I hope that since we gathered together last time that your week has been filled with perfect people, perfect circumstances, a stream of positivity coming from your favorite news source. But just in case that is not reality for some of you, you are in luck. Here’s why. We are beginning a new series today and we’re actually going to revisit a book that we preached through eight years ago – the book of Philippians.
And the reason is not because we’re out of new ideas or that there’s a shortage of things to teach in the Bible. The reason is very simple…Philippians is known as the “Epistle of Joy” and I think joy is in incredibly short supply in the world that we live in. I think there is an abundance of fear, worry, anxiety, unrest, anger, depression and hopelessness. And if you look around, that is understandable. But what Philippians reminds us of is that joy was never meant to be discovered in the circumstances of a fallen world. And I think for many of us, me included, this current cultural season has been so difficult that we are living out of what FEELS to be true, as opposed to what IS true…and the end result of living through our feelings is the resulting lack of joy.
And throughout this series, I am going to ask you to do something that I normally do not do because it feels like self-promotion and following Jesus should be a lifestyle of self-denial. But I think joy is so elusive right now in our world, that I want you to work hard at sharing this series of message by all means possible on social media – not so that we can become better known, but so that Jesus, the source of our joy, can become better known. So turn with me this morning to Philippians chapter 1. Right at the start, please know that in this series, we are going to teach in more of an overview format as opposed to preaching through every verse. We could easily spend 13-14 Sundays in this small book, but we’re going to try to fly at a higher level than normal and so we’re only going to spend 7-8 weeks studying Philippians. This morning I want us to walk through the first eight verses together.
Philippians 1:1-11
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
We have only read the first part of chapter 1 and I am already encouraged by the truths contained in it. The reason that Philippians is called the “Epistle of Joy" is because the word “joy” or “rejoice” is used 16 times in just four chapters. But if you are new to the book of Philippians, you may not have an appreciation for just how incredible this book is at it relates to the subject of joy. And what I mean by that, is the words are not as powerful if you are unaware of the context of the book of Philippians. Let me give you the cliff notes. Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul. The reason that I know that is because I have an undergrad and graduate degree in Bible…but really because I read verse 1. Timothy is referenced in verse 1 because he also had a part in the organization of this church.
Philippi was a Roman colony. After the Battle of Philippi, some Roman soldiers were ordered to live there by the government so the residents of Philippi enjoyed the full benefits of Roman citizenship which will help us in understanding some of the terminology in later chapters. The apostle Paul, the human author of Philippians was living on house arrest because the gospel that he was preaching was causing some disruption to the authority of the Roman government. But instead of an ankle monitor for house arrest, Paul was chained to a Roman soldier that changed guard with other soldiers three times per day and Paul was never allowed to be more than a chain’s length away from the soldier on duty.
So even though he was in chains and on a form of house arrest, he has a relative degree of freedom that permitted him to have his friends in, to have his own home and to receive financial gifts. Thanking them for a financial gifts is part of the motive of Paul writing them to the Philippian church and in doing so he begins to lay down some principles of living with joy despite literally being in chains while he was writing. Given the choice, Paul would have much rather been on the road preaching the gospel and planting churches, but his joy was unaffected because he knew that the source of our joy cannot be pleasurable circumstances. Now, if you think that is a needed reminder in the cultural moment we are living in, say amen. I agree.
We could pull so many principles in just these 11 verses but for the sake of time I just want to look at 13 of them this morning. Relax, I’m kidding! Let’s just look at two today.
You can find joy when you…
1. REMEMBER GOD’S FAITHFULNESS IN THE PAST – vs. 3
I think one thing we have learned during this current cultural moment is that unfavorable circumstances are probably the most efficient joy robber on the planet. Difficult people are a close second but the difference is that many times we have some measure of control over our level of involvement with difficult people, but with circumstances that is often not the case. You have no control what family you are born into. You have no control over whether or not you are born into poverty. You have no control when the board of directors decides the company needs to downsize. Many times, you have no control over the injustice you experience at the hands of others. And because we have no control often over circumstances, they tend to deliver some crushing blows and when they do one of the most common responses we have is to forget all of the ways that God has provided in the past during difficult circumstances.
And when I choose NOT to intentionally recall and meditate and be steadied by the occasions of God’s past faithfulness I have no confidence that the current calamity is going to work out for my good and His glory. And if I am convinced that things aren’t working for my good and His glory, then living with joy becomes impossible. When we choose NOT to meditate on God’s past faithfulness, then we cannot fathom a way for Him to intervene in the present. As far as we are concerned, the road signs all around us say, “Pain – straight ahead for the next million miles.” Now let’s not pretend that it’s not hard to remember God’s past faithfulness when you are trying to navigate a pandemic in the present. It’s hard to meditate on God’s past provision when all of your hard earned retirement is circling the drain.
It’s hard to sing “He’s an on time God,” when everything around you tells you he is running late. That was the problem with Israel. They couldn’t remember the faithfulness of God and so they would repeat the same mistakes of looking for joy in idolatry. We read the OT and we say, “Silly Israelites! How could you be so stupid! How can you forget so quickly what God did for you!” Let me let you in on a little secret, that guy I see in the mirror looks an awful lot like a Hebrew on more days than I care to admit.
One of the things I wish I could smash to pieces is the lie that joy is found in favorable circumstances and the other lie that says in America favorable circumstances are owed to those who work hard. You may be saying, “Well if those are lies, and that hope DOESN’T lie in favorable circumstances, then where DO we find hope?”
Look at verse 3: “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you…” Listen, Paul’s present condition was difficult, his present condition was unjust legally, his present condition was really unexplained spiritually…BUT, Paul’s heart was unaffected because he was full of sweet memories of God’s provision in the past through the believers at Philippi.
When the Philippian believers first heard about Paul’s imprisonment at Rome, they sent Epaphroditus to minister to him and part of that ministry was a financial gift so that his confinement would be more comfortable. Later, when Paul was writing this letter, even though his circumstances hadn’t changed, he was able to look back and celebrate God’s provision in the past. Paul was not in an ideal circumstance but the joy of remembering God’s provision through these believers rose above the unpleasantness of his circumstances. His focus wasn’t on how bad things were but rather on God’s faithfulness in the past. Can I share with you this morning that some of us need to do the exact same thing?
[Illustration of an overwhelming Thursday as I prepped for this message while being distracted by 100 other things.] And all of this stress produced a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach…my circumstances were robbing me of my joy! And so I finally forced myself back into my office to finish studying and I am immediately reminded: “You need to make the choice to quit focusing on the circumstances and needs of the present and instead start focusing on God’s faithfulness in the past.”
Because if you do not, you will experience the same thing as the Israelites where you constantly forget about God’s past provision so you start turning to idols who falsely promise to provide what only God can. Has anyone noticed we are in an election year? If you do not remember all the times in the past that God has provided for your physical and financial needs, then you are going to be crushed if your candidate does not win because you are deceived into thinking that the government, not God, is your source of provision. Listen closely, when the chaos of culture begins to cause you fear and anxiety and anger and a lack of joy, our joy cannot be attached to the ability to control things that seem out of control. Our joy has to be attached to the character of God who is still sovereign over ALL circumstances.
Now, let’s just be honest. Saying “remember God’s faithfulness in the past” sounds like something cliché that belongs on a bumper sticker. And I get that, so let me tell you why that is so crucial. It’s because a past record of God’s faithfulness is not a recollection of his activity…it’s really the tangible evidence of his character. And the reason that is such a crucial distinction is because you and I will be tempted to look for a swift change in our present circumstances as a testimony of his character…like, if he’s really in control, then he’ll change my circumstances. Present circumstances are NOT how we measure his character… past faithfulness is a TRUE measure of his character. If you are listening, smack your neighbor and say WAKE UP! When studying God’s faithfulness to his people in the past, many times, God did not change their circumstances. Instead, he offered them something far greater than a change of circumstance. He offered them his presence. And Psalm 16:11 says, “In the presence of God, there is fullness of joy.” So here is something I would challenge all of us with as it relates to finding joy.
Stop praying for God to show you a way of escape and start praying for God to show you himself until the deliverance comes. God has proven himself to be faithful to be present with his people in the midst of suffering. He was there at the Red Sea. He was there in the lion’s den. He was there in the fiery furnace. He was there at Calvary and he will be a very present help in trouble…so live out of what you KNOW to be true as opposed to what FEELS to be true…and you will find joy when it is hard to find.
This is a discouraging time, no one is denying that. But we also cannot deny the times that God has sent us gifts to sustain us and encourage us when we are chained up to joyless circumstances. Paul said in verse 3, “I thank God upon every remembrance of you because you are a tangible reminder of God’s faithfulness in the past despite some unfavorable circumstances in the present.” Worry is obsessed with how God is going to provide in the future…but joy is produced by remembering how God has been faithful in the past. Let me repeat that. And so we choose to mediate on God’s past provision because it is a tangible display of the character of a God who never changes in the midst of circumstances that do.
You can find joy if you…
2. EVALUATE CIRCUMSTANCES WITH AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE – vs. 6
There’s a fascinating study that I read of this week. It was a study on happiness by country. The places that reported the most happiness were also the places living in the most poverty. America, the most prosperous country in world history, ranked near the bottom. And part of the reason for that is that we have allowed the American Dream to creep into our Christian worldview. The American Dream has promoted the idea that you can create ANY scenario you want if you will just work hard enough…and we have placed our hope in that. And that would be an okay thing to do if we were sovereign and we were not living in a world cursed by sin. But in a world cursed by sin, you can work hard and lose everything in a pandemic and in the recession that is sure to follow. You can do right by people and they will do wrong by you.
You can be diligent about your health and still be diagnosed with terminal cancer. You can lobby and promote and plaster your Facebook feed with political slogans and your candidate can still lose the election. In other words, if your source of joy is evaluating circumstances by the present happiness they provide, and not the eternal benefit they offer, you are going to have the joy stomped right out of you. Life in a fallen world is designed to break your heart…but joy is found in the realization that only Jesus can heal my brokenness. Choosing to view present circumstances through an eternal lens will be a way to find joy because it keeps you from asking, “Well how is THIS supposed to make me happy?”
But instead you can say, “How can God use this for MY good and HIS glory? How can God use this present pain to make me long for Heaven and His presence?” This might be a good place to offer up a definition of joy. This is not the only Biblically faithful definition of joy, but I believe it to be a good one that I came across this week. Definition: Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.
Here is an even simpler way to think about it: Joy doesn’t come from circumstances…it comes from confidence in our relationship with God. And when I approach life that way, then even in the midst of painful circumstances, instead of being thrown into despair, I can have confidence in my relationship with a God who has already promised that painful circumstances cannot derail His plan to make me like Jesus.
Now, let me ask you a question. If you lived with that kind of mindset, is there any situation you could ever encounter that you could rob you of your joy? If you lived with the full confidence in your relationship with God that you were fully assured that no matter how crazy the culture is around you, that it could not derail God’s ability to make your more like Jesus – wouldn’t joy be easier to find? Guess what, God has already promised this to be true. God has already promised no matter how painful life gets on this side of heaven, His work inside of you is guaranteed.
Look at verse 6. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” The Greek verb translated “began” is used only here and in Galatians 3:3 and both times it refers to salvation. That’s the context. Therefore, the phrase “will bring it to completion” points to the eternal security of salvation for a true believer all the way until eternity or “the day of Jesus Christ”.
Let’s dig a little deeper in this reference to the work of salvation in verse six and let me use some big words, just to prove I’m going to seminary. “He who began a good work in you” is a reference to both justification and sanctification. The “good work” was that because the righteousness of Christ has been imputed, or credited to your account, you have gone from guilty & condemned to guilty & pardoned. If you agree that is a good work, say amen.
But it gets even better, because that fact that is says, “began” a good work and not “did” a good work, is pointing towards the ongoing process of sanctification. In other words, He is still continuing to work in me when it feels like everything is falling apart around me. Even though the outward man is perishing, the inward man is still, in fact, being renewed day by day. And no matter who painful life gets, it will end in glorification.
He is making that promise in verse six when he says “will bring it to completion.” Listen, when God make a promise, he puts his character on the line. Do you see that both our future promises and his past provision are rooted in his character…and not our performance? And he has promised that pain cannot derail his promise.
Glorification is when we get to heaven and we are no longer weighed down by our sin nature so we can then be finally and fully conformed into the image of Jesus …which is the whole reason God saves us in the first place. Now, if that is an eternal/promise, how does that help me find joy in the present? Listen closely, it’s because it should produce confidence in my relationship with Jesus to the point that hard times are viewed as a part of the process rather than being viewed as the absence of his presence or care. I don’t have to have my joy robbed because of the fear that he has abandoned me in the middle of painful circumstances, because he has already promised that he is going to finish what he started in me according to verse 6. So whatever he allows in between, has been providentially allowed by his sovereign hand and therefore it must be a part of the process of God’s plan of perfecting me that he has promised He would do.
When I view circumstances with only a temporal view I am left to evaluate them based on whether or not they are painful or pleasurable. When I view them with an eternal view, I am asking, “How, not if, but how, is this profitable? How is this yet another step in the process of God’s promise to perfect me?” You see, when the ending has already been promised, and it has according to verse 6, I don’t have to forfeit my joy in the middle of that process! If that’s a good word, say amen.
I can’t help but to remember 2 Corinthians 4:17 which says, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” Let me give you the Anderson paraphrase – one day I will get to heaven and realize that the old gospel hymn that my grandma used to sing was so true…It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.
Folks, let’s vow today to evaluate our circumstances with an eternal perspective. Let’s not be prisoners of the present world where life was never designed to be fair. Political disunity, prejudice and pandemics are not the formula for joy and the world feels pretty dark right now. But here’s the good news – the darker it is, the better an opportunity it is for the light to shine. And in a dark world, the light of joy has never been more needed or welcomed by people stumbling around in the dark.
“Always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have.” Why are "they" asking you for answers? Because the joy that they see in your life that transcends everything going on around you!
Joy has a name, and its name is Jesus. And you can look around and be discouraged by the dark, or you can say, what an opportunity to be on mission for Jesus. What an opportunity to display and declare the joy of knowing Jesus in a world where joy is so desperately longed for, yet so hard to find for so many.
