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Philippians 4:8-9
~15 min read
SERMON OUTLINE
TRANSCRIPT
I greet all of you in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Today, we will continue with the theme ‘Having Peace in Times of Trouble’, and our text is taken from Philippians 4:8-9.
Let us recap what we have learned in our previous message. Remember, this letter to the Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul while he was in prison. In this letter, he spoke about those in the church who were preaching Christ out of envy, strife, and contention, adding much pain to his imprisonment. There were also false teachers and false believers who were enemies of the Cross. Apparently, there was this trouble in the church through two sisters in Christ who were at odds with each other. Paul had to urge the other believers to help them resolve their issues. So, there were troubles in the church, and in the midst of the trouble, Paul urged the believers at Philippi, ‘Rejoice in the Lord alway. And again I say, rejoice.’
How can a believer rejoice in times of trouble? Well, the believer's joy is not dependent on the outward circumstances; his joy is based on the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord. It is based on his knowledge of who his Lord is. The more truths he knows about who his Lord is, the easier it is to rejoice. Because of the fact that the Lord is at hand, which means the Lord is near. There is no greater strength and assurance we can have than to know that God is near. Dear friend, we are always in the presence of God every moment of our lives. We are in His presence, and this is an important truth that we must always remember.
Then Paul went on to give the command: "Be careful for nothing." If you know that God is near and you are always in His presence, then do not be anxious. Instead of being anxious, you pray. And let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. That was the wonderful promise we learned in our previous message.
I. Godly Thinking
Today, we will continue with verses 8 and 9. Our first point is: Godly Thinking. Let us look at verse eight, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” The word "finally" is a continuation of the preceding verses, which was about the peace of God. To think on these things is in the imperative, which means it is a command. It is not an option; it is not a matter of personal choice. You cannot choose to obey or not to obey; you must obey. And it is more than just entertaining these thoughts; it is to evaluate, meditate, and dwell on these things.
There's a saying: our lives are the product of our thoughts, and in a sense, it is true. For example, a person who thinks in a proud way will inevitably be proud. Or you may say it the other way around: he is proud because of the way he thinks. Likewise, a person who keeps on dwelling on immoral things, it will lead him to be a fornicator. If a person keeps on dwelling on greed and covetousness, it will lead him to cheat and steal. Jesus Himself taught this truth in Mark 7:21-23, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
So, if you and I allow our hearts and minds to dwell on negative things and we start to imagine things to happen which, in reality, we do not know whether or not they will actually happen. No man can be certain about that, only God knows. It will inevitably affect our lives. It will cause us to be worried and anxious. Like the example I gave you last week about my friend who went for this medical checkup because he was not feeling well. Even before the result came out, he was already saying, ‘I think it is cancer. It must be cancer. I'm sure it is cancer.’ He was so worried and anxious that his entire life was affected, so devastated that he could not do the work set before him. In the end, the medical report was good.
Rather than doing that, we should spend our time in prayer. We must discipline our minds to think about the right things. What are the right things? Well, Paul went on to give eight godly virtues. The first godly virtue is "whatsoever things are true." The word "true" is the opposite of false. Truth is a characteristic of God, and the Bible is true because the God of truth has inspired it. In His priestly prayer, Jesus said to the Father, "Thy word is truth" (John 17:17). The psalmist also said, ‘Thy judgments are true, all thy commandments are true.’ To think on whatsoever things are true is to read and meditate on the word of God. The other seven godly virtues are all based on the truth of God's word.
The word "honest" refers to things noble, dignified, and worthy of respect. The word "just" means upright, things that are conformable to God's moral standards. In other words, we are to think on matters that are consistent with the word of God. When we start to think in a certain way, we need to ask ourselves, ‘Is this the right way to think? Is this thinking consistent with God's word?’ If it is not, then we have to perish the thought; we have to stop entertaining such thoughts.
The word "pure" refers to things morally holy, clean, undefiled—things that are free from sin. The word "lovely" means pleasing and acceptable. Believers are to sanctify themselves by dwelling on things that are pure, free from sin, things that are acceptable in the sight of God. Again, whenever we face troubles in life, we tend to think of negative things, and then it will lead us to think sinful thoughts—things that are impure, things that are unacceptable, inconsistent with the word of God. May the Lord forgive us.
The word "good report" speaks of things highly regarded, and the word "virtue" means excellence, and the word "praise" means worthy of praise. Nothing is more highly regarded, and excellent, and worthy of praise than God's word.
Dear friend, you and I are to think on these things that are based on the Bible. This is consistent with the renewing of the mind that is taught in Romans 12:2, which was our responsive reading. The renewing of the mind is a continuous course of action; it is a process whereby the Spirit of God takes the word of God and transforms us to become more and more like Christ. We renew our minds through reading the word of God, but we must never think that reading the Bible alone changes a man. The Holy Spirit, who indwells in the hearts of the believers, must personally show us the realities of God as we ponder the scriptures. This divine work is known as illumination, and no one who is illumined by the Spirit of God will ever remain the same.
Allow me to give you some examples. In Matthew 16:13, Jesus asked his disciples, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” They replied some thought you are John the Baptist; others thought you are one of the prophets, perhaps Elijah or Jeremiah. Then Jesus asked, "But whom say ye that I am?” So the question was posted to the disciples: put aside what others think about me, what do you think about me? Peter gave a most powerful statement, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” What did Jesus say? Jesus said to Peter, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona:” - which means Simon, son of Barjona - “for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” Essentially, what Jesus is saying is, ‘Peter, you have experienced something that is not common to men. You cannot learn what you have learned by natural means or by intellectual understanding. My Father in heaven revealed it to you; He opened your spiritual eyes, and you were illumined.’
Do you remember in Luke chapter 24, the two disciples who were traveling with the resurrected Jesus Christ on the road to Emmaus but they did not recognise him? The two disciples were confused about the significance of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection until their spiritual eyes were opened. And how did their spiritual eyes open up? Well, Jesus taught them, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all of the scriptures the things concerning Himself. And then finally, when He went away from them, they said to one another, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us by the way and when He opened up the scriptures?’
Dear friend, whenever we read the Bible, we must never read it like an ordinary book because this is no ordinary book; this is the word of God. When we spend time reading the Bible, it must not be based on our intellectual understanding, but we must rely on the Spirit of God who alone is able to illumine our minds and convict our hearts that we may understand spiritual things and empower our lives that we may apply what we have learned. The more we are exposed to the Word of God, the more we allow the Spirit of God to guide and lead the way we live our lives, the more we will not conform to this world, and the more we will be transformed. We will manifest the fruit of the Spirit, and we will develop godly qualities. But as long as we are living on the face of this Earth, you and I cannot be perfect, but we will grow spiritually, and we will become more and more like our Master.
One pastor gave the illustration of a suntan. Allow me to quote him: ‘Most fair-skinned people working in the sun, for a certain period of time, whether it is in the garden or at the beach, they will get a suntan. When you are exposed to the sun, it will have an automatic effect on your skin. But tanning is not something you do to yourself, just like the renewing of your minds and being transformed is not something you do to yourself. It is something that happens supernaturally through the ministry of the Holy Spirit when you expose yourself to the Word of God. A light-skinned person who is not tanned as much as he would like to can only do one thing: spend more time in the sun." Right?
In the same way, a believer who is not manifesting godliness in some areas of his life can only do one thing: spend more time in the Word of God, praying and asking God to renew his mind and transform his life. When you look at someone who is not tanned or fair-skinned, like many of you here, immediately you know that that person has not been spending time in the sun. When you look at your own unchanged life, it will show that your walk has been in darkness. If you truly want to change your life, you have to look at what is on your agenda. You have to consider the time you were exposed to the things of God, how much time you spend in reading the Bible, how much time you spend in prayers. And just like the Apostle Paul said, you must think on these things.
Take a moment and consider all the spiritual activities in the church, whether it be the Sunday worship service, prayer meeting, fellowship groups like the senior ministry, home care groups, youth ministry, children's ministry, DHW classes, etc - the focus is always on the Word of God. It is to help you to discipline your minds so that you may dwell on spiritual things, to renew your mind through the wonder-working of the Spirit. When a man is exposed to the sun, he will be tanned. When the believer is exposed to God and His Word, there will also be some changes. No one who is exposed to God and His Word, illumined by the Holy Spirit, can remain unaffected by it. A renewed mind will lead to something.
II. Godly Behaviour
This brings us to our second point: Godly Behavior. Let us move on to verse 9, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”
Godly thinking cannot be separated from Godly behaviour. Right thinking by itself is of not much use unless it leads to right actions. The Apostle Paul had faithfully taught the Philippians. They had learned all those wonderful truths of God's Word. They had received God's revelation most gladly. They had heard about his life, the many trials, tribulations, persecutions Paul had faced. Even at this point in time, they had heard about his imprisonment and how even while he was imprisoned, the Gospel was spread to Caesar's Palace. They had seen his life. They had firsthand experience with him. They had observed his character during his stay at Philippi. They could see that his life was consistent. There was no inconsistency between his life and his message. Paul knew that, and that was why he could confidently say to them, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do”. In other words, you must practice it. That is the ultimate goal of discipleship.
Dear friends, you teach others the truth of God's Word, and through you living out those truths, the people learn and practice. And they, in turn, teach others the truth of God's Word, and through them living out those truths, others learn and practice. And they, in turn, teach others. By the grace of God, it goes on and on as long as the Lord Jesus would tarry in His return. This is what you and I must do in the church of Jesus Christ.
There are some preachers and ministers who can teach very well, no doubt about that. By that, we mean you cannot fault their teachings. They are knowledgeable. They are articulative. They can present the truth in a very clear and systematic way. But when you observe their lives, they are totally inconsistent with what they teach. In other words, they do not walk the talk. They do not practice what they preach. What do you call it? At best, it is called dead Orthodoxy. At worst, it is called hypocrisy. People may be able to hide from the general populace, but they can never hide their hypocrisy from the almighty God. He knows whether you and I have truly walked the talk - God is omniscient.
A word of exhortation to all the parents. Your children live with you; they watch you as they grow up. They know how you have lived your life, whether your life is consistent with the things you teach them. You may teach them good spiritual things like worshiping God, reading the Bible, be faithful, be prayerful, etc. But come Sunday, you choose to stay at home and not come to church. Why? Because you spend the night before watching the late movies. Your children, they know. They watch you. Or the only time you open your Bible is on the Lord's day, and for the rest of the week, your Bibles are left on the bookshelves to collect dust. They know. Or the only time you pray is the short prayer you utter at the beginning of a meal, and even then, you often forget. Or you are always giving excuses when you are called to serve the Lord. Do you think they do not know? They know because they have firsthand experience with you. They observe how you have lived your life. You either encourage them or you stumble them.
But if you are someone who is consistent, someone who has faithfully lived your life, applying all the truths you have learned from the Holy Scriptures, then you can say to your children, like the way the Apostle Paul said, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do.” This statement can then be said with all sincerity, can be declared from your mouth without hypocrisy.
Notice there's a promise attached. In other words, if you are faithful to discipline your mind, to think on these godly virtues taught in the word of God, and you faithfully practice it, apply it into your life, the Bible says, "The God of Peace shall be with you."
Dear friend, are you troubled? Are you facing certain trials that are so overwhelming? You may be asking, ‘Why is there so much trouble in this world today? Why do I have to go through all these troubles? Why do I have to deal with all these adversities and difficult situations?’ In times of trouble, people always would have their minds filled with worries and anxieties, so much so that some people turn to psychologists, to secular counsellors for help. Some would turn to meditation to get rid of those trials and difficulties. They cannot physically remove those trials, but they would like to imagine that those trials have been removed. Others turn to alcohol, drugs, gambling, entertainment, or immoral relationships, to give them quick temporal relief. But soon, they will realise that their problems are compounded, their problems have gotten worse. Yet others will say to you, ‘Make as much money as you can and while you can, so when things go bad, you will have nothing to worry about because you have money.’ Again, soon they will realise that money does not resolve everything. A person can have all the money in this world and yet still be tormented with worries and anxieties, still have no peace, still unable to cope with the issues of life.
Our peace does not come from the things of this world. In times of trouble, instead of letting our minds be filled with worries and anxieties, instead of entertaining negative thoughts or turning to the world for help, we turn to the only one who can help us, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate joy, peace, and contentment. And He says to us, Fill your minds with my Word. Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, excellent, and worthy of praise, think on these things. Live out these truths in your life. Practice it. Apply it, and I shall be with you. Isn't that comforting? Isn't it amazing that verse 7 tells us that in times of trouble, when we pray, the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep - which means guard - our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus? And here, verse 9 promises us not just the peace of God, but the God of peace Himself shall be with us.
Dear friends, this is how you and I can have peace in times of trouble. Do not look to the world. Do not look to your finances. Do not even look to your loved ones, the people around you - they cannot offer you peace. The only peace you can have is the peace that comes from God Himself. And he says, Obey my Word. Fill your minds with my Word. Think on these things and apply it into your life, and I, the God of peace, shall be with you. Do you believe him? If you believe him, then don't just hear this truth, but live out this truth in your life. Both the God of peace and His peace - the peace of God - shall be with you. Let us pray.
Our Father in heaven, we thank Thee for this opportunity for us to consider this portion of scriptures. Indeed, in times of trouble, when we take our eyes away from Thee, we are defeated, and oftentimes we are just running around like a madman pursuing the things of this world, perceiving in our minds that we can obtain peace. But in reality, there is no peace. True biblical peace can only come from Thee and Thee alone. And Thou hast promised us, Thou hast taught us through Thy precious Word that in times of trouble, do not be anxious because we know in our hearts that Thou art with us, Thou art near us, and Thou hast promised us that Thy peace, which passes all understanding, shall guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus when we pray, when we submit our prayers and supplications and let our requests be made known unto Thee.
And Thou hast taught us this morning that in times of trouble, oh Lord, we fill our minds not with the things of this world yet again, but with Thy precious Word that Thou hast taught us. All those godly virtues, whatsoever things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, excellent, and worthy of praise - we think on those things, and we also apply the truth of Thy Word into our lives. We are not just hearers only, but we are doers as well. And Thou hast said, "I shall be with you." Oh Lord, we want to obey Thee, and we want the God of peace to be with us and felt by us at every moment of our days on this earth. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANSThe Church at PhilippiThe Church at PhilippiPhilippians 1:1-2
The Joy of A Spirit-Filled Life (Part 1)The Joy of A Spirit-Filled Life (Part 1)Philippians 1:3-5
Elements of True JoyElements of True JoyPhilippians 1:3-6
The Joy of a Spirit-filled Life (Part 2)The Joy of a Spirit-filled Life (Part 2)Philippians 1:6
What are the Things Most Important to Us?What are the Things Most Important to Us?Philippians 1:7-8
Growing in GodlinessGrowing in GodlinessPhilippians 1:9-11
Message 5: Praying for the ChurchMessage 5: Praying for the ChurchPhilippians 1:9-11
Growing in GodlinessGrowing in GodlinessPhilippians 1:9-11
Are All Things Really Working For Good?Are All Things Really Working For Good?Philippians 1:12-14
In Times of AdversityIn Times of AdversityPhilippians 1:12-18
Trouble in the ChurchTrouble in the ChurchPhilippians 1:15-18
For to Me to Live is Christ, to Die is GainFor to Me to Live is Christ, to Die is GainPhilippians 1:19-26
To Live is ChristTo Live is ChristPhilippians 1:19-26
Living Worthy of the GospelLiving Worthy of the GospelPhilippians 1:27-30
Live your life worthy of the GospelLive your life worthy of the GospelPhilippians 1:27-30
The Motivation for Spiritual Unity (Part 1)The Motivation for Spiritual Unity (Part 1)Philippians 2:1-2
Let's Have FellowshipLet's Have FellowshipPhilippians 2:1-4
Essential Principles of Spiritual Unity (Part 2)Essential Principles of Spiritual Unity (Part 2)Philippians 2:3-4
The Ultimate ExampleThe Ultimate ExamplePhilippians 2:5-8
The Ultimate ExampleThe Ultimate ExamplePhilippians 2:5-11
What Is Christmas?What Is Christmas?Philippians 2:6-11
The Greatest NameThe Greatest NamePhilippians 2:9-11
Living a Sanctified LifeLiving a Sanctified LifePhilippians 2:12-13
Work Out Your Own SalvationWork Out Your Own SalvationPhilippians 2:12-18
Moving Forward Not BackwardMoving Forward Not BackwardPhilippians 2:13-14
Stop Murmuring and ComplainingStop Murmuring and ComplainingPhilippians 2:14-16
The Exemplary Example of a Spiritual Servant: PaulThe Exemplary Example of a Spiritual Servant: PaulPhilippians 2:17-18
The Exemplary Example of a Spiritual Servant: TimothyThe Exemplary Example of a Spiritual Servant: TimothyPhilippians 2:19-24
The Importance of Spiritual DiscernmentThe Importance of Spiritual DiscernmentPhilippians 3:1-2
True Believers Worship God in Spirit and in TruthTrue Believers Worship God in Spirit and in TruthPhilippians 3:3, John 4:4-30
Nothing to Boast OfNothing to Boast OfPhilippians 3:3-6
What Is Gain To Me Is LossWhat Is Gain To Me Is LossPhilippians 3:7-9
The Power of Christ's ResurrectionThe Power of Christ's ResurrectionPhilippians 3:10-11
What are Your Spiritual Goals?What are Your Spiritual Goals?Philippians 3:10-11
Pressing Toward The MarkPressing Toward The MarkPhilippians 3:12-14
Pressing Toward the MarkPressing Toward the MarkPhilippians 3:13-14
Morning Devotion 2: God’s High Calling for YouMorning Devotion 2: God’s High Calling for YouPhilippians 3:13-14
How to Know the Will of GodHow to Know the Will of GodPhilippians 3:15
Who Are You Following?Who Are You Following?Philippians 3:16-19
Heavenly Or Earthly MindedHeavenly Or Earthly MindedPhilippians 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57
How Do You Stand Fast?How Do You Stand Fast?Philippians 4:1
How to Maintain Christian UnityHow to Maintain Christian UnityPhilippians 4:2-3
Having Peace in Times of Trouble [Part 1]Having Peace in Times of Trouble [Part 1]Philippians 4:4-7
The Cure for AnxietyThe Cure for AnxietyPhilippians 4:6-7
Message 6: Praying for the TroubledMessage 6: Praying for the TroubledPhilippians 4:6-7
Having Peace in Times of Trouble [Part 2]Having Peace in Times of Trouble [Part 2]Philippians 4:8-9
Learning To Be Content [Part 1]Learning To Be Content [Part 1]Philippians 4:10-12
How To Be An Overcoming ChristianHow To Be An Overcoming ChristianPhilippians 4:13
Learning To Be Content [Part 2]Learning To Be Content [Part 2]Philippians 4:13-19
My God Shall Supply All Your NeedsMy God Shall Supply All Your NeedsPhilippians 4:19
Living By Grace and For God's GloryLiving By Grace and For God's GloryPhilippians 4:20-23
