Mature Joy

missions moment—I am going to pray for Jon and Vera, they are the field directors with an organization called World Gospel Mission, helping oversee the work of missions in Africa—, being stationed in Kenya.

Let’s pray for them.

—discouragement

—more workers—the harvest...

—open doors—multiplication of workers...

What does it look like to be a mature person who in life? How would you define it?

I want to read Philippians 3:10-21 to start...

and the Apostle Paul, writing from jail, to the church at Philipi mentions maturity...

Philippians 3:10–21 NIV

10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 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. 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 toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. 17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

What does it look like to be mature?

This passage—uses a great word…in vs. 15…the word “mature." some translations might say perfect.

Paul says “all of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things.”

I think a lot about maturity...

As a parent…raising 3 kids—I want them to be mature. I am constantly trying to measure—are my kids mature.

I think a lot of it for our church—is our church, under the power of the HS helping to make mature disciples—not consumers, not wimps…but sold out people for Jesus.

What does a mature person look like? I am not talking physically—but character. What do you think?

Turn to your neighbor—write in the chat...

and so I googled “What does it look like for someone to be mature.”

and one article is entitled 15 signs you’re more mature than you think.” https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/15-signs-youre-mature-think.html

and there are a couple worth repeating…

You’ve found that the drama in your life is only on television.

You’ve finally come to terms that the world does not revolve around you.

You’ve applied a filter to most of your thoughts before they escape your mouth.

You’re ok with being alone at times. That’s good for you.

You have caught yourself giving your parents’ advice. (that’s painful)

You like sitting towards the front at church…(ok I made that one up)

And the list goes on...

that is an interesting definition of maturity.

My sermon is entitled mature joy.

What do I mean by mature joy? You don’t usually think of joy and maturity necessarily going together, because mature sounds boring, no fun, grown up---

This whole series has been about joy—”a deep and durable delight in God that once you have tasted it ruins you for everything else.”

When I define mature joy—I am talking about the deep and durable part of that definition.

It’s lasting.

It’s joy in Christ that lasts, perseveres, through the ups and downs of life. It’s not fleeting.

It’s what we all crave—through the changes and instability of life.

and verse 15—gives us a clue on how to have it...

and in verse 15 again—look at what it says:

Philippians 3:15 (NIV)

15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

Part of this joy is having a certain view—thinking. having a certain attitude...

So how do we have mature joy—what does it look like in our view and thoughts?

Mature joy in Jesus expects both power AND suffering in life. (vs. 10-11)

Look at verses 10-11 —

The New International Version Chapter 3

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

These verses are challenging—notice both knowing Christ, involves knowing the power of his resurrection. His resurrection power AND also participation in his sufferings. BOTH.

we love the first part—resurrection power. It’s awesome. that’s future—it’s a future hope that death is not the end but bodily resurrection existence, but it’s also present- the same power that raised Jesus from the dead—lives in us. The Holy Spirit! but we don’t like the 2nd—the suffering.

We need both. that’s what knowing Christ—mature joy means.

in fact, they function a little bit like guardrails on a road or the Inter-state. when you are driving. To keep you safe—those guardrails are put there in case you veer to the right or left—yes it may scrape your vehicle in our case a minivan—BUT it will protect you from going into a ditch, from something far worse.

or maybe it is like those the bumpers in bowling…if you bowling ball gets off track it pushes you back on so you can get that strike…i love the bumper lanes..

resurrection power and suffering are a little bit like guardrails or bowling bumpers—you need both in your relationship with Jesus and for mature joy. Why?

because if you emphasize one side too much more than the other—you will drive off a cliff spiritually. What do I mean?

if you are all about Jesus’ resurrection power—(which is great by the way) and experiencing it and seeing it in your life—yet you forget about the suffering part—you will be blindsided by suffering.

Suffering will throw you off; or if life doesn’t go like you think it will. You forget that Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble...” or “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” Paul (1:29—it has been granted unto you by God not just to believe but suffer for him...”

Paul says in Acts 14:22 that we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God!

You won’t have a category or know how for suffering. You forget that God uses suffering sometimes to mature us, to grow us, to make us know the sweetness of depending on Jesus—b/c it often takes that.

I notice as a pastor that some people just are not ready to either give their life to Christ or grow in Christ—until they go through tremendous pain and God gets their attention! and we learn to lean on Jesus.

and yet if you veer to the other direction—forgetting the resurrection power and embracing the suffering—you will be a dull, sad Christ follower. because yes you expect suffering—but you don’t pray or expect that God can still do big things; answer big prayers; show up in mighty ways in your life and others. Jesus said in Luke 10:19 that he has given us authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. You wont’ take a risk in life—you need both for mature joy—in Jesus.

because if you have both—you won’t be surprised by suffering. Jesus said we would have it—yet He is strong in our weakness..and you won’t be surprised by miracles and the supernatural and that Jesus can still work.

Jesus emphasized both

John 16:33

The New International Version Chapter 16

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.”

Paul experienced both—he saw the resurrected Jesus. mighty miracles; God busting him out of jail. and now waiting, suffering in some form of prison for the last 3 or 4 years awaiting trail—and he still have stable, mature joy.

so where are you—do you tend to emphasize the power more and forget the suffering—or the suffering and forget the power? which guardrail do you need to put up

all of us who are mature should take such a view.

illustration of this: (Dr. Wes? Ross Skaggs? (talk about Jesus as the example of this?) in the last church I pastored there was a guy named Ross. Had significant physical heart issues, to the point he needed a heart transplant. several times, doctors and others thought he would die, but amazingly the day a heart donor became available, they called him, and he drove himself to Cleveland Clinic for the heart transplant. That was almost 10 years ago. the man has known incredible physical suffering. and now, he is one of the biggest prayer warriors I know. would pray with him almost every Tuesday morning and a group of others. saw tremendous answers to prayer—Ross balanced the power of Christ and suffering with and for Christ.

Mature joy in Jesus expects progress NOT perfection in our growth in Christ. (vs. 12-14)

power and suffering

progress not perfection

look at verses 12-14

Philippians 3:12-14

The New International Version Chapter 3

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. 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 toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Paul who is writing from jail knows that he has not obtained that perfect fellowship with Christ of resurrection and power—yet he presses on to grow in Christ. he presses on toward knowing and experiencing Christ.

He know she is not perfect—he has not obtained or arrived…YET he doesn’t settle—he strains towards what is ahead—growing in Jesus Christ, becoming more like Jesus.

These are 2 more guardrails or bumpers in the bowling lane that will correct you.

because if you do believe you have arrived, that you are perfect, that you don’t struggle—that’s a huge problem. For one, people like this are arrogant jerks, they are constantly looking down on others. They are like religious leaders of Jesus’ day, the Pharisees who followed all the rules yet missed the relationship with God. Nobody likes to hang out with them.

in fact, Paul may be confronting such types right now. He called such people at the beginning of chapter 3 dogs, mutilators of the flesh. such people based their relationship with God on rules, and works, and doing certain things—like circumcision and food laws from the OT.

The Bible actually says that such people are…look at this

1 John 1:8 — “if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

1 John 1:10 — “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.”

so if you believe you are perfect, you don’t struggle, you don’t sin, you don’t need help—that’s a huge problem—you will crash and burn with your arrogance. You are living a lie—it’s exhausting.

You need the reminder that all of us, have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. all of us are humbled at the cross together.

On the other hand—if you believe you do sin and struggle—you have no problem admitting it, but you settle..—if you forget that you are to fight sin with the power of the Holy Spirit, surrender it to God—and grow, strain towards what is ahead—press on—those are images of running, working, straining…then that’s a problem too. Sometimes we can become complacent in our sin. we can admit our struggles and faults—but sometimes we are comfortable to settle in those and let those identify us. our faults and problems and sin can become a kind of identity—and that’s dangerous too.

there’s a helpful tension—progress in the Christian life—we aim for it, but not perfection.

you see there was only one being who was perfect in this life. None of us are. Jesus Christ lived perfectly on our behalf. It’s only his perfection and his death on the cross that earns us forgiveness and a right standing with God.

when we confess our sin and selfishness to God and trust in Jesus’ perfection and death on the cross—that makes us right, new, clean with God. forgiven. but we will not be fully perfect until Jesus returns or we die. yet Jesus empowers us by the HS to make progress.

so progress but not perfection.

which guardrail do you need to set up?

What bumper lane? do you struggle with the idea of admitting your need—that you think you should have it all together? (when’s the last time you admitted your need to God or a fellow believer for help?) or do you struggle with the idea of needing to strain, and challenge yourself to grow in Christ? (when’s the last time you pushed yourself to grow?)

all of us who are mature should take a view of such things...

illustration — the Olympics are currently going. and it seems like the greatest athletes have this rare combination that they are not perfect, they have not arrived, they admit it, and yet they press forward—they are straining, striving and focused on their goal of competing. Never settling—kind of a humble confidence. One of the Olympic swimmers who demonstrates this is Katie Ledecky—24 year old Olympic swimmer. by the time she had her driver’s license, she sported 2 world records, 4 world champsionships and a gold medal! she currently holds world records in the 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle. she has 36 total medals from the olympics, the world champsions and international competition!

I read an article about her greatness. despite her greatness, almost everyone who works with her—says it’s not her athleticism or genetics—she really isn’t a genetic freak—but her constant work ethic, constant desire to improve—always straining ahead—humble enough to get help and always needing and desiring to get better in every area, from the start, the stroke, the turn, her consistency...

She admits her need for help and they don’t settle—that’s a rare combo.

Some of the dearest Christian brothers and sisters I know model this so well—one of my favorite professors in seminary—such a smart, gifted man—yet so humble, so joyful, always admitting he had farther to go in his relationship with Jesus.

so power AND suffering

progress BUT NOT perfection

Paul had this—do you? admit your need; but don’t settle.

and now

Mature joy in Jesus lives ON earth AS a heavenly citizen. (vs. 17-21)

let me start at verse 18-21

The New International Version Chapter 3

18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Paul does not take delight in his enemies (that’s challenging!) he says this with tears. Their destiny is destruction without Christ. Their god—is their stomach. that is they do whatever their appetites want; whatever their feeling want. their mind is on earthly things. This is a challenge for some of us—sometimes we talk about those who don’t believe in Christ by looking down and with disdain and grossness—but not Paul. Even his enemies that he is talking about—he says this with tears.

he also describes some of us—some of us are focused on earthly things. our god is our stomach—that is our desires—doing what we want. but our destiny is destruction. That life will not bring what we think it will bring.

Paul contrasts that with us—we are citizens of heaven. though we live on earth our ultimate allegiance, our ultimate identity is to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

This would have been challenging. The Roman emperor demanded absolute allegiance; Paul wrote this in Roman imprisonment—but he recognized that his primary allegiance was to Jesus.

this doesn’t mean that we forget earth and being present and a part of earth now…I used to hear the term that so and so was so heavenly minded they were not earthly good. no! we don’t live with our heads in the heavenly clouds...

but we also don’t get caught up with having our mind on earthly things because we won’t do anything heavenly good or eternity good—and thus not anything earthly good.

These are guardrails too on the Christian highway; bumpers on the Christian bowling alley—

we live on earth as a heavenly citizen. in but not of the world as Jesus said.

Paul understood this—there are times in Acts when he appealed to his earthly citizenship—for protection. because as a Roman citizen, he had rights, he had certain protections—he was beaten without trial. but his ultimate identity and rights were in the kingdom of heaven. that’s his true citizenship—and we have incredible rights with God—as His beloved children. so what does this mean.

Justin Taylor—Bible scholar says this: There are more important things in life than the political order and our civic engagement. It can easily become idolatry, invested with an allegiance and identity that goes beyond Scripture. But it is also easy to shirk our duties and participation as an earthly citizen, justifying our apathy for spiritual reasons that themselves go beyond Scripture. Whatever side we are tempted to emphasize, let us remember that we are dual citizens. Part of being a good citizen—in both the heavenly and earthly realms—involves letting our civilian lives be shaped by the gospel and informed by the Word of God as we prayerfully work to become informed, to love our neighbor, and to work for the common good of the city even as we wait for and invite others to the city yet to come.

so we live on earth—we are part of this earth—we seek its good and flourishing—we love our neighbor and yet we don’t get caught up in it—our political life our earthly life is not our identity.—we do so because our identity is in Jesus. https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2018/09/living-as-dual-citizens/

now this helps a lot! why?

for one we won’t get caught up in this world. we won’t be ruled by what our appetites want all the time—those change; desires changes; this world and its possessions don’t last.

in addition, this helps us as we serve and minister. this gives us proper expectations to labor and serve this world for Christ—but also knowing that this world will not be fully changed—until Jesus comes back. this enables us to engage the world and culture—but also not be devastated when the world or culture doesn’t always change like we think it should. (we can burn out when we don’t see the results we want)

you know earlier in the service—we saw Jon and Vera Steury missionaries who oversee a large portion of Africa—talking about discouragement, and what I appreciate about that is that it shows that even missionaries can get discouraged. and they need —you and I need this 3rd point—because we labor, we work hard as citizens of this earth for change—but we ultimately know Christ He is going to bring the full and final transformation we long for.

Closing:

Change the dial (sound board)

remember what Philippians 3:15 said? All of us then, who are mature should take such a view of things. we are putting up guardrails...

power and suffering

progress but not perfection

on earth as a heavenly citizen

back in our sound booth—you will often see Brian Lehman or Dave Heckard…these men do a spectacular job—and we could use a couple more sound people. They are often tweaking, and correcting. I am no sound expert—but you don’t always need to crank and change the dials in extremes—sometimes it tweaks and that makes all the difference in what you hear.

same with our maturity—where do you need to tweak the dial? maybe you need to walk in the power or expect the suffering? maybe you need to admit your need and your sin—you are not perfect or strive to grow in Christ? where is your identity? on earth? heaven? how can you incorporate your heavenly identity into your earthly time. It is short.

Connect with a group or mentor. (vs. 17) Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.

do you have someone who is living the Christian life you admire from the Bible? hang out with them—ask them questions. Join a SS class or a men’s group or women’s conference coming up , or a Wed. night ripples…or serve—community often comes by serving.

consider Christ—experience both suffering and power. He is the only one who was perfect—He’s arrived. and He lived on earth as a heavenly citizen. Let’s look to him.