Sermon Series: “Help, I Can’t Find My Joy!”
(A Study of Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians)
Sermon #1 “You can have Joy in Suffering”
Series Text: Philippians 4:4
OPENING JOKE: “Lack of Joy” Christians are notorious for talking about, reading about and preaching about ‘joy’ and then not displaying it. Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, “I might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen I knew had not looked and acted so much like undertakers.” This truth was echoed by a woman in a grocery store who saw a man, who looked very dry, unhappy and uptight. “You’re sick, aren’t you” she asked? “No, I’m a minister” he answered.
INTRODUCTION: The word “happiness” evokes visions of unwrapping presents on Christmas morning, strolling hand in hand with the one you love, being surprised on your birthday, responding with unbridled laughter to a comedian, or vacationing in an exotic locale.
Everyone wants to be happy; we make chasing this elusive ideal a lifelong pursuit: Spending money, collecting things and searching for new experiences.
But if happiness depends on our circumstances, what happens when the toys rust, loved one die, health deteriorates, money is stolen, and the party’s over? Often happiness flees and despair sets in.
In contrast to happiness stands joy.
Running deeper and stronger, joy is the quiet, confident assurance of God’s love and work in our lives – that will be there no matter what!
Happiness depends on happenings, but joy depends on Christ. (Above taken from the ‘Life Application Study Bible)
***We are beginning today with a new series in which we are going to study Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi.
This book has been called by many “The Epistle of Christian Joy”
The concept of rejoicing and joy can be found sixteen (16) times in its four (4) chapters.
It culminates with the climax in the fourth chapter “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” (4:4)
One of the most profound thoughts when reading this “epistle of joy” is studying the history of where and when it was written.
Paul wrote this letter from a Roman prison
Certain points in the writing cause scholars to believe he wrote this during his two year Roman imprisonment, about A.D. 61
Most prisons of the ancient world were both crude and dehumanizing –being not much more than pits and cave-like dungeons.
Bound in chains, cold, damp, uncomfortable and dirty…this was Paul’s circumstance when writing this letter
In fact, Paul was imprisoned on so many occasions for his faith that he called himself a “prisoner of the Lord” (Eph 4:1)
Even the Church at Philippi (the church he is writing to), was founded because of one of Paul’s times in jail
DO YOU REMEMBER: The story of Paul and Silas singing in the jail, God bringing an earthquake and opening the doors and the jailer being converted? (Acts 16)
That event happened the very first time Paul visited Philippi. He was thrown in prison for preaching Jesus, and out of that circumstance the converted jailer, among others, began the Philippian church.
Now we see Paul, many years after that event, rejoicing over the continued faithfulness of the Philippians.
The one place we would expect to find absolutely no joy is in a prison
And that is the first question I want us to study in this series: How is it possible to have joy in suffering?
I. Remembering our lives are still under construction
Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”
a. Illustration: “Building this church” Those of us who were around when this church was being built remember how long the process seemed to take. At times I am sure it felt like it would never be completed.
i. I don’t remember that as much as I do getting our new annex, which came relatively quickly
ii. But even then it was tough being patient through all of the permits and construction and the waiting
b. The Christian life is much this same way
i. The day we meet Christ in salvation, he begins to change us into what He wants us to become
ii. We make progress, but sometimes the process seems very slow
iii. We often grow impatient when we see ourselves not being all we should
iv. QUOTE: “We need to remember that God desires to produce within us ‘Oaks’ of righteousness that endure (Isaiah 61:3), not ‘weeds’ that sprout overnight and then wither away”
c. So how does this affect how I find joy in suffering?
i. Realizing God isn’t finished with you yet
ii. The phrase ‘under construction’ always means ‘there is still more to come’
iii. Whatever God may be using or allowing in your life in the present is part of His construction process that will ultimately consummate for your good
1. Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
2. This truth is sometimes very hard to see – in fact many times it may impossible for us to see how something terrible is meat for our good until it is completed and we can look back and see God’s provision in it
iv. Illustration: “Joseph and His Brothers” Joseph (the one with the coat of many colors) was mistreated by his brothers and sold into slavery. He was mistreated by Potipher’s wife and thrown into prison. He was mistreated by another inmate who forgot Joseph’s blessing on him.
1. In the end, Joseph was made into a ruler in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh
2. His response to his brothers is powerful
3. Genesis 50:20 “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
4. Joshua realized his whole life was ‘under construction’ up until he got to where God wanted him
d. QUOTE: “Wherever God has you in life, I want you to remember you are still ‘under construction’. He isn’t finished and he won’t be until you see Him in glory – and realizing that whatever you might see as terrible now, God can ultimately use for good, will allow you to maintain a sense of joy even in the most adverse circumstances”
II. Realizing God’s purpose will be completed in the end
Philippians 1:12, 13 “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.”
a. Again Paul is showing God’s sovereignty in completing His ultimate purpose
i. God’s desire is that the Gospel be preached to all people
ii. Paul’s captivity allowed the Gospel to be preached even to the palace guards
iii. And it also encouraged others to preach the Gospel without fear
Philippians 1:15-18 “Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: 16 The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; 17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.”
b. God’s purpose is even fulfilled by people with wrong motives
i. Paul said that some were preaching just out of spite for him
ii. While others were preaching for because of love for God
iii. And while the one preaching out of love are surely the ones God will show favor and reward, He is still able to use even the bad ones to accomplish His goal
iv. Illustration: “Using the Mouth of a Donkey” In the OT God’s message came from the mouth of a donkey (yes, a donkey!). [Numbers 22:28] Balaam, a false prophet was going to bring a curse on Israel. God spoke through the donkey to get the massage across to Balaam that he was not to do what he had set out to do.
1. What can be learned from this?
2. God will see to it that his purpose is accomplished, if He has to talk through a donkey, or even an insincere preacher!
c. QUESTION: Again we ask, “How does this truth affect my joy in suffering?”
i. Knowing that, in the end God will work things out for our good
ii. QUOTE: “The ‘all things’ that work ‘together’ in Romans 8:28 includes our worst times as well as our best times – God can use them all to accomplish His purpose”
III. Readying ourselves for whatever God may call us to do
Philippians 1:21-26 “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. 23For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. 24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. 25 And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, 26 that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.”
a. This is one of the most profound passages concerning surrender in all of the Bible
i. For Paul, life is summed up in Jesus Christ; “Christ was his reason for being.”
ii. Death would relieve him of earthly burdens and let him focus totally on glorifying God
iii. And he says here that he is ready for whatever Jesus called him to – he was totally surrendered even unto death
b. QUESTION: Once again we ask, “How does this truth affect my joy in suffering?”
i. When we are surrendered to God, and are willing to give Him our life, we can have the joy and peace of knowing that whatever our situation, He is still in control
1. Illustration: “Bang, your dead” An evangelist was talking to a group of unbelievers and was telling them that God is in control. One of the men made his hand into the shape of a gun and said, “Bang, your dead! See if I had a gun, I could’ve killed you…how is God in control?” The evangelist replied, “Whatever happens to me doesn’t matter, God is still in control”
2. Two days later that man who was sarcastic with the evangelist showed up at his church crying, realizing that he was wrong and wanting God to make a change in his life
3. Now you tell me God isn’t in control!
c. Illustration: “Let us rejoice in death” James Guthrie, Scottish Worthy, went to the scaffold because of his faith in Christ. In telling his story, Jock Purves, writes, “James Guthrie ever kept through his busy life his own personal fellowship with Christ in the fresh joyous bloom of his new birth, as if he had been but a young convert.” Walking about 4 A.M. on the day he was to be executed, Guthrie spent time in personal worship, and was asked by his friend James Cowie how he felt. “Very well,” replied Guthrie. “ ‘This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it’
d. QUOTE: James Guthrie, like the Apostle Paul, was willing to ‘live’ or to ‘die’ for Christ – When we finally reach that stage of maturity in our faith is when we will be able to maintain joy in any situation.
CONCLUSION: So how did Paul find joy in prison? He didn’t – he took joy into prison with him
And that is the ultimate answer for how we can find joy in our most adverse circumstances: We must take the joy of Christ with us.
We do this by knowing:
(1) God’s in control
(2) His plan is being worked out
(3) And we can joy in the knowledge that He isn’t finished yet!
QUOTE: “The Holy Spirit teaches us in this epistle that circumstances don’t have to dictate the quality of joy believers have in Christ”
I want to end with this passage from James’ epistle:
James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
