Arm Yourselves w/the Mind of Christ #2

In this part of the sermon: He reviews the previous sermon's exposition of 1 Peter 4:1-2, reiterating Peter's pastoral burden to equip suffering saints with a right attitude of mind, founded on Christ's…

Peter's exhortation to 'arm yourselves with the same mind' is likened to a soldier putting on armor or a farmer taking up equipment, emphasizing the need to be furnished with a specific mindset.

And that central exhortation is, arm yourselves with the same mind. Using the figure of a soldier putting on his armor, or possibly a farmer taking up his equipment to farm as he ought, Peter says that we are to be furnished with a specific kind of mindset. Even the mindset that regulated our Lord Jesus in the midst of his suffering. And then we looked at the underlying principle stated in the middle of, or toward the end of verse 1.

7:28 - 8:06 Read in full sermon

The point: Be armed with a test for the teaching to which you are exposed: what place does it give to Christ crucified?

Martin uses the analogy of a three-dimensional projection to illustrate the four significant historical facts of Christ's life (cradle, cross, crown, clouds), arguing that the cross should be central and prominent.

of his life, but in his experience in the face of his suffering, particularly in the pinnacle of that suffering as experience. And that is what we have expressed as we saw this morning in Gethsemane and on to Golgotha. When we pick up the New Testament and we ask ourselves what are the central issues with respect to the life history of the Lord Jesus, if someone were to ask us, can you give me in a nutshell what are the historical events in the life history of the Lord Jesus that are significant for our salvation, we could answer that there are four events, historical facts that have profound ...

17:40 - 18:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Constantly be beholding Christ in the scriptures, especially in the gospels, to imitate Him.

He explains that hesitancy to emphasize the imitation of Christ may stem from overreacting to liberalism's rejection of substitutionary atonement or mysticism's extremes like stigmata.

It is imitation. It is imitation. Christ himself said I've left you an example to do as I have done to you. Follow my example. I've taken the role of a servant. I've done the servant's task. Follow my example. Now I don't want to beat it thin at the edges but I want to give enough text to substantiate for some newer to the Christian faith that this is indeed a recurring emphasis in the apostolic teaching on the Christian life. The imitation of Christ. Now why have many of us been a bit skittish about this emphasis? And we don't like to talk too much about imitating Christ. Well it's probably b...

32:18 - 33:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Constantly be beholding Christ in the scriptures, especially in the gospels, to imitate Him.

Martin describes the 'What Would Jesus Do?' (WWJD) fad, including bracelets and lanyards, to illustrate a superficial approach to imitating Christ, contrasting it with 'What Did Jesus Do?' (WWDJD) based on objective biblical revelation.

He doesn't want a God who has righteous fury against sin and whose fury can only be satisfied and his sword of justice slaked in the heart of his own son. He doesn't want that. And in our overreaction to liberalism that makes much of imitating Christ perhaps we have so overreacted that we do not give due place to this biblical emphasis. And then of course it may be an overreaction to the liberalism that is imitating Christ. And then of course it may be an overreaction to mysticism and monasticism in which the imitation of Christ led to such extremes as claiming to be marked by the very wounds ...

33:18 - 34:27 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin underscores the imperative for mental focus in the Christian life, drawing from Peter's exhortations to gird up the mind and Paul's teaching on the renewing of the mind…

The phrase 'girding up the loins of your mind' is explained as gathering in the loose folds of a long flowing garment and tying them up with a sash, symbolizing mental discipline and focus.

Peter says, you cannot set your hope perfectly on the grace to be brought to you if you don't understand the discipline of mental focus. He says, your mind is like a long flowing garment and if you're going to run, you've got to gather in all the loose folds and tie them up with a sash. He says, tie up! Tie up all the loose ends of your mind.

46:15 - 46:35 Read in full sermon

The point: Kids, recognize your responsibility before God to love Him with all your mind, even if parents are careless in monitoring TV.

Martin shares his personal experience of disciplining himself to work out on a treadmill and weight machine, despite not enjoying it, to illustrate that many duties are not 'fun' but are good for us, and the joy comes from accomplishment.

Do-do-do-do-do-do. Where do you find in the Bible that exercising the muscles of your brain is going to be crumbed? When people find out that I'm still stupid enough to discipline myself to work out regularly on the treadmill in the weight machine. Say, do you enjoy it? I say, no.

52:59 - 53:20 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin shares a personal anecdote about his strict English teacher, Miss Reynolds, to illustrate the long-term benefits and joy of diligent, even if not 'fun,' mental discipline.

He recounts his experience with his strict 8th and 9th grade English teacher, Miss Reynolds, who rigorously taught grammar, to illustrate the long-term benefits and joy reaped from diligent, even if not 'fun,' mental discipline.

Now most of you have heard about my English teacher, Miss Reynolds. My wife has threatened on more than one occasion. She said, one of these days, I'm going to scandalize you by telling the whole Christian world that for 43 years, I've lived with another woman in my home. And what she's talking about is Miss Reynolds.

56:24 - 56:46 Read in full sermon