Contagious Joy
The Book of Philippians
Sunday, October 15 th , 2023

Philippians 4:2-9
Introduction
The Christian Life Involves Rejoicing Always and Thinking Rightly
Paul is giving imperatives (commands) to the people in Philippi.
I. Rejoice in the Lord Always (v.4-6)
v.4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice…”
The Apostle Paul opens this section with a command for the Philippians to
rejoice in the Lord always. Throughout the letter Paul is encouraging the people
to excel in joy and rejoicing.
Joy finds its expression in rejoicing because we find joy regardless of our
circumstances.
“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of
the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and
there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will take joy in the
God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:17,18
What is the basis of our rejoicing?
Spiritual stability and joy are directly related to how a person thinks about God.
Knowledge of God is the key to rejoicing. Those who know the great truths
about God find it easy to rejoice; those with little knowledge of Him find it difficult
to rejoice.
v.5 - “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.”
As they rejoice in the Lord during opposition and suffering what others are to see
is their reasonableness/gentleness.
II. The Peace of God (v6,7)
v.6 – “The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything let
your requests be made known to God.”
The reality that God is at hand calls for no anxiety but for joy, prayer and
thanksgiving and the promise that God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt
you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares
for you.” 1 Peter 5:6,7

v.7 – “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Colossians 3:15 – “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which
indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”
Both joy and peace are fruits of the Spirit that are to be evident in our lives.
Romans 14:17 – “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking
but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
III. The God of Peace (v.8,9)
“Think” – logizomai – means to ponder, to give proper weight and value to, and to
allow the resultant appraisal to influence the way life is to be lived.
“whatever is true” – speaking here of telling the truth
“whatever is honorable” – that which inspires awe or reverence
“whatever is just” – think on God’s justice and righteousness. We are to
exemplify this characteristic
“whatever is pure” – speaking here of purity involved with relationships
“whatever is lovely” – only time used in Bible and speaks of pleasing and
attractive
“whatever is commendable” – speaking here of speaking well of something
“if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think of these
things.” – the Apostle Paul does not want to be exhaustive so he reinforces his
statement with these last two clauses
“Each of Paul’s ingredients is explicitly positive. The true, the noble, the right, the
pure, the lovely, the admirable all defy negative exposition. Each ingredient was
and is a matter of personal choice – and our choices make all the difference in
the world. We all can choose a thought program which will produce a Christian
mind.” Kent Hughes
“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these
things, and the God of peace will be with you!
IV. Conclusion
The Christian life is to be one of joy and rejoicing! The peace of God is promised
to us when we come to God in prayer. The Christian life is also a battle for our
thoughts!