Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
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Anger
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Fear
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Joy
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Analytical
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Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Intent: We want the peace of God
Obstacle: Conflict
Plan: In everything by prayer.
Rejoice
Be reasonable
Stop worrying.
Worship
Supplicate
Give thanks
Ask
Result: The peace of God
Introduction: The day starts out great.
We feel good, good night of sleep, great breakfast, the weather is great, traffic is light.
Then boom!
Our peace and tranquility is smashed like a broken mirror!
We get bad news.
Someone is sick, something breaks,
We’re attacked.
By a rude driver, insensitive stranger, selfish coworker
We face an unexpected problem.
A bill we didn’t expect, an unexpected demand on our time.
Something we were hoping for didn’t happen and our heart is sick over it.
Proverbs 13:12
Our peace is gone!
Bottom line: We don’t pray to get peace.
We get peace because we pray.
Prayer is the path that leads to the peace of God.
Steps to the peace of God when you don’t have it.
We have in this passage the necessary elements to find peace.
Each element is a necessity.
1. Choose joy.
Philippians 4:4
Pray joyfully.
The process begins with a counter-intuitive approach.
The natural response is to complain, lash out or attack.
We aren’t going to rejoice because of the circumstances but because of how God can use the circumstances for good.
Romans 8:28
Reframe the situation.
We aren’t rejoicing in the pain.
As we think about our situation we think, “There is nothing in this to rejoice about.”
Exactly, we are rejoicing in the Lord.
See it as within God’s Control.
See it as an opportunity to trust God.
Phil 4:19-20
See it as a way to grow.
See it as an opportunity to glorify God.
Phil 1:19-20
Choose to be happy while having the problem by rejoicing.
Then do it again!
“I will say it again, rejoice!”
He doubles his command!
2. Be magnanimous.
Philippians 4:5
Pray generously.
Be generous to all!
This is what our life is to look like to others around us when we are going through painful conflict.
This is what we are to known for.
Demonstrate big-heartedness, that is kindness, gentleness, considerateness, generosity.
Be gracious with whoever has caused you pain.
Be an example of gentleness to those around you watching.
Reframe the problem in relationship to the return of Christ.
There is good news just around the corner.
The Lord is coming soon so we can afford to be charitable.
Even if Jesus doesn’t come today, our lives are short, the Psalmist says like a breath.
Psalm 39:5.
Life is too short to focus on the negative!
In a few moments all of life will be over and the righteous will be vindicated!
3. Stop worrying.
Philippians 4:6
Pray purposefully.
The word for worry is μεριμνάω and means: “to have an anxious concern, based on apprehension about possible danger or misfortune—‘to be worried about, to be anxious about.”
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996).
A present tense command in Greek means to stop doing something.
Paul isn’t saying don’t worry.
The best translation is to stop worrying.
That’s a more realistic command.
Most of us don’t choose to worry, do we?
Let’s say you get a bill in mail for a medical procedure and the cost is much more than you thought it would be.
You don’t look at and think, “Okay, I need to worry about this.”
Worry is a natural response to danger or an uncertain situation.
We may not choose to worry but you can choose to stop worrying.
And, he says don’t worry about anything.
There is no wiggle room here.
One of the reasons we’re told to stop worrying is that worry grows the more we allow it.
It’s like an untended weed in the garden that will take over if we don’t pull it out by it’s roots.
Worry is never warranted.
Don’t be anxious about anything.
Because worry is the opposite of peace.
God wants us to have peace.
Paul is now going to tell us how to defeat anxiety, worry, and apprehension but it isn’t the way you might think.
If I were to ask most people how to you get the peace of God a common response would be “Ask for it.”
That seems to make sense, but it doesn’t work that way and it’s likely you know it.
The reason is that peace is a result of other things happening.
Peace by definition is an issue of balance.
You can’t have peace without other things being true.
Asking for peace is like asking to lose weight.
I’m sure people have prayed and asked God to lose weight.
What do you think God’s response to that is? “Sure, no problem.
Let me just lop off 10 pounds from your gut.
Ready?”
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