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Sunday April 18, 2021
2 Corinthians 10:4-5- “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
INTRODUCTION: Today we’re going to talk about a story in the Old Testament that many of us are familiar with.
We’re going to start with the Children of Israel being delivered from Egyptian bondage. They had been delivered from bondage (Egypt) and were headed for God’s best for them, the Promised Land.
The Israelites had a dream, The PROMISED LAND!
Before they were to enter the Promised Land Moses sent twelve spies, or scouts, to review the land before entering.
Now let’s read about their report they returned with.
Numbers 13:25-33 “At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land.
They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
When the spies came back their reports were contradictory! Ten men had an evil report and two had a good report.
WHY WERE THERE TWO DIFFERENT REPORTS?
- Because there were two different ways of THINKING!
WHY WERE THERE TWO DIFFERENT WAYS OF THINKING
2. Their FOCUS was different!
3. And their FOCUS was different because their THINKING was different!
Can you see the cycle. A pattern is being formed in my thinking. A cognitive bias is being developed in my way of thinking.
HOW DO I CHANGE THE WAY I THINK?
1. Recognize and Confront
Ignoring the giants is not what made their report evil or good. All twelve recognized the giants in the land.
When David defeated Goliath (the giant) he didn’t do it by not recognizing the giant. He recognized Goliath and confronted him!
LUKE 4:3,4- “And the devil said to Him, If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread. But Jesus answered him saying, It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God.”
Jesus confronted Satan in the wilderness. He recognized and then He confronted.
ALL TWELVE SPIES HAD FAITH!
But there was a difference! Ten had faith in the giants and two had faith in God!
WHERE’S THE DIFFERENCE? IN YOUR THOUGHTS!
CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK! Recognize and confront!
2. Examine Your Words
YOU’RE WORDS REVEAL YOUR DOMINANT THOUGHTS!
The ten spies said, “In our opinion, we are like grasshoppers. Even the giants think we are like grasshoppers.”
REMEMBER WE MENTIONED DAVID AND HOW HE RECOGNIZED AND CONFRONTED THE GIANT?
1Samuel 17:45-47-“David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
Notice the words coming out of their mouths. Can you see the difference?
CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK. Recognize and confront! Examine your words!
3. Daily Cultivate the Mind of Christ
Matthew 6:11- “Give us today our daily bread.”
Say it our loud, “I HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST!”
You’re not a grasshopper! Stop THINKING like one and living like one!
1Corinthians 2:16- “……..But we have the mind of Christ.”
Romans 12:2- “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Quit magnifying your problems and quit exaggerating the power of the devil!
Start emphasizing the power of your God! Start testifying about the greatness of God, and what He is planning for today! START PLANNING TOMORROW’S VICTORIES!
CONCLUSION: What’s the Holy Spirit saying to you today?
Ephesians 4:23-24- “Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
Recognize and Confront. Examine your Words. Daily cultivate the mind of Christ!