Durable Joy

Eleven years ago, I was sitting in the middle of the football stadium at Jacksonville State University to celebrate my graduation. It seemed like everyone around me could not have been more excited and thankful for all that they had accomplished. But, I was miserable, not excited. I felt remarkably unfulfilled and dissatisfied. I didn’t feel accomplished at all. Three and a half years ago, I was eating in the cafeteria at St. Vincent’s hospital the morning after Sara’s birth, and I was so worried about so many things that I felt like I couldn’t breathe. And, I remember sitting there thinking, “This can’t be right. This can’t be how God intends for me to live.” Truthfully, joy has been a fight for me. Successes haven’t been as satisfying as I thought they would be, and failures have hurt worse than I expected they would. Often, I have known the right answers, and I have had the right information, which has only served to add to my misery when it doesn’t change how I think and how I feel.

My expectation is that I’m not the only one that finds joy to be a battle. In fact, while some of us struggle more than others, I think this is a normative experience, not a unique one. Joy is a battle for most people. In my battle for joy, no book has taken a more central role than the book of Philippians. The book of Philippians is just over 2000 words long, and Paul speaks of joy 16 times, compared to just 36 times in the rest of his letters combined. And so, we come to this book to ask together what I have asked personally so many times: How can we have durable joy? How can we have a joy that holds up in the pressure cooker of life? How can we have a joy that transcends our relationships and our finances and our threats and our worries? So, let’s dive in this morning for an overview of this friendly letter to the church at Philippi.

God’s Word

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Europe’s First Church

The church at Philippi began out of remarkable circumstances, which are all detailed in . Paul and Silas were preaching the gospel and planting churches in Asia Minor, when a vision comes to Paul. In this vision a man from Macedonia comes to Paul saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” So, Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke set sail together and land in Philippi, which is one of the cities in the region of Macedonia. And, it’s here that the very first European congregation is formed. This is the beginning of us hearing the gospel. This is the beginning of America and Alabama and Calhoun County getting the gospel. When Paul first arrives in town, he finds that there are virtually no Jews present. The city is overwhelmingly Gentile. In fact there are so few Jews, that they do not even have a sustained Synagogue, and he finds a group of women praying, and it is there that a woman named Lydia is the first known convert of Europe. Paul and Silas end up in a Philippian jail for casting the demon out of a slave girl, but in prison an earthquake comes, drops their chains and opens their cell doors. But, they stay put, and just when their jailer is about to commit suicide because he believes that he has certainly lost his prisoners, they stop him, preach the gospel to him, and he is saved. And, with this foundation, Paul and Silas leave behind Luke and Timothy with Lydia, her family, the jailer, his family, and certainly others to form what becomes the Church at Philippi.

Three Threats to Joy (Headline)

v. 1 “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus” Paul has received word from Epaphroditus that there are some threats encroaching upon the joy of the Philippian church, and so, he wants to combat those for the good of his beloved church. And, we can characterize the main ideas of this letter in those terms. We’ll see at least Three Threats to Joy (headline) combatted in this book. And, by seeing how Paul combats these threats of joy, we can see how our joy in Christ might be full and how we might defeat the threats to our own joy.

Threat 1: A “Divided” Church

The first threat to joy that we’re going to see is a “divided” church. There is nothing more central in Paul’s mind as he pens Philippians than the unity of this church. God has used them so mightily for his Kingdom, and Paul understands that their future usefulness will be totally dependent upon their unity with one another. Further, he knows that Divided churches have “joyless” members. And, that makes unity in the church worth fighting for. We abide in Christ that our joy may be full, and we abide in Christ together in pursuit of that joy together. If anything fractures our togetherness, it isn’t just an interruption to our joy; it’s the elimination of our future joy. God gave us each other so that we might increase one another’s joy in him. You are a gift from God to your brother or sister for their joy. So, disunity in the church destroys, not just the joy you have, but also the joy you will have. Disunity breaks off joy at the spigot. It doesn’t dry up your joy; it keeps you dry. It doesn’t just make you thirsty; it kills you slowly through dehydration.

Agendas Divide, the Mission Unifies

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus” And, we can see what a priority this is for Paul even here in his greeting. He does a couple of things in his greeting here that is unlike any other greeting to one of his letters. First, notice how he includes Timothy as though he were the author of this letter too, even though Paul writes everything in the first person. Not only that, but he describes both of them in the exact same way, as ‘servants or slaves of Christ Jesus.’ There’s no other place that he does this. Paul doesn’t identify himself as an apostle with apostolic authority. He doesn’t identify himself as the establisher of this great congregation. Rather, he identifies himself as being a partner, a co-laborer with Timothy, a fellow slave and servant living beneath the dominion and authority of Jesus Christ the King. There is no rivalry, only partnership in the advancement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. By identifying themselves as slaves, there is the admission that it’s not Paul’s agenda or Timothy’s agenda or Lydia or Epaphroditus’ agenda or Euodia’s agenda or Cody’s or Tony’s or Chris’. It’s about Christ’s! Our “agendas” divide us, but Christ’s “mission” unifies us. Our preferences in the church fragment us, but Christ’s mission for the church unites us. So, Paul will say in 1:27: Let me ‘hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel’.

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus” And, we can see what a priority this is for Paul even here in his greeting. He does a couple of things in his greeting here that is unlike any other greeting to one of his letters. First, notice how he includes Timothy as though he were the author of this letter too, even though Paul writes everything in the first person. Not only that, but he describes both of them in the exact same way, as ‘servants or slaves of Christ Jesus.’ There’s no other place that he does this. Paul doesn’t identify himself as an apostle with apostolic authority. He doesn’t identify himself as the establisher of this great congregation. Rather, he identifies himself as being a partner, a co-laborer with Timothy, a fellow slave and servant living beneath the dominion and authority of Jesus Christ the King. There is no rivalry, only partnership in the advancement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. By identifying themselves as slaves, there is the admission that it’s not Paul’s agenda or Timothy’s agenda or Lydia or Epaphroditus’ agenda or Euodia’s agenda or Cody’s or Tony’s or Chris’. It’s about Christ’s! Our agendas divide us, but Christ’s agenda unifies us! Our preferences in the church fragment us, but Christ’s mission for the church unites us. So, Paul will say in 1:27: Let me ‘hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel’.

Joy Comes from Mission, not Consumption.

APPLICATION: This is why Thom Rainer says: Inwardly focused churches die, and outwardly focused churches live. This is why the more obsessed you become with your crisis of the moment the more insurmountable it becomes. If as a church we are worried about our preferences and our favorite programs and our personal agenda, there will be no joy. If as a Christian, we become obsessed with our needs and our problems and our crises, the bigger those needs, problems, and crises will appear. Joy comes from the “mission”, not “consumption”. Joy comes from unifying together for the work of God through the power of God to the glory of God. Joy doesn’t come from our favorite music or getting our way or by obsessing over the crises in our lives. As counterintuitive as it seems, as unnatural as it is, joy isn’t the result of getting what we want but living according to our call. Joy comes from outward living in place of inward obsession.

Unity is an Everyone Responsibility

“To ALL the saints IN Christ Jesus" And, that’s why he addresses this letter to ‘ALL the saints.’ There seems to be an obvious tension that’s threatening the ‘all-ness’, the togetherness, the joy of this congregation. So, he addresses it to ALL of them. He calls all of them take responsibility for their role in maintaining unity and increasing joy. Unity is an “everyone” responsibility. That means that my joy requires me fulfilling my responsibilities to the unity of the church, AND to help them fulfill their responsibilities to one another. And, see how he puts this together.

He anchors all of this in our union with Christ. “To all the saints IN CHRIST JESUS.” That’s all of us. We’re all in Christ, or we’re not in the church. Remember what Jesus said in . “Abide in me, and I in you.....that your joy may be full.” And, Paul is saying that there’s a connection between our unity with one another, and our unity with Christ. If we are united with Christ and there is no confusion or division within Christ, then we should be united with one another. We are IN CHRIST, and IN CHRIST, we are WITH ONE ANOTHER. So, let’s make the connection here. Disunity in the body of Christ is the result of the body of Christ not abiding in Christ. And, when the body is not abiding in Christ, when the branch tries to operate independently of the vine, it loses life and vitality, that is, it loses joy. So, do you see how our joy is anchored in our responsibility to one another? If we abide in Christ, our joy will be full. If we are divided from one another, we are not abiding in Christ. Thus, if we are divided from one another, our joy is wrecked. That’s why in chapter 4, Paul says, “I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.” He wants their joy to be increased, not hampered. He wants the body to be unified not destroyed.

Remember what Jesus said in . “Abide in me, and I in you.....that your joy may be full.” And, Paul is saying that there’s a connection between our unity with one another, and our unity with Christ. If we are united with Christ and there is no confusion or division within Christ, then we should be united with one another. We are IN CHRIST, and IN CHRIST, we are WITH ONE ANOTHER. So, let’s make the connection here. Disunity in the body of Christ is the result of the body of Christ not abiding in Christ. And, when the body is not abiding in Christ, when the branch tries to operate independently of the vine, it loses life and vitality, that is, it loses joy. So, do you see how our joy is anchored in our responsibility to one another. If we abide in Christ, our joy will be full. If we are divided from one another, we are not abiding in Christ. Thus, if we are divided from one another, our joy is wrecked. That’s why in chapter 4, Paul says, “I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.” He wants their joy to be increased, not hampered. He wants the body to be unified not destroyed.

Unity + Joy = Humility

APPLICATION: The “antidote” for division is “humility”. The type of humility that says, “I may be an apostle, but I’m really just Christ’s slave.” The type of humility that found in the Christ who emptied himself, taking the form of a servant...humbl(ing) himself by becoming obedient to death on a cross.” It’s humility that calls us away from consumption and toward mission. It’s humility that says I can’t produce fruit on my own; I must abide. It’s humility that says my sisters joy is just as important as my joy. It’s humility that acknowledges that another way may be better than my way, and my way, even if better, isn’t that big of a deal. Humility brings us to Christ, and bringing us to Christ, it brings us together and brings us joy.

Threat 2: A “False” Gospel.

v. 1 “with the overseers and deacons” The second threat to joy that I want us to observe is the threat of a “false” gospel. The other anomaly that really stands out in comparison with the introductions of Paul’s letters is his specific mention of ‘the overseers and deacons.’ It’s likely that he mentions them specifically out of thankfulness for their leadership in raising support for his ministry and the impoverished church in Jerusalem, but also to call them to really step up for the unity and joy of their church. It’s the elders and deacons who bear the greatest responsibility in the life of the church for the joy of the church. And, there is no greater aspect of this responsibility than the responsibility to guard the teaching and the doctrine of the church from wolves and false teachers.

The Enemy of Legalism

v. 3:2 “Look out for the dogs, look out for the evilddoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.” There are two primary false teachings that he’s concerned with for them. And, these false teachings are double agents. They disguise themselves as pathways to joy, as proof of the gospel, all the while they undermine the gospel and kill our joy. They are enemies disguised as allies. The first of these enemies is legalism. Legalism is self-dependence camouflaged as piety. The concern is that the Judaizers are going infiltrate and attack the Philippians in the same way that they attacked the Galatians. They imposed old standards from the Old Covenant upon the New Covenant church. They taught that God demanded, not only circumcision of the heart, but circumcision of the flesh, not only faithfulness but festivals. That is, they added to the the Law of Christ the rules that made them comfortable and added to the burden of the Christian’s conscience. And, they concealed the gospel in the process. You see, legalism says that you CAN be good enough, it’s just a matter of whether or not you’re willing to be good enough. Legalism adds to God’s word requirements that God didn’t say so that you can separate yourself, not through holiness, but through effort. So, legalism magnifies your ability and your willingness to be godly in place of Christ’s grace and Christ’s fulfillment of the Law on your behalf. Legalism attempts to “earn” joy. It’s an ongoing tug-o-war between feeling really good about yourself or really bad about yourself, that is, between pride and guilt. Legalism either causes you to believe that you’re entitled to more joy than you have or that you should feel feel bad about anything good that comes because joy is earned, and you’ve either earned more than you’ve got or less that you’ve got. But, the gospel is ‘grace to you’ from God because He is good and He is willing and He wonderful. The gospel leaves you feeling good about God, and feeling good about God gives tug-o-war free, unhindered, durable joy.

The Enemy of Licentiousness

v. 3:18-19 “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 they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” The second double agent is licentiousness. You might think of James Bond who had a ‘license to kill.’ Licentiousness is bred from an understanding of the gospel that says, “I have a license to sin. I could honor Christ, but it doesn’t matter what I do. He’ll forgive me anyway.” It’s to believe wrongly, as Paul points out in , that the more I sin the more grace will just abound. But, what it reveals is that you love you more than you love Christ. What it reveals is that you want to please you more than you want to please Christ. Legalism tries to earn joy, but licentiousness pursues joy through “indulgence”. Your ‘god is (your) belly.’ You want sex on your schedule, not God’s. You want to spend money your way, not God’s. You want to shape the priorities of your family, not God. Licentiousness always leads to masked misery. I’ve drank, but I’m still thirsty. I’ve eaten, but I’m still hungry. I’ve purchased, but I still want. I have, but I need more. But, the gospel says that you’ve been made ‘saints in Christ Jesus.’ You’ve been made holy through Christ, who poured himself out for you. You see, the atoning, saving, regenerating work of Jesus is not impotent and ineffectual. Jesus doesn’t change you “spiritually” without changing you “actually”. That’s not even possible. No! Christ has made you holy before God, and He is in the process of making you holy in your everyday life. “He who began a good work in your will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Joy Comes from the Gospel Applied

APPLICATION: How are you seeking joy? Are you living as a proud, guilt-ridden legalist as though Jesus’ grace to you isn’t sufficient? Are you living as though happiness is going to come from your next promotion or your next purchase or your next relationship as though you have no peace from Christ? Or, can you delight in God’s word because Christ has set you free from the law? Can you enjoy Christian freedom to the glory of God rather than to the shame of God? Are you so satisfied with Jesus that you don’t need any praise and you don’t need anything? You see, it’s the gospel applied to your life, day-in and day-out, that offers you durable joy.

Threat 3: A “Misunderstood” Trial

v. 2 “peace from God” The final threat to our joy we should observe is a “misunderstood” trial. The Philippians are facing difficult days, and they are going to continue facing difficult days. And, Paul doesn’t try to move around it. They are living in a culture that is hostile to them, and in the midst of a passionately nationalistic culture, they must live as citizens of another Kingdom. They are being opposed (v. 28), and they will be oppressed (v. 29-30). These will not be peace time for the Church at Philippi. But, Paul has something powerful for their day and for ours. As their friend in the gospel, he draws on his experience to teach them: God’s people can have “peace” when life isn’t “peaceful”. Peace comes from God not life. That is, through what Christ has done, God has made available to us as his church ‘the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.’

You see, our enemy uses trials to undermine the “goodness” of God and the “power” of God. He wants us to think that either God is willing (goodness) or that God isn’t able (power). He said He saved you, but your life feels out of control. He said He loves you, but you feel beaten down and broken down. He said that He will provide for you, but you feel broke and unsure that you’ll have enough.

Joy Isn’t Feeling; It’s Trusting

You look at your life, and joy feels impossible, doesn’t it? Paul gets you. He’s writing these words from prison. He was beaten with rods in Philippi. Nothing feels good about his life. But, here’s why he can say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” It’s because “Joy is not a “feeling”; it is an “activity.” (Gordon Fee) Joy isn’t feeling glad that your health has failed or that your job is gone or that your child has rebelled. Joy is trusting Christ any way. Joy is trusting the goodness of God when life isn’t good. Joy is trusting the ability of God when life is impossible. Joy is pursuing Christ when you don’t know how to take another step. Because all of our anxiety and all of our misery and all of our panic are short-sighted! There is a day of reckoning that is coming. There is a day in which we will be made perfect and the world will be brought to peace at last. And, through that lens, we can have a durable joy, an inexplicable peace because we trust Christ.

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