Sermon 200610
I’d like to say that as someone who’s been living as a Christian for two thirds of my life that I’ve got it completely sussed, that when it comes to tools of the faith I never forget to use the right one and that I know just how to use it. BUT!
Mate you’d worry sheep, they shoot dogs that worry, you’d be a worry, “your middle names not ‘Worry’ is it”, don’t be such a worry wart, Don’t worry you’ve got plenty of time, money, help, advice! These are all comments that at some stage or other have been aimed at me. Now this was probably because I’ve over the years had a few worries, caused a few worries and I’ve worried, and been anxious quite a lot.
Worry is an interesting thing the English word ‘worry’ comes from an Anglo-Saxon word that means “to strangle”, not a nice thought really.
Did you know that if we get anxious, which is according to Wikipedia worry with an emotional content. Physically three things happen: we start to sweat, our heart rates increase and there’s a rise in blood pressure. Straight up it’s not good for us to worry!
Well even the saints of old were not immune to these things. Paul writes to the Philippians about not being anxious, which when we look at the Greek word means ‘worry or concern’ because like all real people they had real issues going on in their lives.
We read in this part of Paul’s letter that two of the ladies who were members of the church at Philippi had had a bit of a falling out, here is Paul ‘pleading’ with them to agree with each other in the Lord. We don’t know what the problem was; maybe Euodia had borrowed a few talents off Syntyche and was slow in paying them back. Maybe both of them fancied that handsome bloke; Quintus Markus who sat in the back row and drove the latest model chariot and they had had a falling out over him. Maybe it was about ones comments about the way the other managed their business or household. We have no idea what the issue was but there was a problem, so much so that the news had reached Paul, who at this time around 61 A.D is thought to be under a type of house arrest in Rome.
So what was Paul’s advice? Let’s read from verse two down to verse nine.
There’s a bit in here; a request from Paul to his loyal yokefellow, or a well respected fellow worker in the Church to actually help these women. This is something that we should all do if we find conflict between two people in the church is to help them resolve the conflict. Some will say that there should never be any disagreements in the church, but guess what it happens! The sooner it is resolved the better, disagreements do not have to cause ongoing pain and upset.
Paul lays out a series of steps to resolve such in-house hissy fits, it’s not along the lines of "build a bridge and get over it" which seems to be a modern approach to many problems. His advice is actually really good.
1) Step 1 the first Tool of the Faith mentioned in this sermon. Rejoice! Not just rejoice but REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS! And as if to drive home his point Paul says it again, “And I will say it again rejoice!” (Phil 4:4b)
We don’t know the circumstance that had occurred in Philippi, but even in our lives it is not always possible to be happy. You fail the exam you needed to get into University, you fall out with someone, a friend dies, you crash the car, you get made redundant or your leave is cancelled. At some point in your life in some circumstance you will find it near on impossible, if not impossible to be happy for a time.
But you can rejoice in the Lord, we rejoice not just in good times but because of our salvation, the freedom and abundant life that we have gained through Jesus.
Even though life may be full of pain and suffering we can still rejoice in the sure and certain hope that we have in Christ Jesus.
Happiness is controlled by external circumstance but joy is something that does not have to be controlled by external factors, joy is something we have because of our understanding of God’s love for us and our relationship with him, his deep abiding love.
In the next verse Paul says to his readers “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” What does he mean by this?
2) As we know gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, Paul writes about this in Galatians 5.
In these verses in Philippians, I believe Paul was reminding his readers to live in the Spirit.
These people, dear old Euodia and Syntyche knew, to live in a way that was not gentle, was not living as God would have them live. The Greek word for gentleness meant among other things ‘not to retaliate or to have a non-retaliatory spirit.’ It is something that sometimes needs to be addressed at the spur of the moment and some times long term, it’s not always easy to be gentle.
Just maybe Paul was pointing out something like this, “Ladies there’s been a bit of squabbling, a bit of a spat going on, but for you to be right with God, return to gentle behaviour, and make it obvious to all that you are gentle. Gentleness is evidence that the Holy Spirit is residing in your hearts, God the Holy Spirit is near; allow him to reside in your hearts, be gentle.”
How were they to do this, they were out of sorts with one another which put them out of sorts with God.
They were to do this by, rejoicing in the Lord, letting their gentleness be seen, and this is a biggy and the main point of today’s sermon. Not to be anxious about anything.
Consider this; “Well here’s a little song I wrote you might want to sing it note for note!” (Bobby McFerrin) Sing along please!
We know that we cannot always be happy; I’ve just pointed that out.
We can though rejoice in the Lord always, no matter how sucky it all gets. If the Holy Spirit is working in our lives, we will be able to be gentle (occasionaly I find I need to count to ten).
But this whole not worrying, that’s another matter altogether. You are looking at the bloke has had the ability to worry spots off the wall paper. How is it that I would stop worrying?
3) Paul gives us the solution in verse six by “prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” You see that the solution was to put everything all the concerns about the borrowed talents, the emotional upsets about the handsome Quintus Markus and his flash chariot, the nasty comments, before God with prayer and petition.
Many of you have probably heard this “Worry is like a rocking horse; it gives you something to do but gets you nowhere.”
In Luke’s gospel Jesus himself pointed out that, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” and “Since you cannot do this little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (Luke 12:25-26)
I’ve already said that worry is hazardous to your health and destructive to individuals and relationships. What is the tool or tools that we need to deal with worry or anxieties?
Paul makes it clear in addition to rejoicing we should come before God with Prayer and Petition, Prayer is powerful. Petition is not something you sign in this case to get the government to introduce more marine sanctuaries (with they should) in this case Paul is talking about ‘petition’ being ’specific’ about what you are praying about.
God answers prayer, let me repeat that God answers prayer! Paul is pointing out to take all concerns before God in prayer and petition.
That is pray about those concerns and be specific.
It goes something like this:
I’m worried, my Mum has had a blood clot in her arm, this happened about ten months ago – I’ve learnt I’m not to worry. Take that thought captive, take that worry captive and make it obedient to the will of Christ, what did Jesus say, “why do you worry…?”
So Mums got a clot what do I do? Well I can rejoice and at this stage even though I’m feeling pretty jolly miserable. I love my Mum she’s in hospital with a blood clot. What can I rejoice about, well I know God loves my Mum and cares about her. I can rejoice that she is in hospital and is getting the best care available. I can rejoice that even though I can’t be there I can call her on the phone and that Dad’s there with her as are my brother and his family. I can rejoice that Rochelle understands how I’m feeling that the boys are healthy etc.
Time to pray, “Lord I don’t want that clot to kill my Mum, please keep her stable and please make sure that she gets the best care available, a wise doctor please, and that the clot does not travel to her heart or brain. Please help Dad through this also. Lord you know what they need before I ask. But I’ll ask any way please Lord use all you can to help my parents, and if it’s in your will please get them through this situation in one piece and make yourself known to them in this situation.
Then what? Do we leave it there?
What does Paul say? In verse six he points out to do it this way. “Do not be anxious about anything, but with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
4) So what I should be doing is rounding up my prayer with a word of thanks, what for? Well for a start that I can come before the creator of the universe with my concerns, that he has taken the time to make himself known to me, that he has forgiven my sins, that he is now known to me through the Holy Spirit who comforts me at times like this, right down to things like three square meals a day that I am thankful for.
But I like this bit that no matter what happens now that it is in his hands, not mine (repeat) and that I have been able to take all my concerns before God in prayer and petition. (SBI) That my concerns are known to him and that as he answers prayer; he will deal with my concerns.
This is how we should approach God about all or worries, all our concerns all those things that cause upset and turmoil in our lives. Not by having a fight over it, not by having a tizzy, punching the wall, running around in a blind panic, weeping on the couch or standing in a puddle of tears.
We should rejoice in our knowledge of God, be gentle, pray with our requests listed and thank God that our concerns have been heard! That certainly sounds to me to be the best outcome, that God has heard our prayers.
But wait there’s more, as a result something happens.
5) Paul puts it this way in verse seven “And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”
Remember that Paul this bloke who should have if anyone should have been a complete nervous and emotional wreck said this! Paul who had been flogged, and had thirty nine lashes five times, beaten with rods, stoned, who was always living in danger and was currently under house arrest. Paul said he believed it was possible for these two squabbling people to have a peace that is beyond their ability to comprehend.
The thing is; that peace itself, true peace, this peace from God is just that, another of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, something that occurs as he is abiding within us, as we bring our concerns before him with prayer and are specific in our prayers, it is something that occurs when we rejoice in what ever the situation is be it … the children fighting over something like ‘the colour of the air’ or it could be a situation you’ve got going on at work, tomorrows test, the appointment you’re running late for, the over due bill, the results of that test. As we take all those concerns to God in prayer, being specific (SBI), we can have God’s peace.Interestingly a couple of those may have an answer to the prayer like if you studied well for the test you most likely wouldn’t be worried, and the overdue bill, well how’s the budgeting?
Let’s run over the steps towards not worrying:
The steps: Tool 1; Rejoice in the Lord always,
Be gentle, if it’s one of those situations where something is in dispute, be gentle,
Don’t worry or be anxious,
Tool 2; Pray, remember be specific
With thanks giving, take all those concerns and give them to God.
As a result you will have peace, not just any peace, but the peace of God, which transcends our understanding. Then your heart and mind will be guarded by that peace of God.
Why would my heart and mind need guarding?
6) Well the Greek word for this guarding translates into a military term which means (according to The Bible Knowledge Commentary) “to protect or garrison by guarding”. As in short as believers when we take the step of taking all those concerns to God in prayer and petition. Our emotions and our thoughts, our whole being has protection from those things, those worries that would entangle us, and our relationship with Jesus remains right. Before God we maintain a right relationship.
It’s up to us, if it’s worth worrying about it’s worth giving up to God, freedom from anxiety, freedom from worry – take up the tools of rejoicing and prayer – celebrate and give all your concerns to God!
Enjoy the peace, the peace of God!
