STOP WORRYING. START PRAYING

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Philippians 4:1-9 ESV

Therefore, my brothers [and sisters], whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion,[b] help these women, who have labored[c] side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness[d] be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned[e] and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:1 ESV

1 Therefore, my brothers [and sisters], whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

“Therefore…”

Stand firm.

How are they to stand firm?

How are they to persevere?

Philippians 3:20:-21 ESV

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

We are citizens of heaven

Fix your eyes upon Jesus

And one day, Jesus will make our lowly bodies to be like His glorious, resurrected body.

Fix your eyes upon Jesus

This heavenly perspective is the reason they have to stand firm.

Philippians 4:1 ESV

1 Therefore, my brothers [and sisters], whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

Paul delights in his relationship with this church

They are his joy

They are his crown

They are his award

Philippians 4:2-3 ESV

2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion,[b] help these women, who have labored[c] side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

“Strive for peace with everyone…” (Heb 12:14)

Would you rather be right? Or godly?

Would you rather be right in your own eyes? Or God’s eyes?

John 13:34-35 ESV

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Philippians 4:4-7 ESV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 

5 Let your reasonableness [gentleness] be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 

6 do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.

A posture of prayer

Philippians 4:4 ESV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 

Rejoice!

Always!

Have joy together!

What flows naturally from unity?

Joy. 

Rejoicing.

“For when you are joined in heart you rejoice in the Lord, and when you rejoice in the Lord you are joined in heart and stand together in the Lord.” – Jonathan Edwards

Rejoice because of Jesus

Rejoice because of who He is

Rejoice because of what He’s done

Our lives should be characterized by JOY

Embracing joy

Choosing JOY

John 16:33 ESV

In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

How do we do this?

How do we take heart?

Charles Haddon Spurgeon teaches us how to take heart.

Jesus said:

John 16:33 ESV

In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Spurgeon responds:

“My Lord’s words are true as to the tribulation. I have my share of it beyond all doubt.”

“How can I look to be at home in the enemy’s country? This is not my rest. This is the place of the furnace, the forge, the hammer.”

“Sadly, I am far too inclined to be despondent. My spirit soon sinks when I am heavily tried. But I must not give way to this feeling. When my Lord bids me cheer up, I dare not be cast down.”

“Why do I despair of overcoming? Look, my soul, the enemy has once been overcome.  I fight with a beaten foe. Oh, world, Jesus already conquered you; and in me, by His grace, He will overcome again.”

Therefore, I take heart, and sing to my conquering Lord.” 

– Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Philippians 4:4 ESV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 

Philippians 4:5 ESV

5 Let your reasonableness [gentleness] be known to everyone.

This word: ‘reasonableness’ / ‘gentleness’

Opposite of violence

Opposite of quarreling

Opposite of slander

This virtue (‘reasonableness’ / ‘gentleness’) relates to being:

Courteous

Peace-loving or peaceable

Pure

Full of mercy

Do your friends & family think of you as reasonable? Gentle?

Philippians 4:5-6 ESV

5 Let your reasonableness [gentleness] be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

‘The Lord is at hand’

‘The Lord is near’

This is basis for next 2 contrasting exhortations:

1) against anxiety

2) toward prayer

Psalm 34:18 ESV

18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted

    and saves the crushed in spirit.

Psalm 145:18 ESV

18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,

    to all who call on him in truth.

Jesus being near → basis of our life of peace

Mark 4:36-41 ESV

36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

We can combat fear & anxiety with the truth that Jesus is near.

“Courage is not the absence of fear…” – Franklin D. Roosevelt

Courage is a decision.

Faith is not the absence of anxiety & worry & fear.

To trust God & take Him at His Word is a decision.

To choose to rejoice is a decision.

To choose to be thankful is a decision.

Decide today.

Stop worrying. Start praying.

Luke 12:22-23 ESV

22 And he [Jesus] said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.

Luke 12:25 ESV

25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[c] 

26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?

Stop worrying. Start praying.

Jeremiah 17:8 ESV

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

    whose trust is the LORD.

8 He is like a tree planted by water,

    that sends out its roots by the stream,

and does not fear when heat comes,

    for its leaves remain green,

and is not anxious in the year of drought,

    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Stop worrying. Start praying.

Philippians 4:6 ESV

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

5 ways the Philippians are to make their requests known:

In everything

By prayer

By supplication

With thanksgiving

To God

1) In everything

In every circumstance in life

Philippians 4:6 NLT

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

2) By prayer and 

3) By supplication

Prayer is talking to God

Supplication is pleading with God

Urgently

Sincere request

Petition

Supplication starts with humility

Dependence

Philippians 4:6 ESV

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

4) with thanksgiving

This is the manner in which we are to make requests

This is our posture before God

Thanksgiving is the antidote to focusing on our own desires

Thanksgiving remembers

What God has done

What God is doing

What God can/will do

5) to God

God wants us to bring our needs to Him…

For our peace

For God’s glory

Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

6 do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.

God wants us to pray because it leads to peace

God’s peace is a higher peace

God’s peace will guard our hearts & minds

The inner life

God’s peace is our defense against the circumstances of life

Philippians 4:8-9 ESV

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 

9 What you have learned[e] and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Right thinking

Right doing

Right thoughts are the cure for anxious thoughts

Right thinking will be mirrored by right doing

Right thinking leads to Right doing

Meditation upon these things is worthwhile

Godly thinking

Godly living

This is the beautiful life

This is abundant life

This is a life that leads to peace

Psalm 1:1-3 ESV

1 Blessed is the man[a]

    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2 but his delight is in the law[b] of the Lord,

    and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree

    planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

    and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

Right thinking. Right doing

Stop worrying. Start praying.

Philippians 4:7 ESV

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Romans 16:20 ESV

20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

Romans 15:33 ESV

33 May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.