“The Peace of God Which Passes all Understanding Shall Keep Your Hearts and Minds in Christ Jesus!”

“The Peace of God Which Passes all Understanding

Shall Keep Your Hearts and Minds in Christ Jesus!”

Philippians 4:4-13

Grace, mercy and peace be unto you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dearly Beloved in Christ Jesus,
Lutheran Pastors are generally taught to end every sermon with the words of
Philippians 4:7, except that rather than stating it as a promise, they speak it as a blessing,
“The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ
Jesus.” Thus God actually bestows this blessing on His dear people through the mouth of His
appointed spokesmen to them. And it is an effective and a marvelous blessing indeed, for it
conveys the very peace of God in Christ Jesus, that is, the forgiveness of sins. And this is God’s
answer to:

I. Our Main Problem: Sinful Anxiety about Life.

A. All our worry displays our lack of faith in God.
1. Jesus commands us: “Do not be anxious for your life!” (Matt. 6:25 “...as to
what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what
you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing?)
2. St. Paul says we should be anxious for nothing! (vs. 6)
a. Neither for this life.
b. Nor for the next one!

B. All our complaining denies the power and love of God.
1. He feeds even the birds of the air – are you not worth much more than
they? (Matt. 6:26 [even though “They neither sow nor reap nor gather into
barns!”])
2. He clothes even the grass of the field - how much more you? (Matt.6:28-29
"And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the
field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that even
Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. But if God
so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is
thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of
little faith?”)

C. All our self-centeredness is idolatry!
1. We are often jealous of “the prosperity of the wicked.” (Ps. 73:2-3 “As for
me, my feet came close to stumbling; my steps had almost slipped. For I
was envious of the arrogant, as I saw the prosperity of the wicked.)
a. We think that we deserve better because we are more godly. (Ps.
73:13-14, 16 “Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure, and washed
my hands in innocence; for I have been stricken all day long, and
chastened every morning! When I pondered to understand this, it
was troublesome in my sight.”)
b. Our attitude proves us to be as “senseless and ignorant as beasts.”
(Ps. 73:21-22 “When my heart was embittered, and I was pierced
within, then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before
Thee.”)
(1) We are “A nation of whiners”! (Dr. Jack Fyans)
(2) We complain of our lack even though we have more than
anyone else on earth!
2. Christians are here commanded to “Rejoice in the Lord always!” (vs. 4
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”)
a. But I would rather feel sorry for myself.
b. And I would rather be able to rejoice in my own goodness!

II. Our Only Solution: Peace from God through Faith in Christ Jesus!

A. Through Christ, God has “Swallowed up death forever”! (Is. 25:7-8 “Upon this
mountain He will swallow up the covering which covers all peoples, even the veil
which veils all nations. He will swallow up death forever!”)
1. He came and suffered for the wicked even for us!
a. He gave up everything for us. (Phil. 2:5-7 “Although Christ Jesus,
although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with
God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of
a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”)
b. He took our sins upon Himself.
(1) (Phil. 2:8) “And being found in appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.”
(2) (Col. 2:13-14) “And when you were dead in your
transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made
you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our
transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt
consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us;
and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the
cross.”
2. He rose again as the Victor over sin, death & devil.
a. (Heb. 2:14-15) “Since then the children (of Adam) share in flesh
and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that
through death He might render powerless him who had the power
of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver those who through fear
of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”
b. (Col. 2:15) “When God had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He
made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through
Jesus !”

B. Through the Church, God brings Christ and His gifts to us.
1. The Word being preached here & now saves you! (1 Thess. 2:13 “For this
reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the
word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for
what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who
believe.”)
2. The Sacrament offered here today joins you to Christ in both body & soul!
(1 Cor. 10:16 “Is not the cup of blessing which we bless the communion of
the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break the communion of the
body of Christ?”)
3. If we seek these things first, Jesus promises to provide whatever else we
need! (Matt. 6:33 "But seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness; and
all these things shall be added to you!”)

C. Through these gifts God gives us His Peace!
1. Which “Surpasses all understanding!” (vs. 7a)
2. Which “Guards our hearts and our minds!” (vs. 7b)

III. Our Life in Christ Jesus: Peace, Joy, Forbearance, Contentment, Hope.

A. Peace (vss. 6-7) “Be anxious for nothing, 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, shall guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus!”

B. Joy (vss.4, 8) “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”

C. Forbearance (vs. 5) “Let your forbearance (patience, willingness to suffer wrong
& not insist on your rights!) be known to all.” Thus we show them Christ in us,
for them!

D. Contentment (vss. 11-12) “Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be
content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble
means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance
I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having
abundance and suffering need.”

E. Hope
1. (vs. 5b) “The Lord is near!” (The Parousia!)
2. (vs. 13) “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me!”
3. (Is. 6:8b-9) “God our SAVIOR will wipe the tear from every face; and He
will remove the shame of His people from the whole earth; for our SAVIOR
has spoken it! And they will say in that day, "Behold, this is our God for
whom we have waited, that He might save us; this is our SAVIOR, for
whom we have waited – let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation!"

Dear Fellow Redeemed in the Blood of Christ,
The Psalmist Asaph complained that out of jealousy toward wicked people who were
nevertheless prosperous, he had become like “a senseless beast” before God! Yet, he believed
that God nevertheless held him by the hand to guide him into heaven! (Ps. 73:23-26) Because
of this great hope he proclaimed that he no longer desired anything on earth except God and
His Word. This is the very definition of the “Peace of God which passes all understanding
which does guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.” May it be yours today and
forever. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts & minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.