Philippians 4, Part 1

My assignment is to teach on anything pertaining to rejoicing, thanksgiving, or praise.

So we have a lot in this chapter to give thanks for, to praise, and to rejoice in.

So we're going to go through several things through this chapter.

Have you given thanks this week?

Amen.

It is the week of thanksgiving, and surely you've thought about things that you're thankful for.

But once we're all thankful for our families, we're thankful for – we say this for our salvation – when we think, "I'm thankful for my salvation," that's something huge to be thankful for, isn't it?

That the Lord reached down in grace and saved us, and we should ever be thankful for that.

All right, let's go through some slides here.

Introduction.

So this is the introduction to the conclusion.

All right, this is the last chapter, so the concluding chapter in Philippians 4.

Paul – it's Paul's close of the book.

Paul's thank you for their support, and then Paul's final farewell.

That's pretty much what the chapter holds.

But we're going to look at some different things.

Our primary goal is for our lives to be ones of thanksgiving and praise to God, which will result in continued rejoicing.

Continued rejoicing because of some things that we can be thankful for and praise the Lord for, and that's what we're going to be looking into.

Here's a quote, but I'm going to give you a few quotes by John Flavell, one of my favorite Puritans.

"Forgotten mercies bear no fruit.

A bad memory in this case makes a barren heart and life." Should we not always be thankful and not just one day a year or one week out of the year for ever being thankful for the Lord's mercies?

Thirteen points to ponder.

You say, "Thirteen points?

Wow, how are you going to do that in 20 minutes?

We got to go fast, okay?

We're going to look at the "therefore," and all of these are just different phrases from the chapter, from the verses.

Look at the "therefore," the women, just quickly, the rejoicing, the reasonableness, the not be anxious, the peace of God, the finally brothers, the be content, the secret, the supply every need, the glory, the grace, and then the book of life.

We'll talk about that, all right?

So the "therefore," what do you do when there's a "therefore"?

What's it "therefore"?

All right, what's it "therefore"?

So the "therefore" is there because of something he just said, and so because of that, since this is, let's listen to this.

So let's look back at chapter 3 real quick and get kind of his culmination of all that he's been teaching there.

And he says, let's look at verses 17 through 19.

It says, "Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us." You know, we're not just saying these things, we're living these things out.

Look at what we say, look at how we live.

And if we're living right according to what we're saying, according to the Word of God, imitate those things.

Verse 18, "Many of whom I have often told you, and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.

Their end is destruction, their God is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things." Not up in this world, living for this world, living for the things of this world, but our citizenship is in heaven.

Our minds are not set on things of the earth.

Our minds are set on things above, because that's where our citizenship is.

That's where we are residents of.

But our citizenship is in heaven from whom and from it we await a Savior.

For our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself.

So seeing we are ultimately going to be changed into His image, you know, we are being changed little by little as we see Christ in the Scripture, as we see the Lord in the Scripture, that does something to us by the Spirit.

It changes us into that same image.

But one day we're going to see the Lord as He is, and when we see Him, we will be like Him.

We will be changed into His image, bringing all things under His complete control.

He's bringing all things under His feet, all things under His control.

All things are under His ultimate control, but not all things are under His control at this point willingly.

All things with the curse that's completely removed, everything will dance and sing and move to the glory of God.

A great orchestra of praise to the Lamb, everything under His feet and submitted willingly and lovingly to the great conductor.

He has created all things by the power of His might, and it is all for Him.

He has created all things.

All things were created by Him and for Him.

Everyone in the fall has corrupted and set things out of order, and everything is singing and playing to its own tune.

Everything's not tuned.

It's all, "This is singing over here.

This one's singing over here.

This one's playing to this tune.

This one's playing to that tune." But then in that great day of the Lord, what's going to happen?

Everything that has been out of tune will be tuned aright.

What a glorious thought.

What a super glorious sound it will be when everything is finally tuned and giving perfect praise and glory and honor to the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings.

Since that is going to be, since that's going to happen, since we know this truth, since we know this fact, since we have this promise, therefore stand firm in the Lord.

Stand firm in the Lord.

Stand fast.

Stand sure.

Stand solidly and established upon these truths, upon these facts, upon these promises.

Amen.

All right, the women, verse 2, in light of this, Yodia and Syntyche, since God is working all things and is going to all come to the culmination of His praise and His glory, agree in the Lord.

We don't know what the problem was between these two ladies.

Probably not much is given there, but I want you to notice this.

What he's saying is the way I'll say it.

Stop singing to your own tune and sing to the tune of the Lord.

Agree in the Lord.

Notice he didn't say, "Yodia, Syntyche's right.

You need to agree with her." Or, "Syntyche, Yodia's right.

You need to agree with her." No, he says, "Y'all need to agree in the Lord." That's a good admonishment, isn't it?

Let's just agree in the Lord.

Then in verse 4, we have the rejoicing, because God is sovereign over all things, and Christ is going to bring all things under His feet and to His great glory.

Rejoice in the Lord always.

In every circumstance, everything you encounter.

Then again, He says, "Rejoice, rejoice." Verse 5, we should have read through this, but I'm sure you've read it and you're ready right this morning.

Verse 5, He says, "Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.

The Lord is at hand." The reasonableness, what does it look like to live in this knowledge, or live with this knowledge that the King of Kings is ruling, but He's ultimately going to rule over everything.

He's going to bring all things under His feet, going to rule and reign.

How should we act?

He says, "Let your reasonableness be known unto all men." If this is going to happen, God is already at work in your life, child of God.

He's telling Paul, it's happening in Paul's life, He's telling it to the Philippians,"Let your reasonableness be known to everyone." Not right, be of a sound mind, just knowing that God is in control of everything.

Not that He's in control of everything out there, but that He's in control of everything right here.

Should give you a peace of mind, should give you a reasonableness that...

Then He states, "The Lord is at hand." Now, this can be interpreted two ways, this Lord is at hand, and I believe both are right, that the Lord's return is at hand, that Him bringing all things under His feet, us being conformed to Him, this is at hand, the Lord's coming is at hand, or, and I believe that's true, or the Lord is at hand, He's near, He's with us, He's active in our situation.

So be reasonable with this knowledge, knowing this, you can be level-headed, you can be of sound mind, and you cannot be the next thing, you cannot be anxious, not anxious.

Verse 6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." Let me give you my interpretation of this, don't be anxious, don't freak out, don't freak out about stuff, stuff's going to happen, it's all part of the plan, God's at work in it, that's easy to say in it.

The world is watching, and we are not part of it, we are not set on it, our minds are not on things of the world, they're above, let them see you act like someone not attached to this world and the things of it.

You have a problem or a situation, what does He say?

Make it to the Lord, make it known to God, make it known to God.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Then we have the peace of God, verse 7, "And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Surpasses all, did you notice that?

Surpasses all understanding that when you're in a situation and things are falling apart then the peace of God comes over you and you know it's going to be okay, you know He's in control.

You can't understand that.

It passes understanding that peace in the midst of the storm.

What a lovely, lovely thing.

The finally brothers, verse 8, we all know this verse, He says there, "Finally brothers," this is Paul's conclusion and admonition at the end of the letter, "all these things that I've taught you and demonstrated to you in my life, all that you've heard of me, knowing what's going to happen, that the Lord is in control of all things," he says, "Finally brothers," and this is a key to how you can not freak out, how you can not be anxious, "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." All that he's taught them, the fact that we're going to be made into his image, that he's bringing all things under his feet, everything's going to sing to the right tune, everything is working perfectly in God's plan.

Think upon those things and therein the peace of God will reside upon you.

And it also leads to the be content.

Shouldn't we be content?

Obedience and service are the only real manifestations of gratitude.

And we're truly thankful for what God is doing in our lives, that he saved us one, that he's working all these things in our life for our good and his glory, it should lead to obedience and service.

So the be content in verse 11, "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." Can you say that?

I don't care what the world brings me.

Any situation I find myself in, I'm going to be content.

Can you at least, can we at least say that we're going to attempt that?

That by God's grace, and we'll get to that in a minute, but I'm going to be content.

God's giving me just what I need.

He's taking away just what I don't need.

He's working these things in my life.

Can I be content?

Can I be content in knowing that I'm going to be conformed to his image, that I am being conformed to his image, that I'm ultimately going to be conformed to his image, that he's bringing everything under his free, everything's out of tune, but everything's going to be brought into tune.

Can I rest?

Can I be content?

He gives us the secret.

He gives us the secret in verse 12.

"I know how to be brought low, I know how to abound, and in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need." Paul gives us a valuable, yay, priceless secret.

To contentment, to being where we need to be, how we need to be, not blowing our top, I mean just staying cool.

What's the secret, Paul?

Christ, Christ, strengthening me.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

That's the context of the verse, amen.

Being content, being calm, is knowing that Christ is going to be at hand.

He's going to be with me.

He's going to see me through.

He's working this.

He is with us.

He is ruling and reigning in my life right now, and He's working it all for His glory and my good.

Another quote, "When God gives you great comforts, it is your great evil not to observe His hand in them." When God is working, bringing you mercies, bringing you grace, bringing you blessings, we must recognize that hand.

We must recognize that it's Him.

We must rejoice in the Lord always.

To supply every need, verse 19.

We know this verse, "And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus." What's that sound like?

Matthew 6, 33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." Even first the kingdom of God.

I have been young, but now I'm old, yet I've not seen the Lord forsake His own.

He takes care of His own.

I would say there's not many in this congregation here who've ever missed a meal because you didn't have food.

The Lord supplies our need.

The glory, we're at number 11.

The glory, verse 20, "To our God and Father be glory forever and ever.

Amen." He's going to get it.

He's going to get the glory.

"Therefore give it to Him freely, gratefully, and thankfully." Verse 23, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit." Can we not say that everything that I've said about what we ought to do, about even what God is doing in us, to us, what He's going to do is not possible without the grace of God, the grace of God.

This enables us to stay calm in the storm, to stay sane in the insane and content in all circumstances, and on and on.

The grace of God comforts us.

Now back in verse 2, let's look at that again.

I want to point this out at a close.

"I entreat Yodia and I entreat Syntyche 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." Whose names are in the book of life.

Does that phrase remind you of anything?

Another passage, maybe in Luke 10, where the disciples were sent out two by two and they came back to the Lord and they were rejoicing.

They were ecstatic.

They were so excited.

They were rejoicing because they could command the devils.

The devils would obey them and flee from people and all these things and they were rejoicing.

And Jesus said, "Rejoice not in this, that the devils are subject to you, but rather rejoice in this, that your names are written in heaven." What is the theme of the book?

Rejoice in the Lord always.

Let me say this, you can rejoice as long as your name is written there.

When your name is no longer there, you stop rejoicing.

Child of God, when is your name going to no longer be there?

Never.

So therefore, rejoice in the Lord always.

Rejoice in the Lord always.

That's something to rejoice about.

That's what Jesus, He said, "Don't rejoice because the devils listen to you." Just because of some outward something that you're seeing or something that's taking place, there's something far more greater than what we can outwardly see or do or observe.

It's that our names are written in heaven.

You see, we're going to be on the blessed side of the orchestra.

We want to be in tune.

As much as we can, we're living our lives in tune.

But one day our lives are going to be perfectly in tune because our names are in the book of life.

Rejoice in the Lord always.

Use all God's mercies with thankfulness.

God will remember them in fury who forget Him in His favors.

That's strong, isn't it?

Use all God's mercies with thankfulness.

God will remember them in fury who forget Him in His favors.

You see, may grateful thanks flow from our lives and they ever be a thank you to our God.

Let my life be a lived out thank you.

Thank you.

Peace in the Lord always.