How good things can come
4th part of grasping a full life.
Brief review of past messages:
1. "Triple God’s blessing for you." God is determined to bless us and keep us, make his face shine on us and be gracious to us.
2. "Life is beautiful." To God, life is beautiful, we are precious, the Father wants the same love He has for Jesus his son to be in us, He breathed His life in us, and when He made us purposeful formed us, it was deeply personal, most pleasurable, life to God is beautiful – so we must treat life as such,and not kill it. If we are to grasp full life, need to see how God sees life.
3. "Seven things that never fade away." We invest in many times but do we invest in things that’s temporal or things that endure. If we treasure things that are temporal and we will end up with nothing. But if we see long range, and invest in things that will stand the test of time death and decay, we will be much fuller and richer for it.
4. Now wrap things up…
2 And now I want to plead with those two women, Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true teammate, to help these women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. And they worked with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4 (NLT)
A. The problem of good things.
1. It is real.
What ya talking bout? Good things, a problem???
i. Go camping, get mosquitoes, go beach, get sunburn, go skiing, get frostbite, go hiking, become bear food???
ii. Look at the case of most prosperous nation today yet in land many good things comes problem of out of control drugs, AIDS, boredom single moms, people bored to dead, our neighbor. Surrey is the #1 car-theft city in all of our English speaking world, and Burnaby, Vancouver is not far off. Nice to live here, no#1 rated city to live in by many people but it’s got problems many cars get stolen! Heard story of two American teenage boys, James Parker and Robert Tulloch murdered Half and Susanne Zantop, college professors, with a pair of navy seals knives they bought via e-mail. They did it for the thrill to find a "fuller" life and now live with deep regret in jail.
iii. Look at the case of those who own liquid gold, the Arabs but oh the problems they have… Such hatred is there for anything American and Jewish. Dr. Mahatir said the Islamic world full of backwardness despite being rich because they are trying to solve their problems with violent force, it will not work, he says.
iv. Look at the case of Acts 6,church expanded, success story but complains arose about food distribution
v. Look at the case of Joseph, nice coat of many colors, favored by daddy but gets into hot soup with brothers.
vi. Look at case of David, at the height of success, good thing of being a great king but he fell hard with his sin of adultery with Bathsheba.
vii. Look at the case of Mary, good thing happened bore the Son of God, what a privilege but perhaps shunned – bore a child out of wedlock, then got to watch her son die on the cross.
2. Even good things can be problematic bring low energy to people (v.1-3).
Text points to specific case of Euodia and Syntyche. Good things happened here. It is due to their hard work, and how they labor with Clement and the other people at church. Their names are in the Book of Life. No doubt about their Christian walk, note Paul does not diminish them or castigate them but pleaded with them, get it out of your system.
Even good things can cause fatigue, here they are two ladies E and S who were hard-workers, missionaries, good people, doing good work, telling people about the God of love, the grace of Christ, the power of the Spirit! But they got on to each other nerves. No doubt morale is low.
Remember both “belong to the Lord”(v.2), both work hard, worked well with others. And both need to come back down to earth – solve their differences, and “remember the Lord is coming soon”. (v.5) NO doubt there is fierce disagreement, cause Paul got to hear of it, while he is in chains, but he offers them this advice. Whatever it is settle the problem. Don’t let it fester and reminds them of the theme of his letter JOY
See Paul’s belief –live is Christ to die is gain. He is in chains (cf.1:13-14), it’s not a hotel or Club Med, it’s not luxurious, it’s a prison, under guard. Scholars believe that is not a dungeon, but still under house arrest, he has no freedom, always someone there looking over your shoulders, no fun. Yet, look at how he chooses joy…(but he chooses joy… In fact, a theme throughout his letter is not one of big problems but the word “joy”, it is mentioned some 16 times in various forms throughout this Philippians letter.
B. Joy is a choice
Tips on fighting the blahs…
1. Choose to be optimistic (v.4) rejoice always!
22 The next morning, back across the lake, crowds began gathering on the shore, waiting to see Jesus. For they knew that he and his disciples had come over together and that the disciples had gone off in their boat, leaving him behind. 23 Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten. 24 When the crowd saw that Jesus wasn’t there, nor his disciples, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. 25 When they arrived and found him, they asked, “Teacher, how did you get here?”
26 Jesus replied, “The truth is, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you saw the miraculous sign. 27 But you shouldn’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that I, the Son of Man, can give you. For God the Father has sent me for that very purpose.”
28 They replied, “What does God want us to do?”
29 Jesus told them, “This is what God wants you to do: Believe in the one he has sent.” John 6 (NLT)
Many people follow as illustrated in the story follow because of the circumstance of being fed (see v.26). Not because they believe God has come among them, to love them, they follow to get food. I wonder how many of us follow God in order to improve your living arrangements or circumstances. Just to get bread on the table? Just to eat? Just to get a blessing for the moment? Just to feel good right now, fill up with bread right now? Just to get a problem over with?
Or will we spend our energy, to get to know Christ, to believe that God is after us, He is much more interested in our eternal welfare than just temporary setbacks. Jesus has come to give a full life and most people say gimme bread now, fix my flat tire now. I don’t want to wait for a brand new tire, just fix the tire. Or eyes are so fix on the now, it clouds or blanks out or cancel out any sense of God’s bigger picture or God’s greater purpose.
Do we see that Jesus has come, and has ushered in a new kingdom that will last longer than your new car which will become junk in about say 20 years from now. See how God who loves us and gave His life for us, to give us a hope and future? Do we center in on what He is after, our hearts to trust Him , i.e. to trust Him who is good, to trust God, to have faith that His love endures forever. Choose to be have joy in Him, despite lousy circumstances. Or will we rail against God for every inconvenience, for every bad day, for everything, not believing that He is good, not trusting that He knows, do we say, just gimme the bread, fill me up. Demand that God makes you feel good now and not a second later??? If you do that, you’ll fail to grasp a fuller life God wants u to have.
Perhaps we’ve forgotten how to have joy. We ask how can good things come. All we see down the road looks bleak, if things don’t change, it’ll be awful. But God is calling “Grasp a full life” – Our lives are to be marked with joy.
Scene –from Disney’s "Freaky Friday" movie… Teenage daughter changes places/bodies with uptight mother and the kid teaches the mother this "Lighten up…" While interviewed by TV talk show host on live TV, the daughter was asked while she in mother’s body, why do people get tired. She said "Lighten up..." Have you heard of "take out"? Instead of getting stressed over meal preparation. And this daughter in the mother’s body got the message of Paul "rejoice." No wonder the Psalms tell people to shout for joy or make a joyful noise. Woooo!
That’s Paul’s message to us… Lighten up “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” Look at joy that is available in God by doing the next thing...
2. Correct your vision: Refuse to let circumstances that you see now dictate how you feel. Jesus is coming soon, eventually even the worst will disappear, the night will turn to day, the bad guys will get caught – like Parker and Tulloch, circumstances will change, because Jesus is coming back, there will be a new heaven and new earth, He who is promised is faithful, so see long range, some one once said: don’t set it too low, set it on heaven you’ll get earth thrown in, set your sight on earth you’ll get nothing (v.5)
3. Check your attitude: Practice gratitude when you don’t feel like it (v.6)
Yeah, Right??? Story that was told of woman who went to her shrink, complain about husband, really want to get back at him, really hurt him real good…
So shrink told her to act as if you really grateful for him, that he is God’s gift to woman, tell him he’s a hunk and a half, praise him, cook great meals, tell him good stuff, stoke his ego, be grateful for everything he does for you, if he puts toilet seat down eg, then when he’s feels just great, drop him like a sack of potatoes, tell him you’re through, that’ll hurt him good! Few weeks later shrink called the woman, have you drop him yet, drop him… no way, she found out she love him after all, when her actions changed her own outlook, changed her attitude, changed her to be loving.
Phil 4:5 says “Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.” It really works, I tell u. thank him for all he has done
4. Channel your problems to God: Give all that goes on within you completely to God, pray (v.6). 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done
5. Christ’s grace is enough for you: Allow yourself to return to the grace of God (v.7)
Phil4 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.
C. Find balance when life happens
1. Focus on what matter the most (v.8)
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
2. Fill up with God: be present fully to why God called you (v.9) 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you. God is there for you as you faithfully work out that joy is a choice… (review part B.)
3. Fix up your schedule: plan at least 6 days work, one day rest, plan do other things. God says to keep a Sabbath… helps put balance back into a stressful life we have, glad to have church at least once a week.
4. Focus on what God has gifted you to do “put into practice” (v.9) Do the things you can do, things you can’t do, don’t sweat it, leave it t God.
5. Fall before God! Find your way back to God, depend on him when you circumstances stink. Look at this promise of God in 2 Chron 7:1-16
11 So Solomon finished building the Temple of the LORD, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do. 12 Then one night the LORD appeared to Solomon and said, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. 13 At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or I might command locusts to devour your crops, or I might send plagues among you. 14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land. 15 I will listen to every prayer made in this place, 16 for I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be my home forever. My eyes and my heart will always be here.
Don’t u just love that "My eyes and my heart will always be here"? God’s presence is promised in the temple.
In NT believers are the temple of God, God dwells in you, if Christ is who you believe and hold on to. Hang on to Him, He is in you, believe! He listens to every prayer that’s uttered. So be fully present to Him, His eyes, his heart, is always there, his home is in your heart. Got problems? Give it Him. Through Christ, that Paul finds the strength in prison to write a letter of joy to the Philippians. Through Christ, Paul falls back on Him, get balance back, Paul says “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength" Can we see how good things can come as we grasp a fuller and fuller life through Christ alone!
Conclusion:
How good things can come? Life happens, good things can get out of whack. There are problems with good things because this is not heaven yet, it is not perfect. Therefore we can choose joy knowing that God is in control, that He knows better, experience peace. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus, have you allowed Christ to give that to you?
