Joy in suffering • Joy in serving • Joy in believing • Joy in giving

We are going to be running through the book of Philippians.  In this book, there are 5 major themes: Humility, Self-Sacrifice, Unity, Christian Living, and Joy

Here are some highlights of each theme:

• Humility – We should serve with an attitude of Christ, expecting no recognition or merit. When we give up our self-interest, we can serve with joy, love, and kindness.
• Self-Sacrifice – Christ provides us with the power we need to lay aside our personal needs and concerns. To utilize the power of Christ we must imitate those leaders who show self-denying concern for others.  We should not be self-centered in the least bit.
• Unity – As believers we should not contend against one another, but unite against a mutual enemy. When we unify as one body in Christ that is when our strength is most abundant.
• Christian Living – Developing our character begins with God’s work in us. But growth also requires self-discipline, obedience to God’s Word and concentration on our part.
• Joy – We can have joy in all circumstances. Joy does not come from stuff or things happening, or our circumstance.  It comes from contentment from Christ.  Christ will make you content to do His will and everything else won’t matter, then joy will abound.

As we read in Philippians starting in the first chapter.   Paul writes to his brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, he’s letting God’s Holy people in Philippi know that he thinks about them.  Paul goes on to tell them his thoughts are on them mostly while he is in prayer.  He also shares that he looks to them as his partners in spreading the Good News of Christ.   He says this to them in Philippians 1:6

“He who started this good work in you will be faithful to complete it”

This is also a beacon of hope for us.  It gives us the assurance that God is going to follow through with the plans He starts in us, we just need to be hopeful, patient and obedient to the Word of God.

This is good news, that He who started a good work will be faithful to complete it.  Sometimes the things we start are all subject to Gods timing and not our own, don’t get dismayed for time is all relevant to Gods purpose, we have to let Him be the coordinator of our mission, our life our family and our ministry, His ways are perfect and ours are not so let Him take the helm and be our Captain.

Paul encourages his readers to be joyful in all things, in all situations.  Everyone is looking for the key to joy.  There are Christians among us who should have the never fading joy through their Savior but still fall victim to the stresses of life, life’s failures, and life’s inconveniences. They tend to forget that their Savior paid the price for their sins and they have an eternal ticket to spend eternity with their Savior.  The modern day Christian is too complacent in their walk.  They have forgotten that God has supplied them with the protection they need to defend themselves against the Devil and his lies.  They forget we are in a spiritual battle. They forget the very armor that they need is sitting right in the closet and then they wonder why Satan is having his way with them.  We need to put on our full armor of God and we need to have the word of God lead and direct us.

When you figure out your purpose, your God-given purpose, and you couple that with your obedience to your calling. I want you to know this, that this formula is the start to a plan that will prosper you and not harm you a path to hope and a future. If you lean on the living Word of God you can go through life stress-free, worry-free, and these attributes are the making of a joyful child of God.  When a child of God is being truly directed, guided, and spoken to through the Word of God, Joy comes to that individual.  When you live in obedience to our Lord Jesus and act like He is the truth, the Light and the Way than this alone will bring an infallible joy into your heart.

You see Paul is sitting in prison telling the people of the Philippi to find their joy.  Think about that for a minute, God has one of his apostles sitting in jail, writing about joy.  This is a true sign that the Lord has touched this man’s heart.  Paul is a great example of being in a tough situation and keeping joy he not only talks about it but his life reflects being content.  Paul will continue to do the Lord’s will regardless of his situation or circumstance because when God calls you to do something you do it.  The bible says in Romans 8:28

 “And we know that everything works together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

And in Philippians 4:11

“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

These two scriptures tells us that everything that happens is for our good, to those who love Him and it tells us that whether you have much or little, whether your belly is full or not, whether you’re in jail or not you are called to be content and why might you ask, well I tell you, because all things happen for the good so whatever your circumstance or situation be happy, maintain your joy, and be content because the Lord is in complete control.

We read in Acts 5:41-42

“The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”

The Benefits of Suffering

1. It takes the eye off of our earthly comforts

When we do this, we can see the Lord and His plan for us, for through this we only see Him.  Like who really wants to focus on their suffering?  So as a Christian who believes that all things happen for good to those who love God can take comfort in this and see suffering for what it is, a privilege.

2. It weeds out superficial believers

Someone, who has the willingness to suffer for Christ sake is a very selfless person.  If you find someone who calls himself a Christian and cannot suffer or complains the whole time, those are superficial Christians.  It only sounds good on paper, the actual act is not for me, and these are Paul’s words.

3. It strengthens the faith of those who endure

For the most part people in general like security.  They like comfort.  They like scheduled lives because that brings a secure future for them, so they think.  Some of us like missionaries, domestic missionaries, pastors and evangelists, in other words, some of God’s people, are called to a life of uncertainty, or no worldly security.  They rely 100% on God and His ability to provide, lead, and guide.  Often these people are called to suffer for Christ’s sake, doing things that are just plain out of the norm, things people would think, “They’re crazy!  I would never do that!” or “Something must be going on with them, like no money, no work, or running from something.”  But I tell you that as a citizen of heaven, the Lord calls us to live this way.  He wants us to be 100% dependent on Him and Him alone.  If He tells you to go and do something, you go.  If you have to suffer, you suffer.  You do it 1) because God told you to and 2) because of obedience is what we are called to do.  So you do this regardless of what people may say or do in reaction to the life you live for Christ.

You just keep listening and doing and if He calls for you to suffer for the sake of Jesus Christ, then you do it.  It will tear some down and it will build others up, but again suffering is a privilege. 

4. It serves as an example to others

For those who may follow us, it serves as an example to others when we suffer for our faith.  It doesn’t mean we have done something wrong, in fact, the opposite is often is true, it verifies that we have been faithful. 

The word happiness invokes visions of unwrapping gifts at Christmas, seeing someone for the first time in a long time, laughing at a comedian, eating at a good restaurant, or being surprised on your birthday.  We all strive to be happy thinking stuff, money, and materials will bring it, shopping and doing what we like.  So we think it is the source of our happiness.  But if we all rely on our circumstances, what happens when the toys rust, the money is gone, the vacations over, or the party is over?  Often when happiness flees, despair sets in.

The way one gets continual happiness is through contentment in the Lord, contentment brings joy.  Loving the Lord’s plan for you and knowing that you, in your situation, are right where the Lord wants you.  Have a mindset that leads you down a road of contentment and travel it joyfully serving our Lord and Savior and He will fill you with such a love that it will illuminate and brighten that path so all can see it.  This is how we as Christians should live.

Paul rejoices over hearing the news of others spreading the Good News.  It makes him so happy that the word of God, the love of Christ, and the Good News can be spread among his people.  He also warns of those who spread the gospel for selfish ambition, self-gain, or secret motives just to be wary of those.

Now getting back to spreading the Good News, this again brings much joy to Paul to see his labor producing fruit.  This is where we as Christians should be.  We should be at a place where people who spend time with us are so amazed at the love of Jesus pouring off of us.  We should be soaked with the Holy Spirit, saturated, leaving people drenched from their encounter with us.

In my life serving Christ, I want to live a life unashamed, for I have in prior years lived ashamed, but from now on, I want to live for Christ.  I want to spread the Good News, proclaiming our Savior and the message of Salvation.  This is what Christ wants from his children complete obedience.  We need to die to self and become a living sacrifice for Christ and his mission for us.  The Lord has a plan and it’s revealed to us through reading His word and listening to that still small voice.  We need to be spokespeople for our Savior just like Paul was.

If we look at all of Christ’s true followers that are in the bible, we will see, they gave up their lives, died to self, and followed him.

This is our example of Christian life.  We need to start living it.  Let’s look at people in a different way, putting our “love glasses” on and speak life into them.

Let’s become the true followers of Christ today!  Let’s start acting like God’s chosen.  Many are called, and few are chosen.

So Live as Children of Heaven!

Paul encourages us to live in unity with one another.  People should not be fighting and arguing in the church, but unifying their efforts to fight their common enemy the devil.  We’re supposed to act like citizens of Heaven, loving one another and suffering with one another.  We are supposed to unite as one body for one reason and that is to plant seeds.  That will leave people into the loving arms of Christ and out of the destructive clutches of Satan.

Paul tells us that to suffer for Christ sake is an honor, for it glorifies our Lord and Savior.  We suffer as He suffered.  He also goes on to tell us to suffer for our Lord is a privilege.  Most don’t think suffering is a privilege.  I encourage you all to love your Savior Jesus, fall in love with Him and suffer for His namesake for this is where true happiness lies.

Joy in Serving

Serving others is an act of humility.  To serve others, to put their needs above yours is truly an act of servanthood.  Just as the Bible says many are called and only a few are chosen, the same goes for servanthood.  Only a few will find this quality within themselves.  Most people who inhabit this planet are self-seekers looking to please themselves, trying to “get theirs.”  Paul calls himself a slave to Christ casting his own desires to the side and seeking the desires that Christ requires.

Paul commands Timothy, says he has no one else he can send to the people of Phillipi because they only care about themselves and not the affairs of Jesus Christ.  Wow, out of the multitudes, Paul makes a profound statement like that.  That he has no one else he can send.  So even back then the examples of many are called, few are chosen is still being displayed along with greed and self-satisfaction, self-gain, and only caring about self.  A servant’s heart is the only heart allowed in heaven. 

Joy in Believing

Philippians 3:8  after coming into the realization that Christ is real, alive, and on the throne.  It tells us that every word, every single word is written in the Bible is perfection, “sola scriptura”, infallible, and knowing this gives you the freedom to realize everything is worthless, every single thing besides the saving grace of our Lord Jesus is garbage and belongs on a dump or in an incinerator.

We count it all garbage so we may have Christ and become one with Him.  We no longer need to count on our goodness or our ability to obey God’s law because I trust Christ to save me.  For God’s way of making us right depends on our faith.

As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead.  I can learn what it means to suffer with Him and share His death.  So somehow I can experience the resurrection of His death.

Die to self, let the Holy Spirit take over, serve Christ, live as citizens of Heaven, walk and do as Christ did, be selfless, be focused on others, deny your flesh, your wants, and share what the Lord has done for you! Pressing towards the goal of meeting Jesus one day and hearing those words “well done my good and faithful servant.”

We must continuously be working towards becoming all that we were created to be, striving to one day become all that the Lord intended us to be.  Paul tells us to focus all of our energies on one thing, forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. 

I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Jesus Christ, is calling us up to heaven.  Paul encourages his followers to pattern themselves after him.  Even though he has claimed to be not perfect, his instruction is to model after his likeness in Christ, his Christian character, not his flaws.   

Paul also tells his followers that it saddens him to say, but there are those who call themselves Christians whose conduct shows that they indeed are really enemies of the cross and that their future is eternal destruction.  Their god is their appetite.  They brag about shameful things and all they think about is their life here on Earth.  But we are citizens of Heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives.   When He returns, we will have these weak, mortal bodies transformed into glorious bodies like His own, using the same mighty power he used to conquer everything, everywhere.

Joy in Giving

God’s gift to us is complete perfection.

Three stages of perfection:

1) Perfect Relationship

We are perfect because of our eternal union with the infinitely perfect Christ.  When we become saved and come into a union with Christ, we have been found as a not guilty party and have been grafted into the perfection of God’s family because that guarantees us to one day be completely perfect.  (See Colossians 2:8-10 and Hebrews 10:8-14)

Colossians 2:8-10 “8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of the world, rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete in your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.”

Hebrews 10:8-14 “8 First, Christ said, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin, nor were you pleased with them” (though they are required by the law of Moses). 9 Then he said, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect. 10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. 11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.”

2) Perfect Progress – This should be our goal after accepting Christ as our Savior

Our progress will continually change unlike our relationship.  Our progress is based on our walk, our lifestyle, what we do, and who we hang out with.  We have been forgiven and saved, made perfect through Christ, but need to change from who we are to who Christ created us to be.  We need to not look back and live going forward into a changing life, riding ourselves away from the sinful stuff we did and lived in in the past.  Christ has a demanding lifestyle and he tells us to live with our eyes set on the prize, which is the end and be perfectly making progress along our journey. 

3) Completely Perfect

When Christ comes back, we will be made perfect.  As Christians, we should worry about nothing and pray about everything.  We need to be telling God what we need and thank Him for what He has done.

I will admit living a stress/worry free life is a task.  You must have enough faith to allow time for God to work, because more times than not, our Lord will meet you in the 11^th hour, meaning He comes and helps or meets a need or provides right when you need it.  So trying to plan according to that is “according to the world,” no plan at all.

In the world, we are taught to save up, store up, secure our future, invest, get insurance in case of an emergency.  So if we are continually in a state of worry or panic, which “is a fact for those needing future security,” how do we, the people who call ourselves Christians, trust in the Lord?  I mean really, does a man with $250,000 in the bank and a secure job need to worry?  What possibly could he worry about or rather what does one like that need to petition God about?  Nothing money related, maybe relationship or children?

I, for one, have had unlimited funds down to zero funds.  I have lived with my future secure and I have lived wondering if we can make it through the week.  For sure I can tell you trusting the Lord is the one thing He takes me back to in my life.  It’s like God purposefully keeps me here so I need to look to Him.  If He makes it too comfy for me, I like most of us, tend to set God on the back burner in our life.  But if we continually need Him, like a little child needs its Mom or Dad, then your bond is that much greater.

God has a plan for us like Paul said that plan is simple.  We are to act like Citizens of Heaven, visiting a foreign place, here to spread the Good News for our Father in Heaven.  If we get caught up in this carnal, worldly, foreign life, we will forget our mission.  You do remember we have a mission to spread the Good News and tell the world about the hope we have in Jesus Christ. 

There are only 2 options for your life; one will lead you to an eternal place of damnation, pain, and suffering, a place separated from God and His love, a place that’s a place no one would knowingly choose.  The other place is a place of love and peace, a place where there is everlasting joy, happiness, singing, and worship.  It’s a place where all the desires of our hearts are given to us as a blessing, a place of perfection where there is no pain, no suffering, golden streets, and a marvelous God that we get to worship at every day.

So if we are in fact “Citizens of Heaven” than why are so many so-called Christians not living like we are?  Because this is God’s plan all along, you see, the Bible says that many are called and only a few are chosen.

So if there are 120 billion people on this earth than by the words of God himself, many of those 120 billion are called, many…not all.  Because the word many and all are completely different.  There is no denying that.  So that would mean there are those placed here only to serve the world, and we the chosen, the few have to travel through this foreign land, this infected worldly, carnal, world.  We need to seek out those who are called and plant seeds in them.  We need to do some weeding, some spiritual pruning and this is a very difficult task.

The time is now, let’s start to live as Citizens of Heaven and do these things:

• Devote ourselves to God’s call, and God’s cause
• Hospitality – love everyone, fellowship with people, help each other
• Spend time with people – Plant seeds and let your light shine, be a lighthouse
• Spiritual Training Center, You should look at the world as such
• Dive Deep into God Word day and night
• Have your full armor of God on at all times