Today we’re looking at the last chapter of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Paul calls for us to rejoice always. Does that mean ignoring the problems in the world and in our lives? Or is there a way to change our perspective?
Here’s the sermon for October 11, 2020, on Matthew 22:1-14 and Philippians 4:1-9.
I found helpful for this sermon Amanda Talley’s GodPause devotional for October 9, 2020, as well as Ekaputra Tupamahu’s commentary at Working Preacher.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. Amen
How many of you have felt frustrated, discouraged, or overwhelmed during the pandemic?
How many of you have felt frustrated, discouraged, or overwhelmed at some point within this last week?
Well, I can’t solve the pandemic. I’m guessing there’s nothing I can do about what’s making you feel discouraged, or overwhelmed, or frustrated.
But I’ve found some encouragement this week in this final section of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, and maybe you’ll find it helpful too.
I don’t know exactly what issues the church in Philippi was going through, but as I said the other week when we read the beginning of the letter, it’s obvious they were having some problems. There were some issues dividing them.
I can’t imagine what it’d be like to be part of a divided community, can you?
Oh, by the way, in case you were wondering, if you start here at church and you walk all the way down 4th street, turn at the edge of town by Maple and Pine, come back on 5th street, go around the ball diamonds, and come back to church, in that one and a half miles, you’ll pass 9 households with Biden/Harris yard signs, and 12 with Trump/Pence signs. There’s also one sign for Bigfoot for President.
If you want, ask me after service about the counts for the other races – I have those too. Did I mention Christin and Micah are out of town this weekend?
Anyway, I’m sure you can’t imagine what it’d feel like to be in a situation where your neighbors disagree with you on some important issues.
Oh, and of course, remember Paul is writing this letter from prison in Rome. He’s got good reasons to feel overwhelmed and discouraged – he’s in a pretty rough spot.
And from his prison cell, writing to a divided community, Paul gives us these incredible words of encouragement and hope, and he calls us to join him in rejoicing. He says, “Stand firm in the Lord in this way.”
First, be of the same mind in the Lord.
That doesn’t mean agree on every political issue; it doesn’t mean that we should be some sort of a cult and stop thinking on our own. Be of the same mind…in the Lord.
As Christians, we have a common starting place. We know who we are in God’s eyes. We know where we’ve come from, and we know where we’re going.
And then Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”
This is important. This is the secret Paul’s learned that’s keeping him going while he’s in prison. This is the key to dealing with everything going on that’s causing the discouragement and frustration. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.”
You can’t control what happens to you, but you can control how you react. You can choose to feel attacked, you can look for the divisions, you can assume the worst about others; or, you can choose to be of the same mind in the Lord. You can take a different view of the world, look at a wider perspective.
You can choose to notice the good; you can choose to see God at work in the world around you. You can remember that this is our heavenly Father’s world, not ours, and see your neighbors as people Jesus loves enough to die for. You can choose to turn your concerns over to God, to take it to the Lord in prayer.
Parts of this might sound like a modern self-help book, or perhaps self-help books are trying to imitate the truth in the Bible.
But the difference between a self-help book and what Paul is saying is that he’s not telling the Philippians to help themselves. He’s not telling us to stare in the mirror and repeat to ourselves how great and strong and wonderful we are. This isn’t about helping yourself, but about relying on God, accepting God’s help. And all of it with thanksgiving, not thanksgiving for the problems and the worries, but thanksgiving that we can give it over to God, that God can handle it.
Paul continues with a call to live with gentleness, and the reminder that the Lord is near (and remember, that’s encouragement, not a threat), and then he says, “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Letting your requests be made known to God, laying your worries and your fears at the foot of the cross and letting Jesus deal with them, is very different than pretending everything is ok. If everything was ok, we’d have no reason to worry.
Everything is not ok. We’re not called to deny reality – there are problems in the world. But we are called to see the greater reality, to recognize that this world is not all there is, to see and to trust that God is greater than all of our problems.
It’s not self-help, it’s the exact opposite! It’s turning outside of ourselves toward God, confessing there are problems we can’t solve, admitting we need God’s help.
Rather than focusing on your problems, Paul calls us to focus on God. Don’t ignore the needs around us, don’t disengage from the world, don’t go hide in a tower on a hill somewhere and just stare up at the sky, that’s not the answer. Keep the problems and the realities of life in view, but focus on God. Remember what’s temporary and what’s eternal.
Hold on to the promise that Jesus has won the victory, the tomb is empty, this world is not all there is, and neither life nor death shall ever separate you from God’s love. Change your perspective.
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
I love that reminder that God’s peace is not ours to understand. To have faith means to trust, to rely on God, to let go of the worries we’re holding on to. We don’t have to understand all the answers.
I say I love that reminder, but really I hate it, because I much prefer understanding.
Sometimes I even like having things to worry about, because it makes me feel needed. Maybe you’re that way too. Having control makes me feel important and necessary. But the peace of God surpasses all understanding.
To borrow that great cliche, our call is to let go and let God. Let God guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Let God give you joy rather than fear, rejoicing rather than worrying.
In that difficult Gospel story, that seems to be the problem of the guest who gets thrown out. I am definitely not an expert on first-century weddings in Israel and I’m not going to say much about this story, but as I understand it, the practice at a wedding was for the host to provide the wedding robes for all of the guests.
So the guest who’s not wearing the robe is making an intentional choice to not participate. He’s refusing to join in the festivities. He’s unwilling to rejoice.
Whether it’s stubbornness, or bitterness, or just obstinate self-reliance, he rejects the offer of the host, and so he’s thrown out.
Jesus’ parable calls us to accept God’s invitation, to let go of ourselves and join in God’s celebration.
Finally, Paul writes, whatever is true and honorable, just and pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy, that’s what you should think about.
I suppose the only thing that truly meets all those criteria is God, but basically, think about the good things. Again, don’t ignore the needs and the pain and the suffering in the world.
Paul says, keep on doing the things you’ve learned and received and heard and seen. God calls us to intervene in the world, to seek justice, and to work for peace. Faith leads to action.
But in those times when the brokenness of this world is just too much, when the divisions and the suffering and the needs just seem overwhelming, think about the good things.
As Presbyterian minister Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers) famously said, “Look for the helpers.” Look for where God is working.
As we sang, hide yourself in the Rock of ages. Cling to the cross. Come to be washed by the Savior. Change your perspective. Choose to rejoice, for the Lord is near.
And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen