Think on These Things

If you've got a Bible, go ahead and turn to Philippians. (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians)

I want to tell you a story. A couple thousand years ago, a man named Paul and his buddy Silas are traveling through Macedonia — that's modern-day northern Greece — and they end up in a city called Philippi. Big Roman colony. Important city on a major road.

They make some friends. Things are going good. And then Paul casts a spirit out of a slave girl who had been making money for her owners as a fortune teller. Her owners are furious — their income just disappeared. So they drag Paul and Silas before the city magistrates, and they get beaten — and then they're thrown into jail. Chains on their feet.

So Paul and Silas are bruised, bleeding, locked up in the deepest part of a Roman jail. Middle of the night. And guess that they’re doing? 

Singing. Hymns. Like the ones we sing in fellowship. They’re singing to each other. And to the rest of the prisoners. And to the people in charge of the prison. 

Then… an earthquake hits. All of the prison doors fly open. Every chain comes loose. The jailer wakes up, sees the doors open, draws his sword to kill himself — because in Rome if your prisoners escape, you pay with your life. But Paul shouts out — don't do it, we're all still here.

The jailer, astonished, asks Paul, “What must I do to be saved?" Paul says, “Believe.” That’s it.

The jailer takes them home that night, cleans their wounds, his whole household believes and gets born again. And out of that whole wild night — the beating, the jail, the earthquake, the singing — a fellowship is started in Philippi.

Now fast forward about ten years.

Paul is in prison again. This time, it’s in Rome. Far away from Philippi. And the fellowship back in Philippi — those same people… they send someone all the way to Rome with money to take care of Paul while he's in the slammer.

And Paul writes them a letter to say thank you. That letter is Philippians. Please turn to Philippians Chapter 4 (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians).

We're about to read a small part of that letter. When we read it, I want you to remember who's writing it and who he's writing to. This is a man, now in prison, in Rome. And he’s the same guy who got beaten and thrown in jail 10 years ago in Philippi… for doing the same stuff – talking about God to others. He's writing to those believers. His friends. People he loves. But just like we learned in the Foundational Class that we just had here, this letter is also… written to us. Today. It actually is addressed… in the beginning of the letter.. to all believers. 

Now turn to Philippians Chapter 4. Let’s read what’s been written to us. (You got to know what parts of the Bible are written to you and which are not). 

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Here's the main point today: “God gave you a mind, and what you do with it matters.” Now, WAIT. Put your finger in Philippians Chapter 4, and let’s turn to and look at Proverbs 23:7 real quick.

    "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." — Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)

10 words. 10 little words. They mean everything. What you think about consistently,  in your heart — is what you become. You think you're stuck? You'll act stuck. But IF you think God's got your back AND you're more than a conqueror? You'll act like that. 

For as you think in your heart, so you are. Your mind is where your life actually happens. What you think, is what you are. That’s what the Word says. 

And Paul — sitting in a Roman prison — writing a letter to his fellowship buddies in Philippi a couple thousand years ago – is about to tell us — us living today – exactly what to do with our minds. 

Turn back to Philippians Chapter 4. You kept your finger there? Verses 4-9.

Let’s read what’s written. Philippians 4:4-9. (Verse 4) Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. (5) Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. (6) Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (9) Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

He says, "Think on these things” in verse 8. 

This is not… "don't worry, be happy." This is a specific instruction from a man in chains. Paul gives us a list — true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, praiseworthy. Eight categories. 8 things to think about. 

“Hey, Alicia, whatcha thinking about?” Fill your mind with these, says Paul.

And notice what he says in verse 6: “Be careful for nothing.” The word careful in Greek is mer-im-nah'-o and means anxious. "Be anxious (troubled, worried) for nothing." Don’t be worried about anything. 

When was the last time you ever said to yourself, “Boy, I’m so glad I worried myself to death about that. Worrying really works.” NEVER.

Paul, inspired by God, writes to us in verse 6… don't just pray in general. Bring your specific needs to God. Tell Him exactly what you need. Earnestly. Honestly. And do it with a thankful heart. Not with worry or anxiousness. 

And what happens (as the result)? The peace of God in Verse 7. The peace of God. The kind that goes beyond what your brain can even work out, will guard your heart and mind.

Let’s look again at the verses. Phil 4:4-9: (Verse 4) Rejoice on purpose. (Verse 5) Be gracious and steady toward others, because God is right here. (Verse 6) Don't be anxious about anything — bring it to God with thanksgiving instead. (Verse 7) The peace of God will guard your hearts and minds. (Verse 8) Then, focus your mind on the right things. (Verse 9) Do these things, and you’ll live in peace. 

That's not a self-help program. That's the Word. This is what is written. To us. And Paul proved it works from a jail cell. 

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Now, let’s turn to Romans Chapter 12, verse 2: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." 

Two commands. Be not conformed. Be transformed.

Conformed — in the Greek that means pressed and squished into something from the outside. The world is constantly trying to press you into its shape. The world wants you to be anxious (press). Be afraid (squish). Negative (push). Self-focused.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed.”

Transformed — that's the Greek word where we get metamorphosis. Change from within - change from the inside out. Not shaped by outside pressure, but changed by something working within you.

How does that happen? By renewing your mind. “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

You have the gift of holy spirit. That’s Christ in You. You have the Word of God. But if we keep feeding our mind the same old fears and complaints and lies about ourselves — we’re letting the world… win a battle… that God… already won, through the accomplishments of his son, if you believe, in your heart and your mind. 

You can't accidentally renew your mind. You do it on purpose. Sometimes every day. And you can do that… by what Alicia taught on Thursday night - she taught how to FOCUS and put on the Word in your mind, then act on it. If you need her notes, she’s got them. 

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One more verse. 2 Corinthians Chapter 10. (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, Corinthians). Let’s turn to and read 2 Corinthians 10:5: "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ."

Whew! What the heck does that mean? Well, I enjoy using the Amplified version of the bible for verses like this one. AMP. Listen. “We are destroying the sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought and purpose captive [prisoner] to the obedience of Christ.”

Thoughts and arguments can build themselves up in our minds. Gosh, just look what our minds ingest when we scroll reels. And Paul says… some of those thoughts and ideas will exalt themselves against what God says about you.

Some of the stuff that others say, or even you tell yourself, rises up and plants itself right between you and what God says is true about you. It positions itself above the Word and says — no, what I'm telling you is more true than what God says. Things like — you’re ugly, you’re dumb, you’ll never be any better. And Paul says — knock them down. Cast them imaginations down. Tear down every high thing that exalts itself against you knowing God. They have no right to be above what God says about you.

And then Paul says — take every thought and purpose captive [prisoner] to the obedience of Christ.” Think about who's writing that. This man is in captivity. He's a prisoner. And he's telling us — take our thoughts prisoner. Who better to know what that word really means than a man sitting in chains?

Jesus said it this way in Matthew 6:22. Listen to what he said: "The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." Ain’t that beautiful. 

Where your attention goes, your life follows. We’re not passive receivers of our thoughts. We have control over your minds. When “our eye be single,” when we focus our thoughts, then our whole body is full of light. 

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So here's where we've been.

A man named Paul got beaten and thrown in jail in Philippi for talking about God and believing his Son. He sang at midnight. An earthquake hit. A jailer got saved. A fellowship got started.

Ten years later, Paul's in jail again in Rome, and that same fellowship is taking care of him. And from that Roman prison he writes a letter: rejoice, pray with thanksgiving, guard your mind, and fill your thoughts with things that are true and lovely and of good report. And the peace of God will be with you. 

Here's the main point one more time: God gave you a mind, and what you do with it matters.

You have Christ in you. You have the Word. You have the peace of God that passes understanding. The question is — what are you going to think about today?

Don't just hear this and go home. 

Here's something all of us can do this week. Just like Alicia taught on Thursday. 

Write out Philippians 4:8 on a post-it or on your phone. When an anxious or negative thought comes up, run your mind through Paul's list. Is this true? Honest? Lovely? Of good report? If not, replace it with something that is.

Pick one thing every morning to be thankful for… BEFORE you look at your phone. One thing. Let’s train our minds… to start from what God has done… instead of what the world tells us to do and think.

And if you catch yourself saying something negative about yourself — stop. That thought is a prisoner that got loose. Take it captive. Say out loud what God says about you instead.

This isn't “positive thinking” from a self-help class. This is renewing your mind according to the Word. This is walking with power for an abundant life. 

God bless you. You are the best.

Amen?