Easter 2020 the Story of Redemption - April 12, 2020

These are the Sermon Notes for April 12, 2020. Watch our livestream service every Sunday at 9:37 am on our facebook page or watch the livestream recordings any time.

Easter 2020 the Story of Redemption

Good morning and happy Easter!

I hope that the videos that I have been sharing with you all on Facebook have been a blessing throughout Holy Week. I think that it’s really helpful to walk day by day with Jesus through that week, and it all culminates right here, Easter Sunday, the day that the world stops to remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. He is alive!

But today is about much more than just remembering an event. Today is certainly about more than looking for candy filled eggs that a mythical bunny left on the windowsill behind your curtains. Did you check there?

Today is about remembering and celebrating the purpose of the event, embracing anew the eternal benefits of the work of Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection, not just their benefits though… Also their necessity. 

Did you know that the Bible is all one long story, not just one book, but one whole story? All of the individual books and accounts all work together toward the same purpose, to display God’s redemptive plan for mankind. 

Like all stories it begins at the beginning, in the book of Genesis, a word that means, “beginning.” In Genesis Moses wrote the account of God creating the world and all that is in it and proclaiming that, “It is good.” That is high praise from the Father! On the sixth day God created Man.

Genesis 1:26-31 records,

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 

27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

And things were good! For about a chapter… In Genesis 3 it’s recorded how God told Adam and Eve, the first man and woman that they could eat from any tree in the Garden that He put them in except for one. Which tree do you think that they decided to eat from? That one!

The devil appeared to Adam and Eve in the form of a snake and deceived them and got them to eat the forbidden fruit, they disobeyed God at the first opportunity.

Because of their disobedience, what we now call, “sin,” God cursed the serpent, God cursed the ground, and God cursed mankind, death entered into God’s perfect creation as a result of their sin.

But imbedded in the curse was a promise. Genesis 3:15 God says to the serpent,

15 I will put enmity [deep hatred] between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

Do you know who that offspring of the woman is? It’s Jesus!

Most of the rest of the Old Testament is given to God’s preservation of one bloodline from Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Abraham, to King David, all the way through to Joseph and Mary, to Jesus.

Jeff Reed wrote:

“[The whole Bible is given] to unfold God’s central plan and eternal purpose to set apart a people for Himself for all eternity, commissioning them to be witnesses of His purpose and supplying them with a book that contains all the essential insights and guidance that they need to effectively assist Him in carrying out His purpose, which demonstrates His wisdom to the rulers and authorities in heavenly places.”

God sets the stage for this whole story in Genesis with creation and the fall, as I’ve said, as well as insight into how to live in harmony with His created order and mankind’s tendency to resist that order.

God promised to bless all families of the earth through Abraham and his descendants, forming them into a nation and revealing how to live by faith in God, and revealed how man tends to resist that plan and go his own way.

God recorded the history of the nation of Israel, Abraham’s descendants, through whom God continued to sovereignly reveal His unfolding plan, making a covenant with King David and revealing a further aspect of His promise to bless all the families of the earth through a coming descendant who would rule forever.

God provided a kind of a divine hymn book in the Psalms for worship and reflection so that the people of God might internalize the Word of God and acquire hearts for God.

God also provided a kind of “divine guide to wise and skillful living” in the writings of King Solomon and those that wrote in his tradition for use in all areas of family, community, and national living so that God’s people might acquire hearts of wisdom.

But God’s people did not always obey so He sent to them prophets and He recorded their words. The prophets called God’s people on their constant disobedience to His Law and announced impending judgment for disobedience as well as providing a picture of the One who was coming with a new covenant of faith for God’s people and would fulfill all of God’s promises to Abraham’s offspring. The prophets gave the people of God insight into the true condition of their hearts and called them to repentance and godly morality.

In the Gospels God recorded, in narrative form, the transition from the Old Covenant of Moses, Abraham, and David to the New Covenant of faith through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Over the course of Holy Week we have read of Jesus’ declaration of His kingdom and His rejection, His crucifixion, and now, finally we celebrate His resurrection.

I’d like to read Luke 24:13-35 to help us gather all these thoughts together.

13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 

28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Jesus explained to those disciples just what I have explained to you, that the whole Bible, both Old and New Testaments are about the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the One whom God promised would bruise the serpent’s head while the serpent would only bruise His heel.

Through Jesus’ death on the cross the price was paid, once and for all, for the sin of mankind, starting with Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit all the way to you and me. The power of the serpent was broken.

The Gospel of John records the words of Jesus on the cross just before He gave up His spirit, “It is finished.” The work was done, the price had been paid.

But God’s plan of redemption is still unfolding even now through His church, not the buildings but the people, as we serve as witnesses of God’s divine purposes and the only way to participate in this plan is to join with the redeemed through faith in Jesus Christ.

The word, “redeem,” means to buy back. God bought mankind back from death, from His own wrath, from the punishment that we deserve for our sin, and the price that was paid was the life of His Son Jesus. He died on the cross instead of us, he suffered the wrath of God instead of us, and now, if we accept His sacrifice for us, we can be forgiven of our sin, and look forward to an eternal resurrected life like Him and with Him in His eternal kingdom.

If you are watching this morning and you have never accepted Jesus’ sacrifice for you but you want to, I would invite you to pray with me now.

Lord, I am a sinner, but this morning I want to turn from my sin and live for you. I accept that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again that I might live forever with you. Forgive me. Come into my heart Lord Jesus, my life is yours. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Amen.

Triumphal Entry? - Luke 19:29-44 - April 5, 2020

These are the Sermon Notes for April 5, 2020. Watch our livestream service every Sunday at 9:37 am on our facebook page or watch the livestream recordings any time.

Luke 19:29-44 Triumphal entry?

Good morning! Today is a special day, on the Christian calendar today is what is traditionally called Palm Sunday. 

Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter where we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The Gospels give us a day by day account of Holy Week, the week that begins today and ends on Easter Sunday next week. 

But the church didn’t just slap a label on Palm Sunday, the events we are going to look at in Luke 19:29-44 this morning really happened on the Sunday before Jesus was crucified, the Last Supper really did happen on Thursday of that week. Jesus really was crucified on Good Friday and He really did rise from the dead on Easter Sunday.

The church has given these special days special names over the years and today we are going to think about Palm Sunday and some of the elements of Jesus’ triumphal entry and consider if Jesus’ triumphal entry was really all that triumphal.

Luke 19:29-40

29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, [the Mount of Olives] he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

There is some really interesting stuff going on here! But to understand its significance we have to dig a little deeper. 

The Prophecy

Luke leaves out some of the details that the other Gospels include, the first of which is that Jesus is fulfilling prophecy here in this scene.

Zechariah 9:9 says, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

That’s Jesus riding on the colt! And the Jewish people, the daughter of Zion, the daughter of Jerusalem, were rejoicing greatly and shouting aloud! Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

The Donkey

The donkey itself is significant too. 

Entering the city on a donkey was a simple way to symbolize the truth that Jesus did in fact come as King of Israel. 

When Solomon became king after David, he rode his father's favorite mule during the inaugural procession into Jerusalem in 1 Kings 1:33. Now, a far greater "Son of David" rides triumphantly into the city of kings on a donkey. It showed for the first time that he accepted the title, and he accepted the people's praise.

Do you have a flannelgraph picture in your mind? ‘Cause I do!

The Palms

We call this Sunday “Palm Sunday,” but interestingly Luke left out the palm branches. 

Matthew and Mark both include the cutting down of palm branches and waving them around and spreading them on the road and this was significant! It’s traditional to hand out palm fronds on palm Sunday that often get woven into little crosses.

Palm branches are highly symbolic in Jewish culture, they are like the bald eagle of Israel. They represented refreshment, blessing, festival, new life, and victory! Palm branches were even stamped on their coins! 

It was no small thing that the people would spread them on the road before Jesus, they were declaring that Jesus was in fact the Messiah! “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” 

Verse 38 says, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

 “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Does that sound familiar? It reminds me of the angels’ annunciation of Jesus’ miraculous birth.

The Crowd

This crowd of people was an interesting mix too. You’ve got the disciples obviously, you also have a crowd from Bethany, people who had just witnessed Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. The city of Jerusalem and its surrounding villages would have been filled to overflowing with pilgrims for Passover, you also have the regular crowd of cranky old Pharisees following Jesus around, and then you have the Romans trying to keep all this craziness under control. You’ve got believers, you’ve got skeptics, and you’ve got scoffers.

The believers in the crowd were shouting a phrase straight from Zechariah’s prophecy: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

The word "Hosanna" is an Aramaic expression that means "save, I pray!" or "help, I pray!" 

We can see it in Psalm 118, 25Save us, we pray, O Lord! [There’s the word Hosanna] O Lord, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord. 27 The Lord is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords, up to the horns of the altar!

It’s not insignificant that in Luke’s account Jesus goes directly to the Temple after all of this.

Some of the skeptics and scoffers in the crowd, otherwise known as the Pharisees say to Jesus in verse 39, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” “They are saying that you’re Messiah! Tell them to knock it off!”

But Jesus knew what was going on and He accepted the people’s praise because He is in fact Messiah! He said that if He made the people stop yelling praises the rocks would start yelling praises instead!

The Twist

Now this is where the “Triumphal Entry” takes a twist; a turn that the people didn’t expect. 

The people had misunderstood the Messianic hope. Their “hosannas” were a cry for Jesus to save them from their circumstances, a prayer that lately, I am sure, has been echoed all over the world in the midst of our current crisis. The people on that day were shouting “Hosanna,” in hopes that Jesus would save them from the oppression of the Romans and give Israel back their kingdom. 

People had tried to force Jesus to be their king in the past but He had refused it and hid Himself from them, but now here He was finally accepting their nomination and riding triumphantly into the city! 

And in the middle of the parade He stops, no doubt to make a very kingly speech…

Jesus stops the procession and looks out from the hillside across the valley to the Holy City of Jerusalem… 

A hush falls over the crowd… Jesus is going to speak…

But instead of making an acceptance speech, instead of making a declaration that now is the time for the Romans to go and for His kingdom to be set up and for Him to take His rightful place on the throne of His father David… He starts to cry. He weeps over the city and her people.

41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

Can you hear His heart? The people longed for peace and He longed to give it to them, but it wasn’t the same kind of peace. 

Can you see His love for God’s chosen people and for the Holy City? Can you see His anguish over their rejection of Messiah?

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem wasn’t triumphant, it was tragic. 

He was scorned and rejected by the ones He came to save. They wanted Him to conquer the Romans and cleanse the nation of Israel but instead He came to conquer sin and death and cleanse those who would believe in Him of all their unrighteousness.

But that’s not what they wanted, that’s not what the crowd was after, His triumphal entry had totally fizzled. It’s not that it didn’t go as Jesus planned but it certainly didn’t go as anyone else wanted…

The people were disappointed and the crowds dissipated, even the Disciples would eventually desert Him. 

He wasn’t the kind of king that people were looking for but He is the kind of King that people NEED.

I’m not so sure that we are that much different.

They wanted a Messiah to save them from our circumstances not their sins.

They wanted a king to conquer Rome and give them their nation back but Jesus said that His kingdom is not of this world.

Are we any different? 

After all, we can see our circumstances; we can see what our earthly troubles do to us, what this virus is doing to us, to our families and friends, we pray for sickness to stop, we pray for difficulties to end, we want health and wealth and good times, and to watch baseball and eat out again. 

We often don’t see how Jesus could work through our trouble, how He can and will use our difficulties to make us more like Him, to spread His gospel and expand his kingdom.

We want Jesus to conquer America again, we want Him to kick out the ungodly rulers and make this a Christian nation again with laws that honor Him. Have we have forgotten that He said that His kingdom is not of this world?

The people in that crowd on the first Palm Sunday didn’t trust Jesus to be who He really was or to do the task that the Father had asked Him to do. They wanted a political Messiah and He said, no.

They wanted Him to save them from their difficult circumstances and He said, no.

When given the opportunity to trust Him to be who He is and do what He was there to do the crowd said, no.

But what will you say?

Will you trust Jesus Christ to save you from your sin even if He doesn’t save you from your circumstances? Jesus died on the cross in our place, to take the punishment that we deserved for our sin, not to make our lives any easier.

Will you trust Jesus to walk beside you through your circumstances and allow Him to make you more like Himself even if it’s hard? Because that’s exactly what He promised to do! 

He promised to never leave us! He promised that in this world we will have trouble! But we can take heart, because He has overcome this world! 

It doesn’t matter how bad it gets, it will never separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus!

So, do you trust Him?! Well… trust Him then! 

Don’t be like the people of Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday who blinded their eyes to the things that made for peace. 

It is only by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone by God’s grace alone that makes for true peace: peace with God, and peace with our circumstances because we know that God is at work in them.

Amen.

Finding the Peace of God - Philippians 4:8-9 - March 29, 2020

These are the Sermon Notes for March 29, 2020. Watch our livestream service every Sunday at 9:37 am on our facebook page or watch the livestream recordings any time.

Philippians 4:8-9 Finding the Peace of God

I have heard over and over in the last few weeks the expression, “We are living in unprecedented times.” Are we though? The world has been wrought with plagues and pandemics before, quarantines and social shut downs aren’t new. Trouble on every scale has plagued mankind since the Fall in the Garden of Eden. It’s how we respond to the trouble that will make all the difference.

Last week we touched just briefly on the concept of the peace of God, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

This often seems like an ethereal concept, something that is way out there, maybe even beyond our reach. In times like these isn’t this the kind of peace we want? The world is upside down and it’s unsettling, even frightening, what we want most is the peace of God, isn’t it? We don’t want to feel fear, we don’t want to feel unsettled and upset, right? We want to be at peace. I’ll tell you right now, peace is possible in these troubling times, it’s not going to be the restoration of what we consider to be “normal” that is going to bring peace back to our troubled hearts.

The good news is that the peace of God is not the kind of peace that only mountaintop gurus can achieve, it is not some far flung ethereal concept that we can only get by sitting cross-legged and humming with candles and incense. It is, however, something we must train ourselves to achieve, to train ourselves to hone our focus so that we might experience the peace of God.

This morning we are going to continue in Philippians 4 with verses 8 and 9, so please turn there with me. We are going to examine just exactly how to train ourselves how to experience the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.

Search the Scriptures: Philippians 4:8-9

⁸ 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. ⁹ What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

We are given six “whatevers” and two categories that sum them up, let’s look at them each.

What does Paul mean:

Whatever is true? Not just what is factually correct but what is morally true, in harmony with the objective rule of morality in the Gospels, that which is of integrity and good conscience, what is honest and reliable.

Whatever is honorable? These are  things of worthy character, that which corresponds to the essence of what is true, excellence as opposed to profane, dignified and worthy of respect.

Whatever is just? These are things that are in accord with God’s Law, things that do not injure or defraud anyone, things that conform to God’s standards.

Whatever is pure? As opposed to impure, that which is chaste, without moral defect, that which is wholesome.

Whatever is lovely? whatever is valuable and dear to the heart of man, good works which merit commendation, that which promotes peace not conflict.

Whatever is commendable? that which is positive and constructive, words and deeds that are praised and esteemed.

Any excellence? is a summary of the first four “whatevers,” meaning any moral righteousness in disposition and action.

Anything worthy of praise? this sums up the last two “whatevers,” moral judgments and virtue that calls forth praise. The praise of men is not the goal, living in such a way as to deserve it is.  

Paul gave the Philippians a model to follow, a model marked by this mindset, what is promised to those who follow it? The presence of the God of peace.

It’s been said that peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of God. This is a true statement and we can experience His presence with us if we train our minds to focus on the right things.

Consult the Scholars

Robert Hall —There are very different virtues. If we would be complete in our Christian profession, we must attend to all the virtues of it;—whatsoever things are true, honest, just, or lovely, as well as those sublimer things which more immediately respect God and Christ, and heaven and eternity. The beauty of the Christian character is not formed so much by the gigantic size of one virtue, as from the harmony and consistency of all. Never, then, let it appear which virtue has been most approved by you, but cultivate every virtue.

Warren Wiersbe – What is worry? The Greek word translated “anxious” (careful) in Philippians 4:6 means “to be pulled in different directions.” Our hopes pull us in one direction; our fears pull us the opposite direction; and we are pulled apart! The Old English root from which we get our word “worry” means “to strangle.” If you have ever really worried, you know how it does strangle a person! In fact, worry has definite physical consequences: headaches, neck pains, ulcers, even back pains. Worry affects our thinking, our digestion, and even our coordination.

From the spiritual point of view, worry is wrong thinking (the mind) and wrong feeling (the heart) about circumstances, people, and things. Worry is the greatest thief of joy. It is not enough for us, however, to tell ourselves to “quit worrying” because that will never capture the thief. Worry is an “inside job,” and it takes more than good intentions to get the victory. The antidote to worry is the secure mind: “And the peace of God … shall keep [garrison, guard like a soldier] your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). When you have the secure mind, the peace of God guards you (Phil. 4:7) and the God of peace guides you (Phil. 4:9). With that kind of protection—why worry?

Think Through the Issues: Mindset of Peace

If we are to grow in maturity as disciples of Jesus Christ we must take the responsibility for our focus, we must chose the objects of our meditation. I don’t mean yoga poses and humming, meditation is simply thinking over and issue, to chew on it in your mind.

If the objects of our meditation are everything that is wrong with the world, all that we disagree with, or all that troubles us, all that we think God should be mad about, we will not experience the peace of God nor the presence of the God of peace. This only leads to anxiety and worry, fear and doubt.

If we follow Paul’s example and the Lord’s instruction through him and choose whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable as the subjects of our meditation, that meditation will precede and determine our actions and attitude.

This type of meditation goes beyond just having a quiet place to sit and think, though that may be a good place to start, this type of meditation is to consciously look for the good in every situation.

It’s very easy to focus on the negative with all that is going on, but what about the true, and honorable, the just, and pure, and lovely, and commendable? Where are you seeing that? Where can you participate in that? Where can you BE that?

These are the types of things that Paul meant when he wrote in Colossians 3:1-2, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

And Isaiah 26:3, You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

These virtues are God’s virtues, if we yield ourselves to this mindset, choosing to focus on the good instead of the negative, our attitudes and actions will follow and we will have the peace of God because the God of peace will be with us.

Apply the Principles

So now we get to the fun part! It’s not enough to just wrestle with these thoughts, we have to apply the principles that we have learned.

So here is your assignment, there are two parts, following the instructions in our text:

1. Think about these things

Design a prayer for your life based on this list of virtues, that they would be the subject of your meditations and that you would see where they are happening in the world around you.

2. Practice these things.

Find ways to celebrate any excellence and anything worthy of praise going on in your sphere of life and find a way to participate in it.

Trouble, Trouble, Trouble - Philippians 4:4-7 - March 22, 2020

These are the Sermon Notes for March 22, 2020. Watch our livestream service every Sunday at 9:37 am on our facebook page or watch the livestream recordings any time.

Philippians 4:4-7 Trouble, Trouble, Trouble

So, it’s pretty hard to ignore the fact that we are faced with a significant crisis in the world today. The COVID-19 virus or fear of getting it or spreading it has seemed to grind the world to a halt. I don’t really think it would be wise to ignore what’s going on and just soldier on through our study in the Gospel of Mark so we are going to pause that for now and think about the crisis that the world is facing and our response, as Christians, to it.

The truth is, that everything we say and do communicates, even if the message that people receive isn’t what we intended. Our response to the Corona virus and its effects on our world are no different. In fact, our responses to this current crisis say a lot about our levels of trust and where our trust lies.

So this morning, rather than going to the Gospel of Mark, we are going to look at Philippians 4:4-7, so please turn there with me.

I’m going to try and stick to the same consistent study process that we have been using for the last month or so though we obviously won’t be able to have the same level of dialogue. You are welcome to comment your thoughts on the live stream though I don’t know that I’ll be able to see them in time or at all, but I will at least give you some time to think about some questions.

But first, let’s pray.

Study the Scriptures – Philippians 4:4-7

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵ Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

What does Paul mean when he instructs the Philippians to rejoice? Rejoicing is about perspective not blindness. It’s the difference between saying, “my troubles are more than I can bear,” or, “I have Jesus in my heart, trouble no longer exists,” or, “my troubles are real, but I know that the Lord cares for me and knows what he’s doing, I trust Him.” Rejoicing is choosing the proper perspective, enjoying gladness knowing that the Lord is in control.

What does it mean to be reasonable? Reasonableness is a fruit of rejoicing, it is also translated, “forbearance,” to be gracious and gentle in the face of difficulty or trouble, not freaking out or flying off the handle when things don’t go your way. Paul tells the Philippians to let their reasonableness be known to all, how is that possible if no one ever gets to observe their reaction to trouble? It really isn’t!

Where does the loss of anxiety or worry find its source? In the nearness of the Lord. The end of verse five says, “the Lord is at hand.” This isn’t about the closeness in time of the return of Christ, but the nearness of his presence among believers. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” The Lord is near, and when we trust in Him we have no need to worry or be anxious about anything.

Consult the Scholars

John Calvin – It is an exhortation suited to the times; for, as the condition of the pious was exceedingly troublous, and dangers threatened them on every side, it was possible that they might give way, overcome by grief or impatience. Hence he enjoins it upon them, that, amidst circumstances of hostility and disturbance, they should nevertheless rejoice in the Lord, as assuredly these spiritual consolations, by means of which the Lord refreshes and gladdens us, ought then most of all to show their efficacy when the whole world tempts us to despair.

Matthew Henry – As a sovereign antidote against perplexing care he recommends to us constant prayer… Observe, 1. We must not only keep up stated times for prayer, but we must pray upon every particular emergency... When anything burdens our spirits, we must ease our minds by prayer; when our affairs are perplexed or distressed, we must seek direction and support. 2. We must join thanksgiving with our prayers and supplications. We must not only seek supplies of good, but own receipts of mercy. Grateful acknowledgments of what we have argue a right disposition of mind, and are prevailing motives for further blessings. 3. Prayer is the offering up of our desires to God, or making them known to him… Not that God needs to be told either our wants or desires; for he knows them better than we can tell him: but he will know them from us, and have us show our regards and concern, express our value of the mercy and sense of our dependence on him. 4. The effect of this will be the peace of God keeping our hearts, v. 7. The peace of God, that is, the comfortable sense of our reconciliation to God and interest in his favor, and the hope of the heavenly blessedness, and enjoyment of God hereafter, which passeth all understanding, is a greater good than can be sufficiently valued or duly expressed.

Think Through the Issues

Hard does not always mean bad.

Though the crisis we are currently facing is hard it can also bring opportunities for our own growth and opportunities for our witness.

Trouble puts the reality of our faith on display, not only for ourselves to see and experience, but for the watching world, for our friends and family and neighbors, as well.

Rejoice! Trouble can bring opportunities…Opportunities display our reasonableness in Christ, opportunities to display freedom from worry in Christ, opportunities to display relief from our burdens in Christ, opportunities to display the peace that only God can give in Christ, opportunities to experience the nearness of the Lord that we often overlook when times are easy…

When trouble comes and we do the opposite and are indifferent, impatient, thrown into confusion, or are disheartened in the face of trouble, what are we truly displaying then?

-Not only do we display a lack of trust in the Lord, we display our ignorance toward God’s providence (as if to say that the Lord couldn’t possibly be at work in the trouble we face.)

-We also display that we do not recognize the fact that the Lord truly cares for us (as if to say that if God truly loves us, why is He allowing bad things to happen to us?)

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵ Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Apply the Principles

The core teaching of this passage is that the Lord cares for us and is present with us through Christ and we can rejoice and rest in that truth by trusting in Him.

Because we have peace with God we can have the peace of God. Both types of peace are wrought by the same method, and that is trusting in Jesus Christ.

But agreeing with those facts is not enough. The truth must move from our heads to our hearts and our hands if we are to make progress in maturing as disciples.

Consider your response to our current crisis, how have you been reacting so far and what has that communicated to those around you? What needs to change? How have you seen the Lord draw near during this time? Is there anyone you can reach out to or help?

So here is your assignment:

Understanding that prayer is the solution for worry and the best way to acknowledge the nearness of the Lord, write out the things that you are worried about in regards to this crisis as a prayer daily so as to give the Lord opportunity to guard your heart and mind with His peace.