Message - Renewing Your Mind To Live By Faith - Clover Sites

www.todaysword.org 706.564.5271 Elder Rick Pina Renewing Your Mind to Live by Faith Elder R.M. Piña Sr. March 19th, 2006 (8:30 am Service) (Romans 1:17) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written. The just shall live by faith. From Faith (Starting Point): Faith is our starting point as believers. We cannot please God without it and we must come to God in it. To Faith (Destination): Not only is faith our starting point, but it also where we are going. We start off by faith and we are heading towards faith. By Faith (Lifestyle): We came from faith, we are heading towards faith, and we will get there BY FAITH! We must learn to live a lifestyle of faith. (1 Thes 5:23 KJV) And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are tripartite beings: 1. I am a spirit 2. I possess a soul 3. I live in a body When we come to God: 1. My spirit is saved (or changed) instantly: By God’s Holy Spirit connecting with my spirit. (Romans 8:16 AMP) The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God. 2. My soul is saved (or changed) progressively: That is the focus of our message today. 3. My body will be saved (or changed) eventually: (1st Corinthians 15:52-54 CEV) It will happen suddenly, quicker than the blink of an eye. At the sound of the last trumpet the dead will be raised. We will all be changed, so that we will never die again. Our dead and decaying bodies will be changed into bodies that won't die or decay. The bodies we now have are weak and can die. But they will be changed into bodies that are eternal. Then the Scriptures will come true, "Death has lost the battle! So, for Born-Again believers, the emphasis should now be on our soul. Our spirit has been changed and our body will be changed, but our soul (mind, emotions, and will) have yet to be changed. We can have the holiest of entities living in us – the Holy Spirit – and still think the most unholy thoughts. Why? Because our soul (our mind) must be renewed. (Romans 12:2 KJV) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Metamorphosis: A marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function. Today we will teach you how to biblically bring about a change in your life. How to change your life from a living by sight to living by faith! Sharing a Living Faith with a dying and decaying world. 1

www.todaysword.org 706.564.5271 Elder Rick Pina We must first understand how we became the person we were when we came to Christ: Dr. I. V. Hilliard says that there are four main factors that shape our value and belief system: 1. Social Environment: Peer pressure is a powerful force; especially in our formative years. When we are searching for our own identity, we oftentimes mimic those around us. If we are around the wrong people, we will eventually become the wrong person. My mother oftentimes told me, “Show me who you hang with and I will tell you who you are.” Where did you grow up? What was your environment like? You are, in many ways, a product of your environment. If you want change you might have to change your environment! My Life: I changed the people I hung around. I knew that wisdom (good or bad) can be transferred by association, so I wanted to get around the right people. I started hanging around Ministers, because I wanted to be one. 2. Credible Authority Figures: This is very important. Your mind normally filters what you hear, based upon the relevance of the person who stated it. For example, if a person you do not consider credible makes a statement that you disagree with, you simply “blow it off.” The statement will not mean much to you, because the person did not mean much to you. However, if a person you consider credible says something you disagree with, then you will seriously consider the source. It may be that you are wrong in that area and that you need to research it for a possible change. If you want to renew your mind you will need to release a “right of passage” to people that you consider very credible in the Word of God. When you first come to God you do not know much about the Word, so many things will not make sense. Those persons you know truly have a relationship with God and truly teach the Word with accuracy and clarity are people that you can give a “right of passage” to. A right of passage means that you lower your natural defenses when you hear from these people and you seek to apply what they say to your life; expecting to receive similar results. (Heb 13:7 CEV) Don't forget about your leaders who taught you God's message. Remember what kind of lives they lived and try to have faith like theirs. What kind of credible authority figures did you have in the past? What did they teach you? If you want change you might have to change your authority figures! My Life: I changed the people that I gave a “right of passage” to. Some of my uncles and credible authority figures in my family told me things that did not line up with the Word of God; I had to deny them access to my soul and give access to a new set of people – like my Pastor and other Ministers I considered credible. Sharing a Living Faith with a dying and decaying world. 2

www.todaysword.org 706.564.5271 Elder Rick Pina 3. Repetitious Information: You eventually believe what you consistently receive. This is why it is very important to protect your “ear gate.” What’s in you abundantly will come out of you eventually. (Luke 6:45 CEV) Good people do good things because of the good in their hearts. Bad people do bad things because of the evil in their hearts. Your words show what is in your heart. Think about what you listen to. What do you hear over and over again? How is that affecting you? If you want change you might have to change your routine. My Life: I changed the music that I listened to and many of the movies and television programs that I watched. 4. Personal Experiences: Our personal experiences make the most impact on our belief system. I can tell a toddler that fire is OK to touch. His father can tell him, mother, cousins, etc. We can all say, “Touch it baby, the fire is good.” But as soon as that toddler touches that fire and gets burned, his experience will override everything we said. . Your experiences, prior to coming to God, have formed you into who you are. If you want to change, you will need new experiences. I am now going to take you through 5 steps that will help you experience God, as you LEARN TO LIVE BY FAITH! 5 Steps to Living by faith: 1. Asking: a) Definition: Making a petition to an invisible God and believing that He will respond in a tangible way. b) Distraction: The enemy will tell you: i. It is not natural to speak to an invisible entity. ii. Crazy people are the only people that act this way. iii. God is not listening. iv. You are not worthy. v. God will not answer your prayers. (James 4:2 CEV) You want something you don't have, and you will do anything to get it. You will even kill! But you still cannot get what you want, and you won't get it by fighting and arguing. You should pray for it. (John 16:22-24 CEV) You are now very sad. But later I will see you, and you will be so happy that no one will be able to change the way you feel. When that time comes, you won't have to ask me about anything. I tell you for certain that the Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name. You have not asked for anything in this way before, but now you must ask in my name. Then it will be given to you, so that you will be completely happy. Here we see several things: Jesus’ death gave us direct access to the Father in His name. We have the authority to use His name. God wants us to be happy. We have a responsibility to ASK an unseen God and expect tangible results. Sharing a Living Faith with a dying and decaying world. 3

www.todaysword.org 706.564.5271 Elder Rick Pina 2. Believing: a) Definition: To accept something as truth, without any sense realm evidence. b) Distraction: The enemy will tell you: i. The world taught you to only believe what you can see. ii. Believing and expecting something you cannot see is foolish. iii. Wait until you have it, before you tell anybody. (Mark 9:23 GW) Jesus said to him, "As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes." (John 20:24-29 MSG) But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, "We saw the Master." But he said, "Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won't believe it." Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, "Peace to you." Then he focused his attention on Thomas. "Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don't be unbelieving. Believe." Thomas said, "My Master! My God!" Jesus said, "So, you believe because you've seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing." Here we see several things: You will never receive what you refuse to believe. Your belief will set the limits to what you will experience in life. God does not have to make sense, because He is Spiritual, not sensual. God will bless that those believe, and expect, without having first seen. 3. Confessing: a) Definition: A statement you make, in agreement with the Word of God, regardless of your circumstances. b) Distraction: The enemy will tell you: i. This will not work. ii. This does not make sense. iii. This is fanatical. iv. Your forefathers did not do this. (Mark 11:23 KJV) For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Here we see several things: God expects us to speak to our circumstances. God expects us to speak – specifically – our desired outcome. God expects us to agree with His opinion of the situation. God expects us to add belief and faith to our confession, expecting to receive. This is the way you were saved: (Romans 10:9,10 KJV) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Colossians 2:6 KJV) As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: You received Christ by believing and speaking. You are now to live by believing and speaking. Sharing a Living Faith with a dying and decaying world. 4