Sermon Tone Analysis

Today I just felt impressed to *minister* on the *subject of **our thought life.*

*Not so much* in the *area of** **changing our thoughts from evil** **or** **ungodly things,* but *more in the area of* having a *proper mental attitude.*

*Paul said* in */(1ST THESSALONIANS 5:23),/* *“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.”*

*I) **Often* we *hear messages* *on** **how to believe God’s Word* and *how to believe with the heart.*

*A) **These things* are very *important* and they *must be taught*.

But very *little* is *said on* *our mental attitude.*

*1) *Turn with to *ROM 12:1-2.*

*(a) **Our mind* *or the soulish part of man* *plays a very **important part** **in the** **Christian’s life.*

*(b) *In *(V 2)* Paul says, *“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”*

*(i) **There is a** **transformation** **that** **takes place* *as we renew our mind.*

*(ii) **Part of that transformation* is going to *take place in our mind.*

*(iii) **As our** **mind is renewed*, we’re *not** **going to be** **thinking the same.*

*(c) **The **Amp.

Translation* *says* this, *(2)* *“Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].”*

*(d) **Many say* that the *mind* *is our intellect,* *but it’s more than that*.

*It **also** **controls** our* *emotions*, our *will*, *and* even our *attitude*.

*B) **Paul admonishes* *Titus* *about some things* in the book of *TITUS*.

I want you to *turn there* with me as we read *chapter 2.*

*1) **TITUS 2:1-15*

*(a) **In these Vs **Paul **covers everybody:* *men*, *women*, *husbands*, *wives*, *children*, and *servants*.

(*Employees*)

*(b) **Basically,* what *Paul is teaching* here is *to **live a holy life.*

*2) *But look at* V 10* *(TITUS 2:10)* again.

*(a) *The word *“Adorn”* *means* */“To beautify, to decorate, to make attractive.”/*

*(b) *What *Paul is saying* is that *if people will receive* the *instructions* *from these Vs* *and do them*, *they will* */BEAUTIFY/*, */DECORATE/*, and */MAKE THE GOSPEL ATTRACTIVE/* *to the lost.*

*(i) **We spend **lots of time* *adorning* our *bodies*.

We *wear nice clothes* to look good.

We *comb* our *hair*.

We *make ourselves **look** **attractive**.*

*(a) *There’s *nothing wrong with that*.

*It’s good.*

*(ii) *We *adorn* our *cars* by *washing* them, and that’s fine.

*(iii) *We *adorn* our *homes* to make them *look attractive*.

All of that’s *fine and good*.

*(c) **/BUT DO WE/* *follow Paul’s instructions* that will */adorn/* the */Gospel/* of Christ?

*(i) *Paul said, *“That they may adorn the doctrine of God.”* *(TITUS 2:10).*

*(ii) **Paul wants Christians to **make** the **Gospel* of Jesus Christ *attractive **to the world*.

*(iii) **Not attractive in a **phony** sense*.

*Not in **show*, *or **like Hollywood does*.

*(d) **Paul wants us **to make this **Gospel attractive*, but that *will only happen **by us living a life of victory.*

*(i) **Too often, **we see **Christians looking sad, **sometimes even** **beggarly*.

(They lack confidence in God and they become complacent).

*(ii) **No wonder the** **world isn’t interested* *in* the things of *God.*

*They see** **Christians living in defeat.*

*(iii) **If we start** **acting on the Word* of God, *we** **don’t** **have to live in defeat**.*

*II) *Turn to *JOHN 14:23.*

*A) *The *God* is *living** on the **inside** of **you* and *He’ll make things better** around you*, *if you let Him.*

*1) **He will teach you** **how to get out of poverty*.

*He will teach you how to** **get out of defeat* *and* *He **will teach you **how to **enjoy the blessings** of God*, if you will let Him.

*(a) *The *world doesn’t see any difference **between them and us.*

*(b) **We** **haven’t made* the *Gospel beautiful*.

*B) *Back in *(TITUS 2)* *Paul talks about* *several things* *that will** **adorn* the *Gospel*.

I’m *not going to get into all those areas*, *but** **there is* *1* thing that *I want you to look at.*

*1) *Turn back to *TITUS 2:6.*

*(a) **When Paul directed this to young men*, *I believe* that *God wants** **young men*, *old men*, *women*, and *children* *to be* */SOBER MINDED/**/./*

*2) *The words *“Sober Minded”* *means many things*.

*(a) *It can mean *“to be of sound mind,* *to be in one’s right mind,* *to exercise self control,* *to put a moderate estimate upon one’s self,* *think of one’s self soberly* and *to curb one’s passions.”*

*(b) **But there was* */another definition/* that *I liked*.

It can also mean */“HAVING OR INDICATING AN AWARENESS OF THINGS AS THEY REALLY ARE.”/*

*(i) **Not only* *is **Paul* *telling us to exercise self control,* but *he’s* also *telling us to have* *the **/PROPER MENTAL ATTITUDE./*

*(a) **A **right mental attitude** is 1 of the things that **adorns the Gospel.*

*(ii) **/YOUR ATTITUDE RESPONDS TO THINGS AS THEY ARE./* *We are to see things as they really are.* *Not as the world sees things,* *but as we are** **according to the Word* of God.

*(iii) **God’s Word is the truth*, *everything* that is *contrary* to the Word *is a lie.*

*(iv) *The *Word says* that *you are the head*, *not** **the** **tail*, you’re *above only **and **not beneath,* that *you are blessed **by Almighty **God*.

*C) **Failure* to *have* a *right mental attitude* is another *reason* that the *world hasn’t wanted* to have anything to do with *Christians*.

*1) *Most */CHRISTIANS/* have a */NEGATIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE./*

*(a) *The *world **doesn’t **see **any **difference **between us and them,* except we go to church.

*(b) **When problems come*, the people of *the world** **don’t* *see** **any difference* *between* *Christians and non-Christians*.

They */act/* the */same/*.

They */get down/* and */become negative./*

*2) *But we as *Christians* */don’t have to become overcome/* by problems.

*/We can overcome/* the problem.

*We can have victory in life.*

*(a) *The */VICTORY IS ONLY GOING TO COME AS WE RENEW OUR MINDS/* */and/* */PUT ON/* that */RIGHT MENTAL ATTITUDE./*

*(i) **We have to have that right mental attitude* */ESPECIALLY/* in the */midst of adversity/* and *when we’re going through test and trials, **lack and shortages.*

*(b) **When we have the right mental attitude* *when** **we’re** **going through** **these** **things,* the *Gospel** will **look** **attractive** to the **world*.

*(i) **Nobody wants to be around** **those** **that are** **negative**.*

*(ii) **They would** **much* *rather** **be around someone* that is *positive*.

*(iii) **They will even ask you,* *“How can you be so full of joy when you’re facing so many problems?”*

*(iv) **You can tell* them that *it’s **because of* the Lord *Jesus* Christ.

And *they will be attracted **to the Gospel.*

*III) *Now I’m */not talking about Positive Thinking./*

*A) **Positive thinking* is *not going to get you very far.*

*1) **Positive thinking* *or* a *right mental attitude* *does not come by you just making a decision* that *you’re going to be positive today.*

*(a) *It */comes from some place much deeper./*

*2) **/As you read/* *and study* the */Word/* of God, */faith/* will */begin/* to */grow/* on the *inside of you.*

*(a) *The */more time/* that you *spend**/ /**/in the Word/**/,/* the */more faith/**/ /**you will have.*

*(b) **/As/* your */faith/* begins to */grow/*, */YOU WILL KNOW/* that */what God says/* in His */Word/**/ /**/is true/* */and that/* is what */WILL CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE/*.

*B) **/If/* you see your */attitude beginning to change/**/ /**/and become negative/*, *it’s because you’re* */not spending enough time/* *meditating* */on the Word/* of God.

*1) *When you */decide/* that you’re going to */believe God’s Word/* and when you */get it into your heart/*, your */attitude has to change/*.

*(a) **/People that are negative/* do */not/* */believe/**/ /**/God’s Word./*

*(i) **I’m not saying* that *you can’t share with someone what you’re going through,* *but if that’s all you dwell on **you need to get back into the Word*.

*C) **We have an* */example/* *of someone in the* */Bible/* *having a* */wrong attitude./*

*1) *The */children of Israel/* were */always murmuring/* *about the problems*.

*(a) **/Murmuring is complaining/*, it’s a */form of negativism./*

*2) *Look at what the *book of Psalms* says about it.

*(a) **PSA 106:21-27.*

*(i) *Their */negativism or bad attitude/* */brought more problems./*

*IV) **We have another story* in the Bible of *what* */faith in God/* */and/* */a right mental attitude brought/* to the *children of God.*

*A) **DAN 3:13-15.*