1. As we have noted, Paul’s message to the Philippians is to rejoice in the Lord, no matter what the circumstances (Phil.4:4)."And again I say" (4:4).
2. He refers to them as his "joy and crown" (4:1). Paul expected to receive a crown for winning them to the Lord. And they were his joy (cf. I Thess. 2:19,20). Twice he calls them "my dearly beloved" (4:1).
3. Unfortunately, his friends at Philippi, Euodias and Syntyche, had a falling out and he was not there to help straighten things out (Phil.4:1,2).
4. But Paul never worried. In fact, Paul wrote to the church at Philippi that they should "be careful (anxious) for nothing" (4:6).
5. By the way, notice the reference to "those women which labored with me in the Gospel" (4:3). Women have always occupied a big part in ministry.
6. Now, the theme of today’s text, and the theme of this epistle is that no matter what, those of us that are saved should always rejoice in the Lord.

1. THE BELIEVER’S MODERATION (4:5).

1. Some people interpret this word "moderation" to mean "reasonableness" or "gentleness" (4:5).
2. Certainly we Christians should be reasonable and gentle. We don’t always have to have our own way. We will always have our disagreements but we must let our "moderation be known unto all men" (4:5).
3. One good reason for us to be reasonable is because, "The Lord is at hand" (4:5). How ridiculous to fuss and fight when the Lord is standing right at the door (James 5:8,9).

2. THE BELIEVER’S SUPPLICATION (4:6,7).

1. Show me a man or a woman who is always worrying and I’ll show you a person that is either not saved or very weak in the faith.
2. Mark it down, worrying starts in the mind with wrong thinking and then moves down to the heart, then to the knees and even affects the feet (cold feet).
3. People worry about circumstances, people, things, events, etc. Paul says the remedy is prayer (4:6). Here he uses three different words for prayer:

1. prayer (4:6) – asking God for help; also would include adoration and worship.
2. supplication – cf. Heb.5:7.
3. thanksgiving – cf. Eph.5:20; Col.3:15-17.

4. Paul is saying in 4:6, "Worry about nothing; pray about everything."
5. A lady asked G. Campbell Morgan, "Dr. Morgan, do you think we should pray about the little things in our lives?" Dr. Morgan said, "Madam, can you mention anything in your life that is big to God?"
6. If this attitude of prayer characterizes our lives, "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep" our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (4:7).
7. First, a person has to make peace with God, then he can experience the peace of God.

Stayed upon Jehovah,
Hearts are fully blessed;
Finding, as He promised,
Perfect peace and rest — Frances Ridley Havergal.

When peace, like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul — H.G. Spafford.

8. This peace "passeth all understanding" (4:7). Worldly people cannot understand it. They need their cocktails and their beer and their cigarettes and their pills and tranquilizers – but the Bible says to take it to the Lord in prayer.
9. I read an article recently about how all these Hollywood actors are getting into yoga and meditation and other pagan techniques, but they are still miserable! They still go through messy divorces, they still take drugs, and they still are as lost and confused as ever.
10. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee" (Isa.26:3). Years ago, my wife and I spent a few minutes watching the news and they were giving a report on the Clinton scandal. Supposedly the President told Monica Lewinski that he has considered suicide. For her part, she is taking tranquilizers. How sad – those who know Christ can have perfect peace.

3. THE BELIEVER’S SANCTIFICATION (4:8,9).

1. How we behave is a reflection on how we think. And so God tells us how to think (4:8).
2. We should think on "whatsoever is true" (4:8). The truth is no longer considered very important nowadays. But it is important to God.
3. "Whatsoever things are honest…just" – we should focus our attention on things that are honest and just, not on things that are dishonorable to God.
4. "Whatsoever things are pure…lovely" – the world likes things ugly and dirty – disgusting horror movies, demonic rock music, weird fashions. I remember when that homosexual clothing designer Versaci was shot years ago, they said he was known for designing immodest dresses that made women look like prostitutes. In opposition to this, the Bible says to concentrate on things that are pure and lovely.
5. Let me ask you: what kind of radio stations do you listen to? What kind of music? What kind of television shows? Years ago, I heard some foolish preacher on the radio recommended the movie, The Titanic. Christians should not watch that kind of dirty trash.
6. "Whatsoever things are of good report" – the world loves things that are of a bad report. Look at the popularity of Jerry Springer and Howard Stern. We should ignore that kind of trash and focus on "whatsoever things are of a good report."
7. We need more "virtue and…praise," and less worldly nonsense. As Christians we cannot afford to waste precious time with things that are ungodly. We need to think about things that will build us up in our walk with the Lord, not bring us down to the gutter.
8. I believe the reason so many Christians are weak in this area is because they do not spend enough time in the Word of God (cf. Ps. 19:7-14).
9. In Paul’s ministry, he not only preached the Word of God, but he also lived it out before his listeners (Phil.4:9).
10. In 4:7, Paul refers to "the peace of God." Here in 4:9, he refers to "the God of peace." Having the peace of God is one way of knowing you are in the will of God. Are you enjoying the peace of God in your life? Are you sure you are in God’s will?

CONCLUSION:

1. Right living comes from right thinking. We can control what we think.
2. Luther used to say, "You cannot prevent a bird from landing on your head, but you can stop him from building a nest there."