Renew#3

       We have been talking about renewing your mind for t last 2 weeks, & we're going to continue on that subject. Last week we talked about t prosperous soul.  How does your Soul prosper? Last time we said that it will prosper if you have t Word in it; & that's part of it, but there's more than just that. We're going to answer that question in this message. What is t result of a prosperous soul? What areas in your life will a prosperous soul affect? These are some of t areas that we will be covering today.

       I. 1st of all turn w/ me to 3JOHN 2.

                 A. John was writing this letter to a man by t name of GAIUS.

                             1. Gaius soul was prospering, & he was living in health & prospering financially.

                                         a. John goes on to tell us why he was prospering in his health, finances, & in his soul.

                             2. Look at V 3‑4_

                                         a. Gaius had a prosperous soul because t Truth was in  him, & he walked in it.

                                         b. Notice that John points out that not only did he have t Truth, but more important he walked in t Truth.

                                                     i. John stress that fact of him walking in t Truth in both V 3 & 4.

                 B. Many Christians have t truth, but are not walking in it.

                             1. Maybe you know t truth in your mind but are not living it.

                                         a. Maybe you hear it, but don't do it.

                             2. Let me see if I can give you an example;

                                         a. You've been taught how to pray in t Spirit & in your understanding.

                                         b. You've been taught how to tithe, & how to give.

                                         c. You've been thought how to live.

                                                     i. But are you doing it.

                             3. JAMES 1:22

                                         a. What is deception?

                                         b. To put it very simply, Deception is a lie.

                             4. Your soul will prosper if you know t Truth & walk in it; but if you know t Truth & don't walk in it, you are deceived or LYING to  yourself.

                                         a. & t Truth is not in you.

                                                     i. You may know some things, but t Truth is not  really in you until you are walking in t Truth that you have received.

                                                     ii. Read (1JOHN 1:5‑8)

       II. Now I better answer t question, What is t Truth?

                 A. T Truth is of course t Word of God.

                             1. Not walking in t Truth is walking in anything that is not  from t Word of God.

                                         a. Like Depression.

                                                     i. Depression is not t Truth, it's a lie.

                                                     ii. If you're depressed you're walking in a lie  from t Devil.

                                                     iii. T Truth says REJOICE in t Lord always.

                                         b. What about Worry? It's a lie from t Devil.

                                                     i. T Truth is that you should have cast all your  cares upon t Lord.

                             2. You need to realize that you have a soul, & you are  responsible for what you do w/ that soul.

                                         a. You can know t Truth, walk in it, & be prosperous, or you can live t lies of t Devil & suffer under t depression & oppression of those lies.

                                         b. T responsibility is ours. God gave us t choice.

                                         c. DEUT 30:19

                                                     i. Notice that God says that it's right in front of you: Life or Death, Blessing or Cursing, Freedom or Bondage, Joy or  Depression, Health or Sickness ‑‑ it's all before you but you have to choose.

                                                     ii. Choose life & live t God kind of life.

                                                     iii. Begin to think God's thoughts, or think on what God would want you to think on.

                                                     Iv. Choose to put t Kingdom of God 1st.

                                                     v. Choose to get your mind renewed to t Word of God.

       III. Your mind is t part of your soul which will control your life.

                 A. ROM 8:5‑8 (again)

                             1. As long as your in t body, you'll have to deal w/ t flesh, or what is known as t "sinful nature"; t lower nature.

                                         a. Paul said in (1CO 9:27) But I keep under my body, and bring {it} into subjection:

                                         b. Paul knew that his body would rise up & cause him to commit sin.

                                                     i. But Paul said, "I make my body submit. I make my body obey. I will not allow it to sin."

                             2. You also have a spirit, where t H.S. resides.

                                         a. In addition to t flesh & t spirit, you have a mind.

                                         b. Your mind can work both ways: fleshly & spiritually.

                                         c. Notice that t Bible says in (ROM 8:5), "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.:

                                                     i. Good things & bad things come from your mind.

                                         d. Let me give you an example,

                                                     i. I might say that I'm going to take up an extra  offering.  Out of your mind comes "put in $100.00", then you think "I  rebuke that thought in t name of Jesus."

                                                     ii. You have a choice: you can be carnally minded  or spiritually minded.

                                                     iii. T problems comes when you continually switch  back & forth.

                 B. What you must do is cause your thinking to be renewed.

                             1. Weather it's thru study, discipline, confession,  conversation, tapes, books, t Bible, take every method available to get  your mind renewed to t word of God.

                             2. Let me give you a paraphrase of what Paul said in (ROM 8:6)

                                         i. "To be thinking t things suggested by t lower nature  means death."

                                         ii. Death comes in different degrees.

                                                     a. You could be born‑again & dying in t sense of t abundant life.

                                                     b. That comes because your thinking on t lower  nature.

                             3. Paul went on to say in that paraphrase of (ROM 8:6)

                                         i. "To be thinking t things suggested by t spirit means  life, (t abundant life) & peace (t peace of God).

                                                              JULY 15, 1990 SUN AM