Five ways to stand firm

in
Speaker: 
Andrew Fountain
Date: 
Sun, 2018-04-22

Sermon Outline - Five ways to stand firm

  • Series on Philippians

Goal

That we all stand firm in Jesus Christ, putting these 5 ways into practice in our lives

  • Recap Parts 1–6
  • Today’s passage: Phil 4:1–9

Recap

Philippians 1

  1. I thank my God every time I remember you.
  2. I always pray with joy in my every prayer for all of you
  3. For it is right for me to think this about all of you, because I have you in my heart...
  4. For God is my witness that I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:6–11

  • Equality with God the Father
    • Humbled himself to be born a man
      • Obedient, even to death
        • The most shameful death—the cross
      • Exalted by the father
    • Every knee will bow to him
  • Acknowledging that he is fully God
  • Fourth week:
  • Fifth week: Phil 3
  • Sixth week:

Philippians 4:13

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Overview of the Passage

Philippians 4:1–9

  1. Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown,
          stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved
  2. Euodia I appeal to you and Suntucke I appeal to you: agree in the Lord!
  3. Yes I ask also of you, true companion, to help these
          who in the gospel fought together side by side with me
          together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers,
                whose names are in the book of life.
  4. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!
  5. Let your gentle reasonableness be evident to all.
          The Lord is near!
  6. Be anxious about nothing
          but in everything by prayer [worshipful] and petition [expressing need] with thanksgiving
                let your requests be made known to God.
  7. And the peace of God [his own peace]
          which surpasses all understanding
                will stand guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus
  8. Finally brothers and sisters
          whatever is true,
          whatever is honourable
          whatever is just
          whatever is pure
          whatever is lovely
          whatever is commendable
          if something is excellent or praiseworthy,
                think about these things.
  9. And what you learned and received and heard and saw in me
          put these things into practice,
                and the God of peace will be with you.

based on NET Bible with some changes by amf

Stand firm! —how?

  1. Bring harmony to others (v.2–3)
  2. Build joy (v.4)
  3. Develop a special kind of “gentle reasonableness” (v.5)
  4. Be secure in God’s peace (v.6–7)
  5. Fill your mind with the right stuff (v.8)

1. Bring harmony to others (v.2–3)

Who is the “True Companion” v.3?

  1. Suzugus
  2. Luke (Acts we->they)
  3. Paul’s wife
  4. Unkown to us, but they would know
  5. The whole church united like a single person
  6. “One of you, please show yourself as a true companion”

2. Build joy (v.4)

Christianity Today

“Clinical trials indicate that the practice of gratitude can have dramatic and lasting positive effects in a person’s life. It can lower blood pressure, improve immune function, promote happiness and well-being, and spur acts of helpfulness, generosity, and cooperation.” Aug 8, 2017

Christianity Today cont’d

Emmons defines gratitude as such: “Feelings of gratitude are anchored in two essential pieces of information processed by an individual: (a) an affirming of goodness or ‘good things’ in one’s life and (b) the recognition that the sources of this goodness lie at least partially outside ourselves.” So gratitude is recognizing that our life is a gift, no matter our circumstances and realizing that this goodness does not come from our efforts alone.

3. Develop a special kind of “gentle reasonableness” (v.5)

v.5 gentleness

  • “One of the truly great Greek words that is almost untranslatable” (H. A. Kent)
  • “not standing on your rights, but generously open to reason.” (Hawthorne)

“Such words as gentle, yielding, kind, forbearing and lenient are the best English attempts, but no single work is adequate. Involved is the willingness to yield one’s personal rights and to show consideration and gentleness to others.
It is easy to display this quality toward some persons, but Paul commands that it be shown toward all. That would seem to include Christian friends, unsaved persecutors, false teachers—anyone at all. Of course, truth is not to be sacrificed, but a gentle spirit will do much to disarm the adversary.” (H. A. Kent)

4. Be secure in God’s peace (v.6–7)

5. Fill your mind with the right stuff (v.8)

Think about things that are:

  • True has the sense of valid, reliable, and honest— the opposite of false. It characterizes God (Rom 3:4) and should also characterize believers.
  • Noble honest, honourable, worthy, denotes a quality that makes people worthy of respect.
  • Right refers to what is upright or just, conformable to God’s standards and thus worthy of his approval.
  • Pure emphasizes moral purity and includes in some contexts the more restricted sense of ‘chaste’
  • Lovely occurs only here in the New Testament and “relates to what is pleasing and leads to affection
  • Admirable denotes what is praiseworthy, attractive, and what rings true to the highest standards

Summary

That we all stand firm in Jesus Christ, putting these 5 ways into practice in our lives, as we:

  1. Bring harmony to others (v.2–3)
  2. Build joy (v.4)
  3. Develop a special kind of “gentle reasonableness” (v.5)
  4. Be secure in God’s peace (v.6–7)
  5. Fill your mind with the right stuff (v.8)

Updated on 2018-04-23 by Andrew Fountain