Joy in Life

INTRO

BEGIN WITH THIS STATEMENT:

SLIDE: IF YOU WERE ABLE TO ADD UP EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE TODAY, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT?

RECAP

SERIES THROUGH THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS

JOY: JESUS, OTHERS, and YOU

SERMON TITLE: JOY IN LIFE

FOCUS PHILIPPIANS 1:12-30 [ESV]

SAILING

I ASKED YOU TO DESCRIBE YOUR LIFE

FOR MANY THIS IS THE LIFE WE WANT

PICTURE: SMOOTH SAILING

IS THIS YOUR LIFE?

REALITY:

PICTURE: STORM SAILING

SLIDE: HOW CAN I HAVE JOY IN LIFE WHEN IT FEELS LIKE THE SHIP IS SINKING?

READ: PHILIPPIANS 1:12 ESV

HONEST MOMENT: I WANT THIS TO BE MY TESTIMONY BUT I STRUGGLE.

SOME MOMENTS WERE DIFFICULT

SOME MOMENTS HURT

SOME MOMENTS FEEL HELPLESSLY ALONE AND STUCK

TRANSITION: LIFE ISN’T ALWAYS SMOOTH SAILING, LIFE HAS MANY DISAPPOINTMENTS.

ADVANCE

LOOK AT THIS WORD “ADVANCE” FOR A FEW MINUTES

IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE THIS WORD MEANS: TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE PRESENCE OF OBSTACLES.

IN THE GREEK, THIS WORD MAY HAVE COME FROM A NAUTICAL TERM.

SLIDE: HOW CAN I HAVE JOY IN LIFE WHEN IT FEELS LIKE THE SHIP IS SINKING?

READ: ROMANS 5:1-6 ESV

SLIDE: PAIN FINDS ITS PURPOSE IN GOD’S HANDS

THE SUM OF OUR LIVES IN OUR HANDS IS A MESS, BUT IN GOD’S HANDS IT BECOMES A MASTERPIECE.

ROMANS 5:6 “WHILE WE WERE STILL WEAK

WEAKNESS

GO BACK TO PHILIPPIANS 1 ESV

PAUL IS IN PRISON

HE IS LIKELY CHAINED TO A GUARD TO MAKE SURE HE CANNOT ESCAPE

IT IS IN HIS CHAINS THAT HE SEES THE GOSPEL IS UNCHAINED

IT IS IN HIS WEAKNESS THAT GOD MOVED POWERFULLY

THE DILEMA

WE FEEL STUCK WHEN WE ARE CONVINCED THAT GOD NEEDS OUR STRENGTH TO ACCOMPLISH HIS WILL.

WE GET DISTRACTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCE

WE HAVE THE NEED TO BE THE STRONG ONE

IF ONLY ________, THEN _________

SLIDE: YOUR GREATEST JOY IS THE STRENGTH OF THE LORD

PAUL HAD JOY IN HIS CHAINS BECAUSE HE KNEW THE MISSION

READ: PHILIPPIANS 1:18b- 21 ESV

PAUL’S PERSPECTIVE: IF I’M ALIVE, I’M A TOOL IN THE HANDS OF GOD AND IF I LEAVE THIS LIFE I HAVE GAINED CHRIST.

KEYS OUT

REMEMBER WHEN

EPIPHANY ABOUT THE CONTEXT

PAUL’S FIRST TIME IN PHILIPPI

ACTS 15 [DON’T READ]

GOD IS STILL WORKING IN THE WAVES

THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE THAT NEED TO KNOW ITS OK TO ADVANCE WHILE YOU HURT

CHURCH HURT

PAST GUILT

REMEMBER HIS STRENGTH

THERE ARE PEOPLE HERE THAT NEED TO KNOW ITS OK TO ADVANCE WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK YOU NEED.

READ: PHILIPPIANS 1:27-30 ESV

INVITATION

SLIDE: FOR ME, TO LIVE IS __________.

WHAT IS FEEDING THE PURPOSE OF YOUR LIFE?

RESPOND

PRAY AND DISMISS