Transformed | Part 4 | Michael Sims | Gateway Christian Centre

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome to Gateway's Weekly Service. We are so glad that you are here. We pray that this message inspires you, it encourages you, and that God speaks to you in new ways. Now, on with the message.

SPEAKER_02 0:19

Oh, we worship you. We worship you. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

Morning, church. It's good to see you. Please be seated. Are you warm enough? No? Yes. Some love it, some don't. I think today actually is probably perfect temperature as far as I'm concerned. So. And maybe a chance of rain. So oh duh. But hopefully you've been enjoying it. Just get myself set up here. Big boy now. I've got my iPad. Yeah? Can you still see me? It's quite big. Okay. Now I want to pray before I start. And then I'm going to ask you guys to pray. Is that okay? Okay, so let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, we worship you. And we thank you for your presence here with us today. Lord, I thank you for your word that remain that renews our mind. I surrender to your leading and ask that you would anoint me. And this word, dear Holy Spirit, speak through me powerfully today, the words of life, seeds of truth. I pray in Jesus' name that today you would give us ears to hear, eyes to see, minds that are receptive, humble, and teachable, that this word would land in the good, fertile soil of our hearts, minds, lives, watered by your Holy Spirit. Lord, I ask that you would bring forth a hundredfold harvest of eternal fruit that remains. And we ask this in the precious name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. Right, over to you. Can I ask you to put one hand on your chest and pray after me? Lord, I am listening. Please speak to my heart today. Help me to be a do-er-view of word. In Jesus' name. Amen. Okay, right. We're all ready. Okay. Now I don't know about you, but I have been really enjoying this teaching series. It's been awesome. John, I think you might be doing another one. Yes. Fantastic. An extra one on the end. That's so good. So today's message is called Living from a Renewed Mind. Living from a Renewed Mind. So let's take a quick recap on what we've been looking at so far. We've been walking through the battlefield of the mind. We have talked about what thoughts shape reality, the war of the mind, how strongholds are formed and how they're broken, how lives must be, sorry, how lies must be confronted in the truth of God's word, and how renewed thinking must be built intentionally in line with the word of God. Amen. Okay. Well, many of you know my healing testimony, but in many ways, the part that came after that, where I became where I overcome the battle of anxiety, that for me was kind of a slightly more challenging thing to do. That was the battlefield of the mind that I had to deal with. That had to be one also in his word, because anxiety had crippled me, literally crippled me for many years. Um, for as long as I could remember, really, it was almost like I'd been born with it. I feared everything, and I'll speak a little bit about that later. But I would regularly have rap panic attacks, and I think when it got to a worst, I would have about three panic attacks a day that would leave me on the floor, passed out. It was pretty bad. But after being healed, I remember having a very serious conversation with God. Um, so everything physically was good, but I was still having all this anxiety. So I said, How could you heal me of all of that and leave me with anxiety? Well, his answer to my heart was, Do you trust me? Now, I was about to blare out, yes, as all good Christians should, but the Holy Spirit stopped me and he gave me a gentle nudge in the right direction, and he just said, Be honest. So instead I said, Lord, I don't trust you, but I want to. And and I guess that's when he whispered to me, and he said, Learn to trust me, and when you trust me, you won't fear anything else ever again. It's one of those conversations you never really forget. I could tell you where on the bed I was standing. That all started a journey for me. That journey of renewing of my mind, which continues to this day, because renewed thinking isn't merely a concept to be studied, it's for transformational. It must be a lifestyle that we live. A goal of a renewed mind is not simply thinking differently here in church, it's thinking differently everywhere. Amen. Okay, we get a drink. Wendy and I regularly run Keys to Freedom course. You've probably heard of it. Um we did one earlier this year, and essentially it's about renewing the mind. We always reaffirm the importance that it's not just about what you do throughout the course, but that these principles they have to go on throughout your life. It's a lifestyle that you're going to be changing. Um, it's a commitment, really, a commitment to change and not go back to the old way of thinking, the old you. And I can tell you that those that do this, those that continually renew their mind and keep in the word of God, they really do see change. And it's not just here in church, it's in their whole lifestyle. Because when our thinking changes consistently, our life eventually follows. And I know this because I've seen many people who've done it. And I know this because I'm a product of a life changed in Christ Jesus. When we commit to being the person that God created us to be rather than what the world would want us to conform to, then my friends, everything changes. Our reactions change, our peace changes, our faith changes, our relationships change, and our habits change, and our emotional stability that changes. Why? Because the renewed mind is not merely theoretical, it produces visible fruit. And one of the greatest signs of spiritual maturity is not simply how loud we sing in church, but how consistently we think like heaven thinks in everyday life. So please allow me. I'm gonna do this a few times today. I'm gonna put, as Pastor John would say, put my pastoral hat on. Is that okay? So buckle up. There is a doctrine that we are all aware of, that of salvation. It's vital that people are saved in line with God's will for humanity. But I also want to highlight the kingdom of God. Yes, we've all been saved from a terrible eternity in hell to a wonderful eternity in heaven, but what have we been saved to? The kingdom of God, it has a culture, it has a way of being, a way of speaking, and a way of living. And when heaven gets into us, it's so that we can deliver heaven into other people, into this world that needs to know the gospel truth. When we do this, we think, we speak, and we live like heaven. Who here would like to hear more about how we do this? One at the back, a couple of you. That's good to know. Okay. Let's read from Romans 8, verses 1 to 7. So many good points in here. There is now no, therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Awesome. Who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. 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, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor can be. Notice what Paul says about being carnally minded there towards the end. Carnally means physical or sensual thinking with the flesh and not with the spirit. This kind of thinking, which we all knew before being born again, and some of us still know if we refuse to change and renew our minds, this kind of thinking it leads to death. That word death there can be summed up as meaning a miserable existence. And I know I don't want to be in that miserable existence where we've come into the kingdom, we've seen all the promises, but we're not actually seeing them out. Paul said to be spiritually minded is life and peace. To be spiritually minded produces life and it produces peace. And I don't know about you, but I'm choosing life. Amen. A few of you are, yeah. Our thinking has consequences. You see, our mindset, it's not neutral. The way that we consistently think will eventually shape things. The atmosphere around us will change. The conditions, the emotions within us, the direction around us, and the quality of life we experience clearly show that a renewed mind is not merely theological, it's deeply practical. So let's dive deeper into this subject. I have three points today. Yes, I've just concluded my introduction. So, point number one, for those of you writing down, a renewed mind produces peace instead of chaos. A renewed mind produces peace instead of chaos. One of the clearest pieces of evidence of a renewed mind and a renewed thinking is increased internal peace. I have to say it's one of my favorites. I love peace. Not because life suddenly becomes easy, that doesn't change, but because our minds are no longer being governed by fear, by panic, and instability. The renewed mind learns how to stay anchored in truth, even when the circumstances are unstable. So consider with me the um the account of Jesus in the storm. The disciples, well, they're panicking. The wind is raging around them, the boat is filling with water, everything around them feels out of control. Bearing in mind a lot of these guys were sailors, and yet still they were being sick or they were complaining. And yet, when we read in Mark 4, verse 38, it says of Jesus, but he was in the stern, asleep, on a pillow. Why? Because his mind was set on his father, our father. Isaiah 26, 3 says, You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you. That him is us. And what kind of peace is this? Philippians 4 7 says, And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen. Jesus had peace externally because he first had peace internally. The storm around him did not create the atmosphere within him. Bill Johnson puts it like this Jesus could sleep in that boat because the kingdom he was living in had no storm. An unrenewed mind is controlled not by circumstances. Sorry, an unrenewed mind is controlled by circumstances. It's tossed to and fro. But a renewed mind remains governed by truth, a truth that sets us free from the chaos of this world. Now I remember the first time I got up here to preach. I awoke that day feeling very anxious. My stomach was churning, my mind was thinking all sorts of chaotic thoughts. You'd have thought you guys were a whole set of demons that I was coming up here against tell you my stomach. It's terrible. And at that time, I mean that that was really unusual for me. It the normal old man that I had, he was anxious. I knew him well before renewing my mind. But at that point, my mind was renewed. So quickly, I threw on the dressing gown, I went down, I headed to my office, which is where I meet with God every morning. I walked straight in, I took up a purposeful stance, I stared at the floor below me, and I declared, We're not doing this today, devil. That old man, he's dead, and I refuse to go back there. Then I looked up and I gently spoke to my God. Thank you, Lord, that I don't have a spirit of fear, but one of power and of love and of a sound mind. Amen. Well, I can tell you, I physically felt the fear just drain out of my body from the top of my head, right down. It's like it seeped into the floor, and then like a glass being filled with water, I felt power, then love, and finally a stilled mind returned to me. It was one of the most precious moments of my walk with God. You see, what the person with a renewed mind knows is don't panic, but remember that God is true and he will bring you through. Don't assume the worst, but expect the best. Do not surrender to fear, but overcome with perfect love. And never, never let anxiety dominate your thinking, because the truth is we don't have a spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound mind. A person with a renewed mind continually returns to truth and the wisdom of God. And oh boy, do we need it. Because in this world, we will have trouble. It's actually promised to us in here in John 16, 3. And I'm quite confident that everyone here in this room knows the truth of that scripture. It's therefore reassuring to know that peace is not the absence of problems. Peace is the presence of right thinking in the middle of those problems. And as the rest of John 16 3 states, Jesus is peace and he lives right inside of us. Amen. Thinking of this truth rather than the storm at hand is often all I or you need to bring ourselves back to our place of peace. Peace is not simply a blessing to ask for, it is part of a believer's identity that we should be walking in. Brings me on to point number two. A renewed mind produces consistent faith and obedience. A renewed mind produces consistent faith and obedience. The renewed mind does not just believe God emotionally in moments of inspiration. We can all do that. It develops a consistent lifestyle of trust and obedience because the more our thinking aligns with truth, the more naturally our life aligns with truth. Consider with me the account of Peter walking on the water from Matthew 14, verse 29 to 30. It says, So Peter had come down out of the boat. There's an act of faith for you. He walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid. Peter did something that is naturally impossible. He steps out of the boat and he walked on the water towards Jesus. And he did it, as Hebrews 12, 2 says, looking on to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. But the moment his focus shifts from Jesus to the storm, Peter begins to think. Now, I think I can speak for all of us when I say that I've had times when my focus has been distracted. And as a result, the storms of life have had the better of me. So I'm not going to beat upon Peter. Which is why Colossians 3 2 tells us to set your mind on things above. Set your mind on things above. Because what dominates our focus will eventually influence our faith. What dominates our focus will eventually influence our faith. When our minds become consumed with fear, distractions, and impossibilities, faith begins to weaken. But praise be to God, when our minds are fixed on truth, faith becomes steady and faith begins to grow. Amen. A renewed mind develops consistency. A renewed mind, it learns. It learns to obey, even emotion, even when emotions fluctuate, it learns to trust God, even when circumstances are unclear or against us, to stay faithful, even when feelings would inform us to do otherwise. Mature believers are not led by emotions, they are led by conviction and truth. Or as Second Corinthians 5 7 says, For we walk by faith and not by sight. Myself and Wendy, we decided at the leading of the Lord to go on a mission trip to Iceland and to Canada. This, of course, would involve getting on a plane. Long way to walk. And of course, walking on water when you're carrying all that luggage. It's not a bit problematic. So the pre-renewed version of me, that version of me, before renewing my mind, struggle to get on a bus. That version of me struggled to get into an elevator. That version of me struggled to even get into a rotating door. So getting on a plane, that was going to be an act of faith. And I can recall waiting to board the plane and starting to feel anxiety rising up. I headed to the bathroom. My body was rebelling. Wasn't a pleasant experience. My mind was running through all the possible things that could happen on that plane until I took a stand. Or as Pastor John would say, I sent the elevator down and I started thinking with my spirit rather than with my head. And I reminded myself, Michael, you do not have a spirit of fear. You have love and a sound mind. And guess what happened? Out it went. Gateway, can I ask you a question? Do you know how powerful scripture is? It is so powerful. It is. And by faith, I got on that plane. And I felt like Goliath who just chopped off a sorry, I felt like David. It was David, wasn't it? Yeah. David who chopped off Goliath's head. Praise be to God. Yeah, that would have changed things. Our life will always move in the direction of what we consistently hold our attention on. A great thing that we should always be doing, I'll encourage anyone to do this who's struggling with this, is do an audit of your mind. Think on what you think on. Be thinking about what your thoughts are. Because I can tell you, if you're anything like me, you will be taking captive a whole lot more thoughts than what you used to do and what you just used to let slide. It is a really good way of just getting on this process of mind renewal. Which brings me to point number three. A renewed mind produces transformed living. A renewed mind produces transformed living. Eventually, renewed thinking begins to change behavior naturally, not through constant striving, but through internal transformation. Because outward change becomes sustainable when inward thinking genuinely changes. Consider with me another biblical account. This is when we first see Peter in the Gospels. Now, one thing I'll say to you is I hear this a lot. I wish I was like Peter. When you say that, make sure you're talking about the renewed Peter and not the old Peter. Okay? You don't want to be like the old Peter. The old Peter, he was impulsive, he was in unstable, he was reactive, he was emotionally driven. One moment he's declaring, You are the Christ. And the next moment Jesus is saying, Get behind me, Satan. He cuts off a soldier's ear in the garden. He speaks before thinking. He panics under pressure. And eventually he denies Jesus three times. Now, if any of that rings through with you, mind renewal. Definite mind renewal needed there. But after all of that, the scriptures say in Luke 22, verses 61 to 62 that Peter went out and he wept bitterly. But after Peter has a heart to heart with Jesus over what sounds like a really nice breakfast on the beach in the warmth, he had his he had his faith restored. And then by the time we see him in the book of Acts, he's clearly been doing some mind renewal in that sp in that space. We see a very different Peter. This man, the renewed Peter, he stands boldly before crowds. He preaches the gospel. This renewed Peter remains steady under persecution. He speaks with wisdom, he speaks with conviction, and he speaks with authority. This Peter has engaged with Jesus and he's renewed his mind. He did this through walking with Jesus, receiving his correction, encountering the truth, learning the wisdom of God, experiencing failure, and continual surrender to our Holy Spirit. In fact, in any way, it's probably easier this side of the cross for us to do that. Acts 4 13 states, now when they saw the boldness of Peter, they marveled, and they realized that they had been with Jesus. Peter had clearly been with Jesus. Question Gateway. Who here wants people to say similar things about us? They've been with Jesus. I could just sense it. There's something different about them. Yeah, me too. I want that. So take note. Peter did not become mature overnight. He did not become mature overnight. This was a process. His transformation was progressive. The renewed mind does not produce temporary inspiration. It produces gradual and lasting transformation. And over time, renewed thinking begins to affect us in many positive ways. It affects our reactions. They're no longer impulsive or worldly, but godly. It affects our speech, measured, in line with the word of God, and full of love. It affects our emotions. They become stable. Even in the storms of life. It affects our relationships. They're happy. They're positive and they're Christ-centered. Our discipline, it becomes evident to us and to everyone around us. And our decision making, it's spirit-led and from a place of peace. And our spiritual sensitivity goes to a different level. Think about this for a moment. The life we experience in externally will be a reflection of the thoughts we cultivate internally. The thoughts we cultivate, not what the world cultivates. This includes our relationships, it includes our health, our finances, our integrity, our holiness, and our godly living. Ephesians 4, 23 to 24 tells us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind and that you put on the new man. To be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new man. Notice there that we put on the new man. God's not going to do it for us. He's done everything he needs to do. We're the ones who do this. If you don't like what's growing, then change what you're sewing. Quote John Collier. Amen. If you don't like what's up here, I had a friend at um in one of my previous jobs, and it was sales. We used to work in sales. And he says, when you wake up in a morning, imagine your mind is like fallow ground, and you get to plant in that field whatever you want. You can plant weeds if you want to, or you can plant flowers if you want to. Your mind will grow whatever you choose. You get to choose. I'm planting flowers, is what he always used to say to me. So if I was down in the morning, he would say, Have you not planted flowers today? And I knew exactly what he meant. We get to cultivate what goes on up here. It's our mind. So how do we respond, Gateway? I would like you to take some time, not now, but after the service, to take this life-changing subject very seriously. If any of you have been in that situation where you just feel like you're going round and round and round, you're on the same old wheel. It's time to get off that wheel, get into the word and change how you're thinking. What is it you call it? Stinking thinking. Yeah, we don't want stinking thinking anymore. Start by asking yourself an honest question. What has changed in my thinking during this series? How am I different? Consider where you have begun to think differently. Where have you begun to respond differently? How do you act around people? Has anything changed? Do you behave differently around people? Are you expecting different things to happen? Because renewal is not measured merely by what inspired you. We can do all the inspiring we like from up here, but unless you put it into action, it's not going to change. It's measured by what transforms you, what's actually making a change within you. Gateway, can I prophesy over you for a moment? Yeah. Sarah wants some prophecy. There's at least a few of you around here. Okay. Close your eyes and listen. I really feel the Lord wanting me to speak this over you today. Some of you are about to step into a new season of stability. Not because every storm disappears, but because your mind is becoming anchored in truth. And where there used to be panic, there will be peace. And where there used to be fear, there will be faith. And where there used to be instability, there will be maturity. Because God is not merely changing moments in your life, He is changing the way that you think. Please open your eyes. Let's just reflect back on what we've been learning. We've learned that thoughts shape lives, that strongholds, they've got to be demolished by us through his word. That renewed thinking must be intentionally built. Gateway, before we make some declarations and close, I have an important point to make. Can I put my pastoral hat back on? Is that alright, John? Yeah.

unknown 34:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 35:03

We've been learning about renewed thinking and renewing your mind. But it will make absolutely no difference to any one of us at all unless we do something. We have to open this book. We have to sit at the feet of Jesus. We have to apply the word to those areas that need renewal. If you're not sure what those areas that are, get in here. If anything, you know, you read and you think, not sure about that, probably you need mind renewal. If you read in there and you think, I'm not doing that at the moment, you probably need mind renewal. If there's areas of your life where you feel stuck on that hamster wheel of life, you probably need mind renewal. If what comes out of your mouth doesn't match with what comes out of this book, or as I like to think, would Jesus say that? If he wouldn't say it, then neither should I. And I need to renew my mind. We have to stop being lazy in this area. We have to stop being lazy. We have to pick this up. We have to apply the change. Because the devil is on the prowl. The devil is on the prowl. He's looking for people to devour. And we have to get to a place where we're undevourable. Preparation, I can tell you, is preferred to anxious response. And because the Lord commands us to prove his will through mind renewal to this world through our transformation. Otherwise, we're just like anybody else. The world needs to see that we're different. Amen. The pastor's hat off now. But don't relax just yet. Because I think it's time for us to take a stand. Literally, take a stand. Um, keyboard, have we got the keyboard player still here? Oh, of course it's you, John. You're still here. We need to take a stand against old ways of thinking. And some of you right now, you know what those ways of thinking are because they've just popped into your spirit. The Holy Spirit is good that way. He's reminding you right now, this isn't the way I made you. This is the way you've taken on from this world. It was never the design for you. It's not what I've got planned for you. So, right now, let's take that purposeful stand. On the inside, let your spirit rise. Put a steely look on your face. You know, the type that devils fear. Point at yourself. Point at yourself and repeat these declarations after me. I am a child of God. I think in alignment with heaven. My life reflects the truth of God. I reject fear and instability. I walk in peace. I walk in faith. My mind is being renewed. I have a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. Now, church, you know what to do. It's time to give him some praise. Amen. Okay, you maybe see it. Doesn't that feel good though? To give the devil a poke in the eye? To stand knowing that you're standing on a rock, that those promises are true. Can I call the altar team forwards, please? One of the greatest things about mind renewal, when we start thinking like heaven thinks, and talking like the Bible talks, everybody around us, they know what we've been doing. Because our life will reveal it to them. And if they don't know, they'll want to know. And you know the answer is the kingdom of God is here. The kingdom of God is here. Gateway, I look forward to seeing the new versions of us. Amen. Okay, I'm gonna close in prayer. I think we're a bit early, are we, John? We're good, we're good, we're gonna have lots of conversations. Dear Heavenly Father, we worship you and we thank you for your presence and your help here today. Lord, we thank you for your word that renews our minds. Dear Holy Spirit, please water this word. Help it to flourish in our lives. We ask this in the precious name of Jesus. I'd encourage you today, if you know that you need this mind renewal, and I'm sure that'll be most of us, then respond. You know, you know what you need to do to get into the book, but we have people here today who can pray with you and just come into agreement. Set the path, come up and say, Lord, I'm making that choice, I'm gonna renew my mind. You know what it is I need to do, and come into agreement with us, and then keep that agreement. Go home, get into your word. If you're not sure where to go, that's what a concordance will do for you. It's right in the back of the book. Look up that thing you're struggling with, and you will find the scriptures. When I first dived into that book, knowing that I needed to deal with this stuff, I didn't know what I was even looking for. And I couldn't do the what was it, flip and point? Flip and point was never gonna work in that situation. So I spent a bit of time just praying. Lord, where do I go? He knows this better than I do, and he pointed me in the right direction. He told me a scripture, and from that point it was so exciting just to go on a journey with God. So please, please, please, please, please. Enjoy that journey. Enjoy that journey. Okay, thank you, church. Be blessed.

SPEAKER_00 43:16

Thank you so much for joining us for this week's message at Gateway. We were so glad to be able to share it with you. If you would like to find out more about what is going on at Gateway or when our weekly services are, you can visit our website at www.igateway.org.uk. Thank you so much for joining us.