DON’T ALLOW CIRCUMSTANCES ROB YOUR JOY
A. For the next few weeks we’re going to take a look at CHRISTIAN JOY and the THIEVES that try to ROB us of our JOY from the book of Philippians.
1. Now to some people the phrase “CHRISTIAN JOY” is an OXYMORON--in their mind these two words CONTRADICT each other.
ILLUSTRATION:
I have a PREACHER FRIEND, Wayne Monroe, who, when he was younger, used to play BASKETBALL with some COLLEGE STUDENTS in the town where he PREACHED. He had a GREAT TIME playing the game, LAUGHING and CUTTING UP with the other PLAYERS.
When one of the COLLEGE STUDENTS learned that he was a PREACHER, he couldn’t BELIEVE it. He went to Wayne and asked, “Is it true? You’re a PREACHER?” Wayne acknowledged that he was and asked “Why are you so SURPRISED?” The STUDENT sincerely said, “I didn’t think PREACHERS could have FUN.”
ILLUSTRATION:
There was a large PREACHERS’ convention held in Nashville, Tennessee. And during the BREAK, several of the PREACHERS ran across the street from the CONVENTION CENTER to purchase some SNACKS from a CONVENIENT STORE.
The STORE CLERK started CHECKING out the PREACHERS one by one—CHIPS, GUM, SOFT DRINKS, NEWSPAPERS. One man put a big bottle of COUGH MEDICINE on the COUNTER. The CLERK with her CHEERY voice asked, “And where do you PREACH, sir?” The man with a SOUR LOOK on his FACE protested, “Lady, give me a BREAK here! I’m not a PREACHER! I just look this WAY because I’m SICK.”
2. Why do so many people equate Christianity with GLOOM and DOOM?
COMMENT:
I think the main reason is because that’s the way many Christians PRESENT themselves to the WORLD. They walk around with SOUR FACES. They’re GRUMPY. They seldom SMILE. They look like they’ve been BAPTIZED in VINEGAR. To these people, Christianity isn’t something to ENJOY but to ENDURE.
B. On the other hand, there are those who want so much to ENJOY their Christian lives, but are having a
hard time doing it—they have allowed certain THIEVES to STEAL their JOY.
COMMENT:
Paul, in the book of Philippians, writes about these THIEVES and shows us how to COMBAT them. The KEY VERSE in the book of Philippians is found in chapter 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: REJOICE!” Paul is saying that we are to be JOYFUL people no matter what HAPPENS nor where we are: at HOME, at WORK, at SCHOOL and, yes, even at CHURCH.
Satan does not want Christians to be JOYFUL people. As long as he can keep us looking MISERABLE, he knows that not many people will want to have any part of the GLOOM and DOOM of Christianity. They have enough PROBLEMS of their own.
Jesus- “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”- John 10:10. In other words, Jesus is saying, “I didn’t come to ROB you of LIFE, I came so that you can LIVE IT UP.”
C. Satan does not want us to “LIVE IT UP IN CHRIST”, so he sends out THIEVES to ROB our Christian JOY.
MESSAGE:
I. CIRCUMSTANCES ARE ONE OF THE MOST COMMON THIEVES OF OUR JOY
A. There are THINGS that HAPPEN to us, even LITTLE THINGS that sometimes make LIFE tough.
ILLUSTRATION:
You have a FLAT TIRE. You spill COFFEE in your LAP. Your IN-LAWS come over for an UNEXPECTED VISIT. Your BASEMENT leaks. Your son puts a DENT in your new CAR. The CHECKBOOK won’t BALANCE.
ILLUSTRATION:
Or you could be like the young BUSINESSMAN who had just started his own FIRM. He rented a beautiful OFFICE and had it FURNISHED with ANTIQUES. Sitting there on his FIRST DAY, he saw a man come into the OUTER OFFICE. Wishing to appear the BIG SHOT, the businessman picked up the PHONE and started to pretend he had a BIG DEAL working. He threw huge DOLLAR AMOUNTS around and made giant COMMITMENTS. Finally he HUNG UP and said to the VISITOR, “Sorry, I had to take that IMPORTANT CALL. Can I help you?”
The man said, “Yeah, I … I’ve come to ACTIVATE your PHONE LINES.”
COMMENT:
If you were the BIG SHOT would that SITUATION somewhat DEPLETE your JOY?
B. We all face MINOR, IRRITATING CIRCUMSTANCES like these, but those MAJOR, DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES are what really makes it HARD to maintain JOY in our lives.
ILLUSTRATION:
Your TEENAGE SON is ARRESTED for selling DRUGS. Your UNMARRIED DAUGHTER informs you that she’s PREGNANT. Your BOSS calls and tells you not to come to WORK tomorrow because you’re FIRED. You get the DOCTOR’S REPORT back—it’s CANCER. A MILITARY CHAPLAIN and another OFFICER comes to your DOOR and regretfully tells you that your HUSBAND was KILLED in a fierce GUN BATTLE in IRAQ.
COMMENT:
These are the kind of CIRCUMSTANCES that TEST your FAITH and THREATEN your JOY. These are the kind of CIRCUMSTANCES that Paul had in mind when he WROTE:
“REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS!”
II. CIRCUMSTANCES OF PAUL AND HOW HE RESPONDED TO THEM-Philippians 1:12-24
A. He is in PRISON for PREACHING Jesus- vv. 12-14 (READ and COMMENT)
B. He has ENEMIES on the OUTSIDE trying to stir up TROUBLE for him- vv. 15-18 (READ & COMMENT)
C. He may be EXECUTED- vv. 19-24 (READ and COMMENT)
COMMENT:
If you were in Paul’s shoes, would you find REASON to be JOYFUL? Quite FRANKLY, I’ve thrown myself PITY PARTIES over CIRCUMSTANCES that don’t even come CLOSE in SEVERITY to what Paul went through. Haven’t you?
ILLUSTRATION:
My CAR won’t START! PITY PARTY!
My CAR needs a NEW AIR CONDITIONER! PITY PARTY!
My CAR needs a NEW WATER PUMP! PITY PARTY!
My CAR needs a NEW IGNITION SWITCH! PITY PARTY!
I think a need a NEW CAR! PITY PARTY!
COMMENT:
CAR PROBLEMS compared to what Paul was GOING THROUGH is NOTHING! And, yet, he wants the Philippian church to know that God has not FORSAKEN him.
This is not the only time the Philippian Brethren saw Paul in JAIL and having his JOY TESTED by DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCE - Acts 16:22-25 (READ and COMMENT)
ILLUSTRATION:
What if we had the opportunity to INTERVIEW Paul while he was in this DUNGEON, what do you think he would tell us?
Paul and Silas, are you in there? “Yes, we’re in here!” What have they done to you? “Well, we have been STRIPPED and severely BEATEN. At the moment we are extremely UNCOMFORTABLE because we are placed in STOCKS.”
Paul, we just want you do know that we are so sorry to hear about what you and Silas are going through. We’re over here at Rossville praying for you because you must be DISCOURAGED and BITTER, and feel all ALONE. We can only imagine how BAD you two must feel.
“Yes, it has been TOUGH, but we know God still LOVES us. In fact, Silas has just suggested that we sing a couple of verses from ‘Count Your Many Blessings.’ Then we’re going to sing: ‘Rejoice in the Lord, Always’ and ‘Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart.’ It’s tough, but we still have reason to REJOICE.”
(Illustration by Marvin Phillips)
COMMENT:
Paul was able to find JOY in some of the most TRYING of CIRCUMSTANCES!
III. HOW DO WE MAINTAIN OUR JOY THROUGH DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES?
A. Give it to God in PRAYER.
1. The key to Paul’s PEACE even in the midst of TROUBLE was LETTING go of the DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES and giving them to God in PRAYER- Philippians 4:6-7.
COMMENT:
Paul was a HUMAN BEING just like everyone else. There were times when he was DOWN and DEPRESSED—just READ I and II Corinthians. But what he LEARNED along the
way was that God was in CONTROL, not him. So he decided to LET GO and LET GOD.
There would be no way that Paul could HANDLE what he was FACING if he didn’t GIVE it to God in PRAYER and TRUST Him for the OUTCOME, regardless of what it was.
2. Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are WEARY and BURDENED, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.”
COMMENT:
Jesus wants us to bring our BURDENS to him to find REST and PEACE. Does that mean He will always take the DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCE away from us? NO. We saw that last week concerning John the Baptist. But it does mean that He will be right there BEARING the BURDEN with us.
B. Look for the GOOD in the CIRCUMSTANCE.
1. Romans 8:28- “And we know that in all things God works for the GOOD of those who love Him, Who have been called to His purpose.”
2. Paul wrote those words long before he was in a Roman Prison on DEATH ROW.
COMMENT:
Did he believe what he WROTE, or was it just PREACHER RHETORIC? Philippians 1 shows that Paul BELIEVED every word of it. He faced three TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES that would DESTROY most PEOPLE and, yet, Paul was able to SEE the GOOD that God was PRODUCING from each of them.
C. Determine to be STRONGER coming OUT of the CIRCUMSTANCE than WHEN you went IN.
1. James 1:2-4 - “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 its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (COMMENT)
2. II Corinthians 12:7-10 (READ and COMMENT
COMMENT:
It is our decision to either allow the DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCE to DEFEAT us or make us STRONGER. Paul could have QUIT. He could have said, “God, I’ve had it! I’m SICK and TIRED of SERVING you and get NOTHING in return but PROBLEMS.”
But instead he looked at his DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES and said, “God thank you for allowing me to EXPERIENCE this PROBLEM, because now I am a BETTER PERSON.”
CONCLUSION:
A. I know this WORLD is TOUGH.
1. Jesus said, “In this world you will have TROUBLE”- John 16:33.
a. No one has to REMIND you of that, do they?
COMMENT:
Every time you sit down to PAY the BILLS, you are REMINDED of that. Every time you DRIVE past the COMPANY you thought you would RETIRE from but instead was CLOSED DOWN, you are REMINDED of that.
Every time you DRIVE past the CEMETERY where your 3 year-old son is BURIED, you are REMINDED of that.
b. You are PAINFULLY AWARE of what TROUBLE is!
2. But Jesus goes on to say, “But take HEART! I have OVERCOME the WORLD.”
COMMENT:
In other words, Jesus is saying, “TROUBLESOME CIRCUMSTANCES do not have the LAST WORD—I DO!” I can find JOY in DIFFICULTIES because Jesus has already OVERCOME them for me—I just have to TRUST Him!
HOW ABOUT YOU? WHAT’S BEEN GETTING YOU DOWN LATELY?
