Sermon Response Guide
Primary Scripture
Philippians 4:1-7 (NIV)
1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!
2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Key Points
- Jesus gives us a new peace: peace in his presence that surpasses all understanding.
- We embrace the peace Jesus promised us by adopting the:
- Perspective of the peaceful:
We see others as God sees them – as gifts from God and to God. We encounter others with a view toward peace.
- Posture of the peaceful:
We no longer see others as enemies or barriers – rather, we believe we are better together. We pursue peace-making.
- Prayers of the peaceful:
We believe prayer is the way to peace – which is the presence of God. Prayer is how we focus on God.
- If we are in Christ, peace with Christ and the peace of Christ have already been purchased for us by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Memory Verse
Ask God to write this word on your heart this week:
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,”
-Philippians 2:9 ESV*
*Note: Through the rest of this sermon series, “All Things New,” we will be working together as a faith family to memorize Philippians 2:3-11. Each week, we will introduce a new verse to memorize while encouraging one another to remember the preceding verse(s) from the previous week(s).
This week, try to recite Philippians 2:3-9 together:
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,”
Questions for Reflection
Take time to reflect and respond to these questions on your own in the presence of the Holy Spirit, or with trusted friends or family members:
1: In John 17, Jesus measured his success by the people he could present to the Father at the end of his ministry, and so does Paul in Philippians 4. Who are the gifts God has entrusted to you to present before God at the end of your life?
2: Just as Jesus manifested and made God’s name known to people, how are you manifesting and making known the name of God to the people God has placed in your life? How can you pursue a posture like Christ’s in your own relationships?
3: When was a time you chose to have the “same mind in the Lord” as someone you did not agree with, for the sake of being united in Christ and bound together to share the gospel (Philippians 4:2)? What was the result of that choice?
4: Pause to pray, and ask God to show you who you have been disagreeing with lately who God desires for you to pursue peace and unity with in the Spirit.
5: Read 1 Peter 5:7 and answer the following questions:
- Why are we invited and able to cast all our cares/anxieties upon God?
- How do you personally cast all your cares/anxieties upon God?
- What does the fact that God cares for us have to do with peace?
6: If worship is acknowledging who God is and who we are, then what is worry?
7: Do you believe you can worship and worry at the same time? Why or why not?
8: Read Philippians 4:4-7 (and come back to read it throughout this week if you’re able). How is God inviting you to respond to what you have learned today?
Pray
Lord, thank you for the peace that is ours in you. We are so quick to worry, but Lord, help us to be even quicker to worship. In the same way we freely throw out our trash for someone to pick up and carry away for us, teach us to cast our cares upon you because you care for us. Thank you for promising to care for us, so we can focus on caring about you.
