Beloved friends, we welcome you and we greet you once again in the pillar's name of our Lord Jesus Christ, continuing the study of the Philippine Epistle in the closing chapter, chapter four. We have emphasized that Christ in his supremacy is the leading truth in this letter of Christian experience. Christ in chapter one, We know there was the purpose for Christian living. In chapter two, the pattern. In chapter three, the prize. And today in chapter four, we shall find he is the power for Christian experience. Christ himself, the believer's strength and sufficiency for all circumstances. The key verse of the chapter is chapter four, verse thirteen. I can do all things through Christ. Who strengthens or empowers me? Now there are two exhortations opening the chapter in verses one through four. Please may I note in these first four verses the two particular exhortations for the believers at Philippi, as well as for you and for me, my fellow believer. First, stand fast. Second, rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say unto you, rejoice. The saints in Philippi were Paul's crown and rejoicing. They were brethren who were dearly beloved by him, but he exhorts them to stand fast in the Lord, and he exhorts them to rejoice in the Lord. The essential need of love and unity among them, Paul desired to see. You note in the exhortation he includes mentioning two sisters, praying that they would be of the same mind in the Lord. Some dissension had come between them, but his consideration for these women who stood by him in the gospel is clearly expressed. Closing with the exhortation, all of them should rejoice in the Lord, under all circumstances, at all times. What a Christ-exalted testimony we Christians would have today if we obeyed these words of the Apostle Paul. Let me repeat the two exhortations. First, stand fast in the Lord. Second, rejoice in the Lord. And may I emphasize, no other person has mentioned no one but the Lord. Then fast in the Lord. Rejoice in the Lord. Now notice we go to verses five through nine. Paul's occupation of heart and his dependence upon the Lord, which he knows we all need. This is Christian experience. It can only be known by dependence on God, Christian experience. As you have noticed, he declares, in verse five, the Lord is near. He's nighed. and we should be leaning on him. And also he's coming. But let me read these words as you have them. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your request be made known unto God. Let me stop there at the reading. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication and thanksgiving. Let your request be made known to God. Now please note the word nothing. Nothing, the answer is for nothing. Does not that take in everything? And then he goes on to say, in everything, pray. And with thanksgiving. And does not everything? It leaves out nothing. What a privilege to carry everything, not something. But everything is we often sing to God in prayer. In all things, whatever the circumstances, instead of fretting and worrying, we should make our request to God in prayer with thanksgiving. Can we not say he knows? He loves and he cares. Nothing this truth can dim. And he gives the very best. to those who leave the choice with him. Now I want you to note carefully, God does not through the Apostles say that we shall have everything that we ask for, but he does say, and the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. God's own peace will keep your heart. In other words, If we leave our burdens with God, He keeps the heart in peace. A peace we cannot explain, for it passes all understanding, yet the heart and the mind is not fixed on the problem, but fixed upon God. Then He quotes the words of Isaiah twenty-six three. Thou keepest him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusts in thee. My beloved, don't look at the circumstances. And when the circumstances are rough, please look to God. He's the God of circumstances. How important is our thought life in this as we go to verses eight and nine? What are we thinking of? What is our mind occupied with? Please note what Paul mentions. We should think of those things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, of virtue, and of praise, the very things that Paul had also taught, which have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do them. May I say frankly, all these excellent glories and perfections that we read that Paul refers to, are they not the things we find in Christ himself? Christ-like qualities of our Savior. And you and I can fill our thoughts, our minds with such thoughts that are true, that are honest, that are just, that are pure, that are lovely, of good rapport, of virtue, and praise. And whatever we are taught from the Word of God, my beloved, let me tell you frankly, the Christian is a lot to think about. May I go further? He has a wonderful person and she has a wonderful person to think of. And the God of peace shall be with you, adds the Apostle. We not only have the peace of God but greater and complete as you go to the end of the verse. The God of peace shall be with you. My fellow believer, may I present three facts to your heart and mind that we can enjoy in practice. First of all, my fellow Christian, we have peace with God. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. We read in Romans five one. But second, from our scripture in Philippians chapter four and verse seven, when we completely depend and pray in dependence to God for all our circumstances, we can have the peace of God. And last, in verses eight and nine, In complete occupation with the things that the apostle enumerates concerning God and Christ, we'll have the God of peace. May I repeat it? It's very simple. First, peace with God. That's the first thing you've got to get. Then, you can enjoy the peace of God. And then, even greater, you can enjoy the God of peace himself. Meditate upon them. We have peace with God through faith in Christ. We can have the peace of God in all our circumstances in depending upon God. We can also enjoy the God of peace himself in full heart occupation of those excellent qualities found in Christ. The true things we should be thinking about. But to any other listening friend who knows nothing of this wonderful peace, please let me emphasize first The peace that you should seek before the other two. It is peace with God. By nature you and I and by practice, unsaved, we are as enemies against God. We sinned against Him. We rebelled against Him. And those sins we need to confess and repent of. And I must repent before God of all my sins that I've done in my rebellious spirit against Him. Long ago one wrote, Acquaint now thyself with God and be at peace. My beloved, if you want to have peace with God, all you have to do is accept God's terms of peace. You say one of those, listen to his words. You who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ, for he is our peace. We read Ephesians two, thirteen and fourteen. Let me quote Colossians one twenty, saying that Christ having made peace by the blood of his cross. One time a dear faithful Christian worker, a young man, went to a dear old fellow there was a patient in a hospital and questioned him saying, Have you peace with God? And the old man said, I have that and more. I not only have the peace with God, I have the peace of God, and better still I have the God of peace. My beloved, let me say this. You cannot make your peace with God. The Lord Jesus made that for you. Now will you take what He offers, that peace, through faith in Him, to have peace with God. Peace, perfect peace in this dark world of sin. The blood of Jesus wrote the poet, Whispers peace within. My beloved, what a joy to know. The peace that God gives to the sinner, to his heart, his mind, his soul, when that sinner trusts the Savior who paid the penalty to God for all of his sins and hers. Will you believe, my sinner friend, in genuine sincerity? that Christ, God's Son, died upon the cross for your sins, to make peace for you? That's the only way. I quote again in closing, Romans five one, therefore being justified, how, by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. A permanent peace, the soul at peace with God, my sin, I have settled with him through the death of his dear son, who paid my penalty. Can you say, I have peace with God? When you have enjoyed the peace of God, go even further, enjoyed the peace of God, and the God of peace himself. Father, we pray thy blessing upon thy word, for we who are thy people, who have peace with thee, Help us to enjoy the peace of God and God of peace himself, and bring some sinner now to find his or her peace with God through faith in the Lord Jesus. Amen.