Real Church
Movie Month: A Beautiful Mind.
6/11/2017
Locations & Times
real church
10447 Refugee Rd SW, Pataskala, OH 43062, USA
Saturday 9:00 PM
The Clip that you just watched comes from the movie, A Beautiful Mind. Based upon a true story, this movie chronicles the difficult journey of the brilliant mathematician, by the name of John Nash. At the age of 21, John, then a Princeton University student, wrote a doctoral dissertation that was so groundbreaking, it later won him a Nobel Prize. Although he was extremely gifted and successful, he was also tormented. Over the next decade, John's gift also became a curse, as he began to see and hear voices that were not real. At the age of 31, John had become a danger to his wife and family, and was diagnosed as Paranoid Schizophrenic. After being banned from Princeton, and on the verge of losing everyone he loved, John decided to fight back.
Over the next 20 years, John somehow began figuring out a way to discipline his mind enough, to overcome his mental illness. Although Charles, Marcee and Parcher were all just imaginary voices, to him they had become real. At one point in the movie John literally visited each one of them, and told them goodbye, saying, "I won't talk to you anymore... I just can't". (He unfriended his imaginary friends!)
Their might be a few voices in your mind today, that you should stop talking to!
After being permitted to return to the Princeton University in order to study and ultimately teach again, John was once asked about his voices by a fellow colleague:
"Are they gone?" He asked. "No they are not gone" John replied. " I have just gotten used to ignoring them and as a result I think they have given up on me. You've got to keep feeding them, for them to stay alive."
A wise pastor once told me - "Whatever gets your attention, ultimately gets you!"
Shortly before John won his Nobel Prize in economics, he was asked again about his voices by one of the committee members before the ceremony, and he responded:
"I am crazy. I still see things that are not here, I just choose not to acknowledge them. Like a diet of the mind, I choose not to indulge certain appetites."
While the incredible accomplishment of overcoming schizophrenia by John Nash may look humanistic at face value, the principles by which he did it were completely biblical.
John Nash overcame his voices through a biblical principle called Discipline.
The Bible teaches us in:
Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you."
In the New King James Version it says:
Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)
"You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed [fixed] on You, because he trusts in You."
The liberal arm of our nation praises "free thinking", while our bible cautions against it.
- Our minds must be given boundaries, or they will take over.
- Unknown person - "The mind is a beautiful servant, but a terrible master."
- Most people's struggles in life do not come from their circumstances. They come from lazy and undisciplined thinking.
Paul taught us a powerful principle in:
Philippians 4:8-9 (NIV)
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. . 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
+ Notice, Paul created clear set of boundaries for our minds. Think on these things!
+ He then went on to say, if we focus on these things the God of Peace will show up.
*When your mind is at Peace, it deals a crushing blow to the enemy of your soul!
Paul goes on to tell us in:
Romans 16:20 (NIV)
"The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you."
+ Notice, it doesn't say the God of war will crush Satan, it says the God of Peace.
+ Peace is aggressive, not passive! God sends Peace to beat the enemies in our mind.
***John Nash defeated his demons by creating boundaries for his mind!***
Today I want to give us 3 steps to help us overcome strongholds in our minds:
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)
"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Def: Stronghold -(Ochuroma) To fortify, a strong castle, a prisoner locked by deception.
(1) We must Identify the Stronghold!
Matthew 16:23 (NIV)
"...Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
John 8:44 (NIV)
"When (the devil) lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
Every time we believe a lie that the devil speaks, a Stronghold is created in our lives!
> Financial Strongholds (We will always be in debt!)
> Addictive Strongholds (I will never be able to beat this!)
> Physical Strongholds (I will always be sick!)
> Relational Strongholds (I will never have healthy relationships!)
> Spiritual Strongholds (I will always struggle to trust God!)
> What's your biggest Stronghold???
(2) We must Attack the Stronghold with Godly weapons!
The first reality we need to acknowledge is that the war we are in, is a Spiritual War!!
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
2 Corinthians 10:4 (NIV)
"The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish [to destroy] strongholds."
>We must pray Prayers of Faith!
(Faithful prayer of a righteous man is powerful)
>We must Stand on God's Word!
(His word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path)
>We must Speak the Name of Jesus!
(At the name of Jesus every knee will bow)
(3) We must Demolish the Stronghold with Truth!
2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
(Once our thoughts are forced to line up with truth, we are free!)
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
"... Be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
3 closing Small Group questions:
1. Why do you think the enemy attacks our minds so much? Examples?
2. What is one of the most common areas your mind gets attacked in?
3. How can you personally improve your response to those attacks?
Over the next 20 years, John somehow began figuring out a way to discipline his mind enough, to overcome his mental illness. Although Charles, Marcee and Parcher were all just imaginary voices, to him they had become real. At one point in the movie John literally visited each one of them, and told them goodbye, saying, "I won't talk to you anymore... I just can't". (He unfriended his imaginary friends!)
Their might be a few voices in your mind today, that you should stop talking to!
After being permitted to return to the Princeton University in order to study and ultimately teach again, John was once asked about his voices by a fellow colleague:
"Are they gone?" He asked. "No they are not gone" John replied. " I have just gotten used to ignoring them and as a result I think they have given up on me. You've got to keep feeding them, for them to stay alive."
A wise pastor once told me - "Whatever gets your attention, ultimately gets you!"
Shortly before John won his Nobel Prize in economics, he was asked again about his voices by one of the committee members before the ceremony, and he responded:
"I am crazy. I still see things that are not here, I just choose not to acknowledge them. Like a diet of the mind, I choose not to indulge certain appetites."
While the incredible accomplishment of overcoming schizophrenia by John Nash may look humanistic at face value, the principles by which he did it were completely biblical.
John Nash overcame his voices through a biblical principle called Discipline.
The Bible teaches us in:
Isaiah 26:3 (NIV)
"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you."
In the New King James Version it says:
Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)
"You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed [fixed] on You, because he trusts in You."
The liberal arm of our nation praises "free thinking", while our bible cautions against it.
- Our minds must be given boundaries, or they will take over.
- Unknown person - "The mind is a beautiful servant, but a terrible master."
- Most people's struggles in life do not come from their circumstances. They come from lazy and undisciplined thinking.
Paul taught us a powerful principle in:
Philippians 4:8-9 (NIV)
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. . 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."
+ Notice, Paul created clear set of boundaries for our minds. Think on these things!
+ He then went on to say, if we focus on these things the God of Peace will show up.
*When your mind is at Peace, it deals a crushing blow to the enemy of your soul!
Paul goes on to tell us in:
Romans 16:20 (NIV)
"The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you."
+ Notice, it doesn't say the God of war will crush Satan, it says the God of Peace.
+ Peace is aggressive, not passive! God sends Peace to beat the enemies in our mind.
***John Nash defeated his demons by creating boundaries for his mind!***
Today I want to give us 3 steps to help us overcome strongholds in our minds:
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)
"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Def: Stronghold -(Ochuroma) To fortify, a strong castle, a prisoner locked by deception.
(1) We must Identify the Stronghold!
Matthew 16:23 (NIV)
"...Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
John 8:44 (NIV)
"When (the devil) lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
Every time we believe a lie that the devil speaks, a Stronghold is created in our lives!
> Financial Strongholds (We will always be in debt!)
> Addictive Strongholds (I will never be able to beat this!)
> Physical Strongholds (I will always be sick!)
> Relational Strongholds (I will never have healthy relationships!)
> Spiritual Strongholds (I will always struggle to trust God!)
> What's your biggest Stronghold???
(2) We must Attack the Stronghold with Godly weapons!
The first reality we need to acknowledge is that the war we are in, is a Spiritual War!!
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
2 Corinthians 10:4 (NIV)
"The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish [to destroy] strongholds."
>We must pray Prayers of Faith!
(Faithful prayer of a righteous man is powerful)
>We must Stand on God's Word!
(His word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path)
>We must Speak the Name of Jesus!
(At the name of Jesus every knee will bow)
(3) We must Demolish the Stronghold with Truth!
2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
(Once our thoughts are forced to line up with truth, we are free!)
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
"... Be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
3 closing Small Group questions:
1. Why do you think the enemy attacks our minds so much? Examples?
2. What is one of the most common areas your mind gets attacked in?
3. How can you personally improve your response to those attacks?