SCRIPTURE: I Peter 1:13-16

INTRODUCTION:

In view of the great salvation with its living hops and incorruptible inheritance, men cannot escape the obligation to live holy lives.

UNCERTAINLY and DELAY must not BEGUILE [ to mislead or deprive, deceive, to charm or delight] them back into the OLD LIFE from which they had been saved.

(v. 13) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober[ PERFECTLY COMPOSED] and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

What has all this to do with the Christian life?

EVERYTHING!

Once you begin to follow Jesus, you can expect to hear many VOICES that seek to lead you astray from the SOUND DOCTRINE and TEACHING of the BIBLE.

Let's look at the voices and what they do to the mind of Christian today in the church, and see what the Bible has to say about this subject.

I. The Voices In The Mind

A. WE ARE SURROUNDED WITH MANY VOICES;

The voices that we obey can determine our eternal destiny.

Judas heard Satan's Voice and betrayed Jesus (Matthew 26:14-16) Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, (v.15)And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? (WHO PUT THAT IN HIS HEART?) And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. (v. 16) And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.

B. Peter heard Satan's voice and did not believe the voice of Jesus.

(Mark 8:31-33) And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

(v. 32) And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, (Jesus) and began to rebuke him.

(v. 33) But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of man.

Peter was rebuked for what he had done.

He was listening to the wrong voice.

C. THE HIGH PRIEST HEARD SATAN'S VOICE AND BELIEVED JESUS WAS SPEAKING BLASPHEMY, WHEN JESUS SAID HE WAS THE SON OF THE BLESSED.

(Mark 14:57-61) Satan in the heart of the priest, was looking for a way to find fault with Jesus so he could condemned Him.

The Priest was listening to the wrong voice, that cause the mind to think the wrong thoughts and created the wrong action.

D. WHAT VOICE ARE YOU LISTING TOO?

II. The Voices That Will Put Lying Thoughts In Your Mind

A. VOICES THAT CONTRADICT GOD'S WORD.

(I John 1:8) "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

This text is used probably more than that of any other in the Bible in the attempt to refute the doctrine of HOLINESS.

"He that saith he liveth and sinneth not is a liar and the truth in not in him;

If we take this verse away from its context it would seem to teach that it is SELF-DECEPTION for one to lay claim to freedom from sin. (Satan lie)

B. WHICH VOICE DO YOU HEAR, THE VOICE OF TRUTH?

OR THE VOICE OF DECEIT?

I want to introduce you to one of the biggest theological scarecrows of all times.

Many attempt to justify their sinful living by hiding behind (I John 1:8)

By saying,

THE BIBLE SAYS THAT WE MUST SIN.

THE BIBLE SAYS IF YOU DENY THIS, YOU MUST BE A LEGALIST, A PROPONET OF SINLESS PERFECTION.

AND THUS, YOU ARE EARNING YOUR SALVATION, AND CANNOT BE SAVED.

AND IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE HERETIC.

This is the voice in our minds that says that this verse proves that we must live hopeless lives of sin.

That's wrong.

Many that claimed,

"I KNOW GOD."

"I ABIDE IN CHRIST."

"I AM IN THE LIGHT."

Even when they did not love their brethren on earth, did not obey Christ, and were destitute of love.

You are listen to the wrong voice in your mind, you are believing the lie.

C. Satan's Voice That lies to many, telling them they are really SAVED, when they are not.

(Matthew 7:21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN,

Which voice do you obey?

IS IT THE VOICE OF THE DESIRES OF YOUR HEART?

IS IT THE VOICE OF THE THOUGHTS OF YOUR HEART?

IS IT THE VOICE OF GOD AND HIS WORD?

(John 10:1-5) The two voices that are portrayed here, One is the voice of the Shepherd, which is JESUS.

The other is the voice of the stranger, which is SATAN.

When we talk about the voice of the shepherd, Jesus, we may also consider that God's Word and the Holy Spirit's voice are the same.

To follow the voice of Jesus is to follow the voice of God's Word and the holy Spirit.

The sheep (TRUE BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIANS) follow the voice of God's Word, which they know.

THEY DO NOT FOLLOW THE VOICE OF SATAN, for they do not know his voice.

III. The Thoughts Of The Heart

A. OUR HEARTS PRODUCES THOUGHTS.

The kind of thoughts we have depends on what kind of a heart we have.

The kind of a heart we have also determines what voices we choose to believe and follow.

As it is written:

THE THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART WAS ONLY EVIL (Genesis 6:5)

OUT OF THE HEART PROCEED EVIL THOUGHTS (Matthew 15:19)

B. A PERSON THAT HAS AN EVIL HEART WILL HAVE MANY EVIL THOUGHTS.

His conversation and what he does will also be evil.

Yet he may think of himself as righteous person that DOES NO WRONG.

As it is written: "ALL THE WAYS OF A MAN ARE CLEAN IN HIS OWN EYES. (Proverbs 16:2)

C. EACH OF US ARE FILLED WITH A MULTITUDES OF THOUGHTS.

(Psalms 94:19) In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul

(Proverbs 12:5) The thought of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.

1. How can our thoughts be established?

(Proverbs 16:3) Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

2. Consider Imaginations.

We may get a thought and then from that thought have many imaginations of FEARFUL SITUATIONS . or CONSEQUENCES.

We may get a thought and then imagine horrible and evil things against God or others.

IV. The Imaginations Of The Thoughts

A. WHAT THOUGHT DO YOU HAVE?

(Psalms 10:4) The wicked, though the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

(Psalms 56:5) Every day they wrest words: all Their thoughts are against me for evil.

(Isaiah 59:7-8) Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; . wasting and destruction are in their paths.

(v.8) The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them . crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

What are your thoughts?

B. WHAT IS THE FRUIT OF YOUR THOUGHTS?

Are your thoughts in accordance with God's Word?

C. WHICH VOICE OR WHAT THOUGHTS DO YOU OBEY?

Be on your guard against wrong voices and thoughts.

The disciples said, "WE PERISH" fear caused them to speak wrongly.

Jesus said to them, WHY ARE YR FEARFUL? (Matthew 8:26)

They had wrong thoughts.

Mary had wrong thoughts when she said, THEY HAVE TAKEN AWAY MY LORD (john 20:11-13)

She jumped to a wrong conclusion.

Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. (Matthew 8:21)

His thinking was wrong.

Jesus said. Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead (Matthew 8:22)

The two sons of Aaron offered strange fire before the Lord, which He commanded them not. God struck them dead, (There thinking was wrong, It cost them their life.

V. WHAT THOUGHTS OR VOICES ARE LEADING YOU?

A. GOD'S TRUE BORN -AGAIN CHILDREN HEAR THE VOICE OF JESUS.

They hear the voice of God's Word.

The follow Jesus.

(John 10:27) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

B. THEY WILL NOT FOLLOW THE DEVIL'S VOICE.

They will not obey the voice of the flesh

The lusts of other things

The cares of the world

The deceitfulness of riches.

The pleasures of this world.

Such as FEAR, PERSONAL DESIRES OR FAME.

C. THEY WILL NOT FOLLOW THESE WRONG DECEITFUL, MISLEADING VOICES,

For they know not the voice of Stranger

(John 10:5) And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

CONCLUSION:

WHAT THOUGHTS DO YOU HAVE?

WHAT THOUGHTS DO YOU ABEY?

IS YOUR OBEDIENCE IN LINE WITH THE BIBLE OR THE WORLD?