Sermon Audio

St. Paul exhorts, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Easier said than done, right? Seems that’s the way it always goes when Paul—or any of Scripture’s writers—exhorts. “Do this, be like this, remember that, dwell on that...” For a time, no problem. Every once and again, I can pull one of these things off without a hitch, but the next moment is another story.

I guess some comfort comes in knowing we’re not alone. I’m not the only one who reads these exhortations and wonders how it is I can go about it. In fact, I know, and I dare say you know, that even though you want to, you cannot. Hey, even Paul knew it: The good that I want to do I do not do; the evil that I do not want to do, that I keep on doing. (cf. Romans 7:15-19, paraphrased)

You can read some of the undertones in Paul’s exhortation. “Be anxious for nothing.” There are myriad reasons to be anxious, and these reasons come at you from all angles. Paul specifically mentions being in want versus not, but there are so many more things over which we are anxious. We worry about loved ones—we are anxious for our children as they grow up, we are anxious for our parents as they grow old, we are anxious over any as they are ill, from a simple cold to incurable cancer. We are anxious for our church—from the local congregation to the circuit, district, synod-at-large, even Christendom around the world—as we wonder if the Word of God will continue to be proclaimed in its truth in purity from the pulpits. We are anxious for our country as we wonder about the leadership, economy, military, and homeland security and safety. We are anxious for ourselves—do I do the things I need to be doing, am I doing them, can I do them?

“Be anxious for nothing.” And Jesus says,

[D]o not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:25, 27, 31-34)

Therefore, “[I]n everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God...”

Thus far, the Law—that unattainable, perfect, inerrant, holy Word of God. That standard by which we are judged and come up short.

So, here’s the greater comfort. By grace, it can be done. I know, that still sounds like Law, and it is, so I want to focus your attention on the phrase “by grace.”

By grace...that same grace by which God the Son took on flesh and was born in a lowly stable, shed His blood on the eighth day of His infancy, was Baptized in the Jordan by John, taught in the public places and synagogues of Judea and Samaria, and ultimately was nailed to a cross outside of Jerusalem, was buried, and rose again on the third day. It’s the grace that declares to you that the Christ took the standard and judgment of the Law against you upon Himself as He was crucified in your place.

And it is this grace which, when not resisted, removes all anxiety and worry from you, as it reminds you that God knows all the things which we need (cf. Matthew 6:32), some of which may not be pleasant, even as it reminds you that you have the One thing needful—Christ and Him crucified for you. All of this this is God supplying all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

For that, we are ever thankful, and by that grace we can do as St. Paul exhorted, “[I]n everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God...” It won’t every be perfect, and so that imperfection is confessed and forgiven. By this same grace, Paul, as he wrote, learned to be content, though as surely as he had a thorn in his flesh, this highly esteemed apostle was never perfectly content.

And that’s why we make our requests known before God. And this is done in complete confidence, not in ourselves, but in His Christ, who for our sake bore all our infirmities and imperfections, our anxieties and malcontent to the cross. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) For the sake of Christ, we request of God, with thanksgiving, “Be merciful, O Lord, unto me, a sinner, for the sake of Christ, Your only-begotten Son; and if you see fit, grant my request.” And His reply is, “I am merciful and gracious, your sins are forgiven, receive and believe this forgiveness.” That’s grace! And if He sees fit to grant your request, He will, if it is for your benefit to your life and/or salvation.

And it’s a funny thing how this grace works, for as it removes all anxiety and worry from us, it fills that void with peace. It is a peace that looks all anxiety and worry in the face and says, “I have Christ crucified; I am Baptized.” It’s a peace that allows us to receive from God His yes or no in full confidence, knowing that He knows us better than we do, and therefore, knows what we need better than we do. Furthermore, it’s difficult to understand—in fact, it’s impossible, as Paul wrote, “[T]he peace of God...surpasses all understanding.” Thanks be to God, however, that, despite our lack of understanding, this peace still guards our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, because this peace means that for His sake, you are forgiven for all of your sins.

What wonderful grace and mercy! Or, as I quoted on Sunday:

Peace be to you and grace from Him / Who freed us from our sins / Who loved us all, and shed His blood / That we might saved be.

E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come, st. 1 (by Paul Manz)

“Now, thank we all our God...”