Winning Advice

What is the best advice that you have ever been given? Or what is the best advice you could offer?

We all have times in our life where we didn’t listen to advice that we should have or we gave advice that was not listened to.

This morning we are getting to the end of Philippians and Paul is giving some practical advice to the Philippian Church.

Philippians 4:1–9 CSB

So then, my dearly loved and longed for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown, in this manner stand firm in the Lord, dear friends. I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I also ask you, true partner, to help these women who have contended for the gospel at my side, along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Finishes the previous advice with the call to stand firm in the Lord.

Moves on into a series of practical advice.

Get Along With Each Other

Euodia and Syntyche are two women who are not getting along.

Paul directly addresses them in this letter.

urging them to agree in the Lord.

What does this mean?

That they lay down their thoughts and opinions and focus on their common bond in the Lord.

Pic of me and Caleb

My best friend Caleb and I lived next door our entire lives. This meant that we spent a lot of time together. When we were about 4 or 5 years old, we got into a fight. Before storming home, I looked at him and said “I don’t even know who you are anymore.” We saw each other later that day at football practice since both of our dads coached. We hugged it out and agreed never to get mad at each other again, since we would make up anyway.

We are going to be in eternity with one another, doesn’t it seem a little silly to hold onto grudges that we have on this earth?

Notice what Paul has said here. He doesn’t address the intricacies of their dispute, only that he tells them that they should agree in the Lord.

What we can learn from this is that if we are caught up in a dispute with a believer? We ought to do what we can to reconcile.

Romans 12:16–18 CSB

Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

There will be times where this isn’t possible. People will not reconcile with you. That isn’t what this is telling you to do. Paul urges them to agree.

Agreement takes two people. Paul’s advice in Romans, If at all possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

There may be times where reconciliation doesn’t occur, but that should not be because of you and your efforts.

We also see the admonition of those in the church to come alongside these women and help this situation.

We should be people who throw water onto fires of dissension, not gasoline.

This promotion of unity is compounded with Pauls call to...

Be Happy, Be Kind

Verse four emphatically tells us that we should rejoice in the Lord.

This reminds me of the attitude that is found in Psalm 9:1-2

Psalm 9:1–2 CSB

I will thank the Lord with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous works. I will rejoice and boast about you; I will sing about your name, Most High.

Why do we rejoice?

Because of of all that he has done, and all that he will do.

Salvation, blessings, another day of life.

When we think about all that God has done for us we should gladly rejoice in him.

We also must remember that this is coming off of the verses talking about conflict among Christians.

We see this theme through this passage. Rather than focusing on the negative things in life, we should focus on the good.

Instead of fighting with one another, they should rejoice in the Lord!

Because of what has been done for us and the life that we now have, we should be kind and gracious to all the people that we meet.

the word that we see here is graciousness. The greek word is epieikes

Its definition makes even clearer what we are supposed to do as Christians.

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. ἐπιεικής

not insisting on every right of letter of law or custom, yielding, gentle, kind, courteous, tolerant

I don’t think graciousness is a word that would give us much trouble in thinking that we understand it, but when looking at the fullness of its application it certainly challenges us.

To be gracious is to not insist on our own thoughts or rights when confronted with a situation where we might want to insist on our thoughts or rights.

Illustration about Tylers Car hood being dented by Cody when he tried to do a Dukes of Hazard slide across the hood and dented it. Tyler reacted graciously.

Christians ought to set the example

We ought to be the most gracious people that others encounter in the world.

Our graciousness should be a result of and point to the fact that the Lord is near.

Because the Lord is near we should...

Worry Less, Pray More

We should note that this directly follows the command to rejoice and remembering that the Lord is near.

In verse 6 we see a problem that many people have, and then a direct answer or solution to that problem.

Do not worry, Pray about everything.

Worry is a natural occurrence.

We feel worried when we see something bad about to happen.

When a child does something dangerous. ETC.

The immediate concern we feel that prompts us to action is not the issue at hand.

Worry can be paralyzing. When we worry about the unknown or the things that we cannot change, it makes us ineffective in our walk with God.

Paul’s admonition here is not to worry. We should not live lives that are riddled with worry. Even about things that it might make sense to be worried about.

Rather, we are to take these things to God through prayer and petition, with thanksgiving.

Let’s break down what this should look like in our day to day life. Think of something that worries you, or could worry you. Financial troubles, health problems, fill in the blank.

The command that we have here is not to worry about it.

Instead through prayer and petition. This means that we are seeking the Lord. We are going to Him with our request. We are telling the Lord what we want and asking Him to move.

We should not pray passive aggressively. Be direct, but reverent. (Abraham praying to God on behalf of Sodom. Asking God to spare it if there are 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, 10.

Don’t hint at what you are asking of God. Ask him and be direct but always in submission to who He is.

As it says in 1 Peter 5:6-7

1 Peter 5:6–7 CSB

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.

Take everything to God.

A key aspect of this is knowing and trusting that he cares about you and what you face.

Peace is a direct result of taking all our worries to God in prayer.

The peace that is promised here, the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Why are we able to have such peace?

We have rekindled our trust in the God who can do all things.

“Worry is the antithesis of trust. You simply cannot do both. They are mutually exclusive.”

-Elisabeth Elliot

When we have ceased our worry and placed our trust in God, his supernatural peace guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

There are many things to worry about in this life. They are overwhelming and scary and make life difficult if we focus on them. But they shouldn’t control us. Look at Romans 8:31-39

Romans 8:31–39 CSB

What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Our God is bigger than anything that we might face. Those things are temporary, our God and His love is forever. Nothing can separate us from Him. That is why we cease focusing on these things and trust in God.

When we do, we will have the peace of God, that surpasses all understanding.

This is how you see Christians facing the hardest time in their lives with peace.

In order to cultivate and protect this peace you must...

Think About What You Think About

The world around us is so negative and filled with constant negativity.

What are you consuming?

News

Music

TV

Social Media

What are you thinking about on a regular basis?

These things influence the way that you think.

Paul gives clear instruction for what believers ought to think about.

Whatever is true

oppposed to what is false

Whatever is honorable

opposed to what is dishonorable

Whatever is just

Opposed to what is unjust

Whatever is pure

Opposed to what is filthy

Whatever is lovely

Opposed to what is disgusting

Whatever is commendable

Opposed to what is deplorable

If there is any moral excellence

Opposed to moral depravity

If there is anything praiseworthy

Opposed to that deserving scorn.

DWELL on these things.

This is a state of being, a state of being consumed with.

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 CSB

For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.

Everything that you think is either glorifying to God, or it is not.

This will affect your walk with him. We must be constantly aware of what we are thinking of, what is influencing our thinking and be sure to take every thought captive to obey Christ.

The last point is to take what Paul has taught them, put it into action and the reminder that the God of peace will be with you.

This is the promise that we carry and remember. God is with us.

In Conclusion:

Christians should live lives that are:

Free from conflict with one another.

Filled with rejoicing and kindness.

Not worrying, but praying about everything.

Constantly focusing on things that are good rather than what is bad.

THE BEST Advice you can ever receive is to turn to Christ.