Standing Firm Together

Good morning, everyone! Whether you're here with us in the room or joining online—listening live or later—I am truly glad you're here. Leaf River Baptist church exist to Know Christ, Grow in faith, and to Go make Him known.

Hey, if you’ve got kids with you this morning—now’s a great time for them to head to class. We’ve got an amazing team ready to welcome them and help them know Jesus in a way that makes sense to them.

Now, today is mothers day and so I want to start out by talking about mom’s and frankly the enormous weight they carry.

See, mom’s have schedules to manage—needs to meet—conversations to navigate—children to care for—husbands to care for—worries that never fully go away.

And frequently the heaviest burden on a mom is not a physical burden—it’s a mental burden.

The mind of a mom is constantly running….”what am I forgetting?—Am I doing enough?—What will happen next?—How do I hold everything together?”

Even in the quiet moments, in the stillness of night, the heart still feels restless.

The truth is, that kind of pressure is not totally unique to mothers. It’s part of living in a broken and anxious world. The believers in Philippi understood that kind of pressure as well.

Remember they were facing opposition, relational tension, uncertainty, and the internal struggles of being new beleivers. Yet, even in that anxious environment, Paul writes these words of remarkable hope: There is a peace from God strong enough to steady the soul, gaurd the heart, and protect the mind.

So as we have been going through Philippians , I want to make sure you remember where we are, and what is truly going on here.

Paul entered Philippi preaching the gospel and many people converted. Philippi was a strong patriotic outpost that was extremely proud of their Roman citizenship. Imagine Mount Morris on 4th of July…that is Philippi every day, ok…they are very proud.

Now, as Paul preached the gospel, there was even a young lady who was demon possesed and was harassing him. Paul cast out that demon and this young lady became a follower of Jesus. However, the people who relied on this young demon possessed woman to use those demonic powers to make money, they weren’t very happy about this. So they threw Paul out of town and beat him up pretty good.

Paul left there and continued to spread the gospel, and now he is under house arrest waiting to find out if he will be executed for preaching the gospel.

This is where Paul is as he writes these words, and that really matters, especially this week and next week that we remember Paul’s actual situation.

Today we will be in Philippians 4:1-9, and in this section of his letter Paul shows us what it looks like to live with the kind of peace that we all long for.

Before Paul talks about peace within the heart of a person, first he takes a moment to talk about peace within relationships.

That’s becuase spiritual stability is not only personal — it’s communal. A divided family, or in this case, a divided church cannot experience the fullness of God’s peace.

The thing is that conflict often happens when people begin to focus on things like personal preferences…pride…status…you’re rights…earthly thinking, like boundaries and walls between people to justify your own sinful behavior, instead of the kingdom thinking that we talked about last week.

So…Paul, writing as a spiritual father, begins here by showing us what it looks like to

Pursue Peace Together

Paul moves from theology into relational application here. He shows us that peace in the church begins with how believers actually treat one another.

Philippians 4:1–3 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.

This morning I want you to see how Paul is saying that the gospel provides unity when we disagree with our fellow Christians. Clearly unity in mind is not an automatic thing—unity in relationships is not an automatic thing—it must be pursued intentionally.

Here’s how we do that, first of we…

Stand Firm Together

Look at how Paul says to, “stand firm thus in the Lord”

Remember these are military people who have served their country proudly, and he’s speaking to them in a language they understand.

They know what it is to have discipline, to stand in formation shoulder to shoulder with their peers.

So we see Pauls point is that Christians cannot stand alone. In order to stand firm, they must stand together with one spirit and one mind…that is the mind of Christ with eternity in view.

Listen, a divided church is a spiritually weak church.

Pause

Satan has a large army and they love to isolate believers with unresolved bitterness…with wars about preferences, with ego-driven conversations and ego-driven ministry.

You cannot stand firm in the gospel, while placing yourself at the center of everything…or really anything.

Pause

Now it’s not just about standing firm. You see…

Unity Matters Because the Gospel Matters

Listen, Paul is telling us disagreements, no matter how small or large, are not beneficial for the body of Christ.

There were two women that were in conflict. We don’t know what the conflict is, but it is significant enough that Paul refuses to ignore it.

Now, how would you like to be known for all of Christian history for not getting along…

However, Paul is not publically shaming them…he is honoring their labor in the gospel.

Now pay attention to what Paul says here. He does not say, ‘Let’s publicly determine who wins the argument.’ Instead, he says, ‘agree in the Lord.’ In other words, let Christ and the cross become bigger than the conflict. Paul is not asking them to ignore sin or pretend disagreements do not matter. He is calling them to actively pursue reconciliation with humility because the unity of the gospel matters more than your personal victory.

Paul is not demanding uniformity in personality or preference. He is asking one question: “Will Christ and His Kingdom become more important than personal victory?”

This is the importance of having a kingdom perspective as a Christian…and as a church.

Let me just be honest for a moment. There are some even within our body that don’t agree on various things. There are some who disagree with me, there are groups of people who disagree with another group…this is what Paul is calling out here. He is not saying you must all agree every time…he is however saying that you are to have: One mind, and that mind should be on a kingdom perspective.

That of course leads to the reality of

Reconciliation as a Gospel Witness

Just real quick here…In Roman culture honor mattered—public reputation mattered—winning mattered. However, Christianity created an incredibly different community: A community where humility is more important that status— reconcilliation is more important than pride—serving others is more important that serving yourself.

This is the model that Christ gave us back in Philippians 2:5-9

Philippians 2:5–9 ESV

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

Christ humbled himself. When Christians are unwilling to reconcile, it is a contradiction of the gospel we claim to preach.

Now, the reality is that Paul knows this relational peace is impossible if our hearts are ruled by anxiety and fear. That’s why he moves from peace with each other to peace before God. He teaches us how to…

Pray for Guarding Peace

Paul turns his focus to the inward lives of believers. How does a Christian remain steady in a world filled with pressure, uncertainty, and fear? This is the question he answers in

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’s pretty common to be prone to worry. However, what Paul teaches us here is that there is the potential for peace in the midst of all of you worry and stress. Folks this is so important. vs. 7 tells us about the “peace, which surpasses all understaing”…this is the peace of God that is readily available to you and I both.

Some of you have experienced this before. Circumstances were chaotic, yet somehow your soul remained steady. That is the peace of God…the peace that doesn’t make any sense.

This is what teaches us that

Christian Joy is rooted in Christ — not circumstance

Once we realize that my circumstances do not determine my peace…I will live a much more peacful life.

Let me just prove it to you real quick…Paul is writing this from house arrest waiting to find out if he will be executed. Listen, if anyone has a cause to be stressed and not joyful…I’d argue it’s Paul, yet here we are.

Paul is not writing about some positivity movement or emotional denial of reality. Paul is talking about a joy that comes from who Christ is. This is theology in practice. Paul is telling us to rejoice at all times.

LIsten, if you are a Christian…your joy can actually survive suffering because no matter your circumstances, Christ does not change.

You see…

Gentleness flows from trusting God

The Lord is at hand…but what does that mean? Does it mean “Christ is actually near you” or “Christ is near to his return”…honestly…it’s most likely both.

The thing is that when you are convinced that God is near…you don’t need to panic, do you?

Listen, I have absolutely had my times where I’m losing it…I’m stuck and frustrated and starting to panic, all because I don’t know what to do…

Every single time, I eventually realize the same thing: my focus shifted away from trusting God and toward trusting myself.

I’m telling you this out of my own experience here. The amount of times people have asked me how I can stay so calm in certain situations…honestly, it’s because I know I can’t do anything myself to make an impact.

Moms out there…you feel like you are responsible for everything…and humanely speaking sometimes you are…but the internal peace you truly crave only grows when you remember that God carries what you cannot.

So how do we get there…Well…we start with prayer, because…

Prayer replaces panic

Now, let me qualify this statement real quick, before you all yell at me. :) I am not minimizing anxiety here. Paul is not minimizing worry here…he is redirecting it.

Watch how Paul moves here as he addresses this anxiety and worry.

First anxiety rises in your soul.

Next, you respond with prayer.

After you are praying, you begin to thank God as you remember his faithfulness.

Finally, God’s peace guards your heart and soul.

Now, this is pretty cool. You see, this word “guard” is more military imagery. Remember, Paul is writing to ex-soldiers and patriotic types, and so he uses this term that makes sense to them. The Christian in Philippi would have immediately pitured a Roman soldier guarding the city. Rome, being the strongest military that had ever lived…

The Christian in Philippi would have imagined a Roman soldier guarding them. Let’s put this into terms we might understand here. This is like a Marine, or an Army Ranger, or a Navy Seal being set as guard over your heart. Nothing is getting in here…

That is the imagery when Paul says, “God’s peace stands guard over the believers heart and mind.

This is not the absence of trouble…we all know that. This is divine protection from the trouble you absolutely will experience.

Paul knows that peace is not sustained merely by emotional experiences in prayer though. Just like the soldier was trained, the mind itself must be trained toward truth.

That’s why Paul teaches to…

Practice Kingdom-Minded Thinking

Paul begins to teach the believers how to cultivate a mind that is shaped by the gospel instead of the world.

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.

Here’s what Paul is writing…if we pray the way we should, and think the way we should, then the peace of God will guard us — and the God of peace will be with us.

Again, we are not eliminating any suffering, or any bad days…we are learning how to not allow the enemy use those things to cause your defeat.

So, we have to start somewhere when we are training — today we are going to start with the mind. And here’s what we know…

What fills the mind, shapes the life.

We have all dealt with some pretty hard stuff in our lives. However, much of our battles are won or lost in the mind. So…Paul gives us a grid for Christian thinking here.

You see, what your mind is constantly filled with, will eventually direct your emotions, your decisions, your relationships, and your worship. So Paul tells us, as believers, what we should be focusing our minds on so that we can be directed to heavenly, and not worldly thinking.

But this is important…

Christian focus is not escapism

Paul is not telling Christians to pretend that evil and suffering are not real or do not exist.

No, he’s telling us that we can train our minds to dwell on God’s character more than life’s suffering.

You see, over the course of your life, you have learned to deal with things.

Every person develops ways of handling pressure, fear, conflict, and pain. But many of those patterns are shaped more by the world than by Scripture. The problem is that worldly ways of coping may appear to work for a season while still leaving the heart spiritually unhealthy.

Eventually the cracks begin to show—anger, bitterness, fear, exhaustion, resentment. Paul is teaching believers that peace is not found by merely managing life differently, or pretending your issues aren’t real…but by allowing your mind itself to be reshaped by gospel truth…placing the cross over those issues and stressors.

It’s in those times that God is showing you that your way of doing things is not working, and maybe it’s time to change your focus — to change your way of dealing with things. To change your mindset and seek the peace that doesn’t make any sense.

This is completely against the culture the Philippians lived in. The Romans celebrated things like power, sensuality, pride, conquest.

That’s not that far removed from our own culture, is it? We use a different language, but the same impulses remain. Today we hear phrases like, “build your platform” — “protect your image” — “win at all cost” — this is a pretty common one here “do what makes you happy”…or what about this one “protect yourself—set boundries of protection”

So here we read that Paul tells us to meditate on good things that are: true — honorable — just — pure — lovely — commendable — excellent — praiseworthy.

It’s important to think about these things because the reality is that

Theology must be lived out

When Paul writes to the Philippians and tells them to “practice these things”, he is telling them, and he is telling us, that Christianity is lived out in truth.

This is not some abstract theology class here…This is Paul teaching reality.

He says, “What you have learned and recieved and heard and seen in me…” In other words, just like last week, “Imitate me, as I imitate Christ.

This is pure discipleship here. This is Paul lovingly telling his friends and fellow Christians where to find the peace that they have been searching for. This is Paul allowing his life to reinforce what he is teaching them in doctrine.

Paul is not telling the Christians of Philippi to think happy thoughts. He is teaching them about gospel-centered thinking. He’s teaching to ground your thinking in Scripture. Paul is writing to them, and to us, that we are to have an eternity-focused thinking…This and this alone, is how we are able to be stable in the gospel and keep the peace that doesn’t make any sense, but that comes from Christ alone.

Ultimately, what Paul is teaching is that right thinking leads to right living, mirroring Christ’s mind and actions, establishing peace in our daily lives.

So as we close this morning I want to bring you to you one final thought.

Paul gives us three pillars of spiritual stability:

Pursue peace with one another.

Bring anxieties to God in prayer

Fill your mind with Kingdom truth.

When we think about a peaceful person — we do not think about a person with no problems. No, this is a person that thinks about Christ more than themselves. The same can be said about a peaceful church as well.

Now for those of you that are here, or joining online, I know there is a certain amount of people who are hearing these words and this stuff doesn’t make any sense. You tell yourself that you’ve tried to set your mind and experience peace and it just doesn’t work.

Well…you need to know that true peace is only possible because Christ made peace through his cross.

You see, Jesus willingly endured conflict, carried sorrow, faced anxiety, was abandoned, and then went to the cross…so that sinners, like you and I, can be reconciled to God, and to one another.

You may be unsure about how to truly have peace because you have not yet recieved the true peace that is only available through the cross.

This morning I want to ask you to turn to Jesus and repent of your sin so that you can truly enjoy the peace that only comes from Him.

Listen—this is the most important conversaiton you’re going to have. But it’s relatively easy…Admit that you are a sinner separated from God by your sin. The turmoil in your heart ultimately exists because you were created to know God, and while you live apart from Christ you remain alienated from Him.

Believe that Jesus lived a sinless life as the Son of God, was crucified for your sin and mine, and was raised 3 days later to defeat sin—death—hell—and the grave.

Then commit to live a life with Jesus as Lord over every part of your life.

For everyone else…

imagine a church where people refuse—they stand gaurd against bitterness…

where anxiety drives believers to prayer, not to panic…

where minds are saturated with the truth Scripture, not the DSM-5…

That is the kind of church Paul longed for, and that is the kind of church Christ died to create…right here in Leaf River.

Your challenge today is to be a part of that church!

Pray: