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Introduction
I don’t know why anyone commissions such surverys, but according to USA
Today a few months ago, the Ketchum Global Research Network asked 1,000
U.S. adults what they think about the most during their shower. The top
four responses were: to-do lists, problems/worries, daydreams, work.
What an interesting glimpse into what we obsess over as we wake up
in the morning or wind down in the evening—the two times most of us take
a shower. While we clean ourselves to start the day, we sully ourselves
with stress and disappointment. We try our best to clear the clutter
from our minds with a nice long shower or bath in the evening, but we
fill our minds to over- flowing with thoughts about places to go, people
to see, dreams to fulfill. We are people who can barely go a minute
without anxiety over things we feel we should be doing but are not.
The Bible is not a book on Psychology, but there is some great
psychological advice included, straight from humanity’s Maker, that can
be extremely healthy for mind and spirit. For example,
Philippians 4. Coming right off his apostolic counsel to rejoice, to
not be anxious but to pray, to allow the peace of God to guard our
hearts and minds, we have
verse 8—a single principle that is wholesome, healthy, and deeply
enriching to human life.
In a nutshell, it is this: Format the
hard drive of your mind and heart with the right software and
information, and it will run well and do exactly what it was designed to
do. Or, as Paul puts it, 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.
This is the
apostle’s exhortation to the church, the people of God in Christ: you
need your minds and hearts filled with good stuff! You need a
reformatted hard drive. You need wholesome thinking patterns, because
these will color your entire lives. Getting such minds and hearts must
be an intentional effort on your part. It will not happen accidentally.
In this world there are not many
true-noble-pure-pure-lovely-admirable-excellent-praiseworthy things
being espoused.
If we are passive, we are done for. The average
American (and, sadly, most Christians fall into the average range here)
watches 4 1/2 hours of television daily. Three years ago Nielsen Media
Research said the average American household had officially arrived at
the point where there were more TV’s in the home than people (2.55
people with 2.73 TV’s), and those TV’s connect us to over 120 channels
typically.
Let me ask you. How much stuff have you seen on your
one-eyed monster in the past month that would qualify as
true-noble-pure-pure-lovely-admirable-excellent-praiseworthy? Probably a
good deal, if not most, of it would be diametrically different from
these virtues. You cannot passively absorb that much trash and not be
negatively affected as a Christian.
See if you can complete this
proverbial statement for me: Garbage in . . . Garbage -- remains.
There’s way too much garbage that streams effortlessly into our
hearts and minds. And, no, I’m not going to tell you to get rid of your
TV. I am going to suggest you get rid of your addiction to your TV,
though. In fact, I’m going to suggest exactly HOW to get rid of your
addiction to the worst programming on your TV.
I started to bring
a couple of representative illustrations about the devastating effects
of the violence, sex and mayhem in media. I stopped. There’s just too
much. I was getting sick from the data. And you already know how
all-pervasive and horrible it all is. It is bad. It is real bad. It is
stultifyingly bad.
A little lighter approach: Refusing to clean
up his backyard landed George Hartsuff in jail for 60 days. He can't say
he wasn't warned. City officials asked him to do a little cleaning for
years. Court action was taken eventually to ensure compliance. Finally,
authorities gave Hartsuff 30 days to clean out the boats, crab pots,
vending machines, and other assorted debris that littered his Maryland
yard. When he failed to do so entirely, he was sentenced to 60 days in
prison.
Hartsuff and his lawyer insisted they were doing their
best to tidy things up. That was after four 30-yard dumpsters had
already been hauled away, filled to capacity. Still, city officials and
authorities are fed-up.
The question I believe the Holy Spirit
would like to address through the Word this morning is how does the
Christian avoid letting his mind and heart get messy with the world’s
attitudes and influences? And secondarily, how does a Christian who is
already poisoned by so much worldly influence get free from the
putrification in his mind and heart?
That brings us back to
verse 8. There is one verb in this verse. It is an imperative. It
comes at the end of the sentence in the NIV. It simply says, “Think
about such things.” What things?
true-noble-pure-lovely-admirable-excellent-praiseworthy things.
That’s it? That’s it! Think about such things.
If you do, you
will overwrite the bad stuff, the worldly stuff. It will take time, it
will take effort and patience. We’ve had a couple of very pretty, and
mercifully light, snows this winter. One morning when I was out
early—before plows had made it to the side streets—I was driving along
admiring how beautiful the snow had made everything. But right in the
middle of the scenery, on the side of someone’s house there was an ugly
dark brown spot. A closer look revealed that it was a compost pile.
Apparently the heat still being generated by the decomposition that had
gone on in that garbage and yard debris mixture was enough to melt any
snow that landed on top of it.
Every time you linger on
thoughts and activities that are NOT
true-noble-pure-lovely-admirable-excellent-praiseworthy, but are
worldly, ungodly, dirty, harmful, sinful, you are adding to a sickening
sludge in your mind and heart. These wonderful minds our Creator God has
given us are powerful retainers of data input. We don’t easily forget
(except when we’re trying to remember!). That stuff that got in there
pretty much is going to stay in there. Not just our minds, but our
hearts/souls. Paul’s strong implication is you don’t want any more of
that garbage than what will infect you as a matter of course living in
this world.
Erasing the putrid things in the mind is a sluggish,
slow-going operation, because the date is so stubborn. And that is
reason enough to avoid adding more garbage to it. But there is a way to
counteract and minimize the caustic effect of that sludge: think about
true-noble-pure-lovely-admirable-excellent-praiseworthy things.
You cannot simply tear out the old tapes that keep playing
things in your mind and heart that are not edifying. But you can make
new tapes that will be
true-noble-pure-lovely-admirable-excellent-praiseworthy enough to
neutralize old evil tapes; new tapes that will play stronger/louder than
the old tapes, because they are new, and fresh and imbued with Holy
Spirit power.
Where can you get such tapes? I would like to some
practical suggestions. First: exposure to the Word of God.
Read-study-meditate-memorize-obey-share-sing-and keep on rehearsing it.
Fill yourself with God’s Word and arm yourself against temptation and
build and deepen your relationship with God (Psalm
63). Lay hold of the many promises and blessings in
Psalm 119. Be the blessed man of
Psalm 1 – Blessed is the man who does not
walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit
in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and
on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by
streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does
not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Secondly, the
company of the committed. Hang out with believers who are serious
about their faith. Get yourself a couple of counselors who are more
well-versed in the Word and obedience than yourself and hang out with
them—a lot. Take advantage of one of the greatest gifts God has given
you—the body of Christ, the community of the saints, the church family.
We are here to make one another strong in Him. It is to be for us a
place to belong and a place to become.
Third, the best you can
redeem from the world. Not all in this sin-crusted world is
completely without redeeming quality. I would encourage you to see the
best plays, read the best literature, listen to the best music and see
the best movies. I do not believe it is the will of God that we
Christians hole ourselves up in a corner somewhere and use all our
energies trying to steer clear of contamination, so much that we cut
ourselves off from the world God has called us to influence for the
gospel. We should positively affirm the best around us, tell folks why
it is good, enjoy and profit from it.
Find a couple of the very
helpful Christian media sources that bring wholesome recommendations and
reviews. Get hold of that kind of entertainment. Enrich your mind, your
soul. Fill your heart with proper emotions that God intended you to
exercise. Reward those who produce such things by purchasing their
tickets, buying their music and watching their performances.
Use
the free enterprise system we have (while we still do have it!) and help
the programs and publishing houses, the networks and the performers who
bring you true-noble-pure-lovely-admirable-excellent-praiseworthy
arts and products to thrive. You will simultaneously discourage the less
profitable trash. You will redeem the almost hopeless cesspool of
television. You will witness for God and His goodness!
We, the
redeemed community of Christ, should not only enjoy the best the world
has to offer; and we should not only promote and endorse it; we should
be producing the stuff!
I mentioned earlier that I was going to
share with you how to get rid of your addiction to bad TV. Well, I just
did. Cling to His Word, and His people and discern what is good and
godly around you, and you will be delivered from all evil. You’ll stop
craving it.
Paul closes this section with another request that
the believing community would take the best of Paul’s own personal
example, and follow it. Whatever you have
learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.
This is the same attitude we studied in earlier messages. Paul is not
afraid to say to fellow Christians, Follow me, in so far as I follow
Christ.
3:17 – Join with others in following my example.
You know, we
ought to see this whole idea as an inviting challenge for our Christian
maturity: first to follow good examples and second,
be good examples. Ask God for the strength, the grace and the
spiritual resolve to grow to the place where you can say to your
children and to younger believers you disciple in the faith, follow
me, in so far as I follow Christ.
Would you join me in taking
notice of the final sentence at the last part of
verse 9: And the God of peace will be with
you. I love how this promise marries the promise at
verse 7. There, Paul says, Don’t be anxious about things; rather,
pray. …by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests
to God. What will be the result of this kind of anxiety-killing
prayer?
Verse 7: The peace of God will keep your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus. The peace of God.
And here he says, Think
about the right things, and put into practice what you find in me, and
what will happen? The God of peace will be with you. THE PEACE OF GOD
WILL KEEP YOU, AND THE GOD OF PEACE WILL BE WITH YOU.
In the autumn of 1873, Horatio Spafford, a wealthy Chicago businessman,
placed his wife, Anna, and their four children on the Ville du Havre
sailing from New York to France. He was forced to stay in the United
States for several more weeks to settle some business details before he
could travel to join the family in Europe.
The evening of
November 21 found the Ville du Havre prow-east toward France on a calm
Atlantic. The journey was progressing beautifully. A few hours later, at
2:00 in the morning on Nov. 22, the Ville du Havre was carrying its
sleeping passengers over a quiet sea when two terrific claps like
thunder were followed by frightening screams. The engine stopped, the
ship stood still. Passageways were filled with terrified, half-dressed
people shouting questions that no one could answer. The Ville du Havre
had been rammed by the English ship, the Lochearn.
Mrs. Spafford
saw three of her children swept away by the sea while she stood
clutching the youngest child. Suddenly, she felt her baby torn violently
from her arms. She reached out through the water and caught little
Tanetta's gown. For a minute she held her again. Then the cloth wrenched
from her hand. She reached out again and touched a man's leg in corduroy
trousers. She fell unconscious. She awoke later, finding that she had
been rescued by sailors from the Lochearn. But her four children were
gone.
In the meantime, Horatio Spafford was back in the United
States, desperate to receive news of his family. Finally, the blow fell.
A cable arrived from Wales stating that the four daughters were lost at
sea, but his wife was still alive. He was crushed with what had
happened. All night he walked the floor in anguish. Toward the morning
he turned to his friend, Major Whittle, and said, "I am glad to trust
the Lord when it will cost me something."
On the way across the
Atlantic to join his wife, the captain announced that they were now
passing the place where the Ville du Havre was wrecked. For Horatio
Spafford, this was passing through the valley of the shadow of death. He
sat down in his cabin on the high seas, near where his children
perished, and wrote the hymn that would give comfort to so many, titled
"It Is Well with My Soul."
IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL
When peace like a river attendeth my
soul,
when sorrows like sea billows roll—
Whatever my lot, Thou
hast taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well, with my soul.”
It is well (it is well) With my soul (with my soul)
It is well,
it is well with my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious
thought!
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to the
cross, and I bear it no more:
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my
soul!
It is well (it is well) With my soul (with my soul)
It
is well, it is well with my soul.
And, Lord, haste the day when
my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend,
“Even so, it is
well with my soul.
It is well (it is well) With my soul (with my
soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul.
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