Being Joyful - Our Joy Robbers

October 19, 2014

Being Joyful

Our Joy Robbers

Phil. 1:3-5

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Introduction

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Would you consider yourself a ‘joyful’ person?

How would others know if we were joyful or not?

• There must be evidences/indicators that we are joyful people.

Have you ever met someone who you thought was a happy person?

• They had the money, the fame, the laugh of the parties.
• Despite all that, they were lost, lonely, hurting and falling apart.

EX. - While Mark Twain is a famous writer humorous whose work brought joy to many he was a man of much sorrow

• We are likely familiar with this situation (personally, or otherwise)

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While writing his letter to the Christians in Philippi the apostle Paul was in prison.

• Given his situation there should be no reason for joy...yet he was joyful!
• He could be found not guilty of charges, or he could be found guilty and beheaded!
• He desired to travel to Rome as a evangelist yet here he was under house arrest.
• He would have been chained to a Roman soldier, forbidden from preaching in public.

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So what was his secret?

• 19 times in this letter Paul encourages the Christians with these words: joy, rejoicing, and gladness.
• The secret is found a few words that he repeats several times:

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Mind - he uses this word ten times.

Think - he uses five times.

Another word found is remember...this also involves the mind.

So, could we say that our joy has to do with the way in which we think...our attitudes?

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This is a letter explains the mind the believer must have.

• Especially if we are going to have Christian joy in a world filled with its many struggles.

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Text

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. Philippians 1:3-5

Lesson

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Joy Robbers

Before we can experience the joy God wants us to have we must consider the thieves that rob us of our joy!

Circumstances

• When things are going our way (when we’re in control) we tend to be happier…right?
• What about when things are out of our control?
• Actually most situations are beyond our control: weather, traffic, what others say or do!

Paul’s circumstances were beyond his control...NO REASON to rejoice but he did.

• We must not let our circumstances rob us of our joy.

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil. 4:4-7

People

• We love people...song ‘Friends Are Friends Forever’
• The sad truth is that people will rob us of our joy in a heartbeat!
• The things they say and the things that they do.
• Let’s be honest, this road goes both ways...right?
• Our actions have likely contributed to someones loss of joy.

But we cannot isolate ourselves and we still need to glorify God.

• “You are the salt of the earth…” “You are the light of the world….” Matthew 5:13; 14
• Sometimes we become bitter and sometimes we grow dim.
• There is a way to have joy in spite of people.

Things

• Most people today think that joy comes from the things that they own.
• Things...stuff seem so beneficial yet the rob us of the joy!
• We end up just worrying about them.

EX. - Abraham Lincoln was walking down the street with his two sons, who were crying and fighting. “What’s the matter with the boys?” a friend asked.

“The same thing that’s wrong with the whole world,” Lincoln replied.

“I have three walnuts and each of the boys wants two.”

• “...one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15

These are just a few...of course there are many other.

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• How to we control these robbers?
• The answer is: We must cultivate the right kind of mind.

Maintaining Joy

If our joy has to do with our minds then there are certain attitudes we need to cultivate and maintain.

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Having a Single Mind - (chp. 1)

• James 1:8 says that “...a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
• In chapter 1 Paul discusses the difficult situation that he is in.
• The situation does not rob his joy because he does not live to enjoy circumstances...he lives to serve God.

Paul rejoiced in these difficult situations because:

1. They strengthened his fellowship with other Christians.
2. Gave him opportunities to lead others to Christ.
3. Provided the occasion to defend the gospel before the Roman courts.

When you have a single mind, your circumstances work for you and not against you.

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Having a Submissive Mind - (chp. 2)

• Chapter 2 focuses on people.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” 2:3

• In chapter 1 Paul put God first, in chapter 2 others are put second which means that he puts himself last.

A Christian with the submissive mind does not expect others to serve him; he serves others.

• This is following the Christ-like example!
• The Christian should considers the good of others to be more important than his own plans and desires.

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Having a Spiritual Mind - (chp. 3)

• 11 times in chapter 3 Paul uses the word things.
• Pauls explains that the people have their “minds set on earthly things.” vs. 19
• The spiritually minded Christian is concerned about heavenly things...not the worldly.

The person with the spiritual mind looks at the things of this world from heaven’s point of view— and what a difference that makes!

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Col 3:2

Having a Secure Mind - (chp. 4)

• Worry is actually thinking and feeling wrongly (mind and heart) about circumstances, people, and things.
• We need to cultivate an attitude in which we guard our hearts and minds.
• Why? so that the worry will not enter!
• How does Paul describe the secure mind?

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“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” 4:7

Chapter 4 also helps to explain the spiritual resources that we have.

• These will help as we cultivate and maintain these attitudes:
• God’s peace - vs. 1-9
• God’s power -  vs. 10-13
• God’s provision - vs. 14-23

Conclusion

What should be do?

• How can we put the practices into our lives?

Let me offer the following suggestion:

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1. Be sure you’re a Christian!
• Paul wrote this letter to “all the saints in Christ Jesus...”
• Being a ‘saint’ is being set apart!
• This helps us to develop the single mindedness.
2. Admit your failures/sins.
• Double-minded, proud, worldly minded, and filled with worry...this is sin!
• The sooner we confess the sooner His joy will fill our lives.
3. Look for opportunities to put your mind to work.
• We will have more than enough opportunities to practice a ‘single minded’ faith.
• Our daily lives are filled with ‘exams’ that help us develop a more deep spiritual attitude.

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