:37,860
reconciliation and forgiveness.
If we’ve put ourselves to death,

849
01:01:38,060 –> 01:01:40,180
then we have the most room to
move.

850
01:01:40,460 –> 01:01:45,100
Let us celebrate this freedom by
being the 1st to take the blame,

851
01:01:45,820 –> 01:01:49,860
the first to seek healing, the
first to forgive.

852
01:01:50,780 –> 01:01:56,300
That’s the mind of Christ.
And lastly, at least in this

853
01:01:56,340 –> 01:02:00,860
very short list, let’s forget
the mistakes and successes of

854
01:02:00,860 –> 01:02:04,980
the past and strive only on
running towards Christ.

855
01:02:06,380 –> 01:02:09,260
Let’s touchdown in the Gospels,
brothers and sisters, before we

856
01:02:09,700 –> 01:02:16,060
go to Philippines 3 and come to
Luke Chapter 9 just very quickly

857
01:02:16,060 –> 01:02:19,700
and see how this principle is
seen.

858
01:02:21,120 –> 01:02:27,840
In the in the presence of
Christ, he’s how the practice of

859
01:02:27,840 –> 01:02:31,680
following Christ is always
harder than the principle.

860
01:02:32,600 –> 01:02:36,480
Luke, Chapter 9 and verse 23.
And he said to them all, if any

861
01:02:36,480 –> 01:02:40,880
man will come after me, let him
deny himself, take up his cross

862
01:02:41,280 –> 01:02:45,080
daily, and follow me.
That’s the principle.

863
01:02:45,950 –> 01:02:48,750
Death to self daily.
Every day is a new day.

864
01:02:48,910 –> 01:02:51,230
Here’s the practice.
Verse 57.

865
01:02:51,230 –> 01:02:56,070
And it came to pass that as they
went in the way, certain man

866
01:02:56,070 –> 01:02:59,510
said unto him, Lord, I will
follow thee with us, whoever

867
01:02:59,510 –> 01:03:03,510
thou goest.
And Jesus said unto him, Foxes

868
01:03:03,510 –> 01:03:06,630
have holes, and birds of the air
have nests.

869
01:03:07,550 –> 01:03:11,510
But the Son of man hath not
where to lay his head.

870
01:03:12,450 –> 01:03:15,770
If the principal might have
seemed appealing in verse 23,

871
01:03:16,010 –> 01:03:22,290
the practice was appalling.
What have no comforts?

872
01:03:22,570 –> 01:03:24,970
Isn’t that taking death to self
a little far?

873
01:03:26,570 –> 01:03:29,730
And then follows 2 incidents
concerning people trying to

874
01:03:29,730 –> 01:03:33,290
follow Christ, trying to take up
their crosses and follow him?

875
01:03:33,610 –> 01:03:36,930
Verse 59 And he said unto
another follow me.

876
01:03:37,690 –> 01:03:41,190
But he said.
Lord, suffer me first to go and

877
01:03:41,190 –> 01:03:45,510
bury my father, Jesus said unto
him, Let the dead bury thee

878
01:03:45,510 –> 01:03:49,030
dead, but go there and preach
the Kingdom of God.

879
01:03:49,030 –> 01:03:52,910
And another also said, Lord, I
will follow thee, but let me

880
01:03:52,910 –> 01:03:56,350
first go bid them farewell,
which are at home at my house.

881
01:03:56,630 –> 01:04:00,030
And Jesus said unto him, No man,
having put his hand to the

882
01:04:00,030 –> 01:04:05,990
plough and looking back, is fit
for the Kingdom of God.

883
01:04:07,200 –> 01:04:13,960
Focus on the present.
Forget the future and forget the

884
01:04:13,960 –> 01:04:17,680
past.
Discipleship, Death to self is

885
01:04:17,680 –> 01:04:22,200
about taking up our cross, not
yesterday or tomorrow.

886
01:04:23,120 –> 01:04:27,920
It’s verse 23 daily.
It’s all about today, One day at

887
01:04:27,920 –> 01:04:30,200
a time.
There’s immense power in this

888
01:04:30,200 –> 01:04:32,650
thought.
Sufficient unto the day is the

889
01:04:32,650 –> 01:04:34,890
evil thereof.
We don’t have to put self to

890
01:04:34,890 –> 01:04:38,890
death for the rest of our lives
all at once, brothers and

891
01:04:38,890 –> 01:04:41,770
sisters.
We just have to do it today,

892
01:04:43,170 –> 01:04:46,650
just for today, one day at a
time.

893
01:04:47,490 –> 01:04:49,490
But notice the problem with
these two disciples.

894
01:04:49,490 –> 01:04:51,130
They both have the same problem,
don’t they?

895
01:04:51,410 –> 01:04:56,130
But me first.
But.

896
01:04:57,520 –> 01:05:00,080
Me first.
That’s about as opposite to

897
01:05:00,080 –> 01:05:05,400
death to self as you can get me
first.

898
01:05:05,680 –> 01:05:08,240
They’d missed the central
principle.

899
01:05:08,600 –> 01:05:15,200
A big part of dying to self is
dying to self’s future and to

900
01:05:15,200 –> 01:05:19,040
self’s past.
It has to be abandoned.

901
01:05:20,200 –> 01:05:22,880
I’d like you to come to
Philippians in chapter 3 because

902
01:05:22,880 –> 01:05:26,840
the Apostle Paul learned all
about abandoning his past.

903
01:05:28,520 –> 01:05:32,480
His fleshly credentials that are
listed here in Philippians 3

904
01:05:32,480 –> 01:05:39,360
versus 4 to 9 circumcised the
8th day Hebrew of the Hebrews, A

905
01:05:39,360 –> 01:05:44,800
Pharisee, blameless.
All of these things were

906
01:05:45,760 –> 01:05:49,960
abandoned in the past.
His past life was irreparable.

907
01:05:50,040 –> 01:05:52,280
He couldn’t alter it, he
couldn’t change it.

908
01:05:52,600 –> 01:05:54,120
And look what he says in verse
13.

909
01:05:54,450 –> 01:05:56,970
Brethren, and I count not myself
to have apprehended, but this

910
01:05:56,970 –> 01:06:01,450
one thing I do, forgetting those
things that are behind, and

911
01:06:01,450 –> 01:06:05,610
reaching forth unto those things
which are before.

912
01:06:06,450 –> 01:06:09,970
Do you know when you’re running
a race, the past, the past is

913
01:06:10,010 –> 01:06:13,370
either full of failures that
might discourage us, or

914
01:06:13,370 –> 01:06:18,010
successes that might breed
complacency, and both endanger

915
01:06:18,010 –> 01:06:21,050
the present moment.
And Paul’s race was about each

916
01:06:21,050 –> 01:06:24,600
day.
Each moment, one day at a time,

917
01:06:24,600 –> 01:06:29,720
renewed day by day, straining to
be an exact replica of Christ,

918
01:06:30,440 –> 01:06:32,680
the past, brothers and sisters,
is gone.

919
01:06:33,520 –> 01:06:36,160
Even our Heavenly Father can’t
change the past.

920
01:06:37,120 –> 01:06:42,440
We need to inquire whether the
things that lie behind can shed

921
01:06:42,440 –> 01:06:45,000
light on the path that lies
ahead.

922
01:06:46,040 –> 01:06:51,560
Learn from it, and let it go.
Let’s not waste time in our

923
01:06:51,640 –> 01:06:54,920
lives of discipleship, obsessing
about our failures and

924
01:06:54,920 –> 01:06:58,200
shortcomings in the past.
They’re like rungs on a ladder,

925
01:06:58,360 –> 01:07:04,080
hitting upwards, step up, cast
away, all thought of the making

926
01:07:04,080 –> 01:07:06,080
of the rung.
Whether it was made of failure

927
01:07:06,080 –> 01:07:11,480
or success, joy or heartbreak,
that matters only that we climb.

928
01:07:12,320 –> 01:07:15,920
I reach forward.
The revised standard vergencies.

929
01:07:15,920 –> 01:07:18,400
I strain forward to that which
lies ahead.

930
01:07:18,810 –> 01:07:23,890
Every fiber of every muscle must
be strained to win the prize.

931
01:07:23,890 –> 01:07:27,090
Do you know that word?
Well, let’s read verse 14.

932
01:07:27,210 –> 01:07:32,850
I press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God

933
01:07:33,330 –> 01:07:36,450
in Christ Jesus.
Do you know that word high means

934
01:07:36,730 –> 01:07:40,850
actually it means upward.
It’s an uphill race.

935
01:07:41,170 –> 01:07:44,010
It’s tough if the law was tough
to follow.

936
01:07:44,760 –> 01:07:47,760
Try following Christ.
Try cultivating his mind.

937
01:07:47,880 –> 01:07:51,000
I mean, the law was negative and
restrictive.

938
01:07:51,000 –> 01:07:52,840
Don’t do this.
Don’t do that.

939
01:07:53,120 –> 01:08:00,040
Christ is positive and
unrestricted love with no

940
01:08:00,040 –> 01:08:04,280
bounds, even your enemies.
It’s an uphill race, isn’t it,

941
01:08:04,280 –> 01:08:07,560
brothers and sisters?
But we don’t look back down the

942
01:08:07,560 –> 01:08:13,200
hill towards the law and works.
We strain forwards uphill

943
01:08:13,320 –> 01:08:15,690
towards faith.
And grace.

944
01:08:16,330 –> 01:08:18,450
And you know, Paul knew
intimately, didn’t he?

945
01:08:18,450 –> 01:08:22,370
The power of this idea of not
looking back down the hill in

946
01:08:22,370 –> 01:08:29,210
the past was only blind self
righteousness, misguided zeal,

947
01:08:29,410 –> 01:08:34,850
terrible mistakes, haunting
sins, bitter regrets,

948
01:08:35,410 –> 01:08:41,290
humiliation, and a ridiculous
reliance on self, in fact,

949
01:08:41,290 –> 01:08:44,359
behind him.
Littered down the hill lay

950
01:08:44,399 –> 01:08:48,800
everything about himself.
A ruinous history, the wreckage

951
01:08:48,800 –> 01:08:55,200
of his past and a head lay only
Christ victory, a crown of life,

952
01:08:55,200 –> 01:08:58,279
do you know, Brother Dennis?
Gillett said.

953
01:08:58,560 –> 01:09:03,720
Keep her broad back to the years
the locusts have eaten and a

954
01:09:03,720 –> 01:09:09,720
full face to the appointed goal.
This needs to be us at some

955
01:09:09,720 –> 01:09:12,439
point in our race, brothers and
sisters.

956
01:09:12,930 –> 01:09:19,050
We need to stop running away
from the past, running away from

957
01:09:19,050 –> 01:09:23,130
our sins, stop looking back at
our failures, and start running

958
01:09:23,130 –> 01:09:28,330
towards Christ.
There’s a huge difference of us

959
01:09:29,010 –> 01:09:33,490
running away from the past,
thinking about things we can’t

960
01:09:33,490 –> 01:09:35,850
change and running towards
Christ.

961
01:09:35,850 –> 01:09:40,689
This is spiritual maturity.
It’s not about us anymore.

962
01:09:41,720 –> 01:09:44,640
It’s all about him following
him.

963
01:09:45,600 –> 01:09:50,080
Let us therefore, verse 15 as
many as be perfect, be thus

964
01:09:50,080 –> 01:09:54,120
minded, and if in anything ye be
otherwise minded, God shall

965
01:09:54,120 –> 01:09:59,880
reveal this even unto you.
We need to be perfect and

966
01:09:59,880 –> 01:10:04,400
mature.
It’s a much more mature attitude

967
01:10:04,400 –> 01:10:08,240
to forget ourselves and to focus
on him at the top.

968
01:10:08,240 –> 01:10:11,360
He the top of the hill, He’s
aware of that imperfections.

969
01:10:12,100 –> 01:10:14,580
But it isn’t our righteousness
that will gain the crown.

970
01:10:14,580 –> 01:10:17,060
It’s him.
It’s his righteousness.

971
01:10:18,260 –> 01:10:23,060
Don’t ever say, brothers and
sisters, that it’s too hard or

972
01:10:23,060 –> 01:10:25,980
that Christ’s example is
unattainable.

973
01:10:27,340 –> 01:10:31,540
Because even though it’s an
uphill race towards Christ, we

974
01:10:31,540 –> 01:10:37,380
don’t have to finish the race.
Only he has actually finished

975
01:10:37,380 –> 01:10:39,230
the race.
Hebrews 12.

976
01:10:39,310 –> 01:10:42,630
We should run with patients the
race set before us, but to never

977
01:10:42,630 –> 01:10:45,070
forget that he’s the author and
finisher.

978
01:10:45,430 –> 01:10:50,790
We just have to make progress,
just day by day progress.

979
01:10:51,550 –> 01:10:54,950
All we have to do is be running
uphill, even if we’re chasing

980
01:10:54,950 –> 01:11:00,430
someone else’s example in Christ
who’s already won the race and

981
01:11:00,430 –> 01:11:03,910
the crown and the victory will
be running back down the hill

982
01:11:03,910 –> 01:11:06,550
towards us.
With the finishing tape, it

983
01:11:06,550 –> 01:11:09,670
would be a disgrace, brothers
and sisters, not to finish this

984
01:11:09,670 –> 01:11:11,230
race.
That’s what Paul’s saying.

985
01:11:11,870 –> 01:11:14,750
It would be a disgrace, this
race, to be like him.

986
01:11:15,710 –> 01:11:19,230
Remember what he said at the
very start of Philippians tipped

987
01:11:19,230 –> 01:11:23,350
to one and verse six?
What God has begun in us, he

988
01:11:23,350 –> 01:11:29,070
will finish.
He will finish this job of

989
01:11:29,070 –> 01:11:33,430
completing the mind of Christ in
us.

990
01:11:34,900 –> 01:11:36,900
I’d like you to come in
conclusion to our reading Second

991
01:11:36,900 –> 01:11:40,820
of Corinthians 10, and just for
one or two minutes let’s just

992
01:11:40,820 –> 01:11:48,540
close with the thoughts here in
these remarkable verses, Second

993
01:11:48,540 –> 01:11:57,700
of Corinthians 10 and verse one.
Now I pull myself beseech you by

994
01:11:57,700 –> 01:12:03,540
the meekness and gentleness of
Christ, who in presence and base

995
01:12:03,540 –> 01:12:06,630
among you.
Not being absent and bold

996
01:12:06,630 –> 01:12:09,790
towards you, but I beseech you
that I may not be bold when I’m

997
01:12:09,790 –> 01:12:12,670
present with that confidence
we’re with, I think, to be bold

998
01:12:12,670 –> 01:12:16,070
against some which think of us
as if we walked according to the

999
01:12:16,070 –> 01:12:18,670
flesh.
For though we walk in the flesh,

1000
01:12:18,670 –> 01:12:22,470
we do not war after the flesh,
for the weapons of our warfare

1001
01:12:22,470 –> 01:12:26,790
are not carnal, but mighty
through God to the pulling down

1002
01:12:26,790 –> 01:12:31,180
of strongholds.
Casting down imaginations,

1003
01:12:31,500 –> 01:12:36,780
reasonings, thoughts, every high
thing that exalteth itself

1004
01:12:37,300 –> 01:12:41,420
against the knowledge of God.
That’s our own minds, brothers

1005
01:12:41,420 –> 01:12:44,660
and sisters.
And bringing into captivity

1006
01:12:44,660 –> 01:12:48,340
every thought to the obedience
of Christ.

1007
01:12:48,460 –> 01:12:54,420
Incredible words, Paul says.
We are to be gentle, verse one.

1008
01:12:55,530 –> 01:13:01,050
Gentle warriors, verse four Why
do we have to be gentle

1009
01:13:01,050 –> 01:13:04,010
warriors?
Because we’re actually fighting

1010
01:13:04,010 –> 01:13:08,010
ourselves.
Our Calling is to be freedom

1011
01:13:08,010 –> 01:13:11,890
fighters, abolishing pride and
ambition and greed and taking

1012
01:13:11,890 –> 01:13:15,810
captive every thought for our
new master, Christ.

1013
01:13:16,330 –> 01:13:18,890
This is our goal.
We’ll never reach perfection.

1014
01:13:19,450 –> 01:13:23,250
Our Heavenly Father knows that.
But we strive for progress.

1015
01:13:24,080 –> 01:13:29,320
Day by day we move slowly
towards the light, slowly but

1016
01:13:29,320 –> 01:13:33,880
surely having a little more
success at bringing every

1017
01:13:33,880 –> 01:13:37,920
thought, with his help, into
subjection to our new master.

1018
01:13:39,440 –> 01:13:41,920
This is what Brother Dennis
Gillett says about spiritual

1019
01:13:41,920 –> 01:13:45,320
progress.
In conclusion, every disciple

1020
01:13:45,320 –> 01:13:49,960
therefore ought to be concerned
about making spiritual progress.

1021
01:13:51,040 –> 01:13:54,040
Sometimes the progress is
imperceptible, but that is not

1022
01:13:54,040 –> 01:13:57,600
failure.
To fall is not to surrender.

1023
01:13:58,320 –> 01:14:00,720
If soldiers abandoned the fight
because sometimes they were

1024
01:14:00,720 –> 01:14:02,480
halted, no battle would ever be
won.

1025
01:14:02,680 –> 01:14:06,400
From the new position they take
stock and plan the next advance,

1026
01:14:06,400 –> 01:14:09,080
sometimes forward, sometimes
backward.

1027
01:14:10,000 –> 01:14:13,800
But as the sun westers, they are
forward from where it dawned be

1028
01:14:13,800 –> 01:14:18,400
the advance ever so small, so it
is with the life of

1029
01:14:18,400 –> 01:14:21,450
discipleship.
Let’s be ever so grateful,

1030
01:14:21,450 –> 01:14:24,250
brothers and sisters, that our
father has a solution to our

1031
01:14:24,250 –> 01:14:27,770
carnal mind.
Let’s be ever so grateful for

1032
01:14:27,770 –> 01:14:33,170
the partnership he has offered
us, that he cares about us

1033
01:14:33,170 –> 01:14:37,530
enough to work together to
transform our minds.

1034
01:14:38,650 –> 01:14:44,930
That if we conform our thinking,
he will one day conform our vile

1035
01:14:44,930 –> 01:14:47,570
bodies to be like his glorious
body.

1036
01:14:48,040 –> 01:14:52,600
Let’s do our part, brothers and
sisters, be it ever so small to,

1037
01:14:52,600 –> 01:14:58,080
as the Apostle Paul says, learn
Christ, to practice putting

1038
01:14:58,080 –> 01:15:03,600
death to self, to practice
occupying our minds on things

1039
01:15:03,600 –> 01:15:06,840
above and not on things on the
earth.