Peace

The Calling Church - 8/6/2023

Thank you Pastor Michael and Corrine for having me share with all of you this morning. It is always an honor and I pray you will be encouraged and challenged today.

New Testament Spirituality

Philippians 4:4-8 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Before we continue our discussion of this text, Context of this church: persecution and suffering. Acts 16 provides us with information on the formation of the church and the persecution against Paul and Silas.

The church is experiencing exactly what Paul is experiencing - Philippians 1:27-30 “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.”

They are in a time of suffering, facing temptations of fear, shrinking back in their faith, or retaliation.

Paul himself, is writing this letter from prison.

We may have anticipated the letter to be filled with requests for prayer and sympathy towards his and their situation. But rather upon reading, we discover that Paul’s spirituality is identified with joy, thanksgiving and peace regardless of the circumstance or situation.

These few powerful verses provide us with not only his key to a peaceful life, but for all of us. The attributes of the Christian life include:

Celebrant rejoicing

Immense gratitude

Ceaseless Prayer

Summed up perfectly in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Rejoice - Philippians 4:4-5 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”

“He restrained something. I say it with reverence; there was in that shattering personality a thread that must be called shyness. There was something that He hid from all men when He went up a mountain to pray. There was something that He covered constantly by abrupt silence or impetuous isolation. There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth.” - Chesterton

Jesus’ first miracle in John 2:1-11 was turning water to wine, the joy of the celebration was enhanced not diminished.

And the wine of the last supper representative of his blood shed for us becomes the present and future reason for our constant celebratory joy that we have with him forever.

Write this down: Joy is the gigantic secret of the Christian

Unmitigated joy is or at least should be the distinctive mark of the believer. Paul, the theologian of grace is equally the theologian of joy. The dark and long faced paintings of the saints of old could not be further from reality.

Rejoicing is not optional! Rejoicing, is our biblical imperative for those whose confidence is in the Lord (who is near). No matter the situation or circumstance because it is a result of the Holy Spirit within us - Galatians 5:22 fruit of the spirit.

Here is a spiritual truth we must excel in:

Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Your level of joy is directly connected - not to external things but internal things - what my heart has confidence in. What are you confident in?

Why do we have greater confidence in what a big bank account means for me than confidence in a great God who is with me.

We attach our hopes and joy to temporal things,

Anxiety and stress rise because we need these temporal things to give us something they cant give.

Because we need these temporal things to give us satisfaction, control, power, comfort, security, we work hard to control everything to make sure we don’t lose it.

Essentially, we try to play God as if you can control something. Instead of trust the God the king of the universe the creator the only one who can.

God doesn’t want us putting our confidence in temporal things because they don’t last, it is creation not the creator.

When we put our hope in God, he is doing something bigger greater - working eternal things through you and in you.

Our level of joy is not dependent on our situations or circumstances because God has said he will never leave us nor forsake us and I have been given the inexpressible and uncountable riches of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

My life does not have to be an emotional anxious roller coaster full of fear. When I fix my heart my hopes, my dreams my ambitions on Him and His kingdom that cannot be shaken.

We must remember - this was a time of suffering for the Philippian church, they would have face temptations to retaliate and/or live in fear.

We do not respond in kind. Because, the Lord is near.

His nearness is a double entendre: with us, and returning soon.

With Us:

Hebrews 13:5-6 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?””

Returning soon:

Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

Making decisions today with the future in mind. Think of a vacation or wedding. Living with anticipation of His return and the consummation of the coming age.

Anxiety and fear are the marks of the unbelieving and untrusting people without God. This present world is all they have and their future so uncertain.

Not so for us, therefore on the contrary, we Pray.

Prayer (and the proper perspective) -

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

We overcome anxiety, not by ignoring or living in denial but because he is near: Channel the anxious heart into prayers. Prayer is not a formula, we aren’t informing God as if He doesn’t already know everything but prayer:

Remember this: Prayer reminds us of what we are (in need) and what God is (gracious and giving and loving me).

Our trust and dependence on the all-powerful God is revealed by our prayer life. Prayer acknowledges our utter dependence on God and expresses our complete trust in him.

Tim Keller says rightly, “Prayer is how God gives us so many of the unimaginable things he has for us. Indeed, prayer makes it safe for God to give us many of the things we most desire. It is the way we know God, the way we finally treat God as God. Prayer is simply the key to everything we need to do and be in life.

A life full of prayer will be a life of God’s peace.

Acts 16 - Paul and Silas praying and singing.

Thanksgiving

Our prayers must be accompanied with thanksgiving to put our lives into proper perspective.

Look how significant gratitude is: Romans 1:21 “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Lack of gratitude is a step towards idolatry.

Everything we have comes from God. Look at Paul’s doxology in Romans 11

Romans 11:33-36 “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

May we fix our gratitude on what is eternal - that which cannot be taken away.

God’s peace (his wholeness and well-being) will be a garrison around the very center of our being where all life flows - our heart.

Sometimes he changes the situation, sometimes he provides power for contentment and perseverance.

Ultimately what we can expect and have confidence in is his peace.

Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Philippians 1:9-11 “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.”