Romans 135

The Attitude of Christ no. 2

What the Right Attitude will Produce

August 30, 2003

Brian Kocourek

 

This Evening we will continue with our study of the Book of Romans, and our study on the Attitude of Christ that we began last week.

 

Therefore this evening we will focus on point number two of the five points concerning the attitude of Christ. We began last Sunday examining point number 1. the right mental attitude towards any divine promise of God will bring it to pass. And we found that an attitude is not just some mental thoughts you have about something, but the expression of those thoughts. In other words, your attitude is an outward manifestation, or shall we say an expression of your body as a true indicator or reflection of what is going on in the recesses of your soul. Therefore there are five point we must consider when we think of our attitude and how it either reflects the attitude of Christ or not.

 

1.  I want to show what having the right mental attitude is.

2.  I want to show what the right mental attitude will produce.

3.  I want to show why we must have the right mental attitude.

4.  I want to show how our mental attitude affects those around us.

5.  I want to show how a wrong attitude can cripple our walk, and the walk of those

     we have influence over.

 

Now, to begin with, we must first know what a right mental attitude is, and in order to know what the right mental attitude is, we must first understand what an attitude is.

 

I)          What having the right mental attitude is.

 

Remember, Webster’s New World Dictionary: defines attitude as aptness, or inclination, and further states, the position or posture assumed by the body in connection with an action, feeling, or mood, etc. The word attitude is also defined as a manner of acting, feeling or thinking that shows one disposition or opinion. Now, if you caught the main points in each of these definitions, The first stating that attitude is the posture or position of the body in reference to or in connection with an action, feeling, or mood, and the other is the action, feeling or thinking that shows your opinion, disposition or mindset.

 

So we are looking at the position or posture of the body, and those attributes that show when you are thinking, felling or that express your mood.

 

Therefore, attitude is not just a mental cognizance, or a mental understanding, or a mental leaning, but rather attitude is an outward expression of our disposition, it is an outward expression of our feelings, it is an outward expression of our thoughts, it is the connection of the body to those thoughts, and how the body expresses those thoughts. That’s what attitude is.

 

And the key is that it SHOWS how we feel, it SHOWS just what we think about something, etc.

 

The Bible tells us that God would send forth an angel, to mark those that would sigh and cry because of the abominations done in the city. The sighing and crying is the bodies response to what was being done in the city, and that is an outward expression of what their attitude was inside their soul.

 

Your attitude then shows outwardly what you are thinking inwardly. You can not hide an attitude, it shows, it manifests. You might be able to hide your thoughts but an attitude goes beyond inner thoughts. Attitude speaks of the expression of your disposition. The way you show it in your body language; in your eyes, in your facial expression, in your tome of voice, and in your posture.

 

Therefore attitude is the expression of your opinion, and your disposition. Now the word disposition comes from two words, “dis, and position. Together they speak of the putting in order and refers to the normal aspects of ones nature. Therefore what we see in attitude is the disposition or the setting in order or the outward reflection of ones true nature.  

 

Now, last Sunday we showed point #I) What is the right mental attitude is.  Well, to have the right attitude means you would first have to have the rights thoughts about whatever the object of your thinking is. And that means you must have the right opinion, and there is only one right opinion and that is God’s opinion. What does God think about it, Because His thoughts are not our thoughts, for His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and if we are to have a right thinking about anything, it must be what God thinks about it. And in order to know what God’s thoughts are about anything, it must come through the instrument of His Word, for out of the abundance of the mouth the heart speaketh.

 

Therefore if we are to have the right attitude then we must have the attitude that was in Christ Jesus.

 

The Apostle Paul said, PHILIPPIANS 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: And the word mind here has the same Greek word “Phroneo that is used for the word likeminded. Let this mind that was in Christ be in you. That’s the key that Paul is bringing to us here, and it is a gift from God that only those whom God chooses can receive that gift.

 

Notice Paul says, Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: (And notice then that it is according to Christ Jesus, the Anointed Jesus. So we see that God has given us a gift to be likeminded, and not only to be likeminded, but likeminded towards one another and notice he tells us, ACCORDING to Christ Jesus. Now, the only way we can be likeminded is if we have the same mind. So he is telling us here the same thing he is telling us in PHILIPPIANS 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

 

And we know this can only come as God has ordained it to come.

 

JOHN 1:12 But as many as received him, (Now the word received here is the Greek word “Lambano which means to take to one's self, lay hold upon, take possession of, i.e. to appropriate to one's self

     3e) catch at, reach after, strive to obtain)  to them gave he power (Now this word power is not the Greek word Dunamis that we associate so often with miraculous power, but it is the Greek word “exousia which means 1) power of choice, So we see God gives us a gift, and that gift is the power to make a right decision. And that decision is to become a son, or act like a son ought to act.) )  to them gave he power to become the sons of God,(now this word becomes comes from the Greek word  ginomai, and it does not mean that you were a hog, and now you have power to become a lamb. It does not mean that you were a seed of the devil and now you have been given power to become a or a seed of God. No, it means to become fulfilled. In other words, God gives you the power to make the right decision to become what you already are.

 

Now, that we know what the right mental attitude is, that it is an expression of God’s opinion living itself and expressing itself in your body.

 

The next thing we must look at is point number II). I want to show what the right mental attitude will produce.

 

From the sermon, I am the resurrection and life 52-0810A P:61 Brother Branham said,  It's your attitude towards it. Your attitude towards God's Divine gift, will get you just what ask for. Do you understand? Oh, how I'd like to stop right here, Brother Boze, and punch that for about a half hour, but I can't do it. Your attitude: God can send a gift, and no matter what you... Depends on what attitude you take towards it. Look at them who smote His face and spit on Him, and everything, was no virtue there. But a woman that believed the Word touched the hem of His garment, was healed. Is that right? All right. It depends on what you think about it. God sends it. It's your attitude towards any Divine gift, determines what you get out of it. So there...

 

Hebrews 11:  Read all, show how that our faith is a display of our attitude towards God’s Word.

 

Again, from the sermon Proving His word 65-0426 P:12 he said, But before we pray for the sick, we've got to get the people in that attitude. It's the attitude that always brings the results. It's the attitude that you take towards God. Here's a woman touched His garment; she was healed with a blood issue. A soldier spit in His face, and put a crown of thorns on His head, and felt no virtue. It's your approach. The attitude is what it takes. And that's what it is tonight, dear friend; it takes the attitude. We are, and believe that we are in the Presence of Jesus Christ, but it's your attitude that brings the results. The mechanics is here and so is the dynamics. If you can just get started, God will do the rest.

 

Hour is come 51-0415E P:17 Now, the right mental attitude... All you along here, do you understand what I mean when I say, "The right mental attitude?" That's... Your right mental attitude towards God's Divine promise will bring any promise to pass. Now, maybe you don't believe that. You say, "Well, my faith is weak." I wouldn't confess it. See? Don't let the devil know that. Always say, "I have good faith. I believe God with all my heart." See? Don't testify nothing of the devil. And when you accept Him as your Healer, don't never act like you're sick or crippled any more. Believe that you're healed. Take Him at His Word. Then it's all over on God then and not on you. See? You... As long as you take God at His Word, then the Word will produce what It promised to do. Is that right? Now, have faith, believe Him with all your heart.

 

Remember, 1 Cor 13:13 there remaineth Faith hope and Love, these three and the greatest is love. Faith s revelation, and hope is an earnest expectation, and love is an outward expression of your revelation. Your actions being expressed by the body of the hope that lays deep within.

 

1 Cor 9:10 the farmer plows in hope expecting to reap from his efforts

Romans 8:24-25 if you do not see it then you are still hoping, but when you have seen it shows that your hope has become manifested.

 

Expectations 50-0405 P:13 Just for a little text, if I should call it that, I want to speak for a moment or two on the word of "Expectation. "We always get what we expect. When people expect anything, well then they usually get what you look for. It's the mental attitude that you have. Remember this, and never forget it. The right mental attitude towards any promise of God will bring it to pass, the right mental attitude towards any promise of God. It doesn't take gifts of healing to heal sick people, any person in here has a right to meet Satan anywhere, if you're a Christian, and defeat him on any grounds that he could stand on. When Jesus Christ was here on earth, and in Him dwelled the fullness of the Godhead bodily, all the great powers of God was in His Son, Christ Jesus. For the Scripture tells us that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. All things was delivered unto Him, though He spoke nothing but what the Father told Him. He healed no one but what He first saw being healed. For He said, "Verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing." That was Saint John 5:19.

 

1 John 3: 1-3 Every one that has this hope does something

 

1 Peter 1:3 a living hope or a hope that has been made alive

 

We would see Jesus 58-0523 P:12 Now, if Mohammedan a living, let him speak. If Jesus is a living, let Him speak, and you decide. Don't ever be afraid to put any Divine promise of God to action. And remember, don't ever forget this quotation: "That the right mental attitude towards any Divine promise in this Bible will bring it to pass." Just remember that. The right mental attitude toward any Divine promise that's written in this Bible will bring it to pass. So now, just keep that on your mind. If God made a promise, and you'll take the right attitude towards that promise, God will fulfill everything that He's promised. I know that to be true. And I've seen--saw a sarcomas cancer healed with that, because people believe that it was the Truth.

 

1 Thess 1: 1-3

2 Thess 1: 1-3

 

Roman nobleman 55-0621 P:3 I want you to notice his attitude. He didn't approach feeling that he had it coming to him; he approached, said he was unworthy. I want you to take that attitude also, that you cannot come with a predominating attitude and get anything from God. You must come reverent, humble, and then God will deal with you. And then you will get what you ask for. And that's the attitude that this Roman taken. Look at his a--approach to the Lord Jesus. He said, "I am not worthy for You to come under my roof. So I sent... I felt, myself, I wasn't worthy to come to You." Said, "Just speak the Word." He said, "I am a man under authority." And said, "I say to this man 'go,' and to this man 'come,' and they go and come." Said, "You just speak the Word, and my servant will live." I want you to notice that. That Roman, being under authority, that knew that whatever was under him had to obey him. On his testimony, he witnessed that Jesus Christ was over all sickness. He could make sickness obey Him, just the same as he could make his soldiers obey him. If one of the soldiers failed to obey him, it was a death penalty. And he recognized that same authority in Jesus, over evil spirits or sickness. That's why he said, "Just speak the Word."

 

Elijah 55-0301 P:32 Her attitude towards Elisha brought her the victory. If she'd have went up to Elisha and said, "Now, you looky here you hypocrite. My pastor was right after all." See, if she'd have went away with that kind of an attitude, she'd have never got nothing from him. But her attitude towards the man of God, produced exactly what she got, her victory, because she believed. That's the only way that's you'll ever do. If you believe that Jesus Christ, some mythical story, some Santa Claus affair that they tell children, or something like that, you'll never get nothing, until truly in your heart that you believe He's the Son of God, died, rose again, ascended on high, and is living with us right here tonight, and will do anything that He promise He would do in His Bible. When you get like that, something's fixing to happen. Then she picked up the baby, and bowed before him, and recognized him to be a servant of God, and bowed her head, and went out, went out with her heart full of love. All the great crisis... What if she just set still, and said, "Well, all hope's is gone. The doctor just left and said there was nothing could be done. And now my baby's dead, so I suppose that's all can be done." Said, "Set helpless." The story would've never been told. If no faith had ever come into her heart, it would've been that way. But God in His mercy placed something in that mother's heart, that she knew there was something could be done. You may be setting like that tonight in your family. Maybe every hope that you've ever had, that you've had, of ever getting well, the doctors discourage you. The man has done all he can do, and said, "It's passed medical science. There's nothing can be done." But if something can just happen down here in this heart, that tells you, "Yes it is. Yes it is." Then stay right with it.

 

Romans 4: 18 Who against Hope believed in Hope

Titus 2 : 13 the hope that appears

1 Thess 2:19 hope that appears

Gal 5:5 The hope of right-wise-ness

Romans 5:5 hope maketh not ashamed