Philippians. Chapter 4:1-23. Don t Worry, Be Joyful

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1 Philippians Chapter 4:1-23 Don t Worry, Be Joyful I don t know about you, but for me a good worry has always seemed a real effective use of emotional energy. I mean when everything is going well we can always worry about what will go wrong and when. Don t you know the Christian who is so convinced that God wants life to be miserable that when there is a time of peace they simply wait for the other shoe to drop. And of course since we all know that obedience means trouble, when God gives a respite we wonder what is wrong in our life. We must be out of the Lord s will. And so we worry about that. Then as things are tough I can always worry about what else can go bad. After all things can always get worse, can t they? And of course since we know it is God s will that we are comfortable in our lives and suffering is a result of sin, then we must be out of His will if things are going poorly. And so we worry about that. The bottom line is that worry is certainly the most practical way of dealing with life. As some one always said, If I expect the worst, then when it happens I won t be surprised, and if by some miracle things go well then I can be pleased. Let s face it when we worry we are able to really effect the out come of things. Unfortunately, this balanced view seems to be inconsistent with Paul s. We are much more likely to hear him say, Don t worry, Be Joyful! And isn t that what we ve said we want to experience, joy? well, we ve examined three out of four of the factors which we can choose to let steal our joy. First, we looked at circumstances and have seen that as look as we focus on the Lord and understand that He uses circumstances to further the work of the kingdom, then we will realize that And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). In other words how can we loose our joy over circumstances know that God is in control and that He will use them to benefit us. Next, we saw that we chose to allow people to steal our joy. But the reason this occurs is because we are looking at our relationship with others based on how we may benefit. But it is as we look at others through God s eyes and allow His agapé to flow through us that we become more concerned with their needs than our own. Then, while others may hurt us, we will not loose our joy for our focus will be towards them not ourselves. The basis for maintain joy when having to deal with people is to remember the great commands. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments (Matthew 22:37-40).

2 Over the last couple of weeks we have seen that we can allow our focus on things, both tangible and intangible, to steal our joy. But as we realize that we are citizens of heaven and Christ has much more to offer us that the world does, things will loose their hold, and therefore their effect on our joy. And here Paul noted that the final thing we should desire is the return of the Lord and our being made over in His image. We have the joy of looking forward to that day when hopefully we will be able to here Christ say, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master s happiness! (Matthew 25:21). Now in Philippians we find one last factor that can steal our joy. This one probably overlaps the other three, and certainly as I allow the other three to effect me I often find this last one coming in and overwhelming the other three. This last factor is worry. I think that many of us fall for the response that says if you can t do anything else you can always worry, like worry is something constructive. I know for me that as I let circumstances, people or things get to me I find that I oft times deal with them by worrying. And there is not a doubt that worry can and does steal our joy. Well as Paul closes this letter to the Philippians, we find him giving directions for dealing with worry. V The Secure Mind Chapter 4 (Key Verse 4:6-7) A. God s Peace Chapter 4: 1-9 B. God s Power Chapter 4:10-13 C. God s Provision Chapter 4:14-23 Verse 1: Paul closes the principles section with saying, because of all that has gone before, follow everything we have noted. This verse would probably be better in the previous chapter, but it is in a sense a transition from doctrine to the practical applications for the Philippians. There for Paul closes his letter Verses 2-3: by dealing with some specific concerns he has for the church at Philippi. Apparently there was some strife in the body. Now certainly this shouldn t be a surprise. After all, there are often disagreements that lead to some emotional stress within any family. How many of you can get along with your spouse all the time? Well, that being the case, is it any surprise that sometimes resentments spring up within the body? In passing Paul mentions some other believers, saved individuals who had worked with him including Clement. The two who weren t getting along were a couple of women by the name of Euodia and Syntyche. We don t know what the disagreement between them was. Paul doesn t even seem concerned with who may be right or wrong. He is only concerned with one thing, spiritual unity, that is a desire by both for the mind of Christ. Remember his words in 2:5, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus Clearly both had served the Lord and both had worked along side Paul. He asks someone in the Philippian body to come along side them to help restore the relationship. ) 44 (

3 We don t know who this fellow worker is, probably a specific elder that would have received the letter. Paul calls those within the body to work out the problems within the body. Now, whoever this individual was it seems that he, or for that matter she, may have been discouraged. And it is discouraging to have to deal with disharmony, disunity within a body that is made up of those that are to agapé. Verses 4-7: It is easy to fall into worry about problems within the body, like its my personal responsibility instead of the Lord s. But Paul has a response to discouragement and worry. It is a command to rejoice. Now what is the basis for the rejoicing within the body? Well it certainly isn t that things are going smoothly all the time. And it isn t the peace and unity, which seems to be being tested at the moment. The rejoicing is to be in the Lord a product of the individual s relationship with God. How can we do anything other than rejoice when we know God loves and cares for us? How can we do anything other than rejoice when we know the all powerful God, the One who can do all things is willing to use us to advance His kingdom? If the basic needs of all people are relationship and impact, then we must rejoice because we have access to the ultimate relationship, our relationship with God and the ultimate opportunity for impact, to serve Him in what ever circumstances He places us. Because we can rejoice, because we can hold the ups and downs in proper perspective, we can be gentle as we allow God to be the One who is responsible for our needs. Our only responsibility is to be obedient to Him. The idea of gentleness here is a quality that is consistent with the practice of agapé. We will be free from the lose of joy through circumstances, people, things and worry. And if you don t think it will be obvious there is something significantly different between us and the world, then think about it. That difference will, with the work of the Holy Spirit, be something that will draw others to God. Kent speaks of gentleness this way: Involved is the willingness to yield one s personal rights and to show consideration and gentleness to others. It is easy to display this quality toward some persons, but Paul commands that it be shown toward all. That would seem to include Christian friends, unsaved persecutors, false teachers anyone at all. Of course, truth is not to be sacrificed, but a gentle spirit will do much to disarm the adversary. 1 So, Paul commands keeping all this in mind, don t panic. Worry is something that is essentially a symptom of lack of faith in God. As Peter said, Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1Peter 5:7). The word used here for anxious is merimnate and in context is referring to anxiety, fretfulness, or undue concern, or as Wiersbe puts it: to be pulled in different directions. Our hopes pull us in one direction; our fears pull us the opposite direction; and we are pulled apart! 2 This doesn t mean we should have apathy or be totally oblivious to what is going on around us. It does mean we should just trust in the Lord and then things will remain in their proper perspective and worry will not overwhelm us. 1 Kent, Homer H., The Expositor s Bible Commentary, Philippians, Zondervan I nteractive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1990, Electronic text hypertexted and prepared by OakTree Software, Inc. 2 Wiersbe, Warren W., Be Joyful, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL, P ) 45 (

4 Paul gives a practical alternative to worry Prayer, specifically prize the Lord, petition the Lord, and praise the Lord. If we would expend as much energy on prayer as we do on worry, we really could move mountains. And it is through prayer we come back in line with God s will and have dependency on Him. The result of this is a miraculous peace that can only come with divine intervention. And this peace is only available to those that are in Christ. For while Satan can provide a false peace, true peace only can be found in believers. Verses 8-9: Paul says finally once more, though this time he appears to mean it. One thing that will go a long way to helping us maintain the focus on the Lord that we need is to focus our energies, our attentions on those things that are uplifting versus those things that will bring us down. (GIGO - garbage in, garbage out.) Wiersbe notes: Dr. Walter Cavert reported a survey on worry that indicated that only 8% of the things people worried about were legitimate matters of concern! The other 92% were either imaginary, never happened, or involved matters over which the people had no control anyway. 3 Satan want s us to worry. Paul wants us to focus on the things that are truly pure, noble, etc, are epitomized by the truths of Scripture, the teachings that Paul had given, and those things are that which we are to put into practice. It is as we live out the example of Christ that we will find that much of the emotional upheaval we suffer will be brought under control and we will be truly free to experience joy. True joy is experienced when we experience the reality of the presence of the God of peace within us. Verses 10-23: Now in the remaining verses Paul takes care of some final business. He once again notes that even in the midst of a prison sentence he can rejoice as he experiences the love demonstrated by the Philippians. He appreciates their desire to care for him knowing that this is an example of agapé. In fact they re frustrated because he doesn t need them to do anything for him at this time. He gives an example that we would be well to always hold up before us, certainly depending on the Holy Spirit to allow us to practice it. He was able to be content in any situation, both good and bad. And He could do this because he depended on the Lord to provide the strength to live as God desired him to. Paul next thanks the Philippians for all their love, their willingness to share in his suffering, and their gifts even in the early days of his ministry. The sent him aid while he was on the way to Macedonia, and then while he was in Thessalonica, in fact they helped whenever he needed it. And lastly he received the gifts brought by Epaphroditus. And so what joy Paul experiences, not because of the things he has received but because of the love the Philippians have expressed. What a joy to see God working in the hearts of His children and advancing His kingdom. Praise the Lord. So Paul sends his final greetings and so closes the letter. As we have gone through this study on joy I hope that we have found that there isn t any really unique secret to experiencing it. Instead the answer to experiencing God s joy is obedience to Him. 3 Ibid., p ) 46 (

5 It is as we progress in our walk, as we press on towards the goal of becoming more Christlike, we find that we will become more aware of the joy in our lives God desires for us. We can only truly experience that joy as we truly trust in the Lord. We have trusted the Lord for our salvation. But are we truly able to trust the Lord with our lives? This is what makes practical Christianity. Are we able to trust the Lord to meet our material needs not wants, needs? As our financial situation is less than wonderful are we able to trust Him? When our job looks shaky or not economically adequate, will we trust Him enough to stay if that is what He wants? As we look at our families, can we trust the Lord with our spouse or our children, or do we have to straighten them out ourselves? Do our lives depended on our children being what we want them to be or what God wants them to be? Are we able to trust God with our ministry? Do we want to be what ever He has called us to, or are we locked into a perspective that demands He use us in the way that we have defined as His instead of what really is His. And in that same context are we willing to trust Him to run His church, or do we believe that we know what is best? You can see that depending on how we answer these questions we will experience or loose God s joy. We need to be willing to give up all control of our lives over to Him. We need to let Him be in charge and trust Him for all things, circumstances, people, things and worry. And how are we to keep this perspective? Remember that Paul s said don t be anxious, but pray. We can only have a hope of seeing things from God s perspective if we are in constant conversation with Him, allowing Him to bring us around to His perspective, and therefore receive His joy. Yes, we can walk on water. Yes, we can experience God s joy. And yes, we can advance the kingdom, each one of us no matter how complex our lives may be. Yes, we can do all things through Christ, but only if we are willing to say I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief! (Mark 9:24). As Jesus said: Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it (John 14:11-13). What then is the bottom line for experiencing the joy of the Lord? Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus As we depend on the Holy Spirit to make us over into His image as we desire to have His mind then we will live in the reality that we can do everything through him who gives us strength. And as we live in this truth we will find freedom from circumstances, people, things, and Praise the Lord, worry. And then we will live in the joy of our relationship with the eternal God. ) 47 (

6 I am weak but Thou art strong; Jesus, keep me from all wrong; I ll be satisfied as long As I walk, let me walk close to Thee. Thro this world of toil and snares, If I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee. When my feeble life is o er, Time for me will; be no more; Guide me gently, safely o er To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore. Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily, walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be. 4 4 Anonymous, Text, Just a Closer Walk with Thee The Celebration Hymnal, Word Music, 1997, #564. ) 48 (

7 Philippians Chapter 4:1-23 Don t Worry, Be Joyful V The Secure Mind Chapter 4 (Key Verse 4:6-7) A. God s Peace Chapter 4: 1-9 B. God s Power Chapter 4:10-13 C. God s Provision Chapter 4:14-23 I Review: (Romans 8:28; Matthew 22:37-40, 25:21) II Can t We Just Get Along?: (Philippians 2:5) III Rejoice: (1 Peter 5:7)

8 IV GIGO: V Taking Care of Business: VI Experiencing Joy: (Mark 9:24; John 14:11-14) Personal Application: What resources do you have in your life for the service of the Lord? How have you used them? Who have you grown as a steward of God s gifts? 1 Prayer for the Week: Lord, help to see the gifts you have given me. Let me use them for you and in using them experience the joy that comes from being focused on You and Your work. In Jesus name, amen. 1 Baker, Donald, Philippians, Jesus Our Joy, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1999, adapted from p. 39.

9 BIBLIOGRAPHY for the book of Philippians Bibles Ryrie, Charles Caldwell, The Ryrie Study Bible, Moody Press, Chicago, IL, 1976 Stern, David H., Jewish New Testament, Jewish New Testament Publications, Clarksville, MD, 1991 Commentaries Boice, James Montgomery, Philippians, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1971 Calvin, John, Philippians, Vol XXI., Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1979 Clarke, Adam, Commentary, The New Testament, Volume 8 1 Thessalonians-Revelation Books for the Ages, Albany, OR, 1997 Darby, John Nelson, Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, Part 2: New Testament, Books for the Ages, Albany, OR, 1997 Edwards, Mark J., Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament VIII, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1999 Fee, Gordon, D., Philippians, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1999 Henry, Matthew and Thomas Scott, Commentary on the Holy Bible, Matthew to Revelation, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1973 Ironside, H. A., The Epistles to the Philippians, Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., Neptune, NJ, 1967 Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments, Vol. III, William B. Eerdman s Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI, 1978

10 Kent, Homer H., The Expositor s Bible Commentary, Philippians, Zondervan I nteractive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1990, Electronic text hypertexted and prepared by OakTree Software, Inc. Lightner, Robert P.., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Volume 2, Philippians, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL., 1986 Martin, Ralph P., Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Philippians, William B. Eerdman s Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI, 1989 Martin, Ralph P., The New Century Bible Commentary, Philippians, William B. Eerdman s Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI, 1989 McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Volume 5, 1 Corinthians-Revelation, Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN 1981 Spurgeon, Charles Haddon, The Treasury of the Bible, Volume VII, Philemon to Revelation, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1981 Wesley, John, Notes on the Whole Bible, The New Testament, Books for the Ages, Albany, OR, 1997 Wiersbe, Warren W., Be Joyful, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL, 1988 General References American Heritage Electronic Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, Douglas, J. D. and Merrill C. Tenney, editors, NIV Bible Dictionary Zondervan I nteractive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1989, Electronic text hypertexted and prepared by OakTree Software, Inc. Larson, Gary N., reviser, The New Unger s Bible Handbook, Moody Press, Chicago, IL, 1966 Multimedia Encyclopedia, Grolier Inc., The Software Toolworks, Novato, CA, 1992 The Master Christian Library, AGES Software, Albany, OR, Version

11 Journals Bibliotheca Sacra, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, TX, Grace Theological Journal, Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, ID, Westminster Theological Journal, Westminster Theological Seminary, Study Tools Baker, Donald, Philippians, Jesus Our Joy, InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1999 Willmington, Dr. H. L., Willmington s Guide to the Bible, Tyndale House, Wheaton, IL, 1981 Other Reading Swindoll, Charles R., Laugh Again, Word Publishing, Dallas, TX, 1992