Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Living in joy is difficult in a daunting world.

It seems like every time you’re about to summit one of life’s uphill climbs that the summit is just an illusion.

It merely leads to another climb, another avalanche, more struggle.

We’ve seen that as a community over the last few days with the tragic death of a beautiful child.

The family’s of the child and of the bus driver have experienced a trauma that will affect the way that they see the world forever.

It’s a story that has been on my mind because it has been so often repeated in my life.

God had delivered Israel from the mightiest army in the world.

He had put a dry sidewalk in the middle of the Red Sea.

He had sustained them in the wilderness with food from the sky and water from a rock.

He had guided them with his own presence.

And, He had committed to be with them with the same goodness and the same power and the same provision forevermore.

And, there they are, right on the edge of the Promised Land, with the promise of God and the proof of God in their midst, paralyzed by their own fear, preventing them from knowing the full goodness of God.

And so, they tell Moses, “We have to take matters into our own hands.

We have to go back to Egypt.

God is content to let us die, and we have to fix it.”

In my life, I have seen God do miraculous and wonderful things so that it would seem impossible for me to doubt the goodness and willingness of God; yet, I still find in me an impulse to take matters into my own hands.

I still find in me that I very often have greater confidence in myself than I do in God, and like Israel, no sooner do I take control does my joy crash.

This morning, Paul will explain to us how we can avoid these crashes in our joy that we might live a supernaturally joyful life.

So, it’s easy for us to see such a heartbreaking example of how daunting this world is and wonder what hope there is for joy.

Tomorrow it may be our child, or it may be our car that strikes them.

Tomorrow, we may have cancer, or our wife may have an affair.

Tragedy taunts us.

One of the interesting findings about social media is that it increases depression and anxiety in people who use it frequently.

Why?

At least one of the reasons is that we know of so much more tragedy than we used to.

And, it’s there taunting us that it may very well show up at our doorstep tomorrow.

So, how is it that we can find joy in such a daunting world?

Paul’s going to share that with us today.

God’s Word

Read (Focusing on verses 1-6 this week)

How to Live a Joyful Life (Headline)

V. 1b “To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.”

From the beginning, we have seen that Paul is writing to the Philippians because he is even more concerned about their joy than he is with his own joy.

He even says that if it were just about his joy, he’d assume to die and be with Christ so that his joy can be complete, but that he knows that he is to stay for the ‘progress and joy’ of their faith.

And, that’s his concern still in our passage this morning.

He is bearing the burden of their joy so that it might be safe, that it might be durable in the face of opposition and adversity.

And, we’ll learn the same good news that the Philippians did: How to Live a Joyful Life (Headline).

Be “Glad” in “God.”

v. 1a “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.”

First, if you are to live a joyful life, you must Be “glad” in “God”.

He tells them very specifically that they are to “rejoice in the Lord.”

The usage of the word “Lord” to refer to Jesus is a reference to his sovereignty.

The Philippians were Roman citizens and were accustomed to calling Nero their ‘lord.’

The emperor was their sovereign, and he determined the direction and significance of their lives.

But, Paul is pointing to something far greater for the Philippians.

Their Sovereign is not a wicked and weak emperor; He is the Almighty.

Their Sovereign was in control of all things past, all things present, and all things future.

So, the Philippians are to zoom out to see the control of their King rather than zooming in and being undone by their circumstances.

They were to find joy and gladness that their God was over and in it all.

v. 1a “Rejoice in the Lord” He tells them very specifically that they are to “rejoice in the Lord.”

The usage of the word “Lord” to refer to Jesus is a reference to his sovereignty.

The Philippians were Roman citizens and were accustomed to calling Nero their ‘lord.’

The emperor was their sovereign, and he determined the direction and significance of their lives.

But, Paul is pointing to something far greater for the Philippians.

Their Sovereign is not a wicked and weak emperor; He is the Almighty.

Their Sovereign was in control of all things past, all things present, and all things future.

So, the Philippians are to zoom out to see the control of their King rather than zooming in and being undone by their circumstances.

They were to find joy and gladness that their God was over and in it all.

Adversity had come to the door of the Philippians.

Adversity had come to the door of the Philippians.

If they wanted reasons to grumble and to divide and to panic, they weren’t hard to find.

Their missionary was in jail.

Their messenger had almost died.

Their church was divided.

They had opponents, and they had preachers telling them that Paul had not shared with them the complete truth.

The natural thing to do would be to throw up your hands and just stop caring, wouldn’t it?

The natural thing to do would be to take matters into your own hands and see if you can find a better way.

Adversity will teach you what you believe about God.

It’s adversity that will show whether your confidence is in the Sovereign grace of our Lord or in yourself.

Adversity will clarify your theology.

Adversity is the proving ground of faith.

You see, as many reasons as they had to panic, they had even more to trust God.

In Christ, we have far better reasons to be encouraged than we do to be negative.

This is what Paul wants them to recognize.

Being glad in God requires a singular focus in a world of alternatives.

They could either look down, or they could look up.

This is the decision with which adversity confronts us.

They could look down and see the divisions, or they could look up and see the God that was bringing all peoples together.

They could look down at Paul’s chains, or they could look up and see the God that had used Paul’s chains to penetrate Rome with the gospel.

They could look down and see Nero’s threat of death, or they could look up and see their true Lord’s promise to raise them to life again.

They could look down and tremble, or they could look up and be glad they aren’t alone, be glad that nothing is accidental, be glad that their adversity wouldn’t be wasted.

You see, as many reasons as they had to panic, they had even more to trust God.

In Christ, we have far better reasons to be encouraged than we do to be negative.

This is what Paul wants them to recognize.

They could either look down, or they could look up.

This is the decision with which adversity confronts us.

They could look down and see the divisions, or they could look up and see the God that was bringing all peoples together.

They could look down at Paul’s chains, or they could look up and see the God that had used Paul’s chains to penetrate Rome with the gospel.

They could look down and see Nero’s threat of death, or they could look up and see their true Lord’s promise to raise them to life again.

They could spy out the giants of Canaan and go running back into the wilderness, or they could look up and see their sovereign Lord seated upon his throne and press on to the gates of Jericho.

Don’t Look Down

APPLICATION: It’s human nature to look down.

It’s human nature to look down and see how far you might fall and to feel that skip in your heart, and you can’t have joy that way.

You can’t have joy when you face failing health and sick children and career setbacks and dying babies and the terrible diseases that tomorrow may bring, if you look down.

You’ll think every day about failure, every day about death, every day about how dangerous your situation is.

Oh, but if you look up, if you look up and see the hand of the Almighty holding you up, if you look up and see your sovereign Lord seated upon his throne working all things to his glory, if you look up and remember that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without his knowing, you’ll have gladness on your darkest day.

I wonder this morning how many of you feel like you’re always about to fall.

I wonder for how many of you it feels like your life is always coming unravelled.

I wonder for how many it feels like your grip is slipping just a little bit more.