Content In Prison

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Philippians 4:12

I have to continually remind myself that Paul is writing these incredibly powerful and positive words from a miserable Roman dungeon surrounded by rats, roaches and chained to a Roman guard. He awakes to wonder if this day will be his last. Some days he hopes it will be.

I also remember that he could have been released from all of that distress in a matter of hours if he would have disavowed his faith and disowned his God.

But he had learned to be more contented in this prison than he could ever be in a palace.

How is that possible?

He had long ago come to a radical conclusion that what he had in Christ was greater that what he didn't have in life!

As miserable as the Roman dungeon was, and the Romans worked hard to keep them miserable. Paul had found himself in even greater distress.

"Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. 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 pelted with stones,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 fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 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. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin,and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness." II Corinthians 11:23-20

Wow! That's a lot of suffering! Severe suffering! How did he endure all of that misery and torture? Why didn't he just curse God and quit? He had a good life as a Pharisee and could have gone back to that status.

So how did he endure such cruelty and rejection?

He had long ago come to the conviction that what he had in Christ was far better than anything he didn't have in life.

No wonder he could say with complete integrity, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21

Can you say that about your relationship with Christ?

Have you come to share his conviction that what you have in Christ is far better than anything you don't have in life?

March 6, 2018

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God,which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:4-8

We are beginning week three in this study on how to deal with anxiety from a biblical perspective. Thus far we have established that the roots of anxiety are found in control issues. 

We were able to trace back to a time before anxiety contaminated the human condition and Adam and Eve lived fully contented under the Sovereignty of God. But the Serpent deceived them into believing they could find greater happiness by taking control of their own lives. That selfish rebellion against God removed God's blessing and subjected them to the curse of a sinful nature. Men and women have struggled with anxiety ever since.

Writing from a dark, damp, dank dungeon cell Paul pens these verses to lead his beloved Christ-followers out of the anxiety of rebellion into the serenity of surrender to God's sovereignty. To begin that process Paul urges then to take control of four areas of their personal lives as they release control of everything else to God.

First, they are to "rejoice in the Lord always". That is, rejoicing in the reality that God is wisely and powerfully in control of everything we have surrendered to Him!

Second, they are to demonstrate the gentleness of one living in the presence of God and preparing for the Coming of the Lord.

Third, when feeling anxious they are to pray specific, personal and passionate prayers in an attitude of gratitude toward the Lord. As they do they will experience God's peace.

Finally, they are urged to focus their thoughts and fill their minds with pure, positive and powerful truths.

Anxiety is fueled when we try to wrestle control from God while failing to control what is within our power to control - aka - these four areas we just highlighted.

So, all things being equal, this is exceptional! You have it within your power and control to overcome anxiety and find His peace!

March 5, 2018

“Do not merely look out for your own personal interests but also the interests of others.”Philippians 2:4

I grew up in a very competitive environment and a very competitive family. None of us liked to lose. Somebody always has to.

Living in Indiana where basketball was a religion losing a basketball game was catastrophic. Having a losing season was unacceptable. We never bought into that “winning isn’t everything” philosophy. And we scoffed at that “it isn’t whether you win or lose its how you play the game” nonsense. It was all about winning. I was fortunate enough to be part of teams that didn’t lose many, so I didn’t have to experience the agony of defeat very often.

And then I got married.

Marriage is an interesting relationship. Sometimes you can win and still lose. My competitive nature that had always served me well suddenly became a curse.

I discovered quickly that I needed to redefine a win. Actually it wasn’t that hard, I play the game and she tells me whether I won or lost.

Our Scripture verse tells us that our goal is to create win-win situations. Marriage should be a relationship in which each partner plays for the other so that both win. If I win and she loses, our relationship has lost. There should be no “I win you lose” scenarios.

In the larger context of this Scripture portion, it refers to the attitude of Jesus Christ, Who willingly lost everything so we could get a win over sin. His loss was our win. But ultimately He won because He pleased God. That is the consummate winning attitude and it is the attitude that builds a winning marriage.

When you have a husband playing to get wins for his wife and you have a wife looking for ways to help her husband win, the big winner is the marriage.

Creating win-win situations in marriage leaves little room for stubbornness, little room for pride, and little room for competitive contexts.

Do you recognize any prideful attitudes that are keeping you from creating win-wins? Are there area of stubbornness that are creating problems in your marriage? Where do you need to “take one for the team” today?

March 4, 2018

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." Philippians 4:5

How is gentleness a remedy for anxiety?

Gentleness is outward evidence that you have your control issues under control!

So, what is gentleness?

The Greek word Paul chose to use here is “epieikes”. 

It is a rich word that's hard to capture in the English language - some close equivalents might be - , graciousness, forbearance, patience, sweet reasonableness, mildness, leniency, yieldedness, kindness, charitableness, considerateness, magnanimity, bigheartedness, generosity.

Combining some of those concepts together might help and then to apply them in real life scenarios may clarify what Paul meant by "gentleness".

1. Reasonable Flexibility - Fair

Paul says to us, “Let your gentleness be evident to all men.” Be mild, be kind, and—as long as it doesn’t violate the Word of God—be yielding. Be reasonably persuadable—reasonably flexible. Create connecting points. Seek win-wins.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones says this person had “the capacity to differentiate between what is really of vital importance and what is not, to stand like a rock by the things that are vital, [and] to be reasonable about the things that are not.”

Firmly and confidently grounded in the Word of God you can look to create win-win situations like Paul did on Mars Hill.

Temperate Gentleness – Approachable

A person marked by gentleness is:

·       CALM

·       UNFLAPPABLE

·       ACCEPTING

·       WELCOMING

·       SAFE

Patient Forbearance – Secure

A gentle person is secure in himself and:

·       NOT DEFENSIVE

·       LENDS A LISTENING EAR

·       ABSORBS CRITICISM

·       OPEN TO DISCUSSION

·       CONFIDENT BUT NOT OPINIONATED

·       SEEKs TO PERSUADE NOT BROWBEAT

4. Humble Surrender - Selfless

And that leads very naturally into the fourth characteristic: humble surrender. The gentle man humbly and willingly surrenders his own rights.

·      WANTS TO GET IT RIGHT

·      DOESN’T CLING TO RIGHTS

·      DOESN’T HAVE TO GET THE CREDIT

·      WILLING TO LET IT BE SOMEONE ELSE’S IDEA

5. Happy Contentment  - Gracious

Finally, the one who manifests this gentleness to which we’re called is also marked by a happy contentment. He has learned to “Rejoice in the Lord, always.”

What a wealth of truth is stored up into this one word, gentleness. Let me summarize by quoting Pastor John MacArthur. He writes, “Perhaps the best corresponding English word is graciousness—the graciousness of humility; the humble graciousness that produces the patience to endure injustice, disgrace, and mistreatment without retaliation, bitterness, or vengeance.”

A gentle person has learned to overcome anxiety by taking control of these attitudes and putting everything else under God's control?

Are you gentle?

Do you recognize any of these traits with yourself?

March 3, 2018

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." Philippians 4:5

Last week I established that there once was a time when stress and anxiety did not exist. Isn't it hard to imagine? Wouldn't that have been amazing! In fact, that would have been like paradise!

Wait! That WAS Paradise! It happened in Eden when Eve was deceived into taking control of her own life convinced it would make her happy!

There will be another time when anxiety will end but that won't happen until you arrive at the next Paradise, known as Heaven.

In the meantime, stuck between the first Paradise and the next one, we must learn to handle anxiety or it will handle us!

The conclusion that came out of our first week in this sermon series "Anxious for Nothing" is we handle anxiety by giving God control of all the things that are beyond our control and taking control of those few things we can control. 

Max Lucado, in the book "Anxious for Nothing", which we are following during this 30 Days Study series he features four things we CAN control to help turn the chaos of anxiety into a contagious calm:

Celebrate God's goodness, Philippians 4:4

Ask God for help, Philippians 4:6

Leave your concerns with him, Philippians 4:6

Meditate on good things, Philippians 4:8

The results of taking control of these life disciplines will be demonstrated in what Max describes as a contagious calm or what Paul refers to as gentleness. In other words, someone who appears to be in control - a.k.a. - under God's control and in control of the helpful spiritual disciplines!

I know, doing these things are easier said than done. But you can do these because as Paul reminds "the Lord is near". And if He is near I can put Him in control of the multitude of things beyond my control and I can ask Him to help me control what I need to control.

We all get overcome by anxiety once in awhile. Sometimes it is hard to shake out of it. Perhaps that is where you find yourself today. If so, please allow me to remind you, "The lord is near!"

Will you commit to living that way today? Will you write it down? Will you keep it foremost in your mind? God is near and He is in control!

March 2, 2018

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." Philippians 4:5

The favorite scene from my favorite movie, "HOOSIERS" is when the Hickory Huskers' Coach Norman Dale calls a time out with seconds remaining in the Indiana State Championship High School Basketball game against the odds on favorites, the South Bend Central Bears. Coach Dale designs a play using their star player, Jimmy Chitwood, as a decoy and another player taking the final game deciding shot. 

Noticing the downcast looks on the faces of his players the coach asks, "What's the matter?" They let him know they want Jimmy to take the shot. He looks at Jimmy who says confidently, "I'll make it!" Coach Dale quickly draws up a play to get Jimmy the ball.

Coming out of the huddle, the Huskers run the play and get Jimmy the ball at the top of the free throw circle. He rises high and calmly releases the ball which touches nothing but net as the clock expires securing the highly unlikely State Championship victory.

Jimmy Chitwood's skill and confidence made him a contagiously calming influence on his teammates. They trusted him. When he promised to make the shot they knew he would! He kept his promise and no one was surprised.

He is a contemporary example of what the Apostle Paul was and what he challenged the believers at Philippi to become - calmly contagious Christians.

Are you a calmly contagious Christian?

How does that happen?

How does one develop that sort of quiet calm confidence that becomes contagious?

The answer is found in four words, "The Lord is near."

Knowing that God is nearby in every circumstance of life can bring tremendous comfort and calm to your spirit. 

As Paul is writing these inspired words he is sitting in a dark, damp, dingy dungeon chained securely to a Roman guard. And yet he chose an anxiety-free life because he knew the Lord was near. He chose to rejoice rather than despair because he knew the Lord was near.

"But how do I know the Lord is near?" you may ask.

James writes, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

"But how do I draw near to God?"

The entire context of the Scripture in James reveals the answer"

"But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:6-10

That's how you draw near to God! 

That's how God is able to draw near to you!

To gain His quite, confident, contagious calm you only need to obtain His character by receiving Christ into your heart.

When the game of life seems out of hand and the opponent seems unbeatable and the score isn't in your favor, remember God is near! 

Get Him the ball!

He'll make the shot!

March 1, 2018

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything." Philippians 4:5-6

You have probably known that person who can walk into a room filled with angst or tension and their presence immediately brings a calming effect.

By the same token, you may also know a person who can walk into a calm room and put the room on edge.

Which is most true of you?

In this verse Paul calls you to be contagiously calm Christian.

The Greek word used for "gentleness" is translated to describe a temperament that is seasoned and mature. It envisions an attitude that is fitting to the occasion, levelheaded and tempered. A contagiously calm person is steady, evenhanded and fair. It looks objectively and reasonably at the facts of a case. Such a person is antithetical to one who over-reacts or panics in most situations.

The Amplified Version renders it like this: "Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience] be known to all people. The Lord is near."

Max Lucado puts it this way, "A contagiously calm person is the one who reminds others, 'God is in control.'"

The Bible reveals the Lord was always present with his people:

He was with Abram - "After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram I am your shield, your very great reward.” Genesis 15:1

There is no doubt Abram had some low moments when he doubted if God was still with him. He panicked a time or two. But, in fact, God never did leave him or forsake him. And by the time Abram became Abraham he had become assured of God's presence and displayed a contagious calm.

He was with Hagar - "God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid;God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink." Genesis 21:17-19

Hagar and Ishmael bore the brunt of one the panic-stricken moments in Abram's life. She was put out of the camp at Sara's demand and left to fend for herself and her infant son in the barren desert. There God sent His angel to remind her of His presence and provision. Imagine the calming effect that had!

He was with Isaac - "That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” Genesis 26:24

Isaac had witnessed God's faithfulness to his father, Abraham over the years and now God appeared to him with the calm assurance He would be with Isaac as well.

He was with Joshua - "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

Joshua was stepping into some pretty big shoes, er, sandals. He was being called by God to do what Moses had not been able to do - lead God's people into the Promised Land. So, before he took the job God spoke to Joshua to remind him and assure him that He would be near him every step of the way.

He was with the Psalmist - "The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper.  I look in triumph on my enemies." Psalm 118:6–7

The Psalmist had a rolled coaster of emotions during his walk with God. He enjoyed numerous exhilarating moments with God but also a few deep and desperate lows when God seemed absent or distant.

Here are a couple of assurances given to ALL of God's people:

Jesus’ name "Immanuel" means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23 NIV).

At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus promised, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” Matthew 28:20 NIV

How can I know this contagious calm these Bible heroes knew?

How can I live a life free of crippling anxiety?

Paul gives a clue in this verse! In his many stressful and anxious ministry moments he would hold onto this comforting fact, "The Lord is near!"

That powerful reminder of the Lord's presence calmed him in the deep, dark and damp prison or marooned on the high sea for nearly two days!

Do you need a calm that can become contagious?

Your gentleness will be the evidence you know the Lord is near!