The Mind of Christ [Part 2]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan writing there are people who may not have had the opportunity to educate their mind like some of the scientists were depending on right now to come up with solutions. And yet the simplest child woman who never had much education never had much opportunity to simply develop her mind as the spirit of God, and she has the mind of Christ Helen Wright welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light.

I'm being a Brit excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series you'll see as presented in an older church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now.

It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at pastoralan.org that's pastor out in.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860. More on that later in the program right now. Let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan writing penicillin by Alexander Fleming who went on vacation in 1928. He didn't do a very good job of cleaning his laboratory before heading out on that vacation.

And when he came back he began cleaning the petri dishes on which he been experimenting with bacteria and 01 – he found a mold that was growing in the area around the mold. The bacteria was gone and that's how we discovered antibiotics. The whole point of this is the say our lives as we know have been shaped by discovery. Another way to phrase that have been shaped by people who saw what others had not seen a revelation Eureka a light that turns on something that illuminates what it been in the darkness, however you want to term it. It's about seeing that leads to understanding and when we can't see we can understand that leads to uncertainty and fear, so when we find a vaccine or cure for coronavirus, it is likely that it will come by way of revelation, discovery. We are hard at work obviously for the and praying for now. What is all this have to do with our text has this that Paul is describing something here that is absolutely intriguing.

If you look closer this text I want to give you just a little bit of the Greek language its use. Because it's one of the most intriguing texts about seeing and understanding anywhere in the Bible.

He describes what the text in the ESV says the spiritual person in the natural person but that translation the natural person does not at all come close to really the meaning behind this text is if I can explain there are two different theological persuasions when it comes to who we are as human being. There is one school of thought that says we are bipartite that we are soul and body, and there are some great theologians and throughout history and in modern times preachers and others that I respect very much that have that view. There's another school of thought that this says the Scriptures teach that we are tripartite, spirit, soul and body, I thought a lot about this over the years, and for me it makes more sense to see us as spirit, soul and body, partly mainly actually because of Scriptures that indicate such like in first Thessalonians 523 or Paul said now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely torment you as a person and then he says, may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. So it seems that Paul is mind making a distinction in the course or other texts like the writer of Hebrews Hebrews 4 verse 12. Speaking of the word of God says the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions so say there's some things so powerful and sharp incisive about the word of God that it somehow divides even between soul and spirit, which is to say, in my mind there's a distinction between soul and spirit, so I reminded right remainder of my comments on this are built upon that no scope to our text and when you come to the word in Greek to describe one's mind or soul.

The word that is used it's okay Sue K means so and you recognize Sue K because you see that in the word psychology which means the study of the mind, the word in Greek for spirit is Numa.

So we have two nouns here.

Sue K.

And Numa soul and spirit we have in the Greek language and adjective form of the word spirit and the word spiritual in Greek is pneumatic coats, so Numa becomes new Monaco's which means spiritual so of or pertaining to the spirit. But there is a Greek word that means or pertaining to the soul.

So get coats and this is the word that Paul is using here in first Corinthians for the natural person using the natural man.

The natural person and actually saying that Sue get coats is doesn't mean natural at all. It means in the same way that spiritual means of or pertaining to the spirit so geckos means of or pertaining to the psyche to the soul so we don't really have a word in English for this we we have a word for pertaining to the spirit of spiritual what's the word for pertaining to the soul or to the things of the mind it's okay, we don't really have words or some have suggested that maybe the word is soulless as best I can think of. Also Sue geckos means soulless. Now this is important because what it does is it describes what Paul is actually saying here Paul is actually drawing a distinction between the spiritual and the soul – that which pertains to the things of the spirit and that would pertain to the things of the soul, and most people who study this suggests that the things of the soul have to do with the mind and the emotion are will I like to think of this of the soul are mind. I just think this is it is there is your my and it's so important because Paul is not saying that the solution is bad. Not all is not saying that the natural mind is is bad. God gave you an incredible mind what the human mind can do, envision, imagine and think grow and learn and all it is wondrous and I'm praying right now for our best scientists to have the very meaning of God's within their minds. It understand things of chemistry and biology and disease, and pathology can put their minds altogether to work God gave you your my usual mind grow your mind, learn, study the mind is wonderful. It's it's the suitcase there's stiffness.

Sue K is wonderful but the things that refer to your mind or your natural ability to think are so geckos they are so foolish and what Paul is saying is that you are not limited Christians by just having a mind the natural mind.

You also have been born a new and we are born again and born anew what came to life was what once was dead.

You were spiritually dead, but now you've come to life and your spiritually alive alive in the spirit I was dead and now I'm alive. When we talk about my spirit was didn't announce alive you you had a mind before you are Christian, your mind wasn't dead, but your spirit was dead to God, and now you're alive in the spirit so you are a living spirit. How if the mind is wondrous and all that it can think and the body is fascinating and all of its intricacy spirit born a new Christian is altogether more wondrous altogether more marvelous and you as a spiritual being have the capacity to have a mystical communion with the Holy Spirit. You have a union with Christ, we speak of abiding in Christ we speak and say things like, Jesus is in my heart. What do we mean by this we mean that in some mystical way that we cannot fully explain with words that we as a living spirit been born anew have the capacity to commune with the living spirit of Jesus himself. And somehow we are one with him talent right will have more teaching moment from today's important series want to give someone a present this Christmas that they'll never forget. Let us help you give a gift, that money can't buy this Christmas. Give someone your blessing a positive biblically-based faith filled vision for their life in the beginning God blessed Adam and Eve and then told them to be fruitful and multiply, because in God's design blessing isn't the reward for productivity.

It's the fuel for it. Now more than ever, someone you love needs your blessing and we're here to help you craft this month. Special offer from Alan Wright is a beautiful booklet that will teach you how to craft an blessing for easy step-by-step instructions are biblically based, and even include a worksheet that helps you write your blessing. So this Christmas. Give someone you love a present, not found in stores, a gift from your own heart that will encourage and empower write down the blessing and put it in the package under the tree or put it in your Christmas card will never forget it when you make your gift Alan Wright Ministries this month will send you this booklet is our thinking so you can discover the power to bless call us at 877-544-4860 or visit pastor and.org these teaching now continues here once again is Alan writing what is so wonderful about this is so incredible is that there are people who may not have had the opportunity to educate their mind. Like some of the scientists that were depending on right now to come up with solutions. And yet the simplest child old woman who never had much education never had much opportunity to simply develop her mind has the spirit of God, and she has the mind of Christ and the things that you can see through the eyes of Jesus comes spiritually, we do not see through the eyes of Jesus.

Naturally, because Jesus lives in us spiritually.

We see through the eyes of Jesus because we have become spiritual people and what Paul is saying. Therefore, beloved is that there are soulless things and their spiritual things. There is that Sue geckos the things that mind and pertaining to the mind and the natural sense.

And then there spiritual things anything the spiritual things are of a higher level and the natural cannot understand the spiritual part of what he means by this is, don't be too frustrated with that person you love who you want to come to a knowledge of Christ and they don't see things the way you see it and they don't they don't have peace in the way you have peace and they don't have joy that we have joy and they they they hear all the bad news and they don't have any good news to layer underneath it. Don't be frustrated with people like that in the world. What Paul is saying is that that's what the natural mind has you can understand spiritual things grow when you come into the things of the spirit and when you live anew you walk in the things of the spirit.

Things start happening inside of you, where you go well I know everything's going crazy. I know this is the saddest time is dark in his dark year for the economy is dark for the people what they're going through and it's troubling troubling times, but there's something else I see and that is a God's on his throne that God has a plan God brings good out of that which seems evil, for God is not going to be thwarted and no virus can ever become the king of the world because Christ is King we crowned him with many crowns is something that rises up of worship and peace and joy. This is the thing of the spirit in the natural mind the soulless does not comprehend it. So what we want to do is ask God for his eyesight and this is what Paul means by saying you have the mind of Christ. It doesn't mean that we understand every single thing that Jesus understands, but what he means is that the perspective that Jesus has is a spiritual one who sees the father and knows the father's love and knows the ultimate outcome of all things and then we as Christians share in the very mind of Christ. So what it means is that we we have a share in Jesus's own perspective.

So when you stop in these difficult days and you say Jesus how do you see this you can be assured of this that he wants to show you. He wants to take you out of worry and show you what he sees. Isn't this what we all do when you see something beautiful and higher you want the people you love to see it. Also I remember some years ago when Anna and I arrived at the beach one afternoon and it was at Ocean Isle Beach, which in the winter time by an oddity of the way the other coast that the geography of the coast is right there in the winter time the sun those East Coast still sets over the water and so we got to that to the to the beach and my wife.

She starts doing what she does. She's our cleanup user get ready to start unpacking. I wanted to go straight to the beach and see it as a hello tubing I go out in the sun is setting and is so beautiful. You know how fast it happens when the sun is setting it to start sending and it was one of the prettiest sunsets I've ever seen at Ocean Isle Beach and I ran and I said the sun is setting behind the water behind appear you got to come see and sweet.

Is that okay I'll come.

I went back out. She didn't, I went back and I said honey is not a last much longer. Please come and see the sunset.

Is that all right. She cannot just doodle me, leave a sunset wide wide. I beg her to come, because when you love someone, you want them to see something beautiful that you have seen, yeah, you want to share it and I think God's heart is like that. He loves to share the revelation of the beauty of the son of God with eyes. He loves to show the revelation of his kindness and his redemptive power in the midst of our uncertain times. The Holy Spirit calls you over as his Khmer Khmer child of God, come here let me show you something right now. So if you just pause and say Jesus how do you see he'll show you wondrous thing you may be going through some of the most difficult times you've ever gone through in your life right now. These are uncertain times. I'm praying for you and praying for all the business is up everyone's health and pray for a bright praying over and in the midst of it. I want to say you are not limited by just what your natural mind can see, for you are not only so foolish you are spiritual call upon Christ and ask him what you see, I think will show you and other something about walking with God for a long time that after a while you just begin to think and see the way Christ us who we go salvage a lot and from Ocean Isle Beach if you want to go to Walmart you drive up a back road towards shalom, and on that back road there is an old golf course there for many years, Briarwood well back in the day.

There were not many golf courses in Brunswick County now between Brunswick County and down into South Carolina. There, over 100 golf courses, gorgeous resort style golf courses Briarwood was an old golf course and it wasn't one you go play very often.

It usually what and that good a shape and we didn't play their one day were riding to go to Walmart and is is the funniest thing the car is completely quiet kids in the backseat and in the pastor I'm driving were looking up and we drive by Briarwood and they had receded the fairways with some winter grass and it looked really green and it looked pretty good and at the exact same moment we look at the golf course at the exact same moment just added total silence always that we said Briarwood if it would boast that it is exact same total board Briarwood, which in the tone of voice met maybe that is an option, is not so bad after all ideas have you been married long enough. Sometimes you just see things exactly the same way one night some years ago in them middle of the night no chance of this but Anna and I both woke up briefly turn towards the middle to turn to our side.

And as we did we turn right at each other and headbutt each other right in the mill for their first in her now sort of stunned that I like what and then all of a sudden answer. What are the chances of that and I said there's no chance that we do about Boswell Lapin baby if you're married long enough, you just see things in the same way you think in the same way and I think you can grow.

Therefore, in seeing what Jesus sees because you have the mind of Christ.

So as we were riding to go pray for that dear St. Dee couldn't take it any longer. She just interrupted my prayer. I was glad she did because she was taking us to a higher reality I was praying a soulless prayer Lord hears all our limitations. Our minds are so frail.

We know so little and he took us to the spiritual, but I thank you God that we have the mind of Christ you have soulless thoughts and spiritual thoughts. The soul's not bad the mind. In fact, is fantastic, but the spirit of God, the very living Spirit of God dwells in you and you and Christ are spiritual person asked Jesus for his eyes show you deep things in the spirit and that is Alan Wright. Today's good news message the mind of Christ is in our series, you'll see. And he stick with his Pascarella and is back in the studio in just a moment with our parting good news thought today want to give someone a present this Christmas that they'll never forget.

Let us help you give a gift, that money can't buy this Christmas.

Give someone your blessing a positive biblically-based faith filled vision for their life in the beginning God blessed Adam and Eve and then told them to be fruitful and multiply, because in God's design blessing isn't the reward for productivity. It's the fuel for it.

Now more than ever, someone you love needs your blessing and we're here to help you craft this month. Special offer from Alan Wright is a beautiful booklet that will teach you how to craft an full blessing for easy step-by-step instructions are biblically based, and even include a worksheet that helps you write your blessing. So this Christmas. Give someone you love a present, not found in stores, a gift from your own heart that will encourage and empower write down the blessing and put it in the package under the tree or put it in your Christmas card will never forget it when you make your gift. Alan Wake ministries this month will send you this booklet is our thinking so you can discover the power to bless call us at 877-544-4860 or visit pastor and.org figure this tree would pastor out and ask and you shall receive. And that seems to be parting thought here it's it's always good to let the Lord know that you're ready. I'm ready Lord, and may be the simplest and most powerful prayer you could say today's Lord I want to see this as you see it and I don't want to be limited just by my own mind. So we've done some mode deeper theology with this message, I would. But don't get distracted or lost in that the distinctions that I've made between the soul in the spirit.

But take this from that there is a way in which we can think in God gave us a wonderful intellect and we should use it as limited. But when you find yourselves connected up heart to heart deep to deep with God there's a way in which you can apprehend truths that the mind wouldn't simply be able to understand. So for example knowing that God loves you is something you can think about with your mind but is something that your heart actually embraces what is a whole lot of life like that and so start praying the Lord.

Thank you that you and your word say that we have the mind of Christ, so show me how you see everything around me and as you pray, that I think you'll discover more and more that you do have the mind of Christ. Today's good news message is a listener supported production. Alan Wake ministries