THE JOY OF LIFE
New Liberty Christian Church, Veedersburg, IN with Rich McQuinn, minister. 9/26/10
TEX: PHILIPPIANS 1:1-30
INTRODUCTION: Picture a great friend or relative that you are very fond of. Hold that in your mind. Picture the person that has led you to the Lord Jesus Christ. Picture in your mind the persons who have influenced you the most in your Christian growth. You have good feelings about them, you honor them, love them, respect them and you protect that great friendship memory of them.
Now if they are still living, then sit down and write them a letter. In long hand you tell them how much you appreciate them, what they have done for you, how you are encouraged in life because of their witness and thank them for just being a child of God who takes responsibility. Tell them of the joy you have in your heart when you think of them and what they have done for you.
That is your homework for the week. No excuse now! Be grateful for those who have walked before you and have made your path easier.
We begin a 4 pack of sermons on the book of Philippians. Philippians has 4 chapters to study and I would love for you to read all four chapters before you come to the worship service every Sunday morning for this series of messages. If you want to grow more in Christ this is one way to get that done. This way you can pray more directionally as to what exactly God is going to be speaking to you about and what He wants you to do.
Paul probably was in prison in Rome when he writes this encouraging letter. When you read it you will soon know that one of the themes of this letter is JOY. Each time he thinks of the Christians meeting in Philippi he has to smile and be thankful. It is probably written in 61AD just before Paul’s death.
The church in Philippi was mostly non Jewish. It was one of the first churches that Paul began with the help of Lydia---the women who sold purple linens. Paul had received a call from God to go in to Macedonia. There probably wasn’t any synagogue established in this town. It takes 12 Jewish men to begin the work there and no doubt there were not that many. So Paul begins his ministry by establishing a church where “Christians” can worship.
Paul right away lays it down that he counts it all JOY when he remembers them and their goodness. In fact 15 times in these four chapters, Paul expresses his joy for them.
This is not a letter that he writes to scold, or to deeply instruct, or to make clear the gospel as much as it is a fond letter of encouragement. Philippi is a costal town, on one of the Roman roads of center of influence and travel. He writes and gives them his heart.
It will do us good to stop and read this letter from a master traveler to his dear saintly friends.
Let’s study these today in three easy sections of scripture. Chapter 1:1-11, Chapter 1:12-26, and Chapter 1:27-30
I. THE PREACHER’S PRAYER
He begins with a warm greeting. Timothy, who is like a son to Paul, is with him at this stage of his life. They are both involved in the ministry together.
Paul refers to himself as a DOULOS. A servant. A servant of the MOST HIGH JESUS THE CHRIST. He lays it out that they are not bosses, he is not dominating anyone. He is affirming their supreme loyalty to Jesus THE Christ.
No doubt he has trained the Elders and Deacons personally. He treats them as leaders of the congregation. He knows these men and he knows their hearts. He is remembering how they worked hand and hand to begin that new church work. It was a joy to see the church grow in number and in spirit.
You hear all the time the words of Grace and Peace given to you by Bible writers and by those of us who quote it in the prayers that we lead. But, do you understand what Paul is really saying here? What is he talking about for your life?
Grace. God is giving you special privileges that you do not deserve. It is because of God’s grace that we are saved, not because there is anything that we have done for our own salvation. We are saved through the riches of Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour.
Peace. Have the assurance that God has always been in control. You can believe that and you can KNOW that. He said He would take care of you even to the end of the ages. He said He is coming back for you. He said He is building you a special home in Heaven. He said that He will lead you to His father and forgive you of all sins. Therefore not to worry. Find contentment in Him.
Preacher Paul tells them that every time he thinks of them, he thinks of JOY. His heart is lifted up because of their love and devotion. They were very good to him while he was in prison. They came to his need and supported him.
He goes on to tell them that he is praying for them. We all have the notion that if the preacher prays for something then God hears his prayer before He hears anyone else’s prayer. Phooey! God will hear your prayer where ever you are and what ever you are doing. Paul says that he counts it joy to be able to pray for them.
Don’t you like it when your preacher says he is praying for you? Don’t you feel safer somehow?
There comes a time in our life when we have to let go of our children. We have taught and guided them as far as we could and how far our influence would last, after that we just hope that they will continue on in the steps we have guided them in. The same is with Paul. He wants this congregation to bring glory and praise to God. Who among us does not want their children to bring glory and praise to God Almighty?
The Joy of the Lord is MY strength.
II. THE PREACHER’S TROUBLES
All of us have heard that famous phrase ---0ut of everything bad comes something good. When God closes a door then he opens a window. In other words, HE is in charge and even though we have some problems now and then, we must keep in mind that our Heavenly Father watches over each of us.
Paul is in Rome being held in prison for preaching the Gospel of Christ. He is going to make the most of it. Did you know that he has been assigned as many as 18 guards to watch over him? What do you think the Guards have had to deal with all this time? They have had to listen to the stories of this preacher and how God called him into the ministry. They have to listen to Paul telling them over and over again how God works in great ways and how they need to come to Christ.
What matters to him is that he keeps the faith. He wants to finish well. Maybe the first half of his life was not the best, but now this second half, he is not going to let anything get in the way.
You remember that this first chapter talks about him dying. He is letting the church know that he is now ready to draw his last breath. Are you that ready? Is Jesus your Lord and Saviour? If He is, then you have everything to gain and nothing to lose. If not then you have everything to lose and nothing to gain.
Paul is saying, so what, if I am in jail, so what if I am about to die, so what that I do not have the comforts of many folks, because if does not matter. If Christ can be preached, if Christ can be lifted up, if Christ can draw men to Himself then the little pain I have or the little discomfort I have will be nothing, I will gladly spend my life in jail if I can preach the Gospel to the Roman guards. You see Paul’s troubles are for the advancement of Christ.
When ever sickness, despair, heartaches come your way, then don’t spend a lot of time whining about it. Give it to the Lord for His use. It will make your stronger and who knows it might advance the Kingdom of God and your witness.
Through all of this Paul wants to glorify Christ and be a blessing to others.
Lord help me live from day to day, in such a self forgetful way
That even when I kneel to pray, my prayer will be for others.
Help me in all the work I do, to ever be sincere and true,
And know that all I’d do for You, must needs be done for others.
Let “self” be crucified and slain and buried deep: and all in vain
May efforts be to rise again, unless to live for others
When on earth my work is done, and my new work in Heaven’s begun
May I forget the crown I’ve won, while thinking still of others.
Others, Lord, yes others, let this my motto be.
Help me to live for others, that I might live for THEE!
III. THE PREACHER’S ADVICE: STAND FAST
Paul now addresses the struggles the Christians of Philippi were undergoing in an unusual way. Naturally speaking, no one wants to suffer, and suffering is considered by most people to be a punishment. But for we the believers, undergoing persecution for the sake of Christ, suffering is to be regard as an honor given to God. Our testimony in the midst of such suffering brings glory to God, just as our personal faith does.
For one individual to stand 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and strive not to fall or fail is expecting a great deal, don’t you think? Paul tells them and us, to STAND FAST.
We all know that it takes team work. When we see a weakness in the chain, then the whole chain helps the weakest link. We help each other. We build each other up. We stand tall by kneeling in prayer for each other. We do it with tears, hugs and love.
No matter what we do, we have to do it to bring Glory to God. Are you doing that?
Can you testify TODAY that you are striving every day to live your life in such a way as to totally bring Glory to the Cause of Christ? I am not talking about being a glorified saint and puffing ourselves up and saying lookie how goodie we are. I am saying when you wake up in the mornings; do you look at that day as a chance to be a Doulos for Christ?
Is one of the songs that goes through your heart:
There is joy in serving Jesus, joy that fills my heart with Love.
Every moment, every hour
There is real joy in serving Jesus.
In the first chapter of Philippians the HOLY SPIRIT gives us a beautiful illustration of the true spirit of Christianity under fire from the enemy. Paul’s true character would be tested under these circumstances as it would be for all of us.
Give us all some stress, give us some problems we do not know how to handle, give us a touch of sickness where we think we are going to check out of this life and I will then show you what character brings out in you. You either have it or you don’t. Paul did!
He was unjustly accused. He was innocent. He was not in jail because of a crime, but for constantly preaching the Gospel of Christ. He spoke far and wide about the plan of salvation.
He mentions briefly that there were others who were preaching the Gospel and were preaching for the wrong reasons. Some of those reasons were to discredit Paul. You see we still think in our minds that bad things happen to bad people and good things happen to good people. Any body knows that if you are thrown in jail you are a bad person because you must have done bad things. The preachers were trying their best to disqualify the Gospel that Paul had been preaching because---after all, he is in jail.
Paul’s idea is that if God put him there, then he was going to use up every minute in preaching to those whom, on his own, he would not have had the opportunity to preach to.
Please think for a moment of the thousands of people who are now serving God on fields that are white unto harvest. They do without the comforts of home and loved ones. They even suffer with pain, whipped, sometimes even killed, not for a crime, but for their belief in Christ and their willingness to take the Gospel to all parts of the world.
Now let’s go back to the letter that you are going to write this week. The one, remember, that you want to thank the person who has done the most for you. The one who brings joy to your life when you think of them, etc. Don’t wait around to do it. Life is too short……………..your tomorrow may never come.
I have the joy,joy, joy down in my heart
Down in my heart to stay.
AMEN AND AMEN
