You Are What You Think | Philippians 4:8-9 | August 22, 2018

[Music] guys ate a Bible tonight would you please raise your hand we're gonna be in Philippians chapter 4 please raise your hand if you guys need a Bible Philippians chapter 4 a quick side note for the ladies Bible study for sign up so we don't actually have a signup table tonight but you can sign up online as CC Las Vegas org slash women's ministry so tonight we unfortunately don't have the table set up but you can still sign up online CC Las Vegas org slash women's ministry Philippians chapter 4 Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians anybody ever struggle with anxiety in your life raise your hand some of you guys were anxious about raising your hand just now when I told you to write you guys ever struggle with bad thoughts in your life yeah anybody struggle with just impure thoughts or any just false thoughts maybe in your life if you're not raising your hand here you can leave because we all have struggled with this this word is for you tonight if you raise your hand it's for you to know sometimes we come to reading Scripture or even hearing a message and we think oh man that was for that person tonight is not that message tonight is for you tonight is for me this is a word from the Lord tonight for each and every one of us so let's pray before we get into our study god thank you so much for just this amazing time of worship we've already had Lord and Lord you've met us here gotta just sense your presence here tonight and Lord a sense that you just want to break away change tonight Lord and and set people free tonight God as we study just through just the dangers our thoughts and our mind can be to us lord I pray God that you would reign over those thoughts that you would rule and reign over our minds God and that you would take the throne of our hearts tonight God teaches your word tonight we are so thankful for it Lord and would you bless this evening in Jesus name Amen well I'm going to read Philippians chapter 4 we have a lot of verses tonight verses 8 and 9 so buckle up I'm gonna be reading a lot Philippians 4 verse 8 says finally brethren whatever things are true whatever things are noble whatever things are just whatever things are pure whatever things are lovely whatever things are of good report if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things the things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me these do and the God of peace will be with you amen amen as we have been studying through this letter to the the church in Philippi I remember with you remember the context that we're in as we're studying through this tonight in the context that we're at tonight even though we're looking at two verses there's still a context that we're in tonight this is a letter to a strong church in Philippi we're getting close to the end of this letter and and we're gonna be beginning Colossians here in a few weeks and so really excited for our study through the book of Colossians and so continue to come as we close Philippians and as we start a new series up pretty soon but we have been traveling through this and our series has been on joy Jesus others you and that's what Paul's encouragement to this church has been is to remind them of their joy that they have in Christ and he's writing to them while in in prison while being a guard in Perth he's excuse me while being tied and chained to a guard in prison he's at under house arrest chained to a guard and there's like a change of guard every every so often and he is in prison right now as he's writing this this letter the church really because of his condition the church really was trying to send somebody to encourage him they were trying to send a password ID to go and encourage him in his circumstance and yet Paul flipped it around like he normally does and he went to encourage the church in Philippi last week we read about Paul addressing the conflicts that they were to that we're taking place in in the church and as well he addressed the anxiety that we were dealing with and he transitions into our thoughts and it's a it's a smooth transition here because a lot of times our anxiety really dwells right up in here doesn't it and he transitions into our thoughts so much of the Bible I don't know if you've if you've recognized but so much of the Bible deals with our walk with Christ and deals with our thoughts why why do you why do you think it deals with our thoughts I think because this is a dark place isn't it it's kind of a scary place sometimes it up in here and in your in your mind even the Bible talks about in in Romans chapter 12 where it says do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the newing of your mind even Paul just a couple of chapters before he said let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus he addresses it again because the mind is a scary and dark place how many of you guys have been going through your devotions and your your reading in the morning or your praying in the morning or maybe in the afternoon or evening or something and this is your time with God right this is your time with the Lord everything else that you're trying to silence away you start reading and things start popping into your brain I got to go do this I got to do this today man when that guy said that man this word is for that person for sure you know all of these kind of things start coming up in your mind things that aren't even about the study it's like man was the green peas on aisle nine or aisle ten do they even sell green peas anymore like you know then weirdest thoughts start enter anybody else was that just me maybe my mind's weirder than all your guys's minds men men in here may may be able to attest to this like I can how many you guys just think about nothing sometimes and all the women are like how because women think about everything all the time and they're like hey and they're like my wife last what are you thinking about and I'm like nothing she's like no no what are you thinking about I'm like nothing like literally nothing if you guys have seen stranger things when she goes into like the the the upside down and there's like all the black and it's just black there's nothing right and then there's sometimes with like a weird alien over here sometimes somebody's talking like over here in this dress that's what comes sometimes goes on in this mind right here and in the end of the guy's mind sometimes it's nothing which is scary right it's it is crazy the mind is a scary place and so Paul begins to address the mind and says these are the things that Christians should meditate on to find peace and God these are the things a Christian should be meditating on and I want to give you guys a few points tonight a few points tonight that will help you align your thoughts to what Christ wants you to meditate on a few points tonight to align your thoughts to what Christ wants you to meditate on day and night first point is don't trust your thoughts first point is don't trust your thoughts before knowing Jesus what did we have to trust in what was there to trust and before we came to know Christ ourselves right that was like the biggest thing that we could trust and that was the best thing we could trust in and that's what the world says it says follow your heart when when every movie is about that man trust your heart follow your heart know the heart is deceitful you don't want to trust your heart like it's going to leave the heart this is what the heart will do and will tell you to fall in love with this person but it will also tell you to eat that doughnut after you've exercised like that's what your heart and mind does it is deceitful and wicked right and and yet the world tells you it trains us follow your heart trust your gut instinct follow after the things in your mind like trust those things and and I want to tell you tonight a Christian cannot trust their thoughts we cannot trust our thoughts even in relationships like even in relationships this is this is the the thing is to go with your heart with a relationship like desert does your heart go after that person does does your you know your thoughts are you thinking about that person all day and things like that and and you still can't trust that you cannot trust that the Bible says that in Jeremiah that the that the heart is deceitful it's deceitful above all things it's wicked who can know the heart of man and sometimes our thoughts can be like if you guys ever seen like movies where an FBI agent goes like goes deep into into the system and he's you know he's trying to go in disguise and so they put a little microphone in his ear right and they're like okay now do this and I'll say this and all those kind of things sometimes Satan is like that with our thoughts where we're going into a situation we're talking to somebody we're walking into situation we start hearing these thoughts say this do this I can't believe those kind of things and that is the thoughts work and we're supposed to trust it your thoughts lie your thoughts lie and there are two lies that your thoughts will tell you there are two lies that your thoughts will tell you one you're not good or you are good enough is the first lie that your thought will tell you that your mind will tell you is that you are good enough you don't need Jesus you don't need religion you don't need that you don't need those kind of things you don't need a walk with Christ you don't need a relationship with your Christ you don't need church you don't need you are fine in and of yourself you don't need somebody's help you don't need any of those things you are good enough and it's a lie it is a lie the second lie that you are worthless that you are worthless which is not the full truth there and I'll explain that in a second but the the lie there is that you are worthless that you have no meaning that you are purposeless that why even exist on this planet like what are you what are you even made for you're doing nothing with your life nobody knows who you are and you are worthless and both are lies because what is true is we need Jesus that is what is true what is true is we need Jesus we're not good enough that is a lie we are not good enough because we need someone who is better we can't do it on our own that is a lie we cannot do it on our own you know that your mind will tell you you can do this you come on like the world will tell you that right you can do this come on just work harder at it be more successful how to take these courses take this kind of thing get this kind of advice you need a mentor in your life seek out this doctors helping all of these kind of things and yet it is a lie we come up empty and short every time why because you're not good enough you need Jesus but you're not worthless because you matter to God each and every one of you matter in myself matter to God because Christ died for you he died to begin his relationship with you to to make that way again for you and so the lie is is you know as the lie pops in your head that you are worthless that is not true you matter to God Christ came for you he came to die for you and to make that way for and so point number two tonight you need Jesus to have the right thoughts you need Jesus to have the right thoughts if you don't have Christ there's no way you can develop this habit and live in this way this is not just things to like add into your life if you're here and you don't have a relationship with Christ this is not like a motivational speech for you to say oh here's the here's the the key right here is I just have to think of these things and then and then my life is gonna be great I'm gonna be able to live a great life and live a successful life and a happy and joyful life know it first starts with your relationship with Jesus if you do not have a relationship with Jesus it is impossible to meditate on these things because there's no hope in life without Christ there's no lovely things in life without Christ there's no true joy without Christ there's no true purity without Christ there's no truth really without Christ and so Christ is the beginning of that relationship at the beginning of meditating and having the right thoughts God's peace his true peace can only come through a relationship with Jesus Christ those thoughts are not possible without him number three our third point tonight these thoughts that Paul encourages us to meditate on are not situational and I'll explain that there they're not based on the situation these thoughts that Paul encourages us to meditate on are not situational they're not based on this situation remember where Paul is when he's writing this he's writing this in prison right he's writing this he's chained to a guard right now and and they're trying the church and Philip is trying to send some comfort to him and saying hey you know keep it up dude like you're you're doing great maybe maybe God will release you from this I keep it up you're doing great and yet he is encouraging the church in his condition in the state and the the state and the situation that he is in is using it to encourage the church life situations and what the world offers is often the opposite of what Paul tells us to meditate on it's often the opposite of what Paul is telling us to meditate on it's easy to meditate on these kind of things in verse eight it's easy to meditate on those things when you're in a situation that is lovely and that is pure and that is Noble and just and praiseworthy virtuous things are happening around us but that's not the case right welcome to life right like life is not always lovely it's not always pure it's not always just it's not always virtuous that it's not always true life situations happen Trials happen but the reality is is that when Paul says to meditate on these things when he says to meditate on these things he's saying you're not changing the situation God is changing your heart you're not changing the situation but God is changing your heart and so I cannot deny I mean my wife and I went through one of the craziest seasons of our life and and God was really instilling this on our hearts to meditate on these things we can't change the situation the situation is still crazy you're going through probably if some of you guys are probably going through tragedy in life heartbreak in life and I'm not here to say the situation is going to change because it may not but God is is going to change your heart give you peace that surpasses all understanding as Christians we still go through trials and tribulations and but now we have hope but it is often in the midst of the trial that we struggle with right thoughts the most it is often in the midst of the trial that verse eight really gets put to the test really gets put to the fire when we're going through those trials when we're going through those tribulations our thoughts will be attacked when we're going through the hardships in life and maybe you're in that hardship right now that tragedy right now or something right now that's just not fear this isn't just this isn't this isn't something we you know we uh we went through pastored Erika and myself and David Hernandez and a bunch of others candy and we went to a conference in Mexico and one of the the pastors were sharing about this this work that he's doing in in Sudan and there is a lot of just chaos and war and just incredibly tragic things that are happening over there and things that we don't hear about on on on the news you know things that we don't hear about in a newspaper or on the radio or things like that like things that will we will never experience and hopefully never experience in our life he was telling us about this story there's these these different armies kind of like the Lord's Resistance Army the LRA that are like a group of just rebellious people that just go and they they pillage and-and-and kill people and take their stuff and and they do it in such horrific ways it's truly demonic and one of the stories he's telling us is is about this woman he showed a woman's picture that they're ministering to that they're walking through this healing process and the the situation she just went through what she had to she had to cut off the head of her own husband because the the LRA type army was telling her if you don't do that we will cut the heads off of your kids in front of you that is the world we live in right now how in the world do you meditate on these things in the midst of that because God changes the heart there is hope in Jesus Christ because pain doesn't just it doesn't last forever right when we have that relationship with Jesus even death can't stop it even death can't stop the love of Christ amen even death can't stop the the arm and the reach of Christ and so he says to meditate on these things no matter the situation no matter the situation the tragedy and the trials because what hope do we have if we don't have hope in Christ there is no hope without Jesus Christ and the hope that he brings to us the life that he brings to us and knowing that even if should come upon us men we have hope that we're with him for eternity we have hope that we get to spend eternity with our Savior that he has saved us that he has taken us out of hell and then he has written our names in the Lamb's Book of Life amen the fourth point tonight be mindful of what you allow in your thoughts be mindful of what you allow and your thoughts you've heard the old saying you are what you eat but which might be true but tonight I am going to say that you are what you think that is the the title of my message tonight you are what you think what you allow into your mind and into your heart begins to affect your thoughts the things that you allow into your mind the things that you allow into your heart begins to affect your thoughts so this you've got to guard it you've got to guard your your mind you've got to guard your heart it's a sacred place from and really there's there's a heart check there's a heart check for what is coming out of the mind overcoming what is lodged deep within are our thoughts and our and our hearts are really our hearts intentions and the the heart check is from scripture where it says from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks right well what does that mean well what is truly going on in here we're kind of like sponges right when I when I take a sponge and I wipe up milk and and I'm wiping it all up and I squeeze it all into that sponge when I squeeze it apple juice doesn't come out right milk does right it's it whatever goes into it is what's coming out and that's the same thing what's going on in our minds is that what we're allowing into it is going to come out from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks and so we've got to guard this and we've got to look for signs don't wait until the breaking point sometimes in life we wait till the breaking point we wait till it's gotten so bad and we realize how in the world did I get here and there's so many times in life that you you're walking through life you're walking through these things in these little compromises you start to allow these little compromises that don't seem big they don't seem that like like that big of a deal and until it gets worse and worse and worse and you don't want to get to the place where you're looking back thinking how in the world did I get here what in the world happens then you if you can if you can find it and locate it and and figure it out at the beginning and and take it out cut the head off that snake right away it will save you from that heart eight down the road and so looking for those signs of small compromises because those small compromises they've seen they may seem so small they mean it may seem not like a big deal like my language is not that bad it's just a little bad you know my the things that I'm watching is not that bad it's just I mean kind of or whatever the case is those small compromises can begin to become a life change so you have to be mindful of the music the movies the books the conversations the shows for some of you guys the Instagram stories and people we follow some of you guys not me because I'm not a blog person but the blogs you follow in who you're reading after the snapchat stories that we follow all of those kind of things we have to be mindful of what's going in here and I'm not trying to give this legalistic message about this so I'm not saying that I have everything that goes in here has to be Christian so if it doesn't have a Christian stamp on it that's secular and get it out like it's not it's not like that we're not trying to find the secular stuff that were it and we're just burning everything secular but it's being mindful it's being mindful of what we're putting in and making sure that the majority that the majority that we're allowing into our mind the majority because nowhere in Scripture is it going to say don't listen to secular music and and though Christians might might put that on you of say you listen to Christian secular music oh man you're not a Christian you're you're not a Christian and things like that but the the the reality is what I'm not saying is that you can't listen to that but you have to be mindful because it will begin to affect here it will begin to affect your heart it will begin to really change those things and it may seem so small it may seem like small little compromises that aren't that big of a deal and yet you look down and you're like why did I respond like that whatever he spawned such anger that is so weird and then you start thinking back well all the music I'm listening to is just encouraging that and I'm not I'm not fighting and overcoming that with music that's going to be praiseworthy that's going to be glorifying to the Lord like I'm not saying stop doing that what I'm saying is make sure what is going in here is glorifying to the Lord and last point on that on being mindful of what you allow in your thoughts is is some of you guys struggle with depression some of you guys are struggling with with depressed thoughts of of those lives the life that you struggle with is I'm worthless this the lie that you that you may have identified with not is that you're good enough but that you're never going to be good enough and that you're worthless and that you don't matter why are you living in this life and those kind of things and someone told me a long time ago that it was it was such profound it was such a profound statement to me of just whenever you're going through those that depression the worst thing you can do in depression the worst thing you can do with depressed thoughts is to seclude yourself often what happens though is that's the greatest temptation right is that one do you have those thoughts you think man I don't want to be outside I don't want to see anybody because I feel like I'm gonna slap them if I see anybody and I don't want to talk to anybody everything that they're saying is irritating me and all of those kind of things they fit and he feels like he's better than me and all this kind of stuff so you just seclude yourself and you seclude yourself even more and you begin to seclude yourself even more and then your mind starts playing up here and all of these thoughts start happening and you're in this corner and you begin to entertain those thoughts protect hear protect your heart protect your mind and really the the the biggest the the best thing that I could say in in depression one obviously is to is to cling to the Lord like that's obvious in all of that but what I want to tell you that you can also try out is focus on someone else in helping somebody else the best way to get yourself out of here and to get yourself to stop thinking about how crazy your life is and how horrible you are is to see how crazy other people are and how you know that that everybody's going through the same thing right and beginning to help other people not because you're better but because you're like I know what they're going through I know what's going on that same first Corinthians talks about that that you're comforting others with the same comfort in which you received your you're beginning to comfort others to help others even in the midst of like I mean I don't feel like it like I don't feel like I'm I'm good enough to do this and that's okay because God's good enough because God's going to lead you in in helping others and and you know encouraging others and so if you're struggling tonight with depression if you're started struggling tonight with your thoughts of of depression my encouragement is take a step of faith take a step of faith and help somebody out take a step of faith and and get out of your seclusion maybe you're online right now secluded and this is for you maybe this is for nobody in here because they're all out sitting next to people that they don't know and it's online and you're in your dark room right now secluded and and and not coming to church and I'm talking to you as well to to get out of that seclusion get out of that room and begin to to press into Christ and by pressing in I mean men go serve the Lord go serve God get involved in church go serve people and see how God will change your thoughts he's not changing the situation he is changing your heart what point am I on 5 1 2 3 4 5 nice point number 5 don't this is really important I'm not I'm putting my water down this is really important listen to this don't listen to your thoughts preach to yourself and allow the Lord to speak to you and remind you of his truths don't listen to your thoughts preach to yourself and allow the Lord to speak to you and remind you of his truths now I'll take what I don't mean by that is I'm not saying to wake up and have your motivational speech in front of your in front of your mirror this is not like the you guys remember that old SNL skit where it's like I'm good enough I'm strong enough and doggone it people like me and like you know trying to pump yourself up in front of the mirror or or or they have you did you ever see that YouTube video that was going around and that little blonde girl that's standing up on the counter and she's in the mirror she's like I love my mom my house I love my hair I love myself I love everything and then she like claps and is ready for the day this is not what I'm talking about here what are we preaching to ourself it's God's truth it is God's truth and His Word that we are reminding and allowing the Lord to remind ourselves of his truths what you think about yourself is how you are going to live you are what you think so you meditate on these things you meditate on God's truth on God's holy word and his truth that is from everlasting to everlasting it's not gonna change you don't have to worry about it changing it's not gonna change it's going to work exactly the same way because his word stands forever and so you can meditate on these things the thing is is you've got to silence the noise the thing is is you've got to silence the noise and that is you've got to stop listening to your thoughts stop listening to your thoughts of stint sitting in in your room or in your car or at work or all of those things maybe right now and your and those thoughts are coming into your mind these thoughts are flooding into your mind of all of these lies all of these false things that are just popping into your mind these may be impure thoughts that are popping into your mind some of you fellas know what I'm talking about those impure thoughts that you're like where did that come from I don't even know what what where that even came from or these these these disgusting thoughts or whatever and you've got to silence the noise but how do you silence the noise how do you silence the noise that is going on in there and that is to preach scrips to yourself talk to yourself it's weird I know it's weird to talk to yourself as I go there's Tony talking to himself again but it is liberating it is liberating the peace of God will fill your heart when you begin to preach to yourself when you begin to allow the Lord to remind you of his amazing truths to remind you of his goodness and His grace and His mercy and his love for you that he has a plan and a purpose for your life for your life so when the lie enters into your head the lie will enter into your head the thing is is that the reason why I had everybody raise their hand is because the reality is is that every single Christian is dealing with this every single Christian is dealing with those the struggle with your mind the struggle with your thoughts it's not that only the bad Christians are or the people that don't follow Christ we're all bad Christians in here right we're all struggling with the same things we're struggling with these these these impure thoughts or these false lies that that the enemy is trying to feed to us or even ourselves are just trying to lie to ourselves and you begin to silence the noise by reminding yourself of what is true in Scripture when he says you're weak you're weak you're not good enough you're weak and you can say yes but His grace is sufficient for me because when I am weak he's strong and so you don't have to some of the some of the things that are in your mind might be and that's what I was saying that second lie might be not the full truth it's partly true it's partly true of like you're not good enough you're right I'm not good enough but he's good enough he's good enough for me and His grace is sufficient that when I am weak he is strong men if God only knew if God or if the pastor only knew if the people sitting in the congregation only knew what you were really struggling with what really the sin was going on in your life the sin that you're allowing in your life or or the sin that you've done in your past like your God would never accept you God would never accept you I remember talking to a friend of mine from school and we were talking over the phone and that was the thing he could not get over was I've done so many things in my life there's no way that God's grace is enough for it that his his death is enough for it and it is not true this is the the the truth that you can preach to yourself that where sin abounds what happens grace abounds that much more where sin abounds grace abounds that much more sometimes the best preaching that we can get is when we preach to ourselves and to silence the noise that is going on in here not just I mean messages listening to the message trying to find a message and those kind of things or or picking up a book or some kind of spiritual leadership book or you know some kind of biblical counseling book or things like that that's great but preaching to yourself God's Holy Word and just being reminded of his amazing truths his amazing truths that are everlasting to remind yourself that men were sin abounds grace abounds that much more yeah that was my life that was my life I did all of those crazy things that I'm ashamed of but he's removed my sin as far as the East is from the West amen when temptation comes into our mind and there's the the temptation of impurity the temptation of a situation that is impure you can remind yourself and you think you think man this there's no way I can stop myself from doing this there's no way I can add that I'm strong enough to get through this like this temptation is too strong to bear there's no way I can handle this and we can remind ourselves as his word that says in 1st Corinthians 10 that that you won't be tempted beyond what you can bear that Jesus will never let you be tempted beyond what you can bear he will always provide a way out and you can think no he's he's providing a way out he's not gonna put me in the situation that's too much for me to bear he's providing himself as the way out of this so I just need to cling to him I need to cling to his word and to remember that during work or maybe in your car when you wake up when you go to sleep that's why it's important to be in the word so much as is to be reminded and refreshed of about those truths about even the simplest truths that God loves you that he has a plan and a purpose for your life I I was listening to this new song this new worship song that is going to I'm gonna do it like it is it great I'm like weeping in my office and Miriam's the office next door and I'm like blasting it like 50 you know like the highest it can go up the volume and I'm just like weeping in my office sorry Miriam the probably distracted or the whole day but I'm listening to this song and it is such a simple song it's a simple song that is just about how I'm not enough unless he comes and so come and fill this place and it's just a simple song of like men when we gather together that is like our hearts cry that were not enough unless he comes if he comes what is all this for like what are we doing here unless he comes what are we singing for unless he comes what are we what are we living life for unless he comes and he fills our hearts were nothing without him and I was like man I'm weeping like I've heard that for the first time oh my god thank you thank you for coming and wanting to to fill our hearts with your presence into to fill this sanctuary with your with your presence and and so even when you're in your car when you're driving to work you're waking up for school you're going to sleep late at night tonight is reminding you reminding yourself preaching to yourself those truths when you're sitting in your bed and your your mind says going in a million miles and in every different direction you're reminding yourself of those truths man God's bigger than that man I know I know what God did for me that's not true and you begin to preach to yourself stop listening to your thoughts don't listen to them in silence the noise when things around you are not lovely and they're not going to be lovely when they are unjust like that story I was telling you in Sudan when the situation breaks your heart you remind yourself of the promises of God in Scripture when you're at your lowest of lows at your breaking point where you're you can't even lift yourself up you just are so broken have you ever been there before where I feel like I don't even know what to say I don't know what to think I'm just so broken the situation is such a huge burden I literally feel like weight on me I literally feel like another body on me it's just so heavy and I'm so broken and you can preach to yourself in those moments man Psalm 34 that he's near to the broken that he's near to the brokenhearted though he feels far off I know that he's with me I know God that you're here and in in my midst right now and and that the pain won't last forever I have accepted Christ and I know revelation 21 the pain will not last forever there's a day that the pain and the tears he's going to literally I love this that he himself Jesus Christ will wipe away every single tear from your eye his justice reigns he is coming again revelation in first Thessalonians he is coming again for his bride we have hope and we can remind ourselves in the hopeless situation that we have the most hope in that situation and that is Jesus Christ when things are tough in your life and things don't make sense when your heart and mine are filled with fear and anxiety you bring your heart and mind to praise you bring your heart you think of the things that are praise worthy is so fitting that song that we sang right before the message that we are no longer slaves to fear men when that and when that song comes on I don't know about you but it's like bring whatever whatever you got bring in my way because I'm no longer slaves if I don't know what it is but that song is just like ah you know like you want to just go and punch through a wall or something like you know you're just feeling like yeah I can do this with you Lord right and and why is that because men that when you meditate on those things on those truths you realize how awesome God is and how strong he is and you see how small fear is you're like man fear is such a small little thing and compared to how great and amazing God is so you think when those times are tough in your life when those times don't make sense when they're confusing when your heart and mind are filled with fear and anxiety you bring your heart and mind to praise this this year my wife and I like I said we went through a really really tough season in our life and and as we were coming to the end of a really really just hard hard week that we were we were coming to we were in a different city where in Dallas at the time and we were just going through just a ton of like heartbreak and just really kind of working through like that healing process of just like man God how do we heal through all of this and we heard about a worship night that was happening at the church and at the Church of one of the local churches in Dallas and and Shane and Shane which are like my favorite worship band were leading worship there and and it was like yeah I'll go to that for sure and and so we we went to it not knowing like what to expect and and and what to do and they begin to put scripture up on up on the screen and it was so amazing like the first scripture it felt like it was just for us because like I mean there was like 10,000 people there or something crazy we walk in and like the first scripture that comes up with was my wife and i's wedding verse and we're like oh lord you've made this whole night about us and you like all these people can just leave and we'll just stay in here like this is this is for us right here and all these these amazing scriptural truths of like of how good god is his promises and his truths that are yes and amen and they began to sing these songs and then it was like the the most healing that we could have ever gotten it was the most healing that we went through in that time because it was just bringing to our hearts to praise God in the midst of the brokenness bringing our hearts to praise God in the midst of things that didn't make sense for like men there was a bigger picture there and it was like god you're bigger God you're greater God I know how much you love me I know the plans and the purpose that you have for my life are are good and you have what's best for me and I know that you have my best intention I know you have a plan and a purpose that is that is going to blow our minds and man worship was like what helps realign that what helps realign that thing was meditating on what was praiseworthy what is praiseworthy that we can meditate is the truths of who God is of how great God is how amazing God is what his plan and purpose for you and your life is man those truths they break down those walls they break down the data anxiety they break down that heartache they break down the tragedy and all those things the situation may not change he's not saying I'm changing the situation but he's changing your heart he's changing your heart meditate on these things on what things meditate on what is Noble whatever is just whatever is pure lovely good of a good report if there's any virtue and if there's anything praiseworthy meditate on these things and he closes this this section here and says the things which you learned and received and heard and saw and me these do and the God of peace will be with you Paul says in verse 9 to follow him as he follows Christ he said that before earlier in the in the letter and as you follow what Jesus is encouraging us to do tonight the God of peace will be with you the God of peace will be with us you've got a troubled mind tonight you came in with being troubled minded depressed anxious unloved all of those things you need to invite the God of peace into your life tonight it may be the first time for you but you need to invite the God of peace into your life tonight it may be the hundredth time for you you need to invite the God of peace into your life tonight and meditate on those things in his peace that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus amen lord thank you so much for your word tonight God thank you for these promises Lord and God what what else do we have to cling to Lord but your everlasting promises Lord your promises that are yes and amen God we have all been lied to Lord every single one of us have been lied to in this place Lord by the world by our thoughts by our circumstances God we need your truth we need to be reminded of your truth tonight Lord and there's so many people I know god that it may have come into here tonight Lord that are just going through it they're going through the trial they're going through the tragedy they're going through things that don't make sense Lord we have all been in that place Lord where we have meditated on the wrong things we've thought through and and grabbed on to the wrong things but God I pray Lord I know that you want to set people free tonight there's people in here Lord that their minds have been enslaving them long enough and God you want there to be freedom you want there to be liberty the Liberty I pray God that they would allow the god of peace the peace that surpasses all understanding to guard their heart in their mind tonight with our heads bowed our eyes closed if that's you tonight like I said it might be your first time it might be your hunger time your thousands of time I don't care you just know you need to invite the God of peace into your life tonight you need to you know that you are tired of letting your mind control you you've listened to your thoughts long enough and you know you need the God of peace to come in and to wipe away those thoughts and to fill your mind with the truths of his word you know you need to invite the God of peace to enter into your life like I said maybe it's for the first time you just know that you need to begin your walk with God again tonight if that's you won't want to lead you into prayer tonight and right where you're sitting if you could raise your hand I'm not gonna call you forward anything I just want to pray for you if you raise your hand tonight so I can lead you in that prayer I see all of your hands thank you awesome praise the Lord see your hands and more importantly God sees your hands God sees you reaching out this right here is not just raising your hand but your reaching out reaching out for God and needs you Lord is what you're saying I need your peace in my life is what you're saying I need you to fill my mind is what you're saying to fill my heart is what you're saying as you're raising your hand tonight on my moment if that's any more of you guys I see all of your hands you can repeat after me this prayer is not to me this is between you and the Lord right now a repeat after me dear God I know that I've sinned against you but I believe in Jesus Christ that he died on the cross for my sins and rose again on the third day and that through faith in Him he has set me free God would you guard my heart would you guard my mind would you direct my thoughts would you speak your words of truth into my life and help me to follow you the rest of my days I Love You Lord and give you my heart I give you my mind and Jesus named embrace award [Music]

Channel: Calvary Chapel Las Vegas, Nevada

Views: 1,806

Keywords: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, truth, salvation, Bible, church, Book of Philippians, Christianity, Calvary, Calvary Chapel Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, Pastor Tony Monto, Think, Love, Gospel, Peace, Joy

Id: 47tz5JiUtzs

Length: 46min 21sec (2781 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 23 2018