Sermon: "What Are You Thinking?"
We are going to begin this morning by looking at some questions concerning octopuses. In a few moments you will see how an octopus is connected with our scripture lesson, but let’s first see how you do with the questions.
1. Octopuses are characterized by their eight …
A. Arms
B. Tentacles
C. Legs
Answer: The correct answer is arms. Usually these arms bear suction cups. Tentacles are normally longer than arms and usually only have suckers at their tips.
2. The majority of octopuses have no internal skeleton. True or False
Answer: True Most octopuses have no skeleton or protective outer shell. This enables them to squeeze through very narrow slits.
3. The life span for most octopuses is …
A. Fifteen to twenty years
B. Ten to fifteen years
C. Five to ten years
D. Six months to five years
Answer: D Some species live for as little as six months. Some larger species may live up to five years. Reproduction is the major cause of death. Males can only live for a few months after mating. Females die shortly after their eggs hatch for they neglect to eat during the one month period spent protecting their unhatched eggs.
4. When under attack some octopuses will detach one of their arms. The crawling arm serves as a distraction to the would be predator. True or False
Answer: As strange as that sounds it is True.
5. There is an octopus that spends most of its life living in trees. True or False
Answer: False There is a web site that indicates that there is such a thing as a Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus, but it isn't true. This information was put on the web about 9 years ago with the purpose of testing the internet literacy of a 7th grade class.
Let’s now go to our scripture lesson to see how it is related to an octopus.
PHILIPPIANS 4:8 – Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praise-worthy – think about such things.
As believers in Jesus we are to fix our thoughts on what is …
True
Noble (honorable)
Right
Pure
Lovely
Admirable
Excellent
and
Worthy of Praise
The problem is, far too often, just the opposite kind of thoughts capture our minds.
We know we need to discipline our thoughts, but again and again we meet defeat as discouragement, hopelessness, self-criticism, doubts, fears and impure thoughts dominate our thinking.
This is where the octopus enters the picture. I was reading a magazine article written by Sandy Mayle on thinking proper thoughts and came upon this paragraph.
My attempts to discipline my thoughts eventually conjured up a rather ridiculous mental picture: Offering my mind to God was like laying an octopus on the altar. I’d wrestle its spineless, quivering body onto the place of sacrifice and heave a sigh of relief … only to discover that it wasn’t all there! Unruly thought-arms waved about, threatening to pull the entire sacrifice off the altar.
The good news is God is more powerful than any octopus, including the octopus of your mind. Complete victory over our thought lives is only possible through God’s strength, but you have things you must do.
You can think proper thoughts by depending upon God’s strength and doing the following things.
THREE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOU THINK PROPER THOUGHTS
I. OFFER YOUR MIND TO GOD
We often talk about offering our bodies to God because we read those very words in the book of Romans.
ROMANS 12:1 – Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.
I have quoted that verse often, but seldom have I ever thought about offering my mind to God. If you are going to offer your mind to God you must …
A. ACCEPT THE FACT YOU NEED HELP
It is difficult for us to hide the sins we commit with our bodies, but it is easy to conceal the sins of our minds. No one but God can see our thoughts and so it is easy for us to excuse our sinful thought lives.
However, if you are ever going to obey our scripture lesson and think about things that are true, right, honorable, pure, excellent and worthy of praise, you have to be willing to admit that you do, indeed, have an unruly mind.
When you are willing to admit that, you then are ready to …
B. OFFER YOUR MIND TO GOD
How do you do that? By praying a prayer something like this.
“Father, I give my mind to you. Forgive me for the wrong thoughts that I have allowed to pass through or dwell within my mind. Cleanse my thought life. I want you to take control of my thoughts every minute of every day.”
If your thoughts start going in the wrong direction, pray the same prayer again and again. God will bring you to a higher state of mental obedience.
After you pray this or a similar prayer …
C. TRUST GOD TO GIVE YOU THE STRENGTH YOU WILL NEED
The words of the Apostle Paul should give you the hope and assurance that you need. Listen to what he wrote …
I THESSALONIANS 5:23-24 – 23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.
You must make the offering of your mind. God will provide the power through his Holy Spirit.
That is step one, but it will not be successful if you don’t take steps two and three at the same time. Step two is …
II. DETACH YOURSELF FROM UNGODLY THOUGHTS
Remember how we said some octopuses can detach one of their arms in order to distract a predator? We need to detach ourselves in a similar way from ungodly thoughts. But first we must determine …
A. WHAT IS AN UNGODLY THOUGHT?
Going back to our scripture lesson can throw a lot of light on this question. Listen as I read it from the New Living Translation.
PHILIPPIANS 4:8 – And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
That means we should detach mean thoughts, revengeful thoughts, impure sexual thoughts, thoughts that are based on lies, thoughts that would dishonor another person, thoughts that God would not praise, and thoughts that would demean ourselves or others, from our minds and let them crawl away from us.
The question is how can we detach ourselves from these ungodly thoughts? There are two things that can help you to do this. The first one is to take a period of time and …
B. “FAST” FROM THINKING UNGODLY THOUGHTS
For many of us when we hear the word “fast” we think of going without eating food for a period of time in order to help us focus on spiritual things. Often prayer becomes a vital part of our fasting.
So how do we “fast” from ungodly thoughts?
First – You must clearly state to yourself the ungodly thought you want to eliminate from your mind.
Second – You must decide that every time the ungodly thought wants to become a part of your thinking you will switch the focus to something else. In a moment I will give you some suggestions as to what that something else can be.
Third – Ask God to give you the power to overcome your ungodly thoughts. If you have received Jesus as your Lord, God’s Spirit lives within you and will help you if you will seek his assistance.
Sometimes we believe that we have no control over our thoughts, but that is not true. While our thoughts can be as difficult to control as an octopus and its eight arms, when you truly choose to fast from thinking a particular ungodly thought you discover that you can control your thought life.
The second thing that can help you detach yourself from ungodly thoughts is to …
C. REPLACE UNGODLY THOUGHTS WITH GODLY THOUGHTS
When I was training to be a Christian counselor my one professor often talked about the “put off” – “put on” principle.
It comes from the book of Colossians where Paul tells us to ...
COLOSSIANS 3:8 – But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
That’s the “put off” part. Then he says …
COLOSSIANS 3:12-13 – 12Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
That’s the “put on” part.
That’s what we must do with our thoughts. When we choose to fast from an ungodly thought, that is the “putting off” part. The next step is to train ourselves to think a godly thought. We can think about God’s greatness, goodness or mercy. We can think about the beauty and wonder of God’s creation. We can think about acts of kindness or mercy. That is the putting on part.
We are starting to see that though our minds are unruly they can be brought under control.
You must offer your mind to God
You must detach yourself from ungodly thoughts
and
You must …..
III. DEVOTE YOUR MIND TO JESUS
Let’s quickly look at three ways you can devote your mind to Jesus. The first is ….
A. REFLECT ON GOD’S WORD
Reflect means … to contemplate or to think seriously upon.
Do you see why we place so much emphasis on Bible reading, Sunday school classes and “At Home Bible Studies”? You can’t reflect on God’s Word if you aren’t exposed to God’s Word.
Psalm 119 has some beautiful thoughts on the value of God’s Word. Listen to just a few of them.
PSALM 119:9 – How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.
PSALM 119:11 – I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
PSALM 119:104 – I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.
PSALM 119:105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
The second thing you need to do in order to devote your mind to Jesus is to …
B. TALK TO JESUS
Talking to Jesus through the day helps to keep your unruly mind focused in the proper direction. When you are talking to Jesus or thinking about his presence with you, there is a good chance that your thoughts are godly thoughts. Finally you must …
C. STAY VIGILANT
Here is what Paul wrote to the Christian in Ephesus about this.
EPHESIANS 4:22-24 – 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Our minds need constant renewal because they are continually bombarded with ungodly things. The world never stops trying to squeeze us into its patterns of thinking.
If we aren’t vigilant in devoting our minds to Jesus, thoughts we once banished from our mind will return.
CONCLUSION
Our minds can be as unruly and as hard to control as an octopus. We know what we should be thinking about.
PHILIPPIANS 4:8 – Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praise-worthy – think about such things.
The question is … what are you thinking? If you want to think as God would have you think you need to …
- Offer your mind to God
- Detach yourself from ungodly thoughts
and
- Devote your mind to Jesus
If you would like to offer your mind to God, or ask for God’s help in detaching yourself from an ungodly thought, come to the altar while the band is playing.