Philippians chapter 4. Look at verse 9 again with me.
Look at the last part of verse 9. It says, And the God of peace shall be with you. The God of peace shall be with
you. He names some things, he talks
about some things through chapter four, and exhorts us to think
on these things, yea, do these things, and it seems to be that
the presence of God, communion with God, is conditioned upon
these things. The God of peace shall be with
you. Isn't that the believer's greatest
desire? To be with God, to enjoy God? You remember our study from Psalm
73, 25, where the man after God's own heart said, Whom have I in
heaven but thee? There's no other desire I have
for eternal life but just to see God and be with Christ. And
there's none on earth, he said, I desire beside thee. That's
a true child of God right there, a true man with a heart that
beats for God, a heart that's set on things above. Last Wednesday night, I talked
to you about how that God gives these blessings,
these spiritual blessings, how that God gives an understanding
of the Scriptures, these little nuggets of truth and all by degrees. Do you remember us discussing
that before the message? We talked about how that God
gives these things by degrees, revelations of Himself, because
if we could take in everything That's in this book. Everything
that we hear, we couldn't function in this world. We couldn't live
in this world. We couldn't be, we cannot be
completely and perfectly spiritual creatures, or else we couldn't
count money as a bank teller. We couldn't drive a truck, we'd
run off the road, you know, for thinking about. We couldn't teach
piano. our minds would be heavenward.
But at any rate, isn't what spiritual maturity,
isn't this what spiritual maturity is all about, though, really?
Being taken up with Christ so as to be weaned from and unconcerned
about and completely detached from this world. Isn't that really
spiritual maturity? Let me read an article I had
in our bulletin a few weeks back entitled The Riches of Children
and Men by Thomas Matten, one of the greatest of the old preachers. He said, A child counts himself
rich when he has a great many blocks and marbles and play toys,
for these suit his childish age and fancy. A worldly man counts
himself rich when he has a great store of gold and silver and
land and heritage and so forth, bills and bonds. The child of
God, though, the child of God counts himself rich when he hath
God for his portion. Genesis 15, 1, where he told
Abraham that. The child of God counts himself
rich when he has Christ to be his redeemer, the spirit for
his guide, his sanctifier, his comforter. These things, that
is, these riches of a believer, they are as much above a carnal
man's estate in the world as a carnal man's estate is above
a child's toys, yea, infinitely more. So true spiritual maturity is
being disenchanted with and weaned from this world and everything
in it. That's what God does in the course of time in the lives
of His children, weans us from this world and makes us become
more and more taken up with Him. Else we'd want to stay here,
wouldn't we? Sickness makes us want to leave this body. as well
as other trials. You know the scripture said about
Enoch. He said Enoch walked with God.
Enoch walked with God and he was not when God took him. Now
remember now Enoch lived in a dark and perverse time right before
the flood. Enoch lives in a wicked and adulterous
generation, I'm sure, is no less wicked than our generation now.
Yet the Scripture says Enoch walked with God, and he was not. God just said, Come on up. It's
as if Enoch walked so closely with God in such communion and
fellowship with God that God said, Come on up, Enoch. Come
on. You don't have any business. You don't belong there anymore.
You come on up. Fellowship, communion, daily
enjoyment with God. That's what we need to want.
That's what we ought to want. Three things I desire more than
anything else really and truthfully. Total commitment to God, to Christ. Really live by faith. Commitment. Real communion with God. He's
real. I want to really know Him. I
want to really walk with Him. Just like Enoch, John. And conformity. I want to be
conformed to the image of Christ. I'll not be satisfied till I
awake with that likeness. I'm so sick of myself. I hate
everything about me. I love and admire and esteem
everything about Christ as being altogether lovely and just the
way I want to be. And I'm just not going to be
satisfied until I'm completely changed into that blessed image,
from glory to glory. And that's what this is all about.
Now, verse 9 seems to indicate that there are some conditions,
certain things that are conducive to this enjoyment of God. and
the God of peace will be with you. He said the same thing over
in 2 Corinthians 13. Just a few pages back there,
look at it. 2 Corinthians 13, beginning with verse 11. 2 Corinthians 13, 11, he says,
finally brethren, this sounds real familiar, be perfect, that
is be mature, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace. These are things he deals with
in Philippians 4, and the God, be perfect, be of good comfort,
be of one mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace
shall be with you. Now, I just haven't given you
my introduction here. Is this what you want? Terry
Kinslow, Charles Ross, William Hodges, is this what you want?
It's who you want. You want to know God. You want
to win Christ and be found in Him. Can you say that from the
heart? You want to know Him. Know Him and the power of His
life, of His resurrection, of His death. Well, let's read down through
the chapter here in Philippians 4. Therefore, my brethren, dearly
beloved, and longed for my joy. He says, You're my joy. Here's
a faithful pastor talking. He says, You're the people I
rejoice over, people I enjoy being with. My joy and my crown. He's not saying God's going to
give me a little crown because I've won you to Jesus. That's
not what he's saying. That's what these fools are saying
today. That's not what Paul is saying here at all. He's saying
those whom I know and those who I enjoy, those who love Christ
and are are waiting, watching, looking, seeking after Christ
like with me. This is the crown of my ministry.
This is the whole enjoyment. This is the whole reason for
being in the ministry. These are my rewards, just the
enjoyment and the fellowship of those of like faith. Besides,
he said in one place, he said, I don't seek yours, but you. I'm not after your things, I'm
after you. I want you to know Christ. I'm not in this thing
what I can get out of it, Paul says, but I hope that you and
I stand together in Christ. Stand fast in the Lord, he says.
Stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. Stand firm, stand strong,
stand on the rock, Christ Jesus. Over in Ephesians 6, he says
this three or four times, stand, and having done all to Stand. Where are we going to stand?
On the rock of Christ Jesus. That's the only place you can
stand strong. On the foundation, stand. Not
on the shifting sands of this world, but on Christ. Stand on
the promises of God. Stand on the firm foundation
of your faith, which is Jesus Christ, the Lord, our righteousness. Be grounded and settled in that
truth, or rather in He who is that truth. The Lord our righteousness. Believe that. Believe Him. Stand
firm. Stand strong. Don't give up an
inch to this world at wars against this gospel. Stand firm. Stand
your ground. Stand on Christ. Depend upon
Him. Look to Him. Now, I beseech,
verse 2, I beseech you odious and I beseech syntyche that they
be of the same mind in the Lord. These were two ladies in the
church there who had some problems. Far be it from any of our ladies
for ever having any problems. I'm glad he put this in here.
You ladies should well be glad, too. The fact that God would,
by His Holy Spirit, lead this man to write indelibly with a
pin of iron and a rock concerning these two these two ladies, members
of a church, that this thing might be resolved between them.
I beseech you. By what, Paul? By the mercies
of our God, by the grace of our God, for the glory of God, for
the honor of God, for the well-being of the church, for the fellowship
of the saints, for our edification, for our good, be of the same
mind. Don't let anything spoil this
communion or filling out. I'm so thankful I got to thinking
this afternoon how that right now, right now, it just doesn't
seem to be a rift here. I just don't detect one note
of problems. Whoa! Enjoy it. Enjoy it while
it's now. Because it sure doesn't take
much, does it, to get us to get folks at one another's throats.
But Paul beseeches these two that they be of the same mind
in the Lord. If this were the case at all
times, if we had the same mind, thoughts, affections, goals,
desires and all, that is, all of us, our minds set on winning
Christ and being found in Him and so forth, If we had the mind
of Christ, let this mind be in you, he said. If that were so,
in all of us, we'd never have one problem, would we? Never,
ever. Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ our Lord, who, and it goes on down to say,
took on himself the form of a servant. If we really served and were
seeking the good of others, if we really thought on things of
others, we'd never have a problem, would we? Never have a problem.
Never. Verse three, now I entreat thee
also, true yoke fellow, here's a little gentle reminder or rebuke
or whatever to this pastor of this church. Help those women.
Help them get out of this problem, perhaps. Help those women which
labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also and other of
my fellow laborers whose names are in this Lamb's Book of Life.
Like I said, maybe a gentle rebuke or just maybe a reminder to this
pastor to help them. But in another sense now, this may be a sad commentary
on many churches today where there are more women than there
are men. That's sad, isn't it? And it may be a sad commentary
on the fact that there may be more women that are more willing
and ready to help and serve in the church than the men who are
supposed to be the leaders in the church. That's sad, but so
often so true. If it rebukes you, so be it. But it exhorts us here. Take
the leadership. Help. Help those who labor. Help them. I like this. Rejoice in the Lord
always. There's some real help to come
here, folks, if you need it. Verses 4 and verse 6 especially. Rejoice in the Lord always. Always. Rejoice in the Lord, first of
all. Christ is our source of joy. He himself should be who or what
we rejoice in. Right? Let me quote it one more
time. Psalm 73, 25. Whom, not what,
whom have I in heaven? Who do I look forward to seeing?
What do I look forward to doing but being with thee? Whom have I in heaven but thee?
And who is not on earth? Nothing, no one on earth I really
desire and want. more than thee. The Lord should
be our joy and our rejoicing, Terry. There's no joy anywhere
else, really. Really. Because everything in
this world, all else are dead and dying things and people. The old song, change and decay
in all around I see. O thou who changest not, abide
with me, one of my favorite hymns. Everything around us is changing
and decaying, including people, including people. The one you have the most confidence
in today may be your worst enemy tomorrow. It's sad, isn't it? But you ask
some people who have gone through Oh, my. You'd think, it's never
happened to me. Oh, yes, it just might. That
one sitting beside you whom you profess to love with all your
heart and would never leave and vice versa, they may be your
worst enemy tomorrow. They may cause you the most grief
of anybody you've ever had to deal with the rest of your life.
Christ won't ever do that. So where are you going to put
your eggs? What basket? Who are you going
to place all your confidence and all your love and everything
in, huh? Who are you going to really enjoy and rejoice over?
Christ alone, because he never changes. He never changes. Jesus
Christ the same yesterday and today and forever. What he says
stands. What he does is forever. His
love, his grace, his help, his companionship, that marriage
contract, never be annulled. He said, where's his bill of
divorcement? You can't divorce me, I won't let you, Christ says. Oh boy, everything good in this
life anyway is a good and perfect gift that comes from above, right? Rejoice in the Lord. Everything
we joy and rejoice in in this life, God gave it to us anyway.
Every good and perfect gift comes from above. Everything we have,
we owe to the grace of our God, especially that unspeakable gift. of eternal life which is in Christ. He says rejoice then in the Lord. Rejoice in Christ. Can we rejoice in who Christ
is? Oh boy, I tell you, I see some of your faces light up when
we talk about Christ. And it's obvious, at least for
a little while, we can rejoice in who He is and what He's done. Can we rejoice in what He's done?
Oh, boy, we ought to be able to rejoice in the Lord always,
always, whatever he does, whatever he does. And again, I say, he
repeats it in case we didn't hear it the first time. Again,
I say rejoice, rejoice. But things aren't going too well.
Rejoice, I say, in the Lord. Rejoice. Give thanks in everything. This is the will of God for you.
But I'm going through some rough times right now. Rejoice in the Lord. Rejoice, I say.
Rejoice in knowing that Romans 8, 28 is true. It's not just
a verse you quote. It's the truth. Not only is it
true, it's the truth. All things are working together
for good. All things. Rejoice in the Lord
always, in every way, in everything. And again, I say rejoice. It's
all according to God's gracious purpose to save you and conform
you to the image of His Son. But you just don't understand
my problem, preacher. Rejoice, it doesn't matter. Rejoice. Yeah, but I might not get the
job I want. Rejoice that you've got one now.
Some people out there without jobs, right? But my house has
got, oh, rejoice that you've got a house of people without
houses, people living on the streets. Do you read Sunday paper
today? A fellow living in his car was
right on our doorstep. But my car is about to break
down. Is it broke yet? Is it traveling? Is it getting
you where you're going? It's all you need it for anyway,
even if you have to put six quarts of oil on the way to rowing up. So it's easy for you to say you've
got a good car. No, mine's broken down in the garage right now.
Mind you. I'll practice what I preach.
Rejoice in the Lord always and in everything. Rejoice. This
is the will of God concerning you. This is the will of God. Well, I'm not happy. Well, let's
just stop the world so we can make you happy. God forbid that
you shouldn't be happy. Isn't that the way we think,
though, and the way people talk and act and so forth? Like babies.
Mama, rejoice. Rejoice. My soul, we got every
reason on earth to rejoice, don't we? Rejoice. No matter how bad
things get, could be much worse, and it is much worse for other
people. Much, much worse. There's a sure cure for depression
and for anxiety and for these fits we get into. A sure cure
for it. I'll tell you what it is. It's
Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving. If we begin to
count our blessings one by one, we'll forget about the rest of
it, because our problems Our blessings outnumber our seeming
problems one thousand to one, one million to one. Don't they? That's a sure cure for complaining
and murmuring and troubles. Start, just sit down. Well, wait
a minute. Before I start complaining and getting myself all bent out
of shape and start crying like a baby, let me start thinking,
thinking about what God's done for me. You see, I've got a mind. There's some people down in the
hospital that are vegetables. Go down here to the occupational,
what's the name of that place over here in Rocky Mount? Just
walk in there and look at all of the people that are mongoloids
and imbeciles and idiots and so forth. Just walk in there.
Thank God you've got a sharp mind. You've got all the faculties
about you, clothed in your right mind and so forth. Oh, we've
got so much to be thankful for, don't we? That's a sure cure
for for these from murmuring and complaining and depression.
Rejoice always. Verse five, now let your moderation
be known unto all men. Let your moderation be known.
Now in context here, he's not talking about eating and drinking,
although that's a good thing. Whatever God has ordained for
us whatever natural laws therefore are good there for our temporal
welfare and for our bodies good if you overeat you're going to
get you have problems with all sorts of physical ailments it's
just the way it goes you over drink you whatever you smoke
you do all these things the excess you're going to have problems
these are the natural laws that God has ordained if you break
them you're going to suffer He's not talking about eating and
drinking here, although moderation is the key in all of those things.
What he's talking about here is an attitude. You see, in a
context here, he's talking about moderation, that is, having a
moderate, temperate, controlled, humble spirit and attitude. Now, we're starting to talk here
about spiritual maturity. Stay with me. Spiritual maturity. He says, let your moderation
be known To all men, that is, let your have a temperate, controlled,
restrained, content, mature, forgiving spirit as one who is
a believer. Let that be known. Let it be
seen. Let it be heard in all men. It grieves me to my heart when
I hear those who profess to believe in Christ. Who profess to be
followers of the sovereign God who profess to believe that God's
on the throne. It grieves me to my heart when
I hear them fretful and worrying over the least little things.
Whatever it may be, just the least little things, fretful
and worrying. It's as if they didn't hear,
hadn't heard a word God has said. It's as if they don't believe
a word of this book, that God is in control and that all things
will work together and it'll be all right. This is the will
of God concerning. It grieves me. It grieves the
Holy Spirit. It grieves me when I see people
who've been under the sound of the gospel. Now, I don't take
this... This is not directed at anybody in particular. I do
want you to take it personally. But it grieves me in my heart
when I hear people who are upset over the slightest thing, who
let anybody or anything really get to them and under their skin
when they've been sitting under the sound of the gospel for so
many years and could let a neighbor, I mean a nobody and a nothing,
who knows nothing and is nobody and is going nowhere, is altogether
ignorant and would let somebody like that or whatever, whatever
situation arises, would let that just throw somebody all out of
whack. and make them and make us if we become just like them.
In other words, they give us a hard time and scowl at us and
talk about us and all, and we turn just like them. That grieves me, you know. David,
man after God's own heart, oh shimmy, I start cussing him. Oh shimmy, I start cussing him,
you know. And Joab, the younger It wasn't Joab. It was David's
captain. It may have been Joab. Anyway,
his captain said, I'm going to go take that dirty dog's head
off. Let me go cut his head off. Who's he think he is speaking?
David said, leave him alone. Now God Almighty is on the throne,
and for some purpose and some reason, God Almighty sent that
man to cuss me. Give me a good cuss. You just
leave him alone. He'll get his. Vengeance is mine,
saith the Lord. Lord's on the throne. He wanted
to stop his dirty dog mouth. He could. Just leave him alone.
And God did, sure enough, take care of him later on. Just go
on about your business. This reminds me when we get in
these spirits and attitudes concerning people. Get all upset over people
of this world. Reminds me of a little child.
Mama, Daddy, so-and-so kicked me or bit me or said something
about me. Honey, my soul, if you live long
enough, you're going to get kicked and bit a thousand times. You're
going to get cussed and spit on and chewed, and if it ain't
to your face, it'll surely be behind your back. Don't worry
about it. Rejoice! The Lord's on the throne. They'll get theirs, and you'll
get yours. Let your moderation—you see, this is what he's talking
about here—let your moderation, your temperate, your moderate
you controlled your God-believing attitude, be known to all men. Let them know that this doesn't
trouble—let no man—didn't Paul say that?—from henceforth, let
no man bother me. I bear in my body the marks of
the Lord. What could old Joe Blow next
door do to bother me? My name's written in the Lamb's
Book of Life. God's on the throne. He loves
me. The Lord's at hand. Besides,
the Lord's at hand, he says here. The Lord's watching me. Thou,
Lord, seest me. It is He we must answer to ultimately. And also, God's your helper. He's your strength. You don't
need to rely upon whatever or whomever or resort to anything
else but Him. Just take it. Take it to Him.
Daddy's just like a little child. Father, so-and-so's talking about
me. Don't deal with him. Deal with
him. And just leave it there. I'm
getting ahead of myself here. Verse 6, Be careful for nothing.
Be overly anxious. Don't be fretful. Don't murmur.
Don't be filled with anxiousness or anxiety about anything. Didn't
I say that there? Be careful that it's full of
care for nothing. Nothing. Zero. Zero. Take no thought. Didn't Christ
say, take no thought for tomorrow? Take no thought. Why should we? We can't do a blessed thing about
it. Oh, but what's going to happen
tomorrow? I don't know if I'll get this. What in the world are
you going to do about it tonight? Why don't you get you a bite
to eat and go to bed and sleep on it and let that day take care
of itself? It's going to be tough enough
as it is. Well, run tonight over tomorrow. Let's go to bed and
enjoy ourselves now, and when we wake up, we'll take care of
that problem when we come to it. Besides, we might not come
to it. Be careful for nothing. Take
no thought. Christ, didn't He say that? Take
no thought for tomorrow. Sufficient for that day is evil.
There it is. Didn't He say, cast all your care? All your care
upon Him. All your care. As I said, why
should we murmur and complain and worry about things of which
we have no control over? Besides, I tell you who does
control them. God does. He sends them. I'll tell you if we can get a
hold of this. I'm preaching to myself. I want to turn around
and stand there and look this way. I'm preaching to me. If
we could get a hold of this, that God's the one that sends
them anyway. So in reality, what we're doing
when we murmur and complain and full of care and anxiety, we're
questioning God's wisdom in what God's going to do. You know what
we're doing? But he says, in everything, in
everything, verse 6, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, Look back at Psalm 106 with me.
Boy, this is a... I just read this recently, and
boy, you're talking about convicting and comforting and encouraging
and admonishing and rebuking and
exhorting and all these things. It's all found right here in
Psalm 106. Go back and read it for yourself
sometime, and I'll just browse through it here with you. The
children of Israel are such a parallel. between the children of Israel
and us. Everything they did, we've done it and worse.
Everything they got into, we've got into it or in right now.
Yes, it's a perfect parallel, isn't it? And right here, he
gives a story. He's rehearsing with the people
all that God had done for them. And then in turn, he talks about
all that the people did against God, rebelling and murmuring
and complaining and their thanklessness and all of this, their fretfulness
and all. And then God keeps doing it though,
keeps forgetting. Now, let's look at this. Let's
read a few verses here. Look at verse 6 through 8. We've
sinned. Now, David's thinking back on
the children in the wilderness, but David takes his rightful
place with them, as we should. We've sinned. with our fathers. Yes, me, you. We've sinned with
our fathers, just like them. We've done wickedness. Here's
what they did and here's what we did. Our fathers understood
not thy wonders in Egypt. They remembered not the multitude
of thy mercies, but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red
Sea. Nevertheless, he saved them for
his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. Look at verse thirteen and fourteen.
Ah, he did all these things for them, or deemed them from the
hand of the enemy, but they soon forgot his works, didn't they?
Oh, the very next morning they forgot what he did that night. They forgot his works, they waited
not for his counsel, they ran ahead and got themselves in trouble,
lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, tempted God in the desert, didn't
they? Look at verse twenty-one. But God went on to do all these
things for them, all these miraculous works before them to warn them,
to restrain them. Verse twenty-one, they forgot
God again. They forgot God, their Savior, which had done great
things in Egypt. Verse twenty-three, Therefore
he said that he would destroy them had not Moses His chosen
stood before Him in the breach. Boy, you're talking about a picture
of Christ here. Had not Christ stood before us
in the breach to turn away our wrath, He would have destroyed
us a long time ago, just like He did the children of Israel. Look at verse 43 to the end of
the chapter. Many times did He deliver them,
but they provoked Him with their counsel. with their worry, with
their fretfulness, with their desires and their designs and
plans. They were brought low for their
iniquity. We bring ourselves low, you know. We bring ourselves
low. Verse 44, Nevertheless, but God,
He regarded their affliction when He heard their cry, and
He remembered for them His covenant, that covenant with Christ, and
repented that His turn from from destroying them according to
the multitude of his mercies. He made them also to be pitied
of all those that carried them captive. Save us, O Lord our
God. Gather us from among the heathen."
We're not one way different. Would you enable us? Look at
it again real closely, verse 47. Would you gather us out from
among these heathen people that we're no different from to give
thanks unto your holy name? Would you let us just give you
thanks? and to triumph in thy praise." Here's triumph, here's
victory, praise. Who is he that overcometh the
world, but he that believeth, right? Blessed be the Lord God
of Israel from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people
say it. I'll say it, amen. So be it. It's the will of God. Rejoice.
Rejoice. He says, let everything in everything
by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request
be known. Make your request. Now, listen,
here's good advice. Make your request to God, whatever
they may be. Nothing is too small to take
to the Lord. It might be wrong. Yeah, it might be wrong. We don't
have All wisdom do. We don't know everything to ask
for. As we said in Romans 8, we don't know what to ask for
in the Spirit, which makes intercession must go to the Father for it.
But make your request known to God, then leave it there. I like
that hymn, too. Take your burden to the Lord,
and then you go worry about it. No, it's not what it says. Take
your burden to the Lord and leave it there. Leave it there. Yes, leave it there. Take your
burden to the Lord and leave it there. Leave it there. And like a wise parent, you'll
take care of it. Jehovah Jireh, that's his name,
isn't it? I love that old country saying,
don't you? Abraham said to his son Isaac, God'll see to it.
But daddy, God'll see to it. That's what my dad used to say.
Anybody's dad used to say that? Daddy, I need the I'll see to
it. Daddy, would you do this for
me? Yeah, I'll see to it. I just didn't worry about it from then
on. Well, I did sometime. I'll take it back. I did sometime.
Shouldn't have. He did see to it. God said my
name is I'll see to it. That's my name. Jehovah Jireh. I'll see to it.
I'll see to it. But, Lord, I'll speak to it,
OK, and I'll go to sleep." Like one man who was suffering insomnia
and couldn't sleep at night, he said he got to reading Psalm
121, wasn't it? He never sleeps. God never sleeps
or slumbers. And he woke up thinking about
that psalm, or he got out of bed thinking about that psalm
and said, Well, you know, if the Lord is not sleeping, I might
as well go to sleep. If he's staying up, I might as
well go to sleep. He worry about it. Well, in a
human sense. And that peace, and he says here,
that peace, verse seven, of God which passes all understanding.
We don't understand it. We can't. We're little children.
But here's the promise anyway. This peace, isn't that what we
want? Peace in this life. Peace that
passes Natural understanding will keep your hearts and your
minds that peace that only God can give through his word that
peace that which calms the mind comforts the heart. It's OK honey. It's all right. By giving a sure
and certain promise I'll see to it. And nothing will harm
you. Ten thousand fall at thy side.
Thousand at thy right hand. Ten thousand It will not come
to you. It's all right. It's okay. These
tokens of God's sovereign love and care and providence and all.
The psalm says, oh, what peace we often forfeit. Oh, what needless
pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God
in prayer. He says, take your burden to
the Lord. Wouldn't you love to be able to do that, Joe Parks?
I mean, all your problems and cares in this life, Here's some
guy down here who says, Joe, if you bring all your financial
worries, every problem in your home, your family, your children,
whatever it may be, if you got some, bring it down, I'll take
care of it. I'll handle it, and it all will be well. Well, here
you go, bud. Here you are. That's what God
says. He may not take care of it in
the time that you think he ought to, like a little child, you
know. How much longer, they say, on a trip? We'll be there in
about two Sesame Street. Well, you know, 15 minutes, go
by, go by. How much longer? Honey, I told
you, we're going to get there, and it's not going to be long.
And when you get there, you know, you finally realize, they realize,
hey, it wasn't so long, it wasn't so bad after all. That's about
how our understanding is, isn't it, in this, in the things that
God doesn't You know, we're creatures of time. God's not. A day is
a thousand years. The wheels of God's providence
turn, but they turn slowly. Like the hour hand on a clock,
you know, you can't see it. It's moving, you can guarantee,
you can count, it's moving. And God's, you take it to the
Lord and leave it there, He's taken care of it in His good
time. No, but we want it now, don't
we? Just like a little child. Now, David said, I'd have waited,
I'd have fainted if I hadn't hoped to see the goodness of
the Lord in my lifetime at least. Joe, you're 50 years old. Man,
old man, it's been like that, hasn't it? It's been like that.
God's been good from the outset, and he'll continue to be good,
and he'll take care of it. He's taken care of it up until
now, hasn't he? He'll take care of it the other 20. Jehovah-Jireh,
the peace of God, will keep your minds and your hearts through
Christ Jesus. That's who he's talking about
here anyway. Christ is Lord over all, Lord over the dead and the
living. Now, let's hurry. I've got to
hurry. Finally, brethren, finally, whatsoever things are true, that
is, what is true? What is true? Well, let every
man, let God be true. and every man a liar. Everything
that has to do with this world is a lie. You know, the Hindus,
the Eastern mystics and all that, well, don't let me get carried
away here. Off on a tangent, somebody said. Off on a tangent. Eastern religion, Eastern religion
says that everything in this world is an illusion. Well, there's
some truth to that. It is. Didn't he say in James
that what is your life but a vapor? It's a bubble. You know everything
about this life and what you're looking at right now is not real. It's not real. This is a puppet.
This is an inanimate object. Everything in this world is inanimate,
really. It doesn't have true life. You
know what true life is? It's the life of the Spirit.
It's the life of Christ. It's the life of God. Everything
else is dead, dying, decaying, rotting. It's going to be destroyed. It's a bubble. It's going to
be soon burst, isn't it? It's an illusion. Didn't he say
the things that are seen are temporal, but the things which
are not seen are eternal? So, what things are we to think
upon? Things that are true. Well, this is a lie. Everything
about it. Everything, all the enjoyments
of this world, it's a lie. It's a lie. There's no happiness
here is the answer. It's a lie. Now, if you, boy,
I'm so happy, that's a lie. Now, you're going to be sad tomorrow.
It won't last. Boy, I feel so good, that's a
lie. You're going to feel bad in the
morning. Don't count on it. Don't count on it. Don't rejoice
too much. I'll tell you where you can look
to things that are true, things above. Set your affection, your
heart, your desire, your mind, your thoughts on things above.
Christ, who is our life. Think on the gospel. We surely
think on foolishness too much of the time anyway, don't we?
Don't we need this exhortation, brethren? Think on things that
are true. Whatsoever, look on with me, and whatsoever things
are honest, that is, honest in the sight of God and men, would
be honest in business and speech and conduct and everyday occurrences,
especially were to be open and honest before God. Like Barnard
says, honest men don't wind up in hell. If we'll just be open
and honest with God about everything. As a father, just not try to
hide anything. Cast all your care upon him.
Confess all your sins to him. He's faithful and he's just.
Forgive us all, all our sins. Whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are just, that is giving that which is due to God what's
right. Give what's right to God what's right. What's right that
we're to give to God. present your bodies as living
sacrifices. This is right. This is your reasonable
service. Everything about us, our thanksgiving,
our reverence, our worship, our time, our energy, our efforts,
our sales to Him and to one another, one another, give honor to whom
honor is due, tribute to whom tribute. Go on. Whatsoever things
are pure, things in word or deed, in opposition to all that is
sinful fleshly, that is, envy, strife, jealousy, hatred, malice,
selfishness. He admonishes us over there in
1 Peter, put these things right down. Put that down. Stop that. Put that down. Put down everything
that's in opposition to purity. Lovely. Most everything's are
lovely. Faith, kindness, compassion,
generosity. all commendable in Christlike
virtue. Whatsoever things are of good
report, I like this, good report. What's the good report? What's
the good news from a far country? The gospel, the gospel. Think
on the gospel and do that which contributes to the furthering
of the gospel, both in your own heart and life, the hearts of
the people of the church and elsewhere. The good news. He says, think on things which
are of good report. That is, do those things, those
things which contribute to a good name, a good relation, a good relationship,
things which contribute to good reputation between you and other
people. Right? And if there be any virtue,
whatever is most like Christ for the glory of God, the good
of others, virtuous. And if there be any praise, rather
than murmuring and complaining with God's providence, think
on these things. Praise. Why not praise God rather
than worry about things? Why not trust God to do what's
best rather than speak evil of what's taken place? And if there
be any praise for somebody, Why not look up somebody and think
about somebody's virtues rather than their faults? Dwell on those
things. Dwell on the good things. The
virtues in someone. Think on these things, he says,
verse nine. Or verse eight. Think on these
things. These things. And those things
which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in
me," those things which you've received, believed in your heart,
those things which you've heard and seen in me. Evidently, the
Apostle Paul, God gave the Apostle Paul a great measure of his spirit
where he was an admirable believer. And what Paul's saying here,
I believe, really is saying that these things are reality and
they're evidences of true life and regeneration. You can, you
ought to be able to see it in the lives of some people. It
truly, truly the grace of God does make some people gracious.
And Jeanette, I want them to see it in me. Don't you? Yeah,
I want people to see, I want my moderation, I want my Christ-likeness
to be known in me. I want people to see me and tell
I've been with Christ. Think on these things. And the
God of peace, now here's where we started, and the God of peace
shall be with you. You will enjoy the peace, the
comfort, the smiles of a loving Heavenly Father who delights
in Christ-like children. and obedient children. And I've
said this so many times, folks, we cannot send away the love
and acceptance in the favor of God. That's wonderful good news. We can't do anything, just like
your children cannot do anything for you to cast them out of your
family. We can't do it either. Boy, I like that. That's good
news. That's the gospel Good news,
I'll never leave you. Oh, but Lord, I've sinned terribly. That's all right. Well, it's
not all right, but I'll never leave you. I've forgiven. I've
put those things away. But we can cause Him to hide
His face, as I've said so many times. We can cause Him to hide
His face from us and forfeit the peace, the loving fellowship
that only those in close communion obedience and joy. God said this,
and I'll quit. God said, Be ye holy as I am
holy, for I am holy. Christ said, Be ye perfect, that
is, mature, understanding, wise, understanding what the will of
God is. Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven, which is perfect.
Be made like Christ for God's glory. and His holy enjoyment
and fellowship. Be children in attitude and spirit,
but in understanding, in knowledge and discernment and character,
be men. Grow up. Let's grow up. Let's mature. Let's be perfected
as true children of God. Brethren, think on these things. Think on these things. Let not
this world and all that's in it and all that's in you have the upper hand according
to the power and the promises of God in Christ. He said, take
your burden, cast your care. I'll take care of it. I'll see
to it. So take it there. Whatever problem
you're going through now, whatever worry, whatever anxiety, take
it to the Lord and just leave it there and act like you say
you believe. Good advice, isn't it? Think
on these things. Don't forget them now. Think on them. Stand and we'll be dismissed. Our Lord, we've profited. We've been instructed. We've
been reproved. We've been admonished. We've
been exhorted. We've been corrected. We need
these things, Lord. We've been comforted. We've been
encouraged. We've been helped. Only the Word
of our great God in all its wisdom and power and glory, only the
Word of God can do all these things. No amount of human understanding and wisdom
and encouragement can do this. Only the Word of God can do this.
And only the Spirit of the living God can take these things and
apply them to our hearts and minds so that we not forget them.
Tomorrow morning, when we wake up in this world with all these
problems and cares and anxieties, Lord God, would you take these
things we've heard tonight and allow us to think on them and
not be carried away? Once again, would you allow us
to think on these things Just whatever comes our way, will
you allow us to rejoice, to count our blessings, to thank God? Lord, grant it. Grant it. It's for your glory and it's
for our good, our temporal good and our eternal conformity to
Christ. Granted, Lord, he who endures
such contradictions of sinners against himself, let us consider
him There's no man who sorrowed and was troubled and went through
so many trials as he did. And we'll never begin to go through
the slightest things that he did. So, Lord, let us thank You
and rejoice and praise God, whatever. In Christ's name we ask and pray
these things and met together this day. Amen.