You CAN Have Joy In Jesus | Philippians 1:1-11

You CAN Have Joy In Jesus | Philippians 1

Opening Remarks: It’s been on my heart to preach on the subject of “Joy” for quite some time now. If you’re wondering why, just look at the world around us. I know there have been some dark periods of history, but there’s as much anger and chaos and unrest now as there has ever been.

If I was to characterize the culture in one word, I would say: Misery. And if you think about it, that is the opposite of Joy. But Joy is the second fruit of the Spirit that the Bible says should be produced in our lives. And whatever word you think sums up our culture, I can pretty much guarantee none of us would put the word “joy” on the list anywhere.

But, if there’s one place that Joy should be found, it should be in the lives of believers. Those who follow Christ. Part of our shining light to the world is that we present genuine Joy amidst a world of Misery.

So the place that I kept coming back to as a letter of Joy is the letter Paul wrote to the Philippians. Paul must have been in a good mood when he wrote it, because it’s his happiest letter. He was writing to a church that didn’t have some big issue or sin to deal with. He simply writes to a joyful church out of a joyful heart, even though things in his own life weren’t very easy at the time.

READ Phil. 1:1-11

TITLE: You CAN Have Joy In Jesus

PRAY

Introduction Life doesn’t always go the way we plan it.

Illustration: Days before we moved up here, needed to get rid of furniture

Had about a 1 hour window before I had to be somewhere

Had a friend who had a burn pile that said I could bring it out and throw it on

Ran out there “real quick” but underestimated how wet the ground was

Got my truck stuck, tires spinning mud on me trying to push out

Called friend with a big four wheel drive truck, which also got stuck

Had to call someone with a tractor, while driving by me he splashed mud all over me

Yep, life doesn’t always go as you plan. And the earlier we learn this lesson the better. We can’t control our circumstances, but Jesus Christ does enable us through the Spirit to be able to choose our responses.

Illustration: Talking to kids about hitting or disobeying, it’s always, “He did this…she did that…so I did what I did.” They don’t understand that someone else’s actions don’t have to dictate what you do. And us grown-ups tend to be just as bad.

For some reason, it’s tough for us to remember that being in Christ gives us the option to have joy when life is hard. Knowing and loving Jesus is a wellspring of joy in a believer’s life. It certainly was in the life of Paul and these Philippian believers. He emphasized joy and gladness and cheerfulness.

1:4, 1:18 (twice), 1:25

2:2, 2:17-18, 2:28

3:1

4:1, 4:4

Reading this verses can only lead to the conclusion that joy is a result of a right relationship with Jesus Christ. Joy is rooted in a Person, not in our circumstances.

W.B. Knight said, “Joy is the flag that flies over the castle of our hearts, announcing that the King is in residence today!” The banner of joy was clearly displayed in the lives of Paul and the Philippians. (Knight's Master Book of New Illustrations)

Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on Philippians, “Be Joyful”, has this subtitle: “Even When Things Go Wrong, You Can Have Joy.” Let’s face it: difficult situations arise frequently in life. But let me also remind you that many of the difficulties we face pale in comparison to what Paul and the early believers faced. Just read 2 Cor. 11:23-28 to see how much he suffered.

In stripes above measure, in prisons ore frequent, in deaths oft.

Beaten with rods, stoned, shipwrecked three times, robbed, in peril in every situation you can think of.

Weariness, painfulness, hunger, thirst, cold, nakedness. Not to mention, he says, the care of the churches.

Yet through all of that, Paul was a joyful servant of God. How? His source of joy came from his relationship with the Lord. (Phil. 3:1; 4:4, 10).

As you read this letter, joy is the obvious theme. But you don’t have to be the apostle Paul to have joy. Anyone whose life centers around a relationship with Jesus Christ can have joy. You can have Joy In the Lord.

I am excited about preaching through this little book because

It covers many primary Christian doctrines. Things like the Person and work of Jesus Christ, justification by faith, the Second Coming, and holiness.

This book reveals the relational side of the Christian life. Paul talks about how he dealt with opposition, both inside and outside the church. He also deals with maintaining unity when you’re around grumpy people.

But above all, this little epistle can help us learn how to find joy in the midst of personal pain. This is where the truths of this book begin to truly touch us.

I don’t think Philippians answers every question especially about the mystery of suffering, but it will help guide us toward the right response to it.

We don’t control our circumstances, but we do control our responses.

In tragedy, in death, in persecution, in unjust treatment, when people gossip about you, when a relationship breaks. This is all the result of living in a fallen world. And we can’t remove ourselves from the world we live in, but we can separate our responses from the world’s responses.

I. The people of Philippi lived without joy prior to trusting Jesus Christ.

A. The Lord led Paul and the missionary team to Philippi to preach the gospel. (Acts 16:6-12)

1. Philippi was a major city in the northern region of Greece.

2. It was named in honor of Phillip II, father of Alexander the Great.

3. It was a Roman colony, so the Philippians enjoyed the benefits of Rome.

4. It was also home to the worship of many gods.

5. And despite it’s prominence, Philippi was filled with misery. Desperation is found where the Gospel isn’t.

B. After surveying the city, Paul and the missionary team discovered a riverside prayer meeting that provided an opportunity for the gospel. (Acts 16:13-15)

1. Lydia and others who gathered in this meeting listened intently and trusted Christ as their Savior.

2. Lydia’s home became a base of operations for the gospel. (Acts 16:40)

C. Despite those immediate results, the spread of the gospel encountered resistance.

1. Paul and Silas were accused of disturbing the city and were cast into a Philippian jail. (Acts 16:16-24)

2. While in the jail, they prayed and sang praise to the Lord. Their circumstances did not determine their joy. Their joy was in Christ—not in their situation. (Acts 16:25)

3. Following an earthquake and what appeared to be a jail break, Paul intervened in the life of a suicidal prison guard. He led this man and his household to Christ. (Acts 16:26-33)

4. They were so filled with joy that they rejoiced late into the night. (Acts 16:34)

D. The new believers were baptized and assembled together as a new church.

1. Apparently the example of joy in Paul and Silas spilled over into the lives of the Philippians, because it seems like this was a church full of joy.

2. What’s interesting is, while Paul writes so much about joy, he was in bondage as a prisoner in Rome. Ten years after he planted this church, he found himself awaiting trial before Caesar for doing the work of the Gospel. So he wrote with joy about having joy while sitting chained to a Roman guard.

3. When the church at Philippi heard he was a prisoner, they sent a man named Epaphroditus, who was probably their pastor, to comfort and minister to Paul.

4. They used it as an opportunity to send him gifts and financial aid to help make his imprisonment more comfortable. This letter is essentially a “thank you” note to the church at Philippi to express Paul’s gratitude for their love and support.

5. And as he writes, you can’t help but sense the joy this church brought him even in an extremely difficult situation.

So, how can people have such joy in such difficulties?

The Philippians were being persecuted. They were hated for being Christians. Many of them had been ostracized by their families. Their physical lives were adversely affected when they said “yes” to the Gospel. How could they still have joy?

And Paul sits imprisoned. He can’t come and go as he pleases. He can’t preach the Gospel in the ways he wants to. He’s bound and controlled by outside forces. How can he have joy?

Here’s how: A right relationship with Jesus Christ provides joy no matter what you’re facing.

II. Application: Joy is a result of a right relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

A. If you want joy, you need Jesus.

1. If you’ve never been saved, you’ll never have joy. You must admit your sin and place your faith in His finished work on the cross in order to be saved.

2. Only then can you have joy. By being in a right relationship with Christ.

3. Have you trusted Christ as your personal Savior?

B. If you want joy, you need a relationship with the Lord beyond salvation.

1. How many Christians do you know that seem so miserable? Too many.

2. But maybe you’re one of them. If the people around you were to characterize your life with one word, what would it be?

a. Joy? Or misery? Joy? Or discontentment. Joy? Or grumpiness?

b. If you know the Lord, there’s no reason for your life to be known as grumpy.

c. That’s an indication of a lack of daily fellowship with Jesus Christ.

C. Consider: When do you find joy in other relationships in your life?

1. You experience joy in marriage when you are in a right relationship with your spouse.

2. You experience joy in family life when things are right in your relationship with your family members.

3. You experience joy at work when you are in a right relationship with your coworkers.

4. That’s how it works. You can’t have joy if things aren’t right with the people around.

5. So how much more true is it that you can’t have joy if things aren’t right with the person within you?

6. Joy is dependent, not on circumstances, but on your relationship with Christ.

D. If there is an absence of joy in your life it indicates a problem in your relationship with Christ.

1. Tonight, if your level of joy isn’t where it ought to be, give careful consideration to what might be hindering your relationship with Jesus.

2. Many people might look at their lack of joy and say, “I need to change my circumstance.”

a. “I need to move”

b. “I need a different job”

c. “I need a bigger house”

d. “I need a better car”

e. “I need a new relationship”

3. But friend, as we’ve already seen, circumstances aren’t the determining factor of your joy.

a. In fact, changing your circumstance won’t fix your biggest problem.

b. Joy is connected to Jesus, not your job. Or your house. Or your problems.

III. Conclusion

So what next?

A. It begins with your relationship with the Lord.

1. Start this way: Recall the day of your salvation.

2. Do you remember the joy that followed trusting Him as your Savior?

3. Maybe you need to go back to that moment and say, “Lord, if nothing else in my life is right, the most important thing is right. I’m a child of God.”

4. That’s a good habit any time you’re tempted to be grumpy. Just stop and thank God for your salvation and everything that comes along with it.

B. Return to a place of finding your joy in Christ.

1. There are many things that can distract our attention away from that.

2. It is possible to serve the Lord but, at the same time, not focus on a loving relationship with Him.

3. Remember how wonderful Jesus is! List out all the things you love about God.

4. Spend time daily reflecting on his goodness in your life. The gifts He gives that you don’t deserve. The people that love you at your worst. The blessings you could never earn.

5. Tell Him how thankful you are for what He’s done for you.

6. As your relationship with Jesus is renewed, here’s what will happen: Joy will resurface.

If you’re miserable, don’t change your circumstances, fix your relationship with Christ.

Closing Illustration: I heard an illustration about a 5 year boy whose toy truck broke. He was crying and inconsolable. So his dad sat him down and said, “Son, I just got a phone call from a distant relative who died and left you 100 million dollars. You’re set for life!”

The boy cried even louder. He didn’t have the ability to see what he had because of the circumstance in front of him.

That is a prime example of how we as Christians lack the spiritual capacity to realize that what we have in Christ far outweighs momentary circumstances. Your joy is not connected to what is going wrong or what is going right. Your joy is connected to a Person, and His name is Jesus Christ.