Technicolor Joy Series

Technicolor JOY

A Study in Philippians

1:1-2

Pastor Jefferson M. Williams

Chenoa Baptist Church

April 23, 2023

The Yellow Brick Road ?

On Friday night, we had another trivia night at OBs. It was a great time. So I have a trivia question for you this morning.

What’s the first major motion picture (hit) that used Technicolor?

That’s right, The Wizard of Oz.

[Show clip of Dorthy entering Oz]

Technicolor was a very complicated process that used three strips of film but changed black and white (sepia) Kansas into the brilliant colors of Oz.

By the way, for a million points, what was the last technicolor film made? It’s an offer you can’t refuse!

The series that we are starting today through Philippians is called Technicolor Joy. When Christ comes into our lives and saves us, we go from black and white and grey to full color!

E. Stanley Jones, a pastor, and commentator wrote that when he was saved, “it was as if he had swallowed sunshine.”

C. S. Lewis wrote, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.”

Philippians is only 104 verses, about 2,400 words, and takes about ten minutes to read but it is dripping joy in every verse from a man who was in prison!

We are going to focus on four main themes through this series and each one of them is vitally important to our church as we move forward into the next season of ministry:

Standing Firm

Unity

Humility

Joy

Jesus…Others…You. If you get that in the right order, you will discover joy through Jesus and through the little book of Philippians.

Many of us over the years have memorized verses from Philippians like

“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6)

 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21)

“…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Phil 2:12)

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…” (Phil 3:20)

*  “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Phil 4:13)

Turn with me to Philippians 1. I’m going to read the first eleven verses but we will only get through two this morning.

Prayer.

Background

In AD 51, Paul and Silas, and Timothy left for the second missionary journey to visit the churches that had been planted and encourage the leaders.

The group tried to go south to Ephesus but God blocked their way. They tried to go south to Bithynia and God said no.

At Troas, Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” (Acts 16:9)

They traveled to Philippi, a leading city in the district of Macedonia.

Philippi had been founded by Philip of Macedon in 386 B.C. It was located at a strategic and military crossroads in what is now northern Greece. It was located literally where the East (Asia) met the West (Europe).

It was a Roman colony and they were very proud of their Roman citizenship. The architecture was Roman, they dressed in Roman fashion, the coins were Roman, and the leadership and elite spoke Latin.

Many Roman soldiers retired there and weren’t really happy about Paul’s declaration that Jesus was Lord.

Paul searched for a synagogue but discovered that there weren’t enough adult Jewish males (ten) to form a synagogue.

On the Sabbath, he went down to the river where Jewish people had gathered to pray.

He sat down and began to speak to the women gathered there. The group included Lydia, a wealthy businesswoman who was a dealer in purple cloth.

Scripture says that God “opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message” (Acts 16:14) Lydia and her entire family were baptized and she opened her house to Paul and his ministry team.

And so the church of Philippi was born.

Sometime later, they were going to a place of prayer and a female slave who was demon-possessed and could tell the future started following them.

She shouted nonstop, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” (Acts 16:17)

What she was saying was true, but the constant yelling finally got on Paul’s last nerve and he turned around and commanded the spirit to come out of her, which it did!

We are not told, but she probably joined the little church at Lydia’s house!

Her owners were furious that they had lost their cash cow and had Paul and Silas appear before the authorities. They accused them of advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.