Joy in the Journey

God is good all the time.

[Congregation response] And.. all the time God is good.

Amen! We hold firmly to this truth.

We believe in God’s goodness because of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus lived a perfect life and bore our sins on the cross. He defeated death on the third day and will return to judge the living and the dead. The good news is that believers will inherit new, glorious bodies just like Christ’s.

A day is coming soon when you will be made completely whole. On that day, you will be freed from the power of sin, the temptations of the devil, and the desires of the flesh. All that remains will be God’s presence and the community of saints for eternity.

Here’s the dilemma: We’re still waiting for Christ’s return and the transformation of our bodies. Paul addresses this in his letter to the church of Philippi. He encourages Christians to strive for the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (v. 14).

With this in mind, let’s open the Scriptures to Philippians to find joy in the journey of faith. Please turn with me to Philippians 3:12-4:1.

[Response to Reading] This is the Word of the Lord.

When planning a vacation, weekend getaway, or family visit. What normally consumes your thoughts? I believe what captivates our minds is the feelings of happiness upon arrival at the destination.

For the dream vacation, it’s all about exploring new, breathtaking sights. The weekend getaway is a welcome respite from life’s monotonous schedule, and for a family visit, it is precious time to savor with those you love. All of these experiences renew joyous bliss in our lives.

I am already planning for our next family trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City. I can envision the Lewis wandering through the arcade and pressing every button. Lydia and Isaac roam through the hotel hallways, completing their magic quest with their wands. And Verity is enjoying all the tasty snacks that will be in our hotel room. While Sarah and I spend time making new memories and enjoying the slow pace of the week. We will be thankful for a new change of scenery.

And while vacations, getaways, and family visits are good. It’s nothing in comparison to what can bring life-giving joy.

Paul tells us that we’re on the road to our true destination. We have faith, yet we are waiting for something far better.

I liken Paul’s experience to traveling home for the Holidays. Everyone knows the stay will be fantastic, but traveling isn’t ever simple. There are some things that always interrupt and make our lives difficult, such as traffic jams, flight delays, and unpleasant bathroom stops. Furthermore, there are numerous unfortunate events, hateful individuals, and sorrowful circumstances that often make life extremely painful and unbearable.

Such as things that are commonly familiar to us, like death, diseases, discomfort, and heartbreak. If you live long enough, you will experience them all. But Paul gives us a word of encouragement. He guides us in this journey of faith. We should not become complacent or weary, but forgetting what lies behind and staring forward to what lies ahead, I press on (vv. 13b-14a).

Pressing on to what?

To the finish line! The finish line for believers is the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (v. 14).

Real joy isn’t only an experience at the final destination (heaven), but is felt throughout the whole journey toward it (on earth). Joy is alive when Christ is our prize and our pursuit.

Paul explains that your life’s purpose is to hold fast to this hope. We are citizens of heaven, waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body, by his power, which enables him to subject all things to himself (vv. 20-21).

So, while we continue to live worthy lives for the gospel of Jesus Christ (Phil 1:27), we must remember and enact the journey of faith that sparks daily joy.

Joy is here in our hearts because Christ has made us his own (v.12). He has accomplished our redemption through his atoning sacrifice. There is nothing more that needs to be done.

Other than to press on!

The kind of pressing I want to see in this church is similar to the Philadelphia Eagles' 'tush push'. Have you ever seen that play in action?

Here's how it works. The offense lines up in goal formation against the defense. When the center snaps the ball to the quarterback in shotgun, the two running backs behind him shove him forward. A wave of players moves up the field, pushing the football forward to get a new first down.

Since 2022, the Eagles have attempted he ‘tush push’ 116 times and have a success rate of 91.3% on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 situations. RealGM Staff. (2023, October 23).

Anymore, it should be considered the NFL’s power play because it works all the time, and Eagles players share a common goal when executing it: move the ball forward!

Thankfully, you and I don’t need to advance a football. But we have been given one goal.

Recall what Paul wrote in verse fourteen.

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (v.14).

Your sole goal is to press on to the call of God in Christ Jesus. Every day is an opportunity to seek the source and summit of the faith, who is Christ. Then pursuing him is how you obtain and experience joy in the moment.

After all, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil 2:21).

But until then...

We should not be surprised by physical pain, emotional suffering, and spiritual affliction. It is easy to notice the injustice of this world and those who walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things (vv. 18a-19).

However, I do not want the things of this earth to steal your joy in the Lord! Rather, give permission to the hurt and sorrows to bring you closer to Jesus. Let the resources of those painful days transport you to Christ’s Passion and death so that you can contemplate the joy of the Resurrection.

That’s the only way you’re going to make it through life with joy! I mean it! I am guilty of being a gloomy, downtrodden, and easily irritable man because I focus more on myself than on Jesus most days. And I would place a wager that you share the same struggles as I do.

Joy seems difficult to grasp because it is not something we can grasp on our own; it is a gift given by the Holy Spirit. I believe we all have room to grow in receiving the gift of joy from God Himself.

If there's a spiritual discipline we must develop, it's thinking about heaven.

Paul concludes this letter by encouraging us to meditate on the good things. Here’s what he says, Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things Phil 4:8).

What can sum up all those attributes? Heaven, indeed, but better yet, Jesus Christ. Joy is alive when Christ is our prize and our pursuit. This begins with thoughtful meditation on the Lord.

Now I know this can be a difficult practice. It is because we are in the middle of our journey to Christ. We possess faith. We behold hope. But we are waiting for better things to come. It comes down to having the right attitude if you are going to journey through life with joy.

Late Pastor Tim Keller once said, “Imagine two women hired to do the same job, under the same conditions, and for the same amount of time. They both have to perform the same menial tasks, hour after hour, day after day. They both endure the same sweltering heat in summer and the same freezing cold in winter. But one of these women was told she would receive $30,000 at the end of the year, while the other woman was promised $30 million.

Surely the one promised $30,000 would struggle to keep going. She would deal with bitterness. Perhaps she would feel underappreciated and taken advantage of. She’d be looking over her shoulder for other opportunities that might pay more or cost less. She’d be discouraged where she was and afraid of missing out on better options.

But the woman promised $30 million would put up with almost anything. She would work hard every day, smiling, because every moment brought her closer to a reward she couldn’t get anywhere else.”

If you are going to have joy in the journey. You’ll need to think heaven a lot more and think about earth a lot less.

You can get through anything if the payout is enough. And God has promised a great payout for Christians. He has something great for you!

He is going to give himself to you forever! Yes, God has promised to give you his presence, a perfect body, everlasting bliss forever and ever.

And because of that, you can press on! Listen to the first verse in chapter four.

Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved (v. 1)

So what shall we do in the meantime? Meditate on Jesus’ life. Stand firm in the Lord. Enjoy God’s presence and enjoy the journey.

Let me close with one last story.

In November 2022, my family and I took a long drive to Idaho to attend Sarah’s best friend’s wedding. Leaving Michigan, we had a Toyota Sienna packed full of suitcases, three kids, two parents, and one grandma.

The trip totaled 30 hours, and what seemed like endless miles were in sight. But even though the afternoon crying, roadside potty breaks, and unexpected blizzards. We found joy in every state, from an indoor water park to being stuck at a gas station on I-80, where we conversed with hilarious truck drivers and witnessed the beauty of the western plains.

After it was all said and done, we found joy not only in reaching our destination, but also along the way through the journey.

Church, find your joy in the Lord. Don’t just wait for the destination. Amen.