Joy That Lasts

Joy that lasts

Philippians 1:1-11

This sermon was birthed by prayer and some resources from Sermon central contributors

Introduction-

I think it would be safe to say most people want to be happy.

We don’t set out to be miserable, we don’t enjoy being sad.

I think all of us would like to know and find the secret to happiness.

I want to talk to you about joy.

I know some people who always have a smile on their face and then I know some who never seem to be able to smile.

I know some people who have gone through more than I could ever imagine, and yet when they talk to you, you get this positive and encouraging attitude that just seems to brighten your day.

Others, by the time they are done infecting you with the world is after me attitude, you walk away and feel like you need to take a quick shower to wash the negative off.

Question-What is the difference?

Everyone has a bad day.

Everyone has had some real hurts happen to them.

How can some be positive and some be depressed and out of sorts?

The song we sing “Joy Unspeakable” is not the Bible, but it does give some insight about having joy in our lives.

Ist 4 verses start out:

I have found His grace in all complete.

I have found the pleasure I once craved.

I have found the joy no tongue can tell.

The joy that we seek and what the world cannot find is not in stuff, not in money, it is in Jesus.

It is so simple that most cannot find it.

The song says

“It is like a great o’er flowing well springing up within my soul.” “It is joy unspeakable and full of glory”

joy comes from the inside, because of who dwells inside of us.

I wish I could tell you that you come to Jesus and all your problems go away, your life suddenly falls perfectly in place and you live your life with joy in your life.

That would be not true. In fact, it would be a lie.

We still hurt- people still hurt us.

We still face trials- because we live in a sinful world.

We still lose love ones.

We still can have joy:

once we understand that God’s definition of joy is not the same as the world.

Once we understand that temporal things of this earth will pass away, but one day that the promises of God will be fulfilled.

The book of Philippians , the letter apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian church was a letter of encouragement for the group of God’s people to endure to the end.

To see the joy of the Lord active in their lives.

This is one of the prison epistles.

Meaning Paul wrote this letter while being imprisoned in Rome.

He wrote this letter while being chained to a imperial guard for about two years.

He wrote this not knowing if one day that they would decide to kill him.

You can understand that he had no privacy.

You understand that his payment for being a follower of Christ did not mean he was put up in the Jerusalem Hilton- far from it.

He gives us a glimpse of what joy unspeakable is like in your life.

V27- Paul tells the church to live a “life worthy of the gospel”.

He is saying to them Joy and worthy living go hand and hand.

He is saying to the community of believers that he is joyful, even though he is bound, because together they are impacting people’s lives with the gospel.

Paul is telling the Philippians church and he is telling each of us that joy comes from our relationship with Christ.

Not what stuff we have.

Not from the circumstances we are in.

Paul is talking about identity- as a believer , as a servant of Christ, we can have joy because we know this is not all there is.It will get better.

To those that do not know Christ, it will not get better.

Paul teaches us some lessons from prison.

He teaches us that trials endured can lead us to lasting joy.

James 1:2-3

“consider it pure joy , my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds. Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish it’s work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

He teaches us that we cannot let people or circumstances rob us of our joy and contentment.

There are people who fan the flames and help us grow.

Then there are people who throw water on everything that we do.

Do not let them rob you of your joy.

Being a Joy-full person is a choice.