Rejoice, release, rest

Harvest Thanksgiving is a day that we set aside in the church year to acknowledge God’s abundant provision. We give thanks for the food on our tables, the work that He gives us to do, and the many blessings we often take for granted. But, of course, we don’t reserve our thanks for one Sunday each year—it’s a posture of the heart that we live in daily. In Philippians 4, Paul calls us to a life marked by joy, trust, and peace, no matter the circumstances.

First, Paul urges us to rejoice always. This isn’t just about feeling happy when things go well; it’s about finding deep, lasting joy in the Lord. Even when life is uncertain, we can rejoice because God is faithful.

Second, he calls us to release anxiety through prayer. Instead of being consumed by worry, we are invited to bring everything before God with thanksgiving, trusting that He will provide. Just as the Israelites offered the firstfruits of their harvest in Deuteronomy 26, we are called to offer our concerns to God first, knowing He cares for us.

Finally, Paul assures us that as we focus on God’s goodness, we will rest in His peace—a peace that guards our hearts and minds. May we rejoice, release, and rest in our faithful God this morning.

Rejoice always

Paul’s command in Philippians 4:4 is clear: “Rejoice in the Lord always.” And he says it again just to make sure: “Rejoice!”

At first, constantly rejoicing might seem unrealistic or even insensitive—how can we always rejoice when life is full of challenges, struggles, and uncertainty?

Paul himself wrote these words from prison, so he has every right to question God and complain about Him. Yet, somehow, Paul can say, even from prison, that Christian joy is not based on circumstances but on the unchanging faithfulness of God.

Think about your own circumstances for a moment. I am sure there is plenty you can think of that is worth rejoicing in: your relationships, everything you have for daily life, a church community to be a part of, worthwhile work to get on with… These things, and plenty more, give us joy in our daily living.

There might also be some things that are making life difficult for you. Maybe they’re the same things: a challenging relationship, struggling to make ends meet, the uncertain future of the church, or a lack of purpose. Yet, Paul can say, “Rejoice!”

When it’s hard to find joy in the present, it is good for us to remember the past. In Deuteronomy 26, God instructs His people to bring their firstfruits as an offering of thanksgiving. They were to remember how He had rescued them from Egypt and led them to a land of abundance. Their joy was rooted in God’s past faithfulness and His continued provision.

We would do well to remember God’s goodness to us in the past, just as the people of Israel did. When they failed to remember their heritage as slaves set free by God, they inevitably went astray, forgetting who was watching over them and giving them peace. This is why, at our State of the Church presentation the other week, we started by remembering our heritage as God’s people in this place. When we remember God’s faithfulness in the past, we can journey onward in full faith that God will continue to provide for us and guide our feet.

We have witnessed another baptism today—this, too, is a moment in time to look back to and remember God’s faithfulness. We keep records and give out certificates and candles as reminders of the grace that was given through the water and the Word. We rejoice in another child being adopted into God’s family today, just as each of us have been and share in.

At Harvest Thanksgiving, a cherished tradition in our church, we celebrate God’s blessings in the form of physical needs and our daily work, even in a particularly dry and challenging year for many.

But, more than that, we rejoice in the greatest gift of all—Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, who satisfies our deepest hunger (John 6:35). It’s this Bread that gives us reason to rejoice always, in every season of life, whether the harvest is abundant or minimal.

Release anxiety

Paul’s next command is both comforting and challenging: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”(Phil. 4:6)

When we’re just not sure how things are going to pan out, big or small, anxiety is a perfectly natural and reasonable response. Yet, Paul points us to a better way—bringing everything before God in prayer, trusting that He is in control.

This is not a passive surrender but an active response of faith. The Israelites were called to bring their firstfruits to the Lord, publicly declaring, “My father was a wandering Aramean… The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.” (Deut. 26:5,8) Their offering was not just about crops—it was a declaration of trust. They gave thanks not only for what they had but also anticipated that God would continue to be faithful to them. They gave thanks in advance.

In John 6, the crowd followed Jesus, anxious about physical bread. You could certainly connect that anxiety to the stress we see today around the cost of living. Jesus pointed them beyond their immediate needs, saying, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life.” (John 6:27) Their focus was on survival, while Jesus called them to trust in Him, the true Bread of Life. Some of them might have found Jesus’ response frustrating, or at least confusing. How often do we, like them, fixate on earthly concerns while neglecting the deeper nourishment of faith?

As we consider the uncertainty in our church today, it is easy to let anxiety take hold. Our Synod faces division, and our own congregation is discerning its future. Yet the Lutheran Confessions remind us that the church is not sustained by human decisions but by Christ Himself. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession declares: “The church is not merely an outward government of certain nations. Rather, it is principally a fellowship of faith and of the Holy Spirit in hearts.” (Apology VII & VIII:5) The church does not stand or fall by institutions but by the Word of God and faith in Christ.

We know this all too well, and say this kind of thing all the time, but that doesn’t solve our division, does it? That doesn’t make clear which synod we should join, does it? That doesn’t give us all a single, unifying, clear answer on the ordination issue, does it? I hear Jesus saying to us today, “I know. Just trust me.” How frustrating!

Paul calls us to prayer with thanksgiving because gratitude reshapes our perspective. When we give thanks even in difficult times, we remind ourselves that God has been faithful before and will be faithful again. We “enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise”(Ps. 100:4), not because everything is easy, but because “the Lord is good and His love endures forever.” (Ps. 100:5)

So instead of allowing anxiety to consume us (because that’s exactly what it will do), we bring our concerns before God, trusting that His purposes will prevail. Whether in times of abundant harvest or daily grind, the Lord is faithful. Release your anxiety in thankful prayer. 

Rest in His peace

After calling us to rejoice and release anxiety through prayer, Paul gives us a remarkable promise: “The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:7) This is not a fleeting sense of calm but a deep, abiding peace—one that defies human logic because it comes from God Himself. Most sermons end with this verse because it’s that important to know this peace.

Jesus reminds us where true peace is found: “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35) True peace is found in Christ, the Bread of Life, who satisfies our deepest needs—not just for today but for eternity.

Paul expands on how we experience this peace in Philippians 4:8–9: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right… think about such things.” What we dwell on shapes our hearts. If we fixate on uncertainty, division, and fear, we will be restless and anxious. But if we meditate on God’s goodness, His truth, and His promises, His peace will guard us like a fortress. Focussing on these things will prepare us for any and every storm that comes our way in life.

The best way to keep our minds on God’s goodness and find this peace, of course, is to spend time reading Scripture. When you do break open your Bible, you are not just there to read the Word—allow the Word to read you. Allow the Word to bring peace to your heart and mind.

We too often end up standing over Scripture, looking to analyse and pull it apart for the correct interpretation. There’s a place for that, of course, but it is more important to sit under the Word, waiting to receive from it and hear from God. It sounds simple, but it does take some discipline to park our own agenda to instead allow God to speak unhindered. 

So, when you come here to spend time in God’s presence with fellow believers, think about this place as a place to rest in His peace. Sometimes, churches like ours can unintentionally give the impression that coming to church is about what you can give: we need people to organise services, run morning tea, fill rosters, and come to the events we put on.

Of course, we all contribute to the life of the church according to our gifts, but we are primarily here for Sabbath rest and to receive from God. The other six days of the week are busy enough and have enough problems already—let’s make this a place where we can simply rest in the peace that Jesus gives.

Resting in His peace can mean actively serving, too, not because we have to or feel obliged or expected to, but because it’s our joy to do so. We gather in Christ, we grow in Christ, and we go in Christ, not under compulsion, but in peace.

Conclusion

Everything we have—our food, our work, our families, our community, and even our faith—are gifts from God. He is the one who provides, sustains, and nourishes us, both physically and spiritually. Yet true thanksgiving is more than a day of celebration; it is a way of life. Paul calls us to rejoice always, to release anxiety through prayer, and to rest in God’s peace.

As we give thanks for the gifts of creation, let us also give thanks for the greater gift of salvation, promised to us in Baptism. We can join with the psalmist in saying, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever!” (Ps. 100:5)

May the peace that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. Amen.