Sermon Series: Jesus, Everything We Need 

Becoming "Spiritually Correct" 

Philippians 4:8-9 

CBC Bishop, August 24, 2003

In a nutshell: If we're going to be spiritually correct, then two things have to be present in our lives: right thinking and right acting.

I. Introduction

A. Political Correctness

You all have heard the term, politically correct, right? It is the contemporary way trying to offend no one and attempting to tolerate everything. It encompasses everything from being pro-feminist, pro-gay rights, pro-minority studies…to being mistrustful of tradition, and scornful of Dead White European Males.

Well, this week, I came across a list that's called…

"When Kids Go Politically Correct."

-Your bedroom isn't cluttered; it's just "passage-restrictive." 

-Kids don't get grounded anymore. They merely hit "social speed bumps." 

-You're not late; you just have a "rescheduled arrival time." 

-You're not having a bad hair day; you're suffering from "rebellious follicle syndrome." 

-No one's tall anymore. They're "vertically enhanced." 

-You're not shy. You're "conversationally selective." 

-You don't talk a lot. You're just "abundantly verbal." 

-It's not called gossip anymore. It's "the speedy transmission of near-factual information." 

-The food at the school cafeteria isn't awful. It's "digestively challenged." 

-No one fails a class anymore; he's merely "passing-impaired." 

-You don't have detention, you're just one of the "exit-delayed." 

-These days, a student isn't lazy. He's "energetically declined." 

-Your locker isn't overflowing with junk; it's just "closure-prohibitive." 

-Your homework isn't missing; it's just having an "out-of- notebook experience." 

-You're not sleeping in class; you're "rationing consciousness." 

-You don't have smelly gym socks; you have "odor-retentive athletic footwear." 

-You weren't passing notes in class. You were "participating in the discreet exchange of penned meditations." 

-You're not being sent to the principal's office. You're "going on a mandatory field trip to the administrative building.

Joking aside, to a lot of people today, political correctness is something that is very, very important. In fact, in some circles in our society, like…the national news media, Washington D.C., most political arenas, most institutions of higher learning and many religious denominational groups, if you're not politically correct, you will not receive the blessing and encouragement of your leaders or your peers.

B. Transition

Well, this morning, I want to unpack something for you that is much, much more important, than political correctness. I want to unpack something I call, spiritual correctness.

The reason spiritual correctness is so important is because without it, we are guaranteed NOT to receive God's blessing and encouragement in our personal lives, nor in our life as a church family.

As we'll see this morning, if our lives are characterized by spiritual correctness, then we have the promise of God's peace. But if we don't have spiritual correctness in our lives, we won't be the recipients of that peace. -And friends, when God's peace is removed, it means our Christian life is going to be a chore, and our faith will lack vitality and abundance. -Plus our lives together as a church will wind up being institutional, rather than relational; programs and events will be boring, not vibrant; and we'll get bound up by tradition, rather than motivated by vision.

Now, while being politically correct means a whole lot of things, being spiritually correct really only involves two things: right thinking and right acting. If you have your Bibles, please turn with me to Philippians 4. And as I said, today we're going to look at verse 8 and 9.

II. Thinking Rightly

A. Surrounded by spiritually incorrect

You and I are surrounded every day by so much that is spiritually incorrect. And that spiritual incorrectness wants to influence our minds. Now, there's a reason why the devil attacks our minds. Dallas Willard, tells us in his book The Divine Conspiracy, (front of worship folders): "…we need to understand that what simply occupies our mind very largely governs what we do."

-Turn on the TV at any time of day, and you'll be exposed to sex, or violence or offending values on many of the channels-even at primetime. And it doesn't matter if it's sitcoms, dramas, cartoons, news or movies-sex, violence and offending values are there because they sell things.

-Or, try paging through a magazine or newspaper without being exposed to sex, violence, or offending values. Hardly a day or a week goes by without one of these things staring us in the face from some print media.

Illustration: In one of the motorcycle magazines that I get, a new company has taken out an ad to trying and sell clutch cables for motorcycles. That's a pretty innocuous thing, right? A motorcycle clutch cable. But the picture in their ad in the magazine doesn't show any of their cables. Instead, the only thing pictured is a model dressed in a bikini.

Illustration: I just read in the Reno Gazette this week about the Gay Pride Parade that took place over last weekend in Reno. I thought I had left that stuff behind when I moved away from Palm Springs! But even up here we are being exposed to yet another attempt to advance homosexual rights while the Christian viewpoint of marriage and family is mocked and scorned.

-Go to any 7-11 or Circle K once you leave Bishop and you'll see just about every kind of soft-core pornography on display that you can imagine.

-On the Internet you can find all kinds of sites and discussion groups filled with hate-literature and hate messages against people of other races or nationalities. You can also find sites and discussion groups filled with the lies of every imaginable sect, cult and false religion.

All of these things are pounding on the door of our minds, wanting to get in and influence us to think in a way that doesn't honor our Lord, Jesus Christ, so that ultimately we will act in a way that dishonors Him.

B. Inside influences

But not only does spiritual incorrectness come from outside sources, it also comes from inside us.

It comes in the form of conflict with someone: a spouse, a former spouse, a child, a parent, a brother or sister, a fellow church member. You find yourself becoming angry just thinking about that other person. In fact, in your heart you may even hate them.

It comes in the form of having no love for people of other races or nationalities, so you don't even think about whether or not those persons are going to Heaven or Hell.

It comes in the form of lust. Your mind is filled with all sorts of images of naked men or women, so the people in your life become objects, not human beings.

It comes in the form of greed and covetousness.

I think you get the point…all around us and all within us there are a lot that of things that can influence us away from spiritually correct lives, and therefore, rob us of the peace of God.

C. How to Think Rightly

So, Paul zeros in on one way to stop spiritual incorrectness in verse 8, and talks about right thinking.

Philippians 4:8 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.

Paul, as he is finishing this letter to the Philippian church, has moved away from theological issues, past the disciplines for Christian living…and now directly addresses the ultimate arena of human freedom and control-our thought lives.

In verse 8, he tells us what to set our minds on. Now, Paul is no dummy. He knows that everyone of us WILL set our minds on something! It's just a question of WHAT. Our thoughts are going to be occupied by SOMETHING. And what our mind is dwelling on…will heavily influence our desires and our actions.

One commentary writer I read this week (William Barclay) said, "it is a law of life that, if a man thinks of something often enough and long enough, he will come to the stage where he cannot stop thinking about it."

So, if we're going to be spiritually correct, what do we have to train our minds to do or think on? Look at the list in verse 8…

1. Whatever is true: This means we're supposed to train our minds to think about those things which do what they claim to do.

There were a lot of things in the first century Philippian world that were not truthful. Idols and false gods were worshipped to control the seasons, or personal prosperity, or personal satisfaction. But those false gods couldn't produce anything.

In the world of the Owens Valley in the 21st century, people still worship false gods. A lot of people I've met believe that you can buy happiness if you have enough money. A number of people I've met sincerely believe that if you can get that "off road toy", or a new motorcycle, or that motor home, or fishing boat, or own a piece of property then you'll be happy. But that's a false thing not a true thing to think about. Money cannot supply happiness.

Illustration: A few years ago, the Chicago Tribune (9/1/96) ran the story of Buddy Post, they said he was "living proof that money can't buy happiness." A few years ago, he won 16.2 million dollars in the Pennsylvania Lottery. Since then, he's been convicted of assault, his sixth wife left him, his brother was convicted of trying to kill him, and his landlady successfully sued him for one-third of the jackpot.

"Money didn't change me," Post said. "It changed the people around me. I thought they cared a little bit about me. But they only cared about the money."

According to the article, Post is trying to auction off seventeen future payments, valued at nearly $5 million, in order to pay off taxes, legal fees, and a number of failed business ventures. He plans to spend his life as an ex-winner pursuing lawsuits that he's filed against police, judges, and lawyers who he says conspired to take his money. "I'm just going to stay at home and mind my p's and q's," he said. "Money draws flies." And friends, if you think it buys happiness, you're believing an untruth. Think on whatever is truthful.

2. Whatever is noble: Some translations use the word, honorable here. It means the same thing. It's talking about things that are worthy of your attention or things that count for eternity. In other words, don't waste time on things that are trivial. Listen to what Jesus said…

Matthew 6:28-33 28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Get your mind on noble things. Things that have eternal value.

3. Whatever is right: The Greek word that Paul uses here is dikaios (dik'-ah-yos). It literally means, the two parts are equal. In other words in this context, it means what you think and what you know to be right…should be equal. What we're talking about is your character and integrity. There should be no difference between what you know to be right and what's going on in your thoughts.

John Wooden, the great UCLA basketball coach once said to his players, "Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are."

Be mindful of your integrity.

4. Whatever is pure: This is talking about being morally pure in our thought lives. This is what Jesus talked about in…

Matthew 5:27-28 27 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Illustration: It reminds me of the story of two Buddhist monks who were walking on a trail together in a thunderstorm. They came to a stream, and it was flowing over its banks. Next to the stream on the same path was a beautiful young Japanese woman in a kimono. She was standing there, wanting to get to the other side, but was afraid of the currents. In characteristic Buddhist compassion, one of the monks said, "Can I help you?"

The woman said, "I need to cross this stream."

The monk picked her up, put her on his shoulder, carried her through the water, and put her down on the other side. Then he and his companion went on to the monastery.

That night his companion said to him, "I have a bone to pick with you. As Buddhist monks, we have taken vows not to look on a woman, much less touch her body. Back there by the river you did both."

The first monk said, "My brother, I put that woman down on the other side of the river. You're still carrying her in your mind."

If you're going to be spiritually correct, the morality of your actions must not only be pure, but the morals in your mind have to be pure, as well.

5. Whatever is lovely: The word lovely in the Greek, is a result of Paul putting two different Greek words together to form his thought. It's the word for "move towards" and the word for "deliberate love". This is the only time this word appears in the New Testament. And I think that's a good definition for this word…Move towards deliberate love.

Stuart Briscoe in his book, Bound for Joy, gives an exact opposite of "lovely"…

"Many things happen to bring misunderstanding and conflict, but often things happen because they are made to happen by people who want them to happen. These people are set on discord and thrive on strife. You meet them in every walk of life. They are miserable people, and they make other people miserable, too. They have little idea of how to deal with issues, or how to handle sticky problems. They would rather fight than anything else, and they never have to look long to find a potentially explosive issue."

Paul is saying, don't think that way. Think like a peacemaker, not a warmonger. That's what it means to think "lovely".

6. Finally, whatever is admirable: Paul even defines this term more, by using two other words…excellent and praiseworthy. Now, what he's talking about is intentionally having the best thoughts and the most excellent thoughts about something. In other words, having a positive attitude in our thinking, no matter what the situation.

Illustration: It reminds me of the two good ol' boys from the back-woods by the name of Jeb and Ernie. In their county, wolves were attacking the livestock on the ranches at an alarming rate. So the state offered a bounty of $5,000 for every wolf killed.

Well, Jeb and Ernie, decided to go into the wolf hunting business. They went out on their first day and hunted wolves all day long, and into the night. Finally they made camp way up in the mountains near a beautiful little stream.

About four o'clock in the morning, Jeb woke up and saw that their camp was surrounded by thirty or forty wolves. In the light of the dying campfire, he could see the blood-lust in their eyes, and the white of their exposed, razor-sharp teeth. He could also see that they were about ready to spring. So, Jeb poked Ernie and said, "Hey, Ernie, wake up! We're rich!"

Now that's a man with a positive attitude. Spiritually correct people will see things through a positive grid, not a negative grid.

So, being spiritually correct, means thinking rightly in all the different areas of our lives…as we focus on people, things and circumstances. But not only are we to think rightly, we're to do something else. Look at verse 9…

III. Act Rightly

Philippians 4:9 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Spiritually correct people must also act right. Friends, after our introduction to the love of Jesus Christ and His forgiveness of our sins, Christianity is about how we live. Living starts with our thoughts, but ultimately our thoughts become actions.

When Jesus called His disciples, He said, "Follow Me". And the call for all Christian since then has been just that-we're called to follow Jesus.

The point Paul makes in verse 9 is that a good example is worth following. The apostle Paul had modeled, through his own life, how a Christian should live and think. Now he challenged the Philippian Christians to follow his example.

There's something important in that idea for us. Do you want to see the kids and youth in our church grow strong in their faith? Then we adults must act like our faith is an integral part of what's inside of us, not just talk like it is.

Thinking and doing go hand in hand. You will never be spiritually correct unless you think right and then live right.

This world is dying for lack of examples of true Christianity in action. We should live right because we love Jesus. But we should also live right because people matter to God. Our example can be a tool in His hand that He can use to touch another life.

J. R. Miller said it well: "There have been meetings of only a moment which have left impressions for life and eternity. No one can understand that mysterious thing we call influence. Yet, everyone of us continually exerts influence, either to heal, to bless, to leave marks of beauty; or to wound, to hurt, to poison, or to stain other lives." (J. R. Miller, The Building of Character).

Illustration: After I accepted Christ as my Savior during the winter of my sophomore year in college, one of the guys who lived on the same floor as I did came up to me the last day of school that year and said, "When you said you became a Christian earlier this year, I knew there was hope for me. If God could forgive you, then I knew for sure He could forgive me."

Now, some people might not take that as a complement, because he was in essence saying that I was worse than he was. And frankly, I was! But that's O.K. I wasn't offended. I was blessed. I was blessed because he was saying that He saw that God had changed my life. And God used my life to touch his.

Friends, how we live our lives matters. We are God's trophies. He loves to point to us and say to this world, "Look at what I did in them. I can do the same thing in you."

IV. Conclusion

I'll tell you friends, quite frankly…, the world doesn't need more political correctness. It needs more spiritual correctness from those of us who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ.

When we think rightly and act rightly we show anyone looking at our lives that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ does make a difference. It gives peace. It brings blessing and it has abundance.

Billy Graham once said, "Peace is not arbitrary. It must be based upon definite facts. God has all the facts on his side; the world does not. Therefore God, and not the world, can give peace."

And God says peace comes from thinking rightly and acting rightly. Amen. Invitation if so led: Jesus I know I am a sinner and I need your forgiveness. I believe that when you died on the cross and rose from the dead, You did those things for me. I accept the exchange of my sin for your righteousness. And from this day on, I want to follow you as the leader of my life.