Prayer vs. Panic

Mike Delster

What's Right With The World • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

0 ratings

· 37 views

Notes

Transcript

Philippians 4:4–7 NIV

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Because the “Lord is near” we do not need to be anxious.

On the one hand, this looks very much like another instance of intertextuality, purposely echoing Psalm 145:18, “The LORD is near to all who call on him.” In this case it introduces verses 6–7 as an expression of realized eschatology: “Because the Lord is ever present, do not be anxious but pray.” On the other hand (or perhaps at the same time), it also echoes the apocalyptic language of Zephaniah 1:7 and 14 (“the day of the LORD is near”), picked up by Paul in Romans 13:12, and found in James 5:8, regarding the coming of the Lord.

The three words for prayer are not significantly distinguishable; requests (aitēmata) are “made known” before God by prayer (proseuchē) and petition (deēsis). In so doing one acknowledges utter dependence on God while at the same time expressing complete trust in him.1

1 Gordon D. Fee, Philippians, vol. 11, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Westmont, IL: IVP Academic, 1999), 175.

Present = “make known”

Requests = asks… or wants, needs, desires, hopes, dreams, fears, anxieties

Present your requests does NOT mean you have to pray just right for God to hear you and grant the request. This is not formal. (See Psalm 13 or Psalm 42

Philippians Rejoice, Give Thanks and Pray (4:4–7)

Thus thanksgiving does not mean to say “thank you” in advance for gifts to be received; rather, it is the absolutely basic posture of the believer and the proper context for petitioning God. It is also the key to the affirmation that follows.

The Letter to the Philippians B. Rejoice in the Lord (4:4–9)

His comprehensive prohibition allows them no exception: nothing, absolutely nothing, is a proper object of the continuous stress of worry.

A comprehensive positive—but in everything—establishes a total contrast with the comprehensive negative—nothing. Only by praying with thanksgiving in every situation is it possible to stop being anxious about anything.

The Letter to the Philippians B. Rejoice in the Lord (4:4–9)

The peace of God denotes “the peace that God himself has.” In this sense, the peace of God refers to “the calm serenity that characterizes God’s very nature and that grateful, trusting Christians are welcome to share.” “Peace then is God’s very character; verse 9 refers appropriately to the God of peace.” Although the peace of God refers primarily to the peace God has and is in himself, the peace of God also refers to the peace that God gives: “the inward peace of the soul which comes from God, and is grounded in God’s presence and promise.”64

The peace of God is the opposite of anxiety.

The Letter to the Philippians B. Rejoice in the Lord (4:4–9)

The peace of God surpasses every human thought or device as a means of insuring tranquility of heart.” “God’s peace is able to produce exceedingly better results than human planning.”

“Transcends all understanding” is more than just our lack of ability to understand God’s peace. It’s more than that the peace doesn’t make sense. I feel peace, but can’t explain why. Maybe… but it’s also that the PEACE OF GOD is greater than any kind of human reasoning, understanding, or CONTROL.

DO YOU DESIRE THE PEACE OF GOD MORE THAN YOUR ABILITY TO BE GOD?

Which do you want more? To be like God… or to have the PEACE of God?

Do you desire the PEACE OF GOD more than you desire CONTROL?

(To know, plan, control...)

Related Media

Related Sermons