Reasonable and Content

Reasonable and Content

Phil 4:4-13 - Is 25:6-9 & Matt 22:1-14

In Jesus’ Name †

The irony of reasonableness/gentleness

The nature of being anxious/anxiety driven

1^st part of Luther Quote about breaking wind - So how do we overcome it?

To you, my friends in Christ, may the grace and peace of God, and our Lord Jesus Christ Abound!

As I was studying our reading from Philippians today, I got, well a little confused and more than a little frustrated. You see, the title of my sermon, “reasonable and content” is based on the translation of the Bible I use for my personal devotion. The translation we use here does not use the word reasonable; it uses the word gentle instead. It not only messes up the sermon title, but there is a bit of a difference between the two words. One Greek translation tool I looked at said,

The word is difficult to translate into English. It is translated by others as gentleness, forbearance, reasonableness, consideration, agreeableness, courtesy, patience, and softness. (PWS-NT)

So all of a sudden, I am torn, which is it? Gentle, or Logical? How do I present the difference, do I rip up my sermon? Change the title of the sermon? Reprint the bulletin? I start checking all my translations of the Bible, as if by a pseudo-democratic practice I could establish which is the better translation. Ironically, and in great frustration and anxiety, I moved on to the next verse,

do not be anxious about anything!

Here I was, anxious about the very passage that says – don’t be! Eventually, I would find the common ground that enabled me to see how reasonable, gentle and patient all contain the same thought, as we wait to see how Jesus deals with our situation. If, after all, Jesus can deal with all of our sin, can He not deal with the rest of our lives? If so, what stands in the way of rejoicing in Him?

As we look at this passage this day then, we are going to see why being reasonable and content makes sense. Why, knowing what Jesus has done for us, we can know the joy and peace that surpasses all understanding.

Be reasonable

Find your delight in the Lord!

Pray – in so many ways – but pray Eph 3:16

Dwell on these things - instead

Be reasonable. One Greek dictionary defines it this way: a humble, patient steadfastness that is able to submit to injustice, disgrace, and maltreatment without hatred, trusting in God despite it all! (rogers and rogers LEKGNT)

You want to know how to rejoice in the Lord? Or as another translation puts it, to delight in Him? We’ll get there in a minute, but one of clues to the fact that we are delighting in Him, is that people will see our reasonableness. We will not be anxious for events to occur, or for a hard situation or time to end. Instead, we will have that reasonableness, we will trust that God will work everything out in His time, and satisfied with that, we will know the joy of being in the presence of our Lord.

That is why entrust Him with our cares, and concerns, as Paul directs

in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

This to me is incredible, we have a God, who so loves us, that He would have us give Him all those things that cause us anxiety, those things we dwell on, when all alone, those things that distract us from Him. A great is example is the Lord’s Prayer. There Jesus tells us to ask the Father to deal with those things that cause us anxiety. Concern for our daily food and needs we lay upon Him. We ask Him to relieve us of our guilt, as well as resentment we have toward others. Then we ask that temptation and evil have no access to us, and that we are delivered from them! Knowing that God will deliver us from these anxiety ridden concerns, Jesus teaches us to ask, and know the prayer is answered.

No wonder Paul describes this to the church in Ephesus as,

And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, ¹⁸ you'll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! ¹⁹ Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17b -19 (MSG)

So do it, take you prayers, your requests – for you, for your friends, for your family, and ask them of God. Know His love, and that He will deal with them for the best. Did He not already do that, in saving you from sin, from Satan, and from eternal death?

If we are able to lay those burdens on God, and trust that He will take care of them, what is left to dwell on, but that which Paul describes in verse 8:

⁸ let your minds be filled with everything that is true, everything that is honourable, everything that is upright and pure, everything that we love and admire—with whatever is good and praiseworthy. Philippians 4: 8 (NJB)

Sounds like a description of Jesus to me, and of those He calls His own

Be content

Situations? Vary – Rollercoaster

Christ Doesn’t!

The Secret! – Do it through Him!

Finish Luther’s Quote

Luke 10 –

You’re the wedding guest off the street

The next step then, is to be content. Yet we struggle with being content. For many of us, life seems to be a roller-coaster, whose speed is ever increasing. We want to take control, to run our lives, we have a problem trusting God.

Isn’t that the original temptation in the garden? That Adam and Eve were offered to take matters into their own hands, and betray their trust in God? You want knowledge, satan will say – here it is. You want power to control your destiny? Sure – here it is too. Of course, that knowledge and power, used in rebellion from God’s love and plan for you, does allow only one thing – to steer your life away from Him.

Friends, the situations in your life will vary. Satan will try to use the bad times, and the good times. His goal is to distract you from delighting in Jesus, to being filled with the joy of knowing His love. To forget about what He has done for you in saving you, and from what He promises. But even though life may never seem the same – or even be constant in its changing, Jesus will never change. His work for you, done at the cross, and at the Father’s side in heaven – that does not change! His promises, they will not change. So delight in a Lord, Rejoice in His love for you! Live your life in view of His love and mercy!

That is the secret!

Listen again to Paul’s words,

¹¹ Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. ¹² I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

The key through all this is simple, verse 13

¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

When Jesus sent out the disciples on a very victorious evangelistic trip – they came back with stories of “their” ministry. They had preached the word, and people responded, they healed people, delivered people from demons. Yet, Jesus words were – don’t rejoice in all that – but rejoice that your names are written in the book Life!

That is it – delight in Jesus, and in His saving you from your sin, from eternal death, from the schemes of Satan. That you are the children of God, declared to be righteous, because of Jesus death, for you.

As this sermon winds down, look at the parable in the gospel. We are the people brought in off the streets, to witness the incredible wedding, to share in the feast. We are the people the King determined to share this moment with, we are the ones that share in the feast. Someday in heaven, that feast will happen, as the church, the bride of Christ, is presented to our Lord Jesus. The feast we shall share in a moment, is but a reflection of that great feast.

So rejoice, knowing you are part of this feast, and that one as well.

And rejoice in our Lord, Delight in Jesus, knowing the peace of His Father, which surpasses all understanding, yours without any anxiety! AMEN!