Theme: Think and Practice Truth
Text: Philippians 4:1-9
The Lord is good and his love endures forever. I greet you all in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Introduction to Philippians: Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians from the prison cell. Paul chained for the gospel. He was thinking about the Churches which he had established and visited during his missionary activities. He was troubled and perplexed about the issues in various congregations as they grew. He was pained to know the moral issues, power struggles and diluted concentration on the gospel activities among the believers and his trusted comrades. So, he wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon from the Prison around 60-62 AD.
Though this letter is a positive letter with words of encouragement to Philippians, yet there were issues that he had to address through his testimony and citing the kenosis theory of Christ. The theme of our sermon: ‘think and practice the truth’. The passage from Philippians 4:1-9 contained the ideas of practical truths. It means handling truth practically and experimenting with the truth intra-personally and inter-personally daily basis.
Three things we have to do in the Lord. Stand firm in the Lord, Be bonded in the Lord and Rejoice in the Lord. Here, we will interchangeably use the words The Truth and The LORD. These are the same for our meditation and practical life.
1. Stand Firm in the Lord (Vv. 1, 8-9)
Keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honourable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always (Philippians 4:8-9-TPT). Fill your minds with beauty and truth (ref: The Voice).
Think and practice the truth is being truthful in words and deeds. Humanity struggles to find persons of coordination of mind and actions, thought converted into action. We have people with imbalances in it, and we positioned on various occasions.
Is it not true that our thoughts had determined our action? Our mind has directed the organs to do what was in the mind blog. Everyday decisions we make affect our health and life in general. Thoughts feelings determine the actions.
Before instructing to Stand firm in Lord, Paul had explained his experience with Judaism and its doctrines. Paul had inscribed how he threw them as dust and dung and pursued the power of Christ overcoming death (Philippians 3:7-8). He warned the Philippians not to be like the men who serve their bellies and enjoy self-glory by setting their mind on earthly things. Standing firm means hearing the words of God and acting on them (Matthew 7:24-25).
Paul told them to fix their minds on the things which are holy and right and pure and beautiful and good. Model their conduct on what they have learned from him (ref: Phillips Translation). Do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned (Ref: The MSG).
A study reveals that there is a relationship between thoughts and emotions in guiding habitual and nonhabitual behaviour. Thought was necessary to prompt action, which leads to the behaviour of a person. (Wendy Wood, Jeffrey M Quinn, Deborah A Kashy: Habits in everyday life: thought, emotion, and action).
The fallen angel and many fallen saints stories reveal the truth that their thoughts preceded their act of disobedience, sin and wickedness. Action is the by-product of the mind. For example., the eyes saw and send the desire to the mind to work on it before it could execute in the form of the actions. Lucifer, Eve and Achan all were on the same boat (Lucifer - Isaiah 14:12-15, Eve - Genesis 3:6 2 Corinthians 11:3, Achan - Joshua 7:21).
‘Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ(1 Peter 1:13). ‘For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness’ (Mark 7:21-22). The manner of life is the result of the mind (Ephesians 4:22-24). Therefore, set the mind on the things of the spirit (Romans 8:5-7).
2. Be bonded in the Lord (Vv. 2-3)
I plead with Euodia, and I urge Syntyche to agree in the Lord. I request you to settle your disagreement and be restored with one mind in our Lord, to make up your differences as Christians should! Please put aside your differences, agree, and work together in the Lord (Philippians 4:2 -TPT, Phillips, Voice).
The fight between the two women was an example of the situation of Christendom. It is the successful device Satan used throughout the centuries.
Paul describes both of them as people who have struggled together with him in the work of the gospel. There came a conflict, or may not be, and it might have been just different views, different positions. The difference is a fact of life. But, they also need to be together for a common purpose. Their differences should not hinder them from working together for the common good.
Three times Paul uses compound words that begin with syn– (together) in this text (synambanou, synethlesan, synergon). This sense of togetherness is a way of life rather than a system of thought. It refers to an attitude that welcomes and works with others.(Ref:workingpreacher.org/Ekaputra Tupamahu, Assistant Professor of New Testament).
Always common interest is greater than any personal interest. “And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Matthew, 12:25).
The fight within the believers is the strategy of Satan to divide the house. Jesus told the truth that if a house city and an army divided, they will never succeed, but the enemy would easily overpower them. The followers of Christ are fighting within themselves rather than together and let the enemy win over them.
History reveals that kings of Judah and kings of Israel had fought against one another. They utilised the help of the Assyrians against one another. Finally, both kingdoms had fallen. The enemies became emperors over them. They became slaves and scattered over the nations. There was continual war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam (I Kings 12:24, 2 Chronicles 13:20). Abijah and had war with Israel (1 Kings 15:1-8). Asa became king of Judah had constantly at war with Israel (1 Kings 15:9-16). King Asa of Judah forged an alliance with Ben-Hadad, the King of Aram (based at Damascus in Syria), who conquered the northern parts of Israel around Dan and Kinnereth (the Sea of Galilee)(1 Kings 15:17-34). Instead of expanding their empire they fought with one another and lost everything to the idol worshippers.
Disunity, disagreements among disciples led them to deny, distance from Christ. We must understand that most churches experience the conflict of one sort or another.
There are at least two reasons for that conflict: First, people tend to form different opinions—and it is easy for us to believe that we are right and everyone else is wrong. Second, the church is at war with the kosmos—the secular world—the world that is opposed to God. The kosmos world is always trying to subvert the gospel by persuading Christians to adopt kosmos standards. We sometimes succumb to kosmos values. ( ref:sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary).
It is all too common for believers to divide and hold grudges against each other. Satan wants to promote disunity. We must be vigilant and work hard to maintain unity (Ephesians 4:1). Part of that is being alert to any issues and then dealing with them quickly. Jesus instructed and demanded unity at the cost of even leave their gifts at the altar and seek reconciliation with their brothers. People have no hope to live in unity without the Lord. We have too many sins, too many differences, and too many different opinions. Yet with the Lord, all things are possible, and we can truly be one. (ref:studyandobey.com).
Abraham Lincoln June 16, 1858, said: "A house divided against itself, cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved. I do not expect the house to fall, but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other".
3. Rejoice in the Lord (Vv. 4-7)
Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life. Let your joy overflow! Celebrate God all day and revel in Him every day and every season (Philippians 4:4). Rejoice doesn’t mean that there wouldn’t be any problem, defeat, struggle but we will have a way to escape from all these. The way out is Prayers. The alternative to worry is prayer and petition with thanksgiving. Take everything to the Lord in prayer. Inform or make known to God through prayers, petitions and supplications. The perfect mind trusts in the Lord, and He keeps them in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).
God commands us to rejoice. It is not a suggestion. By God’s grace, we can rejoice even amid great trials or difficulties. Joy is a decision and determination in the Lord. It is stable and unrelated to circumstances for a believer. ‘Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails, and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour’ (Habakkuk 3:17-18). The Creator of the universe, King of Kings and Lord of Lords cares deeply about you as an individual. He showed it through Christ’s death on the cross. God is not an impersonal force. He is not a distant observer. He is watching you closely. He has a plan for you. (ref:studyandobey.com).
What you feel when you take action has an impact on your vibration and your intentions—and these are the things to which the universe around you is constantly responding. Combining the amazing power of thought with your conviction that action moves you towards your goals, you are most likely to believe that you can get what you want from life.
Lao Tzu: “Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your action, it becomes your habit; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” (ref: goodreads.com/quotes).
