October 11, 2026

Philippians 4

Guarded By Peace

Sunday Sermons

Ten years after a businesswoman, a slave girl, and a jailer became the first church in Philippi, Paul writes them a letter. He is likely in a Roman prison, chained to a guard. Yet in Philippians 4 he tells them to rejoice, to be anxious about nothing, and to trust that the peace of God will stand guard over their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Paul demonstrates and teaches that grace is the root, and peace is the fruit.

Join Pastor Tommy as we consider a kind of peace that is not tethered to our circumstances. Before Paul says a word about how we think or what we do, he reminds us whose we are and who is near.

Speaker

Tommy Bailey

Series

Acts of the Apostles

Go to Series

Scripture

Philippians 4

Topics
Growth & Discipleship Worldview & Culture

Sermon Notes

Philippians 4

Guarded By Peace

Pastor Tommy Bailey

The Core Group at Philippi – Acts 16

  • Lydia (Acts 16:14)
  • Unnamed demon-possessed slave girl (Acts 16:16)
  • Roman prison guard (Acts 16:27)

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:2-6

  1. Who I Am (vv. 3:20, 4:1)
  2. Who Is Near (vv. 5, 9)
  3. How I Think (v. 8)
  4. What I Do (vv. 4-6, 9

 

Who I Am (vv. 3:20, 4:1)

“There is no peace like the peace of those whose minds are possessed with full assurance that they have known God, and God has known them, and that this relationship guarantees God’s favor to them in life, through death and on forever.”
J.I. Packer, Knowing God

Who Is Near (vv. 5, 9)

“But as for me, the nearness of God is my good.”
Psalm 73:28

“There are two days in my calendar: This day and that Day.”
Martin Luther

How I Think (v. 8)

“Peace involves the heart and the mind…Wrong thinking leads to wrong feeling, and before long the heart and mind are pulled apart and we are strangled by worry. We must realize that thoughts are real and powerful, even though they cannot be seen, weighed, or measured. We must bring ‘into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ’ (2 Cor. 10:5).”
Warren Wiersbe, Be Joyful

“The most important thing about your mind is what it is fixed upon.”
Dallas Willard, Life Without Lack

“You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You.
Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.”
Isaiah 26:3-4

What I Do (vv. 4-6, 9)

“Faith is not a precarious affair of chance escape from satanic assaults. It is the solid, massive, secure experience of God, who keeps evil from getting inside us, who guards our life, who guards us when we leave and when we return, who guards us now, who guards us always.”
Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience In the Same Direction

Discussion Questions

  • “A fashion designer, a fortune teller, and a prison guard …” sounds more like the beginning of a joke than a pastoral encouragement regarding our thought life. Why do you think this group is identified as the first converts and thus founding members of the church in Philippi? Does the fact that this encouraging message applied to such a rather disparate group help you believe the message can apply to you as well?
  • Before Paul ever says “do not be anxious”, he reminds them of who they are (citizens of heaven) whom God has already begun a good work in. Grace precedes peace. Do you ever tend to flip that order, trying to produce peace rather than receive it?
  • Anxiety is a mind torn apart. Paul’s answer is not to “try harder” – it’s “The Lord is near”. He reminds us to turn to the God who is already there and has already told us He wants us to fully depend on Him. When you hear “do not be anxious about anything,” does it feel and sound like comfort, or like pressure?
  • If you were to do an audit on your thinking, which of the things from Paul’s list (true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable) is most missing from your daily diet? This coming week, what’s something in your thought life (news, scrolling, conversations, inner dialogue) that you should cut back on, and something you should feast on instead?
  • Each day this week, take time to remind yourself of who is near by saying this out loud: “Jesus really rose from the grave.” Given this foundation, share one worry you’re willing to name, and then pray verses 6-7 over each other; with this prayer and supplication, walk forward into the week trusting the peace of God to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Songs, Readings & Prayer

Songs

“Come Thou Almighty King“ Come Thou Almighty King“ by Felice de Giardini, Tommy Bailey, Sarah Gehri, Nathan Mickle and Tom Yarbrough
“On Christ The Solid Rock“ by William Batchelder Bradbury and Edward Mote
“Christ The Sure And Steady Anchor“ by Matthew Boswell and Matthew Papa
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness“ by Thomas Obediah Chisholm and William Marion Runyan
“Doxology” by Thomas Ken and Louis BourgeoisAll songs are used with permission. CCLI License no. 2003690

Looking for our Hymns of the Week or resources to worship anytime? We’ve curated a playlist of hymns TVC Worship has led on our YouTube Channel!

Call To Worship

Bless the Lord

Leader: Bless the Lord at all times; let His praise continually be in your mouth.
People: My tongue shall tell of Your righteousness and of Your praise all the day long.
Leader: Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!
People: We will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that He has done.
All: You are great, O Lord God. For there is none like You, and there is no God besides You!

Confession of Faith

New City Catechism
Part 2, Christ, Redemption, Grace Q32, 33

Leader: What do justification and sanctification mean?
People: Justification means our declared righteousness before God, made possible by Christ’s death and resurrection for us. Sanctification means our gradual, growing righteousness, made possible by the Spirit’s work in us.
Leader: Should those who have faith in Christ seek their salvation through their own works, or anywhere else?
People: No, they should not, as everything necessary to salvation is found in Christ. To seek salvation through good works is a denial that Christ is the only Redeemer and Savior.

Classic Prayer

John Cassian

Oh God, Be all my love, all my hope, all my striving;
Let my thoughts and words flow from You,
My daily life be in You, and every breath I take, be for You.

TVC Prayer Ministry

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