INTRO: 1. Last week Paul defined “Triumphant Joy” for us as…
a. A gift: supernatural joy that can only come from God.
b. A stance: a gift that we must commit to hang onto, taking a stand to rejoice.
c. An element of change: has the power to facilitate change first in us and then around us.
d. Jesus Christ: the main ingredient to our Joy, the more of Him we have the more joy we have.
2. But Paul doesn’t stop there with this message of triumphant joy, He goes on to tell us that this joy must also be refined in our lives.
a. We must become accustomed to living with this new found joy.
ILL. Every few years there’s a new techno-gadget that comes out to improve our lives and make everyday routine less cumbersome. However, there is often a season of confusion that precedes us using them to our greatest advantage. Take computers for instance… since grade school I’ve witnessed computers go from being a toy in a home to being a fact of everyday life. I remember first hesitation, then confusion, then familiarity and now I’m perfectly comfortable working on a computer. I work on one during the day, come home and work on one at night. I have one that I can take with me if I travel..
b. We must learn to apply it in a diversity of situations.
3. But more than that, this “Triumphant Joy” is refined in our lives… as we grow to use it and apply it, it overcomes things in us and becomes a part of us.
a. Joy will become supernaturally natural in your life… second nature.
b. It will become your normal response to even the darkest situations.
4. Paul points to three things that refines our Joy… things that we seldom see in relation to our joy.
a. The Gospel of Jesus Christ.
b. The Fellowship of Believers
c. The In-working of God’s nature in us.
5. These three things seem to some degree detached, but when you look at them as they apply to Joy… they seem to make so much sense.
I. REFINED IN HIS GOSPEL
a. This really shouldn’t surprise us, because the gospel is the instrument by which we first found this joy… the "good news" of Jesus Christ.
b. Paul let’s us know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is designed not just for my initiation into joy, but also for the developing of my joy in Christ.
c. We’ve all witnessed young converts who come to Christ with such Joy upon hearing the gospel but later fall away because they discard the gospel as if it’s exhausted it’s usefulness.
d. Paul let’s us know that his life was joyful because his life was gospel-full.
e. If many believer’s would be honest with themselves they’d admit that the reason that there is no real joy in their lives is because they don’t really believe the gospel.
f. Before the gospel can refine our joy it must be three things in our life.
A. THE GOSPEL MUST BE PIVOTAL Vs. 27
1. Twice here in this one verse Paul points God’s people to the gospel.
2. Not to the gospel preached, taught, or even sung… but the gospel lived.
3. Paul was saying the gospel isn’t something you know it’s something you live… your life revolves around it’s truths.
4. Paul said “let your conversation” another word for lifestyle.
5. When we stumble the gospel says he died for me.
6. When we’re sick the gospel says “by His stripes we are healed.”
7. When we’re under attack the gospel says “not even the gates of hell shall prevail.”
8. When we have need the gospel says “he shall supply your need according…”
9. When I come to the end of life’s journey the gospel says “I go and prepare a place for you…”
10. No matter what I face I can face it if I believe what I say I believe.
11. Paul says watch how you present the gospel with your life.
B. THE GOSPEL MUST BE PERSONAL Vs. 28
1. Paul said no matter what your adversary tries to pull on you don’t be terrified because you’ve made the gospel personal.
2. You see Paul was saying it’s not just for the sinner or the age old saint… it’s yours.
3. You refuse to be defeated because the gospel has already settled the matter… to the enemy perdition… to you salvation.
4. The gospel doesn’t just say Jesus won the victory, it says Jesus won the victory for me.
5. If you live a defeated life it’s simply because you choose to… Jesus can do nothing more than He already has to bring victory to your life.
6. There’s a theological word for this “appropriate” when you take what he offers you and hold it close to you and declare for the devil to hear “It’s Mine!”
C. THE GOSPEL MUST BE PRECIOUS Vs. 29, 30
1. Victory and Joy doesn’t mean that the sun will always shine… it just means that your soul will not change with the weather.
2. When the gospel becomes pivotal and the personal, it will become so precious that you’ll lose anything just to hang onto it.
3. Suffering becomes insignificant because you can say “I still have the gospel and I still have Jesus!”
4. That’s how we can follow the advice of James when he says to “Count it all Joy” when you fall into divers temptations.
II. REFINED IN THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS BODY
a. In chapter two, Paul turns to the second thing that can refine our joy… the body of Christ, the church.
b. Paul understood that for the Philippians to continue and grow in this joy they must continue and grow in unity.
c. Why would Paul address so much time in a letter about Joy to the concept of unity… because they are interdependent.
d. Paul constantly throughout this letter let’s the church in Philippi know how much joy it brings to his heart.
e. How does the body of Christ refine our Joy?
A. THE CHURCH COMPLETES US
1. We are part of the body of Christ and just as the hand is incomplete without the arm, so are we incomplete without each other.
2. But together we complete each other.
3. The body of Christ will bring to your life fulfillment you can’t get anywhere else.
4. Paul is saying in Vs. 1, 2 that if Christ has done anything significant in your life, you’re response should be one of unity with the church he so loves.
5. There is joy in fitting in, finding our place of service, our spiritual home.
B. THE CHURCH GIVES US A COMMON BOND
1. More so than any organization, church life has the power to bind hearts together.
2. When we open our lives to unity… God does a work in us to bring about that special closeness.
3. In vs. 2 Paul shows the depth of this bond.
4. First, it’s mental “like-minded” “of one mind.”
5. It’s also emotional “having the same love.”
6. It’s also spiritual “being of one accord.”
7. I like to call it a family because that’s the closest thing that comes to it in our lives.
8. The most significant and joyful relationship in my life are brothers and sisters in Christ.
C. THE CHURCH GIVES US A COMMON SPIRIT
1. On the job and too often in our home lives people are always looking out for #1.
2. But Paul tells us that when the church is unified there is a common spirit that looks out for each other. Vs. 3, 4
3. As we’ll see in the following verses this spirit is actually the Spirit of Christ working in us.
4. When the Spirit of Christ is evident in our lives, there’s joy.
5. When the flesh is allowed access, their's hurt, pain, and division.
6. This is why we must so guard the unity of the church, so much of our joy depends upon it.
III. REFINED IN GOD WORKING IN US.
a. Notice in vs. 5 that Paul says “Let this mind be in you” if you’ll just let Him, God will be revealed in and through your life.
b. too often we lack joy because we resist His nature being revealed in and through us.
c. Our old nature strives with that nature.
d. We must realize that we can’t truly be joyful as long as the flesh in in control, only when God is living through us.
e. Peter says that we are “partakers of the divine nature.”
f. Notice what he wants to produce in us… which at the same time will refine my joy.
A. HIS MIND IN US. Vs. 5, 6
1. For this triumphant Joy to be in my life, I’ve got to learn to think and see things God’s way.
2. We touched on that in talking about the gospel refining our joy… believing what he says.
3. Paul goes on into detail about what this divine mindset means.
B. HIS SERVANT SPIRIT IN US. Vs. 7
1. Jesus wants us to have an attitude that's willing to be of no reputation, willing to serve others.
2. Jesus understands what we will grow to, joy doesn’t come from being served, but from serving.
…“it’s better to give than to receive.”
3. Do you want to know joy… serve, not begrudgingly but whole heartedly.
C. HIS OBEDIENCE IN US. Vs. 8
1. Out of that spirit of humility comes the spirit of obedience.
2. The most joyful people in the word of God are always obedient men and women.
3. Joy comes from seeing God use you in ways you thought impossible.
4. Not a prideful joy that says “look at me”… but a humble joy that says with wonder “You chose Me?”
D. HIS WILL IN US. Vs. 12, 13
1. Paul reminds them that it is God that in them causes them to both “will” and “do” His good pleasure.
2. If you’ll open your life to him, Jesus will even give you the want to.
3. There is no greater Joy in life than in fulfilling a higher purpose and letting him make you someone you never dreamed you could be.
CONCLUSION: Have you embraced the Joy God has for you or have to abandoned it or traded it for some cheap emotion?
Have you allowed God to refine your Joy… you can begin tonight.
