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On with the chapter that we've been in as a church so please make your way to Philippians chapter 4 verses 5 through 9. Philippians chapter 4 verses 5 through 9. As you are turning there let us go ahead and start with a word of prayer.
Lord God I would just ask that you would be glorified today that the spoken word the reading of your word the the worship would just glorify you God. Lord let us recognize the infinite value that exists in you God that we would remember that and then it would cause us to have a heart that is directed towards you the heart that's wanting to glorify you the Lord that the the things that would distract us from this message today from from your word today.
Lord let us cast those things away so that we might be attentive to who you are and that we might be built up as your bride today. Lord I would ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Let us go ahead and read verses 5 to 9.
This is where we are at today. Philippians chapter 4 verse 5 through 9 says. Let your conspire your considerate spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally brothers whatever is true whatever is dignified whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is lovely whatever is commendable if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise consider these things the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me practice these things and the God of peace will be with you.
This is the Word of God. Let us pray again. Lord I would ask God that you would help us Lord to be considerate. That we would do the things that are dignified that we would do the things that are commendable Lord that we would seek the peace of God that will guard our hearts and our minds.
Lord God help us live in this state continually. Let us preach this to us today to each one of us to ourselves and let us remind ourselves throughout this week throughout weeks to come about this truth.
Lord God I ask this in our Savior's name Jesus Christ. Amen. Context. Let us remind ourselves of context today. So context goes that Paul is writing this letter in prison. He's writing it to this Church of Philippi.
Philippi here and last week we discussed from the previous text verses 1 through 4 we saw that it was a text that was addressing these two women Yoya and Cynthia K who are at odds in the early church the responsibility that they have to solve these issues the husband's involvement in trying to encourage them to resolve this and the leaders that they had in that day Clement and the other fellow workers with Paul.
And from that now Paul is going on to say how not only those things but now he's saying that you need to be anxious for nothing. Don't don't let anxiety rule in your life. Don't let worry of tomorrow or even the worries of today dictate and rule in your life.
And this is going to be discussed in today's message. But I want to remind us what Paul says here in verse 4 and it's so important for us in every time of our lives. Remember this Paul in prison in hardship he says rejoice in the Lord.
Always again I will say rejoice. The the truth of the Christian life is a life that will have hardship. It's a life of persecution. It's a life of difficulties that lie ahead and at the end of the day Paul says rejoice rejoice.
I say again always rejoice. And the question that we talked about last week and I hope that you saw that the the key thing in the message from last week that was going on in the distress of the argumentation or whatever it was in this early church 2 ,000 years ago was Paul saying you have to remember that you are in Christ Jesus you are a member of his body.
Rejoice. Let that rule in your life. Let let let all the the distraction those things that would take away from Jesus Christ and worshiping him leave them run and remember that you have joy in Christ.
Because again where is Paul at Paul's in prison in a place where he shouldn't have joy. Everything in the world would tell Paul you shouldn't have joy in this situation. And Paul's saying I have joy because I'm in Christ.
That's the only way I can have joy in the situation is because I'm in Christ. So you too church have joy because you were in Christ. And Paul now is talking about the Christian life in this this text verse 5 and on he's he's speaking about how we ought to be recognized how we ought to behave how we ought to live our lives.
Verse 5. Let us look at this together. He says let your considerate spirit be known to all men. He doesn't say to some men. He doesn't say just to your family. He doesn't say just to those that you go to church with.
He doesn't say just any. But that you should have the reputation that kindness consideration lovingness is in your life. And this is challenging because we live in a world that wants to find everything that's wrong with the Christian.
Put that on the on the on the plate before us. Right. We we are called to go and share the gospel with the world that hates the gospel. In fact Paul says in in first Corinthians I believe is why my mind goes blank right now where the references.
I believe it's in first Corinthians that Paul says that the gospel message the message of the cross is actually a stumbling block to the Jews. It's an offense to them. And so we live with a message that's going to cause offense.
We live with a truth that's ultimately going to cause the world to hate us and reject us. But even in the midst of that Paul says that our behavior our attitude should be that which shows consideration a life that shows love towards everyone.
And this is challenging. This is challenging to do. This is very challenging to do. I hope that if you have only become a Christian for a week maybe you don't know that it's hard to do. But if you've been a Christian for a month or longer you should know that this is very difficult to walk like this.
It's very difficult to do this. But we should let our considerate spirit be known to all men. And my mind immediately takes me to the example of Daniel in in in the land of Babylon. He's known for the specific type of attitude the specific kind of spirit that he had about him.
It was it was recognizable that Daniel was loving in the midst of a pagan idol-worshiping nation. That's what I would ask that each one of us try to do even today in our lives is try at least to be considerate all men.
Try try try try. And it's challenging. Let your considerate spirit be made known to all men. And in this how how how does this. How should we be reminded of this every single day of our lives to remember that our Lord is near.
That's what this text says. Remember the Lord is near. If we remember that before we went into every conversation that we had before we did any action in life before we gave any punishment to our children anything along those lines with our attitude with our actions with our words change.
If we stopped and we reminded ourselves Jesus is near. He's watching me. He's here with me when we pause and think man maybe I ought not to say these things or maybe I ought to say these things. It would dictate a lot differently how we behaved if we just took a moment and paused and remember the Lord is near.
Let your considerate spirit be made known to all men. The Lord is near now. If you've known me in these last three years of being the pastor here at Valley Baptist this next verse here is a challenging one even for myself a pastor and a Christian that believes in the sovereignty of God.
And is I can only rest my head at night knowing and teaching and preaching and yelling that to myself sometimes that God is sovereign. Be anxious for nothing. If you know me you know that I'm I can get to be a worry wart because my anxiety can overtake me continually.
And so this kind of verse is one that I preached to myself as I preach to everyone else in here. Be anxious for nothing. Be anxious for nothing. Don't let worry rule in your lives. We read months ago Matthew 6 25 through 34 and I would like to remind us of this text.
You can turn there if you would like. But Matthew chapter 6 verse 25 to 34 says this. 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 light not life more than food and the body more than clothing.
Look at the birds of the air. They do not so nor reap nor gather into barns. And yet your heavenly Father feeds them. You are you not worth much more than name. And who of you being worried can add a single hour to his life.
We just heard dawn this morning give a petition. Say can you please pray for my yearly exam. If dawn is to worry about his life can he add a single minute to his life that has been written down by his father in heaven.
There is not any worry that dawn could give to it that would add a single day to his own life. Dawn ought to be reminded that he lives in the hands of a sovereign God and that's to be his comfort. Don't be anxious about tomorrow dawn.
Don't be anxious tomorrow. Brain. Don't be anxious or any of us today. For we know that God has a plan. 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 and all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But as God so clothes the grass of the field which is alive today and tomorrow it is thrown into the furnace.
Will he not much more clothed you. You of little 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 these things.
But seek first. Brothers and sisters listen to this again. 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 on its own. Amen. Think about the trouble today that we've come to church with today. Why do we add more worry to think about what's coming tomorrow. Today has enough worry in itself.
Be anxious for nothing. Be anxious for nothing. Our lives according to this text here in Philippians 4 verse 6. Don't be anxious. But how shall our lives be ruled with prayer and petition. With thanksgiving.
Let your requests be made known to God. Prayer petition. Thanksgiving. Where is Paul out again in this text he's in prison. And with me thinking about this I I would have a challenging time to be thankful while I'm in prison.
But yet Paul saying I'm thankful. Yes thanksgiving to God. Let us pause here and let us pray as a church right here right now because that's what the text tells us. Let your requests be made known to God.
Let us pray Lord God. I would ask today that we as a church would be anxious for nothing. That we would be considerate to all men. That we would remember Lord that in your omniscience in your omnipresence in your omnipotence Lord that you are near that you watch the very things that we do.
And Lord God. I would ask that the way that we act and behave would be pleasing to you Lord God. I would ask today in the ways that we fail that you would forgive us. That we would repent in the ways that we have not been considerate but Lord to help us not be anxious for tomorrow let us go to you in prayer and petition all things.
Lord and God. I thank you for today. Lord. I thank you for the lives that you've given to us. I thank you for our new heart that you've given to each one of us. Lord God I ask this and I lift this up to you.
Lord I thank you so much. God we thank you so much. And in our Lord's name Jesus we pray amen. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I want to read from Romans 5 10 to think about what the peace of God is. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his son much more having been reconciled we shall be saved by his life.
What does it mean when it talks about the peace of God. That is to be reminded to us. That is a safeguard to us. That will it will keep and protect our hearts and our minds. It's to remember that we are enemies by nature.
We are enemies against God. We are enemies. And yet today we've come and we sung worship to him. That we are enemies against him. That we sin against him and yet he died for us in our place. That when we look at Jesus and we see the very wrath of God being poured out on him there we are to remember that that was wrath that was meant for us.
And because what Christ canceled there on the cross what he paid for it now means that we can stand before God at peace with him. That we were at war but yet he has brought us peace through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Think about that today. If you reminded yourself that daily and nightly I'm an enemy of God and Christ brought the peace. Would our lives look differently today. Would we act differently today. Yeah it would.
Do. You think we've bit bogged down in the little things. If we remember that you think our hearts will be ruled by anxiety. If we remember that this is a truth that I have to preach to myself daily and I hope you do to yourselves daily that I am an enemy of God and yet Christ still brought peace through him.
Suffering in my place. Turn with me to Colossians 3 verse 12 through 17. Turn with me there. I would ask dearly Colossians 3 verse 12 through 17. Colossians 3 verse 12 through 17 says this. So as the elect of God holy and beloved put on a heart.
Put on a heart of compassion kindness humility gentleness and patience. Who is the perfect example of those things those qualities that we just saw in that text Jesus himself we sinned against God continually and he's long-suffering towards us.
He walked here on earth amongst his own creation. He showed humility and patience as he himself was being crucified. And the humility that we see in that is to be exemplified in ourselves says bearing with one another.
So look around this room today and you make the awkward eye contact with each other. Look around today. I see Rick looking at his dad. His dad's not even looking at him. Right. Trying to make that awkward contact.
Right awkward eye contact. Bear with one another and graciously forgiving each other. Whoever has a complaint against anyone just as the Lord graciously forgave you. So also should you above all these things put on love which is in the perfect bond of unity and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly with all wisdom teaching and admonition one admonishing one another with Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with gratefulness in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do in word or deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to the God thanks to God the Father through him. Turn back with me to Philippians 4. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
So when we're at distress remind yourselves that you have peace with God through Jesus Christ. And this is what's to guard our hearts. And because of that we are to act in those ways that we have seen in Colossians chapter 3.
Now look at verse 8 here in this text because we will see that exact thing in Colossians 3 talked about here in Philippians 4. Finally brothers whatever is true whatever is dignified whatever is right whatever is pure whatever is lovely whatever is commendable.
If there is any excellence and if there's anything worthy of praise consider these things sounds very similar to what Paul is writing to the Church of Colossia of the the church the the church here in Colossians that we have here.
So there's two books that say very similar things. What should that tell us. Every human being commits sin and breaks these things. And they need to be reminded to not do those things. Everyone falls victim of this.
Raise your hand. If you think today this week you could say without a doubt that you have done whatever is true that you've done whatever was dignified that you did whatever was right you did whatever was pure you did whatever was lovely that you did whatever was commendable.
And if there's any excellence anything worthy of praise consider these things. Do you think that you have fulfilled those things without a doubt fully in your lives this week today I fell at this and I know that each one of us fells at this.
So what is truth. What. What is the dignifiable thing. What is right. What is here. What is lovely what is commendable what. Let's first address this that these things being seekers of the truth being seekers of that which is dignified seeking that which is right it is not letting your beliefs.
It's not letting the Word of God fall to conform yourself to the image of the world. I mean you might say what does that mean. Braden this text is not saying that you should take the truth of it and throw it out the window in order to fit in with the world or to be letting culture shape your beliefs.
I think we could all think of different examples today of what the culture teaches and pushes for each one of us that might look different. I there's several examples of things that we could talk about on that.
But whenever a culture contradicts the Word of God we don't bow to the culture and let the Word of God go. We stick with the Word of God. That's true. That's truth in there. However we should try to live our lives in such a way that lives in the truth of God here so that the world when they see us they recognize the Word of God that lives inside of us.
That we are doing what is true. That we are acting as dignified. That we are acting as right. We are acting as pure. We are acting as lovely. We are acting as commendable. And these things are excellent for us to be pursuing verse 8 it says anything worthy of praise.
Consider these things. Do you think that these things are easy for us to do. No they're not. They're challenging every one of us there. I was thinking when I was preparing for today I was trying to think of example after example.
There's so many examples that we could do. But I think that each one of us in our own lives can think about. Okay I've had this example of something that has come up where I'm going through this thing.
And ultimately if you're asking that question of how can I go about this dignified seeking what is right. Seeking out which is lovely seeking now which is pure. You're doing what verse 8 tells you to do.
Consider these things. Don't just act out of emotion. Don't just act out of anything other than what verse 8 tells you to do. But consider these things. And what I'm trying to paint for us is that however we act in these different situations that we are talking about be intentional in doing those things.
Don't just do them out of rash. Don't just do them out of a place of emotion. But try your absolute hardest to think the Lord is near. The Lord is watching me. What magnifies his name the best. What demonstrates his truth the most.
What is the most loving and pure and dignified way I can act in this situation. Will you fail at this. Yes you will. But listen to verse 9 here the things you have learned. What does learn mean. It means that that that you have to be taught this right.
But this is not something that just comes easily for any of us that it's learning this for us this week. My son Shepard got a football yesterday and so last night I was throwing a football to him. Do you think he was able to throw it back to me.
Right off the get-go or catch it that. Well at the beginning. No. Do you think he can do those things today. You do it a little bit better than he was doing it yesterday. A little bit better. Is he ready to go play in the NFL.
No. I see Mario's head shaking. Yes he is right. The for some teams he's probably able and qualified. Right. The point of this is is it takes practice. Look. Each one of us are at a different place in our practicing of these things.
Mario can throw a football. I assume better than my son Shepard. Can he's taking his head. No. Keep on practicing brother. You'll get there. Practice these things. Is each one any one of us perfect at throwing a football today.
No lady is saying no. She knows not as any one of us perfect at acting dignified right and true and pure and loving. Shepard shaking his head. Yes. None of us are practice these things. Learn these things.
You have to be taught these things. That's part of why we come to church on Sunday is that we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. We look to his life for an example to mold ourselves to that.
And it's a reminder for us how we ought to live week by week by week practice these things. You you have to learn them. You received them. You've heard of them church. We hear of them today. How Paul's acting in prison.
We hear of these things today 2 ,000 years later we've seen the result of what Paul did in that life. Our church is existence because of the lives of the Apostles and how they acted. Look to them as an example how they behave themselves.
Was Peter above doing wrong. No he failed. Was there a rebuke that was given to Paul by or from Peter. To Paul or to Peter from Paul. Yes there was. Each one of us have to be reminded of this daily. None of us are above these things.
Each of us fall victim of failing to do what verse 8 says. But we have learned them. We've received them. We've heard them we've seen them in Paul. And he's asking us now practice these things. You're gonna fail but practice these things and the God of peace will be with you all the way that we are reminded continually that the the peace that we have in Christ is by trying our best to remember these things and trying to act in these ways.
Is acting in these ways the ways that make us a Christian. Is it the way that we are saved. No we know that we're saved by the blood of Christ. We know that how do we act like that though is the question.
Practice this practice dignity practice humility practice righteousness practice truth. Practice pure purity practice love in these ways because these things are excellent they're worthy of praise. Is what Paul says in here.
And I'd ask each one of us to consider that today. Let us go ahead and pray and then we will do communion together Lord. God I would ask Lord that today we would be convicted in the ways that we ought to be acting as a Christian Lord in the ways that we fail the word each one of us fails God.
Lord I would ask even on behalf of myself Lord that you would continue and I know that you will Lord because I know who you are from your word Lord. I would ask for continual forgiveness Lord in continual ways to show even myself each one of us here today in the ways that we are to walk in the future.
Lord that we would look and recognize that each one of us are trying to practice this and show grace love and forgiveness in these things. Lord God even in this Church of Philippi two thousand years ago that the people were reminded to not to forgive even Iodia and synthetic a in this this this whatever is going on in this this church 2 ,000 years ago.
Lord that it was a reminder to act dignified. Lord I would just ask that we would be each of us walking away knowing that we have peace through the blood of Jesus Christ. Lord I I just asked this in the mighty name Jesus.
So brothers and sisters before we do communion today I'm going to just give just some instruction because this is the second time that we are doing it in this way. It is something that we are trying new it's.
