25th September, 2026
Rev Xi An Poon
主題經文 「你們要靠主常常喜樂。我再說，你們要喜樂。」 ——腓立比書 4:4
引言
當我讀腓立比書第四章的時候，我裡面很震撼。因為寫這封信的人，是保羅。他不是在一個很自由、很舒服、很順利的環境裡寫這封信。他正在被囚。他的自由受到限制，前面的道路不清楚，甚至連自己最後會怎樣，他都不能掌握。
可是很特別，第四章卻一直出現一個字：喜樂。
第一節，保羅對腓立比教會說：「你們就是我的喜樂，我的冠冕。」
到了第四節，他又說：「你們要靠主常常喜樂。我再說，你們要喜樂。」
這裡有一個很大的反差。一個被關在監獄裡的人，竟然在安慰外面有自由的人。按人的想法，應該是腓立比教會去安慰保羅：「保羅，你要堅強一點。」可是現在反過來，是保羅在告訴他們：「你們要喜樂。」所以真正的問題不是：「保羅現在的環境好不好？」而是：「保羅的喜樂到底從哪裡來？」如果喜樂是從環境來的，他沒有理由喜樂。如果喜樂是從自由來的，他現在沒有自由。如果喜樂是從事情順利而來，他現在的人生一點都不順利。可是保羅裡面仍然有一個很深的喜樂。
所以今天我們要問的，不只是：「保羅為甚麼可以喜樂？」而是：「這種喜樂到底是怎樣在一個人的生命裡形成？」當我們回到腓立比書第四章，我們會發現，這個答案非常清楚。真正的喜樂，不是先從外面的環境開始，而是先從裡面的生命開始。
第一、喜樂從「在主裡」開始
保羅在第四節不是單單說：「你們要喜樂。」他說：「你們要靠主常常喜樂。」這裡最重要的，不只是「喜樂」兩個字。而是：「靠主」——在主裡。保羅沒有叫人製造一種開心的感覺。他沒有說：「不要想不開心的事情。」也沒有說：「凡事看開一點。」他所說的是：真正的喜樂，是從一個人與主的關係開始。
這也就是為甚麼第一節他可以說：「你們就是我的喜樂，我的冠冕。」保羅現在自己身在監獄。可是當他想到腓立比教會，想到這些弟兄姊妹仍然在主裡，仍然在福音裡站立，他就有喜樂。這讓我們看見一件很重要的事：保羅的眼睛沒有只停留在自己現在的處境。如果他每天只看：我現在有沒有自由、我的案件甚麼時候結束、我甚麼時候可以出去、別人怎樣對我，他裡面的喜樂一定很快就沒有了。
可是他所看的，是：神仍然在工作。福音仍然在前進。弟兄姊妹仍然在主裡。
所以第一件事情不是：「我的環境現在好不好？」而是：「今天我的心是不是仍然在主裡？」這對我們很重要。我們很多時候的喜樂，都是綁在環境上。工作順利，我就開心。家庭關係好，我就平安。服事有人回應，我就有力量。經濟沒有壓力，我就比較容易感恩。但是當這些東西一改變，我們裡面的喜樂也跟著改變。
保羅卻讓我們看見：真正的喜樂，不能建立在會改變的東西上。它要建立在不改變的主裡。所以真正的喜樂，第一步不是先改變環境，而是：讓我的心重新回到主裡面。
但是問題又來了。我們知道要在主裡，可是當壓力真的來、憂慮真的來，我們的心又怎樣回到主裡呢？所以保羅接著帶我們進入第二步。
第二、當憂慮來到，要把心重新交給神
保羅說：「應當一無掛慮，只要凡事藉著禱告、祈求和感謝，將你們所要的告訴神。」——腓立比書 4:6
這節經文不是說：「基督徒不可以有憂慮。」保羅自己現在就有很多可以憂慮的事情。他的案件仍未結束。他的自由受限制。腓立比教會裡面也有友阿爹和循都基之間的張力。以巴弗提之前又曾經病得很重。所以保羅不是一個不知道甚麼叫壓力的人。
他很清楚甚麼叫不確定。他很清楚甚麼叫擔心。可是他在這裡教我們一件很重要的事：憂慮來到，不等於要讓憂慮留在心裡掌權。那怎樣做？保羅很實際地說：「凡事藉著禱告、祈求和感謝，將你們所要的告訴神。」也就是：把你心裡正在背的東西，帶到神面前。
很多時候我們不是沒有禱告。我們可能有禱告。但是禱告完之後，事情仍然自己背著。嘴巴說交託，心裡仍然抓得很緊。保羅卻說：你要把它帶到神那裡。工作上的壓力，家庭裡面的張力，健康上的擔心，經濟上的需要，服事上的重擔，甚至一件你等了很久仍然沒有答案的事情，都可以帶到神面前。
然後保羅說：「神所賜、出人意外的平安，必在基督耶穌裡保守你們的心懷意念。」——腓立比書 4:7
請留意，經文沒有先說：問題立刻消失。它先說：神的平安會保守你的心。「保守」這個字帶著守衛、看守的意思。
腓立比是一個羅馬殖民城市，他們很熟悉士兵守城的圖畫。所以當保羅說：「神的平安必保守你們的心懷意念。」他們很容易明白。就好像一個守衛站在城門口。今天很多事情都想進入我們的心裡：恐懼想進來，焦慮想進來，人的說話想進來，最壞的想像想進來。但是當我們把重擔真正帶到神面前，神的平安就開始守住我們的心。這就是為甚麼喜樂不是：「我甚麼事情都沒有。」而是：「我雖然有事情，但我的心不再被事情控制。」
問題可能還在。答案可能還沒有來。可是我的心已經重新回到神手裡。不過，保羅知道人生的問題不是只有一次禱告就完了。有些環境不是一天兩天就會改變。有些困難可能要走一段很長的時間。那麼，如果環境一直沒有變，我們又怎樣繼續走下去？所以保羅再帶我們進入第三步。
第三、當環境沒有改變，要學會靠基督而活
到了第四章後半段，保羅開始講自己的經歷。他說：「我並不是因缺乏說這話；我無論在甚麼景況都可以知足，這是我已經學會了。」——腓立比書 4:11
這一句很重要。保羅不是說：「我天生就是一個很知足的人。」他說：「這是我已經學會了。」也就是說，這不是一種性格。而是一種被神訓練出來的生命。
接著保羅說：「我知道怎樣處卑賤，也知道怎樣處豐富；或飽足，或飢餓；或有餘，或缺乏，隨事隨在，我都得了秘訣。」——腓立比書 4:12
保羅的人生走過很多不同的季節。有過豐富。也有過缺乏。有過自由。也有過被囚。有被人接納的時候。也有被人拒絕的時候。可是慢慢地，他學會一件事情：我的生命不能由外面的條件決定。這才是真正的知足。
知足不是：「算了，甚麼都不要了。」也不是：「反正不能改變，就接受算了。」
真正的知足是：即使外面的條件不一樣，我裡面的根基仍然不變。所以保羅接著才說出那一句大家都很熟悉的經文：「我靠著那加給我力量的，凡事都能做。」——腓立比書 4:13
這節經文不是說：「只要我有信心，我想做甚麼都會成功。」它真正的上下文是：無論我現在是豐富還是缺乏，飽足還是飢餓，順利還是困難，我都能靠著基督走下去。
所以保羅的秘密不是：「我很堅強。」而是：「基督給我力量。」不是：「我的環境終於變好了。」而是：「即使環境還沒有改變，我仍然可以靠基督活下去。」
這就是成熟的喜樂。真正的喜樂不是：我甚麼都有。而是：即使我沒有我所期待的一切，我仍然知道基督足夠。
總結
現在我們再回頭看第四章，就明白為甚麼一個被關在監獄裡的人，反而可以安慰外面有自由的人。因為保羅的喜樂，從來不是建立在自由、環境、物質或者事情是否順利上。
第四章讓我們看見一條很清楚的路。
第一，喜樂從「在主裡」開始。
不是先問環境好不好，而是問：我的心現在是不是仍然在主裡？
第二，當憂慮來到，要把心重新交給神。
不是沒有問題，而是不再讓問題掌管我的心。
第三，當環境沒有改變，要學會靠基督而活。
不是靠自己撐下去，而是相信基督今天仍然能給我力量。所以真正的喜樂不是一種表面的情緒。它是一種生命的根基。
當我的心在主裡，當我的重擔在神手裡，當我的力量從基督而來，我就不需要等環境完全好了，才可以有喜樂。
這就是為甚麼保羅可以在監獄裡說：「你們要靠主常常喜樂。我再說，你們要喜樂。」
因為真正的喜樂，不是從：「我現在擁有甚麼」
開始，而是從：「我的生命現在在誰裡面」開始。
省察
今天我們可以問自己三個問題：
第一，我現在的喜樂建立在甚麼上面？
是工作順不順利？是家庭關係好不好？是別人有沒有肯定我？是事情有沒有照我的意思發展？還是我的心真的在主裡？
第二，我現在心裡有甚麼事情，是我一直自己背著，卻還沒有真正交到神手裡？
也許我有禱告，可是我仍然抓得很緊。今天，我願不願意真的把它交給神？
第三，如果今天環境仍然沒有改變，我還願不願意靠著基督走下去？
也許神今天不一定先改變我們外面的環境。祂可能先要做的，是重新把我們的心帶回祂裡面。因為真正的喜樂，不是等一切都好了才開始。
真正的喜樂，是當我仍然在主裡，即使環境還沒有改變，我仍然知道：主在這裡，我可以靠著祂繼續走下去。
Key Verse
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” — Philippians 4:4, NKJV
Introduction
When I read Philippians chapter 4, I find it deeply striking.
The person writing this letter is Paul.
He is not writing from a comfortable place.
He is not writing in a season when everything is going well.
He is under imprisonment.
His freedom is restricted.
His future is uncertain.
He cannot fully control what will happen to him next.
And yet, throughout this chapter, one word keeps appearing:
joy.
In verse 1, Paul says to the believers in Philippi:
“My beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown.”
Then in verse 4, he says:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”
There is a powerful contrast here.
A man who has lost his freedom is encouraging people who still have freedom.
Humanly speaking, we would expect the Philippian church to write to Paul and say:
“Paul, be strong.”
But instead, Paul is the one telling them:
“Rejoice.”
So the real question is not:
“Is Paul’s situation good?”
The real question is:
“Where does Paul’s joy come from?”
If joy comes from circumstances, Paul has no reason to rejoice.
If joy comes from freedom, Paul does not have freedom.
If joy comes from everything going smoothly, Paul’s life is anything but smooth.
And yet there is still a deep joy within him.
So today, we are not only asking:
“Why could Paul rejoice?”
We are asking:
“How does this kind of joy actually form in a person’s life?”
When we return to Philippians chapter 4, the answer becomes very clear.
True joy does not begin with what is happening outside of us.
It begins with what is happening inside of us.
So here we see the first thing.
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- Joy Begins “In the Lord”
In verse 4, Paul does not simply say:
“Rejoice.”
He says:
“Rejoice in the Lord always.”
The most important phrase here is not only “rejoice.”
It is:
“in the Lord.”
Paul is not teaching people to manufacture a happy feeling.
He is not saying:
“Do not think about anything negative.”
He is not saying:
“Just try to look on the bright side.”
What he is saying is this:
True joy begins in our relationship with the Lord.
This is also why, in verse 1, Paul can say:
“You are my joy and crown.”
Paul himself is in prison.
But when he thinks about the church in Philippi, when he sees that these believers are still standing in the Lord and continuing in the gospel, he has joy.
This shows us something very important.
Paul’s eyes are not fixed only on his own situation.
If every day he focused only on questions like:
Do I have freedom?
When will this case end?
When will I get out?
How are people treating me?
Then his joy would rise and fall with his circumstances.
But Paul is looking at something deeper.
God is still at work.
The gospel is still moving forward.
The believers are still standing in the Lord.
So the first question is not:
“Are my circumstances good?”
The first question is:
“Is my heart still in the Lord?”
This is very important for us.
So often, our joy is tied to our circumstances.
If work goes well, we feel happy.
If family relationships are good, we feel peaceful.
If ministry is going well, we feel encouraged.
If there is less financial pressure, we find it easier to give thanks.
But as soon as those things change, our joy changes with them.
Paul shows us that:
True joy cannot be built on things that keep changing.
It must be built on the Lord who does not change.
So the first step toward true joy is not to change the circumstances first.
It is:
to bring our hearts back into the Lord.
But then another question comes.
We know we should remain in the Lord, but when pressure and anxiety really come, how do we bring our hearts back to Him?
Paul then leads us into the second step.
⸻
- When Anxiety Comes, Give Your Heart Back to God
Paul says:
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
— Philippians 4:6, NKJV
This verse does not mean:
“Christians should never feel anxious.”
Paul himself had many things he could have been anxious about.
His case was still unresolved.
His freedom was restricted.
There was tension between Euodia and Syntyche in the church.
Epaphroditus had also been seriously ill.
Paul knew what pressure felt like.
He knew what uncertainty felt like.
But here he teaches us something very important:
When anxiety comes, we do not have to let anxiety remain in control of our hearts.
So what do we do?
Paul gives a very practical answer:
“In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
In other words:
Bring what you are carrying in your heart before God.
Many times, it is not that we do not pray.
We may pray.
But after we pray, we still carry everything ourselves.
Our mouths say, “I surrender it to God,” but our hearts are still holding on tightly.
Paul is saying:
Bring it to God.
The pressure at work.
The tension in the family.
The concerns about health.
The financial needs.
The burdens of ministry.
Even the thing you have been waiting on for a long time without an answer.
Bring all of it before God.
Then Paul says:
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 4:7, NKJV
Notice something important.
The verse does not first say:
the problem will immediately disappear.
It first says:
the peace of God will guard your heart.
The word “guard” carries the idea of military protection.
Philippi was a Roman colony, and the people there were very familiar with soldiers guarding a city.
So when Paul said:
“The peace of God will guard your hearts and minds,”
they would immediately understand the picture.
It is like a guard standing at the gate of a city.
Today, many things are trying to enter our hearts:
Fear wants to come in.
Anxiety wants to come in.
Other people’s words want to come in.
Worst-case scenarios want to come in.
But when we truly bring our burdens before God,
His peace begins to guard our hearts.
This is why joy does not mean:
“I have no problems.”
It means:
“I may have problems, but my problems no longer control my heart.”
The situation may still be there.
The answer may still not have come.
But my heart has come back into the hands of God.
Still, Paul knows that some situations do not change after one prayer.
Some difficulties may continue for a long time.
So what happens if the circumstances remain the same?
How do we keep going?
Paul leads us into the third step.
⸻
- When Circumstances Do Not Change, Learn to Live by Christ’s Strength
Later in chapter 4, Paul speaks from his own experience.
He says:
“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.”
— Philippians 4:11, NKJV
This sentence is very important.
Paul does not say:
“I was naturally a contented person.”
He says:
“I have learned.”
That means contentment is not simply a personality trait.
It is a life that has been trained by God.
Then Paul says:
“I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”
— Philippians 4:12, NKJV
Paul had walked through many different seasons.
He had experienced abundance.
He had experienced lack.
He had experienced freedom.
He had experienced imprisonment.
He had experienced acceptance.
He had experienced rejection.
But gradually, he learned something:
My life cannot be determined by my external conditions.
This is what true contentment means.
Contentment does not mean:
“I give up.”
It does not mean:
“Nothing can change, so I will just accept it.”
True contentment means:
Even when my circumstances are different, the foundation of my life remains the same.
This is why Paul then says the famous words:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
— Philippians 4:13, NKJV
This verse does not mean:
“If I have enough faith, I can accomplish anything I want.”
The context is:
Whether I have plenty or little, whether I am full or hungry, whether life is easy or difficult, I can continue through the strength Christ gives me.
Paul’s secret is not:
“I am strong.”
His secret is:
“Christ gives me strength.”
It is not:
“My circumstances finally became better.”
It is:
“Even if my circumstances have not changed, I can still live through Christ.”
This is mature joy.
True joy is not:
I have everything I want.
True joy is:
Even if I do not have everything I expected, I still know that Christ is enough.
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Conclusion
Now when we look back at Philippians chapter 4, we begin to understand why a man in prison could encourage people who were free.
Paul’s joy was never built on freedom, circumstances, possessions, or whether life was going well.
Philippians 4 shows us a very clear path.
First, joy begins in the Lord.
The first question is not:
“Are my circumstances good?”
It is:
“Is my heart still in the Lord?”
Second, when anxiety comes, give your heart back to God.
It does not mean there are no problems.
It means the problems no longer control the heart.
Third, when circumstances do not change, learn to live by Christ’s strength.
We are not trying to hold ourselves together by our own strength.
We trust that Christ is still able to strengthen us today.
So true joy is not just an emotion.
It is a foundation of life.
When my heart is in the Lord,
when my burdens are in God’s hands,
when my strength comes from Christ,
I do not have to wait until everything is perfect before I can have joy.
This is why Paul could say from prison:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”
Because true joy does not begin with:
“What do I have right now?”
It begins with:
“Who is my life in right now?”
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Reflection
Today, let us ask ourselves three questions.
First, what is my joy built on right now?
Is it whether work is going well?
Whether family relationships are good?
Whether people affirm me?
Whether things are going according to my plans?
Or is my heart truly in the Lord?
Second, what am I carrying in my heart that I have not truly placed into God’s hands?
Maybe I have prayed.
But perhaps I am still holding on tightly.
Today, am I willing to truly surrender it to God?
Third, if my circumstances still do not change today, am I willing to keep walking by the strength of Christ?
Maybe God will not first change the situation around us.
Maybe the first thing He wants to do is to bring our hearts back into Him.
Because true joy does not begin when everything becomes better.
True joy begins when I remain in the Lord, and even before the circumstances change, I can still say: the Lord is here, and I can keep going through Him.
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