Please remember that because of April break we will not be having Bible Study on April 19th. I am also asking for ideas on what to teach for the next few weeks as we have completed our study on Philippians. Any suggestions, please write them here.
Thanks,
Cindy
Monday, April 11, 2011
Philippians 4:8-23 Think on These Things
Think on These Things
Last time we were together I spoke about prayer and how right praying can lead to right thinking which will lead to the peace of God that passes understanding with your heart and mind being guarded like a fortress against anxiety and fear.
How I didn’t want to fail God by falling into anxiety and how preparing for Bible Study and being in the Word and right praying freed me from on-coming anxiety.
One of my greatest issues is that I am a fixer. If I or someone else has a problem I go into my fix mode.
The problem with the fix mode is that it puts a lot of pressure on the fixer. The fixer starts to feel responsible.
Like when your child is sick. It is up to you to determine certain facts. Is there a fever, a rash, loss of appetite, listlessness, or pain? After that determination, do I think this is a virus or bacterial? If viral should I take him/her to the doctor or wait it out at home? Am I missing something? Is there something else I should do?
And you know if you call the pediatrician they are going to tell you to bring him in. And then you have to pay for the visit for them to tell you it is viral and they will get better on their own. Or you have had the experience that 24 hours later they have an infection that requires treatment.
So for me, it is the sense of responsibility that puts me into anxiety/fear.
I decided a few years back to take a greater leap of faith regarding this sense of responsibility that I put on myself. I put it back on God. I would ask Him that if there was anything I needed to know or do that He would make it so obvious that I couldn’t miss it.
I do this with my children as well. I ask God if there is anything I need to know about what is going on with them that He will either reveal it to me, or to them or to someone else in their lives that they can safely turn to. I ask Him to reveal sin to me about myself and about them.
We love and serve a faithful God. James 1 says that if anyone lacks wisdom that we are to ask and that God will give generously and He does.
Those of you who were here when I taught on the book of James remember how I (and God) emphasize that sin begins in the mind. Taking control of thought life is critical to the Christian walk.
“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 27:3
“Out of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34
Paul is concluding his letter to the Philippians and he wants to put in one or two powerful thoughts.
8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Since sin is conceived in the mind Paul recognizes that we need to take control of what we do think about. Here he gives us a list of what we should be dwelling on.
Think about the right things (v. 8)
• the true—the truth about God’s Word.
• the noble— things that have the dignity of moral excellence;
• the just—those things that conform to God’s standards;
• the pure—those things that are free of sin;
• the lovely(the loveable)—those virtues that make believers attractive and winsome, such as generosity, kindness, compassion and willingness to forgive;
• the things of good report—those things that give Christians a good reputation and a good name.
Paul sums it all up by telling his readers to meditate on anything of virtue and anything worthy of praise.
In the absence of Biblical convictions we go the way of culture. Repeat.
If you are not daily checking your thought life with the truth of the Word you won’t be able to discern whatsoever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely and of good report.
Nothing is neutral! What we read, what we look at on line, what we watch on TV or movies, the music we listen to. ( Lady Antebellum, Need you now, ~I’m a little drunk and I need you now) Nothing is neutral. Unless we continually check our standards with God’s standards we will go the way of culture.
And where is culture going?
Sex in the City, Desperate Housewives, Jersey Shore, Glee….the list goes on and on and on.
At this point I want to bring up one more thought about our thought lives.
Women are by nature plagued with insecurity and comparisons. We are given a set of values at an early age and whether we realize it or not those values impact us and we pass those values onto our children.
Some values are great to pass along to others, some are not.
In my family of origin, here were some of our values:
Family
Hard work
Success~ defined by higher education and money
Beauty for the girls
Athleticism for the boys
Some of these values are good values, some of them are not. At one point in my walk with Christ I began to weigh what I believed to be truth with what God’s word had to say about it.
Because of certain things that I began to believe about myself at a young age, I have a continual tape running in my head.
For years I didn’t even realize the voices I was listening to as false because they were my truth, they were a part of my very DNA. Then the more I began to examine what that tape was saying the more I realized that I was listening to lies.
And who is the father of lies?
You need to replace the lies you believe with the truth of who you are to God.
For some of you, this will be easy. For others, it may be a daily battle depending on how much scaring has been a part of your past.
Thought life is crucial to the Christian walk. It has to be taken seriously and it has to brought into submission.
Paul concludes this set of instructions to the church with these words: ‘The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you’ (v. 9).
This is the third time that Paul has explicitly called his readers to follow his example (2:17–18; 3:17).
The Christian life is to be one of action. We are told not to be just hearers of the word but doers as well.
So now that he has fully explained himself and written the letter he is telling the Philippian church to ACT.
Thanks for Their Gifts
“10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”
What is the secret of being content?
His acceptance of his circumstances!
Since Paul’s primary objective to his life is toshare the Gospel and he doesn’t care what happens to him as long as he gets to tell people about Jesus, then he doesn’t care what his circumstances are as long as they further the cause of Christ. He looks at every difficulty as an opportunity.
The other secret to contentment is that no matter what our circumstances, no matter where we find ourselves, God will give us the strength to do whatever we are called to do. “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” And Paul should know, right?
Read 14-end.
He goes on to thank the church at Philippi for caring about him and putting their caring into action.
How often do we have charitable impulses that we ignore or never get to it? We need to act when the Holy Spirit prompts us to act. We need to give generously, esp. to those in the ministry!
Verse 19 is one of the great promises of the Bible. And hear the intimacy that Paul speaks:
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
Not some of our needs, but all of them! A reminder that if we have Christ, we have all that He has at our disposal if He so wills it. In material things, God has promised to supply all our needs. But in spiritual matters, God is ready to bless us in abundance!
And that is a great way to conclude the letter to the Philippian church. God is ready, willing and able to bless us with every spiritual blessing!
James Allen wrote a book based on the thought of Proverbs 23:7 entitled, As a Man Thinketh. Here are some of his thoughts:
Mind is the Master power that molds and makes,
And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes
The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,
Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills: —
He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:
Environment is but his looking-glass.
Quotes From As a Man Thinketh
~Men do not attract what they want, but what they are.
~A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
~Cherish your visions. Cherish your ideals. Cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment, of these, if you but remain true to them your world will at last be built.
~The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors, that which it loves, and also that which it fears. It reaches the height of its cherished aspirations. It falls to the level of its unchastened desires - and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own.
~Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves, they therefore remain bound.
~Every action and feeling is preceded by a thought.
~Right thinking begins with the words we say to ourselves.
~Circumstance does not make the man, it reveals him to himself.
~You cannot travel within and stand still without.
~As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts, can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.
Philippians 4:2-9 Worry, who me?
Worry, Who me?
What is it like when you have a falling out with a close friend?
What do you do when there has been a misunderstanding and you feel like you have been wronged or misunderstood; or you can’t figure out what has happened?
All the sudden she stops texting or calling. She misses your birthday and never seems to have time for you anymore.
How do you handle that?
~Do you obsess about it with other friends, giving your side of the story and hope that they take your side?
~Do you talk to your husband about it at length?
~Are you a fixer, do you try to figure out what is wrong and repair the damage?
What happens when there is a disagreement in the family? Think about your extended family. Say one of your siblings has an issue with another and you catch wind of it. What happens then?
What is the danger of unresolved conflict within the family or within the church?
Apparently there was a falling out in the Philippian church. 2 women that had worked closely with Paul had a dispute.
Take a look with me at Philippians 4:2-3:
“I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life
What does it mean to agree with each other “in the Lord?”
Who does Paul say should intervene to help these 2 women?
“Loyal Yokefellow”
Paul is asking the church at Philippi and the 2 women mentioned here to put the unity of the church before their right to be right. Remember what he had to say in Philippians 2:1-4:
2 “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Hebrews 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
We have a responsibility to work things out with each other. Quarrels within a church family create division and are a poor witness to the unbelieving world.
In verse 4 Paul says that we are to Rejoice in the Lord always. He repeats the command, Rejoice! He says let our gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
How can rejoicing help a tense situation?
How can gentleness help a tense situation?
“Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath.” Have you tried this? Have you thought of ways to respond to irritating people in such a way as to diffuse tension?
Here are some examples:
“I had no idea you felt that way.”
“Please forgive me for being insensitive.”
“I am not quite sure I understand what you mean?”
“What makes you say that?”
“Have I done something to offend you?”
“I am not sure I heard you correctly.”
Being willing to humble yourself in times of stress, misunderstanding, and conflict is super natural.
It has to come from God and needs much prayer behind it.
But unresolved conflict within the church can hurt our witness.
Worry and anxiety do the same thing. People in our world are looking for security and peace. They are looking for comfort when bad things happen.
One of our greatest witnesses to an unbelieving world will be how we respond to fear, anxiety and worry.
Finish this sentence: You know it’s going to be a bad day when_________
What are some things that women worry about?
~Health,
~Finances
~Job
~Family problems
~Making right choices for themselves and their family
~Future
What is the difference between worry and anxiety? The Greek word used for worry here translated into anxious means “to be pulled in different directions.” Our hopes pull us in one direction our fears pull us in another.
The Old English root from which we get our word worry means “to strangle.” If you have ever worried you know how apt that word is. Worry even has physical consequences: headaches, ulcer, back pain, anxiety attacks.
From the spiritual point of view, worry is wrong thinking (mind) and wrong feeling (the heart) about circumstances, people and things. Worry is the greatest thief of joy.
Warren Wiersbe says, “It is not enough for us to tell ourselves to quit worrying because that will never capture the thief. Worry is an inside job and it takes more than good intentions to get the victory.”
Worry can be about something specific, anxiety is more about something that hasn’t happened or isn’t really occurring. It is the fear of some unknown, un-named unwelcome event.
How can we possibly rejoice when bad things happen?
What are we to rejoice in? The Lord
Has anyone ever seen the movie PollyAnna by Walt Disney?
The story is about this girl named PollyAnna that was the daughter of missionaries. Somehow her parents were killed and she came to live with her maiden Aunt Polly. PollyAnna (played by Haley Mills) was of an uncommonly cheerful disposition and when things were tough she would play this game she called the “glad game.” In this game she basically would start out by listing all the things she could think of that made her glad. Kind of like a counting your blessings game. She taught several people her glad game, her sour Aunt Polly, an invalid old woman and a crabby older gentleman. Her positive attitude and glad game transformed the whole town. As simplistic as this story is there are times in our lives that we need to play the “glad game.”
There are times when our circumstances feel so heavy that it is hard to find things that we can rejoice in. But we are not to rejoice in our circumstances, we are to rejoice in the Lord.
What are some specific things about God that we can rejoice in?
His forgiveness, His love, His Lordship, His mercy, His guidance, His power, His knowledge, His faithfulness….
The antidote to worry is:
A secure mind.
Verse 7
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
The Message puts it this way:
“Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!
6–7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
The Amplified Bible puts it this way:
“And God’s peace be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace which transcends all understanding, shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
According to these verses there are 3 things that that will enable us to conquer worry and experience a secure mind:
Prayer:
The first thing we should do when we find ourselves worrying is pray.
We should begin our prayer not with our requests because that focus is too much on us, we should begin our prayer with worship and adoration.
Adoration: allows us to see God as who He is. It helps us realize into whose hands we are placing our worries. It reminds us that He is big enough to solve all our problems.
The second aspect of prayer is:
Supplication: an earnest sharing of our needs and problems. Supplication is deep prayer, showing God your need for Him.
After adoration and supplication comes:
Appreciation: Giving thanks to God.
Ephesians 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In order to pray in this way you need to have the right kind of thinking.
We are so prone to pray about the big things in life but handle the little things on our own.
And yet it is the little things in life that wear us down.
Talking to God about everything that concerns us is the beginning of victory.
When we do that the “peace of God” guards our hearts and minds. Those are the 2 areas where we are most vulnerable.
Heart (emotions)
Mind (thinking)
Wrong feeling or wrong thinking.
When we give our hearts to Christ in salvation we experience peace with God but the peace of God takes us a step further.
It doesn’t mean that we won’t have trials. What it does mean is that when we have trials we can have a quiet confidence that God is with us in the midst of those trials and that His way is good. (Repeat)
Right Thinking:
Peace involves the heart and the mind. Isaiah 26:3.4
You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.
Wrong thinking leads to wrong feeling and before long the heart and mind are pulled apart and we are strangled by worry.
We must bring “into captivity every thought and make it obedient to Christ. (2Corinthians 10:5)
Because worry and thought life is so crucial to the Christian walk we will discuss thought life in greater detail next time.
Application:
Discover areas that you are weak in your faith and trust.
Are you a worrier?
What worries you the most?
What do you do when you worry? Do you phone a friend, gather information, talk to your husband, try to solve the issue.
Is your last resort to go to God?
In what ways are you torn apart?
Do you have a single mind?
A submissive mind?
A spiritual mind?
Do you begin your prayer time with:
Adoration? Reminding yourself who God is.
Supplication: Sharing your needs with emotion.
End with Thanksgiving, saying thank you to God for His care over you.
Do these things and you will experience the peace that passes all understanding.
You will be a witness to a watching world.
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