Traits of the Spirit-Controlled Life: Peace

Series title: "Living Life in the Spirit"

Title: Traits of the Spirit-Controlled Life: Peace

Text: Philippians 4:1 – 10

ETS: Paul instructs the Philippians and how to have peace in their hearts.

ESS: God desires for every believer to experience his peace.

PQ: What does the peace of God look like?

UW: Facets

Philippians 4:1 – 10

Philippians 4:1–10 NLT

1 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work. 2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life. 4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. 10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me.

Introduction:

The Scriptures speak of 2 kinds of peace that are available to us:

(1) peace with God

(2) the peace of God.

Peace with God is when we are saved. The old conflict that was between the Lord and ourselves is settled (Romans 5:1).

Romans 5:1 NLT

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

The peace of God is that resolution of inner conflict of heart that is brought about by the reign of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.

TS: There are several facets to the peace offered by the Holy Spirit:

I. Unified Hearts (Philippians 4:1 – 3).

Philippians 4:1–3 NLT

1 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work. 2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.

A. When the Holy Spirit is in control, he produces love and harmony within the Fellowship.

1. Any discord will disrupt the rule of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

a. We are commanded not to grieve the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 4:30)

Ephesians 4:30 NLT

30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

b. Notice some things the Scriptures list that will grieve him, thereby disrupting his rule over us:

(1) walking in pride

(2) untruthfulness

(3) outbursts of anger

(4) misuse of the tongue

(5) giving into bitterness, etc.

2. where the Holy Spirit rules, love abounds.

a. (Romans 5:5)

Romans 5:5 NLT

5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

3. Unforgiveness will block the flow of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

a. (Matthew 6:14 – 15)

Matthew 6:14–15 NLT

14 “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

II. Unpretentious Joy (Philippians 4:4).

Philippians 4:4 NLT

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

A. Rejoicing changes the focus of the spiritual eyes (Ephesians 1:18 – 23).

Ephesians 1:18–23 NLT

18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. 19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

1. Focus changes from the gloom of the world to the hope and glory of our inheritance.

2. The focus changes from our helplessness to the greatness of his power.

3. Focus changes from the defeat of our flash to the victory of our glorious Lord.

B. Rejoicing changes the condition of the believer's heart (Colossians 3:2).

Colossians 3:2 NLT

2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

1. Cannot truly rejoice in the Lord without your heart being warmed by the fires of love!

a. I challenge you to try it!

III. Unselfish Attitudes (Philippians 4:5,8).

Philippians 4:5 NLT

5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

Philippians 4:8 NLT

8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

A. Unselfish attitudes that are focused on consideration for others.

1. Taking God and his grace is the prime example for life. (Psalm 130:3, 4).

Psalm 130:3 NLT

3 Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive?

Psalm 130:4 NLT

4 But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you.

B. Unselfish attitudes that refuse to focus on personal rights.

1. focusing upon personal rights will always result in a loss of peace.

2. Living in the conscious awareness of the imminence of Christ's return helps to alleviate the focus upon self and self rights.

C. Unselfish attitudes that refuse to focus on the negative (Philippians 4:8)

Philippians 4:8 NLT

8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

1. focus on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.

2. Focus on what is excellent and praiseworthy.

IV. Unconditional Confidence (Philippians 4:6).

Philippians 4:6 NLT

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

A. Refuse to worry

1. Worry accomplishes nothing (Matthew 6:24 – 34).

Matthew 6:24–34 NLT

24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. 25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

2. Worry is a destructive force.

“Stress symptoms: Effects on your body and behavior”

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Stress symptoms may be affecting your health, even though you might not realize it. You may think illness is to blame for that nagging headache, your frequent insomnia or your decreased productivity at work. But stress may actually be the culprit.

Common effects of stress

Indeed, stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior. Being able to recognize common stress symptoms can give you a jump on managing them. Stress that's left unchecked can contribute to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Common effects of stress on your body

· Headache

· Muscle tension or pain

· Chest pain

· Fatigue

· Change in sex drive

· Stomach upset

· Sleep problems

Common effects of stress on your mood

· Anxiety

· Restlessness

· Lack of motivation or focus

· Feeling overwhelmed

· Irritability or anger

· Sadness or depression

Common effects of stress on your behavior

· Overeating or undereating

· Angry outbursts

· Drug or alcohol abuse

· Tobacco use

· Social withdrawal

· Exercising less often

B. Recognize your only source of provision.

1. The Lord is the source of your provision. (Philippians 4:19).

Philippians 4:19 NLT

19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

2. There is nothing that you can provide for yourself.

C. Register Thanksgiving to God

1. thank God for all he has already done.

2. Thank God for what he is presently doing.

3. Thank God for what he has yet to do.

V. Unfettered Peace (Philippians 4:7,9).

Philippians 4:7 NLT

7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:9 NLT

9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

A. God's peace exceeds anything we can understand.

1. God's peace is beyond all human understanding.

2. When the world appears to be crashing in, God's peace surpasses the problem.

B. God's peace protects our hearts and minds.

1. God's peace protects our physical and emotional well-being.

a. The effects of stress and worry are medically documented.

b. The emotional effects of stress and worry are well-documented.

c. Living under the control of the Holy Spirit, and experiencing God's peace nullify the effects of worry and stress.

C. God's peace comes from the continual awareness of his presence.

1. Recognizing the fact that God is in control and that he is with you brings great peace.

2. Living life under the control of the Holy Spirit, constantly seeking his guidance, helps us to live in the conscious awareness of God's presence.

Conclusion: