LIFE PRINCIPLES FROM THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS We

LIFE PRINCIPLES FROM THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS

We continue our study on one verse with ten potent words … Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4 4

Life Principle 10 Choosing to Live a Life of Joy – Part 2

Lessons from Part 1 of our series… � Most Bible teachers drain the emotion out of this verse and make it an attitude. To this we disagree. � A major question that arises is why would the Lord insist on something that seems downright unattainable and why does He want us to pursue continual joy? � One significant reason why we are to be joy filled creatures is that was man’s natural state before the fall and will be our eternal experience in heaven. � We examined all sixteen times Paul used “joy” or “rejoice” in Philippians and found that they all centered around eternal spiritual values.

Lessons from Part 2 of our series… �We looked at Deuteronomy 28. 47 which said that Israel was judged for lacking joy and gladness for God’s blessings �Joy, thanksgiving, grace, and gifts all have the same root word and there is a clear connection �We cleared up James 1. 2, we have joy in what pain produces not in the pain itself �We examined why God commands joy in us �Our foundation of joy is based in our salvation as seen in Luke 10. 20

Following up on the last point… 10 I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61

Some interesting tidbits about joy

1. How important is “joy” in the Bible? Well there are many ways to answer this, but from a purely numerical usage of the word joy and all of its cognates: joyful, joyfully, joyously, rejoices, rejoiced, rejoicing, it is used… 447 times in the Bible (NASB)

2. Do you bring God joy? 5 b And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So your God will rejoice over you. Isaiah 62

This truth is further magnified in Luke 15 in the three lost parables… �Lost Sheep 5 “When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. �Lost Coin 9 “When she has found it, she calls together friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!’ �Lost Son (Prodigal) 32 ‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found. ’ ”

In all three stories… �God seems to be in the stories the shepherd, the woman, and the father �God is depicted deeply desiring that which is lost �When God recovers that which was lost, He is filled with overflowing joy and happiness �God then throws a huge party and invites all to come and celebrate His joy

Before we go to our next tidbit. . Question: Do you believe in the power of positive thinking? What about the power of spiritual thinking?

3. A powerful tool to jump start your day for your joy journey… 24 This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118

4. Should providing joy for subordinates be part of the job description for Christian leaders. . . Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm. II Corinthians 1 24 �Pastors �Bosses �Teachers �Parents �Sunday School teachers

5. The strange connection between joy and persecution in the Bible 41 So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. Acts 5 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 2 Corinthians 8

“ 90 percent of Christians pass the test of adversity, and 90 percent fail the test of prosperity. ” John Piper

Part 2 We know that joy is an emotion, and we know that emotions are triggered by something. Question: What then is the primary trigger for joy in my life?

True Christian joy is the emotional response of happiness triggered by gratitude of the believer for the blessings of God.

Let’s break it down… �Trigger: Gratitude �Emotion: Joy �Physiological: Smile, eyes may widen, look of happiness �Moral evaluation: God is pleased

Question: Do you struggle with living a life of joy? Why? Because we spend most of our time thinking about what we don’t have rather than praising the Lord for all the things we do have that He has provided. Or, we keep going over and over the $100 we have in life’s bills while ignoring the $10, 000 that we have in the Bank of God.

This truth is all over Deuteronomy… 45 “So all these curses shall come on you and pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you would not obey the Lord your God by keeping His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. 46 “They shall become a sign and a wonder on you and your descendants forever. 47 “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; Deuteronomy 28

Two other references… 11 and you and the Levite and the alien who is among you shall rejoice in all the good which the LORD your God has given you and your household. Deuteronomy 26 15 “Seven days you shall celebrate a feast to the LORD your God in the place which the LORD chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful. Deuteronomy 16

The short shelf life of gratitude… The human condition has a short memory. We are blessed and grateful when the doctor informs us that the disease that we thought we might have is something minor. We are flooded with joy but then shortly take it all for granted as though God never protected us or answered our prayers. Shame on us!

Part 3 What are the two competing sources of joy from which humans must choose?

2 Ways to road map joy… THE WORLD’S APPROACH THE LORD’S APPROACH �Material wealth �Being the king �Experiencing �Knowing God �Being the servant �Experiencing God’s Success �Popularity �Being temporally wired �Short term pleasure blessings �A life of giving �Being eternity wired �Eternal based joy

Moses got it right… 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, Hebrews 11

What is the number one cause of lack of joy in American Christians?

American believers generally have one foot in heaven and the other in the world… This is why persecuted Christians generally have more joy. The world is not that attractive when it is trying to kill you.

God created joy and created us to live in joy! Yet the vast majority of humans do not experience this joy and happiness. Why? Because they pursue joy in all the wrong places. Joy is attained through living the life to which you were created. It is like joy is a city in northern California. The unbeliever get on the 15 east toward Las Vegas instead of the I 5 north. Unfortunately, we as believers are not immune to this crazy navigational error. We are constantly changing freeways.

The cycle of prosperity and disobedience… God pours out His blessings in all forms including material prosperity on His people who seek Him in obedience and gratitude and joy. God’s people have a record of the next generation making material wealth an idol, self-entitlement, and forsaking the Lord. This has damning effects. A people who have known the Lord and then rejected Him incurs more judgment then those who have never known Him. This appears the state that America entered in the 1960’s.

The two-edged sword of following the Lord as seen in the book of Judges…

Part 6 Not only does Paul insist in Philippians that God’s people are to be filled with joy, but then hidden in plain sight are twentyone qualities in Philippians which increase our joy inventory

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. A life engaged in prayer 1. 4, 9, 19; 4. 6 Having the courage to witness 1. 5, 14 Growth in spiritual knowledge and wisdom 1. 9 Loving other Christians 1. 16 Seeing how God is working even in dysfunction 1. 18 Putting Christ first 1. 21 Active Christian service 1. 25

8. Godly suffering 1. 29; 2. 17 9. Contending for Christian unity 2. 1 -2 10. Considering others as more important 2. 3 -4 11. Living an active Christian life of obedience 2. 12, 16 12. Eliminate grumbling and disputing 2. 14 13. Sharing your joy with others 2. 18 14. Self-protection from Satan’s lies 3. 2

15. Living a life of grace 3. 8 -9; 4. 23 16. Striving for Christian perfection 3. 12 -13 17. Looking toward the blessed hope of the rapture 3. 20 18. Resolving your conflicts and helping others do the same 4. 2 -3 19. Maintaining a right godly attitude 4. 8 20. Learning the secret of contentment 4. 11 -12 21. Extending generosity 4. 15 -17