"Standing Firm in Your Faith" Philippians 4:1-9

Well, as you just heard, we have the honor and the blessing and the privilege of being under the preaching of the word today.

And uh Brother Matt will be bringing that to us, and uh I'm so thankful.

Uh even though I'm normally up here preaching most weeks, it is a blessing to have these other elders, these other brothers who are not only able but willing and joyfully uh capable in the Lord's grace to come and bring the word.

And uh it's a blessing for me to sit under the preaching of the word to learn, to grow, to be impacted by his truth.

So um I'm gonna ask you to stand, and I have the privilege this morning of reading the passage that Brother Matt will be preaching out of the book of Philippians.

Turn there if you'd like, uh Philippians chapter 4, verses 1 through 9.

Philippians 4:1–9

Uh, they will also be on the screen behind me.

You can see through my dome.

Um, and uh we will read the word of the Lord together, and I remind you as I do this, this is no mere book.

This is no mere word of just man.

This is God's inspired, God breathed.

2 Timothy 3.16 tells us God breathed his word, and so this is God's word to us, and so enjoy the reading of God's word.

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

I entreat Yodia and I entreat Sintuki 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.

Rejoice in the Lord always.

Again, I will say, rejoice.

Let your reasonableness be known to everybody.

The Lord is at hand, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God.

And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me.

Practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Please be seated.

Lord, thank you for being a loving, gracious God who has called us here.

Thank you for your word that we can know you more.

Thank you for the opportunity we have to grow in the grace and knowledge of your Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord, I ask that you would speak clearly through me, guide me as I preach.

Lord, that your word may be clearer, that we could understand it more.

Lord, we lift all this up in Jesus' name.

Amen.

The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Philippian church while he was imprisoned in Rome.

And one of the main themes all through the book is that of joy.

As I've preached on occasion the last couple years and worked through this book, I've mentioned that several times.

I think mainly to preach it to myself.

At times when things don't go well for me, according to my plan, joyous is about the last way anyone would describe me.

I need a different pattern than my own to follow.

I would expect some of you can relate to that.

As he was writing this letter, Paul may have been in his fourth year of Roman custody.

And in the three decades since his conversion on the road to Damascus, he had been persecuted many ways.

2 Corinthians chapter 11 lists some of them.

2 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

Starting in verse 24, Paul writes, Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.

Three times I was beaten with rods.

Once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked.

A night and a day I was adrift at sea.

On frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers, in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

And apart from other things, there's the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

And now he was in chains, awaiting a trial and possibly imminent death.

Pretty joyous occasion, it seems, but that's what he writes.

But our circumstances in our daily life are not and should not affect whether we are joyous or not.

Biblical joy is the conviction that the good Lord above sovereignly controls the events of life for the eternal good of all believers and for his glory.

Romans 8.28 proves this.

And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

In life, there will be trials of all kinds.

They can vary in magnitude from small, simple things that disrupt your daily schedule or your own plan to great tragedies, such as the death of a beloved family member or friend.

James 1, 2 and 3 says, Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may perfect and that you may be that you may perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

But we all know it's not that easy.

When we face challenges and trials, some of them we expect.

But the ones that we don't expect can be especially hard.

It can be pretty tough to react with joy.

Oh, when we look back on it or distance ourselves from it, it's a little easier and we can have a better attitude.

But in the moment, we can lose our biblical focus.

But that's where Paul is, in the moment, a Roman prisoner awaiting his sentence and writing about joy.

Paul starts chapter 4 with the word, therefore, indicating that he is going to build on the truths of the previous passage in chapter 3, verses 12 through 21.

I'll remind you, Paul is writing this letter to the Christians at Philippi.

If you are a Christian, if you have made a personal decision to trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior, this book is written for you too.

If you are here today and have never made a decision to accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord of your life, some of this is not applicable at the time.

It may not be very understandable either, but there is a remedy.

There's a cure for that.

Humble yourself in the presence of God, which can be right where you sit, or anywhere for that matter.

Acknowledge to the Lord that you have sinned against him and his holy law, and you need a Savior to rescue you from the penalty of that sin, which is death, and being separated from God for all eternity.

The Lord Jesus paid that penalty with his willing sacrifice on the cross 2,000 years ago.

If you confess your sin and turn from it in repentance and believe in your heart that he was raised from the dead, you will be saved.

Back to our passage in chapter 4, verse 1.

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

Therefore, stand firm, he says, stand firm in the Lord and the truth of what he says.

Back in chapter 3, verse 12, it says, Because of our faith and trust in Jesus as Savior, we are his own.

We are adopted as sons and daughters of the Lord.

Twice in this passage, in verse 12 and verse 14, Paul says, He will press on.

Press on in his Christian life, straining toward the end goal.

We, like Paul, should press on toward the goal and hold true to what we have learned, always walking the balance between faith and works.

Paul is confident enough in his Christian walk that in verse 17 in chapter 3 he calls others to follow and imitate him, along with following other mature believers.

In verse 20, Paul encourages his readers to be ready and waiting for the return of Christ and the glorification of our bodies.

Back to verse 1 in chapter 4.

Therefore, stand firm, he says.

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

This is the overarching theme and verb of this passage.

Stand firm.

Commanding us to do all the things listed and explained here.

The foundation of our faith, the things that He's called us to.

This is not a passive suggestion to do or to try these things, but it's an imperative command with a near military ring to it.

Stand firm, he says.

Stand firm, commands the Lord, through the pen of Paul.

Do not yield to compromise in your faith.

Following the inerrant truths of Scripture.

Do not yield to compromise in your faith walk.

Always follow the inerrant truths of Scripture and how it relates to everyday life.

Paul had a special connection with the church of Philippi and expressed his care and deep love for them, affirming that in chapter 1, verses 3 through 9.

If you turn back to chapter 1, a couple pages.

It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

For God is my witness how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus, and it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and all discernment.

Flipping back over to chapter 4, verse 1, calls that Joe Paul calls them his joy and his crown.

The circumstances in life didn't dictate his attitude.

His right standing before God and the people he loved caused his joy to abound.

Hearing of their strong faith and growth and becoming more like Jesus was what fueled his joyful attitude and mindset.

The type of crown referred to here was not that of a king, but of a laurel wreath given to the victor of an athletic event or given to someone by their peers in honor of their accomplishments.

These believers in Philippi were Paul's crown, his trophy, the evidence of his effective service, and the faithfulness of God working in their lives.

As we look to the rest of this passage, we see practical ways and examples of how to stand firm in the Lord.

In verse 2, we see that there is a disagreement between two women, Euodia and Sintiki.

They are prominent women in the church.

They have shared Paul's work in the gospel.

This wasn't a squabble about doctrinal issues, or Paul would have confronted it as such and set them straight.

It could have been a personality clash, a perceived injustice, or some other disagreement, or an issue either in or outside the church, but serious enough that it needed to be addressed.

Conflict between leaders in a church body or even lay members can cause instability in a whole congregation and can even lead to a split of the church.

In fighting gives the devil and other adversaries an avenue of attack and also can tarnish the testimony of the church.

As we look carefully at verse 2, Paul isn't just encouraging them to get along, but commanding them to live in harmony in the Lord.

If they are truly united in the Lord, then they can be right with each other, no matter the disagreement.

Forgiveness and a soft and gentle spirit will go a long way in these circumstances.

In another great passage on unity, Paul writes to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians chapter 4, verses 1 through 3.

Ephesians 4:1–3

I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Unity in the church body, unity among us, is critical.

Paul then asks others in the church body to help in resolving this issue between these women.

Specifically, he addresses true companion, which, untranslated from the Greek, is Saigaigos, which means yoke fellow, and is a word picture of two oxen pulling the same load side by side.

Many scholars believe Saigaigos was his name, and he was more than likely a church elder who was a partner in the spiritual walk, spiritual work they were doing.

Paul also asked Clement and others to help resolve the issue.

We need to work together when we have issues of conflict and disagreement.

If we turn back to Philippians chapter 1, verse 27.

Philippians 1:27

Philippians 1 27.

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

That's what he's encouraging.

That's what he's calling us to, working side by side for the gospel in unity.

Paul then reiterates a very similar theme, but a different context, in chapter 2, verses 2 and 3.

Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

There's strife and disagreement in the church there, but Paul calls them to rejoice, not in their circumstances, but in the Lord.

He calls them to work it out and help each other.

Once again, I'll reiterate that Christian joy isn't an emotion or a feeling.

It's a settled state of mind in response to strong faith that God is in control for our good and his glory.

Our spiritual stability is directly related to how we think about God.

If we know and believe the great truths of God and trust Him at His Word, we can rejoice, no matter the circumstances.

And how do we know them?

But to study them, meditate on them, be bathed in the truth by what we fill our mind with.

Philippians 4.5 calls them to be known to all men by their gentle spirit.

Not just the ones here beside you in this church this morning, but all men.

The Greek word that translates to reasonableness or gentleness has a far richer meaning than can be understood by a single English word.

Because of that, Bible versions vary widely in how they translate it.

Some of the ways it can be described are generosity, goodwill, friendliness, mercy, and charity toward the faults of others, and big-heartedness.

Graciousness has possibly the closest meaning.

It's the humble graciousness to endure injustice, disgrace, and mistreatment without retaliation, bitterness, or vengeance.

Let me read those words again and think if that's how you are known to everyone, like the verse says.

Mercy and charity toward the faults of others, and big-hearted.

Humble graciousness to endure injustice, disgrace, and mistreatment without retaliation, bitterness, or vengeance.

Both when Paul was writing this and today, the focus on self and our rights and our wants is opposite to this reasonableness that he's speaking of.

The last part of verse 5 states that the Lord is at hand.

The return of Christ is imminent.

It could happen at any time.

In Revelation 22 20, Jesus states.

Surely I am coming soon.

He will return and surely judge and hold people accountable for the deeds, actions, and words they say.

Are you ready?

In verses six and seven, Paul exhorts the believers, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

As we rest in confident faith, because we know God and trust Him, we should react to situations with prayer, not anxiety or just quick action.

Instead of taking the bull by the horns ourselves, because we can handle this one, we should pray.

The three words used in this verse for prayer are nearly synonymous with slightly different nuances in their meaning.

Prayer is used to describe a prayerful attitude as worshipful.

Supplications or petitions are lifted up as an expression of need.

And requests are specific things asked for.

The main things that this verse highlights are the priority of prayer and the attitude in it.

When we come to prayer, it should be our first response when we're faced with any situation.

Not anger at the situation, not worry, not jumping to conclusions or actions, but to pray.

I can preach about this, but this week God put me to the test, and I failed miserably.

There are a couple guys here that can attest to that.

Anger, worry, and jumping to conclusions and into action are the things that I'm better at than prayer.

I had one final test this morning.

I was leaving home, so all the cows were out.

But they can't get to the highway, can't get on the neighbors, so I didn't have time to do anything.

I was heading to church and I had to preach, so it didn't bother me.

Praise God.

When we pray, we can ask in assurance that God will answer.

It's been simply said that he answers our prayers with yes, no, or wait.

He may not answer according to our will, but his will, which is far better anyway.

If our trust in the Lord is strong, petitioning God is a cure for worry and distress.

Our prayers should be with thanks, not doubt.

But it is a process of learning to trust and not worry.

As our faith walk gets longer, it should get stronger as we walk with the Lord day by day, abiding with Him.

Verse 7 shows the result of going to the Lord in prayer in faith and trust.

Peace.

The peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus when we go to the Lord in prayer and trust him.

That peace is not like a still morning when nothing is moving around yet, no breeze, no noise.

It is a complete rest and quiet of the soul, trusting God in all things.

When Paul says that peace will guard our hearts and minds, he isn't separating the two and making them distinct, but telling us that the peace is all-encompassing.

It refers to the whole inner being, our whole soul, spirit, mind.

That peace isn't available by any human means, but only in Christ Jesus, by grace, through faith.

Each one of us is a sinner, either unrepentant, unsaved, and destined for hell if we've never trusted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.

Or if we believed on Him and made our peace with God, we're saved, saved from the eternal punishment of our sin.

If so, we can enjoy the peace of God as we lift our concerns, problems, and requests to Him.

It is only if we have that deep-rooted assurance that God is who he says he is, that we can have that inner peace that is beyond what our minds can comprehend, that surpasses all understanding.

As Paul gets to the end of his teaching on spiritual stability, he has a list of things in verse 8 to dwell on.

We're not supposed to just think about these things, but to concentrate, meditate, and fill our minds constantly with them.

We act and react according to what we think.

And our spiritual stability, our strong faith, is dependent on what we fill our minds with.

In verse 8, the word finally indicates that Paul is nearing the end of this teaching.

What he relates sums up so much of this subject and is the key to implementing it.

He says to think about these things.

If we dwell on them, fill our mind with them, and make it a habit, we'll find it easier to live it out day by day.

The first thing Paul commands us to dwell on is truth.

Truth isn't what you think is right or how you feel about it.

Truth is biblical truth, and all thoughts should be measured against that.

John 17, 17 says, Your word is truth.

It is the foundation of truth.

It is truth itself.

It embodies truth and is the standard of truth against which everything else must be tested and compared.

The other attributes listed here in verse 8 are related to truth and define or expand different aspects of it.

Honorable means worthy of respect, while just refers to what is righteous and aligns with God's standards.

Whatever is pure is referring to holy or undefiled, and lovely is defining things that are pleasing and attractive to God.

Whatever is commendable means admirable or well thought of.

And to cap it off, Paul encourages us to focus and meditate on anything of excellence and things worthy of praise.

But he calls us to discern for ourselves if they fall into this category.

We can only know if they fall into this status by knowing his word and what to measure them against.

As Paul winds up this passage to the Philippian church, he calls them to action.

Continuous, repetitious action, to practice what they know to do.

The words learned and received in verse 9 are referring to instructions given by Paul throughout his ministry.

We have access to all of his most important instructions recorded here in his letters.

Heard is referring to what they heard from others about Paul.

His character and lifestyle had a great reputation.

The Philippians had seen that firsthand when Paul had been in Philippi and they realized he practiced what he preached.

As Paul concludes this passage, he draws the correlation between obeying and practicing.

Obeying and practicing godly living.

And the God of peace being with us.

Not only does the peace of God guard us, but the God of peace himself will be with us.

The overarching theme of this whole passage is to stand firm in our faith, trusting in God.

The way we can apply these verses to our lives and grow in sanctification or holiness is to trust.

Trust God, trust his word, trust what he's calling us to do.

All the things that we are called to do in these verses are impossible by our own devices or in our own strength and resolve.

We're called to get along, to live in harmony with each other, not our own strength, but not in our own strength or wisdom.

We can only do it in the Lord, knowing how He calls us to relate to one another.

When we see or know of folks in the body that are at odds, we should try and intervene as peacemakers and mediators.

And be encouraged, because I know of many times when that exact thing has happened here.

One or more of you have come alongside others in need to rebuke, reprove, exhort, and encourage them to work out differences.

And rejoice in the Lord always.

Again I will say, rejoice, Paul says.

But it's not that easy.

The only way we can do this is to know and meditate on the character and promises of God.

If we have trusted Jesus as our personal Savior, God is near.

He will not leave us nor forsake us.

As we study and understand, know and own the deep things of God, our faith and trust in Him will grow and become more solid.

There are many attributes of our Lord we could list.

I'll just name a few.

He is the all-knowing, all-powerful, ever-present, sovereign creator of the universe, who is loving and gracious, and has our best interests at heart, even in the trials of life.

I could go on and on, but search them out for yourself.

Read the word, study it, know it.

As we dwell and study on these truths of Scripture, our faith and trust in God deepens, and we can worry less about the circumstances of life, the daily trials, the state of the country, and many other things.

The all-encompassing contentment we can have is the peace of God that is only available in Christ Jesus, not by any human means or situation.

As we trust God and our faith in Him strengthens, we are more conformed to the image of Christ.

And as we follow the Spirit's leading, our gentle spirit will show itself more and more.

If we replayed my week, it did not look like this passage reads.

As a matter of fact, nearly opposite at times.

There's one thing in this passage that wasn't specifically mentioned, and that was repentance.

But we know that Paul and the great saints of the Bible were repentant when they found themselves in sin.

May that too be something we practice.

I repented, but not very quickly sometimes.

I'm practicing.

What was your week like?

Did you have an argument with your spouse or a co-worker?

Or someone here in the church body?

Did you reconcile?

Were you rejoicing this week?

Or downcast, cranky, and sold up because of the situation of your day and your household and things at work.

And how about that gentle spirit?

Evident to all?

And all means all, and that's all it means.

Do you watch the news and wring your hands because the world is going down a tube?

Do you worry about your kids?

Worry about your finances?

Worry about your job?

Worry about your health?

Or did you lift up these concerns in prayer?

And trust God in the situation?

What have you been filling your mind with?

Are the things you're watching on TV or the internet God honoring?

How about the music you listen to?

Honorable?

Pure?

Of good reputation?

Worthy of praise?

Or not?

Dwell on the great things of God and who he is.

And practice.

Practice.

Practice those godly attributes that we read about in Paul's life.

From repentance to trusting in faith.

Obedience to God's call on his life.

Service to others.

Proclaiming the word.

Encouraging others.

Being a bold witness for Christ.

And loving God through it all.

You bow with me in prayer.

Lord, thank you for your word that we can know you more.

Thank you for your son Jesus that paid for our sins on the cross.

Lord, help us to see that more clearly each day.

Lord, help us to be of quick repentance when we find ourselves in sin.

Lord, help us draw near to you, draw near to each other.

To encourage one another.

Lord, we thank you for so many blessings of each day.

Lord, help us to count them more clearly.

Help us keep our eyes fixed on you and the things above as we walk through life, trusting in you.

And we lift this up in Jesus' name.

Amen.