Series: Action [#194]
HOW TO ENJOY LIFE- FOR ME TO LIVE
Philippians 1:12-26
Introduction:
As I said last week, most people don't enjoy life; they just endure it. We think that life must be perfect for us to be happy. If I could just change my situation life would be great. If I could just get rid of all my problems; but there's no such thing as a problem-free life. If you're going to learn to be happy, joyful, you must learn to be joyful in the situation, in the problems, in the very experiences of life. By the way, there is a difference between joy and happiness. Joy is internal and happiness is external. You have a happy time at Disneyland, you leave, and you lose your happiness. Joy is constant. How do you have happiness in spite of what is going on in your life?
The background of the story today is that Paul for the last 4 years had been miserable in circumstances. He had spent 2 years in prison in Caesarea for a “trumped up charge”. Then he was put on a ship to go to Rome to appear before Nero who is not known for his niceties towards Christians. On the way he's shipwrecked, stranded on an island, bitten by a poisonous snake, waits the winter there, continues on to Rome, and spends another two years in prison awaiting trial to be executed. During this 2 year period in Rome he is chained to a guard for 24 hours a day. He has absolutely no privacy. Every 4 hours he gets a new guard.
Yet in spite of all of these situations, Paul says, "I rejoice and I will continue to rejoice." What's Paul's secret? How does he stay positive in prison, triumph over troubles, delight in difficulties, stay so happy, positive, joyful in spite of the fact that everything has not turned out the way he planned it?
I need a proper…
1. Perspective.
Each 1 of you have problems. You've brought them in here with you. Your problems are not so important as how you are looking at those problems. The way you look at that problem is much more important than the problem. Your perspective makes the difference.
Philippians 1:12
I can see the best even in the worst. I can see God at work in the problems even when they don't go my way. Non-believers are being witnessed to in my attitude toward them, believers are being encouraged.
Philippians 1:13
Paul had always wanted to go to Rome. He meant to have a crusade. Instead, God put him in prison where he would write the New Testament. He was chained to the palace guard, the praetorium guard with the elite troops of the Roman Empire, personally chosen by Caesar- That was his bodyguards. They were the highest paid people of the empire. When they retired after 12 years they were made leaders in Rome. There is not a more strategic group that Paul could witness to if he's going to reach the Roman empire. God put Paul in Rome, Nero paid the bill, and chained a future leader of Rome to him every 4 hours. In 2 years at 4 hour shifts, Paul had witnessed to 4,380 guards. These guards had an inside route to the emperor and as a result even some of Nero's family became believers. History tells us that Nero had his wife, mother, and children killed because they became believers. A "chain" reaction. Paul had a captive audience.
Philippians 1:14
My attitude towards problems has encouraged other people. Courage is contagious. It spreads like wildfire. Other believers became bold because of Paul being bold. The perspective you need to live from if you're going to have joy in your life is found in Romans 8:28.
Romans 8:28
* God has a purpose behind every 1 of my problems.
I need a proper…
2. Priority.
When things get tough I need to know what's really important in order to distinguish the trivial from the significant. I can be living my life either based on problems or priorities. Either you'll decide what's important in your life or you'll let other people decide what's important. If you don't choose your priorities, you'll go around putting out one fire after another, living your life simply from problem to problem to problem and not choosing what's important.
Philippians 1:15-17
If you want something to steal your joy quicker than anything else, just let other people begin to criticize you.
Philippians 1:18
Paul said he wasn't going to let anybody steal his joy. Not circumstances nor critics. He said their motives may be wrong, their style may be wrong, but if` the message is getting out, so what? This is the only question in the book of Philippians. A question of priority. What should I live by?
Proverbs 3:6
* Focus on what really counts.
I need a…
3. Power.
I need strength to keep on going. Life can wear you out. Life can drain you completely. One crisis after another can drain you. You lose your energy and your power. Some of you are ready to throw in the towel. You say, "I've done the best I could, but it's not good enough and I'm tired and sick." You need a fresh power supply.
Philippians 1:19-20
Paul says, I have 2 things that give me strength and kept me going in spite of 4 years of imprisonment.
^ The prayers of other people.
^ God’s Spirit.
Where do you get your hope to keep on keeping on? Is that source reliable?
* With God's power nothing can devastate me.
I need a…
4. Purpose.
Paul is old and tired and been in prison for 4 years. He's ready to go on to Heaven. They've taken every single thing from him- Friends, ministry, freedom, privacy, etc... They've taken every thing from him except the one thing that cannot be taken from you and that is a purpose to live for.
Philippians 1:21-26
He's not suicidal but he's anticipating death. He's not afraid of dying. Death is just on to better things, out of the prison. "But while I'm here," he says, "I have a purpose for living."
Paul had a long term goal. He looked at things in the light of eternity. The best use of your life is to invest it in something that will outlast it. It's great to be a Christian, but I'm not a Christian because I'm afraid I'm going to die tonight but because I've got to live tomorrow. Even if there weren't a Heaven it would be worth it becoming a believer just for the joy here on earth. The fact is that there is more to it than cars, stereos and nice homes and things that are here and now. Only a fool would go all through life unprepared for something he knows will eventually happen at death.
* The secret of joy- Jesus 1st, others 2nd, and yourself 3rd.
Conclusion:
How would you complete the sentence: "For me to live is ____________________."
