Isn't that just like the Lord, so very much like Jesus? This is Larry Jones. You are listening to the Grace and Glory Hour of the Dyer Baptist Church with our co-pastors, David M. Atkinson and Dr. Lee Atkinson. We are coming to you from Dyer, Indiana. Our prayer is that you will be strengthened by the Word today. Now, here is our pastor. I do appreciate your faithfulness to this series we are using as a guide with a good deal of supplemental material. We're studying Dave Breeze's strategic book, Seven Men Who Rule, present tense, Rule the World from the Grave. If it seems to you that I'm spending a lot of time building up to a closer look at the seven men, you're not having a problem with your mind. That's as close to a pun as I can get, because this series is so much about the mind. If it seems like I'm taxiing a long time before I get this airplane off the ground, I really am. because the early part is building a scriptural foundation with respect to the importance of thinking and all the scriptures that bear upon the subject of the mind and thinking. Quite candidly, if the world and history goes on long enough, Soon there'll be more men who'll be ruling the world, right? The faces will change, the names will change, but there'll be more men who will join these seven in ruling the world from the grave. So what we need to do is get a template so we can impose our scriptural template. which we're building up here in the beginning of this series, to be able to evaluate every leader, whether it's a church leader or a leader in the economy or in politics or theology. We're building up this template so that Should we even forget Freud's name? Should we forget Wellhouse's name? We still can get it and see it and recognize it when it comes down the pike in the future. Having said that, I will add. If we fail to recognize the power of an idea, and that's what we've been discussing most recently, the power of an idea. If we fail to recognize the whole of an idea, we will fail to recognize the influence of false ideas upon our world and even upon our own thinking. The apostle said we're not ignorant of Satan's devices, but we can become dulled. The word speaks about becoming dull in hearing, and we can become dulled with respect to the influence of false ideas, even on our own minds. How can you drive from Lake Station to downtown Chicago without having your mind bombarded with billboards? Just bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. And the indecency of many billboards, not only in greater Chicago, but even in smaller towns in Florida. We need to recognize the power of an idea to grab and to warp the mind and the thinking. If we don't recognize the potential power of an idea on our own thinking, we will not be able to resist the falsehood, neither will we be equipped to rescue others who have been influenced by the falsehood. This is what the ministry of Brother David Dong is all about. And you see, this is what some would call a slow ministry. He's trying to counter atheism up on the campus of Purdue, and atheism among his own earthly followers. Chinese brothers and sisters. So if Brother Dong doesn't have an understanding of the power of a false idea, how can he engage in conversation or evangelism with the Chinese students and students that come to Purdue from all over the world? So you see the three R's. Sounds like a preacher wrote this and they breeze was a preacher. We have to recognize the power of an idea The influence of a false idea we have to resist ourselves Because if we don't resist ourselves, then we cannot rescue others who have been influenced by the falsehood Let's turn to 2nd Timothy 2, please 2nd Timothy 2 verse 24. I'd like us to read this passage in The second Timothy 2.24. We'll just take the whole thing in unison, pausing at the punctuation. Second Timothy 2.24. Do you have it? The first two words are and the. All right, let's read together, please. 2 Timothy 2, 24. And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves. If God, peradventure, will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will. We talked about the devices or strategies of the devil. Here they're called the snares of the devil. What is repentance? What is repentance? What is repentance? Yes, sir. Yes. Good. Would someone care to amplify? That's totally correct. But yes. Turning and going the opposite direction. And what has to first turn before your feet or your eyes are going? What has to first turn and change? Yes, your head, your head, your mind. Repentance is a change of mind which leads to a change of behavior. I like a deacon who knows where I feel there has been a de-emphasis in the last 25 years with respect to repentance. It's godly sorrow, Brother Terry. It's godly sorrow. It's grieving over our sin of hence a holy God. Because for years, when I first became a Baptist, it's a change of mind. Pray the prayer you're in. It's a change of mind that will impact and lead to a change in your behavior. If it doesn't get down to the shoe leather behavior level, it was just a mental ascent, voting against hell. It's a grieving that changes the mind and eventually leads, now I'm not talking about sinless perfection. We change from glory to glory. We're not instant Christian perfection. It takes a whole lifetime to get us ready for heaven. But if there's no change whatsoever in the direction, then what kind of a new birth is it? It says here that the servant of the Lord, anybody who is trying to evangelize and reach unsaved people, the servant of the Lord is to serve and work, if God, peradventure, will give them repentance. So there's a reference, again, to the mind. Repentance, a change in the mind, which leads to a change in behavior, to the acknowledging of the truth, as opposed to being wedded to error and falsehood. It's a total change. moving from being captured by error to being captivated by truth. This word strive tells us that this is a very tall order for ladies and gentlemen and teenagers in a local church, for pastors and missionaries. We're to be instruments of this kind of change without striving. Did you ever want to strive? The word strive in the Greek is makomai, makomai. And you know what it means? Quarrel. We're not supposed to quarrel with the atheists. It's a pretty tall order, isn't it? Do you think your brother David ever gets exercise when he's talking to the folk from China? Why don't you see the truth? Why are you wedded to the heir of atheism? Why don't you say it? He's a much more passive man than I. If it were me, I'd be tempted to strive. I'd be tempted to quarrel. I'd be tempted to jump up in the middle of a prof's lecture and say, this is wrong. This is darkness. But Paul said to this young pastor, don't mackle my Don't strive. Another meaning is dispute. That's hard to do, right? It's spiritual warfare, and we want to see the minds of people turned from spiritual darkness to spiritual light, and we're supposed to do it without disputing, without, the other word, fighting, without quarreling. We're to do it without this striving. In meekness, well, that helps to define what the opposite of striving is, right? Even if we didn't know what makomai means or striving implies, we get a pretty good idea there at the beginning of 25 when evangelists who are trying to win people to Christ are told to minister in meekness. the opposite of disputing and striving. Instructing those that oppose themselves. This phrase, oppose themselves, means to set oneself opposite. Set oneself opposite. You're fighting against yourself. The people who believe lies are hurting themselves. They're fighting against their own best interests. If God for adventure will give them a change of mind, which will lead to a change in behavior, to the acknowledging of the what? Truth, as opposed to lies and falsehood, and that they may recover themselves. It means become sober. Think of someone who's drunk. Think of someone who is inebriated, inebriated by lies, falsehood, atheistic, agnostic philosophies. Do it meekly. so that these people can have a change of mind, a change of heart, and a change of behavior. And so they'll stop fighting against themselves and stop being drunk on falsehood and regain their senses. So we are to recognize, resist, and rescue those who are involved in error. Let's read together here first Peter 1 13 read it with me, please wherefore Gird up the loins of your mind be sober and hope to the end For the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ It would be my interpretation that this revelation of Jesus Christ is not the rapture because remember the rapture the rapture is signless, the rapture could take place at any moment. The rapture, I know we have the pictures of people being lifted up from the ground and that's fine, that's a fine way to picture it, but remember the revealing of Jesus comes at his second coming, his second coming. When the rapture takes place, The powers that be will be able to rationalize it all away. You know, the Martians came and the UFOs came and just carried on a bunch of people. But we're still in control. But it's my interpretation that this refers to the second coming of Jesus when he will be revealed and unveiled in all of his glory. Now, speaking further about the mind, Peter talks about the loins of your mind. And this is a word picture. This is a word picture. I thought for a moment, but no longer than for a moment, I thought about wearing a robe today, wearing a robe. And to gird up the loins of your mind is the picture of the men, the men wore. Long garbs, trousers. In the days of both testaments, they wore the long robes. But if they had to run, what do you suppose they had to do to make any time at all? What did they have to do? If you gentlemen don't know, just try running in a row. Next time, our team, our team did a wonderful job on Friday. And you say, well, you're the emeritus. You'd be expected to say that. No, they worked very, very hard, very, very hard, and came from behind. And they almost got a team that averaged much taller height and much stronger in the shoulder. Anyways, OK, the next time. The next time our team goes up there to Bible Baptist, we'll put them all in robes and say, okay guys, go out there and win. What do you suppose it means when we talk about girding up the loins of your mind? Anybody, please. Anybody, what does it mean? Very good. Yes, Brother Hodge is correct. It means to grab that long robe and to bring it up to your loins, to your hips, your waist, and to tuck it in under the belt so that your legs are free to run. And Peter says, we are to gird up the loins of our mind. Be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. The mind is critical. It's crucial. Let's think further about the gods of the mind. 2 Corinthians 10, 4, and 5 are our theme verses for this series. Control is a matter of the mind. Turn to James 1. Control is a matter of the mind. This material, a lot of it, especially the references, is material that I added to Dave Brees' notes. But it's been so long ago that I don't know what is his and what is mine. But I give him full credit. I do know that I added a lot of scripture and other Other observations, James 1.8, James 1.8. Read that in unison, please. The first word is together. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Again, a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Is the situation of a double-minded man, is it a secure situation? No, it's not. You've got to get the mind single. You've got to narrow it down to a core philosophy if you're going to influence that man and change the world. Now, look also at James 4.8. James 4.8, please. James 4.8, let's read that, please. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. Do you see how the heart, the mind, and the hands are all connected? And there we have our method of how repentance works. Hearts, mind, hands, right? If my hands are going to change, Their activities. I'm going to have to have a change in my heart, mind, and heart and mind are very, very close in the Bible. If I'm to have a change in what I do with my hands, I have to have a change in my heart slash mind. So control is a matter of the mind. Now come to Colossians 1, Colossians chapter 1. Colossians 1. All right, here we are. Colossians 1 and 21. Just listen as I read this one. Thank you. Colossians 1, 21. And you, he's writing to professing believers, and you that were sometime alienated and enemies, where? In your mind. By wicked works, you see, the connection between the thinking and the doing. Your thinking was wicked, so your works were wicked. Yet now hath he reconciled. This is this wonderful change of mind and works that we call the new birth regeneration. Your enemies in your mind, we're talking about philosophies and notions that rule the world. and the world is presently ruled by that which is at enmity or enemyship against God. And it has to be changed for there to be a new kingdom, the kingdom of our Lord. Now go to Colossians 2.8, Colossians 2.8. This should remind us of our theme passage back in Corinthians. Read with me, please, Colossians 2, 8. The first word is beware. And we'll get verse 9 as well together. Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead body. The rudiments are the base. Base elements, which in a context of depravity, can lead to animal-type behavior. Base, rudimentary, low, in combination with depravity, can lead to very, very animalistic behavior. The truly powerful leader must influence the minds of men. Come to Acts 14. Acts 14. The truly powerful leader must influence the minds of men. While we're getting there, let me just say this, which I wrote. to put in here. Regeneration, we call it the new birth or being born again. Regeneration is a mega mind change. Would you agree? If any man be in Christ, he's a new creature. Regeneration is a mega mind change. The greatest mind change that human nature ever experiences. Getting saved, being regenerated. Acts 14, 1 and 2. I'll read it, would you listen? And look, please, for the struggle for the mind. Watch for the struggle for the mind. And it came to pass in Iconium that they, this is referring back to the antecedents, Paul and Barnabas, mentioned in verse 50 of chapter 30, they, Paul and Barnabas, went both together into the synagogue of the Jews and so spake. that a great multitude, both of the Jews and also of the Gentile Greeks, believed. But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and made their minds evil-affected." When you read it, put those two words, evil-affected, together. They made their minds evil-affected against the brethren. Talk to me about the battle going on in verses 1 and 2, just in your own words. What's going on? There are two sides. What are the two sides, and what's happening? Anybody? Brother Hodge? Exactly. Exactly. And who are the flesh and blood ones? And your answer will not be racist. Who are the flesh and blood ones who are opposing the message of Christ? Yes. Unbelieving Jews. Now, Paul was a Jew. So this is not a racial issue. And anyone who would try to turn this into racism is loony. That's Greek for dumb. All right. So the one side. are the anti-Christ Hebrew religionists. What's the other side? Anybody? Yes, Paul and Barnabas, and they are Christians in their mind and their thinking. So, verses one and two, the whole thing is a battle for human minds in connection with what we call the core heart. the motivational locus of human processing and action. So he who would influence another person, or his family, or his town, or his state, or his nation, or the world, he must produce a mental construct, a mental construct, a mental image in the mind. All of our thoughts, all of our thoughts are pictures. I won't tell you who it was, but someone said to us this week, I dreamt all night, and my dreams are always in color. I dreamt all night, and my dreams are always in color. I won't ask you if your dreams are black and white or in color. We don't need, what is it, the NBC Peacock? Or was it CBS? Anyways. Yeah, if you're going to influence your child or your neighbor, or if you're going to run for town council, or if you're going to wrestle for a soul that needs to be delivered from darkness to light, you must. And of course, with those of us who are Christians, we have the help of the Holy Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit can drive it home and convict and convert, but you must produce a mental construct. The person must see that his drug addiction or his booze addiction or his porn addiction is counterproductive to his own sanity and well-being. And he must be able to see himself as a man-made whole, right? Not paying out thousands of bucks every couple of weeks for booze or drug. You've got to get it into a picture in the mind. Let's go, please, to Romans 7, Romans 7, 23. Romans 7, 23. And watch for it. Watch for the mind. Watch for the influence upon the mind. And let's read this in unison. Now, we've all been here, all right? The seventh of Romans is rather warmly disputed by theologians. Some say that the inspired Apostle Paul is harking back to the struggle before he got saved. Others say, no, he's talking about the ongoing struggle that continues in our lives as long as we're on earth, until we are glorified in heaven. So I repeat, some say the seventh chapter talks about Paul's former life, when the battle went on, others say, no, it's the ongoing struggle toward sanctification that we still experience even after we've been saved. All right, but look for the mind and how it's influenced. Verse 23, please. First word is but. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind. and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, with the mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. So the mind is mentioned in various ways, with various meanings. The mind is mentioned in both verses 23 and 25. We'll not take the time to turn to it. I believe most of you know the account quite well. I'm talking about that passage there in Daniel 1, 3, 4, and 7. Without looking. Who can tell me? Who can tell me what Nebuchadnezzar's right-hand man changed about the 1 plus 3. You know, I call the 1 plus 3 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Is it easier for you to remember their Hebrew names? Oh, now I'm about to give my own question away. I'll back up. What did Nebuchadnezzar's right hand man change about Daniel and his three Hebrew friends? What did he change? Sorry? Yes, their diet and? Good, good. Their names, yes, excellent, excellent. Both, both involve a change of mind. Nebuchadnezzar changed the learning the philosophizing, if you would, Nebuchadnezzar changed the learning, the language, and the names of those he conquered and wanted to be sure he had conquered, period. He was reprogramming their minds. I'm sure that all of you know that the original Hebrew names of the 1 plus 3 had Jehovah's name built right into them. Daniel, El Shaddai, El Gibor, all right. Daniel's name had part of the name of Yahweh, Jehovah built right into it as the last syllable of his name. And the same with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, their Hebrew names, had God, the only God, built right in so that they would never forget. It would be reinforced on their mind. But the names that Nebuchadnezzar's right-hand man gave them had variations of Bel, the pagan, the pagan gods, B-E-L, built right into them and derivatives of the names of other false gods of battle. So this is part of the influencer, the one who wants to rule his little world or his big world, producing a metal construct in the mind which works its way out into shoe leather and our behavior. A mental construct is an image the influencer sets up in the minds of others. A mental construct is an image the influencer sets up in the minds of others. Now, oh, you may think I'm, oh, I'm, the major networks, Better not hear me say this. Daniel 3 is the chapter about Nebuchadnezzar's image. A 90-foot, 90-foot, what is that? How many stories? Nine stories? Nine stories? You say it was awfully tall and thin, I know, but it probably was on a base. So it was 90 feet tall, and the base, or rather the feet, the feet were nine feet wide, but it was probably attached to a base to keep it from toppling over. It was gold. He set that up and said, y'all have to fall down and worship or You're done. Listen carefully, and I have to stop. I am adamantly, totally opposed to racism and slavery. I'm adamantly, totally opposed to racism and slavery. Listen, the statuary The imagery, 90 feet by 90, the statuary imagery of a nation is a very big deal. Now we can have a choice of Washington and Lincoln or Mount Satan and Joseph Stalin. Do you remember when they pulled down the statue of Saddam Hussein? That was a pretty, pretty big deal for the people of Iraq. And I hate slavery, but I'm going to tell you, the knocking down of statues and the renaming of the schools, it's a really, really big deal for America. The statuary of a nation reflects the thinking, the mind, and the future direction of a nation. And there are people in our beloved nation who'd rather have Karl Marx on a statue in Washington than the Lincoln Memorial. That's the absolute truth. We're talking about to influence people. You have to create a mental image or a mental construct. And that the statuary of a nation is a very big deal. The three-foot-long posters in a teenager's bedroom are a real big deal. I remember one of our youth pastors got a family upset. The family's been long gone. I still hear from them. We love them. But they got upset at one of our former youth pastors because girls had pictures of ungodly role models in their bedroom. And the pastor tried to plead with those parents. They got cross with him. But look, it turned out just the way the youth pastor predicted it would. The statuary, the imagery of our lives in our mind and on our bedroom walls and in our capitals reflects where we're thinking and where we're going. And you have to change that if you're going to control the world. Thank you for joining us today. We'd love to hear from you. Our email address is GraceGlory7 at Juno.com. GraceGlory7 at Juno.com. Pastor David M. Atkinson also has a ministry on Facebook and invites you to connect with him there. Now, until the next time, remember to walk softly with the Lord.