JOY IN SPITE OF CIRCUMSTANCES

Philippians 1:1-6

This morning I would like to start a study of the letter to the Philippians.

  • For many people this is their favorite book perhaps because it has so much to say about joy.

It is interesting though that a lot of people when they think of joy they do not think of Christians.

  • I heard a story for example about a man in line at the grocery store and the lady in front of him turned around and said, “Excuse me sir. Are you a minister?”And he replied, “Well no. But I’ve been sick the last couple of weeks.”

A lot of people just don’t think of joy when they think of Christians. Why is it that if you say “Happy Hour” nobody thinks about church?

  • Let’s face it, a lot of Christians, and I am afraid that I am one of them, look like they were baptized in lemon juice.
  • And if that is the way you and I are then it is very likely that we need a“joy” transfusion this morning and the apostle Paul has just the prescription we need and it is found here in this letter to the Philippians.
  • So, let’s look at what Paul has to say here in the book of Philippians and what it was that brought him so much joy.

First, I want you to look again at how the apostle Paul begins this letter. Look at vs. 3-4. Paul says, “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always praying with joy in my every prayer for you all.

Now, we read that and we don’t think about it much but Paul opens this little letter expressing his joy, and that mood of joy continues throughout the letter.

  • In fact, he is going to speak of “joy” 16 times in this letter.
  • And when you consider the circumstances that is somewhat amazing.
  • And let me tell you why this is amazing that Paul has this kind of “joy.” Let me give you a little background.

Over in Acts 16 the Paul never intended to go to Philippi. He was actually trying to go to Asia but the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let him.

  • So, he tried to go to Bithynia but the Spirit of Jesus stopped him.

And then one night as he was sleeping he had a dream of a man from Macedonia saying to him, “Come here and help us.” (He knew that was from God)

  • So Paul and Silas went to Philippi.

Now Philippi was a Roman colony and it was so pagan that they didn’t even have a synagogue. Normally when Paul went to a city he would go to the synagogue and preach.

  • But Philippi didn’t have as synagogue.

So, on the Sabbath the Bible says that he went out to a river and he found some women praying. And Paul preached to them and a woman named Lydia and all of her family were baptized…they were the first converts in Europe.

  • But then Paul began walking through Philippi and a little slave girl who was possessed by a demon started following him everywhere he went…and she would shout “These men are servants of the Most High God.”
  • And after several days Paul became annoyed with what the demon was doing through this little girl so he rebuked the evil spirit and cast it out of the little girl.

But then the people who owned the slave girl got upset because they could no longer make money off of the little girl…so they accused Paul and Silas of committing treachery against Rome…and as a result, Paul and Silas were severely beaten, put in chains, and thrown in prison.

And you remember the story. Paul and Silas are in this prison and what are they doing? They are singing and praising God. (Now I will tell you, I probably would have been doing something different. I would have had a pity party for myself and saying, “God, I tried to go to Asia and Bithynia and you wouldn’t let me. And I did what you wanted and now look where I am.)

  • That is not what Paul and Silas did. They were singing and praising God.

And you remember what happened. There was an earthquake and the jail cells came open, and the chains fell off of their arms and legs.

  • And the jailer was about to kill himself but Paul stopped him.
  • And the jailer said, “What must I do to be saved?” And Paul said, “If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ then you and your family can be saved.”
  • And that very night they were all baptized.

Afterward Paul and Silas were encouraged to leave Philippi…he went to Thessalonica and then to Berea…and on to Athens…and Paul eventually made it back to Jerusalem and once again he was arrested on some trumped up charges…and after he was threated he was moved to Caesarea where he spent two years in prison before he was eventually given hearings before the Roman governors…which resulted in him being sent to Rome.

  • And on the way he was shipwrecked and bitten by a serpent…and after arriving in Rome he was put in chains and kept under house arrest.
  • And while he was there, waiting for the Roman court to decide what to do with him, he wrote this letter back to the church at Philippi.

And in spite of being in prison; in spite of being unfairly and unjustly treated; in spite of all the hardships Paul, over and over again in this letter, speaks of his continuous joy!

  • Now, how is that possible?

And better yet, how could this be possible for us today?

  • I mean things come up in our lives; we face injustices; we face persecution and mockery for what we believe; bad things happen to us; our lives sometimes get “shipwrecked”; sometimes the “serpent” bites us; and sometimes our age and our health imprisons us; how is it that Paul, in spite of the trials and difficulties continued to find joy (Not an inconsistent passing emotion. But a continual gladness that is not affected by circumstances.)
  • How can we find…have that joy?

Well, I think Paul tells us. Let me quickly show you 4 things that caused Paul to have joy in spite of his circumstances.

First of all, Paul NEVER LOST SIGHT OF HIS PURPOSE.

Chapter 1:12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will; the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel;

What Paul is saying here is that his life has a purpose and that purpose is “for the greater progress of the gospel.”

  • And even though he is in prison he can rejoice because he can still do what he is supposed to do! In fact, it may have caused the “progress of the gospel” better than if he had not been in prison.

And that is how we find the same joy even if our life has experienced “shipwreck”; even if the serpent bites us; even if our health imprisons us; in spite of the trials and difficulties we too can fulfill the purpose that God has for us! (a light to the world; teaching others; being an example).

  • Paul didn’t think about himself. He didn’t have a pity party. Instead he saw all that he went through as an opportunity and that brought him joy.
  • And we can do the same. (At work; at the hospital; in a courtroom; playing sports)

I am afraid that too many times we let our trials and problems blind us to our God given purpose and as a result we are stripped of our joy.

The second reason Paul could find joy in spite of his circumstances is because HE NEVER LOST SIGHT OF HIS PATTERN.

Everybody’s life is shaped by someone else’s life. It is shaped by whoever your hero is. Whoever is your biggest influence.

  • Unfortunately, people often choose the wrong people for our models (Athletes; actors; musicians) and far too often those we pattern our lives after disappoint us.

Look at chapter 2:3…notice who Paul’s role model was: Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

For the first few years of my life my dad was my role model. That wasn’t good.

  • Then my next to the oldest brother was my role model. That didn’t work out to good either.
  • Then I had a classmate in school that I thought I would pattern myself after. That only led to disappointment.
  • But then finally, like Paul, I became a follower of Christ. He has become my mentor. He is my role model…and I find great joy in knowing that in any circumstance or situation I have a way to live above that situation because I’ve got an example of how to live above it. NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR PATTERN.

The third reason why Paul could find joy in spite of his circumstance is HE NEVER LOST SIGHT OF THE PRIZE.

Paul had to deal with some of the same stuff that we talked about in our study of Romans.

  • There were some people in Philippi that said, “If you want to be right with God you are going to have to earn it. You have to work out your salvation.”

Paul had already been down that path. He knew it full well. And he was robbed of his joy in trying to save himself because he never knew if he had done enough.

  • But then he learned that he couldn’t and didn’t have to earn his salvation…Jesus had done that for him…and that brought him great joy.
  • Look starting in chapter 3:7:

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,10 that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Do you know why Paul could rejoice in spite of his harsh circumstances?

  • He could rejoice because he knew that his salvation was secure.
  • It is a joy to know that in any event your standing with God is sure because your righteousness is given to you because of your faith in Jesus Christ and because it is not earned by your own human performance.

So Paul, in spite of his harsh circumstances, is filled with joy because he has NEVER LOST SIGHT OF HIS PURPOSE; HIS PATTERN; AND HIS PRIZE.

And then in chapter 4 the reason why he could find joy in spite of his circumstances is because HE NEVER LOST SIGHT OF HIS PROVISION.

Look with me starting in chapter 4 and the middle of vs. 11: …for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Isn’t it amazing how God always supplies us with what we need? I didn’t say “with what we want” but “with what we need.”

  • There were some times when Paul had to do without some things…but God always supplied the things he needed to accomplish the purpose that he had.

Over the years I believe that each one of us can say the same thing. There have been times when I wondered how I was going to pay my taxes…or how I was going to pay a bill…or how I was going to buy tires for my car.

  • I just couldn’t see a way…but somehow and some way God always provided.
  • He may never give me more than I need but he has always provided.
  • And consequently, when those situations come up they do not rob me of my joy in Christ because I know that I have a God who provides.

Paul could be joy-filled in any circumstance because he knew HE NEVER LOST SIGHT OF HIS PURPOSE.

  • HE NEVER LOST SIGHT OF HIS PATTERN.
  • HE NEVER LOST SIGHT OF THE PRIZE.
  • AND HE NEVER LOST SIGHT OF HIS PROVISION.

And if we will do the same we too will have the joy that God wants us to have.

  • Let’s close with Paul’s words to us found in chapter 4 starting in vs. 4:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Of all the people on earth those who are followers of Christ should be the most joy-filled regardless of our circumstances.