Sermon Tone Analysis

| * Philippians 13.*Here we are, the third of March, we are already in to Autumn, but there is still some hot weather ahead of us.

In fact we have had some real scorchers this summer.

I do not handle the high temperatures that well – once it gets above 25o C. I wither.

The good thing about have an 11 year old daughter who loves the water, is that I have an excuse for having a decent sized paddling pool *[P]*.

When it gets above 25o C, I am in, cooling down.

The only trouble is when you get in, it is not only you – there is grass and dirt on your feet, flying things land in, leaves from the trees.

It is a continual job keeping the water clear.

You just leave that pool a few days over summer and it starts to go green, leave it too long it begins to smell, paramecium start to grow.

So to keep out all the muck, the pool has a filter *[P]*.

A pump sucks water draws it through a filter, the muck gets caught in the filter and only pure water ends up going back into the pool.

Not an advanced concept – we have filters everywhere, air-filters and oil-filters in our cars.

We know the importance of keeping out the dirt – it can end up causing real damage.

It is even more important to keep the dirt out of our minds and hearts – watch out to keep the muck out, because it is in the very atmosphere all around us where we live!

So I want to talk about filters today – a filter we find in Scripture.

For Scripture says: [*Proverbs 4:23*/ Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life./]

You will recall that Paul in the letter he wrote to the church in Philippi addressed the issue of two women in the fellowship, who were mature believers, yet they weren’t getting along *[P]*.

This issue may well have been the whole reason for writing the letter – the church was in danger of being divided.

All the issues that Paul had spoken about so far could well have been preparation for dealing with this matter: He emphasized being of one mind *[P]*; humbling serving others, laying aside your interests for the sake of others *[P]*; and there is a repeated emphasis on rejoicing *[P]*.

These would preclude any kind of personal animosity and division.

Paul is addressing practical matters, there is a series of seemingly unrelated commands and exhortations – but when seen in the context of this disagreement within the fellowship, they all make sense and are related.

We saw last time that Paul gave the formula for handling the situation: *[P]* “/in everything”/ (so it in fact applies to any situation) He tells us not to be anxious but: “/by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus./”

We call upon God to resolve the situation, not worrying about it, but trusting Him.

Supernatural peace that comes from God Himself will guard our hearts and minds.

God’s peace guards our mind – He does a miracle!

But there is also the part we must play.

*[P]* [*Philippians 4:8-9*/ Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you./]

The same outcome: the peace of God.

His peace guards our mind but also we must guard it; dwell on what is true, honourable, right, what is pure, lovely, of good repute, what is excellent and worthy of praise.

Paul begins (Phil 4:8) with: “Finally” – again!

Paul had said “finally” back in (Phil 3:1) – and Paul is not finished yet!

“/finally/” does not necessarily signal the end is near; it just signals that he is moving on to other matters, it does not mean this is the last thing he has to say.

Paul had been addressing the situation between these two women; now he is moving on to other things: general instructions for the whole fellowship.

He provides some important guidelines here about how we are to think and act.

They are guidelines, not rules – he has intentionally avoided a legalistic, narrow set of parameters.

Nonetheless, the boundaries he sets are firm and sure.

But although he is moving on from addressing the situation between Euodia and Syntyche; what he says makes a lot of sense in terms of the context of disagreement he had just addressed.

Notice all the “/whatever’s/” *[P]* – if Paul had said, “/Think only about things that are true, honourable, and right/,” we would be left with a checklist to follow.

It would essentially be a negative command, telling us not to think about things that did not meet the criteria.

Instead, he has us conjure up a boundless set of items that fit positive criteria.

His /whatever is/ statement is like a fill-in-the-blank exercise.

As long as it fits one of the criteria, you’re good to go! Paul does not say, “Don’t do this, don’t do that, and don’t do this other thing.”

Such a list would quickly become outdated, and we would be saying, “That doesn’t apply to me today.”

By keeping his list general, Paul makes his message timeless.

Something that is true and pure could be found in any culture or time period.

Our imagination is the only limitation—other than the standards he sets.

And this is where we come to the filter I was talking about: *[P]* *What’s your filter?*

Paul’s series of /whatever/ statements serve as a grid to filter what we should dwell upon.

It eliminates the negative influences without hindering the flow of the positive ones.

The eight criteria that Paul provides should serve as a grid for the kinds of things we ought to think about.

Instead of providing a finite list of do’s and don’ts, Paul provides principles that should guide our behaviour.

“Rules are many, principles are few.

Rules change, principles never do.”

At school I was no good at languages because you had to learn great long lists of vocab; I preferred maths – you learnt a principle; once you got that, all you had to do was apply it for whatever the problem was.

Principles are not only easier to remember because of their limited number, but they are also timeless—if properly formulated, they always apply.

If you tried to comprehensively list what should or should not be done, you will inevitably leave out something important.

Even if you could successfully list /everything/, at some point things will change, there will be a situation that falls outside the bounds of your list.

Although there are advantages to principles compared to rules, there is also a downside – you have to apply them – not simply follow the rules but think about a how they work out in your situation.

Principles do not have right and wrong answers, but are more along the lines of good, better, and best.

Although the New Testament has specific prohibitions we might characterize as rules, more often the truths of Scripture are framed as timeless principles that must be wisely implemented.

Paul provided a grid for deciding what kinds of things we ought to do versus not do.

He avoids a specific list by giving four guidelines: /what you have learned, received, heard about, and seen in me/.

*[P]* He sets his own life as a standard, as an example to follow.

In each situation they were to ask the question: “What did Paul do or teach us to do?” What about us?

How can we know what Paul would do when we have never met the guy?

We see and hear about Paul’s ministry in the book of Acts; we learn and receive teaching from him by studying his letters.

We see his ministry advice for handling issues that arise in the church, his personal counsel to Timothy and Titus, his praise of his fellow workers – all this helps us to discern his values and decision-making processes.

Looking to what Paul would do inevitably directs us back to Jesus—the Author and Perfector of our faith – as Paul said: [*1 Corinthians 11:1*/ Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ./]

Jesus is another strong proponent of principles over rules.

Many of His debates with the religious leaders could be characterized as moving them beyond rules to the principles that underlie them.

We find safety in rules, even if we don’t manage to keep them.

If we have a list of rules we can use them to live by, direct our own life; but God does not intend for us to do it ourselves – He intends for us to walk in relationship – to be led by His Holy Spirit, rely on Him in each situation.

What we do is determined by what we think.

Instead of a list rules about what we should do, Paul goes even further back to what we think?

We have a list, not of rules, but a filter that helps guard our mind, direct our thinking.

We need the mind to the Spirit.

We can have our minds set on the flesh of on the Spirit: [*Romans 8:5-6*/ For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace/.]

Paul directs us as to what our minds should be fixed upon.

Thoughts come at us from every which way – some we are good, others we should not entertain – but which?

Well, is it: true?

Is it honourable?

Right?

Pure?

Lovely?

If so you allow through, you let your mind dwell on that – filtering out all this rubbish – what is false, dirty, corrupt, shameful.

Rather than forbidding the bad, the focus is on the good.

Let’s look at how these principles to apply to our thought life: Whatever is: *True:* *[P]* (ἀληθής) = in accordance with historical fact.

How much of our time is taken up considering what is not even true what is not reality.

My sister gave me a crazy DVD for Christmas: “Galaxy Quest”.

It’s all about these aging actors who, years ago, were in a popular science fiction TV series – they acted the part of people fighting for good in universe in their space ship.

But some aliens from out of space intercepted the TV transmissions and thought that this TV series was for real, like newsreel.

They saw these great heroes, and thought that they could solve their problem.

So they took these actors up into space to rescue them.

They had no concept of fiction, they thought that it was true – deception was not a concept they could comprehend.

The moment of truth came when the actors had to admit that actually they had pretended, were just acting; that they had lied!

You stop and think about it, the books we read, the movies we watch – it is fiction, it isn’t true!

Not that there is anything wrong with that, I’m not against fiction – but just how much of our time is spent considering that which is not true at all.

We have portrayed a way of living before our eyes – and we see it so often we come to accept it as true!