Sleeps in a Storm

Sermon Philippians 4:1-8; 13 February 23, 2020 Final sermon of 7 week series

Sleeps in a Storm

We begin today with:

A Poem

God provides, We prepare

Storms prevail, We persevere

Fear pervades, We pray

God’s peace guards, We praise.

A song

In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful, in the Lord I will rejoice, look to God, do not be afraid, lift up your voices, the Lord is near.

Poems and songs have a way of speaking words we cannot express ourselves. We look to them as we think of others. We look to them to nourish our souls and strengthen our reserves.

We peruse the card aisle at the drugstore looking for just the right words to express to one another how we feel. It’s hard at times to find the right words. It’s hard at times to offer thanks, or condolences, or even words of joy for birthdays and anniversaries. We often say to ourselves as we send a card that this is the next best thing to being there with our friend or loved one. We send ourselves in the folds of the card and the snug of the envelope.

Letters can do that too. Letters of our own scribing, of our own creative crafting, can provide insight to the reader about who we are and how we are. They share news and elements of information important to our well being and the wellbeing of the reader.

We have this gift of written letters within our grasp. Letters that are love letters to churches. Letters that are instructions and how-to manuals. Letters that are admonishments. Letters that are encouragements. Right here within the binding of our Bibles are letters written to us. They still speak to the church today.  

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord.” These words still ring true to our desiring hearts. We long to be called brothers and sisters. We long to be called loved and joy. And when we hear the reader in the pulpit read these words, it’s as if Paul is talking straight to us today.

Watching the history channel’s miniseries this week about George Washington reminded me of how we know him because of the letters he wrote. We hear his letters being read and it’s as if we really know the wonder of this amazing man. Our relationship with this forefather of our country is fresh and new and revived by the sounds of his words as they are read from his letters.

When we receive a card from someone, we read it based on our relationship with the person who sent it.

Paul’s letters are written to the churches from his relationship with them. He truly loved the church at Philippi. His partnership with them for the sake of the gospel, the word of Jesus Christ, was very deep. He trusted them. He relied on them. He was in prison and so he needed them to carry on their partnership even though he was not physically with them.

Today we have many means of being able to be face to face with someone even though we are absent in body. Facetime, Whatsapp, Discord, Skype, are all means of breaking through the distance and challenge of being fully present with someone. We have this amazing tool to use. How have we utilized it? Do we reach out to family and show off how much we’ve grown? Do we reach out to old friends and look for the expressions on their faces? Do we use it for work so that we don’t get lost in translation of our written text messages? I wonder how Paul’s letters from prison to the churches would be different with this 21^st century technology? Would he have been able to convey the same picture words to help the church know about the power of God for them?

As you go home today and read your Bible, ask yourself as you open up the letters-the epistles, who is writing and who is reading? What was going on in the lives of the people? Is there anything in your life that you might be experiencing the same as these early Christians? Imagine yourself sitting with this letter as if it was written just for you. And let the Spirit move within you to discover the richness God has for you in the reading of this Word.

Today’s portion of the letter we read has a special message-it actually has a few.

Here are a few take aways to hang on to.

1.      God’s peace will stand guard as one who sleeps in a storm

2.     Reconcile with one another; heal one another in times of need

3.     In the Lord we can be ever thankful for he is near.

One.  God’s peace will stand guard as one who sleeps in a storm. In verse seven Paul states. “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” After all that has been said Paul makes it clear that God is in charge. God will stand as a sentry for your hearts and minds if you allow it to happen. Imagine the security and sense of confidence we could have if we really believed that God was standing watch over us to protect our hearts and our minds. Paul must have been thinking back to the time Jesus slept through the storm with his disciples.

George Heinrichs shared a story from a sermon he heard in 1975. It does us well to hear this today. You can find it in our devotional guide if you want a copy.

The story goes like this: A man seeks employment on a farm. He hands his letter of recommendation to his new employer. It reads simply, “sleeps in a storm.” The owner is desperate for help, so he hires the man. Several weeks pass, and suddenly, in the middle of the night, a powerful storm rips through the valley. Awakened by the swirling rain and howling wind, the owner leaps out of bed. He calls for his new hired hand, but the man is sleeping soundly. So he dashes off to the barn. He sees, to his amazement, that the animals are secure with plenty of feed. He runs out to the field. He sees the bales of wheat have been bound and are wrapped tarpaulins. He races to the silo. The doors are latched and the grain is dry. And then he understands. “Sleeps in a storm.”

What have we been so anxious about that we have refused to allow God to stand guard? Have been so unwilling to trust God with our intimate desires or heartaches that we cannot turn it over to the one who sleeps next to us in a storm?

If a sailor or a farmer cannot trust the ones who work alongside them, then they will never sleep, they will always be afraid of what will go wrong.

God promises to be there for us in all kinds of circumstances.

Which is why Paul also says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

This is our chance to let go of our pragmatism that gets in the way of God’s miracles. If we are faithful, if we are willing to believe that our citizenship is in heaven and that we are expecting a Savior who will transform us in glory, then perhaps we can trust God to take our fear.

Perhaps, we can know that we have done all we can to be faithful. We can go to sleep knowing that God is on duty.

Do not be afraid.

Stand firm.

Be at peace.

Two. Reconcile with one another; heal one another in times of need. Paul is confident enough in his relationship with the church that he can add a little admonishment and make a request of the community.

We have been given this precious nugget from Paul in the middle of the letter to let the readers know that Christians have challenges. We have this little nugget to know that all situations within the church and in the life of Christians are publicly addressed. What a blessing this is for us as we read this. We can be assured that we too have an example to look to on how to handle the tough times.

Two of his leaders have been in a squabble.

It’s so hard when friends and people who are working hard together end up in a disagreement. ‘Nothings’ worse than two church ladies fighting in the kitchen.’

Paul asks the church, the community of faith, to rally around the women Euodia and Syntyche and help them reconcile. Paul has so much faith in the strength of the community.

He trusts them to reach out and embrace those who are in discord.

It is encouraging to know the congregation of Philippi can hear Paul’s words and act on them.

They are able to allow the love of Christ to do a mighty work within the strains of relationships.

If we are all aware of how short our time is with one another, we would put our relationship, the love we have, the bonds of time and experience at all costs above any disagreement that would seek to tear us apart.

These words from Paul mean so much because relationships are hard work.

And just because we are Christians doesn’t mean we are perfect in how we get along with ourselves and others. Paul is saying in the letter, ‘stop thinking the Christian label is the label of perfection’.

The only perfection is in Christ Jesus.

His love, grace, forgiveness is what heals and makes whole. Discord happens anywhere and everywhere.

As believers, we can learn to offer Christ’s love, grace, and forgiveness to heal wounds and heal a whole community. Christ went to the cross for us, the least we can do is offer or receive forgiveness from a brother or sister. That’s how the church lives and thrives.

Three. In the Lord we can be ever thankful, for he is near.

Gratitude is life giving.

With thanks, we release all that’s negative in our life and receive endorphins that energize and bring health.

Many people have been encouraged by keeping a gratitude journal. They begin or end each day writing the things they are thankful for. In it they recognize the positive possibilities for approaching each day. Even in the worst of times people have told me how the gratitude journal kept them grounded, anchored, rooted in the life that mattered.

When loss, sadness, anger, frustration, anxiety, and/or fear seek to take over our souls, a single fresh breath of thanksgiving can cleanse the palate and bring a new flavor for the day.

Paul reminds the church to rejoice, and rejoice again, and always.

Do not give up rejoicing!

He is so confident that as we offer our requests and our thanksgiving to God we, the church, can be freed of all our fears and anxieties. He is convinced that God is near, and in that assurance we can rejoice.

The promise of Christ’s return is the hope to which we are grounded. It is a sure and certain hope.

The nearness of Christ is how the church continues from generation to generation. It is how we remain thankful, live our lives, and rejoice.

Our houses might be a mess, our mortgage might be late, our electricity might be close 

to being turned off; but, somehow, someway, we can be at peace, we can sleep in this storm. Perhaps, that’s it…the paradox, the truth.

Let our reference letters say, ‘sleeps in a storm’.

In the Lord I’ll be ever thankful, in the Lord I will rejoice, look to God, do not be afraid, lift up your voices, the Lord is near.

Take the letters written within the bindings of your Bible and read what the Spirit has for you today.

Amen.