"The Fruit of a New Life!" Philippians 4:4-7

"The Fruit of a New Life!"

Captivated by Christ: An expository sermon series on Paul's Letter to the Church in Philippi (message #27)

Pastor Jerry Ingalls

October 24, 2010

The word of God from Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV), "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." [Prayer]

Paul continues to exhort the Christ-followers of Philippi, and through the Holy Spirit you and I today, to conduct ourselves as citizens of heaven. He is teaching us how to stand firm as one man, as a soldier standing firm as the enemy encircles. The way we stand firm as God's people, the Church, in the midst of external attacks and internal controversies is to intentionally cultivate the fruit of the new life in our everyday thoughts and actions. We are to conduct ourselves in a manner that reflects the reality of the life transformation that has happened in us through the gospel of Christ.

Let's look at three aspects of our new life from this passage. First, THE FRUIT OF A NEW LIFE IN THE LORD IS THE RESOLVE TO REJOICE IN DAY TO DAY LIFE!

Paul commands in Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

Regardless of our circumstances we are commanded to resolve ourselves toward living out the heart attitude of joy by rejoicing! This is not a suggestion, it is a command! Nor is this a call to a Pollyannaish world view. We do not simply smile in the face of evil; life's circumstances are not always a bed of roses. We must make a distinction between happiness and joy. Happiness is an emotion based on our perception of our circumstances. It is impossible to always be happy. Joy is a conviction of your soul that sings, "It is well, it is well with my soul."

Joy is based not upon our circumstances like happiness or sadness; rather, it is based on what God has done for us and what He has promised to complete in us! Paul gives us the motive clause of our rejoicing stating, "Rejoice in the Lord always." The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 40:2-3, "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD."

We find the resolve to rejoice in the day to day circumstances of our life, even in the midst of our sufferings, when we know that through them we are being strengthened for the coming day of the Lord and purified to meet Jesus Christ face to face. We find the resolve to rejoice because we know that God is worthy of our trust! We rejoice in the Lord whom we put our trust in, NOT in our circumstances!

Rather than resolving to place ourselves at odds with the sovereign God by wanting to know why God has allowed this or that to happen, and asking ourselves questions that no one on earth can answer like, "why me?" or "why my family" or "why now?" let us together resolve to ask ourselves this one question: "How can I respond to my circumstances in a way to bring glory to God?". How can I respond in a way that builds my faith in God?

The Bible teaches us in 1 Peter 1:6-9, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit; it is a character trait of a mature follower (disciple) of Jesus Christ. Paul not only commands us to rejoice once, he says it multiple times in this letter, and even in this same verse he states it twice, ending with, "I will say it again: Rejoice!" This is not a self-help emotional feel good. To miss the mandate of joy in the Christian life is to miss a major point of this letter and a defining character trait of the redeemed life. This is not the promise of the American Dream, where we see materialism bearing the fruit of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Joy is the fruit of the abundant life promised by Jesus Christ! Amen!

The second point: THE FRUIT OF A NEW LIFE IN THE LORD IS GENTLENESS WITH OTHER PEOPLE!

Paul exhorts in Philippians 4:5, "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." The fruit of our new life with Christ is not only visible in our personality, but also in our interpersonal relationships. And once again, Paul clearly gives us the motive clause. We "rejoice in the Lord always", so we know to rejoice not because of our ever-changing circumstances, but in the Lord who is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. Now, we are commanded to be gentle in our relationships because, "The Lord is near."

This can be understood in two ways. First, in a spatial way (in other words by how close God is to us!). Jesus Christ promised in the Gospel of Matthew 28:20b, "And surely I [Jesus Christ] am with you always, to the very end of the age." We are to be gracious and gentle in our relationships because Jesus Christ is right here next to us and who in their right mind is going to treat someone badly or act in a way that is hurtful to God when the God of the Universe is right next to him/her. Imagine a scenario where Jesus Christ sat down with you at lunch today at the Ministry Appreciation Luncheon. No way you would gossip about someone or be rude to someone or not invite someone to sit down with you just because you do not know them. The proximity of Jesus Christ in your presence changes your conduct!

A second way to understand this motivation is temporal. In other words, our conduct is motivated by God's timetable! Jesus Christ is coming for us soon!

We live differently because we know He will return for us; to give us our full inheritance and to judge our conduct. The Bible teaches in 1 John 3:3, "Everyone who has this hope in him [the hope of Jesus' imminent return] purifies himself, just as he [Jesus] is pure."

If you truly lived your life in eager expectation (A life of expectancy!) then you would ensure that your conduct was above reproach every day, in every way, and in every relationship. However you interpret it, the fact that the Lord is near motivates our attitudes and actions!

What does it mean to be gentle in our relationships? The Greek word epieikēs [epi-eye-case] means a gracious gentleness. Essentially, this word was used in its original context of a judge who had every justification and right to give a person the maximum punishment for their conduct, but chose to show them grace. In the context of everyday interpersonal relationships, this means that you should have a testimony as a man or woman who is not quick to punish or be harsh with your words towards someone, but putting the needs of the other person first your conduct toward them is a gracious gentleness; a patient kindness. The Bible teaches us how to live this way in James 3:16-17 by contrasting the conduct of those who are immature and in the world versus those who are mature and in the Spirit: "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." The motivation of our relationships with others is how God has conducted Himself toward us in Christ Jesus!

Third and last, THE FRUIT OF A NEW LIFE IN THE LORD IS THE PEACE OF GOD THAT COMES FROM THE GOD OF PEACE!

Paul states in Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace [eirēnē] of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

These verses could amply supply material for a series of messages, but let's look at them in the context of the fruit that God gives us when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The life in the sarx (the unredeemed nature, the flesh) is filled with anxiety and worry! But not so with us who have been given the Holy Spirit and now bear fruit of the Spirit. Jesus Christ, in the Gospel of Matthew 6:27, declared our lack of power over our circumstances by asking us this simple question, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" Worry bears no good fruit! It distracts us and robs us of our joy and confidence in the Lord. The Psalmist declared in Psalm 91:1-2, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'"

Does this mean that we, as followers of Jesus Christ, will not experience depression, anxiety, emotional pain? Absolutely not! We are human; we are people in process in this broken perishable body! But, we respond differently to our anxiety and worry!

I was taught by the world to feed my anxiety and worry and allow the fear it feeds to drive me and determine my decision making. Not so with us! As Spirit-filled followers of Jesus Christ our actions are not determined by our emotions and fears! God is our determining factor! The Bible teaches us in 1 Peter 5:7 to, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." Both Paul and Peter acknowledge that we will have anxiety! The Bible time and time again mentions our burdens, our worries, our anxieties. This is a reality of life! Either we are going to be people under the power of God or under the power of our emotions. I don't know about you, but I want God in control of my life, not my ever-changing emotions and feelings.

Here is the good news of this very real situation: we may be broken, but God, through His Son Jesus Christ dying on the Cross, has created a bridge for us to have intimacy with God through prayer. There is an action plan to give us peace in the midst of anxiety. How are we to deal with our anxiety, our burdens, and our worries? Paul states in our Scripture lesson, verse 6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." When anxiety hits, follow God's action plan, and choose life through prayer. Choose to communicate with a grateful heart for the fact that through Jesus Christ you are granted direct access to God to cast your anxieties. With thanksgiving to God for His great love of you, tell the God who has won you peace on the Cross, all of your requests and then trust that He has heard you; find rest in the shadow of His wing. God is your fortress and strength! You are safe and secure in Jesus Christ!

The God of peace has promised us the peace of God. This is the eirēnē of the New Testament Greek and the shalom of the Hebrew Scriptures. This is a peace brought about by God's activity; a divine indwelling. This is an inner wholeness of person and healthy relationship with God and people! Peace is the work of God! The Bible teaches in Hebrews 13:20-21, "May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

The God of peace has won our peace at the great price of the blood of Jesus Christ! And do not be deceived, there is still a battle waging for your heart and mind! That is why Paul uses a military image at the end of verse 7, "And the peace [eirēnē] of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Like sentries guarding the fortified walls of a citadel, so God's peace in Christ Jesus guards the citadel of your heart (the language here is pointing to your inner source of all outer life; your mind, will, emotions, and conscience) and your mind (this word points to the outflow from this source in terms of our plans).

God has promised you the victory and He wants your life to be marked by this victory! The abundant life is the victorious life guarded by the God of peace. In Romans 16:20, Paul promises, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you." Do you know this peace?

Have you responded to the victorious news of Jesus Christ? Are you living in the victory of what Jesus Christ had done for you on the cross? Do you have peace with God?

It starts by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. It continues by daily relying upon the Holy Spirit for power. The victorious life is a life of power and we need God's power to rejoice in our circumstances! We need God's power to be gracious when we feel like administering justice! We need God's power to turn our anxieties and burdens over to Jesus Christ through prayer. And through God's power, the God of peace will guard your inner and outer person with the peace won through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. The command to rejoice, regardless of our circumstances, is a theme found in Philippians. To miss the mandate of joy in the Christian life is to miss a major point of this letter. How is it possible to rejoice when life is painful and difficult? What is the difference between joy and happiness? What is joy grounded in? How is your faith in Jesus Christ greater than your feelings about your circumstances?

2. Read the account of the woman caught in adultery in the Gospel of John 8:1-11. Discuss what Jesus models for us regarding how to administer grace in the midst of justice. How do you demonstrate gracious gentleness in your relationships? How do we come alongside fellow believers in their struggles and walk with them to victory in Christ Jesus?

3. Do you worry? Do you worry that you're worrying? When was the last time you prayed at length over the things that worry you, trouble you, or consume you? Do you trust God to take care of your burdens and concerns? Read the promise of the Gospel of Matthew 11:28-30. Thank you Jesus!