Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Epistle Lesson just read, from Phil. 4. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- All of our lessons for this morning have the common theme of “rejoicing” and celebrating the goodness of God. This was the principle “evidence” that Jesus pointed John’s disciples to in answer to his question. The good things that Jesus was doing confirmed that He was the promised Messiah.
- There are times when we wish that we had immediate and direct access to “the Lord.” There are other times when we wish that the Lord were not quite so close to us and attentive to us.
- But the reality is that “THE LORD IS AT HAND.” We are the ones who will have to deal with! And truly, all grounds of joy and rejoicing, of security and the peace of God, is this fact and reality that “THE LORD IS AT HAND.” He is with us, and close to us, at all times.
- So the appropriate place for us to come to in our “faith” and relationship with God is to realize this – that wherever “THE LORD IS AT HAND” He is present to bless His people. And it is because of this that we are encouraged and enabled to “REJOICE.” But we each will have to decide for ourselves what we think of God, whether He is fearful and awesome, or whether He is loving, merciful, and embracing, and always blessing us!
- First, let us consider that:
I. The Lord Is With Us To Bless Us Richly
A. He Is In Our Midst
OT Lesson: “The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst.”
B. He Has Forgiven Our Sins And Removed Our Enemies
OT Lesson: “The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; He has cleared away your enemies.”
C. There Is No Need For Us To Be Fearful Or Anxious
OT Lesson “The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: ‘Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a Mighty One Who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love.’”
Text: “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Statement: Consider just how good it is to have “THE LORD AT HAND,” that He is in our midst to bless us! He doesn’t shun us because of our sins, and keep away from us; rather, He takes away our sin by forgiving us and cleansing us from all sin. He has banished the threat of evil, having cleared away our enemies! There is no need for us to be anxious about anything – God is taking care of everything for us, even as He cares for every sparrow, and numbers the hairs on our head.
Application: When we kind of wish that God would leave us to our own thinking and choosing, this is our sinful nature opining. The bad news for our sinful nature is that He does not act according to our sinful desires, but rather acts to bless us and to save us from them. The good news is that His presence means blessing. And the reality that “THE LORD IS AT HAND” demonstrates beyond any question His commitment of love to us!
Transition: And in fact, we are called upon to rejoice in God because:
II. God Rejoices Over You!
OT Lesson: “The Lord your God is in your midst, a Mighty One Who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.”
A. So Let Us Allow Him To Quiet Us, To Calm Us, With His Love
OT Lesson: “He will quiet you by His love.”
B. Let Us Remember That He Will Deal With Our Enemies, All Who Cause Us Trouble
OT Lesson: “Behold, I will deal with all your oppressors.”
C. He Will Restore All To Us – So Let His Peace Rule And Guard Our Hearts And Minds
OT Lesson: “’I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you in, at the time when I gather you together; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes,’ says the Lord.”
Text: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Statement: All of this should move us to “REJOICE IN THE LORD.” He is at hand to bless us, to forgive us, to protect us from our enemies, from all evil, and from our oppressors. He is at hand to remove worry and anxiety, to restore us to “reasonableness,” and to give us His peace. We can take everything to the Lord in prayer. He is King, He is Lord, He will deliver!
Application: All of this is reason and cause for us to rejoice, for us to give thanks, for us to bring all our requests to God! It is what God wants us to do, what He wants us to know, so that His peace can “guard” our hearts and minds!
Conclusion: So, when you think about the Lord, His closeness to you, do not be disappointed or fearful that He is with you always. God is good, God is great, and God is love. That means wherever He is He is emanating love, blessings, and good.
That also means that we can and should “rejoice in the Lord always.” Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.