Alright, Philippians chapter four and verses six through eight. Philippians four six through eight. Be careful for nothing. Now, let me explain that phrase. That doesn't quite come across in our common vernacular today.

It means be anxious for nothing. Be careful or be anxious for nothing. Don't fret. Don't be all stressed out over things. I am sure that everyone of us have been stressed out sometimes fret.

We don't have to if you know the Lord. Be anxious or careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord.

Again, for the showers of blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus. What blessings we are the beneficiaries of that we forget about or don't even recognize. Lord, I pray that we might be reminded of a few of those today and that we might learn to dwell upon those things and not upon other things that are displeasing to you or disquieting to us. Lord, thank you for the eternal hope we have in Jesus Christ, our savior. For what you have done for us.

Lord, help us to rejoice in that today, to dwell upon that today, and to share that good news with others. In Jesus name, amen. Couple questions here. Do your thoughts please the Lord? Do your thoughts?

Because that that's we're talking about this morning, our thoughts. We talked over the past few weeks about being holy. Be you holy for I am holy. Our Lord has commanded us. In all manner of conversation, in every aspect of life, God expects instructs, encourages his children to be holy.

Does that include our thoughts? Our thought life? Yes, it does. Revelation four eleven, this was our our starting text for the past, I don't know, three, four months. Revelation four eleven says, thou art worthy, oh Lord, to receive glory and honor and power.

For thou hast created all things and for thy what? They pleasure they are and were created. Why were we were created? We were created for his pleasure. According to his will and for his pleasure.

Imma read a few other verses for you quickly. I don't have them up on the screen. Colossians 110 says, that you might work work walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing. Being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. Colossians three twenty, children, obey your parents in all things for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

First Thessalonians two four, but as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel even so we speak not as pleasing men but God which trieth our hearts. First John three twenty two and whatsoever we ask, we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. Does God want us to please him? Yes, he does. Is his love dependent upon us pleasing him?

The answer is no. His love is eternal and unconditional upon all those who have received Jesus Christ as the Lord and savior of their lives. However, if we love him, then we should be desiring to do those things that are pleasing in his sight. How about your thoughts? Are they pleasing to him?

Do they bring him pleasure or displeasure? Do they edify you? Others? Do they matter? Do they matter?

Yes. Why? Well, several reasons. We'll look at some from scripture here. Psalm one hundred thirty nine one through four.

They're they do matter because God sees them. God sees them. God knows. You don't know what I'm thinking right now except by my what? By my words.

I don't know what you're thinking right now because for the most part, you're not talking. And even if you were, you might could not say everything that's on your mind, which is likely the case. Most people learn to say not everything that's on their mind. A few never accomplish that but most do. But guess who does know what you're thinking right now?

God does. Oh Lord, thou hast searched me and known me. Thou knowest my down sitting and mine uprising. Thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compasses my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word in my tongue but Lord all but low oh Lord, thou knowest it altogether. God knows my thoughts afar off. He knows the words that are going to come out of my mouth before they actually come out of my mouth. He sees and he knows. These thoughts that we have, they reveal who we really are and eventually, the things we think and particularly dwell upon come do come out in our words and in our actions.

So, they do matter because God sees them but they also matter because when they come out, they reveal to others what we've been thinking about in here and eventually, they always come out But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the what? From the heart and they defile the man. For out of the heart, proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man but to eat with unwashing hands defile it not a man. The the Pharisees were all upset because Jesus' disciples didn't wash their hands before they ate Like probably some people have gotten upset today if you didn't wash your hands before you ate.

Particularly in the last year. But we're all concerned about germs. They were concerned about cooties. No. They were concerned about Gentile defilement.

What they were concerned about was a ceremonial thing that they had gone just way way overboard on. Jesus said, you better be more concerned about what's going on in here than what's germs or Gentile cooties are on your hands. You are too concerned about the trivial and not concerned about that which is truly what? Important and vital. Jesus another place said you strain at a a gnat and swallow a camel.

In other words, they took time to strain out all of their liquids because how dare they accidentally swallow a gnat and defile themselves. He said, you strain out the gnats but you swallow a camel, okay? He says, you're missing the point. Your thoughts matter. They matter to God and they are that which defile you and eventually show themselves in your life and God does judge us even by our thoughts.

He is very clear about that in scripture. Matthew five twenty seven twenty eight, you have heard this has been said was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery but I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. In other words, God is already displeased. What you have done is sin before you ever consider taking the actual action to do it. You have already sinned in your heart and God knows it and God is offended.

Genesis six five through seven. This is going back to just before the time of the flood. God said this, and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually and it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him at his heart and the Lord I said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth. Why was God so upset? Because every imagination of their what?

Of their thoughts, of their heart was wicked. It wasn't just their actions, it was also their thoughts that offended God and God said, I'm through, I'm starting over. And he did all except for who? Noah and his family. That was whom he started over with.

By his grace. So, does God care? Yes. God know. Yes.

Does God judge based on our thoughts? Yes. And God commands us therefore to get control of our thoughts and bring them in line with his will and nature. Our thoughts are also to be holy as well as other aspects of our life. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal.

They're not fleshly of the flesh but mighty through God, through his power, to the pulling down of strongholds. Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every what? Thought. Every thought to the obedience of Christ. Yes, God has empowered us and does therefore expect us who are his children to get control of our thoughts.

To bring them into obedience. To him. The same as our words and actions. Now, is that easy? Does God say, oh, it's easy.

It's simple. It's, yeah, you just know. He doesn't say it's easy. He says, it's possible. You can control your thoughts.

If you walk in the spirit, you'll not fulfill the lust of the flesh. You can by God's power and grace begin to get control of those thoughts and to bring them in line. For some who have filled our minds with things we should not have that may be more difficult than others. For some who have let loose the control of our minds, that maybe more difficult than others. However, God still expects us by his grace to start getting victory over our thought life.

Why does it matter? Well, God sees, God knows, God judges, and God expects, commands us to get control of our thought life and also because when you do get control of your thought life or more control of your thought life, when you start thinking on those things that you ought to be thinking on and not dwelling upon those things that you should not be dwelling upon, it will bring you peace. Again, Philippians four six through eight. Be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God and the what, the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. As we learn to take those thoughts and concerns and worries and take them to who?

And take them to the to God. Things we can't control. Things that we should control, that we're struggling to control. Does God care? Will God help us?

Yes, he will. So, go to him in prayer. Trust him. Believe in him and he will give you peace and then, the next verse, think on things that are true. Honest, just, and pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy.

Think on these things and they will bolster that peace and joy in your heart. Think on all the other things and it will rob you of your peace and joy in your heart. Let's take just the last few minutes here to take a closer look at these things in the list. That God has commanded that we think on. Let's start with true, okay?

True. We need to think on things that are true. The first filter, the first one of these, the first filter for what we dwell on should be things that are what? True. Things that are true.

Not does it feel good, okay? So, hey, if it feels good, then I should think on that. Not the first filter that you should use to to gauge what you're thinking about. Not does it seem to work. That's called pragmatism.

We lived in a world today that is ruled by pragmatism. If it seems to work, then it must be good, then we should do it. Is that always the case? No. Just because it seems to work, does it always make it true?

The answer is no. Once again, not the first filter. You should use to gauge what you're thinking on. How about what others think? Well, if I if if other people around me think this, then it must be something that I should just take in and meditate and dwell upon and follow.

Again, is it true just because a lot of other people are doing it, thinking it, or saying it? The answer is no. Not the first filter that you should use. Does it please me? Does it please me?

Does it validate what my feelings? Be careful Sometimes, we grab a hold on and dwell on things that down deep we know they're not quite what? True. But they validate us. They justify us.

They please us and so we dwell upon them anyway. Not the wisest thing to do. Not the first filter. It is never beneficial to dwell upon lies and falsehoods. One day, you can ask Eve.

Was it beneficial to dwell upon lies and falsehoods? That is how Satan attacks us. He is the father of what? Lies and deceit. And he deceives us and then drags us into sin, drags us into ruin, and destruction, and sorrow.

Because we accept and dwell and follow a lie and he's very good at it. So, don't accept everything you hear. Don't dwell upon everything that you take in. Make sure that you are dwelling upon that which is first of all true. Particularly, if it is of a spiritual nature and in that case, it should always be filtered through what?

The word of God. This is my first filter. Paul called the Bereans, the people of Berea to whom he preached more noble. Why? Because this, they did not accept what he had to say is the truth.

You say, well, that doesn't sound good. So, he called them more noble because they didn't just accept what he said is the truth. Yeah, that's right. So, that doesn't sound right. Well, that's because I haven't finished, have I?

They didn't accept what he said merely as the truth. They searched the scriptures, the Bible to see if it was the truth. To see if what Paul was saying was in alignment with the word of who? The word of God and Paul called them more noble. He said, I am pleased.

I am excited that you went home and you searched the scriptures. You checked to see if what I said was the truth. That is more noble thing to do. And that's what we should be doing. We should be taking those things we hear and running them through the filter of God's word.

Running them through the filters of other things we know to be true and to be pleasing unto God before we just accept it and dwell upon it and meditate on it and allow it to change our life. False information always leads to false conclusions and false conclusions often lead to ruin. I'm afraid that's where our society and country may be heading. And it all starts out with false information. It starts out with lies and deceit.

And when we accept the lies and deceit, it leads us down a bad path. That is why today absolute truth is under attack. Satan knows. If he can convince people that truth is relative, that it changes based on what you want it to be, then he can deceive an entire generation and an entire world, which he is doing. You can enslave only those who do not know the truth.

For as Christ said, you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. So, dwell upon those things that are true. Dwell upon things that are honest and just, Paul says. Honest meaning noble, honorable, things that follow from integrity. Just meaning fair and right.

Thoughts that can be righteously carried out. If you are dwelling upon a thought that cannot be righteously carried out in the sight of God, then it is not a just thought. It is an unjust thought. It is not an honest, honorable thought. It is a dishonorable thought.

We need to think and dwell upon things that are in in agreement with the laws and character of God. Well, how do we know if it's if it's in agreement with the laws and character of God? Should I say? Right here. God has revealed to us his character and his laws.

And if you read it and study it, the better you get to know it, the better filter you'll have to filter what you hear and see so that you dwell upon things that are pleasing, that are in agreement with the laws and the character of God. Good things, not rebellious, wicked, or grotesque things. Not plotting to do wrong or condoning evil. Not vengeful or spiteful towards your neighbor. But good and kind, not angry thoughts or thoughts of malice toward others.

Thoughts of kindness and love. That's the kind of thoughts. We need to dwell upon. Those are the kind of thoughts that bring peace. Those are the thoughts that are pleasing in his sight.

Thoughts of kindness and love. Thoughts of righteousness and good. We give you some examples in scripture. Anybody ever heard of Cain? What did Cain do?

Killed his brother. There's Cain just walking along and he saw a rock and he just picked up the rock and out of nowhere just thought, oh, I'll kill my brother. Did it happen just like that? No. He was angry.

He was frustrated. With God and with his brother for showing him up. And so he got so angry and filled with rage that he saw that stone and he said, well, I'm going to put an end to this and he actually killed his brother but all started where? It all started in here. He didn't dismiss those wicked thoughts, those unjust thoughts.

How about Absalom? You might know who Absalom is? He's the son of who? David, King David. Son of King David.

Very sad story, Absalom's sister was raped, molested by his brother Amnon. Half brother Amnon. Absalom obviously became angry at his half brother for what he did to his sister. David kind of dealt with it by slapping Amnon on the the wrist. And Absalom said, that's not enough.

No, I've got to have justice. And so what he did is he let it eat at him and eat at him and eat at him and eat at him. He rebelled against his father. He was kicked out of the kingdom but he came back to his father later and he deceived his father and said, I'm okay now and so he let him back in the palace and day after day, Absalom would greet people coming to the palace to see David and lie to them and tell them that David didn't have time to hear them but he did. He did and David didn't care about them but he did and eventually, he led a revolt against David, ran him out of the palace, tried to kill his father.

He did to his father's concubines in public what his half brother had done to his sister. That's where rage, bitterness, and dwelling upon that will get you. You will turn into the thing that you are angry about. Absalom died hanging from a tree by his beautiful hair. Sad story.

Moses, Moses, the meekest man, for the most part, seemed to control his thoughts. But one day, God said, I want you to speak to the rock, Moses and I will bring water out of the rock to quench the thirst of all the people and the people were griping and complaining and the griping and complaining got the better of Moses's what? Thoughts and so instead of speaking to the rock, he struck it. Water still came out but guess who didn't get to enter the promised land? Moses.

But then you've got Joseph and Daniel. Joseph and Daniel, two two young men, two young men sold into slavery or taken as captives. But yet, their lives don't seem to be the same. Rather than being filled with rage and anger and vengeance, these young men to grow up to be godly and successful young men. How did that happen?

Thoughts, thoughts. They didn't dwell upon the negative. Did they have negative to dwell on? Sure, they did. But they learned to dwell upon the good things, the just things, the honorable things.

I find it's hardest for me to put the dishonorable things out of my mind when I'm driving a car. I don't know about you but for some reason and that that's just the hardest time for me. When somebody pulls out in front of me and I have to slam on the brake, That's one of the hardest times for me. We hang to find whatever it is that you struggle with and we need to work on that. So do I.

That our thoughts are more honoring and just. The next is pure. Our thoughts should be pure. That means holy and morally clean. Ephesians five, three, and four say this, but fornication and all uncleanness and covetousness, let it not be once named among you as become a saints.

Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks. What should be going through our mind? Dirty jokes? Filthy language? No.

That's not what should be going through the mind of a Christian. That's not the things we should be dwelling upon. We should be developing on things that are morally pure and upright and holy. We become more holy when we think about holy things. We become less holy when we dwell upon unholy things.

Alright, My flashlight is working. Good. A person who dwells upon morally pure things does not commit immoral actions, but those who dwell upon immoral and impure thoughts will both defile the mind and eventually the what? Eventually, the body. This is where in our list we see how vital it is to be careful what we put into our minds.

For we dwell upon the things that we put in through our senses. Particularly the eye gate and the ear gate. So, why Jesus said and alright. Well, we're done with that. Matthew five twenty nine, if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from thee.

For it is profitable for thee that none of thy members should perish and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Now, is Jesus instructing us to actually pluck our eyes out? The answer is no. This is called hyperbole. It is a literary device by which you get somebody's attention.

In other words, whatever it is that is causing you to dwell upon that which is unjust and unholy, put a stop to it. Take steps to reduce the amount of temptation and the evil things that are entering your mind. If you continue to feed upon the things that produce the evil thoughts, then, you're going to continue to have the what? The evil thoughts. So, quit feeding upon the things that are feeding that wicked, lustful thought.

Do something about it. That's why David says in Psalm one zero one three, I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. I hate the work of them that turn aside, it shall not cleave to me. David said, I'm not going to feed my eyes with wicked things. He had learned that feeding your eyes with wicked things affects your what?

Thoughts that affect your actions. He had to learn some of that the hard way. Job thirty one one said, Job said, I made a covenant with thine eyes. Why then should I upon a maid. If you want to get control of your thoughts, particularly impure thoughts, then you need to quit watching and listening to impure things.

The more you put impure into your mind, the more defiled it will become and the harder it will be to think upon holy, pure things. We're to think upon lovely things. Things that are pleasant, sweet, generous, gracious, and patient. I think I'm going to stop here and finish this tonight. So, I hope that you will come back.

We do have a 06:00 service if you can. I hope you'll come back and join us because I've got lovely of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy and I'm not going to get em in when I want to. So, we're going to have to finish them this evening. But in closing, God sees He knows what you're thinking. God judges us based upon those things.

They can be pleasing to him or displeasing to him. Not only do they affect us but they affect him. And they do affect us. We sang the songs old say but I'm glad, I'm glad, old say but I'm glad. Jesus is coming, my cup's overrun.

I'll say but I'm glad. Some of you here today may not be glad. And it's maybe because there's been some very difficult things in your life. God knows that too. But there's some of you that have some of those very same difficult things that can come with a smile on your face and a song in your heart.

It all depends upon what we choose to what? To dwell on. Whether we dwell upon the things that bring peace and joy and happiness, the good things, the holy things, the right things, or whether we dwell upon those things that bring sadness, sorrow, confusion, and doubt. It is our choice. God is commanded in his word to cast down those thoughts and to bring them into what?

Obedience. The most just thing and the best thing that has ever happened to me is when I came to know Jesus Christ as my savior. And what he did for me on the cross of Calvary and what he did for you too and when we dwell upon that thing, it can put a smile on our face and a song in our heart and it can push a lot of those other depressing things to the side when we remember that Jesus loves even me. Let's close in prayer. Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord for your word that we can go to it to find truth that will make us free.

Free in Jesus Christ, our savior from the enslavement of sin. Free to trust and follow the Lord. Lord, we thank you that you show us in your word what is just and holy, what is righteous, so that we might dwell upon those things and not on wicked things. You show us in your word what is pure, that we might dwell upon pure things, and not fill our minds and dwell upon those things that are impure and displeasing in your sight. Lord, please forgive us for those failures at times.

Maybe when it's driving or maybe when it's we're dealing with a neighbor or maybe it's when we're watching our television set. Whatever the case may be, Lord. Remind us that our thoughts need to be in line with your thoughts. That we need to be a people after God's own heart. And we can be.

Lord, I pray most of all, there's one here today that's never received Jesus Christ as their savior. That you would help them to put all the other thoughts out of their mind. That they would dwell upon what you have done for them. And that they would come to you in faith and be saved. As we sing this in hymn of invitation today.

In Jesus name, amen.