Walking On Water When You're In Over Your Head
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4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
In all the vicissitudes of the Christian life, whether in attacks from terrorists, personality clashes among believers, persecution from the world, or threat of imminent death—all of which Paul himself was experiencing at this very time—the Christian is to maintain a spirit of joy in the Lord. He is not immune to sorrow nor should he be insensitive to the troubles of others; yet he should count the will of God his highest joy and so be capable of knowing inner peace and joy in every circumstance.
5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;
reasonableness- gentleness…a willingness to yield one’ personal rights and to show consideration and gentleness to others.
It is easy to be this way with some people, but the command is to be this way with all people. Christian friends, unsaved persecutors, false teachers- anyone at all. Truth can’t be sacrificed, but a gentle spirit will be inviting to the adversary.
The Lord is at hand--- God’s return is near, and He will settle the differences.
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Be prayerful, not anxious. anxious is fretful, anxiety, undue concern. Paul’s answer to anxiety is prayer… the attitude of worship...
“supplications” are expressions of need.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
When we turn from anxiousness to prayer and trust/thankfulness to God, God gives us His own peace. This peace comes to those who are already at peace with God through justification by faith in Christ.
For the peace of God not only suffices but far surpasses human comprehension. It acts as a sentry to guard the believer’s heart (a biblical symbol for the personality in which the mind resides) and the believer’s thoughts from all anxiety and despair.
8 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.
Think and do what is morally and spiritually excellent. Center their minds on God’s things/ways…put that into practice.
What Paul lists in this verse to characterize God should also characterize his people.
Read the list.... Paul knew that when christians center their minds on thoughts like these, they would live like Christ.
9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Anxious
Anxious
What is anxiety? it is worry… it means to be pulled in different directions....hope pulls us one way… our fears pull us in another.... we get pulled apart. The english root word for worry meanss to strangle. Worry CAN strangle… it can cause headaches, neck pain, back pains.... our coordination.
From the spiritual point of view, worry is wrong thinking (the mind) and wrong feeling (the heart) about circumstances, people, and things. Worry is the greatest thief of joy. It is not enough for us, however, to tell ourselves to “quit worrying” because that will never capture the thief. Worry is an “inside job,” and it takes more than good intentions to get the victory. The antidote to worry is the secure mind: “And the peace of God … shall keep [garrison, guard like a soldier] your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). When you have the secure mind, the peace of God guards you (Phil. 4:7) and the God of peace guides you (Phil. 4:9). With that kind of protection—why worry?
If we are to conquer worry and experience the secure mind, we must meet the conditions that God has laid down. There are three:
right praying (Phil. 4:6–7),
right thinking (Phil. 4:8), and
right living (Phil. 4:9).
Look at Philippians 4.6-7
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Prayer- When we find ourselves worrying or anxious, we need to worship… prayer is the idea of adoration, devotion and worship.
When We see the greatness and majesty of God, we see He is big enough to solve our problems. The first step in praying correctly is adoration.
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Supplication- earnestly sharing our needs an problems.
How did Jesus pray? see Hebrews 5.7
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Thanksgiving. Appreciation Remember the ten lepers of Luke 17.11-19… only one returned to give thanks.
These three things.... adoration, supplication, and thanksgiving.... they bring us to the 7th verse.... the peace of God is ours… guarding our hearts and our minds.
Talking to God about everything that concerns us and Him is the first step toward victory over worry.
Note- hearts and minds.... in the 7th verse. These 2 things- the heart and the mind- theybring anxiety. the heart (feelings) and the mind (thinking) can be wrong. wrong feelings and wrong thinking…bring anxiety and stress.
The first condition for the secure mind and victory over worry is right praying.
8 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.
Think on these things------true,,honorable..just..pure.. lovely.. commendable things… excellent thigns.... things worthy of praise...
think about these thigns.
9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
note… learn… receive… hear… see… do!
See James 1.22
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Ten: You Don’t Have to Worry! (Philippians 4:1–9)
Right praying, right thinking, and right living: these are the conditions for having the secure mind and victory over worry. As Philippians 4 is the “peace chapter” of the New Testament, James 4 is the “war chapter.” It begins with a question: “From whence come wars and fightings among you?” James explains the causes of war: wrong praying (“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss,” James 4:3), wrong thinking (“purify your hearts, ye double-minded,” James 4:8), and wrong living (“know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?” James 4:4). There is no middle ground. Either we yield heart and mind to the Spirit of God and practice right praying, thinking, and living; or we yield to the flesh and find ourselves torn apart by worry.
With the peace of God to guard us and the God of peace to guide us—why worry?
With the peace of God to guard us and the God of peace to guide us—why worry?
Fear Falls But Faith Floats
Fear Falls But Faith Floats
8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Fear Falls But Faith Floats
Fear Falls But Faith Floats