with the Lord's gracious help
I will venture to speak to you this evening from the fourth
chapter in Paul's epistle to the Philippians and verse 8 Philippians
chapter 4 verse 8 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 It is usual with the Apostle
Paul to set forth in the early part of his letters to the churches
the doctrine of truth and experience. When he comes toward the end
of his letter he brings forth what the old Puritans used to
say was the practic part and real religion without practice
is no religion at all good works do not precede faith
rather they follow faith finally there is a finality in
all things we have been reminded this evening that we come to
the close of another year of our short lives soon the year
2012 will be behind us and that which
we have known we will know no more again forever as we look back We remember God's
mercy and His grace, His dealings with us, of which we have no
reason to deserve. But we prove again and again
the goodness and loving kindness of our God. as this year comes to an end,
it is a solemn reminder unto us that there will come a year
when our lives also will come to an end. Art thou ready to
meet God? Art thou made a real Christian,
washed in the Redeemer's blood? Hast thou union with the church's
living head these are serious questions to which we need to
give serious answers finally our to know our final
destination to know that it is well with our souls well whilst
we live yes but also well to die everything upon this earth must
and will come to an end how soon that will be none of us can tell
but the apostles in their days spoke of the last days that they
were in the last days nearly 2,000 years have passed since
then surely we can conceive that we are in the very last days
and soon the Lord Jesus Christ will come again to gather his
church together and to cast out all reprobates finally brethren often think
how gracious the Apostle Paul was in his language toward God's
people. This great Apostle whom we cannot
think too highly of for his work's sake, how he laboured abundantly
after his conversion in the churches, what he endured so often under
the hands of others we have a catalogue as it were given us in his epistles that he had to endure much but he
did it willingly and faithfully for Christ and for the gospel
sake then his heart was ever toward
his Saviour and toward those whom the Saviour had also called
by grace now this term is often used in
a very loose sense I expect you have had it said to you brother
or sister but often it is without any real meaning. The only true
meaning of this word is those that have come together. When
I was at Shoreham Chapel there was an old man there in his mid-nineties
and he had gone a little simplistic with age and often called on
in prayer he would repeat himself say the same things virtually
every week but one of his great sayings was birds of a feather
flock together and that has impressed upon my mind ever since and all
the truth of it you don't see a robin and an eagle flying together
you see two robins flying together or a flock of robins each dwell
among their own as the woman said I dwell among mine own people if we are truly converted if
the Lord by his spirit has come upon us then we can feel a union
toward the people of God as the Lord Jesus Christ once questioned
when outside his mother and brethren had come he pointed to those
around him and said these are my mother and my brothers and
my sisters in other words those that held sweet communion with
him I've often remarked that the closest relationship upon
this earth is the relationship of blood. But the blood of Christ is a
closer relationship still. And if we are anointed, cleansed
with the blood of Jesus Christ, if we are made one in Him, then
there is a union which the world, the flesh, the devil cannot break. ye are all one in Christ Jesus
one in union with Christ and with his people as the apostle
says in another place called to be saints we wouldn't use
that term for ourselves but God uses it toward his people the
saints of God sinners called by free and sovereign grace sinners
called to rise up and to follow the Lord Jesus Christ to take
up their cross daily that they might follow Him so these are true brethren that
are one in Christ Jesus who can walk in union and communion together
We are different characters. We have different dispositions.
We are different people. We've been brought up in different
ways. We live in different circumstances. But there's something that unites
us. Something that binds us together. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
Son, which cleanseth us from all sin. It is through that blood that
we have fellowship with God. and one with another so here
is a loving exhortation to those whom the Apostle Paul felt a
bond of union toward and it is an exhortation to strengthen
their faith and to cause them to walk in this dark world of
sin as those who walk in the light of the glorious gospel
of Jesus Christ. Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, are just, are pure, are lovely, are of
good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise,
think on these things so we are exhorted then to think upon these
what we might call qualities and the first thing is truth
whatsoever things are true and one said what is truth? what a question and what answer
shall we give? well the first answer surely
is God is true God is true and every man a liar and God has
revealed his heart and his mind unto his people when we read the Bible We need
to be able to read with discernment. We need to be able to read with
understanding. We read, I believe it was this
afternoon, Peter's words concerning Paul's writing, some things hard
to be understood. Yes, there are things in the
Word of God that are hard to be understood. and the natural
mind never will understand them it is the spirit who is the author
of this book of truth he also is the divine revealer of this
truth we live in a very sad and solemn day when the truth of
God's word has been set at naught if you think of all the different
translations so called of the Bible what confusion arises out
of them because one thing one book says one thing another book
says something else and as I examine these books I find that man has
put his own interpretation upon the word of God he has a work that he believes he is called
to do and yet it is all of the flesh not of the spirit how thankful
we should be that we have one book, one Bible that we can say
is the word of God to us and I believe that we can stand solid
upon this book it is the word of God unto his people it is
the truth but then so many people want
to argue and dispute as to the meaning of various points of
doctrine one will go to this theological college and one will
go to another one and they are given a different slant or a
different interpretation of the Word of God I don't find that
the Apostle Paul, I don't find that the Apostle Peter or John
or James or any others went to a school of theology they were
dependent upon the Holy Spirit to give them understanding of
the Word. And has the Holy Spirit changed?
Or is man different today to what he was? Well, man likes
to think that he is different, he is advanced. It is true in
many areas. If we think of medicine, how
doctors, physicians, are so much more expert today than they were
50 years ago 100 years ago or 2000 years ago science has improved
in many ways and so we could look at so many different areas
and say well things have got better at the same time it seems
to me that the understanding of God's word has declined men
are generally more ignorant today than they have ever been before and is it not because man has
trusted in man and he's been fed a lie how gullible men and
women are by nature what easy prey for the devil they become
who sometimes comes as an angel of light disguised as an angel
of light that he might deceive and how many countless thousands
has he deceived into believing a gospel of which the Apostle
says to the Galatians is no gospel at all the only true interpretation
of God's Word is a spirit interpretation and how dependent we are we recognize
that there have been godly men and women over the years that
have differed upon various points but I believe one thing that
brings the people of God together is their view of the Lord Jesus
Christ of his sovereign grace of his divine power of his meritorious
work and where there is agreement upon the sovereign operations
of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit I believe there can be
union and although there may be some differences on certain
issues how can two walk together except they be agreed? and if
we agree upon the main points and if the Spirit of God has
taught us then we are those that are humble learners in the school
of Christ that which I know not teach thou me but in recent years
a number of doctrines have been challenged And we need to come back to the
Word of God. It's not because of the church
that we're brought up in, the traditions that they hold to,
whether it be Baptist, Presbyterian, Anglican or whatever. The Word of God stands forever
true. And if we have the truth, the
truth will make us free. and we will be free indeed. Do we desire the truth? Do we
long after this truth? Do we want to be taught of God? Is it our great desire to learn
in the Scriptures those things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ? Whatsoever things are true And
here the Christian heart should be attuned to those things, to
know and love, to honour and respect the truth that is in
Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever
things are honest I believe when a person is truly converted they
are made honest first with themselves how in nature we like to deceive
ourselves and we would prove that black is white and white
is black if necessary but when the Lord has given us a tender
heart and spirit we see things in greater clarity we see things
more really as they are because we see ourselves by nature in
our lost condition we see our need of help from without no
help in self I find and yet I sought it well and we cannot find help in this
world the best of men we prove to be men at best they all come
short and so our hope, our help is in the Lord our God honesty
it was said is the best policy we live in a world that is wholly
dishonest I believe we have it from the top right through to
the bottom the poor beggar he steals for
his daily crust while the rich man he steals wholeheartedly
for his pleasure to be honest before God and before
man how can we say that we are Christians if we defraud others
you know it's so often isn't it in the little things ah but
it's only a little thing little things sadly lead to bigger things
and before long they are out of control study to be honest sometimes it costs us doesn't
it to be honest some of you know something about that whether
it be in the home or in the workplace or in the church even but to have a conscience void
of offence to know that to be honest God will not judge us
for such things but will highly commend us I think in so many churches today
the preaching of the gospel has become dishonest preachers are
deceiving the people wholeheartedly in making them to believe that
it's well with them when clearly it isn't when they know nothing
of the work of grace begun in their hearts better to tell the
people that you're headed for eternal damnation except the
Lord intervene then perhaps there will be a prayer that goes up
from the heart, Lord deliver me, save me from myself, save
me from my sins, save me from my lost condition, bring me to
know and love Thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou
hast sent. Honesty then should be the foremark
of a true Christian is how he should live in this world among
all classes of society wherever he may be at all times to be
honest I say first with himself and then with all others thirdly
whatsoever things are just again we live in a society where
there is much injustice we find it in our law courts we find
it in our schools we find it in the workplace there is much
injustice done in the world but the child of God is exhorted
here to whatsoever things are just. We might say whatsoever things
are honourable because justice and honour go together. To be justified before God is
the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our justification. but there are the marks and evidences
in the hearts and lives of every true believer that he's just
and honourable in all his dealings with whosoever it may be he doesn't
take advantage of the weak and of the poor and of the needy
and of the sick oh how this grieves us surely to see how much dishonor
there is in the world today so much injustice that the crime
does not receive the punishment due that judges are some of the
greatest offenders in this respect but just in our dealings with
one another these things come very close
they should touch a cord in all our hearts how easy it is by nature to go
against the principles of godliness and yet when we are reminded
of these things and again as the Apostle closes this verse
think on these things we are to think upon them are we just
and honourable in all our dealings whether it's with other believers
or whether it's with the government or with society at general whatsoever
things are just Whatsoever things are pure. These things really call us to
task, don't they? The impurity of the age in which
we live. The filthiness and the squalor
in the land. Good has become evil and evil
has become good. everything's been turned upside
down it was a wonderful thing in times past to be pure but
now impurity seems to gain respect among people but we're not to
live the lives of worldly people We're not to live according to
their qualities, so-called. The Christian is to be above
and beyond all these things. Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God. Think of the purity of the birth
of the Lord Jesus Christ. born of the Virgin without spot
or stain. Think of the purity of his life
that he lived in his ministry here below. Think of the purity
of the Lord Jesus Christ even in his sufferings and death. And think that nothing impure
can enter into heaven but the Lord Jesus Christ entered into
heaven with the accolade of the heavenly host rejoicing in what
he had done whatsoever things are pure they perhaps especially
address our young people and receive it as a word in love
keep yourself pure and unspotted from this world receive not the
contamination you know if you take some water
and you drop a little oil in that water the whole barrel of
water as it were is immediately contaminated it doesn't take
much just a little will contaminate a great deal and so in our lives
we are to keep ourselves pure keep ourselves clean keep ourselves
holy for holiness becometh God's people as the Lord Jesus Christ
said, be ye holy for I am holy whatsoever things are lovely
whatsoever things are lovely I was thinking earlier of the
newborn babe as it comes forth from the womb as that tiny form
is washed and as it were presented to its parents and as they gaze
upon this what a lovely object fixes before their eyes they
see the miracle of a child that is born it has everything that
is required the child is whole and they see all the tiny features
all the little fingers and toes the eyes, the nose, the mouth
how beautiful and here we may bring together purity and loveliness
how lovely to gaze upon this miracle that God has brought
into the world how much more the miracle of grace the newborn
child of God oh how lovely to gaze as it were upon God's sovereign
work untouched, untainted unpolluted by anything that is human, carnal
or natural. This work is the work of the
Holy Spirit alone. It is a new birth. Born again. Ye must, said the Lord Jesus
Christ, be born again. Are we born again of the Spirit?
How lovely to see a person walking in the grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ. How lovely to see the visage
and deportment of those that love the Lord Jesus Christ in
sincerity and truth. How lovely to see the work of
God in its beginnings, in its goings-on and in its fulfillment. He who hath begun a good work
in you will perform or complete it to the day of Jesus Christ. How happy, how secure, how blessed
is that one whose sins are all forgiven them lovely objects the world sees
no beauty in the Christian as it saw no beauty in the Christ but I believe the eye of discernment
is given to other believers that they see something in the person
that the world can never see and can never understand the world hates a change at its
root but the true believer loves it how lovely is the house of God
how lovely is the preaching of the gospel how lovely is the
word of God brought into the heart's understanding these are
the lovely things of which the Apostle Paul is referring to
there's no greater place to be than in the house of God under
the preaching of the gospel when the Spirit is in evidence when
the Lord is pleased to take of the things of God and apply them
with divine power how near we feel to be to God how lovely to see a person who
first begins to pray as it was said of Paul Behold, he prayeth. And I've said on many occasions
that the Apostle Paul, Saul of Tarsus as he was, was well averse
to praying. He knew what it was to pray. He made many long, pretentious
prayers. But it seems as though the Holy
Spirit recognises nothing of this. And it is said concerning
him as if it were for the very first time behold he prayeth
to see one who has been hardened in their life with unbelief perhaps
one who has been rebellious and gone away who then returns and
you see them fall upon their knees and you feel the vibrance
of true prayer coming from their heart if not from their lips. These are the lovely things.
These are the beautiful things of God. These are the things
that we should much admire. To see true, real, God-given
Christianity. And to know that Christ is the
essence of all these things. whatsoever things are of good
report we are exhorted by the Apostle
not to tittle-tattle and not to speak wrong things of others
but to hear a good report and how good it is in the church
when someone comes forward to declare what the Lord has done
for their never-dying souls to be able to enter with them in
their experience to know something of what they are speaking what
a good report it is that they give but it's like the Queen of Sheba
when she came to Solomon because she had heard of his fame and
she came with her great train and many precious things and
she comes and dwells with him and she declares the half has
not been told me what a good report the gospel gives who have
believed our report complains the Prophet but when there is
a receiving of the true report of God that is a hearing of the
Gospel and the receiving of it into our hearts it is a good
report to us these are good matters that are declared in our hearing
whatsoever things are of good report. It's so much the newspapers
and the media is full of evil reports. They love to report
on bad things. It's only bad things they say
that makes good news. But to the child of God who has
a tender conscience and a tender spirit these things are obnoxious
to him speak unto us of the love of the Lord Jesus Christ and
the good of his people speak to us of the blessings of the
church and the manifestation of the work of the Holy Spirit
these are the good reports and how encouraging We come, I say
again, to the end of another year. What report can be given? What can be drawn up of all that
has taken place throughout this year concerning the church or
concerning individuals in the church? Is it a good report or
is it an evil report? the encouragement is when there
is a good report it's like the child who comes home from school
holding his report I don't know if they still do this holding
his report in his hand and places it in the hands of its parent
and the parent is longing for a good report and when it receives a good report
how happy it makes a parent how happy it makes a child and so
when we hear a good report of the things of God how happy it
makes us how blessed a time it is to have a good report perhaps
from another church of how the Lord has prospered the work there
or the Lord's servants, how they've been helped in their ministry,
encouraged in the work. How others perhaps have done
some good act, some good deed, good reports. If there be any virtue, and if
there be any praise, think on these things if there be any
virtue if there be any praise I feel that these two things
perhaps go together virtue and praise because we can only praise
surely that which is virtuous and where are we to find virtue and again we have to turn to
God we have to turn to the work of the Holy Spirit we have to
turn to the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ now these
are virtuous things and if they have been made virtuous
to us then it will be to the praise and honor and glory of
God in all these things everything set before us here
is a glorious standard it's something that we can truly admire and
see that this is the beauty of holiness The glory of godliness. There is a virtue in all these
things. There is a virtue in truth, in
honesty, in justice, in purity, in loveliness, in things of good
report. And the praise and the honour
and the glory are given unto Him who is worthy of it. Or as we come to the close of
this year's services, we think of all that has been proclaimed
from this pulpit, all that you have heard in the hearing of
those things. Has there been any virtue? Has there been any virtue to
you? Has there been any praise? Praise that has risen up in your
hearts toward God who is the author of all things and the
finisher of all things. To praise the God from whom all
blessings flow. It would be good to conclude
our service with singing that doxology if there be any virtue
if there be any praise think on these things our lives for
the most part are taken up with our being busy I think it's one
of the great masterpieces as it were of the devil keep everyone
busy keep everyone from thinking you go into a store today there's
loud so-called music coming blasting out of the speakers you can't
think there's a noise everywhere you go you're hurried from this
place to that place there's not time to stop there's not time
to think well the apostle says think on these things and we
need to devote time to thinking upon these things because here
is the probability of our life here is the blessings that God
will give as we think upon these things as we give more serious
thought to these things the greater blessings we will obtain from
them I believe the Apostle had a great love for these people
as he did for all the churches he had a holy zeal seeking their
advantage, their benefit and these words are spoken out of
the depth of his heart out of his great love for the people
that it is for their great advantage that they do as he says well,
will we hear the word of God tonight? they say we come to
the end of the year time is running out as it were we've heard all
these things and perhaps some will say well we've heard them
all before what do they mean to us? are we going to receive
what God has spoken? and the evidence of our receiving
what God has spoken is our walking the Melk day by day throughout
the course of this life when we can come to the end the Lord
will say come thou blessed of the Lord wherefore standest thou
without well done good and faithful servant enter thou into the joy
of the Lord may the Lord be pleased then to add his blessing without
which all will come to nothing. Amen. We must sing as our concluding
hymn, hymn number 461, Chini's dismissal, 671. And then perhaps
afterwards we could sing the doxology as Mr. Pickett mentioned,
which is hymn number 506A. And we can sing that unaccompanied. 461, Lord dismiss us with thy
blessing, fill our hearts with joy and peace, Let us each find
love, possessing, triumph in redeeming grace, O refresh us,
travelling through this wilderness. Hymn number 461.