Download The Cure for the Common Consternation Philippians 4:4

The Cure for the Common Consternation
Philippians 4:4-9
Rev. Alan Rogers
INTRODUCTION
A lot of people today are looking for peace. Are you one of them?
The other day I entered the phrase “how to find inner peace” in Google
©, and came up with nearly 2.8 million responses.1 The most prescribed
medications in America are antidepressants,2 with one out of every 10
Americans taking them, and that number doubled between 1996 and 2005.3
Books, tapes, and seminars on self-improvement are a nearly 10-billion
dollar business in America, and the numbers are rising.4
The problem is that most of the peace offered through these
approaches is hard to obtain, temporary or even illusory. If you are looking
for true, lasting peace, the best approach is found in the pages of the
Bible.
I.
In his concluding remarks to a church beset by conflict, the Apostle
Paul gives five commands intended to promote inner peace.
A.
The context of Paul’s instructions:
1.
To understand Paul’s words it is important to remember
the conflicts faced by the church at Philippi.
1
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF8&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS353US353&q=finding+peace#hl=en&rlz=1T4GGLL_enUS353US353&q=finding+inner+p
eace&revid=1985737200&sa=X&ei=YC2_TP7bG4bGlQe9kp3iBw&ved=0CE4Q1QIoBA&fp=5514d4c9ae44c415;
accessed 20 October 2010.
2
Elizabeth Cohen, “CDC: Antidepressants most prescribed drugs in U.S”, CNN 9 July 2007; article online; available at http://articles.cnn.com/2007-07-09/health/antidepressants_1_antidepressants-high-bloodpressure-drugs-psychotropic-drugs?_s=PM:HEALTH; accessed 24 October 2010.
3
Liz Szabo, “Number of Americans Taking Antidepressants Doubles”, USA TODAY 4 August 2009;
article on-line; available at http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-08-03-antidepressants_N.htm; accessed
24 October 2010.
4
“Self-Improvement Market in U.S. Worth $9.6 Billion,” PR Web 21 September 2006; article on-line;
available at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/9/prweb440011.htm; accessed 24 October 2010.
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a)
The safety of the Philippian church was bring
threatened as their proclamation that Jesus was Savior
and Lord generated tensions between the Philippian
Christians and their non-believing neighbors.
b) The integrity of the Philippian church was being
threatened by some were who trying to introduce false
teaching into their midst.
c)
The harmony of the Philippian church was being
threatened by a personal dispute between two influential
church members.
2.
To understand Paul’s words, it is also important to
remember the audience to which he is addressing them.
a)
Paul is writing to the congregation as a whole.
b) These instructions are something that the church
family should pursue together.
c)
The search for true inner peace is always best
conducted in connection with a fellowship of like-minded
followers of Christ.
B.
The content of Paul’s instructions:
1.
Approach life with an attitude of joy based on trust in the
Lord. (v.4)
a)
Joy is an important part of the Christian experience.
(1) Paul literally commands the Philippian
Christians to “rejoice!”
(2) So that there would be no misunderstanding,
Paul gives this command twice for emphasis.
(3) Paul’s command implies that adopting an
attitude of joy involves a conscious choice.
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b)
Joy is an important presence in all of life’s
situations.
(1) Paul instructed the Philippians to “rejoice
always”.
(a) We should seek joy in good times, when it
comes naturally.
(b) We should seek joy in difficult times, when
it is harder to grasp.
(c) The pursuit of joy should be the default
position of all Christians.
(i) (Gordon Fee) “Joy, unmitigated,
untrammeled joy, is-or at least should bethe distinctive mark of the believer in
Christ Jesus. The wearing of black and
the long face, which so often came to
typify some later expressions of Christian
piety, are totally foreign to Paul's
version...”5
(ii) Too often we “short-circuit” our own
joy by fixating on the negative instead of
seeking the positive.
(2) Paul’s words illustrate the difference between
“joy” and “happiness.”
(a) “Happiness” often depends on what is
“happening” around us.
(b) True joy is not dependent on our
circumstances, and often exists despite what is
happening around us.
5
Gordon Fee, Philippians. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, ed. Grant R. Osborne, vol. 11
(Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 173.
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c)
Joy is grounded in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
(1) Note that Paul connects “rejoicing” with being
“in the Lord.”
(2) True joy is grounded in knowing Jesus and
trusting that He is in control.
(3) (Moises Silva) This joy can be had always,
“because it depends not on changing circumstances
but on the one who does not change.”6
2.
Display graciousness towards all, even those who do not
deserve it. (v.5)
a)
“Gentle spirit” translates a Greek word, ,
which is particularly hard to render in English because it
has no direct equivalent.
b) The best approximations would be “forbearance”7,
“moderation” or “mercy”8, or “graciousness.”
(1) The Greeks used this word to describe the
withholding of judgment in situations where “justice
is not the same thing as fairness.”9
(2) There is an element of selflessness in this word,
because the person practicing this quality is
choosing not to exercise his or her rights even after
being wronged.10
6
Moises Silva, Philippians. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, ed. Robert Yarbrough
and Robert H. Stein (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005), 194.
7
Ralph P. Martin, Philippians. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, ed. Leon Morris, vol. 11
(Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987), 170.
8
Barclay, 88.
9
Ibid.
10
Richard R. Melick,Jr. Phiippians, Colossians, Philemon. The New American Commentary, ed. David S.
Dockery, Vol. 32 (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1991), 149.
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c)
Note that Paul commands Christians to demonstrate
this attitude towards everyone, even those who do evil to
us.
d)
Practicing this attitude fulfills the commands of
Jesus.
(1) (Matthew 5:39) “But I say to you, do not resist
an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right
cheek, turn the other to him also.”
(2) (Matthew 5:44)” But I say to you, love your
enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
e)
Paul says that we should demonstrate this attitude
so consistently that we develop a reputation for it (“be
known”).
f)
This attitude is only possible through a relationship
of trust in the Lord.
(1)
“The Lord is near.”
(2) He is near temporally, as this phrase reminds
us of the promise that Jesus will one day return to
set everything right.
(3) He is near spatially, through the presence of the
Holy Spirit at work in our lives.
(a)
God has not abandoned us.
(b) God sees us when others are mistreating
us.
(c) God is present with us even in our
suffering.
(d) [ILLUSTRATION] The Chilean Miners:
when an interviewer mentioned that there had
been 33 people present in that collapsed mine,
one of the rescued miners corrected him,
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saying, “There were 34…because God never
left us!” 11
(4) We can endure a lot if we are convinced that our
future and hope are safely secure in God’s hands.
3.
Counter anxiety through prayerful dependence on God.
(v.6)
a)
Paul commands believers, “Do not by anxious about
anything!”
(1)
Paul states this verb as an imperative.
(2)
This same command was issued by Jesus.
(a) (Luke 12:22) ‘And He said to His disciples,
"For this reason I say to you, do not worry
about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for
your body, as to what you will put on.’
(b) (Matthew 6:25-34) “For this reason I say to
you, do not be worried about your life, as to
what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for
your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life
more than food, and the body more than
clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they
do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you
not worth much more than they? And who of
you by being worried can add a single hour to
his life? And why are you worried about
clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field
grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say
to you that not even Solomon in all his glory
clothed himself like one of these. But if God so
clothes the grass of the field, which is alive
today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace,
will He not much more clothe you? You of little
11
Nathan Black, “Chilean Miners Say God Never Left Them,” Christian Today 15 October 2010; article online; available at http://www.christiantoday.com/article/chilean.miners.say.god.never.left.them/26907.htm;
accessed 25 October 2010.
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faith! Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we
eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we
wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly
seek all these things; for your heavenly Father
knows that you need all these things. But seek
first His kingdom and His righteousness, and
all these things will be added to you. So do not
worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care
for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its
own.”
(3)
Does this mean than worry is a sin?
(a) Yes, IF worry drives us away from God
instead of towards Him.
(b) God designed us to feel anxiety as a
warning sign, similar to the way we experience
physical pain.
(c) Much as the pain of touching a hot skillet
should cause us to pull back our hands,
feelings of anxiety should cause us to turn
towards God for help.
(d) Unfortunately, too often we fixate on the
anxiety and allow it to consume us.
b)
Paul directs us to the antidote for anxiety.
(1)
We are to take everything to God in prayer.
(a) Paul uses three slightly different words to
emphasize the same reality. 12
(i) Prayer () refers to prayer in
general.
(ii) Supplications () refers more
specifically to addressing needs.
12 Martin, 172.
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(iii) Requests () refers to
prayer that has been thoughtfully
formulated into precise petitions and not
just sentimental ramblings.
(b) The point of all three words we should
take the causes for our anxiety to the Lord.
(2) In our prayers, we are to celebrate God’s past
goodness on our behalf.
(a) Our prayers should be offered in an
attitude of thanksgiving.
(b) Thanksgiving helps shift our focus off of
our present needs and onto God’s faithfulness.
(c) Thanksgiving reminds us that every good
thing comes as a gift from God.13
(i) Acknowledging our dependence
upon God drives away anxiety.
(ii) (George Muller) “The beginning of
anxiety is the end of faith, and the
beginning of true faith is the end of
anxiety.”14
4.
Dwell on the positive. (v. 8)
a)
Paul appropriates a list of virtues admired in Greek
culture and philosophy and enlists them in the service of
Christian faith.
(1)
Truth
(2)
nobility/honorable
13 Fee, 175.
14
Sermonillustrations.com, s.v. “anxiety”; article on-line; available at http://sermonillustrations.com/az/a/anxiety.htm; accessed 24 October 2010.
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(a) Normally used in reference to things that
are sacred or revered in connection with a
temple.
(b) Describes a person “moves through life as
if the whole world were the temple of God.”15
(3)
Righteousness
(4)
Purity
(5)
Loveliness
(6)
Things of Good Repute
(7)
Excellence
(a)
The Greek word .
(b) One of the highest virtues in Greek
thought.
(c) All of the other virtues listed by Paul, and
any that are not, are included in this word.
(8)
Praiseworthy
b) Paul encourages believers to focus on and give
weight to these virtues in their thought life (“dwell”).
5.
Live out the faith you have learned. (v. 9)
II.
In giving us these instructions, Paul points to the true source of
lasting inner peace.
15 Barclay, 93.
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A.
True peace is found only in a relationship with Jesus. (vv. 4-7,9)
1.
All of these commands come under the umbrella of being
“in the Lord”. (v.4)
2.
Paul stresses the Lord's presence in our lives (v. 5)
3.
The peace that results from following these commands is
grounded “in Christ Jesus.” (v.7)
B. When we experience God's presence in our lives, we also
experience His peace. (vv. 5, 7, 9)
1.
As we open ourselves up to God's presence in our lives,
we receive His peace. (v.7)
2.
God's peace literally stands sentry over our hearts and
minds as we grow in our relationship with Him. (v.7)
3.
His peace is with us. (v.9)
CONCLUSION:
I have a friend who is thankful for gallstones. You might wonder what
kind of person might be thankful for gallstones (especially if you have ever
suffered a gallstone attack). A couple of years back, this friend
experienced a gallstone attack out of the blue. He was rushed to surgery,
where the doctors removed his gall bladder, a relatively minor operation.
However, when the doctors reviewed my friend's lab work in preparation
for the surgery, they noticed some irregularities. It turned out that he was
in the early stages of a very serious disease. Had they not discovered this
disease when they did, his prognosis would have been bleak—12-18
month to live at most. Thankfully, since his disease was discovered early
he was given a good chance of making a full recovery. This discovery
forced him to undergo a harrowing ordeal, which included a stem cell
extraction, followed by intense chemotherapy to destroy his bone marrow,
and finally a stem cell transplant to create new bone marrow. However,
this ordeal saved his life, and today he is healthy and active.
What is most amazing about all of this was his attitude during this
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entire process. If you had asked, he would have told you that he was
actually looking forward to the adventure. Not to the pain and discomfort,
of course, but to the opportunity to demonstrate the grace of God through
his ordeal and to share Jesus with people he might otherwise never have
the opportunity to meet. As he talked about what lay ahead, his face shone
with unmistakable joy and peace.
How can someone experience peace and joy when facing the fight for
their lives? By putting one's entire trust in the hands of a loving and
gracious God, who promises to be present even in our suffering. My friend
was able to face the fight of his life with joy because his life is hidden in
Jesus Christ.
In the demonstrations that followed the Rodney King verdicts in the
early 1990s, it was not uncommon to see protestors holding signs that
read, “No Justice—no peace.”The empty tomb of Jesus Christ sends a
different message: No Jesus—no peace. Know Jesus—know peace.
SOURCES
Barclay, William. The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians. The New
Daily Study Bible. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003.
Bruce, F.F. Philippians. New International Biblical Commentary, ed. W. Ward Gasque, Vol. 11.
Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1989.
Dunnam, Maxie D. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. The
Communicator's Commentary, ed. Lloyd J. Ogilvie, vol. 8. Waco: Word Books, 1982.
Fee, Gordon. Philippians. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, ed. Grant R.
Osborne, vol. 11. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999.
Hunt, Johnny M. The Book of Philippians: An Archive of Exegetical Sermon Notes.
Woodstock: 3H Publishing, 2007.
Kent, Homer A., Jr. “Philippians.” In The Expositor's Bible Commentary, ed. Frank E.
Gabelein, Vol. 11. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978.
Lenski, R.C.H. The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistles to the Galatians, Ephesians, and
Philippians. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1937.
Lightfoot, J. B. Philippians. The Crossway Classic Commentaries, ed. Alister McGrath and J.
I. Packer. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1994.
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Martin, Ralph P. Philippians. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, ed. Leon Morris,
vol. 11. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987.
Melick, Richard R., Jr. Phiippians, Colossians, Philemon. The New American Commentary,
ed. David S. Dockery, Vol. 32. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1991.
Silva, Moises. Philippians. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, ed. Robert
Yarbrough and Robert H. Stein. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2005.
Stagg, Frank.”Philippians.” In The Broadman Bible Commentary, vol.11, 2 Corinthians Philemon, 178- 216. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1971.
Unless otherwise noted, all scriptural citations are from the New American Standard
Bible, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The
Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org.
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