“How to Get from Anxiety to Contentment, Joy, and Peace”
July 27, 2008 Php 4(4-13) Play
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No Worries
● many anxieties at various stages in life
● Paul’s surprising joy in distressing circumstances
Intangible Unending Joy
● rejoice in the Lord - not reputation / appetites
(3:1; 4:4)
● joy comes when get right with God, confessing sin
(Ps 32:10f)
● Paul rejoiced in converts who were an eternal
‘crown’ (4:1)
Agreeability: People-skills & Sensitivity
● pleads with two women to agree in the Lord (2f)
● gentleness in view of Lord’s being ‘boss’ (5)
Prayerful Carefree-ness
● cast anxieties on God who cares; present requests
with thanksgiving (6; 1Pet 5:7)
Protective Peace
● God’s peace guards heart/mind in Jesus: goes beyond
reasoning (7)
Selective Squelch
● in thinking, filter out what’s
true/noble/right/pure/lovely/admirable/excellent/praiseworthy (8)
● accountable to God for our thoughts (Heb 4:12;
1Chron 28:9)
Mentorability
● put into practice what learned from experienced
Christians (9)
Managing
● those in hardship learned how to ‘make do’
● Paul learned to cope in plenty or want: content
(11f)
Secret UPS
● secret of contentment Jesus’ strengthening: our
‘Uninterruptible Power Supply’ / charger / dynamo (13)
● Paul witnessed God sparing 276 lives despite
shipwreck (Acts 27)
Grace-based Giving
● Philippian church supported Paul repeatedly despite
own hardships (14ff; 2Cor 8:1ff)
● promise of God to meet our needs according to His
riches in Christ (19)
Forgot an Important Resource
● young son struggling with rock but overlooked
strong helper