Lesson 28 Philippians 4:2-9 BETTER THAN HAPPINESS Most households seem to have a junk drawer, and ours is located in the kitchen, which overflows with seemingly random unrelated items of varying degrees of usefulness. At first glance, Philippians chapter 4 has all the earmarks of a junk drawer until closer examination shows a vital thread that connects seemingly unrelated themes into a cohesive and theologically essential whole. Let s start with the obvious life can be difficult as Jesus shared with His disciples in the Upper Room ( In this world you will have trouble John 16:33). In our passage this week, Paul lays out God s strategy for believers to experience peace, joy, and contentment in the midst of trials. The normal human response to adversity is to worry, or sit and stew on it, as my parents used to say. It seems to be hardwired into our DNA. A recent study showed that 85% of what we worry about never happens, and of that which does occur, only 3% is actually harmful 1 yet still we worry. Paul describes God s answer for worry or anxiety: pray. The Greek word for anxiety (merimnaô in verse 6) means to be pulled or stretched in different directions and well describes the turmoil in our soul as we wrestle with our cares. Peter gives the same advice as he tells us to, Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7 NASB). To relinquish control and follow the advice of Peter and Paul requires faith and trust on our part. Jerry Bridges in his classic book on the subject asks the question, Can we trust God? On one level this means Is God trustworthy? and on the second level Can I personally trust God? 2 Both must be answered in the affirmative for an effective prayer life. 1 http://donjosephgoewey.com/eighty-five-percent-of-worries-never-happen 2/ 2 Bridges, Jerry. Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1988. 27. Print. ~ 1 ~
I believe the themes Paul advises us to meditate upon in verse 8, after submitting our petitions to God, should lead us directly back to Christ. As we reflect on God s promises in His Word and see these promises fulfilled in life around us, our faith will swell, as will the peace in our souls. In 1956 at the height of the Cold War, with the world teetering on the brink of nuclear annihilation, our government made In God We Trust the official motto of our country. While prayer is the ultimate weapon against worry, our actions play a part in personal calm despite crisis. As shown by the support provided by the church to Paul s ministry, we are to put our faith into action when we prayerfully utilize the resources God has given us. We read that the church in Philippi was concerned (worried) but that concern was channeled into action as they sent Epaphroditus and support to Paul. One of the tragedies in the church is God-given resources that go unused. This is illustrated by the story of a preacher trapped on the roof of his church as the floodwaters rose. While he prayed for deliverance a rescuer approached in a tiny rowboat only to be waved off by the preacher. As he continued to pray a rescue helicopter spotted the preacher and lowered a lifeline, which the pastor also rejected. Eventually the floodwaters engulfed the church and the preacher drowned. Upon meeting Jesus in heaven, the pastor asked, Why didn t you save me from the floodwaters after I prayed for deliverance? to which Jesus replied, I sent you a rowboat and a helicopter to rescue you, why didn t you take one of them? Jesus commended the servants who used the resources given to them in the parable of the talents. Gallup conducted a survey in 2004 entitled, Where Do Americans Find Personal Contentment? The sources of greatest discontentment were in areas of money, career, and (oddly) recreation, with less than one quarter of those surveyed satisfied with these areas of their life. 3 The apostle Paul was a man of contentment, independent from life s circumstances. The source of his contentment was knowing the sufficiency of Christ, the assurance of God s sovereignty (His control over all situations), and the knowledge that under the guidance of the Holy Spirit he had faithfully used all of the resources God provided. Prayer Start by praying over the passage and asking the Holy Spirit to give you fresh insights and wisdom in understanding it. Then read through the entire passage two 3 http://www.gallup.com/poll/11008/where-americans-find-personal-contentment.aspx ~ 2 ~
or three times. The depth of theology is so great that I would strongly advise using the New Living Translation for one of your Scripture readings. Scripture Meditation/Memorization One of the most fundamental and rewarding Christian disciplines that pays back in full spiritual dividends is Bible meditation/memorization. It is an absolutely fundamental in the formation of your spiritual development, spiritual walk and faith growth. In Psalm 1:1-2 (NLT), the Psalmist warrior, King David said, Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. Memory Verse Don t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 (NLT) Format Change We have all had weeks in which the time available for preparation of our Bible study evaporates under an unexpected event or a pressing project at work. To enable everyone to complete the study, even when time is at a premium, the daily questions are being divided into two categories: essential and expanded. The essential questions are those necessary to understand key points of the passage. The expanded or growth questions help expand knowledge and gain deeper insight into the Scripture. Philippians 4:2 7 Be United, Joyful, and In Prayer Although we don t know what the disagreement was between the two women mentioned in this passage, we do know that it was serious enough that they were called out by name in a letter to be read to the entire church. In the second section of today s passage Paul addresses our natural inclination to worry. Worry seems to be hardwired into our DNA, but faith and worry cannot coexist, as they are mutually exclusive. ~ 3 ~
Essential Questions: 1. While the uninformed complain that Paul demeaned women, he clearly elevated their status imploring them as co-laborers in the ministry to reconcile. Dissension within the body of Christ is devastating to the ministry. a. What can you glean from verses 2 4 as the basis for reconciliation between these two women? b. What have we learned earlier in this letter that might have helped avoid this conflict in the first place (hint: Philippians 2:1 5)? 2. We are given an imperative (command), Rejoice in the Lord, in verse 4. The tense of the verb means this command starts right now and goes on indefinitely into the future. 3. The word translated anxious in verse 6 literally means to be pulled or tugged apart in different directions. A similar word picture is someone stewing over their problems. a. What is Paul s action plan to alleviate worry? ~ 4 ~
b. What is the outcome if we stop worrying and follow Paul s advice? c. Based on this passage, what advice would you give to a Christian brother or sister facing a difficult situation and paralyzed by worry? Expanded Questions: 4. Worrying is a preoccupation for many of us. Corrie ten Boom said, Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength. What did Jesus teach on the subject in Matthew 6:25 34? 5. Having a worry-free existence is not the result of a life without difficulty. What do you learn from Jesus teaching to His disciples in the Upper Room in John 16:33? Philippians 4:8 9 Meditate on These Things If you know what the acronym GIGO stands for you re likely a techno savvy individual. In computer science, GIGO stands for garbage in, garbage out meaning that poor quality input results in faulty output. If the necessity for good input is true for computers, it is even more important for us as we try to maintain quality output ~ 5 ~
(fruit) in our life. Paul will share with us in this passage what should be our mental focus as we go through our day. Essential Questions: 1. It has been said, Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny. The spiritual battle starts first in our mind. What do you learn from 2 Corinthians 10:3 5? 2. Paul lists eight different things on which we should focus our attention. a. List and explain what each of these mean to you. b. The NKJV tells us to meditate on these things. The Amplified Bible expands this to think continually on these things (center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart). How would you explain this path to victory to a brother struggling with impure thoughts? c. The NIV Application Commentary writes that Jesus is the personification of each of these traits (Jesus is the Way, the Truth, etc.). How could this be helpful in refocusing your thought process? ~ 6 ~
3. Verse 7 describes the peace of God guarding our hearts while verse 9 speaks of fellowship with the God of peace. Before we can experience either one of these promises we must first have peace with God. How do we have peace with God (see Romans 5:1 and Hebrews 13:20)? Expanded Question: 4. Verse 9 says, do as I say and do as I do. According to 1 Corinthians 11:1 what allows Paul to say this? Lesson 28 Summary/Take Away If one of your friends at work or a neighbor were to ask you what you did on Tuesday, you would tell them you went to a Bible study. The next question would likely be, What did you learn? We often summarize an entire athletic contest or a movie in a few brief sentences and easily convey the essence of the event. Now apply these same skills to give a summary of the passage in a sentence or two. Then, in an additional sentence or two, describe what impact this passage will have on how you live. ~ 7 ~
Memory Verse Don t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:6 (NLT) Key Words/Phrases Write out the definition of these key words. You can use a regular dictionary or go to one of the Greek sources listed in the Tool Box at the end of the study. You may also use a concordance to see where else and how the word is used in the Bible. The Peace of God (Philippians 4:7) Meditate on These Things (Philippians 4:8) ~ 8 ~
MESSAGE NOTES Teacher: 2015 Mark Newton. All rights reserved. Express permission granted for use and reproduction by Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, CA. *Added questions by Warehouse Christian Ministries, Sacramento, CA ~ 9 ~