The Joy of Peace

Introduction

Alright, I’m going to flip the script now. In our Lord’s Supper talk, I talked about some historical events that most of our young people don’t really remember. They’ve heard about them, but they don’t remember them. But now I want to talk about something that the young people would know, and maybe some of us older folks won’t know what I’m talking about. Do you know what a meme is? A meme. If you’re on Facebook, you know what a meme is, whether you know that you know it or not. But it’s usually some kind of picture and then a saying attached to that picture. Usually a sentence long. It’s intended to kind of grab your attention. Pictures do that sometimes better than words. But it’s also intended to make some kind of point.

Some kind of pithy saying that gets right to the heart of the matter. That’s what a meme is.

Sometimes I fear that a lot of people have what we might call a meme Christianity. And that is what we believe is just encapsulated in just one sentence. That’s what I am. That’s what I believe. And we need to realize, and surely you do, that Christianity can’t be boiled down to just one sentence. But sometimes we want to live as if we have a meme, Christianity. And sometimes Christians will have competing memes in their Christianity.

Several years ago, and certainly still true today, the meme of some people’s Christianity was God wants me to be happy. And what they mean by that is, I want to be happy. And so I’m going to do what makes me happy and assume that God’s okay with it. Because God wants me to be happy. But others tried to contradict that meme by saying, no. God doesn’t want you to be happy, God wants you to be holy. And what I think they meant by that is that it’s not about you just seeking your own pleasure and happiness. But God’s interested in you being what he wants you to be, you conforming to his standards. And so God doesn’t want you to be happy, he wants you to be holy.

Will tell us, and true Christianity has taught us is that those aren’t contradictory terms. You don’t have to choose one or the other. You can be both holy and happy. Turn with me, if you will, to the book of Philippians, chapter four. In Philippians chapter four this morning, we want to conclude our series of lessons that we’ve simply entitled Finding Joy in Our Lives. I was about halfway through this series and I realized that I titled it wrong. But I was stuck with what I started with. Rather than finding joy in our lives, maybe it should have been entitled making joy, because it’s not just something we stumble across, it’s something that we need to put an effort into. So making or finding joy in our lives.

The book of Philippians, you remember, at least 19 times, the Apostle Paul will use the words joy or rejoice. Nineteen times is a lot in this short letter, just four very short chapters. And Paul will over and over again talk about joy and rejoicing. In fact, maybe the theme, phrase of this book, is rejoice in the Lord. You see, you can do both. You can be happy and holy. And we tried to follow Paul’s inspired formula for happiness in or through holiness by studying the book of Philippians. You may remember in our first lesson, we talked about the joy. This was in the first part of chapter one, the joy of fellowship. That Paul said, I have you in my mind, and I have you in my heart, and I have you in my prayers.

Their joy was inextorably tied to their fellowship with God and with one another. And you remember that we challenged one another. We challenged one another to find the joy in fellowship. And then we challenged each other to be the joy in this fellowship. Because Paul said, I’m paraphrasing, every time I think of you, I smile. You give me joy. And so I have you in my mind, in my heart, and in my prayers. In our second lesson, we talked about joy in adversity, as strange as that might seem, that those are not contradictory terms, that they can actually complement one another. Whether we view these things in life as obstacles or opportunities. Paul certainly viewed them as opportunities. Paul, remember, was in a Roman prison at this time.

After a lifetime of imprisonments, beatings, and stonings, he is now in a Roman prison. He’ll get kind of a little bit of a furlough from that, but it’ll eventually end in his death. And Paul says, you know what the good news is about being in prison? I can preach to the prison guards. Now that’s viewing an obstacle as an opportunity. And maybe we need to do a little more of that. As challenging, I admit, as challenging as it might be. We can use our suffering for service. Paul had done that. And we can too. If you’re going through or recently went through some suffering, look for an opportunity to turn that into joy by turning it into service. I’ve been through this. Let me help you go through it now.

Suffering to service. And then it’s a choice between doubt or trust. Paul had put his trust, the things that might have challenged his faith. He had not let them create doubt in his mind. He still trusted that God would deliver him. And what did he mean by deliver? Did he mean freeing from prison? Or did he have a greater idea of deliverance? And then we talked about the joy of serving. Yes, joy can be found in adversity, and yes, joy is found in service. And we saw that servanthood was commanded. He commanded them to see to the needs of one another. That’s a part of the joy of fellowship, isn’t it? And then he talked about the examples of servitude. Himself, Timothy, and Epaphroditus were put forth as wonderful examples of sacrifice and serving others.

And then we talked about choosing joy. This was in chapter three. Then there’s joy in choosing, in choosing to serve God, of having made that decision that I will follow Jesus. And there’s joy also in losing. Paul would say famously there that some things he counted as rubbish that he might gain Christ. He lost some things. He gave up some things. But there was joy in losing those things because they weren’t really of grand significance. We use the illustration you remember a couple weeks ago of Paul when he was shipwrecked on that boat. And those goods, that was the whole purpose of that boat travel, when they were being thrashed about and when risk of losing their lives, those goods were tossed overboard. They used to be a value, but right now they’re expendable so that we might gain our lives.

Paul uses that same idea in talking about some things that used to be very valuable to him, but he was willing to chuck them overboard so that he might gain Christ. And so, yes, there’s joy not just in choosing, but in losing something, giving some things up that don’t really matter. And this morning we want to conclude by looking at Philippians chapter 4, where we’re going to see the joy of peace. Paul is going to talk about peace. And while you might have struggled to see the connection between joy and serving, and really struggled to see the connection between joy and adversity, you’ve got no problem, do you, seeing the connection between joy and peace. Because you really can’t have one without the other. Joy gives peace, and peace leads to joy.

1. Peace Through Prayer

And so let’s see how that we can supplement one with the other and find this peace and this joy that God really wants us to have. First of all, the apostle is going to tell us that there’s peace through prayer. Read with me, will you, in the book of Philippians, chapter 4. Let’s just start in verse 1, lest we miss something. Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and my crown. So stand fast in the Lord. I implore you, Odia, and I implore Syntheche to be of the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also, true companion, to help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, 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 gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Now let’s pause there. After kind of reiterating some themes that he’s talked about earlier: the joy of fellowship, the need for unity, and the working and serving in the Lord, he now turns his attention, as the apostle is wont to do in some of his closing epistles, is kind of just kind of going down a list of things maybe that I’ve missed, or things I want you to get. And I’m not going to spend a chapter on all of these, but here’s a sentence just to remind you. And so he says, Let your gentleness be known to all men. That word gentleness, or the word that’s translated gentleness there, is an interesting word.

It’s a word that literally conveys the idea of being willing to forgo some of my rights to help others. And that’s a counterintuitive thought to our society, isn’t it? Don’t misunderstand me.

I’ll stand and put my hand over my heart and try to sing along to the national anthem. I’ll stand and pledge allegiance to the flag. But I fear sometimes that we have taken this concept of our inalienable rights a little too far. We have a bill of rights after all.

I have my rights can, not always, but can come in conflict with our Christianity. If by I have my rights means I have the right to do this, and I’m going to do it, no matter how much it might hurt or negatively affect you. And let me pause and give a civic or history lesson here. I don’t think that’s what our country’s forefathers intended by those rights. And so maybe we’re misinterpreting all of that to begin with. But when Paul says, let your gentleness be known to all men, gentle in the sense that, yes, I have my rights, but there may be times, there may be circumstances where it’s okay for me to step back and not push for those rights, not push for my demands to be met, my needs to be met.

In other words, how many times does Paul and the New Testament say this? Maybe sometimes I can put you first.

Let your gentleness, you don’t push your rights to the detriment of others. And while you’re at it, do some praying. What’s the connection? There is a connection, isn’t there? Because only when we have the right mindset toward serving and giving and humbling ourselves in regard to another, am I properly fitted to pray to God? And so after I’ve let my gentleness be known, then I can be anxious for nothing. But in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. I don’t know how much significance Paul is putting to the different nuances in the words that he uses, the synonyms that he uses there in verse 6 for prayer. It seemed like me he’s just all encompassing, involving everything there is.

Be anxious for nothing. Notice the contrast there between nothing and everything. Be anxious for nothing but in everything, by prayer and supplication. Let your requests be made known unto God. Anxious for nothing, but let God take care of everything. There was a saying a few years ago with I believe, you can correct me afterwards. Don’t do it right now. That’d be awkward. But you can correct me if I’m wrong. I think it was Greyhound bus. It may have been trailways, but I think it was Greyhound that they were promoting the idea of just going to your destination via the bus. And the saying was, leave the driving to us. The idea was, why get on I-4? Why get in the traffic and have to figure out where you’re going and stress with those other drivers and look for your exit and worry about all.

Just sit back and let us do the driving. Isn’t that better? Have you ever been on one of those buses? Maybe it’s not that much better, but but the intent was there. And I think that’s kind of the spirit of what Paul is talking about. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, let your requests be made known to God. Let God take care of this. Let God do the driving. Put it in God’s hands.

And he’s going to work all things together for good if you love him. How much anxiety, how much stress, how much angst would be relieved from the child of God if we could just remember that God is on his throne. And so much of what we stress and are anxious about really doesn’t matter in the end. Because we’re not worried about the next chapter. Because we know the author. And we know how this book ends. I’m not advocating, maybe you’re on spring break, and so it’s okay to say this, but I’m not advocating necessarily doing this in your studies or in your reading. But do you ever cheat? And turn over and read the last chapter first. Maybe it’s a whodunit, and you won’t really want to know whodunit.

And so just read over, read the last chapter. We have the benefit of doing that as Christians, don’t we? Our life outlook, everything is changed, is because we can flip over and read the last chapter. And by that I mean literally. Revelation 21 and 22. Read the last chapter. We know how this story ends. And don’t misunderstand what I’m about to say, but the rest of it’s just filler to get us to the last chapter. And so there’s peace through this prayer. Notice what he says. And the peace, this is verse 7 of Philippians 4, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The peace of God. That’s that.

It’s okay. Because I’m leaving the driving to God. It’s okay because I know it doesn’t matter what happens here. Because I know what’s going to happen there. The peace of God which surpasses all understanding. You know, there’s two ways of interpreting that or understanding that. One is that this is the peace, this is a type of peace that surpasses our expectations. I couldn’t have imagined that there was something this good. Or it may literally be saying it’s the peace of God that I can’t even comprehend it. I can experience it. But I don’t fully understand it. And you know, the older I get, the more important peace is.

2. Peace Through Meditation

And as I’m a little bit older now, I can understand sometimes my mom just walking through the house going, peace, peace. I start to grasp what she meant by that. And how important that is of just having that quietness. Maybe not in the literal sense. If you still have those boys or kids at home, you’re not getting that right now, the literal quietness, but you can still have this kind of quietness the peace of God. And Paul says that’s accomplished through prayer. And then we can have peace. Now, don’t lose sight of the title of the lesson here. This peace is what’s going to grant us the joy. We can have peace through meditation. Look in Philippians 4, verse 8. You remember this text, don’t you?

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report. If there’s any virtue, if there’s anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. Now, if this was a Bible class, we would take the time and we’d define all of these things. But he says, here’s what you focus on. Here’s what you meditate on. Now there’s two ways of looking at verse 8, and they may both be true. When he says those things which are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, if there’s virtue and they’re praiseworthy, those are God things. And so he is he saying, just meditate on God and the things of God. And absolutely that would be true.

Every one of those things are things that God is and has and gives us.

And just, noble, and things that are of good report and praiseworthy. You know, one thing that can rob our peace is being a pessimist. I’m not just saying the glass is half empty, but the glass is dirty. And it’s half full of Florida water, and that doesn’t taste good. That can rob you of your peace and of your joy. And I know it’s easy. It’s easy to turn on the news or open the newspaper or look at the news feed, or just open your door and say, this world is terrible. And getting worse by the minute. And to see the corruption in Washington, D.C. and to see the immorality in your own backyard. But it’s also possible to be chained to a Roman soldier in a Roman prison, facing the ultimate sentence of death.

While, as Paul has earlier stated, while even some of your brethren are adding affliction to your chains, they’re just taking those chains and spinning them on your wrist and making them worse. It’s possible to be there and say whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things of just, whatever things are lovely, and of good report and virtuous and praiseworthy, and find those. And so I want to challenge you to find those. Oh, yes, they’re in God’s word, they’re in God, but they’re also all around you.

Oh, there’s bad, but there’s good. There’s light. Oh, there’s a lot of darkness, but there are lights in this world. See those. Meditate on those. And that will give you peace. And can I do a short public service announcement in favor of meditation? If the psalmist, if the apostle could encourage meditation at a time when there were no antennas present, there were no dinging and ringing of the cell phones. There were no televisions and theme parks and things to lure us away and to draw our attention and to keep us occupied. Do you have what I have? My chiropractor calls me a gorilla. Don’t get cute. What he means by that is that because I spend a lot of time reading and looking at the computer, that I kind of have that slunched over kind of gorilla look.

And he says that’s bad for my posture and bad for my health. Do you have that? Because of that pad, that phone, that computer that you’re constantly hunched over and looking at. Every second of the day has to be full of some kind of stimulation. And while I’m on my soapbox, I’m going to step, I’m going to put a soapbox on top of a soapbox. Deedra and I were at Disney walking around in the most magical place on earth. Mickey Mouse is walking up the street this way, Donald Duck and Goofy are coming down this way. And here’s a four-year-old in a stroller looking at an iPad. It took all the restraint I had not to just spike that iPad into the pavement. Jerk that kid and say, look around.

3. Peace Through Contentment

We have constant stimulation and interest. And if the shepherd on a dark hill with just sheep could say, let’s meditate. If Paul in a dark prison cell could say, Let’s meditate. Boy, do we need it now? It’s harder. But it might be time for the child of God to, and I’m not saying those things are sinful and need to be completely banished from your life, but is it okay to, here’s a biblical word, is it okay to fast? Turn those things off and just go into the country and meditate and find peace. Lastly, peace comes through contentment. Paul is going to close out this letter by saying, I’m good. I’m content. Read with me again. You know these verses again. But I rejoiced, verse 10. I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again, though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.

What Paul is trying to politely say, it’s kind of crude to say it out loud, but he says, You’ve sent me some money. And I’m glad. Not that I speak in regard, verse 11, to need, for I’ve learned one whatever state I am to be content. I know. I know how to be abased. And I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I love the journey that Paul is taking us on. He says, I know how to do without. And I know how to live in luxury. I’ve learned these things. And Paul is taking on this journey of making us think that he’s talking about some kind of stoic self-sufficiency.

I can do this. I know, I’ve learned these things. But then it takes a turn when he says in verse 13, I can do all things through Christ. Was this stoic self-efficient sufficiency? Had Paul learned to pull himself up by his own bootstraps. Paul says, No. Christ.

Who strengthens me. And so we talked about peace through prayer, peace through meditation, peace through contentment. We really could say peace through Christ. And then notice how he finishes, or at least how we’re going to finish. When he says in verse 18, Indeed I have all and abound. I am full. Paul says, I’ve got everything I need. We might picture Paul sitting in this fully paid off cabana on some beach somewhere. With a cupboard and refrigerator full of wonderful food, servants attending to his every need. When he says, I’m content, I’m full, I’ve got everything I need. But then we remember where he is when he says, I’m full. I’ve got everything I need. Chained to this smelly soldier in this prison with rats at my feet.

Conclusion

Just waiting for Caesar to say, Today’s the day. But I got everything I need. I’m content. I’m at peace. And I rejoice in the Lord. Don’t let your circumstances dictate your joy. Don’t let your circumstances and surroundings or other people dictate your peace. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice. Are you in the Lord this morning? Then you don’t have that peace. We sing a song sometimes that says, They are so happy, happy, happy. Whom do their Savior obey. If you’re not a Christian this morning, and you go away not a Christian, I hope your day is lousy. And I hope you can’t sleep tonight. I hope beads of sweat form on your forehead and you toss and turn and can’t rest until you make that right.

I may take some meditation time this afternoon, but I’ll turn my phone back on and you can call me. And we can come back here. And you can put on the Lord, and you can find the peace that surpasses all understanding, and you and I and the angels in heaven can rejoice in the Lord. Would you come to Him and find that peace and that joy this morning? Can we help you as together we stand and as we sing?