This is the sermon I preached for our Sunday Evening service here at North Baptist. I thought this might be appropriate to post after yesterday’s posting…
Philippians 4:1-7
Introduction:
Tonight, we see this familiar verse (7) and it may brings warm feelings to our hearts. We all like peace, we long for peace. We live in troubled times. We look at the world around us and see war and rumors of war. In our own homes we see conflict, strife and uneasiness. This verse is here to remind us, peace is within our grasp. Unfortunately, often times we substitute the peace of God with false assurances, sentimental feelings, and warm, fuzzy thoughts. These are nice for awhile, but fail to give us the long-lasting effect that only comes with the peace of God.
I. Stand fast in the Lord
A. The foundation for true peace is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is referred to as the Prince of Peace. No other substitute will do. No other foundation could ever stand. We must be rooted and grounded in the Lord.
B. We all agree with this idea, but how do we apply it? If we agree that our foundation must be Jesus Christ, why is He the last thing we add to the equation? When building a house, we first put in the foundation. Then everything else is placed upon it. The house will stand if the foundation is solid. We can stand fast in the Lord because he is the Solid Rock. Yet, we find ourselves in trouble so often, because we have laid other foundations.
C. Most of the time we find ourselves in stressful, tense situations is not because we are the victim of a freak accident or odd occurrence. We have laid the foundation of bad decisions and now see the consequence of them. We decided to go our own way, or we sought the advice of other counsel. Then when a problem occurs, we go to the Lord. In stead of standing in Him, we run to Him. When I am standing in something, there is no need to run to it, because I am already there. When I run to Him it shows I was somewhere else.
D. How often have we seen people coming into church only after there has been problems in there lives. They question why things like this would happen to them. I almost want to ask them, what did you think would happen?
E. But, praise the Lord, we serve the God of the second chance. Sure, in the past we may have made some wrong decisions, but now is the time to make that right. Ground yourself in the Lord. Immerse your self in his Words, among His people and in His house. Stand firm. Then, when trouble comes, you have a firm foundation on which to stand. The world outside rages, but you are safe inside, in the Lord.
II. Be of the Same Mind.
A. Even within God’s house, there are troubles. There are petty bickerings and strife. How are we to deal with these problems? Some would suggest we need to throw aside all of our differences and come together as one. To a degree, they are right. We ought to be one church. Unity is a must in this pathway to peace. Unity is a requirement.
B. So are the ecumenicals correct? No. Notice what Paul says, be of the SAME mind. He doesn’t tell them to cast away their beliefs, but to have the same ones. Unity comes with truth. Truth is something we can all gather around and support. Can two walk together unless they be agreed, Amos asks us. The answer is no. For a church to function properly, there must be unity. By the way, this is why we separate from other churches and even discipline members of our own. We all need to be on the same page. A church, no matter what the denomination or affiliation cannot function with warring factions among it.
C. I remember in college, a professor who is now with the Lord. He preached a great message defending the Pre-tribulation rapture of the saints. He kept using one phrase over and over again, “Good men disagree, but not here.” What was he doing. He was creating unity around a Biblical truth. He was saying that if you are not in agreement, you will not fit in here. It would be better for you to either change your view (the point of the message) or change your college. We must have unity.
D. Why must there be unity – because there is a job to do. We are charged as a church to serve. Look back to a previous chapter. In Chapter 3 verse 5 we are told exactly what this same mind should be – the mind of Christ Himself. We read on through verses 14-16 we see that the ultimate goal is to live a blameless life holding to the Scripture – truth. Our whole goal here within this local church is to unify around the truth of Scripture.
III. Help Those Who Labor
A. We see here women who are laboring, working in the ministry. These are women who are sacrificially serving those who are preaching the gospel. Paul, Clement, and other preachers are strengthened by the help of these women. What they are doing aides the ministry of these men. What is to be our reaction – help those who are helping others.
B. Notice, it does not say to admire those who help others. It does not say to praise or reward them either. We are to help, pitch in. This is where peace is found. When we are all helping each other in this ministry, bearing one another’s burdens, lending a helping hand – that is an atmosphere that produces peace.
C. Often times we want to sit back and mere watch those who labor. That merely adds burden to those already working – so to cause irritation to them. That also adds feelings of guilt, shame, and envy to those not doing the work themselves. Peace comes with service. If we would all work together, problems can be solved and peace can be found.
D. We have a problem in our Kidz club ministry. We have an over-abundance of children. What a great problem to have. We have workers who worked to the bone. What a joy it would be to see others step up and ask, where can I help?
E. Our pastor is a burdened man. From time to time, he will inform us of some of those burdens. We can either sit back and wonder how the job will get done, or all together decide how we can help this man in the ministry of the Lord.
IV. Rejoice in the Lord
A. In order to have peace, we must have joy. There ought to be rejoicing in the Lord’s house. We all have much to glory in and be thankful for. Rejoice in the Lord.
B. It is easy to bog yourself down with the cares of this world, but why do as the song suggests and count your many blessings?
C. J. Vernon McGee in his commentary compared this idea with what the world calls happy hour. Drinks are passed around, and instead of drinking away your sorrows, they merely increase. But, McGee suggests, what the church needs is a true dose of happy hour. When some comes in with the latest bit of gossip, before they even start, tell them how good the Lord has been, recount your blessings and ask them to do the same. The next we see someone with a sour disposition, start sharing your testimony. What a difference it would make.
D. But, Pastor Thompson, what do I do with all my real problems. I can’t see how I can possibly make it! Paul again emphasizes, AGAIN I say rejoice, as if we needed further reminding…
V. Let Your Moderation Be Known
A. Rarely is there peace in extremes.
i. Someone who is caught up in a single issue and taken that issue to an extreme – is often a paranoid man afraid of everything. These are the people who can spot the devil behind every corner. Everything is wicked and everything is a conspiracy.
ii. On the other hand, you have people who do absolutely nothing. They do not care about too much and are therefore cast to and fro with every wind of doctrine. They are cult-fodder.
B. In our service and fervor, lets not get too carried away, but on the other hand, lets not do nothing either. Why? The Lord is at hand. He knows what is going on.
VI. Give Everything to the Lord in Prayer
A. Be careful for nothing. In other words, don’t worry. Worry is what causes uneasiness and strife. When you feel pulled in every direction, peace is not even a possibility. Don’t worry about situations outside of your control.
B. So what am I supposed to do about it? I just can’t imagine my problems are not there. In everything by prayer and supplication. We have to allow a Sovereign God to work. This is where our faith comes into play. If we are standing in the Lord, grounded in His truth, we know what God can do. We know the fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much.
C. McGee makes another interesting comment here. He compares these two words, nothing and everything – polar opposites. He says this word nothing is the most exclusive word in the English language for it excludes every possibility. Nothing is the absence of everything. If there was something there, it could not be nothing. On the other hand, everything is the most inclusive word because it includes everything. If one small matter is absent, then it cannot be everything.
D. In other words, we must leave everything, small and large, in the Lord’s hands. We ought not to worry about little things, or big things. We ought to pray about big issues, and small issues. Everything must be taken to the Lord. When they are, we have peace.
Conclusion:
Do you have the peace of God in your heart today? You can. These things we talked about tonight is moving you in the right direction. They are not easy. Peace is not going to come with just a decision here at the altar. Peace will not come because give up and retreat and stop caring. Peace comes only through Christ and obedience to His word. Tonight, the first step is yours to begin.
Posted by Kevin Thompson 
Posted by Kevin Thompson 
Posted by Kevin Thompson 
