Living a Life of Godly Contemplation

Sermon Outline:

The Book of Philippians

Paul’s Conclusion to the Philippians (4:4-23) (Part 10)

Paul Commanded the Philippians (4:4-9) (Part J)

Practicing the Presence of the Lord (Part 10)

VII. Paul’s Conclusion to the Philippians (4:4-23)

A. Paul Commanded the Philippians (4:4-9)

1. Live in Light of Christ’s Nearness (4:4-7)

2. Live in Light of God’s Nearness (4:8-9)

a. A Life of Godly Contemplation (4:8)

1) The Structures of Godly Contemplations (4:8a-f)

● True true; genuine, real

● Honorable venerable, lofty, dignified

● Right law abiding, righteous

● Pure taboo, free from sin

● Lovely pleasing, agreeable, amiable

● Good Repute good report

2) The Breadth of Godly Contemplations (4:8g)

● Excellence eminence, superiority

● Praise to speak of the excellence of a person

3) The Act of Godly Contemplation (4:8h)

● dwell regard, reckon, calculate, consider

1) The believer’s thoughts will not control themselves, but the Christian must diligently exercise self-control of what his mind lingers upon, if he is to control them, rather than them control him.

2) The self-control of one’s thoughts will need to be linked to the evaluation of one’s thoughts if the believer wants any hope of exercising that self-control of their thoughts.

3) Sinful contemplations will produce sinful behavior as readily as godly contemplations will produce godly behavior.

4) Thus, a believer should consider his thought process as part of the sowing and reaping principle involved in godly living.

5) Although these eight qualities do form an important system for evaluating our thoughts, they ultimately are a reflection of the biblical integrity that should mark the believer’s meditation.

6) While the believer cannot control the content of their thoughts in an absolute sense, they can and must control the contemplations of their thoughts, that is what their minds linger and fixate upon, their mind’s meditations.