SCRIPTURE; PHILIPPIANS 4
MEMORY VERSE:
‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: “Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4)
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)
“I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13)
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19)
EXHORTATIONS: (vs. 1-9)
- I plead with Euodia and Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. (vs. 2-3)
- Rejoice in the Lord always. (v. 4)
- Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (vs. 6-7)
- Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. (v. 8)
- Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (v. 9)
THANKS FOR THEIR GIFTS (vs. 10-20)
Paul had learned to be content whatever the circumstances. He could also do everything through Christ who gave him the strength. Paul also expressed his gratitude to the Philippians for sending aid to him many times when he was in need. He also acknowledged receipt of the gifts they sent to him through Epaphroditus. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And he gave this blessing to them: ” And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
FINAL GREETINGS (vs. 21-23)
Greet all the saints in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me send greetings. All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen”
THOUGHTS:
Let us stay true to the Lord by keeping our eyes on Christ, remember that this world is not our permanent home. We should focus on the fact that Christ will bring everything under his control.
There were two women workers in the Philippian church – Euodia and Syntyche who had a broken relationship. Paul pleaded with fellow yoke-fellow to help him reconcile them. Do you have any broken relationships with any believers in Christ? There is no excuse for remaining unreconciled. Do it now.
In spite of being in prison, Paul was full of joy because he knew that Jesus Christ was with him. Paul’s attitude taught us that our inner attitudes do not have to reflect our outward circumstances. Paul advised us to turn our worries into prayer. Let us not become discouraged about unpleasant circumstances or take unimportant matters too seriously. Start to pray and trust God to ease out all your worries. Then you can experience joy because the ultimate joy comes from Christ dwelling within you.
God’s peace is different from the world’s peace. True peace comes from knowing that God is in control of everything. Let God’s peace guard your heart against anxiety because our citizenship is in heaven.
Paul told us to program our mind with thoughts that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise. There are plenty of harmful thoughts that come into our minds through television, books, conversations, movies and magazines. Replace them with daily devotion of reading God’s word and prayer. Put God’s word into practice and ask God to help you focus your mind on what is good and pure.
Paul learned to be content whether he had plenty or whether he was in need. He was drawing God’s power for strength. How about you? Are you discontented because you do not have what you want? Detach yourself from the nonessentials so that you can concentrate on the eternal. True contentment lies in your perspective, priorities and your source of power. So, learn to rely on God’s promises and Christ’s power to help you be content. He will supply your needs in a way that is best for you. But remember, there is a difference between wants and needs.
When Paul said “I can do everything through him who gives me strength”, it does not mean that God will grant us superhuman ability to accomplish anything we can imagine without regard to his interest. Instead, it means that we can receive his power to do his will and to face the challenges that arise from our commitment to do it.
According to Warren Wiersbe:
- The message of our ministry is the gospel of Christ.
- The model of our ministry is the example of Christ.
- The motive for our ministry is the reward of Christ.