The whole star-spangled banner
yet waves Okay, now turn over to Philippians
chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4. This is a very full portion of
Scripture. And the full message, I hope,
full of Christ, full of truth, full of profitable things, edifying things.
Let's read my text for tonight. Philippians 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,
if there be any praise, think on these things. Let's read the
next verse also. Those things which you have both
learned and received and heard. and seen in me, Paul said, do,
and the God of peace shall be with you. Finally, brethren. Now, as I stated Sunday morning,
the Word of God, in reading the Word of God, is
something we must First, consider in reading any portion of God's
words that God is spirit. God is spirit. They that worship
Him must worship Him in spirit. They that know God, those that
understand something of God, understand or know these spiritual
things. The Scripture says we compare
spiritual things with spiritual things. It says, The natural
man receiveth not the things of God, neither can he know them,
their foolishness unto him. But the Scripture says God hath
revealed them unto us by his Spirit. God is Spirit. This book is a spiritual book.
This book is a spiritual book. upon first reading the Word of
God, the first and primary application of any portion of Scripture,
the primary application or meaning of any verse of Scripture is
a spiritual one. OK? A spiritual one. And that
primary spiritual meaning is to reveal God, who He is. That's why this book is written.
It's not to show us how to live. Christ said that to the Pharisees
and some people. He said, You search the Scriptures,
or you do read the Scriptures. And they read their Bibles like
so many people do today. But He said, You search the Scriptures,
for in them you think you have life. That is, reading the Scriptures
and trying to live by the law and so forth. You think that
you're going to be saved that way. get to God that way. He said no. They are they, the
scriptures, all the scriptures. Christ said they are they, which
what? Testify of me. Testify of me, or tell of me. The scriptures were written by
God to reveal God, but no man knoweth the Father save the Son,
and he to whom the Son will reveal." We wouldn't know the Scriptures
had not Christ the Word been made flesh and revealed the Father
to us. All right? So the Scriptures
are spiritual to reveal God, to point us to Christ, to reveal
our own hearts, and they're also practical. God did write scriptures
to, the scripture says, Paul said to Timothy, he said, all
scriptures are given by inspiration of God and are profitable for
doctrine, for proof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness
that the man of God may be truly furnished unto all good work.
Right? So the scriptures are written for practical knowledge
in daily life. They surely are. They surely
are, but the primary meaning is a spiritual one, and that
being to reveal God through Christ, to reveal salvation in Christ. Christ said, I am come not to
show you how to live, but to give life. Because a dead man can't make
himself live. Only Christ can do that, like
he did to Lazarus. All right, so the scriptures
and the scriptures are the power of God, the quickening power
of God, and only if God is pleased to open the heart will a man
live and have spiritual understanding. Christ is the subject of Scripture,
like this text we just read. You say, where is Christ there? The whole verse speaks of the
Lord Jesus Christ. The whole verse is nothing but
a characterization of the Lord Jesus Christ. Telling us of his
character. Christ is subject. You know what
the object of salvation is, though? You know why God saves a people? To make us like Christ. Christ
is the subject. Christ's likeness is the object.
Right? Christ is the subject. Christ
likeness is the object of this text. He says, we are his workmanship
created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them. Or as Barnard said,
salvation. What salvation is is God Almighty
reproducing the character of Jesus Christ in a human being.
That's what that means by that new creature in Christ created
in us. All right? Okay, now let's look
at verse 9 again, or verse 8, I'm sorry. Verse 8. Finally,
brethren, finally. These are Paul's parting words
to the church of Philippi. Finally, brethren, parting words. This was common to Paul. He said
this many times. Finally, brethren, rejoice in
the Lord. Finally, brethren, this and that
and the other. Finally. Peter said the same thing. Finally.
Finally, or that is in conclusion. One last thing, he says, one
last thing before I close. An important reminder. This is
a summary of all that's said, a parting note to keep in mind.
Finally, brethren, and he says, whatsoever things are this, that,
and the other, think on these things. Think on these things. Are you with me? Are you there? OK. Come on. We're going to think on these
things now. All right, I can't think for you. Think on these
things. Now, listen to me. He says, what's
everything a true, honest, just think on these things. Well,
you and I say this quite often, like Paul said in Romans 7, but
the things I would do, I do not. The things I would not do, that's
what I do, or paraphrase it, The things that I would think
on, that's not what I think. The things that I would not think,
that's what I think. Don't you say that? Huh? Everybody in here ought to say
that. If you know the evil and the sinfulness of your own heart,
you say that. The things that I would think
on, that's not what I think on, most of the time. And Paul said
that in Galatians. He said, The flesh lusteth against
the Spirit. so that you cannot do the things
that you would or you desire to do. The flesh lusteth against
the spirit, but, but he does say through Christ,
in Christ, by Christ, by his power who has all power and all
authority in heaven and earth over all flesh. And then we said
John, all authority is given over all flesh. I can do all
things through Christ, which strengthens me, even thinking
these things." Now, he's not telling us, he wouldn't be telling
us to do something that was impossible to do. What'd he say? What'd
he do? That'd be cruel, wouldn't it? Thank God I can. I'm not able to. That'd be cruel,
wouldn't it? We'd be demanding the impossible
of that. But, I can do all things through Christ, by his grace.
And only by his grace I can think on these things. I can. I can. All right? Let's look
at them then. You know, like I said, he wouldn't
tell us to think on these things if it was impossible. I need
grace to think on these things, though. I need his grace. Well,
he said he'd give us more grace. And I have a feeling I have not,
because I have not. That's what James said. So Christ
is the subject, and we're going to look at him in reference to
each of these things, and then we're going to look at how it
applies to us, OK? And listen to this. Think about
this, people. The more you think on the Lord
Jesus Christ, the more you will grow to admire him, and the more
you admire somebody and love somebody and respect somebody,
the more you will want to emulate somebody. So that's the way to instill
these things in a person, right? Husband, love your wife how?
As Christ loved the church. If a man would consider how Christ
loved the church, it would make him want to love his wife that
way. Okay? So as you see these things in
reference to Christ, the more you admire Him for these things,
the more you want to be like this. Understand? The law can't
create this. All right, number one. Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true. Turn over to 1 John, chapter
5. Think on things that are true. What's the Scripture say? Let
God be true, and every man a liar. Whatsoever things are true, listen
to these verses as you turn. In Revelation, He says, These
things sayeth he that is holy, he that is true. Another verse, Just and true
are thy ways, thou king of saints. I've never seen that before,
John. King of saints. I like that. Here's another verse. He says, True and righteous are
thy judgments, O Lord. Another verse. I saw a white
horse, and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True."
This is a description of the Lord Jesus Christ. Think on him
who is true. Look at verse 20. 1 John 5, verse
20. We know that the Son of God is
come and has given us an understanding that we may know him that is
true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. that we are in Him that
is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God. Jesus Christ is God. That's what that's saying there.
That's true. It's true. And the eternal life. Keep yourself from idols. Worship
the true and living God. God is true. Jesus Christ is
true. His Holy Spirit is true. They are true to their character.
Christ is true in this sense. He is true to his character. He's holy. He's just. He's righteous. He's mercy. He's
love. He's grace. He's true to that
character. In everything he is and does, he's true to his character,
right? In thought, in word, in deed,
he's true to his holiness. He's true to his righteousness.
And here's a play on words here. He is too good not to be true. He is too good not to be true. He's true to his character. He's
true to his word. Jesus Christ is true to his word. You know how often he said this
before he started to say something? Barely, barely. What that means is truly, truly.
He said this is true. This is true. I say it. Verily,
verily, I say unto you. Who say unto you? He that's true.
Who is the truth. He that is true to his word forever,
O Lord, thy word is settled. He cannot lie. Scripture says
he's spoken it. He'll do it. That's a true, true
person. A person who says I'm going to
do this, and he does it every time. That man's true. That man's
true. That's Christ. Well, Christ said,
Whosoever believeth, whosoever believeth shall not perish. John, he can't lie. Whosoever
believeth on the Son shall not perish, but have everlasting. Not Mike. shall have everlasting
life." He said, "...all that the Father giveth me shall come
unto me, and him that cometh unto me I will in some cases cast out." No. If
they're real bad, I'll cast them out. If they're sin after, I
say, in no wise, cast out. As he's true to his word, John,
think on that. Think on that a while. That's
worth thinking about him. He's true to his word. He said,
I cannot lie. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that believeth shall not perish, shall not perish. He's true to
his word. That's worth thinking about him.
We could stop right there. I could quit right now. Couldn't
I? Quit right now and you would
have profited by coming here. Think on these things. Think
on him who is true. And brethren. Practically speaking. We ought
to think on things whatsoever things are true. Whatsoever things
are true or true a true report as opposed to gossip as opposed
to rumor. True words my pastor. Gave this threefold criteria
for hearing a rumor or something about someone else. It's very
good. Excellent. If we would gauge
everything we hear by this threefold criteria, it'd do away with gossip. It'd do away with rumors and
slander. He said, whatever you hear about someone or whatever,
is it true? Number one, is it true beyond
a shadow of a doubt? Is it true? Let's get to the
bottom of this thing. Let's see if this is true. Right? 99% of the time saying it's not
going to be. Is it true? Is it true because
of some vendetta someone has or something? Is it true? Is
it kind? That's number two. Is it kind?
Is it kind? Is it the kind thing to repeat,
to say, to think? Is it kind? Number three, is
it necessary? Is it necessary to just go on
any further? Not if you love them. You love
covering. and reveal with comfort. All
right, is it true? So he says, think on these things.
Love rejoices in the truth. The truth. Gil said, think on
whatsoever things are true in opposition to falsehood, lying,
hypocrisy. The true gospel as opposed to
the false one today. The true Lord and Savior, the
true Jesus, the true Christ, the true Word of God as opposed
All this nonsense is going on today in the name of God and
Christ. Think on these things. What God says is true. Let God
be true and every man a liar. If he doesn't speak according
to God's word. Right? Secondly, whatsoever things are
honest. Now again, we're thinking about
the Lord Jesus Christ first. He must have the preeminence,
right? In all things, he shall have
the preeminence. In our preaching, he must have
the preeminence. I don't want to go away from
here with just a little lesson in morality or how to think without
honoring the Son in all things, right? Whatsoever things are
honest, whatsoever things are honest, does your center reference
have the word venerable? Honest, venerable, venerated,
or honorable, worthy of honor. Listen, I just looked up Webster's
Dictionary for the word honest. Listen to this. And think about
the Lord Jesus Christ in relation to these things. It's just like
Barnard said, all you need is a Bible and a dictionary. That's
all you need. I looked up this one word, honest.
Listen to it. And think about Christ. Honest,
characterized by integrity, fairness, straightforwardness in conduct,
thought, speech. One who is upright, just, equitable,
trustworthy, truthful, sincere, free from fraud, guile, and deception. One of the brethren, I read that
to him, he said, that's not me. I said, no, that really only
applies to one man who ever lived. Integrity, fairness, straightforwardness
in conduct, thought and speech, upright, just, equitable, trustworthy,
truthful, free from fraud, guile or deception. That's the Lord
Jesus Christ. Think on it. Think about that. Think about Him. He never thought a dishonest
thought. He never did a dishonest deed. Not once. Not one. Not one act or thought of deception
or guile in him. Absolutely honest. True and honest. Don't you want to be that way?
Oh, I do. Like I say, Christ is the subject.
Christ's likeness is the object. I want to be like him. I want
to be honest. So he said, well, think on this
thing. Think on Think in an honest, straightforward, fair, and upright,
just, and guileless fashion. Think that way. He says in one
place in 2 Corinthians 13, I pray to God that you do no evil, but
do that which is honest. Be honest. Be honest. That's good practical advice
isn't it? Be honest. Don't be a cheat, John. Don't
be a liar. Don't be a thief. Be honest. Honesty truly is the best policy
in all things. Deception, fraud, guile, lying,
hypocrisy will always find you out. Always. Honesty is the best policy. Our Lord himself is the one who
said it. Honest. Think on these things. Thirdly,
look at it. What sort of things are Are you
with me? Whatsoever things are just. Just. The word just means righteous
or right. Whatsoever things are right.
Whatsoever things are just or holy, holy, righteous. Christ is the just one. That's what he's called in the
scriptures. That you may see and know the just one, he says. It's given unto you that you
may know the just one who's a just God and a Savior. Just God, righteous,
holy, equitable. The word equitable means equal,
equitable, equity. Where the word iniquity comes
from, we are full of iniquity, inequitable. That is, we come
far short. There's God's standard of perfection
and holiness. Scripture says we are inequitable,
iniquitous. We come far short of that glory. If we're weighed, the Scripture
says, in the balances, we'll be found wanting. The Scripture
says we're like the dust on the balance. Here's God's holiness,
God's holy law, God's righteousness. Right? Holiness, righteousness,
justice. Here's justice. And He puts us
on a scale to see if we weigh up, measure up. He says, like
dust. Like dust. Doesn't weigh anything. Doesn't move the scales any.
If you put us on there. If you put Christ on the scale,
this man, this just man, equal to God the Father. Equal in the holiness to God
the Father. And he said this before, God,
men, and devils. Anybody can convince me of sin? No. Holy. Just. Righteous. Right. Right. I do everything right.
Shall not the judge of all the earth do right? And he did. He walked this planet as a man
and everything he did, right. Everything he said was right
with God's word. Right. Holy. Equitable. And by
him doing what was right, he can be just. God can be just. And what? justifier of them which
simply believe in Christ. Believe in Christ, on Christ. Just and justifier. Why? Why
did Christ come to live as a man? Didn't have to. He didn't have to. He didn't
do it for himself, per se. He's equal with God. He didn't
have to come. Why'd he come? for some people, for men, for
his people, for his elect, for his children. He came to live
a holy life for his children that we might weigh up. You see,
it shall be perfect to be accepted. That's what Leviticus 22, 21
says. God says it shall be perfect to be accepted. God's holy. He
will by no means clear the guilty. We can't be guilty. We've got
to be holy. He said, Be ye holy. I'm holy. How? In Christ. I'm in him when we we step on.
We step on the balances. I'm in Christ and we weigh up
we come don't not sure the glory of God we come equal to the glory
of God in Christ. Not me I didn't do anything.
Christ did. That's about like that little
mouse that got on the back of that elephant. Little mouse got
on the back of the elephant and they went across the bridge.
And they got across the other side, and that little mouse said,
Boy, didn't we shake that bridge. We sure shook that bridge, didn't
we? The elephant did all the shaking. Well, Christ did all that was required. I did
nothing. I do nothing. But the life I
now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God, or because
out of gratitude, or because this new creature he created
in me. It's not me. Not me. God which worketh in
us by his spirit. And he's just and justifier to
all them that believe in Christ. He justifies that. And Christ
took my sin. They had to be punished. So Christ,
the reason Christ died, to put away my sin. God must punish
sin. And he did that. He punished
every one of God's people's sin. And they had no sin. They have
no sin. So what he is the just one and
the justifier. The justifier. And he says for
us to think on these things or whatever is just. Think on these
things. Be just in our dealings with
others. Be just in our thoughts. Endeavoring
to think right thoughts. That's good isn't it? You ought
to think right thoughts. Just thoughts. Equitable thoughts. And this is the next word pure
whatsoever things are pure. What sort of things are pure
the word pure here mean again quoting Webster's the word pure
means clean. Innocent. Modest. Perfect. Chased. Pure whatsoever things are clean
perfect chased who's that. That's Christ, isn't it? Who
is the lamb without spot or without blemish, the man who is without
sin in thought, word, and deed, the holy, the clean, and the
just, and the pure one. He is pure. He's without spot
or without blemish or mixture, without mixture. Purity is without
mixture, isn't it? The gospel is pure. It's pure
Christ. It's pure grace. It's pure grace. It's pure Christ. It's him through
and through. And he tells us to think on these
things. Think on Christ, who is the pure
one, to think pure thoughts. Oh, Lord, think pure thoughts. And if you're like me, That plagues
you more than anything else, probably. To think pure thoughts
to be done with suggestive, lewd, evil, wicked, filthy thoughts.
Don't you want to be done with those things? I do. I do. To think chaste thoughts,
words, and deeds in opposition to foolishness and obscene and
filthy thoughts. We read that in Psalm 139, verse
23, when he said, Try me, O God, and know my thoughts."
And when he said, see if there be any wicked way in me, he's
not saying, I don't think there are any there, but just see if
there are. No, he's not saying that at all.
What he's saying is, I see a lot of things, but there are a lot
of things I don't see. And he said, ferret those out. Get those
out. Presumptuous. Deliver me from
presumptuous sins. Not only sins of commission,
but sins of omission. Deliver me not only from what
I do, but what I don't do. What I say, but what I don't
say. Thoughts. Thoughts. Think on
things that are pure. Lord, without Him we can do nothing. Especially this. Huh? Do you
need grace for this? I do. We're not sufficient of ourselves
to think anything of ourselves. With man, this is impossible
to think pure thoughts, but he tells us to do it, doesn't he? He tells us to do it, John. Again,
he's not telling us to do something. It would be unjust of him to
do so, wouldn't it? Think on pure thought. I can't.
do it. I can't. He giveth more grace. He giveth
more grace. Lord, so we cry out. That's what
prayer is all about, people. Calling on Him, through Him alone
you can do these things. Lord, help. Lord, remove from
me these evil thoughts. Your mind filled full of trash? Cry out, Lord, help now who are
pure. Purify my thoughts right now. Take them away. Remove these
evil thoughts and replace them with pure thoughts of you. Pure
thoughts. All right, the next word. Whatsoever
things are lovely. Whatsoever things are lovely.
Or the word lovely is lovable. Lovable or something that's worth
loving. Something that's worth loving.
Whatever is lovable. Or something lovable because
of its beauty. I'm talking about Christ. Something lovable or someone
lovable because of beauty. Or someone who's lovable because
of their When David was first anointed as king over Israel
and over Judah, it said that whatsoever the king did pleased
the people. In other words, David made a
decree one day that they were to fast and something else, and
the people said, that's good, we'll do it. Because whatsoever
the king did, it pleased the people. They loved him. They
thought he was lovable. He was a lovable king, a lovely
man, lovable. And that's the Lord Jesus Christ.
The scripture said Christ is, he is what? Altogether lovely. As I've said before, you take
all the characteristics of all the finest people you've ever
known, traits of kindness and goodness and sweetness and gentleness.
You take the man, the men or man that you've ever known who's
the finest example of being a gentleman, a man's man, kind, tender, gracious,
compassionate, thoughtful, caring, sensitive, all of these things. Multiply them one million times
and you might come close. to thinking about the Lord Jesus
Christ. Take the sweetest smile of all
the people and multiply it. That's Him. That's Him. The voice
of grace poured from His lips. No man speaks like this man,
as Scripture says. We're talking about Christ singing. He sang. Oh my, what He must have sung
like. Wouldn't you like to have heard
Him sing? You see, good singing doesn't necessarily have to be
tonal quality and all that, but it's from the heart. From the
heart. Good preaching the same way.
Huh? It can be good in structure and a man having an
eloquent voice and putting all these things together, but if
it's not from the heart, it's a dead, cut and dried dissertation
on something. Christ is altogether lovely,
lovely, worthy of love, worthy to be adored for his character
and his works. Worthy of love. He's lovely. What is your beloved more than
other? Oh, he's altogether. Wrap them
all up and they won't come up to my beloved. He's altogether
lovely. No faults. No fault. Ladies, you're, you can, there's
a few thoughts about that fella. Just a few. About that fella
you married. Just a few. I'm being facetious
now. There's very few admirable traits,
actually. But, what about our husband Christ? All together. Lovely. Lovely. Christ is, and he tells
us to think on these things. Tells us to think on these things. Let us be like Christ. Let us
think loving thoughts toward other people. Christ said, God
said this, I know my thoughts toward you. Thoughts of peace. Thoughts of
peace. That's what it said there in
Psalm 139. I forgot about that. He said, How many are thy thoughts,
thy wonderful thoughts toward us, O Lord? Oh, if I should try
to number them, how precious are thy thoughts unto me." So
he says, be like me. Think good thoughts, lovely thoughts,
loving thoughts toward others. Put away thoughts of wrath, anger,
malice, bitterness. Put them away. Be done with that.
Be perfect like your Father in heaven. Has anybody got a right
to be bitter toward us, or angry toward us, or rascal toward us? Anybody got more of a right than
God? Huh? Should God be angry with us?
Should God be mad at us? Should God be bitter toward us? Every hour of every day. But
He said, I know my thoughts toward you. Aren't you glad? And it's represented, his thoughts
are higher above us than the heavens are above the earth.
So he says, you think these thoughts toward others. Put away thoughts
of wrath, anger, malice, bitterness, and so forth. Next word. You
need to hurry. The next word, whatsoever things
are of good report. Whatsoever things are of good
report. A good testimony. What's that talking about? You
know of any good testimony? Anybody got any good news? That's what they say. Jesus Christ
is the gospel. He is the good news. He is the
good report. Christ is the good news come
from God himself, the testimony of God. Peace on earth, goodwill,
the good news. Here's a good report coming.
What is it, the weather? No, goodwill toward men. Peace on
earth. God is not angry with some people
now. God is not angry with some people. Peace. How? And just as born
this day in the city of Bethlehem a Savior, which is Christ the
Lord. Now, that's good news. That's
good news. Like I said, I think it's 25,
he said, this is our God. He has come to save us. We've
waited on him. This is our God and he's come
to save us. That's good news. That's good news. You see, the
law came by Moses. The law came by Moses and I can't
keep it. Not perfectly. But here's the
good news. Now that's the bad news. God
says do this and that and don't do this and that and we've broken
it all. Well here's the good news. Here's the good report.
Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace
and truth. The gospel. The good news is
Christ said I've done it for you. I've done it for you. That's a good report. That's
a good report. And it's a good report. It's
not too good to be true. This is not too good to be true.
It's true. It's a good report. It's one
you've heard, as Isaiah said, who have believed our report,
this good report. Well, to whom the arm of the
Lord is revealed. That's it. To whom Christ is revealed. And
let, on our part, let us think on good news. Boy, I've seen some people in
here that need this, including me. I'm guilty. Quit thinking
about the bad news, the negative. What's that cause you to do?
All that causes us to do is to think about the negative and
to bear on the world is to do what? Don't tell anybody. What's it cause you to do? Think
about the bad and the negative all the time. What do you do?
Murmur, complain, mumble and groan. You never ever smile on
your face. You have to fake it. Is this, do you need this? think
on the good report. What's there is a good report.
You got any, is there a good report? Any good report in your
life? Can I get a little smile somewhere?
Is there any good report? You got any blessings? Any good
news? Numerous blessings to think on.
We're like children at times. We stump our toe one time and
the world's coming to an end. And we think we have bad report.
You think you got a bad report from wherever, from what? I mean, there's some people going
through some bad reports of no hope in some things, some cases. And until you reach that point,
you think on good reports and quit moaning and groaning. Good report. Think on those things. Think on those things. God may
send us something bad to think about then. The seventh thing. What sort of things? A good report
if there be any virtue. If there be any virtue. The word
virtue. Again, from Webster's. I like
that. No, this was from Strong's Concordance. The word virtue means Manliness
and excellence. Isn't that good, John? Manliness. Virtue. Whatsoever things are
of manliness. Think on these things. I want to think about a real
man. Who am I going to think about? A real man. A man's man. Pilate. Even that old Pagan rulers said
when Jesus cried, he didn't believe on him, he didn't believe he
was a messiah, he didn't believe he was the son of God, he didn't believe
anything about him. And when Christ walked out there,
even Pilate said, Behold the man. Now he did, I tell you what Pilate
did witness, he witnessed his, he witnessed him go through all
that he went through without a peak. Talking about somebody who could
have murmured and complained with just cause. He said, they've
hated me without a cause. They've done all this to me without
a cause. I'm guiltless in all that they've done unto me. He
uttered not a word. And Pilate saw, and he'd seen
many big, brave, strong men go through all this. Hadn't he,
Stan? He'd seen them all come and go. The strongest of the
strong. And when Christ went through it all and came walking
before him, he said, There's a man. That's a man. The man. The man. You men of Israel, hear these
words. A man. Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved
of God. Never said that before about
any other man. Not Adam, God turned thumbs down on him. Not
Abraham, denied his wife. Not Isaac did the same. Not Jacob? Miserable. Not David? Sinner. Not Peter? Denied the Lord. A man approved. God said it out from heaven.
Well pleased with him. A man. What a man. Excellence. Manliness and excellence. The excellency of the knowledge
of Christ Jesus, my Lord. Excellent. Excellent. Most excellent,
isn't it? Most excellent. And then he tells
us to do the same. He tells us to think manly thoughts
or womanly. Quit yourselves like men. As
one ruler told his men, quit yourselves like men. Act like
a man. Act like a woman. Grow up. That's what he said. Act like a man. Act like a woman.
Mature in thought. Excellence, not trivial thing.
Listen to this. Turn over this quickly. Give
me a couple more minutes, OK? I've only been 40 minutes. Just a couple more minutes. Philippians
1. Turn over here. Philippians 1,
and this is saying the same thing. Philippians 1, look at verse
10. It says that you may approve things that are excellent. Excellent. Approve things or try things
that differ, my margin says. Do you say that? Try things that
differ. Approve things that are excellent.
In other words, think higher thoughts than base humanity is
thinking. to bring into captivity of every
thought to Christ. Think higher thoughts in this
base world is thinking. Higher thoughts in the 6 o'clock
news. People hang on the news. Half of it's not true. Right? Higher thoughts in the Roanoke
Times. Was it written by a bunch of
liberal... I'm going to get into that. Higher thoughts in the National
Enquirer than the star man. Higher thoughts in all this trash. Surely a man's brain, his thought
process, is meant to get a little higher than that. Huh? What sort of things are virtues?
They're better things to think on, aren't they? As the verse
scripture says, set your mind, Colossians 3, 2, set your mind
or your affections, same thing, on things above. Not on things
on our base thing. Shadows. That's shadow. Soap bubble. Soap bubble. Became a man, put away childish
soap bubbles. Want the real thing, that. Real
thing. What sort of things are pure
and a virtue. Listen to me. Brother Scott Richard
had an article a few years back. It was excellent. I wish I could
recall it all, but this was the essence of it. Listen. Along
these lines, try things that differ, or higher, or more excellent,
or things of virtue. Listen. Higher things. He said
there's many books that are just not worth reading. that the mind could be devoted
to something just a little higher than that. There are many programs
just not worth watching. As a matter of fact, I'd like
somebody to name me one today. Man, man. Many conversations not worth
having. Right? He made a conversation
not worth having. There's a lot of places not worth
visiting. A lot of places not worth visiting. A lot of friends not worth having. A lot of things not worth having.
A lot of things not worth doing. Just on and on he went with that.
And things which only promote the opposite of this. Impure thoughts. Right? Certain things only promote impurity
of thought. Am I telling the truth? I don't,
I'm not telling you things that, I'm not preaching at you. I need
this too. And perhaps, you know, things,
we nurture things. We nurture these things. Don't
we? We promote these things in ourselves.
And that's why he's telling us what he's telling us. How to
promote these thoughts within ourselves. There's another scripture, Deborah
says, keep thy heart with all diligence. What? Keep my heart? How can I think on these things? I think,
my thoughts run right. Here's one way, or several ways. Put away that crap that promotes
crap. Right? Is that not right? There's
some things not worth doing, some places not worth going,
some things not worth reading, some things not worth watching.
Toss it. What sort of things are virtue?
And he said there in verse 9, and the God of peace shall be
with you. Verse 9, he said, God of peace
shall be with you. Those things which you both learn
and receive and heard and seen in Paul. Whoa! Paul said, that's what I do. John, he wouldn't be in presumptions
there. He wouldn't be haughty or proud. Was he, Stan? The Lord
wouldn't have let him write that, would he? Maybe he did say, I can do all
things through Christ. So the first order of business,
think on Christ. And you know, the more you think
about him, and more you want to be like him. Right? That will
promote that. Every one of us are feeling guilty
about impurity of thoughts and this and that and the other.
Guilty. If I asked for a show of guilty hands, it'd be unanimous. Motion carried. All guilty. Think on Christ. Quick. Quick. Look unto me and be ye saved.
Well, how am I going to think pure of thought? Look unto me.
Call on me, ask me. I'm a very present help in times
of trouble, indeed. And that's every hour. That's
the reason he says, pray without ceasing, doesn't he? Because
I, it just, phew. This, where his head just fills
full of, hmm, iniquities. Ever before me, isn't it? Well,
he's ever before the Father. Isn't he? He's ever, he ever
lived to make intercession before the Father. to grant the petitions
that we have. Okay, stand with me. If we could
go on. Be on God's guard tomorrow morning. Or tonight. Right. Tonight. Pray with me right now that the
Lord will honor these things. Lord, we thank you for your word.
Lord, let us be Let us not deceive ourselves. As you said, if any man be a
hearer of the word only and not a doer, he deceiveth himself. Lord, let us be not only hearers.
We've heard what you have said. We believe. We know everything
you've said is true and just and right and good. And we see
our need of Christ. We see our need of Christlikeness. We ask that you would make us
doers, and you must do the work. Ah, perfect thy work in us. Establish the work of our hands,
you said, through the psalmist. Establish thou the work of our
hands by your mighty power, we pray. Hide these words in our
heart, Lord. Enable us as we leave here, as
we wake up in the morning, to think on these things. things
above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of the majesty
on high. And it's been in his name that
we've met together. Amen.