"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

 

         God's peace comes to us when we lean into our salvation. Isaiah says it this way: "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord is my strength and my song."

         In the worship of rejoicing and prayer we experience God's nearness and peace.

         When our children were little, my parents gave them some savings bonds for Christmas for a few years. We filed the bonds away in a safe place, and I imagine the boys forgot about them. It was just a few years ago that we dug them out, took them to the bank and cashed them. The money came to both David and Timm as something of a surprise. They were not really aware that they had them.

         Sometimes we can think of salvation in that way. We receive Christ and then in a sense place that salvation in the bank. It is hidden away, to be used later. But our salvation is not to be seen as a ticket to heaven. You do not bank it, you use it. You live in your salvation. You lean into it when life is difficult and confusing. You open your heart to its peace. You feel salvation in the form of the peace of God as you worship, as you hope, as you pray and commit your life to God. It is to be a future/present experience.

         To understand what Paul is saying in Philippians, we need to go back to the prophet Zephaniah. Jim Bruckner, who teaches Old Testament at North Park Seminary, has written a very helpful commentary on Zephaniah. I would like to use his insights to help us get hold of this aspect of salvation as peace, a peace that we receive through the expectant and joyful worship of God.

         Zephaniah is written in three parts. The first is a judgment against Judah. The people no longer trust God, no longer worship him from their hearts. They are more apt to call on Baal, more apt to consult the stars, more apt to trust themselves and their wealth. God's judgment stands against them. They will lose their land and be sent into exile in Babylon.

         The second part of Zephaniah is a call for a faithful remnant of the people to turn back to the Lord in repentance, humility and faith.

         The last part of the book is the promise of joy, as this faithful remnant will be restored, will return home, and will experience the saving presence, delight and peace of the Lord.

         Therefore, the foundation of a future hope was placed in the hearts of the people, even before they were sent into exile. Today we read this final portion: There will be a day when the LORD will remove their fear, when the LORD will be near to them, will be in their midst, when the LORD will take great delight in them and rejoice over them with singing.

         The prophecy concludes with some promises. God will lift their sorrows. He will deal with those who have oppressed them. He will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered in exile; he will bring the remnant home again with honor, restoring their fortunes.

         So, before the hard times begin, God speaks of salvation, of a restoration that brings peace. Notice that peace is not just an inner feeling of calm or serenity. For there to be peace, there must be restoration.

• The community is restored. Verse 30: "I will gather you. I will bring you home."
• People experience healing. Verse 19: "I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame . . . "
• Reputations are given back. Verse 20: "I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth."

         There is in the community a restoration of justice, of worship, and of grace and mercy. That is the peace of salvation.

         The song then ends with the community being taken into the life of God – into his delight, his love, his rejoicing. "He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Bruckner says that this song was intended to be sung by the exiles on their way back to Jerusalem. They still have enemies. They still have to defend themselves and work hard to rebuild Jerusalem. They will go through a time of disappointment even after they rebuild. But they are to sing in their difficulty, in their disappointment, in their struggle. They are to rejoice now, not simply when life is good again. They are to worship and rejoice on their way through the struggle towards the day of God's victory.

         Then Bruckner says that the writers of the New Testament rediscovered Zephaniah's words and used them to speak of what it meant for God to be with them and near them, in their experience of the ministry of Jesus, and especially in the resurrection of Jesus and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

         Jesus is Emmanuel – "God with us."

         John writes, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

         This gives us the background to understand the language Paul uses in Philippians chapter 4:

         "Rejoice in the Lord always."

         "Let your gentleness be evident to all."

         "The Lord is near."

"Do not be anxious about anything."

        "The peace of God will guard your hearts."

         This message was given to a church that was experiencing difficulty; some dissention and persecution. He is not saying, "Everything is great, rejoice." He is saying that here is a song to sing on the road home, here is a way to live in hope, while you go through difficult days, anticipating the fulfillment of the promises of God. Here is a way to experience God's peace while you lean into your salvation.

         All of us go through times of hard experience in life, when grief and anxiety are very much in our hearts. In such days it is hard to enter into a season of rejoicing, of peace. It is hard to feel Christmas.

         All of us go through times when the promises of God do not seem to ring true for us, at least not right now. There is perhaps a dryness of spirit where we had hoped for living water. That can lead to disappointment with God. It is hard to sing "The Hallelujah Chorus."

         It is in these times that the words of Paul, and of Zephaniah, speak to us.

         First, there is a present, objective reality to affirm.

• In the incarnation of Jesus, God came to dwell with us. The Lord is near.
• In the cross of Jesus our sins were dealt with. Not only that but the powers that stand against us; death, sin and the devil, were dealt a fatal blow.
• In the resurrection of Jesus, life in the Kingdom of God was opened to us. We have a future all sublime.

          The other thing that Paul is saying about our life in Christ is that we have a song to sing along the way to the new creation. Zephaniah called his people to worship. He called them, even before their time of great difficulty, to lean into their salvation with rejoicing. He called them to carry a song on the long road back to their home.

          So Paul takes his language. "Rejoice in the Lord always. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious, but by prayer and petitionÉ, present your requests to God. And the peace of God . . . will guard your hearts."

         There is a song to sing on our way to the new creation, on our way to God's great salvation, on our way home. The worship of Christmas is about our great hope. When you rejoice in God's salvation, God delights in you. He quiets you with his love.

         Make use of your salvation in your time of trouble. Lean into it. Sing of Christ, born to save you. Lift up your heart in hope. God loves you. He will give you his peace.

          Amen.