Sermon for the Sullivan SDA Church
January 28, 2006
Here’s your brain on Junk
Thoughts
on Habitual and Addictive Behavior
Our mission - our sense of what God has called us to do
Under God’s guidance, we meet people where they are, and lead them
to experience a growing relationship in Christ with us.
Our vision - what our church will look like when we are accomplishing our mission
To be a growing church that transforms our community, models
singular devotion to Christ, and is prepared for His coming.
Our core values -
principles that define how we do ministry together as we pursue our mission
1 Empowering Leadership - Many people are leaders and don’t even know it; we lead in a variety of ways. (e.g. parent/child, father/family, teacher/student, Christian/unbeliever) Leadership is influencing people toward something better in their lives. Not that we are better, but we participate with God in directing them to the happiest life possible with Him. We “empower” leaders by apprenticing new leaders. We guide and equip them so that together we multiply our influence for good and accomplish God’s mission.
Ephesians 4:11,12; 2 Timothy 2:2; RH
8/24/86; 11/6/88; 9T 82
2
Gift-Oriented Ministry
- We serve the Lord in our
areas of giftedness through appropriate ministries so the Body of Christ “grows
and builds itself up in love.”
Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:1,4-6; Ephesians 4:16;
1 Peter 4:10; Letter 19, 1901; 8T 186,7
3
Passionate Spirituality – We
believe continual spiritual growth should be normal for all Christians. Hence, we encourage Christians of all walks
and religious persuasions to become more devoted to Christ by taking delight in
the spiritual life. This includes daily
renewal through the personal disciplines of Bible study, prayer, and obedience.
Psalm 119:148; Mark 12:30; Romans 6:22; 13:11; 2
Corinthians 7:11; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 3:16; 2 Timothy 2:15
4
Functional Structures - Our church’s ministries, systems, programs
and policies work optimally through well-defined objectives, which are
regularly evaluated to ensure functionality and excellence.
Exodus 18:14-22; Romans 12:4-8; Ephesians 4:16
5
Inspiring Worship - We gather for worship first and foremost for our
heavenly Father. We worship Him in
spirit and truth because of His beautiful holiness, creative power and loving
kindness. The blending of spirit and
truth reveals our commitment to authentic expressions of praise and adoration
that are biblical, decent and orderly.
Psalm 29:2; 96:6,9; 99:5,9;
138:2; John 4:23; 1 Corinthians 14:40; Revelation 4:11; 5:9,10; 14:7
6
Holistic Small Groups - We desire everyone to be involved in a small group that ministers to
their spiritual, mental, physical, and social needs. Since leadership is vital to this ministry, we equip them through
regular training, encourage them through monthly briefings, and evaluate them
through annual reviews. While these
discipleship groups vary, they are primarily focused on life transformation and
evangelism.
Matthew 18:20; Acts 2:46-47; Philemon 2; RH 5/30/71;
9/29/91; 7T 21-22, 195
7
Need-Oriented Evangelism –
People are at the heart of our existence as a church. We authentically and intentionally cultivate
friendships with pre-Christians to lead them to become fully devoted followers
of Jesus Christ. We use Jesus’ own
method of mingling with people desiring their good, showing sympathy,
ministering to them, winning their confidence, and inviting them to follow Him.
Matthew 25:34-40; 28:29,20; Luke 19:10; Revelation
14:6; MH 143
8
Loving Relationships –
People matter - they’re the only things going to heaven. We are known for our love for all people
without regard to gender, race, social or economic status. We accept people as they are and desire for
them the happiest, highest and holiest life possible with God. We hold special regard for those who are
destitute, without loved ones, and in need of our sympathy.
Here’s your brain on Junk
I.
Peanut Butter Brains Part I
A.
We like good things, We don’t like bad things
B.
The mind and body act in such a ways to reinforce the behavior that
makes us feel good.
C.
We have five senses. That’s All. All the things we can
understand about the world around us come to us through the sense
i
Taste
ii
Hearing
iii
Seeing
iv
Feeling
v
Smelling
D.
We are formed as individuals by the forces
i
Genetic endowment
ii
Personal psychology
iii
Mental predispositions
iv
Our fallen human nature
v
Cultural environment
1
The brain will adapt itself to the environment and culture it
finds itself in.
2.
Of these five elements, 4 have to do with the electrochemical
pathways of our minds.
II.
The Brain is made out of Peanut Butter
A.
Brain Chemistry.
1.
When pleasant things happen to us, the brain releases complex
biological chemicals that make us sense well being, contentment, happiness,
satisfactions, excitement.
i
You know these substances as seritonins, endorphins, and others.
There are undoubtedly many many other neuro-transmitters that have not been
discovered.
ii
Many of these chemical reactions are well studied, and the reaction
to the body is documented with large amounts of research. A complete
understanding of how these chemicals affect the mind has not been achieved for
any of them.
2.
The brain will chemically reinforce those activities that
cause the release of these pleasure responsive neuro-transmitters.
3.
The activities that the brain reinforces is not only the taking
into our bodies of food, but of almost limitless other positive experiences.
B.
The Habitual Model
1.
The Little Drop of Water
i
We’ve talked about the brain as peanut butter. Let’s change
the metaphor.
2.
The little drop of water falls onto an almost flat
featureless plane.
i
Imperceptible little variations in the complete flatness of the
plane cause the water drop to move slowly in a particular direction.
ii
As it moves, it dissolves a tiny portion of plane along the
path where there already existed the minutest of variations.
iii
The little variation in the flatness of the plane is
increased just a little.
iv
The next drops find this slightest of all depressions and
also follow along.
v
An erosive process follows until the slightest of all
variations has become a deep and mighty canyon.
C.
You might consider that these ditches can be good or bad
i
Good Habits or Bad Habits
ii
A good Person, or a Bad Person
iii
A servant of God, or a servant of Self and Satan.
2.
The Good Work
Ephesians 4:11-13 NKJV
11 And He Himself
gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and
teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the
work of ministry, nfor the 5edifying
of othe body of Christ, 13
till we all come to the unity of the faith pand of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to qa perfect man,
to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;[1]
Ephesians 4:17-24
NKJV
The New Man
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the
Lord, that you should vno longer walk as 6the
rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18
having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God,
because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the wblindness
of their heart; 19 xwho,
being past feeling, yhave given themselves over to
lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not
so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him
and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22
that you zput off, concerning your
former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful
lusts, 23 and abe
renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you
bput on the new man which was created according
to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
i
The New Habits.
Digging New Ditches in your Brain.
ii
New Commitments
3.
Filling up the old ditches.
i
When Christ, through the workings of the Holy
Spirit changes us from a sinner to a saint, he’s changing the inward man. The
external expression of this internal change is the change in our habits.
Proverbs 5:22 NIV
21 For a man’s ways
are in full view of the Lord,
and he examines all his paths.
22 The evil deeds of
a wicked man ensnare him;
the cords of his sin hold him fast.
23 He will die for
lack of discipline,
led astray by his own great folly.
ii
Steps to Christ – Page 35
Even one wrong
trait of character, one sinful desire, persistently cherished, will eventually
neutralize all the power of the gospel. Every sinful indulgence strengthens the
soul's aversion to God. The man who manifests an infidel hardihood, or a stolid
indifference to divine truth, is but reaping the harvest of that which he has
himself sown. In all the Bible there is not a more fearful warning against
trifling with evil than the words of the wise man that the sinner "shall be
holden with the cords of his sins." Proverbs 5:22. {SC 34.1}
Christ is ready to set us free from
sin, but He does not force the will; and if by persistent transgression the
will itself is wholly bent on evil, and we do not desire to be set free, if we
will not accept His grace, what more can He do? We have destroyed ourselves by
our determined rejection of His love. "Behold, now is the accepted time;
behold, now is the day of salvation." "Today if ye will hear His
voice, harden not your hearts." 2 Corinthians 6:2; Hebrews 3:7, 8. {SC 34.2}
"Man looketh on the outward
appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart"--the human heart, with its
conflicting emotions of joy and sorrow; the wandering, wayward heart, which is
the abode of so much impurity and deceit. 1 Samuel 16:7. He knows its motives,
its very intents and purposes. Go to Him with your soul all stained as it
is. Like the psalmist, throw its chambers open to the all-seeing eye,
exclaiming, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know
4.
How do I change the inner man?
Go to Him with
your soul all stained as it is. Like the psalmist, throw its chambers open to
the all-seeing eye, exclaiming, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try
me, and know
III.
New Commitments
A.
Prayer
and Study
1.
Will
you read the bible through this year?
i
Some
have indicated that they are willing to do this.
ii
Have
you started?
B.
Authentic
Expression of Love to God,
1.
To
your wife or husband
2.
To
your parents
3.
To
your kids
4.
To
your friends
C.
Church
Commitment
1.
Your
time
2.
Your
Tithe
3.
Your
Offering
D.
Helping
others find an authentic relationship with Christ.
1. Do you know someone who’s absence from heaven will cause you great distress. Will you do something to move them along the path to a valid and authentic relationship with Christ?
[1]The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 . Thomas Nelson: Nashville
6 NU omits the rest of
[2]The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 . Thomas Nelson: Nashville
[3]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 . Zondervan: Grand Rapids