Joy Complete
Notes
Transcript
Chapter 1:
Paul gives reasons why he can have joy in the Philippians, because they are participants in the gospel, and more importantly, that the Lord is the one working and completing the work which He begun.
Paul also calls them, partakers of grace with him, the last reason he can have joy
Then last week, Paul gives them reasons they can have joy in Paul and his circumstances, and why Paul himself can have joy in his own circumstances as well.
Today, we will look at the key to having our joy be made complete
Illustration:
When I was working as a carpenter, I had gone through a 4 year apprenticeship program, journeyed out, and had been a journeyman for some time. I was younger than most, but I had gone through all the work, learned a lot and worked hard to get where I was.
So I was working for a smaller company, and about a week after I started, they hired on a first period apprentice. He was a year or two older than me, but I was the journeyman, he was the apprentice. After he first day, I could tell he did not like that fact that I was younger than him telling him what he needed to do. So a couple days after he started, we are setting gang forms for a wall, and all I needed him to do was push the tie through so we could secure the form and get it off the hook, or if you don’t know, the crane that was hoisting it. He was having trouble, and I was trying to direct him to get it through, because he was taking quite a long time. I finally climbed and looked over the wall, and told him he needed to stop making excuses and just get it done. At that, he had some choice words, threw everything down, and walked away and went home. That was the last day I saw him on that jobsite.
You see, he wasn’t willing to humble himself, to come underneath and learn. He thought he was above all that. And the problem is, we can be that way too, and little do we know, that is the exact attitude that robs us of our joy.
V.1
1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
Therefore:
Paul just finished talking about his deliverance, that for him, it would be beneficial to stay here on earth for their sake. But also, he makes it a point, that just like him, it is granted for them not only to believe, but to suffer for Christ’s sake.
If there is any:
encouragment in Christ
consolation of love
fellowship of the Spirit
Affection and compassion
Paul is stating this as a question, but he is making a point. There is all of this for those of us who believe!!
V.2
2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
make my joy complete:
Paul has already shared how he can have joy because of the Philippians, that they are participants in the gospel and because the Lord is faithful to complete the work which He. the Lord Himself, has begun.
Now Paul is encouraging them, that there is one more thing that will complete his joy as he sits in prison… UNITY
What does unity look like?
being of the same mind:
That their minds will be set on the things of the Lord, wanting to be pleasing to Him
Not entangling themselves in worldly philosophies, but allowing the Holy Spirit to transform them by the renewing of their minds.
How much more joy would we have, if instead of being influenced by the world and their opinions or what they say, the sole influence we have is the Holy Spirit. Not men pleasers, but having that same mind of the Lord together, to do it His way, not ours, not the worlds.
Think of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:11-13
11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,
13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
maintaining the same love:
the word for love here is Agape
We read in 1 John 4:7-8
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
to maintain the same love, it is that we would love one another.
Some will argue that we need to love the world as God does, and in some regards, there is truth to that, but this is not what Paul is getting at. That is a love to see people get saved, this is the love of unity that Paul is talking about. That we would love one another
United in Spirit:
The word here means harmonious.
To live in harmony with one another, or in full agreement with one another
This is always easier said then done, and it can only be accomplished by the work of the Holy Spirit
Intent on one purpose:
What purpose should we be intent on?
The gospel of Jesus Christ. To live it, to share it, to allow the gospel to be the unifying factor in our lives.
We often get this confused with politics and social justice, but our one purpose should never be any of those things. It should be Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Think about 1 Corinthians 2:2
2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
Now the real question… How do we accomplish this?
V.3
3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
DO NOTHING from selfishness or empty conceit:
The primary focus should never be ourselves.
This would go in turn with what Jesus says in Luke 9:23
23 And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
The most difficult thing to do is to not do anything from selfishness or empty conceit.
Why? Because we deal with this sinful flesh that wants to satisfy itself.
I think of what we read in James 4:1
1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?
There are pleasures and desires that wage war in us, that drive this instinctual body that wants to be selfish
But dying to self, picking up our cross daily, Paul moves on to what to do instead
with humility:
As always, we need to start with humility.
Remember what we read in James 4:6
6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Regard one another:
As more important than yourselves
This is the start of humility, to think of others and their needs before yours
While the flesh fights for personal gain and personal satisfaction and personal needs, humility will lay all that aside and first consider what someone else’s needs are.
This is most important in the closest relationships we have:
Marriage- how things would be very different in our marriages if we had this humility.
Husbands, you would regard your wife as more excellent than yourself.
The word for more important means to hold over, or above, to be superior, to excel
Wives, that you would regard your husband as more excellent than yourself.
V.4
4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Do not merely look out for your own interest, but others also:
The flesh says “How can I benefit from this?” Humility says “How can others benefit?”
It is that complete shift, from thinking about and pursuing your needs to thinking about others and what they need.
How can we make each other’s joy complete?
Paul says it is unity, in being one. And how is that accomplished? It starts with this…
Humility… pursuing what is best for others, not yourself.
This is so hard, because we want ourselves to be thought of.
But that is the number one killer to oneness, both in the church and in your marriages.
If I look back at my marriage, the worst times we have had is because of selfishness, mostly mine. I am thinking too much of what I want, what can benefit me, what makes me happy, and that is what I pursue. But this kills any oneness the Lord wants for me and my beautiful wife. It causes quarrels and contentions, and it is miserable.
This is contrary to what the worldly philosophies want you to think. They argue that before you can be happy in relationships, you have to take care of number one. You have to first find happiness in your self, and then you can truly be happy in all other relationships.
But this is contrary to what God teaches us and wants for us.
Why??
V.5
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
Have this attitude:
Remember Romans 13:14
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
Putting on the Lord Jesus, that we would put on the way He thinks and the attitude He has.
That is what Paul is saying, have this attitude in yourself. Why? Because this is the same attitude that Jesus had.
This is what I love, is God never asks us to go somewhere He Himself has never gone or unwilling to go. He set the example.
We see in the book of Hebrews, in Hebrews 2:17-18
17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
Because He went through the same things we have, He is One we can trust and know that He is fully capable to help us in our weakness.
V.6
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
He existed in the form of God:
Jesus, fully God, did not regard equality with God
Does this mean that Christ is not equal with God? No, not at all. Remember, what are we talking about? Is it His deity? No… It is His attitude.
In fact, I want you to know this, because Paul is not taking us through a theological framework, he is bringing us through the attitude that Jesus had, the same attitude we are to have.
We will address the deity of Christ in Colossians, but this is not Paul’s point here in Philippians, it is the humility of Christ, the attitude of Christ. And if this is the attitude that Christ has, the God of the universe, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, then why in the world would we not?
V.7
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
but emptied Himself:
Or the word literally means he laid aside His privelages.
He didn’t become less God, He didn’t all of a sudden get rid of His nature, but He laid aside His privilege as God, and instead…
taking the form of a bond-servant:
He laid aside His privilege as God, and took on the privilege of a servant.
Which in those days, was very little
made in the likeness of men:
The Christmas story… He was formed in the womb, started where we all do.
V.8
8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Found in appearance as a man:
Or, found in the likeness of man, as we have already seen, taking on that full nature as a man.
So we know, Jesus, who is fully God, who hasn’t left that nature, but rather, brought that nature to be in the appearance of a man.
Humbled Himself:
How far did Jesus go in humbling Himself… to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Remember what we read in Galatians 3:13
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—
Christ became a curse for us. He didn’t have to, but He humbled Himself to that point.
Think of Isaiah 53:8-12
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
10 But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.
V.9
9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
For this reason:
The fact that Jesus humbled Himself, when He took the lowly position, when He considered our needs as more important than His, that God highly exalted Him.
His name is above every name
At His name, every knee will bow
And every tongue that confesses will be to the glory of God the Father.
I think of James 4:10
10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
Brothers, sisters… Remember what Jesus says in John 13:14-15
14 “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.
If Jesus went as low as He did, from God of the universe to washing the feet of the one who betrayed Him, how much less important should we think of ourselves.
Our God is the ultimate example, and His Humility brought glory that is something we can’t even grasp right now.
Conclusion:
If we want our joy to be complete, we need to start with humility, just as Christ did. Paul wanted the Philippians to have this joy, and it is the reason Paul gets to have joy in the Philippians and in his circumstances, because the chains didn’t bother him, those competing against him didn’t bother him, because he knew that Jesus went through this and way more, so can he.
