Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Paul challenges us in Philippians that one of the true marks of a Christian is joy.

Joy conquers circumstances.

Joy communicates contentment.

Joy, as we talked about last week, begins when we partner with the Gospel of Christ, it continues in confidence, and it continues as a good work.

We stated that one Christian author defined joy as “an outward sign of inward faith in the promises of God.”

Sometimes, in order to be a person of Joy, one has to be has to be courageous.

Think about it, when you decide to be joyful, sometimes we have to be brave and daring.

If we are going to truly be joyful, we have to muster up the courage in our thinking, our temperment, and in our trembling.

A close look at will help us a bit more to understand exactly what this means.

Paul says here that if we have any desire to be in Christ and receive any comfort from His love and if we have any fellowship with His Spirit, any tenderness and compassion, we have to be like-minded.

It takes courage to line up with Jesus!

Did you know that you can experience courageous joy through courageous thinking?

Courageous Thinking

Courageous Thinking begins when we allow ourselves to be like-minded with Christ.

Like-minded is just what it says: it is sharing the same mind.

Jesus said in

Matthew 22:

Mind in the Bible is human’s intellectual processes or the sum total of the human’s total mental and moral state of being.

Paul is saying here that we need to be like-minded with Jesus.

In other words, does your intellectual processes or the sum total of your mental and moral state line up with Jesus?

Paul gives us a further explanation here, having the same love, being one in spirit or purpose.

Love in the New Testament is widely known to be eros, philos, or agape.

Eros is the sensual type of love, philos is the brotherly type of love, and agape is the unconditional, goodwill kind of love.

Paul is saying we need to be like-minded with Christ and the first thing we need to do is to love the same way that Jesus loves.

How are you doing with that?

Do you love others the same way Jesus loves you?

Unconditionally?

Supportively?

Wholly?

Next, Paul tells us that the Courageous thinking and being like-minded means that we will be one in spirit and purpose with Christ.

Being like-minded means you are pursuing holiness.

Being like-minded means you are delivering righteousness.

Being like-minded means you are believing godliness.

Being like-minded with Christ means we are not going to have our own agenda, our own selfish ambition, but we are going to be a servant.

This brings us to a look at our Courageous Temperament.

Courageous Temperament

Temperament is your attitude.

What was the attitude of Jesus?

The first aspect of the attitude of Jesus was that He was a servant.

A servant like Jesus will put others before self.

Do you have a servant attitude?

This type of attitude goes back to verses 1-4 where it tells us that we can receive encouragement from Christ, Comfort from His love, fellowship from His Spirit, as well as receiving tenderness and compassion.

By the way, being one in the spirit and purpose shows me that we can be for the body of Christ or we can divide the body of Christ.

There is no good that can come from one dividing believers with your own selfish ambition or desire.

God’s way is for you and I to align with His word that we have in the Bible and live our lives accordingly.

My attitude about Christ will be reflected in my attitude toward others.

Are you showing the same attitude as Jesus?

Matthew 25:31-

It is time church that you and I forget about what’s in it for you and me and start asking what’s in it for Jesus!

It is time for us to make sure we are doing what we are called to be and do or face the judgement.

You and I need to develop courageous trembling.

Courageous Trembling

Philippians 2:12

Paul here is saying to the Philippian church that you are doing well, but continue to work our your salvation with fear and trembling.

When you and I allow Jesus into our lives and allow Him to start filtering out the impurities we all have in us, we will recognize just how Holy and pure He is.

And in doing so, we are going to develop a sense of reverence and awe that becomes our worship.

We will say

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty!

Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty,

Who was,

Who is,

And Who is to come!

Your Courageous thinking and courageous temperament become your courageous trembling which increases your courageous thinking and continues to make your courageous temperament more like Jesus and thus increasing your courageous trembling

We become a nation of priests like it says in

How’s your Courageous Joy doing?

What do you have to do to get it going more in your life?