Please excuse the rough outline of the sermon notes.  These notes are as I had prepared them for the morning message.  Audio of the actual sermon can be found at Ekronbaptistchurch.com.

Recap of last week….

I.   Last week we looked at Luke 12:13-34

• Who by being anxious can add a single hour to their life?
• Instead of anxiety ”Seek the Kingdom.”
• Fear not.
• Rather than store up possessions, sell them(v33) give to the needy, provide moneybags that do not grow old, put your treasure in Heaven.
• Anxiety is a heart issue.
• Anxiety is a twisted form of the original emotion of watchfulness.
• Watchfulness/vigilance is a concern for the wellbeing of others, a concern for God’s kingdom.
• Anxiety is vigilance without faith in God. It is an overload of self-seeking vigilance.  It lacks faith in the sovereignty of God.
• Anxiety reveals the treasure of your heart.

Phil 3 is the straining toward Christ, forgetting the past, with Joy by a man who is in prison for his faith.

Our citizenship is in Heaven

II. And so we begin with Philippians 4:1-13

1. Stand Firm
2. Stand firm- make plans ahead of time, know Scripture.
3. Dealing with two workers who have disagreements.
4. Problems do come- Gospel together instead.

III.      Rejoice in the Lord (v4-13)

V6 Be anxious?

What makes us anxious?

Why are we anxious?

What removes anxiety?

Prayer and supplication are to be made unto God.

With Thanksgiving, make requests.

This leads to peace. (Heart focus)

Most often we do not pray right, we are focused on the stuff we want to happen, rather than the person of God.

When we come to worship we often are focused on stuff rather than God Himself.  The result is, we miss God and are more troubled than before.

Guard heart and mind, your emotions and reason, which are two roots of anxiety.

Christians are called to battle the root of the problem, not the multitude of symptoms.

V8 True, honorable, right, pure, lovely, good repute, excellence, worthy of praise, Let your mind dwell on these things.  We are to meditate upon such things.  We are to constantly be orienting our lives to God.

V11 Learn contentment.

Humble means/prosperity, filled/hungry, abundance/suffering.

V13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

This is not a work out slogan.  It is not a twisting to personal strength.

This verse is about keeping your heart at peace despite circumstances. It is about the strength of God keeping up Christ focused.

It is about hope. Hope in what is hopeful.  Hope in Christ.