Welcome to our worship service this evening.
For those of you who are new, my name is Sean.
I'm one of the pastors of Trinity Cambridge Church,
and it's my joy and privilege to preach God's word to you this evening.
We've been in the series in the Book of Philippians,
and we're in the last chapter now, the first nine verses.
I usually have a wireless mic,
but the mic was not where it was supposed to be this evening,
so I'll be using the handheld mic.
Let me pray and seek God's help.
Heavenly Father,
we live in a world where people are desperately longing for your peace.
Grant us, Lord,
to be peace proclaimers,
peacemakers.
Those who invite others to the peace that we have with you and with one another.
And give us an ever greater measure
of that peace
in Jesus Christ, we pray.
Amen.
Philippians 4, verses 1 to 9.
Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for,
my joy and crown,
stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
I entreat Iodia,
and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.
Yes,
I ask you also, true companion,
help these women
who have labored side by side with me in the gospel,
together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers,
whose names are in the book of life.
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 mind 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.
But you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me.
Practice these things,
and the God of peace will be with you.
This is God's holy and authoritative word.
In its analysis of the things that people searched for
on its search engine in the year 2020,
Google noted that a search for peaceful or relaxing music,
relaxation,
meditation,
breathing exercises,
how to calm down,
and inner peace
were trending at all time high levels.
Due to the pandemic,
as well as the societal turmoil
and political divisiveness,
people were facing high stress and anxiety
and seeking respite from them.
And in our passage today,
Paul assures us that we can find
relational peace,
verses 1 to 5,
inner peace,
verses 6 to 7,
and the God of peace,
ultimately,
in verses 8 to 9.
But in order to do so,
we must rejoice in Christ.
And because only those who rejoice in Christ
will know God's peace.
That's the main point of this passage.
So let's look at verses 1 to 5 first,
relational peace.
In verses 1 to 3,
Paul addresses the need for peace and unity within the church.
Because as Jesus said in Matthew 12, 25,
every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste,
and no city or house divided against itself will stand.
If the church of God is to stand,
it must not be divided against itself.
As we've seen throughout our series
in the letter to the Philippians,
this was one of the main concerns
driving Paul to write this letter.
The Philippian believers were facing
external pressures and persecutions,
as well as internal divisions,
probably in part prompted by these external pressures.
And they were characterized,
it says in chapter 2, verse 3,
by selfish ambition and conceit.
They were characterized by grumbling
and disputing, chapter 2, verse 14.
And because of this,
Paul said earlier in chapter 1, verse 27,
Stand firm.
He returns to those exact exhortations
here in chapter 4, verses 1 to 3.
He tells them to stand firm,
and he tells them to labor side by side in the gospel.
Paul also tells Iodia and Syntyche in particular
to agree in the Lord,
which is literally have the same mind in the Lord,
which was the command he gave in chapter 2, verse 2,
complete my joy by being of the same mind.
And Paul says this because he knew
that the Philippian church could not stand firm in the Lord
without having the same mind in the Lord.
He singles out two women in particular,
Syntyche and Iodia,
as objects of this entreaty.
And it's remarkable that Paul names them here.
This is not in order to shame them.
When condemning his opponents,
the enemies of the cross,
Paul leaves them unnamed.
That was a common feature of polemical writing
in the ancient world,
where by refusing to dignify your opponent
by naming them,
you are actually marginalizing their point of view.
So by naming them here,
he's not trying to shame them,
but rather he's naming them
because they are his friends.
Iodia and Syntyche.
And he says of them in verse 3,
these women have labored side by side
with him in the gospel,
together with Clement
and the rest of my fellow workers,
whose names are in the book of life,
Paul says.
So then these women are cherished co-laborers
who share a deep history with Paul.
And because they are his friends
and sisters in Christ,
and likely because their conflict
was already known among the Philippian church,
Paul dignifies Iodia and Syntyche
by entreating them personally by name.
The names don't tell us much
except that their names mean roughly success
or good fortune,
so it tells us what their presumably pagan parents
wanted for their daughters.
But a better fortune
than they could have imagined
had come to them
in that Iodia and Syntyche
had become Christians,
and their names were now written
in the book of life,
the book that records the names
of those who will have eternal life with God.
In spite of this, however,
the two women had fallen
into a contentious disagreement
that required a mediator,
a third party.
So Paul says in verse 3,
Yes, I ask you also,
true companion,
help these women.
We can't verify with certainty
the identity of this true companion,
but since he is a recipient of the letter,
it's probably not Timothy or Epaphroditus
who are with Paul at the time of the writing.
But one leading candidate that emerges
after ruling out some of the obvious ones
is Luke,
the author of the Gospel of Luke
and the book of Acts.
We know that Luke
was a trusted companion of Paul
from the book of Acts.
There are sections in the book of Acts,
which is written by Luke,
where Luke uses the first person
plural pronoun,
we,
indicating that he was present
with Paul
in some of his missionary journeys.
And there's a wee passage
in Acts 16,
11 to 18,
when Paul's in Philippi.
And that brings Luke to Philippi.
But then the wee passages leave off
and then it doesn't come back
until six years later
in Acts 20,
verses 1 to 16,
when Paul returns to Philippi,
which suggests that Luke
was left in Philippi
to provide some oversight
and leadership
for the church there.
And if this reconstruction is correct,
Paul's asking Luke,
as his trusted companion,
true companion,
to intervene
and help Iodia and Syntyche
to agree in the Lord.
And since they're told
to agree in the Lord,
it doesn't seem like
their disagreement
was of a personal nature,
but something that pertained
to standing firm in the Lord
and laboring side by side
in the Gospel together.
Sometimes,
differences in theology
or in philosophy of ministry
can divide genuine,
faithful Christians.
But we should seek unity in the faith,
as Paul enjoins
Syntyche and Iodia to do here.
Theologian D.A. Carson
was once part
of the World Evangelical Fellowship,
which brought theologians together
from various denominations
in different parts of the world
in order to hash over
various points of disagreement.
And recalling that time,
D.A. Carson says
that he was always
pleasantly surprised
by just how much agreement
they could reach
when Christians
who are submitted
to the authority
of God's Word
and are trained
in sound interpretive principles
humbly listen to
and talk to one another
in pursuit of truth.
Especially when the disagreement
pertains to gospel priorities,
as it appears to do here,
we should strive
to have the same mind
with each other,
the same orientation,
the same priorities.
Because if we don't share
these things,
the disagreement impedes
the progress of the gospel.
In the sport of rowing,
the boat does not make
much forward progress
if the rowers are all rowing
at their own pace and rhythm.
Only when all the rowers
are in sync
and they are catching
and pulling
at the same time
and in the same cadence
is the boat
powerfully propelled forward.
And a crew is able
to attain that kind of unity
only by following
the stroke
the rower seated
closest to the stern
of the boat.
Every rower behind him
looks to him
and his pace.
Likewise,
every Christian
is to look to Christ,
our head.
Sync ourselves
with his priorities,
his purposes.
Every Christian
is to strive
to have Christ's mindset,
doing nothing
from selfish ambition
or conceit,
but in humility
counting others
more significant
than yourselves.
That's what Paul
is entreating
Eodia and Syntyche
to do.
And he appeals
to the deep
mutual affection
he shared
with the Philippian church
in order to get them
to comply.
He says to them
in verse 1,
My brothers,
whom I love
and long for,
my joy and crown,
stand firm thus
in the Lord,
my beloved.
Paul's being quite
effusive here.
He's been saying
all along
that he rejoices
in Christ
and in the progress
of his gospel.
And he said
in chapter 3,
verse 14,
that he's pressing
on toward the goal
for the prize
of the upward call
of God
in Christ Jesus.
He's striving
for Christ
who is his prize.
The perfect knowledge
of and union
with Christ.
That's what Paul
is striving for.
And here,
he tells us again
that the Philippians
spiritual well-being,
their perseverance
in the faith
is intimately tied
to his goal,
his welfare.
He says that
the Philippian church
is his joy
and crown.
In all his striving
for the prize,
he says,
if you do not
persevere
in faith,
Paul says,
then my labor
would have been
in vain.
So stand firm
in the Lord,
my beloved.
And he reminds them
that Iodia and Syntyche
are women
who have labored
side by side
with me
in the gospel together,
Paul says.
And if they have labored
side by side
with me,
then they can labor
side by side
with each other.
In the same way,
you faithfully
served alongside me,
serve alongside
each other.
We are on the same team.
We are people
whose names
are in the book
of life.
So I plead with you,
he's saying,
complete my joy
by being
of the same mind.
Continuing in verses
four to five,
Paul tells us
more specifically
how we are to
attain such unity.
He says,
rejoice in the Lord
always.
Again,
I will say,
rejoice.
Let your reasonableness
be known to everyone.
The Lord is at hand.
The key to unity
in the church
is joy in Christ.
Paul is repeating
what he commanded
earlier in chapter three,
verse one.
Rejoice in the Lord.
Paul speaks frequently
of rejoicing
in the book of Philippians
and nearly all
of those instances
refer to rejoicing
in Christ
or in his gospel.
And so that means
Christian joy
is located in Christ,
his person
and his work.
Paul unpacked this
in chapter three
and told us
that rejoicing
in Christ entails
putting no confidence
in the flesh,
in our own righteousness,
but instead boasting in
and trusting in Christ alone.
It's when we are rejoicing
in Christ,
when we are glorying
in Christ
and not in ourselves,
that we can humble ourselves
before others
and pursue unity.
And Paul says
that we should rejoice
in the Lord always.
This is what George Mueller
describes in his autobiography
this way.
quote,
I saw more clearly
than ever
that the first great
and primary business
to which I ought to attend
every day
is to have my soul
happy in the Lord.
This is the Christian's business
each and every day.
We are commanded
to rejoice in the Lord,
not sometimes,
but always.
Unless we miss
the importance
of this command,
Paul says it again.
Again,
I will say,
rejoice.
It's easy to rejoice
when we're getting
straight A's in school,
when we have a vibrant
social life,
when we're healthy,
when our spouses
are patient
and supported,
when our children
are behaving,
when we're getting
promotions at work.
But what about
when we're failing classes
and being ostracized
by our peers?
What about when we're sick,
when marriage is rocky
and children
are rebellious,
when we're unemployed
and seemingly unable
to get a job,
when we lose
our loved ones
to an untimely death?
Can we rejoice?
The answer is yes.
Why?
Because the joy
that Paul's talking about
is not located
in these circumstances,
but in Christ
who is unchanging.
This doesn't mean
that we become immune
to setbacks
or disappointments
and tragedies,
nor does it mean
that we become callous
to feeling.
Our circumstances
can certainly
make our lives
much,
much harder.
But even when
a pandemic
rests,
our social life,
our health,
our loved ones,
our hobbies,
our routines,
and even our very lives
from us,
it cannot
take Christ
from us.
And in this
we can rejoice.
In one of his books,
John Flavel,
the 17th century
English pastor,
writes about
a Christian convert
who renounced
his nobility
and wealth
to give himself
wholly to Christ.
He says this,
I have read
that when
the Duke
of Condie
had entered
voluntarily
into the
incomities
of a religious
poverty,
he was one day
espied and pitied
by a lord of Italy
who out of tenderness
wished him to be
more careful
and nutritive
of his person.
The good Duke
answered,
Sir,
be not troubled
and think not
that I am ill
provided
of inconveniences,
for I send
in a harbinger
before me
who makes
ready my lodgings
and takes care
that I be
royally entertained.
The Lord
asked him
who was his
harbinger.
He answered,
The knowledge
of myself
and the
consideration
of what I deserve
for my sins,
which is eternal
torments.
And when with
this knowledge
I arrive
at my lodging,
how unprovided
soever I find it,
methinks
it is ever
better than I deserve.
Despite the loss
of the conveniences
and luxuries
of his former life,
when the Duke
of Condie
kept his knowledge
of his former life
as an unregenerate
sinner
and object
of God's wrath
who is destined
to be punished
in eternal hellfire,
when he realized
that that's who
he formerly was
but that's what
he was rescued from,
he could not help
but conclude
that his conditions
were better
than what he deserved.
And so instead
of being filled
with self-pity
and complaints,
he was filled
with gratitude.
In other words,
this man was rejoicing
in Christ,
in the saving work
of Jesus Christ
and this put everything
else in his life
in proper perspective.
It's easy to feel
that our difficult
circumstances
are the most
pressing things
in our own lives.
But suffering
does not have
the power
to separate us
from God.
In fact,
if we let it,
suffering can drive us
closer to God.
But sin,
our pride
and unbelief
can separate us
from God forever.
And that is always
the most pressing issue
in everyone's life.
God's life.
And Christ
has dealt
with our sins
to the sins
of those
who trust in him
once and for all
on the cross.
By paying the penalty
for our sins
in our place,
by dying on the cross,
by being raised
from the dead
on the third day,
Jesus took selfish,
undeserving,
insubordinate sinners
and reconciled them
to God the Father.
And if you are placing
all your faith
in Jesus Christ
and not in your own
righteousness
for salvation,
then you can be assured
of this great salvation.
And you can rejoice
in Christ.
We might object
at this point,
well, it's easy
to talk about
rejoicing in Christ.
But Paul,
do you know
how hard my life is?
But Paul didn't
merely talk about this.
He exemplified it
in his life.
During his missionary
journey in Philippi
in Acts 16,
Paul was attacked
by a mob,
stripped naked
and beaten with rods
and then he was jailed
in the inner prison
with his feet shackled.
But there,
in that prison,
without a shred
of self-pity,
it says Paul and Silas
were praying
and singing hymns to God
while the other prisoners
were listening to them.
Remember also
that Paul
wasn't vacationing
in Rome
sipping fine wine
when he wrote
this letter.
He wrote it
while he was
under house arrest
awaiting his sentence
which very well
could have been
a death sentence.
Imagine for a moment
what your state of mind
would be
in that place.
And yet,
Paul rejoiced
in Christ
always.
the apostle to the Gentile
was also the apostle
of joy.
Brothers and sisters,
this joy
is a distinctive mark
of followers of Christ.
When unbelievers
think of Christians,
the faces that come to mind
should not be
long,
somber,
angry faces
but faces
that manifest
joy in Christ.
And this rejoicing
in the Lord
makes us
eminently
reasonable.
Verse 5 says,
Let your reasonableness
be known to everyone.
The Lord is at hand.
The NIV,
the New International Version
translates the word
reasonableness
as gentleness.
Others translate it
as graciousness
or forbearance.
This word appears
in conjunction
with other words
like peaceable
in 1 Timothy 3.3
and alongside
words like
pure,
peace-loving,
open to reason,
and rich in mercy
in James 3.17.
It's a word
that's often used
to describe
the kindness,
the mercy,
and the magnanimity
of a ruler.
And Paul uses
that word
in 2 Corinthians 10.1
to describe
the meekness
and gentleness
of Christ himself.
The opposite
of this reasonableness
would be pettiness,
contentiousness,
or small-mindedness.
In short,
this is what
Ioria and Syntyche
needed,
reasonableness.
And Christians
should be known
for this
to everyone,
not just to our friends,
but also to our enemies.
Not only toward those
who are reasonable
and agreeable to us,
but also toward those
who are unreasonable
and quarrelsome.
To everyone.
We live in an increasingly
polarized culture,
and there's a cacophony
of noise.
There's a lot of
pointing of fingers.
But even in this climate,
Christians should not
be known
for being strident
or contentious,
but for being reasonable.
I've been convicted by this
this week,
brothers and sisters.
If you notice
that you have been
petty,
defensive,
ungracious,
unforgiving,
or harsh
in your home
or on your social media account
or whatever context
you might be in,
examine your heart
and ask yourself
if you have been
rejoicing in the Lord.
There are quarrels
in our world
because our passions
are at war within us,
as James 4 says.
Because there are
unmet desires
and these desires
become demands
and these demands
get deified
as idols
of our hearts
in whose service
we live.
But this should not
be for the Christian.
Our deepest desire
is fulfilled
in Jesus Christ.
we already belong
to Christ
and soon
we will be
fully united
with Him
because Christ
is our great prize
and reward
and this Christ
will return
soon.
That's why
we rejoice
in the Lord.
And those who rejoice
in the Lord
are characterized
by reasonableness.
And this is why
Paul concludes
this thought
with the statement,
the Lord is at hand.
This is the grounds
for our reasonableness
and rejoicing.
Why we are reasonable.
Why we rejoice?
Because the Lord
is at hand.
This statement
is a bit ambiguous.
It could mean
that the Lord
is nearby
in a spatial sense.
But it could also mean
that the Lord
is near
or almost here
in a temporal sense.
And that His return
is imminent.
Both of these statements
are true.
He's near in both
of those senses.
Later in verse 9,
Paul says,
the God of peace
will be with you.
So God is definitely
at hand
in the sense
of being near us
spatially.
When you feel ashamed
and guilty,
when you feel
alone and abandoned,
when you feel
persecuted
and threatened,
when you are afraid,
when you are sad,
God's not observing
detachedly
from a safe distance.
No, He's with you.
He is at hand.
During the pandemic,
what would normally
be considered
socially unacceptable
behavior
or rude
has become
the norm
and commonplace.
Imagine this happening
in normal times.
I mean,
it's humorous
to think about.
Someone taking a step back
every time you take
a step forward
closer
to keep you
at a distance,
keeping a mask on
the whole time
as they talk to you.
Or,
when you need
to hand something
to them,
methodically
taking out
their latex gloves,
putting it on,
taking it from you,
and then promptly
after putting it down,
clinically removing
the latex gloves
and then washing
their hands.
sometimes
Christians think
that that's the way
God deals with us.
But that's not
the way God
deals with us.
He had every reason.
He has every reason
to treat us that way.
He is holy.
We are sinful.
He is righteous
and just.
We are not.
He is faithful
and we are faithless.
And yet,
God so loved us,
He sent His Son,
Jesus Christ,
to live among us.
He became a man
and dwelled among us.
He experienced
our squalor.
He lived among
filthy sinners.
He embraced
and healed lepers.
And He touched
the untouchables
with chronic
bleeding problems.
God with us.
This is why
Jesus is called
Emmanuel,
God with us.
He is at hand
in your life.
He is with you
in your life.
In Daniel chapter 3,
King Nebuchadnezzar
throws Shadrach,
Meshach,
and Abednego
into the burning,
fiery furnace
for refusing to bow
down to a gold
statue of Himself.
But then He is astonished
and He rises up
in haste
and asks His advisors,
Did we not cast
three men
into the fire?
But I see
four men
unbound
walking in the midst
of the fire
and they are not hurt
and the appearance
of the fourth
is like a son
of the gods.
The Lord God
Himself
was in that furnace
through His angelic
representative.
Whatever your furnace
might be in life,
sickness,
depression,
loneliness,
rejection,
poverty,
grief,
pain,
in your feeling
of powerlessness
and helplessness,
remember,
the Lord is at hand.
He is with you.
But that's not all.
Given the
eschatological orientation,
the end time orientation
of the letter
to the Philippians,
perhaps what Paul
has in mind
even more immediately
is the Lord's
imminent return.
He's coming back.
In chapter 2,
verse 16,
he urged the Philippians
to hold fast,
to hold on
to the word of life
until the day of Christ.
You don't have to
hold on for long.
Just hold on.
He is coming back.
In chapter 3,
verse 8 to 11,
he spoke of suffering
the loss of all things
in order that by any means
possible,
he may attain
the resurrection
from the dead.
In chapter 3,
12 to 21,
he spoke of pressing on
toward the goal
of the prize
of the upward call
of God in Christ Jesus.
And he said
that he was awaiting
from heaven
a Savior,
the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will transform
our lowly body
to be like
his glorious body.
Yes,
we have lowly bodies now.
Yes,
we have suffering now.
We have persecution now.
We fight against
the world,
the flesh,
and the devil
every day now.
But hold fast
because your Lord
is coming.
He will redeem you.
He will make
all things right.
He will grant you
victory.
He will vindicate you.
And if we keep
that end in view,
we can rejoice.
We can be reasonable.
That's the key
to relational peace.
That's the key
to peace and unity
in the church.
Amen.
But God also
promises us
inner peace.
Peace within
our hearts and minds
in verses 6 to 7.
Paul says in verse 6,
Do not be anxious
about anything,
but in everything
by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving,
let your requests
be made known
to God.
This command
is categorical.
It admits
no exceptions.
It doesn't say
do not be anxious
about some things.
It's about anything.
And that word
anything
is contrasted
with the word
everything.
So then the way
to be anxious
for nothing
is to be prayerful
in everything.
Some of us
are so busy
and busy-hearted
that we don't even know
what we're anxious about.
We don't even know
what's stressing us out,
what worries us.
So oddly enough,
some of us
need to slow down
long enough
to come to grips
with our anxieties,
our worries,
and then
bring them to God
in prayer.
prayer.
And we need to ensure
that our prayers
are not an expression
of our anxiety
and a means
of controlling
our circumstances,
but that rather
our prayer
is an expression
of faith
and a relinquishing
of control
over our circumstances.
If we use prayer
as a way
to rehearse our worries,
then we'll just be
more worrisome
afterward,
and we're just
talking to ourselves
and not to God.
If we're honest
with ourselves,
in our broken
and sinful world,
we do not have
a shortage
of things
to worry about.
All you need
to do
is turn on the TV,
read a page
of the newspaper,
and then we
are warned
about global hunger,
endangered species,
melting ice caps,
COVID-19,
cultural decline
of the West,
the ascent
of communism
and authoritarianism
overseas,
digital hacking
and identity theft,
political upheaval,
economic recession,
and societal
moral decay.
And that's not
even getting
to the more
personal issues,
how you'll have
to pay
for your broken car,
what you will do
when your husband
is deployed overseas,
whether you'll get
a job or not,
whether you'll get
a visa or not,
your declining health,
turbulent marriage,
your children's
salvation,
their future,
their education,
rock you in relationships
with in-laws.
I can go on and on.
These are all
legitimate worries.
We worry because
we might lose
what we value.
And that threat
is very real.
It's not imagined.
But nevertheless,
as children of God,
we need not worry.
Because Jesus
assures us
in Matthew 6
that our Father,
our Heavenly Father
cares for us
and provides
for us.
And because,
as this passage says,
we can bring
all our petitions
to God
who hears us.
we need not worry
because we trust
that God
is in control
when humanity
clearly has
no control
over either
their environment
or themselves.
Do you,
brothers and sisters,
let your requests
be made known
to God
in everything
by prayer
and supplication?
Do you take
stock of what
you're worried about
and then explicitly,
not in some
vague generalities,
but specifically,
do you bring
those things to God?
Do you earnestly,
not haphazardly,
in a few hurried minutes,
but at length,
do you talk to God
about your fears
and anxieties?
When we talk
about our troubles
with our best friends
or with our counselors,
we spill our guts
in front of them.
But do you do that
with God?
And if not,
why not?
He wants to hear.
He wants to listen.
He wants to help.
He wants to care for you
and provide for you.
And our prayer
should be accompanied
by thanksgiving.
This is not
thanksgiving
in anticipation
of what God's
going to do
in response
to our prayers,
but the basic
posture of thanksgiving
that we should have
every single time
we pray.
Thanksgiving
is an acknowledgement
of our creatureliness
before God.
It's an acknowledgement
that we receive
from Him,
that all that we have,
we receive from Him,
not as an entitlement
or a wage
we have earned,
but as a gift
from the generous Father.
That's why
thanksgiving suits us
as His creatures.
Romans 1,
21,
22
describe the refusal
to give thanks
to God
as the first step
toward idolatry.
This is true
because those
who refuse
to acknowledge
their creatureliness
before God
and worship
the Creator
have nothing left
but to turn
to the worship
of creatures.
these three commands,
rejoice,
pray,
and give thanks,
occur again and again
throughout the Psalms
and often occur together.
Psalm 95,
verse 2,
let us come into His presence
with thanksgiving.
Let us make a joyful noise
to Him
with songs of praise.
Psalm 97,
12,
rejoice in the Lord,
O you righteous,
and give thanks
to His holy name.
We find this triad
in the New Testament also.
Romans 12,
12 says,
rejoice in hope,
be patient in tribulation,
be constant in prayer.
And perhaps
the best known example
of them all,
1 Thessalonians 5,
16 to 18,
rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
give thanks
in all circumstances
for this is the will
of God
in Christ Jesus
for you.
This is the posture
that we should seek
to have before God
each day.
This is actually
a great accountability
question we could ask
one another.
Instead of just asking,
hey, how are you?
That's a good question too
if we're willing
to answer it honestly.
But we could also
ask one another,
how have you been rejoicing
in Christ lately?
How grateful
have you been lately?
How's your prayer life?
And if we humble ourselves
before God
and do these three things,
verse 7,
promise us,
and the peace of God
which surpasses
all understanding
will guard your hearts
and your minds
in Christ Jesus.
there are situations
where our anxiety
is primarily caused
by something
that is disordered
in our bodies,
whether it's a hormonal
imbalance
after giving birth
or something else.
But usually,
anxiety is primarily
caused by a disordered heart
and a disordered mind.
but as we rejoice
in the Lord
and as we pray
to God
with thanksgiving,
our minds and hearts
get reordered
and we're filled
with the peace of God
which surpasses
understanding.
This is a wonderful assurance.
There are situations
in life
where we can't
possibly imagine
having peace.
but that's okay
because the peace
that God promises us here
is one that surpasses
our understanding.
It goes beyond
our imagination.
Inner peace
is possible
even under
the most turbulent
circumstances.
And the kind of peace
that is in due here
is attained
not by some
psychological technique
or mental jiu-jitsu
but it is given
by God.
And it says
this peace
will guard our hearts
and our minds
in Christ Jesus.
It's a wonderful image.
The word guard
is a military term
used to refer
to a garrison
that stands guard
at the city
to protect it
from enemies.
This would have been
a particularly vivid metaphor
because Paul
is under house arrest.
He literally has guards
that are keeping
a watch on him
and making sure
that he can't go
and come
as he pleases.
That's what
the peace of God
does
at our hearts
in our minds
to keep
what goes in
and what comes out.
He keeps us.
He protects us.
Proverbs 4.23
says
Keep your heart
with all vigilance
for from it
flow the springs
of life.
Our actions in life
flow from our heart.
And if our heart
is besieged
by anxiety
our lives
will be busy
frantic
and joyless.
But if we rejoice
in Christ
and prayerfully
entrust ourselves
to him
his peace
will guard
our hearts
and minds
in Christ Jesus.
But peace
is not something
external to God
that he gives
to us.
Rather
we experience
this peace
as we walk
in relationship
with the God
of peace.
That's what
verses 8 to 9
is about.
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.
There are two
main admonitions
here.
Verse 8
says think
about these
things
and verse 9
says practice
these things.
Paul is getting
extremely practical
here.
Only those
who rejoice in
Christ will
know God's
peace and in
order to rejoice
in Christ
we're going to
have to think
about and
practice the
right things.
In Matthew 5
Jesus makes
the connection
that being
hatefully angry
with someone
is tantamount
to murder
and that
lusting after
someone is
tantamount to
committing adultery
with him or her
in his heart.
Jesus makes
those connections
because hate
filled anger
is the seed
in the mind
from which
murder grows
because lust
is the seed
in the mind
from which
adultery
grows.
This is why
it is imperative
that we take
every thought
captive
to obey
Christ.
What you
fill your
mind with
is incredibly
important.
What kind
of TV shows
or movies
are you
watching?
What kind
of books
are you
reading?
What kind
of examples
are you
following?
What does
your mind
wander to?
What is
the content
of your
daydreams?
What are
you thinking
about?
As a
Canadian
American
motivational
speaker
puts it
humorously,
you are
not what
you think.
You are
not what
you think
you are,
but you
think,
but what
you think
you are.
in the
context of
Proverbs
chapter 4
verse 23,
which I
quoted
earlier,
keep your
heart with
all vigilance,
there is a
connection to
verse 21,
which is keep
my words
within your
heart.
The implication
is that the
way we keep
our hearts
is to keep
God's word
in our
hearts.
Psalm 119
verse 11
makes that
explicit.
I have stored
up your
word in my
heart that I
might not
sin against
you.
So then
one of the
ways that
we are
called to
rejoice in
Christ,
the incarnate
word of
God,
is to
think about
and fill
our minds
with the
inscripturated
word,
the written
word of
God.
Turn it
over and
over again
in our
minds.
Remind
ourselves of
it.
Think about
it.
Read it.
Memorize
it.
Meditate
on it.
Talk to
others about
it.
Christian
meditation in
this way
differs
significantly
from popular
meditative
methods
nowadays.
Hindu
meditation
focuses on
a repeated
sound or
a part of
the body.
Buddhist
meditation
tries to
banish all
thoughts from
one's mind.
All these
eastern religions
which are
becoming
increasingly
popular here
in the
west seek
to empty
one's mind.
But
Christian
meditation
is about
filling your
mind.
It reminds
me of
the
home
science
experiment
that I
did with
one of
my
daughters.
When you
take an
empty bottle
of water
and submerge
it straight
down into
a tub full
of water,
because the
bottle is
full of
air,
the water
actually
doesn't
get inside.
water
is
only when
you
tilt
the
bottle
slightly
so that
there's
an
opening
through
which
air
can
leave
the
bottle
that
water
displaces
the air.
It
fills
the
bottle.
The
only way
to
empty
the
bottle
of
air
is
to
displace
it
with
something
else.
You
can't
simply
empty
it
without
filling
it
with
something
else.
Our
minds
are
the
same.
the
only
way
to
empty
our
minds
of
evil
things
is
to
displace
them
by
filling
them
with
good
things.
But
Paul's
not
speaking
exclusively
of
meditating
and
memorizing
scripture
here.
He
intentionally
uses
broad
categories
of
virtuous
things
that
were
commonly
enjoyed
in
Greco-Roman
moral
teachings.
He
says,
finally
brothers,
whatever
is
true,
not
things
that
are
false,
but
whatever
is
consistent
with
God's
truth,
with
God's
word,
which
is
truth,
whatever
is
consistent
with
the
gospel
of
truth,
think
about
these
things.
Whatever
is
honorable,
not
what
is
despicable
or
contemptible,
but
whatever
is
worthy
of
praise,
whatever
is
noble,
whatever
is
worthy
of
respect,
think
about
these
things.
Whatever
is
just,
another
translation
says,
whatever
is
right,
not
what
sinners,
sinful
humanity
says
is
right
or
just,
but
what
God
says
is
right,
what
God
says
is
just,
think
about
these
things,
whatever
is
pure,
not
things
that
are
tainted
or
sordid,
but
whatever
is
unblemished,
whatever
is
pure
and
innocent,
think
about
these
things,
whatever
is
lovely,
not
things
that
are
ugly
and
unpleasant,
but
whatever
is
beautiful,
whatever
is
delightful,
think
about
these
things,
whatever
is
commendable,
not
things
that
should
be
condemned
or
denounced,
but
whatever
is
praiseworthy,
think
about
these
things,
and then
the last
two
phrases
sum it
all up,
if there
is
any
excellence,
if there
is
anything
worthy
of
praise,
think
about
these
things,
and in
addition
to
thinking
about
these
things,
we
are
to
practice
these
things,
and we
put
them
into
practice
by
imitating
those
who
have
modeled
them
for
us.
verse
9
says
what
you
have
learned
and
received
and
heard
and
seen
in
me
practice
these
things.
This
is a
continuation
of
Paul's
thought
from
chapter
3
verse
17
where
he
told
the
Philippians
join
in
imitating
me
and
keep
your
eyes
on
those
who
walk
according
to
the
example
you
have
in
us.
Because
the
world
is
replete
with
bad
examples
that
seek
to
lead
us
astray
we
need
to
pay
careful
attention
to
those
who
live
cross
shaped
lives
according
to
the
pattern
that
Christ
has
set
for
us.
And
if
we
do
that
the
God
of
peace
will
be
with
you.
I
began
this
message
by
talking
about
how
people
all
over
the
world
are
seeking
peace
but
peace
is
elusive
for
them
because
it
cannot
ultimately
be
found
apart
from
the
God
of
peace.
I
was
once
told
that
in
a
Christian
library
put
together
by
a
missionary
in
Southeast
Asia
one
of
the
most
sought
out
books
one
of
the
most
frequently
borrowed
books
especially
among
the
Buddhist
monks
that
were
there
was
the
book
entitled
Peace
with
God
by
Billy
Graham
though
in
appearance
these
monks
demeanor
and
lifestyle
were
a
picture
of
perfect
peace
they
lacked
true
inner
peace
because
they
did
not
have
peace
with
God
every
single
one
of
us
is
born
in
enmity
toward
God
there
is
hostility
between
us
and
God
by
birth
that's
the
human
predicament
because
our
forefather
and
representative
Adam
failed
us
by
rebelling
against
God
and
Paul
describes
this
condition
with
three
parallel
phrases
in
Romans
5
he
says
while
we
were
still
weak
while
we
were
still
sinners
while
we
were
enemies
we
were
reconciled
to
God
by
the
death
of
his
son
Ephesians
2
14
says
Christ
himself
is
our
peace
he
is
called
the
prince
of
peace
in
Isaiah
9
6
because
the
God
of
peace
so
loved
us
he
sent
his
only
son
to
die
for
us
on
the
cross
so
that
our
guilt
might
be
atoned
for
and
God's
wrath
righteous
wrath
might
be
satisfied
and
it's
only
because
of
Christ
that
we
now
have
peace
with
God
and
it's
only
by
being
reconciled
to
God
our
father
that
we
have
peace
with
one
another
as
brothers
and
sisters
in
Christ
so
let's
be
ambassadors
of
peace
ambassadors
of
reconciliation
let's
be
people
who
are
full
of
joy
and
thanksgiving
who
impart
God's
peace
to
those
whom
they
meet
because
we
ourselves
have
been
filled
to
overflowing
by
the
peace
of
God
let's
pray
together
yes
God
we
have
tasted
that
peace
and
we
long
for
it
more
and
more
Lord
grant
us
to
surrender
all
to
you
entrust
everything
to
you
in
prayer
oh
Lord
use
us
to
proclaim
your
peace
in
this
world
full
of
unrest
in
Jesus
name
we
pray
amen
let
I
おっ
me
but
I
this
is
an
مث
or
woman
to
other
THAT
nobody