People of Peace

Good Morning Church, Bibles out, Philippians 4:1-9

READ V1-9

How many of yall are parents???

Do you ever feel like you just repeat yourself all day long?

I think the human ear must not develop till your 20 because whenever your dealing with kids they don’t seem to hear that well…

I remember back to my teen years…mom and dad telling me the same things over and over got annoying…then you find out why…

As parents we just repeat ourselves all day long…

I tell my kids…if Im repeating it to you…it must be important and you need to listen and do as your told…

Thats what we are going to find in the text today…

PAUL REPEATING HIMSELF…Nothing mind blowningly new today…

We preach a truth and then give you the application…

That is what Paul is going to do today…

Today we are going to see Paul repeat himself…

When something is repeated in the bible,ITS IMPORTANT… we better take mind of it…

Everything Paul is going to say here is a recap of everything he has been teaching the Philippians and us through this whole letter…

Compiled into these 9 verses…with application

In this section of his letter…Paul gives the Church 6 actions we are to do as we live out our lives…

We are going to touch on each of these pretty quickly…

The Church is to…

The Church is to…Love and Long for One Another (v1)

This again is a repeat…its a repeat of chapter 1

The first 9 verses of this letter is Paul telling the church in Philippi how much he loves them and longs for them…

How he desires to be with them…”from my bowels”…deepest desire….

We see this in almost all of Pauls letters…His love for the church spews out of him like a fountain…

Paul is about to shepherd the church…

He is going to encourage them, give them direction, sometimes rebuke them, give them hard truth...

But before he does…he first lets them know…I Love You…And I long to be with you…

Why?

Look what he calls them…His JOY…and His CROWN

Look at joy…We discussed weeks back…Paul doesn’t rely on his circumstances to bring him joy…He gets his joy from Gods movement in the body of Christ

Paul says “Ive heard how the gospel is moving, how you are serving and giving faithfully and its bringing me joy”

They are his crown…this word crown is translated in the greek to mean victory wreath…a royal prize

They are the fruit of his labor and the testimony of the workings of Jesus Christ…

When Paul looks at them he sees victory!!! Christs victory over sin…Paul sees that his work for Christ (spreading the gospel and shepherding the sheep) and his suffering is not done in vain!!!

Application: Look around you Christ followers…see Gods children..

Hear the worship of the worship of His saints…

even in their flaws and short comings…We can see Gods work sitting in the seats next to you…

You are a witness…

We are all called to disciple….

And you have been called to (proclaim the gospel, serve the body, bear burdens, all hard stuff, all while your being persecuted)

These people you are discipling…they are like crown to you!!

We should be loving and longing to be with the children of God…

But inevitably…when we are around one another…living in sinful flesh (not yet made perfect in body as Paul stated in ch3)

We are going to have conflict…Paul addresses this next…

The Church is to…Resolve Conflicts in the Humility of Christ (v2-3)

It is evident here that there is an issue in the church….

2 women…are having a disagreement…We don’t know what about…

But it was big enough for Epaphroditus to tell Paul about it…

Paul is going to shepherd it now...I entreat to beseech…means to implore or to beg…

be of the same mind…agree in the Lord

This is a big deal to Paul…one he has already instructed on in chapter 2

Philippians 2:2 “complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.”

Again, Paul is repeating himself…SO WE SHOULD LISTEN

Being of same mind in the Lord is important!!!

We have a disagreement…and the only way to get back to agreeing is in the Lord…

NOW this obviously isn't a doctrinal disagreement or else Paul would comment and rebuke/ shepherd the false side…

This has to be a disagreement of maybe wrong doing or function how something is being done or wasn't done…we don’t know

BUT They may disagree on this certain topic…but Paul calls them instead to focus on what they have in common…

That is their salvation, through faith and a walk in and with the Lord Jesus!

Conflict is going happen…Its a reality of our sinfulness…( disagree and do each other wrong)

BUT the difference is…we have unity in the most important…JESUS!

HOW DO WE DO THAT???

HUMILITY

We are all called to humble ourselves as Jesus did…

Flip back to chapter 2 verse 3 with me...

Philippians 2:3–8 “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Both parties are not called to stand firm in their opinion or view point…

They are called to stand firm in the Lord and when they realize that…they will realize they are standing on the same side!!!

THE FIRST STEP TO HEAL CONFLICTS IS HUMILITY AND CHRIST CENTEREDNESS

The body is to help in this…Not just stand by and watch and comment…

But to get involved…help these women!

They have worked with me in the gospel…

Their names are in the book of life!

Church is to lead toward unity in Christ

Churches can go through seasons of conflict…they are hard…

BUT Paul directs us next…that as the body…

The Church is to…Rejoice in Jesus Always (v4)

Again...NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES…REJOICE

Paul is imprison…REJOICE…

People in the church are disagreeing…REJOICE…

You have cancer…REJOICE…

Tough financial time…REJOICE…

Being persecuted…REJOICE…

YOU HAVE HOPE!!!!!

As the church your circumstance does not dictate your Joy…

Their is plenty of things that can steal joy…

Depression…anxiety…poverty…career..death of a loved one…conflict…

The church is to remain REJOICING IN THE GOSPEL!!!

AND WHEN YOU REJOICE NO MATTER WHAT…

It will impact the way you are seen by others…

Paul says next that…

The Church is to…Be Known for Patience and Contentment (v5)

This word reasonableness means gentle patience and contentment…

Let everyone know by your actions that you are gentle, patient, and content…

In every way of life you are patient and gentle…even in conflict…even when you are being persecuted…

And you are Content…No matter your circumstances…you are unaffected…unshaken..unmoved…

When people see this about you…they will be like HOW???

In a world where everyone is being pushed and pulled by trends and narratives…

Being scared and intimidated with poverty and health and even death…

When they are crumbling over whats happening around them…

YOU WILL BE CONTENT AND PATIENT…

Philippians 4:11 “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”

People are going to ask how can you be this way!?!?!

Your response is the same as Pauls…”the Lord is at hand”

The Lord is coming, I am ready, and I have hope in that day!!!

This is the foundation for the next thing Paul is going to talk about…

The Church is to…Pray Instead of Worry (v6-7)

Life is hard…not doubting that church…

Its hard sometimes to Rejoice…hard to be patient…hard to be content…

Look at what Paul says here about how the church is to live…

READ 6-7

WE ARE CALLED TO LIVE A LIFE BEING AXIOUS FOR NOTHING!

All your worries..about the future, about your job, about your life…about anything…

You have control over almost nothing…the outcome is always in Gods hands…

LET HIM DRIVE…ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS STAY IN THE CAR…

They are not for you to bear or control…

GIVE THEM TO GOD!

By prayer…(importance of prayer, communication with God)

By supplication… (asking for what you desire and think you need) If somethings bother you…take it to the Lord

With thanksgiving… (I need nothing but you, you have given me all I need, the gospel)

What comes out of this time with God…PEACE!!

A PEACE that guards your heart against: depression, anxiety, worry…

I have given it to the Lord, He is in control, He will give me what he sees fit…I TRUST IN YOU LORD…

How many of us have anxiety day in and day out???

OPEN UP PSALMS…SEE DAVIDS ANXIETY…

HOW DOES HE COMBAT IT… HE PRAYS….

Have you said..I TRUST YOU LORD???

PEACE IS WHAT YOU GET…

The Church is to…Keep our Minds and Actions on Righteous Things (v8-9)

Keep you mind on righteous things…

Again Paul repeating himself…

Focus on things in heaven…

All of these words Paul uses here can all be used to describe heaven…

True, Just, Lovely, excellent, pure, worthy of Praise…

Keep your thoughts…be mindful of where your mind is wondering…

This is a practice in living mentally where you will end up physically…

AND NOT ONLY THAT…Practice these things in action…

Do as I do…

LIVE LIVES WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL!

NOTICE: This repetition PEACE OF GOD, PEACE, PEACE

This is what you should desire…

PEACE..

YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN PEACE THROUGH THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS …NOW LIVE IN THAT PEACE…

When we do all 6 of these things Paul showed us today…what do we get????

PEACE!

When we love one another…peace

when we resolve conflicts in agreeance in the Lord….Peace

When we rejoice..Peace

When we are content and patient…peace

When we pray…peace

When we walk in righteousness…peace

BIG IDEA: The Church is to live our lives in the confident Peace of Jesus Christ.

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Colossians 3:15 “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

How do we do this????

Let me take you all the way back to verse 1…

Paul says in verse one “STAND FIRM THUS IN THE LORD”

WAKE UP EVERYDAY…CONFIDENT IN THE GOSPEL…STANDING FIRM IN IT…

AND IT IS THERE YOU WILL KNOW HOW TO BE THE CHURCH AND YOU WILL EXPERIENCE PEACE!!!!

LETS PRAY!