Lost Cause | Take Your Mind Back — Dustin Stradley

Lost Cause | Take Your Mind Back — Dustin Stradley | 1 Kings 5:1-11

Transcript

Forrest 0:06

Hey, I'm Pastor Forrest, and welcome to the Multiply Church Podcast. Each week we open God's word together to help you meet God and multiply good in your everyday life. We're so glad that you've taken time to join us for this week's sermon. And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe and follow us on social media so you never miss a message. Now, let's dive into this week's sermon.

SPEAKER_02 0:30

First came to Multiplied Church four years ago, I guess. Four or five. I mean, you've only been here four years, so it was in the beginning. The sticky floor movie theater days. How many were you here for that? You were here from the beginning. How many of you are thankful you're not in the sticky movie theater anymore? See, some of you, this is all you know. You step into this big fat mansion, you're like, wow. You need to go back to the movie theater and just walk a few steps. And give you a little bit of gratitude. Sometimes you got to go back to where you were to appreciate where you are. We already preaching in Jesus' name. And I just love what God's doing here. I love what God's doing through you, your faith, your courage, all of the give listen the volunteers. Let's celebrate all the volunteers, all the it's amazing. But everyone say, but compared to what God is going to do, this is beautiful. But compared to where God is taking you, the next four years, the latter house will be greater than the former. Your best days are not behind you. Your best days are in front of you in Jesus' name. I declare that over your church. I declare that over your family. I declare that over your business. I declare that for you that God has a plan for you and He wants to do something significant. 74 baptisms over the lifetime of Multiplied Church. You can celebrate that. If that were your son, your daughter, your son. Were you baptized? Who was baptized here? You got saved, you're baptized here. Come on. Thank you, Jesus. Walking, talking testimonies in this place. How many of you have been impacted by God through Multiplied Church? Let me see your hands. Oh, praise the Lord. How many of you are here for the first time today? Let me see those hands too. Let's go. Come on in the back and the side. It's the beginning of your journey. Believe it, God wants to bless every single one of you in a unique, beautiful way. My name's Dustin, by the way. Here from Orlando, Florida. I brought the weather with me. You're welcome. Yep. Praise the Lord. Feels fantastic. Felt like I just came straight from home. So with a little less humidity, praise the Lord for that. What's happening at 245 today? What if you could just like, hey, what's Ephesians 3.20? And people had that same level of. Oh, you wildcats. God saved you from Santa Claire. What the enemy meant for evil. God must favor you. He likes you. What happened to the the Cardinals? You happy about it? My bracket had High Point University going all the way, so I'm done after yesterday. Y'all don't even know who High Point University is. I grew up in North Carolina, but can I listen? This is probably a bad idea. I'm a Duke Blue Devil fan. But the Bible says, pray for your enemies, okay? So even if we don't like the same thing, I've been praying for you, you pray for me, and uh, we're gonna get into God's word together. You ready? Say I'm ready. The same enthusiasm you said when I asked you what's happening at 2 45 p.m. I said, Are you ready to get into God's word? Alright, all right, good, good. We're gonna turn to 2 Kings chapter 5. I might keep Jonathan up here the whole time. It just sounds more spiritual with the keys in the background, you know? Just pray better when there's keys in the background. How many of you, when you pray at home, you put that worship music on in the background? Don't play, you do. It just feels more spiritual. I actually preached something different for the 9 a.m. And I don't do this often, but something just said, hey, the 11 a.m., they need something unique. They need something different. So you can go back and listen to the 9 a.m. I think you guys put it online, maybe. I don't know. If not, as far as he'll give you a recap. He's a good note taker, he's a good leader, he's a good learner. Maybe this one will go online too. But God sent me on an assignment to give you what you need, 11 a.m. Something unique for you. So hit your neighbor and say, This one's for you. I'm gonna have you talk a lot to each other. Is that okay? Hope you like each other. If you don't, by the end of the day, you will. You're in this series right now called Lost Calls. How many of you were blessed by Pastor Forrest's message last week? This theme of too blank, too hurt. What was that quote you gave last week? Your pain doesn't have to become your prison. Your pain doesn't have to become your prison. And I know God sets you free already in this series. I'm gonna continue in the flow of that through someone in the scripture by the name of Naaman. Everybody say Naaman, who was too far from God in many different ways. Naaman was a man of position, influence, and power. He was a great leader, but he also had an issue that he could not control. There may be some issues in your life that you wouldn't wish upon your worst enemies, some issues that you've been battling, some issues that are out of your control that make you feel like you are too far to be used by God. That's where we find Naaman in this passage. In 2 Kings chapter 5, if you have your Bible, you can pull it out. I gave him the scripture just like 20 minutes ago, so let's see, it might be on the screen, it might not. 2 Kings 5. But just listen, just lean into what God wants to speak to you. Now, Naaman was a commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory. Through you, the Lord will give you victory. For you, the Lord will give you victory. These aren't stories that took place just thousands of years ago. This isn't a history lesson, but this is a word that is alive and active and unlike any other book, and it's the only book that, yes, you can read it, but at the same time, it will read you. The Lord will give you victory. The Lord gave Naaman victory. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. You know you can be great, but fill in the blank. You can experience the goodness of God, you can experience the grace of God, you can see God's hand on your life, on your business, on your family, but still feel too far. So Naaman went with his horses and his chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger to him to say, Go wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed. But Naaman went off. Naaman went away angry, just like you're going to do today if the Kentucky Wildcats don't get it. I'm not going to even say it, they're going to get a victory. Naaman went off and said, I thought. Pay attention to those two words. I thought that he surely would come out to me, stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Two words that nearly cost Naaman everything. I thought. I thought. And today I believe there are some people in this room who need to take your thoughts back. The title of this message is Take Your Mind Back. And so, Father, we come into your presence. We know that your presence isn't just limited to a building or a place, but your presence is in us. So help us walk with you right now. Help us to feel and hear what you want to speak to us. It's in Jesus' name everybody say. Amen. Naaman didn't almost lose his miracle because he lacked faith. He almost lost it because of a thought. I was part of Elevation Church for a long time, pastored there, felt God say, Well done, good and faithful servant. And then I started traveling the globe, preaching around the world. And one place that I've been to many times is Brazil. Anybody been to Brazil?

unknown 9:24

Nope.

SPEAKER_02 9:24

Okay, good. Well, let me tell you about Brazil. The first time I went to Brazil, we had dinner reservations at 7 p.m. Not too late, you know, but we eat dinner at 5 p.m. because I have a four-year-old and a one and a half year old. But when in Brazil, do what Brazilians do. I said, great, we'll have dinner at 7 p.m. 6 45 p.m. I get a text message. Dinner reservations have changed. Great. Going to a different restaurant. Maybe even better. To 9 p.m. I thought we were having dinner at 7. We got to the restaurant at 9 p.m. We didn't get in the restaurant until 10 p.m. The food didn't come out until 11 p.m. By midnight. I thought we were having dinner at 7 p.m. I thought those two words have killed more miracles than any demon ever could. Naaman didn't just have an issue with his skin. He had an issue with his thoughts. Researchers found that you and I have an average of 6,000 thought episodes a day. That's a lot of thoughts. Hit your neighbor and say, that's a lot of thoughts. Let me answer that for you. Hey, you should get to multiply church. It's a big weekend. There's still time in Jesus' name. 6,000 thought episodes a day. 80% of those thoughts are repetitive. 70% of the 80%, for all the math nerds, if you like some statistics, are not just repetitive, but they are negative unless otherwise redirected. That means that most of us are not even having new thoughts. We're rehearsing the same lies over and over again. Replaying the same rejections, replaying the same fears, replaying the same doubts over and over. And every thought starts somewhere. And for Naaman, it started with what he saw. Because what I see determines how I think. Before you can take your mind back, you have to take your eyes back. In 2 Kings 5, 9 through 11, Naaman, when he showed up to the man of God Elisha's house, what he saw was a servant instead of a prophet. He thought the man of God would come down himself, wave his hand, and heal him of his condition. And what he saw informed what he thought. What fills your eyes will eventually shape your mind. And sometimes you're believing that God's going to show up and do things one way when God's going to show up and do them a different way. And what I see determines what I think. Naaman had been staring at what was wrong with him for so long that he almost missed what was available to him. And some of you have been staring at what's wrong with you for so long. You don't like the way you look, you don't like the way you sound, you don't like where you're at right now. You've been staring at what's wrong with you, that you may be missing the very peace, blessing, and favor that God has available to you. Naaman didn't almost miss the miracle because he lacked faith, but he almost lost it because of a thought. The average person spends six and a half hours a day on a screen. Two and a half of those hours are spent looking at some sort of media. Social media, choose your media, whatever kind of media. And every notification that comes through on your phone, every like, every bit of engagement releases dopamine, the same chemical that fires when you gamble. That means that most of us spend more time feeding our fear than feeding our faith. And the enemy doesn't have to tempt you with sin if he can trap you with the scroll. If he can keep you fixated on everything wrong that's happening in your world. Even the CDC reported that before the pandemic, and I don't know what the pandemic looked like here in Florida, like a pandemic didn't even really exist. You could just do whatever. Nothing was shut down. But when I was in Virginia, the pandemic was, we were stuck, we were at home. And before the pandemic, 8% of adults identified as struggling with anxiety or depression. Within six months of the lockdown, 40% of adults identified as struggling with anxiety or depression. But the pandemic didn't cause the anxiety, it exposed what was already there. Because when you're forced to sit alone with your thoughts, and you're not distracting yourself from dealing with what's on the inside of you, you can't conquer what you won't confront. And you can't confront what you are constantly distracting yourself from. What you see determines what you think. And when your screen is filled with scandal and corruption and outrage and political tensions and comparison, it starts shaping what you experience. And you think you're just scrolling, but your eyes are discipling your mind. What you see determines what you think. If you stare long enough at what's wrong with everyone else, you'll start to think that something is wrong with you. But in Romans 12:2, God said, do not conform to the patterns of this world. But be transformed by the renewing of your mind. But if all you stare at throughout the week is what's happening in this world, it's going to be hard to experience the transformation that God wants to bring to your mind. If the first thing you grab in the morning is this instead of this. If you spend more time during the day on this than what God has to say about you. I challenge you that if you begin to see yourself the way God sees you, if you begin to see your problems the way God sees your problems, if you begin to see your situation through the lens of God, watch what happens in your life. Because what you see determines what you think. And we scroll through pain all day long and we wonder why our peace is gone. Naaman didn't like what he saw. He said, I thought the man of God was gonna come out, wave his hand, and this issue would be gone. Even science would agree if you change your input, it changes your life. I mean, you can just even ask David, a man after God's own heart. David saw a woman bathing, and what he saw informed what he thought. And what he thought got into his heart. And the Bible says, from the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. So he said, send for her. Before there was adultery, there was a thought. Before there was a murder, there was a thought. And it started with what he saw. But it's not just what you see, it's what you hear. Because what I hear determines what I believe. If you're a note taker, write it down. Look at that. You guys got this together and come on, give it up for our teams in the back. With a quickness, you should be proud for us. What I hear determines what I believe. 2 Kings 5, 10 through 14. Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman to say, go wash yourself seven times in the dirty Jordan River. Naaman heard a simple instruction, but he filtered it through the lens of his ego. And he wanted a performance, but God wanted to give him a process. He almost talked himself out of transformation because he did not like the sound of obedience. What you hear is just as powerful as what you see. It's the gossip in your workplace. It's the voice spreads that the voice notes that spread rumors faster than truth. It's the song that I heard recently when I was in a mall that took me back to a place where I was making some decisions. That's why in my household we listen to 99.1% Christian music with an occasional Elsa song sprinkled in. Because I have a daughter that's four and a daughter that's one and a half. Because what you hear determines what you believe. What you hear begins to shape how you think. Your ears are not just collecting information, they are shaping your beliefs. And faith comes by hearing, but so does fear. So does doubt. So does cynicism. And if you keep replaying criticism over and over again, negativity and comparison, your heart will start believing that it's normal. You can't have the peace of God in your life while replaying the lies of the enemy. Again and again. Every voice you tolerate trains your thoughts. But Colossians 3:2 says, set your mind on things above, not earthly things, not things below. So whatever sound you're tuned into will fill your faith. And when you begin to fix your mind on heavenly things, not what you see in the comment section, not the voices that you are tolerating around you, but when you fix your mind on the voice of God above all other voices, it shapes what you believe. What you hear determines what you believe. But in 2 Kings 5, 14, Naaman, he didn't like what he saw. Naaman, he didn't like what he heard. But he listened to the man of God anyways. You know you can be angry and still obey God. Those times that you're praying to God for him to show up one way and he does it a different way, and you're like, well, I don't want to do that. Like, give me peace in this relationship. Well, yeah, you got to pick up the phone and you and finally forgive him. You have to initiate. Ah, no, that's not God, just do it. You can be angry and still obey God. You can there there are some Sundays, even as a pastor, that that I'm on the front row with my hands lifted while angry in my heart. Like, I don't want to lift my hands right now. But if you just get into the right place in the right atmosphere around the right people, even when you don't have faith, but you hear faith-filled people lifting their voices to God. And you don't feel like picking up that Bible because you're having a hard time. Like, God, what I'm experiencing is not matching what you're saying, but you see other people digging into their word, and you get into one of these small groups, and you begin to fill your life with different voices. It changes what you believe. Naaman showed up to the Jordan River, anyways, and he went down. Can I have my dirty Jordan River, by the way? I told him, I said, Can you just go to the actual Jordan River in Frankfurt, Kentucky? I'm staying at a place with a river nearby. Some muddy water. I said, just go grab some of that. That's fine. And and bring it out to me. Give it up for our teams. Said that Naaman went down to. This dirty Jordan River. And he was angry. He said, God, this doesn't make sense. You are the ultimate healer. You're the ultimate physician. I came to church expecting healing in my marriage. I came to church expecting that you're going to get a hold of my kids. I came to church. You gave me the vision to launch the business, and it's not where I thought it would be at this point. God, couldn't you have done this a different way? But God's ways are not our ways. And sometimes God has a different plan than your plan. And Naaman shows up to this dirty Jordan River. And Naaman was a man of great power, prestige, royalty, and he was a great leader. So this was quite embarrassing for him to do something like this. Sometimes God will call you to do things that don't make sense. Sometimes you have to be willing to look crazy for Christ. And say, I don't want to invite them to church right now. I do not want to like pray over them in the restaurant right now. Do you see, like, Lord, are you kidding me? Sometimes God will call you to do things that don't make sense to you. But even in his anger, Naaman stepped down to the Jordan River. And he dipped himself into the river one time. Okay, Lord. Wait a second. The skin's still the same. You came to church. You took the step. You got saved. But you woke up to the same battle on Tuesday. You surrendered the sin to God, the struggle. You're believing in God for the impossible. What happens when you dip into his presence, yet things still look the same? Will you trust God enough to dip again? Naaman dipped himself a second time.

SPEAKER_01 24:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 24:14

At least a little bit of healing, Lord. Maybe a little bit of progress. What happens when you're doing all the right things yet still not seeing the right results? You're praying. It's not for a lack of faith. You're trusting God. Yet you still haven't seen the miracle happen for you. Must be nice. I'm celebrating them because they had the baby and their marriage was doing well. But what about mine? Will you dip again? Okay, Lord. I look a little silly. This is kind of embarrassing. Like, all my friends are making fun of me. I keep showing up to Multiply Church every weekend. Why are you showing up to that church? And why are you there all day? And why are you sowing so much into the kingdom? And why are you giving? And why are you posting that stuff on your social media? And why are you lifting your hands in worship? And but will you trust God enough to keep on dipping? Naaman dipped again. And every time Naaman dipped, he didn't just dip his skin into the water, but he left another thought behind. There goes doubt. Oh God, I haven't seen you working yet, but I'm trusting that maybe behind the scenes you're doing, Seth, there's something that I can't see yet. There goes fear. Even if I can't see it, even if I can't feel it, God, I'm trusting that you're working behind the scenes. I'm trusting that you're a good God. I'm trusting that if I keep dipping into your presence, Naaman kept on dipping. The number seven in the Bible means the number of completion. When Naaman dipped himself into the water a seventh time, he came out of that water, healed.

SPEAKER_01 26:15

But Naaman didn't just come out of that water with a new skin. Naaman came out with a new mind.

SPEAKER_02 26:27

Naaman started with I thought. I thought this was gonna show up differently than where I'm at right now. But then after he came out of that water, he went to all the people and said, Now I know that God is real and that there is only one God. And now I know. I didn't think healing was possible for me, but now I know that God can do it for me. If God did it for them, then God can do it for me too. Now I know I didn't think I was gonna make it out. I was ready to sign the papers, but now I know that God has not given up on me yet. Naaman didn't just come out of that water with a new skin, he came out with a new mind. And for some of you, it's time for you to take back what the enemy has held on for far too long. It's time for you to get your mind back. It's time for you to take your confidence back. It's time for you to get your peace back. It's time for you to get your wisdom back. It's time for you to get your strength back. It's time for you to take your thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ.

SPEAKER_01 28:07

It's time to take it back.

SPEAKER_02 28:15

Oh, I feel the Lord speaking to someone right now. You thought your marriage was done. But it's time to take it back. You don't know how you were gonna heal after that trauma. But God said it's time to walk again. It's time to walk in the authority that God's given you. It's time to walk in the anointing that God has placed on your life because God has a purpose for you and God has not given up on you, and it's time to take it back. The enemy has had too much stake and too much territory over your life for far too long. It's time to take it back. And that's exactly what Multiply has been doing over the last four years is you have been taking territory back for the kingdom, taking back what the enemy meant for evil and using it for good because God wants to use this church to reach more people than you even realize. You know, David, before he was a before he was a king, he was a shepherd. And shepherds, as David was, I gotta put my glasses on so I can see you again. Everything's blurry. These are not just fashion, I actually need them. But David, as he was taking care of a sheep, they would always had flies all around them. And the flies would actually get into the ears of the sheep. And the flies would lay eggs in the ears of the sheep. Say, ooh, that's kind of gross. My four-year-old, she's like, oh, daddy, that's gross. And it would drive the sheep crazy. The sheep would literally start banging their head on a tree to try to get the flies out. And sometimes would even kill themselves because it was driving them mad. And some of you've had flies that have been affecting you for far too long. Those insecurities, those doubts, those fears for far too long. So David would take oil and rub it on the sheep's head. Because if he put the oil on the sheep's head, it would keep the flies out. And when you get the anointing of God on your thoughts, when you get the anointing of his grace on your mind, it doesn't mean the flies won't come, but the flies can't get in. When you get the anointing of his grace watching over your thoughts again, when you get the anointing of God's peach over your mind again, the flies gotta go. It's time to take your mind back. It's time to get your peace back today. It's time to get your anointing back, multiply. Jesus, thank you. Stand to your feet right now. Stand to your feet. I want to ask our prayer teams, our some of our leaders, just to come to the front of the room. Because there are some of you in this room, if not all of you, who need to come forward and you need to leave some things at the altar today. There are some thoughts, there is some sin, there's some struggles, there are some battles that have been occupying you for far too long. And I did not come all the way from Orlando, Florida to Frankfurt, Kentucky for you not to leave change today. God wants to give you the mind of Christ again. God wants to give you a peace that can only come from heaven. Let God's thoughts wash over your thoughts. And so if you'll just bow your head and close your eyes, and then I'm gonna invite you to the altar in a moment so we can just pray over your mind. So we can just unite our faith and let the anointing of God wash over your thoughts again. For Naaman began with I thought, but now he said, I know, I know God can do it for me. If God did it, then God can do it again. Like I thought this would never heal, but now I know that he is Jehovah Rapha, my healer, and I thought I would always feel anxious, but now I know he is Jehovah Shalom, my peace. And I thought I was alone in this battle, God. It feels so lonely sometimes when I'm up at two in the morning and my thoughts are racing, but now I know he is Jehovah Shema, the Lord who is there, and I thought that this was bigger than me, but now I know that he is El Shaddai, God Almighty, and I thought I had to fight this myself, but now I know that he is Jehovah Nisi, my victory. Now I know that you are with me, God. And so, Lord, I pray over every man and woman in this room, every son and daughter. You are not what you think, you're not what you've been through, you are who God says you are, and you are sons and daughters of the king. You are royalty, and it's time to take your mind back today. You are not too far from God. Even in your worst days, your worst moments, and your worst thoughts, you are not too far from God. But it's time to get your authority back, sons and daughters. Today, declaring that he is the Lord of your life, it's time for you to experience the victory that can only be found in the forgiveness from Jesus Christ. So repeat this after me. Say, Heavenly Father, I come to you, a sinner, in need of a savior. Thank you, Jesus, for dying for my sin. I believe God raised you from the dead, that I've been set free, I embrace your mercy, and I'm choosing today to follow you for the rest of my life.

Sallie 34:43

We're so grateful you joined us for this week's message. At Multiply, we believe life was never meant to be lived alone. If today you made the decision to follow Jesus, we'd be honored to walk with you on this journey. Visit multiplyky.com to let us know. We love you and we'll see you again soon.