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Guest (Male): What God says about the peace that he gives may surprise you. Pastor Thom Keller explains.

Pastor Thom Keller: I can bypass the understanding. I can take you right to the peace. You want to know why to bring peace? I promise to take you right to the peace. Trust me.

Guest (Male): That is so good because if we could not have peace unless we understood, we would live a life of turmoil because there are many situations you will never understand. And if you require understanding to have peace, you're never going to have peace.

Peace and contentment are highly prized, but seldom experienced. But they can be experienced, and we'll explain how on Study the Word. We're making our way through Paul's letter to the Philippians, and we've come to chapter four and the discovery of peace and contentment like no other. Here to tell us about it is Pastor Thom Keller.

Pastor Thom Keller: The story is told of a man who was sitting all alone one day when suddenly a genie appeared and offered to grant him just one wish. This man loved money and riches, so instantly he said he'd like to be provided with a stock market report exactly one year in the future. In a split second, the genie placed a newspaper in his hand dated exactly one year in the future. Sitting down, he began to gleefully read, knowing that this inside information would provide him with the ability to quickly amass a huge fortune in one year's time.

But just as he began to scan the stock report, his eye fell on something across the page about halfway down in the third column: it was his own obituary.

Now, as most of you know, I begin most Sunday teachings with some lighthearted humor. That story does not represent lighthearted humor, but it does represent a true biblical point. This statement: "He who dies with the most toys still dies." Jesus said, "How does a man profit if he gain the whole world but forfeits his soul, or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

And so we're going to look at that. We're going to get to examine our own priorities and see how we're doing. Now, last week we looked at worry, and this morning we want to look at just one more point Paul makes about how to find peace in troubling times. Philippians 4:6 and 7.

Paul says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

My guess is there aren't many things that all people throughout the whole world would agree on. And yet I would imagine that one thing everybody would agree on is that we all want inner peace. Webster defines peace as a state of tranquility or quiet.

But the peace that God promises us is much greater than that. Philippians 4:6 and 7: "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace." This is what God's peace is: it exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Paul says that God's peace, the peace that he gives you, will guard your heart and your mind. Do you struggle with anxiety? Do you struggle with worry, fear, panic attacks? Have you had your heart crushed by what someone did to you? Here is God's answer: it is his Irene peace.

This is not man's peace, but God's peace. The word in Greek is Irene, and it means the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot of whatsoever sort that may be.

A huge promise, because this peace that he gives protects both your heart and your mind from anxiety and worry. And then there's one more huge teaching point here. In the ESV, Philippians 4:7 says this: "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

In my Bible, when I get to a passage where I think the only real way to translate it is a certain way—this isn't all verses, but there's some—where I will circle the word that should be emphasized. And in this verse, I circle the word "surpasses." Because I think that's the idea Paul wants to make: the peace of God which surpasses understanding. Paul says that God's peace surpasses understanding.

I've told this story before, but this is a perfect application. John Courson is a Calvary Chapel pastor on the West Coast, and his wife died in a car accident on a particular turn near his home and shattered, I think he was in his 30s. Ten years later, his daughter died in a car accident on exactly the same curve.

And John went to God and said, "God, why? Why? Why?" And he said, "I sensed God in my spirit saying, 'John, didn't I promise you a peace that surpasses understanding?'" He said, "You did." He said, "Then why are you trying to understand?" He said, "You're trying to understand so that it takes you to peace. But John, I can bypass the understanding. I can take you right to the peace."

"You want to know why to bring peace; I promise to take you right to the peace. Trust me. Trust me. Trust me." And folks, that is so good, because if we could not have peace unless we understood, we would live a life of turmoil because there are many situations you will never understand. And if you require understanding to have peace, you're never going to have peace. There will be a lot of situations you'll never understand. So if the condition is I have to understand to have peace, then you're not going to be a very peace-filled person.

This is a huge lesson for us. And then Paul tells us that it really does matter what we think about. Verse 8, we mentioned this last week: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, 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."

What a list that is, what a test for us. As you think about your last outing on Facebook or social media or cable news, or as you googled something you wanted to dig into, research, to go deeper with, did that time in the internet or TV cause you to fix your mind on things that were true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable, things that are worthy of praise?

Or did your time in the internet cause you to fix your mind on exactly the opposite, on things that are not true, that are dishonoring, that are wrong, impure, unlovely, things that are not worthy of praise? Does it really matter what I watch or listen to? Think about, yes. Proverbs 4:23: "Above all, be careful what you think, because your thoughts control your life."

It's been said, "Thoughts lead to deeds, deeds determine character, and character makes destiny," both here on earth and eventually in heaven. So here is some homework for us to review from last week. Let's try again this week to refuse to listen to, tune into, look at on social media or cable TV, anything unless it is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable, and worthy of praise. I'm going to try that, too, Sue. That lets a lot of news out, doesn't it?

And why would this be a good exercise for us? Because I believe we would be surprised if you really stopped and thought about it, what a high percentage of negative, dishonoring, impure, unlovely thoughts we diet on daily. So again, here's your homework. I am asking us, me included, to refuse to listen to or to look at anything unless it is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, commendable, and worthy of praise. That's going to be tough.

The commentator MacLaren gives us a suggestion here, I'm paraphrasing it. He said, "These things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and of a good report are not just abstract thoughts. They are every one of them embodied in Jesus Christ. Because all of these attributes are found in Jesus. Jesus is the sum of all virtue, of all praise, so that if we link ourselves to him by faith and take him into our hearts and minds and abide in him, we have all these virtues gathered into that one."

He ends by saying, "Thinking on these things is not merely meditating on these virtues, but instead clutching to and living in and with the living Lord and Savior of us all. If Christ is in my thoughts, all good things will be there." And this is a key to getting victory over anxiety and fear. And Proverbs, we're told that if we don't get victory over our fears, we actually give power to our fears.

Just as having virtuous desires and thoughts lead to good things, the opposite is true as well. Proverbs 10:24 makes the point: "The fear of the wicked will come upon him." Does it matter what I think about? "The fear of the wicked will come upon him, the desire of the righteous will be granted."

So again, verse 9, Paul then talks about this practically. He says, "What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things. And the God of peace will be with you." Paul says if you practice these things, then the God of peace will be with you. In Greek, the word "practice" is the word *prasso*. It means to perform repeatedly or habitually.

And folks, this is the key, I believe, to living a victorious Christian life: discipline and consistency. Do you know how to live a blessed life? It's pretty simple really. Wake up, do the right thing, go to bed. Wake up, do the right thing, go to bed. Wake up, do the right thing, go to bed. What am I going to say next?

That's it, you guessed right. And you link ten of those together, and then a hundred of those together, and then a thousand of those together, and you will find you are living a blessed life. It doesn't mean there won't be problems, but you will live a blessed life. That's a promise.

If I had a daughter who was of marrying age and if she asked me what character attributes she should look for in a guy, my number one of course would be a strong faith in Jesus Christ. And I don't mean a player. I don't mean someone that comes to you in church and holds your hand and says he loves being there, but in his mind when he gets you in the castle and brings up the drawbridge, he's never going back to church again and he knows it, but you don't. I call that theft by deception. You make sure he has a strong faith.

Number one: a strong faith in Jesus Christ. But the second is self-discipline. Second attribute. Why self-discipline? Because it doesn't matter what the next five important character strengths are if he doesn't have self-discipline to put them in place. Because without discipline, he won't live out those other strengths.

Listen, this is what you'd say if he doesn't have self-discipline. You would say he's moral most of the time, he's honest most of the time, he doesn't view porn most nights, he doesn't come home drunk most of the time. What protects that? Self-discipline. And this is Paul's point here in verse 9. He says this: "What you've learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice." What does it mean to do repeatedly? "Practice these things."

Wake up, do the right thing. That's what he's saying. If you look at the Greek, the Hebrew, the Swahili, you look at the word, it means wake up, do the right thing, go to bed. Wake up, do the right thing, go to bed. Wake up, do the right... that's what practice means. Practice these things. And what Paul says is, "And the God of peace will be with you." Self-discipline leads to peace. It's so true. Why? Because consistently doing the right thing consistently produces good outcomes, which results in peace.

This idea of fasting and prayer, I've told guys that struggle with pornography, I think if you really want to get serious about that, I would take up fasting. Because the truth is biblical principles transfer. You learn it in one area, you can move it to another area. If it benefits you in one area, you can move it to another. Fasting is a case in point. Fasting is all about discipline, self-discipline.

So if you want to undertake this, start by skipping a meal a day. It means water only, no food. Make it one meal a day. So you have breakfast, you skip lunch, you have dinner. And you do that until that's second nature to you. And when you get to that point, then you take another meal. So you skip breakfast and lunch and just have dinner. And you do that until that's second nature to you.

Do that weekly. And then once you get that to that second nature to you, then skip breakfast, lunch, and dinner, go a whole day. This is something the Jews practiced before the time of Christ, during the time of Christ, and the early church practiced it regularly. Two days a week they fasted for an entire day. It teaches self-discipline, and then you can move that to other areas of your life.

So moving on, in verses 10 to 14, it says this: "How I praised the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you've always been concerned for me, but you didn't have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need"—these are beautiful words—"for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I've learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do all things, everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Even so, you have done well to share with me in my present difficulties."

These are beautiful words, just looking at verse 10 by itself. "How I praised the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you've always been concerned for me, but you didn't have the chance to help." Now, we saw back in chapter two, Epaphroditus brought a gift to Paul from the Philippian church. We find that in Philippians 2, verse 30.

It says, "He risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death doing for me what you couldn't do from far away," the Philippian church sending him to Paul. But the commentators speculate that this gift was brought soon after Paul had gone into prison, but there had been no more gifts from the Philippians since that, and they say that's been about a ten-year period of time where they've sent no additional help. And Paul is saying in verse 10, "But for a while, you didn't have the chance to help me." That's ten years.

Now, the idea in Paul saying this is either that the Philippians were going through difficult times themselves and found it difficult to help a second time, or as a commentator, Gill, says, "Paul being at such a distance in Rome, and the Philippians having no convenient person to send to him, or were hindered through having so much business on their hands that they could not attend to Paul's needs. And so the Vulgate Latin version renders it, 'But ye were busied,' meaning that they were taken up in employment and too busy to help him."

So it's possible Paul might have intended a slight rebuke here. It's possible. But the main takeaway is Paul's amazing degree of contentment. Listen again, verse 11 and 12: "Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I've learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little."

Contentment. In Greek, the word "contentment" is *autarkes*, and it means contented with one's lot, with my means, even though they be the slenderest. The root word is *arkeo*, which simply means to be satisfied. The Stoic philosophers of Paul's day believed that contentment meant a state of mind in which a man was absolutely independent of all things and all people.

The Stoics believed that contentment was not achieved by possessing much, but rather by wanting little. The Stoics had a famous line: "If you want to make a man happy, do not add to his possessions, but take away from his desires." That's pretty good. Socrates was once asked who was the wealthiest man he knew. He replied, "He who is content with the least."

Now, all those, those are great statements, the Stoics' strategy to find contentment was shallow at best. Their solution was to eliminate all emotion from life so that you don't care about what happens to you or anything else. So if something of yours breaks, you say, "I don't care." Or if you get hurt or injured by someone, you say, "I don't care."

So the Stoics' aim was to remove every ounce of feeling from the human heart in order to eradicate desire. The commentator Glover said this: "The Stoics made of their hearts a desert and called it peace." So the Stoics taught self-sufficiency, looking to self to accomplish that. But Paul teaches God-sufficiency.

And note that Paul wasn't taught this, he didn't observe this, Paul lived this. In verse 11 and 12 again: "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be abased, I know how to abound, everywhere and in all things I've learned both to be full and to be hungry, to both abound and to suffer need."

Paul had to learn contentment personally. One commentator said this: "The considerations by which Paul had been taught this, he does not state. But they were probably some of the following: that it is wrong to complain at the allotments of Providence; that a spirit of impatience does no good, remedies no evil, and supplies no want; that God could provide for him in a way which he could not foresee, and that the Savior was abundantly able to sustain him. A contented mind is an invaluable blessing, and one of the fruits of faith in the soul."

It arises from the belief that God is right in all of his dealings with us. Why then should we be impatient, restless, discontented? What evil will be remedied by it? What want supplied? What calamity removed? He ends by saying, as Proverbs 15 says, "He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast." And folks, this is true of each and every one of us. Contentment is a present condition, not a future goal.

Contentment is a present condition, not a future goal. I've often said contentment is its own reward.

Guest (Male): That's Pastor Thom Keller on Study the Word, and he's in a study of Philippians right now. Would you like to give this a second listen? Either go to our website at ccleb.com or visit our YouTube page. Simply subscribe to our channel at Calvary Chapel Lebanon, and there you can watch our services live or on demand. That includes this series in Philippians.

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