Whatsoever Things Are Honest

if you'll turn your Bibles to Philippians chapter 4 Philippians chap 4 and: 7-9 we're going to continue our series on deposit these things and so we're going to be talking about how to deposit things in our spiritual account uh you can go down to any bank open an account there's no charge to that all you have to do is just go down there it's open for free but then once you open the account you've got to make deposits into the count in order to draw out of the count if you haven't figured that out yet you need to go back to school and get that figured out so you can't take money out of the bank unless you put money into the bank now salvation is free and when you deposit your soul with the

bank of heaven with God it is kept for all eternity it is guaranteed uh better than the FDI gu FDIC guarantee that our banks have and we know for sure that God's going to keep our soul when we get to heaven but we also want to deposit these things in order our life to in order to be able to uh uh draw upon the peace and the power of God if you look at Philippians chapter 4 in verse number 7 it says the peace of God which passes all understanding to keep your hearts and Minds through Christ Jesus finally Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are good report if there

be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things and that word think again is in the Greek language it's a term which to be translated to deposit these things and verse number nine those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in me the God of Peace shall be with you and so we want to we want to be able to deposit these things into our lives and the first thing we talked about last week was to was what sort of things are true and to deposit things that are true and that are not counterfeit uh a lot of us as Christians live counterfeit Christian lives we want to live lives that are that are true but it also says here in the next part it says all what

sort of things are honest and so what's the difference between things that are true and things that are honest uh things that are true are not counterfeit the word honest carries the idea of being honorable of being honorable having an honest testimony uh you've all heard the statement Honest Abe and that's how we identify uh our President Abraham Lincoln he was Honest Abe because he had a a testimony of being honorable he had a testimony of being honest and you and I need to have that kind of testimony in our life as well in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 and verse number 21 it says providing for honest things not only the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men you see as Christians we

ought to live lives that are honest lives that have value that are honorable you know there are uh there are some Christians I wouldn't give you two cents for their testimony uh they just don't have an honest testimony they don't live an honest life in front of the world around them in front of their family in front of their friends and even sometimes at church as well and uh they're just they honest is not worth two cents and so we need to be honest honest first of all to God in Hebrews 11 verse number 5 it says by faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated for translated him for before his translation he had this testimony that he

pleased God you see Enoch had a testimony that he pleased God he had an honest testimony and one that as a testimony that God could see in his life as well and we need to have a testimony that we please God uh Abraham Lincoln once said this sir my concern is not whether God is on our side my greatest concern is to be on God's side for God is always right and so you and I as Christians need to make sure that we're not trying to have God be on our side but that we are always living a life that is on God's side to live an honest life before God and that means we need to live the life of faith in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse number six it says but without faith is impossible to please him for he

that cometh to God Must Believe that he is and it's rewarder of them that diligently seek Him in verse 5 it says that Enoch pleased God and if you want to please God then you please God by coming to him with faith and we need to learn to trust him another quote from Abraham Lincoln is let us have faith that right makes might and in that Faith let us to let us to the end dare to do our duty as we understand it he said listen if you're doing what's right then you're going to have the might of God and we need to have faith if I do what's right that God is going to honor me he's going to bless me and so if we want to please God if we want to have an honest testimony before God then we need to we

need to have a life live a life of faith and trusting in God I I got to sit down with a couple this last week and listened to some of their testimony and and some of the things that they went through in their life and how they had to trust God now Faith does not mean I don't worry Faith does not mean that I don't get depressed Faith does not mean that I I I don't panic a little bit but faith is ultimately I I trust that God is the one that's in control and and I'm always going to turn back to the Lord because I realize I can't I can't control life but God can and and so Enoch lived by faith and that please God and you and I need to live by faith if we want to have an honest testimony but we

need to not only please God but we need to please him more in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse number one it says furthermore then we beseech you Brethren and exhort you by the Lord Jesus as you've received us how you ought to walk and to please God so you would abound more and more you see you've got to keep depositing you can't just make one deposit you're done you You' got to continually deposit in that account if you want to keep drawing upon that account as well and you and I it's not just a one-time thing but we need to please God more and more every day we need to please the Lord and in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 and in verse number n 1 Thessalonians 1 and verse 9 it says this I

pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all judgment you see the more that my love abounds the more I can draw upon that as well let me give an example I shared this in my marriage class years ago but uh with my wife uh I need to deposit love into her life if I want to draw upon love out of her life you see if I'm not putting love into my relationship and depositing love into her life then there's nothing for her to give me back when I need it as well and and so you got to keep depositing more and more in your love for God and your love for others it's not a one-time process it's a continual thing to deposit these things before God so we need to have an honest

testimony and and we need to have an honest conversation in 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse number 12 it says having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that where as they speak against you as evildoers they may by your good works which they Shall Behold glorify God in the day of visitation that word conversation there that honest conversation the word conversation doesn't mean just to talk to somebody the idea of the word as you've probably heard this statement before your walk talks more than your talk talks you know there's some people that they talk a big talk but their life they don't live what they're talking about they don't live their conversation and and you and I need to have

an honest conversation with the world around us we need to live an honest Christian Life where they can see Christ in our lives where they can glorify God and say there's a Christian who lives what he believes there's a Christian who lives according to the word of God we need to have a good report first among first of all among other Christians in Acts chapter 6 and verse number three it says wherefore Brethren look out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom who we may appoint over this business see they were looking for seven men that had a a good testimony that had an honest report and and and in order to choose them as the original deacons of the church but

let me ask you a question if you were to look around you in church today and others were to look around them in church today would somebody look at you and say hey that's someone that has an honest report would someone in this church look at you and say there's somebody that has an honest testimony for the Lord and is living for God and and serving the lord and doing what's right do you have that honest report before other Christian chrans but not only before the Christians but also before the lost in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse number 12 it says that you may walk honestly towards them that are without and that you may have lack of nothing we need to live an honest testimony for the

world around us as well so that they can see Christ in our lives and and so we need to put what sort of things are honest to live that honest testimony to have that honest conversation to have honest relationships in Romans 12 and verse number 17 it says recompense to no man evil for evil provide things honest in the sight of all men see God wants us to have honest relationships in our marriage in our families with the people around us to have that honest relationship go over to First Peter chapter 3 1 Peter chapter 3 and look at verses 8-2 1 Peter chapter 3 and verses 8-2 1 Peter 3 and beginning with verse number 8 it says finally be all of One mind having compassion one of another love his

Brethren be pitiful be courteous not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing but contrary wise blessing knowing that you are there to called that you should inherit a blessing for he that will love life and see good days let him uh refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no G let him isew evil and and do good let them speak seek peace and ensue it for the eyes of the Lord are over the righteousness ears are open unto the prayer their prayers but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil and so you and I as we live in our relationships to not have bitterness and not return evil for evil but return evil good for evil to have good relations honest relationships

with those around us again Abraham Lincoln said this I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends that's a good quote I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends and we need to not be bitter and angry and we need not give evil for evil but we need to give kindness and and C in our relationships around us Lincoln also said I do not like that man I must get to know him better good quote isn't it and these are the kind of things that we need remember these are what we need do when we deposit things that are honest and one another quote from Lin if you look for the bad in people expecting to find it you surely will these are all great quotes and they remind us that we need to be like

Honest Abe that we need to have an honest testimony that we need to have an honest conversation that we need to have honest relationships with those around us by the way I found one more great quote from Lincoln I'll end with this one of quotes from Lincoln and that one is don't believe everything you read on the internet just because there's a picture with a quote next to it I thought that was a good quote from Abraham Lincoln as well well all right that wasn't quite honest if you didn't catch that all right but we need to have honest honest uh testimony uh like honest day but we also need of honest value go over to Hebrews chap 11 Hebrews chapter 11 to have honest value when you ever say

about something well you know that's worth every penny I spent on it it had an honest value in in Hebrews chap 11 and beginning with verse number 24 Hebrews 11 verse number 24 it says by faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the people of of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproaches of Christ great greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for he respect on the recompense of the reward see he valued the things of God more than he valued the things of this world and and we need to have that kind of value to to Value things for what they're worth you know if you were

to uh be walking down the sidewalk and you were look down to the bottom there and see a penny would you would you bend over to pick it up uh there may be some of you would my wife would do that uh and uh when I see one I'll pick it up for her uh even though I won't do it personally but I'll pick it up for her because I know that's important to her but you know most of us would probably not even bend over to pick up that Penny because it has very little value it's it's like we think it's it's not worth bending over to get one cent that's the kind of way we look at it isn't it now the difference is here if you were to instead you know this uh the penny has Abraham's Lincoln on it a picture on

it the $5 bill also has Abraham's Lincoln's picture on it and if there were a $5 bill down on the ground and you saw it would you bend over to pick it up would you bend over to pick it up would you bend over to pick it up ah tell you this front Crow crowd already have should have this figured out I don't know but uh uh you know you're a little quicker to go for it then aren't you because $5 is worth a lot more than one cent see that has a a a value to it and here's the thing folks as we think about having value is we need to realize that we need to Value the things that have True Value The Riches of God rather than the treasures of this world you see you Valu Church enough this morning to

get out of bed there's some people that didn't if you value your Bible you don't just walk by and there it is you pick it up and you read it if you value prayer you spend time in prayer again if you value church then you're going to say you know this afternoon says say I'm G to stay home watch that TV program I want to come back and learn more about Romans you see what you value is what you will reach for and when when something has value you esteem it higher and you give it that effort we talked about how money used to have a a gold standard in Psalm 19 verse number 10 it says more to be desired are they than gold yeay than much fine gold sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb you see

the Bible is God's standards and our life should be lived by God God's standards now we need first of all a standard of Salvation turn over to First Peter chapter 1 First Peter chapter 1 have you ever heard somebody say I wouldn't do that for all the gold in Fort Knox that's where that's one of the places where our it's not the only place but one of the places where our gold is for the United States government and I I don't know if you know this but in Fort Knox there is uh 14 7 million ounces of gold worth about $350 billion on today's market just to put a little perspective on that our national debt right now is $34 trillion so uh we don't have much of a gold standard anymore uh they don't

have enough gold to pay off the debt that they owe and that's pretty scary thing uh but that's just kind of besides the point look at First Peter chapter 1 and verses 18 and 19 for as much as you know that you are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish without spot you cannot be saved with for all the gold in Fort Knox even though there's $350 billion worth of gold over there that's not enough to get you to heaven the Bible says in 1 John Chapter 2 and verse number two and he is a propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for

the sins of the whole world see what that means is enough of Jesus Christ to save every last person there's not enough gold in our government to pay off our debt but there's enough of Jesus Christ to pay off your debt and not only yours but every last person that will put their faith and trust in him you cannot be saved for all the gold in Fort Knox it will not get you into heaven but the blood of Christ would do that you know when you look at your currency it says it's a the good faith of the US government look at Romans chapter 3 Romans chapter 3 and verses 24 and 25 Romans chapter 3 we we all know verse number 23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God verse 24 being

justified freely by his grace the Redemption is in Christ Jesus when God has set forth whom God has set forward to be a propitiation that word propitiation just means satisfaction there's enough of him to be our pereti through faith and his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sin that are past uh through the forbearance of God you see there's enough of Jesus Christ when you put your faith in Jesus Christ there's enough of him to save you from all of your sins see I don't have a lot of faith in our government with all all the money they're spending all the time I I'm getting nervous about my money and how much it's going to be worth but with Jesus Christ that value is

never lost you see you cannot meet God's standard Romans 3:23 for all have sin and come short of the glory of God Revelation 25:21 it says in the 12 gates were 12 pearls every several gate was of one Pearl and the street of the city was pure gold as it was transparent glass you see gold can't buy your way into heaven because that's what they're going to use to pave the streets you know 14 karat gold which is what a lot of us have like wedding rings or jewelry 14 karat gold is 58% pure 18 karat gold is 75% pure but God uses 100% pure gold just to pave the streets of Heaven see God doesn't need your gold and God doesn't need your works and God doesn't need your righteousness and God doesn't

need your religion he doesn't need any of that that's not what's going to get you to heaven you cannot meet God's standards through your own works go to Revelation chapter 3 so let me ask you a question when you die and you're knocking at the door of Heaven why should God let you in when you die and you're knocking at the door of Heaven why should God let you in why you think about this if you went down to Fort Knox and knocked on the door if you could before you were tackled to the ground would they let you in no and why should God let you into heaven and there's only one answer because of Jesus Christ because of his son the Bible says in Revelation 3 and: 17-19 it says because thou sayest

I'm rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked I counsel the buy of me gold tried and fire that you you may thou mayest be rich and white rment that thou mayest be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear and anoint thine eyes with i isab that thou mayest see as many as I love I rebuke and it goes on from there but in verse number 20 behold I stand at the door and knock If any man will hear my voice and open the door I will come into him and I will Su with him and he with me you see if you open the door of your heart to Jesus Christ as your savior then one day when you knock on the

door of Heaven God's going to open it up for you but you need to call upon him you need to put your faith in him governments can fail you religion will fail you people will fail you but God will never fail and you need to put your faith and trust in God and him as your personal savior you know you've also heard the statement it's not worth the paper it's printed on now I noce he got the $5 bill here so I've got another $5 bill anybody want it anybody want the $5 bill Carla you want you're a college student you want the $5 bill okay here you are here Carla aren't you excited the college student because you always use more money right uh that's not worth the paper's printed on but this is

worth the paper printed on and we need to realize that that's worth the paper you want the $5 of Sprint that all right got a volunteer over here here you go he's a lot more excited see because it's worth the paper printed on you see folks what we need to understand is this in 1 John CH 5: 12 and 13 it says he that hath the son hath life he that hath not the Son of God hath not life these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the son of God Bible tells us in Romans chap 10: 9- 10 that if Thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and Shall Believe in thy heart that

God has raised from the dead Thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation in Romans 1013 for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved and you've got to call Upon Jesus for your salvation because if you're calling upon religion it's Monopoly money if you're calling on your righteousness and your own rituals that you gone through it's Monopoly money but what you need to do is call upon the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior you see he has $5 because he received it I'm not giving out any more $5 bills but you know what Jesus Christ has got plenty more of Salvation to give out he's a perpetuation

for all of our sins but you've got to receive it now in job 23:10 it says but he knoweth the way that I take when he had tried me I shall come forth as gold see God wants us to come forth as gold God wants us to have a a standard of Purity when you go down to buy jewelry you want it to have a standard it's 14% 14 karat gold or 18 karat gold or whatever else it is you want that standard of of Purity in Ephesians chapter 5 verse number 10 it says proving what is acceptable unto the Lord in Romans 121:2 it says I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that you present your body as a Living Sacrifice holy acceptable on him which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to

this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and perfect and acceptable will of God and and that's that's what we want is we want to live go lives that are up to that standard of Purity that are acceptable to God you see there there's too many goldplated Christians you ever gone shopping at the swap meet and if you buy jewelry to swap me you got to be a little bit careful because sometimes your jewelry is not it may be stamped 14 karat or maybe stamped 15 karat but it's just goldplated carat it's just got gold on the outside and it's not real on the inside and there's too many Christians that are goldplated Christians they look good on the

outside but it's it's not real on the inside in 1 Thessalonians 5: 21-23 it says prove all things hold fast that which is good abstain from the appearance of evil and the Very God of Peace sanctify you holy and pray God with your whole spirit and soul and body be preserve blameless under the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to live a life that is pure is honest is living a life that lives it honestly proving all things to be acceptable to God is my dress acceptable to the Lord is my music acceptable the Lord is my entertainment that I watch acceptable to the Lord are my friends acceptable to the Lord see that's what it means to what sort of things are honest is that we were honest with God

and saying I want to prove what's acceptable to the Lord I I want to know what is God wants me to do what what he's happy with in my life so let me ask you a question is God getting his money's worth is he getting his honest value from you in 1 Corinthians chapter 6: 1920 says what know you not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which you have of God and you're not your own for you're bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit which are Gods now God didn't buy us so that we could just do all these works but God's saying listen I paid a great price for your salvation I I paid a great price for you to be saved and and and and and that

price you and I as Christians ought to look back and say Lord I want to live up to that value I I want to give you your value of what you redeemed in my life you ever heard the phrase give an honest day's work in Ecclesiastes 9 and: 10 it says whatsoever thy hand find to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave with withersoever thou goest in 1 Corinthians 10:31 it says wherefore the whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever due do all to the glory of God in Colossians 3:23 it says whatsoever due do it hardly to the Lord and not to man you see if I'm going to do things which are honest if I'm going to deposit those things that are

honest then I need to do my best and everything I do is unto the Lord not do it halfway not do it part way and that means I need to understand the value in Ecclesiastes chapter 9 and verse 9 it says live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity which he had given thee Under the Sun all the days of thy vanity for this that is thy portion in this life and labor which thou takest under son he said listen this wife has value your your spouse has value in 1 Peter 3:7 it says likewise you husbands dwell with them according to knowledge giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel and as being airs together in the grace of life that your prayers be not

hindered now when it says weaker vessel doesn't mean she's lesser a weaker vessel is like a a vase that's great value you don't want to break it and and you need to value that relationship in Proverbs 31:10 it says who can find a virtuous woman for prices far above rubies see what's over things are honest is realizing the honest and the true value of my relationships the value of your marriage the value of your family the value of your friends the value of the church a lot of us we don't give it that value if we valued it we'd put a lot more effort into it if you really valued your marriage what you value you put your time your money and your effort into if you really valued your family

you'd spend time with them doing things together if really valued your friendships you'd reach out to them if you really valued Church you'd be there more often see it's what do we Val you and I think the idea of what sort of things are honest is to have honest worship go to John chapter 4 John chapter 4 and look at look at verses 22 through 24 John chapter 4 and beginning with verse number 22 it says you worship not you worship you know not what we know what we worship salvation is of the Jews but the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and Truth for the father seeketh such to worship him God is a spirit and they that worship us worship Him in

spirit and in truth you know the root word of the honest back in Philippians 4 verse verse 8 where it says whatsoever thinks are honest the root word in the Greek is a word which means to worship or reverence and I believe that things that are honest is we need to give honest worship to God in Acts chapter 18 and verse number seven it says he departed then and entered in a certain man's house named justice one that worshiped God whose house joined hard to the synagogue here was someone who worshiped God and let me ask you a question do you Worship the Lord do you worship a god let's let's just be honest most worship today is not about God it's about us the Bible says in Romans chapter 1 ver

25 who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator who's blessed forever and we live in a society where it's more about us than is about God and whether we're singing the Praises in church or whether we're bowing and worship at home or whatever we're doing we need to worship god with an honest heart we'll close by looking at Matthew chapter 6 Matthew chapter 6 there is nothing that is more honest than a checkbook you show me what you spend your money on and I will tell you how you live is't that true you show me what you spend your money on and I will tell you how you live there's nothing more honest than a checkbook in Matthew chap 6 and:

19 through 21 the Bible says lay not for yourselves Treasures upon Earth where moth and rusth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal but lay up for yourselves Treasures in Heaven where moth neither moth nor rust does corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal for where your treasure is there will your heart be also look at verse 24 no man can say serve too Masters for other you will hate the one and love the other or else you will hold to one and and despise the other you cannot serve God and man it if you were to bring me your checkbook and show it to me I'd tell you who you are because there's nothing more honest than that if you're spending money on entertainment

then that's who you are you're spending money all your money on food then that's who you are but if I see in there other things that show who you are like giving to the Lord Lord see there's nothing more honest than a checkbook so I wonder today whatsoever things are true don't be a counterfeit but what sort of things are honest are you living an honest and an honorable life before God before men are you living a life that is goldplated or one that has Purity to it that has a standard are you living a life that values the things of the world or are you living a life that values God think about that