Sober-Mindedness: Balancing Joy and Seriousness in Faith

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The basic idea is either not drunk and all that implies as it applies to our mind, and the more general way we use it and be thoughtful, self-controlled, without any reference to drunkenness. In both cases, the import is the same: a mind that is alert and clear and able to take reality into account for what it really is. [00:01:21]

He drew out three implications from biblical texts for what sober-mindedness is, especially for younger Christians like our students: one, clarity of mind; two, stability of soul; three, readiness for action. And we can see all three of these features of sober-mindedness if we just look at the three uses of the word in First Peter without even going to Paul's letters or anywhere else. [00:02:02]

First Peter 1:13: preparing your minds for action and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that is coming to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. So you can hear readiness for action and a clear head that focuses on the hope of Christ rather than being cluttered and confused by worldly distractions. [00:03:16]

The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. And you can hear the need for stability of soul because of how fraught with instability the end times will be. People easily fall prey to hysteria and conspiracy thinking and lose their footing and their stability. [00:03:44]

Be sober-minded, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. And you can hear the call for alertness to lion prowling and a readiness to act in defense of your soul against this lion and the need for stability of soul. [00:04:22]

Sober-mindedness is the demeanor that corresponds to the weight of the things of life, the great things of life. It is possible to be sober-minded and have elements of humor in our life, but it's hard to be sober-minded and at the same time be the kind of person that we've all met who is obsessed with being funny. [00:07:14]

Unbroken seriousness of a melodramatic or somber kind inevitably communicates a sickness of soul to the great mass of people, and they're right. This is partly because life as God created it is not like that. There are, for example, little babies in the world who are not the least impressed with our passion or my seal or my sober looks. [00:08:26]

The daddy who cannot do this because he's so serious will not understand the true seriousness of sin because he's not capable of enjoying what God has preserved from his ravages. He's really a sick man and unfit to lead others into health. He is, in the end, sober-minded about being sober-minded, not sober-minded about being joyful. [00:09:08]

The real battle in life is to be as happy in God as we can be, and that takes a very special kind of sober-mindedness. It is significant, isn't it, that the first use of sober-mindedness in 1 Peter 1:13 puts it in the service of hope: be sober-minded, set your hope fully on grace that is coming to you. [00:09:36]

There’s no conflict between sober-mindedness and joy at all. This is real joy, strong joy, stable joy, spiritually alert joy, ready to act joy. If your humor serves that, then praise God and go for it. Thank you, Pastor John, a great question, Brian. [00:10:28]

We are talking about the place of humor, and that leads us to ask about the tenor of public worship. How do we frame the gravity of our worship so flippant humor doesn't become the default vibe of our corporate worship? That question is up next time. [00:11:08]

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