ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FOR THE MIND

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION FOR THE MIND Philippians 4:8-9 January  30, 2000 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] My mother hails from a nice area in Northwestern North Carolina. She was raised in the town of Canton. You know when you are getting near Canton, NC, because a terrible smell pervades the whole region. Although the area is beautiful with its lush green pine trees running up the mountainside and undulating hills dotted with grazing cattle, the odious smell ruins the experience. The odor originates at the town's one major, claim-to-fame industry, the Champion Paper Mill. It is a terribly noxious smell. Of course the townspeople sniff the air and say, "'Smells like money to me." But the ruination of Canton's old factory ambience is nothing compared to what this company did to the Pigeon River in the 1960's and 70's. In the course of these two decades, the Champion Paper Mill dumped enough dioxin-contaminated waste water to virtually kill the Pigeon River and the beautiful Waterville Lake downstream. By 1980 neither the river nor the lake were fit for humans nor fish. That is when the Environmental Protection Agency stepped in. After investigations, fines and appeals, the EPA and the paper company worked together on a dioxin-minimization program which has effected a dramatic turnaround in the health status of the water. By 1993, Champion Paper Mill had instituted renovations that went beyond dioxin restriction, but also re-structured their entire operation, cutting water flow waste operations by 70%. When virulent substance enters into a healthy environment, it corrupts and poisons the entire system. The toxic state that results renders the environment less usable/effective. The same is true when it comes to the environment of the mind. The human mind is an absolutely extraordinary domain. Created by God as the center of a human being's operations, this environment works best in its role of glorifying God when kept clean of toxins. The fallen world, however, offers an ever-increasing variety of poisonous input which invades the mind through sensory input, numbing it up and dumbing it down, abusing and misusing it, until the mind is hardly recognizable as God's good creation. Under the punishment of worldly input it is increasingly less able to produce the God-glorifying speech and behavior it was intended to produce. "Garbage in--garbage out." People suffer environmental damage of the mind in a dark and sinful world. The Bible says that, if the pollution continues long enough, "although [people] knew God, they neither glorify Him as God not give thanks to Him, but their thinking becomes futile and their foolish hearts are darkened." And, "although they claim to be wise, they become fools...". There are environmental hazards all around us: the devil attacks with temptations that appeal, but are destructive; he then is able to set up arguments and pretensions, like fences or strongholds, in the thinking of people which set themselves up against the knowledge of God. All in all this spiritual battleground is a volatile place, and the mind can be putrefied easily. This is true for believers as well as unbelievers, as if any of the Christians in this room who face the world, the flesh and the devil every day needed a reminder that he is out to steal kill and destroy them. Recognizing the spiritual dangers of mind pollution, the apostle Paul brings some very straightforward advice to us stewards of the environment of our minds this morning. He wrote to the believers in Philippi, O'Fallon, and elsewhere this exhortation in Philippians 4:8-9: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Before addressing the answer to mind pollution, consider for a moment the various kinds of pollutants that come against the mind of man. There is the nuisance of negativity. This is the thought pattern that invades many people's minds that leads them to believe that nothing is good, it never will be and who wants to try anyway? There are negative people all around us and it is the devil's design to have them get to us. Ephesians six speaks of the METHODIA or strategies of the devil. He wants to get you thinking negatively so he can bring your attitude down to his level. And he'll use jokes, gossip, slander, lies, news, sarcasm, arguments, curses and denigrating comments. There was a critical, negative barber who ever had a pleasant thing to say. A salesman came in for a haircut and mentioned he was about to make a trip to Rome. "What airline are you taking?" The man told him and the barber went off on a tirade about how bad that airline was, never on time, terrible food and the worst baggage handling of all. "What hotel you staying at in Rome?" He told the barber, who jumped right on the opportunity to tell him what a lousy hotel it was--overpriced, poor service and the worst security in Europe. "Well, I am planning to close a big deal while I'm there. And then I'm going to see the Pope." "Well, you know, Rome is notorious for being the worst place to do business. And don't count on seeing the Pope. He only grants audiences to very important people. He's probably traveling anyway." Two months later the salesman returned. "And how was your trip to Rome?" "It was wonderful! I had a perfect flight with good food, a terrific hotel stay with very helpful and courteous service, I made a bigger sale than I expected, AND I got to see the Pope." "You got to see the Pope? What happened?" "Well, he smiled at me an   blessed me, and then I bent down to kiss his ring." "No kidding! Did he say anything?" "As a matter of fact, he placed his hand on my head and then he said to me, 'My son, where did you ever get such a lousy haircut?'" The world offers a negativity and critical spirit, but the Word of God says, "Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ," and "Thanks be to God who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place," and "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." God is very positive about you. We have victory over the nuisance of negativity. Another pollutant that is plentiful in the world around us is trash talk. The things people say in public places anymore are atrocious! And all under a distorted misunderstanding of free speech. The plain fact of the matter is, there is very little left of common decency--hardly a shred of courtesy toward those around. Just say whatever the blankety-blank you want, and if other blankety-blank people don't like it, they can go blankety-blank-blank. But the scripture rightly teaches that what people say around, to and about others is very important, and language should be edifying and kind. Romans says, "Be devoted to one another and honor one another above yourselves." Ephesians 4:29 - "Do not let any unwholesome talk (MOROLOGIA) come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may BENEFIT those who listen." Let me make an encouraging suggestion. There is one good thing about the downward spiral of gutter language all around you in the world. It provides a stark contrast for your edifying speech, Christian. When you speak, you will be noticed for your gentleness, and your witness begins there. And, by the way, thank the Lord for His effective work the next time a vulgar speaker stops in the middle of his litany of profanity when he notices you and says, "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize you were standing here." But trash talk isn't the only thing coming out in public that pollutes the mind. There is also the epidemic of pornography pollution. There are more outlets for pornography in America than McDonald's restaurants. The FBI tells us that it is a 15-billion dollar a year industry and it is dominated by organized crime. Their number one consumer target is boys age 12-17 - why? They're trying to create habits, addictions. Just hours before his death by execution, Ted Bundy told James Dobson, "Those of us who have been so much influenced by violence in the media, particularly pornographic violence, are not some kind of inherent monsters. We are your sons and daughters and we are your husbands. And we grew up in regular families. Pornography can reach out and snatch a kid out of any house today." Pornographic displays in magazines, videos and movies is easy enough to avoid for the person who wants to guard his heart and mind, but it's all over the billboards the internet and network television. How can you avoid it? You can't, but you can still overcome its draw and its power. The method is as old as God. Get in the habit of thinking like God thinks. He is altogether holy and righteous and pure and praiseworthy and excellent--and that is how He thinks. So Paul says that the way we overcome the mind pollutants of this world is to get in the habit of thinking good things. His two emphatic terms in verse 8 are: if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, then think about these things--Let these things occupy your minds--get addicted to this kind of thinking and don't go near the other kind of stuff like the nuisance of negativity, trash talk and pornographic pollution. The key is not in trying not to get involved in those things--we will always fall victim if our minds are focused on the pollutants. You can't not think of something you are thinking about. I want to ask you to concentrate for just a moment. I want to ask you to imagine a gorilla, with long auburn hair coming out of that back room. He's scratching his head, and jumping around. He fiddles with the keyboard, then makes his way across the stage and starts playing drums. Okay, got it? Alright, now, don't think about that auburn-haired gorilla anymore, please. It's impossible, isn't it? Not really! I think I can get you to stop thinking about him. Get your imaginators going again, and imagine that Jesus has come to visit this worship service. He's come in the front doors, and He has greeted the children, blessing them, laying his hands on them. And now he's on His way into this room. He looks as if He has something He wants to tell us. As He enters the room the Holy Spirit moves on everyone, and we instantly recognize Him for who He is, and we all fall on our faces before Him. Many are repenting of sins; others are singing and shouting praises with words like Hosanna and Hallelujah! Jesus smiles as he comes to the front of the room, and He turns and looks at each one of us personally, then He says . . . Have you forgotten the gorilla yet? That was perhaps a bit over-dramatized, but I think you get the point. With our hearts and minds set on Him and His perfect will, we lose focus on the polluting things of this world. When we get addicted to Him, we find the pollutants most disgusting. The more we feast on His Word, the more un-appealing become negativism, gutter talk and filth. A news report told of a middle school in Oregon that was facing a unique problem. A large number of the girls in the school were beginning to use lipstick, and they would put it on in the bathroom. The trouble was, after they applied their lipstick, they would press their lips against the mirrors leaving dozens of little lip prints. It was becoming a widespread prank. The principal decided something had to be done. She called some of the lipsticked girls into the restroom and met them there with the custodian. She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian, who had to clean the mirrors every day. To demonstrate how difficult it was, she asked the custodian to show the girls how he had to clean the mirrors. He took out a long-handled brush, dipped it into the toilet, and scrubbed the mirror until was clean. Since then, there have been no lip prints on the mirrors. The nearer we stay to Jesus, the more realistic appraisal we have of filth, because next to his holiness and grace, the contrast is strong. Once we see the real filth we've been kissing, quitting is easy. Now, down to the very practical part--exactly how do we draw near to the Lord and His way of seeing things? Paul says you think and do excellent and praiseworthy things. Mind you, this is a word for those who are already Christians. No one who is not a Christian should get the impression that I'm saying that if you'll just do and think good things, you'll be saved. No, we are only saved by trusting in Christ's work for us, and receiving His salvation by faith. But, once in the faith, we win over the pollutants of this world by drawing near to Him, and Paul says we do that by thinking and doing the excellent and praiseworthy things. Here's what to think about: not negativism, trash talk and pornography, but things that are true, right, pure, lovely, admirable. Very simply, he says, "think about such things." Here is Eugene Peterson's translation of verse 8 in The Message: Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious--the BEST, not the worst; the BEAUTIFUL, not the ugly; things to PRAISE, not things to curse. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Paul, who knew human tendency to sin, said, that the primary way you overcome the mind polluters in this world is to fill your minds with good stuff--then there isn't any room for the other! Someone said The mind is like a pump in an old well; when it runs out of clean water, it starts sucking mud. Let me urge myself and you in the Lord--don't let the good thoughts run dry. Keep filling up with the true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, praiseworthy and excellent. This is thinking "Christianly," and we need to do more of it. Paul says that is what to think in your war on environmental mind pollution. Then, he says, here's what to do: (verse 9) Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--PUT IT INTO PRACTICE. Now the PROMISE: And the God of peace will be with you. [Peterson: Do that and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into His most excellent harmonies.] Basically, Paul says "Do what's right!" And it is easier to do what is right when you have those right thoughts in your head, crowding out the worldly garbage. This is the right flow, too--think, then do. It's the same as the flow in Colossians 3: Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. . . [that's the THINK, then the DO] -Put to death, therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust evil desires and greed... Let me close with a couple of specific suggestions: 1. Exchange your magazine, music and video collections in for the kind of media entertainment that exalts Jesus and His character. 2. Turn off anything that is beginning to crowd out the true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy - right away! Don't give it a chance to creep in and take over. Remember, as a sinner it is your natural, carnal proclivity to come under the domination of polluting things. Go to bed earlier--beat the bad. Besides you could use the extra sleep! 3. Spend the vast majority of your discretionary time with people whose speech and behavior are like Paul's. He wasn't afraid to say "Hey, guys, do the things you saw in me, things I taught and modeled for you." What I mean is, if you continue to hang around polluted people you're going to get polluted. 1 Corinthians 15:33: Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." Peel away from people whose negativity or lurid speech or gossip bring you down. And don't kid yourself that you're being a good witness to them. Witness to them as a matter of ministry, but don't spend your leisure time with them--they're polluting you. 4. Read good literature, starting with the scriptures. Let everything you read have uplifting messages, high and noble themes (I would recommend you start with the well-edited stories in William Bennett's book, The Book of Virtues.) View only movies that are long on redeeming messages and short on profanity, brutality and banality. And, don't think me weird here, but listen to music with uplifting themes--not only Christian music, but good classical music. Why do I recommend such things? Because the things you are viewing, reading and listening to are not worthy of Christ in you. What we dwell on, we become. The alternative to the mind pollution of the world is this awesome state: The God of peace will be with you.       [Back to Top]