Peace of God that Surpasses Understanding

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces Philippians as a thank-you letter with pastoral concerns, highlighting a trilogy of imperatives in chapter 4: constant rejoicing, constant gentleness, and…

Martin describes the letter to the Philippians as an 'expanded newsletter and thank-you letter' to explain its unique context among Paul's epistles.

Now, I believe I'm right in assuming that most of you know that all of the letters of the Apostle Paul, almost all of the letters of the Apostle Paul that have been providentially preserved and now form a large part of our Bibles, were letters precipitated by some urgent, astral concerns either in a church or churches or in the life of an individual. However, the letter to the Philippians is an exception to this general pattern. In fact, we might call the letter to the Philippians basically an expanded newsletter and thank-you letter to the Philippian church. In this letter, Paul is laying to ...

2:15 - 3:39 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin outlines three reasons for addressing anxiety: the current economic and political crises, distressing news in churches, and his recent personal experience of relocation and…

The vivid reminder of quarterly IRA/401K statements showing thousands of dollars lost illustrates the anxiety-causing reality of economic crisis.

What comes next is the day whereけれon. What comes in our memory is the day right after another? Some of us have had a very vivid reminder when the quarterly statement of our IRA or our 401K came to us and in a matter of weeks thousands of dollars have gone down the tubes. awarded by in 455 BUT dog Пом未见 you see the little plus and minus marks and There it is a loss of money hard earned in many cases not earned on a stocks on the reward of our own labors that we have invested, and poof, it's gone.

7:14 - 7:42 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin outlines three reasons for addressing anxiety: the current economic and political crises, distressing news in churches, and his recent personal experience of relocation and…

Martin quotes John Bunyan, 'I preached that which I did feel, that which I did smartingly feel,' to introduce his personal experience with the sermon's text.

And this can be distressing. Again, churches have committed themselves to building programs, assuming we have X number of families to responsibly take on a certain amount of indebtedness, and now all of that's coming apart at the seams. And then there's a third reason why I want to address this text, and it grows out of the experience that my dear wife and I have had in the recent months, in relocating from northern Jersey to western Michigan. And Bunyan, you remember, said, I preached that which I did feel, that which I did smartingly feel.

9:39 - 10:21 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin outlines three reasons for addressing anxiety: the current economic and political crises, distressing news in churches, and his recent personal experience of relocation and…

Martin describes Philippians 4:6-7 as a 'road map and a constant companion' to him and his wife in recent days, emphasizing its practical guidance.

The great crisis in our national life, political, economic, economic crisis in not a few of our crises in not a few of our churches. And then from the personal standpoint, this text that has been nothing less than a road map and a constant companion to us in recent days. So in this context of the implosion of the housing market, the bottom dropping out of the stock market, the escalating crisis, the escalating crisis in Afghanistan, the context of the bleak political scenario before us, and in the midst of many unspoken pressures that could quickly and easily provoke anxiety, let us come to th...

11:03 - 12:30 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not treat the prohibition against anxiety with indifference, as it is as serious as the prohibitions of the Decalogue.

Martin compares the clarity of 'Be anxious for nothing' to the prohibitions of the Decalogue (e.g., 'You shall not murder') to underscore its absolute nature.

then consider with me the word of prohibition, the word of prohibition. Be anxious for nothing. Now, you don't need to know a word of Greek or any other language, but plain old English to know this is a flat out clear unqualified prohibition. This prohibition is as clear as the prohibitions of the Decalogue.

12:30 - 12:58 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are indulging in nail-biting, frown-producing, ulcer-creating, sleep-depriving anxiety, you are sinning and must stop.

Martin describes Martha's anxious and troubled soul as 'like a turbulent sea and the waves crashing one upon another' to vividly portray the internal agitation of sinful anxiety.

It's the word found in Acts 17, 5 when the Jews sighted an uproar in the city. He says, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled. Your soul is like a turbulent sea and the waves crashing one upon another. You are anxious and you are troubled.

18:23 - 18:46 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are indulging in nail-biting, frown-producing, ulcer-creating, sleep-depriving anxiety, you are sinning and must stop.

Martin uses descriptive phrases like 'nail-biting, frown-producing, ulcer-creating, sleep-depriving anxiety' to characterize the sinful anxiety he is addressing.

The prohibition has to do with that kind of carking, disruptive anxiety that agitates the soul. It clouds the face of God, unfits us for present duties, and weakens us for future duties. It produces, it indicates the what shall we do, fretful language of Matthew 6. This sinful anxiety is the nail-biting, frown-producing, ulcer-creating, sleep-depriving anxiety.

19:18 - 19:58 Read in full sermon

The point: Engage continually in scriptural prayer concerning every single thing that would trigger and foster anxiety.

Martin uses the common saying 'God helps those who help themselves' as an example of pagan/Islamic theology, not Christian, to contrast with scriptural direction.

That's Islamic theology, not Christian theology. That's a pagan notion, not a scriptural notion. Nor does he say, do not be anxious, but get up and do something. Because doesn't God say he helps those who help themselves?

20:57 - 21:15 Read in full sermon

The point: Engage continually in scriptural prayer concerning every single thing that would trigger and foster anxiety.

Martin uses the political rhetoric of Obama and McCain ('We're Americans. We can do it.') as an example of self-reliant theology, contrasting it with Paul's directive.

I read recently a survey was taken and the majority of the people when asked whether that was a saying out of the Bible, affirmed, oh yes, that's in the Bible somewhere. God helps those who help themselves. That's the theology of Obama and McCain. We're Americans.

21:15 - 21:33 Read in full sermon

The point: Cast all your anxieties upon God, from the smallest to the largest, getting rid of them by entrusting them to Him.

Martin uses the analogy of casting coats on a mule to illustrate the verb 'casting' in 1 Peter 5:7, showing that once cast, the burden is removed from oneself.

And it's a wonderful word Peter uses. That's the same verb that's used when it says they took their coats and they cast them upon the mule on which Jesus was to ride. Once they cast them on the mule, they weren't in their hands or on their backs anymore. There was distance between their cloaks and their bodies and their hands.

32:31 - 32:54 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The peace of God which passes, exceeds, goes beyond, rises above, and is superior to all understanding.

Martin describes the peace of God as 'the troubled waters of the soul hearing the voice of Christ saying, Peace, be still. And there was a great calm,' to illustrate its calming effect.

It's just the opposite of that. It's the troubled waters of the soul hearing the voice of Christ saying, Peace, be still. And there was a great calm. It's the peace of God.

34:03 - 34:18 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Paul uses this term that speaks of the peace of God acting like a garrison of soldiers around our hearts and around our thoughts.

Martin explains that 'shall guard' is a military term, likening the peace of God to a 'garrison of soldiers around our hearts and around our thoughts' to protect them.

Remember, Philippi was a Roman colony. There were many Roman soldiers. And no doubt, many of the Philippians had seen and walked by and perhaps even become friendly with some local soldiers. And Paul uses this term that speaks of the peace of God acting like a garrison of soldiers around our hearts and around our thoughts.

37:09 - 37:35 Read in full sermon

Driving home: This is thoroughly Christian. This is thorough going gospel way of being delivered from our sinful, our sinful anxieties.

Martin contrasts the peace of God with 'psychological gimmick' books found in bookstores, emphasizing that Christian peace is not a mere technique but a gospel reality.

God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies and what's the location of it? In Christ Jesus. And Paul wants these people to know that this promise is not some little psychological gimmick by which we can get relieved of anxieties. The bookshelves in Borders and Barnes and Noble are full of books that give you psychological patterns and techniques to get rid of your hangups and anxieties.

42:07 - 42:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not be caught up in the anxiety of the present political process like the world, but manifest an otherworldly calm and peace as a witness.

Martin describes people 'wringing their hands, biting their nails, fretting, running to the banks, sticking money under mattresses' to illustrate the worldly response to crisis, contrasting it with Christian peace.

He's conscious that they are luminaries in the darkness of the pagan society at Philippi, and he wants them to shine as lights, brilliant twinkling stars against the black backdrop of that pagan society. That's his passion. And surely he would incorporate this as well. People around us are wringing their hands, biting their nails, fretting, running to the banks, sticking money under mattresses, finding some way...

48:33 - 49:08 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin shares a personal testimony of applying Philippians 4:6-7 during a cancer diagnosis, exhorting believers to stop indulging anxiety and to hold God to His promises, becoming…

Martin shares his personal story of receiving a prostate cancer diagnosis and how he and his wife applied Philippians 4:6-7 to find peace amidst anxiety.

Should I or should I not give this personal testimony? I believe I should. I shall never forget the day when I had a firm diagnosis of prostate cancer. The doctor had called me and had to have a second biopsy and then it was about time for the biopsy to come back and I had a call again from the doctor's office from his nurse who said, Mr. Martin, Dr. Schlecker would like to see you this morning. It was a beautiful spring morning in March of 1998. I said to my wife, he doesn't want to call me in and talk about the weather.

50:14 - 50:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Hold God to His word, trusting that He loves it when we remind Him of His promises.

Martin uses the analogy of a child lovingly holding a father to his promise to illustrate how God delights when His children remind Him of His word.

Anything that causes anxiety becomes the thing that you bring to him in prayer and supplication. And then tell God you expect him to fulfill his promise. You who are fathers, what it did to you as a parent when your child had the loving temerity to hold you, Daddy, you promised me this, and you're my father. Were you ever insulted?

53:46 - 54:14 Read in full sermon