Sermon

Recognizing when we have enough—be it money, clothes, or food—does not come naturally. The Apostle Paul speaks about learning contentment, suggesting it requires growth. Despite our possessions or circumstances, we often find ourselves searching for more.

Contentment is a deeply spiritual issue. God’s purpose for us is not about chasing “more” or “less.” Both materialism and asceticism miss the point; the focus should be on God's pursuit of us. Only by learning to be content, as Paul did, can we truly live in the present.

Politics isn’t the only place this happens. It also occurs in churches and families.

In this scripture, two women are in conflict - Euodia and Syntyche. We don't know what the disagreement was about or who was right. We only know that it was a longstanding feud between two otherwise amazing women.

The Apostle Paul doesn't write to settle their dispute but to urge them to get over it. He isn't the judge or the referee. He doesn't use his Apostolic wisdom to address and settle the issue.

He urges them to look past it—to have "the same mind in the Lord," reminding them that they were part of something far more important than their disagreement.

1 John 4:10-11 puts it this way:
In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.

An important question is, what are we supposed to do with this amazing asset?

Fundamentally, it goes back to our belonging to God and the conclusion that if we belong to God, so do our resources.

This Sunday, we will have people from various groups use the church grounds. They will share with us how their use of God's church makes a difference in so many people's lives.

Be prepared to be blessed in this celebration.

This Sunday, several Theta Alpha ladies will share some of their faith stories with us.

Only one message sticks with me:

The sign may have had the right motive but it missed the point. What is more important, closing our minds or seeking things that are good?

I know that this may sound weird, but stay with me. God doesn’t want you to avoid sin. God’s great desire is for our hearts and lives to be so full of his love that the things that once tempted us no longer do.

We are invited into a new existence filled with all God has to offer. Not a life struggling to be “good enough, " not even a life of avoiding sin. But life with Jesus in charge, directing our lives, opening our eyes, hearts, and lives to his way rather than our own.

Many things can rob us of the peace we are offered in Jesus Christ. Because we think we need to rush, we fail to take the time to pray. Our insatiable hunger for more keeps us from finding peace with what we have. When things don’t turn out the way we want, we question God's nearness. Because we pursue our own will rather than seeking God’s, we do not achieve either.

Like the old Footprints in the Sand poem - Our own urgency often keeps us from seeing what God has already done and is doing, especially when we think we’re all alone.

Over the last couple of weeks, we've been studying this passage from Philippians from many angles: rejoicing in the Lord, gentleness, the nearness of the Lord, not worrying, praying, and thanksgiving.

• Gentleness is living among others in the same patient, loving manner as God loves us.
• The nearness of the Lord is the awareness that we are not forgotten and that even when things feel dark and lonely, God is with us.
• Not worrying about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, letting our requests be made known to God is to trust in God rather than ourselves. To rely on God’s ability rather than our own.
• Thanksgiving is mindfulness of what God has done in the past, is doing in the present, and is yet to do in the future.
• Rejoicing in the Lord is to celebrate his awesome presence and faithful love, rejoicing in the same things in which the Lord rejoices.,

This is the path to the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, a peace guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Thankfulness is an act of faith. When we find ourselves overwhelmed by pain, loss, and difficulty, it takes faith to look beyond ourselves and the immediate—beyond the things that are bigger than us, beyond our own powerlessness, and beyond our own expectations.

Thanksgiving, like forgiveness, is not cheap. It costs our fixation on what we want as we celebrate what we have. It costs our resentment towards things in our past as we live in the present. It costs humility to realize we did not do it on our own.

This can be hard. Thankfulness is a radical reordering of our priorities. To be thankful is to live in the present rather than the past or future. It is to acknowledge what is good even when there may be a great deal that is wrong. It means being thankful for peanut butter when we want filet mignon.

The good news is that when we’re mindful of the things for which we can be thankful, the difficulties and disappointments in our lives have less power over us.

• When we’re thankful, we can find opportunities amid challenges.
• When we’re thankful, our troubles and difficulties don’t disappear, but they lose much of their power over us.
• When we’re thankful, we’re more likely to look for what we can do rather than what we can’t.
• When we’re thankful, we are aware of what we have rather than only what we’re missing.
• When we’re thankful, we are aware of what we can give rather than only what we want.

I don't know about you, but I used to skip from the admonition to "rejoice in the Lord always" right to the call to "not worry about anything." In doing so, I missed the great blessing and importance of letting our "gentleness be known to everyone."

Gentleness is an often overlooked characteristic of who we should be as Christians. When we are not gentle, we use power or coercion against others. They may bend to our will, but it defeats others rather than building allies. People may do what we want, and it may be the right thing, but it does not become "their" thing. Power creates subjects rather than sisters and brothers.

Gentleness makes change possible, rather than forcing it. Gentleness transforms people rather than defeating them. When it comes right down to it, now matter what bullies may think, gentleness is strength, and only those who are truly strong can be gentle.

May our Gentleness be known to everyone.