Perfect Peace

Peace is something I think many people long for. A peaceful place to live. A peaceful relationship

When people are overwhelmed by life, they turn to destructive tendencies to try and find peace

God will grant Perfect peace to those who follow him, his word and his ways.

Phil 4:1-6

• Unity

• 2 I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 And[a] I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
• You’ll notice here- that Paul again encourages the church to have the “Same mind” as they do great things for God
• Paul understood- as the Bible proclaims- that Unity is important in the Body of Christ if we are going to win
• Ephesians 4:3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
• It was hard back then to keep the unity- even harder now I would suspect
• Paul actually calls out Two people by name in his letter- More than likely because there was some sort of lack of unity between the two
• Can you imagine that? Being called out by name in one of Pauls letters? Hey- Bob and Jeff- GET ALONG-
• High School football- OK coaching on skills- zero coaching on teamwork- bad players can do more as a team than individuals can do.
• There is not a team that can win, a marriage that can flourish, a organization that will grow without UNITY- It’s the adhesive of the cause- if its off by a degree- it grows over time
• When Paul says “help this women who labored with me in the Gospel” He’s encouraging the phillipan church- Can we please agree with each other and help these women who were working with me in the Gospel
• Here’s what Paul knew- The mission was greater than the individual. The Gospel must go forward- The word must get out- The people need the truth of Jesus
• So- Get along with each other, get along with the people doing the work, everyone doing the work- You can’t expect PEACE when you’re constantly fighting with people

• What does it mean to you?

• Get your mind right– I understand its easy to be pulled into conversations and thought processes that appear to be Godly, but if they are hindering the advancement of the Gospel they are fruitless in the Church
• Its easy to fall into the “I want my way” trap when its your personal preference and not for the benefit of advancing the Gospel of Jesus – You can’t have PEACE fighting for YOUR WAY
• Romans 14:19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
• Submit to leaders

• God appoints leaders in churches- and when they are doing things to advance the Gospel- work with them! Help them! Encourage them and support them!
• Hebrews 13:17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
• Myself and the other pastors and Deacons here want to defend and grow the church! You can’t have PEACE if at every turn you’re complaining about something- if you don’t like it VOLUNTEER- you can spend hours researching some best practices and bring them UP

• We really don’t have a problem with this at our church- but its where we’re at in the scriptures
• Being a pastor or a deacon is hard enough without having to constantly defend what you’re doing because people don’t like their life and think that they can pick on volunteers
• All I want is for people to get saved, and for God’s church to endure until his return
• That’s what we’re doing here- Everytime we do something- its for salvation or endurance.

• Joy

• Paul’s encouragement to the Philippian church is this- 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
• Paul is fixing to tell them about the “peace that passes all understanding” and he says to them Rejoice all the time.
• A primary verb; to be full of cheer, that is, calmly happy or well off; impersonal especially as a salutation (on meeting or parting), be well: – farewell, be glad, God speed, greeting, hail, joy (-fully), rejoice.
• Paul wants the Philippians to Be full of cheer, calmly happy, As a SALUTATION
• Did you know when you greet someone, you tell them just about everything about you?
• When you are not rejoicing in the Lord through your trials- you’re saying something about the God you serve
• You’re Rejoicing in the LORD- THANK YOU JESUS- YOU’RE A GOOD GOD! I LOVE YOU
• Paul again is teaching the church- while in CHAINS- ALWAYS rejoice! When? ALWAY
• Romans 5:3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
• The next time you’re going through something- CHOOSE to rejoice in the LORD
• Monty Williams- Coach for OKC Thunder- Wife died in car crash- video going around internet- I know that God is a good God. I know he will work it out. I am not mad. I love my wife
• Be Calmly Happy and WELL OFF- have a disposition that shows that you are calmly happy with what God is doing in your life! EVEN in the midst of your CIRCUMSTANCE
• Many times I notice that someone is not doing well- and I’ll confront them about it
• Its for two reasons- 1. They want someone to ask 2. They are no good at lying 3. They are overwhelmed
• Here’s what I don’t understand- why lie when someone shows enough concern to ask?

• Here’s what it means to you

• Find the place to find the goodness of God in your life!
• People say they want the victory over their circumstance- but they aren’t willing to do anything to set their mind right
• Why are people usually going through something? They think, Health, Job, Stuff, Relationships- that’s what they will complain about

• Worried about people’s perceptions of them
• Worried about experiencing pain
• Worried about things not changing
• Worried about not having what they think they deserve
• Matt 6:24-25

• What can you do

• Go to the scriptures! Find scriptures that speak directly to your situation
• Pray- sit and pray in the dark until you get the break through-
• Fast- beat your flesh up- tell it whos boss
• Go and love and serve on someone- When I have a bad day- I buy Crystal flowers on my way home
• Its interesting- Paul says “let your gentleness be evident to all” right after talking about rejoicing in the Lord
• Usually when you’re not rejoicing in the Lord as you’re going through something, you don’t have peace AND you’re usually not gentle either
• When did going through something give you the right to be mean to someone else?
• 5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
• Paul puts that in there- in the midst of rejoicing? Let your gentleness be known to all men
• Its not that you’re not going through something- its that when you ARE going through something- you have to maintain your gentleness- you have stay gentle
• This is something I struggle with. There are times I’m gentle, but there are times I totally miss the mark on this one
• There are times when I have opportunity to “puff up” and use my size to intimidate people, but I try really hard not to do that- I constantly remind myself that God is watching and I need to watch it
• At the McD in Ellensburg- Saw a guy in line- Remember each other- My wife came out, then his wife came out and she had a weird look- after I asked wife she said the lady was rude in the Lav
• We need to be gentle to people. I like what it says in the ESV
• Titus 3:2 (ESV) 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
• Gal 5: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
• I know I need to work on being more gentle. Its hard as a man to be gentle, but if the word of God says I need to be more gentle- then I need to have the word transform me and help me become more gentle.