Philippians 1:6
Joy, On Purpose
There are some books that I go to over and over again. This is one.
The theme of this book is that Christians ought to have joy and be
rejoicing no matter what. One form of the word JOY or another is used
12 times in this small book. In 4 chapters (104 verses), Paul used
that word 18 times!
The significance of that is not fully understood until we remember
that this letter is one of Paul’s prison letters. That means that
Paul wrote this letter from prison. Five epistles (Ephesians,
Colossians, Philemon, Philippians, 2 Timothy) written from jail over
as long as a 6 year time period.
Question: How can you rejoice when it is possible that you are about
to be martyred for Jesus? That’s what Paul wrote this book to teach
us.
One thing is for sure. If Paul could rejoice while he was falsely
imprisoned (and had been for as long as six years), while he was
about to be beheaded for nothing more than preaching the truth about
Jesus, you and I should be able rejoice in whatever problems we might
be going through?
In this book, Paul wrote some thoughts which have become precious
Bible verses to the believers. If you memorize Bible verses you have
probably memorized one or more of these verses. It may even be that
one or more of these are your life verses. They teach us why we
should have joy no matter what. They teach us how we can rejoice no
matter what.
They are five amazing statements:
I. Paul could rejoice because God finishes what He begins.
Phi 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that
he which hath begun a good work in you will
perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
A. When I think of this verse, I normally think of spiritual
duties that God has obligated Himself to do. My mind goes
to several.
1. God will complete our salvation.
a. It is God's duty to save us, to keep us saved, and to
complete our salvation.
b. Simply put that means God will not lose any of His.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
that heareth my word, and believeth on him that
sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not
come into condemnation; but is passed from
death unto life.
c. No one could rejoice if they did not believe in
eternal security.
d. No one could rejoice under the threat of death, as
Paul was living, if they did not believe in the
eternal security of the believer.
e. And no one could rejoice in the death of their loved
ones if they did not believe in eternal life, life
that once given lasts forever.
2. God will complete our transformation.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his
purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of
his Son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren.
a. Get that verse:
(1) God has predestinated some things to happen.
(2) While we Christians are not predestinated to be
saved, but we are predestinated to be like
Jesus.
b. The direction of the saved is always forward never
backwards.
(1) I want to be more like Jesus.
(2) There is nothing that I have given up that I
want to go back for.
c. Possible test of prayer - I’ve asked God not to let me
become that grouchy old man if I lose my mind.
3. God will complete our glorification.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God,
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but
we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be
like him; for we shall see him as he is.
B. But I imagine Paul was thinking about more than those
1. He was in prison while going to work for Jesus some place.
a. Paul continued his writing ministry, writing the five
letters I have already mentioned.
b. Paul continued using his network of preachers, the
same network that he had been using to advance the
gospel before his arrest. No doubt, they continued
traveling, bringing Paul word of what was happening
and taking Paul's words to others.
c. But none of that is the same as being able to do the
work yourself.
d. No doubt that weighted heavy on Paul's heart.
2. I wonder if the work that Paul was thinking of when he
said God would complete His work, might have been the
work of the ministry.
a. Sometimes we forget the ministry is God's work!
b. We are just His servants working in on part of the
vineyard.
c. I had a friend who wanted badly to see God do a work
in his family. He died before that work was done. I
knew my friend was concerned about that. I don’t
think he is now because when he got home, I think he
found out that God always finishes His works.
d. Whatever was not complete when my friend left, God
assigned another!
II. Paul could rejoice because he knew he could not lose.
Phi 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die
is gain.
A. Paul was in prison.
1. He is there on a trumped-up charged, preaching the gospel.
2. He could die on a moment's notice. There was no one
could stop the emperor once he made up his mind.
B. And yet, with that threat of death hanging over him, Paul was
did not know which way he wanted things to go!
1. There is always only two options: life or die.
a. That is the way it is for all of us.
b. We might want to complicate the issue by adding
other options...
(1) If I live and get this job...
(2) If I live and don't get this job...
(3) If I live and get married...
(4) If I live and don't get married...
c. ...but it still boils down just two options for
everyone: live or die.
2. But Paul wasn’t sure which way to pray for.
3. How is that possible? It is possible because Paul had a
plan and no matter which way things went, he could not
lose.
C. What was Paul’s plans?
1. If he lived, Paul would serve Jesus.
2. If he died, Paul would see Jesus.
D. We all should have the same plan:
1. If we live, we should serve Jesus.
a. If this were our plan, it would really simplify
things so much.
b. If I live and get this job or not, I am going to serve
Jesus.
c. If I live and get married or not, I am going to serve
Jesus.
2. But Paul knew if he did not live, he would SEE Jesus.
a. Paul called that "gain."
b. He would gain a new body.
c. He would gain a new home.
d. He would gain a new purpose.
e. He would gain rewards.
f. He would see those who had gone on before him.
g. He would see Jesus.
3. The reason some people don't have joy is because they
don't have the right plan!
III. \\#4:6\\ Paul could rejoice because he knew God answered prayer.
Phi 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every
thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known
unto God.
A. The language has changed some.
1. To be careful for nothing does not mean to be careless, to
live recklessly.
2. It means don’t be full of care, worry or fear.
B. Paul was saying, "Don’t worry. Pray."
1. It is interesting that Paul puts these together.
a. Paul put them together because they are exact
opposites of one another.
b. You can either pray OR you can worry, but you can not
pray AND worry because these are opposites.
2. Prayer is God’s divine alternative to worry.
3. Was Paul distraught, worried, concerned, and pacing over
his imminent death?
a. NO!
b. Look at the next verse.
Phi 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.
4. I believe we look for things to be unhappy and to worry
about.
a. In the day when we lived hand to mouth, harvest to
harvest, and day to day, maybe we had something to
fret over.
b. Since we don’t have to live that way anymore, someone
created Facebook.
(1) Now we can worry about what someone said about
us.
(2) And if they didn’t say anything to us, we will
worry about the fact that they didn’t say
anything about my post.
(3) And you know what is really silly? We sign up
for it!
C. While worry may be the carnal substitute for prayer, they have
opposite effects
1. Worry is wasted energy. Prayer is focused energy.
2. Worry destroys the spirit, soul, and body. Prayer heals
them.
3. Worry denies God’s power. Prayer brings God’s power.
4. Worry accomplishes nothing. Prayer moves God which changes
everything.
IV. \\#4:11\\ Paul could rejoice because he had learned to be
content.
Phi 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want:
for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am,
therewith to be content.
A. Do you hear what he said? He’s in prison, waiting on a likely
death for a crime that was no crime at all!
B. To be content is not necessarily the same thing as to be
complacent.
1. Contentment is not necessarily being satisfied with
conditions as they are.
2. Some people think to be content means to accept everything
as it is with no hope of things ever being different or
better.
3. Such a believe would negate spiritual precepts.
a. Why pray? Why seeks God’s intervention?
b. Why have faith? What are we believing in?
c. Why work to change conditions?
4. Accepting complacency as contentment would actually
promote spiritual and personal laziness.
C. Contentment is being satisfied with God’s will, whatever that
will may be.
1. Because I do not always know God’s will, I keep on
praying, working, and believing.
2. Contentment is when I pray, believe, and work to get the
very best that God has for me, but I accept the will of
God no matter what it may be.
3. I doubt that Paul was resigned to spend years in prison.
a. He was probably praying that if he was not going to
die that God give his freedom. (I would be.)
b. He may had even had some working for his release.
c. But having done all that he could, if he were
beheaded, he would be content that the will of God
had been done.
4. I think sometimes God's people are confused between
complacent and contentment.
a. If I was out of work, sick, or lonely, I would not
resign myself to that state.
b. I would pray and work to change it; but having done
what I could, I would then seek to be content with
the obvious will of God.
c. I believe that is what Paul did and because he did
that, he could rejoice in his difficult situation.
V. \\#4:13\\ Paul could rejoice because he knew the might of His God.
Phi 4:13 I can do all things through Christ
which strengtheneth me.
A. When Paul wrote that, he was not thinking he’d have to teach
Sunday school on Sunday.
B. Paul understood that he might have to walk gallantly to his
death.
1. That would be no easy task for anyone.
2. Paul would rest on the power of God to do this.
3. But because he had leaned on this power in the past, he
had confidence in it for the present.
C. Paul knew God would strengthen him for this task if or when
it was required of him.
How can we have joy and be rejoicing? How could Paul? He did it on
purpose! He did it by resting on truths like these. I believe we
can too.
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