The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Nelly Kaye of Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, from the tape, GC 1301-H, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 10." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1978. All Rights Reserved.
Question
What is the difference between Christians, who seem to have such an exciting,
happy life, and those who don’t?
Answer
Boy, That's a good question, isn’t it? What is the difference? What is it that
really makes a Christian able to cope with life? You know not everybody can
handle it. Not everybody can cope. A lot of people have psychological problems,
I’ve talked to you about that before. What makes the difference? What is a
Christian who’s positive and excited and happy? I always go back to the same
passage, and I’m going to close with that tonight. Look with me at Philippians
four.
Many of you said in your questions, "You know, I have a husband who’s an alcoholic," or and some of you even asked about drinking, and I’m going to get to that one when I get to, "Be not drunk with wine," in Ephesians five in a couple of weeks, so I didn’t answer that tonight. I’m going to give you the Christian's wine list.
But many of you say, but what do I do with my husband if he drinks, what do I do with my teenage son, and how do I get on top of the Christian life, and I’ve got psychological problems and I need counseling and what do I do? And I just thought I would close with this, and I want to share it with you. And I shared these thoughts when I was back at Moody Church on a Sunday night, last Sunday night. And there was a lady in the audience, Mrs. Smith. Her husband is the associate pastor of Moody Church and was making a left turn, a month or so ago and a truck hit him. A garbage truck fell on top of him and crushed his car and crushed his skull and he’s been in a coma ever since. Boy, she’s had a hard time. I think she has four little children and I wanted to share something that would help to say, "Hey in the midst of a tough thing, you know, husband in a coma, four little kids to explain it to..." And a guy came to me too that night and afterwards with tears running down his face and he introduced himself and told me he was a medical doctor, and he told me that he, "Had waited until he was thirty four years old to be married." He said, "Now, I finally found a girl in the church, and she said she loved the Lord, and I wanted more than anything to serve Jesus Christ, and I wanted more than anything a Christian marriage. I waited all this long and we’ve been married seven months and she just left me." And big tears came down his face. And he said, "I’ve got some personal problems burdening my heart, and she called me the other day and said she’s going to have a baby."
It’s just a heart breaking thing you know, and as I thought about it...these are the principles people, and I don’t care what your trouble is, it's somebody who waited until they were thirty four to marry and she walked away. It’s a husband in a coma, it’s a husband who drinks, it’s a wife who doesn’t submit, I don’t know, it’s a teenager, what do you do?
Well, let me just run it by real quick. Philippians 4. And you’re really going to see an example on the part of Paul, I mean this guy knew how to do it, he really knew how to do it. He says in verse eleven, “…I have learned” that second line, “…I have learned, in whatever state I am in this to be..” what? “…content.” Isn’t that great? "I know how to be content," he says. Now if you do man, I would like you to tell me, would you please? Cause you’re a guy in a lot of trouble. I mean you’ve been in it man. You’re in jail writing this. “..I’ve learned to be content.” Oh, verse 12 “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things …I know how to be full, I know how to be hungry…I know how to abound…I know how to suffer need," in fact, “I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me.” Would I like to have that! In any situation.
Yes, in fact, he says let me help you a little bit, verse nine, “The things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do them…” Stop right there. In other words he says, "and I want to use my life as an example." Well Paul, what is it that makes you so adequate? How is it that you can cope with anything? How is it that you can know victory in anything? Well first of all, let’s go back to one and we’ll just run them by real fast, here are the keys.
1. First of all, he had an adequate stand.
Boy he knew where to stand. I love this in verse one. He writes to them and says “…My brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast…” where “… in the Lord.” You know what he’s saying, I don’t care what the problem is, I know that I stand in the Lord. And nothing is too big for Him. And nothing is too hard for Him. And no problem is too complicated that He can’t solve it. I stand fast in the Lord, that’s how I can be adequate. God is my reservoir. God is my resource.
2. No matter what happens you maintain love.
There is a second thing that he had, that made him adequate. In verse one he says “my beloved...my beloved...my dearly beloved” and then he goes on to talk about two cantankerous women who split the church. And he shows his love to them and says you get those ladies together, those dear ladies that helped me in the gospel. You know what, any man who can love two cantankerous women who split the church, has got something going for him. This was a church that Paul literally poured his life blood out to found, and here were these women and he was showing love, “my dearly beloved.” Listen, you know what makes you adequate for life, number one, you know your confidence is in the Lord. Number two, no matter what happens you maintain love. You maintain love, you never lose it.
3. He had joy.
There’s a third thing, not only did he have the right kind of attitude standing fast in the Lord, the right kind of love, but he had joy, verse four, “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.” What a great thing. He was adequate because he never lost his joy. And joy, listen to me, joy is an attitude that comes from the confidence that God has everything in control, right? It’s not circumstances. It’s the confidence that everything on the horizontal level can be falling apart but on the vertical it’s okay. I rejoice, not in my circumstance, but in the Lord. So he had an adequate stand, love, joy.
4. He had gentleness.
Fourth, “Let your gentleness be known to all men” he never became brutish, he never got mad, he never blew a gasket . He never lost the softness, the tenderness and the gentleness. That’s why he could handle anything.
5. He had security.
And then he says in verse five “…The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing but in every thing by prayer…” and then he goes on. This man not only knew joy and gentleness but he knew a tremendous security and his security was the Lord is here, the Lord is here. What am I going to worry about? Why if I have a problem I just take it to him. I’ll just give it to him.
6. He had the right knowledge.
Then finally, he not only had an adequate stand, joy, love, gentleness,
security, but he had the right knowledge. Verse eight, you know what he thought
about? “Whatever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, if
there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things.” He managed
to set his mind on the truth of God.
Now listen people, that’s really a fast
summary. But if you want to know how it is to be adequate in life, if you want
to be able to meet any circumstance in this world: stand fast in the Lord.
Realize that no matter what the shifting sand of circumstance is like, God never
moves. He’s there. And you’re firmly footed on Him, and that’s forever. This is
a passing world. Secondly, never let go of love. Thirdly, hang on to joy.
Fourth, don’t lose your gentleness. And fifth, don’t worry--pray because He is
there and He answers. And sixth, think about the things that are His things, get
your mind on Him. The result will be this, verse seven, “The peace of God,
which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ
Jesus.” That’s what it means to be able to really handle life.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and
Answers" by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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