Brother Bill Sunday School 3/16/14

Brother Bill Sunday School 3/16/14

Retaining the mind of God through prayer by CE Orr, Odors from Golden Vials: 

A deeper thought is that we have such a union with Jesus that we can think His thoughts.  We are one mind and body with Christ.  This is mysterious but it is true.  Jesus being the head of this body, His will is to be done throughout the whole.  Between our mind and the mind of the Lord there is a connection something like the nervous system in the human body.  His thoughts become our thoughts.

1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

We see through the glass darkly but it is not so dark that we can see nothing.  The closer we live to God in this life the farther we can see into the life beyond. By his Spirit, God shines into our hearts.  If a preacher is to have the mind of Christ and their words be directed by God they must live much in prayer.

This is not just to preachers.  We must live much in prayer.  There are times when we are bringing the Word and we are oblivious to the needs that are there.  God deals with the heart.  When we have the mind of the Lord and draw from Him, all our source comes from Him.  It takes away from the individual when you look at it in the proper light.

You say, “I won’t hear anything except what the pastor teaches.”  The pastor still has to get it from the source.  No matter who we are we must get it from the source.  It takes away from any of us being something.  If we don’t go to the source, no matter if we are testifying or bring a bible story, it is most likely our agenda. 

That may be why there is such division; people haven’t gotten to the source and are bringing their agenda.  If everyone would have gotten the mind of the Lord no matter where we are, if they had taken time to draw nigh to God and have a deep walk with God, then each of us would have been under the inspiration of the Lord and we would not have all this mess.

Eph 4:1  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Eph 4:2  With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Eph 4:3  Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Eph 4:4  There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

Eph 4:5  One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

Eph 4:6  One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Eph 4:7  But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

The Father will not tell one person one thing, and another something else.  Because of their location and other differences, in Far Rockaway they operate in a different way but as far as the truths of God’s Word: unity, holiness and so on, they believe the same.

We know that it was one author that wrote the Bible because it lines up exactly through all that time.  We all come from different backgrounds, we will have different opinions.  If we all go to the same source, we will all agree because we take our own selves out of the equation.  God has never been wrong.  We can get it right every time if we go to the source.

This is where the work of the Spirit comes in. 

1Co 2:1  And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

1Co 2:2  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

When you get the mind of the Lord then you don’t have to know what is going on.  You get the mind of the Lord and He will help you.  Then when you are bringing the message out of inspiration of the Holy Spirit it can actually be a witness to the hearers that “This is of God.  This individual doesn’t know anything of my condition. They’re of God.”

1Co 2:3  And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

1Co 2:4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

1Co 2:6  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

1Co 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

To people that are not saved the scriptures in the gospels may be mysteries.  The disciples asked, “Why are you speaking to them in parables.  Jesus responded, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of God, but to them without it is not given.” 

The teachings of God can be a mystery to those that are not saved, but by living for God, God can reveal things to you.  God wants to give us understandings.

1Co 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

1Co 2:8  Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

If they would have had the mind of Christ they would not have done what they did.

1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

We can have things revealed to us.  That doesn’t do away with needing a pastor or needing the saints.  Even though I have a prayer life and am faithful to read and study God’s Word, we as humans can get a wrong idea and we can get off on something. 

If it ever works on you to get independent, I hope that God brings this to your mind:  As it has been brought out many times we need the body and we grow together.  We are not going to have anyone sprout up above anyone else.  The more you spend time with God then the more you will get from it, but still it is all of God, Him pouring into you.

I still remember getting off on an issue; it took the body telling me, “Brother, your thinking is off.”  It was the help of the body that helped us to see that we were not looking at things right.  We would not have lost our soul over the decision but there would have been some consequences that we had to live with.

It is really nice to be able to ask someone, “Am I seeing this right?”  God is faithful if we will seek and ask.  Because of our flesh, we have to be careful with how we make decisions. 

1Co 2:11  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

But by the Spirit of God: The things of God no man knows but by the Spirit of God.  We are going to know the things of God by the Spirit of God.  Because we have the Spirit, by His Spirit He leads us.  We must have His spirit and be led by Him. 

There will be times in life where you study the Word of God and think, “I’m going to get this all figured out, I’m going to get the bible, these concordances and all these helps.”  You can study and study and study.  There are people that are not here that endeavored to get saved and for some reason all they had was an intellect. 

I thought to myself, “Why don’t they get saved and take the position of just a little baby and draw nigh to God and Have God help them with some things and have the body help them with some things.” 

We think of Jesus teaching us to become as little children.  If the teachers would bring in the text books that they start with, we could see how much they need to learn. 

When we get saved, it doesn’t matter how much we thought we knew, we start all over.  Truth is withheld whenever there is pride thinking that we know.  Sometimes we stumble over simple things.

1Co 2:12  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 of God.

1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1Co 2:15  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

The word ‘Judgeth’ means to discern.  The more you draw nigh to God and draw from God the more you will be able to discern or understand.

1Co 2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.