Keeping A Proper Perspective

Keeping A Proper Perspective

Philippians 4:4-9

October 30, 2005

Morning Service

Introduction

When I was a youth minister, one of my teens had earned his pilot’s license and offered to give me a plane ride. Honestly, I have to admit that I was less than enthusiastic. Here was a young man that didn’t even have his driver’s license and he was going to give me a ride in an airplane. I told Brandon that I would be more than happy to take that plane ride because I thought that it was never really going to happen.

One Sunday morning a few weeks later, I walk in the doors of the church and there’s Brandon with a big smile on his face. “The sky is clear and conditions are great. Today is an awesome day to go flying.” So, I went on that ride and it was great.

As we flew, I noticed several of the gauges and instruments. So, being the inquisitive person that I am I started asking questions about different things and what they were for. One of the gauges was the attitude indicator. The attitude of an airplane determines its nose position. So, if you have a nose up attitude, you’re climbing. If you have a nose down attitude, you’re descending. The attitude of the plane determines whether it’s going up or diving down.

The same is true of the Christian life. There are Christians who exhibit a nose up attitude and their walk with God climbs. Others, have a nose down attitude and dive into some most needless things of life.

It’s been said: Attitude almost always determines your altitude in life.

The attitude that we have as Christians also has a tremendous impact on the vitality and the success of our walk with Christ.

Positive Negative

Possibilities Problems

Opportunities Obstacles

Dreams Difficulties

See the best in people See the worst in people

Move forward Move backward

Praise others Criticize others

One of the greatest challenges in the Christian walk is to remain positive for Christ in a negative and confused world. Our attitude shapes the kind of walk with God that we will experience.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 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.

I. The perspective of joy

The action of rejoicing is allowing your life to be filled with the supernatural joy of heaven. It is allowing God to fill your life with your presence. It is allowing the atmosphere of heaven to flood your soul. To rejoice is to be given an undefinable strength and undefeated gladness. Rejoicing is allowing the unsurpressible spirit of heaven to spill over into every area of your life and then have it overflow to the lives of others. True joy can never be contained and it can never be confined.

When we read these words of Paul to the Philippian church, they seems to ring with an outpouring of true joy. These words just seem to give us a lift and help us to develop a positive Christian attitude. I believe it is vital to remember where Paul was when he penned this letter. He was in prison.

The word chains appears four separate times in the first chapter of Philippians.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 1:7

As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. 13-14

The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 1:17

Paul is either in a Roman dungeon or serving a type of house arrest. He was either chained to a wall in a cell or chained between two Roman soldiers. His plight was obvious to all but still he maintained an amazing attitude.