Philippians 4:6-7 *
Dear Friends in Christ,
If someone asked you what you were giving up for Advent, you’d probably correct them. You’d tell them that the concept of “giving something up” is associated with the season of Lent, not Advent.
If you were particularly well-versed in the history of Christian worship, however, you might excuse them, because there was a time when Advent did look a lot like Lent. One example: the color of the Advent Season is blue, symbolic (among other things) of the sky from which Christ will come again (His second coming or “advent”). But many of us who have grown up in the church can remember that not too long ago the color of Advent was purple, the same as Lent. The two seasons had different thrusts (which is the reason now for the different colors), but both had in common the idea of reflection upon our sins and the high cost of our redemption. And as believers prepared to observe the crucifixion of Christ during the Lenten season, the custom began of giving something up to remind them of the ultimate sacrifice Christ made on our behalf.
Nevertheless, in our text for this Third Sunday in Advent the Apostle Paul most definitely talks about giving something up. He also tells us what to replace it with. Finally he assures us of what this will then lead to. And in the end we’ll happily discover that we haven’t lost a thing, but gained a lot… Let’s take a look at Paul’s inspired counsel to us on
WHAT TO GIVE UP FOR ADVENT
(and what we get in return…)
1. Give up anxiety
Before we proceed with working through this text (Philippians 4:4-7) we need to acknowledge that it is particularly rich. In other words, there are any number of things we could talk about and there’s really a sermon in just about every phrase. Certainly there is a resounding Advent ring to Paul’s short proclamation: “The Lord is near,” as we are reminded of the imminent return of Christ…
But for our purposes this morning we’re going to especially focus on the second half of
this text, where Paul gives us this admonition:
“Do not be anxious about
anything…” In keeping with our
theme, what Paul is telling us to give up for Advent, then, is anxiety.
What do we mean by the word “anxiety?” In the original Greek language this word most often indicates the same understanding we have of it in English. To be “anxious” means being unduly concerned about something, or being filled with a sense of dread of what might happen, or being excessively worried about a given situation. Another way to define anxiety as it applies to Christians would be when we as believers look into the future as if God were not in the picture…
In keeping with the context, the very fact that Paul mentions this would indicate the Philippian congregation had some things they were anxious about. This is both interesting and instructive, because sometimes we have a tendency toward an almost mythical understanding of first century Christians, as if they were spiritually bigger and stronger than believers today. The fact of the matter is they were sinful and sometimes fearful human beings, just as we are. They understood what God had done for them in Christ, and Paul often speaks of their lives of faith in complimentary terms. Nonetheless, they still carried around the weakness of their flesh. And at times they got anxious.
What do you think produced anxiety for the members of this First Century Philippian congregation? Let me give you some examples gleaned from other portions of Paul’s letter to them. He doesn’t mention specifically what caused them concern, but we can pretty well tell what was on their minds from the things that Paul writes.
For instance, in chapter one Paul tells them about his personal circumstances. Philippians was one of the letters Paul wrote while he was in prison. He was awaiting trial for events connected to his preaching of the Gospel. He talks openly about not knowing whether he was going to live or die.
We can imagine the effect this had on the Philippian
congregation. They loved Paul very
much. He was their spiritual
father. But now the dark clouds of
uncertainly were looming on the horizon.
What was going to happen to Paul
in the future – and what their future might be without him – no doubt caused
them anxiety.
In addition to that, the Philippian congregation was
beginning to experience attacks from the outside. Paul indicates they were starting to feel the
sting of persecution and suffering for nothing other than their allegiance to
Jesus Christ as Savior. They were living
in a godless world that not only challenged their faith and morals, but now
seemed intent on eradicating them as a species.
And this was frightening to them.
This no doubt caused them anxiety.
Not only that, but there were also false teachers trying to
sway them from the truth of the Gospel message that Paul had given them. Would the individual members of the
congregation be strong enough to resist, to make the right spiritual choices,
to discern truth from error? This no
doubt also caused them anxiety.
If attacks from the outside weren’t bad enough, there were also problems on the inside. Paul speaks of the unity and harmony of the church threatened by a spirit of contentiousness and competition among the believers. In chapter two he warns them against “selfish ambition” and “vain conceit” and tells them to “do everything without complaining and arguing.” In chapter four Paul even addresses two members by name; two members who had such a sharp disagreement and (reading between the lines) such a personality conflict that their inability to work things out was beginning to have a negative effect on others believers.
For those who were trying to hold things together and keep
the peace and go forward and live out their lives to the glory of God but then
found themselves being assailed and troubled by those who were supposed to be
their allies – this must have caused them anxiety.
Do you see some parallels here? What causes us anxiety today? I would suspect the very same things that evidently bothered the Philippians…
When a loved one’s condition is uncertain and we think about the prospect of facing the future without him or her, or if one way or another we find ourselves physically or emotionally alone, we can become anxious.
When we stand firm in the faith or take our stand on a position that is not held by the mainstream of society; when we feel the sting of our opinions essentially being dismissed because we, in the eyes of some, are just way over the top when it comes to religion; when we as parents or grandparents or brothers or sisters wonder if our children and grandchildren and younger brothers and sisters will have the spiritual strength to confront the challenges of a world which for all practical purposes has purged the word “sin” from its vocabulary, we can become anxious.
Whether at home or on the job or even among our fellow Christians, when we find ourselves embroiled in personality conflicts or being hurt by those who are supposed to be wearing the same uniform that we are, we can become anxious.
So what do we do? We
give it up. “Do not be anxious about anything,” Paul tells us. Okay.
Then what? Replace anxiety with
the means God has graciously placed at our ready disposal. “…but
in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests
to God.”
The antidote to anxiety is prayer. Prayer, in it simplest definition, is talking to God. Paul tells us to take up the things that worry us with God.
And not just some of the things that worry us. Notice again what Paul says: “Do not be anxious about anything but in everything…” This means as Christians we can operate under this rule of thumb: If something is big enough to worry about, it is then big enough to pray about. The reverse is also true. If we think something is not big enough to pray about, than it is certainly also too small to worry about…
Furthermore, we bring our prayers to God “with thanksgiving.” Thanksgiving, first of all, for the very privilege of prayer. Prayer is not some inalienable right. It may be an exercise practiced by many, but only through faith in Jesus Christ are the lines of communication opened.
The privilege of prayer is one of the blessed by-products of
the Gospel message. Because of Jesus
Christ and his work of redemption we know God to be our loving Heavenly
Father. The barrier of sin that once
prevented prayers from reaching their destination has been removed through Christ’s
perfect life, sacrificial death and glorious resurrection on our behalf and in
our place. Because of Jesus, we are
forgiven Children of God. Because of
Jesus, we can talk to God. That is worthy of our “thanksgiving.”
Also worthy of our thanksgiving is the knowledge that our
prayers are heard and filtered through the promise of Romans
In other words, when it comes to giving up and overcoming
anxiety Paul tells us to advance on our knees.
And as we do, we are given this guarantee: “And
the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and
minds in Christ Jesus.” Isaiah spoke
in a similar way when he wrote: “You
(God) will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts
in you.”
The peace of God is ours. It is the peace of sins forgiven. It is the peace of knowing God is in control. It is the inner quiet so many in the world are looking for but can only be found in knowing Jesus Christ. This peace, as one Christian author put it, is “the smile of God reflected in the heart of the believer.”
And just as great as what this peace is, is what this peace does. It acts as a garrison. It guards our hearts and minds. Peace and faith stand as dual sentinels in front of the door to our souls. C.S. Lewis once made the comment that the moment we wake up each morning all of our wishes and hopes – and we might add, anxieties – for the day rush at us like wild animals. But what Paul tells us here is that they cannot harm the Christian of faith and prayer, because we have entered an impregnable, guarded fortress – and the name of that fortress is Christ Jesus, the Prince of Peace. And in less than two weeks we will once again gratefully observe His first Advent…
Therefore in honor of Him and because of Him, the Apostle Paul suggests that we give something up for Advent. This is his message to us today: Give up anxiety, replace it with prayer, and enjoy peace. Sounds like a good recipe not just for the holidays, but everyday, wouldn’t you say? Amen.