Finding Peace (Philippians 3:17-4:9)

Many people here have put their faith in Christ, yet they don't feel peace in their lives. If God promises peace, why don't we experience peace? This morning we looked at this promise and understood how we could have peace with God through Jesus. Tonight we are going to look at having the peace of God through Jesus. The peace of God is an inner peace that God has given us through understanding him more fully. Some of us may not feel that inner peace, or we may not know how to acquire it. I hope our study tonight especially helps you as it has helped me.

Promises of Peace and Violence

Peaceful People

One of the things we talked about this morning is God's ability to make peace between people. He promised to make the lamb and the wolf lie down together. He promised that the knowledge of the Lord would cause people from radically different backgrounds to join on his holy mountain to find glorious rest. (Isaiah 11:6-10)

But right now, we are away from that glorious rest. It is guaranteed to us after this life. So while we live here, we face struggle and hardship. There is no promise that the world will accept us or that we will enjoy comfort all our days. Those things are nice, but we will more likely experience persecution and suffering for our beliefs. Did you know the Old Testament promises that as well?

Angry Nations

Many texts warn us that there is a great battle coming. All the nations will continue to rage against the Lord and his anointed. Ezekiel 38-39 tells us that all the nations will assemble against God's people. God's people will be protected, but they will be attacked. God will demonstrate his power and authority by dominating and destroying those nations that rise against him. In Zechariah, God even seems to promise that many of his people will fall. In Chapter 13, God says that their own family will betray them and come up against them, but they will stand firm and receive punishment for their faith.

Zechariah 13:7--9 (ESV) --- 7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the Lord of hosts. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones. 8 In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. 9 And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”

They will seem to be defeated by Satan, but they aren't defeated. God will let them die for his cause, but he will refine some to the praise of his glory. Eventually, all the nations will come submitting to the will of God. God will be king over all the earth.

Do These Contradict?

As we look at prophecies like these, we might be tempted to think that they contradict the prophecies about peace. But we saw this morning how there is peace on God's holy mountain. We have peace with God and with each other through the sacrifice and rule of Jesus. He has joined us to one another so that we can be a dwelling place of God. But that's not all. We can have internal peace and joy on earth thanks to all that Jesus has done for us and thanks to the Holy Spirit who revealed it to us. It's not as though suffering disappears, at least not yet. But we can learn how to face suffering with peace and joy in our hearts. We might hear that and think, "How could we have peace when the world around us is falling apart?" Let's look at what Jesus says about stress and anxiety. Then, we will see two instances of extreme anxiety and fear and see what we can learn about peace.

Jesus Teaches Us About Internal Peace

In Matthew, we have seen a few sections where he prepares his disciples for the difficulties of life, disturbing our peace. Let's look at two of these.

Jesus' Teaching On Anxiety

We have already gone over both of these teachings in our study of Matthew. The first is from the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 6:19--21 (ESV) --- 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 6:25--33 (ESV) --- 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Notice Jesus' teaching is overall very encouraging. It is meant to give us peace when things look dark. We can know that God is still in control, he sees our suffering, he rewards us for sacrifice, and he can provide us with the necessities. We need to seek first his kingdom, and God will add all these things to us. This tells us that God will be with us, and we can have peace if we trust him to take care of us.

Jesus' Teaching On Suffering

Next, we will skip ahead to see what Jesus promises his disciples in Matthew 10.

Matthew 10:24--39 (ESV) --- 24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. 26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. 34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

This teaching of Jesus tells us that, in a sense, there will be no peace while we live on earth. There will be conflict and fighting from within. Each disciple will have to take up their own cross and follow Jesus, acknowledging him as their savior. He promises that difficulty will come if we live like Jesus lived and truly follow him. That doesn't sound very peaceful, and it's not. But he repeated the idea that there is peace in knowing God is with you through the battle. He knows the number of hair on your head. That's a pretty intimate knowledge of your current situation. After saying all of this, he once again promises a reward to those who are faithful.

We need to understand that, as a follower of Christ, life may not be easy. In some ways, life will be tough. But is God true to his promise of peace? Do we experience peace in knowing that God is intimately involved in our lives? Jesus reveals that to us. He tells us that God has the power to take care of each one of us, and he wants to do that for us. We don't have to have anxiety or worry because God is always there, watching over every event.

There is not a bad event that happens to us outside of his knowledge and understanding. This is what Jesus wants us to know. Maybe some of us are going through a trial right now. We were hoping and praying for something to happen differently, but it didn't. Do we feel sorrow and grieving? Have we felt anxiety and fear? We know what that's like. Is it possible to overcome those feelings? I want us to now look at two examples of stressful situations and see what we can learn.

The Disciples Face Losing Jesus

Again, I would like for us to look at the last words of Jesus to his disciples. Before he is crucified, listen to what he says to them.

John 14:26--31 (ESV) --- 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

Notice that Jesus tells his disciples he is about to leave them. They are about to go through one of the most anxious times in their lives. Imagine Jesus, your master teacher, being crucified as a criminal. How would you feel as one of his disciples? Can you imagine the fear and anxiety? But Jesus tells them that the Holy Spirit will explain everything to them. He says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." Most of us would struggle to find peace at a time like this. He wants them to have his peace, but this peace is not like the world gives peace. What does that mean?

The world gives temporary peace when we align with what they want us to believe, but Jesus promises something better! The thing is that most of us want to hang out in a neutral zone. If two countries are at war, we want to stay out of it. We want peace in that way. We want to avoid that conflict. But really, there is no peace in that. One side will win, and what will the winning side do? What will the losing side do? We don't know, but we think it's best to sit this one out. The moment we join one side or the other, we will have that fake peace disrupted. Now imagine we joined the side that will undoubtedly win. We will have much greater peace, but we will still have conflict. You still have an enemy until the battle is over.

There is no doubt that struggle and difficulty will come in this life. Becoming a Christian does not remove that. Jesus tells his disciples that they don't have to have troubled hearts or be afraid because Satan will not win. They can't see what is actually happening. It's like they only see in two dimensions, and they have no idea about the third dimension where Jesus is going. But he tells his disciples that everything will be okay even though there is great trouble ahead. They can rejoice in knowing that Jesus is with the Father and he is coming back.

There is no escaping the effects of evil in the world. This may seem like a contradiction to the promise of peace, but Jesus promises peace amid a world full of anxiety and stress. He gives us peace through knowing that our God will win, and we can join his side. Jesus himself becomes the fulfillment of the promise as he suffers and comes out the other side with a new body.

Paul Faces Death

Let's look again at the book of Philippians. Philippians teaches so much about how to handle anxieties and stresses in this life. We did an overview of this book last month and saw how encouraging it is. Paul is in prison, facing execution, but he is rejoicing, and he says, "To live is Christ, to die is gain." He is handling a stressful situation with complete peace and tranquility. How?

The world tells us stoicism is the answer. The stoics expect to suffer and embrace it. Their solution is to stop being emotional about things that we can't control. Essentially, let your heart turn cold and stop caring so much. Lower your expectations, and you won't be disappointed.

Is that what Paul is doing? No, Paul is not cold or callous. He recognizes that he has a more excellent hope after this life. He can lose everything on earth for Christ and lay up great treasures in heaven. That is why he is at peace. He understands that losing the temporary things on earth for Christ is a blessing. He is about to reap a huge reward! It's no fun to lose our temporary things, but they are temporary. If we lose them for Jesus' sake, think about the reward! He let go of the temporary things to find the eternal blessings. Not everyone accepts this idea.

Peace In The Eternal

Philippians 3:18--4:1 (ESV) --- 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. 1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

Some fold to the anxieties of bearing the cross for Christ. Their heart is pursuing the things in this world instead of pursuing the things of God. They set their minds on earthly things instead of heavenly things. Do we see how this is the exact opposite of what Paul does? Why does Paul have peace? He believes that he is a citizen in heaven. He believes that God will transform his body like he did Jesus' body. This gives him peace because he knows that his last breath in this body will result in his first in a new immortal, glorious body.

We are not like those who have no hope. We are not like those who fear losing everything on earth that we have obtained. We see an eternal reward if we lose it for Christ's sake. So we stand firm with complete peace.

I talked to Mrs. Tommy Sue a few months back, and she made it clear that she is not afraid to lose everything. She is not trusting in the things of this world. She is ready for a new body, and she fully believes that God will be faithful to provide that to her. She has peace.

Peace In Unity

Philippians 4:2--3 (ESV) --- 2 I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Notice that Paul asks for two ladies at the church to have peace with one another. How would you like to be Euodia and Syntyche when the Philippians read that letter? Maybe one is a wolf, and another is a lamb, but there can be peace. They are workers in the kingdom, and their names are in the book of life.

Peace In God's Presence

Philippians 4:4--7 (ESV) --- 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.

Paul tells them to rejoice always. Then he repeats it. Why? Because a glorious, eternal body is worth rejoicing over! Then, he says, "Let your reasonableness be known to everyone." Other translations say gentleness or graciousness. The word used here doesn't have a perfect English equivalent, but we can get the picture. Paul calls for them to be peaceful, reasonable, gentle, and gracious. This is what Paul is doing as he writes to them. The peace he experiences transforms him from one who has Christians killed to a peaceful, gentle, and gracious person.

Why does Paul have peace that transforms him? Why is Paul able to tell them, "Do not be anxious about anything?" He says, "The Lord is at hand." Jesus loves them and cares for them in every struggle. He doesn't let them suffer without feeling a tender love and care for them. Do we know that Jesus is with us in every trial?

But that's not all. He gives them instructions for how to experience peace when those anxieties start coming. He commands them not to be anxious, but he also tells them they can pray with thanksgiving. He says that we can let our requests be known to God. He is listening and wants to know the struggles of our heart. But this is not complaining prayer. This is a prayer full of thanksgiving. Imagine the benefits of thanking God when we experience a horrible situation in life.

When anxieties come, we must turn them over to God. God wants to hear every single one. As parents, we get tired of hearing the little fears and anxieties of our children. They get scared of the dark, and we don't understand it. So we write it off. God doesn't do that. God hears every anxiety, and he wants to help. When we pray to God with thanksgiving because we know that God loves us and cares for us, there is a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Paul needs that peace to face death by execution. Without peace and a thankful heart, he wouldn't be able to deal with the tremendous anxiety and struggle that will come. We have to remember that there is hope on the other side of the temporary suffering and be thankful. Our minds need to be trained to remember the truth about who God is and what he has promised us. Notice what Paul tells us to think about.

Philippians 4:8--9 (ESV) --- 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.

Paul gives us a mind exercise. It's a way for us to weed out the negative thoughts that come into our minds. He wants us to focus on what is true. So many times, we tell ourselves something that is not true. We might say, "I'm going to get COVID and die," "No one is doing any work in this congregation," or "God doesn't love me." These negative thoughts are all completely untrue. Some are untrue because we are stating something that we don't know for sure, while others are untrue because things are not as they appear. We must ask ourselves, "What is true?" The truth will set us free!

He then talks about thinking about ideas that are honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. That's a long list that excludes anything worldly, corrupt, or evil. Paul wants us to replace the evil thoughts of the world. He wants us to have a renewed mind and heart that is purely devoted to God. When we let evil thoughts invade our minds, we lose peace. We can't love God and love evil. Evil should repulse us, and we should want to exterminate it from our minds. As long as we have hearts and minds focusing on what is good, God is with us. He sees the love in our hearts, and he wants to help us.

Conclusion

Jesus brings us peace with God, and this peace with God results in conflict with the world. But, if God is for us, who can stand against us? Rest assured that God loves his children and takes good care of them in all of life's situations. The promise of peace is sometimes confusing while we live on earth, but it will become much clearer after this life is over. All of Jesus' enemies will be cast out, and he will welcome all of his brothers and sisters into God's house forever. Even the suffering and sacrifices we go through in this life result in a great eternal reward. So what do we have to fear? The life to come will be far more glorious than this one if we remain faithful.