”The only star that God is interested in over the church is the star of the people of God shining and bringing light to a dying generation.”
Sermon Title: PRESCRIPTIONS FOR PEACE
Scripture Text: GALATIANS 5:22-23; PHILIPPIANS 4:2-9
Sermon Notes:
GALATIANS 5:22-23 NIV
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self- control. Against such things there is no law.
PHILIPPIANS 4:2-9 NIV
2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.
3 Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
- PEACE
- “the absence of war or hostility.”
- shalom (Hebrew)
- wholeness and well-being – everything being as it should be
- eirēnē (Greek)
- state of efficiency, peace between individuals, prevalence of prosperity and opportunity.
REORIENT. RESTORE. RESPOND.
PHILIPPIANS 4:2-3 NIV
2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.
3 Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
I. REORIENT
- With the perspective of heaven.
PHILIPPIANS 3:20-21 NIV
20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
MARK 9:33-34 NIV
33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?"
34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
- With the perspective of the church.
MATTHEW 18:15-17 NIV
15 If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
- With the perspective of Christ.
PHILIPPIANS 4:2 NIV
2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord.
“There should be few things that can divide us, and nothing that is bigger than the Christ who unites us.”
II. RESTORE
PHILIPPIANS 4:4-8 NIV
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
- Restore your joy (verse 4).
PHILIPPIANS 4:4 NIV
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
JOHN 17:13 NIV
13 I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.
”Joy is the response of a believer in the presence of something that is greater than his/her situation.”
- Restore your gentleness (verse 5).
PHILIPPIANS 4:5 NIV
5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
- GENTLENESS
- “refusal to act out the anger or retaliation to which you may be entitled.”
- Restore your prayer (verse 6)
PHILIPPIANS 4:6 NIV
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
LUKE 6:27-28 NIV
27 But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
- Restore right thinking (verse 8)
PHILIPPIANS 4:8 NIV
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
- GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT
PHILIPPIANS 4:9 NIV
9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
III. RESPOND
PHILIPPIANS 2:14-16 NIV
16 as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
”The only star that God is interested in over the church is the star of the people of God shining and bringing light to a dying generation.”