Sermon Tone Analysis

*Title: How Can We Pray Effectively?*

*Text: Phil.

4: **1 - 7*

*Introduction*: We are going to learn about prayer today.

"St.

Peter was showing a man around heaven, when they came upon this

enormous palace.

The man asked, "Who does that belong to?"

St.

Peter replied, "Why that belongs to this bus driver."

A little while later, they came upon this tiny little shack.

"And what about this shack?" the man asked.

"Why that belongs to a preacher," came the reply.

"How is it that a bus driver ends up with an enormous palace in heaven, and

a preacher ends up with a tiny little shack?"

 

"Well," St. Peter replied, "Whenever that preacher preached, everyone fell

asleep.

"But whenever that bus driver drove his bus, everybody prayed."

I am sure we all struggle to pray effectively.

Don’t we?

I still struggle when it comes to prayer.

God is sovereign, He can do anything He wants without making *mistakes*, but when we pray, God answers our prayers as if He changed His mind.

Prayer is a mystery.

Prayer is a communion with the holy God.

It is adoration.

It is confession.

It is thanksgiving.

It is worship.

It is like breathing.

*Martine Luther* said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing."

*The effective prayer is nurtured and exercised by our walk through eternal perspective.

*

Please open your Bible to Philippians *4**: 1** **- 7*

There is no perfect church.

One time a young man came to famous preacher *Spurgeon* telling him he is looking for a perfect church.

Spurgeon told him, “Young man, if you found a perfect church, please let me know, I would like to attend myself and may I suggest to you that if you found a perfect church, please do not attend lest you make that church imperfect.”

The church of Philippi was relatively a good church.

Paul did not say much *negative* things about them.

But that does not mean they were without the problems.

They had some problems within the church and outside of the church.

*1: 28* tells us there were those who *opposed* their beliefs, *2: 15*; the world brought much *temptations* and frictions upon them.

*3: 18, 19* tell us that false teachings were rampant.

And here in chapter *4: 2*, there was a *relationship* problem, a personality clash between *Euodia* (prosperous journey) and *Syntche* (pleasant acquaintance) who once worked together with Paul.

A big problem!

We can *identify* with this church, can’t we?  Paul was concerned for the health of the church.

So Paul ceases the opportunity to teach them about prayer.

Famous verse *4: 6*. 

/Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God/.

When we are going through tough time, we don’t want to hear “Don’t worry, worry is a sin, you know?”

That will increase our burden more, won’t it?

*James 2: 15, 16* say,

 

/If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, /

/and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?/

 

 “Don’t commit sin of worrying.”

“Just close your eyes to the problems and all be well.”

Is that what Paul saying here?

Surly not!  Let’s see how Paul builds the case for effective prayer.

Paul teaches us that

*I.

The Effective Prayer is Built upon the Eternal Perspective.*

*Let’s pray*

*Paul* says to Philippians, “Do not be anxious!”

So there must be some things troubled Philippians.

We can *identify* at least 3 things that made *Philippians* anxious.

Paul points out those, using the expression “in the Lord” to *encourage* them.

So let’s look at 3 anxious moments for the Philippians in verses *1 to 4*.  

       *1.*

*Stand firm           4: 1    in the world*.

In the midst of the crooked and perverse world, it is so easy to get *discouraged*.

When your non-Christian boss asks you to do something that is against your Christian conviction.

It would be a big cause for *anxiety*.

Paul encourages them to stand firm in the Lord.

(στήκετε: stand firm, he describes them as soldiers.)

*2.

Live in Harmony   4: 2     in the church*

When two individuals or groups stand against each other, it drains the *spiritual* strength and energy of the church.

It is a nightmare for the church leaders and it raises the anxiety level to sleepless night.

Moreover, if you were asked to *mediate* between the two trouble-makers, anxiety level shoots up to a boiling point.

How important to live in harmony!

(τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν: to think the same).

*3.

Rejoice                 4: 4    against False Teaching: 3: 1*

Isn’t it odd that Paul after burdened the leader in verse 3 to *help* these women then he says, “Rejoice in the Lord, again I will say, rejoice?”

*How* can you rejoice when you are commanded humanly impossible task of reconciling two fighting individuals?

The key is “in the Lord,” meaning, I believe, *acknowledge who God really is*.

What a great God we serve!

When we look at *3: 1*, Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord.

To write the same things again is not trouble to me, and it is a *safeguard* for you.”

“Rejoice in the Lord” is the safeguard over false teachings and evil workers.

*For* *example*, when the church goes through tough times and has to call congregational meeting to pray.

Why not have “Rejoice in the Lord” meeting first.

Get the people rejoice in the Lord, focus on God alone, *acknowledge* Him as He Is.

Then pray for the issues.

*Daniel* did that.

Temptation issues, relationship issues, and the issue of false teaching, Paul knowing all these in the life of the church commands them to “Be anxious for nothing.”

Why?

Is he irresponsible?

Let’s find out.

Look at *verse 5*.

/Let your gentle spirit be known to all men.

*The Lord is near*/.

Paul seems like putting double burden on the leader to demonstrate the gentle spirit, not only to the people in the church but also to all the people outside of the church.

*Reason* being, “The Lord is near.”

His coming is very close!

Do you remember verse 1?  It begins with “*Therefore*,” therefore, it is connecting this passage we are studying to the previous passage.