Parkway Bible Church | Victorious Attitude # 5

SEVEN REASONS TO CHANGE YOUR THINKING
# 5 - Series: the Victorious Attitude

Introduction

Rene Descartes: "I think therefore I am."
Descartes discovered he existed, but his statement tells us nothing about how to live or be happy.

Marcus Aurelius: Roman emperor 150 yrs. after Christ, was a thinker who said,
"I think in order to determine the way I am."
* He understood that how we think determines who we are.

Proverbs: As a man thinks in his heart, so he is. (Prov. 23:7)

WHAT YOU THINK DETERMINES WHO YOU ARE.

* THE WAY YOU THINK TOWARDS THINGS IS YOUR ATTITUDE.

- Person's feelings, passions, behaviour are conditioned and governed by the way he thinks.

* GOD WANTS US TO CHANGE AND RENEW OUR THINKING.
** When You Enter a Relationship with Jesus Christ at Conversion, it Becomes Not Only Possible for You to Change Your Way of Thinking, it Becomes Necessary to Change Your Way of Thinking in Order That You Might Live out the New Life God Has Given to You.

Be made new in the attitude of your minds; (Eph. 4:23) (Context of New Life)

* NATURALLY WE HAVE WRONG THINKING
- Wrong attitudes - minds corrupt and darkened (See Eph. 4:18)

** PAUL SAYS: CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK - CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE FROM NEG. TO POS., FROM DEFEAT TO VICTORY.

* WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK.
Neg. Thinking = Neg. Feelings = Neg. Actions.

** WE NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE WAY WE LIVE.

I. The Way You Think Influences Your Actions And Decisions

* The way you think determines your actions.

1. Every Action and Decision Is Determined by Your Thinking.

- Way you think about -yourself -other people - God - your circumstances - difficulties - Will determine your actions.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. (Matt. 12:35)

- You will not make a decision or take an action that is contrary to the way you think.
- You cannot continue to function in a manner that you do not truly believe about yourself.

*** WE HAVE A CHOICE TO THINK NEGATIVELY OR TO THINK POSITIVELY. TO THINK IN TERMS OF DEFEAT OR IN TERMS OF VICTORY.

2. Negative Thinking Produces Negative Action

* Illustrate: Learned this a long time ago in school before exams. You study your brains out. Say, "I'll get everything but this one thing. I hope it's not on the exam. If it is, I know I'll never get it." Sure enough - it's on the exam. And sure enough - you can't get it.
Should tell self - "If this is on the exam I can't miss."

Illustrate: ISRAEL ENTERING PROMISED LAND
1. Neg. Thinking
Spies Num. 13:25-29; 32-33
People Num. 14:1-3

2. Neg. Decision and Action Num. 14:4

3. Positive Thinking Produces Positive Decisions and Positive Actions

Illustrate: Joshua and Caleb

1. Pos. Thinking Num. 14:6-10
( Note: Those with Neg. thinking wanted to destroy those with Pos. thinking)

2. Pos. Action - ready to go into Promised land- Only Joshua and Caleb entered the land 40 years later with a whole new generation of Israelites.

4. You Cannot Change the Way You Act Until You Change the Way You Think.
(Include change emotions)
** CHANGE YOUR THINKING - AND - YOU CHANGE YOUR FEELINGS - WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR FEELINGS, YOU CHANGE YOUR ACTIONS.

(Counselling model: Thinking-emotion-action)

As a man thinks in his heart, so he is. (Prov. 23:7)
** GOD WANTS YOU TO CHANGE YOUR THINKING AND THINK POSITIVE RATHER THAN NEGATIVE IN ORDER THAT YOU MIGHT DECIDE RIGHT AND LIVE RIGHT.

See Eph. 4:23-24 - What follows is discussion about how to live right.

** YOU AND I MUST CHANGE OUR THINKING SO THAT WE THINK RIGHT IN A NEGATIVE WORLD.

II. The Way You Think Is Contagious

* If you think negative, feel negative, act negative, it impacts everyone around you.

1. People Catch Your Attitude

- They catch our attitude the same way they catch our colds - by getting close to us.

Illustrate: 4 MIN. MILE.
* Since days of ancient Greeks, runners have dreamed of running the 4 min. mile.
- Greeks had lions chase runners through streets thinking they would run faster.
- After time it was decided it was impossible for a human to run 4 min. mile.
- Then one year, one man proved all the doctors, trainers, coaches wrong. THE YEAR AFTER ROGER BANNISTER RAN THE FIRST 4 MIN. MILE, 37 OTHER RUNNERS BROKE THE 4 MIN. MILE. - A few years ago in one race in New York, 13 out of 13 runners broke the 4 min. mile. THE MAN WHO FINISHED LAST ACCOMPLISHED WHAT WAS CONSIDERED IMPOSSIBLE ONLY A FEW DECADES AGO.

** When someone said it couldn't be done, nobody did it. Until one man by his positive thinking had the courage to do it. Now it is the accepted norm.

** See Numbers 14:1 - People caught neg. thinking and attitude of 10 spies.

2. Your Attitude Either Hinders or Helps Those Around You

Illustrate: MAN WHO LIVED ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SOLD HOT DOGS.
- Hard at hearing so had no radio, couldn't see well so he never read the paper.
- BUT sold good hot dogs and business was brisk. Put up a few signs and stood there at the side of the highway selling hundreds of hot dogs every day.
- Business was so good - bought more buns and weiners, bigger stove etc. He could hardly keep up with the demand for his hot dogs.

-Son came home from college. "Dad, haven't you been keeping up with the news. We're in a big recession. Business is bad. You can't make it in business today."

- Old man thought, "Well, Jr. is a college student. He keeps up with the news. He should know about this recession."

- He cut down on his weiner and bun orders. Took down the signs. And didn't bother standing at the side of the road anymore. Sales nose dived.

- Old man said, "You're right, son. We are in the middle of a big recession and you can't make it in business these days."

** HAS SOMEBODY ELSE'S NEGATIVE THINKING PUT YOU OUT OF BUSINESS?
HAS YOUR NEGATIVE THINKING EVER PUT ANYONE ELSE OUT OF BUSINESS?

*** NUM. 13 UNBELIEF AND FAULTY THINKING OF THE 10 SPIES CAUSED OTHERS TO GIVE UP HOPE AND REBEL AGAINST MOSES THE LEADER -- AND ALL DIED IN THE WILDERNESS.

*** YOUR THINKING AND YOUR ATTITUDE WILL EITHER HELP OR HINDER THOSE AROUND YOU.
(GIVE EXAMPLES - Family -Friends -Children -Spouse - Church)

3. Be a Possibility Thinker and You Will Help Others Reach Their Potential
With God all things are possible.

III. The Way You Think Determines Your Perspective

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. (Matt. 12:35)

1 . The Way You See the World Is Determined by How You Think

SEE EPHESIANS 4:17-24
- When you come to Christ you are to change your thinking to include reality of God
- Before Saved - You have every reason to be negative and feel hopeless and useless.
YOU ARE IN A HEAP OF TROUBLE
Eph. 4:17-19 2:1-3

- NOW THAT YOU ARE CHANGED, YOUR THINKING IS TO CHANGE. Eph. 4:20-24; 2:4-10

2. When You Think with a Natural, Carnal Mind, Your Perspective on Life Is Neg.

* People to whom every little thing is a major production. Every molehill is a mountain. Every setback is a disaster. THEY FIND THE PROBLEM IN EVERY SOLUTION AND LIVE BY MURPHY'S LAW.

MURPHY'S LAW "Nothing is as easy as it looks; everything takes longer than you expect; and if anything can go wrong, it will and at the worst possible moment."

3. When You Think with a Spiritual, Christ-Like Mind, Your Perspective on Life Is Positive.

Illustrate: Paul See Phil. 1:12-18 joy

Illustrate: John Beekman Pg 49 Sweeting
In the mid-1940's, John Beekman a young man in his early twenties had an overwhelming burden for those who did not have scripture in their own language. John wanted to be a missionary. But Drs. told John he had a defective heart and wouldn't live past age 40.
He was advised against becoming a missionary, John decided he would rather have 10 good years of dedicated life on the mission field than to live longer in comfort.
In 1947 John and his wife headed for the jungles of Central America to work among the Chol Indians along the Mexican- Guatemalan border. The terrain was rough and living conditions primitive.
Day after day John trekked through the jungles, meeting the people and learning the language. Over time he translated the Bible into various languages and dialects. People throughout the jungle began to come to Christ and John became such a good translator that he helped other translators around the world.
John Beekman could have quit. John Beekman died in 1980 at the age of 61 and there were then 15,000 Chol Christians.

IV. The Way You Think Determines Your Faith

If you do not think right, you cannot live by faith.
See Heb. 11:6

1. If You Have a Defeated Attitude And Negative Thinking, Your Faith Will Be Weak

10 Spies and people of Israel Num. 13: 28

* They saw the situation and left God out of the picture and didn't think they could do it.

2. If You Have a Victorious Attitude and Positive Thinking, Your Faith Will Be Strong

Illustrate: Joshua and Caleb

* They saw the same things the other spies saw but they included God in their picture.

Num. 13:30

* VICTORIOUS POSITIVE THINKING IS THINKING THAT INCLUDES GOD IN THE PICTURE.

- Faith is trusting God when there is no reason to.

** WHY DO SOME EXCEL AND OTHERS FAIL - FAITH.

*** CALEB WON THE BATTLES OF LIFE BECAUSE HE FIRST WON THE INNER BATTLE OF FAITH.
- To have strong faith we must always think with God in the picture, even when it looks like He is nowhere to be found.

V. The Way You Think Determines How Others Will Relate to You

VI. The Way You Think Determines What God Can Do in Your Life

1. If You Think Neg. You'll Act Neg. And You Will Hinder God's Blessing in Your Life

Num. 13 10 Spies and Children of Israel
Num. 14:19-23

** God wanted them to experience abundant living in the Promised land of Canaan. - Land flowing with milk and honey.
- But neg. thinking and poor attitude robbed them of that blessing.

** Promised land = picture of abundant, joyful Christian living.

2. If You Think Pos. You'll Act Pos. And You Will Release the Power of God to Bless Your Life.

Caleb and Joshua Num. 14:24;
Josh. 14:6-14

VII. The Way You Think Determines Your Enjoyment of Life.

*** COUNSELLING: Thinking = emotions = actions.

* Listen carefully. What I am about to tell you is extremely important. If you think about it, it will blow you away.

1. If You Continue to Think Carnally and Negatively, and Refuse to Be Renewed in The Attitude of Your Mind, You Will Perish in the Wilderness of Defeat.

* Life filled with neg. thought - emotions -actions, will not be the joyful abundant life God has intended for you.

** You may say I don't want to change my thinking, I don't want to change my attitude. Then you will perish in the desert of defeat having never experienced the rich, joy-filled life God intended for you when He saved you.

2. If You Change Your Thinking, and Allow God to Renew You in the Spirit of Your Mind, You Will Have Positive Thinking, a Victorious Attitude and You Will Enter into the Promised land of Victorious and Abundant Christian Living.
- Your life can be a daily adventure with God.

Conclusion
** YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR THINKING
- You see, your thinking determines whether you will live in the Wilderness of Defeat or the Promised land of Abundant living.

- Will you be like the 10 spies and People of Israel who Perished in the Wilderness of Defeat because of their neg. thinking and Defeated attitude.

- Or will you be like Joshua and Caleb who faced every day with God-centered thinking and a positive attitude and entered and lived in the Promised land.

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