“I’m Saved! -- What Now?”
Philippians 4:4-9
Sermon by Rick Crandall
McClendon Baptist Church - June 6, 2010
(Updated July 31, 2011)
*When Mary and I were in Chicago a few years ago, we went into a little coffee shop. Great cup of coffee, -- but I couldn’t figure out how to get it opened! I’m used to the pop-up lids. This one just twisted a little bit. And there were no instructions on the lid. I really felt like a cave man for a few seconds. Good thing Mary was there!
*The truth is that we all need instructions in life, and this is especially true when it comes to our spiritual life. Nobody can teach us like the Lord. And here in today’s Scripture, God gives Christians 4 keys to right living.
1. First: Keep adjusting your attitude.
*Everyone needs attitude adjustments from time to time. As Zig Ziglar once said, we need a “check-up from the neck up.” And I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need a week’s worth of attitude adjustment in just one day. Here in vs. 4&5, God reminds us that we need to adjust our attitudes from time to time.
[1] Vs. 4 tells us we need to get back to joy. That’s why Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”
*The very word re-joice tells us that this is something we should do again and again. It’s something we must get back to again and again. “Rejoice” is similar to words like restart, return, reattach, rebuild and reform.
*Now when you think about who Jesus Christ is, and all that He has done for us, it’s mind-boggling that we have to be reminded to rejoice in the Lord. But Paul stressed rejoicing 7 times in this short letter.
*We can’t always rejoice in our health or our looks.
-We can’t always rejoice in our finances, our family, our jobs, or our grades.
-We can’t always rejoice in our houses, our cars, our toys, or our accomplishments.
-But we can always rejoice in the Lord!
*Jesus wants to be our source of constant joy. Christians, we should have a nonstop, overflowing celebration of the Lord in our lives.
*And it’s important to remember that when Paul wrote these words he had been a prisoner of Rome, possibly as long as 4 years, bound in chains. His only crime was telling the truth about Jesus Christ. In Phil 2:27, Paul tells us that he almost had sorrow on top of sorrow.
*Paul could have been filled with bitterness. But he overflowed with the joy of the Lord. And we can too! Our hands are not in chains today. We are blessed far more than most people in the world. But if all of that was taken away, we would still have grace, we would still have Heaven, and we would still have Jesus!
*I really like this story about Professor William Phelps. He taught English Literature at Yale from 1892-1933. One year Dr. Phelps was grading tests shortly before Christmas. He saw a note that a student had written next to a tough question on the test. The student had said, “Only God knows the answer to this question. Merry Christmas.”
*The professor returned the test with his own note under the student’s comment. Dr. Phelps wrote, “God gets an A. You get an F. Happy New Year.” (1)
*I like that statement: “God gets an A.” When your world is falling apart and nothing seems to be going your way, God gets an A! Forever and always, God gets an A!
*He is wonderful all the time, so we can rejoice all the time in His goodness, love and grace. God wants us to get back to joy.
[2] But there’s another good attitude adjustment here: Get back to gentleness. As Paul said in vs. 5, “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.”
*“Let your gentleness be known to all men.” The KJV says, “Let your moderation be known unto all men.” But this word is not what we usually think of as moderation. (You know: Eat one Snickers bar instead of three.)
*William Barclay tells us that this word “moderation” is one of the hardest Greek words to interpret. It has been translated as “patience, softness, the patient mind, modesty, forbearance and gentleness.” The Greeks themselves explained this word as “justice and something better than justice, something beyond justice.”
*Here Paul is telling us to act properly, treating other people with gentleness, kindness, patience and restraint. Barclay said it’s the same way the Lord treated the woman caught red-handed in adultery in John 8. She was absolutely guilty. And under Old Testament law, those guys had every right to stone her. But Jesus wanted them to drop their rocks. (2)
*And Christians, He wants us to drop the rocks too. Through the cross of Jesus Christ we have truly received the Lord’s gentleness. Now the living Lord is at hand. Jesus is right here in our hearts, wanting us to pass His gentleness on to others. We have to live our lives so people can see Jesus in us.
*The first key to right living is keep adjusting your attitude. Get back to joy and gentleness.
2. But also keep asking for God’s help.
*This is the second key: Keep asking for God’s help. As Paul said in vs. 6-7:
6. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
*Here God gives us 6 great ways to pray:
[1] First, pray confidently: Paul said “Be anxious for nothing.”
[2] Also pray consistently: Paul said to pray “in everything.”
[3] And pray earnestly: Paul mentioned both “prayer and supplication.” That word “prayer” means “asking.” But Barclay tells us that this word was only used to describe asking God for help. So it includes the dimensions of worship and reverence, plus the understanding that there are some needs that only God can supply.
*“Supplication” also means asking for help, but the root word is “to bind”. So, there is a great strength here, binding ourselves as with chains to our purpose in prayer. But also binding ourselves to God and His perfect will, no matter how He may choose to answer. Supplication kicks prayer into high gear. It is praying with urgency. Pray earnestly. (3)
[4] But also pray thankfully: Paul says to pray with “thanksgiving.”
[5] And pray simply: “Let your requests be made known unto God.” You don’t have to use fancy language. -- Just ask.
[6] And pray expectantly, because God promises to do great things when we pray. He will even give us His peace that passes all understanding.
*I have seen this countless times over the years. I have been with people who had every right to pull their hair out in frustration. But God gave them His peace that passes understanding. And He will give it to you.
*Linda Washington found this out a few years ago in a memorable way. Linda was going through a very frustrating time in her life. She felt like her prayers were not being heard by God, and she began to get angry with God. It was beginning to keep her from praying at all.
*But on Election Day of that year, Linda had gone to the polling place early. As she stood there waiting, a man came up to Linda, and out of the blue, he asked, "Are you saved?" -- Linda was a little stunned by the stranger’s bluntness, but she answered, "Yes."
*Then the stranger continued, "Do you think that God doesn’t hear your prayers?" -- Linda hesitated, but replied, "Sometimes." The stranger responded, "Well, God’s got big ears." Then he turned and wandered off into the crowd. (4)
*That brief encounter made a big difference in Linda’s life. She was strongly reassured that God does indeed hear our prayers.
*Today, let me be the one to tell you: God’s got big ears! So, tell Him what’s on your heart. Tell Him with a trusting, thankful heart.
6. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7. and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
*One key to right living is to keep asking for God’s help.
3. But also keep giving attention to the good things of God.
*As Paul said in vs. 8: “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things.”
*“Meditate on.” That means “keep thinking on” these good things. Paul is telling us here that we have to be intentional about positive thinking. We have to keep giving attention to the good and Godly things in life.
*Paul knew that our tendency is to focus on the negative things in life. And he knew that focusing on the positive is good for us. Focusing on the positive things in life helps us to keep the right perspective.
*And as Christians, we have so much good to focus on!
-Things that are true. This world is full of lies, but we have the truth right here in the Word of God. And if Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, you have the truth in your heart, the truth that sets us free!
-Things that are honest or noble. The root word picture is “holy.” This means we are moving our thoughts away from worldly things and toward Godly things.
-Things that are just or right: This is our duty.
-Things that are pure. Again the root word is “holy.” And Paul is talking here about moral purity.
-Things that are lovely. It’s the word picture of kissing towards someone. One author said, “Lovely is found only here in the New Testament and has the meaning of being attractive or lovable.” (5)
*Next, Paul mentioned good reports. It’s easy for Christians to find good reports, because God is always at work in His world, and because God’s people so often shine the light of Jesus.
*Randy Aly gave the good report of a mailman who shined the light of Jesus on his route one day. The story starts with lady who was a Christian, but she was very backslidden. Her husband had never come to faith in Christ. When they moved to a new community, they were visited a couple of times by members of the local church. But this couple rudely said they wanted to be left alone.
*Then one day the wife was looking out the front window. She saw the postman delivering mail. As she watched him, he stopped right in front of her mail box, and sat down on the curb to eat his lunch.
*Then the mailman bowed his head and thanked God for his meal. The Holy Spirit used that simple act of faith to melt that woman’s heart. She talked to her husband. They decided to go to church. After hearing the sermon, they both came forward! She joined the church, and her husband trusted in Jesus! The next week they brought their parents and they trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord. (6)
*That’s a great report of how God loves to work through His people, even in the simple things. There are countless good reports, virtues, and praiseworthy things going on.
*But we have to give attention to the good things of God.
-We have to be intentional.
-We have to make a conscious effort.
-What are you thinking about right now?
*To a great extent we can choose what we think about. And it makes a big difference when we focus on the good things of life.
*Author Corrie ten Boom survived a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. Here’s what she said about keeping the right focus: “Keep looking up and kneeling down. Then you can keep looking down from the position of Jesus’ victory over your problems. He is willing to make you more than a conqueror.
-Look around and be distressed.
-Look within and be depressed.
-Look at Jesus and be at rest.” (7)
*Keep giving attention to the good things of God. This is a great key to right living.
4. But also keep taking action to do God’s will.
*Take action to do God’s will. As Paul said in vs. 9: “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these DO, and the God of peace will be with you.”
*We must focus on DOING. That word “do” means to be busy with something, carry on, accomplish, perform, practice. And the idea is that you do these things repeatedly or habitually.
*God wants us to focus on doing. We must focus on putting the Christian life into practice. “The things which you learned, received, heard and saw in me do and the God of peace will be with you.”
-So, what have we learned?
-What have we received?
-What have we heard and seen?
*Christians we have learned that we are sinners. But that God loves us so much He sent His only Son Jesus Christ into the world to live a perfect life and die on the cross for our sins. We have learned that Jesus did die for us, and that 3 days later He rose again to give eternal life to all who will receive Him as Savior and Lord.
*So we learn to trust in Him. -- Then we live in trust.
-We learn to obey. -- And we live in obedience.
*We live as people who have learned about:
-God’s Love and Life.
-Salvation and Service.
-Our Work and Our Witness.
-Prayer and Priorities.
-Missions and Ministry.
-Hope and Heaven.
-God’s Presence and Power.
*We receive His love. -- And we give His love.
-That’s what we have learned. -- And now we have to do it.
*One of my all-time favorite teachers was Don Wilton. One day in class, Dr. Wilton told us about getting to serve on Billy Graham’s team for a crusade in Korea. Dr. Wilton told about sitting on the platform one night during the invitation, right next to Billy Graham.
*Dr. Wilton couldn’t help but notice that during the invitation, Billy Graham started looking down at his fingernails. And he thought, “I can’t believe Dr. Graham is so unconcerned about this invitation that he would be studying his nails!”
*Don was getting a little huffy on the inside, if you know what I mean. But just then, Billy Graham pointed to one of the Korean ladies who had come forward to talk to the counselors. And Billy said, “Do you see that lady? -- She did my nails today, and I was able to lead her to the Lord.”
*Christians, this wonderful, little story reminds us that we can shine for Jesus anywhere at any time:
-When you are getting your nails done.
-When you are getting a haircut.
-When you are giving a haircut.
*God wants us to be doers of His Word when we wake up in the morning, when we lay down at night, and every moment in between:
-At home, at work, at school and at play.
-With your family, your friends and total strangers.
-Keep taking action to do God’s will.
*As Paul said in vs. 9: “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these DO, and the God of peace will be with you.”
*The first step is to make sure you are saved. Turn to Jesus Christ and trust Him as Savior and Lord. You can do that in just a minute, when we go to God in prayer. But that’s just the beginning.
*Once you are a Christian.
-Keep adjusting your attitude.
-Keep asking for God’s help.
-Keep giving attention to the good things of God.
-And keep taking action to do God’s will.
*Let’s go to the Lord in prayer.
1. “Today in the Word,” Oct. 1990, p. 10 - MODIFIED - Found in SermonCentral sermon “What Must I Do to Be Saved” by John Baggett - Acts 16:27-34
2. Adapted from “THE MARKS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE” - Phil. 4:4-5 - BARCLAY’S DAILY BIBLE STUDY SERIES (NT) by William Barclay, Revised Edition (C) Copyright 1975 William Barclay. - First published by the Saint Andrew Press, Edinburgh, Scotland. - The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
3. Sources:
SermonCentral sermon “Standing In the Gap” by Russell Brownworth - 1 Tim 2:1
SermonCentral sermon “First of All, Pray” by Roger Thomas - 1 Tim 2:1-8
“THE WAY OF PRAYER” - 1Timothy 2:1-7 (continued) - BARCLAY’S DAILY BIBLE STUDY SERIES (NT) by William Barclay, Revised Edition (C) Copyright 1975 William Barclay. - First published by the Saint Andrew Press, Edinburgh, Scotland. - The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
4. Linda Washington, “Finding God Between a Rock and a Hard Place,” compiled by Lil Copan and Elisa Fryling (Wheaton, IL: Harold Shaw Publishers, 1999), pp. 72-73. (Found in ChristianGlobe.com sermon “Teach Us to Pray” by King Duncan - Luke 11:1-13 - July 25, 2004)
5. Adapted from SermonCentral sermon “Joy in this Lifetime” by Russell Brownworth - Phil 4:8-13
6. SermonCentral illustration contributed by Randy Aly
7. Sources:
www.geocities.com/trinitytoronto/sermons2005/Pentecost_8A_Jul10-05.htm
www.hefirstlovedus.com/hefirstlovedus/Corrie_ten_Boom
