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Mind Monsters Sermon Notes | Week 3
Mind Monsters | WEEK THREE
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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.
- RECOGNIZE Mind Monsters (rebuked and told to be silent)
- REJECT Mind Monsters (but he cried out all the more)
- REPLACE Mind Monsters (let me recover my sight!)
Let’s go back through that little story and find those points: Mark 10:46
- 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!
Mind Monsters | Week One
Today, we are launching a new Sermon Series called: Mind Monsters!
October seems to be month (Halloween) that capitalizes on fear. Elections coming up.
We all deal with Mind Monsters: fear Death – Public Speaking – Mondays – Health – Conversation w/Inlaws
What is in your mind matters! Everything you do begins with a thought: successful business, your degree, an affair , your legacy.
Let’s start with these questions: WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND DURING THE DAY? HOW DO YOUR THOUGHTS CHART YOUR COURSE?
There are so many things in our modern times that are HEAVY. There is a barrage of thoughts coming toward you. In fact, the problem with most of us is that we TOO MANY thoughts coming towards us: Television, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Books, Movies. We see: rape, murder, abuse, neglect, financial crisis, world issues over and over every night on news or cable channel or favorite feed, you are inundated with a HEAVY SITUATION. We feel so inadequate, weak, and ultimately so hopeless. The election, the supreme court, iran, isis, immigration, terrorism, financial crisis.
Not to mention OUR OWN problems: raising kids, making ends meet, pressure to fit in, expectations of your boss, sales quotas, retirement questions. PRESSURE. FEAR.
HOW DO WE NAVIGATE THESE TIMES? HOW DO WE HANDLE THESE SITUATIONS THAT ARE PRESENT RIGHT IN FRONT OF US? We are going to talk about these answers over the next few weeks with: Mind Monsters!
Mind Monsters are Fearful Imaginations, Despair, Anger, Worry, Insecurities, Guilt, Inaccurate Assumptions.
A couple of years ago I preached a message about being honest with your emotions and thoughts. If you are experiencing some of these Mind Monsters, our solution is not to deny that we have them. Confess that you have them. Allow God to deal with them.
It all starts with this!
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You Can Not Have a Positive Life With a Negative Mind
It is impossible to have a positive life with a negative mind.
WE HAVE TO DRIVE OUT THE NEGATIVE INVADERS. Kevin Gerald wrote a book called Mind Monsters, in it he said this, “You can be on your way to heaven, but your life could be hell.”
Am I transformed by simply coming to church? NO. You can sit in a church and not be transformed (sitting in a garage not becoming a car). We are transformed by actively renewing our mind. Your mind is enslaved. You mind is trapped. You have mind monsters. Your mind has to be renewed!
You have to “walk out” your faith. Things don’t come automatically. You need to walk through some trials and trust in God through the struggle. Walking through the struggle will prove your faith strong and your overcoming will arrive.
There was a time in Israel’s history when they had gone far from God and the Midianites have come in and contaminated the thoughts and faith of the Jews. They weren’t in slavery. They were still at work and at their house, but they are being robbed by some people that they have allowed to be amongst them.
The angel of the lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the lord is with you!” “Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? Didn’t they say, ‘The lord brought us up out of Egypt’? But now the lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.” Then the lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” “But Lord,”(Mind Monster) Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest (Mind Monster) in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least (Mind Monster) in my entire family!” The lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.” Judges 6:12-16
Gideon starts debating with God because of his mind monsters. He allowed a filter to dictate his perception and reality. We do the same thing!
***We Allow Faulty Filters to Define Us.***
This begins at childhood. Your race, Your skin color, Your parents education level, Where you grew up,
We look at our lives through filters. Some of you started looking at your life through an ugly filter and you make every decision based on the faulty filters.
God tells Gideon to GO IN THE STRENGTH THAT YOU HAVE. God is with him. God Is With You! If God says: GO, then Go! No matter what you think about yourself. God knows the end from the beginning. He knows what he created you to be. He sees what you should be, not you are right now.
Even if you are predisposed to something condition or thinking, that doesn’t mean that God lacks the power to help you overcome it. God has power over the things that were passed down to you.
You actually need to be in the place where your future looks impossible. God wants to do some great things in your life that seem impossible AND He wants to get all the glory for it!
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Get Started NOW in the Strength You HAVE
The truth IS that God loves you and your future so much that he came to this world to secure you and it. Jesus’ purpose here on earth was to reclaim your future and redefine your identity. Jesus came to redirect your course.
Maybe all you have today is a tiny faith. Faith the size of a mustard seed, but for Jesus…that is enough!
Faith for your future begins in your mind! Because of the death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, no matter what you have been through or what you have done, you HAVE A FUTURE! You have possibilities! The Good News of Jesus
Isaiah 43:19 For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
Recognize where you are!
2 Corinthians 10:5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
We are not fighting or wrestling with physical things or persons. Instead, we are fighting spiritual battles.
The Jews were allowing Midianites to live amongst them.
I wonder what kind of MIND MONSTERS we allow to live in the strongholds of our mind! What kind of MIND real estate are we giving up to the enemy to contaminate our identity and the prospect of our future??
It is time that we start evicting all the negative, ungodly thoughts and attitudes that are holding us hostage! You ever around negative nelly? My job is bad, my neighbor is bad, my sister in law is mean, I’m always sick…. Blah blah blah!!!
GET AWAY from negative nelly! TURN THE radio channel! TURN OFF the news! Your surroundings are creating the habitat for your thinking. Your thinking is creating the habitat for your future! It’s not just Kanye and Kim that are bad news for your thinking!
Gideon gets out of the cave and God starts changing his surroundings. God starts whittling down the support of Gideon. God starts taking away the solution that Gideon thinks he will bring him victory.
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The Battle for YOUR Mind is YOUR Battle to Win
It’s Your Battle. It is MY Battle. God is going to give us the resources and strength to accomplish the task, but it is up to us. The Bible is FULL of instructions. Instructions mean that we play a role in this. We must participate in the great work that God wants to complete in us. The battle for your mind is not something that I can fight for you.
The battle for your mind is not something your spouse, or parent, or friend can fight for you.
I want to encourage you to get into a Small Group if you haven’t done so already. MIND MONSTERS might have told you not to get in a group: “You are too busy, people in a small group are losers, they boring, they are invasive, THOSE ARE NOT the thoughts you need to ride on!” Believe the truth! There are people that are going to go with you to new places.
TODAY IS THE DAY! TODAY IS THE DAY OF NEW BEGINNINGS. I DON’T CARE WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN, IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOUR SITUATION OR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES HAVE DELIVERED YOU TO… This is a new season.
I want to invite everyone that wants a new perspective and deliverance from some sort of mind monster to join me at the front today.
If you are struggling with: Fearful Imaginations, Despair, Anger, Worry, Insecurities, Guilt, Inaccurate Assumptions or any other monster…join me at the front as a sign of a new season. Step out into the aisle and step into your new season!
Robin Steele 