Found Joy

Joy can only be found in Jesus – Sunday, November 22nd

Opener:

Well Good morning everyone! So nice to see everyone here this morning! We are just so thrilled to be having service and enjoying God’s Presence here this morning.

This morning, the title of our message is “Joy can only be found in Jesus”. So let me ask you a question. Have you ever tried to accomplish something that seemed impossible at the time? I can remember when I was a kid. I really like to play football, and believe it or not I was super skinny at the time and was not able to play on the team because I would have gotten squashed. I can remember working so hard to gain weight. I would take weight gainers, eat lots of ice cream. In fact, I would eat like a 5 gallon pail of ice cream by myself. My mom must have set aside a portion of her budget just for me to eat mint chip ice cream. No matter what I tried, it seemed like I could never gain weight and my efforts were futile. I saw myself getting frustrated because I could not gain weight to play on the football team. Eventually I gave up trying to gain weight and then when I got older, I started to gain weight and then wanted the weight off. So funny how that works!

In our text this morning, the apostle Paul warns believers of going back to the ways of the Old Testament laws. Paul draws on his life experiences in an effort to get these new converts to focus on the New Covenant.

Being a Christian during the Apostle Paul’s time was not easy. In fact, it was very difficult and for many of these converts, it cost them everything that they had. Even for the Apostle Paul, we will see in our text this morning that the price was high. Yet, in the middle of this difficulty, Paul found a secret, he found a way that enabled him to be joyful through it all.

This morning out text may be found in Philippians 3:7-11 - NKJV 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

I. Considering what is important

A. Priorities

a. The Apostle Paul was able to evaluate his life and determine what was important to him.

b. Let me say this: When we do not have our priorities aligned with God, it can drain out the life and joy in the Lord.

c. We tend to lose joy especially when we are chasing things in life that are not of eternal significance.

d. We have been created to seek God and when we seek things other than God, deep down inside of us we realize that we are chasing the wind which causes us to feel empty inside.

e. King Solomon faced this in his life. He had everything anyone could ever want, wealth, prestige, power, and brains, yet deep down inside he contemplated the purpose of it all. He struggled with finding a purpose in the midst of having all that.

B. Confidence in who we are

a. The Apostle Paul put a lot of confidence in being a religious leader: a Pharisee.

b. Part of his identity was wrapped up in his job. Paul was born in the tribe of Benjamin, studied the law vigorously, was trained by top Pharisees at the time.

c. Paul was confident in his training and upbringing.

d. Let me say this, when our priorities are not in alignment with God, we will put confidence in things that we should not.

e. Paul seemingly had it all. He had a powerful position and all the prestige that came with that position, yet that would all change when he met Jesus!

f. After Paul met Jesus, he re-evaluated his life goals and ministry.

C. Balance sheet

a. Let’s take a closer look at our text in Philippians 3 verses 7 &8 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ