Today, Paul addresses the two greatest thieves to the benefits of your identity, your citizenship in heaven: worry and fear. And he uses a conflict between to key members of their church as a segue.
[Philippians 4:2-3]
“Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.”
James connects our contention with others to the internal struggles each of us face
[James 4:1]
“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?”
- MY IDENTITY CHANGES BEFORE MY LIFE DOES
[Colossians 3:7-10]
“You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.”
Knowing WHO I am, changes the way I think. Changing the way I think, changes the way I live. And that’s what Paul gets to next…
He says there are two keys to experiencing God’s peace in your life
- That would be nice, wouldn’t it?
- Anxiety, worry, fear taken away and replaced… by freedom!
- So he tells us what we need, to push out fear, anxiety and worry…
2. CHOOSE TO REJOICE AND BE GRATEFUL
[James 1:2-4]
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
God will finish what he started (1:6, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished…”) Because we are confident God is good and that God ain’t done…We rejoice! By CHOICE!
[Philippians 4:4-7]
“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
- Not sure if you caught that…
- There is a direct connection between worry, prayer and gratitude
- The result of prayer and gratitude is peace that exceeds and guards your heart
Let’s be honest about our fears/anxiety.
- Fear says God can’t be trusted
- Anxiety says my well-being is all on me
- Worry says God has lost control
Prayer, Joy and Thanksgiving are not the result of Peace, they are the cause of it!
CHOOSE TO THINK DIFFERENTLY AND YOU’LL ACT DIFFERENTLY
[Philippians 4:8-9]
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
Observation: it’s hard to do the right things, when we obsess about the wrong things
Control your thoughts and keep facing the right direction, doing the right thing.
THEN…YOU WILL BE CONTENT NO MATTER WHAT!
[Philippians 4:10-13]
“How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 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. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”
I can do through ANYTHING, through Christ who strengthens me. How? I consider my Identity with Christ to be the filter through which ALL other expressions of my identity are lived out. My money, sex, reputation, legacy, education, social status, health, etc, doesn’t define who I am
I want you to go straight at the thing that causes you the most anxiety, fear or worry.
- Take that thought captive
- Identify the lie you are believing and replace it with truth
- Identify the thing you fear losing and acknowledge how it is stealing from your true identity
Every Fear/AnxiousThought/Worry is an alarm bell going off.
- The object of your obsession is the thief robbing you of peace!
Acknowledge your citizenship is in Heaven.
- What happens here is less important than what happens after here
- God’s will being done here as it is in Heaven
- God is not done!
- The story is still being written and it ends with my conformity the image of Jesus
Therefore, God is good when life is bad…
Therefore, I count it all joy when I fall into various struggles…
Therefore, we do not grieve as those who have no hope…
Therefore, whether I have nothing/everything, with a full/empty stomach, with plenty or with little, I am content. God is good and he will give me strength.
Therefore, I will not lay down and whimper. I will not conform to this world. I am being transformed by the renewing of my mind.
Therefore I will do what is good and pleasing to God.
And, like
[Philippians 4:18-1]
says, “my life is a sweet smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God, who will supply all my needs from his glorious riches, which are given to me in Christ Jesus. Amen.”
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Application Questions
1. What stood out to you from this message and why?
2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?
3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?
4. How will this message change how you act at home, work and in the your relationships?