"How to be Sane in an Insane World"
Philippians 4:4-9
A young white man, barely out of his teens, becomes obsessed with anti-black, white supremacy websites on the internet.
And although, some of the people he hangs out with and even considers friends are African American, he walks into a Bible study in Charleston, South Carolina and shoots 9 people for no reason other than the color of their skin and that he wants to start a "race war."
We watch the news and scenes of bloody conflicts fill the screen.
Locally, shootings are often the top stories of the day.
On news shows, people with differing views on political and religious issues scream at and talk over one another.
On a personal level, another loved one has been diagnosed with cancer.
A high school classmate has passed away.
A family member is living with a life-threatening condition.
On t-v sitcoms, what passes as comedy are crude jokes and put-downs.
The popular music, aimed primarily at an audience of children ages 9-19 contains graphic lyrics having to do with unrealistic sexual references, drugs and violence.
Children's minds are being filled with garbage!!!
Music videos portray fake people living fake lives.
We inadvertently cut someone off in traffic and the person in the other car passes us with angry looks and gestures.
We see people walking down our streets talking to themselves and living out of dumpsters.
We know children whose mothers and fathers are hooked on drugs and don't seem to care much about the future.
Pregnant mothers smoke cigarettes, while their babies go hungry.
Fathers are absent.
Church attendance is in decline.
And the churches which seem to get the attention of the world have a seemingly unbiblical, unChristlike worldview.
The pastors get rich at the congregation's expense.
The love and grace of the Gospel is replaced by legalism, judgmentalism, self-righteousness and fear.
Social justice is ignored while the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
This is all completely insane!!!!!!!
Are we doomed?
Is it possible to be sane in such an insane world????!!!!
When Paul wrote the Letter to the Philippians he was living in a Roman prison.
He was to appear in court soon to face the charges against him, and the verdict could lead to his execution.
The church he was writing to was undergoing a lot of persecution and having all kinds of difficulties.
So, Paul, from prison, writes a letter of encouragement to them.
"Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad!" Paul writes.
"Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people...Don't be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks.
Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus."
Peace--true peace--that can rejoice even in a Roman jail cell as one awaits the possibility of execution...
...what would people pay for this?
A "peace" that "exceeds all understanding" and keeps our "hearts and minds safe" even amidst the greatest torment--the worst this world can throw at us...
...how much is that worth?
...millions, billions, trillions?
But it can't be bought.
It is, in the truest sense, priceless!!!
Could this be the reason Jesus Himself compared it, in Matthew Chapter 13 to: "a treasure that somebody hid in a field, which someone else found and covered up.
Full of joy, the finder sold everything and bought that field."?
Or, again, Jesus said it's like: "a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one very precious pearl, he went and sold all that he owned and bought it."
It's worth everything we have.
One day a rich young man came to Jesus, in search of this peace.
He asked Jesus what he must do to receive it.
Jesus' answer: "Sell everything you own and distribute the money to the poor.
Then you will have treasure in heaven.
And come, follow me."
But, when the rich young man heard these words: "he became very sad because he was extremely rich."
And so he left...
...sad...
...but rich.
Phillip E. Campbell writes the following: "Many in a rich country like the United States find themselves in a predicament not unlike the rich young man who approached Jesus because he knew something was missing in his life.
Jesus, diagnosing the man's spiritual ailment as his attachment to his wealth, told the man to sell his holdings and give to the poor.
The man went away sad, unwilling to part with his things, because of the grip they had upon him."
What has its grip upon you?
Is it Jesus only or is there something else holding you down--keeping you from the joy which exceeds understanding?
It's really important to remember that Philippians wasn't written to or by persons living on "Easy Street."
It was written by a man who had been stripped of everything in this world that we human beings naturally want...
...and it was written to a handful of people defending a new faith against a hostile ruling class.
But the promise of this Scripture is the same in all times: when we are finally stripped of self...
...there comes to us from God a life that is joy to live--it carries with it a satisfaction and a peace that are "out of this world."
Because the peace that this world talks about is deliverance from problems; the peace of God comes from losing ourselves in love for God and others.
Have you experienced this peace?
Do you have this peace?...
...or is a preoccupation with self keeping you from experiencing the kingdom?
Paul was at peace.
He had no idea what he would be facing tomorrow, but he knew he wouldn't face it alone.
He knew that life is good as long as you are walking with Jesus.
In verses 11-13 Paul writes: "I have learned how to be content in any and every circumstance.
I know the experience of being in need and of having more than enough; I have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance, whether full or hungry or whether having plenty or being poor.
I can endure all these things through the power of the one who gives me strength."
In other words, by relying on Christ and Christ alone, Paul found that peace isn't about what's going on around us.
Just as you can be lonely in a crowd of people, you can feel anxious and afraid in the most safe of places.
Likewise, you can have a sense of calm, no matter how fierce the storms or frightening the situation.
It's not surroundings that make us secure...
...it's not money...
...it's not material stuff...
...it's the sure and certain knowledge that whatever might happen, God will never let us go.
And that is "the peace that exceeds all understanding."
Even as the world swirls in turmoil and there is nothing but negativity on t-v--you can have peace.
As terrorists plot their next move, and prepare to attack their next target--you can have peace.
As haters continue to hate; the storms can be still.
You can experience the victory of Christ.
You see, we can't buy peace.
It isn't going to come about through tanks, guns and the arms race.
It is, indeed, priceless.
It's not even on the market.
And that's because it's already been bought.
It was bought on the Cross by God Himself when Jesus shed His own blood for you and me.
God is peace.
And there is more than enough to go around.
He hands it out freely to anyone who will have it, to anyone who will ask and receive.
"keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus."
..."if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise.
Practice these things...
...The God of peace will be with you."
And you can be sane in an insane world.
Amen.
