.

TCC–1310
1
GET CONTROL

A. Introduction: We’ve begun a new series on the mind. The mind is the portion of our makeup that reasons
and thinks, that wills and makes decisions. The mind is therefore a major factor in how we live and act.
1. The Bible has a lot to say about what Christians are supposed to do with our mind. Note these passages.
a. Prov 4:23—Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life (NCV); Be careful how
you think. Your life is shaped by your thoughts (Good News Bible).
b. Col 3:2—Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth (NLT).
c. Phil 4:8—Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure
and lovely, and dwell on fine, good things in others (TLB).
d. Phil 4:6-7—Do not worry about anything…and God’s peace, which is so great we cannot
understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (NCV).
1. However, these kinds of verses bring up questions that must be answered. How do you fix
your thoughts on God and your focus on Heaven and still live and function in the real world?
And, how can you think only of good things when there is so much bad all around us?
2. Each of us knows what it is like to have thoughts run through our mind that we can’t seem to
control. We all know what it’s like to have overwhelming thoughts of anxiety racing through
our mind, along with genuine fears about what is happening or may happen. How can we stop
all of that and have the peace of mind that God offers us?
2. The answer is, our mind must be renewed or renovated. Paul the apostle told Christians that we must be
transformed in our mind: Be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Rom 12:2, NKJV).
a. We are to be transformed by: a complete change of mind (Good News Bible); so that your whole
attitude of mind is changed (J. B. Phillips); your whole mental attitude must be altered (Barclay).
b. In our new series we’re working how this mental transformation takes place and what it looks like,
as we answer questions about how we can focus on God and Heaven and still live real life.
B. To gain control of your mind and experience peace, your view of reality (your perspective, how you see
things) must change and come into agreement with the way things really are according to God.
1. Your view of reality has been shaped by all the information you’ve received since you were born. That
information has come to you through your physical senses, primarily through what you see and hear.
a. However, there is more to reality than what your senses can perceive. There is an unseen realm.
Almighty God, who is invisible, presides over an unseen kingdom populated with unseen beings
(angels). Satan and his minions also reside in this unseen, invisible realm. I Tim 1:17 Col 1:16
b. Not seen doesn’t mean not real. Not seen means invisible or unperceivable to our physical senses.
The unseen realm is the greater reality because it created the seen world, can affect the seen, will
outlast and eventually restore the seen world to what is was intended to be before sin damaged it.
1. Heb 11:3—The entire universe was formed at God’s command…what we now see did not
come from anything that can be seen (NLT).
2. Mark 4:39—And he (Jesus) arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still”.
And the wind ceased and there was a great calm (NKJV).
3. II Cor 4:18—For the things that are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are
eternal (NKJV).
c. God gives us access to the unseen realm through His written Word, the Bible. One of the main
purposes of the Bible is to show us the way things really are, according to God.
1. Only God has all the facts (seen and unseen) in any situation. To have peace of mind, our view
of reality (the way we see things) must come into agreement with God’s view of reality.
2. A renewed mind sees things the way they really are according to God. A renewed mind thinks
.

TCC–1310
2
in line with, in agreement with, unseen realities. When what we see, hear, or feel contradicts
what God says, a renewed mind sides in with God.
2. I realize that this kind of talk can sound very impractical, so what does this look like in real life? In the
last lesson, we cited the example of Elisha the prophet and his servant (II Kings 6:8-18). When they
found themselves surrounded by an enemy army, Elisha was not afraid but the servant was terrified.
a. Elisha knew there are unseen realities—God’s angels present with him to help and protect. Elisha
didn’t see them, but he knew from the Scriptures that they were surrounding him. Ps 91:11; Ps 34:7
b. Elisha prayed and asked God to open his servant’s eyes so that he could see the unseen. God
answered Elisha’s prayer and the servant saw the angelic protectors.
1. Those unseen beings did not suddenly come into existence when they became visible to the
servant. They were there all along. However, the servant had an unrenewed mind. He was
earthly minded. This means that the servant took into account only what he could see and feel.
2. Elisha had a renewed mind, one that sees things the way they really are. Elisha was heavenly
minded. This means that he recognized there is more to reality than what he could see. Elisha
was actually walking by faith. A renewed mind lives or walks by faith.
3. Paul (who wrote renew your mind) also wrote: For we walk by faith, not by sight (II Cor 5:7, KJV).
a. Bible faith is trust in a Person you can’t see, Almighty God. The Greek word translated faith means
trust or persuasion. It comes from a word that means to persuade or to convince by argument. The
Greek word translated walk means to live, conduct, or behave oneself.
1. To walk by faith and not by sight means to live with the confidence that God, who is Invisible,
is with you, for you, and will help you despite what you see or how you feel.
2. You’re persuaded to the point that this awareness affects your response to life. You conduct
your life according to unseen realities which are revealed in God’s Word.
b. Paul wrote: So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17, NKJV).
Faith (or the persuasion that we can trust what we can’t see) comes from the Word of God because
the Bible reveals the Lord Jesus Christ, His character and power, His provision and plans for us.
c. By getting to know the Lord through His written Word, we become persuaded that we can trust Him
—His goodness, His love and care, His faithfulness—despite what we see or feel.
4. Let’s examine the context in which Paul made his statement about walking by faith and not sight. Earlier
in his letter Paul told the recipients (Christians living in the Greek city of Corinth) about the serious trials
he and his fellow ministers faced in Ephesus.
a. Acts 19:21-41— There was a great temple to the goddess Diana in the city of Ephesus, and local
silversmiths made silver objects that were used in connection with her worship. Paul’s preaching
was so effective that multitudes in the city abandoned the worship of Diana to serve Jesus.
1. A riot broke out when the silversmiths accused Paul and his group of disrupting their business
and their religion. Paul and the others feared for their lives.
2. In this same letter, Paul went on to describe other troubles and dangers that he and his ministry
partners faced as they preached the gospel. II Cor 4:7-11
b. In that context, Paul made this statement: II Cor 4:17-18—For any present troubles are quite small
and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last
forever! So we look not at the troubles we can see right now; rather we look forward to what we
have not yet seen (NLT). Things that are seen don’t last forever, but things that are not seen are
eternal. That’s why we keep our minds on the things that cannot be seen (CEV).
1. The word look means more than physical sight, it has the idea of mental consideration. Paul’s
mind was renewed to the reality of unseen realities and they dominated his perspective.
2. Paul was able to call his many troubles momentary and small in comparison to unseen realities
—a life after this life that will far outshine the best of life in this sin damaged world. Rom 8:18
.

TCC–1310
3
A. There are two kinds of unseen realities. There are things that we cannot see because they
are invisible, such as God, His power and provision, as well as His holy angels. But these
unseen realities can and do impact and effect change in this life.
B. There are also things we can’t see because they are still in the future, in the life to come—
resurrection of the body; rewards for faithful service; reunion with loved ones; reversal of
life’s losses and pain; earth restored to pre-sin conditions (the new heavens and new earth).
c. Following his statement about looking at (or thinking about) unseen realities, Paul wrote that he and
the others knew that even if they died, they would pass into heaven and ultimately put on a heavenly
body (their bodies raised from the dead, made immortal and incorruptible). II Cor 5:1-6
1. There many lessons in what Paul wrote (which we will address later), but the point for us now is
that this is the context in which Paul wrote that we walk by faith, not sight. II Cor 4:7
2. Paul was heavenly minded. In the face of dire circumstances, his awareness of unseen realities
(God with him and for him right then and there, as well as the promise of the life to come when
he leaves this earth) gave him and the others hope and peace of mind in their circumstances.
d. Walking by faith (living with the awareness of unseen realities or being heavenly minded) doesn’t
mean that we deny what we see and how we feel, or deny real problems and dire circumstances.
1. It means we recognize and acknowledge that there is always more to reality than what we see
and feel in the moment. God’s Word gives us the truth about the way things really are.
2. When Israel’s great king David was being relentlessly pursued by men who were intent on
killing him, he was afraid because he was truly in danger. Note what David did.
A. Ps 56:3-4—When I’m afraid, I will trust in you. I trust in God, I praise his word. I trust
in God. I will not be afraid. What can people do to me (NIRV).
B. The Hebrew word translated trust expresses the feeling of safety and security that is felt
when one can rely on someone or something else. David’s mind was on unseen realities.
3. Notice that David chose to remember and put his focus on God’s Word. Ps 91:11 was written
by David’s time: For he (God) orders his angels to protect you wherever you go (NLT). And
David is the one who wrote Ps 34:7—The angel of the Lord guards all who fear him (NLT).
5. In order for your view of reality to change (your mind to be renewed or renovated) you must take time to
read the Bible and to meditate on God’s Word. To meditate means to reflect or carefully consider.
a. As you do this, your faith or trust in God increases. Because the Bible was inspired by God, it is a
supernatural book. It produces grow and change in those who read it. I Thess 2:13; Matt 4:4
b. Through reading and meditating on God’s Word you become persuaded and convinced of unseen
realities and the fact that you can trust the Lord. Remember that the Living Word, the Lord Jesus,
is revealed through the written Word, the Bible. John 5:39; John 14:21; John 6:63

C. We’re talking about renewing your mind by changing your view of reality or your perspective. We could
call this a long term, permanent change. But there are short term changes you can make that will help you
get control of your mind in the moment, while your perspective is being changed. Consider these points.
1. Your physical senses (sight, hearing) work automatically, not by an act of your will, and they constantly
feed you information from the seen realm. You don’t have to do anything to see or hear what is going
on around you. What you see and hear stimulates certain mental responses.
a. Your unrenewed mind processes that information, draws conclusions, and makes decisions without
all the facts. The conclusions you draw and decisions you make come out of thought patterns that
have developed over our lifetime, patterns that developed without all the facts about reality.
b. As we react to the information our senses give us an automatic process begins. Our mind processes
what we see and hear, emotions are generated, and we draw conclusions and make decisions about
what we should do. We also start to talk to ourselves about what we see and how we feel.
.

TCC–1310
4
1. As we talk to ourselves and go over and over the situation, thoughts race through our head.
Our anxiety level grows and grows, and the problem gets bigger and bigger.
2. You can’t stop this process from starting, but you can learn to control your thoughts and
emotions by choosing what you focus your attention on at the beginning of the process.
2. Jesus did a teaching that gives us insight into how to interrupt this process (see, hear, talk to yourself,
draw conclusions) and get control of your mind in the moment. We referred to this in the last lesson.
a. Matt 6:25-34—Jesus told His followers not to worry (or be anxious) about where the necessities of
life (food, clothing) will come from since they have a loving Heavenly Father who takes care of
them. That’s reality according to Almighty God who sees all and knows all.
b. Jesus knew that because we live in a fallen, broken, sin damaged world, circumstances of lack will
arise, and what we see and hear will generate thoughts and feelings. The automatic process begins.
1. You see lack (information comes to your mind through your senses). Your mind begins to
reason and draw conclusions, and you begin to talk to yourself about it. This is the place where
we can and need to take control of the process that is getting underway.
2. You get control of the worry by the way you talk to yourself about what you see and the
thoughts flying through your mind. Note what Jesus said: Therefore do not worry, saying,
‘What shall we eat?’ or, ‘What shall we drink?’ or, ‘What shall we wear?’ (Matt 6:31, NKJV).
A. The Greek word used here means worry or anxiety. The King James Bible renders it this
way: Take no thought, saying (Matt 6:31, KJV). Worry or anxiety comes from thoughts.
B. Instead of taking the thoughts that are based on what you see, Jesus said, put your mind on
(consider) unseen realities. Your Father takes care of birds and flowers and you matter to
Him more than a bird or a flower. Matt 6:26, 28, 30
3. It isn’t wrong to think and talk about what you see and feel and try to work toward a solution. But most
of us have a tendency to go over and over the same ground with no positive results—we obsess.
a. To obsess means to preoccupy intensely or abnormally. What you see, hear, and feel is all you
think about, and it gets worse and worse the more you talk, think, and reason about it.
1. Before you know it, your thoughts and self talk get more and more dire. You go from how will
I pay this bill to I’ll end up living in a cardboard box in an alley behind a liquor store.
2. Jesus said: So don’t worry and don’t keep saying, what shall we eat, what shall we drink, or
what shall we wear…your Father knows you need them all (Matt 6:3132-, J. B. Phillips).
b. Yes we can ask questions and work to find solutions when we face challenging circumstances. But
remember that not only do we obsess, our worries are often based on what hasn’t even happened.
1. Ask yourself: Am I obsessing about something that has or is actually happening. or not? Is it
something that I can fix or change in some way? Can I take reasonable steps to prepare for it?
Or is it something that you can’t do anything about or reach a workable, achievable solution?
2. Often, worrying about what might happen is worse than the thing itself when it happens. Jesus
said don’t borrow tomorrow’s troubles. Matt 6:34—So don’t worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today (NLT).
D. Conclusion: We have much more to say about renewing our mind, but consider two thoughts as we close.
1. It takes time and effort to change your perspective (your view of reality) through reading and meditating
on God’s Word. But you can stop the anxiety process short term, while your perspective.
2. When the anxiety process starts, instead of repeating those anxious thoughts over and over, put your
focus unseen realties by saying what Jesus tells us: I have a Heavenly Father who sees and knows. He
is with me and will help me. I praise you Lord for your faithfulness and love.
3. It isn’t easy to get control in the moment, and you have to put forth effort. But, with God’s help, you
can do it. You can begin to build new, godly habits of response while your mind is being renewed.