WEBVTT 00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:22.640 So this morning we're looking at Philippians chapter four, verses two to twenty-three. 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:27.519 I entreat Yodia and I entreat Syntachi to agree in the Lord. 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:40.640 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. 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:42.560 Rejoice in the Lord always. 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:44.880 Again I will say, rejoice. 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:48.320 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:50.079 The Lord is at hand. 00:00:50.399 --> 00:00:58.399 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 00:00:58.640 --> 00:01:05.359 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:22.319 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, 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. 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:29.359 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:36.079 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your concern for me. 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:40.400 You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 00:01:40.719 --> 00:01:46.799 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:51.120 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:57.760 In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:01.359 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:14.960 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble, and you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:19.520 Even in Thessalonica, you send help for my needs once and again. 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:24.639 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:27.520 I have received full payment and more. 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:36.800 I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:42.479 And my God will supply every need of yours, according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. 00:02:42.719 --> 00:02:45.120 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:46.159 Amen. 00:02:46.560 --> 00:02:48.800 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. 00:02:48.960 --> 00:02:50.800 The brothers who are with me greet you. 00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:54.080 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household. 00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:56.639 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. 00:02:56.800 --> 00:02:57.680 So read God's word. 00:02:58.159 --> 00:03:01.280 Welcome to you if you've joined us uh while we were singing. 00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:04.240 Uh my name is Mark, I'm one of the leaders here at City Church. 00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:07.280 You're very welcome, particularly if you're visiting uh with us. 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:09.199 Uh, it is great to have you here. 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:13.120 We are uh finishing our series in the book of Philippians today. 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:24.479 We're doing all of Philippians chapter four uh in one go, which is a slight shame because it would be good to kind of slow down over some of the some of the things, but it's good as well to read the Bible fast and to read the Bible slow. 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:41.199 Uh, and so this is a bit more of a uh of a clip through the through the book, but it leads us into uh into a season of Advent, that expectant waiting that comes in the church calendar every year, where we anticipate the coming of Christ the King. 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:44.639 And so we move into an Advent sermon sermon series. 00:03:44.719 --> 00:03:46.560 And so that's where we're going over the next little while. 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:48.240 That'll close out our calendar year. 00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:50.240 But for now, we're in Philippians chapter four. 00:03:50.400 --> 00:03:54.560 Can I encourage you to have a Bible or pick it up on your phone if you need a hard copy? 00:03:54.719 --> 00:03:56.719 There's a couple down there that you can grab. 00:03:56.800 --> 00:04:03.039 Uh, if you're looking it up on your phone on Bible Gateway or on the U version app, we're reading from the English standard version. 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:10.560 And so you can uh follow along there just to make sure that what I'm saying is actually coming from the text and it's not just coming from my brain. 00:04:10.719 --> 00:04:12.879 Um, double by way of preamble. 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:15.439 Uh so let's uh let's get into it now. 00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:20.160 Let's think a little bit about um about this idea of peace of mind. 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:22.079 Have you ever experienced peace of mind? 00:04:22.319 --> 00:04:27.360 Some of you might be sitting here thinking, I can't remember the last time when my mind was at peace. 00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:37.600 Uh, because actually there have been so many uh stresses and demands upon my time, anxieties crowding in around me, the peace of mind seems like wishful thinking. 00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:40.000 When was the last time you experienced peace of mind? 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:44.720 Or put it another way, what do you pursue in order to give you peace of mind? 00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:58.240 Maybe you're a person who thinks, okay, if I if I focus on uh on my career or or particularly on uh on financial uh investment and planning, uh well, good luck right now. 00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:06.160 Uh but right, uh as long as my pension is secure, I'm not sure that too many people here in this room are too concerned about their pension. 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:09.600 Um, but maybe you think, no, I've got to be planning for the future. 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:16.639 I want to be uh I want to be the good squirrel uh that uh that puts away his uh his nuts for the for the winter. 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:19.519 You think if I make that play, that'll give me peace of mind. 00:05:19.680 --> 00:05:21.199 Or maybe it's relational health. 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:29.920 As long as my relationships with these particular people, maybe particularly people in my family, if they're okay, then uh then that will that will give me peace of mind. 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:31.600 That'll give me security. 00:05:32.240 --> 00:05:37.839 Maybe you're the type of person who actually explores what people now call mindfulness techniques. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:44.639 Maybe you think actually that idea of centering yourself, that's what helps to bring you peace of mind. 00:05:44.879 --> 00:05:48.879 Or maybe you're sitting here and you're thinking this is not something I've ever really thought about. 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:55.279 Our minds can often be a bit of a uh a bit of a confused mess. 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:57.600 They can often be a little bit chaotic. 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:00.720 Our minds can also uh be, oh hello. 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:04.639 Um also be a battleground. 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:05.279 Can't there? 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:10.720 We know that there are voices in there, the little characters in our psyche. 00:06:10.879 --> 00:06:17.199 Some voices are louder uh than the others, and so there can be uh tension that's created. 00:06:17.279 --> 00:06:20.319 We feel uh pulled in a in a couple of different ways. 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:27.120 And actually, one of the things that we'll see is the word anxiety literally means to be pulled in two different directions. 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:31.839 Uh, maybe that's how you feel about your inner life. 00:06:31.920 --> 00:06:51.120 Maybe you feel that tension either from time to time or you feel it fairly constantly, and it's just of it's just different degrees of magnitude, but there's always a little, uh like a little kind of feedback hum on the speaker of your internal life that makes you think, am I doing what I should be doing? 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:53.360 How are they perceiving me? 00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:59.519 There's just a constant low-level anxiety where you don't quite have peace of mind. 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:03.839 Is Jesus concerned about your mind? 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:07.199 Is Jesus concerned about your inner life? 00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:14.879 Or is Christianity just about uh tipping you into the kingdom, just making sure that you get to heaven when you die? 00:07:15.360 --> 00:07:18.879 It certainly is, uh, at the at the very least about that. 00:07:18.959 --> 00:07:26.639 And we encourage people to actually turn from their former selves in repentance and faith towards Jesus, but Jesus is concerned for your inner life now. 00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:31.120 Jesus is concerned that you might know peace of mind. 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:44.879 The gospel not only transforms our eternity, but our internality, who we are in the everyday. 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:49.439 The Christian life has three main assurances attached to it. 00:07:49.600 --> 00:08:01.360 The Christian is first of all someone who is and has been objectively what Christians call justified, that is declared innocent, adopted by the living God. 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:04.639 That if you're a believer in Jesus, that is who you are. 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:14.959 You have been made innocent, a new creation in Christ Jesus, brought into the family of God through faith in his son. 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:19.839 That is the first chief Christian assurance. 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:28.160 The second is that one day you will be fully glorified, that just as God began a good work, he will complete it. 00:08:28.399 --> 00:08:32.559 You will be fully transformed, renewed, and made new. 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:43.840 That just as Jesus was resurrected and had his glorious resurrection body, that yes, it still bore the scars of crucifixion, but it was fundamentally transformed and different. 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:58.000 And the gospel, Christianity assures the believer that just as God has adopted you in the past, made you innocent in the past, he will see that work done and he will bring you refined like gold through the fire to his glory. 00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:00.000 That's the second assurance. 00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:11.679 The third is that now, in the overlap between those two points, you have the Spirit of God working in you to make you more like Jesus. 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:23.039 And this is what we've been seeing over the last couple of weeks, because Paul uh two weeks ago was saying, I'm not trusting in any of the things that I did, but in the righteousness that comes from Jesus. 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:32.879 And I'm looking forward to that day when he's going to make me new, when he's going to make me perfect, and with my eyes set on that goal, what am I doing? 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:41.200 Well, I'm striving with all of his energy that works within me, with all of his power to become more like him. 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:54.080 And so the Christian life now is founded on these objective realities in the past and coming to us in the future, but is intensely practical right now. 00:09:54.480 --> 00:10:05.120 God, through his word, by the power of his spirit, is encouraging and enabling us to think and feel and act and emote and love differently. 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:09.600 It changes us day by day. 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:20.960 Some of you perhaps were brought up in church contexts or in families where uh where what happened on a Sunday never really uh fed into what happened the rest of the week. 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:31.200 That as long as you went to church on Sunday and said the right things or participated in uh in the ritual, that that was enough. 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:36.639 And that there was no material change on how you interacted. 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:42.879 Maybe you grew up in that family uh that experienced what we call the car park miracle. 00:10:43.279 --> 00:10:54.080 Car park miracle is where you're driving to church and the family's arguing and fighting, and the dad's shouting at the kids, and he's just not and they they pull up a church, turn the engine off, open the door, good morning, everyone. 00:10:56.159 --> 00:11:01.279 The gospel's not actually filtering down into the heart, into the mind. 00:11:03.440 --> 00:11:20.080 But Christianity is intensely practical, and the gospel pervades, excuse me, every aspect of our life and doesn't shy away from the awkwardnesses of life or the hard questions or the difficult situations and dilemmas. 00:11:20.159 --> 00:11:25.200 And we see that played out in this passage because what does this passage deal with chiefly? 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:29.279 It deals with the issue of conflict and the issue of anxiety. 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:37.120 It might come as a shock to you, but sometimes there's conflict within God's church. 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:38.559 I know, shocking, I know. 00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:40.240 I'm glad you're all sitting down. 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:44.720 That from time to time, Christians disagree with one another. 00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:49.600 That from time to time, Christians might not even like one another very much. 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:54.320 Some people, I'm surprised to learn, don't like me. 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:56.720 But you're all here. 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:11.279 The conflict is a reality in our fallen world where we live in this overlap of the ages where sin is sin's power has been broken, but its presence remains, and and so we feel that civil war in us. 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:20.559 And it's really refreshing and helpful, actually, that the Bible deals with these things head on, that it's not just kind of brushing it all over and say, Well, don't worry, because when you die, you'll all go to heaven. 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:27.519 Paul wants to help us think through these issues that apply daily of conflict and anxiety. 00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:33.440 So let's look at those two chiefly and then we'll make some some final conclusions, as indeed Paul does. 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:40.080 So we begin with this with this conflict that arises between these uh these two women. 00:12:40.240 --> 00:12:46.000 Uh, verse two, I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syndechy to agree in the Lord. 00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:55.279 Yes, I ask you also, true companion, that's whoever uh was responsible for reading the letter or in charge of the church at Philippi. 00:12:55.519 --> 00:13:09.440 Uh, help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel, together with Clement, again, another obviously prominent enough person in the church to have him named, uh, and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life. 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:15.200 First thing to note is this is not this is not the dogs of chapter three. 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:21.519 Chapter three uh begins with Paul saying, look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:24.080 He's saying, get away from those people. 00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:30.399 There's a fight to be fought with dogs and evildoers. 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:41.440 You want to say, no, no, if you are twisting the gospel, saying that you need to uh live a good life, do good works, all of these things, in order to be a Christian, that's that's an evildoer. 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:45.519 That's a that's a dog, and they need to be uh they need to be sent away. 00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:47.279 But that's not what's going on here. 00:13:47.440 --> 00:14:04.720 What's going on here is far more heartbreaking uh because these are these are two Christian women who have the same goal, who are laboring side by side with Paul and uh and have the desire to see the Philippian church grow and strengthened. 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:13.679 And these are two godly gospel women on mission with the church, and there's a disagreement between the two of them. 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:21.440 That something is has happened that has caused conflict to arise. 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:25.519 I don't know if you've ever experienced that in the church. 00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:29.120 Certainly, that's not something that we are immune to. 00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:44.080 The people of good faith and in good standing with with the Lord Jesus and with their church family, they just they disagree, there's a personality clash, there's a there's a difference of opinion and perspective, and it can cause conflict and disagreement. 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:51.120 What can happen is this. 00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:53.919 Well, look at what can happen and then what should happen. 00:14:54.399 --> 00:15:15.120 But what can happen, and perhaps you've seen it, is that each side begins to circulate their point of view to the people that they know, and it's it it begins to draw the the battle lines, who's on what side. 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:22.960 Well, I spoke to to Synthy, and actually uh Yodia has been a bit of a wagon, so um, because that's what they would say if they were in Dublin, right? 00:15:23.120 --> 00:15:26.799 Um uh and you know, she said this and she thought that and she felt this. 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:29.120 Uh and so how awful is is she? 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:31.279 And then you've got Yodio in this in the other way. 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:40.559 Well, well, if Cynthia hadn't uh hadn't excluded me from uh from that WhatsApp group, if she'd actually you know included me, then I wouldn't I wouldn't have been so so mean to her. 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:44.960 And people are like, oh, you know, per Uodia, and other people are like, oh, per Synthy. 00:15:45.360 --> 00:15:49.840 And then the church leadership hears about it and like, oh my goodness, I can't believe I've got to take this to an elders' meeting again. 00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:52.480 Um and so people choose different sides. 00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:53.840 It's never happened. 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:55.120 It's never happened. 00:15:55.600 --> 00:16:08.159 People choose different sides without without reference to uh to both parties or without uh full appreciation of what is going on on the ground. 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:11.759 And then what happens from there is that it begins to spiral downwards, doesn't it? 00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:18.639 People begin to lose perspective on the on the argument, and some small thing becomes this this huge thing. 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:20.399 Well, how did we get here? 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:26.799 We could have nipped this in the bud right back here six months ago before it became such a big issue. 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:33.759 But because it's been allowed to fester, it's like gangrene, it's just spreading throughout the uh the body of Christ in a church. 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:40.559 It's like, but now it's a now it's a big thing that uh can disrupt the whole unity of a church. 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:47.039 And once people get entrenched in their positions, what happens is that they refuse to yield any ground. 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:58.000 It becomes harder and harder for them to see the other side, to display any humility or to concede that they have anything uh to repent of. 00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:01.600 They have no wrongdoing to confess. 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:09.519 That is what can happen, and sadly, it does happen in the life of God's people. 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:12.799 Now, what should happen? 00:17:14.079 --> 00:17:17.599 Paul points us in a couple of directions. 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:21.039 He begins by saying, I entreat, that is literally I beg. 00:17:22.240 --> 00:17:27.920 So I'm on my knees here before these two women, saying, I'm begging you, Yuri and Syntachi. 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:30.319 Agree in the Lord. 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:34.480 That is literally to have the same mind. 00:17:35.119 --> 00:17:39.440 He's talked about in chapter two about having the the mind of Christ. 00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:45.519 He's saying, and so he's saying to you, Yodi and Syndache, you've read this, you've heard, you've heard what the Lord Jesus has done. 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:52.720 You heard how the Lord Jesus set aside his rights, how the Lord Jesus set aside his entitlements. 00:17:52.960 --> 00:18:13.599 And I know that you might be be genuinely wrong, but if you're if you're both able to flex a little for the other person, if you're both able to have that mind of uh of Christ that isn't just about me and my heart, but saying actually I'm going to absorb that heart in order to maintain unity. 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:17.920 If you can have the mind of Christ, I'm begging you, can can you see that? 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:20.240 Can you begin to live in that way? 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:23.039 Can you begin to move in that direction? 00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:26.880 Can you look to like Yodia? 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:30.720 Could you possibly look to the interests of Syntachi? 00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:33.920 And Synthy, could you possibly look to the interests of Yodia? 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:35.200 That's what I said in chapter two. 00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:37.359 Do you do you think that applies to this situation? 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:43.519 What would it mean for for you to say, where's Yodia coming from? 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:46.319 Where could I have where could I have hurt her? 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:48.079 Why is she reacting like this? 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:51.839 And again, Yodia going, why is Synthy responding like this? 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:53.279 Why is she acted like this? 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:56.559 And think, okay, how can we come together? 00:18:58.880 --> 00:19:07.200 You imagine how many disagreements could have been nipped in the bud and resolved quickly if each of each party sought to understand the other person's point of view. 00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:07.759 And do you know what? 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:35.920 Just to really ground this, one of the things that we have a tendency to do uh in our day, and I feel this uh this temptation as well, is that when something happens, particularly when we uh are not speaking to somebody face to face, but we're reading something in a message or on an email or on a social media post, the thing that we default to do is reading it in the least generous light. 00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:42.319 We default to reading it in the most negative and critical light. 00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:45.200 We impute tone to it. 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:52.960 And I don't know, I've certainly had the these experiences where I I've read a WhatsApp message and went, what do they mean by that? 00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:55.119 Why have they said it like that? 00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:58.799 They haven't said it like anything because I haven't heard their tone. 00:19:59.119 --> 00:20:07.680 I'm not looking at their faces, and so I've got a little bit of kind of head up and I've fired something a bit kind of sharp and snarky back. 00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:09.680 The elders can all verify this, of course. 00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:14.400 Um and then you talk to the person and say, No, that's not what I meant at all. 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:19.680 We default to reading people in the most negative light. 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:27.119 One of the things about having the mind of Christ might be actually to think, what's the most generous reading of this? 00:20:29.200 --> 00:20:34.240 Always assume stupidity before malevolence. 00:20:35.920 --> 00:20:45.359 Always assume assume that people that somebody has spoken slightly ill-advisedly before assuming that somebody has spoken wickedly. 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:48.880 Assume stupidity before malevolence. 00:20:51.119 --> 00:20:56.079 They didn't mean it that way, rather than this person is the I thought I knew that person. 00:20:56.480 --> 00:20:57.759 He's the worst possible actor. 00:20:57.920 --> 00:20:59.519 I can't believe that he said that to me. 00:21:00.160 --> 00:21:02.559 Actually, is there another way of reading this? 00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:04.880 And could this person actually be concerned for my good? 00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:06.559 And that that's why they're saying it? 00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:10.160 Are they saying it to put me down or are they saying because they love me? 00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:14.880 It's part of what it means to have the mind the mind of Christ for one another. 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:20.160 What's more, this disagreement seems to be pretty deep. 00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:32.400 It doesn't seem to be a surface-level thing, and uh, and so Paul says uh to whoever he designates as true companion, uh, to help these women. 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:47.440 But there are some disagreements that are complicated, and so it requires someone or trusted parties, maybe an eldership, maybe uh trusted friends, to step in and to arbitrate. 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:59.279 Asking somebody to help in a conflict situation is not a failure, it is a right, godly biblical way of dealing with difficulty. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:09.119 I'm saying, look, I I feel I'm starting to feel so blinkered that I I can't see the other side. 00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:12.160 But we both trust you. 00:22:13.759 --> 00:22:21.680 Could you listen to both of us and with a fresh pair of eyes speak into this situation? 00:22:21.759 --> 00:22:24.559 And could you could you help us have that mind of Christ? 00:22:24.640 --> 00:22:25.519 That's not a failure. 00:22:25.680 --> 00:22:29.599 That's that's humility, actually, which is another thing that people need in conflict. 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:32.960 It's just just a little modicum of humility. 00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:49.680 You know, that's that's why when uh when difficult conversations arise, that yes, you know, Jesus talks about this himself in Matthew 18, about you know, if you've got a conflict with your uh with your brother, you go and you say, Look, when you said this, did you did you mean it like this? 00:22:49.759 --> 00:22:53.680 Because this is the way that I this is the way that I heard it, and that was quite hard. 00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:58.640 Or when you did this, it kind of it kind of impacted me like this. 00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:02.240 And I want to give you a chance just to kind of hear that and speak into that. 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:04.880 And the person might go, Oh, I had no idea. 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:07.440 And then Jesus says, You've won your brother back. 00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:12.000 Or the person might go, pfft, whatever, I didn't mean it like that. 00:23:12.160 --> 00:23:14.960 Like, you know, that's that's all your stuff. 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:21.519 And then Jesus says, Well, go and bring somebody else and see if they can bring it to together. 00:23:23.039 --> 00:23:30.960 Disagreements escalate when people refuse to think in a Christ-like way, setting aside their own rights for the sake of others. 00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:38.160 Disagreements can be resolved in a quick and and godly way when people have the bigger picture in mind. 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:42.720 I mean, what is the what's true of Yody and Syntechy in Philippians chapter 4? 00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:46.079 But they they labored together for the sake of the gospel. 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:52.799 And so one of the things that Paul is doing is saying, look, ladies, let's remember why we're here. 00:23:52.880 --> 00:24:00.559 Let's remember what what Jesus is doing among us, let's remember this this kingdom obligation, these kingdom goals. 00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:06.720 That's not that's not at all him saying um what has gone on doesn't matter. 00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:09.519 But the gospel does relativize it. 00:24:10.400 --> 00:24:16.559 That actually we can come together because we have a uh a larger, a higher goal. 00:24:17.119 --> 00:24:27.680 And isn't it striking that actually, even in this context, he continues on in verse 4, after he's been dealing with this conflict, in verse 4 to say, rejoice in the Lord always? 00:24:27.759 --> 00:24:29.440 Again, I will say, rejoice. 00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:35.359 There is still a double command, even in the midst of the context of conflict, to rejoice. 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:48.000 Why does Paul pivot from advice on conflict resolution to saying, Rejoice, Eodean Syntiche, rejoice, Philippian Christians? 00:24:48.160 --> 00:24:49.119 Why does he do that? 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:57.039 Well, not only because the whole theme of the book is about joy and the fact that joy is possible in all circumstances. 00:24:57.200 --> 00:25:04.240 So he's reminding the whole church and saying, look, church, you need to not get too sucked into all of this or catastrophize it. 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:11.039 So he's saying, church, continue to rejoice because you can, because your joy is not based on a circumstance. 00:25:11.200 --> 00:25:22.960 You just look at the church, you know, there's disunity, there's a bit of conflict in the church, and you think, oh, that's that is such a temptation to suck all of the oxygen out of a room and suck all the joy out of Christian life. 00:25:23.119 --> 00:25:26.400 And so Paul needs to say to the church, he's like, church, rejoice. 00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:28.880 Remember that your joy is not based on the circumstance. 00:25:28.960 --> 00:25:33.119 I know that this is difficult, but your your joy comes from a person. 00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:37.920 Your joy is placed in Jesus, and he's in heaven. 00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:39.759 So that's the first thing that he's doing. 00:25:39.839 --> 00:25:56.480 He's he's lifting our heads, but also I think he's again helping this conflict situation because mutual, unified rejoicing in the gospel is what will put conflict into perspective. 00:25:56.640 --> 00:26:02.480 It's what will soften hearts and generate grace, foster forgiveness and bring reconciliation. 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:16.559 I mean, could you imagine the image that I have in my mind's eyes, just imagine in the in the Philippian church, uh they are they're singing, and Yodia is there, and she's she's worshiping Jesus. 00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:20.880 She has her hands raised, she's she's weeping. 00:26:21.759 --> 00:26:42.240 And just in a moment, she she opens her eyes and she looks across, and there's Cynthia, and Cynthia's doing the same thing, and she's weeping too, and she's worshiping as well, and she's she's crying out to the Lord, and something something softens in her, something softens in them both, something breaks because they're like, oh, hold on, we're we're both actually pointed in the same direction. 00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:48.160 So Euria moves over towards Synthy and they worship together, rejoice in the Lord. 00:26:48.240 --> 00:26:50.400 Again, I will say, rejoice. 00:26:50.799 --> 00:26:54.160 What a beautiful thing that that would that that would be. 00:26:56.160 --> 00:27:05.680 The result of the rejoicing is that Paul says, and that your reasonableness will be known to any to everyone, literally your gentleness. 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:14.640 It's this idea of a of an unabrasive spirit, especially, excuse me, under provocation. 00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:20.240 It's gentleness that is willing to let stuff go. 00:27:20.480 --> 00:27:39.599 Not because you're weak, not because you're a doormat, or not because you've been sinned against, but because the the ground that you're standing on is based on something greater that you know actually you've been forgiven much, and so you're able to forgive. 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:54.480 I think one of the things that would commend Jesus to those who would not describe themselves as a follower of him in this day is this idea of forgiveness. 00:27:55.440 --> 00:28:02.079 Have you noticed how we more and more are living in a culture of one strike and you're out? 00:28:03.279 --> 00:28:12.720 That even if you've said something, posted something, tweeted something when you were very young and very immature, yes, it was wrong, yes, it was bad. 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:19.279 But it gets dragged up 10, 15, 20 years later, and you're done. 00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:30.799 One of the things that that a culture is lost when it begins to live in a one strike and you're out sort of way is a culture of forgiveness. 00:28:31.680 --> 00:28:34.319 We all need to be forgiven things. 00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:40.799 I'm not even just talking in a cosmic level, though that is supremely true, but I'm talking about you and your life. 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:46.160 That actually, if you're honest with yourself with yourself, there are things that you need to be forgiven of. 00:28:46.799 --> 00:28:53.920 There are things that you are glad that you have been forgiven of as you look back in your past and how you've interacted with people. 00:28:54.799 --> 00:28:57.759 And so you've been a beneficiary of forgiveness. 00:28:58.160 --> 00:29:03.359 So how awful would it be then to live in a culture where you're not prepared to then extend that to others? 00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:16.960 I think one of the things that will captivate and attract, or at least intrigue, people who are not Christ's followers is the idea that we forgive one another, that we don't live one strike in your eye. 00:29:17.119 --> 00:29:21.359 You know, Peter says to Jesus, how often should I forgive my brother seven times? 00:29:22.079 --> 00:29:24.400 That's a lot, especially today. 00:29:24.720 --> 00:29:26.000 What does Jesus say? 00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:29.039 Seventy times, seven times. 00:29:33.200 --> 00:29:42.160 From conflict, Paul moves to anxiety, and you can see how these two things are connected, can you? 00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:50.079 That you know, when there is relationship breakdown and conflict and disagreement, that's one of the most anxiety-producing things. 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:55.119 And so you can see why he would move by easy stages into uh into each of these. 00:29:55.200 --> 00:29:58.640 But let me pick it up in uh in verse 5b. 00:29:58.720 --> 00:30:00.000 Oh well, I'll sorry, verse five. 00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:02.799 Let uh let your reasonableness, your gentleness be known to everyone. 00:30:02.880 --> 00:30:04.160 The Lord is at hand. 00:30:04.400 --> 00:30:19.039 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 00:30:21.039 --> 00:30:31.599 One of the interesting things uh for me this week is that believe it or not, I preached this passage in City Church nine years ago. 00:30:32.559 --> 00:30:55.839 Uh as it was one of our very first sermon series, and uh, and I finished off the series, and just reflecting on how much the anxiety issue has changed in the last decade, how much more of a uh of an epidemic, particularly amongst young people, particularly amongst young women, it has become. 00:30:57.200 --> 00:31:06.240 There seems to be many reasons for this, and I'm I don't have time, because I have a lot still to get through, to go into them in detail. 00:31:06.640 --> 00:31:15.359 Uh I would parenthetically um encourage you to pick up a copy of uh a book called Hope in an Anxious World by Helen Thorne, uh, which is a very short little book. 00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:25.680 But if anxiety is something that persistently is knocking at your door, um, Hope in an Anxious World, tiny little book you can get as an e-book as well, uh, that might just be helpful uh to you. 00:31:26.079 --> 00:31:40.640 But broadly, anxiety uh seems to arise within us when something we feel alone or we feel out of control or when we don't quite know when to turn. 00:31:40.720 --> 00:32:05.119 And so one of the things that happens is we come paralyzed, and then that begins to compound itself because we know that we're not moving forward, and so the pressure begins to mount, or perhaps it arises when we uh feel like or know that something is our fault, and maybe that has caused a relationship breakdown, or maybe you're scared that somebody will find out. 00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:23.759 It's also one of the consequences in our world of being told that you can be anything, to create your own identity, to forge your own way in the world, because what that does is it exerts immense pressure on us, and it leaves many of us feeling like we've failed that expectation. 00:32:24.400 --> 00:32:29.839 It's left many of us feeling isolated or out of place in community. 00:32:30.640 --> 00:32:38.480 Traditionally, our our place, our identity in community was uh was was determined by uh by our role within it. 00:32:38.640 --> 00:32:41.359 We knew where we where we stood. 00:32:41.839 --> 00:32:58.559 I'm not just saying, I'm not saying therefore we must go back there, but I'm simply noting that actually there was less anxiety uh in part because people knew who they were by virtue of the roles that they occupied, your occupation or your role within a family. 00:32:58.799 --> 00:33:09.519 But in rejecting those more traditional roles, the expectation or uh with the expectation of feeling more free has actually left us feeling more trapped, more trapped than ever. 00:33:10.480 --> 00:33:26.960 I think another another thing perhaps is that anxiety is constantly fed by your news feed, or by your Twitter feed, or by your Instagram feed, because everything is a crisis, everything is a catastrophe. 00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:42.559 We have an ever-increasing sense of omniscience that is that we know more, omniscience, all knowing. 00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:50.079 So we, because of the technology that's in all of your pockets or on your laps or in your hands right now, you are becoming more and more omniscient. 00:33:50.160 --> 00:34:00.960 You're aware of what's going on in the world, you're aware of all of the crises and catastrophes and all of the hurt and war and pain and famine and struggle and sex traffic and climate change and all of these things. 00:34:01.039 --> 00:34:04.720 And it all is coming at you all at once, all the time. 00:34:06.799 --> 00:34:13.360 But what you don't have is omnipotence, all powerfulness. 00:34:13.599 --> 00:34:25.599 And so what happens is you're getting all of this crisis and catastrophe bombarding you, and you're just feeling more and more and more helpless because you can't fix it. 00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:27.760 You don't have the power. 00:34:28.559 --> 00:34:30.239 And what does that give rise to? 00:34:30.559 --> 00:34:34.400 Increased anxiety all the time. 00:34:34.800 --> 00:34:38.320 It's part of what that background noise in our life. 00:34:41.199 --> 00:34:50.320 Like I said earlier in the introduction, the word anxious comes literally from the idea of being pulled apart, being torn in two. 00:34:51.360 --> 00:34:57.679 On the one hand, there are our circumstances, on the other hand, there is our eternal hope as Christians. 00:34:58.079 --> 00:35:07.679 But one of the things that you need to note right now, if you are, maybe in like listing all of that, you're like, oh, it's like no more caffeine for me today. 00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:09.280 You're feeling anxious. 00:35:09.360 --> 00:35:13.119 But one of the things that you need to know right now is that God sees you in your anxieties. 00:35:13.920 --> 00:35:15.760 God sees you in your anxieties. 00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:19.039 God knows, God loves you. 00:35:19.599 --> 00:35:22.239 God's word is speaking to you now. 00:35:22.719 --> 00:35:24.079 Not with platitudes. 00:35:24.239 --> 00:35:25.920 God's word is powerful. 00:35:27.119 --> 00:35:29.920 God's word is taken by his spirit and applied to your heart. 00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:36.320 That same spirit that brought order out of chaos in creation is at work in your anxious heart right now. 00:35:36.800 --> 00:35:38.880 You feel that internal chaos? 00:35:39.119 --> 00:35:46.800 Spirit of God, my prayer right now is that the Spirit of God would come as he hovered over those creation waters and begin to bring order out of that chaos. 00:35:47.039 --> 00:35:47.679 Amen. 00:35:48.079 --> 00:35:48.719 Amen. 00:35:50.079 --> 00:35:53.519 God sees his word is speaking now to our anxieties. 00:35:53.599 --> 00:35:54.719 And so, what does Paul say? 00:35:54.880 --> 00:35:56.400 How do we how do we move? 00:35:56.559 --> 00:36:00.000 Begin to move, and this might be a lifelong wrestle. 00:36:00.159 --> 00:36:03.360 How do we begin to move from anxiety to rejoicing? 00:36:03.519 --> 00:36:07.679 Well, the first thing that he begins before he even says the word, what does he say? 00:36:07.840 --> 00:36:11.199 The sentence begins, verse 5b The Lord is at hand. 00:36:13.440 --> 00:36:19.519 It's not a throwaway phrase, it's a game changer that forms everything else that Paul is going to say. 00:36:19.599 --> 00:36:21.840 Now, this can be taken in two ways. 00:36:22.079 --> 00:36:26.800 The first way is it can be taken in the sense of Jesus is coming back soon. 00:36:29.199 --> 00:36:31.599 Don't worry, Jesus is coming back soon. 00:36:33.440 --> 00:36:54.960 The idea that God will return and restore all things, that all of that which is sad and bad will come on true, that all of the on the injustices and unjust things and people that have uh that have carried out their wickednesses and sinned against you, that that none of that will go unanswered. 00:36:55.119 --> 00:36:58.079 The Lord is at hand, that the Jesus is the coming one. 00:36:58.239 --> 00:37:00.719 Behold, I am coming soon, he says. 00:37:00.960 --> 00:37:02.079 That's the first sense. 00:37:02.239 --> 00:37:04.880 I actually think that Paul has in mind this second sense. 00:37:05.119 --> 00:37:07.840 I actually don't think that that he means it. 00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:13.119 Um, I'm gonna use a big word, forgive me, eschatologically in terms of the end. 00:37:13.280 --> 00:37:14.559 There you go, you can write that down. 00:37:14.639 --> 00:37:16.079 Uh, don't ask me to spell it. 00:37:16.159 --> 00:37:17.519 Um, but that's what we mean. 00:37:17.599 --> 00:37:19.360 But he's not looking at the end. 00:37:19.599 --> 00:37:21.440 Paul, I think, is much more pastoral. 00:37:21.519 --> 00:37:23.360 I think Paul means it spatially. 00:37:24.480 --> 00:37:26.000 The Lord is at hand. 00:37:27.039 --> 00:37:33.599 What Paul is saying is the Lord Jesus is just within arm's reach. 00:37:34.880 --> 00:37:37.280 The Lord Jesus is right there with you. 00:37:37.920 --> 00:37:40.239 He's not far, he's not removed. 00:37:40.800 --> 00:37:46.559 His spirit, his very presence, is near to you. 00:37:47.599 --> 00:37:49.519 He means it spatially. 00:37:51.119 --> 00:37:57.519 That to the anxious heart, Jesus is within reaching distance, the Lord is at hand. 00:37:59.599 --> 00:38:04.000 And then he says, Anxious heart, could you pray? 00:38:07.039 --> 00:38:12.639 He exhorts us, he says, Don't be anxious about anything, but pray about everything. 00:38:12.800 --> 00:38:14.320 Do you see that connection? 00:38:16.079 --> 00:38:28.639 And Paul isn't so blind and blasé, because I know that some of you, particularly if you're just plagued and crushed by anxiety, but you but your response to Paul is, yeah, Paul, easier said than done. 00:38:30.480 --> 00:38:31.199 That's what I mean. 00:38:31.360 --> 00:38:36.960 That this could be a journey that you could begin today and we could support you in. 00:38:37.119 --> 00:38:42.559 And it might be a battle until the Lord returns. 00:38:42.960 --> 00:38:45.360 But he's saying, Look, could could you pray? 00:38:45.840 --> 00:38:47.679 Could you bring some of your anxieties to him? 00:38:47.840 --> 00:38:49.280 Because maybe you haven't. 00:38:49.760 --> 00:38:53.440 Because one of the things that anxiety does is it does paralyze you. 00:38:54.239 --> 00:38:58.800 The anxious heart is the heart that thinks that thinks much and acts little. 00:39:01.119 --> 00:39:03.519 He's saying, could could you pray? 00:39:04.880 --> 00:39:07.599 Could you pray about everything? 00:39:08.239 --> 00:39:13.039 Paul gives us a couple of words that that might be of benefit to you. 00:39:14.480 --> 00:39:21.199 He says to to pray, uh, to give supplications and to do so with thanksgiving. 00:39:21.679 --> 00:39:27.280 This idea, this first word, prayer, is specifically the idea of interceding for others. 00:39:28.559 --> 00:39:29.119 Do you see it? 00:39:29.199 --> 00:39:32.719 So he's not actually even beginning by saying pray about your circumstances. 00:39:33.360 --> 00:39:34.239 This is very interesting. 00:39:34.320 --> 00:39:38.880 He's saying, Could you, anxious heart, intercede for someone else? 00:39:40.000 --> 00:39:41.519 Why would that be the case? 00:39:42.239 --> 00:39:50.960 Well, because one of the things that that it that a chaotic mind does that an anxious heart does is it can't see beyond itself. 00:39:51.840 --> 00:39:57.840 Paul's saying, is there somebody else that you could stand in the gap for? 00:39:59.599 --> 00:40:01.519 And maybe they could stand in the gap for you. 00:40:01.599 --> 00:40:06.000 And maybe you could pray for them and you could watch, you could see actually the Lord's working in their life. 00:40:06.239 --> 00:40:09.280 And maybe that would build your faith that the Lord might work in yours. 00:40:12.159 --> 00:40:17.519 Maybe actually you can be helped in your anxieties by becoming a little bit more self-forgetful. 00:40:19.039 --> 00:40:20.880 Could you intercede for someone else? 00:40:22.000 --> 00:40:30.320 Maybe one of the things anxious heart that you could do today or after the service is go, how can I pray for you? 00:40:30.800 --> 00:40:31.760 Go to somebody. 00:40:32.400 --> 00:40:33.760 How can I pray for you? 00:40:34.880 --> 00:40:36.960 Lord willing, they'll reciprocate and go, well, how can I pray for you? 00:40:37.039 --> 00:40:39.760 And say, I'm one of those anxious people that Mark was talking about. 00:40:40.000 --> 00:40:44.559 And it just feels like that pressure will never lift. 00:40:45.280 --> 00:40:47.440 But I want to try. 00:40:47.760 --> 00:40:51.360 I want to try and move forward in faith, just a just like a baby step. 00:40:51.519 --> 00:40:53.840 And so, are there some things that I could pray for you? 00:40:53.920 --> 00:40:58.239 And maybe you could pray for me, and maybe we could wait and see what God does. 00:40:59.920 --> 00:41:01.599 And he says, supplications. 00:41:02.880 --> 00:41:06.079