Philippians: Enjoy Jesus

AI Transcript

Well, if you have your Bibles, you can make your way to the Book of Philippians. think I got that right for you, Trisha. The Book of Philippians. So if you've been with us for the last couple of years, we worked our way through the Gospel of Luke. I was blessed by that. And it was an amazing time for me. Hopefully you were as well. But now what we're going to transition a little bit and on the back of your bulletin, if you got a bulletin, you can kind of see the the summer preaching schedule and see where.

we're going to be if you want to kind of dig in and prepare yourself for our time together each Sunday and then you'll see also ⁓ our fall planned ⁓ series is the book of revelations so buckle up for that as well. This morning we are starting the book of lippians we're calling it enjoy Jesus. For 49 years I've had this problem I've been going after things ⁓

There there's been desires in my heart and I chased down certain things. That's actually not the problem. That's actually how God hardwired me and you we whatever we do we do in pursuit of our own joy. The problem is in a fallen world with a fallen heart and a fallen mind oftentimes the pursuit of my joy has not led to joy but disillusionment or dissatisfaction or sin or

destruction. has been my problem for 49 years because I'm 49 years old. We live in a culture that offers all sorts of promises for your joy, right? There is this consumerism culture, certainly in Parker, Colorado in 2025, that says, buy this and you'll be happy. Get kind of a retail therapy to fill that void that we feel, that angst, that kind of existential angst that we all have that I believe God

put in there for a reason, we fill it with stuff. And we live in such a time and a place and have such resources that oftentimes ⁓ we get one thing to the next, to the next, to the next. This is why when my girls were little, I would always take them with me to the city dumps and I would show them broken dolls and bikes. I said, this is where it's all ending up. Like the stuff that you...

⁓ so much this is where it's it's gonna end up and it was really for myself just a reminder as well but there's consumerism there's there's hustle culture do the grind work this achieve that then you'll be satisfied and don't get me wrong that there are good things in in getting good stuff and and and and achieving things that that's not my point my point is it's not it's not the essential joy that you were created for you can enjoy a lot of things in this life and

Hopefully you do, but there is one essential thing that you and I were created for. There's self-optimization culture. Eat this, don't eat that, exercise this, get this degree, do that, then you'll be satisfied. There's a whole section in the bookstore on that. There's, of course, just endless opportunities for escapism with this existential angst. You don't want to talk about it. You don't want to feel it. So you go into... ⁓

Netflix binges or video games or drugs or alcohol or or hobbies like it's an endless list of seeking and searching longing to find satisfaction. And of course we live in a day and an age where we're told if you're not happy with yourself though the path to happy is just to change yourself change your identity become a new person and then you'll be happy and everyone will celebrate you. Again the list is endless. We all have this in common.

The French philosopher Blaise Pascal has that famous quote 300 years ago where he writes all men seek happiness This is without exception for some it's the cause of going to war and for others to avoid it But whatever the purpose whatever the aim in every single action People are seeking happiness even those that take their own lives It's a it's a seeking a longing for happiness now ⁓

We would do well as we go through this series to pause and just ask ourselves the question, maybe journal a little bit. Where am I looking? What am I seeking? What am I believing about what I'm pursuing that will bring me happiness? What do you daydream about? What is the promise behind that pursuit? Right? But happiness is elusive. I mean, that soul satisfaction is elusive. It's like grasping smoke in the moment you think you have it.

you don't have it. And every every now and again some some people in our culture and in history go further down the roads that we think will bring us happiness than we could ever think or imagine. And then they come back and they say it's actually not down there. And we say well the problem must be with you because I think it is down there. Right. A classic a great example of this is after he won his third Super Bowl.

Tom Brady is being interviewed by 60 minutes and he says, you know, I was sitting on my hotel bedroom after I won the Super Bowl. Super Bowl MVP has a supermodel wife. And he says, is this it? Is this all there is? I thought I'd be happy by now. And the interviewer is like stunned. What can you do? And Tom says, I don't know. I wish I knew. I wish I knew.

He again has gone further than all of us in this room combined. Maybe it was the seventh Super Bowl. Maybe he found happiness in that. But probably not. The three thousand years before that, ⁓ Solomon, Solomon had more of everything than we could imagine. And then he reports back in his book as an older man in Ecclesiastes and he says, it's not what you think. Ecclesiastes, two.

Verse 10 says this, denied myself nothing my eyes desired, nothing, whatever I desired I had. I refused my heart, no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor and this was the reward for all my toil. yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless. A chasing after the wind. Nothing was gained.

under the sun. Again, some of these people have so much that we believe would bring us happiness. When they report back, it doesn't bring you happiness. We just think the problem is in you, Solomon. The problem is in you, Tom. If I had that, I'd be happy. But we would do well to take heed to learn from their wisdom. there's there's this you've seen this meme where there's two options and you got to choose and you don't know what to choose. Let me see. You might not be able to see it.

But on the left hand, you get to choose option A, a comfortable life that goes according to all your plans. Like, ⁓ that sounds like a pretty good option. I'm going to choose that. But before you do, have option B, a deep sense of contentment and joy in life. And then the sweating face, right? Like, which one do I choose? Because in our mind, well, if I choose the first one, I get the second one. A.

leads to B. If I have a comfortable life that goes according to all my plans, I'll have a deep sense of contentment and joy in life. And Paul is here to tell us in the book of Philippians, A is independent of B. There is not the connection you think there is. In fact, this is the secret he's going to say. If you understand that it's not about a comfortable life that goes according to your plans, you can still have a deep sense of contentment and joy.

in this life. This is a profound little four-chapter book that we're going to be in together this morning. So let me ⁓ do a little bit of context here for you this morning. ⁓ We're going to do what the church at Philippi did. ⁓ It's four short chapters. What would have happened is, as Epaphroditus brought this letter from Paul to the church of Philippi, he would have gathered the whole church

And he would have said, listen, I've got a letter for you. And he would have read it in its entirety out loud. So we're to get there. But before I do that, let me just set up the context a little bit for you. Philippi, Philippi was established by ⁓ Caesar, Caesar Augustus eventually ⁓ is a Roman city. It's where the Roman army officers would go and retire because Rome didn't like to have ex military officers in Rome. That that kind of would be.

conflict there but they would send them to Philippi and it was modeled in its government and culture and architecture ⁓ after Rome and they had the worship of all the Roman gods but primarily in Philippi they worshiped the state they worshiped the Emperor and so the the claim in Philippi Caesar is Lord was not just a political claim it was a religious claim and so now you can kind of start to get the

the picture. It's in ⁓ Macedonia north of modern day Greece and in Acts chapter 16 we learn that the apostle Paul is traveling with Silas and Luke and he's doing what he's doing. He's going around telling people the gospel planting churches and in Acts chapter 16 he's in modern day Turkey and he thinks I'm going to go to this city and preach the gospel and the Lord says no.

And he's like, OK, well, I'm going to walk to this city and preach the gospel. And the Lord says no. And so he's confused. Like, I just want to go preach the gospel or what's going on. So he goes to sleep and in the night he gets a vision. There's a man in Macedonia saying, come here, come here. And so he wakes up and and he says, OK, the Lord is calling us there. So that means they've got to get on a boat, cross the Aegean Sea. And for the first time ever.

bring the gospel to Europe. And so they land on the shores, go about 12 miles in shore to this town, Philippi. Now it's the Sabbath and so what Paul would normally do on the Sabbath is he'd go to the synagogue, the local synagogue, and find the Jews there and start there. But you needed 10 men, Jewish men, to establish a synagogue. Apparently there's not 10 Jewish men. In fact we see in the context that

This city is maybe kind of racist against Jews. don't have any and they don't like foreigners. but then Paul goes to the second option which is down by the river and he finds some women praying there and as he joins them in prayer he begins to tell them the gospel and in Luke in in Acts 16 it says that the Lord opened the heart of this woman named Lydia from Thyatira.

Lydia is this girl boss. She's got a house in Thyatira, a house in Philippi, a house in Rome. She's a dealer in Purple Goods. She is a business. She's got it all. But she comes to believe in the Lord. She goes back to her household. That's her whole family. She tells them the gospel. They believe. She tells all her servants.

Wow.

To do that, I'll need to be on the online. What in the world? OK.

I'm trying to figure out how it, I don't have anything connected to the speaker. So, oh, maybe I do. Maybe it's my computer. Siri or Siri. Yeah, just shut that down. I don't even know where my sound guy is. All right. So Lydia, she's a girl boss. Okay, you get it. Then Paul goes with Silas into the city. They're preaching the gospel. Well, there's this girl who's demon possessed and she's owned by, she's a slave girl.

And she would tell people's futures. that's how she would make money for her owners. And she'd follow Paul and Silas wherever they go. And before they could open their mouths about the gospel, she would cry out, these men are servants of the Most High God. They're telling you the way of salvation, which is true, but not the way they wanted to start their sermon. so it says after two days, Paul was greatly annoyed. I love that Paul got greatly annoyed. And he turns and he rebukes the demon and ⁓

casts out the demon and ⁓ then she gets set free. Beautiful picture. Next member of the church at Philippi. Well the owners of the girl are not happy at all. That's their way of making money. And so they drag Paul and Silas before the magistrates. They beat them for their faith, throw them in jail. And in jail they're bloodied and wounded but Paul and Silas in chains are praising God.

singing hymns, praying in the night, and God sends an earthquake, it's an earthquake like no other. You could read this all in Acts 16. It's a wild start to a church. And the chains come off, the doors open, and the jailer, who's probably a retired army officer, he's like, oh no, if any of these people escape, I'm going to be put to death, but I'm going to be tortured first. So in pursuit of his joy, he gets ready to take his own life.

And the apostle Paul says, don't do it. We're all here. We're all here. And he's blown away and he goes and he falls before them and he says, what must I do to be saved? And Paul says, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And he believes and he rejoices and his household believes and they get baptized. So this is the the core team. This is the launch team of Philippi. Think about it. You have upper class Lydia. Businesswoman, you've got this ⁓ broken

bottom of the rung slave girl just now set free from her oppression. You've got blue collar ⁓ jailer who just wants to drink a beer and watch the game on Sundays. And this is the family of God in Philippi.

It's a beautiful picture of the church. love what D.A. Carson says about the church in general, but this certainly applies to Philippi in here. He says this, church itself is not made up of natural friends. It is made up of natural enemies. What binds us together is not common education, common race, common income levels, common politics, common nationality, common accents, common jobs or anything of the sort.

Christians come together not because they form a natural collocation but because they have been saved by Jesus Christ and owe him a common allegiance in the light of this common allegiance in the light of the fact that they have all been loved by Jesus himself they commit themselves to doing what he says and he commands them to love one another in this light they are a band of natural enemies who love one another for Jesus's sake.

This church now becomes this beautiful picture of the gospel. It is marked by its radical generosity. Even though Lydia is doing well, the rest of the church is pretty poor. But they always give generously, whether it's to the church in Rome who needed money or to support the apostle Paul on his missionary journeys. Now they hear that their beloved founding pastor is in prison and in need in Rome. Paul's been arrested.

He's in Rome. He's in totally in the need of others, but he's being abandoned by other Christians at this point. And so they gather what limited resources they have and they send it with a path of dryness to Rome to care for their pastor. So Paul loves this church on one level. It's a thank you letter for their their support of the mission. But but he also loves this church and he knows there's certain things both within and externally to the church that are threatening the joy of the church.

perseverance of the church. Wherever Paul planted churches, it wouldn't take long for others to come behind them and say to these Gentiles, it's great that you found the Jewish Messiah, but you also need to find and obey the Jewish law. It's grace plus law. And Paul will say repeatedly, that's not the gospel. And so he's going to address that. There is some poverty and there's some struggle financially as they're being ostracized by

the others. And so they're wondering, can God still provide? Is this religion going to provide for me? And so Paul wants to address that. And all this pressure is creating this unity and division in the church. And so Paul, because he loves them, is going to address that as well. So this is the letter he writes. Probably he doesn't write it. He probably dictates it to someone, maybe Epaphroditus, who will then take it on a scroll to Philippi.

Now imagine yourself this is this is a real letter from a real person to a real church in real time and real space and yet it is also indwelt with the spirit of God. So it's meant for the Church of God throughout all time. So imagine yourself in Philippi in the first century receiving this letter. I'll go ahead and read it. It'll take about 15 minutes to read through the whole thing. If you're new here and you leave the church because there's too much scripture.

That's better than you go to a church and there's no scriptures. So that's just I'm just saying. But I'd ask you to listen carefully. This is God's word. Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are at Philippi with the overseers and deacons, grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God and all my remembrances of you always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy.

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart. For you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more with knowledge and discernment so that you may approve what is excellent and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel so that it has become.

known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident and lured by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition.

not sincerely, but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, I and I will rejoice. For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but with full

Courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body whether by life or by death for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh that that means fruitful labor for me yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two my desire is to depart and be with Christ for that is far better but to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

Convinced of this I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus because of my coming to you again. Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ so that whether I come to see you or am absent I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

and not frightened in anything in your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ, you should not only believe in him, but also suffer for his sake engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now here that I still have. So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the spirit,

any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interest, but also to the interest of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.

who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men and being found in human form. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow.

heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Therefore my beloved as you have always obeyed so now not only in my presence but much more in my absence work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. Holding fast to the word of life so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering, the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise.

You should be glad and rejoice with me. hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they all seek their own interest, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father, he has served me in the gospel.

I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me. And I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also. I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need. For he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed, he was ill near to death, but God had mercy on him.

not only on him but also on on me also lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow I am the more eager to send him therefore that you may rejoice in at seeing him again and that I may be less anxious so receive him in the Lord with all joy and honor such men for he nearly died for the work of Christ risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me finally my brothers

Rejoice in the Lord to write the same thing to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you Look out for the dogs Look out for the evildoers look out for those who mutilate the flesh for we are the circumcision Who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh? Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also if anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh I have more

circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the law of Pharisee, as to zeal a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness under the law blameless, but whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish.

in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and may share in his suffering, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already perfect.

But I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way. And if anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that to you also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Brothers, join in imitating me and keep your eye on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. Their God is their belly and their glory in their shame with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven and from it we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. I entreat Iodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you to also, true companion, help these women who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together.

with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, will say rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God and the peace of God.

which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things and the God of peace will be with you.

I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him.

who strengthens me. Yet it was kind of you to share in my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving except you only. Even in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment and more. I am well supplied.

Having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever. Amen. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen. There was one big idea for the book of Philippians. I would say it's this and this is why we've titled it Enjoy Jesus. The big idea is that when we abide in Christ we will abound in joy. When we abide in Christ we will abound in joy. There are many things we will pursue.

happiness but there is only one thing that is meant to satisfy our souls. It's Jesus. When we abide in Christ we are bound in joy. So I want to encourage us to pursue joy this summer. Pursue the deepest joy. Now the gravitational pull of this world is such that 30 minutes on a Sunday morning once a week is not going to be sufficient for you to persevere in your joy. So I want to challenge you. ⁓

I have I think I call it the joy challenge. OK. The joy challenge. There's three things that I want to challenge you to consider doing for the duration of the summer. The first one is to meditate on this book. Spend some time just reading rereading the book. If you if you read a chapter a day every day during this series you would read through this book 22 times. ⁓ We've got some scripture journals if that's your thing.

out by the offering boxes on your way out. All this is is the book of Philippians. And on the side, it's got a blank space for you to take notes. I encourage you to live in the text, highlight, underline, put question marks, put crosses where you see Jesus, see that the theme of joy and Jesus go hand in hand throughout the book. So that's the first one. Meditate on the book. Whatever that looks like for you, commit yourself to live in the book a little.

Number two, would say, ⁓ talk about your joy with others. Discuss it with others. In Deuteronomy six, the Shema says, take the law of the Lord and meditate on it and talk about it when you sit down and when you walk and when you're with your friends. So at your dinner tables and with your friends and coworkers talk, you know what question people love to answer? Hey, what what brings you joy in this life? People love to answer. Strangers love to answer that. You can ask these questions. And then the big one.

The last one is memorize this book. Memorize the book of flipping. You're like, no, I can't memorize stuff. Like, dude, you told me the stats of a 20 year old on a football field for like the last 20 years. I know you can memorize things. Like we can remember things. You have all the lyrics to Taylor Swift. You're OK memorizing things. So you can't. So I don't have time.

Well, first I would say, well, make time. And second, I said, just give me your phone. I'll find some time. Let me see your screen time. I bet I could find the 20 minutes a day that you would need for that. I bet I could find it. You're like, well, I don't know how. I'll say this. The more you do it, the better you get. So it'll it'll start off hard. As Jennifer said yesterday, every every start of every morning or whenever you do this, it starts a little bit hard, but then you get into a rhythm. Here's what I do. I usually just print out.

print out the text. I just read from the ESV and these journals are in ESV, but it's not the easiest translation to memorize. So I'm probably going to memorize in the NIV just because it flows a little bit smoother. But I'll print out a chapter, front and back, and then I'll just practice, I'll highlight, and then I'll take my voice recorder on my phone and I'll test myself and I'll play it back. And then you'll see, I keep making a mistake here or there. You can do this. You're like, well,

What other suggestions you have? ⁓ Ask Chat GPT. I'm serious. It'll give you a whole plan, strategy, schedule, reminder. That's the strength of Chat GPT. ⁓ So memorize it. And then if you do that, if you take this joy challenge and you memorize the book at the end of the series, whoever does that, lunch is on me. I'm going to take you out. I'm serious. Like the Saturday before the end or the week after, whatever. We'll figure it out.

Whoever does it. If a bunch of you do it, we'll go to Chick-fil-A. And like two or three of you, we're doing steaks, but... ⁓

That's my challenge for you. What you saw in this book is Paul's love for the Philippians. Man, he loved this church. Not only because of God's grace to them, but God's grace through them. And so he wanted them to abide in Christ and abound in joy. And I feel the same way. I love this church, not only because of I get to be a part of what God is doing in the city and God's grace to you, but you guys are such a blessing to me. And so...

For your joy, for my joy, may we abide in Christ and abound in joy. amen? Amen, let me pray for us to that end.