IN THE PURSUIT OF PEACE - I

Philippians 4:4
Bob Bonner
September 14, 2008

Over 200 years ago, a young nation set out on a course of history that was dubbed “The Great Experiment.” Our founding fathers, brilliant, learned, and many of them God-fearing, put down on paper their reasons for declaring their rightful independence from the rule of Britain. This is known as the Declaration of Independence. They then went on to spell out in detail, in the Constitution of the United States, how this great experiment, a democratic government, would operate.

In the famous “Preamble,” the opening words to the Declaration of Independence, we read these famous words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

For more than two hundred years, millions of men, women, and children have enjoyed living a life of freedom few other countries in history have ever experienced. Along with that freedom, we Americans have pursued happiness as our goal in life like no other nation.

Yet, after more than two hundred years of our pursuit of happiness, few Americans admit, after examining their lives closely, that they are truly happy. The lack of personal happiness has been the ongoing excuse for the dissolution of marriages, constant career changes, moves to different parts of the country, addictions, and all sorts of crime. Why, after all this time, haven’t we made more headway in capturing this elusive prize of being happy? Why are there so many unhappy people among us?

The answer lies in the word “pursuit.” To pursue something suggests that it’s outside of us, that it’s somewhere “out there” needing to be discovered or caught. But happiness doesn’t come from without; it comes from within. It is not dependent upon outward circumstances but upon an inner mindset. Happiness is the result of a choice, not a pursuit.

Holocaust survivor Dr. Viktor Frankl wrote, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” [Man’s Search For Meaning, p.86] If we pursue happiness instead of choosing joy, we will become as Frankl put it, “plaything[s] of circumstance.” [p.87] Our inner peace will be tossed back and forth according to the whim of events that are often beyond our control.

But if we exercise our “right” to choose our attitude—the one basic freedom that can’t be taken away from us—we can choose joy even in the midst of the cruelest of situations. Many of us search desperately for circumstances that will make us happy (more money, marriage, having kids, a vocation, a prestigious position or title, body enhancement procedures and treatments, travel, vacation, retirement, hobbies) while others deliberately choose joy despite the ever-changing panorama of health or external circumstances or needy people in their lives. If contrasted, these two different approaches or mindsets might look something like this:       

   Negative mindset (happiness)         Positive mindset (joy)

   Those who need certain things        Those who need virtually

   before they can be joyful             nothing tangible to give

                                   them joy

   Those who are dependent upon       Those who create their own

   others to provide joy                reasons for joy

   Those who see joy as being          Those who see it now,

   “out there” or always in the future      making it a present reality 

However, it’s not enough to simply say, “I choose to be joyful.” To choose joy means that we set our minds on the right kinds of things that specifically bring about joy.  For instance, think of the mind as a bank that regularly receives deposits. By depositing the right kinds of thoughts, we build up and draw on a rich account that will constantly yield a high dividend called joy. On the other hand, by depositing the wrong kinds of thoughts, we can only build up and draw upon an account from which low dividends yield disappoint, discouragement, and depression.

The goldmine that is rich and guaranteed to hold deposits for the kinds of thoughts that will yield a dividend of joy is the Word of God. In fact, in our next section of study in the Bible, Philippians 4:4-9, we will see a rich vein of golden thought material that, if dug out and deposited to your personal mental account, will produce genuine joy.

Before we begin our study of this final section in Paul’s letter to the Philippians, let’s understand how it is that Paul comes to be writing about this subject of “joy” to these believers at Philippi.

If you have been following our study of Philippians, you know that this small first century church or body of believers were dear friends of the Apostle Paul. Twelve years previous to Paul’s writing this letter, Paul first led a few women to Christ and then some prominent men, and suddenly, the church at Philippi was born. Of all the church plants the Apostle Paul was involved in, these people had won his heart more so than any other fellowship of believers. Their passion to know Jesus, to love one another, to encourage one another to grow up spiritually based on the truth of the gospel, and most specifically, their shared joy of reaching the lost with the gospel is what knit their hearts to Paul’s. They were a kindred spirit.

But as is often the case, church families that start off strong and unified in purpose don’t naturally stay that way. To live harmoniously, as in being a husband and wife, takes a deliberate commitment to the purpose or the goal of the body. In this case, their commitment originally was to Jesus Christ and the cause of the Gospel, but over the years, disagreements arose that were not handled properly. Christians within the church took their eyes off Christ and the progress of the gospel and chose to pursue their personal interests more than the interests of Christ. Personal pride and arrogance ruled the day, rather than humility.

By the time Paul penned this letter to his dear friends, the church was facing serious disunity, turmoil, and a lack of joy. As we come to the fourth chapter, we see that Paul finally and directly points to their problem, with the hope that they will take his correction to do what is right in the sight of the Lord. He exhorts them in verse 1 to “stand firm in the Lord,” and as we saw last time, that meant to humbly remain unified for the cause of Christ.

Following that appeal, Paul gives a series of imperatives as to how they are to stand firm. They begin in verse 2 and carry through to verse 9. There are two major dividing points in these verses. The first we have already covered, in verses 2-3, in which Paul points out that their unity needs to be restored. Our passage for this morning introduces the second major dividing point that covers their need to maintain their personal and corporate peace with each other and God. The theme of corporate and personal peace is the overriding topic of verses 4-9. The obvious connection between these two major points is that if you don’t have tranquility or peace between believers, it is very difficult if not impossible to work in a unified manner for the cause of the Gospel.

The second major section, verses 4-9, divides into two parts. Each part concludes with a promise concerning peace, which is preceded by several imperatives that must be followed for one to personally experience the promises. The first part concludes with the promise concerning experiencing the peace of God, in verse 7. As we will see, this promise is based on four commands. In particular, these verses speak to those occasions in life when peace is lacking, and they lay out for us the secret to regaining that peace.  The second part concludes with verse 9 and concerns experiencing the presence of the God of peace; it’s predicated on two commands.

Because of the context and because of Paul’s use of plurality in all of his commands, these directives toward peace are aimed at the corporate church as a whole, which in the Philippians’ case was not experiencing peace but conflict. In these verses, Paul lays out steps to peace that must be implemented individually, but the end purpose is not just the individual’s personal ability to enjoy peace, but that of the church as a whole as well. Not only is maintaining tranquility necessary for the body of Christ to function together, it is also necessary to live an individually meaningful life.

From just the structure of Paul’s argument, one major conclusion is obvious, and he wants us as readers to come to it by the end of this section:  If we want to enjoy the promise of the peace of God and the promise of the presence of the God of peace, we must obey the commands of God as laid out for us in these verses. To ignore any of them will short-circuit the enjoyment of the peace promised in these verses.

Before we begin to look at the individual parts of this section of scripture, let’s read all of it first. Beginning with verse 4, Paul writes:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your

gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious

for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with

thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will

guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally,

brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is

right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good

repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of

praise, let your mind dwell on these things. The things you

have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice

these things; and the God of peace shall be with you. 

As we read this passage, whose overall theme is that of finding or making true peace, we see that, according to verse 4, learning to rejoice is a part of that package of promised peace. Joy is necessary for discovering personal peace.  In addition, this passage is teaching us that the degree to which the group of individuals who make up the local corporate body of Christ learn to rejoice in Christ together, the extent to which they can effectively serve the cause of Christ is determined.

As many have observed in their study of Philippians, the term “joy” or some form of it is used many times throughout this letter--16 times to be exact. Hence, this concept of rejoicing is one of the major themes of this letter. Allow me to remind you again of what I said in the beginning: There is a big difference between joy and happiness. Joy and happiness are not the same thing.

Happiness depends upon circumstances. In fact the word for “happiness” comes from the same root word as “happenings.” It means that something good has happened to you. Because circumstances can bring about happiness, circumstances can also make happiness dissolve into thin air.

Joy, on the other hand defies circumstances. It can coexist with doubt, ambiguity, tragedy, and pain. Joy deals more with an attitude, a focus that breeds a contentment that exists beyond one’s circumstances. This joy breeds an indestructible kind of confidence; and as our passage teaches us, it ultimately forms the foundation of our inner peace.

Paul knew that this attitude of rejoicing was absent in Philippi.  And he was aware of the many circumstances surrounding the lives of the Philippians that probably left them feeling discouraged or unhappy. Their dear friend and hero Paul was in prison and likely to die, Epaphroditus was sick unto death, and much antagonism was surrounding them from unbelievers and Roman patriots, to name just a few of the circumstances that were affecting their mindsets. Added to these disheartening outward circumstances was the inner friction/division among their fellow Christians. All of this contributed to the spirit of discouragement and a lack of happiness.

Into this situation, Paul commands them to rejoice. He knows they need to return to a proper focus. They have lost perspective; they have lost the mind of Christ. Hence, he gives them his first imperative, his first step to personal and corporate peace. He tells them to “rejoice in the Lord.”  Right there, Paul introduces us to an important principle: Spiritual, emotional, and mental stability is directly related to how a person thinks about God.  In other words, does your life’s focus begin with you and your circumstances or with what you know of God and His purposes?

Knowledge of God is the key to rejoicing. Those who know the great truths about God and His promises find it easier to rejoice even during tough times. Those with little knowledge of Him find it difficult to rejoice. And where does that knowledge about God come from? From His Word.  It is the only guaranteed source we can go to to get the correct and full truth about God.

Understanding this, we see why so many of us lack true joy--we have not become students of God’s word. We leave the study of God’s word to the preachers, the elders, the Sunday School teachers, 5-10% of the church family, and expect the whole family to then be able to rejoice and be spiritually, mentally, and emotionally healthy. Well, let me ask you this: Would you be able to function well if only 10% of your physical body were healthy? No!  From years of ministry I have seen this principle lived out: The degree to which an individual and the individual local church takes seriously the study and the implementation of the truth of God’s Word will be the degree to which they are spiritually, mentally, and emotionally healthy.

God’s word was written and preserved by God for you to take in. It is your sustenance for life. It is from that knowledge of God, the repeated recitation of the truth about Him, and the singing of His nature and attributes that believers discover this joy and are able to rejoice regardless of harsh or painful circumstances. When one walks in the knowledge of God, Christ’s joy flows forth from one’s life.

To counteract this attitude of discontent and division in the church at Philippi, Paul prescribes rejoicing in the Lord. He even repeats this charge to rejoice for greater emphasis. Paul is not urging us to be unrealistic. He is not saying that we should never feel sad. That would be telling us to turn a blind eye to the very real circumstances that surround us. Even Jesus was sad and wept at times. Just check out John 11:35 and the circumstances surrounding it that brought great sadness to Christ. Paul is not discounting the reality and correctness of feeling sad at times. What he is doing here is advocating a focus on the blessings, promises, and hope we have in Christ and a gratefulness for those things, regardless of how sad we may feel at any particular time. In doing so we can rejoice, which will lead to peace and the ability to continue on for the Lord, rather than a paralization by our circumstances, hurts, and misunderstandings. Paul is challenging his dear friends; he is commanding them to have a different focus or mindset during trying times than the one that had crept over them. And this new mindset was to be shared by all. They were all to be “of the same mind.”

As Paul says in verse 4, this ability to rejoice is “in the Lord.” It is predicated on one’s relationship with the Lord, one’s focus on Him, and on a life in which one continually abides or depends upon Him for maintaining the proper perspective, for being enabled to carry on during tough times, and for seeing His direction in confusing times.

Hence in order to survive difficult times, to “rejoice in the Lord” is not an option for the believer. Because it is commanded, the joy Paul talks about here is not something based on an emotion, because one cannot be commanded to feel an emotion. You can be commanded to act or to have a proper attitude, but not to emote.  You can tell someone to change their attitude, and you can point them in the right direction to do so, but you cannot force them to change their feelings. However, often if one’s attitude and focus is correct, feelings will change.

The secret to true joy is to pursue Christ, to know Him more intimately.  It comes from deliberately cultivating a Christ-centered mindset, so that when hurts, disappointments, and tensions bring us down, we will remain stable, because our focus is in the Lord.  Check out Paul’s instructions to the Christians in the church at Colossae in Colossians 3:1-4. There, we read these words, “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth (your temporal circumstances).”

As we continue our study through Philippians 4:4-9, it will become more apparent that how we respond to each other and life in general, whether it be a right response or wrong response, will be determined by our focus and perspective, whether it is Biblical or not, and what we consider to be preeminently important to our lives. If we keep our focus on Christ and His ultimate purposes rather than our circumstances or our self interests as to how we would like to see ministry done, then because we have the same mind in Christ, God will work through our lives and powerfully impact those around us.

Just look the outcome of rejoicing in the Lord with a proper mindset in the first days of the church’s ministry. In Acts 5:40-42, following the arrest of the apostles by the Pharisees, we read:

After calling the Apostles in, they flogged them and ordered

them to speak no more in the name of Jesus, and then released

them. So they went on their way from the presence of the

Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to

suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and

from house to house they kept right on reaching and preaching

Jesus as the Christ.

One more note from Philippians 4:4. Let’s not miss Paul’s words that our rejoicing is to be at “all times” whether there is opposition from without (non-Christians, Judiazers, the Roman government, or the patriots of Rome) or from within (fellow believers). He says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” That means regardless of the day, whether it brings problems without or within, temptations, or clear sailing on cloud nine, we are commanded to rejoice.

To rejoice in Christ is something the apostle had commanded earlier in 3:1. And as is typical of Paul, he never commands us to do anything that he himself has not practiced. In this epistle, he abundantly illustrates from his own life that regardless of one’s circumstances, one can still rejoice. He endured trouble from the Pharisees, was falsely accused of desecrating the temple in Jerusalem, dragged out of there by a lynch mob, and nearly beaten to death before the Roman soldiers intervened. He was wrongfully bound with chains and taken to their barracks. He was transported to Caesarea, where governor Felix couldn’t decide what to do with him and left him in prison for two years for his successor, Porcius Festus, to deal with. But Festus couldn’t decide either. Eventually, claiming his rights as a Roman Citizen, Paul was shipped off to Rome. In route, he endured a shipwreck. He spent the next two years under house arrest, chained constantly to guards. While in prison, his own Christian brothers in Rome slandered him and his ministry. Yet, despite these immense injustices and hardships, Paul continued to exercise his unalienable right to choose joy. Go back to 1:12-14, which reveals Paul’s mindset during these times. As we read these verses, notice how joy, perspective, and hope drip off his words, even though he never mentions joy, perspective, or hope.  He says:

Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have 

turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my

imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known

throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,

and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of

my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of

God without fear.

Paul’s focus was not on his injustice, but rather on working “for the greater progress of the gospel.” His focus was not on his own self interests but on the interests of Christ.

This morning, if you feel trapped by your circumstances and are unable to rejoice and find contentment and peace in the midst of your life, then check your focus. Are you really dialed in on seeking after Christ and His will for your life? Are you making your goal the pursuit of Him and His purposes? Or, are your personal interests the focal point of your pursuit?

If you find yourself unable to find relief from searching God’s Word, I understand. I too have been caught up in my circumstances and haven’t been able to see the forest through the trees. When that happens, I go to those who I know have made it their personal pursuit to seek the Lord and to those who have based the direction of their focus on the Word of God. Those are the only ones who are qualified to help me when I lose my ball in the weeds.

If you are wrestling with joy and are struggling to find help in God’s Word, then humble yourself before another believer who you know considers the word of God the priority of their life. Seek their counsel.

When you get sucked down by your circumstances, what do you do? Do you turn to the Word? Which passages enable you to find perspective in Christ? If you can’t get to the Word, to whom do you turn that will take you to the Word to help you find Christ’s mind in the matter?

If you or someone you know are finding it difficult to rejoice, is it due to your focus being on your life and circumstances or on what you know of God and His purposes?

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