Living Joyfully In Life Series

LIVING JOYFULLY IN LIFE

STUDIES THROUGH PHILIPPIANS

PHILIPPIANS 1:1-2 PAUL AND TIMOTHY, BOND-SERVANTS OF CHRIST JESUS, TO ALL THE SAINTS IN CHRIST JESUS WHO ARE IN PHILIPPI, INCLUDING THE OVERSEERS AND DEACONS: 2 GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD OUR FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

OPENING ILLUSTRATION: ACCORDING TO SHERWOOD WIRT, C.S. LEWIS ONCE TOLD HIM, “THERE IS TOO MUCH SOLEMNITY AND INTENSITY IN DEALING WITH SACRED MATTERS, TOO MUCH SPEAKING IN HOLY TONES. THE TRAGIC LOSS IN ALL THIS PIOUS GAMESMANSHIP IS TO THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE PEW, WHO BEGINS TO FEEL THAT IN THE MIDST OF THE RELIGIOUS RAZZLE DAZZLE HE CANNOT GET THROUGH TO THE LORD HIMSELF. WE HAVE LEARNED THAT JOY IS MORE THAN A SENSE OF THE COMIC, MORE THAN EARTHLY PLEASURE, AND TO A BELIEVER EVEN MORE THAN WHAT WE CALL HAPPINESS. JOY IS THE ENVIRONMENT OF GOD AND THE GOOD THINGS THAT VOME FROM THE HAND OF GOD. IF OUR NEW FREEDOM IN CHRIST IS A PIECE OF ANGEL FOOD CAKE, JOY IS THE FROSTING. IF THE BIBLE GIVES US THE WONDERFUL WORDS OF LIFE, JOY SUPPLIES THE MUSIC. IF THE WAY TO HEAVEN TURNS OUT TO BE AN ARDUOUS STEEP CLIMB, JOY SETS UP THE CHAIR LIFE.”

INTRODUCTION: THE LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS IS AQ LETTER OF JOY. WRITTEN BY PAUL, THIS LETTER REFERS TO JOY OR INWARD HAPPINESS 16 TIMES IN ONLY FOUR SMALL CHAPTERS. IT IS AND WILL BE EVIDENT TO SEE THAT PAUL HIMSELF HAD FOUND THE INWARD JOY THAT HE NOW COMMUNICATES TO THE PHILIPPIANS. AT IT VERY CORE IS THE DISCOVERY THAT JOY IS POSSIBLE IN WHAT EVER STATE HE WAS IN. PAUL KNEW THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE TO BE JOYFUL REGARDLESS OF EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

TRANSITION: THIS IS OUR GOAL ALSO, OVER THESE NEXT SEVERAL WEEKS – TO COME TO GRIPS WITH WHAT IT TAKES TO BE JOYFUL PEOPLE IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF OUR LIFE.

1. UNDERSTAND THE ROOTS OF JOY – SERVANT HOOD TO JESUS

a. THIS LETTER WAS WRITTEN BY PAUL WITH TIMOTHY AS HIS COMPANION

b. PAUL CALLS THEM BOTH “BOND SERVANTS” OF JESUS CHRIST

i. DESIRE TO SERVE

ii. DESIRE TO SERVE OBEDIENTLY

iii. UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE NOT OUR OWN, BUT HAVE BEEN BOUGHT WITH A PRICE

1 CORINTHIANS 6:20 FOR YOU HAVE BEEN BOUGHT WITH A PRICE: THEREFORE GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY.

c. IMPORTANCE OF SERVANT HOOD TO CHRIST

i. WE CANNOT BE A SERVANT OF CHRIST UNTIL WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE SLAVES TO SIN

ii. BECOMING A SLAVE – IN THE WORLD OR BY SIN

1. WE CAN BECOME A SLAVE BY CONQUEST

PSALM 19:13 ALSO KEEP BACK YOUR SERVANT FROM PRESUMPTUOUS SINS; LET THEM NOT RULE OVER ME; THEN I WILL BE BLAMELESS, AND I SHALL BE ACQUITTED OF GREAT TRANSGRESSION.

2. WE CAN BECOME A SLAVE BY BIRTH

PSALM 51:5 BEHOLD, I WAS BROUGHT FORTH IN INIQUITY, AND IN SIN MY MOTHER CONCEIVED ME.

3. WE CAN BECOME A SLAVE BY DEBT

ROMANS 6:23 FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE FREE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.

iii. WAYS TO BE FREED FROM SLAVERY

1. EARN OUR FREEDOM – ALL WE EVER EARN IS DEATH

2. BUY OUR FREEDOM – WE HAVE NOTHING TO BY IT WITH – ALL OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS AS FILTHY RAGS.

3. REDEEMED BY ANOTHER – ONLY WAY FOR A BELIVER TO BE FREED FROM SIN

ROMANS 8:1 THEREFORE THERE IS NOW NO CONDEMNATION FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST JESUS.

ILLUSTRATION: BOICE IN HIS COMMENTARY WRITES, “SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT EXPERIENCED THIS REDEMPTION FROM SIN WILL WANT TO ARGUE THAT THIS IS MERELY AN EXCHANGE OF SLAVERY TO ONE MASTER FOR SLAVERY TO ANOTHER. BUT THIS IS FAR FROM AN ACCURATE PICTURE. NO CHRISTIAN WOULD EVER COMPARE THE TWO EXCEPT IN TERMS OF A TOTAL ALLEGIANCE. IT IS TRUE THAT WE HAVE BEEN SLAVES TO SIN, AS ALL MEN ARE, AND THAT WE ARE NOW SERVANTS OF CHRIST. BUT THE SECOND SERVICE IS NOT AT ALL LIKE THE FIRST. IT IS A BONDAGE OF LOVE AND GRATITUDE, A RELATIONSHIP THAT WE COULD COMPARE QUITE CLOSELY TO MARRIAGE. IF YOU ARE MARRIED, YOU KNOW THAT A PERSON IS NOT AUTONOMOUS IN MARRIAGE. YOU ARE NOT FREE TO DO ANYTHING YOU WANT—TO MARRY ANOTHER, TO LEAVE THE HOME, ABANDON THE SPOUSE. BUT YOU ARE FREE—FREE TO SERVE, FREE TO GIVE, FREE TO LOVE YOUR FAMILY. IT IS THUS THAT CHRIST RULES US; IT IS THUS THAT HE RULES YOU. HE IS YOUR LORD; YOU ARE HIS BRIDE. HE IS THE MASTER; YOU ARE HIS TO DO HIS BIDDING. THIS WILL NEVER BE SLAVERY. IT IS THE WAY OF JOY AND PEACE AND GENUINE SPIRITUAL SATISFACTION.”

BOICE EXPOSITIONAL COMMENTARY - AN EXPOSITIONAL COMMENTARY – PHILIPPIANS.