The Mind of God! Part 2 of 2

Hey this is Mike Zwick from if not for God podcast our show stories of hopelessness turned and I hope your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just seconds. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network do you feel like you're on a religious treadmill to file Christianity is just a system of rules and regulations, I can do this but I can't do that. Do you feel like your efforts to reach God. Find God, and please God. If you do you feel like your faith is dead or alone. Today Pastor Russ Andrews will walk us through Scripture to answer these questions join us on finding purpose of local tribal ministry glorifying God by helping men find their purpose for living. For more information and to connect with Russ Andrews and finding purpose could visit us online@findingpurpose.net connect with us on Facebook. Now let's listen to Russ Andrews as he teaches us how to be a Christian without being religious is part two specialty part natural man cannot rely on his physical eyes is fiscal years in his mind to understand spiritual matters, it's impossible. God cannot be understand by the natural man is wisdom is beyond human logic, salvation by way of the cross makes no sense to him in man's wisdom, he should be able to earn his way to have been good. Man's wisdom believes that bad people should never go to heaven. Only good churchgoing people should Bill live in heaven right wrong.

The fact that a murderer can confess his sins on death row and received total forgiveness makes no sense to the world.

That's why Paul writes for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. The natural man cannot understand spiritual matters is impossible is like listening to someone speak a foreign language executive who is the natural man with a natural man is the man without the spirit looking for strengthens 214 the man without the spirit give us the natural man is the nonbeliever does not accept the things it comes the spirit of God for their foolishness to him and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned to the natural man is the man or woman who is not indwelt by the Holy Spirit is the man or woman who is never been born again. You know the technical definition of a Christian S. Technically speaking, is simply a person who is been indwelt by the Holy Spirit is for Sprint fantasies miss of Ephesians 1 1314 C been sealed with the Holy Spirit when you hear the gospel you believe it roams a non-makes is even more clear. If anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ, so you get the point. The man without the spirit. The natural man is not a Christian, even if he or she is been going to church. He is in his or her entire life, even if he or she is the person the pulpit.

If you're not indwelt by the Holy Spirit. You do not belong to God and you're not a child, his father fact that I was in a church yesterday with the priest declare that everyone and there was a child of God, not so let us evolving born-again see the pinnacle of God's wisdom is the cross. The cross is the means by which God in eternity past plan to rescue mankind from his lost condition, but this is nonsense to the world because he puts it like this, that one could not own a piece of wood on a nondescript heel in a nondescript part of the world and thereby determine the destiny of every person is ever lip-synch stupid your wise because he says it.

It allows a place for man's merit man's attainment man's understanding of man's pride human logic cannot understand God's ways is simply impossible. Isaiah 55 nine as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts and waste a former ACC coach is considered one of the greatest tacticians of all time, once said something like this.

When asked about his faith. I don't know what relevant semantic data across 2000 years ago has to do with me today. This man's been going to church his entire life. I got into a discussion with a friend of mine years ago that spiritual issues will talk about salvation. I probably prompted the conversation and I think I asked you how do you think a person gets to go to heaven. This is what he told me he says that when a man dies his good deeds is bad. These are placed on the scales of justice in which avoids a tilt determine whether not enter heaven if you're good deeds outweighed your bad deeds then you're okay. Just what most will think I think if you go if you fight atolls Matilda Davis if you go: most people who go to church, talk about solid churches, but I'm talking prime about liberal churches where they you know what I'm about. If you are to hold him and asked him how you get to go to heaven.

I would be willing to wagering them. Not a betting man, that 85 to 90% was that when you have to be a good person. You have to live your life and be good to others. The golden rule of seriousness with a belief you either believe that this will even talk the pulpit see my friend believe what modern psychologists teach that man is basically good but your God says about our goodness that even our righteous deeds are what filthy rags on the you know Jeff see my friend believe that when his time came for his good deeds would outweigh his baddies because he viewed himself as a pretty good moral person compared to everyone else know what he was white compared to everyone else. He is a good more personal level. I heard him cross.

I don't think he tell a lie. he was totally honest, suggesting that when i compared everyone else who compared to jesus christ in romans 320 is assisted for all have fall off all all of sin and fall short of the glory of god. we fall short of god's perfect standard. there's no one who's good when you're measure next to jesus christ. but see, like most people, he was just using his own human reasoning to try to understand the ways of god. but god cannot be understood by the natural man is wisdom is beyond human understanding. see, we know from the bible that the gospel is veiled to the natural man second credit step three verse 15, paul writes even to this day, when moses read, a veil covers their hearts wise. this was the work of satan that the god of this age 2nd credit for four states has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of christ is the image of god.

satan works to blind those who are lost and keep them in a state of blindness. this explains why you get strange looks when you try to explain spiritual things to some of your friends who don't of the lord. they just don't get it.

you show your testimony with them and they don't understand what tom and i think you're full you to let you go to a bible study on monday or tuesday night, the goal why you doing that we could be doing some the other fun things like watching monday night football.

the bachelorette see they are blind and they don't know that are blind and they can help themselves. so the wisdom of god remains hidden from them the wisdom of the world will come to nothing. god's wisdom remains hidden to the natural man because god's wisdom is revealed only to his children has got to this. how does god reveal the secret wisdom to his true children without leads to the second truth in the stacks. and here is god's wisdom is revealed by the indwelling holy spirit. look at verse 11, 12 for who among members of thoughts of man except the man spirit within him in the same way no one knows the thoughts of god except the spirit of god. we have not received the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from god that we may understand what god has forgiven us think about this is impossible for me to know what any of you are thinking but somehow if i could get your spirit to indwell my spirit, then i would know what you're thinking and what you believe that any and everything was that this is your spirit knows your thoughts. just like the spirit of god knows his thoughts and see if i can get your spirit into two indwell my spirit and your spirit will communicate to my spirit exactly what you're thinking. if i can get jeff spirit into my spirit. our know jeff exactly what you're thinking, on any and every subject and what he believes about everything your sister would communicate with my spirit to the bible informs us that we were all created in god's image and god's spirit we were all born with the spirit to so like god. we are spiritual beings.

in fact if you look at first reference to the word spirit or spiritual is used 12 times in the niv, but unfortunately because of sin. when we are all born we are born with the spirit that is dead. from the moment we are born see that that's get spirit wants to be given life. if i think about this. from the moment a person is born that did spirit longs to come alive. this, like the law more that you had in your basement for years that you haven't used a meditative 15 years spark plug is dead in the fuel tank is empty seat law. more longs to be cutting grass is that is what it was created to do no way for that. more to come alive is with a new spark plug in a full tank. so one day you decide to put a lot more out your place at spark plug with a new spark plug and you put a fresh tank of gas in that tank and then you begin to pull the court and all of a sudden that l'amour comes alive. it begins in the utica and begin to push it, and that l'amour you if you could :-) would smile just doing what god created to do's cutting grass that l'amour expresses peace and joy and contentment. that is what happens the moment a man or woman hears the word of god and believes is kelly the word of god is the gasoline in the spirit is the spark plug. when a man hears the gospel and truly believes god got spirit invades his spirit is spirit comes alive as in that moment of true belief that a man a woman is born again, you come to know god as your lord and savior. you begin to study god's word. you begin to worship god, which is what you created and then you been to get understand when the bible talks about peace and joy. content what it's all about john chapter 3 when nicodemus came to jesus at night. he was nothing more than a very religious man with a dead spirit. and this is why jesus said to him, nicodemus, alyssa man, a woman is born again he cannot see. that means you cannot understand the savings to understand something to the truth, no one can see the kingdom of god unless he is born again once a man believes is indwell by the spirit of jesus and when the holy spirit lives in a man's heart. he begins to lift the veil from your spiritual eyes so that you can see, and you can hear him speak to you.

that's why jesus was always saying let him who has ears here. they all had ears but he some of the ears of your heart in the eyes of your heart to so many of the people that we know family members and friends. they have so many questions about spiritual things, but they refuse to believe until they get their questions answered and said they were in a big dilemma. you know why because until you believe you won't understand. that's the way god's order things and some of canterbury. accordingly, in him before but around 1100 a.d. he was the archbishop of canterbury. i think he was studying first british opportunity and easy. he made a statement that is become a very famous quote one of my favorite ones. he said i do not seek to understand so i believe. but i believes that i might understand for this. also i believe the less i have believed i cannot understand seat. he understood that faith precedes understanding.

is kelly riding a bike you think about when you learn how to ride a bike you can understand that you could write it, even though that you could, but your dad believes you could do it.

you believe your dad so he got from that bike and then he pushed you he was right there with you running beside you. you started peddling. next thing you know your writing that bike and he's half a block behind and all of a sudden you understand hey i can write this jetta believe first. that's the Way Faith Works Best Way, God's order things.

Chet Hinton is a good friend of mine and he told me that he want to Bible study Fellowship for three years and he would listen to our I think Joe Knott was a teacher that he would listen to Joe not teach and he would go home and do his homework and he read the Bible is Russ.

I just didn't understand. I just didn't get it.

And then one summer he met with a coworker if he is who explained the chitchat you got to accept Jesus that you receive them into your heart by faith and Chet did that and now Chip would tell you that when he reads the Bible he he understands it. The veil has been lifted slip Massachusetts this morning. You really understand the Bible when you read it when someone shares their testimony with you.

Do you understand what they are describing. Answer this question, have you really place your trust in Jesus. Have you received them into your heart by faith. Did you know for sure that you been born again. Did you belong to God.

Do you do you know that you're one of his children.

Have you heard the Holy Spirit whisper to your heart. You are my child you are my son, one of the evidences of belonging to God and being one of his children his spiritual understanding. That is when you read the Bible and make sense when you hear the word of God proclaiming a sermon you understand it. Spiritual understanding is what the evidences of true conversion is what we learn this morning. Truth in one God's wisdom is revealed only to his true children. God's wisdom is revealed by the indwelling Holy Spirit in truth number three is kind of an attachment to truth number two God's wisdom is the product of the spirit, plus the word look at verse 13. This is what we speak, not awards told us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

See true wisdom does not complement true wisdom come from God is contained in the word of God, the Bible is a listen when you when you pick up your Bible to read it you are you doing your delving into the mind of God. You actually able to see what God thinks and knows and believes and says is true about anything to do with life, salvation, all those questions got answers in his word. He does more than that, he took how to live your life but you need the Holy Spirit to help you understand what you're reading. This is why Jesus said in John 1426 but the counselor Holy Spirit, whom the father was in the my name, will teach you all things, the book of common prayer says all the word of God is given by the spirit of God.

So each word must be interpreted to us by that same spirit you want to know the amount of God. You won't see things from God's perspective, you won't understand the mysteries of life like mama here.

What is my purpose is really life after death. What does God want me to do in certain situations. How can I know God's will for my life. What you understand this truth. If you are a child of God them is you been sealed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives in you in the spirit will take the word of God and will transform your whole way of thinking, you will begin to look at everything from eternal perspective. You will gradually come to understand what God's plan is for your life, your desires will change you will become less interesting things in the war of this world because you will see that they don't and you learn this, they don't satisfy you will begin to live for eternal things, as opposed to temporal things. Is this a Christian will be judged one day would understand not in the great white throne judgment to be condemned as you know that is another sermon will be at the judgment seat of Christ, which is an award ceremony in your work single pass to the far there either wood hay and stubble or gold and silver and precious stones and if you live in for temporal things.

They will be like would in Haiti and they will just be concerned you will be in heaven but ours was given to the flames, but if if you're living for the world to come. If you try to live your life to please God and not a patch of black account.

If you're living to be in his perfect will. Then one day you will stand before him and you will have works of gold and silver and precious stones and they will pass to the far end there will be even more glorious and you will be greatly rewarded. That's how we should be living. Paul challenges us to live a different mindset.

Romans chapter 12 is one or two to my favorite verses. He writes therefore 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. Do not conform any longer to the palace world will be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is is good, pleasing and perfect will.

You see what he saying there. She spent time in God's word every day you begin to take on the mind of God. You can actually begin to know what is good, pleasing and perfect will is for your life every time you come to a crossroads you you need to keep on praying, but at some point there something that you only have to pray about, because you have his wisdom, you know instantly.

This is what Jesus would do in the Holy Spirit gives you the strength to do it when you come to a fork in the road you will hear an inner voice within you the Holy Spirit, who will say this is the way of Kennett is at 3021 Sage what you turn to the right to the left.

Your ears will hear a voice behind you saying this is the way while Kennett this is what true wisdom is all about is knowing the amount of God's will and asking how much time you spent reading the Bible, God's word you russet when you pick up the Bible and begin to read it is the same thing as you. If you pick up your cell phone and got us talking to you from his cell phone is literally that current and that powerful, even though that book was written. Your 2 to 3000 years ago is like it was just written, God is speaking to you from his cell phone literally go take verses off the page and show how they apply to what you're going through in every stage of life whether urine elementary school or college, or whether your retirement God will speak to you. Philip Brooks said the Bible is like a telescope. If a man looks through his telescope and he sees worlds beyond but he looks at his telescope.

He does not see anything but that the Bible is a thing to be looked through see that which is beyond Henry Ward Beecher said the Bible is God's chart for you to steer about to keep you from the bottom of the sea and show you where the harbor is and how to reach it without running on rocks and bars talking to our friend of mine before came into this morning to secretive graduate seminaries. Not sure what is going to do such a well say things I will tell you how God led me from his worth to do what I do now today take you back in time that the it was the summer of 2003 and I just graduated from southeastern and I really wasn't sure I would have no idea what God wanted to have been a simmer for four years I cattle about the guy was that all about. I thought she led me to seminary policy right now is just nothing what he wanted to and so I decided that I would either accounting but with two options. I would either join this local ministry that is been established on you. All the men in it. It was a marketplace ministry greatness report campus Crusade or I begin to get all these ideas in my mind of things like a duty if I started my own ministry. So one night I went to bed, tossed and turned to look up about 435 in the morning it was still dark outside and I have slipped out of bed and went into my study, I got on my knees I said Lord I need you to tell me from your word. What you want me today you will be to join this ministry which you been a good choice or you will be digit human to do these things that I have in my mind.

Don't play Russian roulette with the Bible. I don't go unite see what he said right there. Without the commenters that would work anyway. So what I do what I do is I just pick up my Bible, where left off the day before his garden is where I am and so I was, I just finished second Samuel chapter 6 are picked up and began the second Samuel chapter 7. This is what verse three says whatever you have in mind. Go ahead and do it for the Lord is with you and God. He didn't always speak that clear but not in that moment the ministry of finding purpose was born. Her mama went in there and I were Christmas a guess what I'm almost thought that ministry only to start we have a name for what she came up with a nine see God was wise and decided not to let the people of this world use their wisdom to learn about him. Instead, God chose to save only those who believe the foolish message we preach.

If you believe the fullest measure of the gospel and you know that you have been indwelt by the Spirit of God.

That means that you are a child of God.

Therefore, I challenge you as a challenge myself open up your Bible and spent much time in it because in so doing you will literally take on the mind of God, and you begin to, you can begin to live your life in his perfect will.

And know that he will guide your path and is Proverbs 3, five and six says that when you exactly trust Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path. What straight the spray dinner. Father, thank you so much for your word. Thank you to God.

It we live in a country we can still freely worship you. We don't have to about the Gestapo breaking in and arresting us for help is not to take our freedom for granted and Lord. We live in a Casual Way, God bobbles galore when you walk into a bookstore where they got two or 300 Bibles get bow different kinds of translations and commentaries on your word and devotional books. We have so much in the some countries that have nothing they wouldn't give the right arm for one chapter in the Bible, and yet we treat the Bible like his people magazine DeKalb put an urgency and stew spend time with you and your word. Help us to cherish your word. Lord I pray that begin with me that you would help us to be strong in the Lord and that we would live a life worthy of your calling and I pray this morning that if there's someone sitting here that does not have spiritual understanding.

They thought that there like Lon Solomon before he received it or maybe their loss today is to get questions about life.

I pray that they'll come up after the service and talk to the Mayo Liotta one of our deacons and or elders. Just pray with us that they might come to know you might receive you in the heart by faith and noted you actually indwells them what a privilege to know if it Lord I went this believe in your son and place our trust in your work on the cross and utility that moment that you seal us is like you take your signet ring and stamp us in claim of is one of your children and you want our name in the Lamb's book of life, and it can never be erased in one day you're coming back to claim those who belong to you and you going to give the kingdom to those whom you chose those who are poor and weak those who are not the things of the world says they should be. I pray for that person this morning. Lord, if his other unqualified that you are looking for the unqualified.

I pray that you would encourage that person they were leaving today knowing that they are a child of God and that you can do it with you.

They can do anything we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We love you. Help us to live according to your gives the power being a Christian is not about being religious but about having a dynamic low live relationship with Jesus Christ you been listening to finding purpose with pastor Russ Sanders, a local triangle ministry glorifying God by helping men and their purpose for living. You can discover more about finding your purpose in life by checking out the resources finding purpose.net will connect to finding purpose on Facebook pastor Russ would also like to extend a special invitation for you to join him in over 300 other local tribal men study God's word together every Tuesday night at 7 PM in downtown Raleigh. Find out more finding purpose.net