The Joy of the Peace of God

Welcome to this week's message from the First of Fields of World Server.

Our core values are viver worship, infinite fellowship, fulfilling service, and clear biblical truth.

We pray that this message changes your life.

Let's tune into today's message and see what God has in store for you.

Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

Turn with me there.

Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

How many of you worry?

Okay, that's about a third of you.

I'm gonna repeat the question.

I don't think you understood that.

What does the definition of worry mean?

It means anxiety, it means unrestfulness, it means unsettledness, it means you worry about your job, you worry about your house, you worry about your clothes, you worry about your children, you worry about everything.

Now, does that a better understanding?

So let me repeat the question.

How many of us worry?

Now that's a better participation.

And for you that didn't raise your hand, would you please come up and preach this message?

Amen.

Because you got the answer.

I don't.

Actually, I do have the answer, but I I sometimes I don't apply the answer.

Amen.

Amen.

So, in fact, let me uh I found this, I thought you'd enjoy this.

Uh worry means you're having a bad day.

And you're upset about it.

How many of us have had a bad day?

Amen.

Uh you're not you're not doing good again.

How many of us have had a bad day?

Okay, okay.

If you've never had a bad day, you need to be teaching the message.

We've all had a bad day.

Some of you are saying, I am having a bad day today.

Well, now that's why you ought to be in church.

Can I get an amen?

Because you're going to be encouraged before you leave here today, I promise.

But how can you tell when you're having a rotten day?

When you wake up face down on the pavement, you know you're having a rotten day.

How can you know when you're having a rotten day?

You call the suicide, listen to this, prevention, and they put you on hold.

You know you're having a bad day.

When you see a 60 minutes news team waiting in your office, you know you're having a bad day.

Your birthday cake collapses from the weight of the candles.

You know you're having a bad day.

Speaking of that, Lordy, Lordy, Jesse is 40.

Let's give Jesse a hand.

All right, Jesse.

I Melvin made me do it.

Melvin made me do it.

Hey, you know you're having a bad day when you turn on the news and they're showing emergency routes out of the city.

Hmm.

You know you're having a bad day when your twin sister forgets your birthday.

You know you're having a bad day when your car horn gets stuck accidentally and you're following a group of hell's angels.

You know you're having a bad day.

You know you're having a bad day when your boss tells you not to take your coat off.

You know you're having a bad day when the bird's singing outside your window's a buzzard.

You know you're having a bad day when you wake up and your braces are stuck together.

Oh, that's bad.

You know you're having a bad day when you're answering service, when you call your answer in service, and they tell you none of your business.

You know you're having a bad day when your income tax check bounce.

You know you're having a bad day.

Philippians chapter 2.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

You say, now why did Pastor Danny do all that?

Well, because in verse 6 in chapter 4 it says, be careful for nothing.

That means do not worry.

That's what that phrase means.

Do not worry about anything.

Do not worry about anything.

I don't know about you, but that is a very difficult thing to do.

Not to worry about anything.

That's almost impossible.

But no, it's not.

Not if we really understand what Paul's message is to the church at Philippi.

And we're coming to the last chapter.

It's exciting as we take this last chapter, next two to three messages, and end it up.

And then 1st of October, we'll be looking at God's Not Dead.

That's the new series coming.

But what is he saying?

He has come to the last chapter, the conclusion, and therefore he says in verse 1, My brethren, dearly beloved, and long for my crown, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

Now, therefore, is a conjunction that refers to everything I've said in the first three previous chapters.

Therefore, all that I've told you.

Now I want to sum it up.

I want to conclude with the key to all this joy, the joy that passes all understanding, that we can't really comprehend.

We don't understand it.

How people can be joyful in the midst of a trial, how people can be joyful even in the midst of a tragedy.

How can that take place?

How can we not really worry about all that we're facing?

And they were facing a lot.

They were facing persecution, chapter one, they were facing false teachers, they were facing the Epicureans, the Judizers, they were facing uh, hey, people within the church that were carnal.

They had even two of the leaders in the church that had been leaders in the church.

Now they were the, hey, they were fussing at each other.

They were quarreling.

I mean, there was a lot going on in probably the best church of Paul's whole ministry that he had started all these churches.

Philip, the church at Philippi was his kind of his baby.

He had started it 10 years ago in Acts 16 with Lydia, the women, and now all of a sudden the women played a big part in the start of this church in Philippi.

And there's no doubt that these two ladies that you're going to look at today were involved in that startup.

Probably they had been leaders.

He says they were co-laborers, they're Christians, their names have been written down in the book.

So we got two Christians, dynamic ladies, and now all of a sudden, for some reason, and if you notice from chapter 1, even till he ends up naming them by name, there was some dissension going on.

So with all that said, he said, You got a lot of problems.

Can I get an amen?

Guess what?

Church at Chelsea Westover, we got a lot of problems.

You stole my punchline.

Thank you.

Now I know what you were gonna think.

Uh-oh, what problems?

Oh, here's, you know what?

They're called normal problems.

We always hey, the church at Chelsea Westover has problems.

Guess what?

You have problems at your house.

Is anyone here that doesn't have any problems?

Never had any problems?

Thank you very much.

That's the first one you got right.

Okay, why is it that we have problems?

We have people.

Amen.

And we are problems.

I can be, don't you say amen.

I can be a big problem sometimes.

Little problem.

But we're we we really are.

And so here we see this whole church.

Paul is saying, hey, but I beseech you, he says, don't worry, there's an answer.

And he said, the reason that we can have the joy of the peace of God in our hearts is one, we know, verse 5, he says that the Lord is at hand.

He knows that the Lord is.

In fact, this that phrase the Lord at hand means two things.

It can mean a time, which we see in Romans 13, 11, which means the return of Christ.

Christ is coming back, if you believe that, say amen.

So he's talking about, hey, we know that Christ is coming back.

And then secondly, it can mean a presence that he is near.

He is walking with you daily.

He is intimately involved in your life.

Now, guess what?

You can't really separate them because the more intimately he is involved in your life through a quiet time, through prayer, through involvement in your church, being in church, just being around Christians and witnessing to people and watching people come to Christ, watching your children get saved, watching you all these things that Christ does, and you actually see his unbelievable power moving in your life, you can't help but get excited and have peace knowing that Jesus is Lord.

Curios.

Amen?

Amen.

So that's what he means.

And he uses that.

The Lord is at hand, and then he also says in verse 1, verse 2, and verse 4, notice that three little phrases in the Lord occurs no less than three times in these few verses.

So what Paul is saying is that stability and steadfastness and peace and unity and harmony in the church can only come from being in the Lord.

So let's look at what that means this morning.

Boy, this is good.

What does it really mean to be in the Lord?

Number one, it means steadfastness in the Lord.

Number one, steadfastness.

Notice what he says: Stand fast in the Lord.

Verse 1, stand fast.

He's calling the saints at Philippi to maintain such a steadfastness in the Lord.

Paul speaks, uh, and I love how he speaks here.

Notice what he says.

My brethren, dearly beloved and long for.

Now, I told you I was going to tell you one of the reasons that we ask our members every Sunday, and we just started this and it's working very well, to fill out our little slip.

So that we will know if you're here and know if you've got problems, if there's concerns.

We want to hear the joy too.

You can write the joy down there.

God's done this.

We want to know why.

Because we love you.

Ladies and gentlemen, Paul has what he is trying to convey, he's in jail and he's writing to the church he had started 10 years prior to this, and he had seen them while he had been starting other churches, and now he's in jail.

He's been hearing of their testimony, how that they had been awesome, how they've been following the Lord, how their testimony had been so real.

And he's so excited because he wants to be back with them to encourage them, and not only for hey, him to encourage them, but for them to encourage him.

And they were doing that by sending one of their leaders in the church, Epreditus, and how he had come to minister to him.

So he's so excited, and he's saying, I love you so much.

You're my crown, you're my joy.

That's what you are.

That's what we are to Christ, and that's what we are to each other.

Can I get an amen?

Now, if you don't want to be loved like that, something's wrong.

That's what a true church is supposed to be.

Where we cry together, we weep together, we laugh together, we build each other up.

Amen.

That's that and Paul is saying, Oh, I love you so much.

I love you so much.

Stand fast.

In fact, he made this same example, and he made this to the church at Thessalonica.

Listen what he said in 1 Thessalonians 2, 19 through 20.

Listen what he said.

My joy, he said, and crowned.

Writing to the Thessalonians, he used similar language.

What is our hope or joy or crowned of rejoicing?

Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

For ye are our glory and joy.

Is our ministry here at the church and ministry of so win, so winning, and our ministry of ministering here ought to be so filled with deep affection and concern and love for people.

Well, love for God first and then for people.

Can I get an amen?

Loving God and loving people.

You ought to have a heart that's bursting for an intimate relationship with an awesome God.

And when you have that relationship with that awesome God, you will have that same love for people.

You can't love God and not love people.

I'm convinced of that.

You can't.

You can't.

Because the more you love God, the more you love people.

Amen.

Amen.

That's it.

You say, well, I don't like people.

Well, you don't like God.

Hello.

You don't like people, you don't like God.

Because God loves people.

He gave his only begotten son.

He let his son die for the people he loved.

For God, you quote it with me.

John 3 16.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

God loves you.

Say this with me.

God loves me.

Say it again.

God loves me.

And now say this.

And I love you.

All right.

That's not bad, is it?

Do you realize some of the a lot of people will see the love of God in direct relationship and how you love them?

Oh me.

That's it.

They will, and some people will learn to love how you what?

Demonstrate that love toward them.

You want your children to be loving and kind, you be loving and kind.

Amen.

You want your grandchildren to grow up and be, hey, loving, kind, prosperous, successful people.

You be that way.

You be that way.

They see you cussing, they see you mad, they see you bitter, they see you treating people wrong.

Guess what?

That's what they got that's they don't know any different.

Same way in the church.

No wonder people don't want to go to church when they see people in the church fighting one another.

God forbid that.

Paul understood that.

And we see this, he says, Where is anybody cared?

I love what the psalmist said in Psalms 142, verse 4.

Psalms 142:4

Has anyone cared for my soul?

He that goeth forth weeping, bearing precious seeds, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheets with him.

Now he proceeds to show these dear brothers and sisters here that the steadfastness, hey, in the Lord can be established only by number one, what?

Standing together.

In your outline.

Standing together.

Number one, in your outline, steadfastness in the Lord.

Eh?

Standing together, standfast in the Lord.

What does he mean there?

The word there, the stand fast, that phrase in the Lord means, it's the Greek word staiko.

Staiko.

And here's what it means.

It means to be stationary.

It means to be, hey, it means to persevere.

It means to persist.

It means to stay true.

And the anonym to it means to fall away.

It literally means, if you've watched the 300, or you've watched the Roman soldiers, and I'm into history.

They were some of the greatest fighters because of their formation with their soldiers.

And the key to them being one of the greatest armies and the greatest fighters was their training, their discipline, but also their unity in their army.

When they marched, they were side by side with their big shields, with their big sword.

And the key to their success was every soldier not breaking rank.

When they started moving into the enemy's army, they couldn't, the only way that the enemy could get into and destroy that army if the men that were standing together gave way.

So it meant that they would die standing there or more holding back the enemy.

They would die before they moved.

Boy, if we had Christianity like that today, we wouldn't have any problems in America.

Amen.

And you know what?

Poor old God, he gets blamed a lot for junk.

I mean, we'll fall away and blame God because we fell away.

Well, God didn't do this, God didn't do that, or so and so.

That's not a crap.

I mean, we can go down the list with all kinds of excuses, but I got news for you.

They aren't worth a flip to my God.

Hello.

And so Paul's crying out, we've got to stand together.

Jesus said in Matthew 12, 25, a house divided, a city divided, a kingdom divided will not stand.

A church divided will not stand.

That's why we have splits and churches on every corner.

Because we had people that would not take their Christian responsibility and sit down and work things out together.

That's why we have divorces.

That's why the divorce is at an epidemic rate in America today.

Why?

People will not stand together, work together, think together.

What they do is they divide.

And Paul says this cannot be.

Oh God, please.

Look at what we must stand fast in.

1 Corinthians 6.13.

We must stand fast in faith.

Look at what he says.

He says, be on guard, stand firm in the faith.

In other words, your faith is worth fighting for.

Can I get an amen?

Your faith is worth fighting for.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

For he that comes to God must believe that he is, that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

For we walk by faith and not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5.7.

Our faith is worth fighting for.

I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

For it's the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and then to the Gentile.

Romans 1.16.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm not ashamed to put this bracelet on and say, Jesus is awesome.

It's worth fighting for.

I tell people, I give them a, I say, I'll give you a bracelet of one condition.

You won't be ashamed to wear it.

Amen?

Don't get the bracelet and put it in the drawer.

Put it on or give it back.

Or give it to somebody that'll wear it.

Amen?

We're not ashamed.

Notice the second thing we've got to be strong in.

In our freedom.

Galatians 5 1.

I love this.

And here's what he says.

Christ has truly set us free.

Have you been set free from your sins?

Say hallelujah.

Hallelujah.

Now make sure that you stay free and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law.

I am thankful.

I'm excited that we can stand firm in our liberty in Christ.

2 Corinthians 3.17, whether the Spirit of the Lord is, there's liberty.

I'm glad that I'm not going to let people put me in bondage.

It's not, hey, it's not how you look on the outside, it's how you've been transformed on the inside that matters.

The Lord sees not as man sees.

Man looks on the outward appearance.

God looks on the heart.

That's why we don't get upset about the way you dress.

We get upset, hey, you know what we say?

Just be modest.

Amen?

Be modest.

That's all.

But what we do want, and what I do get upset, is when I see we Christians saying we're Christians, but we're acting like we're lost.

We're acting like spoiled brats.

Hello?

What does that mean?

I don't get my way, I just leave.

What are you not doing?

My church just doesn't minister to me.

Well, let me ask you who have you ministered?

Hello.

You okay?

Huh?

Who you minister to?

Yeah, but you don't understand.

Yeah, I d I understand quite well.

You're just spoiled.

I'm spoiled.

When I'm sick, I want my wife.

In fact, I've gotten to the point, the older I've gotten, I think I'm getting sweeter, and the older she's getting, she's getting more loving, but she's training me now.

I didn't realize I needed training.

At 60, I'm being trained, Rosemary.

I'll say something and she'll say, Well, it's right over there.

Oh.

Well, that's in the refrigerator.

Oh.

So guess what?

I get up, I say, Rocky, mama's gonna make us go get it.

She's laughing because she knows it's true.

I'm no longer the baby, Joel.

Time to grow up.

60 years old, time to grow up.

And basically, that's what Paul's saying.

Listen, church, you have blessed.

You have so much.

God has so blessed you.

Now grow up.

And don't be tossed to and fro like children.

Be a living testimony of all that God is.

Stand together in that freedom.

Stand together in the fellowship.

Philippians 1 27.

We, oh, I love intimate fellowship.

Don't you love coming here and then eating together?

And let me encourage you.

When you eat up with us on Sundays, don't just sit with the same ones every Sunday.

Kind of make your rounds.

And what I love, and I usually don't eat.

I'm the last one to eat because I want to go and talk to all of you.

I want to talk to the visitors.

I want to talk to you.

I just want to love on you.

That's because I love you.

I care for you.

I feel like you're you're that crown.

You are say this with me.

I'm a crown.

Say it.

I'm a crown.

I'm a crown.

And I'll just you I'm your shepherd.

I am now responsible for you.

And I take that very seriously.

And I care for you and I love you and I'll fight for you.

And I'll protect you.

I'll keep the wolves of false doctrine and false teaching away from you.

And I'll be there.

We'll be there.

We'll be there.

We're family.

We're an army.

We're standing together.

Now, if you don't want to be a part of that, something's wrong.

You need to examine whether or not you really know the Lord.

Because that's the kind of family everybody wants.

Even those that have never had it, that's what they want.

They want to be loved.

Thank you.

They want to be loved.

They want to be cared for.

Amen.

Praise the Lord.

That's what I wanted when I was kicked out of my house at 12 years of age.

I know.

And we put on that big facade.

I'm tough.

No.

No.

I was insecure.

I didn't have an example until I moved in with my grandparents.

Then I started seeing what love really was.

Standing together in the faith, hey, in freedom, in fellowship, and then standing on our foundation.

Stand firm on the foundation, and that is Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Thessalonians 2.15.

1 Corinthians 3.11, there's no other foundation that can be laid than that which is laid, and that is Jesus Christ.

Ladies and gentlemen, this church is built on Jesus Christ and Him alone.

It's not built on me, it's not built on our council.

It's not built on you.

It's built on him.

We're just excited and privileged to be a part of it.

A church God's way.

Loving God and loving people.

If we'll stay out of the way, God'll get all the glory and God will build a great work.

Amen.

Yeah, give him a hand.

Amen.

Let's just stay out of the way.

But not only do we stand together, we gotta think together.

Look at verse 2.

I beseech odious and beseech.

This is a tough word, but I came up with this way I'm pronouncing it.

It's odious and cinchi.

Close.

Odious and cinchi.

That they be of the same mind in the Lord.

Same, hey, this is with all of us, with husbands and wife.

If we're gonna live together and love each other and be an example for a family, we gotta have the same thinking, the same mind.

Can I get an amen?

The same thinking.

That's why what is our thinking?

It's clear biblical truth.

It's the word of God.

It's not my preferences, it's God's principles that matter.

Can I get an amen?

Okay?

Now we, I'm glad you got preferences, and I'm glad I got preferences.

I'm glad uh Rose Marie can do this.

And when she's not here, it doesn't look like that.

That's gorgeous.

And she went in and they turned my study upside down.

I call it the study makeover.

When I was going to California, I came back and I went, You should have seen it before.

No, I'm glad you didn't.

I had a picture.

Don't show them.

It's bad.

No.

But what are you saying, preacher?

Here's what we're saying.

We've got to be like-minded.

We've got to be now let me tell you something.

Now he's not talking here about people that he's not talking about the false teachers.

He's not talking about the Epicureans.

He's not talking about the Judaizers.

He's talking about good Christians.

Now let me tell you why.

Notice what it says.

This is awesome.

Look at what the scripture says.

Right here.

I beseech Odis and I beseech Cinti that they be of the same mind in the Lord.

And I entreat thee also, true yoke fella, help those women which labor with me in the gospel.

Look, look, they're co-laborers in the gospel.

With Clement, it doesn't say a whole lot, but he was definitely involved in helping them at the church.

And with others, my fellow laborers, those had to be the pastor, the councilmen, the deacons that he mentions in Philippians 1:1, are in the book of life.

Philippians 1:1

Your name's been written in the book of life.

These are not wolves that have come within to try to destroy the church.

These are women that had been from the very conception, probably of the church over 10 years working together, co-laboring together, their Christians, their citizenships in heaven, and now all of a sudden their disagreements and it could not be theological.

And here's why.

If it had been theological, Paul would have dealt with it.

It was not a theological problem.

They understood clear biblical truth.

Hey, they understood fulfilling service, says laboring together.

They understood intimate fellowship.

They had been there viral words.

But all of a sudden, one of them, or both of them, had a personal preference that they disagreed and neither one would give in.

To the point Paul had to call them out by name.

Now, if you go back and look at chapters 1 and 2 and 3, he's trying to deal with this without calling them by name.

But he said, Enough.

And then he turns to the leaders of the church.

He says, It's your job.

Go help them.

Go help them settle this problem.

It's not a doctrinal heresy problem.

It's not the Jew like the Judizers and the Epicureans.

And he says, What's happened?

Satan's gotten in there and they've gotten in the flesh, and their personal preference now is more important than God's principles.

Their personal preferences now has gone higher than the unity of the church.

Be very careful when that happens.

Be very careful.

Amen.

So he Paul's just in fact, what did Kay Arthur call those two ladies?

Kay Arthur, one of the greatest women Bible teachers of all time.

She called them odious, stinky, and soon touchy.

In other words, get their feelings hurt easy.

I didn't do that.

Kay said that.

But it sounds aren't we guilty?

I am guilty of that.

Every once in a while, I just dig my heels in and I say, Susan, oh.

Am I the only one that does that every once in a while?

Y'all gonna leave me out here to dry, aren't you?

Paul says, don't do that.

Don't do that.

That's not what.

Hey, we're living testimonies, remember?

We're witnesses.

We are to be a group of people thinking together.

Hey, living, standing together.

And by the way, let me show you what this thinking together involves.

Three things.

Lovingness of mind.

Look at it.

Which gladly gives and forgives.

Isn't that good?

Somebody say that's good.

Lovingness of mind, which gladly gives and forgives.

Amen.

It's more blessed to give than it is to receive.

Guys, can I get an amen?

Amen.

And then Jesus said in Matthew 6, 14, if we don't forgive our brothers, he won't forgive us.

That's pretty strong.

And then notice what else it is.

Not only is it the lovingness of mind, it's the lowliness of mind, which simply trust and obey.

For there's no other way but to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

If you're willing and obedient, you should eat the good of the lamb, but if you refuse and rebel, listen, you should be devoured by the sword.

Isaiah 1, 19 and 20.

That's powerful.

And then the third thing is it's livingness of mind, which, hey, willingly and lovingly serves and succeeds.

By love, serve one another.

By love, serve one another.

I was trying to give get a good example of this.

And some of y'all gonna think I'm a dog lover.

Oh, I am.

But let's not Rocky.

He's my buddy.

But every morning, Rocky comes, if I'm not up early, to wake me up.

Because Rocky can't feed himself.

He can't go out without me letting him out.

All the necessities of a dog, I have to serve.

I have to do.

You with me?

Every morning.

Sometimes three times a day.

But what I got to thinking about is I see the love and affection that that dog gives back for me taking care of him.

I meant I can't go anywhere without Rocky wanting to be right there with me.

And I thought to myself, if we could serve in the church each other, like we do our dogs.

I know this is pretty bad, isn't it?

Like we serve our dogs.

Hello.

Hello, you with me here?

For you that are dog lovers, you know exactly what I'm saying, and you know I'm right.

Because I mean I make sure he's taken care of.

My wife says I'm over.

I'd go a little too far.

He's just a dog.

Well, he doesn't know that.

It's not him that he's worried about.

Do you get the picture?

Amen.

Are you with me?

If we would serve each other like we do our animals that we love dearly, I really believe with all my heart we would understand what it means loving God and loving people.

And I really do.

God's convicted me of that.

He really has.

To serve you, serve my family.

Amen.

So that's what we're talking about.

Then the third thing, working together.

We stand together, we think together, and we work together.

That is steadfastness in the Lord.

Look at what he says in verse 3.

I entreat thee also, true yoke fella, help those women.

The word there means to be a peacemaker, to come alongside.

Matthew 5, 9 says, Blessed are the peacemakers.

Galatians 6, 1 and 2.

He says, brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, we're not to kick him, we're not to talk about him.

We're not, oh, did you hear about so-and-so?

Did you, oh, we are the worst at that.

Hey, no.

If you, hey, you that are godly should gently and humbly, did you see that?

Gently and humbly, help, help that person back into a right path and be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.

You know what he's saying there?

He says, You ought to restore them like you would like to be restored if you were in the other shoe.

Amen.

You had fallen.

How would you want to be treated?

And then verse 2 says, Bear you one another's burdens.

Because this is what Christ would do.

What did Christ do with the woman at the well?

She had been married five times and at the time living with a man, oh, you adulteress! No.

He says, You're looking for you're really looking for happiness.

Well, I'm here today to share with you what true happiness is.

And it's not in the men, it's in me.

I'm the living water.

You drink of this water.

You'll never thirst again.

Wow.

He didn't ridicule her, tell her of her past.

No.

No.

They worked together.

They came together.

They were co-laborers.

They were Christians.

He said to the to the to the yoke fellow, and by the way, the word yoke fellow, there's a great word.

It's suzu goose or suzu gos.

Either way, you can pronounce it either way.

It means a comrade.

It means a teammate.

It means a fellow worker.

It means a colleague.

It means a partner.

It means someone that'll come alongside and bear the burden, bear the task, fight the battle shoulder to shoulder.

Sylvester and I have often talked about.

You in the frock?

Hey, you in the um foxhole?

Thank you.

You in the foxhole?

You don't care, hey, who's next to you.

You don't care about their race.

You don't do hey, their social status.

You don't care about anything.

All you care about is you and your brother there to stay alive together.

That'll break any social barrier I know.

Amen.

Work together.

There's neither Jew, nor Greek, nor bond, nor free.

We're all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3.28.

I am so thankful that our place is a place for every race.

For every social class.

It doesn't matter who you are, you can have tattoos from your head to your toes.

I don't care.

Just find a place to put Jesus' awesome on there somewhere.

Amen.

I guess I'm gonna end up having to do that.

Well, put me one right there, Jesus is awesome.

Actually, when I die in the casket, put Jesus' awesome right there.

Well, you can paint it on.

Amen.

It doesn't matter.

Folks, we're not interested in your past, we're interested in your future.

And God's got a fantastic future for you.

Amen.

But if that's gonna be the case, we've got to stand together.

We gotta think together.

We got to work together.

Number two, not only do we have the steadfastness of the Lord, if we want the joy of the peace of God, but number two, we want the joyfulness in the Lord.

Rejoice in the Lord always.

And again, I say rejoice.

Woo! Nehemiah's words were awesome.

Nehemiah 8.10.

For the hey, he says, Nehemiah continued, go and celebrate with the feast of rich foods and sweet drinks.

We do that.

And share gifts of food with people.

We do that.

Who have nothing prepared.

We do that.

This is a sacred day before our Lord.

Now you see, while we do what we do when we eat together, it's a sacred day.

Sunday, the first day of the week.

This is sacred to the Lord.

It's the time that we as our family come together to love on each other, eat together, pray together, laugh together, yes, even cry together.

But don't be dejected and sad.

Why?

For the joy of the Lord is your strength.

That's why you come to church.

You want to see the joy of the Lord.

You don't come to church to hear all the griping and backbiting and gossiping.

You know what?

If you hear somebody in church start doing that, you know what you need to tell them?

You just need to tell them, I don't want to hear it.

Walk away.

You know why?

Because the Bible tells us if we don't put, hey, wood on the fire, the fire will go out.

Or next time they start talking about something, say, ho ho ho.

Oh, Melvin.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Before you say anything else about Jesse, hang on.

Jesse, come here.

Melvin, come here.

Now, let's talk.

And if anybody talks about me, would you just do this?

Here's what you do.

Say, Pastor Danny would love to talk to you about that.

And call me.

Hello.

At least, at least give me the opportunity to talk to them.

And guess what?

If I've wronged them, I promise you I'll make it right right there.

That's a promise.

To this day.

And I know.

By the way, I can't make something right if I've hurt you if you don't tell me.

Well, you ought to know better.

Yeah.

I should.

But I'm human too.

Amen.

But I can honestly tell you to this day, and I've been in the ministry now 32 wonderful years.

People that I've wronged, I have made it right.

Because it's not because I'm trying to be a super spiritual Christian.

It's because I want my relationship with him to be right.

Because that's my power source.

That's my provider.

That's my protector.

And I can't talk about you and be right with him.

I can't do it.

Why?

We're together.

We're family.

And if you're going to talk about your family, give them the opportunity to sit down and talk to them personally lovingly.

That's what Paul said.

Work it out.

Go sit down and work it out.

You can work it out.

Wow, we are we are Christians.

And if we're thinking right, clear biblical truth, fulfilling service, vibrant worship, intimate fellowship, folks, there's nothing we can't work out.

Now, we may still not agree on, hey, on that issue, but as long as it's not theologically, listen, my wife and I have been married 32 wonderful years, and we still don't agree on furniture.

She wants all these flowers and I want the lion.

It's just who we are.

I want furniture that's bold and massive.

Elephants and lions.

And she wants all this beautiful flowers.

Now, those are beautiful though.

I just don't want them on furniture.

I want them on, I like flowers.

I do like the flowers.

Amen.

She loves flowery dresses.

When I buy, I buy something that looks like a tiger.

First time I did that, I'll never forget this.

This was embarrassing.

I took this beautiful leopard dress up to the counter, and this lady looked at me and looked at the dress.

She said, Is she gonna growl for you?

The first time I didn't tell him I was a pastor.

I took the dress back.

That's what I like right there.

There it is.

That's it.

Yeah, but that was before that.

Before that was in style.

Well, it was in style to me.

I mean, that really happened.

I was so embarrassed.

And it takes a lot to embarrass me.

I mean, I thought, you know, I might ought to look for a different dress.

Did that not happen?

It was embarrassing.

Joyful.

Where did I get off of?

All right, now, what does that mean?

I told you it's not gonna be boring around here.

What does it mean to be joyful in the Lord?

Here it is.

This is awesome.

It means, number one, to be.

Are you ready?

Say it.

What does that mean?

In other words, there's no doubt.

I mean, there, hey, that word there means distinct.

It means obvious.

It means evident.

I meant we ought to let people know that we're Christians by our love and by our joy.

Amen.

I mean, no doubt who we are.

Hey, Paul says, rejoice in the Lord.

Verse 4.

Paul maintains that joy in the Lord rejoices.

It shines, it seems, hey, it sparkles.

Those that are in the, hey, those that have the joy, the Holy Spirit walking in their lives is their radiance.

It should be in our speech.

1 Peter 3.15 says that we ought to be ready to give an answer, hey, to everyone with the hope and the joy that's in us.

It ought to be in our eyes.

Those who look to Him are radiant.

They should never be ashamed.

Psalms 34, 5.

It ought to be in our encouragement.

Amen.

Amen.

There ought to be a difference.

How many, listen, I'm telling you, folks, it'll make a difference.

It'll make a difference.

It'll make a difference to you, and it'll make a difference to the people around you.

It takes less muscles to smile than it does to frown.

That's a physiological truth.

Really?

You can walk in a room and make a difference.

You ever been in a room?

People just little down and you walk in and say, Whoo, this is a day the Lord has made.

I'm gonna rejoice and be glad.

Let's go.

Yeah, I have.

I do.

I'm not gonna be around a bunch of mourning, discouraged.

No, no.

Folks, I've been saved.

I've been redeemed.

I ain't the same man I used to be.

God save me.

Psalm 42.

He took me out of the muck, out of the, hey, out of the sin, the muck and all.

He put my feet on a rock.

He established my feet.

He put a new song in my heart.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Let it be known.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.

Man.

Secondly, it's continuous.

Notice what it said.

Rejoice in the Lord always.

You got the can't help it.

You can't help it.

You can't.

Listen, when I walk out of my office every morning after I've been in the book three and four hours, sometimes longer than that, I can't help but get in the truck and I can't wait to see somebody.

I went in down at Gill's the other day.

I just went in and said, Woo, Jesus is awesome.

No Bim looked at me and said, Yes, he is.

The owner said, Yes, he is.

Everybody just looks at me and says, There's the preacher.

Yeah.

Same way at the Y.

I'm serious.

When I get through working out, I go to the steam room.

And now I'm always talking about Jesus and I always have my Jesus sauce and ban on.

But now, almost, you know, they say the preacher's here.

You know what that does?

It shows respect, not to me, but to who I'm representing.

Amen.

I'm proud of that.

I'm not ashamed.

That's why if somebody said, Why don't you call pastor Danny?

I'm glad to be a shepherd.

I'm a pastor.

I'm a shepherd.

And I'm not ashamed of that.

Amen.

Amen.

And then it ought to be contagious.

Hey, you got to remember, Paul rejoiced in the jail.

Paul rejoiced in his suffering.

Moses rejoiced in the goodness.

I'm giving you these verses.

Moses rejoiced in the goodness of God.

David rejoiced in the salvation of God.

All those verses there.

That's what they rejoiced in.

If we all have that, why can't we rejoice?

Amen.

It's contagious.

Number three, rejoice in the Lord.

The Lord is the source and secret of our joy.

There are times when we cannot rejoice in our circumstances, but we can always rejoice in the Lord.

Can I get an amen?

Did you get that?

There are some times we can't rejoice in our circumstances, but we can always rejoice in the Lord.

Amen.

Always.

Always.

Remember the Philippian jailer?

You know what got his attention?

The contagious, joyful spirit in the jail.

I mean, the Lord showed up, the angels busted open the doors, all the prisoners.

He thought all the prisoners escaped.

And all of a sudden what he heard was singing.

They were singing.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you.

Amazing grace.

How sweet the sound.

And saved a wretch like me.

Woo! They were singing.

It was contagious.

And he saw that.

What did he do?

He said, What must I do to be saved?

The joy of the Lord was contagious.

He knew that there was something different about those boys.

Man, that's good.

Say that's good, I will.

Thank you.

We don't seek revenge.

You know what when people see, you know what the word Lord there means?

It's and it's it's an awesome word.

Well, look at verse 5.

Look at verse 5.

Let your moderation.

When you read that, people just skip that word.

That's one of the most powerful words you'll ever see.

The Greek word there is epi achaeus.

Epiachaeus.

It means gentleness, forbearance, patience, fair-mindedness, charitableness, reasonableness.

One of the old theologians put it this way.

Here's what he said it means.

Watch this.

This is beautiful.

Sweet reasonableness.

Did you hear me?

Sweet reasonableness.

Not just reasonableness.

You and I can be reasonable and still be cranky.

Come on.

Come on.

Hello.

I know I'm pretty good at that one.

Howard, I'm pretty good at that one.

But that's not what he's talking about.

He's saying let your sweetness, your sweet patience, your sweet forbearance.

Okay, honey, I'll do it.

That was real sweet, wasn't it?

Oh, it's eating me alive.

I've been beat up.

Oh mercy.

Instead of saying, I'd be glad to.

Sometimes I do it, and in my heart, yeah, okay, I'll do it.

But uh, do I really want to do it?

Am I sweet about it?

Am I looking forward to doing it?

Can all we men say, oh me?

I must have been a good boy this week.

I know it.

He makes me look bad.

Oh, he makes me look bad.

I just get in the truck and leave when he's doing all that stuff.

I am learning the Bible.

You've been a good example on me.

Now listen, here's what he's talking about.

This kind of love, this kind of sweetness, this kind of patience, hey, listen, is contagious.

We don't seek revenge against those who treat us wrongly.

Love your enemies.

Do good to them that what?

Hate you, despise you, pray for them.

That hurt you.

And then secondly, these notes are to me.

Nor should we be overly vocal about our own personal rights.

By the way, if we're Christians, we don't have any rights.

Our rights are his.

Amen.

And then let me close.

Last thing.

If we're gonna have the joy of the peace of God, not only do we have the steadfastness in the Lord, not only do we have the uh joyfulness in the Lord, but lastly the prayerfulness in the Lord.

Look at verse 6 and 7.

Be careful for nothing.

But in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God.

Isaiah reminds us, look at this.

Isaiah says, But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and faint not.

They won't give up.

They won't give up.

In the runner's world, in uh 891, year of 91, told the story of Beth Ann DeCanis.

She attempt, she attempted to qualify for the 1992 Olympic Trials Marathon.

A female runner must complete the 27 miles, 385-yard race in less than two hours and 45 minutes in order to be a candidate to compete in the Olympics.

Bess started strong, but after around 23 miles, she began to have trouble.

She reached the final straightway at two hours and 43 minutes, with just two minutes left to qualify.

She had fallen down, she had gotten back up and began to walk fast as she could.

200 yards from the finish, she stumbled and fell.

Dazed, she stayed down for 20 seconds.

The clock was ticking, two hours and 44 minutes, less than a minute to go.

Beth Ann staggered to her feet, began walking, fell back down, five yards short of the finish line with 10 seconds to go.

She fell again.

She began to crawl, the crowd cheering her own, and crossed the finish line on her hands and knees.

Her time, two hours, 44 minutes and 57 seconds.

She made it.

She didn't quit.

She didn't give up.

Wow.

Praying relieves human anxiety.

Put it down.

Be careful for nothing.

It relieves our worrying.

Be careful for nothing.

Verse 7, and the peace of God passes all understanding.

Should keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Wow.

It's awesome.

It's awesome.

Now, quickly, look.

Prayerfulness in the Lord relieves the worry, the anxiety, which I think is so powerful.

Now, look, in a word, such prayerfulness, let me tell you what it does.

Let me show you what God taught me.

This, I'd never seen it before.

One, prayerfulness, if worry less, pray more.

Say that with me.

Worry less.

Let me tell you why.

Look what prayer does in your notes.

Stabilizes your heart.

Stable.

The peace of God shall keep your hearts.

Somebody say that's good.

Isn't that good?

Guard your hearts.

It guards your hearts.

From that will it flow the issues of life.

Look at what else it does.

Preference also tranquilizes the mind.

Look at verse 7.

The peace of God shall keep your minds.

Isaiah 26, 3 and 4.

I will keep them in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee.

Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.

Can I get an amen?

Man, that's good.

What does it do?

It stabilizes my heart.

It tranquilizes, thank you, my mind.

Psalms 119, 165.

I want you to, everybody, to memorize this one verse.

This changed my life as a young pastor.

Psalms 119, verse 165 says, Great peace have they that love the law, the word.

Psalms 119:165

Nothing shall offend them.

Nothing shall offend them.

Nothing shall, hey, cause them to stumble.

That's what it means.

Nothing will cause them to fall in the pit hole.

Somebody say amen to that.

There it is.

Those who love your instructions have great peace.

They will not stumble.

That verse has helped me for 31 years.

When I really wanted to get upset.

And a lot of times I wished I had a listen to that verse.

So, and the last thing, not only does it relieve, hey, our human anxiety, our worry, but prayer receives divine answers.

Look at verse 6.

In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God.

This is the kind of praying that comes to God.

Here it is, with truthfulness.

Notice what he says: let your request be made known unto God.

When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, verse Matthew 21, 22, all things whatsoever you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.

Did you hear that?

All whatsoever you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.

Folks, if we're not truthful with God, if we don't believe God will answer our prayers, why pray?

Amen?

We gotta believe him.

We gotta believe God.

Look what God's done here in two years, it's miraculous.

And you know what?

Don't let this happen.

Don't, it's happening so quick, don't take it for granted.

You're a part of a miracle.

What God is doing here, we're part of a miracle.

It really is.

This is God's work, not man's work.

And agree with me, agree with me.

Lord, let us stay out of the way.

Let us not mess it up.

Amen.

So we see.

Hey, truthfulness, and notice the other thing he said.

By the way, he said, let him ask not wavering.

You can't ask God to do something, then doubt him.

So Walter Raleigh went to Queen Elizabeth and said, Queen, I need so-and-so for another journey.

And the Queen Elizabeth looked at Sir Walter Raleigh and said, Riley?

They were good friends.

When are you gonna quit asking?

He said, Queen, when you quit giving.

God doesn't quit giving.

He wants us to keep asking.

Amen?

You have not because ask in prayer believing, and you'll receive the divine answers.

And then we pray also involves not only truthfulness but thankfulness in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

Let your request be made known to God.

Ephesians 5 20, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Wow.

Is that not awesome?

Are you thankful this morning?

Aren't you be hey?

Aren't you thankful this morning for life?

Anytime you think it you got it bad, just look around.

Somebody's got it worse.

Every time.

Amen.

Amen.

Good word today.

I hope you walk out of here as beat up as I am.

I'm beat up.

But I need it.

Amen.

We all need it.

I'm thankful that we have a church that believes in clear biblical truth.

Amen.

We're not perfect.

There's not one of us perfect.

But the key is when you fall down, you get back up.

The righteous fall seven times, but they get back up.

Proverbs 24, 16.

Amen.

They fall seven times, but they get back up.

So let me encourage you today.

You want the peace that passes all understanding?

You want the joy, the peace of God?

You gotta stand fast.

We've got to stand fast.

By the way, why not just writing that to individuals?

It's writing it to the church.

So let us agree today to stand fast together.

Can I get an amen?

Stand with one another, support one another, be here for one another.

And then secondly, we gotta be joyful.

Amen.

Gotta be joyful.

Let the joy of the Lord be our strength.

Mm-hmm.

And then lastly, we got to be prayerful.

Prayer's the key, folks.

Two things.

Acts 6.4.

We give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word of God.

That's the key.

Thanks again for tuning into this week's message.

We pray that your life has been changed.

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Send us an email at office at the church at cw.com.

We hope you have a wonderful day, and again, God bless you.