"god's Invitation To Joy And Contentment" Series

“God’s Invitation to Joy”

Philippians 4:1-9

It has been said many times that we have more things now than any other time in history. There are 195 countries in our world and the United States is ranked number one in economy. Aren’t you glad we live here? We are indeed fortunate people, yet for many of us, there is one critical thing that is missing… Contentment. As a result, we constantly want…

• More than we have

• Bigger and better things

As one bumper sticker says, in the end. he who has the most toys, wins. Malcolm Forbes made that statement. At the time of his death, his net worth was over $500 million. Elon Musk is now worth $191 billion. Most of us can’t even fathom a number of that magnitude. Lack of contentment is at an all-time high.

We complain about our finances…

• Our health

• Our job

• Our government

• Our family life

And the list goes on and on. Why? Because we lack contentment, we lack real joy in our lives. We’re just not happy people. One of the things that we need to understand is that there is a big difference in happiness and contentment. Between Happiness and real joy. And here it is.

Happiness is often based on things. We have. Contentment is a sense of peace regardless of how much we have.

Happiness is based on external conditions. Contentment Is an inner satisfaction.

• Happiness is having everything you want.

• Contentment is wanting everything you have.

• Contentment is the result of real joy.

The Apostle Paul spoke more about joy than any other writer. In his letter to the Philippians he has more to say about joy than in any other book in the Bible. In four brief chapters he speaks of joy 16 times. Here is the most thing amazing thing about joy. There is good news and bad news.

The good news is that joy is a choice.

The bad news is no one can make the choice for us. It is up to us.

Listen to what the apostle Paul has to say about this topic of joy, 16 times he speaks. Here are three.

• I will rejoice even if I lose my life.

• Whatever happens, I will rejoice in the Lord.

• We should always be full of joy in the Lord – I say it again – rejoice!

He also explains that people were jealous of his preaching. Wishing they could preach like the Great Apostle Paul – it was their intention to actually hurt Paul – Paul said well, as long as they are preaching the gospel – I don’t care – I will have joy! One more thing that really puts some perspective on all of this – Paul’s circumstances at the time. Paul was in prison when he wrote all of this.

He had been beaten with rods.

He was hungry and thirsty – often going without food.

He received the dreaded 39 lashes, five different times.

Once they even stoned him.

Paul says, but I will rejoice. All of this is about perspective. About the way that Paul looked at everything in life. It’s about how you and I look at everything in life. One way to illustrate this, is to look at this picture – this has been shown in many places on the Internet. Leadership meetings. Look at this with me. A picture of an old woman and a young woman. What do you see?

Again, it’s a matter of perspective.

https://www.google.com/search?q=old+woman+young+woman&rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS1086US1086&oq=old+woman+young+woman&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyDggAEEUYJxg5GIAEGIoFMgcIARAAGIAEMgcIAhAAGIAEMgcIAxAAGIAEMgcIBBAAGIAEMgcIBRAAGIAEMgcIBhAAGIAEMgcIBxAAGIAEMgcICBAAGIAEMgcICRAAGIAE0gEINTIwNGoxajeoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 (copy and paste to see this)

Perspective (spectacles) – is a way of thinking about and understanding something. A lot of this applies to life. Paul says in all things, no matter what, find some joy.

Here are some things Paul tells us ……

• Jesus is coming back.

• Even in our difficulty, find some joy.

• He prayed with joy; confident God would continue to work – until the work is finished when he returns.

Paul did all of this – but he then points to Jesus. Paul says we have to have the same attitude/perspective Jesus had. Look at Philippians 2: 6. We are to have this attitude, even in our pain and difficulty. All of us would do well to reach in and rediscover some of our joy.

v. 3. Don’t be selfish. Don’t try to impress others. Don’t just lookout for yourself take an interest in others too. The great psychiatrist, Doctor Karl Menninger said this: he was once asked what action he would recommend if a person were to feel a mental breakdown coming on. He said lock up your house, go across the railroad tracks and find someone in need and do something for them.

In other words, put your focus on someone else. Listen to what Dr. Chuck Swindoll says about attitude / perspective. Copy and paste to your browser to see this. I also included it in the congregations' notes pages.