How to Have Unfathomable Peace - Part B

Look at the birds. God takes pretty good care of them. You're a lot more valuable than they are. He's going to take care of you.

Which of you by worrying is going to grow a little bit. Very, very profound. So don't let anxious over-concern about life divide your mind.

This is an unfathomable peace of mind. Now we want to tell you about a resource that shines important light onto what's currently happening in the Middle East. The beating heart of Bible prophecy is the land of Israel and the Middle East. Joel Rosenberg has his finger on the pulse of the world-shaking changes happening right now. And he unveils them in his new non-fiction book, Enemies and Allies. This is the first book of its kind that takes you inside the Oval Office, inside the palaces of the kings and crown princes, the presidents and the prime ministers, in Israel and in the Arab world, as we ask them, what do you think about religious freedom, about making peace with Israel, about the threat from Iran, about U.S.-Arab relations, U.S.-Israel relations? Enemies and Allies, from multiple New York Times bestselling author, Joel Rosenberg, takes you on an unforgettable journey inside the turbulent Middle East. You'll go behind closed doors to hear from the very kings and crown princes, presidents and prime ministers who are leading the charge. Enemies and Allies includes exclusive, never-before-published quotes, insights and analysis from the author's conversations with some of the world's most controversial leaders. Your hardcover copy of Enemies and Allies is our thanks for your generous gift of $35 or more today.

To give, call 800-922-1888 or visit connectwithskipp.com. Okay, we're in Philippians chapter 4, as Skip Heitzig starts today's study. Billy Sunday, if you don't know that name, he was an evangelist, but at first he used to be a professional baseball player who got converted to Christ, entered the ministry and became an evangelist. And he just had great sayings. One of his sayings was, don't look as if your Christianity hurts you.

Isn't that good? You know some people go, I'm a Christian. Oh man, it looks like it really hurts. I'm so sorry for you.

What can I do to help? Don't look like your Christianity hurts you. And I think my favorite saying is, if you have no joy, there's a leak in your Christianity somewhere.

That's a good one. Are you leaking? Is there a joy leak somewhere? Now what is joy exactly? When the Bible speaks about joy, let me give you a definition. Joy is the supernatural delight in God and in His plan.

Think about that. It's supernatural delight so you don't produce it. It comes from Him. It's a gift. It's a supernatural delight in God and in God's plan.

Right? All things work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. A supernatural delight in God and His plan. It happens to be one of the most infallible signs of the presence of God. It is our badge of ownership.

Right? God owns me. I can relax.

Not only can I relax, I can rejoice because I have a supernatural delight in God and in God's plan for my life. Now Paul didn't just write about that. Paul practiced what he preached because when he was first arrested in Philippi, you remember the story?

It says Paul was arrested. They beat him with rods and they put him in stocks. So I don't know what it feels like to be beaten with rods but I can only imagine it hurts a lot. It leaves a lot of scars. So here's a man I'm picturing bleeding in a prison.

He's in stock so he's tied up to a wall in a prison cell. And amazingly it says in that text, and at midnight Paul and Silas sang praises to God. What? Who does that? Somebody who has a supernatural delight in God and in God's plan does that.

If you don't have that, you can't do that. He had that. Proverbs 15, 15 says, He who is of a merry heart has a continual feast. He who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

And do you know what they feast on? Peace. Peace. Rejoicing sets the table for the feast of peace.

Rejoice in the Lord. Now again, I just want you to look back at that text because the way it's written, it sounds like a command, right? In fact, it is. It's an order. He's giving them an order. Which sounds odd to our ears, just to walk up to somebody and go, Hey you, right now rejoice in the Lord.

Is that possible? You're just giving me an order to rejoice? But here's Paul. He goes, Look, I love you guys. You're my crown. You're my joy.

You two gals, I implore you, get it together. And then here's an order. Rejoice in the Lord always. I'll say it again. Rejoice.

The fact that he gives an order tells me something. Tells me that joy is a choice we make. Make the choice to rejoice. Joy is a choice. It is not a feeling.

It is a decision far more than it is a sensation. It's something you choose to do. You wake up in the morning and go, I'm going to rejoice in the Lord.

So how often are we to do it? Does it say rejoice in the Lord on Sundays? Rejoice in the Lord intermittently, sporadically.

Or here's one. Rejoice in the Lord once a year on Thanksgiving. Gripe and complain the rest of the year, but on Thanksgiving, that's when you rejoice. We're to rejoice in the Lord always.

Always. So let me lay this on you. Joy is a personal choice to react to life's uncertainties with faith. Again I say, joy is a personal choice to react to life's circumstances with faith. It's where you say, look, I don't get what's going on, but I do know God is on the throne. I believe that. I believe I'm a child of God.

He's got me covered here. So I'm not joyful because circumstances are favorable. Often they are not. I'm not joyful because people are wonderful.

Often they are not. But a huge part of having peace of mind is the ability to rejoice in God always. So two important building blocks. Resolve controversy. Rejoice frequently.

Here's a third. Restore geniality. Restore geniality. Geniality is just a word that means warmth, kindness, friendliness. So he says in verse 5, let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Now there's a better translation, a literal translation for that word gentleness. It's gentleness in my Bible, my Bible translation. Literally it's this, sweet reasonableness. Let your sweet reasonableness be known to all, for the Lord is at hand. I'm going to make a statement. I'm going to see if you agree with this.

I bet some of you will. I'm thinking our society is becoming less kind. Am I alone on this? Am I the only one who thinks that? Do you think that as well? Less kind. I think we're becoming less civil, less respectful in our discourse, less reasonable.

We are becoming harsh, snarky, tough, unmerciful, unyielding, critical, cruel, hardened. Do you agree with that? Which is exactly what Jesus predicted would happen in the last days. Remember He said in the last days that the love of many will grow cold? Don't let that be you. Don't let that be you, because that destroys peace.

Now I'm going to move that idea away from culture, away from society, because it's sort of easy to take potshots at the world and society. It's one thing to say, yeah, the world's kind of less kind, but now let me move that into the church. Some of us, not all of us, but sometimes some of us as we grow in our faith in Christ, some of us become crusty. You know what I mean by crusty? Just kind of a little, kind of a superior attitude. I know so much, more now. I'm mature.

I'm a little more mature than you are. And we become less patient with people. We forget what it's like to be newly born Christians. So we become a little arrogant. We become a little snobby. No one can relax around you. You always have to correct people.

It's called legalism. Can I just say, you're so mature and so awesome. You weren't always this mature. You weren't always this awesome. I know you're so spiritual now and so brilliant and you're just so marvelous.

You can live with anybody you're so amazing, but you weren't always this way. You too failed. You too fell down.

You too said dumb things that people had to be patient with. So with that in mind, just sort of get in touch with your early Christian growth and be patient with people. Be kind. Let your gentleness be known. Give people a little slack. Remember the fruit of the Spirit.

We've highlighted this pretty much every week in this series. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering. Long suffering. Kindness, gentleness, meekness. See, instead of being touchy, have a soft touch. Proverbs 15, a soft answer turns away wrath. Remember, you follow the one who said, I am gentle and humble in heart.

So what Paul is telling them is, get a new reputation or maintain this reputation. Let your gentleness, your sweet reasonableness be known to all men. And here's why he says, the Lord is at hand. Why should I act that way, Paul?

Why do I have to be so sweet? The Lord is at hand. I can't tell you exactly what he means by that. It means one of two things. It could mean that the Lord is near chronologically or it could mean that the Lord is near in proximity. So on one hand, it could be, look, Jesus is coming soon.

Chronologically, the Lord is at hand. My mom used to do this. When I had bad attitudes, she would just lean in and go, your dad will be home soon. That's all I had to hear. It's like, okay, what can I do for you, mom?

Love you so much. I just sort of changed my demeanor at home because my father was at hand. Maybe he means that, but maybe he simply means the Lord is near in proximity, that whenever you are gathering with another believer and having a difficulty and not feeling like you should rejoice and not feeling so gentle, just remember the Lord is there. The Lord is at hand.

You could simply mean that. So we have a few building blocks to develop unfathomable peace, resolve controversy, rejoice frequently, and restore geniality. Let's give you the fourth, because this really is the heart of the passage, at least what we're used to. Reject anxiety, and I chose that word very carefully. I mean, flat out reject anxiety. Don't let it happen.

Look how Paul puts it. Be anxious for what? Nothing. That's rejecting anxiety. 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Now let me tell you what Paul is not saying by that. When Paul says be anxious for nothing, he is not saying don't be concerned about life. He is not saying be apathetic, be lazy, kick back, do nothing, let stuff just come to you.

He didn't say that. He says be anxious for nothing. The word anxious is a very important word. It's the Greek word merimnaō. I don't care if you ever remember these words that I give you in Greek, but listen to how it was formed. Merimnaō comes from two words put together, and when you understand that, you understand the definition of anxiety.

Merizo is to divide. Nos is the mind. And when you put those two words together, merimnaō, you have a word that means to divide or tear the mind. It's a perfect description of anxiety. Anxiety is when your mind is divided between legitimate thoughts and destructive thoughts. Anxiety will take your mind in two different directions, like James said, the double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. I read a survey from the World Health Organization about anxiety.

I'm just going to ask you to see if you passed this test. Of all the groups they studied around the world, what country do you think has the most anxiety? Wait a minute, what did you say? You think America? God, you're down in your own country?

What? No, you're right, it is. It is America.

Now this is pre-COVID, right? So things may have changed, maybe they're catching up with us in terms of worry and anxiety, but I still think we're winning. It says this, Americans were the most anxious people in 14 countries that we've studied with more clinically significant levels of anxiety than people in Nigeria, Lebanon, and the Ukraine. Now those three countries are interesting that they mention it because in those three countries you have reasons to be filled with anxiety, much more than we do.

Nigeria, Lebanon, and Ukraine. So what the article is saying is the United States is the undisputed world champion of worry and anxiety. Now I understand why people worry. I understand why people are anxious. I understand why people panic if they're not saved, especially. I mean, if you think you're dangling in a dirt clod in an inexplicable universe, there's no rhyme or reason to it.

You feel pretty alone with those thoughts. If you don't know why you're here and where you're going, that's pretty scary. But followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, self-included, listen to what your Lord and mine said to us in the Sermon on the Mount. He said, Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life. What you will eat, what you will drink, or about your body, what you will put on, is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air. For they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not of more value than they? Which of you, I've always loved this question, which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? A cubit is 18 inches, foot and a half. Can you imagine somebody really worried about that? I just want to be a little taller. I know, I'm 6'5", so it's like bad for me even to use this as an example, so I won't even go there.

But which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? Now, those are pretty powerful words, and Jesus, when he says these words, is not saying be lazy. I mean, he's talking about birds, right? They're pretty industrious.

Last time I checked, they're always busy doing something. But the point Jesus is making is, have you ever seen a worried bird? I was in the garden yesterday, and I heard birds, and I saw them, and they looked pretty happy to me. I have never yet in my life seen a bird with its beak down and its little claws like sweating it out.

Have you? Look at the birds. God takes pretty good care of them.

You're a lot more valuable than they are. He's going to take care of you. Which of you by worrying is going to grow a little bit? Very, very profound. So don't let anxious over-concern about life divide your mind. Back to our text in Philippians. Notice what it says. Be anxious for nothing.

What's the next word? But. But is a word of contrast. And the contrast happens to be the solution to the worry. The contrast happens to be the antidote for the worry. Don't do that thing, but do this thing. Replace it with something. So the cure for worry. Listen carefully. The cure for worry is to redirect your energy and to replace your anxiety.

Redirect your energy and replace your anxiety. The Bible calls this in another place casting. 1 Peter. Casting all your cares upon Him.

Because He cares for you. How do we do it? There's four words in the text that tell you how to do it. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, here they are, by prayer, that's number one. By supplication, that's number two.

With thanksgiving, that's number three. Let your requests, that's number four, be made known to God. And the promise, the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Let's just quickly go through those. Prayer. Prayer is the general word used here. It's a general word for prayer in the New Testament, often translated worship. Often translated worship or devotion. So, get this, when you're worried, worship.

It means start worshiping. When your heart is weighed down, that's the time for you to put your hands up. Hands up, worries down. Hands down, worries up.

But when the worry's there, hands up, worries down. Start worshiping. So you're focusing on God. Second word, supplication. Supplication means strong pleas, strong cries. This is familiar territory for most of us, because whenever we are filled with anxiety or going through a trial, that's how we pray, God, please!

That's okay, do that. It's called supplication, strong urging, strong cry. I call it turbocharged prayer.

You're not going to, and God, we pray that you bless all the people in China. You're praying. Notice this, number three, with thanksgiving.

Yeah, don't forget to add that. Now I know, some of you are thinking, what? You mean thank God when life is hard, when I'm going through a trial? Thank God?

Yep. Here's why. In prayer you're talking to God. Be thankful somebody's on the other end of the line. You're talking to God.

He's listening to you. God cares for you. It is so easy to thank God for times of blessing. But here's why you should thank God for trials. Trials are tools that God uses to change you. Trials are tools that God uses to change you. So prayer, supplication, thanksgiving, and we'll end with this, let your requests be made known to God.

Please notice the word. It doesn't say let your demands be made known to God. Let your ultimatums be made known. God, you better do this.

No. It doesn't say let your temper tantrums be made known to God. You are bringing a prayer request to God.

God knows best. It is a request. And be specific in your request. Be specific. You know, you're specific when you go to a restaurant.

Let me say this. If you ever get to a restaurant, again, when you go in, you don't say, I have a general food need. Trust me according to whatever you wish.

No, you say, I want number two with green chili. You're specific, right? So be specific. Let your request be made known to God.

So sum it all up then. Be anxious for nothing. Be prayerful in everything. And be thankful for anything.

And God says, the peace of God will literally mount a guard over your mind and your heart. These things that I just outlined here, that's a process. It's a process you can bring with you at a hospital when somebody is sick. It's a process you can bring when there's an accident. You can bring this process to a funeral. You can bring it into a disagreement.

You just sort of follow this through. And the promise is God's peace will guard you. So replace worry with worship and thanksgiving and specific cries for help. That concludes Skip Heitzig's message from his series Give Peace a Chance. Now, here's Skip to share how you can keep this broadcast going strong, connecting you and many others to the gospel. The Bible is full of God's promises. But if you want to know them, you have to study scripture. Well, our goal is to connect friends like you with truths found in God's Word.

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Find out more at connectwithskip.com slash app. Tune in tomorrow as Skip Heitzig shares about the peace with God you have through Jesus. Make a connection. Make a connection at the foot of the cross. Cast all burdens on His Word. Make a connection. Connection. Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of Connection Communications, connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.