Promised Peace

Anxiety: experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.

I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened. - Mark Twain

Worrying is paying interest on a debt you might not even owe. - Mark Twain

Matthew 6:34 ESV

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Philippians 4:

Philippians 4:4–9 ESV

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. 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. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Do, get result. Do, get result…etc.

Do dishes, get happy wife. Do my job, get happy boss. Do

FOR the Philippians, life was bound to be a source of worry. Even to be a human being and so to be vulnerable to all the chances and the changes of this mortal life is in itself a cause for worry; and in the early Church, to the normal worry of the human situation there was added the worry of being a Christian, which meant taking one’s life in one’s hands.

FOR the Philippians, life was bound to be a source of worry. Even to be a human being and so to be vulnerable to all the chances and the changes of this mortal life is in itself a cause for worry; and in the early Church, to the normal worry of the human situation there was added the worry of being a Christian, which meant taking one’s life in one’s hands.

SOLUTION: DO

Paul’s solution is prayer.

Prayer and Supplication

Supplication: the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly.

The Letters to Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians True States of Mind (Philippians 4:8–9)

THE human mind will always set itself on something, and Paul wanted to be quite sure that the Philippians would set their minds on the right things. This is something of the utmost importance, because it is a law of life that, if we think of something often enough, we will come to the stage when we cannot stop thinking about it. Our thoughts will be quite literally in a groove out of which we cannot jolt them. It is, therefore, of the first importance that we should set our thoughts upon the fine things—and here Paul makes a list of them.

The Letters to Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians The Peace of Believing Prayer (Philippians 4:6–7)

(1) Paul stresses that we can take everything to God in prayer. As it has been beautifully put, ‘There is nothing too great for God’s power; and nothing too small for his fatherly care.’ Children may take anything, great or small, to their parents, sure that whatever happens to them is of interest there, their small triumphs and disappointments, their passing cuts and bruises. In exactly the same way, we may take anything to God, sure of his interest and concern.

(1) Paul stresses that we can take everything to God in prayer. As it has been beautifully put, ‘There is nothing too great for God’s power; and nothing too small for his fatherly care.’

Children may take anything, great or small, to their parents, sure that whatever happens to them is of interest there, their small triumphs and disappointments, their passing cuts and bruises. Adler’s Bandaid Elbow Mess. Elam’s Belly Scrape in Bathtub.

In exactly the same way, we may take anything to God, sure of his interest and concern.

(2) We can bring our prayers, our petitions and our requests to God; we can pray for ourselves.

We can pray for forgiveness for the past, for the things we need in the present, and for help and guidance for the future.

We can take our own past and present and future into the presence of God.

We can pray for others. We can commend to God’s care those near and far who are within our memories and our hearts.

(3) Paul lays it down that ‘thanksgiving must be the universal accompaniment of prayer’.

Every prayer must surely include thanks for the great privilege of prayer itself.

Paul insists that we must give thanks in everything, in laughter and in tears, in sorrows and in joys alike.

It implies gratitude and also perfect submission to the will of God. It is only when we are fully convinced that God is working all things together for good that we can really feel the perfect gratitude towards him which believing prayer demands.

RESULT: GOD GIVES PEACE

It’s been said that, ‘Peace is the fruit of believing prayer.’

Vincent says in his commentary, ‘Peace is the fruit of believing prayer.’

The result of believing prayer is that the peace of God will stand guard over our hearts.

The word that Paul uses the military word for standing on guard.

That peace of God passes all understanding.

That does not mean that the peace of God is such a mystery that the human mind cannot understand it, although this also is true.

It means that the peace of God is so precious that the human mind, with all its skill and all its knowledge, can never produce it. It’s only a gift of God.

The way to peace is in prayer to entrust ourselves and all we hold dear to the loving hands of God.

It can never be of our contriving; it is only of God’s giving. The way to peace is in prayer to entrust ourselves and all whom we hold dear to the loving hands of God.

I’ve been praying and praying and if God promises these simple prayers are the answer to peace…where is it?

First, supplication means earnestly, asking, begging, full on take this!

DO: CONTROL YOUR THOUGHTS

The human mind will always set itself on something, and Paul wanted to be quite sure that the Philippians would set their minds on the right things.

The Bible Reader’s Companion Philippians 4

The Gk. word here is logizomai, which implies concentrated, focused effort. The verb form reminds us that we are to keep on stressing those things which share the qualities Paul lists: the true, which is the reliable and honest; the noble, or worthy of respect; the right, which conforms to God’s standards and merits approval; the pure, which is moral and chaste; the lovely, which is pleasing and agreeable; the admirable, which is worthy of praise.

This is something of the utmost importance, because it is a law of life that, if we think of something often enough, we will come to the stage when we cannot stop thinking about it.

Beekeeping in the car: “Taking a break, Guy!”

First importance is to take control of what is going INTO your mind. Movies, etc.

Second importance that we should set our thoughts upon the fine things—and here Paul makes a list of them.

2 Corinthians 10:15 ESV

We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged,

2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

Our thoughts will be quite literally in a groove out of which we cannot jolt them.

First importance is to take control of what is going INTO your mind. Movies, etc.

Second importance that we should set our thoughts upon the fine things—and here Paul makes a list of them.

The Greek word here is logizomai, which implies concentrated, focused effort.

The verb form reminds us that we are to keep on stressing those things which share the qualities Paul lists:

the true, which is the reliable and honest; Many things in life are deceptive, promising what they can’t deliver. Set our minds on things that won’t let us down.

the honorable, or worthy of respect; n

the just, which conforms to God’s standards and merits approval; There are those who set their minds on

the pure, which is moral and chaste;

the lovely, which is pleasing and agreeable; On the lips and minds of Christians should be only words fit for God to hear.

the commendable, which is worthy of praise.

RESULT: GOD OF PEACE WILL BE WITH YOU

“God of Peace” is Paul’s favorite and most common title for God.

The Letters to Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians The True Teaching and the True God (Philippians 4:8–9 Contd)

To a Jew, peace was never merely a negative thing, never merely the absence of trouble. It was everything which makes for a person’s highest good. Only in the friendship of God is it possible to find life as it was meant to be. But also, to a Jew, this peace led especially to right relationships. It is only by the grace of God that we can enter into a right relationship with him and with one another. The God of peace is able to make life what it was meant to be by enabling us to enter into fellowship with himself and with other people.

To a Jew, peace was never merely a negative thing, never merely the absence of trouble. It was everything which makes for a person’s highest good. Only in the friendship of God is it possible to find life as it was meant to be. But also, to a Jew, this peace led especially to right relationships. It is only by the grace of God that we can enter into a right relationship with him and with one another.

The God of peace is able to make life what it was meant to be by enabling us to enter into fellowship with himself and with other people.