Joy and Reason - Philippians 4:1-9

INTRO

For a while it felt like when I was asked to be part of a wedding it was solely to officiate.

Don’t get me wrong I Ioved it but I wanted to have fun and enjoy time with my friends rather than always running the show

So when I was asked to be my friends best man I was elated.

I planned an epic bachelor party that started with a escape room.

Have you ever done an escape room?

This one was extremely elaborate and included a full floor with multiple rooms.

We were trying to find out where money was hidden and each room had more and more elaborate puzzles.

At one point we found a small statue and one of the guys was convinced it held the answer.

We kept moving forward till eventually we got stuck.

The staff spoke through a speaker asking if we needed a hint.

The time was ticking and we weren’t sure we’d make it.

He mentioned that the statue could help.

We devolved into chaos as the giant timer kept ticking down and we were making no progress.

Finally the guy spoke up again.

I am sure he felt bad for us.

He said simply, “Change the way you look at it.”

Sure enough when we turned it upside down we saw that it had the same shape on the base as the odd shaped indention on an end table.

It was a key that opened a hidden safe.

We were so busy thinking it was the answer to a riddle or a clue leading somewhere else.

We had to change the way we were thinking.

Today we are starting into the final chapter of Philippians.

Paul is giving his final words and his call to the Philippians is that they too would change the way they were thinking.

He starts by challenging them toward unity.

He even calls out specific leaders who seem to be at each other.

He then calls them from the heaviness of the circumstances they are living in that would have them drowning in anxiety and set their minds on Christ.

Look...The Philippians had plenty to be anxious about.

Rejection, resistance, recession and relationships.

This young church plant had faced severe rejection being accused of advocating anti-Roman practices and now would face judgement and scorn

That lead to resistance to the gospel.

Paul himself is the model of where the Philippians obedience could lead them.

He is in prison facing death because of his faithfulness to the gospel.

What was going through their mind?

Would they receive the same kind of resistance.

Maybe we haven’t face rejection and resistance like this.

But maybe we have felt ostracized for our faith.

Perhaps you’re dreading thanksgiving this week...

Maybe it’s been eye-rolls or something more painful like a cut-off friendship.

So resistance and rejection, but that’s not their only source of anxiety.

They also were feeling the reality of a tight budget.

We know from other parts of the New Testament that the church in Philipi was tight. Paul actually said they had extreme poverty.

Do you worry over finances?

Your resources and budget may be at an extremely tight place, you’ve got no margin to absorb unforeseen emergencies.

Maybe you are looking at how retirement isn’t as secure as you were hoping it would be.

When you wonder where next month’s rent check or your children’s college tuition or the doctor’s payment will come from, you need God’s antidotes to anxiety.

Money is an equal opportunity anxiety producer.

Inflation has us all sweating.

Their anxiety continues

They have relational strain. another equal opportunity anxiety producer.

Resistance, Rejection, Recession and Relationships.

This chapter starts with the reality that some of their leaders who had once labored side-by-side for the gospel were at each other.

Are relationships the source of your sleepless nights?

Perhaps your spouse seems distant or every conversation turns into criticism and arguments.

You fear that your marriage itself may be crumbling.

Or maybe it’s your kid, who was so open and loving and trusting just months ago, they are now becoming increasingly defiant, or moody and secretive.

What is going on behind that stern, expressionless face, inside their mind and heart?

Maybe you and a friend had a disagreement and the initial silence has grown into weeks and months and you wonder if you lost someone over something so small.

If strained relationships cause you stress, you, too, need God’s antidotes to anxiety.

Here is the big idea Coram Deo

Big Idea: Replace anxiety with joy & reason.

How do we do that?

Well mercifully this section of scripture is immensely practical.

It starts by yearning for peace.

I. Yearn For Peace (4-7)

Philippians 4:4–7 (ESV)

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

In the midst of the anxiety inducing times the Philippians were in Paul calls them to be reasonable.

To take their anxiety and lay it at Jesus’ feet as they yearn for peace.

We live in an anxious age.

Increased tension with volatility in politics.

An increased frustration with the state of the world.

Confusion on identity, pressure from even a very young age.

Not to mention that everything is so expensive and Christmas is just a few weeks away.

Y’all this isn’t a throw away line in a sermon.

We need help.

I think we can all admits that we have struggled with Anxiety at some point.

I’ll confess leading this church, having a child, I have had nights where I lay awake and can’t get my brain to turn off.

It can feel crushing.

And before we go to Paul’s words. I want you to know this is not a dismissive word from a clueless person.

This isn’t a quick, “Well have you prayed about it?”

Paul has been through the ringer and he knows what it is like to carry anxiety.

He knows what it is like to live with the pressure of how is he going to afford to live.

He carries the weight of not just one but multiple organizations.

Churches he has helped to plant across the world.

He carries the pressure of so many looking to him for hope and help.

So when he talks about anxiety he isn’t simply saying, “Just try harder.”

So what does Paul say?

It starts with Joy

He says to Rejoice in the Lord.

To "rejoice in the Lord" is to resist the instinct to focus on visible pleasures and problems.

It is to concentrate our minds deliberately on treasuring Jesus, to focus thought on his majesty and mercy, his purity and power, to "see and savor the glory of God in the face of Christ" until our hearts are profoundly persuaded that he really is all we need in every situation.

Joy in great gifts of Jesus – Forgiveness, justification, acceptance, adoption

▪ Indwelling presence & comfort of HS, assurance of love of God / …we are In His hand

Paul is saying change the way you think.

That’s how this starts.

Set Christ before you.

We are going to come back to this a bit later.

But this is where we start and where we end, by dwelling on Christ.

With the framework of joy Paul then moves to the idea that we should

Be reasonable or another perhaps better way to translate this is gentle.

What happens when you are wound up with anxiety and stress?

Are you reasonable? Do you give a gentle answer?

Doubtful right?

Paul is saying set your mind on Christ, have joy…something that circumstance can’t take from you.

And be reasonable, be gentle.

Why?

Because the Lord is at hand.

This is a two-fold idea.

It means that Christ is present right now.

You have the indwelling Spirit.

All of Romans 8 is true in you right now.

You have one who intercedes for you, one who brings you the hope of the gospel right here and right now.

That’s the first.

The second is, he is coming back.

We rarely if ever have a cosmic view, a Kingdom minded reality that Jesus will change everything.

It’s not a fairytale. It’s a promise.

He will return.

What if you were a Non-anxious presence in face of challenges

How? / B/c Lord is at hand / He is sovereign, I’m confident it will work together...

In a world torn by rage and anxiety, one of the greatest gifts followers of Jesus are called to offer is simple, non-anxious (i.e. calm) presence. Not a presence removed from this reality, but a presence that refuses to be shaped by it. _Rich Viollodas

Perhaps you are thinking ok great but I still feel anxious, what should I do?!

This is where we start into the meat and potatoes:

Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV)

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I actually think the NLT is helpful in how practical it makes this:

Philippians 4:6 (NLT): 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

This week I was driving up the mountain to meet with a fellow pastor and I started to replay moments from my week.

One really amazing thing that has started happening is my son says, Amen.

It’s so so so cute y’all.

Fast forward to an earlier part of the week and I had an anxiety moment.

I started to stress out and walk around and figure things out.

I was gonna solve the problem.

Fast forward I am getting ready to drive up the mountain. I bend my head down to put my shoes on and my son just says, “Amen”

So here I am now in the car driving up the mountain and I think of that same anxiety inducing moment and I hear my son in my head saying Amen.

And it clicked

I hadn’t been praying.

I had been so busy trying to solve it.

How different would it be if when anxiety would creep in you would take it to the Lord?

When you and your spouse are crunching numbers and the stress is rising…what if you prayed together.

We have to be a praying people Coram Deo.

Jesus tell’s us not in Matthew 6 not to be anxious.

He invites us to bring our anxiety to him. (loaves and fishes)

What are you told you will receive when you bring your anxiety to Jesus?

Peace

Not just peace but a peace that doesn’t make sense.

That you could be facing death in chains and have peace.

That you could have wholeness in a fragmented world.

Talking with my friend Bryan Robbins (Pastor of one of our sending churches)

He mentioned the reality that because of social media we are aware of every problem every where all at once.

How true is that?

We feel a weight that many have never felt in the history of the world.

It’s a weight we aren’t meant to carry.

But guess who is.

Jesus.

His peace friends is a shield around us, it settles us

The world seems to think if you aren’t worried, you aren’t paying attention / Anxiety = righteous

- Joy in Philippians is a defiant ‘nevertheless, rejoice’ / I see beyond what’s going on

▪ Though I may suffer, I will not suffer alone / He is w/me

▪ Though I grieve, I do not grieve as one who is w/o hope

▪ Though I face tribulation, I can take heart b/c He has overcome the world

• Doesn’t make sense / Surpasses understanding...

All of this comes from a shift and a change in how we think.

Which leads us to the second part we start with yearning for peace and we move to renewing our minds

II. Renew Your Mind (8-9)

Philippians 4:8–9 (ESV)

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

So as we consider the reality of anxiety I just want to say, all of this really is grounded in these book ends of vs 4 and 8-9

We have to renew our minds, or change the way we think

This is an idea throughout scripture.

Romans 12:2 (ESV)

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

So let me say this, your thoughts need your permission.

When you say, “I did it without thinking.”

No…you thought about it.

You did it without letting Christ conquer your mind.

Coram Deo what have you let live in your mind?

Too many of us have let things live in our heads for far too long.

We aren’t taking the command seriously that we are to not be conformed and rather to be transformed by the renewal of our minds.

Paul knew the slavery that comes from having anxious thoughts, perverse thoughts dominate our minds.

He tells the Philippians to change the way they think.

He says that we need to have different kinds of thoughts.

What we will fill our mind with is what we become.

So what are you filling your mind with?

- Thoughts of truth

Do you dwell in truth?

Are you resting in the truth of God’s words?

When Jesus was tempted he went to the truth of God’s word.

Tragically we often fill our minds with worries, anxiety and woe over what is true.

Bible knowledge is dwindling and many project that by 2050 Bible literacy will be at an all time low.

People wont know baseline things like David and Goliath.

What about you?

Are you in the word?

Are you reading? Are you listening?

Look it can be read to you for free right now.

We have more resources then we have ever had and yet we are often filling our minds with worry and woe over truth.

- Thoughts of Honor

How do we think of other people?

What consumes your mind?

Are the thoughts that I have of people, thoughts of honor, things that they have done that honor God?

Is that how we think of people?

Or are we consumed with how people have messed up or could mess up, how they might hurt us.

Before we know it we are consumed in anxiety and worry.

What if we dwelt on things that were honorable.

Thoughts of justice

There is a lot to say on the issue of Justice.

Do we dwell on God’s justice?

Do we look at our lives and consider the way the world has made things increasingly grey.

Do we understand there is right, there is wrong.

We are called to live under God’s just rule.

We have to ask the question...Am I focusing my life on doing the right things or the wrong things?

Do we think of what God would do or not do?

Perhaps I have a thought of what justice should look like not realizing it’s really sinful vengeance?

If were consumed in what we shouldn’t be doing over and above what we should be doing we can get derailed really quickly.

-Thoughts of Purity

Are my thoughts holy?

If God looked at my mind would he be happy?

Many of us would do well to take inventory on the media we consume.

The things we allow into our hearts and minds.

Are my thoughts consecrated? Are they pure?

Thoughts of Love

1 John 4:7–8 (ESV)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

Do you dwell on God.

We talked about this last week.

Many of us truthfully only come to the Lord when we need something.

None of us want to be in a relationship where people only talk to us when they need something.

That is a transactional relationship.

Do we sit in the reality that God is love.

He cares for us, he pursued us to the cross of Calvary, he died and rose for us.

His desire is for you.

- Thoughts of excellence

When we are at work are we thinking how to be excellent?

Are we thinking of how to be commendable

To live in such a way that points others to the love of Jesus?

Thoughts of praise

Do you dwell on what is praise worthy?

Do you look at creation with wander?

I’ve told you this before but we combat anxiety and worry with gratitude.

We were told in verse 6 to pray with thanksgiving

Now we are told to have praiseworthy thoughts.

Do you worship?!

As we look to Jesus, fix our gaze on Him Heb 12 / Author & finisher, founder & perfector

His truth & beauty & purity & love & praiseworthiness transforms us in time

But it takes practice

Here is the thing about practice, there will be a lot of mistakes.

Drawer - grabbing wrong thing because of dishwasher.

It takes time and practice.

Here is what it leads to - vs 9

Philippians 4:9 (ESV)

Philippians 4:9 ESV

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Good News / God of Peace is w/us / Not just peace of God, but God of peace himself

We practice, He perfects / We work, but He who began brings to completion

CONCLUSION

So here is a helpful way to think about this.

Thoughts > Actions > Behavior > Lifestyle

Some of you don’t like the life you are living so you are trying to change your behavior your habits.

Some of you realize you have bad behavior or habits and so you are trying to change your actions.

But y’all we have to go to the root.

We have to change the way we think

If we are going to replace anxiety with joy and reason we have to change the way we think

We have to put into practice this daily preaching to ourselves.

This renewal of our minds.

Then watch how our lives unfold into the amazing peace that God gives.

Pray with me.