Be Still And Know

Philippians 1:29–30 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it. We don’t know the exact nature of the problems in the Philippian church. It had been planted in a hostile environment and was led by new Christians who were doubtless still trying to get their heads around Christian doctrine and practice. I often hear people say that it would be good if we could get back to being like the early Church, but I’m not so sure. It may have had the blessing of newness and enthusiasm, but battled with many critical problems that we would never have to face. We also have huge resources of Christian experience and literature to draw upon. Paul offered the Philippian church the huge encouragement that they were not alone. Paul knew exactly what they were going through, and they had the benefit of seeing him at work. They knew

Philippians 1:27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. The residents of Philippi were very proud of their city. They had been rewarded by the Emperor Octavian after his defeat of Antony and Cleopatra and were designated a Roman Colony. The city was in Macedonia (now part of northern Greece), but the Philippians enjoyed the same privileges as if they were living in Italy. Citizenship was a big issue for them, and they were delighted to enjoy the legal and tax advantages that came with their status. But Paul indicated that far more significant than this was the fact that they were citizens of heaven. Being a Philippian was a temporary arrangement – unlike their eternal citizenship of heaven. Paul was not saying that it was unimportant that they were Roman citizens. He had much to say about the importance of Christians living as responsible members of their community. In his letter to the church in Rome, at the heart of th

Philippians 1:21–24 For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. During the two years that I lived in India a number of people in our community died and I deeply appreciated the way in which their deaths were handled. Soon after the person passed away their body was prepared and laid out on a bed in the middle of the main room of the house. Visitors would then come and pay their respects, light candles around the body, and say prayers. This would continue until the body was taken in an open coffin to church for the funeral service (normally the day after the death). It was all so very different from the way in which our society handles death. When I returned to this country I deeply regretted the way in which we seem to be kept well a

Philippians 1:15 and 18 It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives…Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. From time to time we probably all think how nice it would be to live in a perfect world where everyone agreed with everyone else. We could then get on with living our Christian lives with the confidence that what other people said was a mirror image of our own thoughts. But the reality is people disagree on almost every subject and Christian faith attracts the complete spectrum of reactions. There are people who love every word we speak, and others who hate it with a passion. And, as Paul observed, people speak in a whole variety of ways. Some are loving and gracious, others are bitter and divisive. It’s all very confusing, but Paul drew a strong and interesting conclusion. Amid all the confusion he recognised that what really

Philippians 1:12–13And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ.My chief memory of prison visits is the huge bunches of keys and the slamming of doors and I am sure that would have been just the same in Paul’s day. The lack of liberty must be terrible, and we have every reason to think that Paul’s years of incarceration would have been a degrading experience. But Paul has no time for moaning! He reflects that his time in prison has actually enabled the good news ofJesus to be spread.Paul’s various times in prison must have been desperately hard to bear, but he consistently focused on the fact that God had brought blessing through these times.This reminds me of Joseph’s experience in the Old Testament. His brothers hated him so much that they intended to murder him, but they eventually decided to sell him to some passing trade

Philippians 1:9–10 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.  You may be a member of lots of organisations, such as the National Trust, a car breakdown service, a political party or a sports club. If I asked you whether your relationship with those organisations was growing, you would probably think that was a very odd question. You would probably just think of yourself as being in or out – a member or not a member. The idea of having a developing relationship with the organisations wouldn’t seem relevant. The problem is that many people look at the Church in exactly the same way. They are members of a local church but would never think of it as a relationship that was changing or needed to change. Throughout Paul’s writing he saw his relationship with Christ as being something that was constant

Philippians 1:6 I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. I love the confidence with which Paul writes about the future. When you hear most people talking about the future, they are often hesitant and anxious, saying phrases such as: “Things just keep going from bad to worse,” or “What a terrible world to be brought up in.” But Paul looked at the Philippians’ future from God’s perspective and was sure that God wouldn’t let them down. Isn’t it wonderful to know that our future is absolutely secure in God’s hands? But that knowledge shouldn’t cause us to become complacent. Later in this letter Paul wrote about straining forward like an athlete (3:14) so that he could get to know the Lord better. One of the most valuable ways of getting to know God better is through reading the Bible. I hope these notes are helpful to you but I would always encourage you to read more and more of the Bible.

Philippians 1:3–5 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. I love this Philippian letter because it is so full of bubbling joy. That’s particularly remarkable because Paul was in prison as he wrote these words! Paul had three spells in prison which we know about and we can’t be sure which one this is, but most people think that he was in Rome at the time. His life was on the line and on a number of occasions he spoke as if his end might be very close. But nothing stopped his torrent of joyfulness. Paul was particularly grateful for his Christian brothers and sisters in Philippi. He was there when the church in that city was founded and only had to think about them to feel joyful. Christian fellowship is always an amazing and miraculous gift. The only reason we have a relationship with our Christian brothers and si

Philippians 1:1–2 This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons. The apostle Paul was absolutely clear that it is not what you know but who you know that really matters in life. And so he began this warm and encouraging letter by focusing on Jesus. It was Paul’s relationship with the Lord that compelled him to write this letter and he identified the fact that, as a community, the Philippian church belonged to Jesus. Paul described his own relationship with Jesus as being that of a slave. Philippi was a busy Roman colony and there would have been huge numbers of slaves, probably about 20 per cent of the population. Everyone would have understood what Paul was saying. Slaves were owned by their master, who totally controlled their lives to the extent that they didn’t even possess their own bodies. They had no ancestors, no name and could have no possessions. On

Matthew 7:24–25 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.  Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.” The Sermon on the Mount closes with this powerful little parable about two houses. One built on rock and the other on sand. The point is that when the weather is fine they look identical. The only time you discover the difference between them is when disaster strikes. At that moment the quality of the foundations is revealed, and the house built on sand collapses. Jesus was saying that the radical teaching of his sermon is the rock on which our lives need to be built. When we do so, we can look to the future with confidence because we know that, whatever might be thrown at us, we will still be standing secure. So the key question is this – what do we need to do to build on the solid rock of Jesus’ teaching? We certainly need to

Matthew 7:15–16 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act.”  False prophets make an appearance in both the Old and New Testaments. Jeremiah had a particular problem with them. He believed that he was called by God to inform the people that, unless they turned back to him, a foreign nation would sweep over them and take them into exile. This was not the message that people wanted to hear. They much preferred the soothing words of the false prophets who prophesied that all would be well because they had the Lord’s Temple. But Jeremiah’s words were true and, in due course, the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem and took the Lord’s people off into exile. False prophets were a continual challenge in the early Church; Jesus sought to prepare his followers to meet them. What they needed to know was how to spot a false prophet. Jesus warned that there would be teachers who would come among t

Matthew 7:13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.” I am always fascinated to hear people tell me the story of their lives. Although their life journeys are all completely different, they have something in common; the importance of decision -making. It shapes our lives to a huge extent and so it is vital that we make good and wise decisions. Here Jesus encourages his followers to enter into the kingdom of heaven and he emphasises that the gate is narrow. It will only be entered by people who are deliberate in their choice and willing to face its demands. It is the gate that leads to life and fulfilment, but it would be very easy to miss it, because the much wider path is the one which leads to destruction. These are sobering words, and we need to listen carefully to them. In the Old Testament we meet a number of pivotal moments of decision making. At the end of his life, Moses challenged the

Matthew 7:12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” This statement is often known as The Golden Rule. The Jews were familiar with something like this but always in the negative form. Only Jesus expressed the rule positively. That is to say, we are not merely to stop thieving, lying and killing but to go out of our way to love, care and encourage. And the reason for living in this way is that surely this is exactly how we would like other people to treat us. Jesus plainly saw this simple and clear rule as a summary of his Sermon on the Mount. This principle should be shaping the way in which we live day by day. So our first task is to decide how we like to be treated. It would be excellent if you could take some time today to make a list of the things that are important for you. To get your thinking going, let me reflect on my own life. I would begin by saying that I want to be loved, and I recognise tha

Matthew 7:11 “If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.” Some years ago, I was travelling on a bus in Israel and heard some amazing pan-pipe music. I spoke to the driver and told him how much I enjoyed it. Without a moment’s hesitation he took the cassette tape out of the machine and handed it to me, insisting that I take it as a gift. I was quite embarrassed and insisted that he should keep it. He wouldn’t hear of it. Moments of generosity like that are a great blessing aren’t they? Our reading today tells us that that is the nature of God. He is always generous. He can’t wait for the opportunity to bless our lives. He could impose his gifts on us but his desire is that we should want them so much that we ask him for them. Jesus pointed out that there was nothing particularly surprising about that, because all parents love giving good gifts to their children. No parent, he suggested, would give the

Matthew 7:3   “Why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?” This comical illustration is taken from the carpenter’s workshop. Jesus used it to press home his teaching about being judgemental. It’s so easy to spot the shortcomings of other people. Jesus wasn’t suggesting that their inadequacies aren’t real, but rather was encouraging us to look at ourselves and recognise that our failings may be much greater than the little failings of others. He wasn’t saying that we should stop identifying the specks in other people’s eyes but that we should start by becoming far more self-aware. How well do you know yourself? It is very easy for all of us to develop annoying habits and attitudes that are so deeply embedded in us that we don’t see them anymore. When someone points out that we are a little short of perfection, we shrug our shoulders and conclude that people just need to take us as they find us. Jesus suggested that this isn’t good enough. We need to let his light

Matthew 6:26–27 “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” The most useless thing that you can say to a person who is worrying is: “Don’t worry.” No doubt it is meant kindly, but you are actually increasing the person’s problems, because you have done nothing to stop their worrying and now added a layer of guilt on top! I love Jesus’ approach. He tells his followers that they have no need to worry because God will provide for them. If he is able to look after the birds and the flowers, he can certainly cope with their problems. Trusting God is the answer. Worrying has never, and can never, build anything. I do realise that those wise words don’t in themselves solve the problem. Worries will still come knocking at the door wanting to claim our attention. So what shall we do when the next worry turns up? The best thing that

Matthew 6:20–21 “Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” What matters most to you in your life? It could be any number of things – your family, possessions, relationships, career, hobby, sport, reputation, political convictions or your faith. Jesus was highlighting that whatever matters most to you will shape the way in which you live. It is vital that you fix your sights on something that will last. Remember, most things about this life are temporary. Our possessions are a blessing to us because they are part of God’s gift to us, but they have a short shelf life. They are either attacked by moths and rust or could be stolen. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus encouraged his followers to keep their eyes fixed on the kingdom of heaven because that will last for ever. I have always been inspired by the story of Jim Elliot. He was determined to share the good ne

Matthew 6:16–17 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and dishevelled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.”  Fasting formed a significant part of Jewish life. Solemn fasts were held on particular days such as the Day of Atonement, the New Year and the anniversaries of notable calamities in Jewish history. In addition, special fasts were called when there was a particular emergency, such as the autumn rains failing. Stricter Jews would also fast weekly on Mondays and Thursdays. In the early Church many Christians fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays. So fasting was a regular experience for Christians and Jesus did nothing to discourage it. But his concern was the way in which it was done. He taught his disciples to be completely private about it. Because it was to be entirely between them and God, he encouraged them to go

Matthew 6:13 “Don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” When we pray for our sins to be forgiven and for us to forgive others we are looking to the past. In this verse, the Lord’s Prayer looks to the future. Once again, the prayer is fiercely realistic. Although we have had the privilege of our sins being forgiven, we haven’t overcome the problem of sin. Every day we will still face temptation to be less than the best. We will be tempted to cut corners, to be selfish and to neglect the needs of others. However, we can look to the future with confidence because God promises to be our rescuer, if only we place our lives in his hands. Temptation is incredibly subtle. The evil one knows our weaknesses and will exploit them in every possible way. As we face up to these temptations, we have the wonderful privilege of knowing that Jesus understands exactly what we are going through. In the letter to the Hebrews the writer says that Jesus: “understands our weaknesses, for he fa

Matthew 6:12 “Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” The Lord’s Prayer talks about our everyday life and here it faces up to the horrible but undeniable fact that sin forms a big part of our lives. But here’s the good news: through our faith in Jesus, sin is no longer an overwhelming problem. Before we met Jesus, sin defeated us but now, through his death on the cross, we can claim God’s forgiveness. We no longer need to trudge through life with the burden of our sins and failures. If we own up to our sins, God is willing to set us free from their consequences, so that we can be fully alive. God’s forgiveness is a wonderful gift but, if we are willing to receive it, it places a huge responsibility on us. We have to share it. Day by day we need to be ready to pass it on when people offend us or deliberately trip us up. This is the tough bit. When we are deliberately wronged, everything in us cries out for justice if not retribution. We want the perpetrator to be punish