Welcome to our new site!

Sermon
Philippians

The Christian Life And The Peace Of God

Listen on

February 5, 2023
Philippians 4:4-9
Joshua Greever

Joy in God

Fear & Anxiety

The Gospel

Transcript

0:16Good morning. I know many of you. My name is Joshua griever. If you haven't met me, I'd love to meet you after the service my family and I have been at Bethlehem Baptist Church North Campus for about a year and a half and with you now members of the North Church for the first Sunday. You'll be helped if you are in Philippians chapter 4 the passage that was just read it's our next passage up this morning. And before we dive into it, I want to say it's not lost on me or on us that this is not a usual Sunday for our church. We are the North Church as of today and it's also not lost on me that Philippians 4 of all passages that we could start out with.

1:07As we begin our new identity as the North Church is Philippians 4:4 through 9. And I think this is an especially fitting passage for us today. for two reasons one is verse 4 says rejoice in the lord always and I don't know if you've noticed but we have the word Joy upon our wall. So that seems to be especially fitting. We want to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all people through Jesus Christ. Our motto for the North Church is treasuring Christ. In all of life and I think that sounds a lot like rejoice in the lord always. So I think Philippians 4:4 especially is fitting for us to consider today. But I also think this passage is fitting because versus four through nine.

2:06Are Paul's final instructions in Philippians for the Christian Life and for the Church of Philippi and you can tell these commands these final instructions are holistic. Because you just heard the passage read to you. There's a holistic or Universal ring to these verses in verse 4. We're told to rejoice in the Lord. always not sometimes in verse 5 we are to let our reasonable Nest be known to Everyone, did you see that word? Not just some people. In verse 6. We're told not to be anxious about anything but in everything to pray. In verse 8 we are told to think about. Whatever is true. Whatever is Honorable, whatever is just whatever is pure whatever is lovely. Whatever is commendable. If there is any Excellence verse 8 says if there's anything worthy of Praise, let's think about those things not just some of those things.

3:26So in Paul's purview In this passage, it seems that he has all the Christian Life in view. All the life that you and I as Christians will live from the first day. We become a Christian to the day that we die. This is not just relevant for the first century of Christianity. It's also relevant for the 21st century. Not just for some days. But for every day and it's relevant not just for Bethlehem Baptist Church. but also for the North Church So in God's Providence, we do have a text in front of us this morning. That is it feels especially fitting that we should look at this passage together. So let's pray for God's help and then we'll dive into the passage.

4:19father we feel our need for your blessing on this church. We're about to hear from you this morning commands. That we want to obey as Christians and as a church, and so we pray would you grant us to have ears to hear these words? And hearts that want to obey them. This Sunday. And as many Sundays as we are the north church, and we ask this through Christ Our Savior. amen Well, if you've been with us through Philippians so far were almost at the end. Philippians has four chapters. We're in chapter 4 this morning and if I could summarize the letter. I think we've seen Paul loves the gospel. He loves the gospel back in chapter 1. He said my imprisonment has actually been for good because it has advanced the gospel.

5:26In Chapter 2. He said guys we've got to walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel particularly by being unified in the gospel. He highlighted or commended to men who did this really? Well namely Timothy. And epaphroditus both of whom were commended for their partnership with Paul in the gospel. In chapter 3 Paul issued some warnings about enemies of the Cross of Christ. We might just say their enemies of the gospel and he encouraged the Philippians. Regarding the gospel. He reminded them of things like the surpassing value of knowing Christ. Jesus our lord compared to all the other rubbish. He reminded them of the upward prize of the call of God in Christ. Jesus the resurrection of the body. So Philippians so far has shown us Paul loves the gospel. He loves the gospel. He loves to be imprisoned for the gospel. He loves when churches are unified in the gospel treasure the gospel more than they treasure anything else. And so today we descend on that section of the letter which we might call the final instructions the final commands of the letter and I want to let you know the reason they are final instructions as opposed to the first thing he writes in the letter is because they flow out of the Gospel.

7:03You don't start with the instructions you get to the instructions after you've unpacked God's goodness to us in the gospel. And I need to say that because you know, sometimes even Christians can fall prey to the temptation to think that the Bible issues commands final instructions as it were. So that we can get into God's good graces. So that we can get God to love us a little bit more than he loves us today. If we just obey it'll be a little bit better. God will think of us better than he does now, but the gospel says we are sinners through and through if left to ourselves we can do nothing so final instructions occur at this point rooted and grounded in God's goodness to us in the gospel. We love because he first loved us.

8:05If we remember the gospel, well, we will obey today's commands. But if we forget the gospel, we won't. So with that, let's look at our text. We have a series of commands. This is one of those command texts verse 4 commands rejoice in the lord. Always verse 5 says let your reasonableness be known to everyone. Verse 6 says don't be anxious about anything. For seven says verse 6 also says but pray. Verse 8 then has a command to think about these things and verse 9 has a command to do these things or to practice these things. If you are counting those are six commands six commands and the span of six verses so I might say that this is a commanding text.

8:57This is what Christians should do. This is what the North Church should do, but I want you to also notice that sprinkles into these six commands. Are three promises and I want you to find them with me in the text look in verse 5 at the very end. Look in verse 5 at the very end. It says in the ESV. The Lord is at hand. Do you see that? That's not a command is it it's a promise? So we have a command in verse 4 a command in verse 5 and then sprinkled into verse 5 is this little promise the Lord's at hand? Find another promise with me in verse 7 verse 7 says and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Do you hear that word? Will it will be this way? So there's a promise in verse 7. You have a command actually two commands in verse 6 and then a promise in verse 7 another one sprinkled in.

9:59Then look at look with me at the very end of verse 9 the very end of verse 9 says and the God of Peace will be with you. That's not a command is it it's a promise so we have in this passage. It's a command passage promises sprinkled. In in fact, there's a kind of a little pattern. We see here Paul gives a command a command sprinkle in a promise a command a command sprinkle in a promise command command sprinkle in a promise. It's the same pattern every time. Now why now? If you're Paul, why would you write this way? If you're Paul, why would you salt the pot of commands as it were with promises?

10:48I think to motivate us to obey the commands. To motivate us to obey the commands to persuade us that these commands are in fact worth obeying. If you know yourself, like I know myself don't we need motivation? Don't we need to be promised something we need to be motivated for something because if it's just simply do this, obey I won't do it. That's that's the way my heart works. I'm prone to wander Lord. I feel it. I'm prone to leave the God. I love so God in his kindness sprinkles promises. It also have the Bible actually to give a strong encouragement to obey so that we're not left ourselves as it were so he doesn't simply say obey he says obey here's a promise.

11:49We're going to talk more about this in just a moment. But did you notice all three of those promises have to do with this idea of God's peace? Verse 7 says the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds and verse 9 says the God of Peace will be with you. So at least those two are explicitly about God's peace. And I think even the first promise in verse 5 the Lord is at hand has peace implicit in it. So my sermon title if you care about such things is the Christian Life and the peace of God because I think that's the promissory character of this passage. All right. Let's look together. More deeply in Verses 4 and 5 then we'll move to verses 6 and 7 then to verses 8 and 9.

12:45verse 4 says rejoice in the lord always Again, I will say rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone the Lord is at hand. So we have a command to rejoice in the lord. Always we might call that a vertical command. What should we how should we behave toward God we should rejoice in him. That's the command and then verse 5 Moves horizontal. How should we treat other people? We should let our reasonableness be known to them. Perhaps the command from vertical to horizontal is in this order because we won't do the horizontal unless we first do the vertical it might work something along those lines.

13:33You guys know the command don't you to rejoice in the lord always again? I will say rejoice. I remember growing up in church. There was a little song about this which I won't sing for you now, but this this sort of way of talking has found its way into Christian vernacular. What does it mean to rejoice in the lord always? Well, it must be really important because if you're Paul and you double down on something, you know, he doesn't just say rejoice in the Lord. He says again, I will say rejoice if you double down on something. You must think it's pretty important. Also, I think it's important because if you remember this isn't even the first time he's written this command in Philippians. It's in chapter 3 verse 1 chapter 3 verse 1 says finally my brothers rejoice in the Lord.

14:20And then he comes back to it in chapter 4 doesn't he rejoice and Lord. I'm gonna write it again. So he must think it's really important for us to rejoice in the Lord. But but what does it mean? I want to take my clue. from the word always Whatever Joy means it's something that Paul thinks should be done at all times. Not just sometimes. Every day not just some days. So what it what must that be if he thinks all the time. This should be the case. Well, I think it dismisses the idea or the possibility of the idea that Paul is thinking of those kinds of fleeting. happinesses little flittering of the heart that comes and goes from one moment to the next all throughout our lives. You guys know what I'm talking about a little excitements that come and go so the roller coaster of emotions that come and go depending on the mood of the day Paul must mean something more than that, which is trite.

15:25And temporal or ephemeral maybe we can use that word because it it it's supposed to be something we have all the time. Does Paul think we should never Lament? Is that what this means never be sad about anything? grin and bear it does that is that what Paul is getting at? Remember Paul is the same apostle. Who in Philippians 2 just two chapters ago said if epaphroditus had died remember he was sick sick unto death if he had died. He would have had. Sorrow up on sorrow. So whatever rejoice in the lord always means it must not mean. Never grieve never lament. There's not a place for sorrow in the Christian Life. This is the same Apostle who also said in another letter second Corinthians 6 that he's sorrowful yet always rejoicing so sorrow and joy can coexist in the same heart.

16:35So what is Sara? What is Joy then? It must be something deep rooted. And settled if it lasts the storms of life. It must be an anchor of the Soul. So to speak if it's an always kind of reality. I want to say it's a deep rooted settled satisfaction with God. That's what joy in the Lord is it's a deep rooted and settled satisfaction with God and I say it's deep rooted and settled because it's something that's always there. It must grow deep. It's not surface level in our life. It must be the thing that is settled in the Bedrock as it were of our existence and why is that the case and the reason is not because you and I are amazing, but because the object of the joy is settled He's unshakable. Isn't he the Lord?

17:40Because he is unsettled because he settled and he's unshakable. Our joy can be an always Joy. This is one way of saying that our treasure is in heaven where nothing can destroy it. Our Lord is unsettled. He is settled and unshakable and so our joy is too. I think this means That whatever our face looks like. Hopefully Joy shows on your face, but there are days. When it's not going to be worn clearly on your face, but it's still there. To be satisfied and content with knowing god belonging to him as our treasure. That's something that's their weather. The doctor gives you a clean bill of health or not.

18:31Whether the ultrasound shows the baby's heartbeat is normal. Or there's no heartbeat. This is something that's still there when the economy is strong and when it crashes. This is something that's there when the trip that you saved for maybe for years you get to go on it. It's all that you hoped it would be or it never happens. Whatever the Day brings our deep rooted settled satisfaction in God as our treasure. It is sure and steadfast because he is sure and steadfast and I want to ask you before we move on. Do you have this? Do you have that settled satisfaction in God? If not, it's not because you're not interested in having settled satisfaction. It's because you're looking in other places.

19:35Other places that can't give it to you. The kind of Joy if we can use that word in quotation marks that you have is a cheap imitation of the real thing. Maybe you feel that in your own heart even this morning. That's true of you. I want to give you the answer. It's actually the answer for everyone in the room because we're all in the same boat this morning, aren't we? We all have hearts and Minds that long for settled satisfaction. The answer is not simply to say God should be your treasure that is the case that God should be your treasure, but that's not going to work simply to say that the answer is you need to consider God and trust him.

20:20Consider him and trust him. In other words faith is the pathway to Joy not the other way around. Faith in God is the way to rejoice in God or increase your joy in God. This is true for everyone in the room. What faith does is Faith considers God? Faith looks at him Faith considers his character, especially his promises. Faith considers the promises that God gives God did you really accomplish what you said you accomplished when you sent your son Jesus to live a perfect life of righteousness for all those who would trust in him? Is that is that a good promise did you make? Do with that. Did you go forward with that did did Jesus die a death that actually atoned for my sin for the sin of all those who trust in him was Jesus really raised from the dead on that Easter Sunday morning?

21:24To bring new life for all those who trust in him Faith considers that and trusts him. Faith says, yes, you're that kind of God faith rests on those promises it lays hold of or grasps those promises. It receives those promises to save not just in theory people, but you you And when that happens, you know what happens next Joy. Joy in the Lord happens when that happens. So if you don't have joy in the Lord. Or if you're struggling this morning to have joy in the Lord, you're fighting the fight for joy and the Lord then I think the answer is remember the gospel. Remember the gospel. As we the North Church begin our new identity as it were as the North Church. Let's recommit ourselves to be a truly gospel centered church because only there will we find the strength as it were.

22:31to rejoice in the lord always The next command is in verse 5. This is where Paul switches to the horizontal. So, how should we treat one another therefore? We should let our reasonableness. It says be known to everyone. This word reasonableness. Maybe your Bible has a footnote there. The version of the ESV that I have has a little footnote that says or gentleness at the very bottom and if you have other Bible translation, there's other options often forbearance or gentleness or other words the Christian Standard Bible uses the word graciousness. Which I actually prefer that word this word reasonableness or gentleness or graciousness. It refers to a disposition to act with Good Will towards another person.

23:29You want to do what is good for the other person? Outside the New Testament this word actually refers often to a King in Ancient King who would act with Goodwill towards his people and they would then build him a statue or something. You guys know how this works, you know, the benefactor bestows his magnanimity on the people and they're like, oh, you're such a great king. Well build you something, you know, it's it's that kind of I want to be good to you. I want to do the right thing for you and express that to you in kind. So the opposite of this would be an abrasive person who's looking for a fight.

24:11And Paul says we don't want to be that we want to let our reasonableness or graciousness be known to everyone don't look for something harmful to do but something helpful to do. And Paul says we should be this to everyone let it be known to everyone. He says not not just a few people not just I think not just fellow Christians, but Paul I think has even in Philippi non-christians. Towards the non-christians let your graciousness your intent of Goodwill as it were toward them be known to them. This is really hard to do especially towards people who don't agree with you. Don't see eye to eye maybe they even hate your guts. It's really hard to let your graciousness be known to such people.

25:04Let me give you two examples of how this might look today. And then I'll let you figure it out on your own time more specifically how it can look in your own life. There's two examples. Let's say you're a Christian. You work in a workplace or you go to a school where often Christianity is ridiculed and they know you're a Christian and so from time to time they make some cut remarks where they Cut You Down? Maybe it's maybe it's just seemingly ingest, but you can tell there's there's a bit of a bite to it. There's actually some scorn there. There's actually some ridicule there. They crack jokes about you that sort of thing letting graciousness be known to such people.

25:49Looks like not getting even. Not seeking an opportunity so that you can make a cut remark back to cut them down. You see what I mean? Not not finding it an instance where you can take revenge or give evil for evil, but I think letting your graciousness. Be known to them means resolving afresh to treat them better than they deserve to treat them in ways that are good and let them see it. Let it be known to them so to speak. Or let me give you another example. Let's say you're a friend or a family member part of a friendship group or a family a family and there's a strange relationship with maybe that friend or that family member.

26:40Maybe that friendship has has deteriorated over time. And that person has strayed further and further away from the faith. Maybe this is true of a family member and you love that friend. You love that family member. There's no question about that. You want them to believe and and know what's real and live according to reality. You want that for them? And so you thinking I want to have that a tough conversation with that person letting your graciousness be known to them in that kind of situation means. Let them know you love them and mean well for them. Let your good intent towards them as it were be known Express a desire to help them not to hurt them letting your graciousness be known doesn't mean don't have convictions. Don't stand up for what's right. It doesn't mean don't ever express your convictions. Don't let people know you're a Christian.

27:43That's that's not what this verse means. It's simply means when you have that conversation that can be hard with that person. Make sure you say and do it in such a way that they know even if they don't agree with you at the end of the day, they know you love them. They can tell that oozing out of you is your intent to do them. Something good for them. Our world is a brittle world. You guys know this having hard conversations has never been easy, but I feel increasingly it's difficult because our world is so easily offendable. You guys know what I mean? Can we we live in a brittle world don't we with brittle people? So use Prudence how you have these conversations when you have them where you have them?

28:31But don't stop having them and when you do let your graciousness be known to them. The promise in verse 5 that Paul sprinkles in is the Lord is at hand. This could be taken in two different ways one way is to say Jesus is always with you even to the End of the Age. There's that kind of interpretation, but the other interpretation I think is what Paul has in May in mind namely he's near to return. I think it's actually a little promise. Jesus is coming soon. He's at hand. James 5 says the judge is standing at the door and that's a second coming verse. I think Paul means the same thing here Matthew 24 says Jesus is near.

29:23at the very Gates against Second Coming First Peter 5:7 says the end of all things is at hand the end of all things is at hand. So there's a a theme of apostolic sprinkling you might say of Jesus is coming back Jesus coming back. And I think that's what Paul is saying here. Don't forget as you rejoice in the Lord and let your graciousness be known. He's returning soon. He's coming soon. Why do we care about that for these commands today? I think I'll just reflect on graciousness here for a moment. I think one reason to be gracious to let your graciousness be known to others is because of evangelism. We want to be gracious towards them because we know Jesus is coming soon. And when he returns he's going to judge the living and the dead don't we believe this as Christians we think he is coming and we want that person to be ready for that day with us this draw them in. Let's go. Let's be gracious to them that serves evangelism. So to speak I'm wondering are we not Evangelistic like we should If that's true of us then then is it simply because we don't.

30:43Really believe Jesus is coming soon. The Lord's maybe not near after all. I think another reason why Paul mentions the second coming at this point is he means for us to have patient endurance patient endurance because he knows I should say. You know Paul was in prison. When he wrote this. He he knows living the Christian Life is Hard. When you're letting your graciousness be known to other people, they're not always going to respond in kind. They might stick it back in your face, you know, so the reminder that Jesus is coming soon is a way to say so patiently endure the wrongs you receive as you let your graciousness be known to them.

31:32If you're a Christian who's persecuted for righteousness sake don't take revenge vengeance is mine says the Lord I will repay. He is the one who will meet out retributive Justice finally when he returns. So I think the second coming matters for us both. Let's evangelize. Let's have graciousness that serves evangelism, but also it motivates patient endurance when things are really tough. You're trying to be a Christian towards that person. They're not they're not buying it. patiently endure because Jesus is coming soon. That was Verses 4 and 5. Look with me now at verses 6 and 7. My guess is many of you have these verses memorized.

32:18Verse 6 says don't be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and Minds in Christ Jesus. So verse 6. We have the command don't be anxious but pray. For seven has the promise God's peace will guard. Well, I want to take the commands together don't be anxious but pray because I think they're simply two sides of the same coin. Part of the reason I want to take them together is the second command clarifies what he means in the First Command. What does it mean not to be anxious?

33:04I think pray helps us understand what he's getting at the opposite of anxiety in this verse is prayer prayer is simply Faith. It's an exercise of Faith toward God if you trust in God, you'll pray so prayer is Faith language and I and I take that to mean anxiety. Is not Faith language, do you see how that works? And I need to clarify that because it is possible to use the word anxiety or anxiousness in more neutral ways. And actually positive ways. Let me give you one example of this. In second Corinthians. 11:28 Paul says There's the daily pressure. On me of my anxiety my anxiety Paul says for all the churches and he doesn't think he's sinning when he says that it's actually the same Greek root. So so what must he mean when he says I have anxiety for all the churches. I think it's just a way of saying I have a genuine concern for the churches for the well-being of the churches. I love them. I'm concerned for them. That's a good anxiety if we can speak of it in those ways, but in the lip beans Paul's not using anxiety. It's a simply mean genuine concern for another person. He's not saying don't be concerned about other people at all or in any sense rather. He's saying do not fail in every situation to trust in God.

34:31Because the opposite of anxiety is but pray. Do you see that trust in God take it to him in prayer? I should also say it's possible. I don't know if you agree with me on this part, but it's possible for I think anxiety anxiety to be a function of certain health conditions depending on your health anxiety can be a byproduct of that. Some medications can have as side effects anxiety their anxiety inducing medications. I don't think Paul has in mind don't get a sickness that also has anxiety as a byproduct or don't take a medication that could possibly have anxiety as a side effect. I think that's maybe an area where Christians can quibble a little bit about how to parse that out. But my concern is Paul has in mind the kind of anxiety that we can call sinful.

35:20It's sinful anxiety because it's a failure to trust in God. And that is something that's relevant for every situation in life. Not just some situations every moment of the day is another opportunity to place your trust in the Lord. We live our lives as Christians by faith alone throughout our lives and instead of giving into anxiety sinful anxiety doubting God's goodness. Let's pray Paul says trust in God and Trust manifests itself in consistent. prayer verse 6 has a lot of prayer words, doesn't it? It says prayer supplication Thanksgiving is sprinkled in there. It says let your requests be made known.

36:10I mean if there's one thing you're looking if you're looking for one verse that defines prayer, I think this is a good one it is thankful. petition that's what prayer is. It's thankful petition. It's thankful because the prayer knows God's fatherly goodness towards them. They're thankful because they know when I go to God, he's not going to give me a snake. If I ask for a fish. He's gonna give what's good for me. It may not be quite exactly how I think it should look but it's gonna be good for me. So there's a heart of thankfulness. I'm not an ingrish yet towards God as it were but it's also petition we petition God.

36:53In everything it's petition because we know we're needy in everything. Do you know that about yourself? If you're a prayerful person it's because you know your need for God. If you know your need for God, you'll be a prayerful person and we pray Paul says in everything. I think this commence a constancy or a consistency in prayer that little phrase in everything. He must mean be a prayerful person be consistent in prayer not just occasionally sprinkled in maybe once or twice a month something like that, but rather be a prayerful person and I I just simply want to say this is this is commending I think to us.

37:35A kind of routine in prayer you see it's an in everything kind of way of thinking of it and your own life. You can do it Daniel's way. Daniel Prayed three times a day. That sounds routine doesn't it? I think was a good thing for Daniel find times when you can be consistent or routine in prayer. Some people have said to me before well, if I if I plan it then it turns into ritual and I don't want prayer to be ritualistic. I agree with you. We don't want prayer to be ritualistic. That's a danger. But the reason the real reason prayer becomes mere ritual in our lives is not because of routine. It's because we stop feeling our need for God.

38:19That's why it's ritual. If you don't stop feeling your need for God the routine is not going to bother us. So I think the what's commended here is consider your need for God in everything Paul says and you'll become a more prayerful person. The promise of verse 7 is really good. Isn't it? The peace of God will guard your hearts and Minds? In Christ Jesus, he doesn't say it'll guard your bodies after all Paul. He was imprisoned when he was writing this his body wasn't guarded just by Roman soldiers, but he says it'll guard your hearts and your minds your hearts and Minds from anxiety. God's peace is the true Garrison.

39:05Of our hearts the true protector of our minds. I think this is an important promise because like ancient Rome the world today makes all these grandiose promises that they cannot deliver on. and one of my favorite movies Is Napoleon Dynamite? I don't know if you've ever seen Napoleon Dynamite. There's this character named Pedro. He's running for school president. And Pedro says vote for Pedro and all your wildest dreams will come true. And it's laughable because it's just a school President right? He's not going to be able to make anyone's wildest dreams come true. But my point is that's kind of laughable in the movie because people in our world actually do that, you know, they actually are like that vote for me. I'll make your wildest dreams come true buy this product you're wildest dreams will come true and it's just Balderdash.

40:02Verse 7 is true God's peace is the true peace that actually lasts forever and it's in Christ Jesus. It's the thing that actually guards our hearts and our minds from anxiety the way that this works is I think pretty simple. So let me just paint the portrait of how this works we go to God In Prayer, right? That's verse 6 we go to God In Prayer we unburden our hearts to him so to speak and what happens is we are reminded in that moment that God is good toward us. We're reminded of his fatherly goodness because of the Gospel. I think that's why it says it's in Christ Jesus and it's a piece that passes all understanding because it's gospel. Peace. We're reminded of his goodness toward us in the gospel and then we lay hold of that a fresh in prayer.

40:51And so we're not as sinfully anxious as we were yesterday. You see because we went to him and were reminded of his goodness towards us. Well, we must hasten to finish the sermon verses 8 and 9 verses 8 and 9 finish. The passage by giving us a summarization you might say a summation of all that we should think and do. Verse 8 says 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. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me practice these things and the God of Peace will be with you.

41:44Paul has in mind here the whole of the Christian Life and I would say all of the north Church's life think and do. Not just one thing but all things what should we think about? What should we do? I'm not going to have time to give you kind of an exhaustive list of how this should look in your own life. But I want to Simply make the application to get you to ask for yourself. What do you focus on because that's what thinks here. What do you focus on in those moments in the day? What do you gravitate towards? What is your heart kind of have an inclination towards that's that's a type of thing that Paul has in mind and Paul says we should gravitate towards or really yearn for those things that are truly good.

42:33All these are virtues aren't they in verse 8 long for The Virtuous what's actually virtuous not what the world says is virtuous, but was truly truly virtuous. Notice, it's not up for grabs. What is true? What is just what is Honorable rather? I think Paul has specific things in mind because in verse 9, he says what you have learned and received. And heard and seen in me. Do you see that? So the things in verse 8 that we should think about? What is true? What is Honorable? What is commendable? Paul says I modeled it for you already. I transmitted it as the Apostle of Christ Jesus. I I handed it down to you in other words truth and beauty and goodness and all these virtues. They're not up for grabs. Are they our world is really confused about this thing these these sorts of things, but they're not up for grabs. They're handed down as it were.

43:35From Christ through his Apostles emulated for us by godly people all around us. Let me just advise if you find your thought patterns. or the things that you busy yourself with in every day, if you find that you're drifting in unwise Wicked even directions then redirect your thoughts. By the help of the gospel and more broadly God's word. Put God's word into your mind. That's the standard of truth beauty and goodness. It's aligned with God's character. Isn't it? Find find time to refresh or recalibrate your heart about the things that are actually true. Meditate on the scriptures look at people in this church who emulate godliness.

44:28There are people in this church who are like that. I I'm a member here. I know some of you you're emulatable. So if you're struggling maybe thought patterns certain ways that you're busy yourself. That's not a living is Godly as I want find people look at their life. Ask them. What do you do? How do you spend your time? What? How do you fight against certain thought patterns? and they'll probably have something good and wise to say well the good news. Is the God of Peace Paul says will be with us. That's how he ends this passage. We're not alone as we obey the God of Peace will be with us through it all. This is like the Great Commission. I'll be with you until the end of the age that God of Peace who brings us. Peace.

45:18With him with others in our hearts and Minds he'll be with us. To conclude today. We saw we're supposed to rejoice in the Lord. We're supposed to let our graciousness be known to everyone because Jesus is coming soon. We saw that we're not supposed to be sinfully anxious, but we should pray in everything because we want God's gospel. Peace to guard our hearts and Minds in Christ Jesus and we saw in verses 8 and 9. We want to think and put into practice every kind of virtue. And we know that through it all the God of Peace will be with us. If you're not a Christian. I want to close by saying. We talked about a lot of good things today.

46:05A lot of encouragements to obey This Promise of Peace God's peace is not currently your experience. It can be but it's not there is a way to have peace with God there is a way to have peace with others. There is a way to have peace in your heart and in your mind, but it doesn't happen apart from Christ. It's in Christ Jesus so to speak so repent of your sins and trust in him and I I would invite you to after the service ask a person sitting next to you. Find someone sitting next to you and to ask them to tell you more about this. And for the North Church as a whole we have a new name, don't we but we don't have a new gospel.

46:51We are a new church so to speak, but we don't have a new message. So let's this Sunday our first Sunday be a time when we recommit ourselves to the ancient truth the ancient gospel the ancient message. Let's rejoice as a church always in the Lord. Let's let our community Mounds View the Twin Cities to know that we are gracious towards them. Let's not be an anxious church, but a Praying Church. Let's be a church that teaches the whole counsel of God's word all the virtues so to speak and let's set Godly examples for every age group in this church for decades and generations to come. Let's pray.

47:40Well father under the inspiration of your spirit. The Apostle Paul has instructed us your church today. and we hear that command but we pray that you would please Grant. What you command? We know we can't obey apart from you. And so especially we pray that you would cause this church to be an obedient and joyful church for years to come and we ask the this in Christ's name. amen

Jump to live

Jump to live

Sermon Text

Philippians 4:4-9

Previous
NEXT
Phone
(612) 455-0800
Email
info@thenorthchurch.com
Address
5151 Program Ave,
Mounds View, MN 55112
AboutI'm NewBeliefsLeadershipSundaysWednesdays
ConnectMinistriesEventsNorth UpdateGroup Finder
ResourcesBusiness DirectoryLibrarySeminars & ConferencesWeddings & FuneralsJob Opportunities
AccountHouseholdGroupsGivingLog Out
Copyright © 2026 The North Church. All rights reserved.
Staff LoginPrivacy PolicyTerms & ConditionsSite by Volente

Connect

Submit

Thank you!
Your submission has been received.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.