Sermons by Ken D. Trivette from the Living Word

The Book of Philippians
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?
Philippians 4:8

1. In the text before us we find the Apostle Paul giving us a checkup from the neck up. He speaks to us about our thought life. I guess you could say that Paul asks, " A penny for your thoughts." He wants to know what is on our minds.

2. The thought life is one of the great battlegrounds of the Christian life. Tim LaHaye, several years ago wrote a book entitled "The Battle For Your Mind." There is a battle that is going on for our mind (thought life). Satan knows that if he can win this battle, he will most likely win the war in our life.

3. The average brain weights about three pounds and contain 12 billion cells, each which connected to 10,000 other brain cells, totally 120 trillion brain connections. ("The Battle for the Mind" by Tim LaHaye)

3. One scientist said, "The human brain is the most complex arrangement of matter in the universe." (Dr. Duane Gish, Associate Director, Institute for Creation Research)

4. Dr. Gehard Dirks, who hold fifty patents on the IBM computer, said, "If we could invent a computer that would duplicate the capabilities of the human brain, it would take a structure the size of the Empire State Building, just to house it." ("The Battle For The Mind)

5. The potential of the mind is phenomenal. Scientists inform us that the average person uses only 10 percent of their minds capabilities during their entire lifetime. Most people will die with 10 to 11 million brain cells still unused.

6. Yet, the battle for the mind is not just because it is the most complex mechanism in the world, but because it is the most influential organ of your body. As Tim LaHaye said, "Your brain supervises everything you do, from involuntary beat of your heart to the conscious decisions of life." ("The Battle For The Mind)

7. Fifteen prominent college professors took this challenge: "If all the books on the art of moving human beings into action were condensed into one brief statement, what would that statement be?" The result of their deliberations was:

What the mind attends to, it considers;
What the minds does not attend it to, it dismisses.
What the mind attends to continually, it believes.
What the mind believes, it eventually does. ("How To Find Out Who Your Are" by Nelson Price)

8. Simply put, whatever we think about is what we become and do. It is as Solomon said in Proverbs 23:7, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." As an anonymous author wrote:

Sow a thought,
Reap and act;
Sow an act,
Reap a habit;
Sow a habit,
Reap a character;
Sow a character,
Reap a destiny!

9. Whatever we dwell on in our minds will eventually be displayed in our life. Attitudes becomes actions. There is nothing any of us has ever done that the decision was not first made in our minds. What we do in life is the sum total of our thoughts. The feeding of the mind produces the fruit of the life.

10. If a preacher preaches about listening to certain kinds of music, watching certain kinds of movies and TV programs, reading certain kinds of books, people accuse him of being narrow minded and old fashion. What people fail to understand is that what you put into the mind will eventually come out in the life. You put garbage in the mind and that is what will come out in the life. If we think right we will live right. If we think wrong we will live wrong.

11. A good example of this is found in Genesis 6:5, "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." They displayed in their life what they dwelt on the in the mind.

12. Paul said in 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." The mind must be guarded. Our thought-life must be controlled.

13. Solomon's instructions are so important: "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. [24] Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. [25] Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. [26] Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. [27] Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil" (Proverbs 4:23-27). Solomon tells us that we guard what we hear and what we see.

14. There is a battle going on for the mind. Our battles with temptation are won or lost in the mind, therefore it is important what we think about. Notice our text and consider with me two things in relation to what we think about. First,

1. THE BIBLICAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR OUR THOUGHT LIFE!

1. Paul says, "If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." It is important to understand that these words are not a suggestion but a command. There is a way we are to think. We are commanded to think on certain things. Notice that Paul speaks of:

A. A Thought Life That Is Proper

1. Our thought life is to consist of that which is virtuous and worthy of praise. The word "virtue" speaks of that which is excellent in contrast to that which is cheap. The word "praise" speaks of that which is praiseworthy. He is describing a proper thought life.

2. A good way to judge what we think about is to ask: (1) Is what I am thinking about marked by excellence or is it something cheap and worth thinking about; (2) Is what I am thinking about something that is praiseworthy or condemned? Is it something that is positive and beneficial?

3. Listen to the words of Job: "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?" Job linked what he saw to what he thought. He declares that he had made a covenant with his eyes so that his thoughts would be pure and proper.

4. The Christian should desire and develop a proper thought life. We should think reflect on good things and refrain from bad things. It was this attitude we see in the Psalmist: "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee" (Psalm 119:11)

5. Secondly, we see that Paul speaks of:

B. A Thought Life That Is Practical

1. The word "think" speaks of careful reflection. It speaks of thinking in the sense to calculate. It is to think logically and carefully. It is translated account, reckon, reason and conclude. It speaks of taking account of things with a view of committing yourself to the things considered.

2. In other words, we are to turn what we think about into practical deeds. It is to turn our thoughts into actions, our sentiments into commitments, and our words into deeds. One little boy said the Bible begins with Genesis and ends with Revolutions. In my opinion that is a good description of the Bible. What we read in the Bible should revolutionize our life.

3. Our mind is to be a incubator of a godly life. A virtuous and praiseworthy Christian life is to be the harvest of our thought life. What we think about is to be put in shoe leather. This is the Biblical instructions for our thought life.

4. Secondly, we see:

2. THE BENEFICIAL ITEMS FOR OUR THOUGHT LIFE!

1. Paul not only tells us how to think but gives us a list of items that we ought to think about. He is saying that instead of thinking about the wrong things, there are certain goods things we should think about. As we look at the text we see a list of things he gives us to think about. We read in verse 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."

2. We can only think about one thing at a time, therefore if we are thinking about good things we cannot be thinking about bad things. Notice the list that he gives. First we see:

A. Things That Guard Our Personal Life

1. The first three things that Paul mentions seem to be personal and involve one's inner character. These are things that if one thinks about it will guard the inner life and serve as a protector from one's personal character being defiled.

2. First, he tells us to think on things that are "true." These are things that are true in character, things that are real in contrast to that which is phony.

3. Secondly, he tells us to think on things that are "honest." These are things that are worthy and respectable.

4. Thirdly, we are to think on things that "just." These are things that are righteous and godly. 

5. What we think about influences our life. As we think on things that are true, honest, and just, it will influence us to be true, honest, and just. Thinking on such things develops inner character. If we think on things that are set in contrast to these things, we will find ourselves behaving in a dishonest and unjust way.

6. There are not only the things that guard our personal life, but also the:

B. The Things That Guide Our Public Life

1. The next three things that Paul mentions seem to apply to our public life and how our life relates to others. First, we are told to think on things that are "pure." This speaks of not only a purity from sin but of motives as well. What we do is important, but equally important is why we do it.

2. Secondly, we are to think on things that are "lovely." The word speaks of that which excites loves, that which promotes brotherly love and creates agreement.

3. Finally, we are to think on things that are of a "good report." This speaks of that which is winsome and attractive.

4. All these things involve our relationship with others and thinking on these things develops our relationship with others. If one is always thinking in terms of revenge, getting even, they will behave that way toward people. But if we think pure thoughts, lovely thoughts, and thoughts of good report, we will act differently toward people.

5. If we discipline ourselves to think this way it will be revealed in our private character and in our public conduct. That is why Paul says, "Think on these things."

6. Psychologists tell us that 10,000 thoughts go through the human mind in one day. That is 3,500,000 thoughts a year. As Christians, we must bring each 3,500,000 thoughts into captivity for Christ. You can be sure that Satan will claw and scratch for each thought. 

7. The story is told of an Englishman that wanted to know a Yankee's secret for getting ahead in business. "I'll tell you," said the Yankee. "You should eat more fish. Fish is brain food. Give me five dollars and I'll get you some of the fish my wife fixes for me. Eat it and then see how you get on." The Englishman forked over the five dollars. The fish was duly delivered. The next day the two met and the Yankee asked whether any improvement had been noted. "Well, no," said the Englishman. "But tell me, old chap, isn't five dollars a bit high for such a small piece of fish?" The Yankee beamed, "There, now! Already your brain in beginning to work."

8. You could say that we need to feed the brain the right kind of food so that it works right. Someone asked Isaac Newton how he discovered the law of gravity. He replied, "By thinking about it all the time." If a Christian will think about good things all the time it will result in a good life, one that pleases God. So I ask, 'WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?"