Thoughts that are right & pure
Thoughts Inside My Head • Sermon • Submitted
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Thoughts that are right & pure
I want to start my message with a prayer and a question. Let’s pray. Using Psalm 34:18 (NIV2011) 18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted. Here’s the question. Have you ever been in a rut? Eating the same fast food. Watching the same TV shows. A rut is defined as a “track in the ground normally created by some sort of vehicle” – car, truck, four-wheeler. A rut is also “a fixed or established course of life that’s usually dull or unpromising.” Here are a few examples. The rut you are in is your past. You keep replaying or reliving your past. Your past prevents you from being excited about the future. The rut you are in is not caring for your body. You have little to no concern about your health. This pushes you to eat bad food and leaves no motivation to exercise. The rut you are in is a dead-end job. It’s the belief that you are stuck and that there are no options You are willing to stay in that dead-end job because you are terrified of change.
Have you noticed that most ruts begin in our minds? The behavior exists because it’s fueled by some thought. This same thought is repeated over and over again. Our brains are remarkable, but they are also programmable. Here’s a great resource. It’s Craig Groeschel’s new book, “Winning the War in Mind.” Craig said this about our brains. “Every thought you have produces a neurochemical change in your mind. Your brain literally redesigns itself around that thought. The brain is a command center that directs the parts of your body through neurons. Neurons link together to create messages. The same message sent multiple times will create a neural pathway. The presence of a neural pathway makes a thought easier to think and makes it easier for your body to send that same message again. Think of neural pathways as ruts in your brain. Now, how do ruts get created? Through repeated thoughts.”[i]
Our repeated thoughts create neural pathways that either help us or hurt us. If you want your life to be everything that God created it to be you must learn to recognize & confront your ruts. Consider these three examples. Anxiety. You are an anxious person. You learned it from your Mom. Your Mom was anxious all the time. Constantly worrying. You don’t want to be anxious but your mind won’t stop thinking about reasons why you should be anxious. And despite what Jesus said (do not worry) a neural pathway has developed and now you find yourself worrying about everything.
Maybe your rut is Financial Security. Craig Groeschel told a personal story about his Grandma. His Grandma loved to tell him stories, but one day she told him a story about her growing up during the Great Depression. Craig said she started shaking as she recalled the horrors that she and many others suffered through. She cried as she described people eating out of garbage cans to survive and those who had lost hope decided to jump out of windows. She looked at Craig and said, “I love you so much. You need to know that the economy will fall apart again in your lifetime. And when it does, you need to be ready.”[ii] That conversation sent 7-year-old Craig on a path that plagues him to this day. His brain created a neural pathway that says to him - you can never have enough money. You can’t be generous with your money because you might need it someday. Is financial security your mental rut?
Or is it just plain insecurity? You don’t like yourself. You haven’t for years. You never think you can measure up. Someone is always better than you. Better grades, better ideas, better athletic ability, better looking. And that has led you to believe that you are not likeable, loveable, hire-able or marriable. I’m not sure marriable is a word😊.
Speaking of relationships. Depending on what we put into our minds, relationships can get twisted. We can look at humans with hatred or as objects to possess. What happens to your mind when it’s consumed with pornography? Years ago, I spoke to a man who said to me that since the age of 15 he has been watching pornography several hours every day and he’s now approaching 30. How can anyone’s brain overcome that kind of mental rut?
Today is week #2 of a series called “Thoughts Inside My Head.” If you change your thoughts, you will change your life! This series is based off of what the Apostle Paul said in a letter called Philippians. Paul writes his letter from prison. He has every reason to be sad and mad at God, but he’s not. He trusts that God’s will is his best life. Philippians IS a letter but it’s also a church. Once these people found out Paul was in prison, they sent him a gift, a care package. So Paul writes a letter to thank and encourage them for being so generous to him. Paul said this in Philippians 1:9. (Read 9-14)
Paul’s trust in Jesus Christ and his reliance on the Holy Spirit has rewired his mind. The book “Winning the War in Your Mind” is divided into these four sections - Replace, Rewire, Reframe and Rejoice. How was Paul able to overcome his mental ruts, his neural pathways?
It starts with REPLACE. He replaced Satan’s lies with God’s truth. Paul knows that God created him. Paul knows that Jesus saved him. Paul knows that Jesus is going to come back someday. God created you. That reason alone means you have value. God saved you through his son Jesus. One day Jesus is going to come back. Are you ready? One of Satan’s lies is that this life is all there is. It’s not. Paul said this in Philippians 1:21. (Read 21-23) Eternal life begins the moment you put your trust in God’s risen Son. The second section is REWIRE! Paul shows us how to rewire our minds in Philippians 4:4. (Read 4-8)
Paul just listed eight “thought virtues.” True & noble, right & pure, lovely & admirable, excellent & praiseworthy. True is “consistent with fact or reality. The opposite of false.” Noble is “honorable, thoughts that that lead to respect.” 2-yr.-old Hagen Davis left his plush Buzz Lightyear action figure on a Southwest plane. Beth found it. Jason returned it.[iii]
Right is the shortened version of “righteous. It’s keeping God’s commands.” Pure is “clean, reverent and holy.”[iv] Last week we looked at true & noble.” Replace Satan’s lies with God’s truth. Today, let’s focus on “right & pure.” How can we think thoughts that are right & pure? Rewire your mind by capturing your thoughts. This is 2nd Corinthians 10:3. (Read 3-5) It’s imperative that we learn to "think about what we're thinking about". All thoughts are not bad. But some thoughts need to be captured. Here’s what happens to me. I’m driving down the road and I could be completely alone or with Tricia. I start getting all these thoughts in my head. Some of these thoughts are right. Some are pure. But some thoughts are wrong. I have to capture those thoughts. Some thoughts are impure. I have to capture those thoughts. Because if I don’t my uncaptured thoughts will push me to sin, to be completely selfish. What’s the opposite of right? It’s wrong. Wrong thinking leads to sin, it leads to poor decision making which results in regrets. Did you hear about the woman who woke up one morning and noticed that there was an extra $1.2 million in her brokerage account. Well, it wasn’t supposed to be there. It was a clerical error. She received the money by mistake. But she refused to return the funds. She moved the money into a different account so the bank could not reclaim the funds. She went out a bought a new house and a new car with money that did not belong to her. She was arrested and so far about 75% of the money has been recovered.[v] Can you imagine the thoughts going on inside her head? Look at what I found. Maybe they won’t notice. It’s their fault. The bank made the mistake, not me. I’m entitled to this money. I’m not giving it back. Now she’s been arrested. What would have happened if she captured this thought – This money is mine! It’s NOT! She would never have been arrested and fired from her job.
What’s the opposite of pure? It’s impure. And impure thoughts led to all kinds of dysfunction. Impure thoughts lead to greed, addiction, and sexual defiant behavior like sex trafficking & child abuse.
Do you remember that man who said he’s been watching pornography every day for maybe 16 straight years? It’s completely unfair to say to him. Stop doing that! You need to try harder. Overcoming nasty thoughts is all about will power. It’s not. Paul said it’s about divine power. Holy Spirit power. The HS helps you capture your thoughts, to renew your mind – to retrain your brain. Psalm 119:9 asks a relevant question. How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.We read & apply the Word of God. How can anyone capture wrong & impure thoughts? We ask the Holy Spirit to grab that thought and then give us a new one.
I was reading in Revelation 21 and this verse ends the chapter. Revelation 21:27: Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. I have done all three. I have said and done things that are impure, shameful & deceitful. But here’s what’s crazy. I’m forgiven. Are you? You can be forgiven of every wrong and every impure thought that’s ever come into your head. If you believe and trust in Jesus Christ, who is the Lamb of God.
We are about enter into communion. How easy is it to let communion become a rut where we just go through the motions and really think very little about the sacrifice of Jesus’ body and blood? Jesus went to the cross for all the wrongs we’ve committed. For all the impure thoughts that have gone through your head and mine. Jesus is the only one who can save you. A Pastor tweeted this on Easter Sunday. “Whether you are a Christian or not, through a commitment to helping others we are able to save ourselves.”
That’s not true. He quickly deleted the Tweet. If that were true, that we could save ourselves, then Jesus died for nothing. Before you take communion, look at the bread and juice. Thank Jesus for forgiving you of every wrong and every impure thought.
Once communion is finished, I invite anyone to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. To come and be baptized. To receive the Holy Spirit who will be in you and with you. The Holy Spirit will rewire your mind as you let him capture your thoughts. For everyone watching online, type in the chat your desire to accept Jesus Christ. We will reach out to you. Let me pray as we commune with Jesus.
[i] Craig Groeschel, Winning the War in your Mind, 67-68
[ii] Ibid, 72-73
[iii] https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/airline-agent-returns-buzz-lightyear-to-his-owner-four-steps-to-relationships-that-transform/
[iv] Logos Bible Software, Strong’s Enhanced Lexicon, Philippians 4:8
[v] https://www.denisonforum.org/columns/daily-article/woman-refuses-to-return-1-2-million-after-clerical-error-a-fascinating-article-by-a-religious-skeptic-and-the-empowering-privilege-of-intercession/