Philippians 4:4-7
~17 min read
SERMON OUTLINE
- I. From Anxiety to Prayer
- II. From Distress to Peace
TRANSCRIPT
I greet all of you in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Our text for this morning's message is taken from Philippians 4:4-7. The word “Rejoice” is in the present imperative, which means it is a command to continually be rejoicing. Remember, the book of Philippians was one of four letters that the Apostle Paul wrote while he was imprisoned, together with the books of Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon. So even though Paul was in prison, he said to the Philippians, "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice." In other words, the believer's joy is not dependent on outward circumstances. The believer's joy is based on his knowledge of his Lord.
Those believers who are aware of all the great truths about God will find it easy to rejoice, while those believers who have little knowledge about God will find it difficult to rejoice. And those believers who are aware of all those great truths about God not only will be able to rejoice, but they will also have this gentle and calm attitude in the midst of trouble. That is the meaning of "Let your moderation be known unto all men." And the reason why they are able to do that is because they know "The Lord is at hand”, which means the Lord is near. We are always in the presence of God, not just in this time of worship, but at every moment of our lives. We are in the presence of an all-present God.
This is an important truth that you and I must always bear in mind. There is no greater source of spiritual strength than the assurance that God is near. Unfortunately, whenever we are faced with trials, we often forget what we know about God. And when we lose our trust in Him, that is when we are defeated. First anxiety will come, and then it will be followed by some foolish actions on our part. Even strong believers can be tormented by worries and anxieties.
For example, in 1 Samuel chapter 21, when David was pursued by King Saul, he sought refuge in the Philistine city of Gath. But after that, the Philistines recognised him and reported to King Achish, saying, “Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?" (verse 11). When David realized that his true identity was exposed, he was so afraid. Instead of trusting in God to deliver him, he panicked and pretended to be insane. He scribbled on the doors of the gates and let his saliva run down his beard, so much so that King Achish was deceived and said to his people, ‘This man is mad. Why did you bring this mad man into my house? I have enough trouble around me already. Why did you bring this man into my house?’
Indeed, when you and I take our eyes away from the Almighty God, we will be overwhelmed, and oftentimes, our behaviour will be like a madman, running here and there, being pursued by the cares of this world. Dear friend, are you troubled by the circumstances and situations of life? We may not be like the Apostle Paul, imprisoned, but in life, it is inevitable that we will face trouble. And whenever we face trouble, our hearts and minds will be filled with worries and anxieties.
With the COVID-19 pandemic still lurking around, with so much trouble in the Middle East, with so much trouble relating to the economic crisis, the challenges in the job market, the demands that we face in our children's educational system, how can we not be anxious? Perhaps the time may come when you struggle to pay your bills. There could be a stack of bills waiting for you to pay, or you may be diagnosed with a terminal illness. Whatever kind of stress or troubles we face, let us look to the only one who is able to help us—the one living and true God who says to us, "Be careful for nothing".
This is what we want to learn from today's passage. The title of our message is "Having Peace in Times of Trouble". "Be careful for nothing" is a command. In other words, we are commanded not to be anxious. Whenever we read the commandments of God, whether it be "Thou shalt not kill," "Thou shalt not steal," "Thou shalt not commit adultery," we are very careful not to break those commandments. But when we are commanded not to be anxious, most people would take it very lightly. Some would say, ‘Well, it is only human to be anxious. Nobody is perfect.’ But if it is a commandment, it is to be obeyed, just like all the other commandments in the Bible. If we violate this command, it is nothing short of sin.
What does this phrase "Be careful for nothing" mean? Does it refer to all kinds of concerns? Take, for example, the pastor is careful and concerned about the well-being of the church. Or as a parent, you are concerned about the spiritual growth of your children. Is it wrong? Well, this commandment is not a prohibition against the cares and concerns over God-given responsibilities. Each one of us is given specific responsibilities, and we must be careful with what God has given to us. Otherwise, the Apostle Paul would be contradicting himself.
If you can turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 28, Paul said, “Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.” The same word for careful is used there. In other words, beside all the physical troubles Paul had faced—the imprisonment, the physical afflictions, the dangerous journeys, the persecutions, and all that—he was concerned about the spiritual well-being of all the churches. So much so, he would carry those burdens throughout his entire life. He would go to sleep with those burdens, and he would wake up each morning with those burdens.
Therefore, when we read "Be careful for nothing", we must understand that it is not referring to our God-given responsibilities. So, as a preacher, as a Sunday school teacher, as a parent, it is perfectly all right to be careful over the spiritual growth of the children and the spiritual well-being of the church.
So, what is the prohibition? Not to be anxious. We are commanded not to indulge in the anxiety that was addressed by our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 6:25-34. Six times in that passage, Jesus said, "Take no thought", which is the same word as "Be careful for nothing". Jesus said, "Do not be anxious over what clothes you shall wear. Do not be anxious over what you shall eat or drink." He was speaking about a concern over physical things as opposed to a concern over spiritual things, which was more important.
Therefore, Jesus said, you must “seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (verse 33). So, "Be careful for nothing" is referring to the kind of anxiety over physical things that will cause us to question, ‘What shall we do with our clothing? What shall we eat? What shall we drink? What shall we do with our retirements, our future, our money, our houses, etc?’
It is the kind of anxiety that our Lord Jesus gently rebuked Martha in Luke 10:41, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful”. And remember, Mary had chosen that “one thing”, and that was to sit at the feet of Jesus and to learn from His word, which means she was seeking after spiritual things. She was seeking after the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Often times, we are just like Martha. We are easily troubled by the cares of this world that have little or no eternal value at all. So much so that they would choke our troubled souls. When we are troubled, we become worried and anxious. But the Bible tells us that there is a cure, and the cure is through prayers. Whenever you and I pray, we will experience two changes in our lives, according to this text. The first change is found in verse six, the second change is found in verse seven. This morning, we want to consider these two changes.
I. From Anxiety to Prayer
Firstly, from anxiety to prayer, from a life full of worries to a life full of prayer. That is what we desire to be. Let us begin with verse six, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
The word "but" is the opposite. Instead of being anxious, we should rather commit ourselves to prayers. The way not to be anxious is to engage ourselves to pray concerning every little thing that will trigger our anxiety. Do you realise that anxiety is a misuse of our imagination? What do we mean? We allow our minds to imagine things that will happen, but in reality, we do not know what will actually happen, and inevitably it will cause us to be anxious.
Recently, I have a friend who went for a medical check-up because he was unwell, and even before the result came out, he was already saying, ‘I think it is cancer. It must be cancer. I'm sure it is cancer.’ Finally, the result was good. Rather than doing that, we should commit ourselves to prayer.
The word "prayer" is a reference to general prayers. The word "supplication" is a reference to specific prayers, and the word "requests" means something we bring to God. It is the petition we make to God. The point is that anything that will trigger our anxieties, that causes us to worry, it could be a general problem or a specific problem, we bring all these things to the Almighty God.
Sometimes we may face certain struggles in our lives, and we do not want to share with our friends simply because we are afraid that they will say to us, ‘Oh, that is a small thing. Why are you so troubled over such a trivial matter?’ And then we feel so foolish. Well, God will never do that to us. That is why Paul says “in every thing”, small things, big things, giant problems, little problems, everything in between, we bring them before the Almighty God and we say to Him, ‘Father, this is what is causing me much anxiety. I'm deeply troubled. It is going to make me like Martha. Please help me. And I'm now submitting all these requests to you.’
Take note of the little phrase "with thanksgiving". When we are troubled with worries and anxieties, what has it got to do with thanksgiving? How can we be thankful, especially in times of trouble? Well, firstly, we are thankful to God for His promises.
Let me give you some examples. God has promised us that there will be no temptation that is too difficult for you to handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). He has promised us that everything in our lives work together for good to accomplish His sovereign purpose for us (Romans 8:28). He has promised us that the trials of life He allows into our lives can strengthen, establish, and settle us (1 Peter 5:1). He has also promised us that after He has comforted us in our troubles, we must go on to help others who are caught up in the same situation (2 Corinthians 1:4). Now, these are just some of the promises of God. How can we not give thanks to Him?
Secondly, we are thankful to God for His past mercies. When we have always been praying, we will be able to see the hands of God working in our lives because we see His intervention. When we face difficulties, we pray, God intervenes. When we face difficulties again, we pray, God intervenes. And then our prayers will be punctuated with thanksgiving.
The reason why we let our requests be made known unto God is because we know who our God is. He is the One who has brought us out of darkness and into His marvellous light. He is the One who has supplied all our needs. He is the One who has sovereign control over every situation in life. Our God is all-powerful. There's no limit to His power. He can do anything as easily as He can do anything else. Nothing is impossible for Him.
Think about this: It is no more difficult for God to create the universe than to make a butterfly. That is our Almighty God. When we draw water from the reservoir, the total volume of water will be depleted, however small the amount may be, and there's always the possibility of it running dry. But that is not the case with our God. He does everything so powerfully that within His own power, there is no loss.
Isaiah 40:28 says, "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding." And this most powerful God is our heavenly Father whom Jesus taught us to pray, "Our Father, which art in heaven." Remember, Jesus said, ‘Be careful for nothing, or take no thought over what you should wear, what you should eat, what you should drink.’ Why? Because “your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things” (Matthew 6:32).
Now the question is, if God knows what you and I need, why do we still have to pray? When we bring our prayers, supplications, and requests before God, it doesn't mean that He doesn't know, but we are acknowledging that He is our heavenly Father. Nothing is more comforting than to know that our heavenly Father wants to hear our prayers. Come, my child, bring all your worries and anxieties, share them with me. He wants to hear.
Dear friend, if you are a child of God, you do not need to be tormented by troubles and anxieties. You can change from a heart full of cares to a heart full of prayer. And when you do that, you will change from being distressed to having the peace of God.
II. From Distress to Peace
This is our second point, from distress to peace. Look at verse 7, "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Here, God promised us His peace. There are four questions we need to ask about this verse.
Firstly, what is the peace of God? This peace is the opposite of being troubled. This is the inner peace that God promised the believer who prays with a thankful heart. This is the inner peace that Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still”—be calm—”and know that I am God".
Secondly, what is the characteristic of this peace? The Apostle Paul describes it as the peace of God which passes all understanding. Notice it does not promise that God will give to us according to what we ask because what we ask may not be good for us. He promised us something even better, His peace that passes all understanding.
When we are sick, our immediate response is to get rid of the sickness, right? We want to get out of it, so we pray for healing and recovery. But our finite minds may not understand that perhaps it is God's will for the sickness to remain with us because that is what we need to humble us, to strengthen our faith, to cause us to be more spiritual. Perhaps this is the sickness that will take us to our graves, but God promised He will give us His peace that passes all understanding.
There are thousands and thousands of books in libraries around the world that will teach you to obtain peace, but they are all true humanistic ideas and methods that cannot give true peace. The peace that God promised is not some psychological gimmick. It supersedes, it goes beyond human solutions. It goes beyond anything that the human mind can ever think of. That is the meaning of "passeth all understanding."
Thirdly, what will this peace of God do to us? The Apostle Paul says it shall keep your hearts and minds. Take a moment and consider this. It is always in our hearts and in our thoughts that anxiety will trouble us, right? These are the two areas, and these are the two areas that God's peace will protect us. The phrase "shall keep" is a military term, meaning watch over, guard over.
The Philippians were very familiar with this word because they were living in provinces where the Roman soldiers were stationed to watch, to guard over the entire city and keep the enemies out. So all the residents will be safe and protected. In the same way, the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds and keep the enemies out. Enemies like worries, anxieties, doubts, fear, distresses. God will keep them out so that they will not creep in and overwhelm us.
You see, before you and I are believers, we were once enemies of God. But the moment we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we stop being God's enemies. We became His children, and as His children, we are at peace with Him. As Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ".
Though we are at peace with God, nonetheless, we do not always have the peace of God at all times. Why? Because of sin, because we are living in this mortal body and in this sinful world. Each time we live our lives trusting in the Almighty God, focusing on Him, we have the peace of God. It is as if the peace of God is on duty to guard our hearts and minds. But each time when we take our eyes away from God, that is where we are left to the chaos of a troubled soul, a troubled heart, and a troubled mind. The sad reality is that we do not have to.
Lastly, what is the ultimate source of this peace? How can we have this peace? The end of verse 7 says through Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul used this phrase "through Christ Jesus" or "in Christ Jesus" or "in Him through Him" almost 150 times.
Some people have this misconception that to be a Christian means to come to church, to be a Christian means to be baptised or to perform some rituals. The answer is no. To be a Christian means you and Jesus Christ are one. You are in Christ Jesus. Once you are united with Him, you cannot be separated from Him. Remember, Romans 8:38 says, "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, [can] separate [me] from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It is always in Christ Jesus. It is always through Christ Jesus.
Dear friend, maybe soon you may have to encounter certain adversities that you have never experienced before, or you may have to make some important decisions that will affect your life in a most drastic way. Recently, we have heard that the COVID-19 is returning with a different strain of virus, and there are talks about new viruses in China. Perhaps there's a lump in your chest, and it could be cancer. Who can ever fathom the things that will happen in our lives? Are you troubled?
The real challenge of Christian living is not to remove every uncomfortable situation. That is not the will of God. As long as we live in this world, there will be trouble. The real challenge is that in the midst of troubles, we trust in Jesus Christ, the ultimate source of peace, the Prince of Peace who bore our sins on the cross of Calvary. Jesus Himself said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
When you have Jesus Christ and you cling unto Him, you will have the peace of God. As the saying goes, peace is not the absence of trouble but the presence of God in the midst of troubles. There will always be troubles, whether in the world, in the church, in our homes, in our individual lives that will bring all kinds of anxieties.
God says, "Be careful for nothing”, because anxiety will choke you, it will suffocate you, it will creep into your heart, into your mind, and paralyse you. If you are troubled over certain things happening in your life, you are worried, you are starting to be anxious, God says, 'Stop it and come to Me with all your cares, worries, and anxieties through prayers, supplications, and requests mingled with thanksgiving, and you will have the peace of God, My peace. And that is only possible through My only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.’
A word to all those who are still lingering outside the kingdom of God. If you are an unbeliever, you have no peace. No matter what the world says, you are not at peace with God. Once you draw your last breath and you swing into eternity, you will be lost. Come and believe in Jesus. Today is the day of salvation. Do not say tomorrow because tomorrow may never come. Come and believe. Jesus said, "him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37).
Even when He was crucified on the cross at the last moment, just before He drew His last breath, He saved one last soul, the thief, who turned to Him and said, ‘Lord, remember me when thou entereth into Thy kingdom.’ What did Jesus say? ‘Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.’ Come and believe, and you will be at peace with Him. And when you submit your prayers, supplications, and requests with thanksgiving, you will continue to have the peace of God, which passes all understanding.
Let us pray. Father in heaven, we thank Thee for Thy Word that Thou hast given to us to consider this blessed morning. Indeed, some of us are facing troubled times; we are going through some difficult moments. Thou knoweth all things because we are always in Thy presence, and Thou hast enabled us to consider this portion of Scriptures not by chance nor coincidence but by Thy appointment, that we who put our trust in Thee, that we who obey Thy commandment not to be anxious, how can we do that? By putting our trust in the source of peace, our Lord Jesus.
And through prayers, supplications, request, and with thanksgiving, we submit all our cares unto Thee. And Thou promises us that Thou will give to us Thy peace. Thy peace is true peace which surpasses all understanding. Oh Lord, we want this peace. We do not want to live our lives dragging the cares of this world. We want Thy peace to guard us, to guard our hearts and minds. These are the two areas that anxiety will attack us. Oh Lord, protect us. May the peace of God guard our hearts and minds, and this is possible, as Thy word has said, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANSThe Church at PhilippiThe Church at PhilippiPhilippians 1:1-2
The Joy of A Spirit-Filled Life (Part 1)The Joy of A Spirit-Filled Life (Part 1)Philippians 1:3-5
Elements of True JoyElements of True JoyPhilippians 1:3-6
The Joy of a Spirit-filled Life (Part 2)The Joy of a Spirit-filled Life (Part 2)Philippians 1:6
What are the Things Most Important to Us?What are the Things Most Important to Us?Philippians 1:7-8
Growing in GodlinessGrowing in GodlinessPhilippians 1:9-11
Message 5: Praying for the ChurchMessage 5: Praying for the ChurchPhilippians 1:9-11
Growing in GodlinessGrowing in GodlinessPhilippians 1:9-11
Are All Things Really Working For Good?Are All Things Really Working For Good?Philippians 1:12-14
In Times of AdversityIn Times of AdversityPhilippians 1:12-18
Trouble in the ChurchTrouble in the ChurchPhilippians 1:15-18
For to Me to Live is Christ, to Die is GainFor to Me to Live is Christ, to Die is GainPhilippians 1:19-26
To Live is ChristTo Live is ChristPhilippians 1:19-26
Living Worthy of the GospelLiving Worthy of the GospelPhilippians 1:27-30
Live your life worthy of the GospelLive your life worthy of the GospelPhilippians 1:27-30
The Motivation for Spiritual Unity (Part 1)The Motivation for Spiritual Unity (Part 1)Philippians 2:1-2
Let's Have FellowshipLet's Have FellowshipPhilippians 2:1-4
Essential Principles of Spiritual Unity (Part 2)Essential Principles of Spiritual Unity (Part 2)Philippians 2:3-4
The Ultimate ExampleThe Ultimate ExamplePhilippians 2:5-8
The Ultimate ExampleThe Ultimate ExamplePhilippians 2:5-11
What Is Christmas?What Is Christmas?Philippians 2:6-11
The Greatest NameThe Greatest NamePhilippians 2:9-11
Living a Sanctified LifeLiving a Sanctified LifePhilippians 2:12-13
Work Out Your Own SalvationWork Out Your Own SalvationPhilippians 2:12-18
Moving Forward Not BackwardMoving Forward Not BackwardPhilippians 2:13-14
Stop Murmuring and ComplainingStop Murmuring and ComplainingPhilippians 2:14-16
The Exemplary Example of a Spiritual Servant: PaulThe Exemplary Example of a Spiritual Servant: PaulPhilippians 2:17-18
The Exemplary Example of a Spiritual Servant: TimothyThe Exemplary Example of a Spiritual Servant: TimothyPhilippians 2:19-24
The Importance of Spiritual DiscernmentThe Importance of Spiritual DiscernmentPhilippians 3:1-2
True Believers Worship God in Spirit and in TruthTrue Believers Worship God in Spirit and in TruthPhilippians 3:3, John 4:4-30
Nothing to Boast OfNothing to Boast OfPhilippians 3:3-6
What Is Gain To Me Is LossWhat Is Gain To Me Is LossPhilippians 3:7-9
The Power of Christ's ResurrectionThe Power of Christ's ResurrectionPhilippians 3:10-11
What are Your Spiritual Goals?What are Your Spiritual Goals?Philippians 3:10-11
Pressing Toward The MarkPressing Toward The MarkPhilippians 3:12-14
Pressing Toward the MarkPressing Toward the MarkPhilippians 3:13-14
Morning Devotion 2: God’s High Calling for YouMorning Devotion 2: God’s High Calling for YouPhilippians 3:13-14
How to Know the Will of GodHow to Know the Will of GodPhilippians 3:15
Who Are You Following?Who Are You Following?Philippians 3:16-19
Heavenly Or Earthly MindedHeavenly Or Earthly MindedPhilippians 3:20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:50-57
How Do You Stand Fast?How Do You Stand Fast?Philippians 4:1
How to Maintain Christian UnityHow to Maintain Christian UnityPhilippians 4:2-3
Having Peace in Times of Trouble (Part 1)Having Peace in Times of Trouble (Part 1)Philippians 4:4-7
The Cure for AnxietyThe Cure for AnxietyPhilippians 4:6-7
Message 6: Praying for the TroubledMessage 6: Praying for the TroubledPhilippians 4:6-7
Having Peace in Times of Trouble (Part 2)Having Peace in Times of Trouble (Part 2)Philippians 4:8-9
Learning To Be Content (Part 1)Learning To Be Content (Part 1)Philippians 4:10-12
How To Be An Overcoming ChristianHow To Be An Overcoming ChristianPhilippians 4:13
Learning To Be Content (Part 2)Learning To Be Content (Part 2)Philippians 4:13-19
My God Shall Supply All Your NeedsMy God Shall Supply All Your NeedsPhilippians 4:19
Living By Grace and For God's GloryLiving By Grace and For God's GloryPhilippians 4:20-23
