Turn On The Filter | Philippians 4:8–9

Opening Remarks: Back in Philippians tonight

It’s been a couple of weeks since we were in our series.

The church at Philippi was going through difficulties.

Paul, their spiritual mentor, was in prison.

No doubt they were facing persecution for their faith.

And to top it all off, there was disunity between members.

Let’s read beginning in Vs. 1 to be reminded of the context.

READ

Vs. 1 - Paul wanted to see the church at Philippi steadfast and unified, standing strong together for God.

Vs. 2 - These two ladies, church members, were having conflicts

Vs. 3 - They were, at one point, contributing members who had been helpful to the church, but something had happened and they were at odds.

Vs. 4 - Paul says, “If you would stop focusing on each other and turn your hearts to the Lord, much of your conflict would be resolved.”

Vs. 5 - “Be known for your moderation or kindness, not your conflict.”

Vs. 6-7 - Paul encourages the church not to live with worry. All of these situations were adding up and creating worry in their hearts.

Vs. 7 - KEEP means to guard, like a command post with guards on duty. When we turn to the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving, it acts like a command post that protects our hearts and minds from dwelling on things to worry about.

Then we come to our text for tonight:

Vs. 8-9 - Paul gives us a way to protect our hearts from the worry and anxiety of life. And he says, “If you’ll do these things, you’ll have the presence of God and His peace in your life.”

I heard an illustration from Pastor Jason Gaddis in OKC a few years back that I thought was a perfect way to describe these verses, so I am admittedly using his thought tonight. He talked about the importance of filters in our lives.

This list gives us filters through which we should run every thought we think.

TITLE: Turn On The Filter

Has anyone ever told you to turn on your filter or that you need one? That’s the idea tonight. When it comes to our thoughts, We Need A Filter.

PRAY

Introduction:

A few weeks ago I noticed our heater didn’t seem to be running very well, so I started doing some investigating.

Not that I know what I’m doing, but it makes you feel better to start poking around.

Kind of like when I’m having car trouble, I always open the hood because that’s what you do, but I don’t really know what I’m looking at. It just makes it look like I do.

So I go downstairs to the furnace and it’s running and there’s a flame and it nothing appears wrong, but then I look at the filter.

I pulled that filter out and it was caked in dust.

You see, I have a reminder set up on my phone to check the filter every three months, but for some reason the reminder got deleted. I have no problem with transparency - it had been months since I last changed that filter.

Not good for my pride. Embarrassing. And not good for the system.

If I had been thinking I would have kept the filter as a lesson for all of us, but I wanted to get rid of the evidence and forget it ever happened.

Needless to say, I set up a new reminder, and come May 1, I plan to change the filter again.

Filters are an under-appreciated part of our lives.

They do an extremely important job but don’t get a lot of attention for it. Filters exist to keep dirt out and increase lifespan and effectiveness.

Oil Filters

Furnace Filters

Coffee Filters

If you’ve ever drunk a gritty cup of coffee, you know the need for a good filter.

We need filters because there’s dirt everywhere. The more dirt, the more we need filters.

And the more dirt in the filter, the more frequently it needs to be changed.

In order to keep the furnace or the engine running correctly, or in order to enjoy your coffee, you must keep a clean filter.

Spiritually speaking, we live in a dirty world.

The more dirt, the more we need a filter.

Thankfully, we have one. God’s Word is the source through which we know how to keep the dirt out.

It reveals to us how Jesus Christ thinks.

It tells us what’s right and wrong.

It lets us know what is important to God.

It keeps us from temptation.

So let’s consider this question: Based on the world we live in, should we be more or less concerned about a spiritual filter?

There’s dirt everywhere. On ads, on billboards, on screens, on apps, everywhere. You can’t sit down at a restaurant or go to a store without hearing bad language or music about things that will make you blush.

And just like with a Heater or car engine, the more dirt, the greater the negative impact on our Christian lives.

Which means the health of our Christian lives is dependent on the strength of our filters.

And sticking with the context of Philippians, the health of our church is dependent on the strength of our filters.

Dirt, sin, ruins everything. If we want God’s presence and peace, we must consistently apply a spiritual filter to our minds.

The last phrase of Verse 8 reads “Think on these things”

This section is about how we think. Because our thoughts always impact our actions.

Wrong thinking always leads to wrong living.

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he”

What is on the inside will come out on the outside.

I saw this week that the average person thinks 60,000 thoughts a day.

AI said the average person thinks between 6,000 and 60,000 thoughts per day. That’s a wide range. It made we wonder, “Who’s the person only thinking 6,000 thoughts per day?”

Guys, I’m sorry to do this, but it’s probably one of us. I readily admit that the women I know best think way more thoughts that I do. The female mind is a great and mysterious wonder.

National Science Foundation says that 80% of our thoughts are negative and 95% of those thoughts are repetitive. Which means the vast majority of our thoughts are negative and repetitive.

Statistics like that just give me more confidence in the inspiration of Scripture. It was almost 2,000 years ago that Paul said the key to right living is right thinking because the Holy Spirit knew how prone we are to negative thoughts.

We need a biblical thought filtration system to combat the destructive thoughts because wrong thinking leads to wrong behavior.

So, in order to keep the peace, Paul gives a lesson about filters.

I. Specifically, how to filter our thoughts

Whatsoever things are . . .   

1. TRUE

This means our filter ought to be set to only entertain thoughts that are trustworthy or agreeing with the facts.

One survey (Dr. Walter Cavert) on worry indicated that only 8 percent of the things people worry about were legitimate matters of concern. The other 92 percent are either imaginary, never happen, or involved matters over which the person had no control.

So our filter should be set to “True.” If it’s true. If it’s legitimate. If it is factual. .

If you’re in a conflict with someone, don’t wander into this place where you’re imagining all the evil things they’re doing behind closed doors. That will not help your thoughts, or your feelings, or lead you to the right actions that lend toward peace with that person.

As a parent, it’s so easy to wander into the weeds and just worry about all the possibilities and dangers, but in reality, most of the things we worry about never happen. So set your filter to “True” and save yourself the anxiety.

Satan deals with lies. He’d love to hijack your life by getting you to focus on things that aren’t true.

“Nobody cares about me.” That’s not true, but it’s the prevalent thought in the minds of many.

“This trial will never end.” That’s just not true. But it feels that way in the middle of it.

“I’ll never have victory over this sin.” How do you know that’s true? Christ already won the victory. Don’t allow lies to govern your thoughts.

Before you go down the rabbit hole, ask:

Is it true? Can it be verified? Do I know this to be fact?

If not, let the filter of Truth keep it out of your mind.              

2.  HONEST

This words means honorable, noble, worthy of respect. It’s the same word used in 1 Timothy 3:8 “Likewise must the deacons be grave…” It means sober-minded and honorable.

Weirsbe said, “This does not mean we hide our heads in the sand and avoid what is unpleasant and displeasing, but it does mean we do not focus our attention on dishonorable things and permit them to control our thoughts.”

Is it proper and decent? Is it an appropriate thought?

Will this movie help my thoughts be honorable?

Will the subject of this music help my spiritual life be respectable?

Would the three most godly people I know spend time thinking about this?

That’s a good filter. Set your filter to “Honorable.” If it’s not honorable, the thought doesn’t get through.

3. JUST

This means moral, ethical, righteous.

God has a standard of what is right and wrong. If I continue thinking this thought, will it lead me closer to God’s standard or further away from it?

Be careful, because God’s standard doesn’t change, even though society does.

So while you may not think anything of that image that you linger on while scrolling social media, would you linger that long if Jesus Christ was physically looking over your shoulder?

What if it was your mom? Or your spouse?

If you carried that thought to its end, would it help your testimony?

Would it help you be pleasing to God?

I have very limited access to social media, but I know some people spend lots of time on it. If you ever find yourself in a position of compromise or allowing things in that aren’t spiritually helpful, get off of it.

You say, “That’s extreme!” No, it’s a filter. If you can’t engage the filter and keep things right, not having it is a filter that works.

Set your filter to “Just.” Right. Righteous.                           

4. PURE

This means clean, innocent, or free from carnality.

If you continue that thought, Will your mind be cleaner or dirtier?

Will that thought help you stay clean before God?

Young person, if you engage in thoughts that would endanger your purity, do whatever it takes to filter them out.

If you’re married, there ought to be filters on your relationships at work to protect your marriage. There ought to be filters in who you message and spend time with. There ought to be filters on your TV and streaming services.

We ought to be pure because we belong to a holy God.

Impurity is everywhere. I’m amazed what people will watch on airplanes without a care about who sees their screen.

If our minds don’t filter out impure thoughts, and our thoughts impact our behavior, then pretty soon impure thoughts will become impure actions.

Impurity can show up in many ways: what we view, how we speak, how we dress, how we interact with members of the opposite sex. Look at every part of your life - are you reflecting purity?

If not, then you are likely not running your thoughts through the filter of Purity.

5. LOVELY AND OF A GOOD REPORT

Lovely means pleasing, acceptable, friendly.

Does this thought promote peace or conflict? Will it solve or add to the problem?

Good Report means something praiseworthy, commendable.

Is it constructive? Will it help anyone for you to think this way? Will it build up or tear down others?

Lovely and good report. My mind went to a report card.

If God was giving you a grade on that thought, would it be something He could give an A to? Or would it be an F?

You talk about a good filter. If we could run every thought through the filter of, “What grade would God give this present thought,” can you imagine how it would clean up our thought lives?

If what you’re thinking is critical or mean-spirited about someone, God probably wouldn’t approve.

If that thought is tearing someone down rather than building them up, God wouldn’t commend it. So filter it.

Then Paul sums up all of these words with this phrase: “If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise…”

6.     Virtue and Praise

Virtue - Moral excellence, good quality.

Is it an admirable? Does it motivate you to do better? Does it move you forward or hold you back?

Set your filter to “Virtue.”

Praise means worthy to be recognized. If that thought was displayed on a giant screen for others to see, would it be worthy of recognition? Would you be praised for it? Or would you ashamed of it?

Let that filter help you decide if that thought is worth running through your mind or not.

In the minds of too many Christians, thoughts have free reign with no check points.

There’s no command post controlling what gets in. There’s no guard on duty. Whatever thought pops up has a pass that allows it to go everywhere.

You know how dangerous that is?

Would you leave the front door of your house open and unlocked while you’re away on vacation?

Would you leave your laptop or cell phone on the front seat of your car and leave your car unlocked overnight in a hotel parking lot?

Why? Because not every person driving by your house in the middle of the night can be trusted.

Would you leave your car overnight in a hotel parking lot unlocked with your cell phone and computer and valuables in plain sight?

Why? Because not every person is trustworthy.

Some people have harmful intentions.

Some people want to take advantage of you.

Some people would just as soon rob you as speak to you.

Okay, so let me ask, can you trust every thought?

Are there some thoughts that are destructive to your spiritual life?

Are there thoughts that could hurt your purity?

Are there thoughts that could damage your relationships with other people?

Are some thoughts untrue?

So is it possible that some thoughts that enter your mind would not receive a good grade from God?

If the answer is Yes, then why we would leave our minds without filtration?

We wouldn’t do it with our house. We wouldn’t do it with our cars. We wouldn’t leave our kids in the local park for hours unsupervised.

But we do it all the time with our thoughts, and some thoughts are more dangerous and destructive than thieves and kidnappers and bad guys and murderers.

So, Christian, Eastside member, Husband, Wife, Friend, SS teacher, Employee, Deacon, Trustee, Mom, Dad, New Christian and Old Christian, turn on your filter.

Stop letting your thoughts rule you. It’s time your rule your thoughts.

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;”

One person said it this way, “Let the mind of the Master master your mind.”

And you might say, “I don’t know where to start!”

Well, look at what Paul said in vs. 9.

Paul gave them more than a filter for their thoughts. He also gave them a filter for their actions.

II. How To Filter Our Behavior.

“Those things that you’ve learned, received, heard and seen in me, DO”

Paul talked the talk, but he also walked the walk.

He didn’t just give them truth, He lived it.

He displayed with his life, “Here is what it looks like lived out.”

They heard him teach. They listened to his words. But they also watched him in action. And they had received it. They adopted his way of life into theirs.

First, be a filter someone watching you can follow.

Can you imagine living in such a way that you could tell someone else, “If you don’t know what to do, just do what you’ve seen me do and that’s a suitable filter”?

Can you imagine being that consistent? I hope that we’re that consistent with those watching us.

Second, don’t ignore the fact that God has given you human filters to pattern yourself after.

My parents are human filters. I watched them be very consistent Christians, and I want to follow that pattern.

Pastor Hardy still has influence in my life based on how he pastored led his family and pastored the church in Stillwater.

My wife is the filter I turn to the most for my decision-making.

The deacons of Eastside are a protective filter for me. I consult them when I need other perspectives.

But there’s one especially important human filter that we can’t forget about: Jesus Christ.

Over and over He said, “Follow me.”

According to 1 Peter 2:21 Christ left us an example “that (we) should follow his steps.”

He gave us the model of filtered living. Our actions and words and attitudes should run through the filter of “What would Jesus do?”

And you might say, “But Paul told the Philippians to do as he did.”

Yes, but who was Paul following?

1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”

He made it clear, “I’m only an example to follow because I’m following Christ.” So in the end, the call was to follow Christ. But sometimes we need a human filter to put flesh to our actions.

III. The Result Of Filtered Thinking And Living

Vs. 9 - And the God of peace shall be with you.

A proper relationship with God depends on how well we filter our thoughts and actions.

Filterless means risking God’s presence and peace in our lives.

So turn on your filter.

Set it to think on what is:

True, Honest, Just, Pure, Lovely, of Good Report, Virtuous, Praiseworthy

Set your filter to Do

As those trustworthy examples of Christ have done before you

If your car needs a filter, your thoughts do too.

If your house needs to be secured, so does your mind.

If your AC need a filter, so do your actions.

Why? Because a proper relationship with God depends on how well we filter our thoughts and actions.

How’s your filter?

I can tell you this: we all need one.