The question is, what do you hope to get out of church?

   Some are happy to be able to be on a committee, and that is it.

   Others show up once a week, because that is the way that they were brought up.

   And still others volunteer to do this or that, and feel that in this capacity that they are serving God.

   In Matt. 11:28-30, Jesus said come unto me all of you who are having a hard time, whether you are serving God based on the demands of the Mosaic Law or in coping with life on a day to day basis.

   If you are a Christian, then you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. The Holy Spirit wants to fill us with his presence. This presence is constituted of His love, joy, and peace. This love is a genuine self sacrificing love for the benefit of the one loved. This joy is a deep and abiding inner rejoicing, which is independent of outward circumstances, because it rests in God’s sovereign control of all things. And this peace is a calm, quiet, and order, which takes place in the justified soul, instead of doubts, fears, alarms, and dreadful forebodings.

   How can I get to experience this kind of love, joy, and peace?

   Many Christians try to emulate Jesus in their actions by focusing on his life as presented in the New Testament gospels. We all should aspire to be like him.

   However, if we seek to emulate his life in our own power, then what we are doing is being religious. Religion tries to copy something that Jesus has said or done in one’s own power. We can and should enjoy reading about Jesus life, however, the key for the New Testament Christian in understanding how to operate in the power of the Holy Spirit is found in the directives of the New Testament epistles.

   In 1 Jn 2:3-6, we are told that if we keep (the moment by moment safeguarding of) his commandments (word; all that he has made known to us as his will in regard to our conduct), then this keeping of the word will result in:

1. the word becoming a dynamic controlling influence in our life.
2. a rich and full experience of God’s love.
3. an experiential realization of divine affection.
4. us being characterized, not by any representative trait or quality of our own personality, but merely as the subject of the work of divine love.

   Some of you might say that you do keep God’s word. So then why are you not experiencing God’s love, joy, and peace?

   One reason could be that your mind is focused on the stories or life of Jesus, and not on the word, which declares unto us, who we have been made to be anew in Christ.

   Another reason is, is that you are still thinking with the same viewpoint as you did before you came to know Christ.

   In Col 3:10, we are told to put on the new man. The new man is the new creature, who we have become, when we believed in Jesus Christ. The bible says that as the new man our mode of thinking, feeling, and acting has changed.

   You might respond by saying that you are still thinking continually the way you did before you came to know Christ.

   Then you need to learn to put on a new mind. This mind is called the mind of Christ.

   The following are some of the verses, which if we put them on or think with them throughout our day, this will reveal to our self and others the new man, who we have become.                      

1. We are patient in bearing the offences and injuries of others.                                   1 Cor 13:4 Charity suffereth long…
2. We will not think evil of one’s motives, opinions, or conduct until we are compelled to do so by the most unbreakable evidence.                                                             1 Cor 13:5 … thinketh no evil;
3. We do not take pleasure in injuring or hurting others.                                                                                                                                1 Cor 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity…
4. We do not make the sins of others, if alone privy to them, the subject of conversation or censure.                                                                                                                                        1 Cor 13:7 Beareth all things…
5. We speak of those things which we can commend toward a person, who has slandered us. If there is nothing to commend, then we are to say nothing.            Matt 5:44 …your enemies, bless them that curse you,…
6. We are not to take satisfaction for an injury by inflicting punishment on the offender. Go to God in prayer. Leave the matter to him.                                                     Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

   God has declared to us mostly in his epistles, the mind that he wants us to put on, on a daily basis. This new mind is contrary to the old ways that we have thought about our self, others, and the circumstances of life.

   As we learn about these new thoughts and begin to appropriate them for ourselves, we will begin to think, feel, and act differently toward our self, others, and outward circumstances; and the rich and full experience of God’s love, joy, and peace will become more and more realized in our life.

   So, begin today by putting on this new mind, and you will begin to know this verse:

Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 Matt 11:28-30

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.                                                                                

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 

Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 

1 John 2:3-6 

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 

Col 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: