(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

All right, 2 Corinthians chapter 10. I'm not doing a sermon on our statement of faith this morning, but there is an issue that has bothered me over the last, sort of, you know, the last, especially the last couple of years, especially during COVID, and even before COVID, there is an issue that's been bothering me, and it's something that the world does, but what frustrates me is that when it creeps into churches. I understand that the world is without the Lord, and without direction, and they're kind of puppets of society, and they think that society and governments and leaders and professionals will be able to help and guide, but when it starts creeping on the church, it begins to bother me. What is it that bothers me? There in 2 Corinthians chapter 10, look at verse number 3, there's a reality to life, it says, for though we walk in the flesh, we do not walk after the flesh. The Bible's speaking that we have a, there is a battle, there is a warfare, that we are to participate in, and we know that we're called to be soldiers of the Lord. We know that we're children of the light, and we're facing a world of darkness, but we don't go and battle after the flesh. We don't use this flesh because it's corrupted, and it's misguided, and it's selfish, and against the things of the Lord, but there is a way to battle in our Christian life, and we know, of course, referring to the new man, walking the new man, all of that, and there's something deeper that I want to bring to your attention there. In verse number 4, it says, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strongholds. You see, in this warfare, we are called by God to pull down strongholds. The idea there is, of course, an army going to battle, and taking on their enemies, and taking down their power bases, overcoming at the greatest odds, and tearing down those strongholds. Though we don't go to battle in this flesh, we are called to pull down strongholds. There are enemies, there are things that we're called to fight in this Christian life, and if we're called to pull down these strongholds, we're called to have victory in our life. What is this stronghold that's being referred to in this passage? Look at verse number 5. Casting down. What? What strongholds are we casting down? Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts of itself against the knowledge of God, and bring it into captivity. Look at this. What are we bringing into captivity? Some carnal enemy? Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Reverend, we have a battle of the mind. All of us have a battle of our minds, okay? We're called to pull down imagination. We're constantly thinking of things. There are things that are contrary to God that we think about, and we're called to go and fight, and to take on weapons, and pull down these imaginations, to pull down every thought that exalts of itself against the knowledge of God. Anything that you think that's in your thought life that is contrary to God's ways, and the Lord God, you're commanded to go to war against your own mind, to have victory over your own mind, to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. There are thoughts that you had this morning that were against the things of the Lord. There definitely were. Definitely thoughts that you might be having right now that are against the things of the Lord. There might be thoughts right now, I can't wait for this service to be over. You think that's something you want the Lord to be thinking, what the Lord wants you to be thinking about? I can't wait. Hopefully pastor doesn't preach over an hour today, because I need to get busy, and I've had 40 minutes hopefully, because I get to get out of here. Look, I hope I preach for 40 minutes. Make my life easier too, okay? But having a thought, listen, there are thoughts that we need to think, like what are we thinking about? We need to take that into captivity, every thought. We're going to battle every moment of our lives against our own mind. Look at verse number six, and having a readiness to revenge all disobedience. Are you ready to take revenge? Revenge against what? Your disobedience, your disobedient mind, when your obedience is fulfilled. See the Lord wants you to be obedience, and he wants you to be obedient to this command, to pull down the imaginations, the things that exalt themselves, your pride, your ego, against the knowledge of God. When you hear preaching of God's Word, or you've read God's Word, and you know what God's Word says, and you know what he's asking of you, and you say no Lord, I'm not going to do it. You need to take that thought into captivity and say no, that is against the things of the Lord. Why am I thinking such a thing? We know we come to church not just to hear the words of God. We come to church so we can do the things of God. What advantage is there just to hear? Hear, hear, listen, listen. I know doctrine. I know the Bible. So what if you're not doing it? So what if you're not applying the things that God has asked you to do? The title for the sermon this morning is Winning the Battle of the Mind. Winning the Battle of the Mind. Now let me share with you what things that concern me about this world and how it influenced our church. Well I looked at some studies and apparently, and you know I guess it's hard to pinpoint this in exact, you know, the exact numbers, but apparently we have 12,000 to 6,000 thoughts per day, the average person. 12,000 to 6,000 thoughts per day. That's a lot of thoughts. Are you ready to take, you know, are you ready to go to war against those thoughts? Imagine going to war against 12,000 troops. That's just a moderate number, okay. The six, potentially 60,000. Let's just stay with the moderate number of 12,000 thoughts, okay. Imagine you going to war against 12,000 strong army. You say it's impossible. It's impossible. But God has asked you to do that exact same thing. 12,000 thoughts running through your head every single day. Are you ready to go to war against those thoughts? Now not every thought is wicked, of course. Not every thought is against the things of the Lord. Of course you're not going to go and battle against those thoughts. But there are thoughts that you have that are just useless, pointless, a waste of time. You know if we take this conservative view of 12,000 thoughts per day, that works out to be 12 thoughts per minute, okay. When you discount sleep. So you know let's say you sleep the average of eight hours, you've got 16 hours of life, okay. That you live your life. Well 12 thoughts per minute, that's one thought every five seconds that you have. You may be making decisions, thinking about things through life, things that have happened, things that might happen. Anyway out of these thoughts, say 12,000 thoughts per day, 95% of these thoughts, so the vast majority, 95% of these thoughts are the same repetitive thoughts from the previous day. Which makes sense, we're creatures of habit. You know the things that we think about today generally going to be things that we thought about yesterday. Okay I guess you can't really change that because you're going through experiences, you're going through life. Okay so 95% are repetitive thoughts and that's not so much of concern to me. It just says that 5% of your thoughts are new thoughts every day, okay. But what concerns me more than anything is that 80, and I'm the same you know, I'm not saying that I'm different to this world or that you know we're human beings, okay. But what worries me about this is that 80% of our thoughts, let me ask you this question, you think about yourself. Do you think 80% of our thoughts are positive thoughts or negative thoughts? What do you think? Negative. 80% of our thoughts are negative thoughts. Okay now negative things happen. You can't avoid, life is negative right. There are the problems, there are trials, there are difficulties that we go through. I understand that some of your thoughts are going to be negative. I've got negative feelings toward Satan. I have negative feelings toward you know this LGBT sodomite agenda that's been thrown down our throat. Are those thoughts bad though? That would be in obedience to the Lord God. So negative thoughts in of itself are not bad you know, a horrible negative, as long as they line up with God's Word it's fine but obviously that's not the case for the majority. 80% of our thoughts are negative thoughts. That works out to be, by that conservative number, 9,600 negative thoughts per day. Now here's the funny thing about these 80% negative thoughts. Only 85% of those negative thoughts will ever eventuate. 85% of the things that you're cast down and worried about and frustrated about are not going to happen. Think about how much time we're wasting thinking of stupid things that will never happen, that will never eventuate. We're so worried about this or that or you know, our brother so-and-so thinks that about me, they're probably not. There's an 85% chance they're not thinking about you at all. That means that 15% of those negative thoughts do happen okay. That works out to be the 15% works out to be 1,440 thoughts that actually do eventuate. Like negative things that okay you say they're reasonable because they've happened, they will happen, etc. It's happened. All right you say well that's still quite a lot 1,440 thoughts that actually do happen. Yeah but in comparison to 9,600 negative thoughts okay. Think about that for a moment okay. Now here's what's interesting about that. So even in the 15% of negative thoughts that do happen in life, 80% of those negative things as human beings were able to handle it or they're not as bad as we thought when it eventuates or even if it was a negative experience, we can turn around and say well you know what I learnt a good lesson out of that. So out of 85% of thoughts that are sorry yeah 85% of thoughts that don't happen okay. The ones that do happen 50%, 80% of it you can handle. Like you can get through it and you can see a positive outlook when it does eventuates. That means that only once you work this out only 288 thoughts are legitimately negative thoughts. Does that make sense? If 15% are things that eventuate then that means only 288 thoughts are and those that eventuate 20% of it that are hard to deal with. It brings you down and cuts you down. Only 288 thoughts are legitimate in that sense. That works out to be 3%. 3% of the negative thoughts you have only 3% are actually legitimate negative thoughts. That means the opposite 97% of the negative thoughts you have which takes up 80% of your thought life is a complete waste of your time. You see why we have to go to war against this brain. Why do we have to go to war against this mind? You are wasting a lot of time. Christians are wasting a lot of time being cast down, depressed, worried, mark of the beast. Too much. Too much. And it's wasting your time in being productive. In having a victory in your Christian life. Look if 97% of negative thoughts are a waste of time, it only hinders you. It only wastes your time. We know what this means. This means that you spend of the 16 hours that you are awake. Let's say again you are 8 hours of sleep. This means that you spend 13 hours. 13 hours of your mental thoughts on a complete waste of time. Only 3 hours of the day for the average person is actually someone having productive or beneficial thoughts. Only 3 hours of the day. You've got 16 hours. 3 hours are beneficial in this life here, this mental life here and the rest of it. What's that? 16 take away. 13 hours. It's just a waste of time. You literally 13 hours of the day you better get ready to go to war. Every single day. 13 hours against that mind. That's wasting its time thinking of negative things that will never ventuate. Worried about things. Concerned about things. And being prevented from living a victorious Christian life. Because you're so cast down about the things that are negative. Say what is this all about? What are you talking about? My issue that I'm seeing in my life and I didn't really see it so much growing up and I don't know if it's just because I've just become more aware of it or it's just getting I think it's just getting worse is this victim mentality. Society. Victim. Victim. Victim. I see this in the United States. You know I see this push against you know white supremacy they'll call it. Or wear darker skinned or like apparently I'm not white anyway. Apparently I'm a person of colour. Apparently. I don't know. Apparently. But you know it's all white man's fault. It's all the fault of the white man that you know there's there's problems amongst people and white people have problems as well. But instead of going you know what I'm wasting my time on useless things. Western culture is teaching people to become victims. Just perpetual victims. And constantly blaming others. This is happening in Australia. You know now they want to change the Australian Constitution to include Indigenous voice. The voice they call it. It's something that they're trying to push this into our past. No I honestly I don't really have much of an appeal. You know what this is not my world. This is not my country. I'm a pilgrim. I'm passing through. I'm going home to be in heaven. Honestly. Like I'm not oh man the voice. What's going to happen to our Constitution? But the point of this is that the Indigenous Aboriginal people have been told look you are perpetual victims. Look I acknowledge when Australia was colonised that some horrible things were done to the Indigenous population. I acknowledge there was unnecessary murder, unnecessary removal of children from their mothers etc. But that happened many years ago. The generation that's living today did not experience that. And the generation living today. Whatever your background is. You know what you've got all you know Australia is such a blessed country. You know and if you if you're like a second or third if you're like a third or fourth generation etc. Australian you don't actually appreciate generally speaking you don't appreciate your country. But for those that have migrated here they still see this as a blessed country. You know my parents migrated here and I see how much they worked and sacrificed to be in this country to give their children opportunities. I can still appreciate this country. But you know those opportunities available to all. Everybody has an opportunity in Australia to make a decent life of themselves. There is really nothing to complain about. I acknowledge horrible things happened in the past. But today Australia is definitely one of the better countries in the world. I mean we live in a blessed place. But you see there's this encouragement toward the Indigenous community. You are perpetual victims. Demand more. You know constantly see yourself as being trodden down. And look when you see yourself as this perpetual victim you will never find victory because you're always the victim. Look God wants us to have victory in our thought life. It all begins here by the way. You know I've worked jobs where I'm not laboring physically but I'm laboring mentally. You know those mental jobs and just and then you come home and it's still in your mind. But here's the thing even though you've not labored physically when you have a mental a very heavily mental job your type it ties the body. It's like you just ah man I'm so exhausted. What did you do today? I just sat there in an office. Air-conditioned office on front of a computer the whole day. Why are you tired? Because it's all happening here. It's all mental exhaustion. And so you put people into this victim mentality. Perpetual victims. Constantly stressing and worrying and think about how they've been trodden down and how everything is unfair in life and and then they're physically tired in the Aboriginal community. They don't get and make generally again generally speaking they don't try to make something of themselves. You know laboring hard. This is why they get so many handouts because they're perpetual victims and they spend that money on booze and alcohol and drugs and their communities are falling apart. Instead of saying you look we need to take ourselves out of this victim mentality. They're being drawn. You're still victims. Let's give you a voice in the Constitution so you can just demonstrate just how much of a victim you are. But here's the thing. It happens in churches. It's victim mentality. Now look I'm not denying that some of you are victims. I'm not denying that some of you have had traumatic experiences in life and that's all I want to be careful when I preach this. I understand there are scars of the past and consequences of sins you know that affecting you even this very day. But let me speak to you about victim mentality or just let me just get a definition of this that I found out I like. It says victim mentality also known as a victim mentality mindset refers to a state of mind in which a person sees themselves as a victim of circumstances beyond their control. Individuals with a victim mentality tend to blame external factors such as other people you know white supremacy, society, colonisation for example or circumstances for their problems and tend to feel helpless and powerless to change the situation. I want you to notice that. And tend to feel helpless and powerless to change the situation. Listen we've all been victims of something. All of us. Some of us have been victims of greater things than others okay. But here's the thing you don't want to stay in a state and just I'm a victim I'm a victim I'm a victim because it's going to cause you to be helpless and powerless. You know who's going to win that victory of your mind if you just stay that victim mentality you're going to lose. You're going to lose. You're not going to be able to pull down the strongholds that are withholding you from living a victorious Christian life. As I said to you for the average person only three hours of their thought life is actually beneficial or profitable. Could you imagine if you could double that just six hours? You're still thinking a lot of negative thoughts that are a waste of time. But you could do so much more in life if you had three more hours. People say there's not enough hours in the day. Yes because you're spending so many of those hours on stupid things that are preventing you from moving forward from being victorious from being able to be productive and to benefit your life and those around you. If this is you this morning you need to cut this out of your life. You need to wake up and say you know what yes I've been victimized in the past but I can't continue with this victim mentality. I'm never going to get out of this hole if I stay like this. It continues the passage of the article that I read people with a victim mentality may also feel that they are unfairly targeted or persecuted. Life is not fair. Yes life is not fair. Get over it. Life is not fair. That's right. Okay if you try to live a lie and try to find fairness you're not going to find it. You know who's fair? The Lord God. He's just and he's righteous. You know what the things that you find that are not unfair you say God I think this is unfair I don't know I can't change the world I can't change my life instead of spending 85 or whatever it was percent of my life thinking about how unfair things are I'm going to leave with you Lord and I'm going to get on with life. Life is unfair. We're going to teach our kids. Kids life is unfair. Things aren't going to go your way all the time. Okay so toughen up and just get through it. It says not only that it says and may exaggerate people with victim mentality may exaggerate or dwell on their problems. That's it rather than taking steps to address them. See I'm not saying there's ever it's wrong to think about how you've been victimized in the past and the traumas that you've gone through but the problem the victim mentality you want to stay in that environment. You want to just keep thinking about how you're a victim instead of how do I address this? I think it's okay I think it's perfectly fine to say look the reason I'm limited the reason I have issues is because this took place that's fine all right that took place but what are you going to do about it now? Or you're just going I'm a victim then I can't do I can't achieve what God wants me to achieve in life because of this problem in the past. Say Lord I have a problem in the past that's restricting me that's causing me issues. Lord I don't want to be thinking about this constantly because it's preventing me from moving forward so Lord help me to have victory in my mind. Help me to win this battle of the mind. Let me put that aside and do the things that you've asked me to do Lord. It says that people with the victim mentality may also seek attention and sympathy from others as a way of reinforcing their belief in their victim status. I can't do X, Y, and Z. I can't do the things God wants me to do because brother you don't know my life that's oh yes brother you know pity party let's well yes brother yes you can't listen I understand we are all handicapped to some extent with this flesh and the things that have prevented us but if God has asked you to do something it's because he knows you can do it. You can do what he asked you to do in God's Word. You'd be a doer of his word. Why would God ask you to do something that you can't do? What God asks of you in this book you say I can do it. I mean God knows me. God's created me. He knows what I've gone through more than I know what I've gone through and if God is asking me to do something and live a victorious Christian life then it's possible. It must be possible but we like to make excuses don't we? We like to be victims and then this article continues it's important to note that people can experience genuine victimization. I agree with that and trauma. I agree but victim mentality is different in that it involves a persistent pattern of thinking and behavior that can lead to feelings of powerlessness and hinder or prevents personal growth and development. Now I don't know if I'm speaking to everybody here this morning but there are certain reasons why some of you are not growing spiritually or some of you are not becoming more like Christ as the time goes on and part of that is because you've got a victim mentality. Say I can't do it Lord because this happened in my past. I can't do it Lord because I've got this trauma. I can't do it Lord because of this and this and this and that. Yeah you've got a victim mentality. You're learning from the world is what's happening. You're learning from the world. You know when people talk to you about your issues now say oh you've got every right to complain. You've got every right to whine and complain. Listen that is not a biblical principle. That comes from the world. Yeah if you want to spend 13 hours of negative thoughts every day of your waking life live like the world. Think like the world if you want. Woe is me. You know have a pity party. I can't accomplish this. I can't do pastor you don't understand. I can't do what you've asked. Well I'm not asking you so what the Lord's asking you from the Word of God because of this situation. Then you're never going to grow. You're going to stay stunted in your growth and you'll be just a whiner and complainer. Just like the rest of this world. You know this is definitely an issue in the world right now because think about what we're facing the last sort of five five years I'd say. This whole gender identity. You know that people say well you know you know your gender is fluid. You know you're not born with your gender. You can be whatever you want. Not only can a boy think he's a girl but maybe you can be a girl for five years and you can be a boy for 10 years and then you can be maybe an airplane for the next 20 years of your life. Do you identify as a bicycle as a pastor being ridiculous? This is happening actually. This is happening. I identify as a dog as a cat. This stuff is happening. So use my preferred pronouns please. Even though I'm biological a man they'll say well I'm a they. I'm a they or them because I haven't decided what I am. When someone says I'm a they you're just telling me your your legion your many is what you are. You're possessed by many devils you must be if you're a they. I'll use my I want to be a bike. Use my bike pronouns. Bike self. Can you go get bike self you know a diet coke or something and use these pronouns. What's happening? What's happening? These people are mentally disturbed. They've got mental conditions. Reprobates. Given over to a reprobate mind many of them okay. I mean a lot of these a lot of these things come from reprobates because they're so mentally disturbed. So what happens is they get themselves in prominent positions of influence you know of influence and then it starts to affect the entire world. Starts to affect society. How society thinks and then what happens starts to affect churches. God's people because we get our advice our therapy sessions and our you know our what's the word I'm looking for I don't know our mental help from from sources of this world and then you wonder why am I not having the spiritual victories. You see what is happening is look if someone's mentally disturbed and they think they're a bike I mean at the end of the day I don't really care but what's happening is they now want society to accept them as a bike. They want society to accept a man to be a woman. Call this man a she or I'm apparently doing something wrong. Apparently I'm the one that is hateful and whatever it is because I just acknowledged someone's biological sex for what they are. You see it starts to become instead of going you know what I've got a problem I better try to find a solution to my problem. It's you know what I have a problem but accept me and I you all need to change for my problems. You need to adapt yourself because of my issues and my trauma and my mental weakness. I say this to you sometimes because you know I've said many times people contact me and they want me to justify their sins but you don't understand past I'm in this situation. What do you want me to do? Like God's Word is what God's Word says. I'm not I don't I didn't write the Bible. I'm not trying to write Kevin's Bible. It's gonna be the most hopeless publication that's ever been. I'm not trying to speak of my own wisdom and words. I don't want to comfort you with false things and what kind of pastor is that? I'm a Bible preaching pastor. I'm a Baptist pastor is what I am. We speak God's Word and if it doesn't line up with your way of thinking then you're wrong instead of making me try to accommodate you and your sins and your problems. Look I'm a very hands-off pastor. You guys live I hope you guys that have been in my chair for a while you guys I'm not interfering with your lives even when you're doing things that I don't approve of I'm still not the interfere with your lives. Okay but people want to interfere with me that I've got to support their traumas and that's why they can't accomplish or their problems because they can't accomplish what God has asked them to do. Look if you can't accomplish it it's I'm not again I'm not losing sleep over that. I'm just praying Lord can you help brother so and so can you help sister so and so. I know we're all weak I know we're all in different places in life but we don't want to become people that just make excuses and think like the world which is this constant perpetual victim. God has given us victory. He's given us a new man. He's given us his Holy Spirit. He's given us the Word of God. He's given us churches. We know what we're commanded to do by God's Word. We know what we're meant to do so do it instead of finding reasons why you can't do it just do it and then I've had people say to me well that's easy for you to say pastor because you've not walked in my shoes. You've grown up in a Christian home. You've not been divorced. You know you've not had any major trauma in your life yet it's easy for me to say I guess but I'm not here to say what I have to say. Come with me. Come with me to Hebrew chapter four. Come with me to Hebrew chapter four. Hebrew chapter four please. Hebrew chapter four. It's easy for you to say pastor and look at Hebrew chapter four verse number twelve. Hebrew chapter four verse number twelve. There's a reason why when we come to this church we uphold the Word of God. We preach God's Word. There's a reason why because you're right. I don't know your trauma. You're right. I don't know what it's like to have been a victim. The victim that you were. I have no idea. You are 100% correct that I don't know what it's like to live in your shoes but you don't know what it's like to live in my shoes. We don't know what it's like to live in each other's shoes but that's why we have the Bible in Hebrews chapter four verse twelve which says for the Word of God is quick. The word quick is there living. It's alive. These words they're not just you know dead and unmoving words that are just printed on a page. They're living words of God. You know when men pen these words down and God's given Moses the law. It's still active in our hearts and lives today. God is still speaking these words to us today. Like this very morning these words are relevant to you today. It's quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. Peace and even to the divided asunder of soul and spirit and the joints of the marrow. Look at this. And is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the hearts. It discerns your thoughts. These words knows what you're thinking about right now. Like these words know if you're saying pastor doesn't know what he's talking about these words know that you're saying that. It knows your inner being. I don't know your inner being. I don't know your thoughts. I barely know my own thoughts sometimes. This is why we come to hear God's Word because God's Word knows our thoughts. It discerns the intents of the hearts. It says neither is there any creature that is not made that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. God knows every part of your being therefore he's giving you this word his word that knows every part of your being to speak to you and if God is telling you do something in this word then he's speaking to you not me. It's easy for you to part yeah I don't know a thing reverend in my flesh I know nothing I don't know what it's like to live your life I have no idea. Okay but this word knows. This book knows. That's why we come to church for this book. The words of God okay they know your deepest thoughts and if God is telling you you can do something or you need to do something you say Lord you told me you know my thoughts this is not pastor telling me this is you telling me I better get busy I better stop living in my victim mentality downcast downtrodden can't do it can't achieve can't progress can't be more like Christ and I'm just gonna do what you've asked me to do. Let's keep going there verse number 14 just as a very quickly and look when you are challenged with God's words and it's a slap in your face what do you do? Oh pity party no says in verse 14 seeing then that we have a great high priest that is passing to the heavens Jesus son of God let us hold fast our profession for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Look when you're challenged and you know you got weaknesses and failings you don't run to man you don't run to the therapist and the psychologist and the and the you know whoever you think might have the intelligence to answer your issues when you're challenging no I've got failures in my life I'm not I'm not living the victorious life I'm living a depressed and cast down life you can't go to man like I told you I don't know what it's like to live in your shoes do they know what it's like to live in your shoes only God knows what you go through Christ has been tempted in all points like you were so you run to God you go to his throne of grace and say Lord I'm a I've had these issues Lord I'm weak I'm struggling I don't know if I can do what you ask me to do Lord help me then Lord please you commit those things to the Lord I think a man can help you man can't even help himself we can't go to heaven if you were just trying to help us like if if all God all right God just the way to heaven is that every man helps themselves then we're all going to die and go to hell only God can save you only God can help you and even as a Christian only God can give you direction instruction and guidance in the things that you're struggling with your thought life have victory don't complain don't whine don't make excuses excuses come with me to Genesis chapter 3 and I've preached on this many times but Genesis chapter 3 verse number 9 Genesis chapter 3 verse number 9 and the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him where art thou this is after Adam and Eve's sin against the Lord so God calls him he goes to the garden he wants to fellowship with them wants to talk to them where art thou and he said I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself God wants to be in fellowship Adam says I'm naked I'm going to hide myself you see this is every time when God asks something of you and you say Lord I can't do it this is exactly what you're going to go through you know you've been challenged by God's word whatever it is and you go I'm going to hide myself I can't do it and he said God said who told thee thou was naked has thou eaten of the tree where have I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat and the man said the woman whom thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the tree and I did eat Lord it's your fault the reason I ate of that tree is because you gave me that woman you know what's going to happen with victim mentality not only are you going to start blaming man you're going to start blaming God God it's your fault God why did you give me this these parents Lord why did you allow me to grow up in a broken home Lord why did you allow me to go for this traumatic experience that I went through Lord it's your fault Lord why did you give me life living in 2023 is not an easy journey why'd you put me in this time period Lord Lord blame the Lord I think it's a it's a I think it's a really bad place to be in your life when you start blaming God when he's done so much for you and he's done so much for you you know he's given you life he's given you salvation you know he's promised you great rewards and and glory in heaven for all eternity he's done so much for you he's died for you and we turn around we blame God oh and does he blame God he blames the woman the woman that thou gave us to me to be with me she gave me of the tree and I did eat forgive us number 13 and the woman sorry and the Lord God said unto the woman what is this that thou has done and the woman said the serpent beguiled me and I did eat the devil made me do it Lord blame the devil blame God blame the devil blame God blame human beings blame blame blame blame no I messed up Lord I messed up I'm weak I failed you see the victim mentality is oh no I'm the I'm the righteous one I I'm I'm the innocent one it's everyone else's fault and maybe it's even your fault God it's the devil's fault you know the devil can't make you do anything he tempts you but then you decide if you want to give into that temptation or not it's your choice oh the devil made me do it it's the worst it's like that's almost as bad as blaming God just I'm I'm the one at fault Lord but it starts here this is this is human this is human nature right this is human nature the very first sin against the Lord and they're already blaming others blaming God blaming the devil blaming the wife it's just excuses you know and I think we just need to learn to own up and say it's me I'm I'm to blame come with me to Exodus chapter 4 Exodus next book Exodus chapter 4 verse number 10 Exodus chapter 4 verse number 10 we know that the children of Israel were in Egypt and they're you know they're under heavy bondage they're in Egypt and then it's time for God to call them out of Egypt and he enlists Moses right Moses is the one that God will use to bring out of bring the children of Israel to Egypt now you know the story very famous story of course does Moses succeed does he get him out of Egypt yeah is was Moses a great leader absolutely all right and not just a great leader but a godly God-fearing man okay we know we know the the great accomplishments of Moses but I want you to notice when God is calling Moses and he says all right I'm going to utilize you to speak against Pharaoh and to bring my people out of Egypt it says in Exodus verse number four and Moses said unto the Lord oh my lord I am I am not eloquent neither heretofore nor since thou has spoken unto thy servants but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue he goes Lord you want me to speak to the king of Egypt Pharaoh you want me to speak your words and to encourage people I can't do it I've got a slow tongue I'm not eloquent I don't believe these words at all don't forget Moses grew up in Egypt he would have been educated by some of the best he was the Pharaoh's grandson pretty much pretty much the Pharaoh's you know adopted grandson he would have had the best education he would have the best of everything that Egypt could offer because I can't speak Lord I don't have I can't I don't have a good tongue I don't I'm a slow speech now God has already asked him to do this what do you see with Moses excuses can't be done and look if God asked me Kevin can you please deliver these people out of the most powerful nation of the land I'll be the saying the same thing Lord it can't be done I can't do it you can't utilize me you're someone else but he asked Moses you do it look God wouldn't ask you unless you can do it through his strength and through his power whatever God asks you in his word you can do it but you might be like Moses at the beginning complaining why I can't do it Lord excuses I've got this issue I've got this problem with my mouth look how God responds verse number 11 and the Lord said unto him who have made man's mouth and who maketh the dumb or deaf or the seen or the blind have not I the Lord now therefore go and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say says Moses stop making excuses I've given you your mouth I know whether you're eloquent in your speech or not I know whether you're slower speech or not but I'm still sending you to go because I'm gonna be with your mouth brethren whatever God asks of you you can do you can't say but you don't understand pastor my situation God knows your situation God's given you your life God's going to be with your mouth God's going to be with your legs God's going to be with your heart God's going to help you with your mind God's going to be there helping you along to have spiritual victory you can't be oh Lord I can't do it's not me woe is me pity party victim mentality you want to go down that road God's going to get mad at you because look at verse number 13 and he said this is Moses oh my Lord send I pray thee by the hand of him whom thou will send God send someone else verse number 14 and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said is not Aaron the Levite thy brother I know that he can speak well and also behold he cometh forth to meet thee and when he seeeth thee he will be glad in his heart and thou shall speak unto him and put words in his mouth and I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth and will teach you what you shall do and he shall be thy spokesman unto the people and he shall be and he and so even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth and thou shall be to him instead of God God finds a solution now later on Moses speaks for himself but at the very beginning he needed Aaron so God brings along Aaron to give him the strength but I want you to notice God got angry at Moses for making excuses but to help Moses along he says look your brother comes along he's going to help you out he'll do the talking okay God will speak to Moses Moses you speak to Aaron and Aaron can be your mouth at the very beginning but eventually Moses speaks for himself okay so what God asks of you okay you can do it and we know that we serve a merciful God if he needs to send you an Aaron or something else but you're still getting the work you still can do the work God still wants the work done whatever that work is in your life don't make excuses come with me to Mark 12, Mark 12, verse number 28, Mark 12, verse number 28, I better hurry up Mark 12, 28 I'll read it quickly it says and one of the scribes came and having heard them reasoning together and perceiving that he had answered them well asked him which is the first commandment of all what is the primary what is the most important commandment of all and Jesus answered him the first of all the commandments is hear oh Israel the Lord our God is one Lord and thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy hearts and with all thy soul and look at the next words and with all thy mind and with all thy strength this is the first commandment you know in the old testament this is a commandment of the old testament of course first commandment but in if you go back to the old testament it says to love the Lord God with all your heart with all your soul with all your strength or your might in the new testament Jesus Christ adds with all your mind but if we're going to win the battle of the mind we need to utilize this mind to love the Lord much of the thought life in your in your brain loves the world okay loves sin a lot that's happening in your mind does not love the things of God which is why you need to take it into captivity every thought into captivity that does not align itself with the things of God you're to love the Lord God with all your mind all of your mind that's your 12 000 thoughts to 60 000 thoughts per day God wants you to love him with every thought in that mind that's a hard battle that's a big war you better get ready are you ready to fight yourself to fight that mind it's a tough one but can we have victory in this area what did I say God wouldn't ask us if we could not have victory in this area it must be possible it must be possible to not have 80 negative thoughts it must be possible to have more than three hours of thoughts that are beneficial and profitable and helping me to be more like Christ Jesus it must be possible so it's not possible be careful because God's anger might be kindred against you it's loving with all your mind now let me give you some of my advice all right so just the practical side of things how can you fix your mind what are you wasting your thought life on number one as much as I love the internet and I love technology and I really do I actually really do all right I do but you need to unplug the programming I need to unplug the programming you're being brainwashed by the tv or youtube by fakebook by uh jutube already said youtube jutube by uh instasham by uh what's the other one's brother what's that yeah what's what's a good name for it by telesham you've been programmed okay you gotta unplug the programming listen mainstream media all it does turn on the news negative negative negative negative negative things negative things there's been an accident the economy's crashing uh you know uh I don't know you know natural disasters around the world you know trains come off its rails there's toxic fumes in the environment you know what else you know what it is brethren you turn on that tv watch the news you say I'm getting educated you're getting programmed to have negative thoughts negative after negative after negative you turn on the news a week from now it's still going to be negative there's still going to be a war somewhere or rumors of war somewhere turn off that tv for one year and you turn it back on I promise you it's going to be like you never left it it's exactly the same stories over and over and over again some other president's going to war now some other virus is hitting society some other technology is coming to take away your privacy negative negative negative negative I wonder why we have 80 negative thoughts we don't shut down that tv say pastor I'm smart I go on the internet I don't listen to mainstream media I do the alternative media the truth you know the truth what this truth because this is the truth is this what you're listening to is that is that I bet you it's not oh but it's it's it's highlighting you know antichrist is around the corner don't you know pastor that's all the vaccination you know is registered with payton of 606060 666 past don't you know it's all around the corner it's all about to happen look one day the antichrist is coming but I've been hearing this since I've been born I went to church in the 80s so they had a library of videos and books and pull out you know some documentary from the 70s mark of the beast technology the barcode barcode system has 666 on it you know this is just around the corner get prepared get off be afraid negative negative thoughts then the 80s same thing antichrist around the corner 90s y2k it's all going to happen it's all going to crash and burn and you won't be able to buy and sell so you better stock up your goods 2000s global financial crisis what is it gfc is that what you're saying global financial crisis it's all going to collapse and look some of these things are legitimate concerns and things happen fifteen percent of those things happen but then how many of those you handled you got through did you get through y2k did you get through the global financial crisis that you still live in so are you still okay like oh you're just like begging are you just scraping the bottom of your garbage can for food or something you got through it and look if the antichrist appears tomorrow I promise you something you'll get through it you're going to get through it so why waste your time worrying why in fact I'm going to get beheaded past all right you open your eyes with Jesus bring it on if that's the case be seeing the negative thoughts just prevent you they trouble you they bring sorrow they stop you from growing they stop you from being victorious in your christian life there's always something 2010s I don't know what happened what happened in 2010s I don't know something happened I'm sure something happened in 2010s and then 2020s covid restrictions and again it's this that highlighted to me that victim mentality it's all going to fall apart the antichrist is around the corner pastor we've got the technology now yeah they were saying that in the 70s it's 80s the 90s the technology it's about to happen it's up it's always it's always about to happen you go back you know a thousand years ago you know what christians are saying it's about to happen the whole it's all about to collapse you know what christian gonna be saying a thousand years from now those people that lived in and not that it's gonna be a thousand years from I don't know but let's say it does a hundred years from now they're gonna be like those christians in 2023 they had no idea they wasted the time worrying about the market they have no idea we worry about these things and pastor don't you know weather modification and uh I don't know the chemicals you know the the things that affect our bodies are right you know what it's not a carnal fight I'm willing to sacrifice this body let it die it's gonna die but this brain I want it to be thinking about god good things pure things honest things true things things that will help me to walk a victorious christian life just unplug the program in please I don't care how true you think it is it cannot be anywhere near as true as this book can't be sometimes I get recommendations pastor listen to this man he's telling great things the guy's not even saved it's not saved how does he know the things of god but apparently he's got all the information about how the ends how it's all going to take place at the end times the next thing not unplug the only unplug the programming but you've got to stop recalling recalling negative and traumatic events I'm not I'm not denying that you've gone through some traumatic and negative events I'm not denying that and you probably are a victim okay I'm sure many of you are innocent and had something happen to you but come with me to philippians 3 philippians 3 13 and you guys know this passage anyway philippians 3 13 philippians 3 13 see when you go to the therapist and the psychiatrist you know what they're trying to do they're trying to bring you back to those traumatic negative events retell them and retell them and retell them and try to figure out why you're struggling in life today because of what took place 10 years ago 20 years ago 50 years ago and I was looking this up and you know the vast majority of people that go to these these therapists whatever at the end of it it's not so much oh a burden's been lifted now I understand now I know what to do to move forward in life there is generally the vast majority of people are like man I feel so exhausted so tired so cast down because you're revisiting those things over and over again and you're not walking away with solutions the solutions they're offering you sometimes are just drugs take this drug help your brain desensitize you from the traumatic events yeah because you put me through those traumatic events again and again and again and again and you want me to be this perpetual victim over and over and over again it's wrong brethren the bible says in philippians 3 13 brethren I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of god in christ jesus why aren't you having spiritual victory you're recollect recalling things of the past over and you're reliving the events again you're experiencing the pain and the trauma and the sorrows again and again and again and you talk about it again you talk about it again and then you wonder why am I not doing more for the lord because you're listening to the world you've adopted reprobate philosophies to life and the world takes it on board and then the church is taking it on board look if this is the bible it's possible to forget the things of the past and the only way you're going to reach forth to the high calling of christ is by forgetting those things look again I'm not saying I think it's fine things have happened all right therefore I know why I am what I am today but what you don't do therefore I'm a perpetual victim I can't accomplish anything no you go well this is where I am right now therefore what do I need to do moving forward lord help me let me come before your throne of grace and lord direct me guide me I see this in your word I'm going to do it even if I don't think I can do it I never thought I could be a pastor and I'm nothing special let alone pastor in two churches you know I thought I could never even knock a door and give the gospel I'm sure many of us could say words like that you've done things for the lord that you never thought possible but you know what if you just lived in the past I can't do it I can't do it because of this because of that you've never achieved anything in life so stop recalling negative traumatic events the next thing I want to say is analyze your conversations and primarily your thought life what do you talk remember out of the balance of the heart the mouth speaker when you have conversations I want you to assess was that a positive conversation or was that a negative one was I edifying my brother in church or was I pulling them down was I criticizing them what is coming out of your mouth it's demonstrates what's in your heart in your mind analyze it it's fine okay we all say stupid things we all do stupid things you stop and you analyze think about it am I a negative influence or what am I a positive one the bible said in fact can you come with me to hebrews 12 can we meet to hebrews 12 actually no sorry go to ephesians 4 go to ephesians 4 i'll go to hebrews 12 you go to ephesians 4 ephesians 4 ephesians 4 29 ephesians 4 29 the bible says let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth let's stop there for a moment is this a command let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth it is okay god's asking to do that is it possible it must be say no no pass you don't understand i don't understand but god understands the word of god knows you and the word of god is telling you let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers so think of your week think of your conversations think of your thought life was it edifying they passed it wasn't edifying and you need to stop that you need to cut it out and before it comes out of your mouth it was in your brain in your mind you got to pull down that imagination you're going to have victory over these strongholds in your life verse number 30 look at this and grieve not the holy spirit of god whereby you're sealed unto the day of redemption you know when corrupt communication comes out of your mouth you're grieving the holy spirit you're not just a negative influence to yourself and to others but you're a negative influence to the holy spirit he grieves over it you're going to grieve the lord god of your life you need to have victory you need to win the battle of your mind and then he gives us some illustrations of what they look like verse number 31 let all bitterness let me stop there for a moment when you're recalling past events and your traumatic experiences you know what it does it just causes bitterness in your heart bitterness it's the one of the worst sins i can i hate bitterness i i i don't like that feeling of bitterness in me bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice are you experiencing bitterness this morning about some situation well let's grieve in the holy spirit of god god does not want it in your system get it out of your system analyze your conversations primarily your thought life okay are they positive or are they negative you want look i'm already thinking 80 negative thoughts do you want to contribute to making an 81 and 82 percent or do you want to contribute and give positive thoughts edifying thoughts to your brothers and sisters in the lord look if we're all standard 80 negative thinkers and we all decide you know what i'm going to stop this corruption coming out of my mouth in my mind don't you think instead of 80 this morning of negative thoughts it's going to be more like 70 60 50 there's most there's a lot of us if i have a conversation with every single one here let's say it's 40 of us i don't know okay we have a conversation with everybody here this morning and you all have a edifying you edify me positive experience with me that 80 is going to be more like a 20 negative thoughts 80 positive thoughts potentially we can affect each other we can help each other let me talk about bitterness very quickly hebrews 12 4 it says follow peace with all men is that possible follow peace with all men it's the word of god and holiness without which no man shall see the lord looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of god lest any roots of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled many are defiled with bitterness you've got to get out of your system you've got to get out of your system stop thinking about how you're mistreated stop thinking about the harsh words that someone said to you stop thinking about how your life is not where it should be because of the faults of those that have come before you or some traumatic experience you've got to pull yourself out of that brethren you've got to pull yourself out of it if you want to have victory over your mind you say how do i do that next thing i have for you brethren is you're going to learn to forgive learn to forgive learn to forgive for your sake it's not always their sake i can't forgive pastor you know the thought is if i just can't you know i can't let it go because if i if i hold on to it then somehow in a magical world they're feeling bad about that no they're not that person is not thinking about you whatsoever you're holding on to these bad thoughts these negative feelings and these bitterness and it's only hurting you and it's only hurting if you're married your spouse and if you have children it's only hurting your children and in church it's only hurting your church it's only hurting those that you love that you surround yourself with gotta let it go forgive for your sake the bible says the other infusions for looking let's keep going there verse number 32 remember we mentioned bitterness in verse number 31 and be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as god for christ's sake have forgiven you bitterness only hurts you not the one you're bitter against look people have done me wrong as well i know what bitterness feels like i know how it prevents you and stops you people have done me wrong as well sometimes i get asked about something that has happened in the past it's like oh you know what happened again in that situation and not that i'm some superman or anything like this but remember sometimes people ask me about some issue of the past and i'm like you know what i can't remember right now just give me a moment because i've forgiven it i've put it behind me it's not at the front of my mind it's somewhere buried deep within that i'm not even thinking about it anymore people ask me what happened in that situation hi you know i don't remember right now let me just go through it again i'm gonna walk through it walk through it and as i start to recollect recollect what happened you know what starts to happen i start to recollect what happened with brother so-and-so or situation x or situation y the emotion starts to come back the bitterness starts to creep back in the anger starts to develop all over again and all i'm doing is just remembering what happened you see i said about that situation you know what i forgive them lord because i want to just get on with life i don't want to be spending my time thinking about these negative things i've got so much more that you want me to do with my life lord why would i spend all this time thinking about these events when i've got my wife and children and churches and and my work and whatever else that i need to get get through the day well i'm going to be worried about the market you know what jesus christ says when you shall see the abomination of desolation you want to worry about the end times you want to start being concerned about them or wait for some man to take power on this earth and call himself god and blaspheme the god of the bible and set up some idol some image that people are going to worship that's when jesus christ says when you shall see that that's when you know so why waste your time now is that happening right now i get these text messages don't you know there's an idol set up somewhere in the united states and it looks like the beast of the end times revelate there are idols everywhere there's been idols for centuries and i mean listen we're not like daniel and his free friends like some guy right now is not setting up some idol that you're meant to worship or you get thrown into a fiery furnace and you worry about some little idol that looks demonic this is it's all over the world you really want to make that an issue in your life because all you're going to do is put burdens and worries and stress upon yourself and you spend time you know exposing wickedness spend time thinking of wickedness you're not going to find victory in your life just do what christ has asked us to do you know christ does not ask his believers to go around and take down every idol out there that's in the world and to just fight every battle i've got enough battles right here to take place this takes up a lot of my time it takes up a lot of your time and it's excuses whining complaining can't do it lord because of this learn to forgive for your sake the last one i have for your brethren is receive the preaching what i'm preaching so they receive it don't just hear it do it do it as soon as we finish the service this morning say lord i'm going to do this i'm going to find victory in my thought life well when i start thinking of stupid things that waste my time they just pull me down lord i need you to help me get victory of the thought and say no i'm not going to think about that i'm going to open your word and think of the things you want me to think about and do my life i want to win this battle of my mind braven you got to do it receive the preaching not as a kick to your head okay i'm not interested in kicking in your head i'm not interested in kicking you while you're down because they don't just keep you down you know what preaching should be a kick in your behind a kick in your pants say get on with it get up and get on with it get up and serve the lord get up and do what you know is right that's what preaching should be a kick in the pants get going not a kick to the head not a kick while you're down that's pointless what happens when you hear preaching sometimes oh man that's me pastor oh yeah you got me there so i'm just gonna stay here oh that's you missed the point you missed it i can't do it past you're right i'm a fan you're right you know what you're right pastor i'm what a waste of my time you know being cast down and making excuses you know what you're right i just need to do what god asked me to do even if i think i can't achieve it god says he knows i can achieve it therefore god's got to come through and help me you're going to receive the preaching by doing the preaching not what i see if i said something of my own opinion forget about it do what you've seen in god's word that's enough it's more than enough don't forget what god promises us so end on this one you know that god has not given us a spirit of fear but of what does anyone know that that verse he's not given us the spirit of fear but of of power and of love and what's the last one sound mind a sound mind okay brethren you can do it you can have god's already given you the power god's already giving you the spirit to have that sound mind power and love stop making excuses me too okay let's stop blaming everyone else and everything else we've gone through in life and if i kicked you down this morning a little bit if i've given you a kick it's not to your head okay it's not to your detriment you pick yourself up and say thank you pastor for that kick now i know i need to go and do what you've asked me to do not what actually what god has asked me to do i need to focus on that mind what is going on in my mind what is what am i allowing to influence this mind i need to take control of that okay i've got to find victory no more 80 of negative thoughts that won't go anywhere anyway more time thinking of things that are profitable things that love the lord things that don't grieve the holy spirit doing what god has asked me to do i don't want to anger lord he's asked me i better get busy and do what god's asked me to do okay let's pray