There are difficult instructions for believers in Philippians 4. Among them, avoid being anxious, go to God in every circumstance, and do so with thanksgiving.
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With Thanksgiving
Philippians 4:4-8
- Our passage of the day makes some absolute statements
- Absolute statements we often find it difficult to digest
- The difficult statements begin early
- And while the passage is meant to and succeeds in encouraging us
- God gives us assignments and responsibilities in it
- We are to rejoice
- We are to demonstrate a reasonableness
- We are not to be filled with care for everything
- And to give thanks in all things
- Letting the peace of God rule in us
- He will enable us to do these things
- But God does it through truth, honesty, justice, the good, the virtuous, and the praiseworthy
- On a day when it might be more challenging
- Our passage of the day says we should do all things “With Thanksgiving”
- And that is our theme
- From Philippians 4:4-8
- We’re approaching a very familiar passage today
- It is a passage we have discussed numerous times here
- The verses have a richness and a depth that will keep us coming back
- Let’s read all five verses, then take a closer look at each…
Philippians 4:4-8
4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
- We live in a culture and in a day that is deficient in many of the things mentioned here
- To begin with, rejoicing in the Lord
- Moderation or reasonableness
- Thanksgiving
- And peace that passes understanding
- But God provides victory for His children in these areas
- We’ll talk about that…
Philippians 4:4
4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
- Believers in Christ are to rejoice
- It tells us to rejoice in the Lord
- That word means to be glad – to be exceedingly glad
- Be glad in the Lord
- And in case we didn’t hear
- Paul says again, be glad, rejoice in the Lord
- Gladness is in short supply
- And when many in the world rejoice
- We rejoice in ourselves, in other people, in experiences, or in things
- Instead, disciples are to rejoice in the Lord
- To embrace who He is to us
- To observe what He has done
- To walk with Him
- And to be glad for all of it
- On great days and hard days
- As the emphasis here is “always”
- That is the absolute statement
- There is never a time not to rejoice in Him
- There is more…
Philippians 4:5
5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
- Moderation is a word we don’t use often in this context
- It could also be translated reasonableness
- It is also translated patient or gentle in our King James Version
- It is to be equitable
- In everything we do
- Every day we live
- Before all people we encounter
- We should reveal a reasonableness
- One, no doubt, that is cultivated through time with the Savior
- Through time in His word
- Through concentration on good and right and true things
- Because, it says, the Lord is at hand
- The Lord is soon coming again
- What’s more, He is currently present with us
- And our reasonableness helps reveal Him to those who are unaware
- His soon coming reminds us to show this moderation
- It is our responsibility
- You could call moderation and reasonableness a missing commodity in our society too
- We react without reason
- We act without moderation
- We show little equity in what we say or do
- This should not be the case with God’s children
- But these are difficult days
- How should we approach them
- In this way…
Philippians 4:6
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
- Don’t be troubled with care about anything
- Don’t be anxious
- Instead
- In every thing
- Pray and ask with thanksgiving
- Let all of your requests be made known unto God
- This is truly rare – for all of us, it seems
- We let allow our gaze to remain on circumstances
- We begin filling with anxiety about them
- And we sometimes fail in turning to God
- Even when we do, thanksgiving is not always on our lips
- We forget the things we should be thankful for
- Concentrating on the hardships
- Fixating on the pain
- Another absolute statement
- Every thing
- In everything, pray, ask, give thanks, and go to God
- Results can be seen when we take action in this way…
Philippians 4:7
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
- Peace that is beyond any peace that the world offers
- Peace that comes from God
- It is rightly called the peace of God
- Which is beyond human understanding
- Will keep our hearts and minds
- That which is in us, which is troubled
- Through Christ Jesus
- If anything we’ve mentioned today is in short supply
- Certainly peace is at the top of the list
- Even believers do things to forsake and turn from peace
- Peace they have been given, freely
- But those who turn to Him in everything
- Casting their cares upon Him
- Remain in peace
- Not wondering what we can do about our troubles
- Wondering what He will do
- Finally, as we live in these difficult days
- What should our minds be fixed on?
- The next verse provides a list…
Philippians 4:8
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
- There are six things to think upon in our final verse of the day
- First, things which are true
- We should mention first of the word of God, which is the truth
- These are things which are truthful
- Which are not false
- Which have no falseness in them
- Think on these things
- Second, things which are honest
- These are things which are venerable
- They are honorable
- Persons or deeds that command respect
- Think on these things
- Third, things which are just
- That which is righteous, virtuous
- Things which observe both divine and human laws
- Think on these things
- And Fourth, things which are pure
- Pure from carnality
- Free from any fault
- Clean
- Those things which are not polluted
- Think on these things
- Fifth, things which are lovely
- That is, they are acceptable and pleasing
- They represent true beauty
- Not the false beauty of the world
- Think on these things
- Sixth, things which are of good report
- That is, auspicious
- Favorable or promising
- Things that give promise of success
- Think on these things
- If there be any virtue
- If there be any praise
- Cast your gaze on these things
- Things that come from God
- Found in the word of God
- And in the people that follow after God
- Then, no matter the circumstances, we can live with thanksgiving
- We can continue looking to Him
- And we can have peace