Heaven's Agenda: Attitude Adjustment

July 19th, 2020/Nevei Kodesh Broadcast

Question: Have you ever had a bad attitude? A bad attitude can shift the atmosphere and change the attitude of others around you. I see this in my home all of the time. If I come home with a bad attitude and start getting on to the kids about every little thing, then they start having a bad attitude. If I complain about the noise or how dirty the house is then it brings down the whole family. Do you ever feel that in your home? With your roommates? Your day is going great until Tom walks in. “Oh boy, let me tell you guys about MY day!” Next thing you know, what was trending to be a nice evening at home turned into a saga.

Sometimes bad attitudes come in moments and sometimes they come in seasons. Anyone feel me there? Maybe you go 4-5 weeks with a critical and snarky attitude and the glass is just barely half full. I try to be a positive force in the world and in my home, but when I get a bad attitude I make sure to go all out bad! I try not to have half hearted negativity/anger. If I’m down then I’m bringing everyone down with me. My bad attitude usually stems from control. When I feel life slipping out of control then you can guarantee that you’re not going to get the best version of myself.

How many of you know that attitude is directly influenced by how you think and perceive the world around you. It’s an inside out reality, not outside in. It starts with your thinking, then typically moves toward your attitude, then ultimately affects your decisions.

Story: Hiking with Cory. You can wear the shirt, look the part, and post all the right pictures, but what’s on the inside will come out in the end. Real life change happens from the inside out.

Title: Attitude Adjustment - your attitude is crucial for having a strong, impactful, and fulfilling life.

Passage: Philippians 2:3-8

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.

Pray: (Pause 3-5 seconds)

Main Points:

1. Our attitude will determine our altitude

   1. Your attitude will set the trajectory of your life.

      1. “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” - Proverbs 17:22

         2. “Selfish ambition” (V3)

      2. Selfish ambition is “My way…”, “My goals…” “My purpose…” “My desired outcome…” “My title…” “My promotion…” “My, My, My, My….”

      3. Selfish ambition first asks the question “How is this going to affect me?” rather than “How is this going to affect others?”
      4. As Jesus people we are others minded. Ambition is helpful, selfish ambition is harmful.

      5. Here we see Paul drawing a stark contrast between vanity and humility.

         3. Illust: Pastor, you just want me to live selfless and have a miserable life! :) It’s the exact opposite.

      6. What if you took the things that you were most passionate about, your interests, your giftings, and your influence, and you leveraged that for the benefit of others

      7. Example: We have a couple in our church that has been investing in other couples. They’ve been bringing couples together for bible study, going on fun adventures, and building healthy community together. I would imagine that if you ask them if they are living a boring or mundane life then they would say NO WAY.

      8. You see they have ambition and interests, but their goal is not selfish gain, it’s steady growth. It’s building others up and reaching the lost.

         4. A humble attitude produces harmony, unity, and blessing

      9. “For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.” - Romans 12:3 CSB

      10. True humility is not thinking less of yourself… it’s thinking of yourself less. It’s thinking of yourself with a posture of submission to a greater purpose.
      11. Humility is fertile ground for healthy growth.
      12. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” James 4:10
      13. “Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time,” - 1 Peter 5:6
      14. We have control over our attitude
          1. You can’t always choose your season, but you can choose your spirit.
          2. There’s a saying that life is 10% what happens and 90% how you respond.
          3. In Jesus, our attitude can transcend our circumstances.
          4. Example: Paul and Silas found themselves in prison and instead of feeling sorry for themselves or having a bad attitude, they chose to worship and witness. They saw being locked in a Roman jail as an opportunity to advance the mission.
          5. Example #2: Pastor Shodankeh Johnson in West Africa arrested for preaching the Gospel. They put him in a box and he worshiped. If you put me in here then this is my box, I’ll do what I want in my box. He worshipped and in his worship he demonstrated faith, trust, and courage. So much so that the commander asked him where he found such courage and Pastor Shodankeh shared the Gospel. That commander was later baptized.
          6. In Jesus, our attitude can transcend our circumstances.
          7. Pastor Shodankeh’s box was his blessing. Paul’s prison was his purpose.
          8. Your attitude determines your altitude.

      15. Our attitude is directly influenced by how we think

          1. “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” - Romans 12:2 CSB
          2. Attitude Adjustment

      16. I can’t with I can - philippians 4:13

      17. I’m a victim with I’m a victor - romans 8:37
      18. My feelings with by faith - 2 corinthians 5:7

      19. I think with I trust - proverbs 3:5

          3. Bad attitudes build strongholds in our lives

      20. Comparing - 2 Corinthians 10:12

      21. Complaining - Philippians 2:14
      22. Criticism - 1 Thessalonians 5:11
      23. Controlling - Proverbs 3:5
          4. Your bad attitude will wreck your relationships and will destroy your witness.

Walking Points:

1. I will not let negative people into my inner circle
2. I will not dwell on negative thoughts (3 second rule)
   1. “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” - 2 Corinthians 10:5
3. I will replace negative thoughts with God’s thoughts
   1. “Jesus is the source. And I have a choice.”

Invitation.

9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

He can either be your Savior today or your judge later.

Let’s pray.