8 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. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. 

“Wait… WHAT?!? Paul’s telling us how to THINK? Hey, it’s one thing to tell me how to act, but my thoughts are my own private thoughts, so butt out!” But that’s exactly what Paul is saying. He says it’s not enough to just get your outward actions and manners under control, but we’re responsible for our thought life, too. YIKES! In the Bible the prophet Samuel tells King David’s father (as in “David and Goliath”) that

“God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.”

God’s watching what we’re thinking, even when we’re not!

In Verse 8 he tells us what to think about. Things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy. So, by contrast, we should not allow lying, ignoble, wrong, filthy, hateful, contemptible, inferior, unworthy thoughts to rattle around in our heads. There’s a thousand and one situations that trigger those “contemptible” thoughts, but we are responsible for every one of them.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if we DID have thought bubbles following us around, but they were full of pure thoughts? Wouldn’t it be cool if we lived life thinking God thoughts?

Pastor Sam

Paul ends his letter to the Philippians with a note to a couple of people in the church that were fighting so much, word had reached him in prison of the discord. 

1 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! 2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.      

So Euodia and Syntyche  obviously cannot seem to agree with each other. Paul’s advice might have been “Just stay away from each other” and I think that’s how we deal with those people in our lives. But Paul urges them to not avoid each other, but to agree with each other. One of my favorite parts of the Bible is a line in Psalm 133 where God says He will bless us when we live in unity. With some people it’s easy to “live in unity.” We have the same interests, similar personalities and sense of humor. But Paul isn’t talking about them. He’s talking about the people that annoy you, or drive you crazy. People that you steer away from when you see them coming. Paul says to agree with those people IN THE LORD. In the Lord, means that you’re doing it for God, which makes it worth doing, no matter how hard it is!

The startling and unpleasant epiphany I had about the guy that got on my nerves was that the things I disliked in him, I recognized and hated in myself. I hate to admit it, but I exhibited a lot of the traits that bothered me about him. The personality trait I’d like to possess is the one Paul valued so highly: the one of getting along with others!

Pastor Sam

Again, we have to remember from verse 18, that Paul is saying this with many tears. It pains him to see this happening to people. When you first read this, it almost sounds like there is great satisfaction in Paul’s voice when he says their destiny is their destruction. Like, “you get what you deserve. Destruction!”

I think Paul is just saying, these are the type of people who unfortunately, have made the cross their enemy. We can look and see these same type of people with these same attributes today. I can spot the type of behavior in someone that leads to destruction. We can look around and see people who are being led totally by their appetites. People who revel in doing wrong. People who brag about it on Jerry Springer. It never crosses their minds to consider God in their plans.

Like I said before, it is easy to see these type of people and think “well, they get what they deserve.” I think it is important to remember that Paul remembered them with many tears. That is our example for when we run into people who are not following God, to remember them with many tears.

Pastor Eric

Vs. 18 “For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.”

Pretty simple verse. There are enemies of the cross. We all know that. But I find it interesting that he says it, with many tears. Usually when you think of an enemy, the emotion that it stirs up is anger. I, personally, would be hard pressed to pull up tears when I think of Al Quaida. I get angry when I think of that terrorist group.

On Sunday, I talked about the Angry Christian. (“My, you’re an angry Christian!”) (Said like Will Ferrel in “Elf”) As I get on the blog world, I see a lot of angry Christians who do not look at enemies of the cross with tears but with anger. This statement shows you where Paul’s heart was. And what a transformation he had too. From persecuting Christians to speaking about enemies of the cross with tears. This is what a radical encounter with the grace of God will do for you.

How do you respond to enemies of the cross? How as a church do we respond to enemies of the cross?

Jesus told Peter that when you have been forgiven much, you love much. I guess that’s why is is real important to not forget where you came from. Paul probably responded with tears because he probably remembered being an enemy of the cross himself. What a true pastor or evangelist.

That is how I want to be.  What about you?

Pastor Eric

Vs. 17 “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.”

So, after all he said in the first 16 verses, now he says, join with others and follow my example. What example is that? It is, according to the end of the verse, the pattern that he gave us. That’s why partnering with a life-giving church is important. When we partner with a life-giving church, we can follow as an example those who are living according to the pattern that the bible lays out for us. This one of the reasons church attendance is so important. This is why we are so adamant about being plugged into a Life Group. It enables you to join together with other people who are following the examples of Paul and living life according to the New Testament pattern.

Let me ask you some questions:

• Whose “life example” is your life patterned after? Is it Jesus? Is it Paul?
• Is there someone in church that you could pattern your life after that is patterning their life after Jesus? Paul said it this way, “follow me as I follow Christ.”
• Are you in community with people that have the desire to follow and set the example of Godly living?

Though, I must tell you, in this verse it is hard to tell whether Paul means a good, Godly pattern or the pattern of this world (a phrase he uses in Romans 12) because in verse 18 he talks about people who live according to an ungodly pattern. So, he might be saying, “take note of them,” in a warning sense. But we will look at verse 18 tomorrow.

Pastor Eric

As you read them for yourself, ask yourself;

• Do I exhibit these same characteristics?
• How can I develop these characteristics in my life?
• Is there somebody around me that has exhibited these characteristics that I can mentor?

Verses 19-24 “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive the news about you. I have no one else like him, (some translations use the words kindred spirit) who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.”

Three characteristics of Timothy or a disciple:

Kindred Spirit – Someone who is like minded. Not just someone who thinks like me but someone who has the same passions, interests and goals. Those passions, interests and goals should hinge somewhere around the advancement of the message of Jesus Christ. As a pastor, I get asked to mentor people all the time. This is one of the first characteristics I look for, a kindred spirit.
A genuine interest in the people they are serving – Are they in it for themselves? Are they looking for a position? Or are they serving people because they care for them? In caring for people, they are looking out for the interests of Jesus. Jesus made this very clear when He described how when you visit people in prison or the hospital, feed the hungry or clothe the naked, that you are doing these things to Him.
Serving – A disciple of Christ should have a strong sense of serving. Paul said, that they way Timothy has served me is the way a son would serve his father. What is huge here is that Paul said that serving proved Timothy’s heart. His serving showed where his heart was; that his passion was the same as that of Jesus and Paul.

These are huge for me as a pastor of a growing church. These are the characteristics that I look for in people. You would be surprised at how many people seek out a new church as a platform for “their” ministry. Paul said to know those who labor among you. It takes time to know people. That’s also why Paul said not to place people in leadership too quickly. It takes time to know people, to watch them serve; to discover their hearts. To discern whether they are kindred spirits with the ministry; whether they have a genuine concern and care for the people; do they have servants heart?

That’s how we roll at Shoreline!

Pastor Eric

He tells kids that they should obey but even more than that, it is important to honor their parents too. You may not see a difference but did you know that you can obey without honoring? How many times have you done that? Did what you were supposed to do but inside your attitude stank. Or even more along the lines of verse 14, you did it but complained. I know I have. Think about Paul’s situation. I know you know this because we keep saying it but he was in prison. In prison you get told what to do the whole time. Paul says to do it without complaining. What a great example for us. he continues…

“…so that you may become blameless and pure…” I love it when I do something right… finally… and other people are doing wrong and I’m blameless. Like when the teacher walks back into the class and one of the few times I was not standing up on my desk causing trouble and someone else was; it felt so good to be blameless. That is the same feeling we get when we do everything without complaining.

“…children of God…” (remember Ephesians 6?) “…without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life – ” when you carry this attitude; doing everything without complaining, you shine like a star in the darkness that is around you. When other people witness this in your life it becomes the first “bible” they get to read. Paul said it this way another time, “you are a living epistle (an epistle is a letter that Paul wrote. Philippians is an epistle) read by all men.” People are watching how you respond. You can be the bible in living flesh for them.

“- in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.” Seeing this working in your life, means that Paul did not waste his time.

“But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.” As far as we know, Paul never saw the Philippians again. Here he is, fore telling of his death and yet he says “rejoice with me!” Talk about doing everything without complaining! He didn’t just give his life without complaining, he gave it rejoicing. He was either very sick in the head or he found something so worth living for that he would die for it. I am pretty sure it was the latter. That is my prayer for Shoreline.

Don’t forget to post how you are serving people of your community.

Pastor Eric

Vs. 12 “Therefore,…” As you have probably heard someone say, when you see a “therefore”, look and see what it is “there-for.” It is obvious that Paul is continuing a thought he began in verses 1-11. If you want to hear what I have to say about those verses, you can watch yesterdays message on line @ www.shorelinechurch.net.

“…my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – ” Paul has received a report that the Philippians are continuing in the teaching that he brought them even after he has departed.

“…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,…” One might look at this verse at first glance and believe that my salvation is in such a fragile state that one slip up and I could lose it. But I think that you have to couple it with the verse in front of it and the one after it and when you do that, you get a more complete picture of what Paul is saying. Let’s finish with the last part and then look closer at it. “…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

I think here is how it could be summed up: “As you have taken the teachings that I brought you when I was there and you put them into action and I hear that you are still doing that…. continue to do that. Continue to take the teaching that has been deposited on the inside and let that teaching work its way out into your actions… for it is God who gives you the desire to what is right and then the power to do it as well.”

This is amazingly freeing. That God, when I submit my life to the teachings of the bible, will change my desires to match his and then give me the power to live them out. His word can actually change my “want to” and His Spirit empowers my “can do.”

I’ll bet you’ve seen this happen to some area in your life. I’ll also bet that there might be another area where you wish your “want to” was different. Well, have you discovered what the word of God says concerning that area and begun to renew your thinking (Romans 12:1-2) so that what God does on the inside works its way outside?

Eric

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

      Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! 

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and  every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

The challenge for everyone in our church this week is to find where we can serve the people of our community on an individual basis. Where we can perform random acts of kindness and then tell them, “You Got Served,” and then come back here to this website and comment on this post about what they did.

At the end of the week, we should have a good list of how the people of Shoreline have served their community. I look forward to hearing about what was accomplished in this area in the name of Jesus.

E ric

“It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ our of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.”

I like the statement, “what does it matter?” Like, you know, it doesn’t matter, whatever they try to throw at me, God turns it around for good. That’s why Paul could write things like Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

No wonder Paul had such a great attitude, they couldn’t do anything to discourage him. But you know what I find really funny? What kind of thinking says, “Hey, I don’t like this Paul. I sure would like to hurt him. Hey, I know! I’ll start preaching this Jesus cat and people will start getting saved. That’ll really show him.”

Boy, is the devil dumb! But I guess, the important thing is that Christ is preached.

Eric