Spoonfuls of Sunshine

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We need Spiritual power

this morning i heard about a old children story where a little boy named johnny was eating breakfast one morning and while he was eating a golden ray of the sun fell across the table and into his bowl of cereal and with johns spoon he reached out to the sunbeam and playful said to his mother MOM look i’ve eaten a spoonful of sunshine!

Now i know these children stories are not to relatable to us being college students. But what this story reminded me of more than anything is that as young adults in college and student athletes we need sunshine in our life.

But im not talking about the sunshine we have been getting from the 100+ degree weather, but rather, i mean spiritual sun shine of courage cheerfulness, joy and Optimus. that come down from heaven. that is the king of sunshine our world desperately needs and we need to fulfill our mission here on ualrs campus and in our personal lifes to be light and salt to this dying world to be a holy city setup on a hill that cannot be contained, and friend i want to say to you THANKS BE TO JESUS that we can have it.

As we look in the book of 1 phil, we can see that the apostle paul is a prisoner in rome, he has been captureed his freedom taking away, and striped from the very thing he loves to do preach the word of God, paul had been under nero’s impairment for 4 LONG years, but yet he had not given up. he wasn't just surviving in prison but he was Flourishing. we dont see paul grouping in the darkness of his situation. but we see his joyful because paul had found the key to life and was living in this supernatrual sunshine.

The sunshine we so despretly need in our lifes and in the church, Now i want to share with you guys 3 spoonfuls of sunshine an if we accept them they are sure to brighten our lives.

We must get out priorities Straight

Lets look at what Paul says in verse 20-21 Philippians 1:21 (NASB 2020): For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain

Paul is saying here that life and death is not the main issue. Paul here has his priorities stirght and is determined to glory Jesus in whatever comes his way. we can see that Paul relationship with jesus christ is not just a head knowlege its not just a hope and a wish but it is a personal and intmen relationship. So much that we could ever say that Jesus and paul are inseparable. If you have Paul your have JESUS! Paul says that if we continue to live it is to serve jesus and to die is to be with his father in heaven. PAUL is living in a win win situation.

last year i watched a sermon by an amazing preaching by the name of Paul washer and he talked about the Presence of God. He talked about being clothed with power as mentioned in acts1:8, he talked about his testimony and how he got to the point where little theological studies and doctrine wasn't enough for him he NEEDED to know God. the same way the knew his mother, he needed to experience Gods love and presence in the same way he experienced others love and presence and in the later half of his sermon he says “ the presense of God is more real to him than the people in the room he was preaching too”

this is what paul was saying. Jesus was so real to Paul that for him to live would be for jesus to live.

Paul had already settled this in his heart many years ago on the demcaus road in acts chp 9. the apostle paul was on his way to go kill christians when Christ intervened in pauls life. and he meet jesus in a startling and amazing way. and then jesus took pauls life and turned in upside down. Jesus took Pauls priorities and rearranged them. as his submitted his life to the savior jesus saved him and called the apostle to preach. and his life from that point on was filled with spiritual sunshine and paul was never the same again.

This commitment and obedience to Gods calling on pauls life gave his a grete confidence and sense of secruity as he faced death in a roman prison.

Paul says in “Philippians 1:22 (NASB 2020): But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose”

Paul confessed that it would be far better for HIM to depart and be with jesus, but he conclude that it would be better for the flock if he where spared to preach and teach them

But paul says ultimently whatever fell upon him he was ready for it his prorates where stirght, whatever it cost him his mind was made up he will stand firm in the will of God. Philippians 1:20 (NASB 2020): according to my eager expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

We live for something bigger than ourselves.

Paul in verses 22-24 shows us that he was living for something bigger than himself Philippians 1:22–24 (NASB 2020): But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sakes”

here we find a man who has died to himself and found his life in Christ’s will. His selfish ambition no longer drives him like they once did, when paul meet jesus on the road to Demarcus he was so changed by the working of God that he chose to live for something bigger than himself. this encourager changed his life Evan as it will change our lifes. Paul did not look back on his past accomplishments and count them worty and enough but he understood that God had more he wanted to use him for at this point in pauls minstry he had already written Romans 1 and 2 thes ephiasanas Collins's and phillipians but yet he did not refelect on what he did in the past but trusted in what God had in store.

there’s a story about a old man who prided himself in being a good artic critica. even though he was very nearsighted, that never keep him from giving his own opion at any opperunity his could one day him and his wife. went out with some friends to a huge art gathering.

and itdemtily he went to ta larhe portiate and he lauched in giving his opions on the peace.

“ The frame is horrible its not keeping with the subject its just way to big for this peace

His wife got closed to him and hit his side, ppst JOhn she kept hissing but john was so caught up in his role he never heard her.

‘ it was a huge mistake for any aritst to choose such a homly subject for this picture” how could he expect to ever paint a masterpeice painting with such a ugly subject” And again his wife with concern him him PSST John

And now how calls began to be louder and more frantic but john just keep going in on this painting.

John said strongly “IF THE artist would have used a subject with more atleast some more chather in in his face maybe this painting would be much better”

wifes john got to his side finally getting his attention and wispered in his ear John For petes sake SHUT UP your looking in a dang mirror.

The Christian who focused is inward, the on how how to impress everyone else and draw most attnetion to himself, will never live the full life jesus told us we would find by giving out life away to him Matthew 10:39 “The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it.”

this is somthing paul was well aware of, for his life was a life of giving himself away for the cause of the gosple and jesus chirst. this calling this fulfulling purpous of living for jesus made paul able to look death in its face and have no fear. Jesus is pauls spritical sun shine.

paul was a slave of jesus christ, he has given up his will for the will of his master, paul lived for something bigger than himself. paul came to the conclusion that to sat alive and minister to in the name of jesus is better than any other choice.

when henry david moved away from cilization in 1845 to live in peace at walden ound he wrote this quote it will be a seccess if i shall have left myself behind.

this is the key God glaorous sunshine fills and floods those who live unselfishly for him and others.

we must face life with optimism.

as we look here in Philippians i wasn't us to pay special attention to pauls optimism. Philippians 1:25–26 (NASB 2020): Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that your pride in Christ Jesus may be abundant because of me by my coming to you again.

This is coming from a prisioner. paul was in a LOW of low a place that was dark and full of dispare, paul knew that he woukd stand before nero and his life would be in a blance of life and death! but dispite with sight was showing him he knew that JESUS was still on the throne, Paul knew that NO wepon that was formed agenist im would prosper. so he decided to look at this future with optimism and faith because he knew who his is. He refused to be deafeted beacuse his stregenth was in jesus.

There was a man that was an amazing preaching graduating from the univerty of balylor to become a pastor. and in his autobiolgy they wrote about a time in a church business meeting when a member got up and said, i have a motion to build a fence around they cemonatry!

and one of the members in the congragation stood up and said, IM AGENIST IT, and when the church member got up and asked why he opposed his idea he said “ do you know anyone who wants in the cemntary and who can get out of a cementary? so why would we build a fence around an area no one wants to go and nobody and get out of?

some christians live today as though they want to get into the cemntary, or they live like they are already there! filled with pestism defat, they are joyless nothing ever seems to go right for them. everyone is agenist them. they lived in dicouragement and darg themselves thorought life with love heavy faces. they live lifes with downcast eyes never looking yp and this is the best way to permently live in a cementary.

paul learned that he could not live well of effectvily unless he cling to an optimisc look on life, but pauls optisms was in ignorance but it was based on his faith in jesus chirst. paul had chirst as his rock and firm foundation. even thou paul had been a prisoner for four long uyears, his voice still rang with optiism Philippians 1:25 (NASB 2020): Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.

we must learn this lesosn paul learned, we have the choice, we can face life in a grave defeated or we can take it on with courage. the choice is up to us but looking at life though dark glasses wont improve it one degree, it will only work agenist us.

but facing life with the hope and joy that chirst still regainsm and is in contorl, will help us handle whatever life may throw our way our work will go out harder and better, out play with bet better, out night rest will be better, our relationships will be better and the aura of Gods sunshine will be on our lfies.

the choice is ours both sunshine and the shadwos, we we cast the decidcing vote on where we will live. But may i sumbit to you that God is waiting to fill out lives with his wonderful power shinsine loive and grace but only if we let him.

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