Scripture: Philippians 4:4-13 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, 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 these things. As for the things that you have learned and received and heard and noticed in me, do them, and the God of peace will be with you. I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me but had no opportunity to show it. Not that I am referring to being in need, for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians is a letter from Paul that is filled with hope, encouragement, and instruction. Paul’s reason for writing was probably the convenience of having someone to deliver it. Epahphroditus has just delivered a gift from the Philippians for Paul’s support and is headed back to Phillipi. So, Paul sends a letter. It is not just any letter. This is a letter like one you would send to a good friend. Yes, the Philippians were having some challenges, and Pual addresses those, but the tone of the letter is as friend to friend. There were challenges from “outside” – that is from government harassment or Synagogue leaders. There were also difficulties from within the Philippian community. Finally there were challenges in individual lives. “Paul wanted to encourage them through example and exhortation to stand fast in their faith.”
I heard a great analogy the other day. The question was posed, “Are you a thermometer or a thermostat?” The speaker was addressing how we react to circumstances. A thermometer tests the temperature of the room or space we are in. How cold was it this morning? Was the house nice and warm? It points to the reality of our external circumstances, and implies our response, attitude, or well-being. One look at the thermometer outside, and we suddenly feel cold even though the house is nice and warm. Let’s get a little more real. You step into the office where you work and your boss or a co-worker you work closely with has had a bad day. They are grumpy and hard to please. At one point they call us down for failing to do an assigned task – even though that task is not due for several more days. We begin to feel picked on, and our defenses begin to kick in. “Who do they think they are treating me that way?!” Your day begins a spiral down. You may even get grumpy with others you work with. You end up in a rotten mood. That is reacting like a thermometer. So, there is an alternative. The thermostat is something takes into account the external circumstances or realities of the room but then chooses to control our response to them. It’s cold inside, so I’ll turn on the heat. We call on our resources at hand. Are we called on to design the heater? No. Just turn it up. Tap into the resources we have. Our internal thermostat at work would meet the same grumpy boss or co-worker. That person or situation probably won’t change, but our reaction to them can. Instead of taking their diatribe personally, you make allowances that they are having a bad day, and resolve to stay out of their way. Better yet, you turn up your thermostat and inquire about how they are doing. Maybe it is asking what you can do to help them through the job today. We set our internal temperature and ware able to weather the surroundings with some measure of peace and well-being. As Christians, we sometimes focus on the externals, and allow them to dictate our well-being. Or, even more troublesome, we focus on our own limitations and allow them to dictate our confidence and well-being. Paul has been pointing to issues they have been facing. Immediately before our passage, Paul talks about those who “live as enemies of the cross of Christ.” It has been hard for the Philippians, but Paul says that Christ “will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of His glory.” Turn up the thermostat! For example, our Church, since July, has been without a regular pastor. We could have put on the parking brake, shut off the engine, and just waited. Thermometer reaction! Instead, as a people called by God to minister in His name, we just kept going. Pam has been a wonderful asset insuring that we have had a speaker for every Sunday. Nancy Darland has been writing calls to worship and prayers, as well as Advent Candle lighting liturgies and even and Advent Family Activity. Tammy has taken over the leadership of the Tuesday morning Bible Study along with the help of the class members. Everyone has just continued to step into the ministries they have been called to. Beyond that, we have even seen a new ministry begun. “Wednesday’s Wonders”, a group for the young people in our congregation, was started by Amy Culbreath and others to meet the needs of those young people. We have also seen wonderful growth in our children’s church. We had 17 children in Children’s Church last week! We had a wonderful Christman program by the children! We chose to feel good about ourselves and, despite circumstances, keep on ministering – with gusto, and confidence. In Philippians 4, two words jumped out at me. Peace and Learned. Peace occurs twice in the passage (verse 7 and verse 9). It is speaking of the peace of the believer. It is an affirmation that God (the God of peace) will supply peace in your life. The second word, “learned” (verse 11 and verse 12), implies that gaining a thermostat quality in our lives is not a naturally occurring thing. It is something that we need to learn. Our passage offers four responses to circumstances, whether they be internal or external. Let’s look briefly at them. First - Rejoice in the Lord always! (v. 4) Paul is not suggesting that we rejoice when things are going our way. In fact, he is suggesting that we turn up our thermostat and rejoice even more when things are not going well. Circumstances do not change the fact that the God of peace is with us always. God with us – Emmanuel – means that we are never walking alone, and never without an advocate. He follows that up with an admonition not to worry about anything. (v. 6) Not only does he tell us not to be anxious, but he offers an antidote at the same time. “In everything, by prayers and supplication with thanksgiving let you requests be made known to God.” Turn up the thermostat! Even before answers are coming, give thanks! God will not change all our circumstances,, but God will offer us courage, hope and resources to walk through those circumstances with grace and confidence. We can set the tone. Third, Paul asks us to train our thoughts (v. 8). What are we to think about? Are we to dwell on the world pressing in around us? Are we to “count our troubles – name them one by one?” No! We are to think about what is true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, worthy of praise …. Think about these things. “Count your blessings, name them one by one!” Through this retraining of our thoughts we will find peace and openness to the resources of God to handle our circumstances. Finally, Paul exhorts us to Do! (v. 9). “Whatever you have learned and heard and seen in me – DO. Our turning up the thermostat is not intended to sit and wait for the circumstances to change, it is to “actively wait,” as a recent daily devotional suggested. God has given us gifts and talents. We are to put them to work in affecting the world around us. We are called to ministry. When the circumstances seem to diminish our ability to accomplish that ministry, we train our thoughts, open our hearts and ears to the counsel of God, and set about the life set before us. What I love about this deeply personal and “friend connection” letter is that Paul adds what could seem like an after thought at the end. Verse 13 actually sums up all that has gone before. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I can rejoice always, I can resist worry, I can retrain my thoughts to the thoughts of God, and I can do what is set before me BECAUSE I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me – us! As a church, we are nearing the end of a period of wilderness ministry without the leadership and encouragement of a pastor. Praise God! As individuals, facing our own personal battles and difficult circumstances, we cannot say just when they will change. But we can choose to set our own temperature and thrive through it all. Amen!
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