and we do look to the Lord to bless our time together. Just two verses this evening. It shouldn't take long tonight to get through a couple of verses. Philippians chapter four. As I said before, the final chapter in Philippians, there's so much in it. So much truth packed into this chapter, and so many wonderful verses. It's a chapter that you can pump over and over again, particularly when you find yourself in difficulty last week, the peace of God which comes with all understanding. So with just two verses tonight, Philippians chapter 4 and verses 8 and 9 this evening. Philippians chapter 4 and verses 8 and 9. Finally, and now Paul's going to ring this letter of conclusion, and so we see the word finally. Whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good rapport, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen and made do, and the God of peace shall be with you. And we're looking to the Lord tonight to bless the reading of His own precious and fathomless an inspired word in our hearts. Last week we mentioned that missing moderation. Let your moderation be known unto all men. Then there was the wasteful worrying. Paul says be careful for nothing. Now if the Lord commands it, then that means that we can live that way. Hard for us to understand. Difficult for us to practice it. But the word of God says we're to be careful for nothing. Worrying indeed is a waste of time. And then we have that promise page that talks about the peace of God, which passes all understanding. And tonight we're coming very much to the mind. Someone has said, you're not what you think you are, but you are what you think. Sometimes we hear the expression, it's all in the mind. And we want to think, first of all, tonight, you'll see from the little notes, the importance of the mind. We live in an age of conflict. Isaiah 57, verse 20, but the wicked are like the troubled sea. when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up myrrh and dirt, there is no peace said by God to the wicked. There's no peace in the world tonight. People don't really have that peace. And we live in a society where there's no peace. There's no peace internationally. Conflict here and conflict there, and you never have to look much beyond the Middle East to see some of the things that are going on. There's economic conflict. Even in the last number of days, billions of pounds have been wiped of the value of shares because of the danger of this virus. And different companies are being threatened with losing forties of money, particularly those engaged in travel. There's economic conflict. There's social conflict. You have the war of the classes. But the greatest conflict in the world is the conflict for our minds. There's a battle tonight for your mind and for my mind. I'm told the average brain weighs about 3 pounds and contains 2 billion cells, each of which are connected to 10,000 other brain cells. Now if you do the maths, that's 120 trillion brain connections. The brain is a magnificent organ. One scientist said this, the human brain is the most complex arrangement of matter in the universe. Another has said, a man who's engaged with IBM computers. He said, if we can invent a computer, and this is a number of years ago, that would duplicate the capabilities of the human brain, it would take a structure the size of the Empire State Building just to hatch it. It's a fantastic thing to bring. What a creator we'd have to make. What a God. That placed this tiny little thing inside your skull and my skull. Something that's so amazing that no one could possibly It's not only the most complex mechanism in the world, it's the most influential organ in your body, your brain or your mind. Tim LaHaye said this, your brain supervises everything you do, from the involuntary beat of your heart to the conscious decisions of life. Psychologists tell us that the human brain goes through something like 10,000 Thoughts per day. That's three and a half million thoughts per year. It's mind-blowing, isn't it? Literally mind-blowing. Solomon said in Proverbs 23 verse 7, For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. As we think, that's what we really are. The Lord Jesus said in Mark 7 verse 20, emphasizing the importance of the mind, He said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man, From within, out of the heart of man, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defy the man. Notice how it begins in evil thoughts. It all begins in the mind. The mind is so complex, and in the word, the mind is leading men and women very much astray. among the people of God. Sometimes we bypass the mind and we ask the question, does it make me feel good? Not the question, is it true? Or does it square with the word of God? Someone has said this, what scares me in this anti-intellectual, anti-critical thinking philosophy that has spilled over into the church? This philosophy tends to romanticize the faith, making the church into an experience center. Their concept of a church is that they are spiritual consumers and that the church's job is to meet felt needs. And Paul is calling for biblical thinking among the people of God. There is a battle for your mind this evening. Remember, the gospel doesn't bypass the mind. The gospel doesn't bypass our thinking process. We read a lot about the nine of the unsaved. Romans 1 verse 28. Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate nine. Romans 8 verse 5. For they that are after the flesh do nine. the things of the flesh. The unsaved have a reprobate mind. They have a mind that's interested in the things of the flesh. Romans 8 verse 7, because the carnal mind is enmity against God. The mind is carnal. It's against God. It's an enemy of God. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. Titus 1 verse 15. Unto the pure all things are pure, but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure. But even their mind and conscience is defiled. And then there's the blinded man, because the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine into them. We are preaching the gospel to a world with reprobate minds, minds that are interested in the flesh, minds that are against God, minds that are defied, and minds that are defied by the devil and blinded by the devil. That's why we need the power of the Holy Spirit. Man cannot create. an anxious thought. We need the power of the Holy Spirit. That's why we have to pray for the preaching of the Gospel. It's not just man's works. We need the power of the Holy Spirit behind it. The Lord Jesus said this in Matthew 13 verse 19, When anyone heareth the word of the kingdom and understandeth it not. And if you take the opposite, the idea is when we preach the Gospel, we're not bypassing the mind. We're not asking people to take a leap. in the dark. We're not asking people to live with optimism. We're not asking people to have a life where there's wasteful thinking that somehow, someday, they'll go to a better place. This is a reasoned response to truth. And so the gospel doesn't bypass the mind. Remember what Isaiah said? Isaiah 1 verse 18. Come now, let us reason together. The Lord asked the I always tell people, the gospel's not for people who are stupid. This is not for people that can't think for themselves. The Lord is asking people to think as the Word of God is preached and the Spirit of God is working. The first thing is our minds. And our minds need to understand something of our sinfulness and something of Christ's work on that center cross. True faith is a reasoned response to reveal truth. in the Bible, and salvation results from an intellectual response prompted by the Holy Spirit to that truth. And when we're seeing it, the battle for the Bible follows on. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10 verse five, casting down imaginations and every hay thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. And we have 10,000 thoughts a day. if we have three and a half million thoughts a year. And we're to bring every thought into the obedience of Christ. It's a mighty task, isn't it? But then we've got a mighty God. Satan will try and claw as many thoughts as he can to get into the mind of the child of God. Cause them to doubt things, cause them to worry, cause them to fret. I mean, worry is a result of wrong thinking. Matthew 6, verse 25. Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, or yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment? Behold, the fowls of the earth, they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Look how God looks after the little birds. Do you think he cannot look after you? Paul talks in Romans 12 verse 1, he says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Be not conformed to this word, but be transformed, what? By the renewing of your mind. And Paul is asking that the Spirit of God will work in our minds, that our minds will be renewed, that we'll be able to bring these thoughts into captivity, and the devil will not be planting thoughts in our minds, and stealing thoughts out of our minds, that would cause us to doubt the Lord. Minds are being changed by Satan. You know, years ago, who would ever have thought that homosexuality would be so acceptable and so promoted? Who ever thought that abortion would be accepted. I see the man who brought abortion into the United Kingdom has had to resign recently because he was told to make sexual abuse of children and he thought it was so far away he wouldn't think of mentioning Sir David Steele as he's known. He's the man that brought the bill, that brought abortion into the United Kingdom. He has blood on his hands for millions of other people. But the minds of men have been so changed that what was unacceptable is now being acceptable. Premarital sex, same-sex recognition, and God's people are being bombarded by Satan day and daily, and over and over again. Someone said at one time, they calculate we are bombarded with 15 adverts each day, planned by a mind-control expert, and Satan tries to get into the minds of the children of God. Did you ever try to pray and your mind starts to wander? Did you ever try to read the word of God and you get a couple of lines and the next thing your mind's on something else? Did you ever try to concentrate even on the preaching of the word? Did you find that your mind starts to wander? And the old devil is trying to get the minds of the people of God. That you might be deflected and diverted. That you might be distracted. from the things that God wants you to do. Now look at verse number eight. 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, if there be any praise, and here comes the phrase, think on these things. You know that's a command. That's an imperative. Paul's not saying here's a good suggestion. Paul says, as a child of God, not only are you commanded not to worry, be careful for nothing, you're commanded to think on these things. But your mind will be focused on the things we find in these verses. You'll discover it's not an exhaustive list. You know, the word here means more than just entertaining the thoughts. It's translated by a few other words. Mark 11, verse 31, and they reasoned with themselves. Talks about reasoning. Romans 3 verse 28, therefore we conclude, again it's conclude, to reason, to conclude, Romans 8 verse 18, for I reckon, it means to evaluate, it means to consider, it means to calculate, it's a call for an habitual disciplining of our minds. Solomon said in the Old Testament, Proverbs 4 verse 23, keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Where does pride begin? Where does lust begin? Where does covetousness begin? Where does greed begin? Where does suspicion begin? Where does discouragement begin? It begins in the mind. If the devil can get into the mind, then the devil can very much control our actions. A number of scientists got together to consider the mind, and this is what they come up with. What the mind attends to, it considers. What the mind does not attend to, it dismisses. What the mind intends to continually, it believes. What the mind believes, it eventually does. Someone put it like this, you've probably heard this before. Sow a thought, reap a net. Sow a net, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny. Our attitudes become our actions, and it all begins in the mind. We're not asked to live by feelings. If we as believers live by feelings, how can you check your feelings? There's no parameter to check your feelings. If we live by our minds, and what we're taught, and what we feed our minds on, we've got the word of God. And we can measure it against the word of God. If you live just by feelings, then you have nothing to check it on. And Paul is saying he wants you to think on these things. You see the importance of the mind. And then you see the input. to the mind. And Paul gives us some examples here. We've read it a number of times and it does no harm to read it again. Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, he talks about the things that are honest, they're just, they're pure, they're lovely, they're a good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. Now, think of some of those words and think of a TV program. And here's what we're supposed to feed our minds on. And think of some of the things that are on television. And ask yourself the question, are they true? Are they honest? Are they just? Are they pure? Are they lovely? Are they of good report? Are they virtuous? Are they praiseworthy? Put any television program against that and see what there is out there that's good for a believer to feed their minds on. Apply them to any pop song. Now, I've never been into pop music. I never have. It's never been a thing. And we were out shopping in Belfast, and as you know, Caleb, for some reason, likes clothes. I don't know what's wrong with him. Two things I don't understand about Caleb. He likes Liverpool football club clothes. Can't appreciate that at all. But when I were in the shop with him, and this shop sells clothes for young ones, all the surf gear and all the stuff that the young ones like to have. There was music playing in the background, and I was listening to it, because you could not listen to it. I could hear a word, and it sounded like the F word. I says, that couldn't be the case. But then it would come again, and again, and again. I couldn't believe it. And I went to the shop man. I says, see that music? I find that offensive. I find it offensive. And he told me some story about it's a playlist and we have no control over it. But they should have something on the door that says, no one to rate teens because there's foul language in play. Horrible stuff. Imagine feeding the mind. Can you imagine young people? with the earplugs in, and these words, I didn't even know the song was words. Music may have been bad in my day, but they didn't sing cursing words, not that I'm aware of anyway. And the mind has been fed. Put any pop song, put any television program, even the magazine, even the novel, and put it against what we're reading about this evening. Remember, if it touches the heart, If it touches the mind, it touches the heart. If it touches the heart, it can touch the will. And the whole battle begins with the mind. And we shouldn't make it easy for the devil by feeding on his stuff. And our minds are open to all sorts of rubbish. Now look at some of the things that Paul mentions here. Friendly brethren, whatsoever things are true, when we think of true, we think of the opposite of lies. And no doubt, that's a good thing. Meditate, we don't want to fill our minds with things that are not true. And of course, lies are the opposite of truth. Romans 3 verse 4, God forbid, yea, let God be true and every man a liar and you have truth and you have lies. John 21 verse 24, this is the disciple which testifies of these things and wrote these things and we know his testimony is true, true and false, true and false. dishonest, but the word true here also carries the idea of being eternally true. You could think about something that's true, but it's not a good thing for you to think about. You could know someone at work who's having an affair with a married woman. Now that's true, but is that good for you to think about? So it's things that are eternally true. Asaph, you know in Psalm 73 verse 2, as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped. I was envious of the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked, for there are no bands in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, neither are they plagued like other men. And he was caught up with the word and their prosperity. Sometimes that happens to us. And we see the word have it easy, as it appears. And God's people are struggling. But then he said this, until I went in to the sanctuary of God, then understood I did not. He starts to think of the things that are true, eternally true. Not just true, but eternally true, things that are edifying to the mind. As I said, not everything that is true is edifying to the mind. We are to meditate or think of things that are right, things that are respectable, Whatsoever things are honest. That word honest means honourable. It was used of the wives of Deakins. Likewise must the Deakins be grave. The Deakins and their wives. Likewise must the Deakins be grave. It means honourable. Again it was used of their wives. Even so must their wives be grave. Not slanders. Honourable. accused of aged men, that the aged men be sober, grieved. Again, it speaks of respect, it speaks of honour, it speaks of being noble, it speaks of being dignified. It's a word which denotes worship. It's things that are praiseworthy, things that fill us with awe, that which is heavenly and awe-inspiring. The opposite would be trivial, mundane, earthly. Paul says, set your affection on things above, not on things that are on the earth. Things that are praiseworthy, things that are respectable. whatsoever things are just. Think about things which are righteous, that which is in accordance with God's righteous character. Think on matters that are consistent with the law of God, that that should brew out greed, envy, jealousy. Our mind is to be an incubator of a godly life. A virtuous and praiseworthy Christian life is to be the harvest of our thought life. What we think about, we put into shoe leather, and here is the biblical instruction for it. We are to think of things that are right, things that are respectable, things that are righteous, things that are refining. Whatsoever things are pure. This word was used of Paul speaking to Timothy when he said, lay hands on some men, no man, neither be partakers of other men's sins. Keep thyself pure. Some just translate it, keep yourself free from sin. What you think about, will it corrupt you or cleanse you? Does it defile you or is it a delight to the Lord? And no doubt Paul would even have thought about our conversation. He said in Ephesians 5, but fornication and all uncleanliness or covetousness, let it not once be named among you as becometh sins, neither fuddliness nor foolish talking nor jesting, which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks. Thoughts come flooding into our minds moment by moment, even as we sit in the meeting. Is there a problem with our thought life? Is it right? Is it respectable? Is it righteous? Is it refining? Is it masculine? This is the opposite of disturbing or causing strife. Whatsoever things are lovely, this word is found only here in the authorized version. It means friendly towards, it means sweet, gracious, generous, We should think of things that are pleasing, attractive and amiable before God and that keeps our minds peaceful when things are lovely. How's your thought life doing this evening? When we think on things like that, it keeps our actions under control. Whatsoever things are of good rapport, I have called that repeatable. Good report, something well spoken of, something commendable, something well sounding, something attractive, something appealing. This is the input to the mind here this evening. Whatsoever things are of good report, do you think of the things you can talk about? You wouldn't be embarrassed if you talked about it. Things that are well spoken of, commendable, well sounding, attractive, appealing. It's a big thing to me. But the Lord knows, and Paul, inspired by the Spirit of God, tells us, there's a battle for your mind and for my mind this evening. And all the trouble that's ever been in any church started with somebody's mind. And if the devil can get into the mind, then it will not be long till the actions will follow his path. You see the examples here tonight? But notice it's not exhaustive tonight, he concludes If there be any virtue, if there be any prayers, think in these things. If there's any excellency, anything worthy of prayers, think in these. Paul wants us to guard our minds. Think in that which is wholesome and edifying. What a way to live. What a way for a believer to live. Do you see the examples? Do you see it's not exhaustive? And then let me mention the enablement. How can we do this? We live in a world where we're bombarded with filth. to the best of our ability. How can we, with the help of the Lord, keep our minds pure tonight? Well, first of all, the Scriptures of God. The Word of God, isn't it? Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. John 17, 17. Psalm 19, verse 9. The fear of the Lord is clean and enduring forever. The Word of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. Psalm 119 verse 151. Thou art near O Lord, all thy commandments are true. You see every quality you have in verse 8. True, honest, just, pure, lovely, good report, virtuous, praiseworthy. That's the Word of God isn't it? It's not just the Bible. Every word there could be used of the Bible. And really, if we want to keep our minds pure, we need to meditate on the Word of God. The Psalmist said this, blessed, happy, very happy in the original, is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Often being pointed out that he's walking and then he's standing, and the next thing he's sitting. He's walking with sinners. He's standing with sinners. Now he's sitting with them. See the downward trajectory? But what's the opposite of that? His delight is in the law of the Lord. And in this law does he meditate day and night. This is meditating on the Word of God. The first mention of meditating in the Bible was used of Isaac. In Genesis 24, verse 63, Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide, and lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, the camels were coming. If you know Genesis 24, his bride was coming, and he could see in the distance the provision of God. He was in the field meditating, and he opened his eyes, and he could see the goodness and the grace and the provision of God. See when you meditate in the Word of God. I'm always slow to use farming illustrations because there's too many farmers here who know more about it than me. But I'm told in the original, it was used of a cow chewing the cotton. And if you watch the cow, you just choose it over and over and over and over again. Just take in the word of God. And just let it feed and feed and feed and feed and feed. Just think of it, the word of God. Chew it over. I'm told it was also used at humming a tune. You know when a tune is in your mind? When my children were small, I can't remember which one it was. Tractor Tom. And there was a song of Tractor Tom. I'm Tractor Tom, Tom, Tom, Tom. And that will be through my brain all day. Tractor Tom, Tractor Tom. But you don't want Tractor Tom in there. You want the word of God in there. Just the word of God. It's so pure. It's lovely. It's virtuous. This is how we control our minds. Not only the scriptures of God, but let me suggest the Son of God. Meditate on the Son of God, because I think, again, remember, this is the written word. Christ is the living word. Again, you take all the words out of verse number eight. True, honest, just, pure, loving, good report, virtuous, praiseworthy. Couldn't every word be used with Christ? You know, just keep our minds on Christ. Isaiah 26, verse three. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is still of thee. Just meditate on Christ. Think about the Lord Jesus Christ. Meditate on the person of Christ. Isn't that what Paul meant in chapter three when he says that I may know him? You know, he wanted to know Christ more and more intimately. You know, I know there's a love for that Psalm of Solomon, chapter five. Is it verse 18? He is all together God. Just meditate on the beauties of Christ. Indeed, read those verses, and it starts from the top of the head, goes right down through, and it's a beautiful picture of Christ. Think of these things. The Son of God, the Scriptures of God. I put down also the Saints of God. You see, if you look up the chapter to verse number two, and it's in the context here, I have a Saint, Julius and Petruchio, that they be of the same mind as the Lord. Their minds weren't going in the same direction. These two believers weren't thinking what they should be thinking. These two ladies had fallen out, and they weren't speaking. I don't know what the problem was. We don't know. It wasn't doctrinal. We've looked at it before. It was something personal. And I can imagine one of them going to bed at night and saying, boy, she is an awful woman, and probably worse words than that. And the other one would be the same. Did you see the look she gave? And these things are going on in these two sisters' minds, and their minds are thinking wrong things about each other. And I suggest tonight, if you look at the words that are found in this verse, and when you think of it, God's people. And I think Christ sets the example. Remember when he was writing to the churches in Asia, you know, first of all, he points out the good parts. He points out that which is commendable. You know, when it comes to the people of God, you look for the things that are true. the things that are honest, the things that are just, the things that are pure, the things that are lovely, the things that are of good report. You know, think of the things that are virtuous and praiseworthy. And think of these things about our brethren and sisters in the Lord. Someone asked Isaac Newton how he discovered the law of gravity. He said, by thinking about it all the time. You think of the good things about each other. Looking for the good things and thanking God for each other. I was preaching in Port Bruce last night on Thanksgiving, and one of the things I said, you need to be thankful for the sense of God. Thankful for God's people. Think on these things. What a powerful thing the human mind is. And yet, if we feed it with the wrong data, how corrupt it could become. If you have a computer at home, we're always worried we're getting the virus. And we have got antivirus software, whatever you call it. Antivirus protection. Here's the antivirus protection for your mind. The Word of God, Son of God. Think on these things. You see the importance of the nine. You see the input to the nine. And then we see the impact of the nine. Look at verse nine. Those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen and may do, and the peace of God shall be with you. This is what we want to get. We want to get the peace of God. See if your mind is thinking the wrong things, you're losing this peace. And your mind's in turmoil, and your life will be in turmoil. And soon others, you'll cause them to be in turmoil as well. Look what Paul says. Those things which were both learned and received and heard and seen and made. Talks about things that they had learned. Paul reminds them about what he has been teaching them. What did he teach them? Well, just look through this letter again. He taught them the need to love each other. Philippians 1 verse 9. And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment. Paul wanted them to love each other more. He prayed that they would live like Christ. Philippians 1 verse 27. Let your conversation, let your manner of life be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. Don't let anything in your life be on the coming of the gospel. The last thing you want to do is to invite somebody to the tent meeting or to any place to hear the gospel and for something in your life to be so contrary to the gospel. The gospel that's pure and lovely and gracious, they want something in your life that's against the gospel. On the coming of the gospel, on the coming of Christ. Paul had taught them that they should love. Paul had taught them they should live like Christ. Paul taught them they should be united. Philippians 2 verse 2, fulfill ye my joy. Remember we preached on it one night, how to make your pastor happy. Fulfill ye my joy. Paul says that you be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord of one mind. There's the mind again. Be united. Put others ahead of yourself, just like Christ. Philippians 2 verse 5, let this mind, there's the mind again, be in you. which was also in Christ Jesus. And of course we have that example where Christ went to the cross, not for himself, but for you and for me. Reach out to lost souls, Philippians 2 verse 15, that ye may be blameless and harmless as sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine like the Lord, holding forth the word of life that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. Paul is teaching the need to hold out the word of life. We've got the word of life. They're dead. We've got the remedy. For someone to come up with a virus for this virus thing or a vaccine for this virus, my, they'd be a hero. Why, we've got the word of life. We've got the vaccination. And I say it reverently. I know that's not a good word. For the sin problem, Paul says you need to reach out with the word of life. You need to reject error in Philippians 3 verse 2. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. You know, it's so sad today to see people with ice in their foreheads. So sad to see so many people that are so misled, thinking that somehow this can do something for their sins, when Christ has already dealt with it in Calvary. We need to reject error. We need to press on. This is what Paul has been teaching them. Philippians 3 verse 14. I think I should have this text every time I finish a series. Think of all you've learned. Have I wasted my time? Think of what you've received. Look at verse 9 again. Those things which you've both learned and received, they were received is in the context that they received it as the word of God. 1 Thessalonians 2 verse 13. Ye received the word of God, and he goes on to say, not as the word of men, but in truth the word of God. That's the idea here. They accepted Paul's teaching as the word of God. It wasn't Paul's opinion. It was the word of God. Now I don't have to say that, because I'm coming to the word of God. Do you remember Paul was bringing direct revelation from God. He gave a complete scripture to them. And they had learned. They had received it as the Word of God. And then he talks about the hearing. You've even heard him preach. We don't know all that he might have preached. But here's what the Lord's saying to us tonight. Think of it, what you've learned. Think of what you've accepted as truth that's in the Word of God. Think of the teaching you've listened to. And then Paul goes a little bit further. Not only the learning and receiving and the hearing, but the same. Here's the big thing, isn't it? And the same with me. You see, they can look at Paul and they see love. They see Christ-likeness. They see him putting the needs of others. He's in prison and he's concerned about them. They see a man striving for unity. You see someone reaching the lost, even in prison. It has happened unto the furthest of the gospel, and people were saved through Paul's witness in prison. And of course, Paul was firm against false teachers. And Paul says, listen to my words, but look at my walk. Remember the things that you've learned and received and heard and seen. And don't just let it disappear. But here's the crunch, isn't it? One little word in verse nine. Those things which you've both learned and received and heard and seen in me, do. Do. You can learn, you can receive, you can hear, you can see. If you don't do, then what's the point? asking them to do. Take all these things on board. Feed your mind on the things that are good. Be careful for nothing but in everything with prayer and supplication of thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known unto God and the peace of God which path of all understanding. And so they already have been taught all of this and Paul says put this into practice unto God of peace shall be with you. Right thinking should produce right And that word, do, simply means to put it into practice. If any man be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he sight not to a man beholding his natural face in the glass, for he beholdeth himself and goeth his way, and straightly forgetteth what manner of man he is. And here's the wonderful blessing this evening. The God of peace shall be with you. We've already been told that the peace of God passes all understanding. And now we're told that the God of peace shall be with you. We not only have the peace of God to protect us because it'll keep our hearts and minds, but we've got his presence as well, the God of peace shall be with you. I remember just thinking about this and I just thought about you and I, we're in a castle and the centuries are posted. Remember, and these centuries will keep our hearts and minds. And they're guarding us. The word keep means to guard. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds. And there we have the guards who never sleep. The guards who never slumber. They never take a day off. And they're keeping our hearts and minds. Right in the castle, we've got the God of peace with us as well. We have the peace of God protecting our hearts and minds. And we've got the God of peace with us. It's double security. Imagine having the God of peace let us ensuring what Paul is saying in chapter 4 is how we can have the peace of God and have the God of peace. You have no peace. No peace if your mind is being polluted. Your mind is being disturbed. And your mind is being pulled in so many directions. And Paul says now think in these things. Think in these things. See the importance of the mind tonight. You see the influence of the mind. I think I read it earlier on. Our mind is to be an incubator of a godly life. A virtuous and praiseworthy Christian life is to be the harvest of our thought life. What we think about is to be put in shoe leather. This is the biblical instruction for our thought life. I hope tonight that somehow we get the help we need. If your mind is being distracted and put in so many directions, I hope tonight we'll be able to bring these thoughts into practice. For someone, thank you. God bless you. For Heavenly Father, we thank you for the Word of God this evening.