Experiencing Joy of Life
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Before we can get into this message, we need to be reminded of the life of the Apostle Paul.
He was saved in Acts 9 while on the way to kill Christians and thwart the Expansion of the Church.
Before we get out of Chapter 9 we see Paul having to escape for his life because of the Jews.
Paul then turns to the church in Jerusalem who because of fear, reject him also. Therefore, Paul heads down to Antioch where the church at Antioch, fasted and prayed, laid hands on Paul and Barnabas, and sent them on his first missionary journey.
While on that journey, jealous Jews publicly contradicted him and accused him of blasphemy while stirring up mobs of people stoning Paul and leaving him outside the city of Lystra thinking he was dead.
He writes in 2 Corinthians of the things he had to endure.
2 Corinthians 11:23–28 (KJV 1900)
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
Now share your life since you became a Christian.
That is a lot of sorrow, anxiety, he was forsaken by friends.
The churches that he invested his life into were being led into sin and erroneous theology.
His heart ached over the fact that Israel was lost and had rejected Jesus Christ according to Romans 9.
He wound up in prison at least 4 times that is recorded, once in Jerusalem, once in Caesarea and twice in Rome.
But listen very carefully this morning. Even with all of this and everything that had happened to Paul, He Never lost his JOY!
2 Corinthians 6:10 (KJV 1900)
10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
Pauls joy was not in his circumstances.
Sorrow is what actually created this tremendous joy in the life of Paul.
It is only when your world begins to collapse bringing negativity and sorrow that your faith is increased as you are drawn into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ where His faithfulness is demonstrated and expressed.
True Joy is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a gift and fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Thats where we left off last week.
Philippians 1:18 (KJV 1900)
18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.
Paul’s main focus was on the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Remember, Paul had confidence in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:5–6 (KJV 1900)
5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Philippians 1:12 (KJV 1900)
12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;
Philippians 1:17 (KJV 1900)
17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.
With the gospel in mind. What is the gospel?
1 Corinthians 15:1–3 (KJV 1900)
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
Paul was rejoicing that Christ was being preached.
Confidence:
Confidence:
Philippians 1:19 (KJV 1900)
19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
For I know: absolute knowledge. I know this, it is unequivocal.
This type of knowledge is only found in the knowledge of a satisfied conviction.
The only satisfied conviction that we have is found in the Word of God.
Confident in the Preaching of Christ
Confident in the Preaching of Christ
Philippians 1:19 (KJV 1900)
19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
Remember, Paul is rejoicing in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What is this?
Paul’s present circumstances… His present trouble, His present chains, those causing problems from jealousy, his present imprisonment, all of his difficulties, the adversity in his life. All of this will turn to his salvation.
Now, salvation is not from repentance of dead works and faith toward God, because Paul has already done that.
This word has to do with his deliverance from the present affliction.
This is the Present work of Salvation, Sanctification, or the Future work of Salvation, Glorification.
Sanctification - is being set apart for the confirmation to the image of Christ.
Glorification - is that final and complete salvation of His soul by being in the presence of Christ.
Paul is looking to the future promises of the Word of God. He is realizing that every thing he is going through is temporary.
Paul is literally quoted Job 13:16
16 He also shall be my salvation: For an hypocrite shall not come before him.
Paul understood the story of Job. Paul could trust the Word of God and the preaching of Jesus Christ. He knew that one way or another either temporary or eternally God would deliver him.
How is he this confident in the Preaching of Jesus Christ?
God delivers the righteous.
This principle is all through the Old Testament.
You can read through the Psalms, “The Lord delivers the righteous … the Lord protects the righteous … the Lord saves the righteous,” it’s all over the Old Testament.
That is confidence right there. If all we had was the Word of God and the preaching of Christ, that would be enough.
Paul knew the Word of God would come to pass, He believed in the eternal purpose and Sovereignty of God that God would complete His work.
6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
However, Paul goes on further.
Confident in the Prayers of the People
Confident in the Prayers of the People
Philippians 1:19 (KJV 1900)
19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
God works His purposes through the prayers of His people.
James 5:16 (KJV 1900)
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Paul believed in prayer.
Paul was confident in prayer.
He called on people’s prayer.
Romans 15:30 (KJV 1900)
30 Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;
Paul’s joy was fixed, even in the face of trouble, Paul would continue to rejoice. Why? because of the preaching of Christ and His Word and because of the prayers of the saints.
Wow! What a one two punch. But it get better.
Confident in the Provisions of the Spirit
Confident in the Provisions of the Spirit
Philippians 1:19 (KJV 1900)
19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
supply = provision, help.
The Holy Spirit provides all the resources you need for this life.
This is the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ that He promised in John 14 would be our comforter. When Christ is gone, seated at the right hand of the father, He would send His Spirit to come alongside of us to provide everything that we need.
Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit in
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The Holy Spirit will give you
the love to be able to love your enemy.
the joy no matter what situation or circumstance you are in.
the peace for any trial or tribulation.
the longsuffering for affliction.
As a Christian, you have an unlimited supply of resources at your disposal.
Zechariah 4:6 (KJV 1900)
6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, Saith the Lord of hosts.
Remember back to Ephesians 3:20
Ephesians 3:20 (KJV 1900)
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
So Paul was experiencing Joy in Life because of His confidence and this confidence led to Courage.
Courage:
Courage:
Philippians 1:20 (KJV 1900)
20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
earnest expectation is made up of 2 words giving the picture of an intense fixed gaze, straining the neck as far as you can see, a concentrated eagerness.
Then Paul adds to this intense stretching the neck to see His hope.
Paul says in nothing I shall be ashamed.
Paul will never be disappointed or disgraced.
Paul will remain courageous, with all boldness.
that Christ will be magnified in his body, whether in life or in death.
It is one thing to magnify God in your mind but another to magnify Him in your body.
Paul did not live for Paul. Paul lived for Jesus Christ.
Whether Paul was released from prison, which would be God’s will, Paul would continue to preach Christ, Paul would continue to be bold for Christ, Paul would continue to build churches. Why? because Paul wanted to magnify Jesus Christ.
However, whether Paul is put to death, which could also be God’s will, Christ would be magnified because Paul was put to death for preaching and living for Christ. This would be his ultimate testimony of his confidence and unwavering faith in Jesus Christ.
Therefore, Paul concludes.
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
There aren’t even any verbs in the Greek, notice this is is italicized, meaning it is provided for clarification but is not in the Greek.
Therefore, literally, it is For to me living Christ, dying gain.
I live only to serve Him, only to commune with Him, only to love Him. I have no concept of life other than that. Now follow this thought. He is saying I am totally wrapped up in Christ, loving Him, knowing Him, preaching Him, serving Him. Christ is the reason for my being, the reason for my existence.
He doesn’t mean Christ is the source of his life, though He is.
He doesn’t mean Christ lives in him, though He does.
He doesn’t mean Christ controls him, though He does.
He doesn’t mean that Christ wants him to submit to Him, though He does.
He simply means living is Christ. Life is summed up as Christ. I’m filled with Christ. I am occupied with Christ. I trust Christ, love Christ, hope in Christ, obey Christ, preach Christ, follow Christ, fellowship with Christ, Christ is the center circumference of my life, it’s all Christ. Christ and Christ alone is my inspiration, my direction, my meaning, my purpose … consumed, dominated by Christ.
Notice though, living is Christ, but death is gain.
Give Paul a choice and he would choose death.
We fear death but Paul chooses death.
How could Paul say this?
Paul’s life was so consumed with Jesus Christ that he understood that death would actually relieve him from the burdens of this life and free him to really glorify Jesus Christ which is exactly what Paul was living for anyway.
As Paul writes this letter, will Paul live or will Paul die?
At this point, no one but God knows. But to Paul, it didn’t matter!
It did not matter whether he lived or whether he died because either way Christ would be magnified.
Wow! What focus!
The only thing that mattered to Paul was Christ.
Paul only wanted Christ to be preached and the gospel to go forth. That is all that mattered to Paul.
What would our church and community be like and impacted if just one of us would strip everything from our life except Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:21 (KJV 1900)
21 For to me to live is ____________, and to die is gain.
What do you have in the blank?
Anything short of Jesus Christ is sin!