(Philippians 4: 1-9)
Twice during my twenty-five year career as an attorney I had the privilege of representing indigent clients, defendants who were too poor to afford an attorney of their choosing. I call it a privilege because, as a court-appointed attorney, you really had to work to earn your client’s trust. If they had the money, they would hire a “free-world” lawyer who would really fight for them. Many times, they or their families would offer to pay me extra in exchange for me working harder. I wasn’t insulted and appreciated the sentiment as many of my clients were African Americans who felt the system was stacked against them. I would assure them that even though I was only making fifty dollars an hour I would work for them just as hard, if not harder, as if they were actually paying me. You see, court appointments were my bread and butter as I represented so many indigent clients, I was getting a steady monthly check from the different counties in which I practiced. The better I represented them the more appointments I got from the courts. Good for them, good for me.
But, I digress. What really stuck with me was their deep and abiding faith that Jesus would see them through to the other side. Jesus versus the State of Texas. No pressure there, me and Jesus, what could possibly go wrong? As most of my clients were black, young, and in jail, I would spend a lot of time talking with their grandparents in my office. I say grandparents because the parents of my young clients were usually lost somewhere to drugs or already in prison. Many times, I would be talking with their grandmother and, Teresa will tell you, that I firmly believe an African American grandmother is one of the strongest creatures on God’s green earth. They’ve been through so much, yet they present this inner peace, this joy, this faith in God that His will would be done, and they would convey this confidence to me. Mr. Scott, I have faith in you. Again, no pressure. Their faith, their conviction, their inner peace, their abiding love and joy would well up from the deep recesses of their souls like a fountain pouring forth bringing a calm assurance that God was in control.
So, as the Apostle Paul is closing out his letter to the church in Philippi he exhorts them to stand firm in the Lord because he knows they will face many trials, and that their lives on earth as Followers of the Way will be more than difficult. He knows that if they are to survive, they are going to have to pull together and be united in all things. This is why I think he went to great lengths to try and settle a dispute that was festering between two leaders in the church. He identifies the two leaders as Euodia and Syntyche, two women who have struggled beside him in the work of the church along with Clement and the rest of his co-workers whose names are in the book of life. We don’t know what the dispute was regarding because it doesn’t matter. Some issue had arisen over which the two women leaders differed, and it was causing a division within the church. Paul wanted them to get back on the same page and align their intentions with the will of the Lord Jesus. He knew that God’s mission turns on the unified witness of God’s people. As people within and without the church were sure to be watching, Paul didn’t want any mixed messaging on the gospel desiring that everyone pull together during these difficult times. Paul knew that when you have disunity among church leaders you end up with church splits and a confused message. He knows that as long as this issue continues to fester nothing else will get done.
He moves on exhorting them to; Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be know to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. At first, this letter from Paul seems strange as it is so upbeat. Afterall, he’s in prison facing a possible execution, yet he seems so positive and full of joy. He’s comforting them when it should be them comforting him. Paul was full of joy because deep down inside of him, in his soul, he knew that no matter what happened to him, Jesus Christ was with him and he was not discouraged. He’s telling us to be joyful. But it’s not the type of joy you experience when things are going well, and your life just couldn’t get any better. He’s talking about the joy that is the fruit of the Spirit. This deep, abiding joy manifests itself in a patient steadfastness even in the face of abuse and mistreatment. The joy Paul is talking about is possible regardless of circumstances with the key being your keeping near the Lord. What he’s telling us is that God’s people can be free from worry and anxiety by releasing them in prayer. By doing so, Christ-followers can live gratefully in the present no matter what troubles beset them, like the grandparents of my young black clients. This gratitude during times of trial and tribulation centers them in the moment and allows them to experience God’s abundance even when it seems they are about to lose something or someone near and dear. When God’s people recognize God’s provisions, release anxiety through prayer, and practice thanksgiving regardless of circumstances, peace prevails over their inner lives. This peace guards the present through a confidence in the security of the future. This is the kind of joy that flourishes in times of abundance and times of hardship.
Paul tells us to let our gentleness be known to everyone, as it should be one of the ways people describe you to others. We are to be gentle, reasonable, fair minded, and charitable to those outside the church, and not just to fellow believers. This means we are not to seek revenge against those who treat us unfairly, nor are we to be overly vocal about our personal rights. It reminds me of all the pity party tantrums I see on Facebook about all the things people claim they can’t do because of the pandemic with little, if any, mention about the devastation and misery it has caused others. Me, me, me! Gentle is not how I would describe them. Our job, our calling is to be the voice of the voiceless who are suffering and have no one to turn to.
And, he tells us not to worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let our requests be known to God. Imagine never being anxious about anything. It seems like an impossibility as we all have worries about our lives, our jobs, our health, our finances, our families and the uncertainty of the future. But Paul’s advice is to turn our worries into prayers. Now you may be thinking that’s easier said than done, and it can seem daunting. However, I was having one of those sleepless nights not long ago where I started worrying about one thing after another and I could feel the anxiety building in my chest. I then remembered a recent sermon I preached on anxiety where I referenced what Jesus said in Luke 12 about worry. Jesus asked; Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? God knows what we need and what is best for us, so let go and let God. I focused on that scripture and message and the next thing I knew it was time to get up. Whenever you start to worry, stop and pray and you’ll be surprised how your focus changes. Paul talks about the peace that comes from God that surpasses all understanding that will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. He’s telling us that God’s peace is very different from the world’s peace. True peace is not found in the power of positive thinking, in the absence of conflict, or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. It comes in our knowledge that our citizenship in Christ’s kingdom is sure, our destiny is set, and we can have victory over sin. Paul tells us to let God’s peace guard our hearts against anxiety, those things beyond our control.
Paul then says; Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about those things. He’s telling us to program our minds with thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. So, during those times when it seems like we are being assailed on all sides, we need to pause and ask God’s help in focusing our minds on what is good and pure. Sure, it takes practice, but it can be done and what a witness you’ll be to the calmness the peace that passes all understanding brings. Paul says that if you keep doing these things the God of peace will be with you.
So how do we stand firm in the Lord? We do it by keeping our eyes on Christ and remembering that this world is not our home and focusing on the fact that Christ will bring everything under his control. Standing firm means steadfastly resisting the negative influences we experience on a daily basis, and it requires perseverance when we are challenged or opposed. Even when it seems insurmountable, we don’t lose heart or give up as God promises to give us the strength of character to see it through. With the help of the Holy Spirit and fellow believers we can stay true to the Lord.
And how about that joy Paul was talking about? Well, if you haven’t been joyful lately, you may not be looking at life from the right perspective. Take joy in what you can do. Take joy in what we can do. Because we’re not going to let a little pandemic get in our way! Any why not? Because we’ve got joy like a fountain, that’s why.
Please pray with me.
Most gracious and loving God, what a peace we have in you that surpasses all understanding. A peace like a gently flowing river rippling with cool waters. A river running through our soul. And the joy we experience as your blessed children gushes forth as from a garden fountain bringing comfort and calm to a worried and troubled world. And, the love that dwells within us is as high as the highest mountain, a love that cannot be hidden or obscured, a love deep within our soul. A love that can only come from your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our savior. Amen.