The Study 26: Philippians

Joy in Believing

Welcome back to “THE STUDY”…. We are committed to being students of the scriptures…..

Hebrews 4:12

“12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

the purpose of the study is:

“As we study the Bible… the Bible Reveals and Refines Us”

WE GROW

Salvation happens the moment we put our faith in JESUS

Growth happens as we allow scripture to shape our daily lives

2 Timothy 3:16

“16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”

So we don’t want to just hear it… we want to USE it in our daily lives.

For the purpose of this years study we are looking at the book of Philippians…. Pauls JOY letter.

Joy in suffering

Joy in serving

JOY in BELIEVING……

Paul is writing this from prison, yet the theme through the entire letter is JOY. How can this be… how can he write an entire letter on JOY while he is sitting in prison….

Joy isn’t based on where I am… it’s based on what I believe.

Philippians 3:1

“3 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord!

He doesn’t just say rejoice… he says REJOICE in the LORD

Our joy isn’t in positivity, it isn’t in better thinking, it isn’t in outcomes… our JOY IS IN THE LORD

Our JOY is directly attached to what we believe about JESUS

1.) I believe Christ is enough

This is a fundamental understanding through scripture…. Christ is either enough or He is not and that will greatly impact the JOY you have in times of suffering…

Paul in Phil 3 list off his resume… his accomplishments

Philippians 3:4–6

“4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.”

In other words…. If anyone has “confidence” in themselves… it would have been PAUL….

But then the shift comes….

Philippians 3:7–9

“7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”

Essentially all the things I have gained, all the things I have done… all the accomplishments…

JESUS IS WORTH MORE>…. JESUS IS ENOUGH!

Religion says - Believe in what you have done

Grace says - Believe in what Jesus has done

One builds pressure one releases JOY…. JOY IN BELIEVING

Ephesians 2:8–9

“8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

**Joy disappears when I live trying to prove myself*

2.) I Believe God is still working on me

Right here writing from prison after all this resume and counting it all a loss…. Paul slides in this incredibly fascinating line

Philippians 3:12

“12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”

THIS IS PAUL…. Author of the majority of the New Testament… the apostle…. And he says…

“I’m not there yet”

Maturity isn’t pretending you have arrived…. It’s knowing you’re still growing

There is no peace in pretending… .there is no joy in performing…

2 Corinthians 3:18

“18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

I can have JOY in who I am while God is still changing who I am becoming

You’re not finished…. Your story isn’t finished…

God is still working

Philippians 1:6

“6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

3.) I believe my FUTURE is greater than my PAST

To often we make more about what used to be, than what’s about to be….. to often we over emphasize the past and don’t believe in the God of our future.

Philippians 3:13–14

“13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, 14 I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.”

There are two directions…. BEHIND… and AHEAD….

Paul had plenty behind him… some was impressive, some was painful, incredible achievements and unbelievable regrets….

this is SAUL whose career was persecuting the early church

Acts 8:3

“3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.”

This is the guy that says…. “FORGETTING what is behind”

It’s not that he doesn’t remember… thats not what he’s saying…. Hes saying it won’t define him

You can remember your past but you don’t have to live in it!!

Wether its all good or all bad… wether its regret or achievement… God doesn’t call us to live in the past…

Isaiah 43:18–19

“18 ‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

4.) I Believe this isn’t all there is

Paul wraps up with an almost missed line in Phil 3…

Philippians 3:20

“20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,”

This would have been so powerful in Philippi, because though they didn’t live in Rome, they were considered “Roman Citizens”….

So where they lived and where they belonged were different…. Paul said you belong to another KINGDOM

I have JOY because I believe I belong to another KINGDOM….

John 16:33

“33 ‘I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.’”

Joy in believing….

Concl:

Philippians 3:1 “3 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord!

Rejoice in the LORD…. Where you put your belief is where you will find your JOY….

SALVATION

CHARGE:

Maybe you have put your belief in your past, in your ability, in your performance, and your joy has slipped… today put your JOY in the LORD…