Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20081123.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Philippians: Living God's Great Calling Of Godly Servanthood
Part IX: Living In Peace In Christian Relationships
(Philippians 4:2-9)
  1. Introduction
    1. A great need exists for Christians to coexist with fellow Christians in fulfilling peace and fellowship, for the spiritually needy unsaved world offers enough of its own interpersonal problem issues. The Church must not multiply these problems in society, but promote relationship blessings instead.
    2. Philippians 4:2-9 summarizes how believers called to function in godly servanthood can actually live in peace in relationships with one another, with the unsaved, and even within themselves (as follows):
  2. Living In Peace In Christian Relationships, Philippians 4:2-9.
    1. We have learned in this series of lessons that Paul's Epistle to the Philippians was written to direct his readers to live lives of godly servanthood unto the Lord. (Philippians 1:1-11, our first lesson)
    2. Thus, Paul's Philippians 4:2-9 directions on relationships reveals how godly servanthood is to function with peace in one's relationships with other believers, with other unsaved people, and even with one's self:
      1. Believers called to godly servanthood are to seek to be of the same godly mind with fellow difficult believers, and to help laboring, committed believers in an attitude of constant joy in the Lord, 4:2-4:
        1. Godly servanthood in the Holy Spirit's power should involve striving to have the same mind with fellow difficult believers, Philippians 4:2: (1) Euodias and Syntyche strove against one another (Phil. 4:2a) out of strife and vainglory according to the Philippians 2:1-3 context. (2) Paul thus directed that they be of the same mind (Phil. 4:2b), and that according to Philippians 2:4-11 by emulating the selfless servanthood of Jesus Christ their Lord in relating to one another!
        2. Godly servanthood in the Holy Spirit's power should involve the effort of the believer to help other laboring, committed believers in an attitude of encouraging, constant joy, Philippians 4:3-4. Very dedicated, hardworking believers can tend to suffer "burnout" from the spiritual battles they face, and joyful help for them becomes a necessary part of edifying servanthood living for the believer!
      2. Believers called to godly servanthood are to present a demeanor of forbearance and gentleness before all men, including the lost world, realizing they will give an account for doing so to the Lord, Phil. 4:5:
        1. The Greek word for the KJV's "moderation" ("gentleness" NIV; "reasonableness" ESV) in Phil. 4:5 is epieikes, meaning "gentle, forbearing", J. B. Lightfoot, Philippians, 1974, p. 160. It's meaning here aims to contrast with the contentious spirit of Euodias and Syntyche in verse 2, Ibid.!
        2. As such, in view of our accountability to the Lord at His return, we believers who are called to godly servanthood for Christ must be gentle and forbearing as a basic demeanor with all people, Phil. 4:5!
      3. Believers called to godly servanthood are to live at peace with themselves, the foundation of success in all relationships with others, by handling anxious concerns with God's provisions, Philippians 4:6-9:
        1. Inner anxiety is a great block to healthy relationships with others, so Paul urged believers to handle these anxieties by committing them all to God in prayer, being careful to be thankful in the process, and the peace of God that passes all understand would guard the inner man through Christ, 4:6-7.
        2. However, to handle the temptation to continue to think anxious thoughts, the believer was to shift his thinking from that which led to anxiety to that which rather edified. Specifically, the servant of Christ must think on what is (1) true, (2) honorable, (3) just, (4) pure, (5) lovely, (6) commendable, (7) excellent and (8) praiseworthy, versus the opposite, bad ideas in each case, Phil. 4:8 ESV, NIV.
        3. Furthermore, going beyond first emptying one's anxieties to the Lord in prayer, and then filling the mind with such edifying orientations, the believer was to translate his good thoughts into action, to heed Paul's example, and so find the God of peace Himself being involved in their daily lives, 4:9!
Lesson Application: Living in peace in Christian relationships in godly servanthood takes relying on the Holy Spirit to (1) try to be of the same mind with difficult believers, (2) joyfully to help laboring believers and (3) to present a demeanor of gentle forbearance with all men. (4) Doing all this takes living at peace with one's self, and that takes (a) committing his anxieties to God in prayer, (b) filling his mind with edifying ideas and (c) translating those good ideas into actions in daily living!