When Jesus commissioned the seventy to preach early in His ministry they were amazed at the marvelous results. Even the demons were unable to overwhelm the name of Christ! And Jesus acknowledged their joy. Satan was soon to fall from his exalted position due to the Lord’s work on the cross. But in the midst of their enthusiasm, the Master issued an important warning – a warning that all of us would do well to heed, lest we tie the stability of our hopes to the ups and downs of earthly circumstances. He said, "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." Jesus knew that while there would be times of great victory for them like they were presently experiencing, there would also be times of great sorrow and seeming defeat.The "god of this world" would not give up ground without a bloody fight. He would have his retribution for these early victories. These workers needed to understand that the joy that sustains us is not found in volatile earthly circumstances.

I need your help to begin my sermon this morning. I have a short mental exercise for you. Keeping the identities to yourself, I’d like first to ask you to think of the most stable Christian person you know. (I hope you know at least one!) Form a mental picture of this person and keep it in your mind.

Now I want to think of the least stable person you have ever met. It matters not whether this person is a Christian.

"I know a lot of unstable people!" you say.

Perhaps you do. If there are two or more contending in your mind, just pick one of them for the sake of our discussion.

If you completed the exercise so far you should have the faces of two people in your mind – one who is stable and one who is not. If you couldn’t think of anyone in either or both positions, just do your best to listen.

Now a question: What is the difference between these two people?

"Where do I start?"

Perhaps as you consider these two individuals you might observe that when times get tough, one of them stays while the other leaves. Maybe you observe that somehow one of them manages to keep standing for the most part while the other often falls. You might see that one of them sticks with a project while the other seldom finishes anything. One of them may seem to be able to manage the troubles that come his or her way, while the other appears always to be reeling from the effects of the latest crisis. Perhaps one of them exhibits a degree of wisdom while the other is known for brash, poor choices. Maybe one seems to make some progress against the issues of life while the other is always pushed along by circumstances. It could be that one of them, while not perfect, manages to exhibit a bit of confidence and optimism. The other seems always to be fearful and pessimistic. One manages a noticeable air of calm while the other is often in a state of panic. One is active in helping others while the other seems never able even to manage his or her own affairs.

If you have stayed with me this far, I want to ask one more question. How did the stable Christian person you’ve been thinking about get that way?

"I don’t know, but I’d sure like to know!" you say.

Since I don’t know the people you have in your mind, I can’t answer that question specifically. But I can tell you what God says about becoming a stable Christian person and that’s far better anyway. That’s what my sermon is about this morning: "How to Be a Stable Christian in an Unstable World." Our text is Philippians 4:1-9.

Paul begins this passage in verse 1 with a call for Christian stability. He says, "so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved."

Every word of Scripture is important and often the tiniest words give the biggest clues to the meaning of a passage. That little word "so" in verse 1 of the New American Standard is the Greek word HOUTO and it means, "in this way" or "in this manner."(1) It can refer to what comes before it in a passage or what follows after it. I take it to refer to what follows after so that Paul is effectively saying, "In the following manner I want you to stand firm" or, "I want you to be stable and here is how to do it." That effectively makes verses 2-9 God’s instructions for Christian stability.

I’ve already done some of the work of studying this passage, although I invite you to do your study when you can. In my contemplation of these verses I found five directives that will produce Christian stability. Here is the first one:

1. Find Your Joy in the Lord.

After calling on a couple of ladies in the Philippian church to get along for the sake of the gospel in verses 2 and 3, Paul gives his first bit of instruction about stability in verse 4: "rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice!"

There are at least two aspects to the meaning of these words. First, it is important to note that this was not written to those who don’t know God. It was written to those who are "in the Lord." Only those who are born into God’s kingdom can "rejoice in the Lord." People outside of Christ have neither the benefits that are cause for rejoicing in the Lord nor the understanding necessary to appreciate them.

I cringe whenever I hear someone say of a person who died outside of Christ, "Well, at least he’s in a better place" or "at least his suffering is over." If I read my Bible correctly, such a person is not in a better place and the suffering is only beginning!(2) I’m sorry to be so blunt but eternal life in heaven is a benefit found only "in the Lord." So we can rejoice in the Lord only if we are in the Lord.

But there is something more to this. It is quite natural for us to get caught up in rejoicing in our earthly circumstances rather than in the Lord. Such misplaced rejoicing causes a lot of instability. What do I mean by "misplaced rejoicing"?

Hold your place here in Philippians and come with me for a moment over to Luke 10.

When Jesus commissioned the seventy to preach early in His ministry they were amazed at the marvelous results. Even the demons were unable to overwhelm the name of Christ! And Jesus acknowledged their joy. Satan was soon to fall from his exalted position due to the Lord’s work on the cross. But in the midst of their enthusiasm, the Master issued an important warning – a warning that all of us would do well to heed, lest we tie the stability of our hopes to the ups and downs of earthly circumstances. He said, "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." Jesus knew that while there would be times of great victory for them like they were presently experiencing, there would also be times of great sorrow and seeming defeat. The "god of this world"(3) would not give up ground without a bloody fight. He would have his retribution for these early victories. These workers needed to understand that the joy that sustains us is not found in volatile earthly circumstances. The joy that sustains us is based on our knowledge of our eternal position and destination in the Lord.(4) It’s tempting to get caught up in rejoicing in the circumstances of the moment. A lot of people do it when things are going well and its fine to an extent. But we must not tie our hopes up in the roller coaster circumstances of life. If we do and things suddenly go south, as they most certainly will at times, the bottom will fall out of our faith. This is an important distinction and a key part of Christian stability.

That word rendered "forbearing" in the NAS is not an easy word to translate because it has varied meaning depending upon context. Strong’s Concordance says that it can also mean "moderate" or "appropriate." The KJV translates it that way: "Let your moderation be known unto all men…." A stable Christian has learned to be moderate in unstable times. He or she is not as subject to the fluctuating highs and lows of less stable people. Paul says here that such moderation and the stability it brings is possible because, "the Lord is near."

I grew up in and around the woods as my grandfather took me hunting and fishing as far back as I can remember. The woods can be scary for a nine or ten year old, especially as darkness approaches. We’d be hunting or coming back from a walk-in fishing trip and I would imagine a wolf or a bear behind every tree or a cougar in every thicket. But I also remember being calmed in my fear with the knowledge that my grandpa was close by. Even when I couldn’t actually see him, I knew he was there. I could call out to him at any time.

Likewise, for the Christian, when things cause us to be anxious or fearful, it stabilizes us ("moderates" our emotions) to know that the Lord is near. He knows exactly where we are and we can call out to Him at any time.

For an example, turn with me to Hebrews 13:4-6.

Concern about money can wind us up sometimes, especially when there doesn’t seem to be enough of it to go around. The Hebrew writer, referring to up and down anxiety about money wrote these words…

The Lord, who has promised to take care of our needs, is there when we have trouble with money, just like He’s there in every other crisis or difficulty. According to the Hebrew writer, because of the presence of the Lord, we need not be afraid. We can find contentment and peace when we depend upon Him.

Of course, in order to enjoy this kind of stability, we must also stay near to Him. That same Hebrew writer said in Hebrews 2:1, "For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it." It is possible for us to drift away.

Are you experiencing a lot of anxiety in your life? Is it winding you up so you can’t sleep at night? Are your nerves shot from worry? Ask yourself how closely you are walking with the Lord. It may be that what you need instead of another prescription from your doctor is some good old-fashioned consecration. Consecration means getting your life right with God. As James said in James 4:8, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

Anxiety is a great cause of instability. Yet while others are stewing and fretting and getting ulcers, spiritually stable people are praying with thanksgiving.

A good example of this is the prophet Daniel. Daniel was taken captive as a youth when Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar in 606 BC. Through God’s providence and a number of trials and difficulties, Daniel served in the cabinets of three successive kings including Darius the Mede. Darius was worried that some of the 120 governors of his kingdom might not be totally honest so he appointed three commissioners to be over them and to keep an eye on them. Daniel was one of these commissioners. In time Daniel distinguished himself so much in his service as commissioner that the King considered appointing him over the entire kingdom. When the governors and other commissioners heard of the plan they jealously tried to frame Daniel. They launched a secret investigation to dig up some dirt they could use to discredit him. But they found nothing. No negligence. No corruption. Finally, they realized that if they were going to get to him they would have to do it with regard to the law of his God.

These guys knew that Daniel was a man of prayer. He took time away from his busy schedule every day to pray three times with his windows open toward Jerusalem. So they tricked the king into passing an irrevocable law that forbade praying to any god besides him for 30 days. Penalty for breaking this law was death in a lion’s den. Daniel got word of the plot and knew that he was in real trouble.

So how did Daniel handle the crisis? Did he get all stressed out? Did he get depressed? Did he die in a pile? Here is what the Scripture says:

There is a picture of stability!

Is that the way we handle the crises in our lives? Do we continue to pray with thanksgiving? If not, then that is probably one of the reasons we were all stressed out.

Paul says in our text, "Be anxious for nothing." Anxiety is what makes us unstable. Prayer with thanksgiving is God’s antidote for that kind of emotional turmoil.

But why thanksgiving with prayer?

One reason is that it is always appropriate to give God thanks for the times He has delivered us from troubles in the past. This recounting of God’s previous help bolsters our confidence in the present. We look back and see that God has brought us safely through our troubles just as He promised. Beyond this we must also thank God ahead of time for His assurance of what He is going to do in the future. Thanking God ahead of time is an exercise in faith. It boldly steps up and declares our trust in God’s promise to work "all things together for good."(5)

But the very best reason to pray with thanksgiving is the promise that is attached to this command in verse 7.

When we pray with thanksgiving, God will give us His peace! How does that work? It works because He said it. His peace will walk guard duty around our weak and wobbly hearts. That’s His promise.

This oft-quoted verse is seldom related to its native context. The context is much wider than the typical right and wrong issues of what we watch on TV or read in books. The context is stability in an unstable world.

In times to trouble, after we who are "in the Lord" have rejoiced in the great joys that await us and have drawn near to God and laid out our prayerful requests with thanksgiving, we need to occupy our minds with something besides our problems!

I heard a woman call in to the Dr. Laura talk show last week to get some advice. (I listen to the radio when I’m driving to any of the distant hospitals in our area.) After the lady explained her situation, Dr. Laura gave her several things to do in what I considered to be some good counsel. Then after the advice was given, the lady launched into a description of her problem again. Dr. Laura stopped her and told her that once she had done what she recommended, she needed to stop talking about the problem. "But I’m so depressed and angry," she said. "Yes," said the host, "and you’ll continue to be angry and depressed as long as you keep rehashing it. You need to move on with your life." "Oh, yeah," said the lady. Then once again she started rehashing her problem! Laura stopped her again, this time a little more forthrightly, and explained that if she ever was going to resolve the issue, she was going to have to stop rehearsing it in her mind.

That’s what verse 8 is talking about. We need to discipline our minds to let go of the issue and trust that God will deal with it.

"But I can’t just turn off my mind," someone says. Right. But you can change the subject that your mind dwells upon. You do that by finding something true or honorable or right or pure or lovely or of good repute or excellent for your mind to dwell upon. In time the need to rehash your troubles will dwindle. And you’ll discover something remarkable. The problem that has grown huge in your mind because you’ve been rehearsing it will return to its actual size. Said another way, in times of stress, we need to unplug from the situation once we have done the things God expects.

I’ve never forgotten an illustration used by one of my teachers when I was still in Bible College. This teacher had a lot of stories and this one came from the days when many Chinese people worked on the rail gangs laying track for the great railroads in this country. One particular Chinaman was tormented and picked on mercilessly by his foreman. Since the Chinaman knew very little English, he could not respond or defend himself. Then one day it became apparent that he had learned at least enough English to say what had been on his mind. The foreman came out that morning and started in on him as he did every day. After a couple of hours of this the Chinaman tore into him like a buzz saw. He really beat him up, leaving him bruised, bleeding, and flat on his back. Everyone stood there, eyes wide and mouths hanging open, at this sudden act of retribution. Then as the Chinaman took up his shovel and went back to work, he was heard to say simply, "Too much talky-talky, not enough doey-doey."

A great portion of what is behind the apparent calm in the life of a stable Christian is a lot of "doey-doey," that is, steady obedience – doing what God says to do when it is comfortable and when it is not.

Simple, tough-minded, consistent obedience, even when fear or frustration seems to drive us to do otherwise is the final thing mentioned in this passage that yields stability.

Unstable people, when fearful or frustrated or angry, complicate things by engaging in irresponsible behavior. If they’re having marriage problems, instead of remaining faithful to their mates while they work things out, they start flirting or playing around on the side, or even begin an affair or divorce without Biblical grounds. If they’re having money problems, instead of disciplining their spending, they go on shopping binges and max out their credit cards. If they are having problems with people in the church, rather than work them through, they quit the Lord or quit the church, which cuts off their only source of encouragement from the Scriptures and other Christians. This kind of disobedience greatly complicates their problems.

In contrast, stable Christian people set their jaw, lower their head, and continue to obey even when they don’t necessarily feel like it.

Times of trial or trouble are not times to let down on obedience. Instead they are times to redouble our efforts so that we don’t introduce more trouble by irresponsible behavior.

It is sometimes said that the difficulties of life make some people bitter and some people better. Why do you suppose that is?

I suggest that one of the great reasons is that one person knows how to remain stable amid unsettling things and the other either doesn’t know or doesn’t’ care. It really boils down to a lifestyle choice. Will we live a life centered upon pleasing God or will we live to please self?

These Biblical instructions for stability are available to all of us. What we do with them will determine whether they work or whether they don’t.

Footnotes: (Use your "Back" button to return to your place) 

1. "Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved." –Philippians 4:1, New American Standard Update.
2. While we are not allowed to pronounce another’s judgment, it is clear that one who has not obeyed the gospel is lost. See 2 Thessalonians 1:8.
3. 2 Corinthians 4:4
4. Paul mentioned this same connection between stability and knowledge of our eternal position in 1 Corinthians 15:50-58.
5. Romans 8:28

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

Copyright © 1996-2008 by The Preacher's Study. Permission is granted to subscribers to use this document in total or in sermon preparation in the context of the local congregation only. Publishing it in a book, on the Internet, or anyplace beyond the local congregation is prohibited.

All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

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