GIVING THANKS (Philippians 4:4-9 NIV) Give Thanks as You Pray - November 16, 2025

GIVING THANKS (Philippians 4:4-9 NIV) Give Thanks as You Pray - November 16, 2025

INTRODUCTION

Giving thanks

Giving thanks in all circumstances

Giving thanks as you enter worship and continue in praise

Giving thanks in all you do and say

Giving thanks as your testimony

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“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 every situation, 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.”

‭‭ Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I.  REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS!

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

‭‭ Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Over a decade ago, Richard Stearns, the president of World Vision, visited a church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, nearly a year after the devastating earthquake. The church's building consisted of a tent made from white tarps and duct tape, pitched in the midst of a sprawling camp for thousands of people still homeless from the earthquake.

In the front row of that church sat six amputees ranging in age from 6 to 60. They were clapping and smiling as they sang song after song and lifted their prayers to God. The worship was full of hope...[and] with thanksgiving to the Lord.

No one was singing louder or praying more fervently than Demosi Louphine, a 32-year-old unemployed single mother of two. During the earthquake, a collapsed building crushed her right arm and left leg. After four days both limbs had to be amputated, but she was leading the choir, standing on her prosthesis and lifting her one hand high in praise to God...

Following the service, Stearns met Demosi and her two daughters, ages eight and ten, who were living in a tent just five feet tall and perhaps eight feet wide. She had lost her job, her home, and two limbs, but she was deeply grateful because God spared her life on January 12th last year (2010)..."He brought me back like Lazarus, giving me the gift of life," says Demosi...[who] believes she survived the devastating quake for two reasons: to raise her girls and to serve her Lord for a few more years.

Richard Stearns comments: "It makes no sense to me as an 'entitled American' who grouses at the smallest inconveniences--a clogged drain or a slow wi-fi connection in my home. Yet here in this place, many people who had lost everything...expressed nothing but praise." Then he continues, "They have so much more to offer me than I to them. I feel pity and sadness for them, but it is they who might better pity me for the shallowness of my own walk with Christ."

Richard Stearns, Suffering and Rejoicing in a Haitian Tent Camp, www.Christianitytoday.com, 1-12-11.

A.  ALWAYS!

B.  Rejoice today

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭118‬:‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

‭‭ Psalm‬ ‭118‬:‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  Rejoice, do not despair

"I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle for me. Its a sort of splendid torch which Ive got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."

George Bernard Shaw

II.  DO NOT BE ANXIOUS; BUT PRAY WITH THANKSGIVING

What's worse than being trapped behind prison bars? Trying to live while avoiding capture.

Sergei was a Latvian prison convict with ten months left to serve on his seven-year burglary sentence, when he decided to escape. But even after years of freedom, the escapee couldn't relax. 

"Worry over being caught was proving too stressful." He worked several jobs and moved into an apartment with his girlfriend, but Sergei was constantly looking over his shoulder.

In a move that surprised prison officials, Sergei showed up at the minimum-security facility and turned himself in five years after he first escaped.

"Man Picks Jail Over Girlfriend," CBS.news.com (2-22-05); The Christian Science Monitor (3-14-05).

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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.”

‭‭ Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

A.  Don’t be anxious

The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith; and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.

George Muller

B.  Present your requests to God

1.  Prayer

2.  Petition

3.  Thanksgiving

C.  The grace of peace

Peace is .... “a conception distinctly peculiar to Christianity, the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatever sort that is.”

Feinberg, 1960.

III.  OUR STATE OF MIND

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

‭‭ Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

A.  Thanksgiving is a state of mind.

B.  Peace is a state of mind.

Lucinda Norman writes of her experience Christmas shopping at the mall. People had been pushing, elbowing and cutting in front of her all day. During a 10 minute extra 10% off special, one woman grabbed a lace table cloth from her hands, looked her in the eye and said, “Mine!” She yanked it back and won. By 4 pm her mood was belligerent. She met some friends at a mall restaurant and flagged down a server. She barked, “I need a hot tea now!” The waitress snapped back, “I’m not your server. Wait your turn.” Lucinda responded, “Lady, I’ve been waiting my turn all day. Bring me some tea!” But the waitress ignored her. A few moments later, a friend young man came to their tables and said, “I’m Rob, your waiter.” After he took their order, Lucinda watched Rob as he helped the rude waitress with her tray. He greeted the other customers and staff with a smile on his face. In the midst of all of the hurried customers and chaos of the season, he had a polite and unhurried atmosphere of calm. When he refilled her tea, Lucinda noticed a siver ring on his hand made of connected letters spelling Jesus. And then she writes, “From that moment, my attitude changed. This young man’s example had reminded me of the peace that Christ came to bring.” And for the rest of the day, Lucinda enjoyed shopping, opened doors for other and let others in front of her in the checkout line, all in an atmosphere of peace.

Tim Smith, Sermon Central, August 13, 2017.

C.  Peace is a spiritual reality.

1.  Think

2.  Do

"Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin? The blood of Jesus whispers peace within."

Peace, Perfect Peace is a hymn whose lyrics were written in August 1875 by Edward H. Bickersteth at the bedside of a dying relative.  He read it to his relative immediately after writing it.

Philippians 4:9b NIV

“And the God of peace will be with you.”

Philippians 4:9b NIV

I wish I knew who wrote: "Peace with God brings the peace of God. It is a peace that settles our nerves, fills our mind, floods our spirit and, in the midst of the uproar around us, gives us the assurance that everything is all right." I would thank them for reminding me of this deep truth.

CONCLUSION

Rejoice in the Lord always!  Do not be anxious about anything, but pray.  Thanksgiving and peace are states of mind.  We can be grateful in any situation because of God.  We can be at peace in any situation because of God.

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.