A Life Stimulated By Joy
3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 I always pray for you, and I make my requests with a heart full of joy 5 because you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.
7 It is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a very special place in my heart. We have shared together the blessings of God, both when I was in prison and when I was out, defending the truth and telling others the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. 9 I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—those good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God. Philippians 1:3-11 (NLT)
It is the “advance man” of our true selves.
Its roots are inward but its fruit is outward.
It is our best friend or our worst enemy.
It is more honest and more consistent than our words.
It is an outward look based on past experiences.
It is a thing which draws people to us or repels them.
It is never content until it is expressed.
It is the librarian of our past.
It is the speaker of our present.
It is the prophet of our future. – John Maxwell.
What is Maxwell speaking of ? Attitude, what can do u have?
There was once a young boy who went to spend the week with his grandfather on the farm. While walking around he noticed the chickens, they were scratching and playing around. The little lad said, “They ain’t got it”. Next he saw a colt in the field playing and kicking up its heel’s to which he replied, “He ain’t got it”. After examining all of the animals on his grandfather’s farm and see that none of them had “it”, this boy finally found the old donkey in the barn. When he saw the donkey’s long, frowning face and the way that the donkey just stood there he screamed for his grandfather to come quick. “I found it, I found it” the boy kept yelling. When his grandfather asked what he had found he said, “Pawpaw, I found an animal that has the same kind of religion that you have.” (David Yarbrough)
\The attitude we have speaks volumes of what religion we have…
This morning’s text tells me what religion the write of Philippians possess. He possesses a joy. You need to know that his circumstances are not tailor made for happiness. While writing this letter he was chained to a roman soldier. Unpleasant. But his heart is filled with thanks, thinking of others, praying for others, remembering others, telling others how he feels about them. What inspiration!
I like this… if people can see others in such a special way. We will have joy bursting like a hurricane… I remember as a young Christian singing…
“Yes, I love u with the love of the Lord
I can see in u the glory of my King” Stuck with me…. Even my kid gets into it.
This is I believe what Paul sees.
1Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1:1-2 (NKJV)
He sees them as saints, set apart, in Christ. Christ is the equalizer. Through him we all become saints. By His death and resurrection, by His love, by His work, and through our faith in Him we receive sainthood. No need to wait until we die. And then be voted in. We are in God’s hall of fame once we make profession of faith, once we say I believe and I follow. Have a turn around in life’s direction.
Experiencing grace and peace from God (v.2)
That’s why Paul can write the way He did – he sees the people he sees Partners in Christ. He sees a work of God in progress. He sees them the way Jesus sees them, saints! He sees them with a special place in his heart.
That’s how I want see you, I want to see in you the glory of my King. That will produce a change in my heart, when I see you in Christ, as partners, not competitors, as a work in progress, a good work, which God will perfect, not me. I can’t change you. But I can serve you.
A. The need for joy.
Our world is in a bad mood.
See the turmoil – from east to west (describe current affairs)
Who wouldn’t be in a bad mood with all that?
B. The truth about JOY.
1. It’s A COMMAND
4Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Phil.4:4 (NKJV)
Only way to live this out, is to see others the way God sees them, saints, yet a work in progress. Let me say again we cannot change people, the minute we try will be the minute we will grow a disease called resentment. And along with comes the ugly cousin called “manipulation.”
Story of bride, nervous about walking down the aisle, afraid of breaking down and cry. Experienced pastor say just look down the aisle, then look at altar, then look at the groom. Aisle, altar, him. Day came, as she walked down the aisle, she was confident, problem everyone could hear her say “aisle altar him”
2. It’s Jesus’ desire
9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! John 15:9-11 (NLT)
10“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10 (NKJV)
17 For the LORD your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song.” Zeph. 3:17
3. It can influence others (1:3-5)
4. It breeds confidence in God’s power (1:6)
5. It authenticates the Good News and relationships (1:5,7-8)
6. It promotes great prayers (1:9-11)
Don’t we long for such authentic relationships? Comes with a price tag – faith in the One who makes us saints, equalizer.
Who has joy over us
C. Let’s choose JOY!
1. Gratitude Attitude:
Remember with gratitude as we today what Christ did for you and your fellow believers.
ILL. A few years ago a US AIR airplane crashed near Pittsburgh. The cause of that crash was a mystery, because the plane just seemed to fall from the sky. So it was with great interest that the investigators listened to the information recorded in the plane’s black box.
CNN played a portion of that recording on the air, revealing that there were just a few seconds from the time the pilot detected trouble until the plane crashed. The black box revealed these sounds from the cockpit: First, there was an "Oh!" followed by a profanity & a string of curse words, then came the crash, & silence.
If you suddenly discovered that you had just a few seconds left to live what would you do? Would you curse or would you pray? I’ll tell you what you would do. You would respond instinctively. You wouldn’t even think about it. You would just respond in the way that is most natural for you to respond.
I believe it all Starts with a choice: “I will”, life that’s focused on paying attention to God’s will, God’s word, God’s worth. Bathe in it daily, let God’s word shape us, so that we respond naturally as saints, if ever so roughly, remember as we are a work in progress…
Determination to trust - Ps. 34
A psalm of David, regarding the time he pretended to be insane in front of Abimelech, who sent him away.
1 I will praise the LORD at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
2 I will boast only in the LORD;
let all who are discouraged take heart.
5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
6 I cried out to the LORD in my suffering, and he heard me.
He set me free from all my fears.
7 For the angel of the LORD guards all who fear him,
and he rescues them.
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good.
Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!
Comes with determination to taste God, experience him at all times, constantly speak of him, look to him.
2. Great God: let God be God demonstrates our trust in His greatness,
3. Genuine faith: Faith that prays for the best in others, sees the best in others, and hopes for the best in others. (1:7-11) produces contagious joy
