1 Peter Introduction

It is possible that Peter is one of the more well-known disciples of Jesus. He was among the first called and from what we read about him in the Bible he was definitely the one who asked and answered questions first. He was not shy in voicing either his opinion or his questions.
From what we can read about him, he seems to be a passionate man. Someone who is quick tempered and impetuous.
Not someone who hangs back and assesses the situation or the people present. He is a straight shooter who tells it like it is…at least from his point of view.

 In order to prepare for this study I read through each gospel and Acts of the Apostles to try to glean from scripture what the apostle Peter was like. What kind of a man was he? What were his strengths or his short-comings?

Background:

Peter’s birth name was Simon. He was the son of Jonah. His family probably lived at Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. Peter was married which is evidenced by the fact that Jesus healed his mother in law. He and his brother Andrew were fisherman by trade.

Peter was the first among the apostles. Jesus gathered His followers in 2 stages; first as disciples and later as apostles.

Peter was the first disciple to be called and the first to be named an apostle. (Mark 3:14-16).

His name heads every list of the twelve in the NT.

He was their recognized leader.

There was an inner circle of 3 apostles among the 12. Peter was also the leader of this small group. Peter, James and John were present when others weren’t; like the raising of a young girl from the dead and at Jesus’ transfiguration.  

Each gospel tells the story of how Peter and Andrew were called by Jesus to become “fishers of men.”

Peter and Andrew were brothers and owned a fishing business together. The gospel of John tells us that Andrew and Peter had been following John the Baptist. Then Andrew heard Jesus teach and went home to tell Peter about him. Then in Luke we hear of this interaction between Jesus and the brothers.

Luke 5

The Calling of the First Disciples

5      One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, ² he saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. ³ He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.⁴ When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch."

⁵ Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

⁶ When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. ⁷ So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.
⁸ When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” ⁹ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, ¹⁰ and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” ¹¹ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Try and picture this: Peter and Andrew had been listening to the preaching of John the Baptist. John had been preaching about repentance and the coming of the Messiah. Jesus comes on the scene and the focus shifts from John to Jesus.

Andrew hears Jesus teach and tells Peter about him. But up to this time, they continue with their lives pretty much as usual.
Until one day, Jesus tells them to put their nets out into the sea. Now Peter and Andrew are seasoned fisherman. They know that the time of day is wrong to catch anything. And yet they obeyed Jesus because they had been following Him. They had some kind of prior knowledge of Him.

At first Peter tells Jesus that they have worked all night and caught nothing, but because it was Jesus asking he would do what He says.

They caught so many fish that not only were their nets in danger of breaking but their boats were about to sink. Undoubtedly this was the largest catch they had ever witnessed. Peter was confronted with something he had never experienced and his reaction was classic.

He drops to his knees and acknowledges his humanity. He realizes at some level that Jesus is no ordinary man and that he is undeserving of his notice.

He was trembling in fear. Jesus response was to re-assure Peter and then place a call on his life.

That is a very radical response to have. To leave your employment and the life you have known to follow a man you really don’t know all that well. And not just Peter left. Andrew, James and John followed along as well. Imagine when Peter went home to tell his wife he quit his job so that he could become fishers of men.
Pretty crazy!
Fast forward to Matthew 16:13-19

Peter’s Confession of Christ

¹³ When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”¹⁴ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. ¹⁹

This is a crucial statement in Peter’s life. It is the most important question that any of us needs to answer.
 “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” All of salvation lies in this answer. The answer to this question will determine how we spend eternity. You can debate Biblical issues until the cows come home, but until you answer this crucial question in your mind and heart you will not have a living relationship with God.
Jesus recognized this as the turning point, the pivot point. Hopefully each one of us has had this turning point, where we have confronted in some way, who do you say that I am?
Not a prophet, not John the Baptist, not just a good and moral teacher, but the son of the Living God!

Peter is the first to confess his faith that Jesus is the Messiah and yet Peter had his own ideas about what that was to mean.

At first he is praised by Jesus for his impetuous answer and in a few paragraphs he will be rebuked very strongly for his volatility.

Jesus Predicts His Death

^{Matthew 21} From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. ²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” ²³ Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” ²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. ²⁶ What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? ²⁷ For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. ²⁸ I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Because Peter had his own ideas of what Messiah would mean to the Jews he couldn’t accept what Jesus was saying. Suffering and rejection? That wasn’t Peter’s idea of an earthly king.

Sometimes our best friends, our most faithful colleagues, try to dissuade us from doing God’s will. Their intention is good; they desire to spare us trouble and pain. But we must not listen to them. We must do God’s will instead.

Peter is about to learn that confession of Christ is only the beginning.

He will learn that with faith comes action.

Jesus is very clear that being a follower of His will mean sacrifice, suffering and perhaps even death.

This is the gospel and yet hundreds and thousands were ready to accept and follow in the early church.

So the next important moment in Peter’s life comes in Mark 14:27-31

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

²⁷ “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written:
“ ‘I will strike the shepherd,
 and the sheep will be scattered.’
²⁸ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
²⁹ Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”
³⁰ “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”
³¹ But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.

But we know the story. Peter does disown Jesus. 3 times he denies ever knowing Him.
Think about this for a moment. Peter, the leader, the one who Jesus calls a rock and who He plans to build his church on. This man, who was the
first to be called,
the first to be designated an apostle and the
first to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.

 He publicly says maybe everyone else will fall away but he certainly will not. Everyone else might scatter but not only will he stay loyal but he will die with Christ if need be. And yet a few short verses away…a few short hours away, Peter does exactly what Jesus predicts. He succumbs to fear and denies Christ.

When he realizes what he has done he goes away and weeps bitterly.

Thankfully for Peter and for us the story doesn’t end here.

As we know, Jesus is crucified and in 3 days he does rise from the dead. Think about what those 3 days were like for Peter.

Imagine the guilt and shame he must have experienced.

The grief that he let his best friend down and when he needed him most. Imagine what it must have been like to see the men that respected you as leader and the one that Jesus had chosen as the leader to look into your eyes, knowing that you were a coward and denied the Lord.

They didn’t know that Jesus would rise.
For all Peter knew, he was going to have to carry this guilt, remorse and shame to the grave.
Until he gets the news that the stone has been rolled away.

Mark 16:6-7:

The Resurrection

16    When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. ² Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb ³ and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” ⁴ But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. ⁵ As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. ⁶ “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’ ” ⁸ Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

Imagine; a message specifically with his name on it. Could there be a greater mercy?
What would Peter have thought? Why did he mention my name? Does He know what I did? Of course He does. How can I face Him?

One last passage: John 21:15-19

Jesus Reinstates Peter

¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”
¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
In this passage, Jesus and Peter went back to the beginning of their relationship; Peter catching fish because of Jesus intervention and Jesus calling Peter Simon instead of Peter. 

Peter had failed miserably and he knew it.

He needed to be reconciled to Jesus and Jesus did it so gently by asking, Simon, do you love me more than these (the other disciples) and Peter of course says yes, Jesus repeats the question 3 times, perhaps to cancel out the 3 denials and the word choice here is so interesting. When Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him the first 2 times he uses the word agape for love:
agape (ah-gahʹpay),  The other two words were eros, which meant sexual love, and philos, which meant friendship, although their meanings could vary according to the context in which they appeared.  When used of human love, agape means selfless and self-giving love.

Peter replies the first 2 times that yes he loves Jesus with phileo love, recognizing that agape love is a high calling in which he failed miserably. Peter is humbled. And recognizing this, Jesus changes the word for love in his 3^rd question to phileo. Peter now realizes that he, Peter is human and therefore in need of a savior; a wonderful position to be in to be used by God.

It was because Peter recognized his inadequacy apart from Christ that he was able to become a rock solid leader. When Peter fixed his eyes on Jesus and followed Him, others followed too.

Often we feel that our past defines us. We may feel that we have nothing to offer to God because we have been side-lined in some way and yet have you ever stopped to think that it may be because of your past that God is able to use you? We have a human understanding of leadership. We believe that leaders should have certain qualities, that they should be sure of themselves, have charisma, be decisive and directive. If you think that, you need to take a look at the people that God uses in leadership positions. Most of them are uniquely flawed individuals that have made seriously poor judgments.

God has a unique call on all our lives. He meets us in personal ways. He expects us to answer the question, ‘who do you say that I am?” and once we have answered that question, He expects us to live like we mean it.

He expects us to follow Him, sacrificially and in humility so that we can point others to Him. Like Peter did.

No Bible Study on April 19th

Please remember that because of April break we will not be having Bible Study on April 19th. I am also asking for ideas on what to teach for the next few weeks as we have completed our study on Philippians. Any suggestions, please write them here.
Thanks,
Cindy

Philippians 4:8-23 Think on These Things

Think on These Things

Last time we were together I spoke about prayer and how right praying can lead to right thinking which will lead to the peace of God that passes understanding with your heart and mind being guarded like a fortress against anxiety and fear. 

 How I didn’t want to fail God by falling into anxiety and how preparing for Bible Study and being in the Word and right praying freed me from on-coming anxiety.

One of my greatest issues is that I am a fixer. If I or someone else has a problem I go into my fix mode.

The problem with the fix mode is that it puts a lot of pressure on the fixer. The fixer starts to feel responsible.

Like when your child is sick. It is up to you to determine certain facts. Is there a fever, a rash, loss of appetite, listlessness, or pain? After that determination, do I think this is a virus or bacterial? If viral should I take him/her to the doctor or wait it out at home? Am I missing something? Is there something else I should do?

And you know if you call the pediatrician they are going to tell you to bring him in. And then you have to pay for the visit for them to tell you it is viral and they will get better on their own. Or you have had the experience that 24 hours later they have an infection that requires treatment.

So for me, it is the sense of responsibility that puts me into anxiety/fear.

I decided a few years back to take a greater leap of faith regarding this sense of responsibility that I put on myself. I put it back on God. I would ask Him that if there was anything I needed to know or do that He would make it so obvious that I couldn’t miss it.

I do this with my children as well. I ask God if there is anything I need to know about what is going on with them that He will either reveal it to me, or to them or to someone else in their lives that they can safely turn to. I ask Him to reveal sin to me about myself and about them. 

We love and serve a faithful God. James 1 says that if anyone lacks wisdom that we are to ask and that God will give generously and He does.

Those of you who were here when I taught on the book of James remember how I (and God) emphasize that sin begins in the mind. Taking control of thought life is critical to the Christian walk.

“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 27:3

“Out of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34

Paul is concluding his letter to the Philippians and he wants to put in one or two powerful thoughts.

^{8 “}Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Since sin is conceived in the mind Paul recognizes that we need to take control of what we do think about. Here he gives us a list of what we should be dwelling on.       

Think about the right things (v. 8)

•   the true—the truth about God’s Word.

•   the noble— things that have the dignity of moral excellence;

•   the just—those things that conform to God’s standards;

•   the pure—those things that are free of sin;

•   the lovely(the loveable)—those virtues that make believers attractive and winsome, such as generosity, kindness, compassion and willingness to forgive;

•   the things of good report—those things that give Christians a good reputation and a good name.

Paul sums it all up by telling his readers to meditate on anything of virtue and anything worthy of praise.

In the absence of Biblical convictions we go the way of culture. Repeat.

If you are not daily checking your thought life with the truth of the Word you won’t be able to discern whatsoever is true, noble, just, pure, lovely and of good report.

Nothing is neutral! What we read, what we look at on line, what we watch on TV or movies, the music we listen to. ( Lady Antebellum, Need you now, ~I’m a little drunk and I need you now) Nothing is neutral. Unless we continually check our standards with God’s standards we will go the way of culture.

And where is culture going?

Sex in the City, Desperate Housewives, Jersey Shore, Glee….the list goes on and on and on.

At this point I want to bring up one more thought about our thought lives.

Women are by nature plagued with insecurity and comparisons. We are given a set of values at an early age and whether we realize it or not those values impact us and we pass those values onto our children.

Some values are great to pass along to others, some are not.

In my family of origin, here were some of our values:

Family

Hard work

Success~ defined by higher education and money

Beauty for the girls

Athleticism for the boys

Some of these values are good values, some of them are not. At one point in my walk with Christ I began to weigh what I believed to be truth with what God’s word had to say about it.

Because of certain things that I began to believe about myself at a young age, I have a continual tape running in my head.

For years I didn’t even realize the voices I was listening to as false because they were my truth, they were a part of my very DNA. Then the more I began to examine what that tape was saying the more I realized that I was listening to lies.

And who is the father of lies?

You need to replace the lies you believe with the truth of who you are to God.

For some of you, this will be easy. For others, it may be a daily battle depending on how much scaring has been a part of your past.

Thought life is crucial to the Christian walk. It has to be taken seriously and it has to brought into submission.

Paul concludes this set of instructions to the church with these words: ‘The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you’ (v. 9).

This is the third time that Paul has explicitly called his readers to follow his example (2:17–18; 3:17).

The Christian life is to be one of action. We are told not to be just hearers of the word but doers as well.

So now that he has fully explained himself and written the letter he is telling the Philippian church to ACT.

Thanks for Their Gifts

^“10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. ¹¹ I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. ¹² I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. ¹³ I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

What is the secret of being content?

His acceptance of his circumstances!

Since Paul’s primary objective to his life is toshare the Gospel and he doesn’t care what happens to him as long as he gets to tell people about Jesus, then he doesn’t care what his circumstances are as long as they further the cause of Christ. He looks at every difficulty as an opportunity.

The other secret to contentment is that no matter what our circumstances, no matter where we find ourselves, God will give us the strength to do whatever we are called to do. “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” And Paul should know, right?

Read 14-end.

He goes on to thank the church at Philippi for caring about him and putting their caring into action.

How often do we have charitable impulses that we ignore or never get to it? We need to act when the Holy Spirit prompts us to act. We need to give generously, esp. to those in the ministry!

Verse 19 is one of the great promises of the Bible. And hear the intimacy that Paul speaks:

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Not some of our needs, but all of them! A reminder that if we have Christ, we have all that He has at our disposal if He so wills it. In material things, God has promised to supply all our needs. But in spiritual matters, God is ready to bless us in abundance!

And that is a great way to conclude the letter to the Philippian church. God is ready, willing and able to bless us with every spiritual blessing!

James Allen wrote a book based on the thought of Proverbs 23:7 entitled, As a Man Thinketh. Here are some of his thoughts:

Mind is the Master power that molds and makes,

And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes

The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,

Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills: —

He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:

Environment is but his looking-glass.

Quotes From As a Man Thinketh

~Men do not attract what they want, but what they are.

~A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.

~Cherish your visions. Cherish your ideals. Cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts, for out of them will grow all delightful conditions, all heavenly environment, of these, if you but remain true to them your world will at last be built.

~The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors, that which it loves, and also that which it fears. It reaches the height of its cherished aspirations. It falls to the level of its unchastened desires - and circumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own.

~Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves, they therefore remain bound.

~Every action and feeling is preceded by a thought.

~Right thinking begins with the words we say to ourselves.

~Circumstance does not make the man, it reveals him to himself.

~You cannot travel within and stand still without.

~As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of weak thoughts, can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking.

Philippians 4:2-9 Worry, who me?

Philippians 4:2-9

Worry, Who me?

What is it like when you have a falling out with a close friend?

What do you do when there has been a misunderstanding and you feel like you have been wronged or misunderstood; or you can’t figure out what has happened?

All the sudden she stops texting or calling. She misses your birthday and never seems to have time for you anymore.

How do you handle that?

~Do you obsess about it with other friends, giving your side of the story and hope that they take your side?

~Do you talk to your husband about it at length?

~Are you a fixer, do you try to figure out what is wrong and repair the damage?

What happens when there is a disagreement in the family? Think about your extended family. Say one of your siblings has an issue with another and you catch wind of it. What happens then?

What is the danger of unresolved conflict within the family or within the church?

Apparently there was a falling out in the Philippian church. 2 women that had worked closely with Paul had a dispute.

Take a look with me at Philippians 4:2-3:

“I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. Yes and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life

What does it mean to agree with each other “in the Lord?”

Who does Paul say should intervene to help these 2 women?

“Loyal Yokefellow”

Paul is asking the church at Philippi and the 2 women mentioned here to put the unity of the church before their right to be right. Remember what he had to say in Philippians 2:1-4:

2    “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴ Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Hebrews 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

We have a responsibility to work things out with each other. Quarrels within a church family create division and are a poor witness to the unbelieving world.

In verse 4 Paul says that we are to Rejoice in the Lord always. He repeats the command, Rejoice! He says let our gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

How can rejoicing help a tense situation?

How can gentleness help a tense situation?

“Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath.” Have you tried this? Have you thought of ways to respond to irritating people in such a way as to diffuse tension?

Here are some examples:

“I had no idea you felt that way.”

“Please forgive me for being insensitive.”

“I am not quite sure I understand what you mean?”

“What makes you say that?”

“Have I done something to offend you?”

“I am not sure I heard you correctly.”

Being willing to humble yourself in times of stress, misunderstanding, and conflict is super natural.

It has to come from God and needs much prayer behind it.

But unresolved conflict within the church can hurt our witness.

Worry and anxiety do the same thing. People in our world are looking for security and peace. They are looking for comfort when bad things happen.

One of our greatest witnesses to an unbelieving world will be how we respond to fear, anxiety and worry.

Finish this sentence: You know it’s going to be a bad day when_________

What are some things that women worry about?

        ~Health,

        ~Finances

        ~Job

        ~Family problems

        ~Making right choices for themselves and their family

        ~Future

What is the difference between worry and anxiety? The Greek word used for worry here translated into anxious means “to be pulled in different directions.” Our hopes pull us in one direction our fears pull us in another.

The Old English root from which we get our word worry means “to strangle.” If you have ever worried you know how apt that word is. Worry even has physical consequences: headaches, ulcer, back pain, anxiety attacks.

From the spiritual point of view, worry is wrong thinking (mind) and wrong feeling (the heart) about circumstances, people and things. Worry is the greatest thief of joy.

Warren Wiersbe says, “It is not enough for us to tell ourselves to quit worrying because that will never capture the thief. Worry is an inside job and it takes more than good intentions to get the victory.”

Worry can be about something specific, anxiety is more about something that hasn’t happened or isn’t really occurring. It is the fear of some unknown, un-named unwelcome event.

How can we possibly rejoice when bad things happen?

What are we to rejoice in? The Lord

Has anyone ever seen the movie PollyAnna by Walt Disney?

The story is about this girl named PollyAnna that was the daughter of missionaries. Somehow her parents were killed and she came to live with her maiden Aunt Polly. PollyAnna (played by Haley Mills) was of an uncommonly cheerful disposition and when things were tough she would play this game she called the “glad game.” In this game she basically would start out by listing all the things she could think of that made her glad. Kind of like a counting your blessings game. She taught several people her glad game, her sour Aunt Polly, an invalid old woman and a crabby older gentleman. Her positive attitude and glad game transformed the whole town. As simplistic as this story is there are times in our lives that we need to play the “glad game.”

 There are times when our circumstances feel so heavy that it is hard to find things that we can rejoice in. But we are not to rejoice in our circumstances, we are to rejoice in the Lord.

What are some specific things about God that we can rejoice in?

His forgiveness, His love, His Lordship, His mercy, His guidance, His power, His knowledge, His faithfulness….

The antidote to worry is:

A secure mind.

Verse 7

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The Message puts it this way:

“Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

     ^6–7    Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

           

The Amplified Bible puts it this way:

“And God’s peace be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace which transcends all understanding, shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

According to these verses there are 3 things that that will enable us to conquer worry and experience a secure mind:

Prayer:

The first thing we should do when we find ourselves worrying is pray.

We should begin our prayer not with our requests because that focus is too much on us, we should begin our prayer with worship and adoration.

Adoration: allows us to see God as who He is. It helps us realize into whose hands we are placing our worries. It reminds us that He is big enough to solve all our problems.

The second aspect of prayer is:

 Supplication: an earnest sharing of our needs and problems. Supplication is deep prayer, showing God your need for Him.

After adoration and supplication comes:

Appreciation: Giving thanks to God.

^{Ephesians 5:20} always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In order to pray in this way you need to have the right kind of thinking.

We are so prone to pray about the big things in life but handle the little things on our own.

And yet it is the little things in life that wear us down.

Talking to God about everything that concerns us is the beginning of victory.

When we do that the “peace of God” guards our hearts and minds. Those are the 2 areas where we are most vulnerable.

Heart (emotions)

Mind (thinking)

Wrong feeling or wrong thinking.

When we give our hearts to Christ in salvation we experience peace with God but the peace of God takes us a step further.

It doesn’t mean that we won’t have trials. What it does mean is that when we have trials we can have a quiet confidence that God is with us in the midst of those trials and that His way is good. (Repeat)

Right Thinking:

Peace involves the heart and the mind. Isaiah 26:3.4

      You will keep in perfect peace

him whose mind is steadfast,

because he trusts in you.

⁴   Trust in the Lord forever,

for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.

Wrong thinking leads to wrong feeling and before long the heart and mind are pulled apart and we are strangled by worry.

We must bring “into captivity every thought and make it obedient to Christ. (2Corinthians 10:5)

Because worry and thought life is so crucial to the Christian walk we will discuss thought life in greater detail next time.

Application:

                     

Discover areas that you are weak in your faith and trust.

Are you a worrier?

What worries you the most?

What do you do when you worry? Do you phone a friend, gather information, talk to your husband, try to solve the issue.

Is your last resort to go to God?

In what ways are you torn apart?

Do you have a single mind?

A submissive mind?

A spiritual mind?

Do you begin your prayer time with:

Adoration? Reminding yourself who God is.

Supplication: Sharing your needs with emotion.

End with Thanksgiving, saying thank you to God for His care over you.

Do these things and you will experience the peace that passes all understanding.

You will be a witness to a watching world.

Questions 4:2-9 Week 9

Philippians 4:2-9

Questions Week 9

1.   What were some of the factors causing stress in the Philippian church?

2.   In verse 2 Paul pleads with Euodia and Syntyche “to agree with each other in the Lord.” What effect do you think their broken relationship was having on the rest of the church?

3.   What might a “loyal yokefellow” do to help these women?

4.   What should be your response to disagreements within your church or fellowship group?

5.   How can rejoicing help to defuse a stressful situation?

6.   How can gentleness be made “evident to all”(v.5)?

7.   What should be the role of prayer in our lives (vv. 6-7)?

8.   What results of prayer does Paul promise?

9.   How can true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy thoughts help cleanse our minds and restore our tranquility?

                              

                              

10.                What helps you control your thoughts?

11.                In verse 9 Paul tells us that the God of peace will be with us as we practice what we have learned. What have you learned in this passage that you need to put into practice?