1) God’s Joyous People and Their Guarded Hearts, Philippians 4:4-7 (Warren E. Berkley)
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God’s Joyous People and Their Guarded Hearts<\/h2>\n\n\n\nPhilippians 4:4-7
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Warren E. Berkley 1) Hear <\/strong>the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31). Tebeau Street Sunday: 9 a.m. <\/strong>Bible Classes and 10 a.m. <\/strong>Worship Service. Congregational Song Service<\/strong>: 5 p.m. for every first Sunday of the month.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wednesday: 7 p.m. <\/strong>Bible Classes <\/p>\n\n\n\n evangelist\/editor: <\/strong><\/strong>Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).——————– Contents: 1) God’s Joyous People and Their Guarded Hearts, Philippians 4:4-7 (Warren E. Berkley)——————– -1- God’s Joyous People and Their Guarded […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2429"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2433,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2429\/revisions\/2433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cRejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,\u201d<\/em> Phil. 4:4-7.
When we come to an expression like this, \u201cRejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!\u201d it is necessary for us to give this joy a very specific and biblical definition.
There is a big difference between earthly happiness and spiritual joy. Earthly happiness is produced and maintained by events, by things, by experiences, often involving money and moods and materialism. Spiritual joy is a product of one\u2019s good relationship with God through Christ and is constant (so long as faith is active). Earthly happiness fluctuates greatly as things happen or do not happen.
You can be broke and in jail yet \u201crejoice in the Lord.\u201d Paul did not enjoy good living conditions when he wrote these words. He was in chains and most certainly, a condemned man in the eyes of the Roman authorities. But, because of the activity of his faith in Christ, there was a constant joy he had. And he urges every Christian to have it.
This word \u201crejoice\u201d cannot be understood properly if you equate this with earthly happiness. Earthly happiness depends on circumstances that change daily. This spiritual joy is a product of one\u2019s faith in Christ, and this joy can endure changing earthly circumstances. It is that constant hopeful, peaceful, joyful state of mind \u2013 knowing that even when things here on earth are against you, God is for you \u2013 and you, by faith in Christ, are firmly attached to Him. If you don\u2019t have this joy – it is time to examine your faith, your depth of trust and your obedience to God. It is time to plow deeper, take more time to be holy, spend more time in prayer and Bible study and make serious effort toward consistent application of Bible truth every day.
Do you see what this is about? This spiritual joy doesn\u2019t mean you will never suffer grief or be disappointed or be sad. It means \u2013 these temporary emotions will not defeat you or hinder you from serving the Lord.
Sometimes \u2013 the one thing you know for certain is, God loves you and you are doing your best to obey Him. You don\u2019t know if you will be flush with cash or broke. You may have good health today \u2013 but don\u2019t know what will happen to your body tomorrow. Your relationships may all be solid and stable today \u2013 but torn by conflict tomorrow.
But the one thing you know is \u2013 God loves you and you are doing your best to obey Him. It was that knowledge that enabled Paul to rejoice while in jail under threat of death \u2013 and that knowledge, he was now writing: \u201cRejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice!\u201d
Verse 5: \u201cLet your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.\u201d
In various translations the word is, \u201cgentleness \u2026forbearance\u2026moderation.\u201d Now take a moment and think about what you would associate with these words: Gentleness, Forbearance, Moderation. Maybe it will help to think of the opposite: Harsh, Impatient, Imposing. So this is a call to be gracious, patient, showing forbearance or moderation, even though your outward circumstances may be far less than satisfactory. This is the composure of the one who rejoices in the Lord. This is the thought and emotional discipline that will be visible and known among those who rejoice in the Lord.
\u201cI, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ – I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!\u201d (2 Cor. 10:1)
If you need help with this \u2013 just keep reading into verse 6: \u201cBe anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.\u201d Now here is a current problem we know about.
Anxious about finances? Things are broke you can\u2019t afford to fix; will you continue to have a job; what\u2019s happening in the economy; what about retirement? We are anxious about health \u2013 especially as we grow older, we may wonder if we will have cancer or Alzheimer\u2019s, or be disabled. We worry about our children and grandchildren. Will they turn out OK? Will they avoid the temptations of our age? Will they marry a good person? Will they have a happy home? We worry about the neighborhood, the church, the nation and our friends.
As Christians, we must learn to identify anxiety, and then learn to apply what God\u2019s Word says to handle it. This may be harder for some people, but this is absolutely true. As Christians, we must learn to identify anxiety, and then learn to apply what God\u2019s Word says, to handle it.
Now this says, \u201cBe Anxious For Nothing!\u201d This may be one of those statements in the Bible we read and we don\u2019t just jump on board right away. We may try to figure some way to take the edge off of it, or give it some interpretation that makes it easier to digest. I\u2019m not going to give you any help in that. \u201cBe anxious for nothing.\u201d That\u2019s what it says to you, and that\u2019s what it says to me, as hard as it may be to accept.
In the NIV: \u201cDo not be anxious about anything.\u201d If you are living right, in the Lord, and rejoicing in the Lord, and letting your gentleness be evident to all men . . . there is nothing that should drive you crazy! Maybe this will help.
This word \u201canxiety\u201d means \u2013 excessive care that distracts. The Bible doesn\u2019t say \u2013 don\u2019t care about anything, or don\u2019t worry about anything. But when that care reaches a point, where you are paralyzed and distracted from doing your duties in life – you need to stop that! You stop it, by seeing the anxiety as unreasonable \u2013 and re-establishing or strengthening your trust in God.
\u201cBe Anxious For Nothing.\u201d And it may also help to remember, Jesus made it clear \u2013 in His sermon on the mount \u2013 anxiety stems from a lack of faith and from a wrong focus on the things of this world, instead of the things of the Kingdom. (See Matt. 6:25-34, especially verses 30 & 33.)
To deal with anxiety \u2013 with excessive care that distracts us from good living \u2013 ONE, recognize it as excessive. TWO, trust in God. THREE, remember that worry accomplishes nothing. That third point is directly from the words of Jesus in Matt. 6. He said, \u201cDo not worry.\u201d And He said, \u201cWho of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?\u201d
If I\u2019m wrong in what I\u2019ve said about this \u2013 you can certainly challenge me \u2013 but when we have that conversation or email, we will have to have the Bible open to this passage \u2013 and talk about what it says and means. (I\u2019m at w_berkley@yahoo.com.)
Now back to verse 6 in Phil. 4. It would be one thing for Paul to say, \u201cBe anxious for nothing,\u201d and end that with a period. He doesn\u2019t do that. After telling us what we should not do. He tells us what we should do.
\u201cBe anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.\u201d
What if I gave you this paraphrase: Don\u2019t worry yourself to death \u2026 pray! Would that be a fair statement of what this teaches? It sounds so utterly simple, and should be something that each of us know about through experience.
Do you have a free hour? You can use that hour to either worry or pray. Which would be the better use of the hour? Of course, prayer would be better. Try that. And in these prayers we pray \u2013 three things should be present, captured by three words in verse 6: Supplication, Thanksgiving & Requests.
So, let me put this together. If you are excessively concerned . . . if worry is keeping you up at night, and keeping you from your responsibilities during the day, and just driving you crazy – Recognize that problem. Re-commit yourself to trust in God. And take that time you spend fretting, and pray \u2013 including in those prayers, confessions of your need; gratitude, and asking God to help . . . always trusting, He will respond wisely to His people.
Got it?
\u201cDo you think we should pray about the little things in our lives, or just the big things?\u201d My answer would be \u2013 everything in your life that bothers you and distracts you, is big to God. Give it to Him.
There is another critical part of this. Right in the middle of this text, there is a statement that may seem to be almost parenthetical \u2013 at the end of verse 5, \u201cThe Lord is at hand.\u201d This is about the presence of God in the lives of His people. The closer we move to Him, the better we are able to cope. \u201cDraw near to God, and He will draw near to you,\u201d (Jas. 4:8).
Scripture teaches we should obey the Gospel and hold God close and follow the teaching of Christ, so that in time of trial, God is already there \u2013 and I\u2019m saying, if He is already in your life, He will move closer to you when you are crushed, oppressed or opposed.
That\u2019s the idea here in Phil. 4:5, \u201cThe Lord is at hand.\u201d This is not about the Lord coming soon. This is not about the end of the world, or the second coming at all.
This is about God\u2019s nearness to His people, especially when His people are under pressure, anxious, worried and feel defeated by their earthly conditions and moving closer to the Lord. If you have a right view of God and a right relationship with God before those wrenching periods of difficulty \u2013 God\u2019s presence in the trial will be real, helpful, and perfectly dependable.
So, let me conclude with these two thoughts we can take with us:
ONE, it is urgent \u2013 to form a close, personal relationship with God now . . . before you find yourself broken under the difficulties of life on earth.
TWO, it is urgent \u2013 if you are being crushed and worn down by stress now . . . to turn to God, repent of neglecting Him . . .
Let your requests be made known to Him, and put Him first from now on. When life is hard \u2013 God is your perfect and best equipped helper. And here\u2019s what you receive: \u201c\u2026the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.\u201d That \u201cwill guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.\u201d Interested?
– Via Expository Files<\/em> 18.9; August 2011
——————–<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2) Believe <\/strong>in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent <\/strong>of sins. For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30). For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).
4) Confess faith <\/strong>in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized <\/strong>in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so \u201cthrough faith in the working of God\u201d (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to\u2026
6) Continue in the faith <\/strong>by <\/strong>living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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CHURCH OF CHRIST<\/strong><\/strong>
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong><\/strong>Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
<\/a>https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/go\/all.htm<\/a> <\/strong><\/strong>(This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)
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