| I think it’s important that we begin with a brief synopsis of the text before we read it. The city of Philippi had a checkered history. It was named after Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. Philip took possession of the city in 358 B.C. by way of military conquest. In 42 B.C. the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire and under the dominion of the Roman Empire Philippi became a Roman colony. It was a principal stop on the great highway that carried traders and travelers between the East and West and was therefore a strategic place for the spread of the Gospel. In the early portion of Paul's second missionary journey, the Lord indicated that He wanted Paul to cross over into Macedonia (Ac.16v9-10), an event which has affected all of our lives in the West since this was the first congregation to be established on European soil. Paul was in prison in Rome when he wrote this letter to the church at Philippi - a letter that reflects Paul’s confidence, hope, and trust in the all-sufficiency of Christ despite hardship or adversity. Having established this framework, or context, for the historical text, listen to what Paul is saying as he writes to the Philippian church. Our scripture text says, 4. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Knowing the context of scripture and hearing the words of scripture help us to shape our lives according to scripture. Here we find Paul, facing a great deal of adversity and uncertainty as a prisoner of Rome, giving advice - advice cemented concretely into his own personal experience - on how to model our Christian faith despite seasons of adversity and uncertainty. As long as we live in these mortal bodies, all of us will be touched by seasons of adversity and uncertainty that come our way dressed in a myriad of styles and wearing a multitude of names. What we face in life is both unique to us as individuals and common to us as a church, as a nation, and as a global community. We are all affected by everything from the common cold viruses that we pass around among us to the raging wars that are inflicted upon us. Adversity. Uncertainty. It seems the more advanced and technological we become globally , the less security and certainty we enjoy individually. What do we do when we are faced with adversity and uncertainty. How do we allow adversity and uncertainty to affect the way we model the Christian faith? Enter the world of the Apostle Paul and Philippians 4:4-7. No. It’s not fun facing difficult situations but rejoice in the knowledge and goodness of the Lord anyway and always. (Verse 4) No. It’s not fun dealing with difficult people but remember the example of Christ - be assertive but don’t become an assailant against the perpetrators of difficulty. (Verse 5) Yes. We do like to feel that we are in control of our destiny and we do have a tendency to worry about the future but it is to our advantage to give it all to God who knows more about it than we do anyway. (Verse 6) And the result of entering the world of Philippians 4:4-7 is an amazing interior peace that permeates the entirety of our being, an interior peace that validates our professions of faith. (Verse 7) More than ever, we need the peace of the Lord filling our hearts and reigning in our lives. I would conclude this brief meditation with a prayer saying, “Our Father, through the peace that transcends all understanding and guards our hearts, grant that we might be not only partakers of but also participants in the mission of the Gospel of Christ despite any of the negative seasonal forces that may bear against us. Amen. |
| "Modeling Faith in the Face of Adversity" Philippians 4:4-7 |
| ©David Kralik Ministries, Inc. 2003 Email: matthewfivesix@hotmail.com |
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