Philippians 4 Living God’s Way – with Joy, Contentment and Gratitude

 

Philippians 4

Living God’s Way – with Joy, Contentment and Gratitude

We live in times when the second coming of our Lord Jesus is soon and our conduct can either attract or repel people from wanting to come to Jesus. This is a great responsibility for us, but here Paul gives us some sound advice in Chapter 4 of the book of Philippians and demonstrates that living this way is not impossible (v13). There are six things Paul mentions here to help us living God’s way.

1.   Put aside your differences

Phil 1:2-3 is beckoning us as true born-again believers to put aside our differences as we work to spread the gospel of the good news of Jesus Christ.

It is important to note that having differences is not being looked upon as something forbidden. We are all unique with different backgrounds and talents and how we want to do things, BUT the important matter is to be mature in resolving and putting aside those differences to work together in unity.

2.   Be joyful and have a gentle attitude

Phil 1:4-5 tells us to rejoice and have a gentle attitude toward everyone, for the Lord is coming soon.

How can someone want to know Jesus when His children are not joyful?

As born-again believers we get this joy by spending time in the presence of the Lord, by prayer and reading the Bible. Is your spirit heavy? go to the book of Psalms and read it out loud (songs of praise) for yourself to hear – the Word of God is true and cuts through flesh and bone like a two-edged sword (Heb 4:12) – the heaviness will lift (Is 61:3), because that is what the Word of God tells us.

3.   Do not worry, instead pray about everything

Phil 4:6-7 tells us that we should not worry, but instead cast our burdens onto Jesus in prayer and supplication.

Pray and ask God for what you need, always have a thankful heart. Relent, release control of your situation unto Him and trust that Jesus is for you not against you. This way you will have peace that surpasses all human understanding (v7).

When we get to a place of this peace, people may ask you how?  Then we can witness to them and tell them about Jesus’s saving grace, the gospel of His Good News.

4.   Fill your minds with Godly things

Fill your minds with things that are good and deserving of praise (Phil 4:8-9). Things to fill our minds with include:

·       Truth of God’s Word

·       Noble things, in other words – things that have good moral character

·       Right and pure things

·       Honourable things – carries weight and brings glory to God

·       Lovely things – showing gentle care, quiet acts of service, kindness in stead of bitterness and unforgiveness.

Where to we find these things to fill our mind with?

Romans 12:2 tells us do not be conformed to this world, but instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the acceptable and perfect will of God.

We do not find it in worldly news reports, social media, movies and entertainment. Given that we must be aware of what is going on around us, we should limit our exposure to worldly things and instead feed our mind from the Bible.

To practically be transformed by the renewing of your mind is a divine partnership between each one of us and the Holy Spirit. God is true to His word and will do His part, BUT we also have to cooperate with Him and do our part.

The Holy Spirt will:

·       Convict and alert us. He provides that internal check or 'prompt' letting us know when something is polluting our thoughts or dragging us down.

·       Reveal the truth. He makes Bible scripture come alive, give us spiritual insight, and helps us understand how scripture applies to our life.

·       Break the stronghold and weakens the grip of wrongful thoughts, heals deep wounds, and provides us with the supernatural strength to change.

·       Produce spiritual fruit. He physically changes our desires over time, with love, joy, peace, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

Choose what we feed our minds with:

·       Actively turn off toxic media, leave gossip-filled conversations, and set boundaries on what you watch or read.

·       Open the Bible and read. Make time to read or listen to the Word and let it fill and saturate you.

·       Confess and repent of sins for example dwelling on anxiety, pride, or lust, and make a conscious decision to redirect your thoughts. Step on the head of the snake, take that wrongful thought captive and replace it with prayer or a scripture from the Bible.

·       We pause and choose obedience; to hold our tongue, pray for our enemies, and deliberately act in a godly manner.

 

5.   Be content with what you have

In Phil 4:10-13 Paul demonstrates that we should be content with what we have, in any circumstance; with too much, with too little, with an empty stomach, with a feasting table. He tells that God will give us the strength to endure any of these conditions (v13). If Paul learned this secret, and it was noteworthy to share in this letter addressed to the Philippian church, then we can learn it too.

A content and grateful heart is pleasing to the Lord.

 

6.   Blessing in generosity and cheerful giving

Phil 4:14-20. Gifts that are given to fellow believers in need, and who is suffering for the sake of the gospel is a “sweet fragrance” unto the Lord (v18). It is a sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God Almighty.

When we bring a sacrifice in this manner to the Lord, from His abundant wealth He will supply all our needs. Those who receive can bring Glory to God with thanksgiving.

We should however not confuse needs with wants as they can be very different things. Our wants may lead us astray into temptation and sin. What we really need from God, He will supply abundantly. The Lord knows our needs, material, emotional, relational…The question is:

Do we really trust Him enough not to worry (v7) about these things?

 

Final greeting to each one of God’s people who belong to Christ Jesus (Phil 4:21). Paul makes an effort to include every believer in his greetings to the churches, thereby emphasising that each and every one in the body of Christ matters.

Even though in JCRC we are far apart on different continents, in different countries, we are 1 Body, 1 Family in the Kingdom of God and therefore we should make time to care for one another, share in greetings, joys, struggles and the gifts the Lord imparted to each one and to each church according to His riches and glory.

 

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all (Phil 4:21). Amen

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PASTORA HESMA - JCRC CAPETOWN

PHILIPPIANS 3 — KNOW CHRIST AND PRESS ON

 

PHILIPPIANS 3 — KNOW CHRIST AND PRESS ON

 In Philippians 3, Paul teaches us that the greatest goal of the Christian life is not personal achievement, position, or recognition, but knowing Christ more deeply and continually growing to become like Him.

Paul presents three important truths:

1. Do not put your confidence in your own righteousness. — Philippians 3:1–9
2. Pursue a deeper relationship with Christ and keep pressing forward. — Philippians 3:10–16
3. Live as a citizen of heaven. — Philippians 3:17–21

 1. COUNT EVERYTHING AS LOSS COMPARED TO KNOWING CHRIST

Philippians 3:7–9

“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.” — Philippians 3:7 (KJV)

 In Philippians 3:4–6, Paul lists the credentials he once considered valuable:

·       He was circumcised on the eighth day.

·       He belonged to the people of Israel.

·       He was from the tribe of Benjamin.

·       He was a Hebrew of Hebrews.

·       He was a Pharisee.

·       He was zealous in his religious commitment.

Paul had many reasons to boast according to his former understanding of righteousness.

But when he encountered Christ, he realized that none of these credentials could replace the righteousness that comes from God.

Ephesians 2:8–9 — We are saved by grace through faith, not by our works.

Romans 3:22 — God's righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

Galatians 2:20 — The Christian life is lived by faith in the Son of God.

 

We may have accomplished many things in ministry:

·       Led people to Christ.

·       Preached many sermons.

·       Served God for many years.

·       Made sacrifices for the work of the Lord.

·       Carried responsibilities and leadership positions.

 

But we must ask ourselves:

Have the things I do for Christ become more important to me than my relationship with Christ?

Serving God and accomplishing things for His kingdom are good. The danger comes when our achievements become the basis of our identity and worth instead of God's grace.

 “Lord, I don't want my value to be measured by my accomplishments. What matters most is that I know You, belong to You, and continue to be transformed by You.”

 2. KNOW CHRIST AND KEEP PRESSING FORWARD

Philippians 3:10–14

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings…” — Philippians 3:10 (KJV)

 Paul did not merely want to know facts about Jesus. He wanted to know Christ more deeply through an ongoing relationship with Him.

There is a difference between knowing about Christ and continually knowing Christ through relationship, trust, and obedience.

 The resurrection power of Christ reminds us that the Christian life does not depend on human strength alone.

God empowers us to live by faith, resist sin, endure trials, and continue following Him.

 Paul describes the great power of God that He demonstrated when He raised Christ from the dead.

 Knowing Christ is not only about receiving blessings, experiencing success, or enjoying comfortable circumstances.

It also means remaining faithful when obedience involves sacrifice, rejection, hardship, or suffering for His name.

 Paul is not saying that we must erase every memory of our past.

Rather, we must not allow our past to prevent us from pursuing God's purpose for our lives.

Our past may contain:

·       Failures we regret.

·       Mistakes from which we need to learn.

·       Sins we have repented of.

·       Opportunities we missed.

·       Achievements that could tempt us toward pride.

Our failures should not become our prison, and our successes should not become our reason for complacency.

 Isaiah 43:18–19 — God calls His people to recognize the new thing He is doing rather than remain focused on former things.

Hebrews 12:1–2 — We are called to run with perseverance, fixing our eyes on Jesus.

 If you have failed, repent, receive God's forgiveness, and learn from your mistakes.

If you have accomplished something good, thank God, but do not stop growing.

If you have served God for many years, do not assume you have nothing more to learn

 Spiritual maturity does not mean you have nothing left to learn. It means you remain surrendered to God and willing to grow.

 3. LIVE AS A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN

Philippians 3:17–21

“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” — Philippians 3:20 (KJV)

 As Christians, our true citizenship is in heaven. This means our decisions, priorities, and conduct should reflect the truth that we belong to Christ.

 Paul encourages believers to follow his example and observe those who live according to the pattern of life they have learned.

This does not mean Paul was perfect. Rather, he demonstrated the importance of a life directed toward Christ.

 Philippians 3:18–19

Paul warns about people whose minds and desires are focused on earthly things.

This does not mean that work, family, education, or daily responsibilities are bad.

The warning concerns a way of life in which earthly things become more important than God.

 We await the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.

Our hope is not limited to our present circumstances. We look forward to eternal life and the complete transformation God has promised.

 Ask yourself:

• Do my decisions reflect that I belong to Christ?
• Does the way I treat people align with God's Word?
• Do my priorities reflect the importance of God's kingdom?
• Can people see the influence of Christ in my life?

We do not need to abandon our earthly responsibilities. Instead, we should fulfill them as people who belong to Christ.

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PASTORA AGNES - JCRC

Philippians 1 — “TO LIVE IS CHRIST”

 

Philippians 1 — “TO LIVE IS CHRIST”

 “For to me to live is Christ…” — Philippians 1:21

 1. TRUST — GOD WHO STARTED THE WORK WILL FINISH IT

Philippians 1:6 “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion…”

 There are things God is doing in me that I cannot see yet.

Some prayers are still unanswered.
Some areas of my character are still being transformed.
Some promises are still unfolding.

But unfinished does not mean abandoned.

 “God is not finished with me.” I don't have to rush God's process.

I need to remain: surrendered → teachable → faithful → obedient.

 When I see my weaknesses, I will not condemn myself or give up. I will say: “Lord, continue Your work in me.”

 2. KEEP GOING — CIRCUMSTANCES CANNOT CANCEL GOD'S PURPOSE

Philippians 1:12 “What has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”

 Paul was imprisoned, but the Gospel was not imprisoned.

His circumstances did not cancel his calling.

  “I will not allow my circumstances to determine my faithfulness to God.”

When there is delay— I will keep going.

When there is opposition— I will keep going.

When I am misunderstood— I will keep going.

When I am tired— I will continue depending on God.

When I cannot see the results— I will remain faithful.

 

Instead of asking only: “Lord, why is this happening?”

I will also ask: “Lord, how can You use this season for Your glory?”

What looks like a setback to me may become an opportunity for God.

 3. SURRENDER — CHRIST MUST BE GREATER THAN MY MINISTRY

Philippians 1:20–21 “Christ will be honored in my body…”

 “For to me to live is Christ…”

This is the deepest personal challenge of Philippians 1.

I can serve Christ while slowly allowing ministry to become my identity.

My identity can become attached to:

·       position,

·       recognition,

·       accomplishments,

·       responsibilities,

·       ministry success,

• people's approval.

 

But Paul brings me back to the center: “To live is Christ.”

Not:

To live is ministry.

Not:

To live is recognition.

Not:

To live is success.

 

“Lord, never allow what I do for You to become more important to me than You Himself.”

If nobody sees— I will still serve.

If nobody praises—I will remain faithful.

If someone else is being used—I will rejoice.

If the assignment is difficult—I will obey.

Because my reason for serving is not the ministry.

My reason is Christ.

 

I want to be able to say with Paul, “For to me to live is Christ.”

Not only in my preaching.
Not only in ministry.
Not only in church.
But in every decision, relationship, struggle, success, and ordinary day of my life.

Christ is my life.
Christ is my reason.
Christ is my purpose.
And Christ is the One I want people to see through me.”

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PASTORA AGNES - JCRC

EPHESIANS 5 — “WALK IN LOVE, WALK IN LIGHT, WALK IN WISDOM”

 

EPHESIANS 5 —  “WALK IN LOVE, WALK IN LIGHT, WALK IN WISDOM”

 Ephesians 5 is a powerful call to live differently because we belong to Christ. It moves us from knowing Christ to reflecting Christ in our daily lives.

 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love…”

— Ephesians 5:1–2

 1. JCRC, WALK IN LOVE — NOT JUST IN MINISTRY

Paul says, “Walk in love.”

For us in JCRC, this means our ministry must never become more important than the people God has entrusted to us.

We can preach.

We can evangelize.

We can go to the nations.

We can organize ministries.

We can serve for many years.

But if we lose love, we can become busy for God while becoming distant from God's heart.

  “Lord, don't allow me to serve Your work while losing Your heart.”

Sometimes the hardest place to practice love is not in the mission field.

It can be inside the church.

When someone disappoints us.

When someone misunderstands us.

When someone does not appreciate our sacrifice.

When someone receives a position we wanted.

When someone makes a mistake.

When someone needs correction.

 Ephesians 5 reminds us:

Our standard is not how people treat us. Our standard is how Christ loved us.

 Before we ask, “Is this person doing right?”

we should also ask:

“Am I responding to this person with the heart of Christ?”

Love does not mean ignoring sin.

Love can correct.

Love can confront.

Love can establish boundaries.

Love can discipline.

But even correction should have the goal of restoration and Christlikeness, not humiliation.

 2. JCRC, WALK IN LIGHT — LET EVERYTHING BE BROUGHT INTO THE LIGHT

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”
— Ephesians 5:8

 We cannot preach light while secretly protecting darkness.

The light of Christ must touch:

·       our personal lives,

·       our relationships,

·       our finances,

·       our leadership,

·       our motives,

·       our conversations,

·       our decisions,

·       our ministry practices.

  “Lord, search me before I try to correct others.”

This connects strongly with 2 Corinthians 13:5:

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith.”

Before pointing out another person's weakness:

Let Christ examine me first.

Before correcting another person's attitude:

Let Christ correct my attitude.

Before questioning another person's faithfulness:

Let Christ examine my faithfulness.

Before asking whether others are walking in the light:

Ask whether I am walking in the light.

For JCRC: A healthy church is not a church where nobody makes mistakes.

It is a church where people are willing to bring things into the light, receive correction, repent, forgive, restore, and grow.

Light produces accountability.

And accountability protects the body.

 

3. JCRC, WALK IN WISDOM — BE INTENTIONAL WITH WHAT GOD ENTRUSTED TO US

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time…”
— Ephesians 5:15–16

Walk carefully.

Not carelessly.

Not impulsively.

Not according to emotion.

Not simply because:

“This is how we have always done it.”

But:

“Lord, what is Your wisdom for this?”

For JCRC, wisdom means: (which we must always practice)

Before making decisions: Pray.

Before speaking: Think.

Before correcting: Understand.

Before committing resources: Count the cost.

Before sending people: Prepare them.

Before entering ministry: Check the heart.

Before accepting a teaching: Test it with Scripture.

Before responding to conflict:   Seek God's wisdom rather than reacting emotionally.

 

“I don't want to be merely active for God. I want to be intentional with what God has entrusted to me.”

 4. JCRC, BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

“Be filled with the Spirit.”
— Ephesians 5:18

 The answer to ministry pressure is not simply:

“Work harder.”

The answer is:

“Be filled with the Spirit.”

Because we can become:

·       spiritually tired,

·       emotionally tired,

·       ministry tired,

·       people tired,

·       mission tired.

And when we are empty inside, we can still look busy outside.

But God does not want JCRC to operate merely through human strength.

 

“Lord, fill me again before I serve again.”

Before the sermon—

be filled.

Before the mission—

be filled.

Before the meeting—

be filled.

Before correction—

be filled.

Before making decisions—

be filled.

Before confronting someone—

be filled.

Before leading others—

be filled.

We cannot continually pour out if we are unwilling to continually receive from God.

 

5. JCRC, OUR UNITY MUST REFLECT CHRIST

Ephesians 5:21 says:

“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”

This is important for a growing church.

There will be different:

·       personalities,

·       opinions,

·       gifts,

·       leadership styles,

·       experiences,

·       ministries,

·       generations.

Unity does not mean everyone thinks exactly the same.

Unity means Christ remains greater than our differences.

 

“I don't have to win every argument. Sometimes I need to protect the relationship and the unity of the body.”

Ask:

Am I building unity or creating division?

Am I protecting the body or protecting my pride?

Am I seeking God's will or simply trying to prove that I am right?

 

6. JCRC, LET OUR MINISTRY LOOK LIKE CHRIST

Paul's ultimate example is Christ.

“Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.”
— Ephesians 5:25

 

Leadership in God's Kingdom is sacrificial.

It is not:

“What can I get from ministry?”

It is:

“What am I willing to give so that others can grow in Christ?”

Jesus gave Himself.

Paul gave himself.

The early church gave themselves.

Therefore, ministry cannot simply be about:

·       position,

·       title,

·       recognition,

·       authority,

·       platform,

·       appreciation.

·        

 “Lord, make me more concerned about people becoming like Christ than about people recognizing me.”

 LET CHRIST BE SEEN IN JCRC

Not merely through our preaching.

Not merely through our missions.

Not merely through our programs.

But through our character, relationships, love, holiness, humility, unity, and obedience.

 

LET US DECLARE:

 

WE WILL WALK IN LOVE.
WE WILL WALK IN LIGHT.
WE WILL WALK IN WISDOM.
WE WILL BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.
WE WILL PROTECT UNITY.
WE WILL SERVE SACRIFICIALLY.
WE WILL CARRY THE HEART OF CHRIST.

AND WHEREVER GOD SENDS US,
CHRIST WILL BE SEEN IN US.

 

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PASTORA AGNES – JCRC