Transcript BE TRANSFORMED: PURSUING GOD’S HEART FOR FAMILIES

BE TRANSFORMED:
PURSUING GOD’S HEART FOR
FAMILIES
Avril Vavrosky L.Th; MA
OMF International Missionary
Vice President of United Prayer
Ministry
TRANSFORMATION LEADS TO
SPIRITUAL MATURITY
SESSION THREE
What Is A Transformed Family?
This session will deal with what the transformed
life looks like for families. What does it mean to
reflect the Lord’s glory: in ourselves, marriage
and family? What does it mean to have the mind
of Christ? Is it true that all battles are fought in
the mind: whether you will be happy or sad, fat
or thin, happily married or miserable, healthy or
sickly begin in the mind? Just how powerful is
the mind? What control do I have over my mind?
What is God’s role in all of this and what part are
we subject to the fallen world?
I. THE CHRISITAN’S
RELATIONSHIP TO THE WORLD
Do not conform any longer to the
pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of
your mind. (Rom. 12:2a)
Romans 12:2
The Message
Place Your Life before God
Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that
you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix
your attention on God. You'll be changed from
the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants
from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the
culture around you, always dragging you down
to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out
of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
A. EXEGESIS
1. Conform. (1 Pet. 1:14; 1 Jn. 2:15)
suschematizo i.e. conform to the same
pattern, fashion self according to
• God does not want us conformed to this
present world system and its values and
false belief systems. The word refers to
conforming oneself to the outer fashion or
accommodating oneself to a
model/pattern.
Exegesis
2. Pattern of this world: with all its evil and
corruption cf. 1 Cor. 1:20; II Cor. 10:2; 1
Jn.2:15. Paul implies here that the present
world system is evil and under Satan’s
control.
Exegesis
3. Transformed: The same word is used for
transfiguration. To make a thorough or
dramatic change in character or form.
Here it is a process, not a single event.
(Titus 3:5)
4. Renewing is a continuous, present tense.
2 Cor. 4:16; Col. 3:10; Eph; 4:23 Ps.
51:10. Here it means to make new
spiritually, restore, renovate
B. APPLICATION
The world has an enormous influence on our mind
and ultimately on our life and marriage.
This is worldly wisdom which God says is foolish to
Him. (1 Cor. 3:19) Paul knows that all battles
are first won or lost in the mind, hence the
need to renew the mind. You have the world
and Satan battling for your mind. We must
prepare by being alert to erroneous thinking (1
Peter 1:13). Someone once said, “Sow a
thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a
habit; sow a habit, reap a destiny.”
Application
The word “schematic” comes from suschematizo
and is an electronic wiring diagram. God does
not want His children programmed by the world’s
value system but rather by the Word of God. In
other words, who we are cannot be defined by
music, movies, TV, art, fashion or even society.
As we live according to God’s standards set
forth in His Word, we live as free and powerful
people. We are then safe, protected and
blessed. God’s favor is all over our lives.
Application
2. The Bible is full of truth about the importance of
controlling our minds.
a. Unbelievers set their minds on what comes naturally to
humans—pursuing sensual, selfish or materialistic things
(Rom. 8:5-7).
b. God gives disobedient people over to their depraved
minds (Rom. 1:28).
c. We have to be careful that our minds aren’t led away
from pure devotion to Christ (2 Cor. 11:2-3).
d. Controlling our thoughts is a vital part of spiritual warfare
(2 Cor. 10:4-5).
e. “Set your mind on things above” Col. 3:2.
II. GOD’S STANDARD FOR THE
MIND
1. Alive (Rom. 8:6) – Rom. 8:6: “For the mind set
on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the
Spirit is life and peace.”
2. Peaceful (Rom. 8:6 ) (Amplified Bible) Now the
mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason
without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that
comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both
here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy]
Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and
forever].
God’s standard for the mind.
3. Single-minded – the mind of Christ is
single-minded: “But I am afraid, lest as
the serpent deceived Eve by his
craftiness, your minds should be led
astray from the simplicity and purity of
devotion to Christ.” (2 Cor. 11:3)
God’s standard for the mind.
4. Lowly: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition
or vain conceit, but in humility consider
others better than yourselves.” (Phil. 2:3)
5. Pure: “To the pure, all things are pure;
but to those who are defiled and
unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both
their mind and their conscience are
defiled.” (Titus 1:15) Here purity is
described as the natural state of
believers. The impure are corrupt.
God’s standard for the mind.
6. Sensitive and Responsive – this implies a
spiritual sensitivity to God and is
imperative for spiritual growth. “Having
lost all sensitivity, they have given
themselves over to sensuality so as to
indulge in every kind of impurity, with a
continual lust for more. (Ephesians
4:19). The opposite of sensitivity is
callous, past feeling, hardened heart and
cold towards the things of God.
The opposite of:
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Alive = death;
Peaceful = chaotic;
Single-minded = worldly;
Lowly = proud;
Pure = impure and corrupt;
Sensitive and responsive = callous,
hardened and unresponsive
III. HOW TO PRACTICALLY
DEVELOP THE MIND OF CHRIST
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A. AREAS THAT CAN BE GOOD OR BAD
Habits
Loyalties
Relationships
Prejudices
A. AREAS THAT CAN BE GOOD
OR BAD
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Ambitions
Duties
Debt
Possessions/hoarding
B. AREAS THAT ARE DAMAGING
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Fear (2 Tim. 1:7)
Mental Health Issues (Isa. 26:3; 61:1-3)
Emotional Bondage (Isa. 61:1-3)
Weaknesses (2 Cor. 12:10)
Diseases (Ps. 103:3)
B. AREAS THAT ARE DAMAGING
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Hurts (Isa. 61:1-3)
Worry (Phil. 4:6-7; 2 Cor. 10:5)
Lack of faith/trust (Heb. 11:6)
Unforgiveness (Matt. 6:12)
Pride and Arrogance (Prov. 8:13)
C. ACTION STEPS TO A
RENEWED MIND
1. Scripture renews the mind. Pray Scripture over
the area that needs renewing. Find all the
verses that pertain to your problem and then
study those verses until your mind is renewed.
2. Change your thinking. Paul says that you are
to think in a certain way, God’s way. Phil. 4.
You have to train your mind. Every time a
negative one comes forward, confess that
immediately and change it to a positive. I
prefer to replace the negative thought with a
Scripture verse that fits.
Action Steps
3. How do I know that my mind is renewed? It’s
simple: the renewed mind changes the way you
think, feel and act. Want to know if your thoughts
have been renewed? Think of something that
used to upset you, a person, circumstance etc.
4. Fill your mind with these thoughts: who I am in
Christ; God never leaves me or forsakes me;
think on all the things that God does for you.
Action Steps
5. Develop a thankful heart and mind. Each
day I write down 5 things where I saw God
at work in my life yesterday. Most days I
come up with a page of things that God
did for me. Incidentally, those who have a
thankful heart are more psychologically
sound than those who are not, according
to the Medical field!
Action Steps
6. If you want to be happy, even in
difficult times, you must think rightly.
How do you do that?
• A. Screen your thoughts. Let the Word of
God be the grid of your mind. Reject the
thoughts that aren’t compatible with the
Bible. Ask yourself these questions:
Action Steps
Screen your thoughts
– What’s the source?
– Where will it lead me?
– Is this scripturally sound?
– Is this thought going to build me up or tear me
down?
– Can I share this thought with someone else?
– Does this thought make me feel guilty?
– Does this fit who I am as a follower of Jesus?
Action Steps
B. Reject ungodly thoughts.
– If you ask yourself the questions above and
realize the thought isn’t godly, choose not to
think about it again.
C. Cultivate godly thoughts.
– Dwell on things that are good and practice
living out those thoughts (Phil. 4:4-9).
D. RENEWED MIND RESULTS IN
A TRANSFORMED MIND
Spiritual transformation…….
Is essential, not optional, for followers of
Christ
Is a gradual process and does not happen
overnight.
Requires my obedience
Requires my participation and God’s help
Renewed Mind…
Transformed Mind
Takes place through relationships, experiences
and spiritual practices, helping me conform to
the image of Christ and helping me relate to
others
Results in a changed life, every aspect of my life
which flows over into my lifestyle, relationships,
work and play.
Takes place constantly in accordance with how
much you yield your life to Christ. The more you
submit the greater and more dramatic the
transformation.
Renewed Mind…
Transformed Mind
Is not confined to a set of rules or
principles to follow – it is spontaneous,
and often you are not even aware that
transformation is going on until one day
you realize that things are different!
Is not self-serving, individualistic, but takes
place in community and finds expression
in serving others
Renewed Mind…
Transformed Mind
Is the covenant right of all God’s children
and is not confined to your background,
educational standard, social standing, and
your age or even you personality. If you
desire spiritual transformation it is
available right now. You can begin your
journey. You don’t need to wait until you
are “holy”.
Renewed Mind…
Transformed Mind
Is gauged by your love for God and His
people.
Means that we agree with Him about
what’s good and evil in this world. We
share His values and begin to think like
Him (2 Cor. 2:16).
IV. CONFESSION
• Who you will be in the future is a result of
what you think in the present. If you don’t
like where you’re headed, begin to think
godly, positive thoughts, and God will
change your destiny.
• See handout. Use the handout for
confession. If the Holy Spirit convicted you
of anything else in this session, then
please confess this too.