God’s Therapy For Life

Transcript

GRM 1024
1/ 11/2009
God’s Therapy For Life
Philippians 4:4-8
Gil Rugh

I want to direct you to Philippians Chapter4. Philippians Chapter 4; it’s a passage we come to fairly often together. It’s a passage one of the most familiar passages to me because I probably come to this passage among those that I come to most often in Scripture. It addresses our daily life situations in a very direct and clear way. And it’s a passage I like to keep fresh in my own mind and I like to keep it fresh in your mind as well. We live in a world of turmoil and confusion, uncertainty from the human perspective, but we as God’s people function differently. We talked a little bit about this and we will look at Psalm 1, you’ll note some overlap if you were here for part of our study in Psalm 1.

How do you handle life? We’re God’s people and we live in a sin-cursed world, a world that is literally going from bad to worse. And the worst is yet to come and we are looking for the coming of Lord, but until he comes and gathers us into his presence we are part of this world. And just because we are God’s people that does not enable us to avoid the difficulties, trials, pains that come from being in this world. We have heartache; our loved ones die even as the loved ones of unbelievers die. We suffer financial difficulties even as unbelievers suffer financial difficulties. And we have physical trials and problems even as unbelievers do. But there is something unique about us as God’s people, the sovereign God who rules over all is our heavenly father and he assures us that he is working his perfect purposes and plans in our lives. And he intends for us as we go through the various situations of life to enjoy his joy and peace and the wonder of his presence in everything that we experience.

The Book of Philippians, some of you were studying it in various context I know, is a remarkable letter. It’s interesting to me that the spirit of God chose to have the Apostle Paul write this letter when he was a prisoner in Rome. Not the most pleasant of circumstances, not Paul’s first choice, he is been a prisoner for some time when he writes this letter. And he indicated in the first part of the letter that his hope would be that he was going to be released, but he said the alternative is very desirable to him and that would be that he would be executed and thus ushered into the very presence of the Lord in glory, to be absent from this body and to be present with the Lord.

But he is called to remain on this earth longer he says it so he can carry on, continued ministry and service for the Lord. He has learned something through all his experiences. We won’t go back to Second Corinthians 11; there Paul unfolds some of the trials and difficulties he has had to go through in his service for the Lord. But he has learned out of that and if you just jump down to Philippians 4 verse 11, Philippians 4:11 this is beyond where we are going to be looking but look at the context here. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned, I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

I know how to get along with humble means, I know how to live in prosperity in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Lessons are learned through our trials, through our difficulties, James talks about this. And the troubles and trials that come into our lives are to develop us and mould us and shape us. God never promises us as his children lives free from difficulty and hardship.

We’re not just talking about superficial kinds of trials. There are about trials that threaten to shatter our lives but for the grace of God they would have the ability to destroy us. Here God’s intention is we learn and grow and in the worst of the difficulties, the most severe of the trials he tells us to be happy, have peace and trust him.

We look at verses 4 to 9 just over viewing them passages you may have marked in your bibles from previous times, passages that we need to have fixed in our mind in verses 4 to 9 Paul’s going to give six commands, things that we must do. And remember when I say Paul is giving these it’s the spirit of God directing Paul as he writes this. This is God’s word to us not six recommendations, six commands and I find them very encouraging because what God commands us to do, he has provided sufficient resources and enabling power for us to do.

And so while we see some of this commands we’ll think well that’s easy to say and easy to command but I don’t know if I can do that? Well remember, Paul said down in verse 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. God makes the provision for us so that we can draw upon his grace and his strength to do what he tells us to do.

So let’s look at these commands we’re just going to over view them. We don’t have time to develop each one but the emphasis and impact I think you’ll see as we just highlight them. The first command is in verse 4. I said there’s six commands, there’s really seven but I have limited to six because the first one is just a repeated one. It’s the same command given twice. Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice. And that word rejoice you have it at the beginning at verse 4 you have at the end of verse 4, same word it’s a present imperative, a command given in the present tense. And so you have a redundancy here, the command is given twice in the present tense. Be continuously rejoicing.

And then he says in verse 4 rejoice in the Lord always, be continually rejoicing in the Lord always, again I say keep on rejoicing. You see the emphasis there; if you’re continually rejoicing you’re doing it always but the spirit of God directs Paul to put that emphasis rejoice in the Lord always be always rejoicing in the Lord, always. Again I wanted to tell you rejoice. You get the idea this is something that Lord wants us to get the point. He intends for us to be happy, to have his joy within our lives and I have to remind myself Paul is a prisoner of Rome when he writes this.

He didn’t write I am struggling, this is hard and these aren’t the happiest times and I had been in more joyful situations no, the spirit of God takes him puts him in the most undesirable of settings and then directs him to write a letter commanding believers to be continually rejoicing always. And if you didn’t understand I mean rejoice, keep on rejoicing. It’s hard you know, I can’t help it, I am not happy. Can’t help it, I am miserable. Well the word of God says help it, deal with it, get happy. Gee! I’m happy. Now you feel better? I really do, I am not happy, I am miserable. No, the spirit of God tells me to do something; you know the encouraging part of this is that means it’s possible.

The spirit of God will strengthen and enable me so that I can be rejoicing. Yeah, but you don’t know what I am going through, you don’t know the situation I am in, you don’t know how dire it is, no I don’t, but God does, and he’s the one who said keep on rejoicing in the Lord always. That pretty well covers every situation and every circumstance in my life; I mean whatever is going on now.

Paul, you are a prisoner in Rome, you have no privacy, you have no life of your own, you have a vulgar, crude Roman soldier with you 24 hours a day and you are supposed to keep on rejoicing always in the Lord, not in your circumstances in the Lord he brings the joy. When you start looking for the joy in your circumstances, in the situation of life you find yourself overwhelmed because they can look terrible but you rejoice in the Lord he’s my God, he’s my sufficiency, he’s my strength. I have everything I need in him. I can rest secure, I can have full joy.

Turn back to Proverbs 15. We don’t have time to look at lot of verses I’d recommend you, for you as an encouraging exercise to get your concord in some time, may be one of the days this week and just look up the word joy or rejoicing, rejoice and just go to the different Scripture verses, see what the bible tells you about joy, about rejoicing.

Now before I read you from Proverbs 15, listen to Nehemiah Chapter 8 verse 10, don’t turn there, we don’t have time. Nehemiah 8:10 the joy of the Lord is your strength. You know when you do have that joy, you’re truly happy on inside it does invigorate you doesn’t it? Sadness, depression, gloom it sucks the energy out of you doesn’t it? But the joy of the Lord is your strength, he produces that joy. You don’t have that feeling I can’t go on, I can’t face it, I can’t do it I just can’t but wait a minute, the joy of the Lord is your strength, it’s just like when you do have that joy, that happiness within you have to tell yeah, I can do it sure, I have not a problem.

Look at Proverbs 15 verse 13. A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. That’s what happens, when the heart is sad the spirit is broken you don’t have a joyful heart, my world is just collapsed. You watch TV what do they tell you? Are you depressed, do you feel like you can’t go on, has life just overwhelming you we have a pill that may help you. But the Lord has the provision for us, his joy, his happiness and that’s your strength, that takes care of the broken spirit. And I think it is exciting that he commands us, he doesn’t recommend that we rejoice, he commands us to be continually rejoicing all the time in the Lord. His promises in these commands are given to those who have experienced the wonder of his salvation, who belonged to him through faith in Christ and now have every provision of the living God available for them to meet every circumstance of life. Be rejoicing always.

Come back to Philippians Chapter 4. That’s the first command repeated twice. Second command; let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The command of course is let be known, let be known sharp command. Of these six commands, again seven if you count the repeat six of them are given in the present tense. This one is given in the eras tense which probably doesn’t mean much to you but it’s a sharp firm command. Your gentle spirit must be known to all men, a gentle spirit.

A variety of words used to give the idea of this word. Let me read you at least it come from various English translations offered for this Greek word forbearance, yieldedness, genealogy, kindliness, gentleness, sweet reasonableness, considerateness, charitableness, mildness, magnanimity, generosity. Basically it’s a willingness to yield your personal rights to show consideration and gentleness to others. It’s a word that’s used of Jesus Christ Second Corinthians Chapter 10 verse1 refers to the gentleness of Christ, I mean a quality that must characterize us as God’s people like your gentle spirit be known to all man. You know what the Apostle Paul that men, that crude vulgar Roman soldier that is there with Paul when he had a bad day at home and comes in he doesn’t kick the dog he just has Paul to make miserable.

Let your gentle kind spirit be known to all man. I mean that ought to characterize us. Of course in our home in a husband and wife relationship, in our church family and in our dealing with others let your gentle, mild spirit. You know you are willing to yield your personal rights, I don’t want to give too many examples of this because I don’t want to reveal myself too much but some of you men when you drive it’s hard to be willing to yield your personal rights, show consideration and gentleness to others, it’s all right, I mean I am appeasable man but there is some idiots on the road and somehow they always get along side of me or in front of me and I want to show sweet reasonableness right after I run over the jerk.

You know certain things come up in our life in all of a sudden what has happened? You know yeah we don’t find and then something is done and we quote lose it. You note the command of Scripture is let your gentle spirit be known to all man, that’s God’s command. I can’t help it, I just, sometimes I just lose it, word of Scripture, you better help it. We only loose it when we want to if we’re truly God’s people. We decide we want to just like we’re not happy because we don’t want to happy because we find a certain pleasure in being miserable. So we don’t want to do what God says, and I don’t want to be gentle, I don’t want to be considerate, I don’t want to put that other person first, given me a certain satisfaction to blow my top or to lose my cool, to not be considerate of them.

And then afterwards I act like I couldn’t have, they did it, they hadn’t pulled in front of me I wouldn’t have lost my temper. If they haven’t did always right on my bumper I wouldn’t have gotten frustrated, they didn’t come in front of me and take the parking place it would have been okay. My wife didn’t do that, I wouldn’t have lost my temper with her, I mean if my husband and we have all kind of, let you’re gentle spirit be known to all men, the unreasonable, the jerks the inconsiderate. He doesn’t say be sure all men are considerate to you; he says you let your gentle spirit be known to all men.

You know why you better do it, and it’s only, we’re only talking to believers. Unbelievers, they are controlled by their lust, their passions and their desires. The Lord is near, and we know what that means. We will give an account to him. The Lord is near before we know it we will stand before him and give an account. Well, you know Lord, I generally did okay except when people got on my nerves. Everybody does okay except when people get on their nerves. I mean we’re talking about showing this kind of spirit in the situations where the normal thing would not be gentle and considerate and thoughtful and kind.

And again, I love it it’s a command, and that means I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me because he commands me to do this and he provides the strength. Sometimes I don’t want to, I want the satisfaction of not being considerate, of being angry, like it’s my right to sometimes disobey God, is that amazing. I can get so upset with another person for what they did, and so it’s my right to be disobedient to the living God, my heavenly father, my Lord the one to whom I will give account. And I tell you if you don’t follow the second command, you won’t enjoy the first one either. How are you going to be rejoicing and happy when you are blowing your stack, when you are not being considerate, when you are not being thoughtful. You are miserable and you are spreading the misery. Your forbearing spirit, your gentle spirit.

Let’s go to the third command. Be anxious for nothing. Be anxious for nothing. Word sometimes, a few times that’s used in the New Testament in a positive sense of being concerned. Like Paul might write and say I have the concern for the churches upon me, that’s a good thing to be concerned for the wellbeing of your family is a good thing but usually its used in the context of an unhealthy concern, a worry, a fretfulness, fearfulness. Here it is, don’t worry about anything, don’t fret over anything, don’t be anxious over anything, be anxious for nothing. You know that’s pretty encompassing I mean you see the Lord can be complete when he said to rejoice, he says rejoice always. When he said like your gentle spirit be known, you let it be known to all men. When he says not to be anxious, he says be anxious for nothing. Oh, you don’t know my situation, no, I don’t but the Lord does. Is he not the emanation God who knows all?

The Apostle Paul has to wire this when he is in Rome, It could be he’d be executed here. So as in the plan of God he will be set free from this imprisonment but you know, down the road he will be arrested again and he will be executed. But Paul’s not to be sitting in prison saying what am I going to do? What will happen? What will happen to the churches without me, what will happen? How can I sleep at night not knowing whether, what? Be anxious for nothing.

Turn back to Matthew 6; we have to look at Matthew 6 what Christ gave as his instructions on this subject. We’re in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew Chapter 6. Jesus is instructing his disciples he warned them in verse 19 of Matthew 6 about not storing up for yourselves treasures on earth and all kind of things can affect your treasure on earth, it can be here today and gone tomorrow. And then you don’t want to store up treasure on earth that’s shouldn’t be the focal point of your life and what you build your life around anyway because verse 21 says where your treasure is there your heart will be also.

Then he says in verse 25, "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, that word translated do not be worried. Word worried is the same word we have translated anxious in Philippians Chapter 4. Do not be anxious; do not be worried about your life. For example what you will eat, what you will drink. For your body, what you’ll put on, don’t be concerned about these things, don’t be worried about them, don’t anxious about them. Look at the birds of the air they don’t sow, they don’t reap, they don’t gather in the barns yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you worth much more than they? And worry does nothing. This word worry, anxious keeps coming up here. Do not be worried verse 25.

Verse 27 and who have you by being worried can add a single hour to his life. And why are you worried about cloths on it goes. I mean we’re not talking about just things out here; we’ve narrowed it down to the absolute necessities of life. Food, clothing, shelter I mean you know I wasn’t worried when I lost those things they, but I am down to now where am I going to get food to eat tomorrow? What am I going to do for clothing tomorrow? I mean we’re down to 24 hour periods now. Don’t be worried about even the most basics of life when you’re reduced to that, not about can you get a new car or new house, take a better vacation. We reduced down to I don’t think I have enough to provide food for tomorrow, don’t worry about it, don’t worry about it; the Lord takes care of it. Look at the birds. I look out of my back window my study at home looks out, we have an open area there and the feathered Robins that are out there that time of year and they look like they don’t find, they don’t have anything stored up, Lord just provides.

Why are you worried about cloths verse 28, the anxiety about what you wear, look at the grass at the field Solomon the most wealthy man and he didn’t have the splendor of a flower in the field that’s what God can do that’s what he does. So verse 30, If God’s so clothes the grass of the field which is alive today and gone tomorrow he’ll cloth you, note that you of little faith at the end of verse 30. You know why we have anxiety; you know why we have worry? We’re not willing to trust the Lord. Let’s face it it’s when the pressure is on that I have to trust him. When the income is coming in, when I have more than enough I say oh yes I am trusting the Lord, that’s easy to do because, I’ve got a good bank account, I’ve got reserves, I’ve got health, I’ve got whatever, it’s when the pressure is on that my faith is really revealed right and tested.

He said to be worried about this indicates you have little faith. You’re not worry then saying what will we eat, what we will drink, what we will wear for clothing, you’re seeing down to the very basics. Even when you are reduced down to that, not sure about these necessities of life don’t worry about it, don’t be anxious about it. The gentiles eagerly seek these things. Gentiles here refer to the unbelievers, those who don’t belong to the Lord. He’s addressing Jews God had chosen the Jews to be his own people, the gentiles didn’t have the God of Israel as their God, so why are you worried about these things like those that don’t have your heavenly father to take care about them.

Your heavenly father knows you need these things. Well, if he knows you need them, why don’t you have them? Well, look around we’re all here, he’s provided for us right, to this point. Whatever the problem food, clothing, and now he expanded out to other areas may be the doctors said your physical situation is dire, the outlook is bleak okay. But by God’s grace here you are today, so Jesus goes on seek first his kingdom, his righteousness all these things will be added to you.

See keep your focus where it belongs. I want to honor the Lord, I want to serve the Lord, my life is his. I want his righteousness to characterize me. My life is not built around, what am I going to eat, what am I going to wear, where will I live. My life is built around him. The kingdom he will someday set upon this earth, the righteousness that must characterize me as his servant. So, do not worry, do not be anxious about tomorrow, tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Here’s the simple biblical solution, don’t worry about tomorrow. That’s where our worries are aren’t they? We’re here sometimes come, you sit listen to the word of God it’s hard to concentrate on it why? What am I going to do tomorrow? I don’t know what’s going to happen, I may lose my job tomorrow I have an appointment with my supervisor and I know it doesn’t look good what am I going to do? I lose my job in this economy what will I do? This tomorrow, because you are here now the Lord has given you enough food if you don’t anything else today from looking around most of you will make it through the day, me too. We have cloths on so today’s covered what are we worried about. You say oh that’s pretty simplistic, you don’t know what looms before me, I don’t, but he does and he says don’t worry about tomorrow.

Now when I disobey him and decide somebody has to do it then I worry about tomorrow, then I find it hard to rejoice, because it’s hard to rejoice and have the happiness of the Lord in my heart when I am worried. Worry has a way of swapping the joy and happiness out of my life and then I am on edge, then it’s hard to be gentle and considerate. So the kids come in and I blow up and my excuse is well, I am just on edge I got so much on my mind, we’ll get it off. I mean I realize I am here, I am healthy it’s easy to say these things but you know the Lord knows everything about me, he knows everything about you. And when he tells us to do something, it’s not a suggestion that we can take under consideration. It is a command to be obeyed.

We are not to be worried we may be the only people on the face of the earth going around happy and without a worry and we’re the only people that should. You don’t know the Lord if he’s not your savior, if he’s not your heavenly father, I don’t know what you’ve done you ought to get home and get worried. What are you going to do? There are so many things you know, I am getting older now you got to think about retirement, now I got something in the mail this week tells me retirements not enough I better buy long-term care. I am beginning to wonder what do they know about me, I don’t know about me. I am enjoying sleeping in my own bed in my own house and they want to sell me long-term care.

I’m not against planning for the future, I want to go to them and consider how he works in his diligent and makes proper preparation, but you know I can’t control the future. I may have done the best I can to plan for the future and when I get there it’s all wiped away, he’s right that’s not my true treasure. It’s not where my life is built around, it’s about around the Lord and what he has for me and that will never be taken away and that keeps my joy consistent. That keeps the anxiety at bay.

Come back to Philippians Chapter 4. We don’t have time to look at other verses but you might want to jot down First Peter Chapter 5 verse 7 because that’s where we’re going, we’re going to Philippians 4 but what First Peter 5:7 is, says is cast all your cares, there’s our word again, all your anxieties upon him for he cares for you. Back in Philippians Chapter 4 verse 6 we move to the next command, be anxious for nothing but in everything, there’s another one of those words. Each of these commands seems to be all encompassing, be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God, there’s our command, let your request be made known, let be made known your request to God with prayer and supplication.

Well, how much does that cover, everything. So there are things that I have to deal with then if I took them upon myself would cause me worry, anxiety, fear. I’ve done the best I can to be diligent, to be faithful, to work hard this is not excused to not work; I’m just trusting the Lord because the bible says he who doesn’t work, doesn’t eat. But I may lose my job it’s out of my hands, I may have worked hard, done my best, my boss say you’ve been a worker but we’re cutting back and I’m sorry we have to let you go, I am out of work. Who’s going to provide for my family, who’s going to pay my bills, who’s going to, what am I going to do? Lord, I have to turn it over to you. You know I needed to provide for my family, I have responsibilities, I need you to provide me a job a way, I let you know I turn my request – bring my request, my supplication, my prayers with thanksgiving.

You know this is not an overwhelming catastrophe, God is not overwhelmed by anything, anytime, anywhere I need to remind that. Sometimes I feel like I am going to be overwhelmed and I have to stop and remind myself you know what, God is never overwhelmed, now that’s fine but you are not God, I am not, but he’s my heavenly father. He says he’s taken full responsibility for me, so the only way you can really overwhelm is overwhelm him and it isn’t going to happen. So you put these two commands, be anxious for nothing, what do you want me to do, but in everything let your request be known to God.

And we have the little song, “Take It To The Lord In Prayer” what a great truth. I can either stay awake and worry about it or I can turn it over to the Lord and go to sleep. Past years difficulties and trials that come and I don’t know what’s well, I am going to bed and go to sleep why, because it’s night time. You can just close your eyes and go to sleep, well; I can’t go to sleep if I don’t close my eyes. I mean we’re going to stay up all night worry about it, now tomorrow I will still have the situation and then I will be tired. So I might just as well go to sleep and then at least I won’t be tired. And tomorrow will come and then we can take care of tomorrow, I can’t take care of today.


You know we’ve all have the experience you’ve seen someone going through a trial and even he’s a believer you look at them and you look at the joy they have and the peace they have and you say I don’t know that I could handle it that way. You know the difference, the Lord isn’t giving you the grace and strength to handle their trial, he is giving them the grace and strength to handle their trial. I have to say if you want to talk to me about what are you going to do if this happens in your future. All I can say is the desire of my heart is to draw upon the grace that the Lord will provide for me in his strength and handle it accordingly. I can’t put myself in that situation he hasn’t given me tomorrows grace today that’s why you can’t handle tomorrow’s problems today. He hasn’t given you tomorrow’s grace today and so you look at tomorrow’s problems in light of today’s grace and you’re overwhelmed and that leads the fear.

And now there’s no joy, now I am down and now I am irritable and it just everything, I can’t just decide well I’ll disobey the Lord here but I will bail them over here because these things all are intertwined and once I disobey the Lord I disobey the Lord and that has a spreading impact on my life. Now, I am just so frustrated because a believer be like this and I’m just all tangled up. That’s why I say I find myself coming to Philippians 4 is often as any place in the Scripture. Let’s say Lord I have to clear my head, I have to get my thinking straight again, here’s what you said you require of me, that’s what I wanted to do.

Next command at the end of verse 8, dwell on these things. Dwell on these things, think on these things, ponder these things. This is what is to be on your mind then he describes the things. Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good reputation let me just summarize it for you. If there’s anything of excellence, anything worthy of praise, you must think on these things. So I am not going to be anxious about anything, I’ve turned it over to the Lord now this is what I think about. Whatever is true, true I can’t think about what if the Lord doesn’t provide for me tomorrow because that wouldn’t be true.

As soon as I start thinking about things that aren’t true, I begin to mire down. I know God is taking care of me, sometimes I sit with people and I try to rehearse God has cared for you and provided for you all along the way right up to today as we said here yes, but I never had problems like this before, I never faced the situation like this before. Another opportunity to see the hand of God work right. Easy for you to say it is, all of us sense that when we are sharing something from the word with a person going through a particular trial. And how many times have I visited in the hospital, not lately, but in past times I have to tell you I walk in my first prayer is thank you Lord that I am not in their situation but you know I go in and I got to walk back out and I’d been encouraged so how did they do it? Lord’s given them grace. So I can’t think about my future in the context if the Lord doesn’t take care of me, besides that wouldn’t be true.

So here’s what I am going to think now the things that are true, things that are honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good reputation. We don’t think about the negative things of people, now this isn’t the power of positive thinking like the world has as though your thoughts if you think this you can make it happen. We’re talking about thinking like a child of God thinks, one who knows his heavenly father has everything under control.

I mean that’s the way we raise our children, I don’t want my children, they’re young and at home thinking boy, what am I going to do if dad doesn’t provide food tomorrow. I find, go in their bedroom in the morning find out they haven’t been asleep all night why, they were worried that they wouldn’t have anything to eat the next day so of course I tell them, you don’t have to worry about that, that’s my responsibility to provide for you today. Of course I am going to be sure you have breakfast. What my heavenly father going to do, not provide for me tomorrow? I mean that’s the point, that’s what Jesus was saying in Matthew 6. That’s what Paul is saying here, you turn these things over to the Lord then you can think consistently with his character.

The problem is I pray about it then I go away and worry about it, I wonder why nothing is happened. Well you think on the things that he says you should think about the things of good reputation, I got to be thinking about the best things about other people. Oh l I know things about them, well put it out of your mind. Oh I know what they were like when, well put it out of your mind. Well they failed me before well, put it out of your mind. What did he say here, is this the kind of thoughts you are having? I mean read verse 8, well I can’t help it, it just comes into my mind, you can help it, I can help it.

Some of you watch perhaps a football, the game comes on you put everything out of your mind. Well, that’s different. Put it out of my mind, I disciplined my mind as part of disciplining my body, bringing it into subjection. Lest when I preach to others I myself should be disapproved as Paul wrote to the Corinthians.

Last command is verse 9 practice these things right about in the middle of the verse or so little further along practice these things. Practice it, do it. I mean not just follow through, the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me the Apostle Paul is God’s instrument to bring God’s truth to them, to model God’s truth in his life. You put these things into practice that’s it. That’s the command, do it, do it.

What do we tell our kids? I don’t feel like doing it, did you do your homework no why, I just couldn’t. You couldn’t why, you find out all the things they were doing. Why didn’t they do it, they didn’t want to do it. Why don’t I do what the Lord tells me to do, I don’t want to. You think I will stand before him and say Lord you commanded me to do that but I couldn’t? You didn’t provide sufficient resources for me Lord to do what you commanded me to do; it’s your fault Lord not mine. Nobody is going to stand before the Lord, nobody and give that kind of account, it’s not going to happen. So when we stand before the Lord, we’re given account. Do we do it? He commands me to do it and no doubt it ends here. The God of peace will be with you. Verse 7 if you do what you’re told the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

You understand, the God of peace will be with you at the end of verse 9. You know why we don’t experience the peace of God in its fullness; we won’t do it what God tells us to do. Now if we are not his children, there is no piece says my God is wicked. But as his children, he wants us to have his peace more than he wants us to have his peace he commands us to do what will bring fullness of peace in our everyday life, what a blessing. I don’t know what trials you are going through, you don’t know what trials I am going through. We look around and sometimes we think I am the only person going through these kinds of things don’t know what the person next to you doing.

Before I came up to preach after our last song and said do you all know greet one another. The person next to you probably didn’t turn around you and say you know my life is overwhelming now, I am going through all kind of trouble and says, how are you doing, you said good I am going good too. They went away saying why he’s here if he’s doing good and I am not. Well, we don’t know what’s going on in their life do we? You know what, every one of us is a believer no matter what we’re going to we know we can have the peace of God. That stands guard at our hearts and mind and all this is going on, on the outside, all this is going on to us in the circumstances of life and it’s like on the inside I am in a bubble protected and secured because the God of peace is with me and thus his peace stands guard at my heart and mind. That’s our provision, that’s our portion in a world of trouble and turmoil praise God for it.

Let’s pray. Thank you Lord for your goodness and blessing in every way. Thank you for all you’ve provided for us in your son Jesus Christ. Lord, how sad that we should forgo these wonderful blessings, your joy, your peace because we don’t want to obey. Even as your children we can be stubborn, we can find excuses for our disobedience. Lord, how we forfeit and give up the blessings we could be enjoying. It’s not physical trials, it’s not pain, not the troubles of the life that take away our peace and happiness and joy, it’s our unwillingness to obey you.

Lord, thank you for this precious portion of your word. Thank you Lord no matter what is taking place in our lives, no matter what the difficulties are that are pressing in upon us even today you are sufficient. We can be content knowing that you will provide. We don’t have tomorrow’s answers today, but we have you as our God that is our sufficiency, that is ultimately our peace and joy. We praise you for in Christ’s name, amen.