Reclaiming the Mind of Christ

Carter Conlon from the historic Times Square Church in New York City. What is the mind of Christ.

Why is it necessary that we reclaim it in this generation… The thoughts in my opinion from the heart of God for you and for me today. Thank you for joining us here on a call to the nation with Carter Conlon in this week's message Carter reminds you that God uses the ordinary uses the simple and humble with the world spinning into a chaotic state. People are looking for answers looking for help to comprehend where the world is headed and why dazzling words are not needed. Instead, the answer comes from a simple clear teaching of the gospel. That's why we need to reclaim the mind of Christ. Here's Carter. You are living in a generation. It's unraveling before our very eyes. Our society is spiraling downward very quickly shocking, isn't that what happened in America does not last through three years. Things are happening, we never thought we'd ever be saying that… You know that on every conceivable level. We seem to be spinning into confusion and immorality. And I don't want to scare you but I need to tell you this that are two very prominent social scientists in Canada and they spent a lifetime studying the rise in the fall of societies and are not lightweights either.

These two social scientists have recently written a book in their encouraging the Prime Minister of Canada and the government of Canada to prepare for the collapse of American society, in their estimation all the variables are in place for a complete implosion of the American society. By the year 2025 in the telling. The Canadian government that they need to prepare for the exodus of refugees coming from American to Canada looking for safe haven. Now I don't know the full haven't read the book yet. I don't know the full details of what they're saying. I just know that these men are not lightweights they dedicated their life to this study, and they see the variables at play in the society today that are leading in their opinion to the collapse of America as a country. As we've known it so I tell you this for one reason, the only hope for this nation. Now is a spiritual awakening in the only hope for spiritual awakening comes through you and comes from is not can be a superstar preacher that God's going raise up feathers. Not gonna fall out of heaven. It's going to be men and women of God like you and like me, that the spirit of the Lord gets all a hold of and we reclaim the mind of crisis I want to talk about today. This is the thoughts in my opinion from the heart of God for you and for me today now by reclaiming the mind of Christ. I am referring to returning to something which we never fully understood know that it's possible to be in the church of Jesus Christ for years and years and years and were reading the Scriptures, but in God's trying to speak something that were not hearing it fully murmured were hearing the edges of it but not fully hearing what is a God's trying to speak to is not collectively necessary but individually, what is he speaking into my life. What is it perhaps about me that he's thinking that I am not understanding what is about my mind that it's not been transformed in a sense, and I'm still living by my own reasoning. I'm still living by my own thinking. My estimation of myself as is based on what I have on my wall or what I look at in the mirror at and I'm not thinking the way God is thinking about me or maybe the mind of Christ is something that we've resisted because of unbelief, like the children of Israel got to the shores of this incredible promise, not just they were taken out of captivity and they were taken out miraculously and there's a lot of people here today that you could say that's that's my story. I was in an attic that was that was hopeless. I was depressed I was suicidal.

I was despairing. My marriage is broken, my family were destroyed when you were brought out sovereignly by the presence of God by the power of God and going through innocence of wilderness experience now coming to the coming to the shores of something the God had for you this place a promise that the cross actually leads us collectively and individually into and yet you stood back in and as the chilling vision once dead resisted it because of unbelief came to the wrong conclusion not about yourself, your conclusion about yourself was correct the wrong conclusion. You came to was about God, you concluded that there were two week you concluded that you didn't have the knowledge, the strength, the ability to going to do whatever it was that lay before you and so you came to a correct conclusion about yourself, but you're wrong conclusion was about God because you didn't have the mind of Christ for your life. Or maybe you did know and you let it slip away because of neglect or apathy or complacency. It was there at one time and you you you did have this realization but you just let it slip so I want to start in first Corinthians chapter 1 at beginning at verse 17, so Paul sustained Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. So Paul is in effect saying something about the cross in the victory of the cross is this. There's a power in this.

There's something in it for every person and thought I wanted to be careful that in my speaking I didn't drop to myself that you start looking at me. Paul could be saying is the standard you start looking at my wisdom because Paul obviously had a brilliant mind. He was probably the most brilliant theologian in the entire writings of the New Testament. Yet he and himself. He said I didn't come they didn't use perhaps the wisdom he had, lest the cross in the sense and the power that was made available to every person. Should tenant disappear from your site and you start listening to me and start listening to my wisdom and that becomes your focus, possibly didn't want that to be your focus for the message of the cross.

Verse 18 is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to also are being saved it is the power of God for it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent words the wise words describe where is the disputer of this age has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world for sense and the wisdom of God the world through wisdom, did not know God please God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

For the Jews request to sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness. Paul said there's a power in the preaching of the cross. When Christ was raised from the dead. The cords of sin that bound us to the past were completely severed. We were given the same spirit that raised him from the dead and we were promised that by the spirit of God, we too would be raised from the dead, and we would be made into new creations.

That means everything of the past everything that we were everything that we think are thought we we are all of those things are gone and in the slightest clean were now born again. That's the reality of it were starting life all over again, and God is willing to take us out of our weakness and out of our nothingness in and begin to do something in us that only he can do for the purpose of bringing his own name to glory.

That is the beauty of the preaching of the cross that the cross is level ground. There's no smart people know stupid people. Everybody's level where all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We've all fallen short of what we should be and so it's not by wisdom. It's not by might is not by human effort that Christ is glorified does it's it's by the spirit of Almighty God freely given when you and I come to Jesus Christ at the cross we receive the same Holy Spirit, not a little. Here's a symbol for you is a bucket for you. Here's a little bit. Fear is eyedropper for you same spirit same calling save same abilities given to our difference of abilities but same power of God given to every person that comes to God through Jesus Christ also is the Jews request a sign in the Greeks seek after wisdom so there's this these two types of people in the sense that did hear the message of the cross there.

There's a certain group of people who feel it.

By sheer force of human effort will that's that was with the Jewish religion was all about making promises to God that they couldn't fulfill trying to do more.

Trying to be better trying to be godly. They were called to be the people of God in the earth, but it was it was all human effort and and so basically, the Jews were saying will give us give us a sign that our our efforts are not good enough for me and we have the roles we've got that we've got the temple we got the Scriptures we got all the stuff. Give us a sign that it's not so they require a sign is it. In other words that were not going to believe that what we do is falling short of the glory of God in the course. The Greeks are single organ to learn our way out of this dilemma called the human condition were just gonna learn about all of the ways and it's through knowledge that were going to increase in course that's where the world is that today through knowledge we were going to break out of the boxes of our confinement and such like an organ to be better people in a better society is so ironic is like it is like at the heads like an instruction class and was them on the deck of the Titanic after it's hit the iceberg. Paul said, but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness. A stumbling block stumbling block.

The fact that you can't you can't gain favor with God through human effort, stumbling block that I can't will myself to be a better person that I I am on level ground with with others all around me where on level ground and in the same power the same redemption is available to all people, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men not first time I read that I stopped at that verse is, how could you ever describe God as foolish or weak and consider this part of the inspired text of Scripture is an easy answer. You are IN. We are the foolishness of God. The fact that God in all of his power all his strength in all of his knowledge chooses to reveal his glory through you and me. That's the foolishness of God. That's the weakness of God. That's the mystery of the Bible says that the angels look over the balcony of heaven and desire to look into this God because they they live in the presence of God that they are aware of the glory of God when the words holy, holy, holy are spoken in the courts of heaven that the place is filled with that. There's a kind of glory of God the posts of the door move.

There's there's they understand his holiness and inserted a greater measure than we do. And then they look down at us.

We look like a leper colony compared to them.

Yet the affection of God is upon us and he has made a choice to reveal his glory in the world through you and me. Praise be to God, that's amazing. When we consider that me with all my struggles me with my glorious history me with all the things that I've done wrong. Maybe with all my frailties and weaknesses Almighty, all-knowing God chooses to make himself known through me in the world.

Amazing, amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me now.

He goes on he says in verse 26 is the first Corinthian for you see your calling, brethren now were talking about the foolishness in the weakness of God.

So keep that in your mind. Talk about the power of the cross were talking about the availability of the power of God to all people. You see your calling, brethren, not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty and the basic things of the world.

In other words, the things that are at the bottom but the top people who are in the place and nobody aspires to be a lot of people would say that they were I am nobody in their right mind would want to be. Nobody would ever want to be where I am in the doing what I'm doing but God has chosen you, even in that place of baseness and the things which are despised on his chosen even worse than that, places, places that nobody wants to be the world despises it. They would not want to be where many of us have been some of us may even be today and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are sweet. Here's the good news. If you are somewhere on the scale between foolish and nothing you qualify to be used by God's wonderful I get I get this figured out 70 cigarettes. Finally a message for me. Finally, somebody is speaking of my life time on this day between 1/3 of the way down. From nothing, but I'm on a little closer to nothing foolish but there I have I qualify to be used by God. Why does he choose us that no flesh. Verse 29 should glory in his presence, but of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption that means his wisdom is all that we need. His thoughts are the thoughts that we need to reclaim in our generation not what we think about ourselves, but what God is thinking about us, not what we say our future is going to be, but what God says our future is going to be.

These are wisdom he's our righteousness. He has declared us clean no matter our struggles no matter our inglorious history and past when we came to the cross of Jesus Christ. Just like the prodigal son finest robe in the house was placed upon us. We were from our field. We were at times from our iniquities we became sons and daughters of the Bible says that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, that were not in the Bible it would seem to be blasphemy that says client is between God is because of Jesus Christ to the Lamb of God to God, the God Christ is my righteousness he is my sanctification means is the indwelling Spirit of God that gives me the topic what is called me to be made to leave and to go into what is God for my life. He is the sanctifier is the one who changes my heart changes my mind changes my character changes my destiny. It is not in me the changes my destiny and he is my redemption.

He is the one who has got a card for my past. Sitting in Christ Jesus lived in the past were broken when Jesus Christ was raised from the dead.

My Bible says he took captivity captive and game sentiment.

Not only did he break the cords that held us to our past and held us to a life of sin, but to give us gifting to the spirit, to become new creations and to do things that we can do in our own strength. If we have the mind of Christ. Paul says goes on in chapter 2 is is not brethren, when I came to you did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to the testimony of God. For I determined not to do anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. Posted II didn't want you and what you looking at me. That's what he said I don't want your focus shifted to men and want you sitting there saying all if I could only be like brother or sister so-and-so that somehow God could use my life. Pulsing is not about me and I didn't want the focus brought to me, even though we had the capability of baffling people with his intellect and his understanding. He didn't use it and goes once as I was with you in weakness and fear in much trembling in my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Paul have this this inner trembling in his life is God, please, please don't let the people look at me as if on the standard. Let me be weak so that you might be portrayed as strong. God let me be nothing. So you might be everything when people look at me, let them see the spirit of God and the glory of God on a human vessel that their faith should not shift to the wisdom of man would be in the power of God.

However, he says in verse six we speak wisdom among those who are mature, not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age are coming to nothing. We speak the wisdom of God in the ministry, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory. In other words, there are thoughts in the heart of God towards you that God had before you were even born before the world was created, he saw you so you just like you said to Philip when you're under the fig tree, I saw you I did I saw you before we we physically cite other with with with human eyes I saw you where you work and I have thoughts of my heart about you and he goes on, this is incredible verse, verse eight, he said, with none of the rulers of this age knew for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. No, here's what pulsing that spiritual rulers of wickedness and those that they had gripped in this world. They had no what was going to be released through the cross, they would not have crucified Jesus Christ, they would've seen the power if they would have had a long-term view and seems people were being raised out of dust and ashes in the glory of God being upon the and the strength of God being given then they would not have crucified Christ and crucifying him. They were releasing the glory of God in the earth through who the week was the know nothings of society. You may glory of God was being released in the earth, but as it is written, I is not seen verse nine, nor ear heard, nor vented into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him, but God has revealed them to us through his Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. You know the Bible speaks in another place of this inner groaning of the Holy Spirit. I've always believed that groaning of God's spirit like interceding it says for us with groanings. It cannot be uttered. The spirit of God knows the will of God for each life and I believe the Holy Spirit is is groaning inside that we come into agreement with God in our minds come into agreement with the thoughts of God but God has revealed them to us through his Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of man which is in him.

Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. In other words, God opposes saying it's it's really simple.

Nobody knows what you're thinking right now except you and God. Nobody else knows the thoughts reminder in the same way, says nobody knows what God is thinking about you, except the spirit of God in your nose Holy Spirit knows and Jesus said when it when he the spirit of truth is, he will take what is mine. That means the victory the Christ one show to you and he will show you things to come. Amazing. It will reveal to you in the sense the plan that God has for each of our lives. Now we have received verse 12 chapter 2, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God. That's the mind of Christ of God, would you help me to come into agreement with your plan for my life to help me look away from my past and my resume in my weakness and what others have said about me, God Almighty, your God, they're not you are the people of this world are grueling for the testimony of God's church through you through me my strength does not come from education or lack thereof or success or failure.

None of it matters. The reality is its level ground of the cross is and whosoever will kingdom can come med affect your Isaiah the Lord said as the lame take the prey to love it. The Pharisees are just doing this. Is it possible to profit the tube under Jerusalem and while or just plain with the scratchy little beards, fictional robes, the prostitutes are touching his feet. The lamer crawling through the blind or cry out the side of the road.

Wisdom is justified of his children right. The Pharisees don't have a single testimony with all the robes and right that all have as a negative testimony, but the blindness got a quite a story that hallelujah verse 13 says these things we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man.

Verse 14 does not receive the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. That means that that the person who is trying to serve God in their own strength in the trying to reason God bite with their own minds.

I'm not suggesting we don't study or learn the Scripture said that would be contrary to what the word of God tells us, but this is their whole sense of being is his living by naturalism and natural strength, and so on talking to you about the natural man is foolish is foolishness.

It's out of reach its pie-in-the-sky theology that's not attainable by anyone in this generation, but he was spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one for who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him, but we have the mind of Christ. So what then is this mind of Christ and how does it apply to me, the spring it home is one we agree that in spite of our present condition where the ones chosen by God to display his power and grace in the spiritual crisis of our present day. That's the mind of Christ we are when we agree in spite of our condition in spite of I am you've chosen.

In spite of my weakness you chosen.

In spite of my nothingness of chosen in spite of my powerlessness you chosen.

In spite of my lousy selfie of chosen, in spite of whatever other people said you chosen me you chosen you chosen. You've given me your promise of giving me your spirit.

You have a plan for my life, you're going to take me through the door and do things in my life that I could never do in my own strength but you will do it and when I get to the other side also.

Glory to God, glory to God. Only God could have done this the message today has been brought to you by Carter Conlon from Times Square church.

For more information log onto TSC.NYC TSC.NYC plan to be with us next week for a call to the nation with Hunter,