The Peace of God: Philippians 4:4-7

Prayer

Alright, 2nd—5th graders you guys are free to dismiss. And as a reminder, parents you can pick those children up at the Wetlands Building, and if you need any help finding where that is, don’t hesitate to ask someone with a lanyard.

For the rest of you, please turn with me to Philippians 4:4-7

If you’re new with us, my name is Andrew McClure and I’m one of the Pastors here, and today our text brings us to a deeply encouraging, and I believe a desperately needed truth us all.

So let’s read our text, and then we’ll unpack it together.

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.

Introduction

The Peace of God, that’s our subject for today.

And the little church gathered in the Roman Colony of Philippi was in desperate need for peace.

They were apparently frightened by some opponents (1:28), engaged in the same conflict Paul himself was facing (1:30), which was intense persection. Fearing of life itself, facing a high likelihood of martyrdom.

He has reminded them that don’t live in some spiritual gated community, rather “in the midst of a crooked, and twisted generation.”

Surrounded by dogs, and evildoers on the outside, and influenced by enemies of the cross of Christ on the inside.

In short, this church was learning to live out their faith in a very unstable environment.

So Paul opens this chapter, exhorting them, look at Philippians 4:1 “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”

It’s shaky out there, it’s a little bumpy, a little rocky. A tumultous sea, and the waves are going to seek to capsize you, or maybe even drive you against the rocks.

So we need to stand firm. In the midst of the raging seas, somehow we need to be able to sleep in the bow of the boat like Jesus did.

Somehow we need to be able to walk across the waves, like Jesus invited Peter to do.

What we need is the supernatural Peace of God. The peace Jesus whispered over the raging seas.

Similarly, we need that whisper of Jesus, into our raging souls as we live out this life of faith in a raging world.

Isn’t this the clear cry of our world and culture today? A longing for peace? A desperate need for peace?

Although, beauty contestants constantly harken our attention to world peace, it only seems that the world is growing more and more restless.

If its not ukraine and Russia, its Hamas and Israel.

Or chinese spy balloons, driving everybody to build bunkers and doomsday prep.

Then, there are the constant economic anxieties.

If it’s not gas prices, its taxes, or interest rates, or rent prices.

And if its not economic, its cultural.

Kids education, gender ideology, navigating technology,

And if its not cultural, its definitely internal and psychological.

Nearly 25% of American adults over 18 are currently medicated for anxiety

And the statistics for 18-29 year olds is staggering with 43% medicated.

Now, I’m not trying to discredit or ignore bio-chemical contributions to the mental health crisis, but only to draw your attention to the desperate need of us all… which is Peace.

And today, the Word of God will actually lead us straight to it.

So here’s the outline for today:

Peace with God- All true and lasting peace must begin there.

Peace of God- What is it, and what does it do?

Pathway to Peace- What do I need to do, to experience Peace.

So let’s begin by looking at Peace With God, because it all starts there.

Peace with God

The God of Peace

Church, God is a God of Peace, and the God of Peace is a God that first and foremost makes peace between himself and sinners.

Before the Philippian church became Christian, their greatest enemy was not their persecutors, or the crooked and twisted world, dogs or evildoers. But God Himself!

Before we responded by faith, to the grace of God in Christ, our greatest enemy was God!

In our state of sin, we stood opposed to God. Rebellious to His ways, His wishes, and His works.

Col 1:21, “Once you were alienated from God, and enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.”

Ephesians 2:2 following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—”

Our allegiances were aligned with this world, and we were on Satan’s team. The team of Darkness.

And many lack peace, simply because by nature they live at war with God.

As Isaiah 57:21 clearly affirms “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.””

As long as you are in your sins, peace will allude you because you stand as an enemy to the God of Peace.

But the good news of the Gospel is Romans 5:10 “Even while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.”

Once distant, and by nature and deed opposed to God. Enemies of God, now, only because of His love and his grace, he sent Jesus Christ to die for your sins. The sins that seperate us from God, and in HIs death he has now reconciled us.

Brought us to the right team.

Claimed off waivers.

Transferred from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of His beloved Son.

Ephesians 2:13–14 affirms this, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace...”

Church, you will never know genuine peace, until you have Peace with God.

As I was preparing this point, I was reminded of an interview Tom Brady did for 60 minutes. Take a quick listen to the first 30 seconds or so of this clip.

Tom Brady CLIP

You can have it all, externally, yet even then, deep down you know as Tom Brady knew, “There’s got to be more than this?”

Maybe this morning, you’ve asked similar questions. And maybe the lack of peace in your life, is simply due to the fact that you have no peace with God.

And if that’s you, there is a simple remedy.

Be reconciled to God. Admit your sins, and how they’ve seperated you from a relationship with God.

Believe in the good news of CHrist, how by grace alone, he has provided a pathway for your peace.

Confess that Jesus is the Lord of your life.

Take his yoke upon you, and learn from Jesus, he is gentle and lowly of heart, and then and only then will you find rest or peace for your souls.

Peace begins with a Peace with God, but once you’ve experience salvation, we still need the daily application of the peace of God.

For example, I know that I’m saved.

I love God, and yearn to yield all of my life to God.

Yet there are still days, where peace alludes me. I’m frought with worry, and fear, and anxiety

So what I need is the daily application of the Peace of God.

Peace of God

Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Peace with God transfers you to the right team. God is no longer your enemy. You’re on his side.

But what that means now is that all of God’s enemies, now become your enemies.

And they don’t fight fair!

And the enemies of God, are 3 fold.

The Flesh, the World, and the Devil.

And none of these can rob you of your peace with God, they can’t steal your eternal salvation,

but they can make your life so miserable that anxiety and worry become your chief operating system, and all peace and tranquility are totally robbed from your daily experience.

This is what your sin will do to the believer.

King David, was God’s man. A man after God’s own heart, but you know the story.

He committed adultery with Bathsheba, and she became pregnant.

But instead of confessing his sin, he sought to cover it up.

So he tried to get Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband to come home from war to lie with his wife.

When Uriah, being more honorable than David, wouldn’t… he had him murdered.

Seeking to cover up his sin, he added sin upon sin, while also adding worry, stress, and anxiety to his life.

And in Psalm 51 he states that his sin had robbed him of joy and gladness.

Unconfessed sin, will absolutely rob you of Peace.

Not peace with God, the peace of God.

This is what the world will do to the believer.

The world’s message tries to convince you that things, status, success, will bring you peace.

Like Tom Brady, believing that if he could just reach the pinnacle of his profession, he’d be content.

It’s a lie.

Some of you think, that once you get those new orders then you’ll have peace.

Or when you get that new promotion, then you’ll have peace.

Or when you get out of the diaper phase, then you’ll have peace.

But church, its a lie, all to rob you of the peace of God.

So that’s what the world will do to the beliver, but what about the devil.

This is what the devil wants to do to the believer.

Steal and Kill and destroy your peace.

To make you you feel unstable. Shaky. Anxious. Burdened.

1 Peter 5:8 “ Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

Seeking to instill fear.

So again, the Peace with God transfers you to the right team, but we need the daily application of the Peace of God in order to stand firm against the enemies of God.

And this is exactly what the Peace of God is. A Weapon!

Look at the text, it says the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ.

That greek word is the word for Garrison. A city that is fortified by walls, with a garrison of troops mounted around those walls to prevent hostile invasion.

What this text is saying, is that the Peace of God is an defensive weapon against the enemies of God that are constantly seeking to rob you of peace.

And regardless of what you’re being buffetted by, your hearts and minds, can actually be firm, surrounded by and protected by the Peace of God.

And church, this is supernatural,

this application of peace surpasses understanding.

Meaning, when you experience the peace of God like this, it just can’t be explained. It just meets your deepest needs.

It’s something you could never conjur up with breathing techniques, positive self-talk, or any other new age manufactured technique.

No it’s simply the Peace of God, gifted to the People of God, so that we can stand firm in this life.

Alright, so hopefully at this point… your minds are curious, and your hearts are leaned in, and your begging the question… HOW!?

How do I get this peace?

Well, our text lays it out very plainly.

And like most spiritual truths, its simple, but it isn’t easy.

We have to be willing to work out, what he’s working in.

He does his part— gives us peace that garrisons, we must do our part.

We must tread the Pathways to Peace.

So let me give you 3 Pathways.

Pathways to Peace

Rejoices Always

Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

The first Pathway we need to take is that of Rejoicing, and by repeating it, he’s emphasizing its importance.

And please notice, that we are to rejoice in the Lord, not in our circumstances.

Paul is a prime example of someone who walked this pathway.

The day he planted the church in Philippi (Acts 16), he was dragged into the marketplace. Accused of disturbing the peace (ironic), was beaten with rods, & then thrown into prison.

And what do we find Paul doing in the midst of those circumstances!

Worrying!? In the corner, moaning and complaining? Questioning and Doubting!?

NO! Instead he was Worshipping! Singing! Praising!

He was rejoicing.

You see this imperative: to rejoice in the Lord, is an appeal to faith, not to circumstances.

The reality is, we can’t always rejoice in our circumstances. Sometimes we can. But not always.

But we can always rejoice in the Lord.

Whatever life throws your way, He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, and He has promised to never leave you or forsake you, and even in the face of life’s most challenging circumstances his peace is available to guard you, to protect you.

All you have to do is walk the pathway to peace, which is to rejoice in Him.

Andn that’s a choice. It is an expression of your will. It’s a conscious and deliberate stance of joy in God.

And here’s a hard truth: so many of us are void of peace, because we’ve let our hope of happiness outweigh our responsibility to Rejoice.

Happiness is tied to our circumstances, but JOY is tied to our faith in God!

And to Rejoice in the Lord Always, is 100% a discipline!

You’re going to have to choose this! There’s no easy button, no microwave.

You’re going to have to stare down the barrel of your cirumstances, and in defiant resistance to how bad they are, you must choose to Rejoice anyway.

Its an expression of faith. It’s a “sacrifice of praise”. A muster of your will.

This is such a silly example, but for whatever reason it deeply impressed me and influenced my faith.

But in college we had this friend, that was a little bit of a zealot.

Like his passion for Jesus, came across as over the top sometimes, and we were often tempted to tell him to just turn the volume down a little.

But one day, a friend was hosting a graduation policy and had mexican food catered.

Well this zealot got there a little late, but he came in the way he usually did. Singing, and laughing. I mean he was just so lively and gregarious.

And he came busting in, telling us how excited he was for the food, and how hungry he was.

So he skipped up to the buffet table, and we’re all just watching this unfold, and he takes the tin lid off the food, adn one by one he realized… they’re all empty!

But when he got to the last tin, he closed it, threw his head back and said, “PRAISE HIM IN THE STORM!”

Now, in the grand scheme of things… a lack of free food isn’t much of a storm.

But it was just his pathway! One he was familiar with. He just quickly turned upward, and chose to rejoice regardless of his negative circumstance.

He choose to tread the Pathway to Peace.

And church, You can’t shake a guy like that.

He’s stable. He’s standing firm. He’s guarded by peace.

Why!?

He rejoices in the Lord, always He rejoices.

So, the first pathway to peace is Rejoice.

But the second is found in vs. 5.

Reasonable with Everyone

Philippians 4:5, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;”

Here’s Pathway to Peace #2, we must be reasonable with everyone.

And this imperative of Paul is a little tougher to understand.

Mostly due to the word translated “reasonableness” doesn’t share an singular translation into English.

There isn’t a single word that fully encapsulates the greek meaning.

So the ESV uses reasonableness, but other translations use

moderation, gentleness, or graciousness.

In essence, what it communicates is an attitude that is charitable, humble, and merciful towards others.

Specifically, given the context, those that seek to hurt you, harm you, or offend you.

That crooked, and twisted generation in which we live will try to put you down, and hold you down.

So how do we respond to that!?

With reasonableness.

And no one personifies this quality, quite like Jesus Christ

Jesus, who was meek and lowly of heart.

He was oppressed, and afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7).

Jesus’ reasonableness, or graciousness, or gentleness, was known to all.

Let me give you another, maybe more applicable example of Jesus.

In Matthew 14, Jesus had just heard about his cousin, and good friend, John the Baptist’s beheading at the hands of King Herod.

Matthew 14:13 “Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself.”

He was grieved. Hurting. Angry. Sad. I mean, he just wanted a little bit of solitude. But the verse goes on to say…

“But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.”

How would you respond, if you were Jesus in this situation!?

I mean, how do you respond… when you’re just trying to get home from work and you have to stop by the grocery store just to grab a single item… How do you respond when somebody you recognize approaches you!”

How would I respond!?

Oh the inconvenience. The life of interruption. Don’t the crowds know that Jesus needed a little “me time”.

But the text goes on.

Matthew 14:14 “that When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

Jesus had compassion. He was gentle. He was gracious. He was reasonable. And everybody saw it!

How do you respond to circumstances that inconvenience or interrupt you?

How do you respond when things don’t go according to plan or when your expectations aren’t met?

When you respond with reasonableness, you’re on the pathway to peace that will guard your heart and mind in Christ.

So, the second pathway to peace is Reasonableness.

Let’s now look at the third and final, and its found in vs. 6.

Prays about Everything

Philippians 4:6 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Here’s Pathway to Peace #3, and perhaps the most fruitful path of them all.

Here Paul’s command actually begins with a negative:

do not be anxious about anything.

Our worries are so far reaching aren’t they.

From the daily parade of pressures, car’s breaking down, conflict with coworkers, not meeting the expectations of parents, competition at work, a dry marriage, a rebellious child, grief, money. And on and on.

And we come across inspirational instagram posts, quoting this text… “Do not be anxious about anything...”

And outwardly we smile, and give it a like, but inwardly our souls are screaming in desperation, “But HOW!”Paul tells us the proper path, but before we unpack Paul’s, let’s look at our Lord Jesus’ instruction.

Matthew 6:25 ““Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

He goes on to point our attention to the birds of the air, and the lillies of the field.

How everyone of their true needs is pertually provided by the providence of a Good Father.

But don’t miss this. At the end of his teaching he says,

Matthew 6:30–31 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’”

Did you catch that? Jesus implies that our worry and anxiety is simply a result of our lack of trust in God’s good care.

Worry & anxiety is often a symptom, of a much deeper issue.

It’s a fruit, of a deeper root: which is a lack of faith in God.

And he goes on to say, Matthew 6:32 “For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”

He’s saying, that’s what the pagans do.

That’s what those who have no peace with God, who have never known the peace of God do.

They worry. Their anxious, because they don’t know God.

I mean, how do you handle your stress?

How do you handle the circumstances in your life?

Unfortunately, for 99% of us we worry, we grow anxious.

But Jesus and the Apostle Paul commanded, “do not be anxious about anything.”

But the text goes on to tell us how this is possible!

Philippians 4:6 “ but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

What do we do with our worries, we talk to God about them.

That word prayer, just simply means talking to God. It’s not asking for anything in particular, just conversating over all that burdens you, worries you, stresses you.

Church, the antidote to anxiety is pouring out your heart to God.

When was the last time you prayed at length over the things that worry you?

In all my years of ministry I have yet to meet a chronic worrier who enjoyed an excellent prayer life.

It just won’t happen.

They’re diametrically opposed to one another.

As someone once said, “They are more opposed to each other than fire and water.”

So the Pathway to Peace, begins with prayer--- talking to God

But he also says, “Supplication”

That means to petition, or to ask. To actually ask God to alleviate that worry, to solve that crisis, to calm that see!

1 John 5:15 “And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

James 4:2 “You do not have, because you do not ask.”

So we talk to God about what is worrying us, then we make our requests known to Him.

But, the last tip here is that our peace, just like our rejoicing lies not in the change of our circumstances, but in God alone.

So I talk to God, and I request of God… but I do it with Thanksgiving!

To give thanks, is an discipline of recalling God’s goodness and mercy, and his gracious dealings with us.

As we give thanks for who He is and what He does, His character, His Glory overshadow the immedicay of our problems.

This is the powerful pathway to peace.

Orienting our eyes upon God, talking to Him as a friend and Father, and asking him to meet our needs.

And when we begin to go to God in prayer over all things that worry us, whats the result?

Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Prayerful People are Peaceful People

Conclusion

The Peace of God is perhaps our most desperate need today.

But as mentioned, it must begin with a peace with God, have you accepted Christ as your Savior?

And then we apply the Peace of God to our daily living. How

We rejoice always

We are reasonable to everyone.

We pray about everything.

And when we walk that pathway, we have the peace of God, that surpasses all understanding, guarding our hearts and minds in Christ.

So as we conclude this morning, I want to invite you to practice what I’m preaching this morning.

Wednesday night, on May 1st, we are going to gather in this room at 6pm for a night of prayer and worship.

Many of us are going to Fast that day.

As a reminder, Biblical fasting is giving up food, for a set time, and for a spiritual purpose.

For you that could be breakfast, lunch, dinner? Or all 3. But I want to invite you to give up food for a set time,

And we do it for a spiritual purpose. And here’s that purpose.

I want each of us to spiritually lock arms and pray for the Peace of God.

That people in our lives and community would have Peace with God.

And people in this church would come to know the Peace of God.

And as we humble ourselves for that purpose, we’ll come together at 6pm that night and

Rejoice, and Pray--- and I’m confident the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ.

Let’s pray.

Commission

have a seat for me, before we dismiss I want to bring the Roberts family up. This is James, Jenna, Sadie, and Micah.

every week we close saying go and be the church, and James and Jenna have been led by the lord to do that in West Africa, in the country of Togo. They’ve served there for 2 years, and theyve been back for several months to have Baby Sadie but also connect with their ministry partners to provide an update to their ministry.

and this is the pattern of scripture. Acts 13 the church commissions missionaries and in Acts 14 4 they return after a season of ministry to encourage and report.

well their season of home assignment has come to an end and they flight back to Togo ……. So this is their last Sunday worshipping with us. So id love for us as a church to pray for them.