I received an email this past Wednesday that asked if I knew anything about Tachyon energy. Tachyon energy is supposedly some form of energy, when channeled into us, brings peace, joy and health. If you’ve done any reading about the new age movement, the Tachyon website and links contained practically all the characteristics of a new age scam. While the new age is a repackaging of the eastern philosophies with western science, many Americans are buying into this scientific spirituality.
We live in a complicated and hurting world where many try to find help to stop the pain, the meaninglessness and the guilt, while others either are trying to offer help or make a profit from our broken dreams and emptiness. As a result, many of us, Christians included, are having a hard time discerning our world, what is true and what is false. Unfortunately, some of the help offered will create even more damage to our thinking and practice than any help promised.
Many simply want what medicates and stops the pain and gives us hope, and for some, even false hope will do for the moment. Many work at developing more self-esteem; for others, creating financial success. When the pain from a lack of meaning bleeds through the bandages of self-esteem and financial success, other forms of self-effort take over. Those who claim that we are gods along the path of maturity are disguising control that seeks desperately to heal oneself.
Still others turn to relationships, one after another, and eventually, one kind of relationship after another. Happiness and escaping any discomfort become the goals in life. These goals are not new; in fact, many of the man-made solutions are also not new. The attempts to ignore, deny, control, and redefine our aching lack of fulfillment are simply not working. God will simply not be ignored, denied, controlled or redefine, because the Bible tells us that apart from God we can do nothing.
The Bible tells us to humble ourselves and admit our brokenness and inability to save ourselves. The Bible tells us to turn from our own ways and to receive God’s solution through Jesus Christ. And the Bible tells us to discipline our minds and lives according to God’s instruction and standard. Yet, to many, the Bible seems too old fashion in an age of immediate gratification and too limiting in a world with untold options. Many rationalize that since we can satisfy our physical hunger in seconds, why not our emotional and spiritual hunger? Since we have so many options in the vending machines and the pharmacies, why can we not also choose our solution to save ourselves?
This morning, we will look at some final instructions Paul gives to the Christians in Philippi, and instructions that will help us, to discern our world. How do we discern whether the philosophies of our culture and time are helpful or destructive? And for many of us who are concerned about being obedient to God, how do we respond in the face of teachings and influences that are not clearly addressed in the Bible, especially those that have come after the writing of the Bible?
Let me read for us Philippians 4:8-9, and find there three guides for discerning our world.
FIRST, Paul calls the Philippians, and I would call us, to choose from the world that which is morally excellent and worthy of God’s praise. We see this in verse 8.
You need to know Paul’s list of characteristics for the Philippians to think about, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and whatever is admirable, is not found in any of his other letters or the writings of Jewish or Christian teachers of his time. Nevertheless, three of the six characteristics, truth, righteousness and purity, are godly virtues found in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Yet, such a total list of moral characteristics is very common in the Greek moral teachings of the Philippians’ day and culture.
As you remember, the Philippians lived in a Greco-Roman culture, and they were surrounded by Greek and Roman religious and philosophical teachings day in and day out. One of Paul’s final words of instruction for the Philippians was not, "Build a monastery and stay away from everyone who does not share your Christian views."
Instead, Paul demonstrated the need to choose from the world’s philosophy that which is morally excellent and worthy of God’s praise. Unfortunately, many of us choose what is easy, quick, pleasurable and comfortable rather than what is morally excellent and worthy of God’s praise or approval.
A link from the Tachyon website, called Peace 21, taught that we can bring peace to the entire world by visualizing ourselves holding hands with everyone around the world. Such is an easy and comfortable philosophy that does not require us to dig into our check books, roll up our sleeves and think up creative solutions to resolving the world famines, diseases, disasters and evils done by one to another.
God’s Word in James 2:16 tells us, "If one of you says to him, ’Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.’"
We are too often attracted to quick-fix and self-pleasing philosophies. Neither are criteria from which Paul would choose nor should they be criteria for our discerning what is helpful and what is destructive in our world.
An example of a philosophy whereby we can choose portions from is the positive thinking movement. We need to recognize that our thoughts have powerful influence over our perception and behaviors. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale has helped many to take responsibility for their thoughts and actions. In his book, The Power of Positive Thinking, he encourages people to pray and depend on God, and all of these we need to do.
Unfortunately, the book is obsess with happiness as a goal for life, and that is a wrong purpose for living, and thus causes much frustration. Furthermore, many others in the positive thinking and human potential movement have left God out of the picture and taught that people are gods who are in control of their own destiny. Such philosophy leaves their practitioners without answers when they face life’s hurts and limits.
Please understand I am not recommending the writings of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. As with Paul, I am demonstrating how we can discern whether certain philosophies are helpful or destructive. When faced with an unfamiliar philosophy, we need to ask ourselves, "Is this morally excellent? And would God approve of this?" Not, "Is this going to help me gain financial success and achieve happiness?" The latter two criteria are not evil, but they are terrible criteria for wise discernment.
You can apply the questions "Is this morally excellent and would God approve of this?" to the pro-choice and pro-abortion philosophy of our day. You can apply these criteria to the evolution philosophy of our day. You can apply these criteria to all the self-help philosophy and popular psychology of our day. You can apply these criteria to the marriage philosophy of our day. You can apply these criteria to any philosophy you are uncertain about. If you want a sure philosophy for life, study the Bible to discover the enduring truths of God’s word.
SECOND, Paul calls the Philippians, and I would call us, to practice what is taught and lived out by ones who are approved by God. We read this in the first part of verse 9.
Paul is not only giving us criteria for discernment, but he is giving us evidence for discernment. He called the Philippians to receive and practice what they have learned from him, what they have heard about him and seen in him. Discernment is not simply an exercise in the mind, but discernment can be observed in a life lived out well.
Maybe you’ve listened to the news of the Senate hearings regarding John Ashcroft? Have you noticed those who attacked and opposed him have very different life philosophies? Many of them are pro-choice and are not God-fearing individuals. They attack John Ashcroft’s religious and philosophical beliefs, but they have no evidence of fault or failure in his political and personal life. On the other hand, those who attacked him are filled with political, relational, moral and personal failures in life.
Paul is calling us to discern our world not based only on philosophy of thought, but on the outcome of life lived based on those philosophies. Our world has a way of glorifying evil and dulling moral excellence and what is approved by God. Television and movies glorify sex outside of marriage and give no attention to the rewards of a life-long marriage commitment.
Yet, when we observe those involved in the practice of the free-sex philosophy, we discover many related issues that are troubling, such as drug abuse, physical abuse, lacking fulfillment in life, sexually transmitted diseases and chronic dishonesty. On the other hand, when we observe those involved in life-long marriage commitment, we discover many rewards, such as emotional security, fulfillment in life, honesty and integrity, healthy relational behavior, success in other areas of life and enjoyment of family support. But we rarely if ever see the true outcome of either lifestyle in prime-time television or box-office movies.
I challenge us to put into practice what we have learned and received, heard and observed in those who are living lives approved by God. Observe how these people handle their money and enjoy freedom from debt and worry. They are people who work honestly, give generously, save and spend wisely. Observe how these people handle their relationships and enjoy the love of friends and family. They are people who are concerned about other people’s interest, serve others, speak the truth in love and are responsible for self and to God.
Observe how these people handle their mistakes and recover with greater accomplishments. They are people who admit their failure, turn to God and those invovled to ask for forgiveness, do what they can to correct the wrong, and receive peace from God when the opportunity is not present to correct the wrong.
FINALLY, Paul calls the Philippians, and I would call us, to choose a relationship with the God of peace over any philosophy or system that only promises peace. We read this in the second part of verse 9.
The phrase, "And the God of peace will be with you" is not the conclusion to a formula of right thinking and right action. This phrase is a benediction, a word of blessing, that calls us to receive the God of peace. Paul is reminding us that life is about a right relationship with the God of peace and not about philosophies and systems that bring us temporary power and peace. While all religions in the world are about human beings’ attempt to find and have peace with God, Christianity is about God’s solution to religion.
The God of peace provided a way, through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. If we receive God’s provision through trusting in Jesus Christ’s work on the cross, we have peace with God. The Word of God in Romans 4:25 to 5:1 tells us, "He (that is Jesus Christ) was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified through trusting (in Christ’s work on the cross), we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Let me read from a translation of the 25th chapter of the Tao Te Ching, the Chinese Taoist Bible:
There is a being, wonderful, perfect;
It existed before heaven and earth.
How quiet it is!
How spiritual it is!
It stands alone and is does not change.
It moves around and around, but does not on this account suffer.
All life comes from it.
It wraps everything with its love as in a garment, and yet it claims no honor, it
does not demand to be Lord.
I do not know its name, and so I call it Tao, the Way, and I rejoice in its power.
The Word of God in John 14:6 tells us, "Jesus answered, ’I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’"
The Taoist sought the Way, but knew not His name. We know His name. His name is Jesus, and Paul in the earlier chapter 2, verses 6-11 reminded us of the humbleness of Christ,
"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."
How do we discern our world? Choose from the world that which is morally excellent and worthy of God’s praise and practice what is taught and lived out by ones who are approved by God. And don’t forget to receive the God of peace, through Jesus Christ.
