This blog is based on a sermon from Philippians. You can listen to the sermon here (though not all of it got recorded).
So far in Philippians, there have been two main concerns:
- External opposition (Phil 1:27-30; 3:1-2)
- Internal division (Phil 2:1-4)
In the first three chapters (81 verses) there are 15 imperatives. In today’s text (Phil 4:1-9), there are nine imperatives in nine verses. In the last section of Philippians (Phil 4:10-23) there are no imperatives. Thus, the meat of the actionable commands Paul gives in Philippians are found in today’s text.
Sermon Text: Philippians 4:1-9
We are to stand firm in the Lord (1)
1 – Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
Verse one is a transitional verse. It says to “Stand firm” (also see Phil 1:27). Roman soldiers were commanded to “stand firm” and never retreat even when their life was in danger.
Likewise, Paul says to the Philippian church: stand firm! Whatever happens in this life, we are to stand firm in the Lord and pursue Him with all we have as we look for His return! I’m reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 10.
Matthew 10:28
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
We are to seek unity in Christ (2-3)
2-3 – entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
Paul wants the Philippian church to be unified. In Phil 1:27, he writes that the church is to “stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.”
Unity isn’t just essential for keeping the peace. It’s essential for the sake of the mission. We will never be a faithful Great Commission church to the extent that we are fighting amongst ourselves. The same thing holds true in the SBC, the convention of churches to which we belong. To be clear, I’m not advocating in any way the compromise of truth.
Keep in mind that Philippians was a letter delivered to the church (probably by Epaphroditus) that would be read in church. Paul names two ladies by name – Euodia and Syntyche.
As I read verses two and three, I’m reminded that our source of unity is Christ. In verses 2, Paul says, “agree in the Lord.” The glue that holds the church is our love for Christ. First John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.”
We also see that even those who love Christ will have disagreements. Notice what he says about these ladies: They have “labored side by side with me in the gospel.” Their names “are in the book of life.”
Churches die everyday because they forget that the mission of the church is not to draw a crowd, or to make themselves happy but to make disciples (Matt 28:18-20).
Paul is reminding the church who these two ladies are and reminding these women that the spread of the gospel is more important than their disagreement.
The same is true for us. The spread of the gospel and the making of disciples is more important than you getting your way or me getting my way.
The question we as a church need to answer when making decisions in the church is, “Will this help us make mature disciples of Jesus?”
The question every church needs to answer when making decisions is this: “Will this help us make mature disciples of Jesus?”
Third, we are to help one another resolve conflicts. Paul writes, “help these women [to agree in the Lord].” True companion or true partner refers to someone in the church. This could be a pastor or someone else. We simply don’t know.
We need to be people that tell our church members to “agree in the Lord.” Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matt 5:9).
Will you seek unity with one another in the church?
Will you ask for help when you have a conflict in the church?
Are you willing to provide help to people in conflict?
We are to find our joy in Christ (4)
4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”
Paul tells the Philippians where to find their joy – “in the Lord”. He even repeats the command just in case they missed it (“again I will say, rejoice”). Paul writing from prison, wants these believers to know that their inner attitude does not have to reflect their outward circumstances.
Your inner attitude does not have to reflect your outward circumstances.
If Paul would’ve dwelled on his circumstances, he would have been bitter towards God and useless for the advance of the gospel. Instead, Paul was in prison writing a letter to the Philippian church.
Where do you find joy in your life? If I looked at your bank statement and your planner I could take a few guesses. Here are some possiblities:
- Health
- Money and possessions
- Freedoms
- Marriage
- Children
- Being liked by others
- Sports
There is nothing wrong with any of these things per se, but if you are finding your joy in these things then your joy can be taken away.
- Health – a car wreck, an accident on the job, a bad diagnosis
- Money and possessions – fire, tornado, flood, stock market crashes
- Freedoms – can be taken away
- Marriage or children – your spouse isn’t perfect and your children are not worthy of your worship
- Being liked by others– people are fickle and will disappoint you
- Sports – your favorite team will lose and there will be dry spells
Most people think you will have joy when you get what you want, but real joy comes when you realize what you deserve. This is the truth of the gospel.
As sinners, as people who fall short of God’s glory, we deserve God’s wrath to be poured out on us. Instead, we are offered salvation through faith in Christ and his work on the cross. When you realize that you deserve judgement, but you’ve received salvation, this leads to great joy. True joy is not found in getting what you want, but being grateful for what you have in Christ.
True joy is not found in getting what you want, but being grateful for what you have in Christ.
Remember, Paul is writing from prison. In next week’s sermon, Paul tells the Philippians that he has learned how to be content in any situation. Would you like to have contentment in any situation?
If you want to have true contentment, then you have to get your joy from Christ! This is what Christ meant when He said that He came that we might have abundant life (John 10:10)! Abundant life comes from knowing Christ and treasuring Him above anything else.
Christian, rejoice in the Lord!
We are to be gracious people (5a)
“Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.”
The ESV says reasonableness, other translations: graciousness, considerate, gentle spirit, gentleness.
We need this kind of spirit to get along with others and to be reconciled when there is division. We need to respect one another, even when we have disagreement. It’s also important for our witness to a watching world. John 1:14 says that Jesus dwelt among us, and He was full of grace and truth.
If someone observed your life, would they describe you as gentle, gracious, and reasonable? What if we looked at your social media feed?
We are to be gracious and gentle people.
We are put off anxiety as we pray to God (5b-7)
Paul wants the church to know “The Lord is at hand” (5b)
This phrase could mean that the return of Jesus is near or it could mean that His presence is near.
Both statements were and are theologically true. I’m going to focus more on the latter meaning. For Christians, God is always near. We see this in verses like 1 Peter 3:12.
1 Pet 3:12a
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer.
Have you ever been in a scary situation? In a museum one time, I stepped onto an elevator with my kids. They weren’t scared at first, but then the lights went out. At first they got really scared, but then they weren’t afraid. Why? Because I (their dad) was with them and they could hold my hand.
The same is true with God. Whatever we’re going through, we can reach out to our Father. This is a church that is suffering (Phil 1:29). We know that there is disunity, and that they are experiencing opposition from the Roman government and the Judaizers. They are concerned about Paul and Epaphroditus. In some sense, the church is in a “dark” place.
When you experience darkness in your life, how do you respond?
- Do you have a panic attack?
- Do you hit the bottle?
- Do you call a friend?
- Do you take some anxiety pills?
Paul is telling us, “The Lord is hand.” He goes further:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (6)
It’s no surprise that these verses are so close to v. 4. In v. 4 we are told to rejoice in the Lord. Here, Paul tells us to not be anxious. Anxiety (or worry) is the greatest thief of joy.
Prov 12:25 – Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down.
How is it possible to not be anxious about anything? Really, Paul?
Remember, Paul is in prison and is unsure whether or not he will be put to death for treason for declaring that Jesus, and not Caesar, is Lord.
Paul says not to be anxious about anything, but in everything we are to go to God in prayer with a heart of thanksgiving.
When we are anxious, we are acting like unbelievers.
- We are doubting God’s goodness. We wonder, how could God be good if this is happening to me?
- We are doubting God’s sovereignty. We wonder, how could God possibly use this for good?
- We are doubting God’s power. We wonder, can God really deliver me from this trial?
But when we go to God in prayer, we are proclaiming to ourselves:
- That God is a good and perfect Father and is worthy of our trust.
- We are totally dependent on God and only He has the power to deliver us.
We sometimes pray that we could be closer to God but often we don’t like the methods He uses to answer our prayer.
Remember, if Jesus is your ultimate treasure and your source of joy, no matter what happens, He can never be taken away!
Philippians 1:21 – For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain!
Am I or Paul saying that we never experience great pain in this life? Absolutely not. What Paul is saying, is that through the pain, don’t be anxious but go to God in prayer.
Proverbs 3:5a – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.
When we do this, look at the result:
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (7)
Paul was chained to a Roman guard. There was no escaping. Paul is telling the Philippians: just as certain as I am being guarded by Roman guards, God will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.
True peace is not found in positive thinking or good vibes, but in knowing that God is in control.
True peace is not found in positive thinking or good vibes, but in knowing that God is in control.
What are you anxious about this morning?
- The state of our country
- Inflation, gas prices, and the stock market
- How you’re raising your kids
- Your marriage isn’t where you want it to be
- Job security
- Your health
- Your finances
- Getting older and closer to death
Do you find yourself anxious? Take time to prayerfully memorize and meditate on Philippians 4:4–7.
Defeat all of your anxiety by trusting in God’s goodness and in His sovereignty. The same God that Paul wrote about is the same God we serve today. He is just as worthy of our trust today as He was when Paul wrote these words.
I’ve never met someone who is faithful in prayer who is also anxious. Isaiah 26:3 says that God keeps him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him.
We could summarize verses 5-7 like this:
If you’re every anxious about anything, go to God in prayer and then you will have the peace that surpasses all understanding.
We are to think about excellent, praiseworthy things (8)
“if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Paul defines what things are excellent and praiseworthy: things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable.
Don’t fill your mind with anxious thoughts, but instead fill it with things that are excellent and praiseworthy.
Our thoughts should be focused on God, His Word, and the hope that we have in the gospel.
We are to be obedient to Christ (9)
9 – “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things”
Paul says the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – do them! The truths of Scripture only take root when we practice (obey) them.
As a pastor, I can teach my flock the Bible, but they have to choose to obey it. The end result of preaching and teaching is not Bible knowledge, but obedience to Christ!
Are you a follower of Christ that can say this: “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things?”
We can’t live the Christian life alone. Thankfully, God is with us (9b, 2:13).
In conclusion, there is a lot in this passage. Let’s obey it together for God’s glory!
We are to stand firm in the Lord (1)
We are to seek unity in Christ (2-3)
We are to find our joy in Christ (4)
We are to be gracious people (5a)
We are to put off anxiety as we pray to God (5b-7)
We are to think about excellent, praiseworthy things (8)
We are to be obedient to Christ (9)