Philippians 4:8-13 Feed, Find, Be Filled, Move Forward Michael Silva / December 4, 2016 Opening: Have you ever been in a crowded room and the sound of everyone s voices are generally unrecognizable until someone says your name. o You ve learned to listen for your name and you hear it, even in a crowded room. Joke: An old man was wondering if his wife had a hearing problem. So one night, he stood behind her while she was sitting in her lounge chair. o He spoke softly to her, "Honey, can you hear me?" There was no response. o He moved a little closer and said again, "Honey, can you hear me?" Still, there was no response. o Finally he moved right behind her and said, "Honey, can you hear me?" She loudly and angrily replied, "For the third time, Yes!" Transition: Do you have a hard time hearing? What is it that you are listening for? 1. What you are listening for often influences your thought-life. 2. And your thought-life is a very important matter we we ll see in today s passage. Let's read our passage: Philippians 4:8-13 (NKJV) i Philippians, The Epistle of Joy 1. The theme of this letter is joy no matter our circumstances. a) Paul modeled this joy as he wrote this letter to the believers in Philippi as a prisoner in Rome. b) As we will see in our continued study of this book that Paul s joy was rooted in staying focused on Christ rather than his circumstances.
Page 2 2. In our passage, we are reminded that in order to have joy in our heart, we need to have the right thoughts in our head. a) We ll see that we need to Feed, Find, be Filled, and Move Forward Philippians 4:8 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things. 1. In verse 7 Paul wrote about having the peace of God, which surpasses understanding a) Here we are learning that wrong thinking can easily lead to wrong feeling. b) Wrong thinking can steal joy & peace rather than cultivating it. c) And thinking is a function of the mind. 2. As Christians we are to believe in our hearts and think with our minds. a) Isaiah 26:3, speaking of God says, You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. b) Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 3. To have healthy thoughts, we need to feed our minds the right kind of mental food. a) Paul tells us what that is, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy i) So much of our culture falls outside of these things. b) To feed our minds healthy food we must choose to meditate on the things Paul lists here.. c) Don t underestimate the power of your thought life. i) It s been said (Wiersbe), Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny! ii) 2 Corinthians 10:5b tells us bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, d) What we meditate on matters. Page 2
Page 3 4. It s interesting how close this list from Paul correlates with David s description of God s Word. a) Psalm 19:7 9 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. b) This is why it is so important to be spending time daily in God s Word. c) But more than just reading God s word, we are to feeding on His word. i) Meditating on what it says and allowing it to really penetrate our hearts deeply. Philippians 4:9 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. 1. Pastor Jon Courson has described Paul life as Show and Tell. a) He didn t just tell people what to do, he showed them by doing it himself. b) Are you a show and tell Christian? 2. Again, in verse 7 Paul talks about having the peace of God that surpasses all understanding a) This is accomplished because, when we do what Paul is saying, the God of peace will be with you. b) Have you ever been around someone who makes you anxious? i) I have been the source of some people s anxiety. c) But have you ever been around someone who just helps to claim you down? i) God, the wonderful and loving Father, has that claim you down kind of presence in our lives. ii) We enter into His claiming presence when we are doers of the Word. 3. A part of the Christian life, that begins after conversion, is doing what we learn and come to know about our faith. Page 3
Page 4 James 1:22 25 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. i) After you get a new hairstyle, how many times do you look in the mirror at it? ii) You haven t changed, but you want to see what it looks like, again & again. iii) Hearers are forgetful, but doers are blessed. b) Eleanor Roosevelt once said, Happiness is not a goal...it's a by-product of a life well lived. i) This speaks of being a doer, not just a hearer. Philippians 4:10-11 10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 1. Verse 10 shows us that Paul loved the believers in Philippi and that those believers loved Paul as well. a) You see, not only was Paul a prisoner of Rome, but he also suffered from some unnamed medical condition. i) After Paul left Philippi the believers there lacked an opportunity to care for Paul. ii) Until they collected and sent an offering to help support Paul. b) Upon receiving this gift Paul declares that their care for him had flourished again. 2. Notice that when Paul speaks of contentment he says in verse 11 that he learned how to be content. a) Contentment does not come naturally. It must be learned and cultivated. b) Contentment is a state of happiness and satisfaction. i) Contentment is not complacency. It s not indifference, nor is it ignorance. ii) It is not ignoring your circumstances, it is simply choosing a positive response to your circumstances. iii) How have you been responding to your circumstances lately? Page 4
Page 5 iv) Personally, I have been a bit stressed this week and I ve lacked the peace of contentment. c) What does contentment look like? i) Being truly okay with what you have and where you are at. ii) It s being prayerful and thankful as Phil 4:6 commands. iii) It trusts God and maintains faith, even when circumstances are tough. iv) It can see the sunlight behind the clouds when everyone else can only the rain. v) It knows that God s got a great plan than what can be seen with the eyes. 3. The more you struggle with, the less contentment and peace you experience. a) So we must learn to let go our struggles if we are ever to be content. i) Easier said than done, right? b) An effective way of releasing struggles is by replacing them. i) Choose to mediate on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. ii) Limit your exposure to cynical, sarcastic, depressing, and negative information and conversation. iii) As you continue to add true, noble, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, and praiseworthy thoughts into your mind and heart, they begin to displace and replace the negative. c) Black Coffee Many can t stand the taste of straight black coffee. i) But if you add some cream, sugar, sprinkle something on top and what was grotesque to you has now become your favorite afternoon drink. ii) Life is like the black coffee, it can be bitter and hard to swallow. iii) So add some cream and sugar to life by choosing to meditate on things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Philippians 4:12 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 1. It s easy to be content when things are going well and there is abundance. Page 5
Page 6 a) But what about contentment when you are in the difficult circumstances that Paul speaks of in verse 12? 2. The word abased in the original Greek is to be make humble. It could also be translated as to be brought low. a) This can also be when you feel like everyone is looming over you and looking down on you. i) Yet in this lowly state Paul models contentment and encourages us to do the same. 3. When Paul was hungry and otherwise suffered need, he was still content. a) Is it possible to be content when you only have a little or nothing at all? i) Paul, writing from prison says, Yes! b) Hollywood has demonstrated for us repeatedly that fame, recognition, and wealth do not produce contentment and happiness. i) Hollywood marriages that typically last a very short time. ii) Sex, Drugs, alcohol, all so prevalent because they still feel empty despite all their fame, recognition and wealth. 4. For some, perhaps many, in order to cultivate contentment, maybe we need simplify our lives. a) Maybe we need to reduce the amount of stuff we have. Our final verse for today: Philippians 4:13 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 1. First, remember that the context of this statement is connected with contentment. a) This isn t necessarily a victory chant for underdogs going into a championship game. b) Instead, contextually, this is a declaration that no matter how little I may have, how hungry I may be, how much I may lack, I can [still] do all things through Christ who strengthens me. c) Pastor David Guzik, Unfortunately, many people take this verse out of context and use it to reinforce a triumphalist or super-christian mentality, instead of seeing that the strength of Jesus in Paul s life was evident in his ability to be content when he did suffer need. d) The world is not easily impressed with those who have much and talk about God. Page 6
Page 7 i) But the world sure notices when we have little or nothing and still maintain contentment in Him. e) How important it is to cultivate a contentment that is abiding in abundance and lasts when we are lacking. 2. My encouragement is to underline or memorize Phil 4:13 for it is a great verse meant for encouraging weary believers. a) When it s difficult, it s important to remember b) Let s emphasize different parts of this statement: i) I CAN Even though I may lack, God can make it happen in me. ii) ALL THINGS Even those things that seem impossible? YES. iii) THROUGH CHRIST Ahh, here s the key, this can only happen through Christ. (1) John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing iv) STRENGTHENS ME He gives me a power that enables me, I don t have to find the strength on my own. 3. Pastor Chuck Smith, Apart from Christ, we are nothing and can do nothing. But thank God, through Christ, I can do all things! Conclusion: What s the big take away from this passage? 1. When things are difficult, we shouldn t complain or play the blame game. a) Instead feed your mind with those things that create contentment. b) Find examples, like Paul to follow and be encouraged by. c) Be filled with His Strength. d) Move forward as doers of God s word. Invitation: Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. i All scripture references, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The New King James Version. (1982). Nashville: Thomas Nelson. Page 7