Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Thankful

(Audio version; Music: "Touch The Sky" by: Hillsong and "Thankful" by: Josh Groban)











Introduction

            I had the opportunity to attend the nursing residency completion ceremony for my daughter this weekend. Relax, I’m not going to talk about how amazing my children are or how proud I am to be their father. Instead, I want to talk to you about being Thankful. You see, this weekend was filled with some of the most extreme ironies. I sat in the audience with the families and friends of the nurses completing their residency. There were awards and many great speeches celebrating the hard work and accomplishments of the nurses who completed their residency. However, there was one particular part of the ceremony that was the most powerful for me. About half way through the ceremony, a group of young children were led in wearing halos on their heads. They were all former patients of the hospital. They took their place at the front of the room facing the nurses who were seated in the front rows of the auditorium. I assume their parents were either in the back of the room or waiting just outside the auditorium. Once the children were all in position, they began to sing a song of thanks to the nurses. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. It was a scene filled with irony. Young children singing a song of thanks to the nurses with their parents who were, no doubt Thankful, they still had their child. I spent lots of time praying (I think mainly to keep from crying too much). All I could think of at the moment was to thank God. I didn’t even know what I was thanking God for at the time. Looking back now, I was Thankful that those little kids were well and I was Thankful that the nurses were there to serve them and their families and see them through that very difficult time in their lives. Honestly, though, what I was really Thankful for was that God spared me and my family from the pain and heartache some of those families had to endure.

            We had the opportunity to walk the floor where my daughter works. It was the only time I will have access to the floor. She works on a floor with many babies who have had to endure open-heart surgery within the first few days, weeks, and months of birth. Walking by each room, I prayed harder than I think I’ve prayed in a long time. I watched babies struggling to live and parents who looked so tired and beaten down. My daughter walked us around the floor and all I could think about in the midst of my prayers was how Thankful I was that it wasn’t me in one of those rooms with one of my girls. The next day, I went to the beach with my wife and daughters. As I watched them laughing and jumping around in the ocean, I couldn’t help but think of those worn out parents and their sick children back at the hospital and how God has blessed me. I was Thankful. I think I realized that always being Thankful for all things God has done and is doing in my life is often absent in my life. However, God gave me a very stark reminder that I should know better. But even I get lazy and forget one of the most important elements of being a follower of Christ and offering Him praise and worship—being Thankful in all things.
Subject Text

Philippians 4:4-7

4Rejoice 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.

Context

            This was the first church established by Paul and his companions on the European continent. The Philippian church had put together a gift and sent it with one of Paul’s friends, Epiphroditus, while Paul sat in a Roman prison. The Philippian believers were a great encouragement to Paul during his imprisonment. This letter to the Philippian church was Paul returning the favor. It was a letter to strengthen and encourage them and to show them that true and lasting joy only comes from knowing Jesus Christ and isn’t dependent on circumstances. The letter to the Philippians was also something else—it was a letter of thanks to the Philippians for their faithfulness and to God for caring for him through the faithfulness of the Philippian believers. Paul’s heart was overflowing for the Philippian believers—Paul was Thankful.

Text Analysis

            4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

            Paul amazes me that he is always ready to rejoice, encourage, praise God and give thanks in all things. Before Paul became a follower of Christ, he was a Pharisee and that made him part of the privileged class in Jerusalem. He came and went as he wanted. He had access to and enjoyed the best things life had to offer. He lived a carefree life of comfort and plenty but that all changed when he became a follower of Christ. Let me just give you a brief description of what life was like for Paul after he became a follower of Christ. When some people from the church in Corinth were boasting about their qualifications and great accomplishments, Paul had this to say:

            I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches (2 Cor 11:23-28).

            And yet Paul tells us in v. 4 to rejoice. But note what Paul says we are to rejoice in. Paul says we are to rejoice “in the Lord.” Paul is reminding us to maintain our perspective. In the middle of even the most awful circumstances of our lives, we can always rejoice in the Lord. He’s not really saying we should rejoice about our grief, pain, and sorrow. He’s saying we should always rejoice in the Lord—there’s a difference. If our rejoicing depends on our circumstances, then there will be little rejoicing in most of our lives. However, if we rejoice in the Lord, we will always have a reason to rejoice. “It seems strange that a man in prison would be telling a church to keep on rejoicing. But Paul’s attitude teaches us an important lesson: Our inner attitudes do not have to reflect our outward circumstances. Paul was full of joy because he knew that no matter what happened to him, Jesus Christ was with him. While believers often will encounter situations in which they cannot be happy, they can always rejoice and delight in the Lord.”[1]

5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

            There’s something very special that happens when we stay connected to Jesus; when “the Lord is near—transformation. For most of us, it means taking the sharp edges off our personalities. You can see it in Paul’s life. He went from being angry, proud, arrogant, and hateful—a rabid persecutor of the Church. Look at how his life changed! For Paul, Jesus wasn’t just the Rock of his salvation. Jesus was the Rock that smoothed out the rough edges of his personality. Anger turned to peace, pride turned to humility, arrogance turned to meekness, and hate turned to forgiveness. Paul’s life went from a life of sharp edges that he used to wound those around him. But now the sharp edges are mostly gone and in their place are the smooth edges that are mainly characterized by gentleness. That’s why Paul tells the Philippians in v. 5 to let their gentleness be evident to all—their gentleness will witness to the power of God to transform lives just like it witnessed to the power of God in the transformed life of Paul. “A practical way to have joy is by exhibiting gentleness to all. This lets the church and world see that you belong to the Lord. The Greek word epiekeus means ‘yielding, gentle, kind.’ It includes the ability to go beyond the letter of the law in treating others, to provide something beside strict justice. It does not insist on personal rights or privileges. Christ embodied such gentleness in his dealing with people. Why should we surrender personal rights for others? The Lord is near. In both time and space, God is available to us. He is not far removed in heaven but present in our hearts to hear and relate to us. His nearness also means he knows us and what we are. In time, God is near, for he is coming again. Then we will receive our rewards for living like Christ rather than like the world.”[2]

6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

            As someone who is prone to being anxious, this is a particularly difficult instruction for me. I am notoriously anxious about many things—about the welfare of my family; about the effectiveness of my ministry; about whether or not I’m missing something that might strengthen my relationship with God; about whether or not my life honors God, and many more. It’s not something I’m terribly proud of and I’m certainly better as I’ve gotten older, but the anxiety is often still there. It’s an unfortunate piece of baggage that I drag around with me but the worst part is that it reveals a terrible lack of faith—not a good characteristic for a pastor. Nevertheless, I fight back against the anxiety through prayer and by giving thanks as Paul instructs in v. 6. But fighting against anxiety isn’t a one-time battle. For me it’s a battle that never seems to end. Therefore, it’s a battle that requires constant prayer and thanksgiving to God.

            The Philippians, too, must have been anxious about something that was going in or around their lives. So Paul instructs them not to be anxious but give thanks to God and bring all their concerns to Him with prayers and petitions. “They are to live without anxiety, entrusting their lives to God with prayer and thanksgiving…Apprehension and fear mark the life of the unbelieving, the untrusting, for whom the present is all there is, and for whom the present is so uncertain—or for many so filled with distress and suffering, as in the case of the Philippians…In situations where others fret and worry, believers in ‘the Lord’ submit their case to God in prayer, accompanied by thanksgiving…Lack of gratitude is the first step to idolatry. Thanksgiving is an explicit acknowledgement of creatureliness and dependence, a recognition that everything comes as gift, the verbalization before God of his goodness and generosity. If prayer as petition indicates their utter dependence on and trust in God, petition ‘accompanied by thanksgiving’ puts both their prayer and their lives into proper theological perspective. Thanksgiving does not mean to say ‘thank you’ in advance for gifts to be received; rather, it is the absolute basic posture of the believer, and the proper context for ‘petitioning’ God. Gratitude acknowledges—and begets—generosity.”[3]

7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

            When Paul talks about peace that transcends understanding in v. 7, he’s not referring to something we generate out of our own strength. Instead, it’s a peace we receive from God. It’s the kind of peace we see exemplified in the life of Jesus who was always at peace even though He knew He was headed to the cross. He was at peace whenever those who witnessed His miracles still doubted. He was at peace whenever family and friends rejected Him. He was at peace whenever the religious leaders looked for ways to trap Him and condemn Him. He was at peace when He was betrayed by Judas. He was at peace when all the disciples abandoned Him at His arrest. He was at peace when He was being falsely accused by the religious leaders. He was at peace when He was condemned to death by the Roman rulers. He was at peace when the Roman soldiers beat Him mercilessly. He was at peace when they drove the nails through His hands and feet. He was at peace when He died on the cross. Jesus was always at peace because, as God, He knew how history would unfold. He saw all the betrayals, and the pain, and the suffering, and the death. But He also saw the empty tomb and the salvation that would be available for all of humanity through Him. So Jesus was at peace. It’s not so much that Jesus is God that He was able to have peace (although that’s certainly part of the reason). Instead, it’s because He had an eternal perspective.

Paul understood this kind of peace, not just because he had it but because he saw it on display before he became a follower of Christ. If you don’t know the story of Stephen, you can find it in Acts 6:8-7:60. Stephen was an outspoken follower of Jesus in Jerusalem in the days immediately after Jesus resurrection. I’ll give you the short version of his story. He was arrested in Jerusalem for preaching about Jesus and when he preached that same message to the religious leaders who had him arrested, they dragged him outside and had him stoned to death. And guess who was standing right their holding the coats of those who were casting stones? Paul! Well at this point he was still known as Saul the persecutor of the early Church. Paul was an accomplice and witness to Stephen’s martyrdom. But he also witnessed something else that day. Let me show it to you:

When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep (Acts 7:54-60).

On the day when Paul witnessed the murder of the first Christian martyr, he witnessed something else too—peace; peace that transcends all understanding. Stephen was at peace because of his eternal perspective and we can have peace if we maintain our focus on that same eternal perspective.

“The peace of God refers to ‘the calm serenity that characterizes God’s very nature and that grateful, trusting Christians are welcome to share. Peace then is God’s very character…Although the peace of God refers primarily to the peace God has and is in himself, the peace of God also refers to the peace that God gives: ‘the inward peace of the soul which comes from God, and is grounded in God’s presence and promise.’ The peace of God is the opposite of anxiety. God himself is not beset with anxieties, for he knows the end from the beginning and directs all things in accordance with his will. When we trust God in prayer, God gives to us his peace to guard our hearts and minds against anxious thoughts.

            [The] description of God’s peace is defined in two ways. First, to transcend all understanding is taken by some to mean that human reasoning cannot comprehend God’s peace…‘Nothing is more foreign to the human mind, than to hope in the depth of despair, in the depth of poverty to see riches, and in the depth of weakness not to give way…Secondly the phrase transcends all understanding is taken by others to mean that the peace of God is far superior to human reason. All the exceptional human abilities of perspective insights and reflective intelligence cannot resolve conflicts and reduce anxiety as effectively as God’s peace does. The healing power of God’s peace surpasses the powers of the human mind. ‘The peace of God surpasses every human thought or device as a means of insuring tranquility of heart.’ God’s peace is able to produce exceedingly better results than human planning…Now Paul calls them to pray together with thanksgiving and to subject their minds to the gift of God’s peace.”[4]

Application

            The idea of being Thankful when you’re at the bedside of your newborn baby who has undergone open-heart surgery is hard to imagine. As I walked from room to room at the hospital, being Thankful was hard for me to imagine. I wrote this lesson because I wanted to offer you some encouragement during the struggles in your life. What I realized is that I wrote this lesson for me. To remember to rejoice in the Lord always, not just during times of celebration but also during times of sorrow because regardless of my circumstances, the Lord is always near to me in time and proximity. To remember that regardless of how I’m treated; what people say to me; what people do to me, not to respond in anger or out of vengeance but always with gentleness because that is precisely how God responded to me when I didn’t know any better. To remember that instead of giving in to anxiety when faced with anxious situations in my life, to turn instead to prayer and offer up my concerns to God with a Thankful heart and spirit. To remember that God offers me access to His peace and all I have to do is accept it. I don’t have to try and understand it, I just have to accept it and live out its reality in my life.

            I said at the beginning that this weekend was filled with ironies. The irony of being Thankful for having a child who is happy and healthy while watching weary parents stand at the bedside of their very sick child and listening to the song of thanks being sung to the nurses by the children they treated who were once very sick themselves. But there was no greater irony than the one I experienced as I was leaving the hospital. Touring the hospital floor where we saw all the sick children was the last thing I though I would experience as I was leaving the hospital. Not exactly an image of hope and encouragement but it was reality for those families. However, just as we were leaving the hospital, my daughter turned me around to show me a young girl leaving the hospital in a wheelchair with a huge bouquet of balloons tied to the back. Their was lots of laughter and pictures being taken. My daughter told me that the girl was very, very sick when she came into the hospital needing a heart transplant. She told me that the girl received a new heart just a few days earlier and was now going home. What an amazing day it was. A day that started with being Thankful to God for the life of my daughter ended with being Thankful to God for the life of a stranger’s daughter. As it turned out, it was a day that I just needed to be Thankful.







[1] Bruce Barton, Philip Comfort, Grant Osborne, Linda K. Taylor, and Dave Veerman, Life Application New Testament Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), p. 860.
[2] Max Anders, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians—Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 1999), p. 261.
[3] Gordon D. Fee, Paul’s Letter to the Philippians—The New International Commentary on the New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995), pp. 409-410.
[4] G. Walter Hansen, The Letter to the Philippians—The Pillar New Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009), pp. 292-293.

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