"Thinking" Biblically (Part 1)

Thank you.

What's your greatest fear?

What is the most frightening thought that's ever crossed your mind?

You know, I'd never thought of that kind of question until recently.

Everybody has certain things they're afraid of.

Everybody deals with certain kinds of fears.

What's your greatest fear?

Well, I read something that helped me to know how to answer that question.

D.A. Carson, the New Testament scholar, made this statement.

It always makes me fearful to remember that God knows my thoughts.

Hebrews 4.13 reminds us,

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.

Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Now, I want you to look at what that verse is saying.

Think about it.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight.

Some translations make that more personal and say no creature is hidden from God's sight.

I think this verse reveals what should be, at least for most people, our greatest fear.

Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give an account.

God knows everything about us.

Every single thing about us, He knows.

And that includes our thoughts, our desires.

Now, we all live with people.

Family members, close friends, they know a lot about us.

But no one but God really knows what's going on up here and here.

And one day, we're going to have to stand before God and give an account of everything about our lives.

Not just what we've done, but what we've said.

What we've thought.

D.A. Carson went on to point out that King David understood this about God,

which led him to write this after his sin with Bathsheba.

It's like a prayer from Psalm 139.

He writes,

Carson explains this verse clearly.

Now, look at this.

He concludes,

If you think holy thoughts, you'll be holy.

If you think garbage, you'll be garbage.

Carson is right in saying that from God's perspective,

the real measure of an individual lies in what they think.

That's why David wanted to be accountable to God for what he thought.

That's why he said, search me, O God, and know my heart.

Test me and know my anxious thoughts.

David wanted to know, if my thinking is not right, show me, Lord.

Don't let me have the wrong kinds of thoughts and desires because I'll act on it.

What I think will come out in what I say and in what I do.

And so David prayed, search me, O God, and know my heart.

Test me and know my anxious thoughts with the idea, make it known to me

so that I can confess sinful thoughts,

change unhealthy thoughts before I act on it.

Jesus clearly taught that the source of our sinful behavior is our sinful thinking,

our sinful thoughts and desires.

Look at these verses.

From the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said this,

You have heard that it was said to those of old,

You shall not murder.

And whoever murders will be liable to judgment.

But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother

will be liable to judgment.

He's talking about murder begins in the heart, in the mind, with anger.

He goes on to say,

You have heard that it was said you should not commit adultery.

But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent

has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Adultery begins in the heart, in the mind, in fantasies.

And then look at one more.

We've looked at this in recent times,

but I want to just look at this as a reminder.

Jesus said this,

What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart,

and this defiles a person.

For out of the heart come evil thoughts,

murder, adultery, sexual immorality,

theft, false witness, slander.

Now I want you to note, think about these verses.

Jesus doesn't really make a distinction

between our thoughts and our desires.

It's all a part of what's inside us.

Sometimes we think about it in terms of these thoughts,

these desires, these attitudes, these feelings.

It's all what's inside.

And that's where whatever comes out begins.

Now, in the last two messages I preached,

I used the title, Thinking Biblically.

The first one was about governmental authority

with a special emphasis on law enforcement men and women

being the ones who enforce the laws.

They're the agents of governmental authority.

And then thinking biblically about race.

My goal was for us to look at those two current hot-button issues

from a biblical perspective

instead of just a personal feeling perspective

or even our culture's perspective.

As Christians, it's important that we learn to think biblically.

Some people in describing this concept

talk about developing a Christian worldview

or developing a biblical worldview.

The idea is we as Christians, we need to learn to look at life,

all of life, through the lens of Scripture.

We need to learn to look at life,

what's going on around about us,

and be able to discern truth and error,

right and wrong, good and bad,

as we'll see in the passage in a moment,

what is lovely, what's not.

Today, I want us to step back a little bit

and look at what it means to think biblically in general.

And one of the best places to start

is found in Philippians chapter 4, verse 8.

Philippians 4:8

It's going to be on the screen.

A lot of you know this because Philippians chapter 4

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

is a lot of people's favorite chapter in the Bible.

But let's look at it together.

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 is anything worthy of praise,

think about these things.

Now, before we get into that,

I think it's interesting how several commentators

point out that these qualities,

look at it on the screen there,

you know, whatever is true,

honorable, just, pure,

these kind of qualities.

They're not uniquely Christian virtues.

In the Greek world,

here in Philippi,

Macedonia, where Paul was writing,

as these people had this read to them,

Paul's letter read to them,

they were familiar with these concepts

being admirable,

what a person,

a right, good person,

would seek to,

how they would seek to live.

I want you to look at how Frank Thielman

describes how these were common,

desirable qualities in the ancient world.

He says,

the list of virtues that Paul asked the Philippians

to think about

is not a distinctively Christian list

and could have been embraced

by many right-thinking people in ancient times.

It also assumes that the pagan world

had some notion of good and bad,

right and wrong,

duty and irresponsibility,

beauty and ugliness,

honor and shame.

He says elsewhere,

Paul speaks of Gentiles

who have the requirements of God's law

written on their hearts

and says that occasionally

they actually do these things.

That's in Romans 2.

What this is describing is that

all human beings

are created in God's image.

And so all people,

unbelievers

of all stripes,

all people have a sense of conscience,

a sense of what's right and wrong,

what's good and bad.

Now everybody's conscience is not the same.

Some people have a very tender conscience.

They are easily convicted of something being,

they have a lot of guilt maybe,

easily it comes.

Some people have a more calloused conscience.

And our conscience changes over time.

Some people become harder.

Some people become softer.

As Christians,

the Holy Spirit lives within us.

And the Holy Spirit

enlightens our conscience.

And so we as Christians,

we should have a conscience

that is sensitive to the Holy Spirit

and we are from within.

We have a desire to do what

the Bible would say is what is right,

what is good.

And not do what would be not right,

what would be evil.

We should be people who desire

to speak the truth,

to be truthful,

not to lie,

not to be easily led astray

by that which is not true.

But more often than not,

people violate their own conscience.

Christians and unbelievers

by consciously choosing wrong over right.

That's what sin is.

We violate our conscience,

our God-given sense of right and wrong.

We violate the clear teachings of Scripture.

We break God's laws.

That's the effect that sin has on us.

And Paul explains that in detail

in Romans chapter 1,

Romans 1:18

verse 18,

through chapter 3,

verse 20,

a long, lengthy explanation

about what sin does

in a person's life.

Now,

Paul understood how powerful

sin affects our thinking.

It powerfully impacts

how we think.

He also knew that the key

to changing the way that we think,

or changing the way that we live,

is to change the way we think.

If you want to change some things

about your life,

generally speaking,

is first of all,

you've got to change your attitude,

your thought process.

You've got to change the way you think

in order to change the way that you live.

Now,

that's why he calls us to think rightly,

or think biblically,

in verse 8.

So let's look at now

what this means.

What does it mean

to think biblically?

Well,

anytime we look at a question like this,

I think it's important

to answer, first of all,

what it does not mean.

Thinking biblically

does not mean that you deny reality.

I'm sure there's some people

in this room,

you thought,

as we read through that verse,

verse 8 there,

finally, brothers,

whatever's true,

honorable,

just,

pure,

lovely,

think about these things.

And I'm sure some people said,

how in the world can you do that

and live in the world

we live in today?

This world we live in today

is anything but true

and honorable

and lovely

and pure

and all of that.

So what you're saying is

to think this way,

you've just sort of got to

close your eyes

what's going on around about you.

No.

Paul would never say that.

Jesus never taught

anything like that.

As Christians,

we are never to pretend

that all is right

with the world.

We're not supposed

to close our eyes

to the cold,

harsh realities of life.

That's just a part of

what is

the world we live in.

D.A. Carson

explains this well.

Look at this

in writing about

verse 8.

This is not

some escapist

demand

to avoid

the harsh realities

of our fallen world.

The sad fact is

that many people

dwell on dirt

without grasping

that it's dirt.

The wise Christian

will see plenty

of dirt

in the world

but will recognize

it as dirt

precisely because

everything that is clean

has captured

his or her mind.

There is much

around about us

that is opposite

of these virtues

Paul lists.

There's a lot

around about us

you see

in people's lives.

You see

in the media

things that are untrue

that are dishonorable

that are unfair

that are filthy

that are ugly.

That's what Carson

is calling dirt.

And the problem

is that too many

of us as Christians

don't recognize

the dirt.

Or even worse

we don't mind

the dirt.

We accept it.

we embrace it.

We

live it.

What we need

to do

in order to learn

to think biblically

we need to recognize

the dirt around

about us

in this world

wherever it is

in whomever

it's in.

We need to call

it what it is.

If we can

clean it up

we have that kind

of power

influence

we need to get

involved

and try to

clean it up.

If we can't

we need to avoid

what we can avoid.

We don't need

to dirty ourselves

with the world's dirt.

That's

I want you to understand.

Paul is saying

when he talks about

think about what's true

and lovely and honorable.

He doesn't mean

pretend that everything's good.

He does not say

and be naive.

But what does he mean?

Well thinking biblically

means that we need

to think

intentionally

about the right

kinds of things.

We need to learn

to think rightly

think biblically

and what he's doing

here is listing

several ways

that we actually

do that

in this list.

Let's start looking

at it today

and we'll come back

and finish it next week.

Number one

think about

whatever is true.

Whatever is true.

We need to think

that way.

Now broadly speaking

truth is that

which corresponds

to reality.

Kent Hughes

describes it like this.

Everything that is true

is from God

because all truth

is God's truth.

All things

that are true

that's God's truth.

Wherever is true

and right

wherever you find it

in this world

that is of God.

Q's goes on to say

this mind seeks

whatever is true

in every avenue

of life

from faith

to science

to relationships

to public life

to business.

Paul is telling us

to think

whatever is true.

Think that way

in every realm of life

wherever you see it

even a pagan

even in a place

you didn't think

you'd see it

that which is true

that which corresponds

to reality

learn from it.

Learn from him

or her.

That's in the

general sense.

In this general sense

we're to think

in terms of

what's real

what's accurate

what's rational

what

is proven

in any area

of life.

We're to do that

instead of

just believe

everything you read

on the internet

or believe

fall

victim to

every conspiracy

theory out there

about everything

that's happening

in the world today.

We need to be

discerning people

part of looking

for what the truth

is learning

to be wise

but more

specifically

whatever is true

refers to

whatever is ethical

whatever is truthful

whatever is

dependable

as opposed

to what is

deceptive

what is phony

what is

a lie.

The reason

that I preached

on

government authority

law enforcement

officers

carrying out

government authority

and race

in my last

two sermons

is to point out

a lot of the

untruthful

things

that are being

said in

mainstream media

and also

to describe

what is true

about governmental

authority

about race

according to

scripture.

Now since I

preached those

two sermons

I have found

an article

of an interview

with Ed Young

he is pastor

of Fellowship

Church in Texas

described as

one of North

America's

largest churches

they even have

satellite campuses

in other states

not just in

the Fort Worth

Dallas area.

In the interview

Ed Young

describes

how some

Christian leaders

have abandoned

the truth

about race.

Now listen

Ed Young

he has a father

who is pastor

of Second Baptist

Church of Houston

Edwin Young

some of you

may have heard

of him

he is a former

pastor in

Columbia

in Taylor

South Carolina

he has some

South Carolina

roots

well this is

Ed Young

Edwin's

son

I will have

sort of a

lengthy quote

here

I do not

agree with

every word

that he says

but I think

he makes

a very powerful

statement

someone in

his position

that we need

to hear

today.

look at this

woke Christian

leaders and

pastors today

are jumping

on the hype

train of what

culture is

currently

applauding

but they don't

really look at

what the hype

train is

connected to

for example

many of the

things culture

applauds are

connected to

relativism

abortion

transgenderism

the breakup of

the nuclear

family.

one example

of the hype

train

many Christians

have been

far too eager

to jump on

in recent

months

is the

promotion of

the Black

Lives Matter

organization.

I wholeheartedly

agree with the

phrase Black

Lives Matter

I believe in it

and the church

should champion

it.

We should

stand up for

equality and

justice.

I believe we

need to lead

out but I

can't support

or agree with

the core beliefs

of the organization

Black Lives Matter

matter.

It is tied to

abortion,

homosexuality,

transgenderism and

the breakup of

the nuclear family

just to name a

few.

I want to stop

the quote.

The Black Lives

Matter organization

does not truly

believe that all

black lives

matter.

They do not

believe that the

lives of black

law enforcement

officers matter.

in the riots

and looting that

has taken place

since Memorial

Day, there have

been at least

two black law

enforcement officers

or former

officers who

were killed by

the rioters, by

the anarchists.

police officers

and the Black

Lives Matter

organization has

said nothing

about the

murder of

these two black

officers.

There have been

black businessmen.

One received a lot

of national attention,

a former fireman

who scraped

together everything

he had, had his

own business.

And in one of the

riots, it was

burned to the

ground.

There was another

city in which a

black business owner

wrote on the

window of his

business.

This is a black

owned business.

They broke out the

windows of his

business.

The Black Lives

Matter organization

does not care about

all black lives.

They do not care

about black

conservatives.

They do not care

about the lives of

black Bible-believing

Christians.

And I say that and

can back that because

of their silence.

when black

policemen are

killed, black

business owners lose

everything they have

and their very

statements of who

they are and what

they are deny

basic Christian

values as Ed Young

pointed out just a

moment ago in that

quote.

I want to continue

with Young's quote

now.

Racism is an obvious

issue that must always

be addressed.

We must call it out

and point people to

the answers found in

the person of Jesus

Christ.

I'm all for supporting

legislation that

pushes the ball of

equality down the

field.

But real change is

only going to happen

when we have a heart

transformation.

Too many leaders are

fearful to stand.

Where is the

boldness?

Both sides of the

aisle have dropped

the ball.

We must have open

conversations, face our

fears, and find

solutions that work.

I think that we have

more of a systemic sin

problem in our world

than a skin problem.

Most people I know

aren't racist.

I want to stop there

and I want to make that

statement as well.

Most people I know in

this world are not

racist.

But according to the

mainstream media,

everybody who is white

is a racist in this

country today, it

seems.

Ed Young, most people

I know are not

racist.

Some are, and I know

some who are as well,

and they're wrong.

He says, some are,

yes.

And I believe there's a

skin problem.

I just don't believe it's

systemically the core

issue.

The real issue is sin,

not skin.

That's the root issue.

But we're too fearful to

say that because we could

be misunderstood and

maligned.

So what he's saying is that

we as Christians, especially

too many Christian leaders,

they're so afraid of being

misunderstood and maligned,

that they keep their

mouth closed, and by

their silence agree to

the lies and half-truths

that's being promoted by

the mainstream media day

after day after day.

We need to learn to think

about what is true and

about every issue in life,

regardless of what this

cultural hype train, and

those on it, rather, are

saying.

But I want to be real

clear.

Don't look for the

mainstream media in this

country today to find the

truth.

They don't know it.

The ones who do are not

allowed to speak.

They're fired.

If you're not liberal

enough, you can't work for

mainstream media today.

You'll be terminated.

It's the mainstream media

liberal, socialists, who

are driving today's

cultural hype train.

And they're going to run it

into the ground.

Eventually, they're going to

wreck our country if

they're not stopped.

And the only way to be

stopped is to combat their

lies with the truth.

combat their half-truths with

the full truth.

We're going to come back

next week and look at the

rest of Paul's list of

virtues here.

But I want to conclude

today by looking at where

we must look first to find

the truth.

So the second question

today, how do we develop the

habit of thinking biblically?

Well, the best way to learn to

think truthfully is through

consistent Bible reading and

study.

I want to be clear.

This is not the only way.

Paul said, look again in

verse 8, whatever is true, we

can find truth in many realms of

life.

But the first, the best source of

truth, the infallible source of

truth is the Word of God.

We need to understand it is

impossible for us to get rid of

the deception, lies, and garbage

that comes into our minds without

replacing it with an entirely

different way of thinking.

And I'm talking about biblical truth

is a different way of thinking.

You know, throughout Israel's

history, as you read through the

Old Testament, it seems that

everything, whenever something new

about to take place, a new leader

was installed, there was a great

emphasis for that leader to get

prepared to lead the people into

whatever the new endeavor was going

to be by saturating his mind with

the Word of God.

One of the best examples of that is

found in the first chapter of

Joshua.

Joshua succeeded Moses as the leader

of the nation of Israel.

And he was going to lead the people of

Israel into the promised land.

Here's one verse that emphasizes what

I'm talking about.

God said this to Joshua,

This book of the law shall not depart

from your mouth, but you shall

meditate on it day and night, so that

you may be careful to do according to

all that is written in it.

For then you will make your way

prosperous, and then you will have

good success.

That was God's way of saying, Joshua,

If you want to have success, you've got

to do things my way, according to my

plan.

You know, we live in a day where

everyone is busy.

Everyone is busy.

And most people's minds are filled with

a lot of clutter.

A lot of things that don't matter.

A lot of things could be just called

junk.

Kent Hughes describes this as our

greatest danger today.

Look at this.

The greatest danger in our busy,

increasingly post-literate world

is that we make little or no effort

to think God's thoughts after Him.

To hide His word in our hearts

so that we may not sin against Him.

That comes from Psalm 119.11.

We cannot be profoundly influenced

by that which we do not know.

I said earlier, the Spirit of God

lives in every Christian.

He influences us according to the

truth of God's word.

But we're going to miss out on some

of His influence if we don't know

the truth of God's word.

Jesus emphasized this.

You know, before Jesus, on the night

He was arrested, He was going to be

crucified the next day.

Jesus prayed for His people.

Here's an example of, or here's part

of His prayer.

It's in John 17.

Jesus prayed for our spiritual growth,

our sanctification.

He prayed like this.

Sanctify them by the truth.

Your word is truth.

There's no way in the world we can

be growing Christians apart from

regularly reading and studying

God's word.

There's no way we're going to be

sanctified, as Jesus said,

apart from the truth of God's word

saturating our minds.

You know, Paul said in Romans 12, too,

that the only way we can avoid

conforming to the mindset of this world

is by renewing our minds.

And what he was talking about

was learning to think

about that which is true.

Learning to think biblically.

Let's wrap it up.

I want you to think with me now.

I've got some questions.

How well are you dealing with

the deception of this world?

Do you read, watch,

do you take in the information,

the news that comes from this world

in a discerning way?

Do you try to sift through

what you hear, see, read?

Try to discover that which is true,

that which is obviously not,

that which is very biased.

How well are you dealing

with the deception of this world?

Number two,

do you need to make some changes

in the way that you think?

Do you need to make some changes

in the things you are exposing

your mind and heart to?

Things you're taking in.

Because what you're taking in

affects what you think,

how you feel,

and it comes out in how you speak

and how you live.

Do you, as a Christian,

maybe need to make a new commitment

to daily read God's Word?

I mean, read it

in order to get into your mind

who God is, how He is,

what His will is,

what pleases Him,

what doesn't please Him,

that kind of thing.

You need to make a commitment

to daily read His Word

and regularly study it.

Now, for an example,

we're studying God's Word together

here on Sunday mornings.

Eventually, we'll start back Sunday school

and we'll do it there too.

There is more good, solid,

biblical teaching available online today

than any time in the world in history.

Our church subscribes to Right Now Media,

which gives us access

to all kinds of good, solid Bible teaching.

You need to take advantage of that

more than you are now

to help you to think more biblically.

You know, that's the first

and best source of truth available to us.

I want to encourage you

to set a time and place

that you're going to read God's Word every day

if you're not already doing that.

Make an appointment with God

and ask God to help you

not just to read it,

not just to read the words,

but to think about it,

to believe it.

Ask God to help you to understand it.

Ask God to help you

to put it into practice,

to teach it even

and model it to people around you,

your friends, your family members.

And when I say

make an appointment with God

and read His Word,

do what you have time to do.

I want to encourage you

to start in the New Testament.

Start in the New Testament.

Whether it's morning, noon, or night,

make it a habit of reading

a paragraph, a chapter,

whatever you have time to do

with a prayer.

God, teach me.

Help me to understand.

Help me to do it.

Help me to model it.

We need, as Christians,

more than any other time in history,

to learn to think.

A lot of you, your job,

your schoolwork requires you

to truly think.

Put yourself into it.

But when it comes to

living out your faith,

reading God's Word,

you're a dummy.

Because you ignore it.

Or because you skim it.

Because you don't take it

as seriously

as you do your schoolwork

or your job.

And that's an indictment on you

if that's the case

and your commitment to God

and to living for Him

in this world.

And if that's the case,

it can change today.

Confess and repent of that

as sin.

And ask God to help you

to get even more serious

about knowing Him

and His way and His will

through His Word

than you are about your schoolwork

and you are about your job.

Be committed to your schoolwork.

Be committed to your job.

Just be more committed to God

and live in life His way.

As revealed in His Word.

Let's pray together.

Father,

show us how we should respond

so that we can

be Christians,

your men and women

who think biblically

and as a result

who live like your people

and have the kind of influence

you want us to have

as your representatives.

Let's just pray.

Talk to God.

Listen to God.

Obey God

during these next few minutes.

Keep us a prayer.

God bless you.