1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,600 Welcome to Walk in the Truth podcast. 2 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:17,720 How do we know where to find answers to the toughest questions in life? 3 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:22,160 While the simplest answer is the Bible, where do we start this search and how do we discover 4 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:23,160 this truth? 5 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:30,280 Today, in this teaching podcast, John Metter, lead pastor of Cross City Church, takes a 6 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:43,480 specific text of the Bible and helps us find truth for the life we're searching for. 7 00:00:43,480 --> 00:00:45,000 So glad to see you this morning. 8 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:49,320 Cannot wait to give you this message today because I think it's so important for us 9 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:54,040 in this time and what we deal with from day to day. 10 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:55,560 Philippians chapter 4. 11 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:59,200 Before I dive into this, let me just share with you some news that you may or may not 12 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:01,320 have heard yet. 13 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:07,360 And that is that Dr. Bill Anderson, a previous pastor of this church from 1965 to 1975, and 14 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:12,120 then he came back after his retirement from a church in Florida and was interim pastor 15 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:19,120 in 2004, 2005 until I arrived in 2006, a great man of God, passed away on a Saturday morning 16 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,760 at 8 o'clock in the morning and is in heaven today. 17 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:29,480 And we will celebrate his home going on Thursday at 10 o'clock right here in this worship center. 18 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:34,880 And it will be an incredible time of remembering the life of someone that God used in such 19 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:35,880 a great way. 20 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:37,560 How many of you knew Bill Anderson? 21 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:39,400 Would you raise your hand if you knew him? 22 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:43,560 There's a lot of us in this room that did and what an incredible family, what an incredible 23 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:44,560 pastor. 24 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:49,560 You know, in this world where so many news stories about pastors that failed, didn't 25 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:55,080 finish strong, somehow betrayed someone or a congregation, you've got these other stories 26 00:01:55,080 --> 00:02:00,280 of people like Bill Anderson who lived the life and who ran the race and finished the 27 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:02,840 course in the amazing way that he did. 28 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:04,960 And I, for one, am very grateful. 29 00:02:04,960 --> 00:02:08,200 I've always said, when I grow up, I want to be like Bill Anderson. 30 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:10,720 And I still feel like that is true. 31 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:13,680 And we will celebrate his life on Thursday. 32 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:18,800 Thank you for praying for his family and as they come in from different parts across the 33 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:19,800 country. 34 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,640 Well, let's stand together as we look in Philippians chapter four. 35 00:02:23,640 --> 00:02:28,080 Today's title is called The Great Perspective, The Great Perspective. 36 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:31,460 You may have been with us earlier this year when we went into the book of Philippians 37 00:02:31,460 --> 00:02:37,320 and I walked through chapters one, two, and three with us as a congregation. 38 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:41,480 Week by week we were going through those first three chapters and then summer happened and 39 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,600 we're coming back and finishing up with chapter four today. 40 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:48,800 The Great Perspective, one of the series of chapter two and three was the series that 41 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,440 we called perspectives, plural. 42 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:56,040 All the perspectives of how we best view the Christian life. 43 00:02:56,040 --> 00:03:01,800 Because quite frankly, we view life different than anyone else on the planet and we should 44 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:06,800 because of who we have as God, because of what we have in regard of the scriptures. 45 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:11,960 So today, this message caps a little bit about what we looked at in chapters two and three 46 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:18,000 but also gives an amazing prescription for how we view life when it's most under stress. 47 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,880 All right, Paul's in prison, right to the church of Philippi, first church in Europe, 48 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:25,520 not a large church but very influential. 49 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:29,720 The cause of the church of Philippi, the gospel went west and north, the Great Britain and 50 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,240 across to America today. 51 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:39,320 You are in part as a believer in Jesus, in part because this church was faithful to do 52 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:41,960 what they were called to do and sharing the gospel. 53 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,640 So Philippi has a big place in our heart. 54 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:50,320 Paul's riding from prison to his church that he planted and here's what he says as he rides. 55 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:56,320 He says, therefore my beloved brethren, whom I long to see my joy and crown in this way 56 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:59,080 stand firm in the Lord my beloved. 57 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:03,720 You can see the love between a pastor or a planter and his people. 58 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:08,600 I urge Iodia and I urge Senteke to live in harmony in the Lord. 59 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:13,800 Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle 60 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:18,560 in the cause of the gospel together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers whose 61 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:20,800 names are in the book of life. 62 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:26,840 And then in verse four, rejoice in the Lord always and again, I will say rejoice. 63 00:04:26,840 --> 00:04:28,160 How many of you are familiar with that? 64 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:29,160 Amen. 65 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:30,160 You know that one well. 66 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:31,680 I'm going to read verse four again. 67 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:32,680 Read it out loud with me. 68 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,720 Would you rejoice in the Lord always? 69 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:39,040 Again, I will say rejoice. 70 00:04:39,040 --> 00:04:40,480 Verse five goes on. 71 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:42,920 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. 72 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:44,560 The Lord is near. 73 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:49,440 Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. 74 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:54,560 Let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension 75 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:58,240 will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus. 76 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:01,080 And that's an incredible promise. 77 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:05,960 Finally, brethren, verse eight, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, 78 00:05:05,960 --> 00:05:11,320 whatever is pure, whatever is ever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any 79 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:17,100 excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 80 00:05:17,100 --> 00:05:20,540 The things which you have learned and received and heard and seen in me practice these things 81 00:05:20,540 --> 00:05:25,160 and the God of peace will be with you. 82 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:26,160 Let's pray again. 83 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:30,760 Father, thank you so much for this text and speak to us today in a personal way, in a 84 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:36,640 way that's powerful enough to break through our present habits and the way we think about 85 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:41,360 things and begin to think the way you've called us to think and believe and trust. 86 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:45,480 We ask this in Jesus' name and everybody said amen. 87 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,560 Please be seated if you would. 88 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,600 So Philippians 4 is kind of the capstone of an incredible book and we've talked through 89 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:58,360 the first three chapters really focusing on the who of the Christian life, who our tribe 90 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:03,640 is, who the church is, and what we ought to be looking at life through, the lens or the 91 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:07,240 perspective that we are to look through in life. 92 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:09,600 So let me just open up with this question. 93 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,900 What do you say if you're an apostle and a church planter and you're writing a letter 94 00:06:13,900 --> 00:06:19,760 to the church you planted and while in prison you're giving them the best advice you can 95 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:23,240 possibly give them, not knowing whether you'll ever see them again? 96 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,960 What do you say to your church family from a prison cell? 97 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:29,360 That's what Paul is faced with here. 98 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:34,400 And so in response to that situation he writes about who they are and what they ought to 99 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:37,120 look at through the lens of perspective in life. 100 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:41,400 And in the latter part of this chapter he's going to deal with generosity. 101 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:47,080 This series of three brief messages in Philippians chapter 4 deals with the subject of generosity 102 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:52,600 and we'll get there as we cover first of all the basics of this chapter 4 and then move 103 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:55,320 into the second part and third part which are all about generosity. 104 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:59,960 In fact, this train will arrive at verse 19 at some point and here's what it says, and 105 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:05,440 my God will supply all your needs according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. 106 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:07,160 How many times have you prayed that? 107 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:12,360 I've prayed it all the time through all kinds of circumstances, all kinds of situations 108 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:17,240 personally and corporately in church life, God will meet all of our needs. 109 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:22,680 The church of Philippi is the one church that supported Paul financially while he was in 110 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:23,680 prison. 111 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:28,080 If you were in prison in Rome you didn't get three meals a day, you got whatever your friends 112 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:30,400 sent you from the outside. 113 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:35,320 And so the church sent back to him everything he needed and he refers to those gifts and 114 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:40,400 that generosity and he refers to this verse I mentioned in verse 19 that will arrive at 115 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:41,400 at some point. 116 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:45,400 So here's what the chapter opens up with, a plea for harmony. 117 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:47,840 Two women in the church are at odds. 118 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:51,500 It's kind of interesting so there must have been leaders, it must have been already a 119 00:07:51,500 --> 00:07:57,240 visible and public dispute so how would you like your name to be mentioned by the apostle 120 00:07:57,240 --> 00:07:58,680 for 2,000 years? 121 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:02,480 People are reading about these two ladies' names because they weren't in harmony. 122 00:08:02,480 --> 00:08:04,240 He says get in harmony. 123 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:09,880 There's so many things that depend on us moving forward together in the gospel. 124 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:15,580 And after that really quick kind of reprimand he gives us a way of looking at life that 125 00:08:15,580 --> 00:08:20,200 allows you to be content in Christ. 126 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:26,000 A way of looking at life that allows you to be content in Christ. 127 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,400 You know that's one thing that our western world doesn't seem to have, it doesn't seem 128 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:32,720 to have contentment. 129 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:37,520 It doesn't seem to be at a place where we're at peace with who we are, with what we have. 130 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:39,800 We always seem to be wanting more. 131 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:44,760 We want another experience, we want another possession, we want something else in life. 132 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:49,800 We always think we're going to miss out on something because we lack contentment. 133 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:56,560 So here's Paul in a prison in Rome fully content right into his church and saying look you 134 00:08:56,560 --> 00:09:02,960 need to have a way of looking at life that allows you to be content with Christ and in 135 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:03,960 Christ. 136 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:05,720 So there's two big things I'm going to look at today. 137 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:08,280 First of all a perspective for life. 138 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:09,760 A perspective for life. 139 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:14,760 So I'm going to give you this lens that Paul is giving all of us and we've read it, we've 140 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:16,160 repeated it already once. 141 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:23,460 It says in verse 4, rejoice and the Lord always again I will say rejoice. 142 00:09:23,460 --> 00:09:28,320 So this phrase couldn't possibly be any stronger. 143 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,800 It's a present, passive or active imperative. 144 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:38,640 It means that you are commanded, it's an imperative to rejoice no matter what your circumstances 145 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:39,640 are. 146 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:41,920 He doesn't say it just once, he says it twice. 147 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:45,840 Rejoice and the Lord always and again I say rejoice. 148 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:51,200 He said I don't want you to miss this because this perspective is going to guide your life. 149 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:58,680 Another phrase that we can use to describe this word rejoice is this one, choose joy. 150 00:09:58,680 --> 00:10:00,440 Choose joy. 151 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:05,520 Make a choice about what you're going to believe and what you're going to see and the way you're 152 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:07,640 going to view things. 153 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:12,240 I know of no other human philosophy, no other religion, I know of no other way of thinking, 154 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:18,520 way of living that has this kind of admonition, has this kind of prescription for how we view 155 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:21,800 life, this kind of perspective. 156 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:29,400 Take the lens of joy, take the lens of rejoicing, take the lens of being glad and look at all 157 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:31,400 of life through that. 158 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:37,400 Now the reason I want you to know this today is because I know that sometimes we don't 159 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:40,160 have healthy ways of thinking and healthy ways of thinking. 160 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:43,160 We live in a world that's mentally unhealthy, don't we? 161 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:47,720 We live in a world and during an era where people are emotionally unhealthy, they're 162 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:52,240 mentally unhealthy, so much mental health issue all around us. 163 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:56,640 So in contrast to all that, we have the Bible telling us here is a healthy way to look at 164 00:10:56,640 --> 00:11:00,840 God and look at life that will not let you down. 165 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:02,440 I love this. 166 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:06,040 So look at verse four with me again and verse five. 167 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:10,980 Rejoice in the Lord always again, I say rejoice and then he says, let your gentle spirit be 168 00:11:10,980 --> 00:11:15,280 known to all men, the Lord is near. 169 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:20,520 Now I want to summarize those three admonitions in this way. 170 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:25,080 Paul says, be glad, be gentle, be patient. 171 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:29,280 Be glad, be gentle, be patient. 172 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:34,680 Paul is going to give us a perspective, a way to view life that goes against the natural 173 00:11:34,680 --> 00:11:41,640 man, goes against your feelings, goes against your emotions, sometimes against the circumstances. 174 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:46,840 And there are times when things happened to us like they were happening to Paul in prison. 175 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:51,040 No real understanding if he was going to get out anytime soon or if he would die in prison 176 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:56,240 and he's telling people, here's how I've learned to live life. 177 00:11:56,240 --> 00:12:00,240 Be glad, be gentle, be patient. 178 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,680 Now let's look at those three phrases for just a moment. 179 00:12:03,680 --> 00:12:08,800 We've already said that be glad or rejoice means to choose to be in a state of joy or 180 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:12,000 gladness even when things are difficult. 181 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:16,760 When we talk about joy, we often refer to the book of James. 182 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:22,840 James chapter one, it has that great line in it that says consider it all joy or frame 183 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:24,800 it that way in your mind. 184 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:29,720 Consider reckon it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that 185 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:32,200 the testing of your faith produces endurance. 186 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:38,840 In other words, consider it joy because God's doing something with your life when you're 187 00:12:38,840 --> 00:12:41,160 going through the hard times. 188 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:45,480 When you go through trials and temptations and all those things that we sometimes seem 189 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:49,320 to go through, consider it joy. 190 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:55,000 When I did some research for the book I wrote a couple of years ago, I interviewed four 191 00:12:55,000 --> 00:13:00,120 ladies that had been through breast cancer and they had formed a little group and they 192 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:04,200 talked about their faith experiences and some of them had gone through this more than 20 193 00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:08,120 years ago and one of them said this when I asked the question, what did you first think 194 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:12,120 about when you learned that you had cancer and had to have some radical treatment? 195 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:18,240 She said, my first words that God gave me were choose joy. 196 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:23,840 And she said, that's what I did as I walked through the whole experience of cancer. 197 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:28,640 Now 20 years later she says it's framed everything about how I view life now. 198 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:33,480 Choose joy, when it doesn't seem like that's a good choice, choose joy. 199 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:37,360 The great Bill Anderson used to say we would be in conversation with somebody that was 200 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:41,320 pretty upset about something and he said, well they just need to take a happy pill. 201 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:43,440 That's what Bill said. 202 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:45,120 It said all the time. 203 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:46,680 I wish there was a pill for that. 204 00:13:46,680 --> 00:13:51,240 Now I know there's not a pill to make people happy but there is a perspective that will 205 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,040 help someone learn to be glad. 206 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,760 And that's what Paul's talking about right here. 207 00:13:55,760 --> 00:14:01,040 You don't need a happy pill, you need a perspective and that is to rejoice, to be glad. 208 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:07,120 Now the opposite of that is that you would be sorrowful, disheartened. 209 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:09,520 You'd be down about everything. 210 00:14:09,520 --> 00:14:13,880 When things happen, conflict takes place, challenges face you, then all of a sudden 211 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:19,200 you have the most pessimistic perspective you can possibly have about it instead of 212 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:22,560 choosing joy. 213 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:30,400 But in doing so, you flavor the whole experience and you actually distrust the God who says 214 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,660 you can be glad through this trial. 215 00:14:33,660 --> 00:14:38,000 You can choose joy instead of anything else. 216 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:43,520 When I was in college, there were a lot of things I wanted to do in college with my life. 217 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:45,680 Almost all of them had to do with athletics and basketball. 218 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:47,000 I was a basketball player in college. 219 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:51,400 I wanted to go on and play in the NBA of course and if I couldn't play in the NBA then I wanted 220 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:52,920 to be a college basketball coach. 221 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:58,720 I just had so many ideals that I wanted to pursue like that and then God started speaking 222 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:02,440 to me as I was growing spiritually about being called into the ministry. 223 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:07,720 This is when I was a young girl, 19 or 20 years old, read the Bible for the first time 224 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:11,920 through, was growing rapidly as a believer and God said, I'm calling you to ministry. 225 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:16,520 He began to speak to me that way and I told God there's no way that can happen. 226 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:20,760 My dad was a Baptist pastor and I'd known some experiences he'd gone through that weren't 227 00:15:20,760 --> 00:15:27,160 cool and then I had all kinds of reasons why God probably didn't want me to do that. 228 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:30,520 And I actually developed a very rational, pro and con less. 229 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:34,320 Here are all the bad things about me going into ministry and here are all the good things 230 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:37,880 that were going into ministry and all the bad things outnumbered all the good things 231 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:41,840 like way, way bigger than the other less. 232 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:44,280 Like for example, I hated to speak in public. 233 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:48,820 I was terrified to share with anybody about anything. 234 00:15:48,820 --> 00:15:50,360 And then of course I had a hearing issue. 235 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:53,080 I couldn't even speak on the phone back in that day and time. 236 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:57,160 I couldn't even hear somebody on the phone and sometimes I couldn't pick up what conversations 237 00:15:57,160 --> 00:15:58,160 were going on around. 238 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:02,400 There's so many reasons I can think of that God should not be calling me into ministry 239 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:07,920 and now 40 some years later my perspective is completely different because God has helped 240 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:15,320 me through every one of those things and I look back and think, what was I thinking? 241 00:16:15,320 --> 00:16:20,280 So I use that as an illustration that when we are first confronted with something we 242 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:23,560 can think of all the negative things. 243 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:26,680 And we don't see what God is doing in us and we don't see what God will do through us and 244 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:30,280 we don't see how God will use us in some way. 245 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:34,680 Paul had already been through those experiences in a variety of ways and he knew being in 246 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:41,160 prison wasn't the best place to be but he was in the middle of God's will. 247 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:44,520 He wrote, he said, I'm in prison but the word of God is not in prison. 248 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:49,320 The gospel still keeps going out and in another place he said, I'm sharing the message of 249 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:52,240 the gospel with the whole Praetorian Guard. 250 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:55,280 Every one of those Roman soldiers are going to hear about the gospel because I'm there 251 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:57,320 when they're guarding me. 252 00:16:57,320 --> 00:16:59,380 What a way to live life. 253 00:16:59,380 --> 00:17:06,720 Be glad even when you don't understand how to be glad in tough, tough times. 254 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:08,940 One day you'll see it different. 255 00:17:08,940 --> 00:17:11,420 And then be gentle. 256 00:17:11,420 --> 00:17:14,680 Let others see your calmness, your trust, your confidence. 257 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:18,760 Let them see your love and your concern and your love for God. 258 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:23,560 That he would allow you to be in whatever circumstance you're in, to show your anger, 259 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:28,680 your frustration instead of your trust and confidence in God is not the prescription 260 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:29,680 that will be given. 261 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:32,280 Now this is jail talk. 262 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:33,560 You're in jail. 263 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:35,600 Your jailers are not kind to you. 264 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:36,640 They're rough with you. 265 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:39,400 They probably would beat you if they had an opportunity. 266 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:40,400 They're not going to feed you. 267 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:41,400 They're not going to keep you warm. 268 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:44,320 They're not going to do anything you need. 269 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:47,560 And yet Paul writes to the church, here's the way you live life. 270 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:51,280 Be glad and be gentle. 271 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:55,240 Be kind to the people around you. 272 00:17:55,240 --> 00:18:01,280 If you dive into James chapter three, which we seem to be doing a lot of this morning, 273 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:04,800 James chapter three talks about the kind of wisdom we live life with. 274 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:09,560 And in chapter three, verse 17, he says, the wisdom that comes down from above is first 275 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:16,480 pure than peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy. 276 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:20,960 In other words, if you're living with God's perspective, you're going to have those qualities 277 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:24,520 going on in your life like Paul did. 278 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:30,280 The opposite of that is also listed in James three, jealousy, selfish ambition, disorder. 279 00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:33,040 It's natural, it's earthy, it's demonic. 280 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:35,360 That's not the way you want to live. 281 00:18:35,360 --> 00:18:38,240 But we can be meek, gentle and kind in every kind of circumstance. 282 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:39,400 We can still speak the truth. 283 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:42,880 We can still represent Christ well. 284 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:47,160 But the command is let your gentle spirit be made known to all men. 285 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,400 We ought to be known by the meekness of Christ. 286 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:54,840 Now, how do you apply that in a tough situation like the culture wars we're in today? 287 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:59,920 Listen, Christianity is in the middle of culture wars that we didn't start. 288 00:18:59,920 --> 00:19:03,520 Or what about a tough political season where you don't really know exactly what to do 289 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:07,400 and you have all kinds of heated arguments going back and forth. 290 00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:11,040 You've got to learn to speak the truth with gentleness, with kindness. 291 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:16,480 You don't back up and dance, but you also don't run over people with anger. 292 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:18,240 Be gentle. 293 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:20,120 It's such an important thing for us to do that. 294 00:19:20,120 --> 00:19:21,560 The third thing is be patient. 295 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:26,080 It says the Lord is near. 296 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:29,000 Now there's two ways you can take that phrase. 297 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:33,520 First of all, He's near in proximity. 298 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:38,280 Let me tell you and remind you if you don't already have a handy reminder that once you 299 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:42,160 come to faith in Jesus, Jesus is more than near you. 300 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:43,160 He's in you. 301 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:44,160 Amen. 302 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:48,400 Aren't you glad you have the presence of the Holy Spirit that no matter what happens, He 303 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:50,040 will never be removed from your life. 304 00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:51,040 He will be with you forever. 305 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:56,120 It's the seal of redemption, the seal, the promise, the guarantee of salvation once we 306 00:19:56,120 --> 00:19:58,480 put our faith in Christ. 307 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:00,560 He's near me in that way. 308 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:03,680 But also comes alongside us when we go through trials in life. 309 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:10,240 So the Lord is near could be referring somewhat to that, but I think Paul's intent was more 310 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:11,240 than that. 311 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:17,240 Paul's intent was Jesus is near, the Lord is near, He's coming back. 312 00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:21,320 And the reason I think that is because of the context. 313 00:20:21,320 --> 00:20:26,160 Look at Philippians 4 and then backtrack to chapter 3 verse 20. 314 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:31,080 Before he gets to chapter 4 where he says the Lord is near, he says in verse 20, for 315 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:37,920 our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for a savior, the Lord Jesus 316 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:38,920 Christ. 317 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:43,080 He's saying this, I know this world is tough. 318 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:45,760 I know it's hard to keep perspective. 319 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:47,040 It's hard to be glad. 320 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:48,200 It's hard to be gentle. 321 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:49,480 It's hard to be patient. 322 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:54,720 But let me remind you that Jesus is coming back and He will change everything when He 323 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:55,720 comes back. 324 00:20:55,720 --> 00:21:00,280 There will be no more hard times, no more difficulty, no more hunger, no more cold, 325 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:02,360 no more injustice when He comes back. 326 00:21:02,360 --> 00:21:04,360 That's what you're waiting for. 327 00:21:04,360 --> 00:21:06,560 That's what you're waiting for. 328 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:09,760 Be patient for the return of the Lord. 329 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:13,880 Paul could have been saying, is this house going to end for me in prison? 330 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:20,000 Like John the Baptist, getting beheaded for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 331 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:23,960 He could have been saying something like, well, if that's what it's in it for me, if 332 00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:28,080 that's what God is going to allow, then I'm going to remember and remind everybody that 333 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:29,080 the Lord is near. 334 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:30,080 He's coming back. 335 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:34,120 And in the new kingdom, when He comes back, everything will be different. 336 00:21:34,120 --> 00:21:38,500 No injustice, no wicked ruler, no awful choices. 337 00:21:38,500 --> 00:21:42,960 We have Christ and Christ on the throne. 338 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:44,600 He'll make everything new. 339 00:21:44,600 --> 00:21:47,600 He'll bring all the justice you yearn for, all the fairness. 340 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:49,960 He'll settle all the account. 341 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:53,600 Live like you know this. 342 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:55,640 Live like you know this. 343 00:21:55,640 --> 00:22:01,760 If my perspective is, yes, I know the world is wicked, but I also know that He will overcome 344 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:07,960 the world, that I'm living with the kind of perspective that I'm commanded to live. 345 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:11,540 Paul knew he wouldn't always be in persecution, wouldn't always be in pain, wouldn't always 346 00:22:11,540 --> 00:22:19,840 be in prison, but he knew that he could look forward to the coming of the Lord. 347 00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:27,480 So pastor, it's great to be able to say these three little phrases, be glad, be gentle, 348 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:28,480 be patient. 349 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:35,160 But what happens when my world is disrupted by circumstances that are so awful that I 350 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:40,360 can't be glad and I can't be gentle and I can't be patient? 351 00:22:40,360 --> 00:22:43,760 Well, that's when we come to the next verse, verse six. 352 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:47,600 I call this the prescription for anxiety. 353 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:51,720 Now I believe this passionately. 354 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:56,400 If I get riled up in a couple of minutes, it's because I'm passionate about it. 355 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:58,640 And you ought to be too. 356 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:00,440 Here's what he says. 357 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:01,920 Here's the prescription for anxiety. 358 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:06,760 Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, 359 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:09,800 let your requests be made known to God. 360 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,920 Now I love the practicality and the reality of Scripture. 361 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:18,200 I love the fact that it's almost as though the Holy Spirit realizes we're going to say, 362 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:19,720 yeah, rejoice in the Lord always. 363 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:20,920 Again, I say rejoice. 364 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:22,560 That's a really cool song. 365 00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:23,560 That's a really cool line. 366 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:26,920 But what happens when it gets tough? 367 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:30,520 And be anxious for nothing is the command. 368 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:35,420 But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made 369 00:23:35,420 --> 00:23:36,920 known to God. 370 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:44,240 So I'm going to give you, or within the rest of this message, three keys for how to get 371 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,360 and keep peace in life. 372 00:23:46,360 --> 00:23:47,960 These are valuable. 373 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:50,520 So valuable because that's what Paul gives us. 374 00:23:50,520 --> 00:23:52,920 How to get and keep peace in life. 375 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:55,240 Are you ready? 376 00:23:55,240 --> 00:24:00,840 Number one is refuse anxious thoughts by directing them towards prayer. 377 00:24:00,840 --> 00:24:05,120 Refuse anxious thoughts by directing them towards prayer. 378 00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:11,240 And there is the command, the negative command in this verse, be anxious for nothing. 379 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:17,160 But in everything by prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God. 380 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:18,960 So here's the direct negative command. 381 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:23,120 Do not be anxious. 382 00:24:23,120 --> 00:24:25,640 It bookends the previous comment. 383 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:29,880 The previous command imperative is rejoice in the Lord always. 384 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:31,280 Again, I say rejoice. 385 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:37,880 And then the other side of that bookmark, that bookend is don't be anxious. 386 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:44,640 Now, within those two frameworks is how we live life. 387 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:50,760 Rejoice in the Lord always until we're challenged in that and then don't be anxious, but give 388 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:52,180 it to prayer. 389 00:24:52,180 --> 00:24:54,000 It's another present active imperative. 390 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:58,680 It's on you to not be anxious, to refuse anxious thoughts. 391 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:03,480 And yet we live in an anxious, fearful world. 392 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:05,520 Let's just talk about the world we live in for just a moment. 393 00:25:05,520 --> 00:25:07,400 So real. 394 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:13,560 Anxiety disorders affect more than 20% of Americans over 18 today and it's increasing 395 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:14,560 by the day. 396 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:19,720 And when I say anxiety disorders, I mean more than just feeling anxious, more than just 397 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:20,720 emotional feelings. 398 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:24,880 I'm talking about it's inhibiting their behavior to some degree. 399 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:27,520 It's a disorder that they deal with. 400 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:32,320 More than a third of teenagers today, get this, more than a third of teenagers are confused, 401 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:37,320 angry and have emotional and mental issues today. 402 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:39,840 Disorders of the same kind. 403 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:45,880 More than 40% of adults in America say they're more anxious than ever before. 404 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:48,300 Whether they have disorders or not, they're just more anxious. 405 00:25:48,300 --> 00:25:50,800 More things to create anxiety in their life. 406 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:58,880 Literally we have a mental health crisis in our nation today and there is no human solution. 407 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:01,160 No human solution. 408 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:08,880 And then we have the Bible, the letter of Philippians written to Christians saying, 409 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:13,000 be anxious for nothing. 410 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:15,260 So hear me out. 411 00:26:15,260 --> 00:26:23,280 It is never God's will for believers to allow anxiety, fear and troubled thinking to dominate 412 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:24,280 your thoughts. 413 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:25,720 It is not His will. 414 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:32,240 If it's happening in your life, then He would want you to not let that happen and He gives 415 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:34,080 you command, be anxious for nothing. 416 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:38,040 And then the prescription that we'll talk about in a moment, that will help you be able 417 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:39,040 to respond. 418 00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:43,400 Now remember what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6, He says, for this reason I say to you, 419 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:48,560 speaking about clothing and food, He said, for this reason I say to you, do not be worried 420 00:26:48,560 --> 00:26:51,920 about your life, what you shall eat, what you shall put on. 421 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:54,880 The rest of the world is so worried about that, but don't you know that your Father 422 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:57,160 knows all the needs you have. 423 00:26:57,160 --> 00:26:58,920 Don't be anxious for all these things. 424 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:00,640 He'll take care of you. 425 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:06,240 Now let me just acknowledge there are many reasons today as to be anxious, like everybody 426 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:12,120 else seems to be, but it's not His plan for your life, for you to be anxious and panicky 427 00:27:12,120 --> 00:27:13,800 like everybody else has. 428 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:14,800 It doesn't work. 429 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:19,520 It doesn't reflect the faith that we're called to live and it tears you down day in and day 430 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:20,520 out. 431 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:23,800 It wears you out. 432 00:27:23,800 --> 00:27:29,520 So here you have this command, refuse anxious thoughts by directing them towards prayer. 433 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:31,080 Let me point you this way. 434 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:37,200 We can trust God for a better way of handling our circumstances instead of overthinking, 435 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:40,700 over analyzing, being overwhelmed with all the things that are happening, the things 436 00:27:40,700 --> 00:27:44,600 we experience, the things people do to us, the things that we're facing. 437 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:48,560 Instead of that, we need to ask ourselves, what am I not trusting about God that lets 438 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:53,040 me be so anxious in this moment? 439 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:54,980 Is He not trustworthy? 440 00:27:54,980 --> 00:27:56,800 Is He not sovereign? 441 00:27:56,800 --> 00:27:57,800 Is He not able? 442 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:00,680 Does He not have all wisdom? 443 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:06,320 What am I not trusting God for in this? 444 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:09,160 And then you have to come to the place where you say, I can trust Him. 445 00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:10,640 I can trust Him with my possessions. 446 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:14,560 I can trust Him with my gifts, with my job, with my calling. 447 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:16,280 I can trust Him with my relationships. 448 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:19,200 I can trust Him with everything. 449 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:23,100 So I want you to do a little exercise with me over these next few seconds. 450 00:28:23,100 --> 00:28:27,320 Think of something that you're facing that troubles you. 451 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:33,120 Think of how it eats away at your mind, how it affects your reasoning and your words and 452 00:28:33,120 --> 00:28:36,760 your nerves. 453 00:28:36,760 --> 00:28:40,600 Think of how it affects your prayer life or your conversation. 454 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:45,160 Think of how it aggravates you, how it sometimes weakens you. 455 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:50,120 It can even make you physically ill when you think about something like that. 456 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:51,960 Then let me ask you this pointed question. 457 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:55,120 Is your approach to this working? 458 00:28:55,120 --> 00:29:00,200 Is your way of dealing with all this helping you or not? 459 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:05,160 See, what Paul is warning us to see is that there's no way that we can humanly solve the 460 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:07,840 things that we face day in and day out. 461 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:09,640 But there is a supernatural way to do that. 462 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:12,440 My natural instinct seeks me every time. 463 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:16,560 But instead of being troubled in mind, I am called to be trusting in mind. 464 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:17,960 And that's a hard thing to do. 465 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:20,480 But it's a war. 466 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:23,600 We're equipped to win. 467 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:27,760 God would not send us into this battle without giving us the weapons we need. 468 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:34,520 One of my favorite passages is 2 Corinthians chapter 5 or chapter 10 and verse 5. 469 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:39,360 And I'm just going to quote one little part of this very detailed passage about the weapons 470 00:29:39,360 --> 00:29:44,760 that we have in the battle we have for our mind and for our beliefs. 471 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:49,400 And in chapter 10 verse 5 of 2 Corinthians, Paul says this, we are taking every thought 472 00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:52,720 captive to the obedience of Christ. 473 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:57,600 Now that is just what he said when he said be anxious for nothing, but rather give it 474 00:29:57,600 --> 00:29:59,280 to God in prayer. 475 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:01,040 Take the thoughts captive. 476 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:06,720 And in the Greek, that's one long word in the Greek that we take several English words 477 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:08,480 to articulate. 478 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:13,360 But it means basically to captivate at sword point or spear point. 479 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:14,640 It's an illustration. 480 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:17,840 The way he words this is an illustration of Roman warfare. 481 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:21,680 They always used the sword, of course, to captivate the enemy. 482 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:24,640 And he basically says, I've given you the sword of the spirit. 483 00:30:24,640 --> 00:30:26,760 I've given you everything you need. 484 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:31,160 Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 485 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:35,480 And most of us don't take our Bible seriously enough to actually know what to think about 486 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:37,400 certain circumstances. 487 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:42,280 But if we did, oh man, we would take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 488 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:47,000 I've told this story before because I love to tell it because it also illustrates so 489 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:50,000 much about what I'm trying to say today. 490 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:57,480 A number of years ago, I think it was 2003, 2004, eBay was starting to sell things on 491 00:30:57,480 --> 00:30:58,480 the internet. 492 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:01,520 Some of you have heard of eBay, and eBay was the Amazon of its day. 493 00:31:01,520 --> 00:31:04,960 You could buy just about anything from just about anybody. 494 00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:11,520 And I have a son named Joe who was a knife collector, and I like to get little trinkets 495 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,740 like that, like knives that he could put in his collection. 496 00:31:14,740 --> 00:31:18,940 We were looking at the internet one day and saw something on eBay that looked like kind 497 00:31:18,940 --> 00:31:20,080 of a letter opener. 498 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:24,840 It was a knife-like thing that didn't give the dimensions of it, or we completely missed 499 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:29,240 it and it was $9.95 to our bid, and we got it. 500 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:32,840 Now what I was thinking we would get in was something like this. 501 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:35,700 I don't know if the camera even picks this up. 502 00:31:35,700 --> 00:31:40,360 This is a letter opener in the shape of a knife, and I thought this is probably appropriate 503 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:42,960 for a nine-year-old boy. 504 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:45,320 A few weeks later, I'd almost forgotten we'd ordered it. 505 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:49,040 A few weeks later, my assistant at the church I was pastoring at the time called me and 506 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:51,520 she said, you need to come down here. 507 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:52,920 There's a big box here for you. 508 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:56,240 Your sword has arrived. 509 00:31:56,240 --> 00:31:58,560 And I said, I didn't order a sword. 510 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:02,360 She goes, well, there's something big in this box, and it comes from a knife company, so 511 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:04,800 your sword has arrived. 512 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:08,280 And I was very curious about it because this is what I thought I was getting, and so I 513 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:13,720 ran down to the office, and sure enough, it was in a big box, and as I went to get it, 514 00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:18,880 I opened it up, and I could not believe what I saw when I opened it up. 515 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:24,840 This is the sword that had arrived. 516 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:27,280 This is what I ordered. 517 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:30,760 This is what I got. 518 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:32,280 She made a little smart aleck remark. 519 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:34,560 She goes, well, it's bigger than what you thought it was. 520 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:38,520 I said, yes, it is. 521 00:32:38,520 --> 00:32:45,720 You'll notice that my son who's now 30 still does not have this sword. 522 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:50,120 I'm keeping it. 523 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:52,480 You've got a Bible. 524 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:55,880 It's bigger than you think it is. 525 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:56,880 Much bigger. 526 00:32:56,880 --> 00:32:57,880 It is. 527 00:32:57,880 --> 00:33:05,240 And if you do not use what God has given you to take every thought captive to the obedience 528 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:09,400 of Christ, if you do not use what God has given you to be anxious for nothing but in 529 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:15,160 everything by prayer and supplication, if you don't do that, it's on you to walk through 530 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:17,920 the difficulty of that moment. 531 00:33:17,920 --> 00:33:19,920 He's done everything that's necessary. 532 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:25,200 And aren't you glad we have a God that gives us every tool, every weapon we could possibly 533 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,240 need in order to deal with life? 534 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:29,280 A few years ago, I talked through a series. 535 00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:30,640 It's been almost 30 years ago now. 536 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:32,920 I talked through a series called The Prospering Soul. 537 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:36,800 Ten messages on taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 538 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:39,120 I recently podcasted that. 539 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:43,760 It's on the website, johnmetter.com, and you can find it at that address and find it under 540 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:44,760 podcasts. 541 00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:48,600 If you want to dig into that a little bit more, we talk about how to do that. 542 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:55,040 God has given us a way for us to have mental health and peace. 543 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:56,040 Take every thought captive. 544 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:57,840 We refuse anxious thoughts. 545 00:33:57,840 --> 00:33:58,840 Here's step number two. 546 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:01,320 Look for peace that only He gives. 547 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:02,320 Peace that only He gives. 548 00:34:02,320 --> 00:34:03,320 Verse seven. 549 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:09,320 Have the peace of God that surpasses all comprehension and will guard your heart and minds in Christ 550 00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:10,320 Jesus. 551 00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:15,360 Now this is a conditional promise of a supernatural peace. 552 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:21,520 If you refuse the anxious thoughts, instead give them to God in prayer, the peace of God 553 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:24,280 that passes understanding will guard your hearts and minds. 554 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:26,840 We've talked about this at various times. 555 00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:28,960 Sometimes Christians have conversations about this. 556 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:34,320 How many of you know what it means to say the peace of God guards your hearts and minds? 557 00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:36,920 But you raise your hand if you've experienced that or talked about that. 558 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:39,320 Do you understand that today? 559 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:43,800 This many people in the room can't be wrong about that subject. 560 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:49,880 There are times when we go through hardship, we give it to God, and He brings what we could 561 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:51,760 never bring to ourself. 562 00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:54,480 He promises to give us this peace. 563 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:57,480 He gave it to the disciples on the way to the cross. 564 00:34:57,480 --> 00:35:01,560 He said this in John 16, 33, these things I've spoken to you that in me you may have 565 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:02,920 peace in the world. 566 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:04,520 You have tribulation, but take courage. 567 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:06,080 I've overcome the world. 568 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:09,800 Jesus has done everything necessary for us to have peace. 569 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:12,120 I can't tell you how He gives that peace. 570 00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:14,760 I can just promise that He gives that peace. 571 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:19,240 I couldn't really break down exactly how it came over me when I needed it the most time 572 00:35:19,240 --> 00:35:23,200 and time again, but I can tell you it did come over me and it did help me walk through 573 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:25,040 every dilemma I've been through. 574 00:35:25,040 --> 00:35:28,040 The peace of God is beyond explanation. 575 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:32,080 It's just not beyond praising Him for it. 576 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:33,400 Amen. 577 00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:35,400 Amen. 578 00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:37,320 Trust Him for that. 579 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:42,760 Don't trust your anxious mind to analyze it so perfectly you find the right solution. 580 00:35:42,760 --> 00:35:45,000 You will never find the right solution. 581 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:48,360 The right solution is Him. 582 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:53,260 It's this peace that enables people to give their lives for the gospel in faraway lands. 583 00:35:53,260 --> 00:35:58,880 This peace comes when we make bold, convictional decisions and no one else understands. 584 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:02,680 This peace comes when we share the gospel and are rejected. 585 00:36:02,680 --> 00:36:06,960 This peace comes when we face physical health challenges that are daunting, and trust God 586 00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:07,960 anyway. 587 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:11,040 It comes when we face the death of loved ones. 588 00:36:11,040 --> 00:36:15,120 And even if we face death ourselves, we will have dying grace for dying days. 589 00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:18,440 We'll have the peace that we need for everything that we deal with. 590 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:21,760 It doesn't make sense, but it's a promise that God gives us. 591 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:23,880 He gives us sight. 592 00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:26,520 Receive it from Him. 593 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:29,480 Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication. 594 00:36:29,480 --> 00:36:31,440 Let your requests be made known to God. 595 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:40,080 And the peace of God that surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and minds in Him. 596 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:46,560 Isaiah says, the steadfast mind of you will keep in perfect peace because he trusts in 597 00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:47,560 you. 598 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:51,880 He will be the Lord forever for the God, the Lord. 599 00:36:51,880 --> 00:36:54,120 In Him we have an everlasting rock. 600 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:57,840 That needs to be your watchword. 601 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:03,640 And then finally, dwell on the right things. 602 00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:05,120 Look at verse eight with me. 603 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:10,200 Finally, brethren, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, 604 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:14,680 whatever is of good repute, if there's any excellence in anything worthy of praise, dwell 605 00:37:14,680 --> 00:37:17,280 on these things. 606 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:20,280 I'm going to take a walk back here. 607 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:23,520 I want to look at the screen with you for just a few moments because this screen, this 608 00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:28,680 verse, this passage is something that needs to permeate you and your thoughts. 609 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:30,160 Notice how Paul says this. 610 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:31,480 He knows they're in the heat of battle. 611 00:37:31,480 --> 00:37:32,920 He's already been through the battle. 612 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:36,720 He's writing to them about how to keep the right perspective and the prescription for 613 00:37:36,720 --> 00:37:38,800 getting back to where you need with the peace of God. 614 00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:45,560 And he says, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, 615 00:37:45,560 --> 00:37:49,040 whatever is of good repute, that's a lot of whatevers. 616 00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:53,200 He says there's so many things on the landscape of thoughts that you should be thinking of 617 00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:55,440 instead of your anxiety. 618 00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:58,480 Whatever those are, go that way. 619 00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:05,160 And then he says, if there is any excellence in anything worthy of praise, dwell on those 620 00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:06,160 things. 621 00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:10,400 I mean, that's the apostle saying, look, I've given you so many things that you can talk 622 00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:13,840 about, so many things you can think about, so many things that God has done that are 623 00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:18,600 excellent, worthy of reputation and worthy of praise, things that are excellent, things 624 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:21,720 that are pure, things that are lovely, so much is around you. 625 00:38:21,720 --> 00:38:25,400 Why are you not thinking of those things? 626 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:31,760 Why do you consistently go back to what creates the anxiety in your life? 627 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:41,840 He says, no, dwell on these things, virtually anything other than those things, these things. 628 00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:44,040 You know how to do it. 629 00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:49,360 Now when I say you know how to do it, I say it because we do it in so many other ways. 630 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:52,440 How many people watch TV with a remote in their hand? 631 00:38:52,440 --> 00:38:56,000 Would you raise your hand if you have the remote in your hands? 632 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,640 And you know how to channel surf, don't you? 633 00:38:58,640 --> 00:39:05,120 And you land somewhere that you don't want to be, and you just quickly click and you 634 00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:09,200 go to something else, right? 635 00:39:09,200 --> 00:39:10,560 How many of you are on the internet? 636 00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:14,560 Maybe social media, and you know how to scroll. 637 00:39:14,560 --> 00:39:16,240 How many of you know how to scroll? 638 00:39:16,240 --> 00:39:20,640 And you land in one spot and you just keep going because you don't want to stay there 639 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:23,080 and you go find something good. 640 00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:27,000 How many of you are driving on a highway and you see a traffic jam up ahead and you divert, 641 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:28,800 you take an exit, you go somewhere else? 642 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:31,960 You know how to avoid the things that create anxiety. 643 00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:36,040 You know how to do this. 644 00:39:36,040 --> 00:39:45,720 Instead of anxiety, tell God, accept the peace that passes understanding and then dwell on 645 00:39:45,720 --> 00:39:48,120 these things. 646 00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:52,760 Refuse anxious thoughts, look for his peace, dwell on the good. 647 00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:54,240 God has given this for us. 648 00:39:54,240 --> 00:39:58,360 You say, well will that work like in 30 minutes? 649 00:39:58,360 --> 00:40:01,800 My response is it'll work like a live practice works. 650 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:08,960 You'll get better at it as you practice exercising your spiritual muscles and the spiritual tools 651 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:12,000 he's giving you to battle with. 652 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:13,480 It's not like I don't face anxiety. 653 00:40:13,480 --> 00:40:17,080 It's not like I don't face struggling, discouraging situations. 654 00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:23,760 I can let them overwhelm me or I can rise up and just obey God and do the battle and 655 00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:29,880 let my mind dwell on the things that he's called me to dwell on. 656 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:32,440 Today you have something to work with. 657 00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:35,960 You have an assignment. 658 00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:41,440 Take the anxious thoughts, push them away, give them to God and instead of those anxious 659 00:40:41,440 --> 00:40:47,280 thoughts, look for the peace of God and dwell on the things he's called you to dwell on. 660 00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:53,880 I think you can trust the God of the universe, whom you trust for your eternal security to 661 00:40:53,880 --> 00:40:59,160 give you security of mind in the toughest of times. 662 00:40:59,160 --> 00:41:02,680 These few moments, I'm gonna leave this in a closing word of prayer. 663 00:41:02,680 --> 00:41:07,360 I'm gonna invite you to stop at our decision stations because really the peace that you 664 00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:11,920 can have from God first has a stopping plate called the peace with God. 665 00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:16,360 As you know, you can be at peace with God by putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ 666 00:41:16,360 --> 00:41:18,000 as Lord and Savior. 667 00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:19,840 That's how you have peace with God. 668 00:41:19,840 --> 00:41:22,040 We have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 669 00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:23,040 He secured it on the cross. 670 00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:28,720 He paid for our sins and you need to put your faith and trust in what he did on the cross. 671 00:41:28,720 --> 00:41:33,160 You can have peace with God and once you have peace with God, you learn to have peace from 672 00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:37,480 God day in and day out and I want you to have it. 673 00:41:37,480 --> 00:41:39,080 He wants you to have it. 674 00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:44,680 Stop by the decision station, talk to someone and say, I need peace with God, from God. 675 00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:48,480 I wanna invite you to our guest reception room just outside the center exit doors across 676 00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:49,840 the hallway. 677 00:41:49,840 --> 00:41:53,960 If you're visiting here, maybe this is the first few times you've been here, maybe the 678 00:41:53,960 --> 00:41:58,920 first time, please let me meet you and say thank you for coming to our services today. 679 00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:03,400 Thirdly, I want you to come back next week because we're gonna take another step in this 680 00:42:03,400 --> 00:42:05,480 direction in Philippians 4. 681 00:42:05,480 --> 00:42:06,480 It's amazing. 682 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:07,480 This text is amazing. 683 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:09,480 You don't wanna miss it. 684 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:11,320 Let's stand together and have a word of prayer. 685 00:42:11,320 --> 00:42:16,880 Father, I thank you so much today that you care for us even what we think about, even 686 00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:18,560 what causes us anxiety. 687 00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:21,400 You care for us. 688 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:28,600 I pray today that you'll allow us to put this to work in our life and Lord, honor your promise 689 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:34,400 of the peace of God that passes all comprehension guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 690 00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:51,640 In Jesus' name, amen.