The Peace Of God

Philippians 4:4-7

I have had this on my heart for a matter of weeks now. The Peace of God which passes all understanding.

In the midst of trouble, we long for some kind of closure or finality to the trouble. However, before, during, and at the end of trouble the Peace of God is ruling and overcoming!

We think of peace as an absence of trouble, maybe in human understanding it is, but the peace of God is constant! I heard one preacher say and I believe this: “God didn’t create peace, He is peace.”

That brings us to our text, Philippians 4:4-7........Let’s just look at these few verses for a bit.....

Verse 4........Rejoice in the Lord always and continue rejoicing......

This is a continuing theme in this epistle. In the child of God, there is much cause for rejoicing!

It is possible that Paul wrote this letter while in prison in Rome, there is some debate about whether it was Rome or Ephesus, but either way he was in prison.

The unity with the Holy Spirit speaks volumes in the apostle’s “prison letters”.

There is so much that Paul could be down-trodden about but instead he encourages others to rejoice!

I believe that trait can only be powered by the Holy Spirit!

What does rejoicing in the face of trouble suggest?

The answer lies within our minds and what we know! The follower of Christ is assured that their fate/life is sealed......John 10:28-29 “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”

That is a solid assurance, that can only be found in the believer!

There is something to be said about this assurance, it can also be defined as victory!

I read where the people in Los Angles after their team won the Super Bowl, they celebrated by destroying property, I know that is not a shocker! Anyway, they called themselves happy and they were celebrating.

Meanwhile, their opponent in the Super Bowl, Cincinnati, was not celebrating.

Rejoicing in fleshly things is not continuous it is always dictated by circumstances.

Paul is speaking of rejoicing and continually living in that heart of celebration!

It has the heart of victory, no matter what is happening there is cause for celebration!

Yes, there is a difficulty in continual joy, because of the matters we face in life, however, the apostle is trying to pull our minds and hearts from the temporary to rejoice in the eternal!

Verse 5.....let your moderation, meaning gentleness, be known unto all people. Let your gentleness be seen by everyone, everywhere, and in every situation!

Emotionally, we are sometimes carried about by circumstances, anger, sorrow.....

One of the fruits of the Spirit is gentleness and it should be a natural trait of a believer in Jesus Christ. Our flesh, however, pulls at us from time to time to, as Spurgeon put it, “to push for our own rights”

He further said: “Go not as far as you may, nor even as far as some think that you ought, in defending your own rights; let your gentleness, your yieldingness, be known unto all men. Be forbearing......”

For the Lord at hand.........Some define this as being “close to a time”, others define it as the Lord is near......

With the 1st meaning, we could say we don’t have time to be acting out of sorts, to be gentle and show the goodness of God to the world, because Jesus is coming soon!

With the 2nd you could say, that the Holy Spirit lives within you and gentleness should be your character!

Yesterday, at Pete’s memorial service we spoke of Pete’s character to folks all over the world. He was gentle this way, I described as easy.......you didn’t have to do anything to impress him or be somebody, he just treated you kindly and always was ready to make you laugh!

That is infectious and you desire to be around folks like that!

Live guided in gentleness by the Holy Spirit, so that the world will know that Lord Jesus Christ dwells in you and so they will see His character and repent and believe in Jesus Christ before He returns!

Verse 6…Careful means anxious......be anxious for nothing.........I have a question.....How many here has pulled this off?

Stomachs tied in knots, not assured of the outcome......how many has been down this road?

Well, this verse speaks directly against that......Now listen, don’t be discouraged just believe, when those times come Pray! Pray with thanksgiving telling the Lord of our supplication, which means plea!

Plea carries the meaning of desperation. Out of my desperation I call on the Lord, urging Him to hear my humble cry!

While in the flesh and with some many things pulling at us, desperation is the right word to cause us to call on God for help and relief!

Jesus taught on this in the Sermon on the Mount....Matthew 6:25-34........

Instead of being overwhelmed......go to the Lord for help.....He is our only source!

Paul did in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

The answer to Paul’s prayer was that the Grace of Jesus Christ was sufficient for his life and situation, Paul’s resolve to continue in belief, said therefor he will glory in his infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon him, the world will see that Jesus is near Paul, because when Paul is weak, Jesus is strong!

Spurgeon said....”Have no cares, but much prayer!”

Verse 7......Peace of God which passes all understanding......It is said that the ungodly man will never know this peace, Spurgeon said that is only 10% of what Paul is saying for even he who enjoys the peace of God doesn’t even understand it. That is because it is of God and it is above human understanding!

Jesus said in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

Not as the world gives.......Ladies in those pageants have said they wanted world peace.....I will dare say that if the world really wants peace they will find it in Jesus Christ, otherwise peace will never be found!

One Of Tracey’s favorite verses is Isaiah 26:3-4 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on thee: Because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: For in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:”

The mind this fixed upon the Lord, that just means what the verses continues to say, the man at peace is the that is fixed on Jesus, he is fixed on Jesus because the man trusts Him because Jesus is everlasting peace.

The believer’s power and strength comes from Jesus Christ......Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

This our mark, our prize, our power and our strength, this is why our hearts and minds should be fixed or stayed upon Jesus because His Gospel, “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” is our strength!

Yes God can do anything, he can heal, he can perform mighty miracles, just ask the apostles, but what “keeps” us is our salvation.........we are kept

1 Peter 1:3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

This is the peace of God that will guard our minds through Jesus Christ!