See the World Well

So I don’t travel often, but when I do, I almost always pack my running shoes. And that’s because one of my favorite things to do whenever I first arrive somewhere, is throw on some shorts, lace up my running shoes, and then go jogging around for a while to try and get the lay of the land. And as I do, I’m just sorta taking note of things that might be worth checking out more in the days ahead. I’m basically making an itinerary for the trip as I go. And, most of the time, it works well.  

This last March, we we’re visiting my grandma in Florida. And, per usual, just as soon as we’d arrived, unpacked, got the kids settled in, I took off for a run. It wasn’t good. See, I’d forgotten, we were in Florida, on a beach, in mid-march — Spring Break was everywhere and in full throttle. And guys, I was just sad about the kinds of things I was seeing as I was making my loop around town. Like nothing, and I mean nothing of what I was seeing, was going down on the itinerary. It just felt like sin, emptiness, depravity everywhere, and ten minutes in, I was more than ready to turn around and escape the moral garbage that I was running through.

When, all of a sudden, I heard it:

“In Christ alone, my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song...”

I’d just come around a corner, and there, sitting on a bench to my right in the middle of this little walkway area, was a man and a woman, sitting together, singing worship songs. They had a, “Free bottles of water” sign and the woman was passing ‘em out to the people who were walking by, starting up conversations with them as she did, while the man just kept on strumming his guitar and signing some of the very same songs we sing here every Sunday. 

And guys, everything in that moment changed. Like, it was as if someone had suddenly turned on the light. I began to remember: These people were made by my father. That ocean, right over there — massive as it is — my God measured its depths in his hand, and assigned to its waves their boundaries. That delicious food coming out of that restaurant over there. The God who I worship provided that food for the people of this world to eat. More and more these little glimpses of beauty and goodness just kept popping up the more I began to really look around. 

And look, my eyes weren’t closing to the realities around me. I wasn’t playing pretend. The darkness was still very much around me in that moment — thick, even palpable. And yet, so was the light. Because I was being reminded: Yes, this world has been subjected to futility (Rom. 8:20) and cursed is the ground due to human sin (Gen. 3:17), but even still, Psalm 19:1-3 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.”

Yes — ever since the fall of Adam and Eve, people have been born as children of wrath and dead in our sins. As humans, we’re now, by nature, sons of disobedience. Even still, God knits us together in our mother’s wombs, fearfully and wonderfully made are we. In his image, he has made us.

We live in a dark and depraved world — no denying that. Even still, it is our Father’s world. In our text for this morning, we’re being called not to dissociate from the world, not to bury our heads in the sand, but look out into God’s world, and fasten our minds upon the things we see there that are yet still pleasing to him. 

Why should we think about these things?

Let’s go to our passage together. Philippians 4:8-9. Look at it with me. You’ll note right away that the layout of our text this morning is fairly simple. Really, it can be summed up in two words — Think and Practice. 

Verse 8,

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” 

Verse 9,

“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me — practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

So think and practice. We’re going to spend the bulk of our time on think, since the quality of our practice is so reliant upon how we think. 

Now, here’s the question I want us to ask regarding, “Think about these things” in verse 8: Why is it that we should think about these things?

Look with me at verse 8. We see the list of virtues (whatever is true, honorable, just, and so on). We see we’re told to think about them (“Think about these things”). We don’t see why. It just says do it — “think about these things”. 

And that’s okay, because this exhortation comes near the end of this letter. A letter which has already said much about thinking, and why thinking matters. We want the reason for why we should think about these things. All we’ve got to do is to look back in the letter to find it. 

Look back with me for a moment at chapter 1, to a verse we preached through back in January — Philippians 1:9,

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment.”

See it there? It is my prayer that you Philippians will grow in knowledge (content that accords with truth, I want you to have more of it up here) and all discernment (the ability to evaluate, discern, the things out there) — that’s a lot of thinking right? Knowledge and discernment? Verse 10, “So that, you may approve what is excellent.” So that, you might be able look out in the world and assign proper approval — that, that right there, is excellent! All those things over there are not, but that right here, that is excellent. I approve of that thing as excellent.

Now, stay here in 1:9, while we consider its overlap with 4:8. 

1:9 says, I want you to be able to approve what is excellent. 

4:8, I want you to think about, among other things, what is excellent.  

Approve what is excellent…think about what is excellent.

What we’ve got here are basically bookends to the letter — first few lines, approve what is excellent. Last few lines, think about what is excellent.  

So, given the overlap, the similarity, let’s take our question from 4:8 — Why should we think about these things, such as whatever is excellent? — and see if we can’t find our answer here in 1:9-10. 

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment so that you may approve what is excellent [take note of what is excellent, set your mind on what is excellent], and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

Do you see it? The practice of approving what is excellent, setting your mind on what is excellent, leads to being pure and blameless. Thinking leads to being. Think this way about this thing, and you’ll become more this way. Think about whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, excellent, and so on and you’ll become, more and more truthful, honorable, just, pure, excellent and so on. 

Thinking leads to being. Whatever you set your mind upon, there your character will follow. 

We live in a world that doesn’t think about these things

And, my brothers and sisters, that cuts both ways. We see this over in Romans — the devasting results of setting ones mind not on what is true, honorable and so on, but on what is foolish. Romans 1:21, reads “although they knew God, [speaking of humanity as a whole] they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking (Hear it? they didn’t set their mind on God and his goodness, but turned away into futile thinking), and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise they became fools.”

Therefore, if setting one’s mind on what is true, honorable, just, and so on, leads to being true, honorable, just and so on, what does setting one’s mind on what is foolish and futile lead to? Rom. 1:24,

“God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie.” 

Thinking leads to being. Whatever you set your mind upon, there your character will follow. Here in Romans 1 we have the exact inverse of Philippians 4:8 — an exchange of the truth of God for a lie, which results in hearts given over to impurity, not purity. Bodies given over to dishonor, not honor. 

Thinking leads to being. Whatever you set your mind upon, there your character will follow.

Now, here’s where things get complicated. Because in reality, what the city of Philippi looked like at the time of Paul’s exhortation to, “Think about these things”, and what our own city looks like currently at our time of reading the exhortation to “Think about these things” is not a bunch of people walking around saying, “Hey, let’s set our minds on what is untrue, dishonorable, unjust. Doesn’t that sound good? Let’s live for dishonor, dishonor, and injustice!” There may be a few of those people out in the world, but the average person out on the street is not saying that. 

But what they are saying is things like: “Hey, justice is giving a woman the legal right to choose whether or not to end her pregnancy. That’s just. It’d be unjust to force her to keep her pregnancy. You don’t want to be unjust, do you?” Or “Hey, living with your girlfriend, living with your boyfriend, so long as you guys are dedicated to one another is honorable. Commendable. You don’t want to discredit what’s honorable, do you?” Or “Hey, what’s true for you is true for you. What’s true for me is true for me. We ought to celebrate each person’s personal truth. Is that true?”

And this is the world you and I live in. That’s the air we breathe. That’s what’s preached in the workplace. That’s what’s proclaimed in the neighborhood. Everywhere we look, labels of virtue are being stamped upon vices. It is a confusing world to live in as a Christian. 

Think About These Things In Our World

So, wouldn’t it be easier just to avoid it? Or ignore it — Close our eyes and pretend it’s really not all that bad? Yes, it would be easier. But that’s not what God calls us to. Instead, what he calls instead, right here in Phil. 4:8, is to do the prayer-dependent, community-counseled, Holy Spirit led, hard work of looking out into the world with eyes of discernment, and setting our minds upon what we find there that is yet still pleasing to God.

So, minds active and aware, let’s turn over some of the virtues we see in the list from 4:8, and ask what setting our minds upon them might look like in our world. What are these things that we are to think about?

whatever is True

The first virtue in the list is truth,

“Whatever is true…”

The person devoid of God, distant from God exchanges the truth for a lie (Romans 1). Don’t go along with that exchange, keep a firm mental grip on what is true.  

So, your professor’s moving along in a lecture and talking about how all of life is a result of evolutionary processes. Whether there’s a God or not cannot really be known. Humans, therefore, are the masters of their fate and captains of their souls. And you’re over there thinking, “That’s not true. In fact, I worship the God who spoke this world into being and who is, in this very moment, upholding the world by the word of his power (Heb. 1:3). So you discard what’s being said, and keep moving.

Your professor begins to talk about how all humans have innate worth and value. And how we need to respect everyone as having innate worth and value. You think, “I’ve no idea how you support that claim. But its true. All humans have innate worth and value. What you just said is true!

Your neighbor says Christianity is hateful and judgmental. And anyone who believes the Bible is trustworthy is in error. Not true. Discard. Depending on the situation, maybe respond with why it is that you believe in God and the truthfulness of his word.

Later on in the day, your neighbor, seeing you out in the yard, reflects, “My, isn’t summertime such a gift!” You say, yes, it’s true, summertime is a gift. There’s more to be said about the Giver of the gift. For now, though, yes, what you said is true — summertime is a gift.

Really that’s the kind of thing we’re aiming for: A mind active and aware, looking out into the world with discernment, and choosing to fasten in upon what’s found there that is yet still pleasing to God.

Now, I’ll admit, these two examples of the professor and the neighbor — they’re fairly straightforward. Not all of them are — we can imagine situations that are far less clear — is this good, is it not? Should I set my mind here, should I not? 

But the reason I chose examples which are more on the “clear” side of things, is because I actually think most of what we see and hear out in the world — is over there on the clear side of things. Like, the vast majority of the time, it’s fairly clear — this is honoring to God, and therefore good. This is dishonoring to God, and therefore bad. 

But where the difficulty comes in is actually being aware of what our mind is doing as we see and hear our world. I mean, isn’t it the case that we often fail to notice the subtle shifts going on in our minds day after day after day? 

Monday: this thing is totally false. 

Tuesday: this thing is very false. 

Wednesday: This thing is fairly false. 

Thursday: I think this thing is false. 

Friday: they’re all saying it’s not false. But true. 

Saturday: The experts out there say its objectively true. 

Sunday: on your way to church. Is it true? 

The difficulty is being aware of, and vigilant over, what our minds are doing day in, day out, as we see and hear our world. 

Take the second virtue in our list as an example:

whatever is Honorable

Whatever is honorable. I think we can add in commendable, and worthy of praise here as well. All three have this component of receiving outward affirmation. Other people honor things, commend things, praise things. 

Now, you’re in the grocery store checkout aisle. There is a mom in front of you, you can tell she’s tired, and she’s got kids tugging on her arms, and she’s got a cart full of vegetables, fruits, hearty loaves of bread, meat. I mean, this isn’t all pop tarts and lunchables — like this woman is going to have to prepare this food. It’s going to require her time, energy — selflessness, giving the extra effort to ensure her kids are getting some good, healthy food.

To this woman’s right is a rack of magazines, one of which features on its cover, another woman. She doesn’t look tired, no kids tugging on her arm, she’s just standing there, clothed and posed so as to lure eyes and enflame lusts. Now, which woman in this scene is doing the honorable thing? The praiseworthy thing? It’s not a difficult question! The difficulty is in recognizing where your eyes and your mind has been all this time you’ve been sitting in line in the grocery checkout aisle. Has your mind been set on what, right there in front of you, is honorable? Or, on what to your right, is dishonorable? Brothers and sisters, we need to literally be listening to Paul’s voice ringing in our ears throughout the day: Set your mind on these things.

Whatever is Just

Third in our list of virtues is just. Now, I’d like to suggest that this is the virtue we most need God’s word to train and direct us in. This is the virtue we least intuitively understand — justice. My evidence is the fact that as Christians, not talking non-Christians here, as Christians, we often question God’s sense of justice… Hell for eternity? The flood killed everyone but Noah and his family? God led his people in the conquest of Canaan? I mean, who hasn’t been bothered by Jesus’ parable of the vineyard workers — he gets paid just as much as me though I worked eight more hours than he did? 

If any of these virtues requires the most Bible-saturated training, I’d suggest it is this one. Friends, God determines what is just. 

Whatever is pure

Fourth, whatever is pure. The idea here is untainted. Clean. You might think: something that, were I to have seen it back in the Garden of Eden, this is the way it would’ve looked. Pure.

Children are a good example of this. Now, don’t mishear me: Children sin. They’re born with sin. And yet, their childlikeness, at least in terms of the way Jesus referred to their childlikeness, do have a kind of purity to them. 

They’re just fine asking for help, not concerned about their pride. They’re just fine not doing their hair or dressing up a certain way — they’re not ashamed of their appearance. They’re curious about the world. Hopeful about the future. 

Not ignoring their sin, which is real, but children do have a purity about them we ought to appreciate and give God thanks for. In fact, kids, thank you for being kids — we give God thanks for you. 

Whatever is lovely

Last, whatever is lovely. We already paired commendable with honorable. And “If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,” more or less join hands around this entire list of virtues in a sort of summary form. So, whatever is lovely. The idea is pleasing, or agreeable. The kind of thing that could even catch you off guard and make you think, “ah, isn’t that nice?” A beautiful melody. Smell of fresh-baked bread. A young man helping an old woman cross the street. A sunset. Loveliness. It’s there, we just got to see it, and set our minds upon it.

So those are the things we’re to look for, brothers and sisters. The terms, definitions, Paul’s laid them all out for us to consider. But then in verse 9, he changes course a bit. Still on the lookout for these virtues, but he goes from those virtues in abstract form, and brings them down into the concrete examples. 

“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me.” Not just theoretical anymore, but concrete examples. What you’ve actually seen and experienced in me during our time spent together, put ‘em into practice out there. Here’s where I’ll suggest: If you’re sitting here this morning thinking, “I have no idea how to discern what’s really true, honorable, just out there. Like it’s really hard for me, at times, to know what, as a Christian to enjoy, what, as a Christian, to avoid.” The terms, definitions of truth, justice, purity, loveliness just aren’t landing for you. Get some time with others in this church. Others who’ve perhaps been Christians for longer. Watch as they put theoretical into concrete examples for you, at work, at home, at the coffee shop. Then, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in them” consider putting it into practice. As you do, like our text says, the God of peace will be with you. 

Now, this is what’s cool. We’re going to close here. I’ve got just one more item for us to consider. Paul says, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things.” Well, what exactly is it that we’ve learned, received, heard, seen in Paul in this letter? Like, we’re nearing the end of the letter, Paul’s saying, “Hey, what you’ve seen in me, put it into practice. What have we seen in him? I’ve got four things that we can see in Paul in this letter. Four things for us, as a church, to practice.

Practice These Things

First, most obvious, Paul is a Jesus worshiper. A Jesus worshiper. Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ” … 1:23 “My desire is to depart and be with Christ” … 3:7-8, “Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ”

Paul is a Jesus worshiper.

Second, Paul is a Joyful Servant. A joyful servant. Philippians 1:1, “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus.” That’s the title he ascribed to himself: Servant of Christ. Phil. 1:3, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,” It’s his joy to serve them through prayer. Phil. 2:17, “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.” Even if he’s got to die in his service to them, he will yet rejoice. 

Paul is a Joyful Servant.

Third, Generous Discipler. Generous discipler.

Philippians 1:23-25, “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith.” For Paul, more life simply means more giving of his life for the spiritual progress of others. 

Paul is a Generous Discipler.

Fourth and finally, Welcoming Witness. A welcoming witness. Philippians 1:12-13, “I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.” You talk about welcoming witness? How about welcoming the guards who are shackling your hands and feet together, and saying, “Hey, so long as you’re here, let me tell you about Jesus.” 

Paul is a Welcoming Witness.

What have we “learned and received and heard and seen” in Paul in this letter that we ought to practice? He is a Jesus worshiper, a joyful servant, a generous discipler, and a welcoming witness.

So, how about it? How about as a church family, we go on that journey together, onward, eyes on what is good, and putting into practice, the identities of being Jesus worshipers, joyful servants, welcoming witnesses, and generous disciplers?

The Table

Well, Jesus, the one whom we worship, is also the perfectly joyful servant. And as we come to this table, we’re reminded of his ultimate act of service to us — enduring the cross, in our place, and for the joy set before him. That’s what this bread and this cup are here to remind us of.  So, if you’re here today and you’ve trusted in Jesus, we invite you to take and eat with us. If you’ve not put your trust in Jesus, we ask that you’d let the elements pass, but we pray you would, in this moment, receive Jesus, become a worshiper of him.