Having the Mind of Christ

The sun emerged from an overcast weekend to make brilliant the beautiful maples and other trees that line our rural roads, especially colorful in our Northland autumns. We had a guest minister this morning, so the initial portion of the service was conducted by Chuck Vanderscheuren who welcomed us warmly and shared announcements.

Announcements
1. Adventure Club will begin this Wednesday night, 5:30 – 7:00. All kids welcome for fun, food, and fellowship.
2. Building Committee will meet Tuesday evening.
3. Women: be sure to fill out the survey in the back of the church pertaining to women’s Bible study. If you have additional questions, contact Joanne Winship.

Following a brief introit by Darlene, the quartet led us into worship with singing.

Today’s Scripture Readings
Exodus 17:1-7
Philippians 2:1-3

During our praise and prayer time it was apparent that there are some real needs and hurts among us and much to pray for. We are grateful to have a God who hears and is not indifferent to our pain.

Having the Mind of Christ
Our guest speaker this week was the Rev. Ben Larson who began by expressing his being grateful to be here. In 2008 he has held issues that kept him from the pulpit and even this week he was uncertain as to whether he’s be able to join us, noting that for fifty years he has had difficulties caused by a disease called French polio.

He opened his remarks with an anecdote told by T. Boone Pickens this past Monday at the National Press Club. The billionaire oil man was addressing wind power and alternate energy issues, but during the Q & A was asked what he thought about the presidential race. He replied by telling a story about ninety year old man who had recently been honored in his own community. Some one commented to the old man, “You must have seen a lot of changes these past ninety years,” to which the old man abruptly replied, “Yes, and I was against all of them.”

The text for today’s message was taken from Philippians 2, specifically verse 5 where Paul writes, “Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus…”

It is interesting to note that God has a mind, and that we, being made in God’s image, have a mind, the mind of the Son of God.

In one place Scripture notes that God searches the minds and hearts of all. In Romans 12 Paul admonished us to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Today’s message, therefore, was an outline of what it means to have the mind of Christ.

A Mind of Love
Rev. Larson shared how there was a black velvet banner with gold letters on it in the church where he grew up. The letters spelled out the verse in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His son…”

“I didn’t always love God,” Rev. Larson noted as he told us the story of how he came to encounter God during a Bible camp. He said it was there that he learned that the many of the stupid things he had done were sin, and when he couldn’t sleep one night he went out and prayed. There were no lightning flashes, but there was a blanket of peace that came over him.

He shared, too, his brother’s testimony, how he came to find salvation while a sailor. God loves us and pursues us.

A Mind of Wisdom
Wisdom comes from having the mind of Christ.

Rev. Larson told an anecdote about an African American minister he once knew names S.M. Lockridge. Rev. Lockridge said to him, “When you get angry, you get red. And when you are scared, you get yellow. When you are cold you turn blue. So how is it that you call us colored?”

Lockridge offered this practical advice regarding wisdom. “Get some learning so people don’t look down on you. Then get more learning so you don’t look down on others.”

God emptied Himself of his deity. He didn’t come to be served, but to serve others.

The Cross is follishness to the Greeks, Paul said, and a stumbling block to the Jews. But it’s central in our faith because it reveals the wisdom of God.

A Mind of Compelling Strength
The letter to the Philippians was written while Paul was imprisoned in Rom. “Have this mind in you…” he wrote. There are actually two meanings for this word in the New Testament. In this instance it encompasses both: intellect and knowledge.

Paul had spent time with the Philippian church (as well as time in the Philippian jail) and had a deep love for this church. He had evidently gotten word that there was trouble there between two women in the church and he appeals to them to work out their differences. Small things can get under our skin and fester, becoming big things.

The Holy Spirit was given to be our comforter and our strength, as well as our coach.

“I’d rather attempt something great and fail than to do nothing and succeed,” Norman Vincent Peale once said.

Jesus said, “I lay down my life…”

The Mind of Glory
It is a mind that understands glory, that understands God and His orientation. It’s a wonderful mind. It is not by imitating Him that we obtain this, but by yielding to Him who dwells within us.

He then told a story about Aunt Selma. Aunt Selma was a dear Christian woman who loved everyone. She was wise, and never condemned. Everyone loved her. She knew what was right and lived it. One day, she asked the pastor to come over, and after visiting a little said she wanted to discuss her funeral arrangements with him. She said when she was in her coffin she wanted a Bible in her left hand and a fork in her right.

The pastor understood the Bible in one hand, but was confused by the request to have a fork in the other. She explained. “At church dinners as they clear the tables after you’ve eaten, they sometimes say keep your fork. When they say ‘keep your fork’ then I always know the best is yet to come.”

So it is that when we have the mind of Christ, we know… the best is yet to come.

Don’t Despise the Day of Small Beginnings

Pastor Brad Shannon opened the service by welcoming any guests that were here among us, noting that this was a place to meet God and we’re glad you’re here.

The service was again conducted in a restructured manner, with announcements preceding the sermon, and the worship, offering etc. taking place after. Here were a few of the important announcements cited.

1. The CHIC Rummage Sale fund raining event will be held next Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Gethsemane Covenant. If you have items to sell, bring them to Gethsemane Covenant after 5:30 p.m. on Friday evening, or call Cheryl Borndal to arrange a pickup.
2. Joanne shared that there was a survey in the back of the church which she would like all to pick up. She is seeking to arrange a women’s Bible study.
3. Paula shared that the Circle of Life women’s group will be meeting monthly from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and (among other things) their next meeting will be Octrober 18.
4. Brooke shared that Adventure Club for kids will begin again, starting a week from Wednesday.

After an introit by Darlene, Dana Stroschein shared a song with us. But beforehand, Dana opened her heart and shared about an fresh experience she’d just had. Saturday night she participated in a “homeless night” event in which people spent the night in boxes or tents. Dana spent the night sleeping in a box. What excited her was that in the morning she had an unexpected opportunity to share her faith in a manner that came natural to her. The woman said she was not into religion, and Dana said, “I don’t do religion either; I do God.” It was a powerful testimony.

Don’t Despise the Day of Small Beginnings
Pastor Shannon began his sermon by talking about names, citing people whose original names we may not be familiar with, who became famous by other names. In the realm of sports Lew Alcindor we came to know as Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, and Cassius Clay became Muhammed Ali. In the world of entertainment, we know Reginald Dwight by his name Elton John, and Robert Zimmerman as Bob Dylan.

There are others with famous nicknames and some – like Dale Earnhardt – who were known by their numbers,

This morning’s sermon was taken from Revelation 3, the letter to the church at Philadelphia. The ancient city of Philadelphia had been built on an earthquake fault line and as a result had to be rebuilt many times, often with new names. It was a city with an ever changing identity. For this reason, Jesus makes a promise to these people in verse 12, “I am going to change your name to an unchanging name.” There is a future for you in which you will never have to move or re-build again.

Verse seven, which opens this section, begins with “These are the words of Him who is holy and true. My name… Holy and True. I am sovereign, holding the keys of the house of David. This reference comes from Isaiah 22, and to the Philadelphia church He is saying, “I’m that guy. I hold the keys, and what I open no man can shut, and what I’ve shut no one can open.”

Often Jesus opens doors for us, but we tend to want to go through doors that are locked. The key to getting it right is to listen, for Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice.”

Brad shared an example of a ministry that was started by two young people who simply listened and stepped out in faith. They used to go to downtown Minneapolis loaded with bag lunches which they dispersed to hungry and homeless people along Nicollet Mall which riding up and down the mall on skateboards. They called their ministry Shredding for Jesus. By stepping out, others became involved, and when they later moved to Chicago to go to Bible school, others took over the Minneapolis arm of this work. They started a second route in Chicago, expanding the circle of impact.

Open doors exist all around us. We need to be willing to walk through.

In this letter to the church at Philadelphia, Brad noted that there were no words of rebuke. “I know your deeds. I see your courage. You may not be the richest and most powerful, but I’m using you because you depend on me.” Jesus says to us. ”Never forget when you are weak that I am strong.” Small churches can be used in mighty ways.

God wants to use us to start serving our community. The enemy whispers lies to us saying, “You’re small, you’re weak. What can God do with your puny church?”

Pastor Shannon exclaimed that he wants us to embrace the motto, “We are willing to be inconvenienced for the Gospel.”

In the letter, Jesus says not to worry about that Synagogue of Satan. “I will be with you. I’m coming soon. Don’t let anyone steal your joy. Stay positive and hope filled.”

The close of this sermon was a reading from Romans 8, the resounding affirmation of Christ’s faithfulness and unfailing love from The Message.

So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

They kill us in cold blood because they hate you. We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.