DO NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO ROB YOUR JOY
ILLUSTRATION:
A PREACHER told about his nine-year-old daughter who one day JUMPED off the SCHOOL BUS as it stopped in front of her house and SLAMMED her way through the front door. She MARCHED up the stairs into her ROOM and again SLAMMED the DOOR. All the time she was muttering under her breath: “People—people—people—PEOPLE!”
He went to her DOOR and knocked softly. “Sweetheart, may I come in?” “NO!” she replied. He tried again, but she said even more DEFIANTLY, “NO!”
“Why can’t I come in?” he asked. “Because you’re a PEOPLE.”
A. Sadly, one of the most common JOY STEALERS is PEOPLE!
1. All of us, at one time or another, have had our JOY THREATENED because of PEOPLE—what they ARE, what they SAY, and what they DO.
2. And, UNDOUBTEDLY, we have done our SHARE of JOY STEALING by the way ARE, our ATTITUDES, what we SAY and DO—it works both ways.
COMMENT:
People PROBLEMS are probably one of the worst kind of PROBLEMS to have! PROBLEMS with FAMILY, FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS, FELLOW-CHRISTIANS, can really GET YOU DOWN and ROB your JOY. When we have PEOPLE PROBLEMS, we often deal with it by HIDING from and AVOIDING the PEOPLE as much as POSSIBLE.
But as Christians, we cannot isolate ourselves from PEOPLE and still live to GLORIFY Christ. We are the “LIGHT of the world and the SALT of the earth.” But sometimes the LIGHT grows DIM and the SALT becomes BITTER because of other PEOPLE.
B. In the book of Philippians, the apostle Paul talks about his own STRUGGLE with PEOPLE and the STRUGGLE that the Philippian church was having because of PEOPLE PROBLEMS.
1. Yet Paul wants the Christians at Philippi to understand, that in spite of PEOPLE PROBLEMS they can still have JOY.
2. Again, the key verse in Philippians is found in chapter 4:4: “REJOICE in the Lord always. I will say
it again. REJOICE!”
COMMENT:
Christianity is not the GLOOM and DOOM that so many people in the world think. Christians should be the most JOYFUL people on earth. Jesus came to SAVE us. The Holy Spirit LIVES within us. We are on our way to HEAVEN. We have every reason to REJOICE!
3. But Satan does not want us to be JOYFUL people, because he knows if he can keep Christians looking
MISERABLE then no one will want any part of Christ and the life He offers.
COMMENT:
So Satan has sent out THIEVES in an attempt to ROB us of our JOY. Last week we saw how he uses CIRCUMSTANCES to STEAL our JOY and today we’ll see how he uses PEOPLE.
But if you want to DEFEAT Satan at his own GAME, this is how to do it. No matter who the PEOPLE are, no matter what they SAY, no matter what they DO, just LOVE ONE ANOTHER!
MESSAGE:
ILLUSTRATION:
A four-year-old was at the PEDIATRICIAN for a CHECK UP. As the DOCTOR looked down her EARS with an OTOSCOPE, he asked, “Do you think I’ll find Big Bird in here?” The little girl just sat there SILENT.
Next, the doctor took a TONGUE DEPRESSOR and looked down her THROAT. He asked, “Do you think I’ll find the Cookie Monster down there?” This time the little girl just shrugged her SHOULDERS.
Then the doctor put a STETHOSCOPE to her chest. As he listened to her HEARTBEAT, he asked, “Do you think I’ll hear Elmo in there?” “Oh, no!” the little girl replied shaking her head. “Jesus is in my HEART. . . . Elmo’s on my UNDERWEAR.”
COMMENT:
There is a children’s song that says: “I’ve got that joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart to stay.” The JOY that is in our HEARTS is because of Jesus Christ. And He is there to STAY! Now Satan doesn’t want Him there, and he tries to GET RID of Him. And one way that Satan tries to GET RID of Jesus is by STEALING the JOY from our HEARTS. And if he can’t do it with DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES, then he will use PEOPLE—sometimes GOOD PEOPLE—in an EFFORT to ROB our JOY.
I. COMMON PEOPLE PROBLEMS THAT CAN ROB YOUR JOY
A. Misunderstanding
1. Have you ever been MISUNDERSTOOD?
ILLUSTRATION:
Someone overhears you mentioning her NAME while on the TELEPHONE, and now thinks that you spoke BADLY about her in some way.
Each year you and your sister-in-law send a beautiful bouquet of FLOWERS to each other on your BIRTHDAYS. You received your BOUQUET on your birthday in April, but when your sister-in-law’s birthday rolled around in August you simply forgot to SEND the FLOWERS.
Now she refuses to SPEAK to you.
2. We’ve all been MISUNDERSTOOD—no big deal, but what often THREATENS our JOY is when we try to CLEAR-UP the MISUNDERSTANDING.
COMMENT:
You go to the PERSON and try to EXPLAIN yourself. And the more you EXPLAIN or tell the PERSON you’re SORRY for what was innocently SAID or DONE, the ANGRIER he or she becomes.
ILLUSTRATION:
When we first moved to Terre Haute, IN from Texas, Steven, who was 10 at the time, and I went to mail a letter at a drop box located in a SHOPPING CENTER. You can’t drive directly to the BOX, you have to go through the PARKING LOT first. Driving across the PARKING LOT to get to the BOX, I accidentally cut off this VAN that was looking for a place to PARK.
While I was putting my LETTER into the BOX, I heard a guy YELLING. There was this man running toward me, CUSSING up a STORM. He was a little guy in his late 50’s. When he got closer, I could tell that he was slightly INEBRIATED.
“You pulled out in FRONT of me, you BLANKENTY-BLANK.” I APOLOGIZED profusely. He became more
BELLIGERENT. “Get out of that VAN,” he said with a SLUR. He wanted to FIGHT me. I looked over at Steven, and his EYES were as big as SAUCERS.
I told him, “Sir, I’m not going to get out of this VAN. We didn’t have an ACCIDENT. No one was HURT. I’m sorry for pulling out in FRONT of you.”
He KICKED my VAN and asked, “Where are you FROM?” I sure wasn’t going to say, “I live just up the road on Garden Dr. Come see me sometime.” I still had Texas
PLATES on my VAN so I said, “I’m from TEXAS.”
For some reason that really INFURIATED him! He then reached in and GRABBED my SEAT BELT right above my shoulder and said, “Get out of there.” And I
said, “Sir, you don’t want me to GET out of this VAN!”
He CUSSED me out for a couple of more MINUTES, and finally BACKED away so I COULD leave.
Talk about THREATENING your JOY. I looked over my SHOULDER for the rest of that day making sure he wasn’t FOLLOWING me. Although I lived in Terre Haute for six years, I didn’t put anything else in that DROP BOX again.
B. Criticism
1. CRITICISM, COMPLAINING, FAULT-FINDING, JUDGMENTAL SPIRIT, these are ATTITUDES that can really SAP the JOY right out of you.
ILLUSTRATION:
Back in 1991 I went on a MISSION CAMPAIGN to Czechoslovakia for 10 weeks. While I was away twenty different men from the CONGREGATION where I was preaching at the time in Bowie, Texas PREACHED in my place—Sunday morning and night for 10 weeks. Most of
these men had never PREACHED before, or even TAUGHT a Bible CLASS for that matter.
One of the men, Allan Johnson, preached on a Sunday night. Having never PREACHED before he was extremely NERVOUS, but he got through it. After returning home, I THANKED him for preaching in my place and asked how it WENT.
He told me, “Fred, I spent hours PREPARING that sermon making sure it was SCRIPTURALLY BASED and I PRACTICED it over and over. And although I’m not a PREACHER, I thought it came across pretty well.” He then PAUSED a moment and his FACE just dropped. “But after services,” he said with a somber voice, “one of the ladies came to me and pointing her finger in my face said, ‘The next time you get up there to preach, you make sure that all of your SCRIPTURES are used in their PROPER CONTEXT.’”
He never told me who the LADY was. But because of her SHARP CRITICISM of a man who was just trying to do his BEST, there would NEVER be a NEXT TIME when he will stand before that church leaving himself that VULNERABLE.
2. I know that most people who CRITICIZE think they are HELPING—they think they are making the person BETTER by what they call CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM—but more than not makes them BITTER.
COMMENT:
Unrelenting CRITICISM is a JOY ROBBER, as many of you can ATTEST too. No matter how hard you try to DO your BEST at your JOB, at HOME, at SCHOOL, there are those who will find something WRONG and CRITICIZE you for it.
C. Insensitivity
1. Most people who have this CHARACTER FLAW don’t even realize they are INSENSITIVE.
2. They don’t mean to HURT anybody, but by the things they SAY or DON’T SAY or by the things they DO or DON’T DO, they often UNKNOWINGLY hurt the FEELINGS of others.
ILLUSTRATION:
A son went to VISIT his mother on her 80th BIRTHDAY. Handing her a piece of BIRTHDAY CAKE he said out of the clear blue, “You know Mom, you’re probably going to DIE soon.” Seeing the utter SHOCK on his mother’s face, he quickly added, “GOD FORBID, of course!”
Stumbling a bit he continued, “But Mom, you’re no SPRING CHICKEN—and who knows what may HAPPEN? I mean, shouldn’t we make a few decisions about ARRANGEMENTS?”
There was a silence, the mother smiling calmly. So the son went on, “Mom, what I’m trying to say is, how do you want to GO? I mean—do you want to be BURIED or CREMATED?"
The mother replied, “Well, son, I don’t know. Why don’t you just SURPRISE me!!!!”
II. PEOPLE PROBLEMS THAT PAUL ADDRESSES
A. TROUBLEMAKERS- 1:14-18 (READ and COMMENT)
1. This world is full of TROUBLEMAKERS who are trying to STEAL our JOY.
COMMENT:
The BULLY at school who TRASHES your HOMEWORK. The NEIGHBOR who spreads MALICIOUS GOSSIP about you. The CO-WORKER who CONSPIRES to make you look BAD in front of the BOSS.
2. How do we keep TROUBLEMAKERS from STEALING our JOY?
COMMENT:
Never allow them to BRING you DOWN to their LEVEL by RETALIATING or SEEKING REVENGE. “Don’t be overcome by EVIL, but overcome EVIL with GOOD”- Romans 12:21.
Always remember that God will DEAL with those who bring us TROUBLE. “‘It is mine to REVENGE, I will REPAY,’ says the Lord”- Romans 12:19.
B. LEGALISTS in the CHURCH- 3:1-3 (READ and COMMENT)
1. Legalists, for the most part, mean well.
COMMENT:
They sincerely feel like that they are STANDING up for TRUTH. But, in reality, they are being used by Satan who is trying to NEGATE the GRACE of God by making Christians believe that they can EARN their SALVATION by their GOODNESS and WORKS.
Where there is true LEGALISM, you will see MISERY not JOY. LEGALISTS cannot find HAPPINESS because they LIVE in constant FEAR that they aren’t DOING enough to APPEASE
God so that He might allow them ENTRANCE into HEAVEN.
2. How do we keep LEGALISTS from STEALING our JOY?
-Galatians 5:1- “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
C. GOOD CHRISTIANS who can’t GET ALONG- 4:2-3 (READ and COMMENT)
1. This is the main reason Paul writes this letter.
COMMENT:
Euodia and Syntyche were two FINE Christian women. Both were HARD WORKERS in the church. They had both HELPED Paul greatly in his MINISTRY. Apparently, both were well RESPECTED by the Philippian church.
Yet, their DISAGREEMENT, whatever it was, had caused such TURMOIL in the Philippian church that even Paul heard about it while in a Roman PRISON. Undoubtedly, there were SIDES taken in that church that had caused such DISUNITY that it PROMPTED Paul to write this letter.
2. A church can SURVIVE an ONSLAUGHT of outside ATTACKS, but Satan knows that if he can cause INNER STRIFE between just two well-respected Christians then he can slowly but surely CHIP away the EFFECTIVENESS of that CHURCH.
COMMENT:
Churches have SPLIT, work has been HINDERED or STOPPED, the GOSPEL of GRACE has been NEGATED, SOULS have been LOST—all because of Brothers and Sisters in Christ couldn’t get along.
3. There are two important things that Paul wants these ladies to UNDERSTAND.
a. “Agree with each other in the Lord.”
COMMENT:
By saying “In the Lord,” I believe Paul is telling them to remember that they are on the SAME SIDE. They have the same Lord and Savior. They are SISTERS in Christ. And they need to ACT like it.
“Agreeing with each other in the Lord,” doesn’t mean we will see everything EYE TO EYE. It just means we will continue to LOOK one another in the EYE while we work the KINKS OUT.
b. Paul reminds them that “their NAMES are written in the BOOK of LIFE.”
COMMENT:
In other words I believe Paul is saying, “Ladies, you both are going to be SPENDING ETERNITY together in HEAVEN, don’t you think you need to START learning how to GET ALONG with each other NOW?”
4. How can we keep those with whom we have difficulty GETTING ALONG from ROBBING our JOY?
a. We IMITATE the HUMILITY of Jesus.
b. Philippians 2:1-8 (READ and COMMENT)
CONCLUSION:
A. This fall we will be kicking off the 40 Days of Purpose Campaign, and the question we will be
considering throughout this SPIRITUAL JOURNEY is: “What on earth am I here for?”
1. The answer is: “We are on this EARTH for PEOPLE.”
COMMENT:
There are two things we can’t do in HEAVEN: SIN and TELL PEOPLE ABOUT JESUS. We can’t SIN because SIN won’t be allowed in HEAVEN. And there is no reason to tell people about Jesus, because they already KNOW Him or they wouldn’t be in HEAVEN. So which one do you
think God left us here for? To SIN or TELL PEOPLE ABOUT JESUS.
The reason that Jesus left His CHURCH on this EARTH when he RETURNED to HEAVEN is because we have a MISSION to bring PEOPLE to Christ.
2. Instead of allowing PEOPLE to ROB us of our JOY, let’s do all we can to show them the TRUE JOY found only in Christ.
WHO HAS BEEN TRYING TO STEAL YOUR JOY?
