Stand Firm thus in the LORD - Phl 4:4 - 9 - Ryan S.

Paul writes this letter to exhort them as individuals and as a local church to stand firm and persevere in the faith.

 

Knowing that God is near and He guards us with His peace.

 

That you WSBC would come away even more motivated to stand firm in the gospel, resting in God's peace no matter what frightening things you face together.

 

A church that is doing these things together will be a unified church that stands firm in one spirit, striving side by side, which is what Paul wants of them.

 

The ONLY way we experience true, deep, lasting joy the Bible talks about is by being connected to God, who is the Source of all joy.

 

When our happiness is rooted in God and all He's done and will do for us in Christ, then there's always reason to rejoice, even when our circumstances go from bad to worse.

 

God is the only One whose shoulder is broad enough to cry on, and whose chest is big enough to beat on.

 

Prayer is the main medicine for sinful worry.

 

It's also the church collectively guarded as God's peace reaches out into our web of relationships, binding us tighter together so you maintain peace and unity as a church.

 

God promises to give us the grace to endure right when we need it, not before.

 

That Paul says be anxious for nothing and pray about everything tells us there's no issue big enough to justify our sinful worry, and there's no issue small enough that God doesn't care about it.

 

And God will fulfill His promise to use your prayers as a means of guarding your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

 

We need to get around people living virtuously so we can learn how to live ourselves, and learn how to set an example for others to follow like Paul did.

 

So as we rejoice in and pray to and ponder our Lord, may we all stand firm in faith and unity, until we enter into the joy of our Master.