“But The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Peace” Philippians 4:5b-7
SI: This summer studying the fruit of the Spirit in
Galatians 5.
“Fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace . . .”
This
morning let’s consider the fruit of peace.
INTRO: During the 1980s you may remember that a
number of Americans
were kidnapped in
Some were executed, some eventually
released.
One
American kidnapped was a man named Martin Jenco—
believer, working
for a Christian relief agency in
Over
the year and a half he was a hostage his kidnappers frequently moved him
in order to keep
from being discovered. When the moved
him—
stuffed sock in his
mouth, wrapped body in packing tape from feet to top of head,
only left his nostrils open to breath—shoved him in space
under the bed of truck.
First
time—almost died of panic, suffocation.
Dark, hot, claustrophobic space—
jolted around nose
bumped, blood began to clot.
When
he had been kidnapped, button had come off jacket—hold
that button.
Prayed and focused on that button in his
palm.
Keep him from utter panic, helped regulate
his breathing.
Got
quite attached to that button—kept close to him.
Whenever he would be moved, wrapped in
tape—pray and clench button.
During
his captivity he remembered this passage in Philippians—
“The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything
by prayer and
petition with thanksgiving present your requests to God,
and the peace of
God which transcends all understanding will guard your
hearts and your
minds in Christ Jesus.”
He
started meditating on this passage—thinking about the peace of God.
He knew God was telling him this:
“I am with you always, even
when you are bound and gagged and stuffed under a truck.
The next time they move you,
I want you to let go of the button.”
He
was being required to take a profound step of faith.
To find his peace in Jesus Christ alone—not
even in Jesus plus a little button.
Next
time he was moved, opened his hand—let go of the button—
with an open hand
and heart he received an incredible peace—
the profound assurance
that the Lord was with him.
That’s
what peace is for a Christian—
quiet confidence
that the Lord is with you.
That
he has control of your life and circumstances.
Peace
is a fruit of the Spirit.
The seed is there in born again person—and
it can be cultivated.
Martin
Jenco cultivated the fruit of the Spirit—
to the point that
he was able to willingly get rid of the last thing he had
that represented
some control over his life—
because he believed
that God would give him greater peace.
What
about you? Are you anxious?
What are the buttons that you hold on to
give yourself some sense of control.
Peace comes in knowing that the Lord is with
you, your life in his hands.
Let’s
look at the fruit of peace.
Some
people think that these two verses in Philippians are the greatest in the Bible
with regard to the
practical experience of peace.
For
note takers—Two points.
1. The source of anxiety
2. The path to peace
The
second point will be longer than the first point.
Then, at the end I want to tell you two
short stories.
MP#1 The source of anxiety
Paul
writes, “Do not be anxious about anything.”
Opposite of peace
Greek word translated “anxious” has the
sense of being scattered, out of sorts
Where does anxiety come from? Does it come from circumstances? Bad things?
Vs.
7 When peace of
God comes, what does it guard? Your hearts and minds.
In the
Bible the heart is more than your emotions—the center of your person.
The mind of course refers to your thinking,
reasoning.
In
Paul’s psychology there powers within the human person produce anxiety.
Your heart and mind the source of your anxiety.
You
can control many things about your life.
But you cannot control your heart and mind.
Do what they want apart from you.
Recall
a time when you were anxious about something.
Wanted to go to sleep. Toss and turn. Wish could sleep
But couldn’t keep heart
and mind from working.
You
imagine all the worst scenarios. What if
this happens.
Create and rewind and edit scenes for hours.
Consider from every angle. Analyze.
Review.
You
replay all the steps that go you into this situation.
What if I had done this instead?
Why didn’t I do that?
Why couldn’t I see that coming?
These
powers within you master you, they tyrannize you and
produce anxiety.
One
reason Apostle Paul concerned about this—
knows how
unproductive this makes you as a Christian.
I
know that as a Christian and as a pastor—calling to listen to people when talk.
Things are going on that are important to
them.
Many
a time when anxious act like listening—all the non-verbal cues on autopilot.
Mind is reviewing the situation.
Crucial
to see—anxiety comes from the heart and mind dominating you.
MP#2 The path to peace
When
Bible speaks of peace, does so in two senses.
Peace of God and Peace with God—we’ve
studied this before.
Philippians
4:7 is about which one? “peace of God.”
Peace of God is a confident, quiet rest . .
. opposite of anxiety. Peacefulness.
We’re going to address this in a moment,
what passage is about.
That is what the fruit of the Spirit
is.
But
first, have to consider this thing Bible calls “Peace with God.”
Because you can’t understand peace of God
unless understand peace with God.
Can never have peace of
God unless you have peace with God.
What
is peace with God?
Romans 5:1 is a
great passage:
“Therefore, since we have been justified
through faith,
we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Peace
with God means that you are no longer at war with God—
and He is no longer
at war with you.
Bible
teaches that human beings are by nature at war with God.
Sin is rebellion,
it’s treason against the Creator.
What Adam and Eve wanted. Wanted life on their terms. Passed to children.
Not
only are sinful people at war with God, He is at war with them.
“The wrath of God is being revealed from
heaven against all the godlessness . . .”
God’s wrath is not petty and
vindictive. It’s a judicial wrath.
As Judge, God bears judicial wrath toward
lawbreakers.
But
the Gospel is that God looked down with love on His enemies.
He
sent His one and only Son to earth to be born first Christmas morning,
as a human being,
“in the likeness of sinful flesh.”
Jesus was the second Adam.
As
the boy Jesus grew into a man,
He loved, obeyed, and kept God’s law
perfectly.
Then He was crucified.
As
our representative, full wrath of God poured out on Him
as punishment for our
sins—Father went to war against own Son.
That removed the cause of God’s hostility—Judicial wrath satisfied.
But
that’s not the whole story. That is what
happened 2,000 years ago on the cross.
You
were born in sin, born with a heart hostile to God.
Even as a child, you had temper tantrums
because of your sinful nature.
You disobeyed your parents because you
wanted to be your own master.
Your heart was in rebellion against God.
So
God sent His Holy Spirit to wake you up spiritually
to show you your
hostility and sin and rebellion
call you to repent
of it, and turn to Him in faith.
And surrender to your former Enemy who is
now your Friend.
Because
of God’s great love, Christ’s work, Holy Spirit’s presence—
you can have peace
with God. All hostility has been
removed.
If
a person never becomes a Christian, he will never have peace with God.
Will always be at war with God whether he
knows it or not.
Consequently, he will never have the peace
of God (peacefulness).
This
is the reason.
A life of rebellious struggle against God is
struggle against your true nature.
God
made you to worship Him, center your life on Him.
Life of rebellion always leads to breakdown.
Some
people are more successful better at moving through life than other people.
For some, the breakdown is very obvious and
ugly.
Others, hidden. One of the things false religions do, hide
the breakdown.
Keller—like pulling a wagon without wheels. Can do forward, things fall apart.
Brings us to peace of God.
Which
is peacefulness comes from knowing God is with you and in control.
Obviously a more
subjective, experiential thing than peace with God.
Martin
Jenco had peace with God but when kidnapped—
there was a time
when he did not have the peace of God.
He was anxious and panicked.
So
how do you experience the peace of God when you are anxious?
You’re
going to love Paul’s answer—Pray about it. Pray about your anxiety.
I’m sure that there were people in Philippian church, as in this church
Who say, that is a worthless, pat answer to
problem of anxiety.
I’ve
tried to pray and it doesn’t work.
As if Paul knew that was going to be the
response—goes into more detail.
“In
everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, make your requests known
unto God.”
Let’s
look at each element of his teaching.
1. “By Prayer” Prayer is a general biblical term for
communion with God.
Means coming face to face with the living
God and worshipping Him.
Very
first thing you do, have this problem, anxiety, is you in a sense put it aside.
Ok—who am I talking to? I’m talking to the God of all
the Universe.
King of kings, Lord of
lords. Talking to One who is glorious, sovereign.
I’m
also coming face to face with my Father in heaven.
That is the way Jesus taught His disciples
to pray—our Father in heaven.
Do
you see what that does—if pray properly.
It immediately lifts you above the earth and
into the presence of God.
Puts things in
perspective.
Martin
Luther—if could perfectly pray first words, Our Father in heaven,
could stop there,
would never have to pray another word.
Prayer
doesn’t come easily—not just bowing head and asking God for things.
Awareness that you are in
His presence. Gazing
at Him.
Martin Luther had a dog, would sit and stare
at him whole meal,
waiting for a
scrap. Luther—if only I could pray like
my dog!
If I could stare at God
with such intensity.
Doesn’t come naturally. One reason
God gave us the Bible, stir self up.
Martin Jenco. It was remembering this passage. Meditating on it. Psalms.
2. “And Petition” Know what a petition is. Tell God, this is what is happening.
This is what I need. We’re usually good at that.
3. Then Paul adds, “With Thanksgiving.”
Now this is truly the key to petitioning
God.
Means
that with every petition you say these words and have this attitude:
And Lord, whatever your answer is, I will be
thankful.
If You answer, “Yes.”
Obviously I’ll be thankful.
If You answer, “Wait.” (even for a
long time) I’ll be thankful for perfect timing.
If You answer in a way that is completely different from what
expected,
I’ll be thankful for your wisdom.
If you say, “No.” I’ll be
thankful that you know what is best.
Can only pray that way by
the power of the Holy Spirit.
But
if you do—what is the promise if you pray this way?
Not a promise that circumstances will
change, things work out.
“and the peace of
God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Promise
that you will be filled with confident, quiet rest in Lord’s presence,
and his wise
control over your life.
Furthermore,
it’s going to be a peace that you can’t imagine.
It will come upon you and you will enjoy
it.
Furthermore,
it will be a peace in Christ Jesus,
rest on your
mystical union with Him.
Have
you ever known the peace of God?
When
you are anxious, do you say, I’ve prayed and it doesn’t work.
But what has your prayer been?
God change this. Fix this.
Do something.
Or
have you patiently, fervently prayed with thanksgiving as Lord teaches?
This is not a psychological tool pull out and say—pray and make self feel
better.
Pray, think about God, won’t be able to
think about my problems.
This
is a promise that God Himself, will respond to the prayers of His people,
and in His time,
will fill them with His peace that transcends understanding.
Two short stories
First story is about the man who wrote
these words—Apostle Paul.
About
four years before he wrote this letter,
wrote a letter to
the church in
At
the end of that letter, gave that church three prayer requests.
Romans
15:30
“I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus
Christ and by the love of the Sprit to join me in my
struggle by praying
to God for me. Pray that I may be
rescued from the unbelievers in Judea
and that my service
in
may come to you
with joy and together with you be refreshed.”
How
did the Lord answer these prayer requests of this great saint?
1. No.
Was not rescued, was arrested. In jail 2 years.
2. Didn’t have time to minister to Jerusalem
Christians.
3. Answered in a completely different way. To
Roman Christians came to see him. A celebrity. Preaching and teaching.
But pastors became jealous, said negative
things, stopped visiting, neglected.
After two years in prison in
Onesiphorus only
found Paul after a long search.
Four
years in prison—prayers not answered the way he had requested.
Yet
what does he write? Magnificent
letter. Epistle
of joy.
Here was Paul, awaiting trial, forgotten by
many Christians, in Rome, in chains,
but he had made his
requests known to God in the right way, filled with peace.
Second story told before about man named
Dr. Robert Rayburn.
Past president of my seminary.
Dr. Rayburn served as an army chaplain
during the Korean war.
There was one event that affected his
ministry as chaplain more than any other.
What
happened was this:
Company of paratroopers to be dropped behind lines.
Regular chaplain unable to go, Rayburn volunteered,
never jumped.
44
men on the his plane, all veteran paratroopers, all
with combat experience.
When plane airborne, began looking at them,
not joking as GI’s always do,
As looked at expressions, saw man after man
in absolute agony.
Great drops of perspiration even though it
was chilly in the plane.
These
men know what’s coming.
Day before they had told stories about a
previous jump—
terrible things
that had happened in combat.
Later
wrote his thoughts:
“If
the fellows that know what to expect look like that, how should I look?” I thought.
It was just then that a feeling of sheer panic seized me. I began to shake and tremble with fear. I confess I felt utterly dismayed; it seemed
that I just couldn’t go ahead with that jump into space.
Began
to pray—I volunteered because believed you told me to so could witness.
Here I am shaking with fear. I can’t help myself, going to be useless to
men.
Suddenly, as praying, Lord spoke, “I will
fear no evil, for Thou art with me.”
Truth struck him. Jesus is with me. Jump out with me. What happened next:
As
the full realization of the Lord’s promise swept over me, such peace flooded my
soul as I have never experienced under any other circumstances. I doubt if I shall ever have quite such an
experience again. My head was bowed in
prayer over my front parachute. As the
sweet peace of God took possession of me I fell sound asleep! The next thing I knew, Cliff was poking me in
the ribs. “Chaplain Rayburn, you’d
better get awake now,” he said “it’s about time for us to be getting out of
here.”
Survived the jump and the terrible fighting.
For
days and days after that, men in the regiment would approach and say—
“Chaplain, we heard from men on your plane,
sound asleep to drop zone.”
“How in the world could you sleep?”
I
had a chance to tell them about a Savior whose presence is so real, and whose
promises are so sure that He can give perfect peace in the worst kind of
circumstances.
Psalm
3, written by the warrior king David about time fled for life from Absalom:
I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord
sustains me.
I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn
up against me on every side.
Martyn
Lloyd-Jones said:
“The great problem in life is, in a sense,
how to lay oneself down to rest and sleep.
Anyone can lie down, but the question is,
can you sleep?”
So
the Bible uses the image of sound, quiet sleep as a picture of peace.
Because peace, biblically speaking, is a
confident, quiet rest
in God’s wise
control of your life.
Do
you lay down and sleep? Do you have the fruit of the Spirit which is
peace?
If you don’t, why don’t you?
Connect
these two stories to the first one I told you about Martin Jenco.
These were believers in circumstances that
could have caused
great anxiety of
heart and mind.
But
the prayed—approached God, petitioned Him with thankfulness.
And God answered them.
But not by immediately changing their
circumstances.
Dr.
Rayburn still had to jump out of that airplane.
Apostle
Paul and Martin Jenco continued to suffer
imprisonment for a time.
God
answered by filling them with the peace that passes understanding.
He guarded their hearts and minds from
anxiety.
Want
you to see what peace of God is—it’s a fruit.
Provides spiritual
nourishment for people around you.
Not for you, for others.
Don’t these stories of fruit of peace lift
you? Don’t they encourage you.?
As
you cultivate this fruit—follow path of peace:
prayer and petition with thanks
This is what will happen.
People will look at you in trying
circumstances and they will be amazed.
How can you be so calm? This person you love is terribly ill, not
agitated.
Your
work, finances, health, future plans, whatever—in turmoil.
But you aren’t! Why not?
And
you can say—Let me tell you about the Prince of Peace.
Let me tell you about peace with God and
peace of God.