Rejoice in the Lord. Philippians 4:4-7

Transcription

1 Rejoice in the Lord Philippians 4:4-7

2 In Philippians 4:1-3, Paul directly addressed the disunity in the Philippian church that he had indirectly discussed throughout his letter. In Philippians 4:2, he called two women in the church to set aside their differences and agree in the Lord.

3 Philippians 4:1-3 1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. 2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.

4 3 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.

5 Philippians is often referred to as the Epistle of Joy. Paul was suffering and was facing persecution from individuals, both inside and outside the church.

6 Philippians 1: Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

7 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,

8 Even though he was imprisoned, facing possible death, and had people in the church intentionally trying to hurt him, Paul still had great joy. His joy was found in his intimate relationship with Christ.

9 There were plenty of things that had the potential to rob the Philippians of their joy. But, Paul knew how to be joyful, at all times and in every circumstance.

10 Paul continually reminded the Philippians to view everything in light of their heavenly citizenship.

11 Over 20 times in Philippians, Paul refers to being in Christ, in the Lord, or in Him. So, the Epistle of Joy is clearly focused on being in Christ. Being joyful is synonymous with being in Christ.

12 Philippians 2:2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. We re called to think and act like Christ, at all times.

13 Philippians 3:1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord True joy is found in the Lord.

14 Philippians 4:4-7 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;

15 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

16 Many of the believers in Philippi were letting circumstances rob them of their joy. Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Rejoice comes from a form of the Greek word chairō (khīʹ-rō).

17 Paul exhorted his readers to choose to actively and continually Rejoice in the Lord. Paul points to joy as a means of measuring personal intimacy with Christ. Our joy will actually reveal our focus.

18 Joy isn t a feeling, it s a mindset. Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Paul went to great lengths to repeatedly remind the Philippians that true joy isn t of this world.

19 We have to move past the notion that joy is simply an emotion or a feeling. Joy isn t a feeling; it s the deep-down confidence that God is in control of everything.

20 Philippians 4:5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; Paul s command here is directly connected to his previous imperative, Rejoice in the Lord always.

21 When you suffer, even if it s at the hands of others, don t react in the flesh. Don t be spiteful, don t be angry, don t let circumstances, or the actions of others, rob you of your joy.

22 Galatians 5: the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control

23 Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. We re called to live our lives pressing on and straining forward every day, in the pursuit of an intimate relationship with Christ.

24 Philippians 4:6-7 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

25 Our natural tendency is to get pulled down and overwhelmed by the trials, tribulations, and persecutions of this life. We need to get our eyes off the difficulties of life and turn them toward the Lord.

26 Our natural tendency is to get pulled down and overwhelmed by the trials, tribulations, and persecutions of this life. We need to get our eyes off the difficulties of life and turn them toward the Lord. Prayer is the cure for anxiety.

27 God wants us to cast all our cares and anxieties upon Him. 1 Peter 5:7 cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Nothing worth being anxious about, because God is sovereign, and He will take care of our every need.

28 A thankful heart is an indication that we trust God, even in our darkest and most painful times. God s promise to us is that His peace, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

29 Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.