Think on Things that are Noble

Thank you, Tyler, for leading our songs this morning. We appreciate you, and we appreciate all of those who served today. John David reminded me just a moment ago to let everyone know about the potluck that we’re having right after our morning worship service today, and I hope you will join us for that. It is always a monthly event that we look forward to, I had a quick peek into the fellowship room, the annex, earlier, and it’s all decorated really nice and pretty and green.

And I like that green color. Green’s my favorite color. But anyway, we are going to have a good lunch today after the spiritual feast that we are going to partake of right now. And this morning, we’re going to be thinking about things that are noble and taking our text from Philippians chapter 4 and verse 8.

And we’re working through each one of these words that Paul uses to describe how we need to think. However, we are to think on these things, and that’s what we are working on as we do that very thing. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are noble, 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. So notice this list of things that the Apostle Paul gives us to think about. True, noble, just, pure, lovely, good report, virtuous, praiseworthy. We are to be thinking on these things.

Who controls what you think? You know, there are many and strong influences on what we think in this world, but the Bible teaches that we control what we think, and we can direct our thoughts to very specific notions, Or we can let our thoughts go and just let them wander onto any old thing. Well, the Bible is telling us that we need to think on good things, and that implies a great measure of control over our own thoughts.

Consider Proverbs 4 and verse 23 in this regard, which says, Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. We are what we think is, in essence, what this Bible verse is saying. And we want to have good thoughts so that our lives will be filled with good things. Our thinking affects our attitudes, decisions, and actions. And you know what? We do not have to dwell on bad thoughts.

You know, I think sometimes we forget that, and we just let our minds spin around and around on bad things and on things, you know, things we can’t do anything about. Jesus talked about it. He called it worry or anxiety. We can call it many things, but the fact of the matter is, is that we can control what we think, and we can redirect our thoughts to good things.

Redirecting our thoughts in this way will bring joy to our lives. Well, this morning we want to think about this idea of nobility and things that are noble. Some translations say things that are honest. And it’s from this Greek word, semna, which has a broad range of meaning.

As I was researching this particular word, I found all of these notions within it. Noble, generous, honest, respectable, reverent, grave, serious, stately, and divine. All of these ideas are sort of bottled up in this one word that the New King James Version here translates noble, noble thoughts.

We’re going to look at three areas in regard to this word this morning, and think about those areas of thinking, We’re going to be thinking about what is noble or what is honest and good, respectable. And we’re going to look at things that are generous, respectable, and reverent. All of those notions are bound up in this one word.

Well, let’s think about things that are generous to begin with. First of all, when we think about generosity, what do you think about? You think about a person who is a magnanimous, one who is giving, one who is willing to be a person who is very open in his mindset toward others.

And we think about being generous, I think one of the first things that we should consider is being generous in forgiveness. In fact, as we look at Psalm 51, verse 12, David writes, Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me by your generous Spirit. And the idea there is God is a very forgiving God and He is generous. And we want to be generous in our forgiveness.

Jesus said in Matthew 6 and verses 14 and 15, “…for if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” We want to be generous in forgiveness because that’s a noble thing to do.

In thinking about this, we look at Colossians 3, 12 through 13, Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering, bearing with one another, forgiving one another. If anyone hasn’t complained against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do. That’s being generous. It’s being noble.

We want to think on these generous and forgiving things, but we want to be generous in our giving as well. Proverbs 11, verse 25 says, “…the generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself.” And that’s, of course, referring to the reciprocal nature of giving, that when we give to others, When we’re generous and noble in that regard, we receive a great blessing in so doing.

Proverbs 22 and verse 9 says, “…He who has a generous eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor.” 2 Corinthians 9, verses 6 and 7 says, “…But this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, And he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. We should be generous in our giving, but then we should be generous in accepting others. Remember Peter and his Romans wrote to acceptance of the Gentiles in Acts chapter 10. For so many years, they had not taken the gospel to the Gentiles, and now God was forcing their hand, calling upon Peter to go to the house of Cornelius, and when he got there and saw the wonderful things that God was doing, he said, In truth, I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation, whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him, Acts 10, 24 through 25. And he learned that he needed to be generous in accepting others.

Paul was the recipient of a generous church. We studied about that a couple of weeks ago in Galatians chapter 1, and at the conclusion of that chapter, in verse 24, he said of the church in Jerusalem, when they accepted Him, that they glorified God in me.

And that’s the attitude we need to have toward others as well, being generous in accepting others. And we will also be accepted when we do that. But then in this idea of nobility, there’s this notion of generosity, but there’s also this notion of respectable, respectability.

And as one who is wanting to think on things that are noble, we should think about things that are generous, we should think about things that are respectable. When we think about respectable things, I think one of the first things we need to consider is having the proper respect toward ourselves, As Jesus implies in Matthew 22, verse 39, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. We need to have appropriate love toward ourselves. I’m not talking about sinful love or sinful desires toward self. I’m not talking about narcissism or talking about some kind of selfishness or egocentrism.

That’s not what we’re discussing here, but do you brush your teeth in the morning? That’s having love towards self, taking care of yourself. Do you bathe? Do you eat occasionally? Provide nourishment? That’s loving yourself as you should. When we do those things, we learn how we need to love our neighbor also. I’m not talking about brushing your neighbor’s teeth. I’m not talking about that.

But I am talking about understanding what you do to take care of yourself so that you can help your neighbor take care of him or herself. That’s an important aspect to this. Love your neighbor as yourself. And a very important question to ask when we’re thinking about how to do that is, would you treat yourself that way? If the answer is no, then you probably shouldn’t treat your neighbor that way, right? That’s what this is talking about.

But there are so many today who are so engrossed in sinful activities, and so defined by those activities, they have no idea how to love their neighbor anymore because they don’t really love themselves appropriately. And we need to get back to understanding what that means to be respectable.

In Titus 2 and verse 2, there Paul wrote and said to Titus, the older men should be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience. That word reverent there is our word that we are thinking about here in Philippians 4 and verse 8.

It’s translated noble in the New King James Version, but here in Titus 2 and verse 2, it’s translated reverent. Thinking about things correctly. We don’t want to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, Romans 12, verse 3 says, but neither do we want to denigrate ourselves as something less than persons made in God’s image.

And so to think about respectable things means to have a measure of self-respect. But then also, we need to be respectable in our behavior. Think about some of these exhortations that Peter and Paul give. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.

Paul said to Timothy, Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. That’s respectable. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, Peter exhorts us, What manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness? 2 Peter 3, verse 11. Holy conduct.

We need to be respectable in our behavior and we need to be respectable in our language. Wow. Here’s an area in society that has gone downhill. People don’t hardly seem to think anything about watching their tongues anymore. It seems like just anywhere and everywhere, there is this disrespectful behavior in language.

Ephesians 4 and verse 29 says, “…Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Ephesians 5 and verse 4 says, “…neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.”

Is our language respectable as we go throughout the day, or do we fall into these areas of corrupt speech or foolish jesting? Matthew 12 and verses 36 through 37, Jesus said this, “…which ought to concern every single one of us, but I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.

For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Very sobering thoughts regarding our language. But then finally, as we think about things that are noble, we need to be thinking about things that are reverent.

What does it mean to think about things that are noble, think about things that are generous and respectable and reverent? And what does this mean? That we have holy thoughts. When you’re thinking about things you shouldn’t be thinking about, here’s a good place to go. Turn your thoughts to that which is holy.

Hebrews 12 and verse 14 says, “…Pursue peace with all people and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” We need holiness within our lives. What is holiness? Being separate from the world, being separate from carnal things, not letting those things control us or have dominion over us, but rather, we having control over us.

The world in which we live. In 2 Corinthians 7, verse 1, we read, “…Therefore having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Be holy, for I am holy,” God said.

And Peter quoted it in 1 Peter 1, 15 and 16. Reverent thinking means thinking about God. You know, there’s these passages in the New Testament where Paul utters words of praise and adoration toward God simply because of who God is.

Romans 11 and 33 is one of them. Oh, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out. 1 Timothy 1, verse 17, Now to the King, eternal, immortal, invisible, to God alone, who is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Those are reverent thoughts. To Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think, Therefore, think according to the power that works in us. To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Thinking about God is thinking reverent thoughts, but then reverent also means prayerful. And this is a great thing to do when we are seeking to control our thoughts. Turn to God in prayer. We are to pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5.17, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6 and verse 18, and being reverent means fearing God.

Ecclesiastes 12, verse 13 says, “…Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” Revelation 14, verse 7, a very noble verse, “…Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.”

Fear God and give Him the glory. Do we want to think on things that are noble? Then let’s think on things that are generous, things that are respectable, and things that are reverent. Maybe you need the gospel of Jesus Christ this morning and to turn your thoughts toward things that are noble.

The gospel is noble. You think about the message of the gospel, that man who is lost in sin needed salvation, and God, who is generous and who is rich in mercy, sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, to die for you on the cross so that you wouldn’t pay the penalty for your sins.

That’s noble. We can think on those things. We can think about how to respond to that great message through faith and love and receiving the truth that God has given us, that by hearing His Word and believing it, repenting, confessing Him as Lord, a very noble thing to do, that we can then be baptized, come into the likeness of His death, burial, and resurrection, I can’t think of any more noble activity than to identify with Jesus Christ today. Think on things that are noble. And you can start doing that right now. You can come forward this morning and be a noble person while together we stand and while we sing.

End of transcript. Thank you for reading along!