Praise God. I want to bring you to the very last message of this second volume of this series, The Battle for the Mind. In our first series, we've done seven messages. If you've missed any of those, and especially those online, I would say go back to those seven. They're absolutely vital. We're going to finish this second series on a high note. This is part 10. And I want to leave you hungry tonight. I'm going to leave you with a message. It's going to feel like a meal set out and then pulled back after you've started tasting it. But I don't mind that because our entire Christian life is like that, where there is a beginning, but there is no end in this. It gets bigger. You move on. You grow in the things of Christ. You learn more. Then when you think you've learned this, you find out there's a lot more. Like a man walking up the mountain saying, I'm just about to reach the peak, then he reaches that and he sees there's another peak higher. And then he gets to the top of that and he goes, this is bigger than I ever thought. But you don't know until you start climbing. If you never embark upon it, you never realize the greatness of it. You have a vague view of all that scripture teaches. But yet when you embark on this, it gets bigger, it gets bigger, it gets higher, it gets deeper, it becomes more glorious and more wonderful. And that's what this really is like. You know it says in Isaiah chapter 35 and verse 8 concerning, and do turn there for a second, but it says about the highway of God, or it's also called the way of holiness. And how I picture this, a highway, if you've ever seen those motorways, they're not running along But they're literally going up in the air and carrying you through to another region. That is the way of holiness, or the highway. If you get on that highway, you're driving in a whole other different atmosphere. But the Bible calls this highway, the way of holiness. And it says, the unclean do not pass over it, but it shall be for those The wayfaring man, though fools, shall not err therein." Even if you were a fool, naive, simple, uneducated, not understanding everything, very basic in your thinking, You know what, if you get your feet on this highway of holiness, you will never be deceived. You're going to go straight through until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. My last message here tonight, as we finish this second volume, is the mind of Christ and the last days. The mind of Christ as it relates to the last days. Because having said all that we've said, especially in recent weeks, about the mark of the beast, about all that's happening, about brainwashing, as we look at all that, so where do we go from here? Is this all we have to look to? No. I believe the answer in this hour for you and I and the church is the mind of Christ. I believe this is the hour for the mind of Christ to be revealed in the church of Jesus Christ. I'm going to take you to three chapters here tonight as we come to this message. You can listen, you don't need to turn there. But we are going to turn to each of these chapters. It says in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 16, but we have the mind of Christ. It says in Philippians chapter 2 and verse 5, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. And then third and lastly 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse 1, Arm yourselves likewise with the same mind speaking about the Lord Jesus Christ. Would you pray with me here tonight? Father, we do thank you for the Word of God. As we finish this second volume, this series, O God, I pray tonight, thank you for what you've said to us and warned us of, even in recent weeks. Thank you, O God, for exposing the works of darkness, for warning us about being careful of brainwashing of all that's happening in our world. But my God, what a glorious message tonight, to know that the answer is the mind of Christ, that we would allow this mind to be in us, that we are allowed to function in us, that we are allowed the mind of Christ, the thinking of Christ, the thoughts of Christ. Lord God, that working of the mind of Christ to operate in us, that we might bring forth the works of God, that we might bring forth decisions, that we might bring forth speech that comes out of that thinking. Father, I pray tonight, Lord God, raise up a church, raise up these new converts that you're bringing in all over the world, these new ones that have been saved in recent months and over the past year and a half. I pray that this mind may operate in them, grip them with the word of God. Lord God, let them come to the kingdom for such an hour as this, that they might come to holiness and righteousness and purity as it is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you that it's not finished. My God, we're at an hour where you're gonna raise up a church with the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we ask tonight, will you speak to us Will you help us? Will you encourage us? Will you guard us? In the name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. Here tonight, we're dealing with the mind of Christ in the last days. We are in the last days. We heard last week about transhumanism in the 2020s. This is a sign to us of the hour that we are living in. When we see world government beginning to make a grab for the mind of this generation, we are living in an hour that they are trying to buy drugs, by education, by technology, by brainwashing to take the mind, I mean the mind, the imagination, the thinking of this entire generation. But I want to tell you of what God is doing here tonight. I actually believe that God is preparing. The only way to avoid that is to have the mind of Christ. Do you want to walk free of all of these things that we've said about? It's not hiding in a bunker. It's not going out into the desert and hiding. It's not burying baked beans in your back garden. None of those things are the answer for this hour. How are you going to operate? Are you going to hide under your bed? Are you going to try and store up money for a day of crisis? Are you going to go and grow a vegetable garden? What is your answer for this hour? I want to tell you it is the mind of Christ. We have come to an hour where the mind is very vital. The devil goes, I want the mind of this generation. But do you know what God is saying? I want the mind of my church again. I want the mind of my son to operate in the church of this generation. And that's going to be the only way that we function in this hour of darkness, we've got to think the thoughts of God. You see, God is going to renew the mind of Christians. He is going to put the mind of Christ in the real church and the mind of Christ, the thinking, the thoughts, the imagination, that intellectual process is going to be Christ's way of thinking within the body of Christ. We have already seen how it is God's will to renew the mind of the individual believer. Here tonight, I am going to deal with three aspects very briefly concerning Christ's mind in the church. But before I look at those three points, and I could mention many, many others, but I'm only going to deal with three. But before I deal with that, let me begin to explain what does the mind of Christ mean? How does it operate? When it says, let this mind be in you, which was in Christ, what do you mean? Is that waiting for a feeling? Is that waiting for a voice? Is that looking for something supernatural? What does it mean to have the mind of Christ operating in you, or to let, to allow this mind to be in you, which was in Jesus Christ, or to arm yourself with the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ? What does that really mean? How do you allow that to happen? How does this work in the church of this generation? Listen to a few scriptures here, and I'm going to cover this quite quickly, but it's very, very important. I'm giving you a lot of stuff here, and then maybe we'll come back and do an entire series on all of this. It says in Romans chapter 13 and verse 12, The night is far spent, the day is at hand. The day, when it talks about the day, it's talking about the coming of Jesus. It is talking about God's kingdom coming on the earth. And so the apostle Paul says the night is far spent, the day is at hand. Day is coming, night is going to come to an end. In other words, the church has to operate in night time. It is night time. I hope you realize how dark it is. But you know when it gets darkest, day is coming. The daybreak is coming. Jesus is coming. The day is at hand. Never have I felt more that the day is at hand. Oh yes, it's got very dark. It seems like we're being engulfed in darkness. But do you know what day is coming? Will you be encouraged tonight? Day is coming. It is literally at hand. I can almost stretch out and feel the day is coming, but we are operating in nighttime. It says, let us therefore, and notice this, cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. It's nighttime. So what are we to do? We're to cast off the works of darkness. In other words, as a Christian or as a church, we are to take the works of darkness and to cast them off. This is something the Christian does. It doesn't all happen at the new birth. It isn't all finished when you get born again. As a Christian, you've got to be aggressive to cast off. We go, oh I don't want to do that, I'm tired, I'm weary. You know what saints, day is coming. It is night time, we do get tired, we get weary in the battle. But here it is actually saying we're to cast off and we're to put on the armour of light. We're to put on the armour of light while casting off the works of darkness. It says over in Ephesians 6 and verse 11, put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. And so we see we're to put on the armor of God. As Christians, there's something we're to put on here. Just hold that for a second. Then it also says in verse 12, that's where we were, cast off and put on. Two verses later in verse 14 it says, put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. What is the armor that you're to put on? It is the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm building something here for you to see. We are in darkness, surrounded by darkness. We're to cast off the works of darkness, but we're to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. The armor of God explained in Ephesians 6 is the person of Christ. He is this armor. To put on the armor of light, an armor that shines in the darkness. It is the person of Christ. And listen, put on the Lord Jesus Christ. and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof." If you are making provision for the flesh, fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, you're not putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, but I'm a Christian. But hold on, if you are just living for the flesh, if you're making preparation for the flesh to function in your life, you're not putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is something a believer is commanded to do, put on the armor, put on the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not talking about being born again or justified. but it's connected to it, it's vital to it. If you're a Christian, you put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Then again in Galatians 3.27, for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, what we dealt with on Sunday, baptised into Christ. Remember I explained what it means to be baptised, immersed into Christ. It means to be baptised into his death, into his burial, into his resurrection. And so Galatians 3.27 says, for as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ. Do you know what this putting on Christ is? It's talking about the work of Christ, the provision of Christ. If you live in the flesh and fulfill the lusts of the flesh, you're not putting on Christ. You're not immersing yourself. You're not casting off the works of darkness. So notice that real Christians in this last hour, darkness is engulfing the world. A way of thinking is engulfing this world. You see, the mind is the avenue to the whole life. And your mind affects how you speak, how you make decisions, how you act, how you live, all of your attitudes. That mind, what a man is in his mind, he is. That's what you are. What you are is the product of your mind. If your mind isn't renewed, you're living in the flesh. If it does get renewed, you're living sanctified in the Lord Jesus Christ. To renew your mind means you put on the Lord Jesus Christ. You put on the armor of light. If you allow this work of the renewing of the mind, of the Word of God washing your mind, if you allow that, You're going to find that you're putting on the armor of life. There is a victory. There is a power. There is a full provision. It's remarkable. And so we see, putting on the armor of life, putting on the Lord Jesus Christ, all of these go together in a remarkable way. You've been baptized. into the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, hold that for a second. Then in Ephesians 4, verse 20, it says, But ye have not so learned Christ, if so that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus. Now notice what he's teaching in Ephesians chapter 4. To learn Christ, not about Christ. You're learning Christ. You're a disciple of Christ. You're being taught Christ, not about Christ. You're being taught Christ in a very real way. And it so be that we have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus. Do you know what it means to learn Jesus? Undiluted Jesus. In other words, not only learning facts about Him, you begin to live this out. In other words, when you're taught of Christ, you're discipled by Him, you learn of Him, you learn Christ. You know what? You begin to live this out. You begin to think like Christ thinks. You begin to speak like Christ speaks. You begin to live out your life like Christ. lived out his life. You begin to walk all of this side. Paul says this, and then listen to what he says next in verse 22. That you put off concerning the former conversation of the old man. So we begin to see that you have to again put off the old man. You have to cast off the works of darkness. You must not make provision for the flesh. This is all the same. The old man is making provision for the flesh. How do you identify the old man? How do I know you need to put off the old man? Because you're making provision for him. You know you line it up. He comes down first thing in the morning and you go, Good morning, old man. I've got your breakfast laid out. I made provision. I've got all the plans. I know what you're going to do, and I know how I'm going to help you along the way. That's making provision for the old man. Now, I want you to talk to someone and tell them just what you think. That's making provision for the flesh. You see, so many, they make provision for the flesh, and yet we're told, put off the old man. The conversation or the lifestyle of the old man. There's something here to put off. But notice, I'm going to jump over in Ephesians 4, 23. I'm going to miss out the middle verse. Verse 24. and that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. So you're to put off the old man and put on the new man. What is the new man? It is the armor of light. It is the person of Christ. It is walking in the Spirit. Do you see that there's things you're to put off and things you're to put on as a Christian or as the church of God? You're to do this, put off and put on. You see, if you're in Christ, this is something that you are going to be walking into in the days ahead. My message is the mind of Christ in the last days. Having heard all that you've heard in recent weeks of the mark of the beast, transhumanism, of this grab, to brainwash this generation, and it's happening all around us. And it's going to intensify. Where are you going to run to? Where are you going to hide? Can I give you the answer? You're going to put on the mind of Christ. You're actually going to allow the mind of Christ to operate, because if His mind is in you, Brother Cladenin often preached over the years. He would see someone playing that beautiful piano like Candace. And what he would say, if I could take, he said, my hands are good, no arthritis. He said, I can play, go up and down, but I can't make tune, I can't make melody out of that. But if I could take Candice's mind, her brain, and put the mind of Candice in me, I can make that piano sound like she makes that piano. It's got nothing to do with the body or the hands or arthritis. I tell you, it's got to do with that mind. Put the mind of Candice in me, and I'll lead you in worship on Sunday morning. I tell you, I'll keep the harmony there. I'll keep the tune right with that. But I need the mind of Candice in me. You know the same as with the church. If I can only get the mind of Christ, I'll speak like Him, walk like Him, act like Him, decide like Him, function like Him. It's all in the mind. Whose mind is operating in you? Is it the mind of the flesh, the mind of this world? Is it operating in you? Or is it the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ? So what do we do then? How do we put on and put off? What is the secret to this putting off the flesh, putting on the new man, putting off the old man, putting on the Lord Jesus Christ? What is the key? We're actually given it in Ephesians chapter 4. Listen to what it says between putting off the old man and putting on the new man. Listen to what he says. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Do you realize the renewing of your mind is the mind of Christ operating in you. Let this mind be within you. You see, you're struggling with the old man. How do you stop operating in the old man and move to operating in the new man? How do you stop walking in the works of darkness and begin to move in the armor of light? What is the secret of this? You see, holiness, sanctification, and righteousness is a hidden secret to so much of the church. But I'm giving you the secret here. It's all to do with the mind. The mind is essential to moving from the works of darkness to the works of righteousness, from your own self to the person of Christ. It's essential. And so he says, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. There's got to come a renewal. There's got to come a return and a restoration to the mind that Christ wants within you. And you know what the context in the Greek is? It's the present continuous tense. In other words, it's a power from outside you and it's happening daily. Your mind's being renewed. The whole spirit of your mind. In other words, the whole attitude behind your mind. The whole progression of your mind. There is a renewing going by the power of God. And as your mind is renewed, you put off the old man and you put on the new man. You put off darkness and you put on light. Do you realize the renewal of your mind, having your mind washed by the Word of God is the secret to operating in this? Again, listen here for a second. It says in Colossians 3, verse 8, But now ye also put off all of these. He's going into detail here. All of these scriptures run together. What are you going to put off? Anger. wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds. Do you see how he's identifying the old man? What are you to put off? These things. They're unacceptable for the Christian. They are darkness. They are manifestations of the flesh. They are the work of the old man. You're to put them off, a deliberate act to say, it's not acceptable in my life. But how do you get there? You need your mind renewed. In other words, someone who begins to renew their mind, to have their mind begin to think like Christ. to have their mind changed by the Word of God. They start saying, this is not acceptable in my life. He then moves further in verse 10 and he says, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created them. And so we see that again, this renewing in knowledge in your mind is the secret to putting off and putting on. What is the secret to renew your mind? With all of these scriptures to put on Christ, put on the armor of life, to put on the new man, is all accomplished by the renewing of your mind. You can try to do everything yourself to get rid of the old man and to live in the new. You know what the secret is? Your mind. If you do not renew your mind, this doesn't operate. You can scream at the old nature, you can demand it, you can bind demons, but until you actually begin to renew your mind, both in Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3, the secret is the renewing of the mind, to put off and to put on. Those who renew your mind are going to say, I'm putting off lying. I'm putting off the flesh. I'm putting off the works of darkness. And I want to put on the person of Christ. In other words, I want to live Him. I want Him to be lived out of my entire life. How do you begin to live the life of Christ? How do you begin to function like Christ? Christ in me, the hope of glory. Christ in you, living His life. Christ in you walking out His life. How do you make that happen? It's the renewal of your mind. And with this, we begin to see that the mind of Christ is the key. The renewal of the mind is the same as the mind of Christ. To renew your mind with the Word of God is to take on the mind of Christ. For the Word of God to begin to renew your mind, say, this is how you act, this is how you speak, this is how you function, this is your attitude, this is what you do in the church. As you begin to do this in the Word of God, you're putting on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is how it operates. The mind of Christ is the key to putting on the new man, the armor of light, and the full person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here tonight, I'm going to give you three aspects of the mind of Christ that I believe that we have to learn. You see, the mind of Christ We have the mind of Christ, we're to let the mind of Christ operate within you. This is why a new Christian when they get born again, very often they just function in this. I mean they seem more mature than the old Christians. They immediately speak and act and do naturally. I've seen it so many times, it's amazing. And do you know what it is? It is the mind of Christ. They have the mind of Christ. But do you know what they're going to face into the battle of this, the warfare over this? Are you going to allow the mind of Christ to operate in you? If you allow His mind to function, We know it says in Isaiah 55 verse 8, for my thoughts are not your thoughts. In other words, God's thoughts are higher, they are spiritual, they're heavenly, and they're different from our natural way of thinking. So we know that man thinks in a certain way, he's got a certain intellectual process that's radically different from God. That's why when I look back over the years, the decisions I've made look very unwise to people in this world. When I told my brothers I was stepping out at 21, leaving the army to step out to serve God, they sat down, my father was dead, so my two older brothers had a fatherly talk. They said, what are you going to do about a house? What are you going to do about a wife? What are you going to do about a car? What are you going to do about your future? And do you know what? Everything they said was wise, but it was of this world. But do you know what? I knew I had the mind of Christ. I knew I knew the will of God. I didn't need to labor on it. I went, this is the will of God. Well, I just said, ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha. I knew there's no explaining to them. It would take decades before they could even understand what I'm saying. But I know the mind of Christ. But their thinking is not the thinking of God. Do you know how often man's thinking affects you? You're motivated, you're driven, you make decisions. Is it the mind of Christ or is it natural thinking? My thoughts are not your thoughts. What thoughts operate in your mind that are behind everything that you do? What thoughts prompt it? You see, if the mind of Christ is operating in you, it's going to affect everything of your life. My three points. First of all, a discerning mind. The mind of Christ is a discerning mind. Go into 1 Corinthians chapter 2 here tonight. A discerning mind. It says in 1 Corinthians 2 and 16, For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? This is a quote from the Old Testament, from Isaiah 40 verse 13, it says, Then in 1 Corinthians 2, Paul the apostle answers. He says, but we have the mind of Christ. In Isaiah 40, it was an entire argument to show that God's way of operating is beyond man. Man has nothing to do with the operation of God. God operates according to the Spirit of God. And in fact, we find out in Isaiah 40 that the mind of God is under the influence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit moves according to the mind of God. It's synonymous. The mind of God is synonymous with the Spirit of God. In 1 Corinthians 2 and 16, it says, we have the mind of Christ. Real Christians have the mind of Christ. The real church has the mind of Christ. In other words, listen to this, the intellectual thinking of Christ, how Christ thinks about your marriage, Your lifestyle, your speech, your evangelism, the preaching from this pulpit, every area of life, your money, all of it, all of your future plans. Do you realize we have the mind of Christ? In other words, if you're thinking natural thoughts, your own thoughts that have nothing to do with scripture and nothing to do with Christ, that is in His mind. You know, we, the church, need the mind of Christ again. And so, in 1 Corinthians 2, he begins to explain what is this mind of Christ. It says in verse 10, for the Spirit of God searches all things, the deep things of God. The deep things are talking about the mind of the Spirit of God. This is the mind of God. What does the Holy Spirit do? He searches the deep things of God. I mean, the deep... Intentions of the heart of God. The deep things hidden deep within God. The Spirit of God searches those things. It says verse 11, Even so, the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God. It's the Spirit of God that knows the deep things, or knows everything about God. Now, we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us. Do you know in these verses he's beginning to teach you how to have the mind of Christ. He says, but we have the mind of Christ. And leading into this he's shown, how do you have the mind of Christ? How does it operate literally within you? If you have the Spirit of God, you have the mind of Christ. If the Holy Spirit lives within you, and He does within every real Christian, then this spirit has the entire deep thinking of God. If you know the Holy Spirit lives within you, do you realize the whole thinking of the Lord Jesus Christ is within him, and He wants to reveal it? He wants to show you? He wants to bring that out in your life? The real Holy Spirit knows you don't need to know. Do you realize how many things I do in my Christian life automatically? I don't think deeply about. I just walk in the light of God's Word. It's not hard to do. I just know the person in me knows all things. He knows all truth. He will lead me into all truth. Isn't that the Holy Spirit? Do you want to be taught the mind of God? Do you want to think as Christ thinks? Do you want the mind of Christ to operate within you? Then it's going to be the work of the Holy Spirit. My first point is a discerning mind, and it's all within the Holy Spirit. He has come to show you the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ. It says in verse 13, which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches. Don't get this mixed up. You could look for advice in your life, and it's man's wisdom. Oh, it looks wise. It sounds wise. You go, that's a good idea. That sounds the right thing. I've had people come to me for advice. What do you think I should do here? My answer wasn't good enough, so they went to someone else. That answer wasn't good enough. In fact, it just happened to be biblical. So they went to a third person. Again, they get a biblical answer. They don't like that. You know what? They're not looking for an answer. They want someone to tell them man's wisdom, what they want to hear. They don't want a simple Bible answer. And it's always amazing when I face someone, you give them what the Bible says, they don't like it. Or maybe others go, wow, that's good. Yes, it's in the Bible. It's actually there. So he says, now don't get this mixed up. The teaching of the Holy Spirit isn't man's wisdom. There is a teaching of man's wisdom. And sadly, much of it in the church. And it is not of the Spirit of God. So much teaching. Just this weekend, I had a deal with one issue of a Bible teacher, an eloquent, gifted, fluent, knowledgeable man. He was as smooth as honey, I want to tell you. He was a remarkably gifted man. And do you know what? I listened several messages. I don't normally do this, but I had to do it. I had to do it. It was pressed upon me by God. And I listened several messages, and I went, this man is a heretic. He started to demolish the teaching of repentance. Repentance doesn't mean repentance like you think it means. It just means a change of mind. And then it's not important. And as he moved step by step, he said, you know what? You can lose your faith in God and become an atheist, but you're still born again and you'll still go to heaven. You can lose your testimony. You can lose your way. You can lose everything. But if you're once saved, you're always saved and you'll still go to heaven. You know what that is? That is pure poison. There's people in the church, they are teaching, teaching, teaching, but it's not by the Holy Spirit. That is not the mind of Christ. How do I know? It's not according to this book. The Holy Spirit leads into truth. That is error. That is deception. That will destroy your life. Do you think someone's saying, I don't care about God? Do you think that's the mind of Christ? Then it wasn't taught of the Holy Spirit of God. We are living in a very dangerous hour, an hour of deception. He says, it's not man's wisdom, but which the Holy Ghost teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. Notice here he said, it's not man's wisdom, but it is the teaching of the Holy Ghost. In verse 12 he says, it's not the spirit of this world. The spirit of this world will teach you man's wisdom, and it'll seem logical, it'll seem right, but it doesn't lead you to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Most of what I say to people down over the years is, where did you get that in the Bible? When things arise in the church, where did you get that? Nine times out of ten, there's no connection with the Bible. They have not been taught what they are doing, how they're operating has no context in Scripture. They don't even try to do it. They just say, well I believe God has told me. What about Scripture? Do you realize how the Holy Spirit teaches a man the mind of Christ? How is the Spirit of God going to teach you the mind of Christ? How does He get the mind of Christ operating in you? Remember, if you resist the Spirit of God and reject His teaching, you can't have the mind of Christ. It won't operate there. But he begins to show us, how does the Holy Spirit teach you? Oh, well, he woke me in the night and just spoke to me. I had a dream. I had a vision. The Holy Spirit always tells. That isn't what the Bible says. How does the Holy Spirit teach you and lead you in all truth? He says by comparing spiritual things with spiritual this is very important to compare means to compare one thing with another to lay them beside each other to compare them to combine them to collate them you know what he's speaking about the scriptures You know that man I heard over the weekend, he slowly broke, he missed out a hundred scriptures to emphasize one. He is eloquent. I can't tell you how eloquent he was. He was very knowledgeable and he utterly believed what he was preaching. But do you know what? He wasn't taught of the Holy Spirit because if it was the Holy Spirit, he would bring all the scriptures in. There would be a balance. There would be an understanding. I'm not an educated man. But do you know what? I know the Holy Spirit, how He teaches me. Line upon line, here a little, there a little, it keeps building. And it takes in the fullness of the Word of God. And so I line up Scripture with Scripture. Scripture doesn't contradict. This is how the Holy Spirit teaches you. How do you get the mind of God? The Holy Spirit starts to teach you the Word of God. It says in verse 14, This word, natural man, he's a natural man. What does he do? He won't receive that teaching. When I find someone who does not receive the teaching of the Holy Spirit according to Scripture, I say, but the Bible says, I don't care. Do you know who I know I'm dealing with is a natural man. If I come across a church and they ignore the Bible and say, but the Spirit's moving us. We don't go by that book and they have a low regard. I am looking at a natural church. That's all it is. This term, natural man, means a soulish man or a man who lives by the five senses. He is a soulish man. That natural man that lives by the five senses will not receive the teaching of the Holy Spirit. And so the mind of Christ does not operate within them. It actually can't. What relates to the natural, visible, carnal, Much of the charismatic movement of our day who say, we're being moved by the Spirit of God. Do you realize it's the five senses they're being moved by? You know, they look and then they prophesy. I had a man come up to me in a convention, an old preacher, and he would bubble and get on when he said the Holy Spirit came upon him. And I seen him pointing at me, asking a friend. I went, I wonder what he's talking about. He asked my friend, he said, is he married? No, he's not married. Does he have a girlfriend? No, he doesn't have a girlfriend. Is he engaged? No. And he said, OK. And he comes over and prophesies. And he said, the Lord told me that you're going to marry a girl with the name Bleep. I won't tell you. But it wasn't Candice, I want to assure you. Do you know what? That's a man being moved by the... There's nothing spiritual about that man. That man doesn't have the mind of the Holy Spirit or the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is a man moved by senses, feelings, emotions. Here's a way of interpreting this. The soulish man rejects the teaching of the Spirit of God. He rejects it. He doesn't like it. It's not palatable. No, I want to dream. But the Bible says, I don't like that. The Bible says you're sinning. Well, I don't believe that. I'm going to be fine. Do you realize the natural man does not like to be taught by the Holy Spirit? Because the Holy Spirit says, the Bible says, you want the mind of Christ? You want to think like Christ? You want to speak like him? You want to respond to your enemies? Don't come to me if you're getting trouble from enemies and you say, what should I do to them? If you don't want me to say, the Bible says, love your enemies, pray for those that despitefully use you. You'll go, do you not have another message? Can you not tell me something else? Do you not think you should go away and pray for a week and get a prophecy from me? No, the Bible says, I know God's will for you. I know the mind of Christ. I know how Christ is thinking in this. And you know what? The natural man says, no, I really don't like that. It says actually the teaching of the Holy Spirit is foolishness to him. Listen to what foolish means. It means silly, absurd. It doesn't make sense. It's not practical. It's not applicable to my situation. So you know someone who does not want to be taught of the Holy Spirit, they never walk in the mind of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit's trying to make you walk like the Lord Jesus Christ. And really the natural man says, I hate that. I despise that. I don't want you to tell me that. Oh, give me some advice for my marriage. Are you sure you want to ask me that? Because I will give you the word of God. You say, but sure, I know that it's in the Bible. Then why do you not know it? Why do you not practice it? Why are you not living this out? Because you haven't been taught by the Holy Spirit. A man taught by the Holy Spirit isn't intellectual. We all know these things. But to be taught by him means that you begin to live this out, that Christ is operating in your life and functioning. He goes further here and he says, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them. That's with the mind. It's talking about your mind, the renewing of your mind, because they are spiritually discerned. Why is it a natural man cannot know, can't have the mind of Christ in these things? Because they are spiritually discerned. To discern means to scrutinize, investigate, determine, examine. Most natural men are too lazy. They'll pray for seven hours but they don't go to the Word of God and humble themselves. They'll say, well let the Lord do it. You see, it's through our spirit that the instruction of the Holy Spirit comes, but it involves investigating. How does the Holy Spirit teach you the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ? Remember the end verse here? What's the last verse, verse 16? We have the mind of Christ. He's showing you how to have this mind. How do I know the mind of Christ is operating here or operating in me? Because I am comparing. The Holy Spirit teaches me by comparing Scripture with Scripture. Spiritual thing with spiritual thing. But also, it says that these things are spiritually discerned. In other words, those who are spiritual, discern them. You've got to examine the Word of God. You see, there's an issue in your life. Go to the Word of God and study it. I don't want to. I know. Then you won't have the mind of Christ. Do you know the only people who walk out and live in the mind of Christ, they have studied the scripture. There's a common denominator. Their mind has been renewed by the word of God. And they go, I know how Christ would think. I know how he'd decide. I know how he would act. It goes further about these that discern or scrutinize or who are studying, determining, examining on the basis of God's Word saying, Lord, teach me by your Spirit. I want to be taught. This is how you get the mind of Christ. Show me someone operating in the mind of Christ in this last hour and generation. You see, I believe we as a church have a message for this hour. I mean, it's relevant for this hour, but we've never changed our message over the years. You see, God was preparing us. Why? We have been taught by the Word of God. Therefore, the Word of God applies to this generation in a remarkable way. It says in verse 14 or 15, but he that is spiritual judges all things. Have you ever heard in the church, don't judge? Don't judge. That person isn't taught by the Holy Spirit. They never can be. But if they see you judging a false teacher, they then judge you. They say, you're not allowed to judge, but they judge you when you judge others. So they begin to do the very thing they say that you're not allowed to do. They're allowed to do it to you. And they say, do not judge. And yet my Bible says those taught of the Holy Spirit can judge all things. You know, the only ones who can judge accurately are those taught by the Holy Spirit, who discern all things, who scrutinize and examine the Word of God. You see, I can teach all the right things about the Word of God, but you never live it out, you never operate in it, you've never learned it, because you're not taught of the Holy Spirit. I can teach you and teach your mind, but there is a function in this. He that is spiritual judges all things. He has the ability, the maturity, the spirituality to judge all things correctly. A man not taught by the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures, cannot judge things. He's going to make a pig's ear of it. He uses his God-taught ability to judge every area of his own life. See, it's not just about others. This spiritual man, a man who doesn't operate by his five senses, but he's operating by the Word of God, being taught by the Spirit, you want to know how to have the mind of Christ. I'm telling you, we're going to preach a lot on this at some other time on the mind of Christ, but I'm giving you a feel for it. I want you to see the mind of Christ is vital. You want to do the right thing in this hour? You want to make the right decision in this last hour? It's the greatest hour of deception, and it's going to get worse, an awful lot worse. Never has deception been so bad in the church, or in politics, or in education, or in your daily life. It is getting worse. How are you going to have the mind of Christ? You need to be taught it. The mind of Christ is a discerning, scrutinizing mind. And it's a mind that can test all things by the written scripture. And so he says, we have the mind of Christ. Second of all, a humble mind. Not only a discerning mind, but a humble mind. Philippians chapter 2 and verse 5. Let this mind be in you. The apostle is right in saying, let it be in you. We have the mind of Christ. It is yours. Remember why the Holy Spirit was sent onto you. He was actually sent so that you might know the things that are freely given to you. It's freely given. The mind of Christ is yours. The entire thinking of God is held in the word of God. Do you realize that? This book has an answer, the advice, the counsel for all things, every situation. And it's yours, but it takes the Holy Spirit to show you. Let this mind be in you. You know what he's saying? Let it function in you. Let it operate in you. If you're a Christian, allow this mind to function. When you walk in the flesh, When you allow the flesh to operate, this mind isn't operating. Let the mind of Christ be in you, which was also in Jesus Christ. The second point, a humble mind. If you want the mind that was in Christ to operate in you, it's a humble mind. Not only a discerning mind, walking in the light of God's Word, it is a humble mind. He says, let this mind be in you. Which mind? The mind which was also in Jesus Christ. So he's saying, what do you see in Christ? When you study Christ, when you hear Christ in the Bible, when he's answering the Pharisees, or he's reaching out to the lost, the mind that you see in Christ... Remember, the mind operates everything. Out of the mind comes your words, your actions, your deeds, your decisions, all out of the mind. And so let the mind that is in Christ, let it be in you, let it function in you. The exact same mind, the exact same way that Christ thought, let it operate in you. Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. In these verses, he immediately shows you that the mind that operated in Christ was a humble mind, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Just look back a few verses to the context of him bringing you to show you that you're to have a humble mind. If you're taught of the Spirit of God, this mind is going to be in you. I mean, it's going to function in you. What sort of mind is it? It's a humble mind. Verse 2, fulfill ye my joy that ye be like-minded. Is it like-minded with one another where we're meant to mimic each other? See, in the church we are commanded, be like-minded. The apostle said, fulfill my joys, an apostle. Can you imagine this preacher and this pulpit? I'm going to say, be like-minded for the sake of my joy. We've had a lot of people through this church and I groaned. The Bible actually says you're not to make your elders groan. Some people, I think they had a PhD in making leaders groan in the church. They seemed professional. They seemed expert. They seemed determined. It was like a red rag to a bull. They seemed to go, whoa, here's an elder who, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make him groan. The Bible actually says, you must not do that. You must not do that. Paul says here, fulfill my joy that you be like-minded. We are to be like-minded. But it's not a conformity to one another. It's not you conforming to me. It's all of us having the mind of Christ. How do we become like-minded? Because we're all different. Your personality's different. Some are quiet. Some are rowdy. Some are very confident. Some aren't. We're all very, very different. How do we become like-minded when you never lose your individuality? You never lose your uniqueness. You never lose your identity. I love it that we're all different. It's always going to be like that, no matter how mature we get. You know why? The like-mindedness is the mind of Christ operating. It doesn't matter whether you're quiet or very loud. It's humility operating. You know, you could be a very outgoing person, but do it in humility. You could be a very quiet person and do it in humility. Or the reverse, arrogance and pride could be made manifest. Notice what else he says, having the same love. See, he's about to describe what like-mindedness looks like. What do you mean we're to be like-minded? Have the same love. The love of the Lord Jesus Christ shown at Calvary. We're to have the same kind of love. Not showing agape, unconditional love to one brother. And then to this brother over here, you go, if he doesn't do what's right, I will withhold my love. I don't like the guy. I don't like him. It's a terrible thing if a mother says about one of her children, I don't love that child. There's something abnormal and strange, and yet we've heard it, where a mother will say of a child, I don't love the child. Then you better love that child. That is abnormal. Even people in the world would love their own child. You know what? A real Christian is going to love one another. You are going to love those in the church. Being of one accord. Ding, one chord. It's terrible when there's this chord. Ding, ding, ding, ding. Do you know when someone, when we're singing and worshipping, and there's someone who doesn't know how to clap, we've had them in the church. Again, I think there's certain people with PhDs. Some years ago in Scotland, we had a family come into the church, and to be quite honest, I stopped clapping and the maintenance, I couldn't bear it. I went, if I clap, they're going to clap. And they couldn't help it. I have never heard anyone in my life who was as bad as clapping. And I said, we need to stop all clapping in the church because it would be wrong to tell them that their clapping is wrong. You know, you just need godly wisdom. But there was no accord. But it's much worse when it's spiritual, emotional, mental, and in how we function. Being of one accord of one mind. Notice here, that Paul is teaching the church to be like-minded, of one accord, to have one mind. Where is he bringing you to? The mind of Christ. He's going to say, let the same mind that was in Christ be in you, to be like-minded, to be of one mind. You know what? This is all of us conforming to the mind of Christ. You must, as a Christian, be conformed to the mind of Christ, and we'll have like-mindedness. We'll have one mind in this church. If we've got the worldly mind, If we've got the wisdom of this world all trying to operate in this church, there's going to be conflict. He says in verse 3, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory. Don't do anything by that means, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. How do I know you've got a humble mind? How do I know that you operate with a lowly mind? You know what? You esteem others better than yourself. You put others before yourself. If you put yourself first, your own thoughts, you have high thoughts about yourself, everyone else is second place. You know, you will take the last bun. You will take the last everything. You will get your way no matter what. Humility is lacking. That is the issue behind that. Someone who only thinks of themselves, only prepares for themselves, but nobody else. They maneuver themselves. Do you know what the issue is? Pride and arrogance. Don't call it anything else. Someone who is self-centered, who only thinks about themselves, either consciously or unconsciously. You know what it is? It's pride and arrogance. You see, if you had a low mind, I would think of my brother. If I had a humble mind, I would act differently to those around me. Look not on every man his own things, but every man also on the things of others. How do you think the church operated in the book of Acts? Why do you think it operated? Where they sold fields, and they sold houses, and they gave. You know why? There's thousands of people being born again. Thousands are coming into the kingdom. They don't have possessions, they don't have food, they don't have anywhere to stay. Do you know what a real Christian does? Like Barnabas. He says, you know, over in Cyprus, I've got a field and I've got some property. But do you know what? I see a revival, a move of God. He sells it. He's got no agenda, no motive. You know what? He's humble. But there's another couple in that church called Ananas and Zephara. And they say, wow, he's being promoted. Do you know what? We will do that in order to get. They weren't being humble. You could look and go, what a humble couple, what loneliness of mind, what sacrifice. No, they're proud and arrogant. You know why? They are the reason they're given the land. Why did Barnabas give the land? Because of the need, because of the people, because of the move of God. Why did they give the land? In order to promote themselves. This will open a door. We're going to be noticed. Our names will maybe be recorded in history. Oh yes it will. I can assure you. But how tragic. It's in the light of all of this. that Paul comes to verse 5 and says, let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus. Christ is the example of humility. How can you say you've got the mind of Christ? Oh, the Spirit of God leads me. The Spirit told me. No humility. No humility. Only thinking about your own ministry. No promoting others. No taking the back seat. You know what, that person isn't spiritual, that promotes themselves through manifest and so-called gifts. There's no humility there. It says, who being in the form of God, he was in the form of God. And that word, form, means how you appear to others. Another, how you show yourself forth to others. Being in the form of God. He actually was manifest as God. Jesus Christ was God. He had the form of God, the appearance, the manifestation. Yet it says, he thought it not robbery to be equal with God. How are we to explain this? We actually see it on the road to Emmaus, two disciples. How did Christ appear to them? Did he appear as God? Or did he appear in another way? It says, after that he appeared in another form unto two of them. They couldn't recognise him. He actually appeared in a form they couldn't recognize. Not the Messiah, not the Lord, not the Master, not God manifested in the flesh. He appeared as a mere man and they tried to instruct him of the basic facts of reality. He appeared in a form. He took on a form of a man. This form is unlike divinity or deity. He humbled himself. Do you want the mind and the humility of Christ? Christ humbled himself. It says he made himself of no reputation. Why is it in the church everybody's trying to gain a reputation? Why is it we are looking for reputation and yet the mark of humility is he made himself of no reputation. He took on himself the form of a servant. That word form again is he was in the form of God, the appearance of God. What does he do? He takes on himself the form of a servant, the appearance. In other words, when you look in Christ, you're seeing a servant. You're seeing the lowest position. You're seeing one getting down and washing your feet. He washed the feet of Judas before he betrayed him. He knew exactly what was in Judas' heart, and yet he's literally washing the dirt off his feet. He then comes to Peter and Peter says, oh no, you're not going to wash my feet. If you wash my feet, wash me all. He says, no, I don't need to do that. And he says, if you don't let me wash your feet, you've got no part with me. You'll have none to do with me. and Christ knelt there. Can you imagine having the one who's about to die for you and bear your sin, and he's washing the dirt off your feet? This is the creator. This is the eternal God. This is the one who dwelt with the Father, who was God, the creator of all things. And yet here he is appearing in the form, the shape, the bodily appearance of a servant, a slave, a bond slave, serving you in the most menial tasks. You see, this is the mind of Christ. Everyone says they want the mind of Christ. I want to think like Christ. I want the thoughts of Christ. I want the Holy Spirit to teach me. Be very careful what you pray about. Because when he begins to teach you and say, you really want to operate in my mind, do you know what that could cost you? You really want the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ to function within you. So you want a reputation, do you? Oh, so you want to be the big man, do you? You want to be the first, do you? Do you see how the mind of Christ is so contrary to what God may want to do? Being found in the fashion as a man, he humbled himself. and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Real humility, when the mind of humility of the Lord Jesus Christ functions in you, it'll lead you to the cross every time. You cannot have the mind of Christ in you and have high thoughts against your brother and sister. I'll never forget the time, coming around the Lord's table, Many years ago, not here in this church, and a proud thought come into my heart, just seemed like out of nowhere, and my heart smoked me. I was disgusted with myself that I had a proud thought concerning the man that was leading us around the Lord's table. I was sickened, I was disgusted with myself to say, how can I come and break bread here? The very message of Christ's broken body, and yet I've got high, proud, arrogant thoughts against this brother who in weakness was breaking bread and leading us there. I was utterly disgusted with myself. Friends, I'm telling you, the mind of Christ and the body of Christ is a wonderful thing. But third and finally, and let me say this in very few words here, because I just want to show you the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ in this hour. You want to know how to go through the 2020s, how to function as a church? Let this mind dwell in you, be in you, function in you that was in the Lord Jesus Christ. Third and finally, 1 Peter chapter 4 verse 1, a mind to suffer. A mind to suffer. And it says there, for as much then, as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh. Notice again, Christ is the example. How can you have the mind operating of Christ in you if you don't function like Christ? Somehow we think the mind of Christ operating in us is something different than that mind, that intelligence, that manner of thinking about others, about sin. If we talk about sin differently than Christ, we don't have the mind of Christ. If we talk differently about repentance in Christ, we don't have the mind of Christ. You see, to have the mind of Christ, we're going to act like Him. For as much then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves. Likewise, with the same mind, for he that suffered and the flesh has ceased from sin." Do you see here, there's a clear command that you are to arm yourself with the same mind as Christ. Christ had a mind to suffer. He actually functioned in that. As Christ has suffered in the flesh, you are to arm yourself. The word arm there means to be equipped, to have the right equipment to face the suffering. Can I ask you tonight as we close, do you have the mind of Christ to suffer? Do you think the same way as Christ about suffering? Are you equipped and prepared for an hour of suffering? You see, I don't think the church in the West, Australia, South Africa, Europe, America, I do not think the Western church even knows this verse is in the Bible. We want the mind of Christ to do miracles. We want the mind of Christ to prophesy. We want to have the mind of Christ to preach. And yet here's a clear verse, you are to arm yourself likewise with the same mind. The same thinking, the same intelligence, the same thought process about suffering. The way Christ thought about suffering, you're to think about suffering. You're to have the same mind. You know what? This is utterly foreign to us. That's why the Western world is getting so worried at this present time. I could lose my job. What am I going to do about food? What am I going to do about my children? What am I going to do about my payments? I should have lived there for 30 years. I was telling my mum just yesterday, I said, it's funny how for 30 years I've been living the way now, people are starting to face some things, they're going, what are we going to do? They've been prosperous, they've been blessed, they've had everything. No suffering, no opposition, no persecution. And now they're waking up and saying, what are we going to do? I'll tell you what you do. You need to arm yourself with the same mind, the same way of thinking. You better start studying suffering. You better start studying the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. It says in chapter 1 verse 13, wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and hope unto the end for the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Christ. In other words, at the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Since Jesus is coming, He is coming, but how are you going to manage if you don't gird up the loins of your mind? If you don't pull your mind in? If you're not careful? We read in chapter 2 verse 19, It's talking about the mind of Christ. Arm yourself. Have the right weapons. Because it goes on to say about suffering wrongfully. I haven't done anything wrong but I'm suffering. What am I going to do? Arm yourself with the mind of Christ. For what glory is it when you be buffeted for your faults? Ye shall take it patiently. But if when you do well, you suffer for it, take it patiently. Someone's just switched the video off. I'm beginning to suffer in this Western world for my convictions. What do I do? Take it patiently. It's the Word of God. He's actually saying, this is the mind of Christ that you are to take on board. Don't cry. Don't feel sorry for yourself. Don't get scared of the future. You are to endure. You're saying, I'm beginning to suffer because of unrighteous governments and unrighteous laws. Endure it patiently. Do you see how far in Christ's mind is to our way of thinking? It says here, this is acceptable with God if you endure suffering patiently. For even here on to were you called, you're called to this. Most of the church in the Western world says, we're not called to suffer. We're not called to be denied. We're not called to be ridiculed for our convictions. Then you don't know the gospel of Jesus Christ. What have you been listening to for years? You see, he said this is acceptable to God. For you were called to this because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example. Do you know Christ, Dan, wasn't just for your sins and your atonement, it was an example. Him suffering, being ridiculed, rejected, wrongly accused, wrongly commended, condemned, is an example. Who wants to follow this example? Do you want to follow Christ? Do you want the mind of Christ? Do you want to walk in His steps? Lord, I want to walk in your footsteps. Do you really? Do you really? Do you know the cost of following the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you know what that means? Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth. This is the mind of Christ. They're abusing you, doing wrong to you, denying you your job. What are you going to do, curse the government, go on Facebook, say this is an abomination? No guile found in his mouth. Verse 23, since I'm speaking in this song, I'm getting emails in these weeks saying, I'm just about to lose my job, what do I do? What do I do? From Thailand all the way through to America, I'm just about to lose my job, my income. What am I going to do? I'm not playing games here tonight. I'm talking about the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am giving you an answer for this generation. This is the mind of Christ. It is a humble mind. It is a mind to suffer. It's a very real thing that we're dealing with here. It is a discerning mind to study the scripture. When he was reviled, he reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judges righteously. whose own self bare our sins in his body on the tree, that we being dead to sin should live on to righteousness, by whose stripes we were healed. For ye were sheep going astray, but now are returned unto the shepherd and the bishop of your souls. Let this mind be in you." We have an example here of Christ's suffering. How do you respond when you're falsely accused, abused, treated wrongly? What are you going to do? Can I ask you, are we as the church going to rise up in this last hour and manifest the mind of Christ? We'll never see this unless the opportunity is given, unless He allows the church to suffer in this hour. We do not have the opportunity to operate in the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ. Saints of God, we have reached an hour in which this is the last hour of church history. And we must have a discerning mind, a humble mind. We must have a mind to suffer and much more. All of this has shown us that the mind of Jesus Christ, to think the thoughts of Jesus Christ is radically against your own nature. I want to save my life. He gave up his life to suffering. He wasn't a fool, but you know what? He walked in all the will of God. Let's pray here. Father, I thank you. Lord God, for all of these teachings, these messages. Lord God, for the lives that you've spoken to. And Father, tonight we humble ourselves, oh God. We seek to follow the Master. We seek to walk in His footsteps. Do not let any guile be in our mouths. Don't let us have high thoughts one towards the other. My God, give us a discerning mind that we'd study the Scripture, that we'd compare Scripture with Scripture, that we would have the ability and the maturity to discern all things, to judge all things, to scrutinize all things and to apply the Word of God. And Father, I pray, Prepare your body for a baptism of fire. Lord God, like you said to your own disciples, are you ready to be baptised with the baptism that I am about to be baptised with? Lord God, I do believe you're about to baptise your own body in suffering. You're about to let them have the opportunity to operate in the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, we need your grace, we need your power, we need your glory in this hour, that we might speak like Christ, that we might act like Christ, that we might walk with Christ. And Father, we humble ourselves tonight. Lord God, we want to put off the flesh and put on the new man. We want to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. We want this mind, to operate within us tonight in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.