The Power [2] of Christ-Controlled Thinking [Philippians 4:8]

The Power of Christ-Controlled Thinking [part 2] {Philippians 4:8}

Stand for the reading of the word of God {Philippians 4:8}

You are what you think about! You are what you think about!

What do you think about that?

Our minds are the root of our actions. In fact our thoughts control our whole way of life. We are not what we think we are, as the world would have us believe, but we are what we think [Proverbs 23:7]. Therefore, what we think and what we put into our minds are perhaps the most important things about us. Our minds direct our ways, our feelings, our actions, etc. So what we put into our minds and what controls our thoughts controls us, but when Christ controls our minds all of life is changed. Notice what this study and series is definitely not!!! The power of positive thinking…not that at all…that’s a worldly idea…set your mind to it and you can do it…is a wordly model...we are interested in Christ-controlled thinking.

We’ve been studying Philippians 4:6-8 for the last month and we’ve learned the principles of power which are the power of a worry-free mind, the power of prayer, and the power of a thankful heart. Last week we started looking at verse 8 and the purposes of power or the how to obtain the purpose of power…worry-free mind, powerful prayer life, and thankful heart. These purposes are obtained by Christ-controlled thinking.

In verse 8, which was our focus last week and will be this week and next, Paul gives us a list of godly virtues that should fill the Christians mind. We looked at the first three last week and discovered that embracing truth keeps us on target, embracing honesty keeps us on track, and embracing the just one keeps us in touch. In short, it’s a call to right thinking…to Christ-controlled thinking. Which in turn controls our actions.

I want us to notice the three virtues we are focusing on today, purity, what is lovely, and what is of a good report really come to life in our outward actions. Obviously all of these virtues Paul list for us here work out in our lives, but these three especially work out in our outward actions. We’ll get into that more as we go through each one. But before we get into each one of these virtues I think we need to address something that, I believe has been an issue of misunderstanding throughout the years of this topic of Christian thinking.

There has been this idea that in order to have a Christian mind one must close one’s mind off to any and everything that is not Christian. While I understand this idea and acknowledge the benefit to filling your mind with Christian thought and influence…but the reality is, this is not possible to do, fully. Not to mention not everything labeled Christian today is Christian and worth putting into your mind. I suggest you watch the movie American Gospel on Netflix.

A good example of closing one’s mind of is some has suggested that Christians should only listen to Christian music or only read Christian books…and while I agree it’s much better to listen to Christian music than to listen to some of the junk offered today, and it’s better to read Christians books than secular…but the reality is…these are not the only things that influence our minds. So to suggest that to be a good Christian you must only listen to Christian music and only read Christian books is actually narrow minded, let me explain before you get mad at me. Remember I acknowledge what’s better but stay with me.

Let’s say, I’m focused on only having Christian influences in my life, music, and books…but what about art? I’ll only have Christian art in my home…what about engineering, I’ll only have a Christian build my home or design something for me or I’m only buying a Christian vehicle…what about algebra, students this will be good for you, I’m only interested in Christian algebra, I’m pretty sure algebra is of the devil, I’m joking. What about where you work…is it only a Christian job? Do you see what I’m saying. So many things have influence in our lives...

So to have a Christian mind is not to be constrained by a few cliche’s or limiting what music you listen to, no to have a Christian mind is to view all things that come into your life and influence you in light of the word of God. To have a Christian mind is to have all of our life influenced by the reveal truth of God’s word. So you see it’s not limiting our minds it is seeing everything that comes our way from a Christian perspective and subjecting everything that influences us to the truth of God’s word.

This is what God intended and it’s evident in scripture. In Deuteronomy 6 God tells Israel to teach your children God’s word, to bind them on their hearts. The purpose being so that when they face something in this life that is opposed to God’s word they can identify that. Example, so when your child comes home from school and they say, “I heard a strange thing today from my teacher, they said I came from a monkey.” You can say, “sometimes you act like a monkey, but you certainly didn’t come from one.” But because of the truth taught to them from the word of God they can identify when something is in contrast to God’s word.

Now don’t miss understand me here this I’m not suggesting then we welcome everything into our minds as equal and good to get a Christian take on it…somethings are not worth our time and energy. I’m trying to get us to think and open our minds not close them. The list Paul gives us is pretty straightforward and plain, there are certain things that a Christian should be thinking on…and here’s a few. Think on what is pure, what is lovely, and what is admirable and these things will change us.

The power of purity changes us

“Whatever things are pure.” Pure casts its net of meaning over all of life from sexual acts to noble thoughts to moral and ritual readiness for worship. i.e. Paul is telling us that Christians should think on things that do not contaminate the mind. First, I have to note that I love how Paul is not politically correct in his writings. In our day the philosophy is, “don’t tell me what to do and don’t tell me what to think.” That’s why when you go to the counselor they say, “what do you think about that, or how does that make you feel.” I understand the idea behind that, but at it’s core we live in a day where we don’t want anyone telling us what do to or think. But Paul says over and over in his writings, here’s what you need to do and here’s what you need to think, and here’s how to think about what you need to do. I just had to note that, the bible is pretty straightforward on how Christians are supposed to live. Christians are to live in response to what Christ has done on the cross! We don’t live that way to gain God’s favor, we live that as a response to being saved by the blood of Jesus.

Don’t think about things that contaminate the mind. We’re continually surrounded by impure things. All you have to do is drive down the highway and you’ll see signs that are not pure at all. We’ve all seen these type of advertisements. We are surrounded by impurity in our world.

Billboards, magazines, and other printed material promote impurity and impure thoughts. I was standing in a check out line at Walmart a while back when a magazine caught my eye, no not the enquirer, but it was called “Men’s Health Magazine” and on front page was 57 year old man with his shirt off who had muscles in places I didn’t think muscle could be. And the headline title said, “How to get rip when you’re over 40” so I thought, I think I’ll check that out. When I opened the magazine to my shock I didn’t see a 40+ year old man, but I saw a racy picture of a woman that when I saw it I thought, “Oh my!” and I shut the magazine and quickly put it back on the shelf in which I found it and looked around to see if anyone saw me looking at that magazine. You might say, “well you won that one, by closing it quickly.” Yes but what about next time, and there will be a next time…we’re surrounded by impurity.

TV programs violate Christian standards as well. It used to be that if you had cable you had to be careful about the content, but network TV was pretty clean as far as content goes…that’s not the case anymore. Now network Television pushes the boundaries of morality the same can be said of radio stations. Years ago radio stations could not use curse words or sexual language, but much of that changed years ago with a young radio disk jockey by the name of Howard Stern began to push the limits of what was acceptable on radio by using foul language and sexualized content. Now some radio stations have no filter at all.

Movies should I even start on movies. It used to be, back in the good old days, there were movie stores and you had to go pick out a movie and you could use discretion, the bad movies were in a back room or separated somehow...but now we live in a world of streaming and Netflix, speaking of Netflix did I tell you about American Gospel???. Hundreds of movies, shows, of any content at your disposal…so what is it you’re watching? There is a show that is very popular now, even among professing Christians called “The Walking Dead.” I’ve never watched the show, and I never will because I don’t think a show about zombies is best suited to be filling my mind with. If you don’t agree with me, that between you and the Lord.

But ask yourself this, “is what I am watching or listening to, would it be approved of by the Lord Jesus?” If what you’re putting into your mind were to be projected up here on this screen, would you be embarrassed or ashamed? If so, it doesn’t belong. Just like the shame and embarrassment I felt in the check out line at Walmart when I saw that picture in the magazine…do we feel that way about impurity or have we become desensitized to impurity because of the over abundance of impurity that surrounds us? what content are we putting into our minds?

Joseph, in the OT, was a great example of a man who lived a life of purity before the Lord. When pressed by the temptation of Potiphar’s wife, who tried many times to seduce him, Joseph said, “How can I do this thing and sin against my God.” Notice Joseph didn’t say this wouldn’t be good for me…no he said, how can I do this and sin against my God, Joseph had Christ controlled thinking! And Joseph ran away from temptation. Joseph did what we should do when temptation or impure thoughts come our way…run! Flee! Don’t stick around and play with it…flee! Don’t toy around with impurity.

Impure thoughts grieve the Lord and stifle our potential. Don’t think I’m standing up here with a condemning attitude, believe me this week has been convicting for me as I wrestle with this content. I love music, classic rock, blues, folk, all kinds, but I also wrestle with what I should and should not listen to. Vinyl records are beginning to make a come back, and I collect them. One of my favorites is Bob Dylan, I have several of his records and I really enjoy his music, but I also know some of his music doesn’t have the best message, so I wrestle with that, there’s my confession to you this morning, we can now all move on with our lives. We need to move on.

The power of what is lovely changes us

“Whatever things are lovely.” What does Paul mean by things that are lovely? Lovely means things that bring rest and peace…quarrels and strive should be avoided.

Here is a very rare word in the NT [Greek prosphiles] it refers to things that are attractive, pleasing, and that win people’s affection. Such thoughts bring people together in peace rather than separating them in fighting and feuding. When we think of what is lovely we typically think of that which is pleasing to the eye, but this word has a different feel to it. It goes beyond how someone or something looks.

In 1996 Disney came out with the movie 101 Dalmatians, and it was a box-office success. Many viewers fell in love with the cute spotted puppies on the big screen and decided to get one for themselves. When they brought those adorable little puppies home, however, they found that living with a dalmatian is an entirely different experience from watching one on the movie screen. Soon, according to the Associated Press, all over the United States dog shelters saw a dramatic increase in the number of dalmatians being abandoned by their owners. A Florida organization called Dalmatian Rescue took in 130 dalmatians in the first nine months of 1997; usually they get that many dogs in two and a half years.

Dalmatians can be a challenge to own for several reasons. Dalmatians grow to be big dogs, weighing as much as seventy pounds. They are rambunctious and require a lot of exercise. They can be moody, becoming restless and even destructive if they don’t get enough activity. They shed year-round, and 10 percent of dalmatians are born deaf.

Tracey Carson, a spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Humane Society, says, “Although Dalmatians are beautiful puppies, and can be wonderful dogs, you have to know what you’re getting into.”

Whether with pets or with people, infatuation with appearance is a poor foundation for any relationship. What can you find in others that is lovely? What can you find in yourself that is lovely? Are you the type of person always looking for faults in others or only noticing faults with yourself, or are you the type of person who looks for faith in others and exhibits faith yourself?

One of the most beautiful things in the church and in the world for that matter is when those, who are so different from each other, and we are different from each other in the church. When the body of Christ focuses on unifying and not fault finding. I’ve been around believers who are more concerned about what’s wrong in the church than they are about unifying the church…and that is not lovely at all.

In fact 1 Corinthians is a book written by Paul addressing disunity in the church at Corinth. Look around the sanctuary…we are different from each other, I see people with different jobs, likes, family backgrounds, personalities, etc. but what unifies us??? The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…the church is the body of Christ and a house divided can not stand! God is pleased when His people focus on being unified. The body of Christ unified is lovely! It’s much easier to be a part of a faction than to be a part of the action of the church. Looking for what is lovely and unifying restores power to a church and glorifies God.

The Power of a good report changes us

“Whatever things are of a good report” Good report means that which is commendable or admirable. it’s something worthy of praise or approval. It also suggests things that will be well spoken of by others, having a good reputation. Pondering ways to protect your moral and spiritual image in the community leads away from worries about circumstances and possessions that project a different image to the community.

Example, the way I responded to the men’s health magazine at Walmart, when I saw that racy picture I instantly looked around to see if I knew anyone around, not just because I didn’t want to get caught, but also I don’t want to portray that image to those around me. Maybe someone I knew saw me looking at the picture and instead of giving me the benefit of the doubt that it was not intentional, they went around saying, “Hey you know what I saw that Baptist pastor looking at???” I realize some things you can’t do anything about. but That is not the image I want to portray, so we must take care to protect our moral and spiritual image.

Not because we want to look good to other people but because we want to honor our God who is so good and praiseworthy. Because of what Christ has done for us upon the cross, we do not want to bring shame on his name. Are your thoughts and actions commendable? We see how these two work together, our thoughts and actions…you are what you think about. If our thoughts are not pure, not lovely, not of a good report, then our actions will not be either.

You see how these six attributes Paul has listed here in verse 8 are very broad in meaning, we still have two more to cover next week that are even broader in meaning than the first six words. They cover everything that is good and right. You see what defines a Christian’s life is, a life that has been changed by Jesus dying on the cross for us and the Holy Spirit changing us from prideful and self-seeking to focusing on everything that is good and right. Not because we are good and right but because Christ is good and right, and Christ saved us so we respond to His goodness and His righteousness through repentance and faith in Him.

A Christian’s life is not defined by a single moment of decision. Where in order to verify you’re a Christian you have to point out to someone, “I’m a Christian because I made a decision, I walked an isle, I said a prayer.” But rather the Christian’s life is defined by a life changed by Christ, a life that is different from those living in the world because Christ lives in us. A Christian should stand out and look different to those you are around on a daily basis because the Holy Spirit is working in and through you. Your peers should be able to look at you and say, “There is something different about Johnny over there, I don’t know what it is, but I see him pray before he eats, I notice he doesn’t use the foul language the others do, I see how he treats people fairly and is polite to others.”

Friends, does your life look different to those around you? Christ-controlled thinking makes us channels of His power. Why? Because Christ-controlled thinking is focused on what is right and what is good…Christ controlled thinking if focused on Christ not ourselves. Where is your focus? Perhaps your mind has been a little out of focus lately, maybe this quarantine time has got you focused on the wrong things. Let’s reestablish our thinking to what is right and what is good like God expects His people to do.

Friend everyday there is a battle for our minds. Christ has already won the victory over our eternal souls by his life, death, and resurrection. And Christ wants us to have daily victory in the battle for our minds as we trust Him, follow Him, and lean not on our own understanding but in all our ways acknowledge Him…our Lord Jesus who wiped away all our sins upon the cross wants us to trust Him. Will you submit to Him and trust him with all of your life today?