PRESERVING JOY, AND CARRIED BY PEACE
Rev. Scott Epperson
4/1/07
Intro: In the beginning of the Chapter we see first that the Apostle addresses two women who had been bickering, we do not know what it was that they disagreed on but here is the advice he gave to them, that even today applies to you and I.
* (Php 4:4) Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Rejoice in the Lord alway.
Note: Remember Paul knew the necessity of consistent joy, for he was writing this letter not from his church office or his personal study but he most likely wrote this while under arrest and possible while chained to two Roman soldiers.
(Psa 145:2) Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name forever and ever.
(Psa 146:2) While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
OUR JOY: Our joy does not flow from the circumstances of this world but from the throne of God . Our source of Joy is Christ Jesus.
(Joh 15:5) I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. -skipping down to v. 11 -
(Joh 15:11) These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Were does your joy lye?
True joy comes from God and can not be taken. It is when we focus on worldly things that perish and can be taken, that we lose joy.
Billy Sunday said, “if you have no joy, there’s a leak in your Christianity.”
* (Php 4:5) Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
The word “moderation” - ἐπιεικὲς epieikes - refers to restraint on the passions, general soberness of living, being free from all excesses. The word properly means that which is fit or suitable, and then propriety, gentleness, mildness - They were to indulge in no excess of passion, or dress, or eating, or drinking. They were to govern their appetites, restrain their temper, and to be examples of what was proper for people in view of the expectation that the Lord would soon appear. (Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible)
Its hard to convince people that true joy comes only from God when you are living Dog eat Dog !
(Heb 13:5) Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Simplicity is the answer for people tired and weary. Simplicity is marked by a contented lifestyle that rests in God’s grace. It is the commitment to clear out, scale down, and realize the essentials of what we truly need to live well. The intimate search for wholeness is not found by accumulating more things, but by entering into God’s presence every single day.
Michael G. Moriarty, The Perfect 10: The Blessings of Following God’s Commandments in a Post Modern World (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Pub. House, 1999), 204
(Mat 6:25) Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Moderation reveals were our true dependence lye’s. Not upon this worlds gifts but upon the gift of God.
* (Php 4:6) Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Careful- better translated would be anxious
1. feeling nervous: worried or afraid, especially about something that is going to happen or might happen
2. eager: wanting very much, or in a desperate or nervous way, to do or receive something
Anxiety attacks- people have actually gone to the hospital because of anxiety, some today actually have diseases such as ulcers etc… because of worry, fear, and want.
(2Ti 1:7) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
(Luk 10:41) And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
(Luk 10:42) But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
(Mat 13:22) He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
(1Pe 5:7) Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Prayer- worship or to communicate
(Joh 4:24) God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
We communicate with God through prayer and his word
WE must apply the spirit and the truth(word) to everything in life
Supplication- petition
(1Jn 5:14) And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
(1Jn 5:15) And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
requests be made known unto God.
Not man but God, sometimes we tell every body but God.
Do this with Thanksgiving- once again this is a sign of our true dependence
* (Php 4:7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
And the peace of God. The peace that comes by putting all in the hands of the one who is able and willing to deliver. Whenever we fully trust the Lord there comes a peace that is past the understanding of those who have never experienced it.
Shall keep your hearts. That peace will be a guard which will keep the heart and thoughts holy and pure.
Illustration: Missionaries teaching Indians of Gospel of Peace. No word for peace. Finally concluded with a heart that sets down.
Parallel: Some have know answer or word for what they are feeling only they feel the loss inside them and in their life. Many times we try to feel the void, only making the equation that much more difficult. Answer is the heart that sets down. If I tried to set down in mid air here would be the comparison. Weight of my body and the gravity below me is the weight of life and the troubles that overwhelm us, the muscles in my legs is the might of my own works and ideas, they hold me up for quite a while but soon it all works together to bring me to my fall. This chair represents Christ when I set on it there is a calmness and a stillness that only comes by him bearing my burdens. Sometimes God waits until we are almost to the floor before he send salvation in to catch us.
Closing:
Good afternoon,
I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If the devil happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, DO NOT attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFJTD (something for Jesus to do) box. It will be addressed in MY time, not yours. Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold on to it or attempt to remove it. Holding on or removal will delay the resolution of your problem. If it is a situation that you think you are capable of handling, please consult me in prayer to be sure that is the proper assumption. Because I do not sleep or slumber, there is no need for you to lose any sleep. Rest, my child. If you need to contact me, I am only a prayer away.
(1Th 5:16) Rejoice evermore.
(1Th 5:17) Pray without ceasing.
(1Th 5:18) In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
