We Minister with the Peace of God

Dismiss the children if you haven’t already

GREETINGS

Good afternoon! As we continue in our worship through the preaching of God’s Word, please grab your Bibles...

…we are in The Letter of Philippians chapter 4 this afternoon, verses 1-9—Philippians 4:1-9

As you make your way there, let me just say that we are glad that you are here. If you are visiting or are new to the church, we encourage you to observe, watch, and listen. If you have any questions about the church, about the Bible, about the gospel—feel free to pull me or one of the elders aside after church to talk about any of those things.

We’re in Philippians 4:1-9. To start us off, I’ll read verses 1-4 and then pray.

Transition on 1, 3, 4

Philippians 4:1–4 ESV

1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. 2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

The title of our sermon this afternoon is “We Minister with the Peace of God”

PRAY

Introduction

I remember a brother calling me during, what seemed like at the moment, a crisis in my life. It was a timely call; I needed someone to talk to. At the end of that conversation, he said let me pray for you. What he prayed has stuck with me for over a decade now. He started off the prayer like this, “Father, let let my brother enjoy the peace that is already his in Christ.”

In Philippians 4:1, we are picking up from a text where Paul just said, “Christ Jesus has made me His own” in 3:12. He also says in 3:20, “we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Because of Him, we are not going to be cast out, we are not going to be condemned, we are not going to hell…because our Savior has saved us from that. That’s what it means to have Jesus as your Savior. We belong to Him which means we will be with Him. That’s the peace that every believer has…a peace that’s already theirs today.

The reason why a message of peace, especially God’s peace, is so important for us to be reminded of is because it puts everything into perspective.

It reminds us who God is and what He has done.

It reminds us who we are and how we ought to be.

It reminds us that this life is for Him and His glory, and iiiin thaaaat Iiii aaaam blessed … because in that I have peace.

If you’re a believer here today, my prayer is that you will enjoy the peace that is already yours in Christ. What Paul shows us in this text is that Christ is clearly the center of our peace.

stand firm in the Lord (v. 1)

agree in the Lord (v. 2)

rejoice in the Lord (v. 4)

the Lord is at hand (v. 5)

the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (v. 7)

Starting in verse 1…

I. In Christ We Are Firm in God’s Peace (v. 1)

Philippians 4:1 ESV

1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

When we see that word “therefore” we always want to ask what is “therefore” … there for?

Paul says 3:20 that “our citizenship is in heaven.” Which is to say that we are a part of and belong to God’s kingdom. He goes on to say in verse 21 that Christ, according to His mighty power, will himself transform our bodies to be like his body. This is in reference to 3:11 which talks about attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Just as Christ rose from the dead, so we too who are in Christ will rise from the dead just like Him. What we have to look forward to in Christ is the transformation of lowly bodies to glorious bodies.

I remember when I turned 30 and I was pulling up to a party at a friends house. When I parked my nose started to tingle and I sneezed like I normally do in that situation. When I did that at the age of thirty I pulled a muscle in my abdominal area (one of those 6 muscles I used to have in this area back then). I go to the party and I tell Pastor Ray Palompo what happened and he replied with “wait until you turn 40 and you yawn.” Sure enough, 10 years later, I yawned and I pulled a muscle in my neck. And now Pastor Ryan is telling me, “wait until you turn 50 and have to have surgery on your eyes just for blinking.”

Make no mistake, this is nothing less than a glorious statement in 3:20-21…

Philippians 3:20–21 ESV

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

This not only speaks of our hope of salvation in Christ or the peace of God we enjoy in Christ, but it also speaks volumes of the power of Christ. He transforms you, dear Christian, by the power he has to rule over the entire universe.

Colossians 1:16 says, “all things were created through him and for him.” Verse 17 goes on to say, “in him all things hold together.” Hebrews 1:3 says, “…He upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Christ has power!

And with that power He rules. Ephesians 1:22 says that the Father has “put all things under his feet.” Jesus has power—He rules!

The word “therefore” is there because the Savior in whom your hope, joy, and peace comes from, is also the king. He’s the king of the universe. The kiiiing … of the kingdom … that you belong to is the king of the universe. Your Savior is the King. Let that sink in a little bit!

I have a dear brother in Hawaii who goes out of his way to take care of his daughter, his only child in this world. In fact he and his daughter was visiting here in Benicia yesterday. The daughter, Keaolani, spent the whole day with my daughters yesterday. One day at school, an incident took place and she needed help. Well … her dad happes to also be the principal of the school. Some of you know him, his name is Mike. Do you think she got the help she needed at school? Of course! Her dad at home is also the principal at school. Of course she got the help, in fact, there was no way that she was not going to get the help that she needed.

The savior of your life, is also the king of the universe.

The “therefore” is there because even though there are evildoers at the beginning of chapter 3 that surrounds you, and even though in verse 10 there will be suffering in this life, be encouraged that your Savior is the king of the universe. And He will save you. He will transform you. And you will be with Him.

Therefore, stand firm! His supreme rule and awesome power that He used to save you, that He uses to strengthen you as you press on in this life, and that He will use to transform you in the next life … he says therefore, take those great realities to stand firm in the Lord. You’re not expected to stand in your own strength. In Christ we are firm in God’s peace.

On top of that, Paul gushes forth with fond affection for his brothers as he tells them to stand firm. They are the objects of his love, they are beloved. Look at that verse again.

Philippians 4:1 ESV

1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

“Stand firm” as if to say that there is more power and more love in your favor, than the troubles that beset you in this life. Whatever it is you are going through dear church, you are loved … you are not alone (you have Christ and His people).

II. In Christ We Have Peace In His Church (vs. 2-3)

Philippians 4:2–3 ESV

2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Here we see two women who are not agreeing with each other in the church. Whether it be their opinion, their interest, or their passion, there is something that they are not in agreement in. We have a clue when it says that they need to agree in the Lord and that in the past they have been partners in gospel ministry. So we know that Christ is their passion and that Christ is their life. Paul’s appeal to help these women shows us that living for Jesus is done in community.

Paul tells the church “help these women”. They are not supposed to be connected with just each other or even with Paul only, but with the rest of the church. In gospel ministry, laboring side by side is not one sided. Not only were they a help to Paul, but this church needs to be a help to them. Somehow these women were stepping on each others toes in their love for Jesus and in their passion for the ministry. If you’ve been in church long enough, then you know that this happens even among the best of us.

Even the best of us…

…are irritating.

…have ideas that are bad.

…are either too strict or too gracious.

will not agree.

If we are to share the gospel of peace, we ourselves must have peace. Not just individual peace, but a corporate peace. The peace we will enjoy forever in heaven is a kingdom wide peace and that peace is something we are to enjoy now with each other. So if we are to share the gospel of peace out there, we ought to be enjoying God’s peace in here.

III. In Christ We Show Peace to the World (vs. 4-7)

Philippians 4:4–7 ESV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 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.

It is in this context of realizing peace amongst ourselves that Paul doubles down on joy, “rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” This hearkens back to 3:1 where Paul says, “rejoice in the Lord”. Here in 4:4 he adds “always” here and reiterates in the same breath, “again I will say rejoice.”

After all that has been said, doesn’t it make sense, that because of who you are—citizens of God’s kingdom, recipients of God’s salvation, God’s grace and God’s peace—that you would be a people of joy. It ought to attend your peace.

Sometimes we think of standing firm in the Lord as a list of do’s and don’ts. Paul says make Christ your delight. Make Christ your joy. That’s how you stand firm.

It’s from the posture of joy that attends our peace that we are to be a witness for Christ. He says, “let your reasonableness be known to everyone.” Whether or not you like it, the world is watching. At home, your kids watch you. They see you 24/7 and there’s no fooling them.

I think universally, children struggle with understanding what parents say when they tell them what chores to do, when to do them, and how to do them. There is some language barrier that makes it hard to decipher what mom and dad are saying. When you are telling them what chores to do. But when you say something mean or break a promise, all of sudden they have PhD’s in English and can decipher your meaning down to its very syntactical and semantical nuances. They break down your sentences down to its most minute segment and tell you what you meant by what you said. Which is strange because when I say do this how it gets translated to, “okay I will do that later.” I’m not picking on my kids … it’s a universal thing. But don’t let that fool you. They’re watching.

Your neighbors watch you. Your friends and co-workers watch you. And it’s not just you individually that they watch, but you corporately. Visitors at church watch you. This community of Benicia watches you.

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. “Reasonableness” can also be translated as “gentleness” as the NIV does or “gentle spirit” as the NAS translates it. It’s talking about being know as a kind people! Perhaps this means that the disagreement in verse 2 lacked kindness. When God’s your peace, you shall not be known as a backbiting people, but as a kind people.

Why? Because the Lord is at hand. Christ is coming back. This life is not all there is to it. We don’t divide over non-essential things.

Remember 3:20-21…

Philippians 3:20–21 ESV

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

And because the Lord is at hand, don’t worry, don’t be anxious in verse 6. Anxiety is a big disruptor of peace.

Proverbs 12:25 ESV

25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

Tony Merida describes anxiety as “worry” that “involves imagining the future in a worst-case scenario and then freaking out about it.” In other words they are imagining a life where Christ is not the center. They detach their future from who Christ is and what Christ has done, is doing and will do. Anxiety is like unnecessary weights in a race. You don’t ever see a runner in the olympics with a sandbag on their back.

The remedy to this back in Philippians 4:6 is prayer. I think of 1 Peter 5:7 which says…

1 Peter 5:7 ESV

7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

In fact, in the context it is pride to hand over your concerns to him. Prayer says I’m done, take it Lord, I don’t want to worry. And it’s not that you don’t care, but you’re not going to go crazy over it and trust him to take care of it, help you through it, knowing that He cares for you. Go to Him, pray to Him, ask away, but remember back in Philippians 4:6 that you do so with thankfulness.

Can prayer really deal with anxiety? The answer in verse 7 is “yes!” It ministers the peace that is already yours in Christ to your hearts and minds in that moment; in that circumstance.

IV. In Christ We Enjoy Peace (v. 8-9)

Philippians 4:8–9 ESV

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. 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.

Notice how the excellent thoughts we are to have flows out of the peace of God guaring our hearts and minds. A mind and heart that is going to have praiseworthy thoughts can only come from a person with God’s peace. And you can only have God’s peace when Christ is your Savior.

Peace is not a novelty; an ornament you put on for show. When Jesus is your Savior, it is for you to enjoy now and forevermore.

Enjoy the peace that is already yours by filling your mind with excellent things; not junk! When you are anxious, there so much junk you need to weed out. So much lies, so much despair, so much hopelessness. Sometimes you don’t even know what’s true about your situation. Why you’re going through it, why it even had to happen in the first place.

In his book “Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy” Mark Vroegop talks about waiting which is sometimes where the anxiety is taking place, he says, “Waiting requires living by what I know to be true about God when I don’t know what’s true about my life.”

No matter how dark and confusing things get, you have God’s excellent Word to give you excellent truths and excellent thoughts about God to fill your minds.

Enjoy the peace that is already yours by living for God and not according to this world. “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things.” We actually have a standard to live by. Peace is no mere concept. It is an actual life we live out according to God’s Word.

Enjoy the peace that is already yours. The God who gave it to you is the God of peace. It is a good thing.

Conclusion

This is how we roam the earth. With God’s peace. Be encouraged dear church. You have it. Enjoy it! Even if life is hard, it’s still yours to enjoy.

Communion

As the men come up to pass out the elements for communion, we now enter into a time of communion. If you are a baptized believer in good standing with your church, we invite you to join us in communion as we celebrate the Lord Jesus Christ in a time of remembrance.

I want to talk about the peace that attends the body and the blood we remember today.

In John 14 Jesus is talking about leaving His disciples.

At the end of John 13, Peter actually doesn’t want Him to leave if he can’t go with Him.

Jesus replies in John 13:38

John 13:38 ESV

38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

There is anxiety amongst the disciples and Jesus deals with their anxiety…

John 14:1–7 ESV

1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

John 14:18 ESV

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:25–29 ESV

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 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. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.

Christians, eat and drink, knowing Christ forgives our sins though His body by His blood. Go ahead and take the bread and then the juice.