Living a Life of Joy

Prayer:  I will never be the same again,
I can never return, I've closed the door.
I will walk apart, I'll run the race
And I will never be the same again.

There are higher heights, there are deeper seas,
Whatever you need to do, Lord do in me.
The Glory of God fills my life,
And I will never be the same again.[1] – Darlene Zschech

We praise and thank you oh Lord that because of your sacrifice, we will never be the same again.  We will be obedient to your leading, please give us greater joy because of our decision.  We praise you God and know that you are our only hope of eternal life.  Use us for your glory.

Main Scripture:

My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen (Philippians 4:19-20).

Associated Scriptures:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7)

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Correlative Quotes:

People today are consumed by the passionate pursuit of happiness. Self-help books, motivational speakers, and advice columnists claim to offer the key to happiness, but for many people the door remains locked. Unable to control their circumstances, they find themselves instead controlled by their circumstances. When their job, relationship, or house (or, in the case of Christians, church) fails to make them happy, they dump it and look for a new one. But on the merry-go-round of life, they can never quite seem to reach the brass ring.[2] – John MacArthur

Joy is a delight of the mind arising from the consideration of a present or assured possession of a future good. When moderate it is called gladness; raised suddenly to the highest degree it is exultation or transport; when the desires are limited by our possessions it is contentment; high desires accomplished bring satisfaction; vanquished opposition we call triumph; when joy has so long possessed the mind that it has settled into a temper, we call it cheerfulness. This is natural joy.[3]

The joy required of the righteous person (Psalms 150; Philippians 4:4) is produced by the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22). This kind of joy looks beyond the present to our future salvation (Romans 5:2; 8:18; 1 Peter 1:4,6) and to our sovereign God, who works out all things for our ultimate good, which is Christlikeness (Romans 8:28-30). This kind of joy is distinct from mere happiness. Joy like this is possible, even in the midst of sorrow (1 Corinthians 12:26).[4]

Study:

During our study of Philippians, we have been given the opportunity to analyzed many verses that have a serious impact on our lives as believers.  The entire letter that Paul wrote to the Philippians contains many deep theological gems on which we could spend hours in discussion and debate.  However, the overriding theme of the entire book is the issue of joy and the believer’s ability to internalize it.

Philippians is one of the great books of the Bible since it discusses the spiritual growth process and its resulting assurance to the believer.  This assurance is what we call joy.  The more we are obedient to God and follow the steps to spiritual growth the more we will grow in wisdom and knowledge.  The more we grow in wisdom and knowledge the more assurance we will have that there is only one God and that God, through His son Jesus, is the only way to eternal life (John 14:6).  The greater our assurance or hope in this truth, the greater our joy. 

The following is a list of a few key verses, the brief discussion of which, I feel will bring this study to an end. 

1. Philippians 1:6: “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completionuntil the day of Christ Jesus.” This verse has many key words in it, however, overall it tells us that if we believe in our hearts and our minds that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9) we belong to Him and are secured in our salvation. 

Salvation is the good work that He has started in us and once God starts a good work He will complete it.  That completion of our salvation will be at the return of Jesus 1Thessalonians 4:13-18  What an incredible promise and what assurance it gives us.  Certainly, we can feel great joy in knowing that our salvation is secure.

2. 2. Philippians 1:21: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” I was recently diagnosed with a falling heart rate and some clogging in two of my arteries. Two stints were placed in the blocked arteries and the Cardiologist who completed the surgery said that opening the arteries would probably solve the slow heart rate issue. 

The next day another Cardiologist was called in.  He told me that the stints had fixed the plumbing problem but he was there to work on the electrical.  Several hours later he installed a new, shiny pacemaker.  The first surgery increased the flow of blood to my heart and the second is controlling my heart rate and keeping it above sixty beats per minute. 

As I was laying in the hospital recovering from the two surgeries, a received a deeper understanding of what Paul meant when he wrote the words to this verse.  I love life and I enjoy doing the work of ministry.  However, I long to be in eternity with Jesus.  Near death experiences bring us closer and closer to that glorious time when we will see Him face to face.

3. Philippians 3:7: “But whatever were gains to me I now consider lossfor the sake of Christ." We accumulate many things in this world.  I saw a homeless man the other day pulling and pushing two shopping carts full of what most people would consider junk.  I didn’t have a chance to talk with him, but I would imagine that he thought the shopping carts were filled with treasures.

We have a lot of baggage.  We accumulate it over the years and we don’t want to let it go.  Then God touches our hearts and shows us that the things of this world have no eternal value.  God owns everything and when we leave this world we will take nothing with us, nothing but our position in God.  What really counts in life is not our possessions but our position.  It’s all about Jesus. 

4. Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Once we understand that all things good and perfect come from God, we will not glory in our achievements as our own. One aspect of spiritual maturity is realizing that God is in charge and we are tools in His hands.  He has provided us with the physical and mental ability to carry out His will and bidding.  Our reward for being obedient and giving God His due.  Our Reward is the joy of a close fellowship with Him now and eternal life in the future.
5. Philippians 4:13: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Even our strength comes from God. We are not talking about physical strength or health alone; all strength comes from God. It takes determination, courage, durability, vitality, and spirituality to survive in this life.  God provides all this to His children.  However, we have to seek it through prayer and act on it with no regard for setbacks and hurdles.  Nothing good and worthwhile comes easily and without great sacrifice.

Summary Statement:

Paul knew, as did the Philippians, that true joy comes only through humble faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ, joining ourselves in harmony with His followers, and serving others in the name of Christ. This was the life experienced by the Philippian believers, and it is a life available to us today.  Allow the joy you find in Christ to keep you from useless quarrels and divisions and to instead guide you into harmonious relationships with God’s people.[5] – Charles Swindoll

Lesson within the Lesson:

As a result of this study, what are you going to do with Jesus?

With the knowledge of Philippians 1:6 what impact can you have on the lives of others?

How will the commandment in Philippians 4:4 impact your attitude in the future?

How will Philippians 4:13 influence your desire to do good works?

[1] Darlene Zschech, I will Never be the same Again

[2] The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Copyright © Moody Press and John MacArthur, Jr., 1983-2007.

[3] The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright © 1988.

[4] Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers

[5] The Teaching Ministry of Charles Swindoll, Philippians, Insight for Living Ministries, insight.org/ resources/bible/philippians.