God's Opportunities 5

The Opportunity For Personal Peace

Text: Philippians 4:1-9

Introduction

You and I have experienced and therefore have contributed to the worry and anxious filled culture we live in today. We waist so much valuable time, energy, and life in the prison of worry and anxiety.

In what ways do we allow worry and anxiety into our lives?:

The what ifs

We won’t have enough _________!

Am I liked by everyone?

Your health

Food

Bills

Your children

In what way does worry and anxiety affect us?

Physical — headaches, neck pains, ulcers, even back pains, digestion and even coordination.

Spiritual — the greatest thief of joy

The scripture that we’ve read today comes from the hand of the Apostle Paul from the Mamertine Prison. Chapter four begins by urging two of his colleges to not be at odds with one another.

Paul continues by giving them (as well as us today) some awesome insight on the path to claiming the opportunity of experiencing God’s inner peace. Once again, this opportunity will come when everything outside of us and somethings within us are screaming to be filled with doubt, worry and anxiousness.

Worry = wrong thinking (your mind) and wrong feeling (your heart) about circumstances, people, things, etc.

There are THREE major stepping stones on this path: Prayer & Meditation & Application. Both of these steps are solid steps due to the ground of thanksgiving (praise) that is beneath them.

So, you must ask yourself the question, “Do I really want to experience powerful peace or not?” Your inner outcome will come from the degree from your inner surrender to what Paul is sharing with us.

1) The Stepping Stone of Prayer

A. Worship God

Question — What should be the first step when worry presents itself? ANS = GET ALONE WITH GOD AND WORSHIP HIM!

It may have to be a short mental break (Keep scripture close)

Before falling prey to see only the difficulty in front of you, take time to ADORE the Savior who dwells within you, who walks with you, and who reigns above you.

Question — Have you ever done something in haste? What is usually the outcome?

Hast SHOULD NEVER be associated with prayer.

We should always be ready to pray.

We should not however quickly jump to our need without first adoring the Father’s greatness.

B. Share your need with God

Question — Have you ever done something “half-hearted?”

Question — Does it really make sense to be overtaken by worry when you completely give God your request?

Question — What are you thankful for about who God is?

By nature = good, holy, merciful, sovereign, all knowing, all powerful, always present.....

Matthew 7:11 “11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”

Hebrews 5:7 “7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;”

C. Share your appreciation with God

Illustration: We have been teaching our boys to always say thank you when someone helps them or gives them something.

We too often are very eager to ASK but very slow to GIVE THANKS.

The opportunity to give thanks comes with distractions and difficulties.

There are Biblical examples of how THANKSGIVING brings nothing short of inner peace and even external protection.

Daniel opening his windows to pray / slept with the lions while the king could not sleep. — Daniel 6:10–11 “10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. 11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.”

Feeding of the 5,000.

2) The Stepping Stone of Meditation

Don’t forget what Isaiah said — Isaiah 26:3 “3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on thee: Because he trusteth (heart) in thee.”

Quote: “Wrong thinking leads to wrong feeling, and before long the heart and mind are pulled apart and we are strangled by worry. We must realize that thoughts are real and powerful, even though they cannot be seen, weighed, or measured.” Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 95.

2 Corinthians 10:5 “5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

So, what things should we meditate on?

Whatever is true.

Quote: A 2006 study by Dr. Walter Cavert found that 40% of the things we worry about never happen, 30% of our worries concern the past, 12% is needless worries about our health, 10% are insignificant or petty, and 8% are legitimate issues. This means that 92% of our worry is over things that won’t happen or things we can’t change. Yet we continue to worry and not enjoy our lives each day.

Question — Isn’t there enough to think about regarding what is true?

Guarantee — God is the father of truth.

Guarantee — Satan is the father of lies — John 8:44 “44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

You want to know Satan’s agenda? — 2 Corinthians 11:3 “3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

John 17:17 “17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

Whatever is honest and just

Meaning, worth of respect and right.

Our minds are subjected to many things that are anything but respectable.

You can’t hide your head in the sand, but you can decide not to focus your attention to those things.

Don’t permit them to control your thoughts.

Pure, lovely, and of good report

Constantly attacked by temptations to sexual impurity.

“Lovely” = beautiful attractive

“of good report” = worth talking about, appealing

You are going to have to decide whether you want your mind to be captivated by noble or corrupt thoughts.

Whatever possesses virtue and praise

Virtue — motivate you to do better

Praise — worth commending to others

Question — Do you really have enough mind power to waster on thoughts that tear you and others down?

2 Corinthians 10:5 “5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

3) The Stepping Stone Of Application

Your inward attitude and your outward actions can never be separated!

Notice the natural flow from a believer who applies Pauls insight = PEACE OF GOD.

James 3:17 “17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

Illustration: When the rubber hits the road you go places.

James 1:22 “22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

Colossians 3:15 “15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.”

Conclusion

Don’t think for a second that you can shrug off your worries by a simple external change. Paul is talking about an “inside job.” It takes more than good intentions for you to have victory over your worries. You must through thankful prayer and thankful meditation “secure your mind.” (See v7)

Before your mind can experience this kind of peace, you must be will to receive Jesus’ grace. You must be born again! Repent, believe and receive!