Gospel Strategies for anxious times

Good morning; Kyle; approaching the end of our series in the book of Philippians. Today’s talk: Gospel Strategies for anxious times. As you know, we live in anxious times. Just a brief glance at the newspaper headlines indicate just how much we have to worry about: cabinet reshuffling; gang shootings; gender violence, domestic violence, rape—and the unending crisis in masculinity; university protests; junk status; water crisis; Eskom; massive data breach; terror attacks; global warming, and the list could go on. There are a lot of things wrong with the world, and a lot of things to worry about. We live in anxious times. The Philippians also lived in anxious times: government persecution, internal relationship dysfunction, economic hardship, and false teaching. Let’s not be sentimental about the Philippian church; yes, they were a great church but that doesn’t mean that they didn’t have trials and troubles. They too lived in anxious times.

So God’s people have always had to deal with destabilizing forces; persecution, trials and troubles, relationship problems—in our friendships, marriages, and families. Anxious times.

And it’s into this context of anxiety and difficulty that Paul gives us practical teaching about how to keep going under pressure; practical things we can do when we are struggling to cope. And he roots these strategies in Gospel realities—these are things we can do because the Lord first did something for us. He saved us; he gave us grace and redemption. We can now do these things in the light of that.

So what are these strategies? I have grouped the 7 commands under 4 key strategies: stand firm, repair relationships, practice spirituality, and develop wisdom. Let’s take a look at each.

Stand firm (verse 1)

The first strategy is something Paul has already told them to do (in 1:27). This is the second time he’s called them to stand firm; and, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, it’s a military term that means stand your ground. Don’t crumble under persecution; don’t crumble under temptation; don’t crumble under pressure. It’s an immediate application of the word of hope that Paul shared in 3:20-21, but it also leads into the appeals that will follow. It’s about spiritual stability. Throughout this letter, we have seen that there is a need for Gospel partners to be standing firm together. Paul wants his friends to be stable and steadfast, and in this letter we’ve seen what that means: we stand firm as citizens of heaven; we stand firm in our commitment to Jesus; and we stand firm in our unity. Paul wants us to be unwavering, resolute, single-minded, in our commitment to Christ. He doesn't want us to lose our balance, crumble, or compromise. In the commands that follow we’ll see more clearly what it means to stand firm but for now, it’s worth us asking ourselves: am I standing firm? Or am I becoming sloppy and lazy in my Christian walk? Are other things crowding in and gaining more and more of my attention? Are any of my convictions becoming diluted? Am I compromising in any area?

1) Stand firm (verse 1)

For now, it’s worth us asking ourselves: am I standing firm? Or am I becoming sloppy and lazy in my Christian walk? Are other things crowding in and gaining more and more of my attention? Are any of my convictions becoming diluted? Am I compromising in any area?

(Read) ; it’s possible to fall from a secure position. The way to stay secure is to keep growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. The Christian life, it has been said, is like riding a bicycle. Unless you keep moving, you fall off! Paul modeled this in chapter 3, showing us how he aimed to do ‘one thing’ — press on. You have to keep growing and moving and staying fresh and active. So...how are you doing?

So Paul wants them to stand firm, but notice the warm relational language (read). It almost seems like he’s trying too hard but I think his sincere love for them (which he already mentioned in 1:8) is just overflowing. The Philippians were converted by the apostle Paul’s ministry, so they are his joy and crown. They are his reward, his trophy. He eagerly desires their stability in Christ, longing to one day spend all eternity with them in the presence of Jesus.

Side-bar: this is why pastoral ministry cannot be professional! People in the church, friends in our Life Group, are not just names. They are people to be loved and prayed for. They are people to be longed for.

So, in spite of the fear and anxiety, despite the attacks from the outside and the relational troubles from the inside, we are to stand firm. We are to be stable.

I think this is illustrated powerfully in the life and ministry of the English Reformer, Hugh Latimer. During the period of the reformation, Latimer was an effective and popular preacher. So, as expected, he soon encountered a storm of persecution that billowed against him for many years. Eventually, Latimer was charged with heresy and condemned to death. Along with another well-known protestant leader, Nicholas Ridley, Latimer was sentenced for execution on October 16, 1555. The issue was whether they would stand firm to the teaching of the Bible, or whether they would recant their views. And as the moment of execution approached, you can imagine many onlookers wondering whether they would compromise or stand firm. Well, as Latimer and Ridley were tied to the stake back to back, Latimer famously said to Ridley, “Be of good comfort, Mr. Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light a candle by God’s grace, in England, as I trust never shall be put out.”

Now, God may not call you to die at the stake, but he does call you to stand firm in whatever situations you find yourself in. Last night, for example, at a braai, someone asked me about my view on a particular issue. And when I told them I believe what the Bible says, they suggested that I update and modernise. Now, they weren’t being disrespectful or rude, in fact the opposite. If anything, I think they were just a bit disappointed. But here’s the thing: whenever we disagree with the Bible, the Bible wins. The Bible wins. Now, of course we need to do our best to ensure we are carefully interpreting and applying the Bible, so there’s a need for scholarship and also a need for humility. But whenever we find ourselves disagreeing with the Bible, or whenever we find our culture disagreeing with the Bible, the Bible always wins. And we need to stand firm in what the Lord has done for us, and in what the Lord has said to us.

So the first strategy: stand firm; be spiritually stable. Secondly, repair relationships.

Repair relationships (verses 2-3)

Paul appeals to these two women, asking them to be of the “same mind” (a phrase found in 2:2). There was obviously some kind of conflict, and as you can imagine, there are all sorts of things various people suggest Euodia and Syntyche were fighting about. The truth is, we don't know—although we do know some things. We can deduce, for example, that this wasn’t a conflict over doctrine, because if it was, Paul would have corrected the person in error (which is what he usually does). Rather, it seems as though their disagreement is more personal than theological in nature, because the solution is for them to be of the “same mind” (which means valuing others above ourselves, being tender and compassionate, etc). The solution is relational humility. And by naming them publicly, Paul indicates the seriousness of the conflict, and the potential it had to split the church. Bible scholar Steven Runge pictures it this ways (refer to image).

(Image)

These conflicts amongst church leaders often begin as a disagreement of some kind, often over a judgement call on some issue. It’s usually not the difference between right and wrong, but between better and best, between doing something this way versus that way. These things are highly subjective, with what’s “right” often based on one’s personal preferences and values. But like any conflict, if not resolved early on, it will fester. People get entrenched in their positions. They develop factions, they build support, they get into pastoral politics! And eventually, the community splits and the church breaks. It is tragic. There comes a point in conflicts where everyone loses, regardless of how it all started. The toll of backbiting, bitterness, and resentment leaves no one unscathed.

Now, churches are particularly susceptible to this in anxious times because there’s a link between stress and anger! Perhaps the fallout occurred in the midst of a stressful time, and now they are left with the relational damage still months down the line.

So Paul wants them to take a proactive approach to resolving this conflict, and he models this proactive approach by doing two things: firstly, he asks his “true companion” to step in as a mediator; he asks a trustworthy friend to help resolve the issue. He can see what they can’t: they need help! The second thing Paul does is more surprising: he praises these two women! Despite their conflict affecting the church significantly, Paul highlights how they have co-laboured with him in the Gospel, adding that their names are written in the book of life. He speaks highly of them, not shaming them but commending them. Sometimes we take a proactive approach, but it’s negative because it’s about shaming people into repentance. Paul knew that you couldn’t do it that way. Instead of shaming them, Paul commends them, and enlists a trustworthy mediator.

The second Gospel strategy is to repair relationships. Paul knew that relationships get frayed, they get strained, and (especially in times of stress) they need attention and care. It is helpful to think of relationships like gardening: they are in need of constant care and attention. Things go wrong in a garden: weeds, moles, lack of water. And so to cultivate a garden that thrives, to repair what’s wrong, the plants need TLC. And relationships are like that, too. But in anxious times, attending to relationships falls down on the priority list. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons this is here—keep repairing your relationships!

So…do you have any relationships that need to be repaired? Are there any relational fault lines that need some attention? Please don’t let them fester and grow. Please don’t ignore these relational problems, repair them by having the mindset of Christ which seeks the welfare of others before your own. Maybe you know of a relational breakdown and you need to play the role of mediator. Whatever it is, can you identify the next action step you need to take in repairing relationships?

So…stand firm, repair relationships. Thirdly...

Practice spirituality (verses 4-7)

Although it’s not easy to spot at first, these commands actually have a flow to them. The command to rejoice comes first and is emphatic, setting the tone for what follows. So your gentleness and your praying flow out of your rejoicing in the Lord. Rejoicing comes first in practicing spirituality.

So what does it mean to rejoice? Well, Paul models that throughout this letter: despite present hardships, I can rejoice in God. Despite threats of false teaching, despite relational discord, I can actually be cheerful. Here’s one way we could put it: to rejoice always is to be consciously glad of God’s goodness. To be consciously glad of God’s goodness.

Now, in really hard times, we tend to object to calls to rejoice. We resist the command to rejoice in the Lord because we say our circumstances are too hard; rejoicing is seen as inappropriate. So Paul repeats it! “I will say it again! Rejoice!” He doubles the command in case there are those who object that rejoicing in a time of suffering is inappropriate. But Paul knows that a time of suffering is a time when rejoicing in the Lord is the only way to survive. Think who he is writing to: an oppressed and persecuted people. The Philippians were not ethnically Roman. They had been colonised by Rome. They were historically an oppressed people. Now, these Philippian Christians were being persecuted by the colonial government! And on top of that, they were being plagued by false teachers! And on top of that, that were dealing with relational fallout! So it’s into that cocktail of pain and suffering that Paul calls them to rejoice. It’s the only way that they are going to make it. Because rejoicing is a safeguard, remember? Rejoicing in the Lord protects you—psychologically, spiritually and relationally.

Then (and here’s the flow), those who are rejoicing in the Lord will be characterised by gentleness (read verse 5). This is how other people experience the Christian’s joy in the Lord. Think about that for a second: your joy in Christ is experienced by others as gentleness, courtesy, patient kindness. And notice that he says our gentleness should be evident to all—not just our friends and family, but even to those we don’t like.

Here’s a question for us all to consider: if we treat others harshly, what does that say about our relationship with the Lord Jesus? So here’s a question worth asking others: how do you experience me? Marriage counselling: a husband might tell me, “I’m tight with the Lord.” One way for me to explore that further is to ask the wife, “How do you exerience your husband?”

Rejoicing in the Lord (vertically) translates into gentleness (horizontally). But having given a command, Paul goes back to an encouragement—the Lord is near (read). You might feeling weary and overwhelmed, you might feel stressed out and angry, or anxious and fearful, and so Paul reminds us that the Lord is near. You can reach out to Him—which leads us right into verse 6 (read).

The tense of the verb shows us that the Philippians must stop what they are habitually doing—they are habitually anxious. He gives them a comprehensive prohibition! Nothing, absolutely nothing, should cause you to worry. Instead, in everything (another comprehensive term) pray with thanksgiving. Prayer/petition/requests = all types of prayer. Thankful prayer replaces the habit of worry.

I’d like to just make a comment about the end of verse 6: Present your requests to God. Paul is here commending specific prayer. Specific items can be requested from God. We often get worried about specific things—and one way to deal with that is to take specific requests to God.

Example: thankful prayer regarding…the adoption process.

Finally, there is a promise in verse 7: if we do this, if we practice this kind of rejoicing and prayerful spirituality, then we will experience “the peace of God”. Peace comes, not from getting our prayers answered; peace comes from praying. Let me put it this way: peace comes from relational encounter with God. It is the experience of relating to God that gives you peace. Example: if my daughter is anxious, the only way that she gets to a place of peace is through being relationally comforted by one of her parents. When you pray with thanksgiving, God promises to give you peace. And peace is more than the absence of anxiety individually, it is the presence of harmony socially. God is going to give this church peace—psychospiritually as well as relationally. There is a promise for us here: if we practice spirituality, then we will experience deep peace; a peace that transcends understanding and that will guard you/protect you from anxiety and discouragement.

There is a promise here that you can live without worry (refer to Tim Lane book cover). You might be aware that Tim Lane wrote a book called “Living without worry” and he said that he gave the book this title because he was wanting to convey something of the optimism we find in the NT. Our response to this promise might be one of polite cynicism: that’s nice that’s it in there but I don’t really believe it. If you feel like that, can I encourage you to give God’s Word a chance? Don’t just write this off—take God at his Word, practice the kind of spirituality we’re being called to here, and see what God does. As you learn to rejoice, and pray with thankfulness, you will experience (slowly but surely) peace.

So let’s step back for a second and see the flow again: rejoicing in the Lord makes you gentle relationally, and makes you calm psychologically. Externally, you are gentle. Internally, you are calm/serene. Paul paints a beautiful picture of spirituality: joy, prayer, thanksgiving and peace; lives marked by gentleness and no anxiety. In the midst of struggle, in anxious times, this is the kind of spirituality that we are called to develop.

So let’s review: gospel strategies for anxious times involve standing firm, repairing relationships, and practicing spirituality. Lastly, the final strategy is: develop wisdom.

Develop wisdom (verses 8-9)

Notice the two commands: “think” and “put into practice”. These two commands go together, here’s how: in verse 8, Paul uses an ethical list that would have reminded the Philippians of stoic philosophy and ethics. He places them back into their own world, telling them to take into account the best that that culture has to offer. So Paul is saying that there are things in the culture that are good, true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable. And these might have been things they knew before they even became Christians. Now, these things need to be conformable to Christ—but they shouldn’t be rejected out of hand. There are things in the world that are good—from music, to literature, to psychological research to political theory. Now, not all of these things are excellent or praiseworthy, so there is a need for a filter. But some of them are, and they are things we would do well to take into account. So even though we are citizens of heaven, we do not abandon or ignore the world we find ourselves in.

(Refer to Steven Runge image: what’s your filter?)

Example: intersectionality—highlights the various layers of oppression. Sensitizes us to the various ways someone can experience prejudice or injustice. But of course, we need to filter this, like anything else.

So, let me ask: do you embrace the best things you can from the world around you? Again, I’ll repeat, you need to filter certain things. But developing wisdom requires that we take certain things into account—things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable. So keep your eyes open and learn from the culture around you. How is your wisdom development going?

But this command to think is connected with the call to imitate (read verse 9a). Again, the imitation motif appears, as it has throughout the letter. Bible scholar Gordon Fee says that this sentence summarises the letter because Paul’s concern has been to help the Philippians live out their gospel partnership in the world. Paul wants the Philippians to follow his example, and even the list in verse 8 is to be read in the light of what they have learned/received/heard/seen in Paul. Let me put it this way: their relational experience of Paul is to shape how they pursue wisdom. What does it mean to develop wisdom in the context of suffering? Look at Paul. Follow his example.

And if they do these things, then something will happen (read verse 9b). When you develop wisdom, the God of peace will be with you. And, as we said, that’s both individual and communal: individually, God will bring me peace but socially, God will create peace amongst us. So, according to verses 8-9, developing wisdom involves embracing the good wherever we find it (but in a discerning way), and the key to that is to draw on good models who have shown us how to do that. People who have modeled these gospel strategies themselves.

Perhaps I can make a comment that has struck me as I have mediated on this passage. In my experience of helping people handle anxiety, the counsel from verses 4-7 (about practicing spirituality) seem to make intuitive sense. But the counsel from verses 8-9 (about developing wisdom) are often seen as less important. However, when we refuse to develop wisdom we often maintain the conditions and mindsets that perpetuate anxiety. Paul’s showing us that we deal with anxiety not just by praying but also be engaging. By learning and growing. Developing wisdom will help you to more effectively handle yourself in anxious times.

This is particularly striking because the common response Christians have to the culture around us is rejection. But this text suggests a better way: that we approach the culture, the arts and media and so forth looking for what is beautiful and admirable and helpful. Of course we must be discerning, and to help us we must look to other people who have modeled that for us (whether people we actually know or people we know through biographies). And we can venture out into the culture, we can develop wisdom, knowing that the God of peace is with us.

Conclusion

Like the Philippians, we live in anxious times. Thankfully, in this passage Paul gives us practical teaching about how to keep going under pressure; practical things we can do when we are struggling to cope. I’m struck by the diversity of these strategies, the earthiness of them, and the communal and relational nature of them. More than that, I’m struck by how these strategies are all rooted in the Gospel: we stand firm in the Lord; we seek to repair relationships by having the same mind that was in Christ; we rejoice in the Lord; and we seek to develop wisdom by imitating someone who is imitating Jesus. As we practice these strategies in anxious times, it’s my prayer that we will all know the promise of verses 7 and 9: may the peace of God guard us, and may the God of peace be with us. Amen.