JOY No Matter What
CHCC: November 2, 2008
Philippians 1
INTRODUCTION:
This week we’re starting a new series in our sermons and Pueblo groups. I’m pretty enthused about it --- because we’re going to study a book of the Bible that is often called the LETTER OF JOY. Paul uses the word JOY 20 times in the short little book of Philippians.
What makes that really impressive is that Paul wrote the letter from a prison cell. He was not only in prison; he was literally chained to a guard at all times. Not only that. Paul lived under the rule of the infamous Nero --- who was Emperor of Rome from AD 54 to 68.
If you’ve ever heard of Nero, you’ve probably heard that “Nero fiddled while Rome burned.” In AD64, a raging fire consumed 10 of the 14 regions of the city of Rome. Rumors that the fire was purposefully set raged as quickly as the fire spread. When the city saw Nero’s plans for rebuilding they really got suspicious --- because a BIG part of the burned center of Rome was going to become his new … and greatly expanded … Palace.
With his popularity plummeting, Nero realized he needed to blame someone for the disaster … and he had a group ready at hand. Christians were already under scrutiny because they refused to worship the emperor. Besides that, Nero had several leaders … including the apostle Paul … already under arrest. Here’s what one historian wrote about the events that followed:
"The punishment of the Christians was planned with the utmost precision and cruelty, for the entertainment of the populace. The venue was Nero’s circus near the Mons Vaticanus. Christians were exposed to wild animals and were set ablaze, smeared with pitch, to illuminate the night. The executions were so grisly that even the populace displayed sympathy for the victims. Separately, Peter was crucified upside down on the Vatican hill and Paul was beheaded along the Via Ostiensis." (Herbert W. Benario Emory University)
Most Bible commentators believe that Paul’s letter to the Philippians was one of the last letters he wrote before he was beheaded by Nero. You wouldn’t expect such a letter to be full of JOY. But Paul had learned the secret of having JOY no matter what.
Paul sets the tone of the letter early on by saying: "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy." Philippians 1:3-4
Toward the end of the chapter, Paul explains one reason he is full of JOY when he says: "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel." Philippians 1:27
Again and again in this letter, Paul talks about the JOY that comes from knowing that we never have to stand alone. We are contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.
1. You never stand alone
Isn’t that why we’re here today? It gives us encouragement just to get together. We are a family of faith, and that familial tie is as strong as any blood ties we may have with natural relatives. We don’t just call each other “brother or sister” … we actually ARE sisters and brothers in Christ. And we are connected with family all over the world because we are together in Christ.
In verse 7 Paul said: "It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me." Philippians 1:7
In verse 14 he says, "Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly." Philippians 1:14 Paul knew how to look at the up-side, even from a Prison cell.
Off and on through the years, I’ve had some correspondence with guys who were in Prison. I didn’t always know how they learned about me, but it was interesting to hear from them and to hear their stories. Some had special needs, some wrote complaining letters, some were more up-beat. Most of those had found Christ while in Prison … and some of them are dedicated Christians now.
It makes me think of a quote I heard:
The really happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery when on a detour. —Unknown (or, in Paul’s case, even when in Prison.)
Most of us have never literally been in a Prison, but EVERYONE has times when we feel trapped. Our circumstances can FEEL just like being in “chains.” It may be a sickness … or a stressful job … or a time of job-less-ness … or caring for an invalid. No matter what circumstances come up in your life, you can take JOY in knowing that you never have to go through it ALONE. Other Believers will come along side.
And even in times when no one can be with you physically … like Paul in that Prison Cell … you know that you are part of God’s family and that we share a purpose greater than any of our own individual circumstances. We literally “contend together for the Gospel.”
Paul shared another reason that we can have JOY no matter what. In verse 28 he said that we "contend together for the Gospel, without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God." Philippians 1:28
In other words, you can have JOY no matter what because you know that … in the end … YOU CAN’T LOSE!
2. You can’t lose
We put a lot of emphasis on winning. If you ever hear Jack Lambert or Bill Travis talking about an A&M vs. UT game, they’re not talking about the color of the uniforms or the half-time show. They’re talking about who WON the game!
We do the same thing with Elections. We get focused on Wins and Losses … as if EVERYTHING depended on one election. Life is full of wins and losses … ups and downs. But as Christians, we know that in the end, the VICTOR has already been crowned.
We can go through the down times with JOY because no matter how far DOWN we go (… or even no matter how far down our 401K’s go!) … we know that in the end WE CAN’T LOSE.
What was most difficult for Paul was not opposition from the Roman Government. He EXPECTED opposition from UNbelievers. What hurt Paul the most was opposition from other BELIEVERS.
We get some insight into this from verse 15 where Paul says, "It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains." Philippians 1:15-17
I remember a Youth Minister saying years ago “My problem is not motivating people; My problem is people DE-motivating me!” From years in ministry I have learned the hard way that People will disappoint you. People will oppose you. People will see themselves in competition with you. Sometimes in your own family. (even in your church family!) And I must admit that it can be a real downer to see your fiercest opposition coming from other Christians.
But Paul was able to see beyond the petty attitudes of these competitive Christians. He said, "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice." Philippians 1:18
Paul was not just able to COPE with opposition; he was able to REJOICE in the middle of it … because Paul only cared about ONE THING: that the Gospel of Christ would be preached.
Helen Keller put it this way: True happiness is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. --
Do you want to have JOY no matter what? Then take a lesson from Paul’s example.
* Remember that you are never alone. You stand with other believers … all across this city, nation, and world … and all across the centuries … contending together for the Gospel.
* Remember that even though you may suffer in the short term, you have already won in the end. Jesus has already won the victory. It doesn’t matter what others may try to do to you. You can’t lose!
And Paul shared one more way that he was able to have JOY no matter what. Look at vs. 29 "for it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him …"
3. Your struggles are a gift
I have some Christian friends who live in India. After one of my Indian friends visited America, he made this observation. “You Americans have insurance for everything … insurance if you get sick … insurance if you get robbed … insurance if you wreck your car … even insurance if you die. In India we don’t have insurance for anything! You have insurance for everything --- but you still worry about everything.”
We’re like the famous Mark Twain --- who once said: “There has been much tragedy in my life --- at least half of it actually happened”. We don’t have to actually go through troubles … just the possibility of future troubles can steal our JOY.
Of course, all of us WILL endure some actual tragedy in life. But I dare say that none of us have gone through the kind of persecution that Paul endured. Recently, I met someone whose life is a lot like Paul’s experience. He was arrested, held in prison, and even tortured … for no reason except that he was suspected of being a Christian. His life has been … and still is … in danger because he preaches the Gospel.
A lot of you met him, too. He spoke to us during Sunday school back in October. Some of you bought his books. His name is Dr. Mark Gabriel … at least that’s the name he took when he fled from Egypt because his life was in danger. His conversion from following Mohammad to following Jesus Christ was similar to the Apostle Paul’s conversion --- in that it brought him a lot of hardship, danger, and suffering.
When we had lunch with Mark on that Sunday, we had a chance to get to know him and hear more about his experiences. The list of his sufferings for the cause of Christ was amazingly similar to the things Paul went through in the first century. I dare say none of us can fully comprehend what his life has been like. But he represents thousands of Christians across the world who are suffering … and even being martyred … for their faith.
Mark Gabriel said something that really struck me. He said that at first, he thought, “Look how I am enduring all this suffering … this is my gift to God.” But later he said, “I have come to understand that any suffering I must endure is God’s gift to me. It is a privilege to suffer for Him.”
Like Paul, Mark Gabriel knows his life is in God’s hands and under God’s direction. He is willing to stake his life on the fact that no matter what, he will WIN in the end. He can join with Paul in saying, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
None of us have had to go through the Persecution that Mark Gabriel and so many other Christians across the globe are enduring every day. But we need to be ready to suffer for Christ. We have no guarantee that the same kind of hardships might not face any of us one day.
And even now, life holds plenty of un-certainty. Calamity can strike at any time --- in our finances, or our health. Without any warning, we may suddenly go through car accidents, or natural disasters, and attacks on the nation like 9/11.
Suffering can cascade into our placid lives and upset everything we’ve come to rely on. The question is, will we have JOY even in the middle of suffering? Can we gain the Spiritual Maturity to really believe that suffering can be a gift from God?
Back in the 1800’s George MacDonald wrote: “No words can express how much our world ’owes’ to sorrow. Most of the Psalms were conceived in a wilderness. Most of the New Testament was written in a prison. The greatest words of God’s Scriptures have all passed through great trials. The greatest prophets have "learned in suffering what they wrote in their books." So take comfort afflicted Christian! When our God is about to make use of a person, He allows them to go through a crucible of fire.”
CONCLUSION:
At a Pueblo meeting recently we were praying for one of our members who was about to go in for some medical tests. It was one of those scary situations where it looks like something serious might be wrong.
We prayed for his health and peace of mind. But when he prayed, he showed that he has learned some of the lessons Paul teaches in this first chapter of Philippians.
He prayed, “Lord, whatever happens, let my attitude be pleasing to you.. Let me give a good witness for You … no matter what.”
When we learn to put Christ at the center of life, then NOTHING life throws at us can shake us. We really CAN have JOY no matter what.
Let’s follow Paul’s example. Let’s learn to see things from God’s perspective. Let’s remember that we never stand alone in our suffering. Let’s really BELIEVE that we have already won the victory … because in God’s Kingdom even the WORST always works for our BEST.
