WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:15.040 The following sermon is made available by Lakeside Bible Church in Cornelius, North Carolina. 00:00:15.040 --> 00:00:19.160 For more information about our church or to find more recorded sermons, 00:00:19.660 --> 00:00:22.740 please visit us online at lakesidebible.church. 00:00:23.219 --> 00:00:25.719 We'd also love to connect with you on social media. 00:00:25.719 --> 00:00:30.660 You can find us by searching Lakeside Bible NC on Facebook and Instagram. 00:00:31.419 --> 00:00:37.879 For specific questions about the Bible or our church, please email us at info at lakesidebible.church. 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:46.019 Now to be helpful for us here as we consider inner peace and how to be at peace within, 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:51.980 to remind ourselves of the context in which the Philippian believers lived. 00:00:51.979 --> 00:00:59.119 What exactly is it that prompted Paul to address this congregation on the topic of peace? 00:00:59.899 --> 00:01:07.179 And the simple answer to that is life in Philippi as a Christian was not necessarily an easy life. 00:01:07.959 --> 00:01:11.959 In some cases, it was actually a very, very difficult life. 00:01:11.959 --> 00:01:19.719 Now, the empire of Rome in some ways might have been tolerant of various religious perspectives, 00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:21.679 at least to an extent. 00:01:21.679 --> 00:01:30.799 As long as an individual gave what they considered to be proper respect and even worship to Caesar and to Rome itself, 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:35.099 they didn't mind exactly what your religious persuasion was other than that. 00:01:35.099 --> 00:01:42.099 What they did care about was that their cities and that their empire would remain in peace. 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:43.959 They hated rioting. 00:01:44.060 --> 00:01:45.539 They hated civil unrest. 00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:52.259 And because Christianity was so radically different than other religions, even as it is today, 00:01:52.519 --> 00:01:56.799 so radically different than the state of Rome and the mindset of the Romans, 00:01:56.799 --> 00:02:05.379 the adversaries of Christianity were often inciting violence and unrest in these various cities. 00:02:05.640 --> 00:02:10.939 And it would be easily blamed on the Christians, easily blamed on the Christian way of life. 00:02:10.939 --> 00:02:15.639 And the quickest thing for us to point our fingers at in the Bible as far as seeing this context 00:02:15.639 --> 00:02:18.539 is the actual start of the church in Philippi. 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:22.960 Acts chapter 16, you remember we addressed it even last week briefly. 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:27.480 Paul and Silas and Timothy and Luke make their way to Philippi, 00:02:27.760 --> 00:02:30.240 and God begins to use them to establish this church. 00:02:31.040 --> 00:02:35.379 One day they, through God's power, cast a demon out of a young slave girl 00:02:35.379 --> 00:02:38.180 and continued to preach the gospel of Jesus. 00:02:38.360 --> 00:02:44.240 And because of that, people in the city were upset, and they created a riot of sorts. 00:02:44.360 --> 00:02:47.439 They drew them into the city square where everyone was gathering. 00:02:47.860 --> 00:02:49.159 They condemned them publicly. 00:02:49.400 --> 00:02:50.879 They beat them, imprisoned them. 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:54.340 And all for preaching the gospel. 00:02:54.819 --> 00:02:58.439 And for casting out a demon out of this young slave girl. 00:02:59.019 --> 00:03:01.799 And that's really the context of the Roman Empire. 00:03:02.379 --> 00:03:06.299 It was okay so long as Paul and Silas were keeping to themselves 00:03:06.299 --> 00:03:09.379 and just going about their business believing what they wanted to believe. 00:03:09.579 --> 00:03:15.099 But at the moment that the Christian faith began to interfere with the wickedness of their society, 00:03:15.099 --> 00:03:17.879 and it began to interfere with things going around, 00:03:17.879 --> 00:03:22.019 violence was incited, unrest came into the picture, 00:03:22.219 --> 00:03:23.900 and ultimately got blamed on Christians. 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:26.879 That's the context in which these Philippian believers were living. 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:31.419 Just a few years after this letter was written to this church 00:03:31.419 --> 00:03:35.479 was the great fire of Rome that we read about in our history books. 00:03:35.479 --> 00:03:40.840 And some ancient historians credit Emperor Nero for starting that fire himself. 00:03:41.500 --> 00:03:46.639 And one of the things that he did in response to that is he blamed the Christians for it 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:50.719 because they were already so disliked in the empire, especially in Rome, 00:03:50.859 --> 00:03:55.719 their beliefs and their radical behavior as far as Rome was concerned made them easy to blame. 00:03:55.819 --> 00:04:00.319 And so he put the blame on the Christians, and they took the brunt of the blame for that. 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:04.819 And many of them lost their lives and entered into this season of martyrdom for their faith. 00:04:04.819 --> 00:04:09.000 That's the period of time that these Philippian believers are living. 00:04:09.560 --> 00:04:15.859 And so when we ask the question, why is Paul dealing with anxiousness, anxiety so much with this church? 00:04:15.939 --> 00:04:21.000 Why is he so concerned about their peace and them standing strong and standing firm? 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:26.279 It's because they had every reason legitimately on earth to quit. 00:04:26.279 --> 00:04:35.500 They had every reason legitimately to be full of anxiety and worried about literally their life. 00:04:36.219 --> 00:04:40.500 Think about those things that we've already learned even in our study of this letter 00:04:40.500 --> 00:04:43.219 that would have been on the heart and mind of these people. 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:45.939 Number one, they were under constant threat of persecution. 00:04:45.939 --> 00:04:54.959 That's why at the end of chapter 1 and verse 28, Paul encourages them that in nothing they are terrified by their adversaries, 00:04:55.219 --> 00:05:00.040 which is to them a sign of destruction, but to you of salvation and that of God. 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:00.600 And then he says, 00:05:00.600 --> 00:05:12.240 They were under the constant threat of persecution. 00:05:12.980 --> 00:05:17.860 Some of them struggled with poverty and the implications that come along with poverty. 00:05:18.400 --> 00:05:20.800 And that weighed on their minds and weighed on their hearts. 00:05:21.260 --> 00:05:25.879 We read about that in 2 Corinthians 8, that they gave out of their great poverty. 00:05:25.879 --> 00:05:30.139 Paul was their founder, the founder of their church. 00:05:30.259 --> 00:05:31.540 He was their spiritual father. 00:05:32.060 --> 00:05:35.120 And he was now on his fourth year of imprisonment in Rome. 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:37.040 And they're concerned about that. 00:05:37.379 --> 00:05:39.480 So they've got their own lives that they're worried about. 00:05:39.879 --> 00:05:45.779 Some of them don't have a penny to their name and they're just trying to survive day by day. 00:05:45.980 --> 00:05:49.620 And then this man that they love so much is now his fourth year in prison. 00:05:49.980 --> 00:05:54.240 His fourth year he's not been able to freely go around and preach the gospel and plant other churches. 00:05:54.240 --> 00:05:56.780 And they're concerned about Paul. 00:05:57.840 --> 00:06:04.019 Their consciences were burdened because they had sent one of their own, Epaphroditus, to go check on Paul. 00:06:04.759 --> 00:06:08.019 And they found out that on the way, he got very sick. 00:06:08.480 --> 00:06:10.220 Sick even unto death. 00:06:10.460 --> 00:06:12.680 And now they're dealing in their conscience with, 00:06:13.160 --> 00:06:14.139 Is this our fault? 00:06:14.220 --> 00:06:16.000 Should we not have sent Epaphroditus? 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:18.600 It's our fault that he got sick and almost died. 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:21.720 And that's weighing on their minds and on their hearts. 00:06:21.720 --> 00:06:27.400 They're being infiltrated by false teachers that were leading people away from the gospel. 00:06:27.500 --> 00:06:28.720 We learned that in chapter three. 00:06:29.380 --> 00:06:31.840 And then to top it all off, as we learned last week, 00:06:32.660 --> 00:06:35.700 Two of their most faithful women are at odds. 00:06:35.880 --> 00:06:36.960 And everybody knows it. 00:06:37.080 --> 00:06:39.040 And it's a distraction in the church. 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:42.020 They had every reason in the world to be anxious. 00:06:42.540 --> 00:06:43.840 And they were anxious. 00:06:44.080 --> 00:06:45.340 Just like we would be. 00:06:45.740 --> 00:06:47.840 Just like we often are. 00:06:47.839 --> 00:06:52.759 Have you ever been filled with worry and anxiety like this? 00:06:53.799 --> 00:06:54.699 Of course you have. 00:06:55.219 --> 00:06:56.279 Maybe you are today. 00:06:57.359 --> 00:06:59.879 We've just talked about what life was like in Philippi. 00:06:59.979 --> 00:07:04.979 Let's consider for just a moment what life may be like for you in Cornelius today. 00:07:06.459 --> 00:07:12.379 Years of prosperity as a nation has come to a grinding halt in a matter of months. 00:07:12.379 --> 00:07:14.980 That weighs on our minds. 00:07:16.939 --> 00:07:26.360 We worry about unknowingly catching or spreading a virus that has the potential to be deadly to people that we love. 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:29.500 That weighs on our minds and on our hearts. 00:07:30.980 --> 00:07:33.699 Some of us have lost income in this season. 00:07:33.699 --> 00:07:38.180 Our jobs are threatened right now. 00:07:38.300 --> 00:07:41.939 And we worry about being able to make ends meet, support our families. 00:07:44.159 --> 00:07:48.740 We question how severely our children's education is suffering right now. 00:07:49.719 --> 00:07:52.399 They haven't been able to go to school for months. 00:07:53.060 --> 00:07:56.480 And we're still not sure if they're going to be able to go to school next month. 00:07:57.019 --> 00:07:57.980 And we worry. 00:07:58.379 --> 00:07:59.060 We're anxious. 00:07:59.060 --> 00:08:03.579 We're concerned about the future of our nation. 00:08:04.280 --> 00:08:09.019 It seems to continue in its descent into chaos, even anarchy. 00:08:10.339 --> 00:08:17.319 And then on top of all of that, as Christians, we're concerned about the effects that all of this will have on the church, on our church. 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:21.000 Will Lakeside be able to continue to exist? 00:08:22.180 --> 00:08:25.519 Will God still be able to use it here despite these circumstances? 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:33.159 Estimates are that hundreds of churches will close their doors this year, specifically as a result of the effects of COVID-19. 00:08:35.100 --> 00:08:37.600 Hundreds of pastors leave the ministry every year. 00:08:38.439 --> 00:08:45.419 In a season like this, when for some it's particularly discouraging, maybe those numbers will be even multiplied. 00:08:45.639 --> 00:08:46.939 And that weighs on us. 00:08:47.840 --> 00:08:53.439 Will the extremists in our culture set their destructive gaze on our church next? 00:08:53.440 --> 00:09:04.660 Will we be the next church that, as we come into church on Sunday morning for worship, have mobs of people outside to ridicule us and berate us as we come in, as has happened to other churches in our nation? 00:09:05.500 --> 00:09:06.260 When will that happen? 00:09:06.360 --> 00:09:07.660 Those things weigh on our hearts. 00:09:07.760 --> 00:09:08.620 They weigh on our minds. 00:09:08.780 --> 00:09:11.340 We're, what voices can we trust right now? 00:09:12.600 --> 00:09:18.500 And it's easy for us to fall out of a state of peace and to actually give in to a lot of worry. 00:09:18.500 --> 00:09:24.620 Well, God gives us the answer to our anxiety in these verses that we just read. 00:09:26.100 --> 00:09:34.879 If and when you are struggling with obtaining peace in your heart and mind, I want to encourage you to continue to come back to this passage. 00:09:35.960 --> 00:09:40.840 To come back to these words as given by God through Paul in this letter. 00:09:40.840 --> 00:09:46.460 And Paul helps us here by vacillating between exhortation and encouragement. 00:09:46.620 --> 00:09:51.820 And as we go through this study today, I want to point out three specific exhortations that he has. 00:09:51.960 --> 00:09:59.960 And then I want to wrap it all up with one gloriously awesome encouragement that he gives us in verse number seven. 00:10:00.139 --> 00:10:02.180 Let's first look at the exhortations. 00:10:02.179 --> 00:10:11.859 In these verses, Paul writes a series of imperatives for us, instructions that are crucial for experiencing true and lasting peace. 00:10:12.500 --> 00:10:14.659 They are not suggestions. 00:10:15.500 --> 00:10:19.319 They're not ideas for us to consider on the pathway to peace. 00:10:19.500 --> 00:10:22.039 They are explicit instructions. 00:10:22.359 --> 00:10:25.620 They are calls to resolute action. 00:10:26.740 --> 00:10:30.559 And in that, we understand that peace is not an arbitrary emotion. 00:10:30.559 --> 00:10:34.379 It is the result of definitive action. 00:10:34.639 --> 00:10:42.139 And in these three exhortations, he tells us what we should be doing on our part to work towards this peace that God provides. 00:10:42.479 --> 00:10:45.459 The first thing he says is that we are to rejoice in the Lord. 00:10:45.779 --> 00:10:47.099 Look with me at verse number four. 00:10:47.639 --> 00:10:50.919 Very clearly, he says, rejoice in the Lord always. 00:10:51.979 --> 00:10:54.659 And again, I say, rejoice. 00:10:54.659 --> 00:11:06.419 I heard somebody say last week on a podcast that when you've said something a hundred times, and you're just getting to the point where you're tired of hearing it, your audience typically is hearing it for the first time. 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:09.100 And those of us with kids understand that, right? 00:11:09.299 --> 00:11:16.399 No matter how many times we give them an instruction or explain something, whenever we're tired of saying it, they're really beginning to hear it for the first time. 00:11:16.919 --> 00:11:20.019 Well, joy is this continual theme in the book of Philippians. 00:11:20.019 --> 00:11:26.319 And you would think at this point, Paul is getting really tired of writing about joy and instructing rejoicing. 00:11:26.439 --> 00:11:32.579 Maybe he feels like he's being redundant and repetitive in a way that is unhelpful at this point. 00:11:33.199 --> 00:11:42.559 But in this case, rejoicing is so significant to the issue of inner peace that he emphatically restates the instruction. 00:11:42.860 --> 00:11:43.840 Look again at verse four. 00:11:44.439 --> 00:11:46.240 Rejoice in the Lord always, he says. 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:51.100 And then he stops and pauses for just a moment, and he says, and again, listen to me, church, he says. 00:11:51.399 --> 00:11:54.299 Listen, Philippian believers, what I'm saying to you. 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:55.919 Listen, rejoice. 00:11:56.960 --> 00:11:58.820 Rejoice on this pathway to peace. 00:11:58.980 --> 00:12:01.639 You're going to have to choose joy. 00:12:02.539 --> 00:12:04.159 But what could this possibly mean? 00:12:05.220 --> 00:12:09.919 It would make more sense for joy to be the product of peace. 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:15.959 But Paul seems to indicate that peace is actually the product of joy. 00:12:16.919 --> 00:12:21.939 But an understanding of biblical joy helps us to make all the difference in understanding this command. 00:12:23.299 --> 00:12:28.860 To rejoice means to be exceedingly glad or to take pleasure in something. 00:12:29.199 --> 00:12:32.139 And it's directly related to your passions. 00:12:32.139 --> 00:12:41.279 Whether or not you're able to rejoice is contingent upon the circumstances surrounding the things in which you take pleasure. 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:42.539 We understand that, right? 00:12:42.819 --> 00:12:49.639 Our ability to rejoice is tied directly to the circumstances surrounding the things that we take pleasure in, 00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:52.059 the things that we care about, our specific passions. 00:12:52.059 --> 00:12:59.119 For instance, if your passion is sports and you have a particular team that you love, 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:07.579 you are passionately involved in rejoicing over a win or rejoicing over a championship. 00:13:08.500 --> 00:13:15.299 If your passions are wrapped up primarily in your job, you rejoice at the success of a project 00:13:15.299 --> 00:13:20.059 or you rejoice at the enjoyment of a promotion. 00:13:20.299 --> 00:13:26.379 Something good that comes apart with your job allows you to have the opportunity to rejoice in that thing that you're passionate about. 00:13:26.579 --> 00:13:31.219 If your passion is politics, you rejoice when your candidate is elected 00:13:31.219 --> 00:13:35.199 or a bill that you support is passed in to law. 00:13:35.500 --> 00:13:39.459 Our rejoicing is tied directly to the circumstances around the things that we care about. 00:13:39.460 --> 00:13:46.780 But what about when our team loses the game or loses the championship? 00:13:48.580 --> 00:13:52.820 What about instead of getting that promotion that we've been working hard for over years, 00:13:52.900 --> 00:13:57.060 we actually get laid off in this season and actually lose every bit of our income? 00:13:57.340 --> 00:14:01.139 All of the passion we've wrapped up in the thing that we do is now gone. 00:14:01.540 --> 00:14:03.160 What then happens to our rejoicing? 00:14:04.600 --> 00:14:06.700 What about when your candidate doesn't get elected? 00:14:06.700 --> 00:14:12.780 What about when all the energy you've placed into your political passions, 00:14:12.860 --> 00:14:16.259 all of a sudden, all the hope of that is gone? 00:14:16.420 --> 00:14:19.900 In those moments, it's impossible to rejoice. 00:14:20.379 --> 00:14:21.100 Can't do it. 00:14:21.820 --> 00:14:28.800 Because our rejoicing is tied specifically to the circumstances around that which grabs our passion. 00:14:29.720 --> 00:14:34.759 But the command that Paul gives in verse number four is that we rejoice always. 00:14:34.759 --> 00:14:37.519 But how is that possible? 00:14:38.379 --> 00:14:42.580 The key is in recognizing the source of our joy. 00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:49.240 This command in verse number four is really just a command to reorder your passions. 00:14:50.220 --> 00:14:55.379 He's commanding this church to set their focus anew and to set their focus on what? 00:14:55.580 --> 00:14:57.759 On Jesus Christ. 00:14:57.759 --> 00:15:04.439 It's a call to take pleasure in Jesus Christ and his glory above everything else in life. 00:15:04.759 --> 00:15:08.899 Now think about what we just said, the way we just define joy and rejoicing. 00:15:09.019 --> 00:15:10.039 Think about it for a moment now. 00:15:10.679 --> 00:15:19.019 If our rejoicing is contingent upon the circumstances surrounding the things in which we take pleasure in, 00:15:19.019 --> 00:15:27.480 then it is impossible for us to lose our joy when Jesus is our greatest pleasure. 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:35.699 When your job is your greatest pleasure, your joy will be removed at the loss or the devastation of that job. 00:15:35.960 --> 00:15:40.600 When politics is your pleasure, your joy will be stripped away when things don't go your way. 00:15:40.600 --> 00:15:46.120 When people are your pleasure, when you lose them, that joy is then stripped away. 00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:52.980 But as long as Jesus is the greatest pleasure of your life, you will never lose your joy. 00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:57.800 So Paul can write to these Philippian believers who are in a circumstance that is dire, 00:15:58.100 --> 00:16:00.879 a circumstance that is way worse than what we've experienced. 00:16:01.080 --> 00:16:06.800 And he can write to them and say, rejoice, because the object of your rejoicing is to be Jesus Christ. 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:09.000 And why does that make a difference? 00:16:09.319 --> 00:16:11.500 Because Jesus never fails. 00:16:12.419 --> 00:16:15.159 His divine nature is unchanging. 00:16:15.699 --> 00:16:20.419 His grace and his mercy and his forgiveness never ends. 00:16:20.500 --> 00:16:21.319 It is eternal. 00:16:22.120 --> 00:16:24.639 The life that he gives is everlasting. 00:16:24.959 --> 00:16:27.139 And his promises are sure. 00:16:27.839 --> 00:16:29.659 He will never lose. 00:16:30.139 --> 00:16:32.439 He will never forsake you. 00:16:32.819 --> 00:16:35.079 He will never lie to you. 00:16:35.080 --> 00:16:37.400 Make him your greatest pleasure. 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:42.620 And rejoicing will be a continual experience in your life. 00:16:43.160 --> 00:16:48.120 This is exactly why Habakkuk could write, as we studied a few weeks ago, at the end of his book, 00:16:48.280 --> 00:16:50.520 he could wholeheartedly sing this song. 00:16:50.980 --> 00:16:54.500 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, 00:16:54.660 --> 00:16:58.460 the produce of the olive fail, and the fields yield no food, 00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:02.360 the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls. 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:05.220 Though everything be taken away from me in this life. 00:17:05.299 --> 00:17:09.380 Habakkuk says, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. 00:17:09.779 --> 00:17:13.500 I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 00:17:14.039 --> 00:17:19.980 Everything in this life is temporary, but God never changes, and his love never goes away. 00:17:19.980 --> 00:17:25.420 The wealth that brings you peace of mind can be lost in a day. 00:17:26.420 --> 00:17:31.680 The people that bring you peace of heart can be lost in a moment. 00:17:32.180 --> 00:17:36.460 But nothing can separate you from the love of God. 00:17:37.259 --> 00:17:38.980 As Romans 8 reminds us, 00:17:38.980 --> 00:17:41.839 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 00:17:42.759 --> 00:17:52.400 Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:56.799 As it is written, for your sake we are being killed all the day long. 00:17:57.079 --> 00:17:59.279 We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. 00:17:59.900 --> 00:18:02.480 No, in all these things, Paul says, 00:18:02.559 --> 00:18:05.940 we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 00:18:05.940 --> 00:18:12.720 For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, 00:18:13.019 --> 00:18:17.480 nor things to come, nor powers, that is those who rule and govern us, 00:18:17.660 --> 00:18:21.500 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation 00:18:21.500 --> 00:18:27.420 will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 00:18:27.580 --> 00:18:29.519 What's the first step to peace? 00:18:30.120 --> 00:18:30.720 Rejoice. 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:36.700 How can you rejoice in everything when the greatest pleasure of your life is Jesus Christ? 00:18:36.900 --> 00:18:40.839 You will never lose your joy, because he is unchanging. 00:18:41.640 --> 00:18:44.640 And nothing can separate you from his love. 00:18:44.779 --> 00:18:48.519 So this first exhortation for Paul, it's under the umbrella of peace, 00:18:48.600 --> 00:18:50.039 but he first deals with rejoicing. 00:18:50.360 --> 00:18:51.500 Rejoice in the Lord. 00:18:51.860 --> 00:18:54.539 And then he says, remember his presence. 00:18:55.420 --> 00:18:56.420 Remember his presence. 00:18:56.500 --> 00:18:57.839 Look at verse number five. 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:01.319 Let your moderation be known unto all men. 00:19:01.839 --> 00:19:03.319 The Lord is at hand. 00:19:03.939 --> 00:19:06.039 Be careful for nothing. 00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:10.439 Now it's common when meditating on Philippians chapter four 00:19:10.439 --> 00:19:14.519 to dwell on the command to rejoice in verse four 00:19:14.519 --> 00:19:18.179 and the command to spurn anxiety in verse six. 00:19:19.059 --> 00:19:21.419 But if we neglect verse five, 00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:26.439 we miss a crucial element of obtaining peace. 00:19:26.440 --> 00:19:34.740 There's three phrases included that give us two exhortations and one objective fact. 00:19:35.320 --> 00:19:39.160 Together they make up this second primary exhortation 00:19:39.160 --> 00:19:42.720 that really has to do with us remembering the presence of the Lord. 00:19:43.080 --> 00:19:44.759 Let's look at the instructions first. 00:19:45.160 --> 00:19:46.700 Look at this first phrase in verse five. 00:19:47.100 --> 00:19:49.920 Let your moderation be known unto all men. 00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:53.500 Now if you're using a King James version this morning, 00:19:53.640 --> 00:19:55.259 moderation is the word that's used. 00:19:55.580 --> 00:19:59.240 The Greek word here is the word for gentle or gentleness. 00:19:59.800 --> 00:20:03.779 In fact, it's only used four other times in the New Testament. 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:08.160 And every one of those times, it's translated in English as gentle. 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:11.320 Why it's given to us as moderation here, I don't know. 00:20:11.539 --> 00:20:14.160 But for whatever reason, they chose to do that. 00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:17.820 Let me show you what these other passages that use this word say, 00:20:17.819 --> 00:20:20.539 because it directly relates to what Paul's getting across here. 00:20:21.099 --> 00:20:24.019 First Timothy three and verse three is the first one. 00:20:24.059 --> 00:20:27.179 If you want to write that down, you can look at it later and study it with me. 00:20:27.579 --> 00:20:32.919 In first Timothy three, Paul is writing to Timothy about the qualifications of a pastor, 00:20:33.679 --> 00:20:35.919 qualifications of elders in the church. 00:20:36.059 --> 00:20:38.460 And here's what he says should be true of elders. 00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:42.099 He says they should not be addicted to wine or pugnacious, 00:20:42.099 --> 00:20:47.959 but in contrast to that, gentle and peaceable. 00:20:48.639 --> 00:20:53.740 So rather than somebody that is controlled by substance to the point that it leads them to 00:20:53.740 --> 00:20:58.179 a demeanor of contention and fighting and brawling with others, 00:20:58.379 --> 00:21:02.259 the qualification of a pastor and of an elder in the church should be one that is gentle 00:21:02.259 --> 00:21:04.799 and that is peaceable in general. 00:21:05.939 --> 00:21:08.279 Titus chapter three and verse two is the other one. 00:21:08.740 --> 00:21:10.319 Titus chapter three and verse two. 00:21:10.319 --> 00:21:17.579 Here, Paul is instructing Titus on how he should instruct the congregants of his church, 00:21:17.799 --> 00:21:22.319 how he should preach and encourage the Christians in Crete. 00:21:22.740 --> 00:21:24.899 Here's what he says that he's to teach them, 00:21:25.500 --> 00:21:31.379 that they are to malign no one, to speak evil of no one, 00:21:31.460 --> 00:21:34.480 but instead they are to be peaceable. 00:21:35.039 --> 00:21:40.099 And here's that word, gentle, showing courtesy to all men. 00:21:40.899 --> 00:21:42.679 The next one is James chapter three. 00:21:43.259 --> 00:21:45.039 James chapter three and verse 17. 00:21:46.859 --> 00:21:50.539 Here, James is talking about the products of godly wisdom 00:21:50.539 --> 00:21:53.559 and he's contrasting worldly wisdom with godly wisdom. 00:21:53.819 --> 00:21:56.480 And he gives this whole description of what godly wisdom is. 00:21:56.579 --> 00:22:00.939 And in verse 17, he says it's pure, it's peaceable. 00:22:01.019 --> 00:22:03.480 Again, and then here's the word, it's gentle. 00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:06.500 And then James adds in reasonable. 00:22:06.940 --> 00:22:10.039 It's reasonable and it shows mercy. 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:15.559 And then the final time this word is used in the New Testament is 1 Peter chapter two. 00:22:15.799 --> 00:22:18.740 1 Peter chapter two and verse 18. 00:22:18.740 --> 00:22:25.920 Here, Peter is addressing the relationship between slaves and their masters. 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:32.100 And he's telling slaves as believers, Christian slaves, 00:22:32.259 --> 00:22:35.140 this is how you should regard your masters. 00:22:35.620 --> 00:22:37.060 And here's what he says they're to do. 00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:40.100 They're to submit to them. 00:22:40.660 --> 00:22:41.200 And then he says, 00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:54.360 So every time this word is used in the New Testament, it's the word gentle. 00:22:54.360 --> 00:22:59.759 And it's always set within the context of a reasonable spirit, a peaceable spirit. 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:02.779 And so then we come back to Philippians chapter four and we see, 00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:06.279 okay, let your gentleness be known unto all men. 00:23:06.440 --> 00:23:09.759 Let your peaceable spirit be known unto all men. 00:23:10.059 --> 00:23:16.259 Let your reasonable spirit, your reasonable mind be known unto all men. 00:23:16.740 --> 00:23:21.160 He wasn't speaking about indulgence as moderation would suggest. 00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:25.819 He was commanding the Philippians to demonstrate a gentle spirit. 00:23:25.819 --> 00:23:30.000 I think this is a callback to verses two and three. 00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:33.179 Remember the issue in verses two and three, 00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:35.659 Yodius and Syntyche are at odds with one another. 00:23:35.899 --> 00:23:37.240 There's a contention there. 00:23:37.740 --> 00:23:41.759 It's not a moral issue and it's not a doctrinal issue because Paul would have addressed that. 00:23:41.980 --> 00:23:44.359 There's something that has come in between these two ladies. 00:23:44.740 --> 00:23:46.740 They're at war with one another in the church. 00:23:46.899 --> 00:23:51.339 And Paul was commanding that they reconcile and that the church help them reconcile. 00:23:51.799 --> 00:23:55.139 I think this passage in verse five is a callback to that. 00:23:55.140 --> 00:24:01.180 Because what is it that so often causes otherwise faithful people, godly people, 00:24:01.340 --> 00:24:03.540 to act in contention with others? 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:06.820 A lack of inner peace. 00:24:07.740 --> 00:24:08.960 You know what I'm talking about. 00:24:10.300 --> 00:24:11.820 You've had a hard day at work. 00:24:12.940 --> 00:24:15.500 It's not the customer that you usually take that out on. 00:24:16.340 --> 00:24:16.920 Who is it? 00:24:17.660 --> 00:24:18.280 Your wife. 00:24:18.279 --> 00:24:26.299 Having a difficult season where it's time to pay the bills this month and things just aren't adding up just right. 00:24:26.359 --> 00:24:27.720 And that's weighing heavy on your mind. 00:24:27.819 --> 00:24:28.799 It's weighing heavy on your heart. 00:24:28.859 --> 00:24:32.519 And the kids come up while you're trying to work through all the calculations that you need. 00:24:32.539 --> 00:24:34.819 And as they keep coming up, you keep getting more and more aggravated. 00:24:34.980 --> 00:24:38.480 And you end up responding harshly, uncharacteristically harshly. 00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:39.720 Unreasonably. 00:24:39.720 --> 00:24:40.839 Or unreasonably. 00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:44.240 Or unpeaceably. 00:24:44.680 --> 00:24:46.440 To the people that we love the most. 00:24:47.620 --> 00:24:48.140 Why? 00:24:48.259 --> 00:24:51.140 Because peace with others really starts with peace within. 00:24:52.360 --> 00:24:55.940 And when we haven't got a hold of this peace within that comes from God, 00:24:56.599 --> 00:24:59.860 it's going to show itself in contention with others. 00:24:59.859 --> 00:25:03.399 He's addressing the contention with others here. 00:25:03.479 --> 00:25:04.740 It's just from another perspective. 00:25:06.059 --> 00:25:10.859 Sometimes it's the people we love the most that get the brunt of our anger when they have nothing to do with it. 00:25:11.679 --> 00:25:15.599 Sometimes it's the cashier at the grocery store that gets our smart aleck attitude 00:25:15.599 --> 00:25:18.219 because we just can't deal with something else that's going on in our life. 00:25:18.339 --> 00:25:21.000 And we've got to take it out on somebody so we take it out on them. 00:25:21.699 --> 00:25:26.279 Or we take it out on the person that just accidentally cut us off driving down the road or whatever it is. 00:25:26.279 --> 00:25:31.559 And we let this inner turmoil explode into hatefulness towards others. 00:25:31.660 --> 00:25:32.799 And Paul's addressing it here. 00:25:32.859 --> 00:25:34.680 He's saying that ought not be the case for you. 00:25:35.480 --> 00:25:39.920 Let your gentleness be known unto all men. 00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:43.059 And then he says, the beginning of verse 6, 00:25:44.359 --> 00:25:46.660 be careful for nothing. 00:25:46.740 --> 00:25:47.920 That's the other exhortation. 00:25:48.339 --> 00:25:49.399 Be careful for nothing. 00:25:49.819 --> 00:25:50.720 Well, we know what this means. 00:25:50.779 --> 00:25:53.240 We've all studied this verse enough to understand it. 00:25:53.240 --> 00:25:57.480 He's saying that we ought not be worrisome or anxious over anything. 00:25:58.120 --> 00:25:59.240 That's quite a command. 00:26:00.180 --> 00:26:01.519 Don't worry over anything? 00:26:02.700 --> 00:26:03.380 What? 00:26:04.839 --> 00:26:10.440 These are the people that we affectionately refer to as worry warts, right? 00:26:11.480 --> 00:26:13.240 Always worked up over something. 00:26:13.319 --> 00:26:14.539 They're always nervous about something. 00:26:14.620 --> 00:26:17.180 Always afraid of something. 00:26:17.980 --> 00:26:20.180 It's not a sin to experience worry. 00:26:20.180 --> 00:26:29.299 It's sinful to be controlled by worry to the extent that we don't rest in God's purposes and God's promises. 00:26:29.660 --> 00:26:30.820 That's the command here. 00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:36.519 It's sinful when we allow our anxiety to push us to a place of disobedience to the Lord. 00:26:37.539 --> 00:26:39.460 How could God command such a thing? 00:26:40.420 --> 00:26:42.400 Don't worry about anything? 00:26:42.400 --> 00:26:51.519 It may seem kind of insensitive, actually, for Paul to write this to a group of people that were facing severe persecution. 00:26:52.060 --> 00:26:55.560 But this is where that objective fact comes into play. 00:26:55.900 --> 00:26:57.640 It's right in the middle of these two phrases. 00:26:57.759 --> 00:26:58.620 Look at it in verse 5. 00:26:59.140 --> 00:27:00.720 Let your gentleness be known unto all men. 00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:01.400 Then what does he say? 00:27:02.040 --> 00:27:05.480 The Lord is at hand. 00:27:05.480 --> 00:27:08.860 The Lord is near. 00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:17.880 Sandwiched between these two seemingly impossible instructions is this awesome, objective fact. 00:27:18.279 --> 00:27:21.140 What could possibly set these people's minds at ease? 00:27:21.240 --> 00:27:24.579 The fact that Jesus is near to them. 00:27:25.240 --> 00:27:28.860 His presence goes with us through the work of the Holy Spirit. 00:27:28.859 --> 00:27:34.759 He never sends us down a path on which he doesn't accompany us on our way. 00:27:35.339 --> 00:27:40.279 He never calls us to endure what he was unwilling to endure for our sake. 00:27:40.879 --> 00:27:48.539 His presence and his power and his providential care is near to us at each and every step of life. 00:27:48.719 --> 00:27:52.059 How can we allow this peace to show itself in gentleness to others? 00:27:52.059 --> 00:27:57.699 How can we be careful for nothing when we remember that Jesus is near to us? 00:27:57.700 --> 00:28:06.299 His power, his presence, his provision is available to us at every moment of every day throughout our entire lives. 00:28:07.180 --> 00:28:11.140 This peace is promised to us all throughout the scriptures. 00:28:12.559 --> 00:28:15.200 In Exodus chapter 33, God told Moses, 00:28:15.660 --> 00:28:19.400 My presence will go with you and I will give you rest. 00:28:19.400 --> 00:28:25.460 He was about to go into 40 years of isolation with a bunch of grumbling complainers. 00:28:25.460 --> 00:28:28.120 And God says, I'm going with you. 00:28:28.700 --> 00:28:31.059 I will give you rest in the midst of this trouble. 00:28:31.700 --> 00:28:36.360 Later on in Joshua chapter 1, God tells this to Joshua, 00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:37.720 Have I not commanded you? 00:28:38.100 --> 00:28:39.420 Be strong and courageous. 00:28:40.120 --> 00:28:42.920 Don't be frightened and do not be dismayed. 00:28:43.240 --> 00:28:45.039 Not because he's a great warrior, 00:28:45.480 --> 00:28:49.579 but because the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 00:28:49.579 --> 00:28:53.359 Is there anxiety that comes with losing your job? 00:28:53.679 --> 00:28:54.119 Absolutely. 00:28:54.679 --> 00:28:56.599 But remember, the Lord goes with you. 00:28:57.000 --> 00:28:58.119 His presence is near. 00:28:58.919 --> 00:29:02.699 Is it difficult with a virus floating around that you can't see 00:29:02.699 --> 00:29:06.919 and you don't know even how destructive it really can be to your life? 00:29:07.119 --> 00:29:08.980 Yeah, but the Lord is near you. 00:29:09.519 --> 00:29:11.779 Remember his presence and so on and so forth. 00:29:12.339 --> 00:29:13.799 Matthew 28, Jesus said, 00:29:13.899 --> 00:29:17.500 Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. 00:29:17.500 --> 00:29:21.299 In John chapter 16, Jesus said, 00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:26.039 I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace. 00:29:26.599 --> 00:29:29.039 In the world, he says, you'll have tribulation. 00:29:29.339 --> 00:29:33.819 Set all your focus, all your mind, all your passion on worldly things, 00:29:33.880 --> 00:29:35.619 you're going to have lots of trouble in your life. 00:29:35.720 --> 00:29:39.240 But take heart, Jesus says, I have overcome the world. 00:29:39.579 --> 00:29:43.200 Your peace is found in me and I am near you. 00:29:43.480 --> 00:29:45.160 That's a promise for all of us. 00:29:45.160 --> 00:29:49.360 Hebrews 13, I will never leave you nor forsake you. 00:29:50.500 --> 00:29:54.259 The promise of his presence brings peace. 00:29:57.279 --> 00:30:01.140 Again, nine or 10 years ago, we had a father-son camp out 00:30:01.140 --> 00:30:04.420 that our church at Laurel did with my dad's church in Gastonia. 00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:06.960 We went to this camp in Shelby, actually. 00:30:07.840 --> 00:30:09.720 And all of these dads brought their sons with them 00:30:09.720 --> 00:30:12.500 or Jonathan and I were there with our dad. 00:30:12.500 --> 00:30:17.099 And this camp was set up with these different dormitories that had bunk beds. 00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:18.900 And there were obviously different rooms, 00:30:19.019 --> 00:30:23.900 but you'd probably sleep 10 or 15 people in one particular room in these bunk beds. 00:30:24.079 --> 00:30:26.420 And so we got there and we all chose a bunk. 00:30:26.539 --> 00:30:31.680 And I happened to be in a room with who was my dad's youth pastor at the time. 00:30:31.720 --> 00:30:32.720 His name was John Dorothy. 00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:36.640 And he had a couple of young kids with him, a young boy, probably about five years old. 00:30:37.360 --> 00:30:40.200 And the first night we were there, we all went to sleep. 00:30:40.259 --> 00:30:42.540 And in the middle of the night, his little boy woke up 00:30:42.540 --> 00:30:45.380 and just didn't realize where he was. 00:30:45.580 --> 00:30:46.420 He was scared. 00:30:46.500 --> 00:30:48.340 And immediately he began to scream. 00:30:48.700 --> 00:30:50.340 He was screaming loud and crying. 00:30:50.440 --> 00:30:52.360 He had no idea what was going on. 00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:52.860 He was scared. 00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:53.820 He was scared to death. 00:30:54.980 --> 00:30:58.160 And clearly it woke us all up and we're all trying to figure out what's going on. 00:30:58.160 --> 00:31:02.620 But I remember distinctly, immediately, John got out of his bed. 00:31:02.680 --> 00:31:03.420 He understood who it was. 00:31:03.460 --> 00:31:05.500 He immediately got out of his bed and he ran over to his son. 00:31:05.560 --> 00:31:07.640 He said, I can't remember his son's name, but he said his son's name. 00:31:07.660 --> 00:31:09.360 And he just, he rested his hand on his chest. 00:31:10.160 --> 00:31:11.680 And immediately the boy stopped crying. 00:31:12.120 --> 00:31:14.380 He was just completely silent for the moment. 00:31:15.640 --> 00:31:17.500 What was it that brought him peace in that moment? 00:31:18.019 --> 00:31:19.000 He couldn't see his dad. 00:31:19.040 --> 00:31:21.360 He had no idea who that was as far as his vision was concerned. 00:31:21.440 --> 00:31:21.880 He couldn't see him. 00:31:21.960 --> 00:31:22.860 It was dark in the room. 00:31:22.859 --> 00:31:28.219 But he knew his voice and he had experienced his touch. 00:31:29.199 --> 00:31:33.299 And the fact that his dad was near brought him peace in that moment. 00:31:34.399 --> 00:31:35.459 Still a dark night. 00:31:36.099 --> 00:31:37.639 Still an unusual place. 00:31:38.139 --> 00:31:39.339 It's not his regular bed. 00:31:39.519 --> 00:31:43.799 But just the fact that his dad was there brought him peace. 00:31:44.339 --> 00:31:46.659 This is exactly what Paul's talking about with Christians. 00:31:47.819 --> 00:31:50.079 This is a dark place we're in right now. 00:31:50.199 --> 00:31:51.879 This life, this season is dark. 00:31:51.880 --> 00:31:56.120 And by God's grace, we experience some joy and some excitement and some blessings in it. 00:31:56.300 --> 00:31:58.100 But for the most part, it's a dark life. 00:31:59.400 --> 00:32:02.180 Sin and devastation because of sin comes into the place. 00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:04.120 How do we possibly get through with peace? 00:32:04.220 --> 00:32:06.720 By knowing that Jesus, our father, he's near. 00:32:07.180 --> 00:32:07.780 He's near to us. 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:08.800 We know his voice. 00:32:08.920 --> 00:32:10.400 We don't see him, but we know his voice. 00:32:10.620 --> 00:32:12.140 We've experienced his touch. 00:32:12.400 --> 00:32:18.420 And when we will make him the sole passion of our lives, he will give us that peace that we need. 00:32:19.260 --> 00:32:21.380 Remember his presence. 00:32:21.880 --> 00:32:22.840 Remember his presence. 00:32:23.000 --> 00:32:28.540 And then the third exhortation that Paul gives quickly is that we request of God with thanksgiving. 00:32:28.660 --> 00:32:30.300 Look again at verse number six. 00:32:30.300 --> 00:32:43.180 Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God. 00:32:43.180 --> 00:32:47.900 Three specific times he instructs prayer here. 00:32:47.900 --> 00:32:50.040 He uses the word prayer. 00:32:50.040 --> 00:32:50.140 Prayer. 00:32:50.519 --> 00:32:53.380 Then he uses the word supplication. 00:32:53.640 --> 00:32:55.840 And then the word request. 00:32:56.600 --> 00:32:58.720 What's the emphasis here in our instruction? 00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:04.200 Prayer should be a vital part of our daily life, our daily walk. 00:33:04.280 --> 00:33:05.220 You want peace within? 00:33:06.620 --> 00:33:08.160 Prayer is going to be a huge part of that. 00:33:08.160 --> 00:33:08.779 Prayer. 00:33:08.779 --> 00:33:17.620 In contrast to the individual who's controlled by anxiety is the instruction to go to the Lord in prayer. 00:33:18.620 --> 00:33:23.600 Prayer demonstrates that we recognize our own insufficiency. 00:33:23.599 --> 00:33:32.099 Our pride often will resist prayer, but that just leads to greater anxiety and stress. 00:33:32.099 --> 00:33:39.679 But humble, wise Christians take their need to God in willful submission. 00:33:40.839 --> 00:33:42.079 We go through difficulties. 00:33:43.019 --> 00:33:45.779 First thing we do, if you're like me, we just try to figure it out. 00:33:45.839 --> 00:33:46.919 We try to work its way out. 00:33:47.379 --> 00:33:49.480 Julie and I were talking about something yesterday driving down the road. 00:33:49.740 --> 00:33:51.359 Just wasn't even a big thing. 00:33:51.399 --> 00:33:52.219 It was just something little. 00:33:52.359 --> 00:33:54.459 And we went through all of our plans first. 00:33:54.519 --> 00:33:55.619 Like five or six different things. 00:33:55.679 --> 00:33:56.980 This is what we can do. 00:33:56.980 --> 00:34:00.259 And finally, it settled on my heart and conviction for a moment. 00:34:00.380 --> 00:34:04.700 I said, well, maybe we should pray first and just see if the Lord will help us with this. 00:34:05.099 --> 00:34:09.179 You know, and all the time, our first thing is we're going to try to figure it out our way. 00:34:09.280 --> 00:34:13.039 We got to figure out what we're going to do and how it's going to work and all this kind of stuff. 00:34:13.099 --> 00:34:17.019 And we bring upon ourselves more stress, more anxiety. 00:34:17.019 --> 00:34:22.400 When Paul says, pray, supplicate, make your request, bring it to the Lord. 00:34:22.500 --> 00:34:24.159 Prayer is vital to our lives. 00:34:24.159 --> 00:34:31.639 If you're like me, you've gone through seasons where you've wondered how effective is prayer. 00:34:32.799 --> 00:34:41.139 If God knows everything, if he's sovereign, if he's already got it planned out in my life, why is this necessary? 00:34:41.319 --> 00:34:42.480 Why do I have to do this? 00:34:43.899 --> 00:34:46.839 But we can't escape the clear commands in scripture to pray. 00:34:48.500 --> 00:34:54.000 George McDonald said this, and I think this is so helpful with understanding the effectiveness of prayer. 00:34:54.159 --> 00:35:00.279 He said, what if God knows prayer to be the thing we need first and most? 00:35:00.819 --> 00:35:02.859 The thing that we need, the act of prayer. 00:35:03.980 --> 00:35:11.299 What if the main object in God's idea of prayer be the supplying of our great and endless need? 00:35:11.799 --> 00:35:13.039 The need of himself. 00:35:13.039 --> 00:35:21.380 What if the good of all of our smaller and lower needs lies in this, that they help drive us to God? 00:35:22.159 --> 00:35:26.559 Communion with God is the one need of the soul beyond all other needs. 00:35:27.039 --> 00:35:29.559 And prayer is the beginning of that communion. 00:35:30.199 --> 00:35:33.500 What's the point if God knows everything and he's laid it all out? 00:35:33.659 --> 00:35:36.079 The point is that prayer drives us to him. 00:35:36.300 --> 00:35:40.059 It drives us to this great need that we have in God. 00:35:40.059 --> 00:35:41.940 Yes, he uses prayer. 00:35:42.299 --> 00:35:44.480 Yes, that's a part of his plan of use. 00:35:44.579 --> 00:35:51.279 But first and foremost, what prayer does is it brings us close in communion with God, which is our greatest need. 00:35:51.739 --> 00:35:52.079 Pray. 00:35:52.239 --> 00:35:53.259 Is prayer a part of your life? 00:35:55.079 --> 00:35:56.779 Is prayer a part of your peace? 00:35:58.299 --> 00:36:03.360 And then he says that in everything, in verse 6, 00:36:03.360 --> 00:36:09.280 everything, we're to make the supplication with thanksgiving. 00:36:09.900 --> 00:36:16.599 So significant to this command then is the spirit with which we pray and the timing that we pray. 00:36:17.960 --> 00:36:20.079 We pray with thanksgiving, a grateful heart. 00:36:21.360 --> 00:36:24.079 And we pray with a grateful heart in every circumstance. 00:36:24.079 --> 00:36:30.699 And again, we reach one of these points in this passage where these commands just seem impossible. 00:36:32.599 --> 00:36:35.000 How can we be grateful in every circumstance? 00:36:36.880 --> 00:36:44.420 Well, God, through Christ, gives us a new nature that's fully capable of expressing thanksgiving to him. 00:36:44.420 --> 00:36:57.000 And when our focus is set first on him, it's impossible to be overwhelmed with anxiety when we are filled with gratitude in the gospel and in Christ. 00:36:57.340 --> 00:37:00.280 You can't be anxious over something you're thankful for. 00:37:01.340 --> 00:37:09.500 And when you're thankful for Christ, the unchanging, eternal, ever-present one, it's hard to be filled with anxiety. 00:37:09.500 --> 00:37:14.380 To further the instruction, he says that we're to do this in everything. 00:37:16.159 --> 00:37:21.460 This is only possible for those who have experienced and been ravished by the true love of Christ. 00:37:22.940 --> 00:37:25.599 For the believer, there's never a time to be unthankful. 00:37:26.219 --> 00:37:29.300 We know our future, and it's secure. 00:37:30.340 --> 00:37:35.800 And on our worst day, we can thank God for the blessing that awaits us in heaven. 00:37:35.800 --> 00:37:41.260 Thanksgiving, gratitude, crucial to the experience of peace. 00:37:41.580 --> 00:37:46.440 Well, those are the three exhortations, and we'll finish with this glorious truth, this glorious encouragement. 00:37:46.840 --> 00:37:47.880 Look with me at verse 7. 00:37:50.360 --> 00:37:59.920 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 00:37:59.920 --> 00:38:07.599 We've seen time and again in these verses that God is the only real source of true and lasting peace. 00:38:07.980 --> 00:38:11.380 But in this verse, it's explicitly stated. 00:38:12.960 --> 00:38:18.059 And the best thing about this encouragement is that it comes as a direct promise. 00:38:19.079 --> 00:38:22.720 This is not a possible solution to our anxiety. 00:38:22.719 --> 00:38:30.679 It's not that this is a method that we can try, that if we rejoice in the Lord and we remember his presence 00:38:30.679 --> 00:38:35.459 and we make our request with thanksgiving, that maybe, if we do all that, maybe we'll experience peace. 00:38:35.500 --> 00:38:37.759 This is not something that is likely to happen. 00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:40.559 This is a sure promise from the mouth of God. 00:38:41.000 --> 00:38:42.000 Rejoice in the Lord. 00:38:42.379 --> 00:38:43.719 Remember he is near. 00:38:44.339 --> 00:38:45.659 Request with thanksgiving. 00:38:46.199 --> 00:38:51.139 And the God of peace will surely keep you and be with you. 00:38:51.139 --> 00:38:53.039 It's the very promise of God. 00:38:53.400 --> 00:38:59.859 Those who keep their focus on him will without a doubt experience the wonderful grace and peace with God. 00:39:01.319 --> 00:39:03.799 Let's think about how this process actually works. 00:39:04.759 --> 00:39:07.299 We often look for quick fixes in our life, right? 00:39:07.359 --> 00:39:15.139 A checklist that we can work down the list, especially when it comes to obtaining blessing in a relationship with God. 00:39:15.139 --> 00:39:19.440 In this case, we might see peace as the finish line. 00:39:20.420 --> 00:39:26.239 And rejoicing and remembering and making our request with thanksgiving are various legs of the race. 00:39:26.279 --> 00:39:31.159 And we think, if I can just get to a place where these characteristics are true of me, 00:39:31.440 --> 00:39:34.219 then God will grant me some kind of peace. 00:39:34.359 --> 00:39:36.059 But that's not how God works. 00:39:37.480 --> 00:39:42.279 God doesn't wait for us to finish the list of instructions before he blesses us with peace. 00:39:42.280 --> 00:39:44.980 His ways are much greater than that. 00:39:45.840 --> 00:39:51.440 According to these verses, his peace comes progressively each step of the way. 00:39:52.460 --> 00:39:54.740 You don't have to wait to experience it. 00:39:54.920 --> 00:39:57.860 He provides it generously as we go. 00:39:58.200 --> 00:40:02.220 You get his peace as you rejoice, not after you rejoice. 00:40:02.680 --> 00:40:06.780 You get his peace as you remember his presence, not after you remember it. 00:40:06.980 --> 00:40:09.680 You get his peace as you are thankful, not after. 00:40:09.679 --> 00:40:12.839 God doesn't wait to see if you truly have what it takes. 00:40:13.039 --> 00:40:14.899 He already knows you don't. 00:40:15.059 --> 00:40:19.539 So he provides his power and his peace to keep us going each and every day. 00:40:19.659 --> 00:40:21.399 You don't have to look at this like a checklist. 00:40:21.659 --> 00:40:22.539 You just do it. 00:40:22.759 --> 00:40:25.819 And as you do it, God provides everything you need. 00:40:26.059 --> 00:40:27.279 He provides the peace. 00:40:27.539 --> 00:40:30.659 And the great thing about his peace in this verse is that second phrase, 00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:35.159 that the nature of his peace is that it passes all understanding. 00:40:35.519 --> 00:40:38.359 It's incomprehensible to us, this peace. 00:40:38.360 --> 00:40:43.019 You have total control over your rejoicing. 00:40:43.300 --> 00:40:45.840 You have total control over your remembering. 00:40:46.160 --> 00:40:48.680 And you have total control over your gratitude. 00:40:49.440 --> 00:40:52.079 But peace within is not something that's chosen. 00:40:52.380 --> 00:40:54.000 It's something that is received. 00:40:55.300 --> 00:40:59.099 And this divine peace comes from the hand of God, 00:40:59.200 --> 00:41:02.120 which is partly what makes it so incomprehensible. 00:41:02.119 --> 00:41:08.679 God's peace is the kind that exists when everything else in your life says that it shouldn't. 00:41:08.679 --> 00:41:15.099 God's peace is the kind that exists when everything in your life says that it shouldn't be there. 00:41:15.359 --> 00:41:16.219 But it is. 00:41:17.019 --> 00:41:18.299 You ever been in one of those moments? 00:41:18.679 --> 00:41:25.259 By God's grace, you're in a time of mourning and of grief and of trouble and of anxiety, 00:41:25.440 --> 00:41:28.079 yet you have this peace that you can't explain. 00:41:28.299 --> 00:41:30.619 You try to explain it to your friends and they don't get it. 00:41:30.899 --> 00:41:33.739 Everybody around you is talking about how bad things are for you, 00:41:33.739 --> 00:41:35.319 but you just have this peace. 00:41:35.599 --> 00:41:37.059 That's the peace from God. 00:41:37.139 --> 00:41:38.259 It's beyond explanation. 00:41:38.639 --> 00:41:39.819 It's incomprehensible. 00:41:40.779 --> 00:41:43.099 It passes all understanding. 00:41:43.919 --> 00:41:48.619 You can do your best to feign and enter peace through meditation and positive thinking, 00:41:48.759 --> 00:41:50.319 but it will always fail. 00:41:50.759 --> 00:41:55.619 But when you're faithfully focused on your walk with God through Jesus Christ, 00:41:56.159 --> 00:41:58.619 you'll experience peace that you can't explain. 00:41:58.619 --> 00:42:01.339 That's the awesome encouragement of this. 00:42:01.699 --> 00:42:03.039 It's not something you gain. 00:42:03.119 --> 00:42:04.199 It's something you receive. 00:42:05.359 --> 00:42:06.719 And then look at this last phrase. 00:42:08.019 --> 00:42:10.000 The peace of God which passes all understanding 00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:15.380 shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 00:42:16.699 --> 00:42:21.819 What's translated as keep here is the Greek word for garrison or guard. 00:42:22.619 --> 00:42:24.119 It's a military term. 00:42:24.119 --> 00:42:28.659 It refers to a garrison of soldiers assigned to protect something 00:42:28.659 --> 00:42:32.420 or to prevent an invasion or to keep someone from escaping. 00:42:33.639 --> 00:42:36.440 Now, the heart is the seat of the emotions. 00:42:37.539 --> 00:42:42.500 And the mind controls our inner thoughts and ability to reason through truth and error. 00:42:43.699 --> 00:42:47.339 This is the role that God's peace plays in our inner man. 00:42:48.079 --> 00:42:52.819 It literally guards our emotions and guards our reasonings. 00:42:52.820 --> 00:42:58.180 It protects us from the invasion of chaos and error, 00:42:58.380 --> 00:43:01.080 and it prevents the escaping of God's truth. 00:43:01.980 --> 00:43:08.059 But the surety that we find in this encouragement is found in the guardian. 00:43:09.039 --> 00:43:10.019 Look at the verse again. 00:43:11.700 --> 00:43:15.580 He shall guard your hearts and minds through what? 00:43:16.360 --> 00:43:18.580 Christ Jesus. 00:43:18.579 --> 00:43:25.319 This isn't a metaphorical guardian of the mere idea of peace. 00:43:25.639 --> 00:43:30.860 It's a literal guardian with a name, Jesus Christ. 00:43:31.679 --> 00:43:34.239 And this is the great truth of Christianity. 00:43:35.059 --> 00:43:40.259 All things come through the person and work of God's Son, Jesus Christ. 00:43:40.260 --> 00:43:55.320 Peace comes through Jesus. 00:43:55.320 --> 00:44:01.900 You can't have peace with the Father without forsaking all else and following His Son. 00:44:01.900 --> 00:44:09.039 And the joy that brings peace is joy in Jesus, His sacrifice for our sin, 00:44:09.240 --> 00:44:12.220 and His resurrection power over the grave. 00:44:12.800 --> 00:44:17.119 The nearness of God that brings us peace is the nearness of Jesus. 00:44:17.860 --> 00:44:22.760 The thankfulness in our heart is directed toward Jesus and His gospel. 00:44:22.760 --> 00:44:30.660 There is no peace, no forgiveness, or life without trusting in Jesus Christ alone to provide it. 00:44:31.200 --> 00:44:35.980 John 14 is perhaps the greatest chapter in the Bible at expressing this truth. 00:44:36.200 --> 00:44:38.140 And let me just remind you of one verse in it. 00:44:38.460 --> 00:44:39.280 Jesus says, 00:44:39.280 --> 00:44:40.580 I am the way. 00:44:41.140 --> 00:44:42.480 I am the truth. 00:44:43.019 --> 00:44:44.240 I am the life. 00:44:44.820 --> 00:44:47.240 No man comes to the Father except by me. 00:44:47.640 --> 00:44:51.400 No man comes to true and lasting peace except through Jesus. 00:44:51.700 --> 00:44:55.400 No man comes through forgiveness of sins except through Jesus. 00:44:55.700 --> 00:45:03.960 No man comes through joy and rejoicing or any other blessing of life except through Jesus Christ. 00:45:04.280 --> 00:45:07.180 It is Christ who guards our emotions. 00:45:07.180 --> 00:45:09.220 It is Christ who guards our reasonings. 00:45:09.280 --> 00:45:12.540 It is His gospel that makes all the difference. 00:45:14.160 --> 00:45:16.280 What is it that makes you anxious today? 00:45:17.840 --> 00:45:19.500 Is it the thought of death? 00:45:21.860 --> 00:45:25.960 Maybe it's the threat of losing your job or material wealth. 00:45:27.840 --> 00:45:33.340 Maybe the thing that makes you the most anxious has to do with political or social issues. 00:45:34.540 --> 00:45:36.540 But for the followers of Jesus, 00:45:36.539 --> 00:45:40.880 there is no death that doesn't lead to eternal life. 00:45:42.300 --> 00:45:47.239 And there is no poverty that eclipses the treasure that we have found in Christ. 00:45:47.539 --> 00:45:52.460 And there is no political system that can usurp the authority of the King of Kings. 00:45:52.460 --> 00:45:56.440 So turn your eyes to Jesus today. 00:45:57.440 --> 00:46:01.059 If you're full of anxiety, turn to Jesus. 00:46:03.780 --> 00:46:04.740 Do you know that? 00:46:05.300 --> 00:46:06.500 That old hymn, 00:46:07.460 --> 00:46:08.740 Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. 00:46:08.960 --> 00:46:09.460 Do you know that? 00:46:09.460 --> 00:46:16.460 You sing it with me. 00:46:16.460 --> 00:46:21.720 No light in the darkness you see. 00:46:21.720 --> 00:46:28.000 There's light for a look at the Savior. 00:46:28.000 --> 00:46:40.840 Turn your eyes upon Jesus. 00:46:40.840 --> 00:46:48.260 Look full in His wonderful face. 00:46:48.260 --> 00:47:06.240 I love that last verse or that last phrase. 00:47:06.239 --> 00:47:14.519 And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. 00:47:14.519 --> 00:47:18.980 Thank you for listening to this sermon made available by Lakeside Bible Church. 00:47:19.420 --> 00:47:21.079 Feel free to share it wherever you'd like. 00:47:21.599 --> 00:47:27.360 Please do not charge for it or alter it in any way without express written consent from Lakeside Bible Church. 00:47:27.860 --> 00:47:31.039 Don't forget to visit us online at lakesidebible.church 00:47:31.039 --> 00:47:35.679 or find us on Facebook and Instagram by searching for Lakeside Bible NC. 00:47:36.320 --> 00:47:38.420 If you live in the Charlotte or Lake Norman area, 00:47:38.559 --> 00:47:40.780 we'd love for you to attend one of our worship services. 00:47:41.199 --> 00:47:43.179 We meet every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. 00:47:43.179 --> 00:47:44.519 We'd love to meet you.