[0:00] Now as the Lord shall be pleased to help, I will ask you to turn with me to the fourth chapter, the Epistle to the Philippians, and the verses 6 and 7.
[0:22] The Epistle to the Philippians, chapter 4, verses 6 and 7.
[0:33] Be careful for nothing, but in everything I pray and supplication with thanksgiving, that your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
[1:01] Amen. We have here in these verses, first, an exhortation.
[1:22] Be careful for nothing. A lovely counsel, but in everything I pray and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.
[1:40] And the sweet promise which God has made, the peace of God, the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
[2:02] Just to begin, we would look at the setting of these words as they are found in this Epistle.
[2:17] And if we look back into the early part, into the opening verses of this Epistle, we shall see that the church of Philippi had a special place in the heart of the Apostle.
[2:38] Those saints of Philippi. They were upon his heart. They were upon his heart. There was love, which flowed forth from the dear Apostle's heart to these saints.
[3:00] The saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi. I thank my blood upon all the remembrance of you, he said. And now the establishing of that church.
[3:17] Go back into the Acts of the Apostle. How the Spirit began to work. Well, as when it went down, you know, to the riverside on the Lord's day in the morning.
[3:40] Where prayer was wont to be made. And the Lord, the Blessed Spirit, directed the footsteps of his servant.
[3:55] And there was a meeting together. And the Lord, you know, began the day. There was a work of God.
[4:15] The Blessed Spirit, Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened. And she attended to those things which were spoken by the Apostle.
[4:32] She was constrained, wasn't she? Constrained by the love of Christ. And she constrained the dear Lord's servants to go into her house to abide there.
[4:46] And she was, you know, to be able to do the same power, didn't it? To open Lydia's heart and to pour in that grace as it did.
[5:01] To bring that Philippian Janer out of that place where he was by nature and bring him down upon his knees to cry out, What must I do?
[5:19] Be confident of this very thing. That he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
[5:30] If it's the Lord's work, you know, if the Lord is in the beginning, then it will continue. He which hath begun.
[5:43] And so, the dear man, the dear Apostle, had these saints very near to his heart.
[6:02] He prayed for them continually. We have mercy, you know, if we can pry one to another, if we can bear one another up before the Lord, if there is lying upon your heart one perhaps or more, and if they are there, you carry them along and you pray over them and you watch.
[6:45] You watch and pray, don't you? And pray and watch. And there's one in the congregation.
[7:01] Or one in the family. Or more. And you wrestle. Wrestle at the throne of grace. For over them.
[7:15] Pray that the Lord and the Lord in his town sorrow bring them to that place of real repentance and godly sorrow for sin that they might be found more in his anxiety.
[7:32] More in the air of their sin and after him. You may say to me, I've got a lot. I've got a family.
[7:43] I've got a family. And I bowed very, very heavily upon my heart and I have to pray for them continually.
[7:56] You might pray in vain. If the Lord gives you an exercise in prayer, if the Lord gives you that sweet liberty at the throne of grace, who are enabled with that sweet liberty to draw near unto the throne of grace, to come boldly unto the throne of grace.
[8:23] They might have taken mercy and found grace to help in that time of man. It's mercy, isn't it? Mercy. First, it's mercy for oneself. Mercy.
[8:36] Through blood I make my play. Oh, God, be merciful to me. And you can go, you can walk with the publican in the temple.
[8:50] If the Lord is in it, if the Lord begins with you, God be merciful to me, a sinner. That's a beautiful hymn of dear Sinek, isn't it?
[9:11] That's 144. And he says, speaks of Jesus the way Jesus my old heaven is gone, here where I fix my hopes upon.
[9:26] His track I see and I pursue another way to him of you. This is the why I long saw it and long because I found it not my grief, my bad and long had been because I could not cease from sin.
[9:42] The more I strove against its power, I sinned and stumbled, but the more till late I heard my Saviour say, come hither so, and the way. Oh, glad I come and thou blessed man shall take me to thee as I am.
[10:01] Nothing but sin I be can give, nothing that love shall I receive. Then will I tell the sinners round, what a dear Saviour I have found.
[10:14] I'll point to what we do, God, and say, behold, the way to God. What has got to do with this text? I'll tell you what it's got to do with the text.
[10:28] Because the exhortation is, be careful for nothing. It doesn't mean be careless. And when the word of God does the world condemn to sloth from this.
[10:49] As you know, the Lord God is the God of providence and he will supply you every need in providence. And some people's religion I'm afraid is all providence isn't it?
[11:08] We've heard some things in our day, you know, people, perhaps they've possessed things and they've had them taken away.
[11:23] And they begin to cry about the things that the Lord has taken from them. Job didn't, did he? Job was the wealthiest man in the man.
[11:38] the need of his possessions, the camels and the asses and the oxen and so on.
[11:50] And they were moved weren't they? In quick succession. And the dear man was the left of his family. And all this Job sinned.
[12:04] Job said the Lord has given him, the Lord has taken away. blessed be the man of the Lord. We don't hear him crying over those things which he'd lost. Now, you see, with Job the root of the matter was in him.
[12:24] What were those things which he possessed in his life? What shall it profit a man and gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
[12:40] But if the spirit teaches you, you'll say, it's life, life, eternal life. It's my soul.
[12:55] It's to be right with God. It's to have the work of the spirit, to have a religion, a world religion, to have a heart work, if I lift aside, to have that which God has given.
[13:19] Seekly for us the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these things shall be added unto you, he said. God will look at the fowls of the air, and the lilies of the field, the bags of the air, they have neither storehands, nor brown, they have fed, fed, and the Lord, you know, provides for his people.
[13:57] You look back, I really thought, I knew it was halfway, how the Lord has a supply you made, not all your bonds.
[14:12] Sometimes, you know, we're like children, aren't we? And the child says, I want this, and I want that, and I want something else.
[14:24] And the God's parent will say, you can't have it, I'm sorry. And you look back over the earth, when you say, yes, the Lord has, he has heard my prayer, and he has supplied my need.
[14:43] he's given me much more than I deserve. When did you last come to a well-spread table, and your heart was softened in gratitude to the Lord for his goodness to you in his providence?
[15:03] Christ. When I will sit down and we bow our head and we have a safe race, and we come to matter of form, doesn't it?
[15:19] And all this, and all this, and Christ, one in heaven, who's a father to his people, be careful for nothing, didn't it?
[15:42] You know, there was a home, wasn't it, Bethany? There were three dear souls in that home, Martha and Mary and the father of Lazarus and Jesus loved them all.
[16:03] And dear Martha, you know, she was busy bustling about. She wanted to do her best, didn't she?
[16:17] The Lord was there. And she was troubled because her sister wasn't helping her. And dear Mary and he was there.
[16:33] You see, the nature of her sorrow came first. Martha, Martha thought carefully and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful.
[16:51] one thing is needful. How is it then with you and I? Is it the one thing needful?
[17:03] The one thing needful? Dearest Lord, it's to be one with thee, to have Christ. Be careful for nothing.
[17:16] and they filled with so many fears. You look to tomorrow or next week or sometime in the future.
[17:32] You seem to be so cast down the good of the things you have to face. you don't know how you want to do it.
[17:47] You don't know how you want to do it. Do you want to do it? What a wisdom. Ah.
[18:02] And how do you have to pray, don't we, for wisdom? Any man that does the mighty mask of God will give it to a man liberally and not not wisdom.
[18:16] And Christ. Here is the God of all Christ. And it's a sweet love, isn't it? He giveth more Christ. And they say, and then the Lord says, as sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
[18:39] Late those things, the things of tomorrow, or next week. Don't be out anxious about those things, will you? Don't be too concerned about them.
[18:57] But leave them with the Lord. Leave them in his hand. Commit thy way unto the Lord. And commit thy works, we read in the Proverbs, commit thy works unto the Lord, and my thoughts shall be established.
[19:15] Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication. Everything by prayer and supplication.
[19:27] You know, it's a great mercy, isn't it, that you and I have a throne of grace, that there is a mercy seat, a great mercy that there is one seated there, where we can sometimes sing, help me, thou art coming to a king, large petitions would they bring for his grace and power such, none can ever ask too much.
[19:58] but in everything by prayer. Prayer, what is it?
[20:10] What is prayer? Sweet communication that one has with heaven. Prayer, soul's sincere desire, utter warm and expressed, the motion of the hidden fire, which trembles in the west.
[20:31] The Lord speaks much of it, doesn't he? The Lord was found often in prayer upon the mountain tower.
[20:48] Are you found often in prayer? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Perhaps you saw me that cannot pray. No.
[20:59] You can't pray. Have you heard words? Ah, thank you God. Words flow up pace when you complain.
[21:11] They did, don't they? When you only the children of Israel know who mourned and complained and were bad. heard.
[21:24] Have you no words? Ah, think of dying. Words flow up pace when you complain through your fellow creatures ear. We've decided to tell the world care, the heart, the breath that's vainly spent to heaven in supplication sent.
[21:45] Your cheerful song would often have been, hear what the Lord have done to me. And he speaks of prayer and supplication. Can't pray like a stream which flows and it flows jumping on.
[22:07] A prayer, do you pray for it? Do you pray for prayer? Do you say, Lord, I'll put prayer in my heart?
[22:18] Do you know it is there? Write it in my heart. And then I've got to pray for them. And you know I've got to pray for them.
[22:33] But the Spirit has their qualities. They are flowing forth in my heart, you know.
[22:47] It may be praying for providence, praying for those providential things.
[22:59] And you know you'll finish up in spiritual thankfulness to him, won't you? Here's the God of providence prayer.
[23:11] And the God of grace. Prayer, supplication, ah, what is this?
[23:26] It's like the river that flows along and it rushes along, doesn't it? supplication, you know, is an urgent crime.
[23:41] It's the urgency, it's a pressing need, isn't it? And you're down on your needs. And they're looking nice upon me, and in trouble, and in affliction, and in darkness, and in spiritual darkness.
[24:08] And my sins, ah, they're like a great mountain that rises up in front of me. child of him, and his dad, wrestled all night, didn't he?
[24:28] Wrestled. All night until the body of blood. What did he want? And I wrestle, and I wrestle and pray, what is it he want?
[24:43] And I want the Lord to bless you. And you say, I read the head night, I cannot let you go.
[24:57] I cannot let you go, until God bless me. And Jacob couldn't let him go, could he? Do not turn away those eyes, mine as an agent, pressing case.
[25:16] God says, you want the Lord to come, you want the Lord to speak pardon into your soul.
[25:27] You want to know that pace which passes all understanding, the pace of God. Because you are troubled, greatly troubled.
[25:41] people who read in Psalm 107, you will see there a description of the child of God, the pilgrim.
[25:58] they come into troubles, deep troubles.
[26:13] I'm reading through my verses, and I look at them and say, well, they say they'll walk themselves into those troubles. They did indeed.
[26:24] And we get ourselves down going into trouble quite often. What is it? What's the root cause of it? It's sin, isn't it?
[26:37] It's sin. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble. You go once, not twice, many, many times.
[26:55] Then they called unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And the Lord, you know, he teaches his people, isn't he?
[27:11] He teaches them. They hadn't been teacher, divine mentor. His people, you know, are learning and continuing.
[27:26] I'm a slow learner, aren't they? You say, yes, I'm a slow learner. The Lord is merciful and gracious.
[27:41] The Lord is non-suffering. And the Lord still hears. He is still seated there at the right hand of God.
[27:57] There he dwells. There he makes intercession for his people. And I am thankful there is that there is one in heaven who intercedes for you, intercedes on your behalf, presents the merits of his own body, and this is what your play is.
[28:19] Because you can bring nothing, can you? Nothing from your nature, nothing from self, which is acceptable to God.
[28:31] My best is starting to die with sin, my all is nothing worth. You have to confess this. not with a lip confession, but feeling me from the heart.
[28:51] I owe my feelings, my money feelings, my loneliness, my sin. But you know that's a sweet word, isn't it?
[29:07] It's very precious words, you know. one which was spoken so scornfully by the Pharisees, this man received his sinners and eat it with them.
[29:22] Received his sinners. Jesus Christ received his sinners. One which was spoken 2,000 years ago almost is true today.
[29:39] Your mercy, my mercy, where would you be? Where would you be this night if it were not so? This man received his sinners and eat it with them.
[29:52] But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. we need to have that thankful heart given to us, don't we?
[30:08] A truly thankful heart. Let us not forget it. to be truly thankful, to thank God for his unspeakable gift, to thank God for his beloved son, to thank God that he came to the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance, to thank him that he is still the sign Jesus Christ the sign yesterday and to die and forever.
[31:02] To thank him that you can still draw near unto his feet and pray with him. May many mercies mercies cancasses the saints as mercies which he received daily.
[31:27] You want to think of those temporal mercies, providential mercies. mercies. You and I we go out don't we daily how many dangers we are spared from them.
[31:50] Perhaps we see we are aware of some of them but many unseen. We have journey mercies, providential mercies, a measure of health and strength.
[32:09] Those things which the Lord provides us with in our house. As we heard in the past day, he opened his hand and satisfied with desire of every living thing.
[32:29] be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your request be made now unto God.
[32:44] He knows, doesn't he? He knows your circumstances. He knows your pathway. He knows what your need is at this present time.
[32:56] and yet you know he will be inquired of by the house of Israel. He will have his people come unto him.
[33:12] He has bidden them to come, hasn't he? He has spoken and invited them unto himself. He has said, come unto me you that labor and I will give you rest.
[33:35] What is it then that is upon your heart? Is it your sin? Is it some trouble, some trouble, an affliction, a path on which you have to walk?
[33:50] you have to bring it before him. You know, when we come into trouble, our first reaction is how can we get out of this?
[34:07] And sometimes we begin to tell the Lord, don't we, that he should do what should it be?
[34:24] It should be this, isn't it? Thy will be done, Lord. Thy will be done. Lord, do sustain me in this.
[34:37] Give me grace. Give me that grace, Lord, that was given to thy servant, grace which is sufficient. Because the Lord didn't remove the apostles thorn in the flesh.
[34:57] When the starving he had to carry that with him, there was a promise given. My grace is sufficient today, for my strength is made perfect in greatness.
[35:10] my strength. He said, my strength is made perfect in your weakness. When you are weak, then in his strength you are strong, aren't you?
[35:30] And let your request be made known unto God. And lay these things before him. play with him.
[35:45] And it must bear his all said, I won't be done Lord. I won't be done. And the peace of God which pains that all understanding is one place which is now unfound in the heart.
[36:07] And come near unto his throne and plaiting with him and lay your case before him. Put it into his hands as it were.
[36:20] HE trained, on be crushed right down and he puts strength you know in these people they're not crushed completely are they and they're down you know down upon their knees down into the dust not very pleasant is it to be down in the dust dear John Moore speaks of it in the lamentation is so very that there might be hope and now the Lord raises up a strong hope in the heart of his people they hope in him that's where my hope is not in anything here below is it
[37:45] I know the world they have their trust and their hope in something perhaps they hope to inherit a few of a fortune or win one the amount of papers that have pushed through our door win this win that send in your numbers and so on what good does that do a poor soul a needy soul and he never give them peace will he but godless peace that peace you know with positive understanding when christ you know draws near when you feel that sweet union when you feel so bound up with him bound up with with the dear lamb of god in your name with him in your name with the lamb from condemnation frame there is this why it's as the uh blood of the lord jesus christ that flows uh for freely into the heart now that paul said we felt now by the blood of christ this is where peace is now someone singing faced by his cross of jesus moon the church's everlasting head the peace of the moment in christ in that sweet fountain which was opened at calvary this man shall be the peace said the prophet you know it is possible isn't it to be in great trouble and to be in affliction and to have a heavy throne and to be at peace when christ is there when he puts forth his loving hand and takes you up as it were into his arms when you feel a sweet and bias i hope i'm not talking francifull i hope i know what i'm talking about you know and it's uh maybe once or twice it's not always you can sing it is it i could from all things i want to be but never never lord from me and only uh the lord blesses his dear people with uh those blessings in this life those things which we have richly to enjoy and it's right to enjoy them those things which the lord has given to us in this life and now the lord comes first doesn't he he can he will come first you know he will be first he will be honored the lord jesus will be exalted be careful for nothing but in everything and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto god and the peace of god which pauses all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through christ jesus keep your hearts and minds oh you say my heart my sinful heart of my mind my thoughts my wonder and now sometimes my thoughts are filled with all sorts of things i'm ashamed i'm ashamed of my heart okay you know the lord in that beautiful 17th chapter of john's gospel we have recorded there the prayer of the lord jesus he prayed didn't he for his people he prayed that they might be kept and he prayed that they might be sanctified through his word and he prayed that they might be won and he prayed that they might behold his glory shall keep your hearts and minds through christ jesus i see the time as gone may the lord have his blessing out in anything that he pure in his sinness for his name's sake amen