Rev. David Holwick Book of Philippians series
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
May 31, 1998
Philippians 4:8-9
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I. We are what we think.
A. Mental attitude is single most important factor concerning
physical health and emotional happiness.
1) Hospital study: skin cancer patients who were aggressive
and positive were more like to recover.
2) Mental attitude is a factor in 90% of illness.
a) Negative, bitter people get sick more often and severely.
b) Example in hospital.
Extreme example in Gloucester, MA, hospital.
Celeste had her as a patient.
This woman was so bitter her digestive track wouldn't work.
She cursed at every nurse and orderly who came within
shouting distance.
She didn't mumble, either.
Every curse was carefully articulated so that the
entire hospital wing could benefit from her bile.
In the whole time she was there, she never said a kind word
to anyone.
Not even once.
Her attitude did more than make her sick.
It ended up alienating her from the ones who could
help her the most.
The nurses flipped coins to see who would be stuck with her.
(Usually it was Celeste - they had it rigged.)
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B. The downward spiral.
1) Anger, resentment and self-pity set us up for failure.
a) Psychologists call it a downward spiral.
b) By dwelling on negative thoughts, you start to feel
crummy, then you act crummy, which makes people
treat you crummy,
so now you have a valid reason to be negative,
and you feel even crummier.
2) Jesus says the downward spiral also applies to spirituality.
a) Being a Christian is not so much doing religious things,
as it is a matter of the heart. Mark 7:15
b) He says the first corrupting thing out of the heart is
evil thoughts.
1> All other sins follow from it.
2> The thoughts take concrete form as sins.
3> The result is eternal separation from God.
3) Explains Jesus's teaching on lust and hatred.
a) Having these thoughts in your head is just like
committing the acts.
b) What is in your thoughts will sooner or later be
exposed in your life.
c) Some estimate our minds hold 100 trillion thoughts.
1> What are most of your thoughts like?
C. There is also an upward spiral.
1) New attitude in Christ. Ephesians 4:22-27
a) Attitudes lead to actions.
b) "Self-control is primarily mind-control." John Stott
2) Note positive thrust of all the qualities here.
II. Eight qualities of positive thinking:
A. True.
1) Has sense of valid, reliable, honest.
a) The opposite of false.
2) It characterizes God (Rom 3:4) and the gospel (Gal 2:5)
and should also characterize believers.
B. Noble.
1) Used only by Paul in NT. 1 Tim 3:8,11; Tit 2:2
a) In other passages, refers to character of church leaders.
b) It is the quality that makes them worthy of respect.
2) Integrity matters.... <<<<<<<<
C. Right.
1) What is upright or just.
2) Conformable to God's standards and thus worthy of his
approval.
D. Pure.
1) Emphasizes moral purity.
2) Includes in some contexts the restricted sense of "chaste."
E. Lovely.
1) Occurs only here in NT.
2) What is pleasing, agreeable, amiable.
3) Not a moral term, but more of "high culture."
a) Modern society has an infatuation with the margins of
society, with violence and degradation.
b) Christians still believe there is beauty in God's good
creation.
F. Admirable.
1) Also occurs only here.
2) What is praiseworthy, attractive, and what rings true to
the highest standards.
G. Excellent or praiseworthy.
1) Focus on the best.
2) When we continually center our minds on such thoughts as
these, we shall live like Christians.
III. Thought control.
A. Think about such things.
1) Careful reflection.
2) Not so much meditation as a morally focused life.
3) Our thoughts must be captives of Jesus. 2 Cor 10:4-5
B. No one can do it perfectly.
1) Robert Louis Stevenson: "We all have thoughts that would
shame hell."
a) God's reaction in Genesis 6:5-6:
"The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth
had become, and that every inclination of the
thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.
The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth,
and his heart was filled with pain."
2) An undisciplined mind cannot produce disciplined thoughts.
a) Jesus said a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. Mt 7:18
b) Christians don't receive a disciplined mind, but
cultivate it.
C. Everyone can discipline their mind. Romans 12:2
1) Get rid of the bad stuff.
a) Garbage in, garbage out. (computers)
b) Bitterness, revenge, greed, coldness...
c) Movies, books, internet...
2) Tension with Christians.
a) Wheaton: No movies, card playing, etc.
1> Do we have to become Amish?
b) There have to be limits somewhere.
1> New federal study suggests turning off TV one
week a year.
3) Start focusing on the positive.
a) Renew mind. Romans 12:2
1> Think like a Christian.
A> Check attitudes - Job and covenant against lust.
b) Fill your mind with good stuff.
1> Scripture. (searches heart) Hebrews 4:12
2> Prayer. (things of God)
3> Focus on the positive...
IV. What are your minimum standards?
A. Integrity even when it is costly.
Terry Eastland, press secretary for Edwin Meese under Reagan,
was fired for how he dealt with rumors concerning Noriega.
He dealt with them truthfully.
Philippians 4:8 was a guiding verse for him.
"Paul wrote this, but it might as well have been written by
a moral philosopher from Athens.
There is nothing specifically Christian about the virtues
Paul lists, and indeed two of them don't appear anywhere
else in the New Testament.
These are virtues apparently within the natural reach of
all men.
Still, God inspired Paul to include this advice in his
letter.
When dealing with news stories that were not quite true or
fair, with people both in and out of government who were
not totally honest, with actions that lacked the best
motives, I often thought of Philippians 4:8.
For me, it was a statement of a minimum standard.
It wasn't the highest ideal for a Christian, but one a
Christian should certainly live up to before striving to
fulfill the ultimate commandment to love one another.
CT, 1/13/89, p. 28
B. Concern for virtue is not limited to Christians.
1) Society as a whole recognizes a drift.
a) Bennett's book on virtue, with many secular sources.
b) More civility needed.
1> (coarsening of culture is evident...
My mom forbidden to see "Gone With the Wind" in 1939.
2) God has given all of us a core of values.
a) Even non-religious people agree with us on much.
b) Embrace what is good, wherever you find it.
V. Just do it.
A. Positive thinking should end in actions.
1) Paul provides a living example for them.
a) "Learned and received" - basic Christian instruction.
b) "Heard and saw" - what they saw in his life, both in his
speech and conduct.
1> Like us, ancient Christians learned from examples.
2) Put it into practice yourself.
a) Many people think high moral thoughts, but don't live it.
b) Spend less time critiquing others and change yourself.
B. A result, not a basis.
1) Positive thinking is not salvation, but the fruit of it.
2) When I try to control my thought patterns I soon come to
the conclusion that I cannot do it on my own.
3) I find the sinful attitudes are deeper and more damaging
that I would care to admit.
4) Therefore, I recognize I need a Savior.
C. Ask God to renew your mind, help your thought-life.
Terry Anderson was taken hostage by Lebanese terrorists in 1985.
He spent seven long years in a cell with a few other men.
One of them was Brian Keenan, from Ireland.
When asked about their attitudes, he said they had become
very introspective, very moral.
They had made a pact with one another.
They would do things with their lives on the outside that
would have value, that would be moral, that would make a
better world.
And each would see to it that the promises they made in
captivity were kept.
If anybody started straying, the others would phone him up
and say, "Hey, get back on line here."
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