PAUL’S JAILHOUSE THANKSGIVING
Phip. 4:6
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR: True Thanksgiving Disasters
1. On Thanksgiving, one father who’d bought a Ron Popeil “Set It And Forget It” ROTISSERIE and decided to use it to cook the Thanksgiving turkey. He invited the whole family over, of course. "But in his excitement, he forgot the weight limit of what can be cooked in one of those things, and he set the entire bird on fire. To make things worse, the only 'restaurant' in town that wasn't closed...was a 7-Eleven. That year the entire extended family had lukewarm hot dogs and microwave burritos for Thanksgiving."
2. "Back when I was a kid, I thought it would be a funny prank to put a rubber chicken in the oven on Thanksgiving. My mom would laugh and laugh — 'Ho ho ho, there's a rubber chicken in the oven! What a gag!' This 13-year-old me didn't realize that normal adults usually preheat the oven before putting the turkey in." [Buzzfeed]
B. TEXT
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” Phip. 4:6, NASB 1995
C. HOW COULD PAUL BE THANKFUL?
1. Most people aren’t happy when they’re put in jail, but the Apostle Paul had a thankful heart, even when things went the wrong way.
2. Paul’s letter to the Philippians begins (1:3) and almost ends (4:6) with exclamations of thanksgiving to God. This is remarkable since Paul wrote it from prison (1:13-14), probably from Rome in A.D. 61. This would coincide with Acts 28:14-31. He eventually got his own rented house and was under guard until his trial before Caesar.
3. In Phip. 1:12, Paul said, “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.” This is what we call “finding a silver lining in a dark cloud” or “looking on the bright side.”
4. Paul saw his troubles as having a God-ordained purpose. Bad things don’t accidentally happen to Christians. God’s ways are beyond us, “past finding out.” We don’t see the end from the beginning, but God does. In Rome, Paul was able to influence even the members of Caesar’s household; he began to perceive the hand and purposes of God.
5. The title of today’s message is “Paul’s Jailhouse Thanksgiving.”
I. SUBSTITUTE PRAYERS FOR WORRIES
A. WORRY ABOUT EVERYTHING? NO PRAY!
1. The KJV says “be careful for nothing,” which means don’t be overly worried about the things of this life. We don’t know how GOOD we’ve got it!
2. 1.9 million people, today, have cancer (in USA). One little eight-year-old girl named Christina, who had cancer of the nervous system, was asked what she wanted for her birthday. She thought long and hard and finally said, “I don’t know. I have two sticker books and a Cabbage Patch doll. I have everything!” She’s right! [Erma Bombeck, Redbook, October, 1992]
3. One 12-year-old boy named David was born without an immune system. He spent his entire life, up to that time, in a plastic bubble to protect him from common germs, bacteria, and viruses that could kill him. When asked what he wished for, he said, "I want to walk barefoot on grass, and touch my mother’s hand." Wow! What we take for granted!
4. Bob Edens was blind. His world was only made-up of sounds and smells. He FELT his way through five decades of darkness. And then, he could see; a skilled surgeon restored his sight. Bob found sight overwhelming. He said, “I never would’ve dreamed that yellow is so... yellow! But red...I just can’t believe red. I can see the shape of the moon – and nothing [is] better than seeing a jet plane flying across the sky leaving a vapor trail. And of course, sunrises and sunsets. And at night I look at the stars in the sky and at flashing lights. You could never know how wonderful everything is.” [Oh God, open our eyes!]
B. ARE YOU “FULL OF CARE?”(“be careful for nothing”)
1. It’s customary for people today to worry about everything. Paul suggests an alternative – PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING! Anxiety is an evil habit that infects people; it controls and drives them with fears. Instead of worrying, PRAY! If you pray you can turn the devil’s unbelieving proddings into spiritual gain!
2. We need to go to our Father with all our needs. God doesn’t mind you knocking on His door; He made us to be dependent on Him. He invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace. If you want to worry, the enemy will give you plenty of ammunition. Strike out that word “care” and just write in its place the word “prayer.”
C. LET GOD BE GOD!
1. Next, dear friends, know that anxiety is an intrusion into God’s jurisdiction. By worrying, you’re taking on what is God’s responsibility.
2. Imagine farmer standing in his fields, saying, “I must get to my responsibility of managing the weather! It’s about time this rain stopped and the sun to shine.” He’d be out of his league!
3. But praying is something we CAN DO! Prayer is coming into the presence of God. Prayer is entering the throne room of the King. Prayer is to stand on holy ground. Prayer is calling out to the only One who can save us. Prayer is reaching out to the never tired, confused, afraid, or taken-by-surprise God.
4. Paul said, “The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing.” Jesus is coming. He may come tonight. At any moment He may appear. So Paul writes, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
II. DESCRIPTION OF THIS PRAYER
What kind of prayer did Paul suggest?
A. IT’S A PRAYER WHICH COVERS EVERYTHING
1. “IN EVERYTHING...let your requests be made known to God.” We should pray from the smallest thing to the greatest thing. You might need to pray for a new pair of shoes or a car. Nothing is too little or too big to take to God.
2. ILLUS.: WHAT IF HE’D ASKED FOR “BIG?”
a. The lady at the car rental desk asked a Christian if He'd like a free upgrade. He answered, "Nah. I'm five feet tall. What would I do with extra leg room?” She smiled a knowing smile & handed him some keys.
b. When he got out to the spot, “there sat the biggest Mercedes I've ever seen!” He wondered if the lady had given him the upgrade or if he was at the wrong spot. But the key worked, so he put his luggage into the trunk – which was “big enough to hold a revival meeting in!”
c. He slid onto the leather seat and couldn't help but smile. The control panel had every light, knob, button, screen and digital gadget he could imagine. He said, “I felt like the Captain of the Starship Enterprise.”
d. The funny thing was that he asked for "small;" but he got big. Isn't that how God is? God FORGIVES big. He LOVES big. He gives us LIFE in the biggest way. He loves to answer BIG. The Christian later said, “I wonder what would have happened if I’d asked for "big" at the car rental place? I might have gotten a TANK!” [Rhonda Rhea]
B. IT’S AN INTELLIGENT PRAYER
1. Many religions chant their prayers. They don’t even think about what they’re saying. Jesus warned against repeating meaningless prayers.
2. Get alone and tell the Lord what you want, pour out your heart before Him. God doesn’t cares about how finely you form your words; it’s the attitude of our hearts that matters to God.
3. Pray as if you were telling your dearest friend what your need is, for that’s real prayer. God is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
C. A PRAYER THAT THANKS GOD IN ADVANCE
1. BE SPECIFIC. “Lord, I don’t have enough MONEY; please supply my need. Thank You for being my Provider!”
2. “Lord, I’m SICK. Thank you for allowing Jesus to suffer for my Healing. You are Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord my Physician. Please, bring HEALING to my body in Jesus’ name!”
3. “Lord, I’m IN TROUBLE. You can turn my troubles into triumphs. Please work miracles and change my situation, in Jesus’ name!” THEN BEGIN TO PRAISE HIM IN ADVANCE. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
III. THE WONDERFUL EFFECT OF THIS PRAYER
A. IT BRINGS SUPERNATURAL PEACE
1. In Phip. 4:7 Paul said, “And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
2. The “peace of God” is the serenity of the infinitely-happy God, His perfect well-being & contentment, which possesses your heart and mind.
3. Paul says it “passes all understanding.” Other people won’t understand it and maybe YOU won’t understand it yourself, because it’s not of yourself.
4. When one of the martyrs was about to be burned for Christ, he asked the judge who was giving the orders, “Will you come and lay your hand on my heart? “The judge did so. “Does it beat fast?” inquired the martyr. “Do I show any sign of fear?” “No,” said the judge. “Now lay your hand on your own heart and see whether you are not more excited than I am.” Think of Peter, who, on the morning he was to be beheaded, was so soundly asleep that the angel had to shake him to wake him! He had such confidence in God! That’s “the peace of God!”
5. You can feel it this morning if you cast all your cares upon the Lord!
B. IT’S A PEACE THAT GUARDS YOU
1. Medieval castles had an inner tower called “the Keep.” Whoever was inside of it was safe from assault. That’s what God’s peace is compared to; an inner stronghold of our hearts & minds, garrisoned with soldiers. The peace of God makes us feel safe.
2. People often wonder why we Christians make such a fuss about our religion; if only they knew this sublime peace, the joy we have in the Spirit! They’d make a fuss too if they got a taste of the fruits of Canaan!
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: 200 Miles of Thanksgiving
1. If you are thankful, say so! Thanksgiving is only half said until you have done something to show your thankfulness.
2. A missionary to India was traveling through a city and stopped to speak to a man beside the road. He talked with the man for a time about Jesus. Then, having to travel on, he gave him a few pages of the Bible in the man's language.
3. The Indian read them and was thrilled to learn of Jesus. To show his gratitude, the man measured the footprints left by the missionary, and made a pair of moccasins for him.
4. He then traveled 200 miles to give them to the missionary as an expression of thanks. The missionary was shocked by the man’s extravagant thanksgiving, but the Indian man felt much more enriched because of his changed heart. [Unknown]
5. Have you ever gone out of your way to tell God thanks? One leper returned to Jesus to thank Him. This is the season for remembering all the wonderful ways God has blessed us. Let’s be sure to thank Him!
B. THE CALL
1. How many of you need the peace of God this morning? Do you have an urgent need? Let’s cast all our cares on the Lord & let Him carry our burdens!
2. PRAYER.
3. LORD’S SUPPER.
[This is a rewrite of Charles Spurgeon’s message on this verse]
