Life in the Spirit

Well, I've been greatly helped over the years through good biographies, and so I have some here.

I actually read about some godly people. I was never really a history kind of guy growing up. I liked math and science. I wasn't really a literature and grammar person, and so history didn't really sit well with me.

But as I have grown up a little bit, I have come to appreciate more and more the beauty and the greatness of God showing up in the lives of saints of old.

Men and women, good biographies have helped to shake me out of my own complacency and helped me to realize how small I am compared to the men and women of old.

And I would commend that to you. I'll get to that towards the end of the message.

But I want to begin just with a story about one of my heroes. George Mueller was one of them.

He lived in the 1800s, and he lived till he was in his mid-90s.

A guy that till the day he died, he was actively pursuing a life of joy in God and a life of service to God.

Talk about a man of faith.

And it didn't begin that way for him because he didn't really come to Christ until he was in his mid-20s.

But once he made that commitment to Christ, and once he began to see who God was from the Scripture,

it began to change everything about the way he lived.

He saw that the Bible was talking about a real person,

and he saw and understood that the Bible's description of God was meant to be acted on.

Not just filling up the reservoir of data and knowledge in our minds,

but the knowledge was sufficient for faith.

It was sufficient for action.

Here is what he says at the very beginning of his time as a believer,

and this is the mission statement that guided him throughout the rest of his life.

He says,

I have joyfully dedicated my whole life to the object of exemplifying

how much may be accomplished by prayer and faith.

I have joyfully dedicated my whole life to the object of exemplifying

how much may be accomplished by prayer and faith.

Now, that mission statement began as a new believer in one form

and resulted in greater steps of obedience as he was tender and receptive to put those things to work.

As he continued to take baby steps into believing God

and trusting that God would do what he promised to do,

at the end of his life looking back,

you could see the landscape of amazing accomplishments,

not because of George Mueller,

but because of George Mueller's willingness and commitment to trust God to do amazing things.

To make good on the promises that God had given to George throughout the Scripture.

Now, I'm sure that many of you are aware of the commitment that George had to orphan care.

It started small and continued to grow throughout the course of his life.

There were just a couple people, a couple young children that he adopted into his family,

and that grew into dozens and then to hundreds and then to literally thousands,

so that during the course of his life he had as many as 5,000 kids at one time that he was helping to care for.

His commitment was that he would never ask anyone for money,

but that he would depend fully on the ability of God to answer the requests of his life,

the prayers that he would pray,

that God was sufficient to minister and to take care of the needs that George would have.

He opened his orphan house with these three goals in mind.

The first is that God may be glorified in so furnishing the means as to show that it is not vain thing to trust in him.

Two, that the spiritual welfare of the fatherless and motherless children may be promoted.

And that's a biblical thing.

And number three, that their temporal good may be secured.

Now, there is story upon story of how God showed up for George Mueller.

As a matter of fact, he has a journal that records over 10,000 answers to prayer that he had through the course of his life.

Specific requests that George had made that God fulfilled in very deliberate and specific ways.

But one story kind of gives an idea of what we're talking about.

A gentleman came and was visiting the orphanage and saw how many kids there were in this orphanage.

And he asks the lady who was overseeing this particular dormitory.

There were several of them.

They couldn't all fit in one spot.

And he asks her and says to her,

Of course, you cannot carry out these institutions without some good stock of funds, correct?

And the gentleman added,

Have you good stock?

Meaning, do you have good resources?

Do you have a bank account that's full?

No.

The response was this.

Our funds are deposited in a bank that will not break.

The reply drew tears from the eyes of the lady and the man, sorry, the man who asked the question.

And then a gift was given of five pounds, five dollars at the time, from the pocket of this gentleman.

A donation that was very timely because at the time there was not even a penny to be spared in the house.

But a commitment to the faithfulness of God to see this ministry through.

And there were countless opportunities, countless times in which the children would sit down at the table with nothing to eat.

A knock would come at the door.

And a delivery man said,

My truck broke down outside and I would love to donate my milk and bread to you.

And God faithfully supplied the needs of those who were in this orphanage.

Time and time again,

A commitment to faith demonstrated the faithfulness of God, the trustworthiness of God to come through at every moment.

What I'd like us to understand is the correlation now to our passage in Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

Because the passage that we're going to be focusing on this morning, Romans chapter 8 verses 5 to 8,

Romans 8:5–8

begin to help us understand the significance of our thinking.

The significance of recognizing how fundamental our mind and our thoughts are in relationship to the spiritual life.

What you think about God and what you believe about God will help indicate for you where you stand with God.

So if you would turn with me to Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

Let me read this passage for us and we'll begin our study.

It says,

In order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh,

but according to the spirit.

For those who live according to the flesh set their mind on the things of the flesh.

But those who live according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit.

For to set your mind on the flesh is death, but to set your mind on the spirit is life and peace.

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile towards God.

It does not submit to God's law.

Indeed it cannot.

Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

As we've been walking through this chapter together, there have been some truths that have come to the surface.

We've begun to recognize the significance of the work of Jesus Christ in declaring for us no condemnation.

It is a work that Christ has accomplished in our place and in our stead so that we did not have to bear the condemnation that we deserved.

And that as a result of the saving work of Christ, the declarative work of Christ,

the formal doctrinal theological term justification, having declared us righteous, now leads to something else.

It leads to a sanctifying work, a setting apart work, a purifying work that happens in our life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul has preceded this conversation in Romans chapter 8 to help us recognize that this struggle that we face now as those who are believers,

Romans 8 · chapter mention

those who are in Christ, is not an easy struggle.

He says in Romans chapter 7, as he's talking a little bit about this struggle,

Romans 7 · chapter mention

he compares it to a war that is raging within you.

Romans chapter 7 verses 22 and 23 says this,

Romans 7:22

For I delight in the law of God in my inner being, but I see in my members another law,

waging war against the law of my mind,

making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

He follows this in a later passage in 2 Corinthians.

He describes this similar struggle using similar terms in 2 Corinthians chapter 10.

2 Corinthians 10 · chapter mention

Listen as I read, beginning in verse 2,

I beg you that when I am present, I may not have to show boldness with confidence,

as I count on showing against some of you who suspect us of walking according to the flesh.

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh,

but have divine power to destroy arguments.

We destroy arguments in every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God

and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

being ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.

So I'm going to frame our conversation this morning

in points that describe the battle that we are in.

It is a spiritual struggle.

It is you are in spiritual war against the heavenly places,

against the schemes of the devil,

who wants to come in and bombard you with temptations,

but also a struggle against your own flesh,

the difficulties you have of reverting back to your old way of life,

and the Holy Spirit, in fact, trying to overcome and help you

to live the pure, righteous life that he has called you

and enabled you to live.

But first, I want you to notice this morning

that this battle that we're in is a battle for the mind.

It is a battle for the mind.

For those who live according to the flesh

set their minds on the things of the flesh.

But those who live according to the Spirit

set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

It is a battle for your mind.

First and foremost,

what you think is what you believe.

And what you believe is what you'll act on.

We said this in the tail end of our series in 1 John.

You are what you believe.

Not what you say you believe,

but what you, in fact, really believe.

It will play out in how you live.

Just as it played out for George Mueller.

His commitment to believe that God was able and sufficient to provide

led him to trust God in very difficult and hard circumstances

that seemed impossible,

but his commitment to faith demonstrated the trustworthiness of God.

It is a battle for your mind.

There are really only two possibilities in life.

You are either one who is of the flesh,

one who is living consistently by the flesh,

and in this passage,

as Paul is beginning to demarcate between these two groups of individuals,

these are unregenerate people.

Those who are not in Christ,

and thus those who are condemned.

The other group, of course,

is those who are in the Spirit.

Those who demonstrate a consistency,

a pattern of life,

of an affection for the things of God.

Allowing the Holy Spirit to speak into their lives,

and to guide,

and to govern their thoughts,

their beliefs,

and their activities.

Those then would be the ones who are regenerate.

Those who are in Christ,

and thus those who are pronounced no condemnation.

It all begins, though,

with how we think.

Paul uses several words in this verse

to help us understand the significance

of the permanence of what he's talking about.

He uses the word to live,

which is given to us in a present active participle.

He wants us to recognize

that this is an ongoing way of life.

A perpetual, present activity of life.

Those who are living in a way

that is giving themselves to fleshly thinking.

He also uses the word according to,

which refers to their basic spiritual welfare.

What is their bent?

What is their tendency?

What is their likelihood or orientation

in relationship to how they think?

Are they those who think according to the flesh,

or are they those who think according to the Spirit,

governed by the things of the flesh,

or of the Spirit?

And the third word that is used consistently

throughout these next several verses

is the word to set your mind,

to establish or to set something.

It, again, refers to basic orientation,

a thought pattern.

It's not dealing specifically

with the intellectual way of life,

but it is dealing with attitudes.

It's dealing with affections and reasoning.

What governs the way you make decisions?

What helps to lead you and guide you

in the purposes that you have in life?

It's used, this word used four times

in these four verses.

Maybe you would remember this verse

in Colossians chapter four, verse two.

Set your mind on things above, right?

Not on the things that are on the earth,

for you died and your life is hidden

with Christ in God.

Same word.

You're, to establish or to set your mind

on the things that are either fleshly

or the things that are spiritual.

Now, to be clear, I want us to understand

and recognize that there are times in life,

and Paul has even talked about this

in Romans chapter seven.

There are times in life where even though

the pattern of life is set in thinking

about the Spirit, where we fall into,

we fall into areas of sin and thinking

according to the philosophies of the world.

We get caught up in fleshly,

earthly, temporal pleasures.

We're not guided by the Holy Spirit

in our affections, and we sin.

Paul is clear about how that war is raging

in his own life, and he says that he wants

to do, in chapter seven, he desires to do

what God calls him to do,

but he even sees in his own members

a law that is waging war against the members

of his mind, making him captive to the law

of sin that dwells in him.

There are times where even godly people

step in to sin.

But the consistent pattern of those

who are walking after the Spirit

and living according to the Spirit

is those who are setting their minds

on the things of the Spirit.

Maybe if I can put this in movie vernacular.

We've been watching Lord of the Rings

and The Hobbit at our house

over the last couple of weeks.

Now, I think that movie series

does a great job helping us to understand

the significance of the ring.

How many of you watched?

You don't have to raise your hand.

You've watched.

All right, good.

I have a taker back there in the back.

Thank you.

You know the journey of the ring,

taking that ring back to Mordor, right?

And dumping it into the fires of Mordor

to finally remove this blemish,

this spot, this stain on the earth.

But regardless of who takes the ring,

they are overcome.

By the burden of sin.

Whether you're an elf,

or whether you're a wizard,

or whether you're a dwarf,

wherever you might be,

even The Hobbit,

even Frodo at the very end

is unable to cast that ring

into the fires of Mordor.

It totally changes the heart and perspective.

It is a gripping anxiety

that overcomes everyone who carries the ring.

The same is true

only to a greater degree

the corruption that happens

of sin over an individual.

And Paul wants

to leave no room for confusion.

Those who deliberately

and consistently

walk and live according to the flesh

demonstrate

that their mind

is actually set on things of the flesh.

But those who consistently

live according to the Spirit,

the Spirit's life

will show up inside

and overcome

the sin barrier

that's in their heart

and help to lead them

and enable them

to godliness

and purity.

We find some of the corrupting force

of sin

found in Ephesians chapter 4

Ephesians 4:17–20

verses 17 to 20.

Look at some of these descriptive words

in this passage.

Now this I say

and testify in the Lord

that you must no longer walk

as the Gentiles do

in the futility of their minds.

They are darkened

in their understanding,

alienated from the life of God

because of the ignorance

that is in them.

Due to the hardness

of their hearts

they have become callous

and given themselves

up to sensuality,

greedy to practice

every kind of impurity.

But that is not

the way you learned Christ.

So those who are

in the flesh

have no choice

but to walk

in the way of ignorance,

to walk in a way

of futility,

to demonstrate

their true character

of those

who are alienated

from God.

The passage continues

in verses 22 to 24

to begin to describe

now the work

of the spirit

in your life.

You're to put off

the old self

which belongs

to your former manner

of life

and is corrupt

through deceitful desires

and to be renewed

in the spirit

of your minds

and to put on

the new self

created after

the likeness of God

in true righteousness

and holiness.

You see,

that's what the spirit does.

Jesus,

in speaking to Nicodemus,

wanted to help him

understand the significance

of the new birth

and he says,

that which was of the,

of the,

that which is born

of the flesh

is flesh

but that which is born

of the spirit

is spirit.

Nicodemus,

I tell you,

you must be born again

and Nicodemus

didn't understand

but what Jesus

was pointing to

was the work

of the spirit

in life

to help regenerate them

and to make them

a new individual

completely,

this complete

transformation

and as the Holy Spirit

who is God

and dwells a life,

he will help

the mind

overcome

the sinful

tendencies,

the sinful

desires

and lead us

to new joys,

to new satisfactions,

to lead us

to true

righteousness

and holiness.

There is a mandate

that God

has given to us,

a mandate

to align

our hearts

and our lives

to his,

the spirit's work.

There is a mandate

to alienate

our thoughts

and convictions,

convictions,

to align

our thoughts

and convictions

to God's thoughts.

His standard

then becomes

our path.

We look for direction

from his word

rather than the philosophies

of the world.

We saturate

our minds

in the things

of the scripture,

those things

that are pure

rather than those things

that are unwholesome

and unholy.

Philippians 4.8

says this.

It says,

Finally, brothers,

whatever is true,

whatever is honorable,

whatever is just,

whatever is commendable

and pure

and lovely,

if there's anything

excellent,

if there's anything

worthy of praise,

think about

these things.

Now, there was a time

where I did

some youth ministry

and the constant

complaint

or criticism

that I would get

was,

hey, I can listen

to that music,

I can watch

that movie,

I can play

that game

because God

doesn't forbid

that.

But the call

for us

as spiritual people,

those who are called

to a spiritual life

is not just

to avoid

the clear

ungodly things,

but it is

to pursue

the things

that are righteous.

It is to have

as a perspective

what is true

and honorable

and just

and pure,

that those things

will dictate

to us

the activities

and the thoughts

that we are to have.

What are we

filling

our minds with?

When we come

to really appreciate

the truth,

we come to understand

how vital it is

to condition

our minds

to think

God's way.

Just the other day,

I was driving home

with the windows open

and there was a guy

who pulled up

beside me,

beside me,

his windows were down,

his music was blaring

and I could feel it.

You know,

you ever been

next to those?

You're like,

wow,

I like feeling your music

and hearing your music.

Well,

I have never listened

to violent rap music

before,

it's just not

something I do.

but I was absolutely

horrified

with the

violence

of the music

that he was playing

and I looked over

to see,

who is this guy?

and he was a normal guy.

But let me tell you,

if he actually carried out

the things

that were in his music,

he would be in prison

for life

because they were

murderous

and heinous

to the core.

I did a

quick search,

I probably shouldn't have,

the top 25 rap songs

that are the most violent

and it is

repulsive

to see

what our

kids

and what our

teens

and what the

younger generation

is filling their minds

with on a consistent

basis.

There is no wonder

why

we're a generation

of individuals

who is given

to violence

because of what

we fill our minds

with.

It's not spiritual

things,

not godly things,

not pure things,

not lovely things,

but vile

and wicked

and repulsive,

reprehensible

in every way.

The question

about our mind

is a question

about ownership.

Who

do you belong to?

Who is your

master?

Are you a

master to your

flesh

or are you a

master

to the spirit?

And here's why

it is so important

is because

in the next verse,

verse 7,

we finally see

the implications.

Here are the

implications

of a life

given to the

flesh versus

a life

given to the

spirit.

For to set

your mind

on the flesh

is what,

church?

Death.

But

to set

your mind

on the

spirit

is life

and peace.

It is a

battle

of life

or

death.

life.

That's

point number

two.

There is no

middle road.

There is no

both and

in this

scenario.

It is either

life

or

death.

Life

that begins

with God

and continues

for eternity

or death

that is

perpetual

and leads

to eternal

separation

and damnation

forever

separated

from God

and hell.

It is

a significant

and urgent

crisis that we

face.

A question

that we must

answer.

Because to set

the mind

on the flesh

is death.

James

James 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

talks about

this a little

bit because

we tend

to

push away

and point

fingers

and find

somebody to

blame for

our sin.

God wants

us to

understand

that sin

not only

leads to

death but

sin is

your problem

and it

begins in

the mind.

Here's what

he says.

Let no one

say when

he's tempted

I'm being

tempted by

God for

God cannot

be tempted

with evil

and he

himself

tempts

no one.

But each

person is

tempted when

he is

alert and

enticed by

his own

desires.

Then

desire when

it is

conceived

gives birth

to sin

and sin

when it

is full

grown

brings

forth

death.

Sin

begins in

your mind.

It begins

with how

you think.

It leads

to action

and then

leads to

death.

Not only

eternal death

and separation

from God

forever but

even death

today.

Barrenness

in your

relationships.

Fruitlessness

in your

personal life.

life.

No

fellowship

with God.

No

light

in his

presence.

No

insight

in

decision

making.

You have

nothing but

relational

conflict,

emptiness,

fear,

destructive

behavior,

deception,

ruin of

others for

personal gain.

Those are

all coming

from Romans

Romans 3:10

chapter 3

verses 10

and following

to describe

the consequences

of those

who carry

out the

sinful

fleshly

tendencies

that are

within them.

There is

nothing but

barrenness

and death

in their

life.

But don't

misunderstand

as the

psalmist is

looking at

those who

prosper around

him.

He asks

the question

why do

they seem

to prosper?

Why is

justice not

occurring?

his takeaway

after his

spending time

in prayer

with the

Lord?

He says

then he

considered

their end

and when

he considered

their end

he realized

it was an

entirely

different

scenario

because God

sets them

in slippery

places.

God will

enact

vengeance

on them.

Justice

will prevail.

None

will escape.

But

to set

the mind

on the

spirit

is life

and peace.

First

and foremost

it means

that we

have life

and peace

with God.

Romans

5.1

says

therefore

since we

have been

justified

by faith

we have

peace

with God

through our

Lord

Jesus

Christ.

Because

of the

work of

God

in our

lives

we can

enjoy

peace

with the

only one

that really

matters

and that

is God

himself.

We

can have

fellowship

with him

communion

with him

forgiveness

and cleansing

that comes

from him

intimacy

with the

God of

the universe

peace

and life

to look

forward to

because of

the work

of justification

that God

has worked

in our

life.

Eternal

peace

because

he is

our

peace

who has

broken down

the wall

of division

as we

find in

Ephesians

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2

Jesus

absorbed

the wrath

of God

on our

behalf

so that

we don't

have to

experience

the wrath

that we

deserve

because

of our

sin

and now

as one

who has

the spirit

of life

within

we have

been tasked

to be

those

who are

life giving

to others

think about

the mandate

that God

has given

to us

as ambassadors

of Christ

to go

and to

make

disciples

of all

nations

to carry

the life

giving

message

of the

gospel

to those

who need

it

so desperately

to be

those who

are about

the ministry

of reconciliation

drawing others

back to

God

helping

to bridge

the gap

for them

and as

those who

have the

spirit of

peace

we are

called

to

the

peace

pursuing

ministry

Galatians

5 22

says

the fruit

of the

spirit

is love

joy

peace

it will

work its

way out

in the

lives

of those

who are

indwelt

by the

spirit

of peace

peace

making

will be

your

prerogative

Romans

12 18

says it

this way

if it

is possible

as much

as depends

on you

live

peaceably

with all

men

Ephesians

Ephesians 4:1

chapter 4

verses 1

and 3

says

I therefore

the prisoner

of the

Lord

beseech you

to walk

worthy

of the

calling

with which

you

were

called

with all

lowliness

and gentleness

with long

suffering

bearing

with one

another

in love

endeavoring

to keep

the unity

of the

spirit

in the

bond

of peace

those

who are

indwelt

by the

spirit

of peace

will show

the work

of the

powerful

spirit

in their

life

by pursuing

peace

with those

around them

if you

listen

to the

spirit

if you

are obedient

to what

he is

commanding

you to

do

you will

be one

who is

pursuing

peace

if

instead

you

pursue

the

flesh

and allow

division

to continue

then you

are

demonstrating

a

tendency

to the

flesh

rather

than

allowing

the

spirit

to have

his

way

in your

life

the next

point is

found

in verse

7

verse 7

says this

for the

mind

that is

set on

the

flesh

is

hostile

towards

God

it does

not

submit

to

God's

law

indeed

it

cannot

we

find

from

this

that

it

is

a

battle

you

cannot

win

in

your

flesh

it

is

a

battle

you

cannot

win

in

your

flesh

godly

righteousness

cannot

be

obtained

by

rule

keeping

godly

righteousness

cannot

be

obtained

by

better

discipline

by

being

a

harder

worker

by

having

more

rules

by

setting

more

boundaries

by

having

more

accountability

partners

being a

spirit led

person

is not

about

mastering

your

flesh

but

submitting

yourself

to the

power

and the

work

of the

spirit

Paul

makes

this

absolutely

and abundantly

clear

in

Galatians

Galatians 3 · chapter mention

chapter

3

he says

this

this

only

I

want

to

learn

from

you

did

you

receive

the

spirit

by

the

work

of

the

law

or

by

the

hearing

of

faith

are

you

so

foolish

having

begun

in

the

spirit

are

you

now

being

made

perfect

by

the

flesh

Paul

wants

them

to

understand

that

that

all

of

their

desires

to

conform

their

flesh

to

the

likeness

of

Christ's

standard

is

all

futility

it

is

not

something

you

can

accomplish

on

your

own

it

is

something

that

only

can

be

done

as

you

submit

your

life

to

the

spirit

himself

it's

not

that

those

things

are

unimportant

it's

not

that

those

things

are

to

be

excluded

certainly

we're

called

to

obedience

but

how

is

obedience

carried

!

out

in

your

life

it's

carried

!

as

the

Holy

Spirit

is

working

to

change

and

transform

the

way

you

think

we

find

from

Romans

Romans 12:2

chapter

12

verse

2

be

not

conformed

to

this

world

but

be

transformed

by

the

renewing

of

your

mind

it's

the

Holy

Spirit

who

does

that

work

and

makes

you

like

God

every

other

life

that

is

not

yielded

to

the

spirit

make

no

mistake

is

hostile

towards

God

you

make

yourself

an

enemy

of

God

if

you

refuse

to

listen

to

the

spirits

working

in

your

life

and

the

spirit

message

through

the

word

of

God

he

doesn't

mince

any

words

you

can't

have

it

both

ways

you

can

only

live

according

to

the

flesh

or

live

according

to

the

spirit

and

those

who

choose

to

do

what

the

flesh

is

calling

them

to

do

pulling

them

to

do

urging

them

to

do

they

can't

help

but

do

what

the

flesh

is

calling

them

to

do

demonstrate

that

they

have

no

spirit

in

their

life

and

thus

demonstrate

they're

rejecting

God

himself

they

have

made

themselves

an

enemy

of

God

well

how

does

the

spirit

speak

well

the

spirit

speaks

!

through

his

word

holy

men

of

God

spoke

as

they

were

moved

by

the

Holy

ghost

it's

the

spirit's

primary

goal

to

point

us

to

Jesus

Jesus

tells

his

disciples

this

on the

night

before

he

was

crucified

he

says

when

the

helper

comes

whom

I

will

send

to

you

from

the

father

the

spirit

of

truth

who

proceeds

from

the

father

he

will

bear

witness

about

me

the

work

of

the

spirit

is

to

point

us

to

God

to

help

us

understand

his

thoughts

his

heart

his

priorities

and

to

see

and

to

show

his

glory

those

who

pursue

the

things

of

God

can

begin

to

think

God's

thoughts

it's

almost

incomprehensible

!

to

imagine

what

Paul

says

to

the

church

of

Corinth

in

1

1 Corinthians 2 · chapter mention

Corinthians

chapter

2

he

says

you

as

regenerated

and new

individuals

indwelt

by the

Holy

Spirit

can

begin

to

have

the

mind

of

Christ

you

can

think

God's

thoughts

you

can

know

God's

heart

but

ultimately

in our

last

point

we

find

in

verse

8

it

is

a

battle

of

faith

it

really

boils

down

to

this

it

is

a

battle

of

faith

what

do

you

believe

those

who

are

in

the

flesh

cannot

please

God

well

the

corollary

is

found

in

Hebrews

Hebrews 11:6

chapter

11

verse

6

without

faith

it is

impossible

to

please

him

for

he

who

comes

to

God

must

believe

that

he

is

and

that

he

is

a

rewarder

of

those

who

diligently

seek

him

so I

want to

approach

this

from a

positive

standpoint

rather than

continuing

down the

negative

track

if you

want to

be one

who is

pleasing

to

God

you

must

recognize

that

fundamentally

this

is

not

only

a

matter

of

thinking

but

a

matter

of

faith

what

do

you

believe

about

God

without

faith

it is

impossible

to

please

him

God

I

want to

close

with another

illustration

a guy

by the

name of

David

Brainerd

who lived

in the

1700s

another

one of

my

favorite

guys

David

Brainerd

when he

was in

his early

20s

was still

unsaved

he was

still not

following

after Christ

and he

was going

to Yale

he was

at the

top

of his

class

but God

got a

hold of

his heart

one day

as he

was out

walking

and praying

alone

just

reflecting

on the

glories

of God

and

trying to

commune

with him

through prayer

and God

intervened

in that

moment

and

rescued

him

and

caught

him

up

essentially

to glory

and captured

his attention

and his

affections

well at

age 21

he

then

shifted

course

and said

I want

to be

a minister

in his

home state

without being

licensed

by

the

institution

so he

went to

Yale

and changed

his

major

but the

problem

was he

got expelled

one day

because he