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Sign up today at connectwithskip.com. That’s connectwithskip.com. Now, here’s today’s message from Pastor Skip Heitzig.

Skip Heitzig: The name Euodia is a Greek name that means "good journey." We say "have a good journey." Syntyche is "fortunate." That’s what her name means literally. So we have Miss Good Trip and Miss Lucky. For some reason, Miss Good Trip and Miss Lucky are at odds with each other. We don’t know what it is. We’re not told what it is. We would have to guess what it is. It could be anything trivial, from the color of the tablecloth at the Thanksgiving women's banquet to some doctrinal issue that makes them at odds with each other.

The thing is, we don’t know, and Paul doesn’t need to tell us. But he does need to tell them they need to work it out. They need to get on the same page, to be of the same mind in the Lord. Now, whatever the issue was, because he brings them up and he tells us just a little bit about them, we can surmise that they were prominent women because he says in verse three, "the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the Book of Life." They shared some kind of ministry responsibility with him.

Here’s my guess. When Paul went to Philippi the first time, these two women were among the women who were meeting at the riverside when Paul had the first meeting in that town. Let me refresh your memory. When Paul first came to Europe, he came to Macedonia. The first city he came to was Philippi. Remember he had a vision in Troas, a man from Macedonia saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." So he sets foot on European soil in the city of Philippi. It says that he spoke to a group of women who were meeting at the riverside.

There’s a lot in that. What that tells me first is there was no synagogue in the city. There were Jews, but there was no synagogue. So there were very few Jews living in Philippi because, according to Jewish law, you had to have a minimum of 10 Jewish males in order to form a synagogue. It tells me there weren’t 10 Jewish males in that city, but there were Jewish women. So they met at the riverside. Why the river? Because that’s where living water was, flowing water, water that flowed and wasn’t stagnant. They could have ritual baths, ritual ablutions in the riverside. That was the typical place where they met.

So I’m guessing that we know one of the names was Lydia from the book of Acts, who believed the things spoken by Paul and invited Paul to be cared for by her. And now I’m guessing there was Euodia and Syntyche. These three were among the group that was meeting there at the riverside, and now they have a disagreement with each other. What is unfortunate, not for us but for these two, is that their names are immortalized in the Scripture as being the two women in Philippi who didn’t get along. Their names are in the Bible, but look at the context of it.

It’s a bit of a bummer to be forever known, and here we are 2,000 years later talking about these two who couldn't get along in Philippi. Their names are written in the Bible, but he felt the need, he felt compelled to bring it to the surface and tell them to get along. And then he continues in verse three, "I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life." Now, who he is talking to, we don’t know. Some person at Philippi that Paul says, "mediate for us, mediate for them, help them get on the same page."

They obviously haven’t been able to figure it out on their own. So whoever he’s writing to is a true yokefellow or companion. Now, there’s a couple of guesses here if you’re interested in this stuff. The Greek word for companion or yokefellow is Syzygus or Syzygas. Some scholars believe that was actually the guy’s name. So it should say, "And I urge you, Syzygas, help these women Euodia and Syntyche." So he’s actually naming a guy by the name of Syzygas who lived in Philippi that he is referring to. Others believe he is speaking generically of a yokefellow or a companion, since that’s what Syzygas is translated into our English language. So it’s either a guy named that or it’s a guy who embodies that, a companion of Paul. Help these women who labored with me in the gospel, Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the Book of Life.

To be honest, I would rather just have my name in the Book of Life than have my name in the book of Philippians like Euodia and Syntyche did. Your name is in the Book of Life. Do you ever just think about that? Whatever you’re going through, no matter how bad your day, week, month, year has been, your name is in the Book of Life. That’s a good truth, and from time to time, you should just measure what you’re going through with that truth. One of the reasons Paul was so joyful is because of this truth.

You remember when the disciples went around the Sea of Galilee and did the ministry Jesus told them to, and they came back and they were all stoked in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10. They said, "Man, it was so awesome. You sent us to all these cities, and we cast out demons in your name, and they came out of people. We worked miracles, and it was awesome." And Jesus said, "Don’t rejoice that the demons are subject to you. Rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

Again, I don’t know how bad your week has been, but you’re not going to hell. But you don’t know how bad this month has been for me and the disease that I’m facing. Yes, okay, but you’re not going to hell. I have relational issues you have no idea about. Okay, but you’re not going to hell. Your names are written in heaven. You’re in the Lamb’s Book of Life. No wonder he speaks so much about joy in this book.

Guest (Male): You’re listening to Connect with Skip Heitzig. Every day, friends like you help connect people around the world to the life-changing truth of God’s Word through clear, verse-by-verse Bible teaching. And this month, we’d like to thank you with a practical resource designed for the challenges of everyday life. When you give, you’ll receive Biblical Wisdom for Everyday Living, a collection of four lifestyle booklets from Pastor Skip Heitzig.

Through Pray This Way, Technicolor Joy, Unforgiveness: Forgiveness vs. Sweet Revenge, and Standing Firm in Unsettling Times, you’ll discover biblical wisdom for prayer, joy, forgiveness, and finding peace when life feels uncertain. We’ll send this special collection as our thanks when you give $30 or more to support Connect with Skip Heitzig. Call 800-922-1888 or visit connectwithskip.com/offer. Now, let’s return to today’s teaching.

Skip Heitzig: Look at verse four. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice. That’s a command. Because it is a command, I can only surmise that joy is a choice that you make. Makes sense? You can’t give a person a command to rejoice unless it’s possible to rejoice as an act of one’s will. So joy is a choice more than it is a feeling. Joy is a decision more than it is a sensation. Joy is an outlook based upon an uplook. Paul’s uplook was Christ, therefore his outlook was joy.

So he says as a matter of command, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice." Let me give you what I think is a good definition of joy. Joy is the personal decision to respond to life’s difficulties with faith. "I’m not feeling so good." Rejoice in the Lord. And because you are not rejoicing in your circumstances but in the Lord, you can do it always. And then he says, just in case you forgot what I just said, "Again I will say, rejoice."

Life is tough, but God is good. Keep that in mind. Life is tough, but God is good. When Paul was in Philippi, you know his story. He was imprisoned in chains, beaten with rods, and at midnight he sang praises to God. Joy is the personal choice, the personal decision to respond to life’s difficulties with faith. I love joyful people. Don’t you? Do you love angry people? Do you love hanging out with bitter people? Do you love being in the same room with a complainer? No.

Some people spread joy, bring joy wherever they go. Have you noticed that? Some people are just, "Wow, I love it when they show up." They bring joy wherever they go. Other people bring joy whenever they go. Which are you? Do you bring joy wherever you go or whenever you go? Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice. There’s a great verse of Scripture in Proverbs 15:15. He who is of a merry heart has a continual feast. Wherever you are, you have it and you spread it.

Verse five. Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. In other words, have a reputation for being gentle. The word gentleness, better translation, "sweet reasonableness." Let your sweet reasonableness be known to all men. It speaks of being patient with people’s faults, shortcomings, issues, problems they have, personality quirks, being persevering and being patient, being merciful with other people, people’s faults.

When you were first saved, newly born again, were any of you rough around the edges? We were all rough around the edges. And then you matured. Now, I wonder if when you matured, you sort of got the feeling like, "I’m pretty awesome now." You might be awesome. You might be the person who spreads joy wherever they go. But you weren’t always that awesome. You blew it. You made mistakes. So give people a little slack who are growing in their faith, who make the same mistakes you did. That’s the idea of sweet reasonableness or let your gentleness, have a reputation for being that kind of a person, not arrogant because you’re mature and they’re not, but patient with him. Remember one of Jesus’ attributes, he said, "I am gentle and lowly in spirit, and you’ll find rest for your souls."

So let your gentleness be known to all men. Why? Because the Lord is at hand. That can mean one of two things. The Lord is present. In all these situations, wherever two or three are gathered, the Lord is there. He is present. Or it could mean the Lord is coming soon. Either one is true. Paul thought the Lord was coming soon 2,000 years ago. He was right. It’s always good to live in the imminence of Jesus Christ, that he could come back at any moment, and he could. He believed Jesus would come back and he never did. True, but he’s a lot closer today than he was then. The Lord is at hand. The Lord is coming soon.

Let’s get into the heart of it. Be anxious for nothing. Another command. Be anxious for nothing. Don’t be filled with worry and anxiety and care. Instead, pray about everything. 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, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer. Prayer is general prayer, often it’s a word that means to worship God, adoring God, realizing who it is you’re talking to. Think of this last weekend's message. We said that the five directions they looked: they looked up, that’s adoration; they looked back, that’s reflection; they looked within, that’s confession; they looked around, that’s petition; they looked ahead, that’s submission. Same elements here. Everything by prayer, adoration, supplication, those are your personal heartfelt petitions, with thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Now, a word about the word anxious. It’s a very interesting word. It’s a combination of two words. Here’s the word in Greek: merimnao. It comes from two words: meridzo, which means to tear or shred or rip, to divide; and nous, which is the mind. So the word anxiety, merimnao, literally means from those two words to divide the mind, to tear the mind. Anxiety or worry divides or tears your mind between having legitimate thoughts and destructive thoughts. That’s what it does. It rips, it shreds the mind. Anxiety tears the mind. It’s the battle, the division between legitimate thoughts and unhealthy thoughts, destructive thoughts.

Merimnao is a word translated anxiety, worry, and care in the New Testament. It’s found in the Greek New Testament 19 times. Jesus said, "Don’t worry about your life," merimnao. Paul said in Corinthians, "I would that you would be without care," same word, merimnao. So it’s that division of the mind. But in everything, so don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. Prayer, supplication, thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

I’m guessing that every audience I speak to has some people who are dealing with anxious thoughts or worry. I say that because I’m a human being, and everybody I’ve ever met deals with that. So he gives the command. He says, "Don’t be anxious for anything, but..." That’s a word of contrast. Now listen, the contrast is the solution. The cure or the solution for anxiety, worry, care is replacement. Replace the thoughts that are dividing your mind with other thoughts: prayer, supplication, thanksgiving, requests.

So replace anxiety with what the Bible calls in First Peter, chapter five, "casting." That’s replacing, casting. Peter says, "casting all your cares, merimnao, casting all your cares upon him because he cares for you." So the cure, the solution is in the contrast. Don’t do that. Don’t let your mind, because your thoughts, neuroscientists tell us that the average human mind thinks 70,000 thoughts per day. Your thoughts are like rabbits. You’ve got to harness them. You’ve got to control them. You have to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

And so when you’re having thoughts and they’re dividing your mind, replacement, casting all your anxiety, care, worry, merimnao, on the Lord, on him because he cares for you. When you do that, he gives you a guarantee. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard or mount up as a guard or a sentry at your heart and minds through Christ Jesus. Cast all your cares upon him, all your cares upon him. Pray about everything.

Sometimes we go, "Well, I do the big things in life, but I don’t want to bother God with the little things." I have this little thought, I don’t want to pray about that. Why not? It’s when you cast the little things to him, now when you do that, you’re keeping the little things from becoming big things. The little things grow and become big things. A woman came to G. Campbell Morgan and she said, "Do you think God minds if we bring the little things to him?" And he smiled and he said, "Ma’am, can you think of anything that’s big to God?" You’re asking me about little things. What’s big to him? Bring everything to him.

So don’t let it grow, everything, casting all your cares upon him, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. There is a difference between peace with God and the peace of God. Peace with God happened the day you were saved. Peace of God is an experience that is different from the first. The peace with God is not a feeling, it’s a fact. The war is over. You’re redeemed. You’re saved. If you’re a saved individual, God declares you’re at peace with him. There’s nothing that stands in the way.

Even though you may have peace with God and you may be a saved man or woman tonight, you may not be experiencing and feeling peaceful. The peace with God is a fact. This peace, the peace of God, is a feeling. It’s an experience that you have. Jesus Christ as your Savior brings you peace with God. Jesus Christ as your Lord brings you the peace of God. One’s a fact, the other is a feeling. A feeling of peace is promised to those who have the fact of peace with God, and you can enter into it and you’re told how right here.

I’ve always loved that little quip about this guy who was a worry-wart. He was a worrier. Every day he’d come to work and he’d just worry and talk to himself, and he looked miserable. And one day he came whistling and happy, and everybody at work said, "Dude, what’s up?" And he goes, "You know how I worried like every day all the time, every week, every month, every year?" "Yeah, yeah, we know that. You’re known for that. We all talk about you in the office." He goes, "Well, I finally figured it out. I hired somebody to worry for me." And they all said, "You hired somebody? What are you paying this person?" He goes, "I’m paying him 200,000 a year, but it’s worth it." They said, "200,000 a year? You make 50,000 a year. How are you going to afford it?" He goes, "I don’t know. That’s his worry."

Have you ever thought, I’m God’s property. This is his worry. I’ve cast it on him. He bought me with a price. I got a lot of problems. He’s got a lot of problems. Let him have those problems. He can handle it. Cast all your cares on him.

Guest (Male): Thanks for joining us today on Connect with Skip Heitzig. Before we go, remember your generosity helps share God’s Word with people around the world, bringing biblical truth, encouragement, and hope to those who need it most. And this month, we’d love to thank you for your gift of $30 or more by sending you Biblical Wisdom for Everyday Living, a collection of four lifestyle booklets from Pastor Skip Heitzig: Pray This Way, Technicolor Joy, Unforgiveness, and Standing Firm in Unsettling Times. These practical resources will help you apply God’s truth to everyday challenges and grow deeper in your walk with Christ. Give today at connectwithskip.com/offer or call 800-922-1888. See you next time.