WEBVTT 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:08.240 This podcast is brought to you by Grant Parkway Patrick. 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:12.400 Helping people to know and glorify God. 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:17.920 For more information about Grant Parkway, visit GrandParkway.org. 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:23.760 Yes, God, you are the name that is above all names. 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:25.039 And you sit on your throne. 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:27.039 Ah, God, we don't have to be scared. 00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:28.399 We don't have to be freaked out. 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:29.600 We don't have to be anxious. 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:31.679 We don't have to live in dread. 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:33.759 Because you sit on your throne. 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:35.600 Nothing catches you off guard. 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:40.240 Nothing is too shocking or wild that you go, oh man, I didn't see that coming. 00:00:40.399 --> 00:00:41.920 And so, Lord, we can have peace. 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:46.719 We can settle our souls and have a non-anxiousness in us because we know who we serve. 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:48.240 We know who's really in control. 00:00:48.399 --> 00:00:51.280 We know who has all the power and authority forever. 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:52.640 And so, God, be with us. 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:53.039 We love you. 00:00:53.119 --> 00:00:54.719 It's in Jesus' name through the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:57.200 And all God's people said, Amen. 00:00:57.759 --> 00:00:59.039 I'll tell you what. 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:02.799 It was a roulette as to what was going to happen. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:10.319 If I was just going to ball on stage with the dedication and then be here and preach, and then you guys are going to see me look like Chris Brooks, it was going to be a whole thing. 00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:13.439 But thankfully, uh I was able to hold this together. 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:15.359 So I'm looking forward to this. 00:01:15.680 --> 00:01:18.799 Hey, if you would do me a favor and turn your Bibles to Philippians 4. 00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:21.359 And while you do that, I'll tell a little story. 00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:27.359 When I was about 10 years old, there was just a whole lot of life changes going on in my life. 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:29.920 And I was just really starting to get freaked out. 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:31.200 I was starting to get in my head. 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:33.280 My oldest brother was going to college. 00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:35.040 I thought I was never going to see him again. 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:36.879 Turned out he came back like every single weekend. 00:01:36.959 --> 00:01:38.319 And I was like, why are you here again? 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:39.760 Come on, go back to college. 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:42.959 But there was just a lot going on, and I was getting really freaked out. 00:01:43.120 --> 00:01:47.920 I ended up having some really serious stomach pain that felt like a knife going through my stomach. 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:53.439 And so my parents took me to doctors, I got scans, all this stuff, but nothing was wrong with me. 00:01:53.680 --> 00:02:06.560 I ended up just realizing that I was causing my physical body harm by being so entrenched in false ways of thinking, in lies, and in fear. 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:09.199 It was causing a psychosomatic response. 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:14.000 My mind was physically hurting my body just because of all the lies that I was telling myself. 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:16.319 There was definitely no peace. 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:18.960 It was a lot more anxiety and fear. 00:02:19.199 --> 00:02:28.240 Now, what I've learned is that is something that is absolutely prevalent in all ages, and it's also prevalent amongst Christians. 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:30.960 We do the same thing in different ways. 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:39.439 We get so fixated on lies that we tell ourselves that we start painting the world around us through this false lens that we're believing. 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:49.759 We start painting people, we start painting world events through this false pretense, and it leads to men and women being consumed in anxiety and fear. 00:02:50.479 --> 00:03:01.439 As all of us would much rather experience peace, something that God does indeed offer to the believer, it is worth us asking the question: well, how do we experience peace? 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:06.639 To find the answer to that question, we're going to be looking at six verses this morning, manageable. 00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:12.800 And so if you would turn to Philippians chapter 4, verses 4 through 9 and read with me. 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:15.520 Rejoice in the Lord always. 00:03:15.680 --> 00:03:17.520 Again, I will say, rejoice. 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:19.759 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:21.199 The Lord is at hand. 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:26.080 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. 00:03:26.240 --> 00:03:33.439 Let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:46.400 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's anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:53.599 What you've learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:57.199 So I'm going to break this passage down into three kind of chunks. 00:03:57.360 --> 00:03:59.759 We're going to talk about what to do when peace is lacking. 00:03:59.919 --> 00:04:02.800 Then we're going to talk about the mindset a believer should have. 00:04:02.960 --> 00:04:07.680 And then I'm going to talk about some practical application steps to go with this passage as we head out those doors. 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:11.840 So, first and foremost, what to do when peace is lacking. 00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:14.479 We're going to go back to verses four through seven. 00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:17.519 Rejoice in the Lord always. 00:04:17.680 --> 00:04:19.120 Again, I will say, rejoice. 00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:21.839 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone, the Lord is at hand. 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:25.839 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:32.639 Let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:33.600 And it's interesting. 00:04:33.759 --> 00:04:41.199 This passage tends to tell us that when peace is lacking, it has nothing to do with our circumstances. 00:04:41.519 --> 00:04:50.560 According to this passage, but honestly, all of Philippians, peace has way more to do with our thought process and our prayer life than anything else. 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:53.040 So let's break these verses down just a little bit by bit. 00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:55.360 And so it says at the very beginning, rejoice in the Lord always. 00:04:55.680 --> 00:04:56.959 Again, I will say rejoice. 00:04:57.199 --> 00:05:04.319 Paul, up to this point in Philippians, has said the word rejoice seven times, and he's also said the word joy five times. 00:05:04.720 --> 00:05:07.920 Philippians is actually known as the letter of joy. 00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:17.600 But if you read through the whole book of Philippians, you actually see that it's kind of hard to see where he's finding such joy, because uh his life has been pretty difficult up to this point. 00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:25.199 I brought a list of examples of things that he has endured just in Philippians alone, maybe. 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:26.879 If not, there it is. 00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:52.800 Haha! All right, so he has expressed that he is in prison, that some of his peers are only preaching Jesus out of rivalry with Paul in order to make him feel bad, that his own execution is a very real possibility, that he has endured different forms of suffering, he has endured a near death of a close friend, he has left behind his former life of prestige, that loved ones have abandoned the faith to satiate their worldly appetites, and he has been dealing with two friends, bickering at one another. 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:54.480 That last one cracks me up. 00:05:55.600 --> 00:06:00.560 Yet after all of this, he still has the ability to end his letter with rejoice. 00:06:00.720 --> 00:06:03.680 In fact, a double command, rejoice, rejoice. 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:05.199 And he doesn't stop there. 00:06:05.360 --> 00:06:08.240 He goes on to say, let your reasonableness be known to everyone. 00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:09.439 The Lord is at hand. 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:34.480 Some of your translations might have uh gentleness or maybe consideration instead of the word reasonable, but Paul wants this church and Philippi to be known well in their culture for being reasonable, for being uh for not having a over-self-importance, but rather uh one of service, one of being even-tempered, one not of being obsessed with their own self and their own rights. 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:35.600 Why? 00:06:36.240 --> 00:06:38.079 Because that's exactly what Jesus did. 00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:41.120 Jesus did not have an over-obsession with himself. 00:06:41.439 --> 00:06:42.399 He served others. 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:47.199 If anybody deserved to be served always nonstop and never have to serve anybody else, it was him. 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:53.920 And yet he lived a model, he modeled a lifestyle of service, of loving others, even those that were actively against him. 00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:59.439 And so, uh, that's what that little phrase, the Lord is at hand, is trying to say. 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:01.199 This little phrase serves two purposes. 00:07:01.360 --> 00:07:05.759 The first is a reminder to the reader that Jesus is indeed the perfect judge. 00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:17.759 And someday, when he sets everything right, he's going to have a hard conversation with those who thought a little too highly of themselves, who uh said, It's all about me and my preferences, and if you're not on board, then you're the enemy. 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:21.920 But second, it's also to remind us that this is exactly how Jesus lived. 00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:27.839 Paul is not asking his audience to do anything that Jesus himself wasn't willing to do. 00:07:28.639 --> 00:07:31.040 But now let's talk about where peace really comes from. 00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:37.439 Look back at verse six, and it says that the peace of God comes from having a lot of money and a lack of problems. 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:39.439 Oh, wait. 00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:42.480 Shoot, that's not what it says. 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:48.480 Uh it says, uh Yeah, it's not that. 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:51.600 It doesn't say the right relationship, it doesn't say a job. 00:07:51.759 --> 00:08:01.839 Instead, it says that the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, maybe said a different way, the the one that's able to just not make any sense, that somebody goes, How are you so peaceful right now? 00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:05.040 Do you not understand what the diagnosis you just received means? 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:07.120 How do you have peace right now? 00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:13.360 Do you not understand that that you have an estranged kid that's that's abandoned the faith and has left his relationship or her relationship with you? 00:08:13.439 --> 00:08:14.720 How do you have peace? 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:25.120 The peace that transcends all understanding comes by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. 00:08:25.360 --> 00:08:27.759 Pay attention to those little words when you're reading scripture. 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:29.519 Those little words will tell you a lot. 00:08:29.759 --> 00:08:39.600 By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, make your requests, not demands, your requests, and the peace of God will be with you. 00:08:40.399 --> 00:08:44.320 I know some of you might be thinking, well, I've prayed for peace and I didn't receive it, so what gives? 00:08:44.480 --> 00:08:46.639 Well, let's clarify with what that means. 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:52.960 Uh, to pray the peace of God, we in order to receive the peace of God, we have to pray right. 00:08:53.519 --> 00:08:55.440 Well, how do we pray right? 00:08:56.000 --> 00:09:03.360 We we do we don't pray in order to show God our list of demands and then say, hey, you need to follow everything that I want you to do. 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:06.080 Otherwise, you're either not good or you're not real. 00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:11.840 No, the reason we pray is because we're acknowledging to ourselves and to God, hey, I'm not in control. 00:09:12.159 --> 00:09:16.960 I don't have the ability to fix this problem, I don't have the ability to change how I want it to. 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:21.919 So I'm trusting that you have a plan and that you're in charge and I'm gonna be okay with that. 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:28.559 We pray to humble ourselves, not to just try to get something out of God like a vending machine. 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:31.120 Now, that word supplication is an interesting one. 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:35.679 It means an urgent request or an excessive address to God. 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:52.240 When our prayers of crying out to God for help are filtered through this lens of confessing his power and his control, his wisdom and plan, we start to think right about God's power, and our situation starts to get a little less hazy and starts to have focus. 00:09:53.360 --> 00:10:01.200 That is what will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus is a thought life and a prayer life that is focused on the things of God. 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:09.279 So, verse 4 through 7 tells us what to do when peace is lacking, but these verses also challenge our understanding of uh peace. 00:10:09.519 --> 00:10:14.000 Peace does not come from our change of circumstances, it is not a self-help thing. 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:18.000 Uh, Philippians is written towards the end of Paul's life. 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:24.000 So, Philippians, there's there's just one or two more letters that he writes after Philippians, and he gave that list that I showed earlier. 00:10:24.240 --> 00:10:28.240 Early on in Paul's life, before he's in prison, he writes first and 2 Corinthians. 00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:34.320 In 2 Corinthians chapter 11, verses 25 through 28, he gives a different list of things that he's gone through. 00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:35.519 I think I have it up here. 00:10:35.679 --> 00:11:06.720 Yes, three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I was adrift at sea, on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers, in toil and hardship through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure, and apart from other things, there is the daily pressure of me, of my anxiety for all the churches. 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:11.120 Paul's life has been anything but easy. 00:11:11.360 --> 00:11:17.679 And yet, he still is able to write Philippians as a letter of joy, of peace. 00:11:18.320 --> 00:11:20.960 So that makes me want to ask a question right here. 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:22.960 Take a quick pause for a question. 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:25.039 Where do you find peace? 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:28.080 Some of us might believe the lie. 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:31.200 If I could just go on another vacation, then I would have peace. 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:34.559 If I could just get that promotion or raise, I'd have peace. 00:11:34.720 --> 00:11:39.600 If my kids would just act the way I wanted to, then I would have peace. 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:50.240 Students, some of you might be thinking, if I could just get into my dream college, if I could just get a boyfriend or a girlfriend, if I could just get married or have kids or a white picket fence, then I would have peace. 00:11:51.200 --> 00:11:53.759 Philippians doesn't say any of that. 00:11:54.080 --> 00:11:56.960 The New Testament doesn't say any of that. 00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:09.039 Rather, as verse 7 says, the peace of God, the one that transcends all understanding, that guards our heart and minds in Christ Jesus, comes from a consistent prayer life of thanksgiving, one of gratitude. 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:11.039 I like that with thanksgiving. 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:14.240 It's not just pray, but pray with thanksgiving. 00:12:14.639 --> 00:12:25.519 And it also says, be anxious, but in all circumstances, by prayer, not just when it's awesome, not just when it's terrible, in every situation that we're to pray with thanksgiving. 00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:37.440 What would change in our lives if we were to have a mindset that is just saturated in thanksgiving, in gratitude in our prayers for what's going on, what God has done up to this point. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:42.720 This is the peace that everybody wants, but very few people ever have. 00:12:43.440 --> 00:12:44.879 Now, why is that? 00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:47.600 Our right thinking should lead to right action. 00:12:47.759 --> 00:12:50.000 Why do so people have that peace? 00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:53.759 It's because uh we actually find the answer in the second half of our passage. 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:57.200 Look back to Philippians for uh chapter 4, verses 8 and 9. 00:12:57.519 --> 00:13:05.039 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever's just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable. 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:17.039 If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things, what you've learned and received and heard and seen in me, and practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:21.200 There are two very important phrases found in these verses. 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:24.799 Think about such things, practice such things. 00:13:25.759 --> 00:13:34.799 I wonder if the reason why so many people are filled with anxiety and fear is because we practice what we actually think about. 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:38.080 Say that again, a little spicy. 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:47.600 I wonder if the reason that there's so much fear in our culture is because we practice what we actually think about, what actually fills our minds, right? 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:51.279 What we need is a mind filled with the things of God. 00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:55.360 And this list in verse eight tells us exactly what that thing what that list should be. 00:13:56.799 --> 00:13:59.759 Despite our circumstances, we need to think about these things. 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:01.759 But I want to make something abundantly clear. 00:14:02.320 --> 00:14:05.919 We do not get to set the standard of the words that Paul has written here. 00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:13.919 Because if we set the standard of it, then it gives us permission to continue to live and think the exact same way that we have been, uh, which is where we got ourselves in the first place. 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:16.639 We let scripture dictate these words. 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:22.559 And so, with all of these words that you're about to see, we need to filter these through how would God think about that? 00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:24.559 So look at me and these definitions. 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:26.720 I like to study these, I think they're helpful to study. 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:31.279 Whatever's true in accordance with fact, what would be fact in God's mind? 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:45.279 Whatever is honorable, worthy, holy, above reproach, whatever's just, right, equitable, whatever's pure, an attribute of divinity and everything belonging to it, whatever is lovely, causing pleasure or delight, pleasing, amiable. 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:48.480 I wonder what God finds delightful, pleasing, and amiable. 00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:52.000 Whatever's commendable, praiseworthy, what would God praise? 00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:58.320 Whatever's excellent, uh excellence in character, exceptional civic virtue, what kind of virtue does God find excellent? 00:14:58.559 --> 00:15:03.200 Whatever, uh if there's anything worthy of praise, admiration or approval, what does God admire? 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:04.879 What does He approve? 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:08.480 These are the things that should saturate, fill our minds. 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:11.919 Uh, and when they do, we're told that the God of peace will be with us. 00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:16.080 So we're gonna look at those two important passages from verses eight and nine. 00:15:16.240 --> 00:15:18.399 The first one, think about such things. 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:20.720 Think about such things. 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:26.559 In order to practice right or to live right, we need to think right. 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:31.200 Sadly, few people ever learn to think right. 00:15:31.919 --> 00:15:37.600 If I was to ask you what fills your mind on a daily basis, I wonder what you would say. 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:49.759 Oftentimes in student ministry, uh, many, I mean, through my near decade of youth ministry now, which is wild, uh, I've had a conversation with students many, many times of I feel lonely, I feel isolated, I feel like people don't care. 00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:54.480 Uh, I just I I don't feel like there's anybody that really knows that I'm even around. 00:15:55.039 --> 00:16:00.879 My goal in that kind of a conversation is not to try to change how they feel, but to change how they think. 00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:11.039 I like to ask a question like, if I was to zoom 30,000, if you were to zoom 30,000 feet out of your life, you were an outsider looking in, do you think that statement would be true? 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:15.039 And oftentimes you'll hear, well, no, not really. 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:18.720 I mean, I have some friends and my parents are all right. 00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:20.559 This church is cool. 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:22.320 Stuff like that. 00:16:22.639 --> 00:16:28.799 When you in there, they're starting to acknowledge, I'm trying to shift their thinking from what they feel to what's true. 00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:32.720 I think that's exactly what Paul is trying to get his audience to do. 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:38.799 Hey, I want you to stop thinking about falsehoods like nobody cares, because that's not true, that's a falsehood. 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:43.919 I want you to stop thinking about that, and I want you to start thinking about this list, these things. 00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:52.399 Now, I uh that's students, but hey, let's pick on one of the uh golden calves in our American culture. 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:57.200 What about those of us that watch CNN or Fox News every single night? 00:16:57.440 --> 00:17:10.799 And we fill our minds with the falsehoods that they're spewing over and over and over again, to where we start thinking everybody on the opposite side of the political aisle from me is at best a moron or at worst evil. 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:14.720 Hey oh. 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:20.640 Uh so uh maybe they deserve to be in jail or heck execution? 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:22.960 Some of us might talk this way. 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:26.000 Some of us might know somebody that talks this way. 00:17:26.240 --> 00:17:35.440 If you know somebody that talks this way, their mind, that is evidence that their mind has been filled with falsehoods, with lies. 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:37.680 What makes me say that? 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:40.000 Put a pin in that. 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:44.000 Here at Grand Parkway, we like to talk about gospel fluency. 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:54.240 We like to talk about this idea that we should be able to understand the scripture, to know how God thinks, so that we can take kind of any thought, plop it in the decoder, and go, oh, I see it clearly. 00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:56.079 Said another way, like a 3D glasses. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:18:00.240 If you've ever seen a 3D movie without the glasses, it's blurry, and you're like, I can't really see what's happening. 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:02.480 And then you put the glasses on and you see it clearly. 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:09.599 Scripture needs to be our 3D glasses that we go, that's true, I can see it crystal clear, that's false, I can see it crystal clear. 00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:14.400 So, how do I say that if we believe anybody on the opposite side of the political aisle than us evil? 00:18:14.559 --> 00:18:17.599 Is because I look at verses like Ephesians 6, 12. 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:29.440 And it reads, For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers over the present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:31.440 Those are not like four different things. 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:33.599 It's that's not talking about physical rulers. 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:36.720 All of those are talking about the spiritual forces of darkness. 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:40.880 So our enemies are not the Democrats. 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:43.680 Our enemy is the devil. 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:46.960 That is the person who is at war with us. 00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:51.039 If you can touch it, it is not your enemy ultimately. 00:18:52.079 --> 00:19:00.480 And so, what is crazy is Paul is writing that letter, Ephesians, to people who are currently getting persecuted and physically killed for their faith. 00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:06.079 And he is still saying, they're not the bad guys, they're not the enemy, they're not the ultimate, the ultimate bad guy. 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:08.319 Spiritual forces of darkness are. 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:10.240 That is what we need to be fighting against. 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:16.559 But for those who are on the opposite side of the political aisle or persecuting us or whatever, we actually need to be like Jesus and love them. 00:19:19.359 --> 00:19:23.119 So my last little whatever. 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:32.079 Believe it or not, every Republican and every Democrat is made in the image of God. 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:35.519 Whoa. 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:43.920 And as that is the case, we should not be spending our mental energy and dinner conversations lamenting about how much we can't stand them. 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:45.839 Rather, we should act like Christ did. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:50.160 Christ showed his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 00:19:50.480 --> 00:19:54.799 Christ was willing to die for the people who said, You're the bad guy, you're the enemy. 00:19:54.960 --> 00:19:56.240 He was willing to die for them. 00:19:56.480 --> 00:20:01.680 And yet some of us would go, I would never have a Democrat in my house for a meal. 00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:03.839 That is a problem. 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:11.359 That is a mind filled with falsehoods, with absolute lies in comparison to the truths of scripture. 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:14.559 So, last part on Think Different, and we'll move on. 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:15.200 Think different. 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:22.640 Uh, when we think about this list, it should also bring up the idea of abstinence from the things that are not in this list. 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:31.519 We should also go, hey, if it doesn't fall under the categories here, maybe it's not in my best interest to pay attention to it. 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:45.599 I've I've had many conversations with people of all different ages, uh, and I just I have a hard time understanding uh why we can't be more selective with our music, with what the TV shows and the movies that we watch, with the books that we read. 00:20:45.839 --> 00:20:54.480 If it flies in the face of the this list, how does it benefit my soul to uh ingest that stuff? 00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:59.759 And I've heard many, many times, well, I don't listen to the lyrics, it's just got a good beat. 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:01.200 It's catchy. 00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:08.079 Look, look, look, I know that there's a whole lot of inappropriate scenes in that TV show, but it's really well written. 00:21:08.640 --> 00:21:09.200 Yeah. 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:11.759 Isn't sin always catchy? 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:14.880 If sin wasn't catchy, I wouldn't do it. 00:21:16.079 --> 00:21:19.839 The stuff that flies in the face of this list is attractive. 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:22.799 It naturally pulls on our sinful desires. 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:26.559 We need to have the wisdom to go, hey, maybe not. 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:34.160 I find that the more mature a believer gets, the more they're a-okay going, I'm good on missing out on that show that everybody's watching. 00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:37.519 I'm okay not listening to that music anymore. 00:21:37.599 --> 00:21:39.440 I don't miss it much anymore. 00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:42.480 So that's think about such things. 00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:50.160 But as Paul starts uh kind of moving from thinking about such things to practice such things, he has this little uh this little uh connecting piece. 00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:59.200 He says, What you have learned and received are both words of teaching, and what you've heard and seen are both words of experience. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.680 Practice such things. 00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:08.000 Practicing our faith is absolutely crucial to our experiencing the peace of God. 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:11.440 I think back to just a couple weeks ago, Hurricane Barrel came through. 00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:28.640 I had about 50, our the student ministry had about 55-ish students go into Rosenberg, help out at Neary's Promise, and we were originally going to just do like a VBS, but instead Neary was like, pivot, let's just make a whole lot of food and feed a whole lot of people that don't have any. 00:22:28.880 --> 00:22:30.400 We're like, heck yeah, let's do it. 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:31.200 That sounds awesome. 00:22:31.359 --> 00:22:38.240 So I took 50, we took 50 plus students into Rosenberg, and we were able to meet people's physical needs and people's spiritual needs. 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:40.799 Every time we handed a meal, we said, could we pray with you? 00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:43.839 And I, as far as I'm aware, I don't think anybody said no. 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:49.359 Every single person accepted that, that, that food, and every single person accepted that uh that prayer. 00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:59.119 And now what was really cool was on Thursday night, which was or Friday night, which is our last night, I had a whole lot of students be like, This is the closest I felt to God in a long, long time. 00:22:59.839 --> 00:23:07.920 This this has produced this was a next step for my whole like faith journey was going and being the hands and feet of Jesus. 00:23:08.160 --> 00:23:13.839 It wasn't another sermon, it wasn't a really cool podcast from some really cool preacher that wears skinny jeans. 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:17.440 I can't fit in skinny jeans, sadly. 00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:24.480 Uh it was serving, it was being the hands and feet of Jesus. 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:30.240 And so action is crucial for a fulfilled life in Christ. 00:23:30.480 --> 00:23:40.799 In Christian circles, one of the traps that we can fall into is just intellectualism of just I'm gonna learn a whole bunch of information, I'm gonna know a whole lot of stuff, and then God's pleased with me. 00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:43.599 I just, I have a hard time with that. 00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:46.480 I don't see that anywhere in the New Testament. 00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:59.599 Um, I think of that like a professional football player who knows every play, who knows every stat, but who's never gotten on the field and actually helped their team like make a touchdown. 00:23:59.839 --> 00:24:02.000 Like, what's the point of that football player? 00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:04.319 Here, I think that it is critical. 00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:06.559 Paul is telling us, hey, you need to think about such things. 00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:09.119 You need to understand how to have a gospel fluency. 00:24:09.279 --> 00:24:11.680 But now let's put it into practice. 00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:19.680 Here at Grand Parkway, one of our Sunday mornings during the second service, uh, our small groups is called Dudes in Doctrine, led by one of our elders, Jeff Wood. 00:24:19.759 --> 00:24:22.400 I called him in preparation for this, I'm not just throwing him under the bus. 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:26.480 Uh, I called him in order to say, uh, to ask if it was cool if I used this. 00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:29.200 He said, Of course, we've been tang, we've been saying this for months. 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:51.839 If all the guys who went to Dudes in Doctrine, and they're learning like nitty-gritty hardcore theology, like stuff that I learned like my third year of seminary, if all of them were leaving, but none of them were thinking, how can I use this to be a better husband, to be a better father, to be a better coworker, to love more like Jesus, then it that class shouldn't exist. 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:53.920 That class shouldn't be there. 00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:55.119 It's not helpful. 00:24:55.279 --> 00:25:03.680 Every one of them should be going, how do I use this to bless other people, to look more like Jesus and help others that don't know him see him more clearly? 00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:09.440 Uh as First Corinthians says, knowledge puffs up, but love builds up, right? 00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:11.200 Love produces action. 00:25:11.839 --> 00:25:14.079 So Paul says, think about such things. 00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:14.880 That's great. 00:25:15.039 --> 00:25:18.400 Do that, it's important, but also do something with it, right? 00:25:18.880 --> 00:25:20.799 Put your faith into practice. 00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:25.359 And finally, and the God of peace will be upon you. 00:25:28.160 --> 00:25:30.480 Peace is not a thing that just happens. 00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:35.359 It's not something we can buy, it's not a self-help ritual, right? 00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:44.240 It is an attribute of God, it is a part of his character, one of the many gifts he believes he gives to the believer. 00:25:44.480 --> 00:25:58.240 And with a proper understanding, that peace infiltrates every part of the believer so that even when we receive really scary news, it's not to say that we don't feel that fear, but we're also able to go, hey, I feel it, but I have a peace that supersedes it. 00:25:58.400 --> 00:25:59.519 I know who's in control. 00:25:59.680 --> 00:26:01.279 I don't have to be afraid. 00:26:02.640 --> 00:26:08.559 So my next question for us to ponder is this How does what you think about impact your life? 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:28.640 If you constantly think about what other people have, you're doom scrolling on social media and you're only thinking, man, I wish I could get to go on those trips, I wish I had a family like that, I wish I looked like that, you're naturally going to start practicing envy, jealousy, contempt, making you a far less enjoyable person. 00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:48.720 If you're constantly filling your head with awful TV shows, The Bachelor, you will naturally find yourself, sorry, I had a little tickle in my throat, you will naturally find yourself twisting and contorting what actual romance is, what a healthy marriage ought to be, what people of character look like. 00:26:50.000 --> 00:27:14.160 But if you find yourself filling your mind with scripture, I use this phrase in student ministry all the time, capital T truth, the truth of scripture, with honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy things, I promise you a life of consequence and a life of peace will flow from a thought life like that, even if your circumstances are not peaceful. 00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:17.680 So that's some application, some homework. 00:27:18.079 --> 00:27:22.960 I mean, it'd be pretty ridiculous if I was to say all this and then I didn't give you anything to go try to do this week, right? 00:27:23.039 --> 00:27:24.480 That's kind of the whole point of this passage. 00:27:24.640 --> 00:27:25.599 So, some homework. 00:27:25.680 --> 00:27:29.920 Hey, I want you to think uh with these two phrases, think about such things, practice such things. 00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:31.839 I have an ho I have a homework for both of them. 00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:33.200 For think about such things. 00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:46.160 Hey, I want you guys this week uh to practice saying no to another night in front of the news or video games or doom scrolling on TikTok, whatever your vice is. 00:27:46.400 --> 00:27:50.480 And I want you to practice this idea of prayer uh with Thanksgiving. 00:27:50.559 --> 00:27:51.440 Go find a loved one. 00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:54.640 It could be a spouse, a parent, a kid, a friend, whomever. 00:27:54.799 --> 00:27:55.599 Find a loved one. 00:27:55.680 --> 00:28:00.240 And I want you to have a night where you're praying just about Thanksgiving. 00:28:00.559 --> 00:28:05.839 All the things that I know that we're praying about, the fears that we have, the troubles we're going through, totally understandable. 00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:07.759 God knows those things and he's in control. 00:28:07.920 --> 00:28:11.119 Sometime this week, I want you to have a prayer just of Thanksgiving. 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:14.480 God, I'm so thankful for what you've done so far in my life. 00:28:14.640 --> 00:28:17.359 That I'm here, that I've got breath in my lungs. 00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:24.160 Thank you for my family, thank you for a roof over my head, thank you for food in my fridge, whatever it is, pray for Thanksgiving. 00:28:24.319 --> 00:28:27.519 Fill your mind with gratitude for what God has done for you. 00:28:28.319 --> 00:28:32.799 My second piece of homework uh is this uh with the practice such things. 00:28:33.039 --> 00:28:37.279 This one is a little bit more ambiguous because it's gonna be a little different for each one of us in the room. 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:42.400 Some of us, this one might be a small shift, others, this might be a massive cataclysmic shift in our life. 00:28:42.559 --> 00:28:47.440 But I want you to think about where do I need to practice what I know to be true about God? 00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:49.599 For some of us, it might be like hospitality. 00:28:49.839 --> 00:29:00.640 Um, man, I've got a I've got a home, I've got food, uh, I need to be more open with what I have, inviting people, inviting coworkers, friends, loved ones, strangers, not maybe strangers, maybe crazy. 00:29:00.799 --> 00:29:01.839 Um, whatever. 00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:04.000 I want to invite them in, I want to love them like Jesus. 00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:04.960 It's great. 00:29:05.279 --> 00:29:08.880 For others of you, uh, I want you to think about what would it look like? 00:29:08.960 --> 00:29:11.599 Is there something that I need to get plugged in and serve at? 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:15.039 Um, a third one, a repentance is a practice. 00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:16.799 Repentance is absolutely a practice. 00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:18.880 There might be something that you need to repent from. 00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:24.319 Maybe you're building, you've had contempt in your mind for somebody, maybe for a group. 00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:26.880 Shout out shout out to the political zealots in the room. 00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:34.880 And there needs to be a repentance of the falsehoods you've been believing and acting out of and turning towards the truth of scripture. 00:29:35.519 --> 00:29:46.400 And finally, I want to do a reminder to all of us that peace is not something uh it's not something that we can just get or master or whatever. 00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:49.359 I've said it, I think, three times now because I wanted to sit in. 00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:53.200 It is not a self-help ritual, it comes from God. 00:29:53.759 --> 00:29:57.599 Many of us are going through extremely difficult seasons with sleepless nights. 00:29:57.759 --> 00:29:59.440 I know Paul was in the same boat. 00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:07.039 This passage gives us hope that we can experience peace in the midst of those circumstances, not just when they're done and over. 00:30:07.839 --> 00:30:16.079 So, our two major thoughts for the morning were this uh when peace is lacking, pray with gratitude, remembering that God is in control. 00:30:16.319 --> 00:30:22.720 And then uh the second was fill your minds with the things of God, uh, think right, and then act right. 00:30:22.960 --> 00:30:25.039 Practice those things. 00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:29.440 I started off this morning talking about a stomach pain I had when I was real young. 00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:35.279 To this day, when I get overly anxious or freaked out, I actually still get that exact same stabbing stomach pain. 00:30:35.359 --> 00:30:37.119 And it's a great physical reminder. 00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:39.839 Ian, I think you're taking yourself too seriously. 00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:42.880 I think, I think you need to chill out. 00:30:43.119 --> 00:30:46.240 I think you need to realign your thoughts and your actions with God. 00:30:46.720 --> 00:30:49.680 It's not a fun feeling, but it is a helpful feeling. 00:30:49.759 --> 00:30:56.240 Uh, and so I am saying this to you guys: how do we realign our thoughts and our actions towards God? 00:30:56.880 --> 00:31:00.799 So let me say, uh, well, actually, I we oh, hey yo. 00:31:01.119 --> 00:31:06.720 Uh we like to give you guys a little bit of time at the end of service to contemplate a little bit of what you've heard here. 00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:14.160 Uh, and so there's going to be some worship music in the background, but then we're gonna give you all a couple of minutes to just read through uh some mental worship questions. 00:31:14.319 --> 00:31:17.039 In a couple of minutes, I'll come back out and close us out. 00:31:20.400 --> 00:31:27.599 While ascending back there, another thought came to my mind when it comes to the application of practice such things and repentance. 00:31:27.839 --> 00:31:36.240 Um, something just came to my mind of hey, there's probably some people that have repentance with that they need to have some repentance with somebody else in the room. 00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:47.039 If there's somebody else that you've just been harboring resentment, contempt, thinking about conversations you had and how you would have just obliterated them if you had it, if you could do it over again. 00:31:47.759 --> 00:31:58.880 I think that your practice this week needs to be to go have a conversation, ask for forgiveness about the way you've been thinking about them in your mind, punishing them in your mind, and trying to restore that relationship. 00:31:59.119 --> 00:32:00.079 Fair enough. 00:32:00.960 --> 00:32:01.359 Cool. 00:32:01.440 --> 00:32:02.799 Let me say a prayer for us. 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:06.319 God, thank you so much for this morning. 00:32:06.480 --> 00:32:10.880 Thank you for the privilege of getting to open up your word, gathering in public. 00:32:11.200 --> 00:32:14.640 This is something that not everybody gets to do around the world. 00:32:14.799 --> 00:32:27.200 There are several, several countries that they have to meet in secret, but here we are, beautiful building, getting to have worship, getting to meet with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and hear the goodness of Jesus Christ poured out for us. 00:32:27.519 --> 00:32:28.799 God, be with us. 00:32:29.039 --> 00:32:40.400 Continue to shape our minds to think like you think, and continue to shape our hands and our feet to serve, to act, to do as you do, to live in love like Jesus Christ. 00:32:40.720 --> 00:32:41.279 We love you. 00:32:41.359 --> 00:32:42.960 It's in Jesus' name through the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:32:43.039 --> 00:32:45.119 And all God's people said, Awesome. 00:32:45.279 --> 00:32:50.160 Hey, I've got a couple of quick announcements for you guys, uh, and then I will get y'all out of here. 00:32:50.240 --> 00:32:52.799 So, hey, if you are a guest with us, hello. 00:32:52.880 --> 00:32:53.759 It's so good to see you. 00:32:53.839 --> 00:32:54.559 I'm glad you're here. 00:32:54.720 --> 00:32:56.960 Uh, I am not the senior pastor, I'm too young for that. 00:32:57.039 --> 00:32:59.359 Uh, but hey, uh, I'm the youth pastor. 00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:02.720 Uh, you, uh we would love for you to text welcome to the number on the screen. 00:33:02.799 --> 00:33:10.720 It would just let us know that you made it, uh, that we are able to follow up with you and just see if there's any way that we could uh be a blessing to you and on your journey. 00:33:10.880 --> 00:33:18.960 Uh, second, if today is the day that you worship God through obedience or generosity in the form of giving, you'll see some really cool wooden boxes at each of the exits. 00:33:19.119 --> 00:33:23.440