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There has been the rise in the last ten years of what I call "positive thinking" preachers. They preach the doctrine of "thinking yourself" into blessings and "thinking yourself out of troubles." I am normally a very positively-minded person, but I completely disagree with such teachings for the main reason that the "motivator" or the one who makes the difference ends up being yourself. In other words, the end of such messages that you can think your way out is that "you've got to do it yourself," and "only you can improve your life," and "it's up to your power to make things better." Self-empowerment was the catch phrase of the 90s and is always the popular theme of New Year's resolutions and new beginnings. But even though people leave such motivational speeches happy and encouraged or excitedly make promises to themselves, they never are truly changed because ultimately you can't change yourself as much as you need to change. You can change some small things, but it takes God getting involved to change you to what you really need to be! You can only work on what you can identify yourself as needing to change, but God sees everything, even the parts that you cannot see. So any "power of positive thinking" that leads you back to relying on yourself is not only doomed to fail but contrary against God's Word. You need to have a healthy self-confidence and self-esteem but you also need to rely on Jesus Christ! The Psalmist wrote:

Even Solomon the wisest man who ever lived, crashed and burned when he got to thinking that he could do all on his own without God's help. You need God! I am not here to discuss the power of positive thinking. There is a difference between your attitude and positive thinking. People who are making themselves "think positive" are usually fakes who are putting up a mask of happiness that quickly drops when the real "them" shows up. Your attitude is the real you. Your attitude is how you really feel about things. It's not something that you put up to fool people some of the time. Your attitude is how you really respond to things. Positive thinking in itself is not going to do you a lot of good.

And since I'm here, let me say that a by product of the "positive thinking, chicken-soup-for-the-soul" preaching has been the redefining of what "faith" is. Most people today think that "having faith" is simply believing in some thing, but that's not scripturally accurate. James said that "faith without works is dead" and so Biblical faith is something that you believe so strongly that causes you to step out and act in obedience to the commandments of God's Word. It's not just saying that you believe something, but really believing it so much that it moves you to action! True faith has a different result than positive thinking because true faith changes the attitude of a person and positive thinking only changes the mask that they show everybody. God is not calling for positive thinking, but He is very much calling for you to step out in faith!

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Now that we've got that settled, let me say that nothing affects your destiny like your attitude. I'm not talking about what you appear to like or dislike or think, but your real view deep down inside. That's the attitude that I'm referring to today. Your approach to life will determine what you get out of life. That's not just a good thought, but it's scripture. Our text in Proverbs said:

Let me read it to you in a couple of other translations:

You understand that "being poor" has nothing to do with your bank account and everything to do with your attitude. The attitude of poor is "I don't have hardly anything." There are times when such an attitude is helpful such as Jesus said in Matthew 5:

In other words people who take the attitude toward the kingdom of God that "I don't have enough of it yet" will inherit the kingdom of heaven. Jesus was talking about being hungry for more of God. But that's not what the scriptures are talking about in Proverbs. It's talking about people who go through life with a "woe is me" attitude. With a "I'm just trying to barely make it." People who have the attitude "I've never really had anything and I don't have a lot going for me even now" will always live a crummy life. But the other side of the scripture is those that are happy and content in whatever they find themselves in will always come out on top. They will make it and be blessed so much that the scriptures say they will have "a continual feast." If you are always down and out and life's always too hard and everybody else is always getting the breaks and life's just too unfair to you, then maybe you need to take a look at your attitude toward life! You'll get out of life the exact replica of what attitude you approach it with!

And so now I know why from a little kid, my mother drilled into me "son, your attitude determines your altitude." I heard that a zillion times a month. I heard it so much that I would mouth the words with her when she would tell me. But somewhere it got stuck in my head: "your attitude determines your altitude." How high I go in life will be determined not by my circumstances, but by my attitude toward my circumstances. My mother's words come to me again: "son, you can't control what life brings or circumstances, or what others do or say, but you can control your reaction." And then she'd say "don't let it get the best of you." "don't let circumstances dictate to you how to act, but you do what's right." "Don't stoop to their level, but pull them to yours and take the high road by doing what's right no matter what you feel like." "Because son, you control your destiny because -- I know you've heard it before, but mother's going to keep telling you because it's true -- your attitude determines your altitude." And then as I got older and would get frustrated at something, she got even more clever: "son, remember as I've told you before your attitude NOT your amplitude, determines your altitude."

Maybe I'm driving you nuts with it already, but it was drilled into me just like that and mother put a scriptural principle within my head through her favorite sermon. And somebody needs to get the realization that how high or how far you go in God this year and in life and in your marriage, in whatever, will be determined not by what comes against you and not by who fights against you and not by life, but by your attitude that you take into and keep throughout. You'll get exactly what you ask for and expect.

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Let me preach to you a little bit. The scripture says:

I heard someone say recently to someone else "well, you acted just like I expected you to act when I met you." Surprise! But it was not the other person that caused you to get hurt, it was your actions caused by the attitude that you approached them with. It's simple, but it applies to church. If you come into church with the attitude that the preacher is going to offend you, then you'll probably find something to get offended at. If you come in here with the expectation meter set on zero, then you'll probably get absolutely zero. If you come expecting to leave the same way that you came, then you will undoubtedly return home the same person. But I've got a news flash for somebody. We serve a God who is great! The scriptures say that:

That power is the Holy Ghost, but the Holy Ghost is unleashed by our attitude toward what God can do! Somebody needs to raise your expectation level to match that of God's! Somebody needs to realize that if I come expecting to get blessed and changed and filled and healed, and worship like it and come to church like that and act like that, then I have not "thought myself into a miracle" but I have expressed genuine faith because of an attitude that said "God can!" What you receive in this service will be an exact replica of the attitude that you bring to God!

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Not only is your attitude important toward life, but it is toward salvation also. How you approach Jesus Christ determines everything. In Mark 10, we find the familiar story of the rich, young ruler coming to Jesus. Turn there with me if you will:

Now I would like to compare that story with the story of another man approaching Jesus, Saul on the road to Damascus, if you will turn with me as well:

There are some striking similarities and differences between these two accounts. Both of them are "religious people," the rich young ruler a faithful follower of Moses' commandments and Saul a young Pharisee who prided themselves on the exact obedience of the same laws. Both of them have an encounter with Jesus on a road. And both of them come into contact with the "light" of truth.

But the similarities end there. The first glaring difference is that the rich, young ruler doesn't have a revelation of who Jesus Christ really is, nor does he receive one. "Good Master," he says. In other words "teacher" I'm consulting your opinion on this matter as I have other teachers. And Jesus hits him sort of hard with "there is not one good but God." Now we know that Jesus was good, and we know that Jesus was God, but it seems that despite the efforts of Jesus, that the rich, young ruler never catches on to that fact.

Saul on the other hand asks immediately of the light shining from heaven "who are thou Lord?" To which the reply came "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest." When confronted with the fact that Jesus was the Lord in heaven, Saul didn't ignore it but immediately grasped the significance of it. That's a major difference between Saul and the rich, young ruler, but we'll save that for another sermon.

The main contrast in these two accounts, and where the differences begin to really show is in the two men's attitudes when confronted with Jesus' message. The rich, young ruler tells Jesus everything that he has done in asking "what must I do?" He comes to God with the attitude "I've done this and this and this, now what else do I HAVE to do." Feel his spirit here. He's wanting to know what else "must I do?" But Saul has a different attitude altogether because the Bible says that he trembling said "Lord, what would you have me to do?" Saul is saying "I'll do anything you want me to do, Lord, just instruct me." It's a million miles away from the approach of the rich, young ruler.

Let me preach to you today. You're here in God's house on the Lord's Day. Jesus is here and you can approach Him. You're listening to the same preacher and feeling the same anointing and Spirit that everyone else here is feeling. But what is your attitude toward the things of God? In what manner are you approaching Jesus? Is it like the rich, young ruler or more like Saul's? Is your attitude "must I?" Do I have to? Is it absolutely necessary to obey that scripture? Is it absolutely necessary to worship like that? Do I really need to change this or that? That's the rich young ruler mentality, but the rich young ruler went away "sorrowful!" He went away unhappy and unfulfilled and unblessed.

There are those who live for God looking for the bare minimum that they have to do in order to be saved. Their response to anything in the Word of God that deals with them is "must I?" "Do I have to?" I have to do what else? And to people with the rich, young ruler's attitude, the kingdom of God will always be too demanding and too hard. It will always cost you much more than you want to give. It will always seem to stressful and too strict. And you'll never be content, but understand that the church is not broke, and the problem's not with the kingdom of God, but with your attitude toward it. Your attitude is what makes you sorrowful!

But somebody needs to get the attitude of Saul! Trembling; humbly ask "Lord, what would you have me to do?" What else can I do? What more can I do? Can't I do more for you? How can I make things right? What can I change to make you even happier? What can I do more to please you? What else do I lack? Those are the attitudes of people who like Saul/Paul are going to become mighty in the kingdom of God! That's the attitude of those who will be known by hell because you have turned your world upside down! Saul didn't go away sorrowful, but instead he received healing and then the Holy Ghost and then a powerful anointing and then saw the miraculous working of God throughout his life! What a difference in result! What a difference in the scope of a lifetime and yet it all stemmed because of a different attitude!

And so I ask you what's your attitude today? I can preach God's Word and the promises in it, but really whether or not you receive them depends on your attitude. The scriptures say "ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." The rich young ruler attitude says "I'm a good person, do I have to receive it? Is necessary? Do I have to do that? Must I?" But the attitude of Saul is "whatever you have for me must be for my good, and if you've promised it to me, then I want it and it will be a powerful and positive thing!" Lord, whatever you have to me to do, I'll do! Saul's going to get the Holy Ghost and the rich young ruler is not! Same promise. Same Word, but difference in attitude!

The scripture says that if people are sick that they are to call for the elders of the church and let them anoint them with oil and that the prayer will heal them! What's your attitude toward that? Is it "must I ask them to pray, do I have to?" You are going to live in sorrow and sickness if it is. But if you believe the Word of God and do as it says, then you are going to be blessed!

The scripture says that we are made overcomers by the Word of our testimony. You are made victorious by telling others of what God has done for you! But what's your attitude toward witnessing? Is it "must I?" or is it "what else can I do, Jesus!"

God crowns faithfulness, but what's your attitude toward the little things and being consistent. We are commanded to "not forsake the assembling of ourselves together" in regular church services, but what's your attitude toward coming faithfully to the house of God. We are commanded to "pray without ceasing" but what's your attitude toward your prayer time. We are commanded to "study to show thyself approved" but what's your attitude toward Bible Study? If you will get the right attitude toward the things of God, then it will forever change your life! In the kingdom of God, your attitude will determine your altitude! I want to have the attitude of Saul! I want to have the attitude of Peter when told by Jesus that if he didn't let the Savior wash his feet, that he would not be a part of what Christ was doing:

Peter said "you can't over do it, Lord, whatever you want to happen!" Compare that attitude to the attitude of Judas Iscariot just a few nights and a chapter earlier when Mary broke the alabaster box and began to wash Jesus' feet and Judas criticizes the worship and the excess and the washing because he was really a thief. The night of Jesus' arrest and trial, both Judas AND Peter are going to deny Christ and betray Him, but just seven days later, Judas is dead, having hanged himself and Peter is forgiven, and full of the Holy Ghost preaching on the day of Pentecost about the mercies of God! They both failed, but what the difference? Their attitudes toward the things of God! Your attitude determines your altitude!

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In our other text, we read part of a parable of Jesus that taught the importance of attitude. The basic story goes like this:

Eventually the master comes back and it's reckoning day. It's not hard to see how that Jesus is the master and that you and I are the servants with the talents. God gives each of us what we can handle and does not judge us according to what others accomplish or have but according to what we do with what God has given us! But let me also say this: every man has been given a measure of faith to plant and nurture and there will be a day of reckoning where you must give account of what you did with that that God gave you.

Hear the attitude of the last servant: "Lord, I knew thee that thou are an hard man!" And here in one simple phrase do we find the reason for his slothfulness and lack of concern for the kingdom of God: the man's attitude toward his master! His priorities were off. It was easier to bury the talent and get back to doing what he wanted to do, just as the rich, young ruler wanted to get the minimum of salvation over with and get back to what most important in his life, that is money. But I want you to understand why their priorities were off. In both cases, it was their attitudes toward the things of God and God Himself.

Christians who live with the attitude that God's a hard master and too demanding and that there's too much sacrifice involved and that's it's just too much and that's it's hard and ya ya ya, will never be what God had intended for them to be in the kingdom of God. And Christians who never live up to their potential and who are never fruitful as they should be and who don't make it into eternal life will all have one thing in common: their attitude toward God and the things of God!

Understand that I don't have to serve Him, but I get to serve Him! I'm here because I love Him! I get to talk to Him! I get to come learn about Him! I get to step out and obey His Word! I get to please Him! The breath in my body is a gift! My hands that come together is a gift! My mind that forms the words to glorify Him was given to me! Everything that I own is but a gift from God! Therefore it's not a have to proposition but something that I long to do! I long to work in His vineyard! I long to work for His kingdom! I long to fight for Him! I long to give of myself!

But remember the end of the slothful servant:

That scripture in verse 29 used to bother me, but it doesn't any longer. You have to take it in context with the rest of the story. If someone will not change their attitude towards the kingdom of God, then they will just bury their talents. God has no choice but to give it to someone who will trust Him and who will have the right attitude in serving Him.

But turn it around, and you'll find the secret to being blessed in the kingdom of God. If I will get the attitude of Saul: "Lord, what would you have me to do?" If I will look for more ways to please Him and approach serving God with joy and excitement. If I will cheerfully give of my time and life and obey what God has commanded of me, then I will not only reap the fruit of my laborers, but God will give me the talents and abilities of those who have the wrong attitude! Truly, you attitude determines your altitude!

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I close with this:

Remember the two thieves on the cross? What made the difference between life and death, salvation and damnation? The attitude change of one of them! It's not too late! If you are still breathing, then there is still hope of a turnaround and a different direction. But somebody needs to change your attitude towards Jesus. Someone needs to change your attitude toward the things of God and His kingdom. Someone needs to approach God with faith believing Him for everything that He has given and not out of a "have to, must I?" spirit! Somebody needs to receive the Holy Ghost! Somebody needs to receive your healing! The skies the limit to God's power, but your attitude determines your altitude!