Thanksgiving!

Phil 4:1-9

Yesterday we were sledding at the farm. The kids had run ahead and I was chatting with a friend when we heard shouting and screaming. We ran around the corner to see my kids halfway up the slope punching and kicking each other and yelling in each others faces, tears streaming down, miserable, sad, faces – but neither of them would let go of the sled they both wanted. Mine!

Selfishness. Worry. Me first. That’s our world, isn’t it? Partnership, working together, serving each other – that’s hard for us. Easy to look out for my own interest – hard to put others’ before me. And that’s what the letter to the Philippians is about. The big theme is partnership, working together in the gospel. It’s about thinking of others, before yourself: serving the Lord as you serve other people.

Service is a word that’s gone a bit out of fashion nowadays – except when we are demanding good service from others. But me, serve? You must be joking!

But service, or servant-heartedness, the willingness to put someone else’s needs before your own, lies at the heart of Christianity. God has a servant heart. He has designed the universe to function this way – creation joyfully serving humanity, humanity lovingly serving creation by caring for it; wives serving their husbands, thinking how best to help him in his tasks, husbands lovingly serving their wives in leading the family, taking responsibility for the life of the family: food, shelter, spiritual leadership, children, everything!

The key verses of Philippians are in chapter 2. Turn with me to chapter 2, and let’s read together. 2:3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honour and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

That’s what we’ve just been seeing in Mark’s gospel: the great God of the universe, Jesus with awesome power to work miracles, to command evil spirits, to heal people miles away with a single word, to even raise the dead! This Jesus lays aside his power, tells his disciples to put down their weapons, and goes out to be arrested, beaten, spat upon, pronounced guilty by a corrupt court even though he was innocent, and then to take up his cross, and to die upon it. To face the blackness of Hell, and go through it.

Why? Because he did not think of his own interests, but of our interests! We need a Saviour. We are doomed without Jesus, there is no hope! (And if you think there is hope, then read Romans 1-3 again – it’ll soon put your thinking right. Or have a couple of kids, and watch them sledding!) We are sinners, rebels against God. We think of ourselves first, look out for number one, and we ignore our King, our Creator, and shake our fist in his face and say “NO! I won’t listen to you. I’m my own boss, the captain of my own destiny.” Like rebellious children we run away from home and are lost and alone, adrift with a broken relationship. And because of that broken relationship with God, all our relationships are broken.

And we see that in our passage tonight. It opens with an argument, and then gives us the solution: rejoice, and be thankful. So let’s look at those in turn: first, Rejoice.

1. Rejoice! Again I say rejoice!

Phil 4:1-9 (NLT) Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work. 2 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News.

V2 and 3 are a word to two women who are arguing, obviously quite publically, with each other – and this is distracting the church, disrupting their focus on spreading the gospel. How often is this the case! The devil’s greatest weapon to stop Christians telling people about Jesus is to get us to argue amongst ourselves. We get offended. We find things that make us angry. We think the worst of each other, particularly leaders. We are thin-skinned – and we don’t take it up with the person involved – no, we gossip with others, spreading our discontent, our poisonous words. And instead of people hearing about Jesus, and growing in faith and love, there’s bitterness, fighting, and the church is split down the middle. Evangelism stops, people don’t want to come to church, and we can’t invite anyone because of the selfish, angry atmosphere. Pray for this church, that we don’t fall into that trap. It’s so easy. It’s in our hearts! Pray for the Holy Spirit to keep us from arguing and fighting.

The antidote? V4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.

Rejoice! It’s not a suggestion, it’s a command. Christians should be full of JOY. Not walking around with a glassy smile on our face, but a willingness to serve no matter the cost, a deep sense of knowing our identity as loved sons of God. V5 Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Our Servant King, the one who loved us enough to go to the cross, through hell and back again. He is coming soon! Soon, so soon, we will see him face to face. When will you die? Who knows? Could be tomorrow, could be in 50 years. But someday you will see Jesus. Perhaps today is the day he will return and the world will be renewed? Rejoice! That is our hope. This world is passing. Let us rescue all those we can from the flames and spend ourselves for Christ for our reward is coming soon. Paradise with God, when there is no more crying, no more sadness, no more death, no more sin! Rejoice!

V4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

2. Be thankful!

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

When do we worry? When we forget what we have, when we forget who we belong to. We have a loving Heavenly Father who spoke the world into existence! The word of his mouth keeps this universe going. He loved us enough to go to the cross. He lives within us. What on earth are we worried about?!

When I was little, if I was with my Dad, I was never afraid. He was strong! He could keep me safe from everything. If something broke, he could fix it. If I tripped, he would keep me from falling. He could protect me. And that’s our Heavenly Father. So be thankful!

Thankfulness works because it takes the focus off us and put it back on the Lord. We belong to Jesus! He is the King. We have blown-up egos, always focused on ourselves. Thankfulness gives us the freedom of self-forgetfulness. Thank you Jesus, for what you have done on the cross. Thank you Jesus that you are the king.

Mark Driscoll says “We/I deserve Hell. Everything else is a gift. That’s a lot of gifts!”

Whenever you find yourself drowning in self-pity, or consumed with worry, or are angry about having to serve someone or something – pull out your list of 5 things to be thankful for, and say a little prayer of thanks. Keep it with you. Remind yourself of God’s goodness. Remind yourself that he’s your Father – there’s nothing to fear! Remember the cross of Christ, and KNOW that you are LOVED so, so deeply. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

And why not add to that list, as you think of more and more gifts that you have been given. Add some Bible passages, like Rom 8:38-39 “nothing can separate us form God’s love”. Or even the Psalm we’re going to end with tonight Psalm 100. I thought a good way to end would be for us all to say “Thank you!” to God together.

Psalm 100 is the last of a group of Psalms (from 93–100) called ‘Jerusalem Praise’, all praising God for his Kingship. These are the hymns of the Great King. So let’s say this Psalm together, declaring our love for and praise for our great King.

Ps 100 A psalm of thanksgiving. 1 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. 3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.