David Platt Messages
David Platt Messages is a podcast that highlights sermons from teacher, author, and pastor David Platt.
David Platt Messages
Jesus and Anxiety
In this message from Philippians 4:9, David Platt talks about what it means to live a life worthy of imitation.
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You're listening to David Platt Messages a weekly podcast of sermons and messages of pastor, author and teacher David Platt. Today's episode is a rerun of one of our most listened to messages of all time.
Speaker 2:I've just got to say from the beginning today and I think I've said this most every week this summer but I am just in awe of how God is speaking directly to what we are walking through, not just every week, every day, like reading through the Gospels, this last week with the end of Mark, like good news Jesus is not dead, he's alive, and that changes everything. And then Luke the last few days those chapters are so rich. And then Philippians, chapter 4, where we're studying together each week and many people are working to memorize. Today we're going to close out this section. Philippians, chapter 4, verses 4 through 9, on anxiety, in a week when people across our church received news that schools would not be starting in our counties this fall, leading to all kinds of questions and concerns and anxiety and worry about how this is going to work and how you are going to work, and how this will affect the economy and our lives and our country, as this pandemic continues to have so many different effects in so many different ways, and into the middle of this precise moment, unlike anything any one of us has ever experienced in this world, god's word is saying to us. So I want us to read it out loud together. Again, if you're memorizing it, just close your eyes. But wherever you are, let's read this out loud and as we do, hear it as the word of God to us right now.
Speaker 2:Philippians, chapter 4, verse 1. We'll go through verse 9 today. This is the word of God. Let's say it out loud together, wherever we are in this room, in all kinds of places where we're gathered literally around the crown. Stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion. Yes, I ask you also true companion. Help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise. Think about these things, what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Oh God, help us to understand your word to us right now, amidst everything going on around us. So let's just put this out on the table.
Speaker 2:As people in the middle of a pandemic, we are anxious about many things, like we're anxious about many things. As people in life in general we talked about this last week we worry about our lives, our families, our future, about finances, about jobs, about school, about health. We worry in our own thoughts, we worry about what others think, we worry about ourselves, we worry about others, and that's just life in general. So then you throw on top of all of that a pandemic where everything is out of sort with our lives, families, finances, jobs, schools, health, so much unknown about the future and worry, anxiety just goes to a whole nother level and it can be so overwhelming Intellectually, emotionally, even spiritually. We are anxious about many things. We live in anxious times and into the middle of this God is saying to our hearts, like right now God is saying to us don't be anxious about anything. Like we just read it Do not be anxious about anything. So how is that possible in the middle of a pandemic, when you don't know what to do with your kids at home all day, when you don't know what to do when you need to work, when you don't know how finances are going to come through or what the future holds, when you're walking through all sorts of other challenges in life and health and family, how do you have peace that surpasses all understanding in everything? Like some of you many of you are like I'm just not feeling peace that passes all understanding.
Speaker 2:Right now, and this is where I want you to see what God is saying to us today, what God has been saying over the last few weeks that we've seen in this section of Philippians, chapter four. Not by coincidence, god loves us so much. He is speaking so clearly to us right now. So I wanna summarize in the next few minutes what we are hearing from God in this part of Philippians, chapter 4, capping off today with verse 9. I want to summarize what God is saying with four words of encouragement and two promises for every single person in this room and every single person listening, wherever you are right now, so you might write these down.
Speaker 2:I want to offer these words of encouragement for your life. I want to make them as memorable as possible so that you can remember them tomorrow or later this week or next week or next month, whenever you are tempted to worry or be anxious about anything. So I sometimes think acrostics can be kind of cheesy, but if they're memorable I think they can be helpful. So today I want to give you an acrostic Stop, s-t-o-p that you can have in your mind as soon as an anxious thought comes into your head, as soon as you feel any sense of worry. I want you to be able to stop, to pause and do these four things, s-t-o-p. And when you do these four things, I promise you, based not on my own authority but on the authority of the word of God, I promise you that two things will happen. So let me go ahead and give you the promises from the beginning as motivation to listen really closely to these four words of encouragement. So here's the two promises we're going to end with today.
Speaker 2:When you do these four things in this acrostic stop, you will one experience the peace of God. When you do these four things in this acrostic stop, you will one experience the peace of God when you do these four things. You will experience an otherworldly peace that surpasses all understanding. You will experience the peace of God in your mind, your heart, your life. And second promise you will know the God of peace. You'll not just experience this gift of peace from God, you will know God, the giver of peace, and not just know him but enjoy him and be secure and satisfied in him and by him. So if you want those two realities in your life, you wanna experience the peace of God and know the God of peace in a pandemic and in whatever else you're walking through, then remember these four words of encouragement S-T-O-P.
Speaker 2:Whenever you begin to have an anxious or worried thought, pause and S. Seek God in prayer about everything. Seek God in prayer about everything. This is straight from God in verse six in Philippians, chapter four Do not be anxious about anything, but pray about everything. So, in order to be anxious about anything, but pray about everything. So in order to be anxious about nothing, pray about everything. Seek God in prayer about everything. Martin Luther said pray and let God worry, which he won't, because he doesn't have to. And for those who are his children. You don't have to either.
Speaker 2:This is exactly what Jesus tells us when he's talking about worry in Matthew chapter six. Right, matthew chapter six, verse 31. Therefore, do not be anxious. This is straight from Jesus saying what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear Like? How am I gonna do this? How's this gonna work? What's the future hold? Don't ask these things For the Gentiles. Seek after all these things, and your heavenly father knows that you need them all. What do you do? But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself, sufficient, for the day is its own trouble. Oh, like. This is worth a short side note here, because that last part in this section of Matthew chapter six is a game changer in the battle against anxiety. Like God guarantees. Don't miss what Jesus is saying here. God guarantees mercy today for challenges today, and God guarantees mercy tomorrow for challenges tomorrow. But God doesn't give mercy today for challenges tomorrow. No, today's mercies are designed for today's burdens. Tomorrow's mercies will be sufficient for tomorrow's burdens and anxiety.
Speaker 2:Worry so often comes when we are focused on tomorrow, like we worry thinking how am I going to make it through the fall with my kids doing virtual school? How am I going to make things work financially in August or September or October or November or December or next year? What's going to happen with year? What's going to happen with schools? What's going to happen with the economy? When is a vaccine coming? How is all this going to affect my life or my family in this way or that way in the future?
Speaker 2:And it's not unwise to think about the future. There's certainly wisdom in planning for the future as best as we can. But when you think about the future, particularly when there are so many unknowns in it, stop and realize one, that God holds the future in his hands. And two, god promises to give you new mercy in August, new mercy in September, new mercy in October, November, december Next year. God promises that his mercy will always prove sufficient for you in every new day, which means so?
Speaker 2:Follow this. This means that you don't have the mercy today that you need for August, september, october, november next year. You know why? Because it's July 26th and God is giving mercy today for July 26th, and God promises you will have mercy for July 27th tomorrow, and new mercy for July 28th and for August, for September and so on, as each day comes and whatever each new day brings. And believing this is critical, maybe in some sense the key to fighting anxiety, realizing that what you need today is not strength for tomorrow, don't worry about tomorrow, Jesus says. Instead, live in the mercy God gives you today and believe new mercy is coming tomorrow and that mercy will be sufficient for whatever tomorrow holds Like how can you not be anxious about tomorrow? Here's how, by believing that new and sufficient mercy from God is coming your way every single day, for all that day holds, which is why.
Speaker 2:So now go back to this S we seek God in prayer about everything. Like God, I don't know how to make it through this fall or this week because of this or that concern I have, but right now I'm gonna stop and I'm gonna lift all this to you in prayer. I'm gonna stop and pray for you to specifically help me, this person, in this way, that way, asking for your help specifically in my life, in my kids, in my family, for my friends, for this need or that need in this situation, that situation. I'm gonna pray that and I'm gonna trust that as I pray. Your mercy is gonna be made known in all these different ways.
Speaker 2:When you begin to experience anxious thoughts or worry, immediately stop and seek God in prayer about everything that's on your mind. Now just start there. That's S, then T. Then trust God through prayers of thanksgiving. So this is so important in both Matthew, chapter 6 and in Philippians, chapter 4. To trust God through prayers of thanksgiving we saw it in Philippians chapter four, verse six Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
Speaker 2:So why with thanksgiving? The answer is because worry or anxiety. So, if you remember, for those of you who worshiped with us the first Sunday after the shutdown began, we defined worry and anxiety biblically. We talked about how there are a variety of different definitions of anxiety in the world, including clinical, medical anxiety with all kinds of physical symptoms. We saw that worry or anxiety is carrying concerns in this world in such a way that we either lose perspective on life or we lack trust in God. So how do we keep perspective on life and live with trust in God?
Speaker 2:And Philippians chapter 4, verse 6 is saying express thanksgiving to God, which is the same thing Jesus said back in Matthew, chapter 6, verse 26. We looked at this last week when Jesus said look at the birds of the air that neither sow nor reap nor gather in the barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And the answer is yes, you are more valuable than the birds of the air. So as you begin to worry or be anxious, like, stop, seek God in prayer about everything that's on your mind and trust that God loves you and God will help you. Trust that God will give you everything you need. We're going to see this even more starting next week, so Philippians 4 is only going to get better. So stop and thank God for all of the ways he loves you, he cares for you, he promises to help you as you lift up your needs to God.
Speaker 2:Going into this week, going into this fall, thank God in advance for the mercy that he's promised to give you. Like, instead of worrying about this fall, thank God that he is going to lead you through this fall Instead of worrying about the future. Thank God that he holds the future in his hands Instead of worrying about what we don't know. Thank God for the promises that we do know. Instead of worrying about what you don't have, thank God for all the grace you do have. Trust God through prayers of thanksgiving.
Speaker 2:God, I thank you. We thank you right now that COVID is not in control, are you thankful for that? God? We thank you that our security is not dependent on our economy. Our security is dependent on our king. God, we thank you that you hold our lives and our children, our loved ones, in the palm of your hands. God, we thank you. You hold our breath in the palm of your hands. God, we thank you. You hold our breath in the palm of your hands. God, we thank you for your promises to be with us, to lead us, to sustain us, to satisfy us, to guide us, to provide for us. Every day, and as we express prayers of thanksgiving like this, do you know what begins to replace worry in our hearts? Faith, faith.
Speaker 2:I trust the realization that we don't have to worry because we have a good God, a great God who promises to give us every single thing we need for every single moment we face.
Speaker 2:If I stop seek God in prayer about everything and trust God through prayers of thanksgiving, then, oh, open your mind to that which comes from God. Open your mind to that which comes from God. So I'll come back to this in a minute, if you're still writing it down, but this is what we talked about last week. We read it just a moment ago. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever's honorable, whatever's just, whatever's pure, whatever's lovely, whatever's commendable, there's any excellence, anything worthy of praise. Think about these things. So the way I'm summarizing true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, praiseworthy is by saying that which comes from God. So to stop in your thinking and just ask is this thought that I'm having, does it come from God? Does this thought that I'm having, does it come from God? Does this thought that I'm having originate in him? Is this thought honoring to him? Is this thought worthy of praise before him? And if not, then remove it from our minds, like. Close our minds to that kind of thinking. Then remove it from our minds, like. Close our minds to that kind of thinking and open our minds to that which comes from God. We talked about this last week how the battle for peace and joy and gentleness begins in our minds, between our ears, for what you think determines how you live. I wanna show you this connection here now, in verses eight and 9, as we add verse 9 this week. So the Bible's telling us how to have perpetual joy and gentleness in any circumstance and surpassing peace, said in verse 8, it all happens. You want to have joy, gentleness and peace. Then you think about these things. So you think about things that are true, honorable, just pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and praiseworthy, and then so you've got this phrase think about these things in verse eight. Then you get to verse nine and it says what you've learned and received and heard and seen in me practice these things. So there's thinking in verse eight and there's practicing in verse nine Transformed thoughts that lead to a transformed life. And it starts with opening our minds to that which comes from God, closing our minds to that which does not come from God. So let me give you a picture of this in a way that I hope may be, yeah, extremely helpful, practical, potentially even just life-changing way to think about this. So I want you to picture this like four concentric circles in our lives. I'm going to draw it out here. Then I want to show you this two places in the Bible.
Speaker 2:So at the core of our lives let's look at it this way is a decision about who or what we are going to worship. So I'm gonna write worship here, in the very heart. So either we worship God or ourselves or other things that we put in the place of God, and who or what we worship then affects how we think. So we'll put in the next circle here our thoughts. So if God is on the throne of our hearts, then our thoughts will be driven by God, which is praiseworthy before him. If we are on the throne of our hearts, then our thoughts will be driven by ourselves and what seems good to us. If some other gods say money is on the throne of our hearts, then our thoughts will revolve around money. If our reputation is what's most important to us, then our thoughts will revolve around what helps boost our reputation. We could go on and on with examples.
Speaker 2:But who or what we worship determines how we think. Then how we think affects what we desire. So we'll put in this next circle our desires. So if we think God is good, then we will desire more of God, and what he says is good. If we think our ways or the ways of this world are good, then we will desire the ways of this world or our ways Again. Go back. If we're consumed with thinking about money, then we'll desire more money. If we're consumed with thinking about what others think about money, then we'll desire more money. We'll consume with thinking about what others think about us. Then we'll be focused on what is going to help others think a certain way about us. Then those desires affect our actions. So in this way and this is what we saw last week in Philippians, chapter 4, verse 8, how you think determines the way you live. Now we're seeing it even clearer with this connection in Philippians, chapter 4, verse 9. What you think determines how you act, how you live. Now let's kind of test this picture biblically and see okay, is this really what the Bible teaches?
Speaker 2:Let's go to two places. The first is Romans, chapter 1. So we'll start in verse 21 of Romans, chapter 1. I'll put it up here where the Bible is teaching us about sin in our lives, and I want you to notice where sin starts. So, talking about sinful men and women, the Bible says follow this, for although they knew God, they neither. They did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. So did you hear that? Where does sin start? It starts in a heart that does not honor God or give thanks to him, and a heart that exchanges the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and other things. So that's worldly worship. I think that's not showing up on the screen there. Okay, we'll put it down here. That's worldly worship. Okay, so that's worship where we've replaced God on the throne of our hearts with someone, something else, which leads to worldly thoughts. Okay, they became futile in their what Thinking. Claiming to be wise, they became fools. So worldly worship leads to worldly thoughts. Let's see where it goes from this.
Speaker 2:Romans 1.24 says Therefore. So, in light of let's see if it shows up at the top here. Barely All right, here we go. In light of worship that is centered around the world, that leads to worldly thoughts. So therefore, in light of this, god gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator, who is forever blessed. Who is blessed forever, amen.
Speaker 2:So did you see that Worldly worship led to worldly thoughts, which led to worldly desires. God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, which then led to what? To the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves. Worldly actions. So then, and then it comes back to the core. Why do they have these worldly desires and act in this worldly way? Because they exchange the truth of God for a lie. That's worldly thoughts. And they worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. That's worldly worship.
Speaker 2:So don't miss it Sin with our bodies, like worldly actions. These actions have a root in worldly desires and worldly thoughts and worldly worship. So sin starts don't miss it when we open up our minds to things which do not come from God at the center of our lives. Let me say that again Sin starts when we open up our minds to things which do not come from God at the center of our lives. Let me show you one other example of this. So we looked at this last week in Genesis, chapter three, the first sin in the world. So if this is the way sin actually works, we would certainly expect to see it there. So let's look at this and hang with me here, because if this, if what I'm showing you right here, is true, this has massive implications for your life, for your parenting, for your relationships with other people, for your understanding of the world. So follow this. Genesis, chapter three. Let's see if these concentric circles play out here.
Speaker 2:Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree in the garden? And the woman said to the serpent we may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said you shall not eat of the tree that is in the midst of the garden. Neither shall you touch it lest you die. But the serpent said to the woman you will not surely die, for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw the tree was good for food, that it was a delight to the eyes that the tree was to be desired to make one wise. She took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. So what's the action here? She and her husband took of the fruit and ate. It's not showing there. Okay, that says action, sorry, action. So that's what they did. They took the fruit and ate.
Speaker 2:But don't miss the root that worldly action was based in. Worldly what Desire she saw that the tree was good for food, that it was a delight to the eyes that the tree was to be desired to make one wise. Worldly desires that were grounded in worldly thinking, a lie from the devil that said God and his word are not good, and they believed it. So what did they do? In their worship? They took God off the throne of their hearts. They put themselves in the position of thinking that their thoughts were better than God's thoughts, which led to desires to do that which was against God's word, which ultimately led to action Eating a piece of fruit. God's word which ultimately led to action eating a piece of fruit. So the whole point, again, in showing this is to see the root of sin, like it wasn't when they ate a piece of fruit. It was when God was not on the throne of their hearts and affected the way they started thinking about him and his word and their lives. That led to desires that led to action.
Speaker 2:So what we allow into our minds, when we open up our minds to what we think about, affects, determines how we act, how we live. So consider the massive implications of this in so many different ways, like when you struggle with sin. Come back to these circles. Whatever sin might be out here in your life, when you struggle with sin, don't just look at the action you are taking, the thing you are doing, the words you are speaking, whatever it might be. Look at the root. Look at the root, like Romans.
Speaker 2:Chapter one sexual immorality with our bodies starts with not living for the worship of God and thinking that in doing this, looking at that, whatever it might be, that we'll be satisfied. So that's what we start to desire and so we act. So how do you stop that action? So how do you stop that action? By being transformed by the renewing of your heart and mind, at the core of who you are. Think about all your efforts to combat sinful actions in your life in this way, until you address what is going on in your heart and mind, then you will only be putting a Band-Aid on a broken limb because you will be ignoring the root of any sin, not just sexual immorality. And then think about the implication, not just in our lives but for helping others avoid sin.
Speaker 2:I think about parenting. When my child does something wrong, if all I say is don't do that, then I'm not helping them near as much as I would be helping if I sit down and say why did you do that? And help them to see the root of their action in desires and thoughts and, ultimately, a heart that's turning aside from God in that moment and this is not just for parenting. As the church, as we help each other grow in Christ, as we help each other turn from sin, let's help each other identify the heart, the thoughts, the desires at the root of the things we struggle with Now. Bring all this back around to stopping anxiety and worry. Anxiety and worry happen when we forget that God is on the throne of our hearts and our lives and the world around us, and we begin to think thoughts that are not true or honorable or just or pure or lovely or commendable or praiseworthy, which spirals downward into unhelpful emotions of despair and distress and discouragement, which lead to unhelpful actions in all kinds of ways, from being short or harsh with the people around us to missing out in so many ways on the abundant life and the great things God has for us.
Speaker 2:And the key to fighting this battle is stopping like pausing and opening our minds to that which comes from God. That's why O is critical in this whole picture. So stop, seek God in prayer about everything. Trust God through prayers of thanksgiving, oh, open your mind to that which is from God. This is where the battle is raging. And then P practice the word of God. Practice the word of God. That's the exact language we have in Philippians, chapter four, verse nine Remember, think about these things.
Speaker 2:In verse eight, verse nine practice these things. Practice these things and it makes sense in light of what he just said before this in verse nine Whatever you have learned, received, heard and seen. So what we learn, what are we supposed to? What's supposed to happen when we learn? So what we learn, what are we supposed to? What's supposed to happen when we learn? We do what we learn, we apply what we receive, we obey what we hear, we follow what we see.
Speaker 2:I gotta just point out the obvious Like if you hear this message, this word from God in Philippians, chapter four, and then you don't do it, you don't stop and do these things, then this message, this word from God will not do you any good. It's exactly what God says in James, chapter one, verse 22. Be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For anyone is a. If anyone is a hearer of the word, not a doer, he's like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror, for he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he looks like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing Like. If you hear these words of encouragement for fighting anxiety and you think, well, that was helpful, but you don't actually stop and do these things, when you begin to think anxious or worrisome thoughts, then you are deceiving yourself and you will miss the blessing of God, and not just you but others.
Speaker 2:There's a powerful word here, back in Philippians, chapter four, verse nine, for and we can spend a ton of time here we won't. But this is so important because Paul's not just saying what you've learned and received and heard and seen in Jesus or in God's word, practice these things. Paul just said what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things. That's a bold statement, isn't it? And whatever you see me doing, do those things and the God of peace will be with you. And he just actually said a few verses before this.
Speaker 2:In the end of Philippians, chapter three, something very similar. He said brothers, join in imitating me. That's a bold statement. To say to somebody else just imitate me. That's a bold statement. To say to somebody else just imitate me. Paul's saying to these Christians just do what I do, which might sound arrogant until we put this together what Paul said in 1 Corinthians, chapter 11, verse 1, when he said be imitators of me, as I am, of who Of Christ. So what Paul is saying is I want so badly for you to follow Christ that I will do everything I can to show you what that looks like in action, such that if you live like me, then you will be living like Jesus, and it's not just Paul. Back in Philippians 3, 17, paul says brothers, join in imitating me and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. In other words, focus your eyes on people who are living like Jesus and become more and more like them, and the process become more and more like him. So I've got to at least just pause at this point and ask every single follower of Jesus a question based on Philippians 4 and 9.
Speaker 2:Is your life worthy of imitation? Yes, by those around you. If other people follow your life, will they be following Jesus? Students, teenagers, children, like? Is this a way you would describe your life? This is what Paul said to Timothy Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity and single brothers and sisters. Is your life worthy of imitation, just abandoned to God and his purposes? Husbands, wives, is your life worthy of imitation such that if a husband or a wife were living like you are, they would be following Jesus in a way that totally honored their spouse? Parents? Is your life worthy of imitation by your kids, such that if your kids walk with Jesus like you walk with Jesus, they will be experiencing deep, true intimacy with Jesus.
Speaker 2:I was reading this week about John Patton. He's one of my favorite people in history. He was one of my favorite biographies. John Patton took the gospel to a never before reached cannibalistic people on this remote island and today that island is 94% Christian. And his story it's amazing. I highly recommend his biography. There's all kinds of things I could say about him, but this week on two different occasions I found myself reading about the influence of John Patton's dad. There's all kinds of things I could say about him, but this week on two different occasions I found myself reading about the influence of John Patton's dad on his life.
Speaker 2:So James Patton and John Patton talked about how his dad had a room in the house that his family knew whenever their dad went into that room that he was meeting with God, they could hear him praying from outside the room. They would occasionally walk in just see him on his knees before God. He talked about how his dad would gather his kids around the family room. They would kneel to pray together and his dad would just pour out his soul and please to God for provision of their needs and tears for people to come to know Christ. He talked about how the family would walk together four miles to church every Sunday and in 40 years John Patton could remember three times that his dad missed church Once because of snow, once because of ice and once because of a cholera outbreak. And you might think that walk would lead to a lot of complaining among the kids, but Patton and his 10 siblings said their dad made going to church a joy because they saw such joy in him. He talked about how his dad would read the Bible to them, would teach them what it means around their dinner table and show them what it looks like in practice.
Speaker 2:So dads like, let me just ask you if your kids well, maybe just ask in the most simple way possible like what are your kids seeing in you about what it means to follow Jesus? If your kids live just like you, will they be following Jesus with all their hearts? And God has entrusted you, me, us, as dads, with the responsibility to show our wives and children how to follow Jesus, and they will not be what they cannot see, and not just dads, moms. We've mentioned the reality of kids being home from school. Again, I don't presume to know all the challenges that will bring. But I do want to encourage you, mom and dad don't underestimate for a second the value of more time with your children this fall, more time for them to see in you the spirit of Jesus, the life of Jesus. There is nothing more valuable for our children than for them to see Jesus in us. And obviously this is not just kids and parents, for all of us in the church. Let's each ask the question like if our family or friends or neighbors or coworkers or group members live just like us, will they be following Jesus with all of their hearts? Let's take responsibility for showing others what the life of Christ looks like in action.
Speaker 2:This is what it means to be a Christian, to follow Jesus in such a way that we're leading others to Jesus. All this is P practice the word of God. And when we do these things, when we stop and seek God in prayer about everything, trust God through prayers of thanksgiving, open your mind to that which comes from God and practice the word that you have learned and received and heard and seen. When you do these things. This is straight from the mouth of God. Here are the two promises One you will experience the peace of God. You will experience this peace. Verse seven the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will this is a promise will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. You will experience the peace of God when you pray about everything with thanksgiving and you think about these things and you practice these things. This is a promise. You will experience other worldly, all surpassing peace from God and and you will know the God of peace Philippians 4.9,. The God of peace will be with you. This is so awesome. You will not just receive a gift from God peace, you will receive the gift of God himself. God himself will be with you as your peace. This is the gospel. This is what Jesus makes possible.
Speaker 2:We have all sinned against God. We're separated from God, from his peace, from his joy, from his life. If we die in this state of separation from God, we will experience eternity, separated from his peace and joy and life. But God loves us. God has sent his son Jesus to die for us so that, when we put our faith, our trust in him, we're reconciled to relationship with God, to know him and to walk with him and to experience his peace and joy and life. You and I, through faith in Jesus have been reconciled to God himself, the God who says so. I'll close here.
Speaker 2:Just summarize what we've seen in Philippians 4, 4-9. In a world where we are prone to anxiety and worry you and I, when we trust in God in all the ways we've seen, we stop and we do these things. We will know the God who says I guard your heart and I guard your mind. Like I care for you, I will take care of you. I will protect you, trust me. Take care of you, I will protect you, trust me. Jesus said it in Matthew 6. You're worth more than the birds of the air, the lilies in the field. You can trust me to care for you, and not only to care for you but to carry you. I will be with you.
Speaker 2:God's not just saying you have my peace. God says you have me with you as you look forward to a fall and a future of unknowns. The God of peace says I care for you, I will carry you. And ultimately, here in Philippians 4, the God of peace.
Speaker 2:Remember what it said all the way back in verse 5, beginning of this passage the Lord is at hand. In other words, the God of peace says I am coming for you, and there's coming a day when this world, with all of its worries, will one day pass away. There's coming a day when there will be no more worries and no more anxiety and no more pandemic and no more pain and no more unknowns and no more sorrow and no more sin and no more death for our no more pandemic and no more pain and no more unknowns and no more sorrow and no more sin and no more death. For our God is coming for us. One day, the temptation to worry or be anxious will be no more, for we will dwell forever with God in everlasting worship and eternal security. And that is good news.
Speaker 1:We hope you've enjoyed this week's episode of David Platt Messages. For more resources from David Platt, we invite you to visit Radicalnet. That is good news.
