How to Live a Christ Centered Life (Empathy and NEURONS) | Pastor Ivor Myers

this morning Heavenly Father please bless us as we open your word Lord coming to all hearts come into our minds and fill us with your presence in Jesus name we pray amen I'm going to do a little bit of reading to you this is from the American Psychological our journal was written in 2005 and this sets the foundation for what we will be talking about this morning so it says this you're walking through a park when out of nowhere the man in front of you gets smacked by an errant frisbee automatically you recoil in sympathy you watch a waist or or you're watching a race and you feel your own heart racing with excitement as the runners vie to cross the finish line first or you see a woman sniff something some unfamiliar food and wrinkled her nose and disgust suddenly your own stomach turns at the thought of the meal for years such experiences have puzzled psychologists neuroscientists and philosophers who've wondered why we react at such a gut level to other people's actions let me read on how do we understand so immediately and instinctively their thoughts feelings and intentions now some researchers believe that a recent discovery called mirror neurons might provide a neuroscience based answer to those questions mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that respond equally when we perform an action as when we witness someone else performing the same action they were first discovered in the early 1990s when a team of Italian researchers found individual neurons in the brains of monkeys that fired both when the monkeys grabbed an object and also when the monkeys watched another I may grab the same object so the story goes like this these scientists are running some tests on these monkeys testing their brain activities when the monkeys ate peanuts there were certain neurons that would fire in their brains and they measured these neurons well one day the scientists walks in and he grabs a peanut himself and eats it and he immediately notices that the neurons in the monkey's brain fired as if the monkey had eaten while the monkey had not eaten just from what he saw the same neurons that would have fired had he done the act himself fired and this is how this this branch of science opened up they they say that it explains the word empathy empathy so what is empathy empathy empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference in other words the capacity to place oneself in another's position that's what empathy is placing yourself in someone else's shoes and feeling those feelings and those emotions do we have any sports fans out here you don't have to raise your hand do we have any music fans analysis something do you notice that when sports fans watch their sports you would almost think that they are on the football field or the basketball court or that's do you know what's happening they say that what's happening are these mirror neurons are firing and the person who is watching is actually it's experiencing it as if he or she were playing the sport themselves and by the way that's why we go you know so crazy over our sports that's why we we we love our athletes because in a sense we almost feel like we are on the team like we are one of them even though we have we've never met them in our lives we have that feeling that yes I'm part of that group same thing with music anyone have a favorite music group you feel like you know that music group don't you even though you've never met that group before even though you've never met him at those musicians there is something in the mirror neuron realm that says that allows you to experience vicariously alright what worried did I just use vicariously even though you were not there and that's why these bonds that that we have between people we've never met between our athletes that you have never met are so strong because of that empathy you you feel what they feel when they win you feel like you've won when they must you don't eat for a week it wasn't your game right it wasn't your thing but there is actually a bodily reaction am I am I is that right we are so connected to these things whether it's a television series or a music group or and after we're connected because of the way that they make you what word you just use feel the way that they make you feel causes you to have this bond that sometimes seems like it cannot be broken let me read on empathy as a concept can be loosely defined as an experience or a moment when self and other lines are blurred or discarded in such a way that the individual can intimately and personally relate to someone else or in other terms when the individual has the capacity to know and experience to know an experience of an other what better way is there to know another's experience than to have action-oriented experiential neurons fire in a similar if not identical pattern as the other this is science speaking talking about empathy connecting it with this idea of the mirror neuron now I want you to listen to this we're still reading this is another article speaking about the effects of sports upon fans and I want you to listen to what they say they say another variable that impacts the strength of mirror neuron response is how your watching the action whether that's streaming a sport event on your phone or sitting in front row seats live actions are better than filmed actions all things being equal in driving motor responses a one particular neuroscientist at the University of California explains a fan sitting in the nosebleeds is probably getting less of a mirror response than someone who is at ringside or courtside and pause right there someone who is like way up in the stands is gonna have according to science it's gonna have a a weaker mirror neuron response than someone who is close up who is near I hope you guys are following me I know this sounds like science but I hope you're getting the sermon like already let me keep reading it says here of those in the stands might also deliver an inferior I'm sorry let me be that again those in the stands may also receive inferior sound experience which matters to rich auditory clues enhance the mirroring in your head scientists have found auditory mirrors in monkeys a subset of mirror neurons that fired when they simultaneously observed and listened to an action as well as when they simply heard but didn't see the action so if you want to be the ultimate if you want to be the ultimate mentally engaged fan it's worth paying for good tickets but it may be even more worth it to try to play the game yourself so here's what they're saying the fans with the strongest responses are not the ones that watch the game from a distance it's actually the ones that are close closest to the game and then the article goes on to say that those who actually have had experience in playing the game themselves have these strongest mirror neuron reactions you say okay pastor interesting scientific study okay vicariously what does it mean the word literally means this it is defined as something that is experienced in the imagination through the actions of another person that's what it means when something is done by carelessly you are imagining you're living through someone else and again many of us do that we live through our favorite musician or our favorite artists or our favorite sports person that's what it means to live vicariously so what they experience you experience how many of you have ever heard of a condition called VT or vicarious trauma anyone ever heard of that so it's something that is experienced by counselors doctors nurses pastors and here's what it is when when a professional helper gets so involved with the client he's trying to help that they begin to take on that person's emotion they suffer what is called vicarious trauma in other words they suffer trauma as if it were their their own it's an actual condition you can look it up Viking vicarious trauma you empathize with someone to the point where you actually feel it physically now I just took you through all of that because I want to share with you a story some years ago and I'm not gonna say how many years because my wife will call out and correct me so some years ago when my children were younger I'm not gonna say how young they were because my wife will call out and correct me but they were young my little too little my younger girls Genesis and Julia were somewhere around the ages of five to seven maybe eight years old and we lived in this house we just moved into this house and the house had a separate living quarters actually had a separate office and outside this office there were steps that actually led up to the second floor which is where the office was and the windows in the office were those windows that you you know you roll outwards so they didn't open up and down they opened outward and I thought man this is Wow I have a window that opens outward and the steps going up right up right underneath it this this is kind of like dangerous I would always tell the girls don't play with these windows don't open them up because you could get hurt someone coming up these stairs you know may unexpectedly run into this window because they're not looking up and you know our girls would do look they'd say okay daddy and then guess what they'd open the windows and I would tell them time after time don't open that I've seen open guys don't open the windows someone could get hurt did they listen no it's fast forward a few months it's prayer-meeting night and I'm getting ready to go to prayer meeting and I forgot something in the office it's dark outside so I take off because you know I got to get to prayer meeting and so I'm like oh man forgot the thing in the office so off I go running as fast as I can as fast as I can and and when I get to the steps you know I'm a pretty tall person so I'm not going to the steps one by one I am leaping like a roll just sleeping like a deer leaping for steps at a time five steps like a sprinter like a you know just boom I'm in it because I'm not good you know I'm [Applause] and after about my fourth leap as I'm leaping all I see is the edge of something coming towards my eye and if any of you ever seen this scar right above my eyebrow you now know where it is from because that the edge of that window basically gouged now one of my daughter's was running behind me she was a little distance away but she was running behind me and when I jumped into the port the edge of the window I let out a scream that I don't think that they will ever forget blood I'm sorry empathy I'm looking at your faces right now and I'm seeing empathy you are acting like you yourself or I'm on the ground screaming in pain like screaming in pain I think that I have lost an eye and I'm tug race of God the thing totally missed my eye it went from my eyebrow down the side of my face and I am screaming now now listen to what I'm going with this my daughters were right there they watched it they watched their father lying on the ground in pain blood on the ground I know I'm painting a picture I know I know but I need you to get I need you to empathize with what I'm saying right now because let me tell you this is like we got it going I'm gonna come back to that I want you to remember your response i'ma build on that okay listen my daughter's after they saw that after that experience guess what that window remained closed for the rest of the time that we lived there they never touched the window again okay when we see what our disobedience caused someone do you know what happens someone that we love see they can tell us how don't do this don't do this don't do this don't and we're like yeah okay whatever would okay when we understand what our iniquities what our sins does to someone else that we love when we truly see what it does when we see it and let me tell you something it may have been different if the if my kids weren't out there but the fact that they saw that it was enough that I never had to say again don't open the window I didn't have to say it you want to know why because they had an experience I mean II believe they had an experience how many of you believe that it was as if their I had been as in their face I mean they saw it and when you see when you're close up at the ringside when you're close up where the action is something happens that is different than when you just hear about it or read about it are you with me when we as a people see I want you to imagine God in the garden hey guys don't eat that tree don't eat from that tree because somebody could get hurt don't eat from that tree guys because you could get hurt somebody could get hurt and when Adam and Eve ate from that tree little did they realize that they were bringing about the death of their creator when we understand when we see what sin does it changes us it changes us open your Bibles with me to the book of Hebrews chapter 2 Hebrews chapter 2 so I need you to see something here Hebrews the 2nd chapter beginning with verse 14 the Bible says here for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the devil and deliver them who through the fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage for verily he took not on him the nature of angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham wherefore in all things it behooves him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people for in that he himself has suffered being tempted he is able also to succour them that are also tempted do you want to know what Jesus did when he came to this earth Jesus came to this earth to empathize with us he came to this earth to experience our experience did you catch that Jesus came to this earth because he wanted to connect with us and he connected with us in such a way that he could empathize with us that's what he did that's why he came to this earth because he he loved us and the Bible says in Hebrews 2 verse 9 just go back up with me Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 9 the Bible says but we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the Angels for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God should taste death for who for who everyone for every man Jesus came to die vicariously on our behalf Jesus came to die for every man that means when Jesus will was dying on the cross he was experiencing death for how many every man now this world is broken up into two types of people and only two types of people guess what those are the saved and the lost and so when Jesus died he was dying the death of the lost pastor what do you mean give him when he cried out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me who's gonna say that at the end of time that's a crowd that wicked because ultimately sin brings about a separation from God but the other one jesus also said into my hands I commit my spirit who says that when they die the redeemed the saved in other words when Jesus died he died on behalf of the lost and deceived he experienced vicariously on our behalf death that's what Christ did for us how many of you remember the story of the serpent on the pole you remember that story where the children visited were going through the wilderness and the Bible says that these serpents began to bite them and then God instructs Moses to make a brazen serpent and put it on a pole and whosoever would look at the serpent would what would leave now what does that picture of a serpent on the pole represent it represents Christ and his suffering on our behalf I want you to get this point guys God is trying to show Moses that by beholding the suffering of Christ something happens within us by beholding Christ on the cross by beholding the anguish he suffered in other words by gimme a word by empathy by being able to understand not just mentally but emotionally what Christ went through on the cross something will begin to happen in us it's different beloved when you when you read about the story of the cross from a distance oh wow Jesus died for us man isn't that great yes great whoa all right let's go let's keep going there's a difference when you get close up to the actual event are you with me God wants us to understand something that it is by looking and beholding Christ in his sufferings that something begins to happen with us but here is the problem Isaiah 53 verse 3 turn there with me if you will Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 3 when you get there say Amen Isaiah 53 verse 3 are you there notice what it says here Isaiah 53 verse 3 he is despised and rejected a man a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and what did we do what did we do we what we hid our as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows okay let me ask you a question do you see Jesus here empathizing with us whose sorrows was he carrying is ours he was behaving as though our sorrows were actually his as though our griefs were actually his he was empathizing with the human race and the Bible says in verse verse continuing long yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God but he was wounded for whose transgressions he was bruised for whose iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with His stripes we are healed all we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord laid on him the iniquity of who us are alright let's break this down the Bible says we hid our faces why what does it mean that we hid our faces what is it saying what do you think it's saying when it said he we hid our faces why would we hide our faces from from that shame what do you think how many of you have ever seen an accident on the road and as we saw the accident you wanted to look away because you didn't see what was coming anyone ever done that like yeah I don't want to see what why why is it human nature to not want to see people's people running into windows and gouging you know possibly gouging out why don't we want to see that it's it's what it's unpleasant are you are you with me it's uncomfortable I don't want to see suffering why would I want to see suffering I don't want to see someone in pain I don't want to see misery I want to see what kind of things happy things good things I want to focus on unhappy things I don't want to focus on suffering I don't want to how many of you like focusing on suffering no we all want to be what happy so our solution for happiness is look at happy things I'm gonna look at my favorite musician I'm gonna look at my favorite music star my favorite actor my favorite sports star because they look happy little do you realize that in the holding their happiness it only makes you I don't have that Wow their lives they're having so much fun that you know what is my life like I'm gonna say something do you realize that the suicide rate is like growing rapidly especially among young people suicide and I would like to suggest that that part of that reason is because of what our young people are seeing out there you know they're they're trying to imitate the people that look happy because the people that look happy on social media are not really that happy guys but but when you put out this picture so so Facebook post after Facebook post is all but life isn't really like that but you're putting on this this this this facade on on Facebook and and Twitter and snapchat and Instagram and it's leading other people be like they are so happy what do they have that I don't have not realizing that they are just as miserable as you do you catch what's going on in our seeking for happiness we look for happy things and end up depressed discouraged anxiety these are the things that are happening and what we don't want to do is look at something that brings sadness because man why would I want to look at that I'm trying to be happy you don't find joy by looking at something sad do you huh oh wait a minute if God is trying to tell us that by His stripes we are healed then what is God really saying to us he's telling us listen guys I need you to empathize with what my son suffered on the cross because when you empathize with him guess what you're gonna find true happiness wait a minute what pastor are you telling me that happiness comes from looking at something that I would rather hide my face from something that is so challenging something that is so you know so so brutal the way they treated Christ you're telling me you want me to focus on that and by focusing on that by focusing on the serpent on the pole by focusing upon Christ and him crucified that's how I find true happiness yes yes true happiness comes when we behold the lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world true happiness comes when we behold Christ so when the Bible says we hid our faces from it it's as though it's trying to tell us listen as a people we we don't really allow ourselves to understand emotionally what Christ suffered on our behalf we're hiding our faces come come with me to second Corinthians chapter 3 and you need to see the second Corinthians chapter 3 verse 14 onward 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 starting with verse 14 listen to what the Bible says here 2nd Corinthians 3 verse 14 the Bible says but their minds let's start with verse 13 and not as Moses was put a veil over his face that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished but their minds were blinded for until this day that remain until the this day remained the same vail untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament which Vail has done away in Christ but even unto this day when Moses is read the Vail is upon their hearts nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord the veil shall be taken away now the Lord is that spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty but we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord so the Bible says that we should behold the Lord with what kind of face open face but in Isaiah 53 it says we have done what with our faces hid them what does that mean beloved it means this when we read the Bible there is a veil over the verses we read there is a veil as we open the scriptures and that veil prevents us as it were from entering into and empathizing in a very real way with the sufferings of Jesus Christ we read it in a very cold and formal way there's a veil God can't reach the heart but he says my desire is that you behold this with open face I want you to get I want you to empathize I want you to understand I want you to feel what my son felt as he was on that cross see when we read the scripture from an emotional distance it's just like uh you know a little bit of mirror neurons when we get up close to it and read it with everything we have allowing our emotion to grasp what we are reading something different happens and listen that's why many of us are not moved by the gospel if you don't like tennis and you're watching tennis and you don't understand tennis guess what you're not going to be moved when you're watching a tennis game you're under like what is this boring to people hitting a ball you have to be emotionally invested in the game to actually appreciate the game am I telling the truth in the same way but love it if you're not emotionally invested in Christ it's you're going to be a bystander watching the activity you're going to be on the sidelines you're going to be up in the stands maybe a cheer here there we're looking with Christ in for us great but there's no real empathy for what Christ has done for me for you do you remember when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane and he said to his disciples he said I want you to do something what did he want them to do not just pray he wanted them to what wha watch what check this out guys Jesus was like telling the disciples guys I need you to see this what I'm about to do I need you to see this I need you I'm depending on you to watch this because I need you to empathize with what I'm about to go through so I need you to watch this and what the disciples do they fell asleep they fell asleep they they could not grasp what was going on all right I want you to listen to this guys this second from review and Herald February 28 1882 please listen carefully to these words what does it mean to live vicariously how do you live vicariously you have to use something imagination can you say all the time all right so we just read the definition of vicariously is to live through the imagination in someone else's shoes did you hear that listen carefully listen to these words go in imagination to Gethsemane and behold the anguish which Christ endured for us pause for a second what did you get from what I just read review and Herald 1880 1882 somewhere around there she says goal in imagination to Gethsemane what is she telling us say again you need to experience the garden of gethsemane for yourself no it's not just enough to read about it from a distance no no no I want you to go where go in what in your imagination to Gethsemane when they keep reading she goes on to say see the world the world's Redeemer wrestling in superhuman agony the sins of the world upon his soul hear his prayer pause for a second do what all right so when we're in imagination in the Garden of Gethsemane we're supposed to catch everything that's going on is that right we're supposed to see and we're supposed to want here the ax men what we just read about in that article that those who see and hear have a greater mirror-neuron response than those who maybe just see or maybe those who just hear we're being told that we should meditate how many remember this quote we shouldn't meditate upon the life of Christ for an hour a day hold on allowing the imagination to grasp each scene especially which one's the closing ones why why why is why are we being told that we should do that let me tell you why because when you learn to empathize to enter into someone's experience mirror neurons begin to fire and when mirror neurons begin to fire your mind begins to react in the same way as the mind you are mirroring Jahna feeling me ready let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus so what we're being told us listen if you want the mind of Christ in you behold that mind behold what that mind was feeling and thinking at the cross in the Garden of Gethsemane and as you behold that guess what you're going to begin to react in the way that that mind would have acted let this mind be in you and so now you begin to you begin to empathize with with the thoughts and the feelings of Christ listen the Bible says that Jesus tasted death for us is that right now watch this does the Bible tell also tell us o taste and see that the Lord is good okay hold on wait so if the Bible says Jesus tasted death for us hey guys listen I came to this earth to live your life vicariously and I tasted your death and now I want you to do the same as me what I want you to do I want you to taste what what does he want us to taste taste see the Lord is good taste what if he died our death and that means he takes the death for us what does he want us to taste his death I want you to taste my death but Lord Rama I'll do that no no no listen let's taste and see that the Lord is good wait wait wait but if I taste your death I'm gonna experience suffering when I imagine your suffering I'm gonna the Lord that's not a good thing and God says no no listen to me listen to me in suffering you are made whole by my stripes you are healed taste it and see that the Lord is good but lord I want happiness so shouldn't I focus on happiness look he looks happy over there and she looks happy right there at my favorite television star he looks really happy and the God says no that's false happiness that's only gonna make you depressed that's only gonna make you miserable focus on the sufferings of the Son of God and this is how you will find true joy focus on what my son did for you at the cross so here's the problem you see remember that woman that touched Jesus there's a whole crowd around Jesus and this one woman touched them and he stopped and he was like wait a minute somebody and everyone's look at him like he's crazy what do you mean everybody's around you what do you mean someone touched you that one woman had a very special touch didn't she it was a touch of faith and with and when when when Jesus touched her he felt empathy he said something's gone out of me hold on someone touched me someone was real in their touch beloved so many of us are watching Jesus from up in the stands we can cry over over a movie we can cry over our favorite music person but the story of the gospel oh yeah it's not a great story yeah why are we degree mm-hmm there is no emotional connection to the gospel God needs the veil to be removed from us this is why the Bible says in Zechariah 12:10 he says I will pour out the spirit of grace and supplication upon my people and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as one that mourns for an only Son hold on wait a minute you mean the Bible says that there's coming a time that we will mourn for Jesus as though he were our own son yes that's what's called empathy that's when the connection with us and Jesus becomes real when we see his loss as though it were the loss of our own son not just a story on the page and this is why we're told listen every day take that time meditate on his life especially the closing scenes stop what you're doing and just take a moment to let that really sink in hear him scream on the cross yes like my kids heard me scream down on the ground hear him in imagination in faith hear him scream on let that scream never leave your mind let that shout my God my God why is our forsaken me here in imagination here as it really happened let that thought never leave your mind Jesus lived our life vicariously and died our death vicariously so that we would die his death vicariously and therefore live his life vicariously and now listen carefully guys because you see all that I've just shared is only one part of the picture because there's something else you need to understand the Bible says Jesus speaking says this the Bible says that Jesus is the Express image of his father is that right he also said if you've seen me you've seen who the father so check this out guys everything that Jesus experienced was a picture of his one of his father so when he loved who were we watching love father when he was sorry or sorrowful who will be watching us sorrowful the father so watch this guys let me ask a question did did the Heavenly Father die did the Heavenly Father die who died on the cross Jesus did the Heavenly Father die I want you to think with me did the Heavenly Father die the answer is absolutely yes how did he die he died vicariously through his son you know think about that for a moment parents think about look I know I can't think about it you don't want to think about it but think about losing a child think about that when the father lost his son listen to me as you're looking at the agony of Jesus on the cross you are seeing a picture of the agony of the father when Jesus dies on the cross it is as though the Heavenly Father himself died that's why as you read I got to read these statements to you listen to me I read them rapidly but just listen carefully these are about four or five of them listen God suffered with his son the desire of Ages God suffered with his son could mortals have viewed with him the amazement of the angelic host as in silent grief they wants the father separating his beams of light love and glory from his beloved son they would better understand how offensive in his sight sin elsewhere it says this God suffered with his son in the agony of Gethsemane the death of Calvary the heart of infinite love paid the price for our Redemption in another place she says this God loves you God died for you God died for you one more it says this that this redemption might be ours God withheld not even the sacrifice of himself he gave himself in his son the father suffered with Christ in all his humiliation and agony he suffered as he saw the son of his love despised and rejected by those who he came to elevate in noble and save he saw him hanging upon the cross mocked and jeered by the passerby and he hid as it were his faces his face from him he saw Christ bearing the sin of the world and dying in the sinner stead the human heart knows the love of a parent for his child we know what a mother's love will do and suffer for her beloved one but never can the heart of man thought him the depth of God's self-sacrifice the heavenly father died with his son listen this is beautiful because we'll look at what just happens in Christ we die vicariously with him in Christ the father died vicariously through him what Jesus is doing is he's taking the emotions of the father and the emotions of humanity and he is uniting them in a single experience at the cross and beloved it is at the cross that at one mint catch that dog because there's nothing that binds two people together more than going through the same experience and when we see that in Jesus the father died in him vicariously through him and we are allowed to die vicariously through Christ a bond is created that cannot be easily broken one more thought to share with you and then I'm closing you see the Bible says that when one member suffers how many suffer all the members do you know what that means the entire Godhead because they're all members the entire Godhead suffered at Calvary on our behalf in fact what is the worst thing about Hell it's what separation from God let me ask you a question who is Jesus Hebrews 1:8 tells us that Jesus was called God by the Heavenly Father so Nancy question if hell is the separation from God was the father separated from God okay I need you there cuz I know you just keep okay if he'll is separation from God was the father when he was separated from his son was he being separated from God and here's what that means beloved God went through hell to save you that's how much he loved you that he went through hell separation from God when that separation occurred in the Godhead now you know what Father Son Holy Spirit suffered on our behalf watch that don't just read about it and go oh well neat story now let's go nuh nuh nuh nuh no stop stop what you're doing stop what you're doing stop it just take some time in whatever the time is of your day and watch it hear it experience it and I promise you God promises you that when you do that the mind of Christ will become your mind the mind of Christ will become yours empathy Lord teach me to behold the cross

Channel: Power of the Lamb

Views: 20,238

Rating: 4.8829269 out of 5

Keywords: christ, death, jesus, god, the cross of christ, how to overcome temptation, watch and pray, mirror neurons, ivor myers

Id: R6yKPMV-K9A

Length: 53min 25sec (3205 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 07 2018