“When joy and prayer are married, their first born child is gratitude.”
Charles H. Spurgeon
Passage
4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
5Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:4–7 (NASB95)
"Sacred Heart of Jesus" by Lawrence OP is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0.
Background
Quote-First Charles Haddon Spurgeon (19 June 1834[1] – 31 January 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher.
Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, among whom he is known as the "Prince of Preachers". He was a strong figure in the Reformed Baptist tradition, defending the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, and opposing the liberal and pragmatic theological tendencies in the Church of his day.
Spurgeon authored sermons, an autobiography, commentaries, books on prayer, devotionals, magazines, poetry, and hymns. Many sermons were transcribed as he spoke and were translated into many languages during his lifetime. He is said to have produced powerful sermons of penetrating thought and precise exposition. His oratory skills are said to have held his listeners spellbound in the Metropolitan Tabernacle, and many Christians hold his writings in exceptionally high regard among devotional literature.
Passage-The book of Philippians is a Prison Epistle (letter written while in prison). Paul wrote it about 62 A.D. as he anticipated his release from prison. They key personalities are the Apostle Paul, Timothy, Epaphroditus, Euodia, and Syntyche. It was written to show his appreciation and love to the Philippians in a thank-you letter for their continued help and support, and also to encourage their growth.
Lesson Notes
Opening Statement
People can see joy and happiness in body language. They can see anger and resentment too. Some people are good at hiding their feelings but most of us let it slip out when we aren’t paying attention to our heart. That’s important.
Ask: How do joy and prayer come together to form gratitude?
Point: The answer lies in why we are joyful.
Ask: Why are we joyful?
Point: please read the following:
15but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
1 Peter 3:15 (NASB95)
Ask: What does that mean to “…give an account…?”
Point: Know the reason or reasons why we have hope.
Ask: Well, what reason or reasons does Peter give us in this passage?
Point: Please read the following:
12“For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, And His ears attend to their prayer, But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
13Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?
14But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,
15but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
16and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.
1 Peter 3:12–16 (NASB95)
Ask: Are the Old Testament passages Peter is quoting important to our understanding of why he thinks we should have hope?
Point: Yes. Please read the following:
12Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good?
13Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit.
14Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
15The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.
16The face of the Lord is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17The righteous cry, and the Lord hears And delivers them out of all their troubles.
Psalm 34:12–17 (NASB95)
Ask: Verse seventeen says the righteous cry and the Lord hears them so who are the “righteous?”
Point: There is some bad news Please read the following:
10as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one;
11There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God;
12All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.”
13“Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15“Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17And the path of peace they have not known.”
18“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
Romans 3:10–18 (NASB95)
Ask: Why tell us how to get help if no one can qualify for help?
Point: Because there is hope for everyone. Please Read the Following:
21He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB95)
Ask: Why would God do that for us?
Point: Please Read the Following:
17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
18Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
19namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
21He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:17–21 (NASB95)
Ask: Paul gives us an “If/Then” statement. If we do this thing, then this other thing will come about. What is the If/Then statement Paul gives us?
Point: Please Re-read Verse 17 above:
17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB95)
Ask: What does that mean to us as Christians? Do we have one word for what Paul is asking us to do as a “new creature?”
Point: Repent
Ask: Why is repentance important in the concept of being a new creature?
Point: Please Read the Following:
20But you did not learn Christ in this way,
21if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus,
22that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit,
23and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
Ephesians 4:20–24 (NASB95)
Closing Statement
Becoming a new creature. Laying aside the former manner of life. Renewed in the spirit of our minds. Being in Christ so the old ways of doing things are gone and the new ways lie before us. We gain the imputed righteousness of Jesus because Christ loved us as God loves us. He wants us to be the new creature and not the old. He wants us to show people He has reconciled us all to Him through His Son. The way the truth and the light are through Jesus and our faith in Him. That faith is not misplaced. It is the reason for the joy in our hearts that He did what He did and it resulted in the imputed righteousness necessary to be reconciled with God. In that, all people of the world can rejoice, can hope, and can see a better way. We are ambassadors of that better way.