REALationships Series# 1, The Jesus Mindset
REALationships Series 1, The Jesus Mindset
By: Bobby Sullivan
Click the link below to watch the Sermon Video:
https://www.facebook.com/bobby.sullivan.33633/videos/10163501254945436/
(Sermon notes & PowerPoint links at the bottom of the page)
Is your mind a mess!
Praise and passion came out of Paul’s prison cell! Most of us would be thinking to ourselves a way we could get out; but Paul wanted to send to the Philippian church the revelation of joy! The church of Philippi began because of a supernatural vision experienced by Paul while he was ministering at Troas (Acts 16:8–10). He had a vision in the night of a man from Macedonia who stood at his bedside pleading with him to come and give them the gospel.
It was in Philippi that Paul was arrested for preaching the gospel. Thrown in a prison cell and beaten, he and Silas began to sing songs of joy and praise. This caused a tremendous miracle as the prison doors were flung open and they escaped—but not before leading their jailor to Christ!
The deeper the pit the more powerful was his praise. It was from the chains that he found freedom. No chains could hold his hands down from embracing those who he once came to persecute.
Philippians 1:8 “For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.”
Passion: 8 Only God knows how much I dearly love you with the tender affection of Jesus, the Anointed One.9 I continue to pray for your love to grow and increase beyond measure, bringing you into the rich revelation of spiritual insight] in all things.10 This will enable you to choose the most excellent way of all—becoming pure and without offense until the unveiling of Christ.
I am moved by Pauls well of compassion for the church. The pure love of God that increases will unveil rich revelation without ever being offended.
MEDITATE ON THAT!
Martin Lloyd Jones said, “We spend to much time listening to ourselves instead of preaching to ourselves.”
My Parents Generation: If it isn’t working repair it. FIX FIX FIX
This Generation: If it isn’t working replace it. NEW NEW NEW
FOR ME: IF it isn’t working, keep it for parts. Never throw out anything! LOL KEEP KEEP KEEP!!
JENGA … pull pieces out and it becomes unstable … things get unstable. The more you pull things out of your life without replacing them the structure gets very unstable. People unresolved issues and they masquerade that everything is good on the outside. At some point we need to put things back together
Dr Dean Ornish Ornish Lifestyle Medicine
“Love and intimacy — our ability to connect with ourselves and others, is at the root of what makes us sick and what makes us well, … People who feel lonely and isolated have a 300-500 percent greater risk of premature death due to physical illness.”
For over 75 years, Harvard’s Grant and Glueck Study had tracked the physical and emotional well-being of two populations: 456 poor men growing up in Boston from 1939 to 2014, and 268 male graduates from Harvard’s classes of 1939-1944.
The conclusion? Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development:“The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.”
“In the Christian story God descends to re-ascend. He comes down…down to the very roots and sea-bed of the Nature He has created. But He goes down to come up again and bring the whole ruined world up with Him.” C.S. Lewis (Miracles)
I think God wants you to see things from his perspective. When you have the mind of Christ, you see things from a different vantagepoint. You see the bigger picture rather than one from filtered lens.
In order to have a REALationship with Jesus we need to know what makes him tick. Paul gives us some very practical tips on how to accomplish that
Philippians 2:1-11 “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind …
“…3-4 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. …”
verse 5
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:” (NIV)
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,” (ESV)
“You’re not what you think you are, you are what you think” PBS
“6-8…who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross …”
9-11“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
1-5 Principle of Humility
6-11 The Portrait of Humility is how Jesus lived it out
2:1 Is there is any encouragement from belonging to Christ…any comfort from his love…any fellowship together in the spirit…are your hearts tender and compassionate (2) then make my joy complete by being like-minded.
- Do nothing out of selfish ambition
- Consider others above yourself
- Express concern for others interest
2:5 “In your relationships one with another have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”
What is the mind of Christ?
So what does it mean to have the mind of Christ?
Am I Willing to sacrifice?
Am I Willing to Serve?
Am I Willing to Sow?
Am I Willing to submit?
Am I Willing to suffer?
1 Peter 1:13 ESV Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 4:8 ESV / 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.
1 Corinthians 2:14-16 ESV The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ
Healthy Relationships Happen:
- When Your Willing to sacrifice. “…but emptied himself,” He didn’t operate under the privileges of God. He relinquished his royalty to take on humanity. (Harry and Megan) left Royalty
He did not give up his rights as God. He gave up his right to enjoy the rights of God.
Completely yielded to the Father.
Because his Father had faith in the future.
STEP 1 Though he was God, he did not think of EQUALITY WITH GOD as something to CLING TO instead he gave up his divine privileges.
“People who are more willing to sacrifice for an intimate partner are more satisfied with their relationships,” the researchers said in the Glamour article. If you or your partner is on the receiving end of that person happily sacrificing for you, it leads you to be more committed, the study also reported
Relationships are wonderful… (until they’re not)
“God I will do anything you call me to do” is a popular heart-felt statement that nearly every Christian has made at some point in their walk. It may have been made during a conference, seminar or retreat.
19th Century, American Evangelist D.L. Moody. It read, “The problem with a living sacrifice is that it keeps crawling off the altar.”
I had to think about that because quite often we give live back to the very thing we supposedly offered as a sacrifice.
In our part of the world, we know very little about “sacrifice” in this sense. In church circles, we associate it with Jesus and his death on the Cross, to “sacrifice” time to study the Bible or give to our churches .We talk about what was “sacrificed” to go to school or what someone else “sacrifices” to make a better life for themselves and their loved ones . We talk about the “sacrifice” we made to be on a team or for a certain job.
These are all fine and dandy. Anything that was sacrificed – was given up completely. There was no taking it back. I mean I guess you could have, but that was highly unlikely. If you commit to give something, it was given up completely. It was completely turned over to the LORD and it was used to bring Him glory and to set themselves completely in agreement with Him. When Paul calls for Christians to be a living sacrifice, he was taking a unique approach to the life of person who follows Christ.
They were to see themselves not what they gave up as offering their lives to Christ by living their lives for Christ. To allow Christ to examine their sacrifice of self and weigh its overall merit. Their sacrifice was to be approved by Him and Him only. When we realize that our bodies are living sacrifices, then we are invited into a relationship with Jesus that allows Him to lead, direct, and even push us in a certain way. Our fears are now His to handle. Our possessions are now His to use. Our gifts and talents are His instruments. Our very careers, our daily testimony is His to use to His Glory. The danger of a living sacrifice is that I can decide not to stay on the altar. I can actually decide to stop sacrificing myself for Him.
Jesus could have stepped back and said NOT TODAY!
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?[l] Is anything worth more than your soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26)
29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up “sacrifice” house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, 30 will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.” (Luke 18:29-30
Vs. 7 So if we say we want to be like Jesus, we must ask ourselves ,What am I willing to sacrifice?
Healthy Relationships Happen
- WHEN YOUR WILLING TO SERVE: “…taking the form of a servant,”
More significant than what he let go is what he became. Jesus washing Peters feet! To move forward in the kingdom we must take on the form of a servant.
“And being found in human form”
Complete Identification.
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Both these texts put all the emphasis on God’s giving to us when we serve. So the kind of service that makes God look valuable and thrilling is the kind that serves God by constantly receiving from God.
1 Peter 4:11 “For example, if you have a speaking gift, speak as though God were speaking his words through you. If you have the gift of serving, do it passionately with the strength God gives you, so that in everything God alone will be glorified through Jesus Christ. For to him belong the power and the glory forever throughout all ages! Amen”
Therefore, “serve the Lord with gladness” Psalm 100:2
Jesus taught the disciples they should be servants. He showed them the behaviour He wanted them to copy by first doing it Himself.
- JOHN 13:3-5
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
- Humility came from Heaven to be modeled before humanity PBS
- JOHN 13:12-15
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”
HE took the humble position of a servant. So we again must ask ourselves, “How much am I willing to serve others? If we have the mind of Christ, we will!
HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS HAPPEN
- When your Willing to SOW into others “…count others more significant than yourselves.”
Complete Humility. Esteem others more than yourself. Change the atmosphere.
Compliment instead of Complain. Lift up don’t tear down.
1 John 3:16 “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought (Greek:DEI which means we are legally bound to do this) to lay down our lives for the brothers.
True humility is not putting yourself down, its lifting Jesus up. Its recognizing that you owe everything to God. It is stepping into your destiny based not on who you are and what you can do but on who God is and what he will do through you. Confidence without humility is arrogance. Be humble or you will stumble.
Jesus Mentored and modeled is mission and took under his wings all who were willing; Jesus imparted knowledge and values through His words and actions. He showed the disciples that values of the kingdom of God were different from values of the world.
- MATTHEW 12:9-13
He went into their synagogue and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out and it was completely restored… - MATTHEW 19:13-15
Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
Jesus sent the disciples out to do ministry after they had spent time with him. He wanted them to practice doing what He had shown them.
- LUKE 9:1-2, 6
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
C.S.Lewis “Pride is the chief cause of misery in every nation and family since the world began”
Humility is sometimes painful. Vs.8” humble to the point of death”
How much am I willing to sow significance in others? Christianity is all about duplication.
HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS HAPPEN
- When you’re Willing to submit. He humbled himself in obedience to God. 2:8 to the point of death. He was willing to surrender and submit his will in exchange for the will of the Father. How much am I willing to submit…or am I the one who always has to be in control, be right, get the last word and have people submit to me?
We are living in a day when we want to be right regardless of the cost! We want the last word, to win the last argument. “Someone said, your so narrow minded! I can afford to be…Im right!”
Hebrews 13:17 ESV
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
1 Peter 2:13-25 English Standard Version (ESV)
Submission to Authority
13 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution,[a] whether it be to the emperor[b] as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants[c]of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your soul.
Romans 13:1-2 ESV
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment
HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS HAPPEN WHEN:
- When your Willing to suffer. He humbled Himself in by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross
LIFE will not always be peaches and cream. Not everyone will agree, jump on your band wagon and even if they do, they may kick you off!
The promise of the Bible that God’s people will suffer.
ACTS 14:22 says that Paul told all his young churches, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom.” And Jesus said, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you” JOHN 15:20.
And Peter said, “Do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). In other words it is not strange; it is to be expected. And Paul said (in 2 Timothy 3:12), “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
Believe it or not through suffering we are meant to go deeper in our relationship with Christ. You get to know him better when you share his pain. Those in the Bible who wrote most about the preciousness of Christ were those who have suffered with him deeply and identified with him.
When Stephen was arrested and put on trial for his faith and given a chance to preach, the religious leaders were enraged and ground their teeth at him. They were just about to drag him out of the city and kill him. At just that moment, Luke tells us,
“Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit and gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:55).
There is a special revelation, a special intimacy, prepared for those who suffer with Christ.
Peter put it this way,
“If you are persecuted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:14).
In other words God reserves a special reward of recognition of his Spirit and his glory on his children who suffer for his name.
If we say we are gonna be like Jesus Christ, How much am I willing to suffer?
Is there a breaking point? Where do I draw the line?
Everyone has a price where they can be bought!!! At what point does my inconvenience start becoming compromise?
So the question remains,
Am I Willing to sacrifice?
Am I Willing to Serve?
Am I Willing to Sow?
Am I Willing to submit?
Am I Willing to suffer?
Because every act of our will is a byproduct of our REAL relationship with Him.
HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS HAPPEN WHEN:
- When Your Willing to Say, “Lord of all”
“ …highly exalted Him …and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,”
Every person exposed to the PEACE of His Kingdom.
Complete exaltation!!!
Philippians 1:9-11
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more,… filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
Jesus Is Your Source of all love!
This was Paul’s Prayer all the time that love is the fuel that drives us to sacrifice, serve, sow, submit and if need be suffer.
DO we KNOW him? I know the president! Have I met him? No, but I know him. No that means I am acquainted but I don’t have an intimate, personal relationship with him.
When I know him personally my relationship takes on a whole new meaning.
John 4:10, 14 “Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water … but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.’”
Everyone wants Acceptance , recognition ,Security and Purpose
Only God meets these deepest needs in your life.
Then you can serve others!
As a result:
Phil 2:9 Therefore, God exalted Him to the Highest Place—Blessing.
Mar 8-20 Relationships Series 1, The Jesus Mindset, Sermon notes to print, PDF
Mar 8-20 Relationships Series 1, The Jesus Mindset, PowerPoint Slides, PDF
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