The Peace of God | Phil 4:2-9
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· 28 viewsSeries: Joy in Suffering
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Introduction
Introduction
Open your Bibles to Philippians 4
If you don’t have a bible of your own, please take the bible in front of you in the pews home. It’s our gift to you because we want the powerful, life changing word of God in your life.
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As you open up to Philippians chapter 3, we remember that we are reading a letter that the apostle Paul, one of the leaders in the early church, sent to the church in a greek city named Philippi. And He is writing it while He is imprisoned by the Romans.
This has been a letter of encouragement for the church. Paul encourages them in their conduct, he encourages them to continue on in the gospel mission, set aside all selfishness, to let go of grumbling and focus on working together.
He reminds them that they are the people of God who are united by Him and strengthened by Him.
And He encourages them today as He reminds them that their circumstances do not determine their peace. That their struggles do not stop them from rejoicing.
And, you may remember, that even this thriving Church is dealing with quite a few circumstances.
Here’s one:
Text
Text
I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.
We’ve known from the beginning that there is conflict in the early church around the world.
Leaders compete for status and recognition
Selfish ambitions drown out the common mission
congregations take sides.
And Paul is mentions two women who are leaders in the Philippian church, who have been disagreeing, and grumbling against one another. He wants them to focus on what’s important and reunite for the sake of the chruch.
We don’t know anything else about these women or what the nature of their conflict is.
But Paul asks them and the other members ot actively pursue a reconciliation:
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.
Paul reminds them that they are al the people of Jesus. They are all saved
They are all co-workers in the Gospel
And they are, quite frankly, moved past their old ways. Their common focus on Jesus should be lived out by not prefering their own ways all the time.
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.
These are a pretty famous set of verses. But it’s always so interesting to see the verses around them. How does the immediate context shape our understanding?
Why would Paul follow up verses about two women arguing about something with verses about not being anxious?
Because this conflict is just one of the many anxieties the church is acing at the time. let’s remember that they’ve had to be anxious about:
Paul, their leader, is in prison facing death.
Epaphroditus, their friend who has been delivering messages to Paul, was deadly ill.
Leaders in the church have been dividing and competing
The old Jewish leaders are making them constantly doubt their salvation by faith alone.
Christians have fallen away because their old lives are just easier to go back to.
And Paul tells them to not be anxious.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Having someone tell you to just not be anxious does not work. Saying “just don’t worry about that” is the most ineffective way to soothe comeone’s anxieties.
Jesus says the same in our reading earlier in the gospel of Matthew. But both Paul and Jesus don’t just say, “hey, just don’t be anxious”.
They give us an actual reason not to be.
In Matthew, Jesus reveals that God knows our needs perfectly, much better than we do. And that if He love us more than the flower of the field and the birds in sky, he we certainly take better care of us than of them. Go will always provide what we need.
Paul tells us today that there is one huge reason we need not be anxious: Because the Lord is at hand. God is present with us. And that ground us like nothing else can
Paul tells the Philippians to be reasonable. So reasonable that it is evident to everyone.
A better way to translate this into the english is even keeled. steady and unmoved.
and that’s exactly what these people need to hear.
There are so many circumstances that could cause them anxieties. so many events, so much division, so much persecution and struggle.
But their peace does not depend on their circumstances. Peace is always available through God’s presence with us.
Paul Says that no matter what happens, no matter what troubles us, all we need to do is rejoice in the lord, remembering He’s with us, and bring all our anxieties before God and surrender them, letting Him take care of everything.
And Here’s what doing this does for us.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
When we remember our God, surrender our anxieties, and look beyond our circumstances, we receive a peace that makes no sense.
A peace so powerful and so effective, that nothing in this world can provide it.
And this peace guards our hearts and minds. it protects us, like a sentry standing watch.
So no matter what comes along to try and scare you or worry you, you are protected, because you always know that God is with you and for you.
and no matter what happens, you can endure and remain steady because
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
and now that we have this peace, Paul tells us that we aren’t stuck in our thought loops anymore. We aren’t stuck in fear and despair and what if this or that. We are free to think on other things:
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.
Anxiety and uncertainty can make even the most thriving church stumble.
That includes the Philippians, and that includes us.
But as we together focus on Jesus and who He has freed us to be, it all melts away.
But how do we know that this works? How do we know Paul isn;t just saying something that sounds nice and simple, but there’s nothing behind it?
We know this because Paul is living proof:
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
They get to see it in Paul, but you’ve seen it too.
How do pastors remain calm and steady when there is stress in the congregation?
How do parents remain confident when their kids are anxious?
How do friends comfort someone who is grieving?
It’s all because Christians have a peace that transcends all of this. We have the confidence that God is with us, will take care of us, and work all these things out for us.
In the same way you’ve seen Paul be even keeled, at peace, and confident. the way you’ve seen it from Christians around you, you are free to live out the same peace and confidence, no matter what your past, present, or future circumstances are.
Application
Application
What is the most peaceful you’ve ever felt? even the most peaceful you’ve felt in the recent past.
Where were you? What were you doing? Why did you feel so peaceful?
Chances are you are associating peace with a time when your circumstances were put on hold. a vacation, an escape, an hour to yourself in your she-shed or your man-cave.
We usually equate peace with a lack of obstacles or challenges or hardships.
But for some of you, the most peaceful you’ve ever felt might have been right before your heart surgery. Or while the turbulence in the airplane was the most severe you’ve ever felt. Or when you were waiting to find out if you got that job to pay the mortgage.
One great example is Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor who spied on the Nazis, was arrested. He writes this in prison before he himself is executed by the Nazis just a few days before the end of the war.
God does not give us a peace that is independent of the circumstances of our lives, but a peace that is deep within them. It is the peace of one who knows that, whatever happens, they are in God's hands. - Dietrich Bonhöffer
Paul’s Peace, the Philippian’s peace, Dietrich’s peace, my peace, your peace, the peace of God, is our in all circumstances. And it is the cure to and guard from all anxieties in our minds and in this world.
So let’s be practical about this. Let’s take advantage of this peace.
Number one, rejoice!
Yes, even when things are terrible on paper. When the world is all kinds of crazy. Rejoice not in the world, but rejoice in the Lord!
Even when things are terrible, remember how good, how strong, how sure your God is. and Rejoice that He is who He is, that He’s done what He’s done, and that belong to Him through Faith in Jesus!
To be gloomy before God is not pleasing to Him, although He would permit us to be depressed before the world -Martin Luther
You can rejoice and be depressed at the same time. You can celebrate and lament. You can laugh and cry. The world will always cause you to grieve, but there is always rejoicing in God. So remember Him and rejoice!
Number two, remain stead, reasonable, and know that God is in control.
Number three, Pray!
Everything sad, bad, shocking, scandalous. Everything worrisome, everything uncertain, everything dangerous, everything vulnerable, everything too big for you, everything you don’t understand. Pray it to God, and give him responsibility over it all.
Will you ever find love? will the war end? will your loved one heal? will there be food on the table? Will your baby or you ever sleep?
You’re not praying these things to make God aware. You’re saying it out loud to Him and letting Him take care of it all. Don’t give into the urge to fix and solve and change everything yourself. All you’ll do is flail around, burn yourself out, and get lost in anxiety and despair.
God has showed us again and again that He will take care of us and work all of it out.
Nowhere is this more certain than through Jesus’ death and resurrection. It’s in Him that peace has been won. And it’s in His presence that you have access to it right now.
Now, the peace of God, that surpasses all understanding, guards your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, Amen.
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Confession
Confession
