Sunday, Nov 26, 2017

Said we had whole house. We had we had the Paulson's over and their extended family made to Angela made two turkeys. I didn't make them and we just had a wonderful wonderful time this week, and I trust that you had a wonderful wonderful time as well. And we're entering the season of Christmas. joy, and peace and a lot of stress

I remember when Angela and I were first married, we we felt we had to take advantage of the Black Friday sales and it was in those days. It wasn't done online. It was done where you had to get up at 4 in the morning and you had to wait in these lengthy lengthy lines remember those days and I I am not a big crowd person. I get very nervous around a lot of crowds and when people are are bumping into you or remember that I can't remember if it was a Burlington Coat Factory or if it was was at Walmart. I can't remember the place. We were newly married and we took advantage of the sales. I dreaded that I did it out of my love for my wife. But we we went into one place. I got hit a cart ran into me. Somebody took packages right out of our cart. I mean it was an awful experience. Aaron and it just stays with me to this present day and so even Friday morning we slept in.

We the Kids begged and pleaded for us to go to to Goodwill I took them to Goodwill I walked in turnaround walked right out waited for them to buy their stuff so I could be you know, I'd I went in I participated even though it was a few seconds. Then we went by Menards. We looked at the crowds we decided the past Menards. The kids wanted to go to Walmart. I got to tell you I was I I failed as a father at one of those father failures. I didn't even get out of the car. I just dropped them off at the end just waited in the car until they were done and then I pick them up.

stress anxiety trying to figure out who do I get gifts for? How do I pay for everything?

Assume what you work for Menards? I don't know how you made it. I don't know how you survive. I mean that place was packed and and we can we can still overwhelmed in the season and it's not just the gift giving it. Sometimes just family issues, you know, and they seem to. To magnify during during this season. Sometimes reality slaps us in the face. wife hits us hard And we feel overwhelmed there was a church 2000 years ago that they were going through some difficult times. They were they were Church. They were very much afraid of what was happening around them. And so they were they were innocent captivated by fear. They were filled with anxiety stress. They weren't sure how they were going to survive as a church and God in his infinite grace in his infinite Mercy. He he sent Paul to write a letter to them. to encourage them and this letter is known as Philippians. It's to the Philippian Church.

And in actually go through a very short passage of scripture this morning. My desire. My aim is is for you to know that you can experience worry-free living. As a believer in Jesus Christ, you do not have to wallow in the mud of stress worry and anxiety that that is not what God has called you to experience.

But the way we address this issue in our life is that we need to be deliberate.

worry-free living anxious Free Living stress-free living requires a determination to follow God and the principles that he lays out in our life. Now I'm going to say even if you do your absolute best in following the principles that I want to share with you this morning. It does not leave that you're you're going to avoid the challenges that life will throw at you. And it will throw it throw things at you. Sometimes completely unexpected. And and you will have to make a choice do I do I respond in fear, or do I respond in faith?

return with me in your Bibles to Philippians chapter 4

It is a scripture for many Christians something that is well-known very familiar, but I want us to journey through this. passage the several verses of scripture to remind ourselves

Who We Are And who's we are?

Philippians chapter 4 beginning with verse number for 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.

and the peace of God Which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus?

I want to give you three principles this morning. That I believe can change your life radically. Can set you free from living a life filled with anxiety worry stress and can give you peace.

The first principle is found in person before we read it again to you. Rejoice in the lord always again. I will say. rejoice this is a command not a suggestion. It's not a piece of advice that God gives it is a command for every single believer. It means that we obey regardless of how we feel regardless of what are emotions dictate.

We determined as a believer in Jesus Christ. I will rejoice. I believe I will exemplify Joy. The how do we do that once it has to be more than just a mere word mere positive confession. How do we experience the joy that that we see in the scripture? This Joy is hymns really on two things one is obvious in the passage. The other is implied. Let me speak of the obvious first. The phrase in this verse is the operative phrase concerning how we can experience joy we experience joy in the Lord.

the Lord that means that my joy comes from God my joy is based upon my relationship with God my joy that I have is because of what God has done but more than what he has done for me it is who God is And when I recognize who God is and I recognize what he has done for me, how can I live life without Joy? Joy becomes an obvious by-product of knowing god and knowing what he has done for us. When I remind myself of who God is my heart is lifted. Enjoy when I remind myself of what God has done for me and what he has done for me has been a lot of things. God has saved me God has forgiven me. God has given me so many things God has protected me when I deserve tragedy. God has given me a wife and children when I deserve complete loneliness. God has given me encouragement when my natural disposition is to be discouraged. God has watched over me every step of the way and when I count my blessings as the old him suggest then I am filled. Joy not because of Ed Walker but because of the King of Kings and the Lord of lords who is not just a million miles away, but he is as close as the mention of his name. a man

That's how we live in joy, but there's something implied In this passage that we don't want to overlook. Joy comes when I am content in Christ.

See this kind of rejoicing this kind of emphasis in the attitude of joy. If nested in the fact that I choose to be content in all things. Friend, I know that we live in a culture where we are not a very content kind of people. We feel that the only way we can be happy as we get the stuff. Okay, I every Christmas I I go through the same Temptation. I'm going to reveal a temptation to you. Okay, my Temptation every Christmas. ever since ever since our family kept growing. Because a large family is an expensive family. Mmmm, so so over the last several years. I tell this to my wife my wife ignores me, by the way when I say this.

And what I meant is I wonder if this Christmas we can forgo buying anything.

And she smiles at me and shakes her head. She knows it's not going to happen. But I'll tell you what I see. Sometimes is that we can be so attracted to the stuff because we think the stuff will bring us happiness, but it never does.

What I'm really sick now, don't take what I said and run with it as far as you know, what Pastor said we can't buy any gifts for Christmas. No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying is that we need to choose to be content in all things. We need to be content with what God has given to us. We need to be content with our our our our situation in life. So often we get so frustrated and I can understand that frustration. But as long as we're frustrated, you're not going to have joy. As long as you feel like you're missing out, you're not going to have Jordan but when you have put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone and what he has done for you in providing salvation, the Forgiveness of sins the Redemption they've been the victory that he has given to you. Then it should be something said of a Christian that a Christian is a person who is content and when you are content you are joyful. You are joyful. So the key Point here is be content.

Be content in all things. Give me wrong. It doesn't mean that we ignore problems in our world. I'm not suggesting that we don't get in proving things around us. That's not what I am saying, but I am saying in my life. I want to be totally and completely satisfied in this truth. Jesus saved me. He set me free and I can live for him. And when we are content we are joyful. Now this leads been to another critical principle in rescuing us from a life of stress and anxiety and fear and uncertainty. Look with me in verse number 5. What your reasonableness be known to everyone? The Lord is at hand.

What your reasonableness be known? to everyone reasonable doubts

Listen, and maybe I'm giving an opinion here. Okay, and then I'll deal with the theological principle an application, but I'm dealing with a thought and opinion that we live in a culture presently that reasonableness will not get you far. So the more the more outrageous you are the more loud and bombastic you are the more that you are in everybody's face.

The more that you're going to be recognized and valued.

But friends, that's not biblical.

My friends that is not what a follower of Jesus Christ should exemplify in life. The scripture tells us be reasonable to all. What does that mean? Well, let me give you the principal and then won't will on packet. Not only are we to be content, but we are to be gracious. That's the printable be gracious. But what do we do? We keep records of wrongs. We hold onto grudges.

We find it easy to be bitter and unforgiving and critical. Funny we just had a message a prophetic message this morning. That warned us that that that that admonished us to be careful how we view other people.

We need to see people. first as they have been imprinted with the image of God on them whether or not their follower of Christ whether or not they're saying they're going to happen or or or what not when I'm just telling you we need you value people.

And and and we need to be gracious to one another. And not just those in the church, but outside the church.

So let me ask you a question. I'm going to do a little pole here. How many of you Participate. It's not I'm not talking about going online. Okay, I'm talking about physically going to a store this Friday or Saturday or maybe Thursday evening. Okay, you actually went to a store to participate in the Black Friday self raise your hand.

20% of 2 okay.

I don't know how this is going to work. But I'll preach to the 20% of you that raise their hands. UK

and nachos How did you behave? Going into those stores.

What was your disposition? When you wanted that 65in screen LED, whatever television and you walked up to where all the attendant said it was and the first thing that you noticed it wasn't where they said it was and then you walk to the place where where you found out where it was and it was sold out. What was your disposition? What was your attitude?

Were you singing the joy of the Lord is my strength?

Or did you possess other thoughts?

When it comes to interacting in our world and I believe that's what Paul is saying here. He's not just merely talking about Christian Fellowship. He is talking about how we interface with our world. Do we have a reasonable disposition? Do we treat people fairly are we I forgiving kind of people are we gracious and kind and compassionate and thoughtful.

Let me put it this way. If you were arrested for being a Christian. Is there enough evidence for you to be convicted? When you do life everyday at work or at school. And with your neighbors or at Walmart.

Do people see a representation of Jesus Christ reflected from you?

We need to be gracious when you are gracious. You're not going to be stressed out.

But when you are focused on keeping score.

When you have a principal in life, I will treat you as you treat me.

I will tell you you live. a life of stress and anxiety

If you are not careful you Embrace vain imaginations worried about how people think of you.

You live in fear? And God has said I have not given you a spirit of fear.

What we see in the scripture and what we see Jesus exemplify over and over again in his ministry and what he taught like what he taught in The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew Chapter 5 6 & 7 is that we need to treat people well. Even though I don't like you. You need to be workers of diffusing the situation. Rather than throwing gasoline on it.

You need to work on your attitude.

Why? Because the Lord is near the Lord is at hand and there's two two ideas that come to mind when that phrase and said she sits. Board is at hand. What does Paul mean? I think they're two things that we see here. First of all.

The Lord is right there with you. When you are a follower of Christ who involved in you. The spirit of the Living God and Weldon you so God is hearing everything. Not only is he hearing everything he knows your attitude.

He can sense when your blood pressure is going up because you are mad at going down Green Bay Boulevard.

And you run into Washington. And you go nowhere for 10-15 minutes. He can sense what you are thinking.

Okay, because the spirit of the Living God in 12th in you.

If you had a very important person in your car. Going down. A street that has been eternally under construction.

How would your disposition be? UK Would you be a little more mature? a little more in control Let me tell you the person that in dwells in you is the king of kings and Lord of lords, the creator of the ends of the Earth the Lord of life that is who in dwells in you and are you aware of that? And when you are aware of it, I will tell you it changes things. It changes your disposition your attitude towards people because you begin to see people as God sees you and God sees those people. changes you and when you conduct your life in an attitude pleasing to the Lord, especially as it relates to people.

You're not going to be stressed out. You're not going to be filled with anxiety. In fact, you're more focused on being a helper. Being a giver being an encourager. And when you are a giver and a Helper and an encourager to people around you it begins to change their dispositions.

Like I might have told this story a month or two ago. I wasn't there. This was related to me by my wife and my children they were at McDonald's in the drive through which is another test.

and and there was a car.

I can't believe it had to been behind you guys or to the side to the other Wayne. The other one and and the attendant did not notice that car that gentleman that was in the car and it was obvious to My Wife and Kids. He was growing more and more frustrated. I mean he was just his whole day was ruined because he was being ignored. Okay, so I'm not saying this the to our own horn. I just but when my wife they took her order and then she pulled around 2 to the window number one. And she could sense that person really frustrated. She said she said, you know, there's a person over there and he's really upset and you know, you're not in so they fix the date. They got his order and everything and then Angela did I'm so glad I'm going to pay for his meal. Okay, so so so now this is what happens so they pulled two window number to Angela sees in her rearview mirror the attitude begin to change. If he pulled out the window number one to pay for his meal missing husband taken care of. I mean from frustration to a huge smile it made his day. Okay, what if we just did this habitually my goal when I go out of the house, I want to make somebody's day. I want to be an encourager. See that's the disposition. God has called us to embrace. We need to be gracious. This leads us. Then there's another aspect. I don't want to forget that it's not just that the presence of God is with us. But daddy's coming back for us. And are we ready for him to come back for us now? You going to come back for us in one of two ways one is that we have we have that sub Divine appointment. The Bible says it is appointed once for man to die and then come to judgment. We don't know how long we have.

We may live this full life 90 hundred years old.

but one of these days it's appointment time and are we ready? Secondly, I believe in the Rapture of the church. I believe Jesus is coming back. And are we ready? Are we ready? I believe it can happen anytime. I believe in the imminent return of Christ. Are we ready?

To be ready we need to be doing. What God wants us to be doing and we need to possess the attitude that pleases and glorifies him with you.

inverse number 6 do not be anxious about anything. This is a command to by the way. this imperative We need to choose not to be anxious.

But in everything that's a keyword everything. by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

I need to develop in my life.

A desire to be in constant prayer. Should with the Lord. It's not just to be content that helps me to live and anxious free life a worry-free life, and it's not just that I need to be gracious that helps me live a stress free life, but I need to be prayerful prayerful.

Not when I look at this passage, it helps me understand the kind of prayer that God wants us to pray. First of all, he wants us to pray about everything.

everything I remember one one friend of mine in college took this quite literally. Dude, get up in the morning. He would stare at his dresser and he would say Okay, God, what do you want me to wear?

If you want to pray about that go for it. Okay, just start praying about get in the habit of praying about everything. Okay, it will challenge you.

It will challenge. What do you want me to do today? Are you really prepared to listen to what he has to say? more how much do you want me to give today? Oh be prepared meal tell you.

Lord how do you want me to interact with that person in the office?

Ward

Florida have the Sneed.

Lord, how do you want me to pray for it? Great get in the habit of praying for everything. And it's not just that I'm praying I bring you on my request. I'm bringing I'm interceding not only for myself but interceding for others, but there's an attitude that needs to be. beat embraced And that that attitude is thankfulness.

He sometimes we can get into this attitude Lord. Here's my list. Lord I need this this that's the stuff I need you to do that to that person. I need you to you know, and we have our list. And that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about having an attitude of gratefulness. Great when you are thinking about how God saved you how he redeemed you how he is called you from Darkness into light how he has a purpose in you his Redemptive Mission it changes you and it changes the way you ask God for things. Because you start you stop being self-centered. And you start being focused on the Redemptive plan of God. Lord what do you want? And I'm telling you what I'm learning things more and more the older I get the more I'm learning. How God is is a resting my prayer life.

I was sharing with a couple last night how how Friday morning. I know it was yesterday morning and dropped Ethan off. Do you want to play football somewhere? And so I dropped them off and I just thought you know what I'm going to take advantage of this time. I'm going to go to church and I will pray for a little while. And I had one request that I pray the whole time. It wasn't anything. I try. I'm trying really hard not to be so self-centered in my wife and I decided lorerunner just pray for the Lost. It so I just started praying for every lost person that I know. See, I know that kind of / please of the heart of God. It really does. We need we need to develop a strong healthy per life that is centered in this truth. You did something to me. I did not deserve you save me by your grace. You rescued my heart. You did something. So so incredible in my life Lord, I pray God that I would demonstrate my gratefulness and everything that I do and everything I ask of you that I will be reminded of what you did for me. Because I'll tell you what I can ask God, Florida. I want more money. I want a bigger house. I want more cars. I want more stuff, but I'll tell you what that that does not rescue my soul from the pit of Hell what rescued my soul from the pit of Hell, somehow someway God reached down in my life and I will tell you that should shape every prayer every attitude every every dimension of a life that should that should change us. If you change the struts.

What happens when your contempt? When you are gracious and when you are pray for perfil. Look with me in verse 7 and the peace of God. Which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus? God will protect you. when stuff happens and it will with the unexpected is thrown your way.

When those things happen you can know as a believer in Christ who is content who is gracious who is prayerful. There's a God in heaven who is going to give you a piece even in the midst of a storm. Even when you don't know how you're going to pay for it, even when you don't know what the next step is going to be even though you don't know how to fully grasp what the doctor May say or or any other things. That means that that may be thrown your way. There is a peace that surpasses understanding that God wants to give you He wants to guard your heart.

You're not alone. God is with you. And he loves you. And he thought you said you worship team. Can you come and join me on the platform, please?