Mind Monsters | WEEK THREE

Listen to the Audio of this message by clicking here.

Watch the Video of this message by clicking here.

Last Week Pastor Will gave us the P48 Test.  If we want to be freed from Mind Monsters, run your thoughts through the P48 test.

WHAT WAS THE P48 Test?

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Another translation says: “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me”  You have to practice what you learn from the bible.   That is what discipleship is all about.  Discipleship is a process.

Hebrews 12:11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Discipline is tough!  Did you get spankings as a youth? We didn’t have ‘time out’. Instead ‘time to knock you out’.  “I was spanked as a child and now I suffer from a thing called respect.”

If you yield to disciple, it will reap a harvest of peace and righteousness in your life.   There is a logical progression when you learn math.  You start with addition and then subtraction before you can get to multiplication.

Here is how discipleship works:  God gives us things to add and subtract in our lives before we can receive his divine multiplication.   OH we love the idea of God’s divine multiplication of our health, finances, energy, health, etc!

BUT when God tells us to ADD prayer ADD fasting ADD scripture ADD serving others  SUBTRACT time thieves SUBTRACT bad influences SUBTRACT unhealthy choices…  All the sudden we find excuses to short cut or circumvent God’s process and discipline.  The truth is that God wants us to LIVE in his Divine Multiplication and will give you a path to follow.  Go for it!  He will not leave you or abandon you along the way.  Stick with the process.  Trust the process.

WE CAN TRUST GOD when we are out of control.  HE IS IN CONTROL!

There was a man that really wanted healing from Jesus.   He was a blind, beggar named Bartimaeus.  One day when Jesus was walking by…

“he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. (mind monsters) But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”  And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” (oh…NOW you want to be encouraging…church people smh)

And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

In this one story, we see the path for multiplication or divine healing from Jesus.

1. RECOGNIZE Mind Monsters (rebuked and told to be silent)
2. REJECT Mind Monsters (but he cried out all the more)
3. REPLACE Mind Monsters (let me recover my sight!)

Let’s go back through that little story and find those points: Mark 10:46

1. You have to recognize Mind Monsters

Turn to your neighbor and say: “You betta RECOGNIZE!”  The people surrounding him represent the mind monsters. They were reemphasizing them to him.  “…And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent.”

 Do you know it’s easier to recognize someone else’s mind monsters than your own?   It’s hard to recognize your own mind monsters.  You need positive people in your life.   Other people’s monsters are easy to recognize and seem so dumb.  Our own seem huge.  Other people’s seem crazy.  Why are you scared of that?  (Ex- Will last week preaching)

When it’s OUR life, it’s hard to recognize it because it’s wrapped up in our thoughts One of the most difficult tasks you have is to see your current situation for what it is, not what you think it might be.  If you are struggling to RECOGNIZE the MM then get people in your life to help you.  Allow them in.

Next:

REJECT the Mind Monster

There is a saying that is old-school Pentecostal.  Not sure if you are familiar in those circles, but when it comes to Mind Monsters, old school Pentecostal churches were a good place to find some freedom!  They would say, “the devil is a liar!”  (with attitude)

Something would come to mind that is not according to God’s will: “the devil is a liar!” When your told that you will not be successful at school: “The devil is a Liar!”  You have a year to live: “the devil is a liar!”  You will not be hired by that company: “the devil is a liar!”  Your car is out of gas: “the devil is a liar!”

When Blind Bart was told…  “You don’t deserve to talk to God…”  “God is not interested in you…”

I LOVE what the scripture says, “But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”  ……And Jesus stopped”

Once you recognize that the words coming to your mind are not the promise of God but are instead the lie of the enemy, you need to stand up to them and reject the word of darkness!  “Son of David, have mercy on me!!”

 Then, you REPLACE the Monster!

Joel 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears;

let the weak say, “I am a warrior.”  Joel 3:10 – take what you already have. What I have already have given you.  You already have what you need.  If if if if…. Then then then… NO you already have what you need.

HE doesn’t say ‘you are strong.’   He says, “let the weak say I am strong.”   He calls you weak, but wants you to say that you are strong. I failed, I made mistakes, YEAH but he is strong. In your weakness he is MADE strong

I will SAY that I am strong!

HERE ARE 9 PROMISES TO REPLACE MIND MONSTERS

1.) When I am anxious about some risky new venture or meeting, I battle unbelief with the promise: Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God; I will help you, I will strengthen you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand”

2.) When I am anxious about being useless and empty, I fight unbelief with the promise, Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word that goes forth from my mouth; it will not come back to me empty but accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it”

3.) When I am anxious about being too weak to do my work, I battle unbelief with the promise of Christ, 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness”

4.) When I am anxious about decisions I have to make about the future, I battle unbelief with the promise, Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you”

5.) When I am anxious about facing opponents, I battle unbelief with the promise, Romans 8:31  “If God is for us who can be against us!”

6.) When I am anxious about being sick, I battle unbelief with the promise in Romans 5:3–5 “tribulation works patience, and patience approved-ness, and approved-ness hope, and hope does not make us ashamed”

7.) When I am anxious about getting old, I battle unbelief with the promise, Isaiah 46:4 “Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save”

8.) When I am anxious about dying, I battle unbelief with the promise Romans 14:8–9 “none of us lives to himself and none of us dies to himself; if we live we live to the Lord and if we die we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose again: that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living”

9.) When I am anxious that I may make shipwreck of faith and fall away from God, I battle unbelief with the promise, 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “He who began a good work in you will complete it unto the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:6). “He who calls you is faithful. He will do it”

Want more content on this topic? Get Kevin Gerald’s book: Mind Monsters!