The Essential Exchange
Philippians 4:2-13
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been looking at some essentials for our Christian walk. We have looked at what it means to have the essential attitude from Philippians 2. We have looked at what should be our essential priorities in Philippians 3. We are going to finish up this series today by looking at the “Essential Exchanges” we need to make that are laid out in Philippians 4.
There were some things that were going on in the lives of the members of the church that Paul says they should exchange. This exchange isn’t something simple like swapping pants for a larger size at Wal-Mart. These exchanges take some effort, but in the end you will have traded something that is worthless for the most precious things you can imagine.
#1. It’s essential to exchange bickering for joy. Philippians 4:2-4
2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life. 4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
Paul starts off by addressing two women at the church that had a disagreement, which wasn’t handled biblically. Paul begs these two ladies to settle this disagreement, not because he’s concerned with who’s right or who’s wrong, but rather that peace be made because it was evidently impeding the Gospel that they once worked hard together to share.
Throughout scripture we are told to settle disputes quickly and don’t leave them festering. Jesus says in Mark 11:25-26 that before you pray you need to forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against. Romans 12 tells us that we are to overcome evil with good and not take revenge when we are wronged, and to even serve those who have harmed us. Colossians 3:13-14 tells us to make allowances for each other’s faults and forgive them as we have been forgiven. But why is scripture so clear about us having to forgive? Because unforgiveness is the seed that starts a root of bitterness and bitterness will grow into a prison that not only entraps you but will hurt others as well. Paul was quick to encourage these ladies to be obedient to the Word, so bitterness would not take root and cause division in the church. He instead insists on there being an exchange; squabbles for joy - joy in the Lord.
I think it’s important to understand he is telling them to be full of joy in the Lord. It is impossible to find joy in every situation that we find ourselves in, but we can always find joy in the Lord. We can rejoice that we have been saved, we can rejoice that we are adopted by God into His family, and we can rejoice that no one or nothing, not even ourselves, can take us away from God. We have experienced so much to rejoice in with a joy that can only come from the Lord. When we are tempted to bicker, we need to handle it biblically, which sometimes involves just letting it go and rejoicing in the Lord in those circumstances, so that bitterness will not rear its ugly head.
#2. It’s essential to exchange worries for peace. Philippians 4:6-9
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Worry is an odd thing. Studies say that only about 8% of the things people worry about are something worth their effort. The other 92% are things that will never happen, are imagined situations, or things that are totally out of their control. Worry is a force that pulls and pushes us away from our faith in Jesus and our hope in His second coming. It always directs us into fear and doubt. Whether it's the 92% of other things or the 8%, Paul tells us not to worry about anything - even if the world says it’s legitimate.
He’s telling us that we must exchange our worry for peace, but there is a process to it. It’s not something that you can stop immediately. It’s not that easy, but it consists of three things that need to happen in your life to help you start the exchange of your worries for peace.
a. Right prayer is essential to the exchange.
The first step in this exchange is prayer. The prayer Paul speaks of has a specific pattern. Not that there is a “formula” to prayer that makes a difference between God listening or not or answering the way you want Him to or not, but rather the prayer helps us to see things from a different view. The pattern is the pattern of prayer that Daniel prays before he is cast into the lion’s den. We see that his heart and mind were definitely guarded during that time.
The prayer that we pray must have two things - petitions and praise. When we petition God, we are supposed to bring those things that are causing us worry. 1 Peter says, “cast all our cares upon Him because He cares for us.” When we do this, we have to trust God that He will take care of those problems in His perfect way and in His perfect timing (this is exceptionally hard). Once we finish giving God our worries (notice this is not sharing, it is giving, we aren’t supposed to hold on to those once we have placed them in the hands of the All Mighty), we are told to praise God with adoration and thanksgiving. We stop what we are doing and thank God for all the blessings in our lives. Start with the big things and then thank Him for the little things as well. Consistent prayers like these help us to not get bogged down in the weight of worry. When we start handing over those things we worry about to God and trusting Him with the outcome, we start looking at things with a thankful heart. That change in perspective will help facilitate the exchange from worry to peace in your life.
b. Right thinking is essential to the exchange.
Paul tells us that we need to make sure our thought lives are not leading us into these worries. If they are, we need to make sure our thoughts are taken captive and focused on truth. Many of us think we can’t control our thoughts, but that’s not true. We can control what we think by substituting those things with the things of God. Paul tells us to make sure our thoughts are about morally pure things, things that are beautiful, and things that are worth talking about. There is plenty of sin to focus on in the world, but when we pay attention, we can see God’s fingerprints on everything, even in the most seemingly hopeless of times. He then tells us that we are to focus on things that spur us to excellence and things that we should be sharing with others. When we start to practice this, we start to bring our minds into submission to God. We will start to see the peace of God start to slowly guard our hearts and minds from the harmful and sinful things of the world.
c. Right living is essential to the exchange.
Not only do your prayers and thinking need to be right, but you must live it out. Many of our worries come from sinful decisions we have made. Therefore, living out our faith and being obedient to God’s Word is important because it’s protecting us from these types of worries - the worries of consequences. God will discipline those He loves, there is no doubt about that. We can trust that not only is it out of love, but it’s for our good. We must live out our faith if we want to exchange worry for peace.
#3. It’s essential to exchange abundance for Christ. Philippians 4:5, 10-13
5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
It's been said you don’t really know God is all you need until God is all you have. That’s what Paul is talking about here. It wasn’t something that happened immediately at his conversion, but rather he says he had to learn it. Same goes for us. We are blessed to live in the USA, but the consumerism that permeates every aspect of our culture can sometimes make us think we can’t be happy unless we have this or that. Paul says he had all that “stuff” and he’s had nothing. He’s learned that it’s through Christ he is content with anything because Christ is all he needs.
During this sermon series we have been challenged and commanded to make a change in the things we find essential - our attitudes, our priorities, and now our actions. These are not easy things nor are they things we can do alone. When we get serious about our walk and about obedience, the Holy Spirit (that lives within those who have made Jesus the Lord of their lives) will take over. It’s through His help that we can do all things. Are you ready to make all these essential changes?
