You’re Invited! – The Fight for Joy – Philippians

Description: Has life got you down? Are you in a place you don’t want to be? Join us and find joy in your troubled time. Sitting in a dark Roman prison cell, Paul writes of hope and joy. We’ll discover solid biblical principles from the New Testament book of Philippians to help us: Pray with Joy, Share with Joy, Grow with Joy, Live with Joy, and Give with Joy. No matter where you are, you can have Joy and “strength for any season.”

Philippians (The Fight for Joy) 6 weeks

Dates Titles Scriptures Events

Sep. 14 – Praying with Joy (Phil 1:3-11) *25 Years Celebration for Upwards Church

Sep. 21 – Sharing with Joy (Phil. 1: 12-21)
Sep. 28 – Following with Joy (Phil. 2)

Oct. 5 – Growing with Joy (Phil. 3)

Oct. 12 – Living with Joy (Phil. 4:4-9)

Oct. 19 – Giving with Joy (Phil. 4:10-20) Communion

Introduction:

The word happiness evokes visions of unwrapping gifts on Christmas morning, strolling hand in hand with the one you love, being surprised on your birthday, responding with unbridled laughter to a comedian, or vacationing in an exotic locale. Everyone wants to be happy; we make chasing this elusive ideal a lifelong pursuit: spending money, collecting things, and searching for new experiences. But if happiness depends on our circumstances, what happens when the toys rust, loved ones die, health deteriorates, money is stolen, and the party’s over? Often happiness flees and despair sets in.
In contrast to happiness stands joy. Running deeper and stronger, joy is the quiet, confident assurance of God’s love and work in our lives—that he will be there no matter what! Happiness depends on happenings, but joy depends on Christ.
Philippians is Paul’s joy letter. The church in that Macedonian city had been a great encouragement to Paul. The Philippian believers had enjoyed a very special relationship with him, so he wrote them a personal expression of his love and affection. They had brought him great joy (4:1). Philippians is also a joyful book because it emphasizes the real joy of the Christian life. The concept of rejoicing or joy appears sixteen times in four chapters, and the pages radiate this positive message, culminating in the exhortation to “always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (4:4).
In a life dedicated to serving Christ, Paul had faced excruciating poverty, abundant wealth, and everything in between. He even wrote this joyful letter from prison. Whatever the circumstances, Paul had learned to be content (4:11, 12), finding real joy as he focused all of his attention and energy on knowing Christ (3:8) and obeying him (3:12, 13).
Paul’s desire to know Christ above all else is wonderfully expressed in the following words: “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.… I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death” (3:8–10). May we share Paul’s aspiration and seek to know Jesus Christ more and more. Rejoice with Paul in Philippians, and rededicate yourself to finding joy in Christ.

Vital Statistics

Purpose: To thank the Philippians for the gift they had sent Paul and to strengthen these believers by showing them that true joy comes from Jesus Christ alone

Author: Paul

Original Audience: The Christians at Philippi

Date Written: Approximately A.D. 61, from Rome during Paul’s imprisonment there

Setting: Paul and his companions began the church at Philippi on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:11–40). This was the first church established on the European continent. The Philippian church had sent a gift with Epaphroditus (one of their members) to be delivered to Paul (4:18). Paul was in a Roman prison at the time. He wrote this letter to thank them for their gift and to encourage them in their faith.

Key Verse: “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (4:4)

Key People: Paul, Timothy, Epaphroditus, Euodia, and Syntyche

Key Place: Philippi

Outline

1. Joy in suffering (1:1–30)
2. Joy in serving (2:1–30)
3. Joy in believing (3:1–4:1)
4. Joy in giving (4:2–23)

Although Paul was writing from prison, joy is a dominant theme in this letter. The secret of his joy is grounded in his relationship with Christ. People today desperately want to be happy but are tossed and turned by daily successes, failures, and inconveniences. Christians are to be joyful in every circumstance, even when things are going badly, even when we feel like complaining, even when no one else is joyful. Christ still reigns, and we still know him, so we can rejoice at all times.

Major Themes of Philippians

Humility
Christ showed true humility when he laid aside his rights and privileges as God to become human. He poured out his life to pay the penalty we deserve. Laying aside self-interest is essential to all our relationships.
We are to take Christ’s attitude in serving others. We must renounce personal recognition and merit. When we give up our self-interest, we can serve with joy, love, and kindness.
Self-Sacrifice
Christ suffered and died so we might have eternal life. With courage and faithfulness, Paul sacrificed himself for the ministry. He preached the gospel even while he was in prison.
Christ gives us power to lay aside our personal needs and concerns. To utilize his power, we must imitate those leaders who show self-denying concern for others. We dare not be self-centered.
Unity
In every church, in every generation, there are divisive influences (issues, loyalties, and conflicts). In the midst of hardships, it is easy to turn on one another. Paul encouraged the Philippians to agree with one another, stop complaining, and work together.
As believers, we should not contend with one another but unite against a mutual enemy. When we are unified in love, Christ’s strength is most abundant. Keep before you the ideals of teamwork, consideration of others, and unselfishness.
Christian Living
Paul shows us how to live successful Christian lives. We can become mature by being so identified with Christ that his attitude of humility and self-sacrifice becomes ours. Christ is both our source of power and our guide.
Developing our character begins with God’s work in us. But growth also requires self-discipline, obedience to God’s Word, and concentration on our part.
Joy
Believers can have profound contentment, serenity, and peace no matter what happens. This joy comes from knowing Christ personally and from depending on his strength rather than our own.
We can have joy, even in hardship. Joy does not come from outward circumstances but from inward strength. As Christians, we must not rely on what we have or what we experience to give us joy but on Christ within us.