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You can turn in your Bibles to Philippians chapter 4. Our focus will be verses 6 and 7. with reference to the prayer life of God's people. I do want to read the chapter. I'll begin chapter four, verse one. Therefore, my beloved and longed for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. And 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. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice. Let your gentleness or your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

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. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. These things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again. Though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 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 and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Nevertheless, you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica, you sent aid once and again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.

Indeed, I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar's household. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Again, let us pray. Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for this time together. We pray the Spirit would lead us and guide us. We pray as well for Pastor Cam. She would bless him tonight as he preaches again in Surrey. I pray that you would fill him with the Spirit, cause him to make clear the truth as it is in Jesus, for the good of the saints there, for the salvation of sinners. And bless Mike and the officers there, and just continue to look with favor upon that local church. And again, help us now, forgive us for all of our sin and our transgression, we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.

Well, as we have seen thus far, Paul gives a series of exhortations and encouragements as he comes to a conclusion of this epistle to the church in Philippi. We've seen an emphasis on the perseverance of the saints in verse 1, the pursuit of unity in verses 2 and 3, the joy of the Lord in verse 4, and then moderation among men in verse 5. And tonight, the prayer of the believers. In other words, as Paul exhorts, as Paul instructs, as Paul teaches, notice what he does.

He tells us to pray and the peace of God will flood our minds and hearts. Notice in the next section when we meditate, when we do the things that God calls us to, the God of peace will be with us. So it's the peace of God through the means of prayer, and it's the God of peace through spirit-wrought obedience in the lives of God's people. So as we look at the prayer of the believer, I want to take it a bit slow at the first section dealing with the prohibition.

Notice the prohibition very simply stated, be anxious for nothing. Then secondly, we'll notice the corrective, verse 6b, but in everything by prayer and supplication. And then 7 is the promise. So we'll look at the prohibition, the corrective, and the promise built into verses 6 and 7 in terms of Paul's instruction to the church at Philippi. So when we come to this simple statement in verse 6, be anxious for nothing.

That sounds pretty easy to say, and it sounds like good advice to give, but if you're like me, it's not always easy to follow it. It's not always to internalize it. Again, I think it's connected to what we have in the rest of this particular section.

I think that be anxious for nothing, and he's going to supply an antidote there, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. But I think anxiety is greatly reduced when we follow what Paul has already said, persevering in the grace of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, pursuing unity with one another. If we don't have that unity, there's going to be anxiety or anxiousness. If we don't have the joy of the Lord, well, certainly we are prone to and tend toward an anxious spirit and then that moderation among men. We need to engage in those particular things, and then hopefully it will reduce the amount of anxiety that you and I experience.

And then, of course, the fact that the Lord is at hand. Notice at the end of verse 5, the Lord is at hand. Probably a spatial reference, probably a temporal reference, probably a spiritual reference, all of the above. The Lord is at hand, so do not be anxious for anything. But again, he gives a specific corrective here in terms of prayer.

Now, when people give this kind of advice, we often look at the person who is giving the advice. For instance, if somebody were to tell you, be anxious for nothing, and you know that that person had been raised in a very sterile environment. They wore helmets, so they would never hurt themselves if they fell down. They were attended by servants, so if they put dirt in their mouths, they were quick to get it swiped out. They never had any adversity whatsoever, if that's possible.

The person telling you be anxious for nothing, you might just be tempted to say, well, You really don't know what you're talking about, so I'm not going to take what is good counsel, but nevertheless, I put a premium on who it is that's giving me this counsel.

You can't do that with Paul. When Paul tells you to be anxious for nothing, he knows a context, or he knows the context of anxiety. Remember, where Paul is when he's writing this letter? He's in prison. Paul is in prison as he pens the letter to the church in Philippi. So when Paul says, be anxious for nothing, it's not the case that he has no connection with the real world and the sorts of things that may possibly promote anxiety in the hearts of God's people.

But as well, he mentions later on in the chapter that he knows how to be abased. He knows how to be abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer and eat. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Or better, turn to 2 Corinthians 11. Again, I think the fact that it's this man telling us, be anxious for nothing, is a man that we really ought to listen to. Again, the guy grown up in the sterile environment, that wore a crash helmet, that was attended by servants, that never ingested dirt. If he says the truth, you should still take the truth. But the fact that Paul is the one giving this exhortation goes a long way.

2 Corinthians 11, verse 22. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Basically, Paul's counteracting or answering the claims of the false apostles, the super apostles that came into Corinth and basically tried to upbraid Paul's ministry.

Much of 2 Corinthians sounds like a defense of Paul. Much of 2 Corinthians is a defense of Paul, but not because Paul had a giant ego, not because Paul's sort of label was being affected, not because Paul wasn't garnering as many followers and his influence was waning. No, Paul understood that if Paul's reputation was destroyed amongst the Corinthians, then the message that he preached would be destroyed amongst the Corinthians. So he defends himself insofar as it's important to defend the integrity of the Christian gospel. So when you read 2 Corinthians and Paul sounds like he's defending himself, again, it's not his brand. It's not his followers, it's not his influence on Facebook, it is rather he doesn't want the message of the gospel compromised. So he's answering these false apostles here. Verse 23, are they ministers of Christ?

I speak as a fool, I am more. In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received 40 stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I have been in the deep, in journeys often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren. in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness, besides the other things that comes upon me daily, my deep concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

I'd suggest that first of all, it's amazing that he got out of bed ever. I mean, facing that kind of life and facing it in an anxiety-free sort of a condition, not anxiety-free. I doubt that's a possibility on this side of heaven. In fact, he says as much, his deep concern for all the churches. I don't think we should read into that a super anxiety, but it was a concern for all the churches.

Verse 30, if I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I'm not lying. In Damascus, the governor, under Aretas, the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me. But I was let down in a basket, through a window, in the wall, and escaped from his hands. So when we get back to Philippians chapter four, and the apostle Paul says in verse six, be anxious for nothing. Don't write that off.

I said, well, you know, he doesn't know what it is to live my life. He doesn't know what it is to be married to my spouse. He doesn't know what it is to have my kids. He doesn't know what it is to have my parents. He doesn't know what it is to have my job. He doesn't know what it is to have my circumstances. So for him to tell me to be anxious for nothing, he just doesn't have the right. He doesn't have the authority.

Well, he's the blood-bought servant of God Most High, he's an apostle to the Gentiles, he's writing under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and he has a whole weight of experience that shows that he knows precisely the kinds of things affecting the people of God. So when we come to this particular prohibition, be anxious for nothing, I don't think it's superfluous.

I think Paul gives it because there's a tendency or a possibility in the hearts of God's people that they may be anxious for things. In fact, Jesus shares this assumption in Matthew's gospel. You can turn to Matthew chapter six. Matthew chapter six. that Paul assumes the potential of anxiety in the hearts of his people so that he can then give the corrective with reference to prayer and then give the blessed promise concerning God's guarding of one's heart and mind All this assumes the reality and Jesus deals with this in Matthew's gospel in chapter 6 at verses 25 to 34. Notice 25, 31, and 34.

Do not worry. Do not worry. Do not worry. Do not be anxious. And again, not that there's never a concern. Not that you don't have a job. Not that you don't labor. Not that you don't toil. Not that you don't spend. Not that you don't show up at work. Of course you do that. Jesus is not advocating that you just lay on your couch while life passes you by and don't worry, just be happy. No, He is telling us not to be so wrapped up in and so bound up by these particular concerns. And I think the reason He does that is evident in the actual chapter itself.

Listen to Ryle. Ryle says four times, Jesus says, take no thought about life, about food, about clothing, about the morrow. Take no thought. Be not over-careful. Be not over-anxious. I think that's the emphasis. Be not over-careful. Be not over-anxious. Prudent provision for the future is right. Wearying, corroding, self-tormenting anxiety is wrong.

And then notice in verse 31 how Jesus poses it. Spurgeon says the questions in this verse are taken out of the worldlings' catechism of distrust. He's right. The worldlings' catechism of distrust, these kinds of things. Note the corrective to this worrisome spirit in verse 33.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own thing. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Why do you think the Lord Jesus doesn't want us to be overly concerned, overly anxious, overly worrisome? Again, based on the principle governing the whole situation in verse 33, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, it would seem to indicate that the problem shifts the focus from the kingdom to us. If you're overly concerned about what you're going to wear, you're overly concerned about what you're going to eat, you're overly concerned about what you're going to drink and what's going to happen tomorrow, guess what you're not concerned with? You're not concerned with the kingdom. And if the principle is, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, this worry is prohibiting you from engaging in that.

As well, it shows a divided attention. How does Jesus argue when it comes to trying to caution them with reference to these fears? Go back to verse 25. Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you, by worrying, can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin. And yet I say to you that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.

Now if God sowed close the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, In other words, God provides for his children. Don't be wound up or bound up by this anxiety that betrays that confidence in God. So it questions his sovereign providence. Sure, he can orchestrate the affairs of the universe, but I don't know what I'm gonna eat tomorrow. Again, I'm not suggesting don't work today so that you can eat tomorrow. I'm not suggesting stand outside under the sun at noon and maybe the loaf of bread will fall into your hand. I'm not suggesting that at all, but we need to make sure we're not questioning God's concern for his people.

It shifts the focus from the eternal to the temporal. Again, it's impossible for us as time-bound creatures to not think about temporal. It's impossible for us not to think about jobs and paychecks and food and clothing and all that sort of thing. But it is possible, and according to Jesus and Paul, it's necessary that we don't obsess over those things, that we're not bound up by those things, that we're not paralyzed in terms of kingdom advance because we're so consumed with our own advance or we're so consumed with our own benefit. It reduces us to fearful, doubting, tormented souls instead of those concerned with advancing God's kingdom and His righteousness. So the fact that the Apostle Paul says, be anxious for nothing, assumes the tendency or possibility in the heart of God's people to be anxious for something.

The Philippians already tasted something of suffering and difficulty. Philippians 1, verses 28 and 29. And not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now here is in me. Again, that's probably something that tends toward producing or helping to produce anxiety in the heart of a person. If you know you're going to get beaten for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ, yeah, that's a tough one to try and navigate. So Paul assumes the potential of the people of God with reference to worry, with reference to carnal anxiety.

So back to Philippians chapter four at verse six, be anxious for nothing. There's your prohibition. The corrective is simple. Note the exhortation. But in everything by prayer and supplication. But in everything by prayer and supplication. Brethren, I think there's, this is an antidote and we can say the most important antidote, but in the realm of light of nature, I think you can reduce tendencies to anxiety by getting proper rest. by not loading up on foods that are detrimental to sanity and good, balanced health, there are things that you can do to try and reduce the sorts of anxiety that may plague your soul, with reference to the scriptural, or to the special revelation, or to the scriptural sort of treatment. Scripture memory. Scripture memory is great. Memorize scriptures like, I don't know, Philippians 4,

6. If you've got a tendency to anxiety, you've got a tendency to carnal anxiety, Philippians 4, 6 might be a good one. Matthew 6, 25 to 34 might be a good one. Yeah, you should know how many cubits the back wall of the temple was, great. But if you're a worrywart, Matthew 6, 25 to 34 might be one to first memorize. But in terms of an antidote, it's prayer. And brethren, it's not we pray so that we don't worry. I think we formulate, we make formula out of different things.

Pray and the peace of God will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Okay, well I prayed and I didn't get that. So therefore, something happened, something bad. No, no, we don't treat the means of grace as formula. Well, we put in 20 hours of church attendance in the space of six months, and I'm still like a cold, dead fish. So therefore, no, it's not formula. It's not vending machine. It's not pop in whatever. I always say quarters. I doubt there's a vending machine out there that takes a quarter. Dump in the dollars, and then out comes the beverage.

We can't treat the means of grace that way. That's the way heathen treat the means of grace. We did this, so therefore we get that. I'm not suggesting that when you pray, all of your cares will immediately fly away. I'm not suggesting. It hasn't worked for me like that, you know. But what the apostle promises here in terms of a prayer life is absolutely crucial. It is a helpful antidote in combating anxiety.

The instruction of Jesus, I referred to this this morning, Luke 18.1. In fact, turn there, Luke 18. Beautiful section. When we think about the Pharisee and the publican, we need to think of the importunate widow.

Luke 18.1, then he spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. What's the contra to prayer? Losing heart. What's the contra to losing heart? Prayer. Do you get that connection?

And then he gives the account of the unjust judge and this persistent widow, the importunate widow. She would not take no for an answer. She just kept coming to him and wearying him to the point where the judge rendered her particular verdict. He didn't fear God, he didn't regard men, but he was tired of being wearied by this woman. Shall not God avenge His own elect who cry to Him day and night?

The antidote to losing heart is prayer. The instruction of Peter, 1 Peter 5, verses 6 and 7, Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. How do we cast our cares upon God? We do it at the throne of grace. You can take the Psalms, as I mentioned this morning, and find one of the Psalms that basically describes the sorts of things that you're going through, pray that back to God and cast it upon Him. What does He do? He cares for us.

And Peter didn't make that up. Peter got it from Psalm 55, 22, cast your burden on the Lord and He shall sustain you. He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. So the Apostle Paul is addressing a potential problem within the people of God, and he is doing it in a very practical way. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. He appends then a promise that the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds.

It's most blessed. The disposition of thanksgiving is crucial. Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. What does thanksgiving do? Thanksgiving appreciates who God is. Thanksgiving affirms what God has already done. Thanksgiving trusts that God can be trusted for any provisions going forth in the future. Thanksgiving is the inevitable result of God's guilty people having received grace and responding in gratitude for his marvelous mercies to them. Thanksgiving is crucial. Thanksgiving's all over the scripture. Thanksgiving should characterize the people of God. Thanksgiving, and a lack of it, was one of the reasons why Israel would be thrown out of the land, according to Deuteronomy chapter 28.

You're gonna go into the land, you're gonna receive all the benefits of the land, promised by the Lord our God, a land flowing with milk and honey. You're going to take vineyards, which you didn't hew. You're going to take houses and cities that you didn't build. But you're going to go and you're not going to be joyful. You're going to go and you're not going to be with gratitude. You're going to go and you're going to be just dead weight. And God will bring judgment to bear upon them in the Old Testament. And then in terms of the petition, notice, let your requests be made known to God.

Isn't that beautiful? I got a problem with anxiety. I got a problem with worry. I got a problem about worrying about food or shelter or clothing or the morrow, tomorrow. Let that be known to God. Do we actually think that God's not as kind as we are? If our children have a problem, I'd like to think, you know, even if we're not parents of the year, we've tried to encourage a context where we tell our kids, if you've got a problem, come to me. Right? If you need something, let me know. It doesn't mean I can necessarily give it to you, but let's talk.

Isn't that kind of what parenting and childhood relationships are all about? Do not provoke your children, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord? Isn't that kind of what Paul says in Ephesians 6? Isn't that what we saw on Wednesday night? Teach these things diligently to your children when you rise up, when you walk by the way, and when you lie down. Scripture should just permeate your home. Scripture should permeate your society.

Scripture should definitely be hidden in your heart, Deuteronomy 6.6. Brethren, if we're like that with our children, how much more God? It's that bit in James 1.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach. Without reproach, or he upbraideth not. He doesn't mock you for your lack of wisdom. He doesn't mock you that it's your 15th time at the throne of grace today asking for wisdom. He doesn't say, oh, I can't believe you're asking once again.

That's not the nature of God. God gives. God has infinite resources. God is gracious. God is merciful. God pities us. He knows our frame according to Psalm 103. The fact that God hasn't destroyed us and cast us off into hell, the fact that God has actually redeemed us with the precious blood of His dear Son, The fact that He has bid us to pray and let our requests be made known unto Him, these are mind-blowing concepts and we are fools if we don't utilize the blessed privileges that God has afforded to us. Jesus purchased for us boldness at the throne of grace. Jesus purchased for us that entrance behind the veil. Jesus purchased for us every redemptive benefit.

And it's the Apostle Paul here saying, look, be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Again, it's not the cosmic finger, oh, I need a chicken, and a chicken falls into your pot. That's not the way, that's formula. But we pray to God, we let our requests be made known unto God. It might be an interpersonal relationship. God change that person. But yeah, change me too. It might be a difficult work situation. Get that person fired.

Well, you know, you might be a problem as well. You know what they say, if you wake up in the morning and you bump into somebody that's annoying, you bumped into somebody that was annoying. If all day long you bump into people that are annoying, you might just be the annoying one. You might be the common denominator in that scheme of events.

We always want to pray for everybody else to be changed. Wouldn't that be great? If everybody just fawned all over me the way they should. That's not legit. We should pray about ourselves. We should pray, God, further conform me under the image of your blessed son. God, help me to persevere by your grace and for your glory.

Help me not to be consumed with and obsessed over, what am I gonna eat tomorrow? What am I gonna drink? What am I gonna wear? What about tomorrow itself? You could drop dead tonight. Do you know how much worry I've wasted? Probably as much worry as some of you have wasted. That's time you don't get back. If I had the amount of time that I worried incessantly over foolish things, I'd probably have a few years to go chill somewhere. It's just not worth it.

And young people, be encouraged. As you get older and as you walk with the Lord longer, it does seem to get not easy, but a bit easier. That's just my observation. My sister's nodding. Yeah, it's a little bit more difficult when you're kind of new and you're just out of the gate. And yeah, everything's got to happen right now. Time and wisdom and application of the means of grace typically are helpful correctives in themselves.

But when it comes to this prayer, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6, therefore do not be like them, the heathen, who, you know, repeat vain things incessantly because they think they'll be heard for their many words. Jesus says, do not be like them, for your father knows the things you have need of before you ask him. So we get to something like this, and it says, let your request be made known to God. And people think about Jesus and the Lord's Prayer. Wait a minute, Jesus says the Father already knows.

Did it ever occur to us that prayer is, yes, for God in terms of an act of worship, but it's for us? to sort us out, to conform our will to the divine will. Listen to Calvin. They pray in order that they may arouse themselves to seek Him, that they may exercise their faith in meditating on His promises, that they may relieve themselves from their anxieties by pouring them into His bosom. In a word, that they may declare that from Him alone they hope and expect, both for themselves and for others, all good things.

So it's not an informal, an information session. You know, God, I know you're not going to believe this, but man, I'm really worried about tomorrow. Oh, OK, well, let's discuss this. No, no, that's not it. God knows what we have need of before we ever open our mouths.

But it's an act of worship. It's also commanded that we pray. So it's an act of obedience. But also, it's a blessed conduit to receive the promises that God has ordained. And we see that as we move on finally to verse 7. The peace of God, which is a consequence of our justification by faith in Christ. Romans 5,

1. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God. The peace of God that was promised by the Prince of Peace in John 14,

27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid. I would suggest as well the peace of God that obtains from the use of the ordinary means of grace. Pray and God sends peace. Come to church, God sends peace. Hang out with godly people, God sends peace. And think about this. Maybe you're not super analytical about these sorts of things. I think some of you might be. If you're not, great, good for you. But have you ever been in a situation where you know you should do something to fix a situation?

You know it, like I'm anxious, I'm carnally anxious, I know I need to pray. So I'm already carnally anxious, I know what I need to do, and then if I don't pray, there's some more anxiety. Because I know what the corrective is, I know what the remedy is. Again, it won't solve all my woes, but there's almost a double anxiety then. I know I should go to church, I know I should get my financial situation in order. I know I should eat better. I know I should sleep more. I know these things.

And then when we don't do them, again, some of us over-analyzers go, man, not only am I bad for being anxious and not doing those things, but not doing those things is even more of a weight. That's not to make you all go, man, forget it, I'm gonna throw up my hands and go lay down on the couch and hopefully it all goes away. But when we have anxiety and do not deal with it the way we know to, it typically, if you're like some of us, results in more anxiety.

And the peace of God that is described as surpassing all understanding. Don't you love those sorts of passages? Ephesians 3.19, Paul talks about the love of Christ, which surpasses understanding. You haven't even begun to scratch the surface of what this peace is all about. It surpasses understanding.

It's the infinite God who pours out peace to finite creatures in and through his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and it floods your heart in such a way that, yeah, all things being equal, If I were Paul in 2 Corinthians, I don't think I'd get out of bed. What got him out of bed?

It's the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. What keeps the martyr in the fire? It's the peace of God which surpasses all understanding. What keeps the martyr in the prison or the prisoner in the prison if he's in there for Jesus Christ? It's that peace of God that surpasses all understanding. What is it that keeps the young person faithful even though peer pressure all around is trying to prevail on him or her? It's the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. Have you ever met those brothers or those sisters and you say, man, how did you make it? How'd you get through it? How did you persevere? I don't know. There's a peace of God which surpasses all understanding. That's what Paul is saying. And then he ends the bit with a military metaphor. We already saw it in 2 Corinthians 11. It's used elsewhere in Galatians chapter 3. But notice, in the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. It will guard your hearts and minds.

What do you typically guard? You guard that which is important. You guard that which may be vulnerable. You guard that which is absolutely crucial and necessary. When it comes to hearts and minds, those are absolutely crucial and necessary for the Christian life and the Christian faith. So that peace of God that surpasses all understanding functions as a garrison. It functions as a guard post.

I remember serving in the U.S. Air Force at the main gate in England, a little base that was pretty insignificant, but we wore a button and we had a gun. And the button deployed this barrier that would rise up in case a mad bomber came flying down the road in his truck. You just hit the button and it would stop him.

Why did you do that? Because there were precious things on that base, you didn't want compromise, you didn't want them taken, you didn't want them stolen, you didn't want them to be bombed or destroyed. So what did you do? You set up a garrison, you set up a guard post, and the Brits would come and say, is that a real gun? No, we carry toys up here just to try to communicate fear to you. Yes, they're real guns.

Why do you do that? To protect. Why do you do that? To defend. Why do you do that? To make sure that with your vulnerabilities, you don't crash and burn. So what's Paul's argument? Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Why?

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. It's blessed. It's beautiful. It's glorious. It's not esoteric. It's not super mysterious. It's not just the particular privilege of a certain class within the context of the church. Every single blood-bought, every single spirit-filled person prays, or should pray, and they can fetch out that peace of God from the Most High as it comes to us through our Lord Jesus Christ. So brethren, be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication. With thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

And remember the words of our Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter 6. He cautions us with reference to the motivation behind prayer. the motivation behind prayer in Matthew chapter 6, 5 and 6. What does he condemn? He condemns the hypocrites that stand out on street corners and basically say, look at me, I'm praying. In fact, he says very specifically, they pray that they may be seen by men. Your motivation in prayer is not to be seen by men, your motivation in prayer is to be heard by God. And Jesus assures us when you go into your closet, God hears. As well, Jesus cautions us in terms of the manner of prayer in Matthew 6,

7. When you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. If you want biblical commentary on that, you can turn to 1 Kings 18, verses 26-29, the contest at Carmel. It was a God contest. Elijah says, pony up, prophets of Baal. Put out your sacrifice, I'll put out my sacrifice. If Baal answers by fire, he's God. We'll worship him. If Yahweh answers by fire, He's God and we'll worship Him. What do the heathen do? What do the false prophets do?

They continue on. They continue in a long-winded frenzy. They get to the point where they're actually cutting themselves. Why? Because they think their God is going to be in tune with that and then answer their prayers. Elijah gets up there and prays. It takes, what, a second and a half to read it? And what does God do? He pours out fire from on high.

So Jesus cautions His people in terms of motivation and manner, and then Jesus gives them a model. And He says in this prayer, God's name, God's kingdom, and God's will comes first. In other words, there's a priority in prayer. It's kind of like the Ten Commandments. The duty toward God precedes our duty toward man. And the Lord's Prayer is like that. Our desire for God's glory precedes our desire for our provision. So God's name, God's kingdom, God's will, and then our provision, our forgiveness, our protection. That's a good model. It's a good help and a good corrective against the motivation of the Pharisee that wants to be seen by men and the heathen that thinks they're going to be heard for their many words.

So be anxious for nothing. By prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Well, let us pray. Our Father in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for this brief section in Philippians 4. Pray that you would help us to appreciate how simple and how glorious and how wonderful the promise is that your peace that does surpass all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Pray for your blessing upon each one in this local church.

I pray that you would give us grace to learn from scripture, help us to hide it in our hearts that we might not sin against you and that you may help us to be faithful, to be persevering, to seek first your kingdom and your righteousness. And we ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.