We read the Word of God as we find it in Philippians chapter 4. Considered an element of this chapter last time, we want to pick up the next couple of verses. Philippians chapter 4. Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown. So stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. And beseech Iodius and beseech Syntyche that they be of the same mind in the Lord. And I entreat thee also, true yoke fellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 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, there be any virtue, there be any praise, think on these things. Those things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me do. The God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again, wherein you also were careful but lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. and do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Notwithstanding, ye have done well that ye did communicate with my affliction. The Philippians know that also in the beginning of the gospel when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving but ye only. For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. not because I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all and abound, and I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which are sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing unto God. My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Unto God and our Father be glory forever and ever. Salute every saint in Christ, the brethren which are with me greet you. All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Our text, beloved, is verses eight and nine. He is drawing a conclusion from what he has been saying concerning peace with God or the peace of God. 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, There be any virtue, there be any praise. Think on these things, those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me do. The God of peace shall be with you. The apostle, beloved, is concerned that you and I walk in the peace of God. which is God's own fellowship of communion of life and love and harmony within himself as the holy God. Into that fellowship and communion we are brought through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. who has cleansed us from all our sin and iniquity, blotted out all our transgressions through His blood, is our righteousness before the judgment seat of God, so that we have peace with God, and by the work of the Holy Spirit poured out upon the church, a peace that is of God and from Him, and is written upon our hearts in newness of life. The Apostle has exhorted the Philippians in harmony with that to work out their salvation earlier in the Epistle, confessing as those articles in the Canons pointed out, that God is he that worketh in you both to will and to do. It's in light of that that as he mentions peace in the immediately preceding verse, the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, and ends with that same note that the God of peace shall be with you. That the Apostle still has what he is saying here, that which belongs to our spiritual welfare as believing children of God and to our abiding in and living out of that peace that only God can give and that brings us into harmony and unity and fellowship with God. And it is in that connection that he has what appears at first glance to be list, and then tells us, think on these things. And it's from that viewpoint that we want to consider this word of God this afternoon. Think on these things. Thinking on what, first of all, then thinking how, and finally then also thinking to what end. The apostle gives a very exhaustive list of things here, whatsoever things are. So he has in view the things that occupy your mind, that occupy your mental activity, and so on. And he has a list here. And when you look at that, it's easy to kind of overlook something, and that is this, that he has in view First of all, the reality that these things are of God, belong to our spiritual peace and fellowship and communion with God. God is, after all, the God of truth. In Him is no darkness of sin or the lie. He is the God who, in all that He speaks to us, always speaks uprightly in all honesty and integrity He is not a God who comes and says one thing one day and works and says something else another day. He is the God of all righteous judgment. He is the God who is absolutely pure, too pure of eyes to behold sin, and iniquity shall not dwell with him. He is the God of all grace or beauty. He is that which is truly lovely. And his word is that good report that forms the gospel of our salvation. In him all the virtues find their center. So that behind what the apostle is saying here is the idea that these things are of God, that they are the outworking in our thinking and activity of life. of our knowledge of God's divine virtues and perfections as that work of grace by which we are given to know these things brings us into living fellowship and communion with a God of peace who himself hath wrought in the wonder of our redemption a peace which we now have with God and in which we live and walk. and which also keeps us and preserves us. The idea is not simply, after all, that God is a God of peace, which passes understanding, but there's a certain character of that peace, of abiding in it, that God works in our hearts and keeps us in communion with Christ. Now it's in the light of that that you and I must understand the object of what the Apostle is saying as far as our walk in the world. When he says, whatsoever things are, he is not talking now about the divine attributes, though that is in the background of his thought, but he is talking about what you and I see and interact with. every day where we go in and out in a sinful world. And there is a need for that application because in that world in which we walk is the lie, is the deceit of wicked men, is all the injustice and unrighteousness of ungodly men. It is not pure but unclean and it is full of the ugliness of sin. In that world, you and I were conceived and brought forth. And by nature, we are children of wrath, even as others. And the reality is that that old man of sin, in whom none of these virtues are to be found, cleaves to us and lifts his ugly head to stain all our life and walk. And you see it in all the things that you have to handle, that you have to touch, that you have to interact with in that sinful world. And it comes with temptation, it comes with lust, it comes with covetousness. And in this world, virtue is not the object of any praise or thanksgiving, nor is it even any more sought after. It is very striking that we live in a world that no longer can blush and be ashamed of the grossest perversions and evils in which they walk, but they boldly parade them and expect everyone around them to applaud. For the same reason, the apostle says now, you have me as an example. There are plenty of other kinds of examples of the wickedness of men, the arrogance of men, and the boldness of men. And you and I have the calling, after all, to die to that old man of sin, to put off his uncleanness, and putting on the new man in Christ, which is wrought in the grace of God and our salvation. and given to us in principle, we have the calling to live out of these things, seek after that which is appropriate. That means that you and I don't find our pleasure in the lie, but we seek that which is true. In our dealings with things, we seek that which is honest and forthright and upright. And we are not given to cunning manipulation of things and deceit. We desire justice in the midst of a sinful world of injustice. And we would walk honestly with those who are without. We would keep ourselves pure and undefiled. And we would seek that which is the reflection of that which is lovely or gracious in all our life. That's a challenge. to your spiritual welfare and mine. It has to do with the way in which God keeps us in peace and fellowship and unity with him. The things that surround us war with the peace of our souls with many temptations to turn from that way. The Apostle doesn't have in view just what we know of God and of Christ and of God's Word. He has also the world we live in. That's why he can say, if there be any praise or any virtue. So that also, as you go through this life, he has the object of your thought. It isn't just simply thinking about Bible passages. It includes that. It involves taking the word of God and spiritually appropriating it in the knowledge of the living God and walking in it, and then finding in the midst of God's creation, as you must deal with it day by day in the midst of a sinful and wicked world, those things that serve your peace, your spiritual welfare, that serve your good, that are consistent with the Word of God, but are in harmony with it as far as the activities of your mind and your thought, your thinking and your willing, not only, but those things that you think upon. And you and I may very well say, okay, what The Apostle is not saying, first of all, that you're not to be naive, you're not to be ignorant of the world around you. You have a need to know what's going on in the world through the news and other activities. The activities of men, as they touch your life and you live in that world, you have look at them, you have to think about them, you have to make plans. If you're running a business or if you're engaged in some enterprise, you have to think about all of those things and be busy with them. You can't very well do your work and labor as a servant from day to day without dealing with and interacting with the world. But the apostle is directing you to where you focus as a child of God. There's a difference between meditating and thinking about the lie. There's a difference between those things that are devoid of virtue and ugly with the ugliness of sin. The world around us drinks the wine of violence and delights in uncleanness and spends its time speaking about and preaching and entertaining itself with and filling its mind and heart and thought with those things that are scary, disturbing, populate the movies and the dramas with violence and immorality. And you are aware of those things. They draw you as a child of God. But the apostle says that's not where your focus as a child of God should be. Because after all, that is going to disrupt your peace and enjoyment of that peace with God. Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, just, pure, lovely, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise. These are the things that you and I, as children of God, are called to fill our mind with, not simply for information, but to think on these things. And you understand the language of the Apostle is not talking simply about what you've been doing in your business, and you had to think about certain things, including customers and clients and orders and things of that sort. And they're not always honest and true, and they're definitely not always pleasant or praiseworthy. But that he is talking about where you focus your mind and heart and thought. day by day as children of God, so that it shapes your life and walk in moderation among men, and that which serves your living out of the peace that is of God, and in a walk that's in harmony with your calling to live out of the Lord in thanksgiving unto him. That's different. That has to do with what you spend your reflection on, your time on. To think on something is to mull it over, to walk around with it in your mind, to spend your time on it. Now, you and I have to mull over threats, dangers, temptations, but they don't fill your life with any good. They belong to that which makes you anxious and full of care. And so the apostle's kind of leading us through the struggles that we have as children of God to live and to walk in a way that serves our spiritual peace. and to do so by directing our mind to those things that serve that spiritual peace and nourish it and refresh it and lift up your heart unto God and serve as a reminder of His glory and the wonder of your fellowship and communion with Him. And you can do that even when you justly judge that this is sin, then you flee from it. That you discern that this is deceitful, and therefore you turn to that which is true. There is an antithetical character to these activities that you put away the one which is its opposite, and you turn to the one that is pure and lovely and of good report. That means, too, that in your walk in the midst of the world, you have a certain character as a child of God. You're not the one who's itching for an evil report. of gossip and strange speaking and foolish stories and the jesting of this world and its ridiculous uncleanness, but that which is of a good report. You want to hear those things that are profitable, that are worthwhile. The child of God is not somebody who is empty-headed and frivolous. He's not someone who's silly with sin. He's not someone who's walking in all the follies of the wicked who mock their neighbor, slander him behind their back. Thinking on those things that are of a good report is the opposite of the sins against the Ninth Commandment. Thinking on those things that are pure is the opposite of sins against the Seventh Commandment. Justice requires a rejection of sins of malice and anger and clamor and evil speaking and of deceit and dishonesty in business and so on. Now that you as a child of God are living out of your living relationship with God through the wonder of the cross of Jesus Christ. And while you walk through the midst of that world, you are walking as one who says no to sin, no to uncleanness, no to the deceitfulness of sin and the lie, who does not want to hear the evil report, not because you're putting your head in the sand and hiding from truth and reality, but because you find no delight in knowing that which is grievous in the sight of God and burdens your heart. So that you seek that which is of a good report and if there be any praise. Now the way in which the apostle frames that therefore is think on these things. You understand to do that you are walking daily in prayer in the peace of God. The apostle himself points out his own example of godliness, and he taught them when he was with them in Philippi. He's not boasting, but he's talking about how he conducted himself as a child of God, as an apostle, as he instructed them. Those things which he had both learned and received and heard and seen in me do. And he has in view the fact that what characterized his ministry, his speech, his labor as an apostle, is that he set before them the things of the gospel that are true, and just, and honest, and pure, and lovely, and held them before their eyes. So that as we think on these things, we are busy taking The spiritual realities of who our God is, what our Savior has done, and the light of his word, shining it upon the whole of life around us in such a way that we flee from that which is contrary and turn our mind and thought and heart towards those things that are consistent therewith and serve our spiritual welfare. And the examples of faithful godly parents, godly men and women in the church reinforce that walk and teach that walk, not simply by your mouth, but by what you have heard and see in me do. Now you understand, beloved, that that sets before you and I a certain calling. It sets before us a calling, first of all, to occupy ourselves with those things that are spiritually profitable, that serve our spiritual good and our spiritual peace. God has given us, under the sun, the various activities, recreational outlets and other actions that we may, in some measure, enjoy in a godly manner. And we may use them. We are not going to go live in a cave or on a mountaintop like a hermit or some such thing, but as we live in that world, those things that serve your spiritual good, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, fill your mind and heart with them. And the way you do that is also this, that you take up that light of God's word and the knowledge of God's Word and you shine it upon the objects that you reflect on and think about and what occupies your mind. You know, we have the dedicated practice of Bible reading with our families. That's wonderful. We need to be consistent with it. but we need to then take the things which we have heard and read and seen in the scriptures and carry them around with us so that as we look at the world around us, they become the glasses through which we see the things of this world and that light of God's word directs our thoughts to those things that are profitable and guards us from walking in the way of those things that are spiritually self-destructive. It's not a matter of psychology. It's a matter of taking the Word, of meditating on it, and of putting it to practical use in the things that you touch and taste and handle with your mind in your activities in the world. There are things that are foolish. There are things that are silly. There are things that do not profit. There are things that you and I may be caught up in occasionally, but they do not consume your life. It's one thing to be interested in some sports activity. It's another thing that that becomes the thing you think on all the time. Now it's in light of that that you and I have another reality and that is that we stand in the midst of our brethren. And those who are older and mature have the calling to set a pattern of example for those who are younger. For that you can say to those around you the things which you have learned and received and heard of me and seen in me do. And you understand that it applies especially to those of you who are parents with your children. What you think on, what you exercise your mind with what consumes your energies and thought day by day, the things that comes out of your mouth and what you talk about, is the things that your children will learn are valuable, important, the priority, the things they should think on. So that part of parental instruction is not just simply small matters of telling a small child, don't touch this, don't handle that, don't go there, but it is by word and example setting a pattern of godliness in your own walk that you then teach through what you think on and what you are willing to listen to and how you speak and act. It's the fruit of what fills your mind that your children also learn to talk. If you're a gossip who just loves to hear the latest juicy, dirty tidbit, what are you teaching your kids? If you're on Facebook and you can't wait to find out the latest whatever, What are you teaching the little ones that are sitting on your lap while mama's flipping through her phone? Are you thinking on the things that God's Word says this is profitable for your spiritual peace, but then you have also the calling to teach your children as you go in and out, as you rise up and as you sit down, and to teach your children by word and example, think on these things. and what you have learned and seen in me do. And it has to do with a very real spiritual need that you and I, living in that wonder of the peace which we have with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, might abide in that peace and walk in it. And the apostle can even say the fruit of this is the God of peace shall be with you. Now that's exactly because his work of grace is the spiritual source of that activity. It's the knowledge of that salvation in Christ, which is your strength. It is the instruction of his word that gives you the glasses to determine the truth from the lie. And it is likewise therefore also the blessing of walking in that grace of God as a child of God that you and I prosper with a good conscience before the Lord. And the peace of God keeps your heart and mind and the peace of God shall be with you. And you understand that that's the end or goal that Paul has in view. When you are filling your mind with all the follies of the world and it's uncleanness, it's violence, it's strife, it's evil speaking and so on, it is making an inroad into your peace with God. and it undermines it. And that sounds maybe repetitive that we're gonna emphasize that more than once this afternoon. But you and I need to be warned and kept and understand what is the goal of a lot of those activities. There are a lot of things that you and I like to know that we really don't need to. We don't need to have an itching ear for the latest buzzword, the latest gossip, the latest tragedy, the latest whatever. Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, there is any virtue or praise. Think on these things. And thinking on them, therefore, is more than giving them a passing thought, but is that you as a child of God walking in peace with God desire in the way in which you walk as a pattern of godliness to abide in that peace with God and to work those things that serve your spiritual good, the welfare of your household and of your children. Or you can't spend your time with video games and other things that do not fill that purpose and walk at peace with God. Or the entertainments of this world. You need to be aware of those things. There is a measure of utility in using some of those things, but if they do not serve what Paul says here, and they occupy your mind in a wrong way, then they're not for your peace, but for your hurt. It's in light of that, beloved, that you and I also interact with one another in the life of the church. And it is our calling to edify and build one another up in the faith. Not only is there your personal calling, your calling as parents, being well aware of what influence you're leaving with your children, but also your walk with one another. We are to walk as beloved brethren that Paul views as his joy and crown. We are to keep one another in the way, When we stray, we need the encouragement of others to turn from the way. When we are afflicted, we need the comfort of one another. And the Word of God repeatedly calls us to mutual care in edifying one another in love. And that means that as you wrestle with how do I implement all of these things, you talk about them. You talk about it with your children. You talk about it with your fellow saints. How do you see this? How do we handle that? What virtue is there in this? So that you are mutually engaged in spiritual counsel and advice and comfort with one another. The church is a body. It's an organism that has arms and legs and hands and feet. And as we walk together, we would walk together in the unity of faith in that peace of God, which passeth all understanding, and in such a way that it might keep us in communion with that peace with God in the life of God's church. And you understand the blessing of this, the apostle has said before us, the God of peace shall be with you. And the idea is he'll be with you in your conscience, because you have peace with God, and you have the testimony of a good, not perfect. but a good conscience before God, walking in the forgiveness of sins and in life and fellowship with God. And that peace of God shall be with you in your home. Because it's not a household where we are walking around harboring grudges and grievances. It's not full of violence and harsh words and strife. It is one where the peace of God that reigns in the hearts of the members of that household dwell at peace with one another, and it presents the wonderful picture of a godly family that lives out of the principles of God's Word and walks with them, and the children are taught to walk that way. And it shows. that our households have a kind of different character, though we wear the same clothes and what have you as the world around us, from the households of the ungodly. Likewise, in the life of the church, the unity of faith and the principle of brotherly love in the body of Christ means that we put others before ourselves that we are more ready to listen than to get our word in, that we seek the welfare of saints, and that we walk with one another in the Church of Christ in the judgment of charity, of love with fellow believers so that love works no ill. Love does not go around thinking evil and looking for evil and delighting in the latest juicy gossip, but delights in that which is true and pure and holy and pleasing to the Lord. It's in that light that Paul can say, I rejoice in your giving to me in my affliction here in prison. He's not thankful for how much money he got, but for the spiritual expression of love and the fact that they had the opportunity to express it. The Word of God calls us, beloved, to live our faith, to walk in the unity of faith and at peace with God. And that begins, therefore, with what occupies your mind, what occupies your thoughts, what is the thing that you're constantly, as it were, obsessing over? Is it those things that belong to your spiritual good or that which is subversive of your peace, the peace of your household, peace of the congregation? whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, there be any thing that is of good report, or virtue, or praise, think on these things, and then learn them from others, and the God of peace shall be with you. Amen. Our Father, which art in heaven, we have but a small beginning of new obedience. Acknowledge how readily we are caught up in all the cares of this world and its follies. Give us discernment in the times in which we live. Give us to exercise the work of thy grace in the use of the means which thou hast given us of thy word and spirit, mutual fellowship and communion together. Grant, O Lord, that we might dwell together in peace and unity as a congregation, as families in Christian marriage, and that we might also walk in a way that serves our spiritual good and glorifies thy name as thy children in this sinful world. As we pray in Jesus' name, amen. Sing Psalter number 271. Mercy and of justice my thankful song shall be. Then in stanza two on what is base and evil I will not set my heart. No froward manner evil shall my companion be. By contrast the faithful and the upright shall minister to me. Spiritual distinctiveness that's reflected in that setting of the psalm. Let's sing all three stanzas of number 271. you ♪ Long in wisdom's grace ♪ ♪ Lord, I need thy presence ♪ ♪ How long wilt thou delay? ♪ ♪ On thy dear'st face and eager ♪ ♪ I will not set my heart ♪ I will not suffer slavery, I will not suffer slavery. ♪ The mighty and deceitful my favor shall not see ♪ ♪ I will indeed be true to thee, O God my God ♪ Thou hast set me, the mighty one, Jehovah. ♪ And he's in glory, glad and still ♪ ♪ And blessed be his glorious name ♪ ♪ Long as the ages shall endure ♪ ♪ For all the earth extend his name, amen ♪ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.