JOY IN OUR HEARTS STARTS IN OUR HEADS

[1]WELCOME: Good morning! For those of you who are joining us in person for worship today, welcome back! It’s so good to see you. If you’re joining us online this morning, we’re really glad you’re with us as well. So, we’re kicking off a brand-new teaching SERIES: called CHOOSING JOY and we’re going to be looking at the book of Philippians for a couple months. How many of you would like to look back in a year and say that 2021 was a year of joy? If you’re joining us online, you can tell us in the chat yes please. Now here’s the catch, we’re looking at this year and Covid hasn’t magically disappeared because a new year has started. There are still restrictions, there are still those who are vulnerable that don’t feel safe leaving their homes. Who knows what normal will look like moving forward. Regardless of how it looks, I believe it’s possible not just to survive, but actually experience joy in the middle of it. When you read through the scriptures that God gave to us, it is extremely clear that… [2]

o GOD’S INTENTION IS THAT WE LIVE LIVES FILLED WITH JOY! Jesus told his disciples [3-4][John 15:11] We’re told that for those who have the Holy Spirit living inside them that their lives will be filled with [Gal. 5:22-23]. I’ll admit that I’m not an expert at this today. There are lots of times that I’m preaching something that I need to hear myself. I’ll admit that my attitude and actions over the last year have not been particularly joyful. I want 2021 to be different, even if the circumstances don’t change much. I want to have the Joy of Jesus to the fullness that he promised. I don’t think I’m alone either. So, let’s pray and see what we can hear from God about experiencing joy from his word. [5]

(TEACH/APP) PAUL, PHILIPPI, PRISON, AND JOY (God)

BACKGROUND: [6][Phil. 1:1-2] When we start studying the bible, there are some important questions for us to ask to help us understand what we’re reading. [7]It’s the basic questions we were taught in school: who, what, where, when, why, and how. Who wrote this? Who was it written to? Why was it written? Where was it written from? What did it say to them? How does it apply to us today? So, let’s answer some of these questions about the book of Philippians. The first question is who wrote the book of Philippians. We’re told that the…[8]

·  WRITER IS A MAN NAMED PAUL: Paul did not start out as a follower of Jesus. In fact, he persecuted and killed Christians. In [9][Acts 7:58] we meet Paul as he looks approvingly at the first murder of a Christian named Stephen. At the time he’s named Saul. He’s holding the coats of the people who are committing the murder. He’s like, oh, I don’t’ want your coat to get in the way as you throw rocks and kill this young man. Let me take those for you. In the next chapter of [10][Acts 8:1-3] we see that he’s given permission by the religious leaders of the time to hunt down and kill more Christians in other towns. As Saul is on his way to the town of Damascus, he has a run in with the resurrected glorious Jesus. Jesus who has died, risen again, and ascended into heaven, shows himself to Paul and tells him that he is not only absolutely wrong in his entire belief system, but is also hurting Jesus by hurting his people. After Saul gives his life to Jesus and is baptized, he is renamed Paul. [11] [Acts 9:17-18] From that point forward Paul becomes one of the major leaders in the church. He travels all over the known world telling people about Jesus and starting churches. So, here’s a great starting point for joy…[12]

o JOY COMES FROM KNOWING GOD SAVES EVEN THE WORST SINNERS: Paul calls himself the worst of sinners. He says [13-14][1 Tim. 1:15] I have often heard people struggle to give their life to Jesus because they can’t believe he would possibly want them. They think their sin is too big or too awful and shameful to be forgiven. God looked at a cold-blooded killer and said, I want that guy! I love him and I have a plan for him. So, this morning, if you haven’t decided to follow Jesus because you’re trying to clean yourself up, or you can’t believe God wants you, take joy! If you’re a sinner, God wants you, loves you, and will not only forgive you, but will use you as part of his plan. We need to learn to stop listening to the lies in our heads that come from our history or letting Satan tell us that God couldn’t possibly want us. Take Joy, you are loved, you can be forgiven, and you are still capable of seeing God work through you. The second question when talking about who, is to ask, who is this written to? This is a letter written to

·  THE CHURCH IN THE CITY OF PHILIPPI: [15] It was one of the churches that Paul helped start on his second major missionary trip. He made three total. Philippi wasn’t actually on his itinerary. Paul wasn’t planning on going there, but the Holy Spirit gave Paul a vision in the form of a dream of a man from Macedonia asking him to come and help them. [16] [Acts 16:9] Paul realized that God was telling him not to go where he planned. Change your plans Paul, even though they’re good ones, they’re not my plans for you or for the people I’m going to use you to reach. Hmmm, anybody else’s plans get changed recently? Maybe that’s a good thing! Maybe it’s a God thing!  [17]TAKE JOY, GOD’S PLANS ARE BETTER THAN OUR PLANS! Neither Paul nor the people of Philippi knew what God was doing, but that simple change of plans was going to result in the building of some of Paul’s most joy-filled relationships and the changing of a ton of peoples lives. We learn from the life of Paul, we can take joy that God saves even the worst of sinners, that God’s plans are always better than our plans and We can…[18]

o TAKE JOY IN SEEING GOD CHANGE THE LIVES OF OTHERS: The Church started with 3 unlikely groups of people from diverse places in life. The first was a women’s prayer group outside the city. Traditionally, if there were 10 Jewish men who took their faith seriously, they would start a synagogue. Basically, a building for Jewish worship and teaching. Apparently, either there aren’t 10 Jewish men in the city, or they aren’t practicing their faith. LYDIA: However, Paul finds a group of faithful women praying and a prominent woman named Lydia is the first to give her life to Jesus. It is highly likely that her house becomes the place where the church meets. DEMON POSSESSED: As you continue to read the story of the church in Philippi you have a young girl who was demon possessed and Paul and Silas cast out the demon. They get thrown into jail because the girl was making money as a fortune teller and their golden goose is gone so they tell make up a story to get Paul thrown in jail. (Remember how I said that god’s plans are better than ours? Guess what, even jail can be a good thing. Here’s why) We’re told in [19-23][Acts 16:25-34] God’s plan was for Paul and Silas to go to jail so that a jailer could experience the power of God and give his life to Jesus. The Philippian church was most likely started with a wealthy woman, a poor slave girl, and a roman jailer. It was a beautiful picture that illustrated that God didn’t care about social status, ethnicity, or any of the things we use to classify ourselves and others. I imagine Paul looking back on how he saw God not only work in their lives but used them to create an entire church of brothers and sisters from all walks of life. For Paul, it gave him great joy to see how God had worked in the lives of others and his desire to save everyone! So, we’ve answered the who wrote this question and who was it written to question. Let’s address where was it written and why was it written questions.

·  [24]IT WAS WRITTEN FROM JAIL TO CHANGE THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF JOY AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO STAND FIRM TOGETHER. Years later after Paul has left the city of Philippi and has planted other churches he is arrested and freed multiple times. However, the final time he was imprisoned, he asked that his trial be brought before Caesar. So as Paul is writing this letter, he is in the city of Rome on house arrest.

o Now imagine you’re a member of the church in Philippi and you hear that Paul is in prison. You know there is a chance he might be killed. However, You can remember when he was in prison before and God miraculously delivered him from those circumstances. You’re probably thinking one of two things. I’m sure God is going to set him free just like he did before. Or you’re thinking, maybe Paul has done something wrong and God is punishing him, that’s why he’s not free. So, Paul writes them a letter. In it he says things like [25-26][Phil. 1:12-14] This is a good thing! The guards are hearing about Jesus, the Christians in Rome and less afraid of telling people about Jesus because of my example. He says [27-28][Phil 1:18-21] He says one way or another, I’m going to be saved and delivered from this prison. Either by dying and going to be with Jesus or being freed so I can continue to tell others about Jesus. He even ends his letter with these words. [29][Phil. 4:11-13] Even sitting in prison, Paul is full of joy and wants the church in Philippi and the church today to know…

(JC) WHERE JOY IS FOUND

How do we actually experience the joy of the lord down in my heart, where, down in my heart to stay! Now that I have that old song from childhood stuck in your head…Paul wants us to know that…[30]

·  JOY IN OUR HEARTS STARTS IN OUR HEADS: Throughout the letter to the church, Paul uses the word “mind” ten times, the word “think” five times, and the word “remember” sixteen times. Modern psychologists and counselors have known this for years. To experience true change, we must change how we think. They’re simply applying what the bible has already told us. Where is your focus, what do you set your mind on, what do you think about regularly, what truths or lies do you listen to? Those things will either cause you live joyfully or miserably. Joy in our hearts starts in our heads so we must…[31]

o FOCUS ON THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU AND CALLS YOU GOOD INSTEAD OF WHETHER YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE GOOD. I have found this to be the killer of joy in my mind as well as the minds of many other Christians. We focus on ourselves, our failures, our sin, our brokenness, and we think, God couldn’t possibly want me, or I’ve messed up too many times. We’re focused on the lies that you are too far gone, too sinful, too unlovable for God. But we are told that God chose murderers, adulterers, deniers, liars, and all kinds of other “ereres”. God died for us while we were still sinners and now calls us sons and daughters. We are people “in whom Christ dwells!” We are good because God calls us good and makes us good!

§ We can start retraining our brain by memorizing a scripture that speaks to who we are in Christ. One of my favorites when I’m at a low point is “this is my son with whom I am well pleased!” It reminds me of who I am, and not who I feel like I am. Joy in our hearts starts in our heads so we need to…[32]

o FOCUS ON THE ONE WHO HAS A PLAN FOR YOU INSTEAD OF HOW YOUR PLANS ARE GOING. You know where worry comes from? It comes from the fear that things will turn out badly. Deep down it is an indicator that we’re not sure that God is going to take care of things. It’s the doubt that God is good and the plans he has for you are good. Paul in chapter 2 says focus on Jesus, the good God who loved you enough to die for you. Focus on the plan that even death couldn’t stop. God has a plan that uses the worst things that can happen to you, even if it’s death.

§ One of the best ways to retrain your brain is by regularly looking back and remembering all the ways and times that God has already worked in your life. Make a list. Look at it regularly. Remember! If he’s done it in the past, he can be trusted to do it in the future. Let me end with these two things…[33]

(NXT/INSP) CHOOSE JESUS, FOCUS ON JESUS CONTINUALLY?

CHOOSING JOY MEANS CHOOSING JESUS FIRST: This morning if you have never given your life to Jesus, you need to know that there is no one too far gone, too broken, and too sinful to be saved or to be part of his family. You can be completely changed by coming to the living reigning Jesus who wants to forgive you and make you part of his plan and to fill you with true life. [Auburncstone box] Secondly…

IT TAKES TIME TO LEARN TO CHOOSE JOY: You don’t just wake up and say, I choose joy and BAM, it’s done: unicorns, rainbows, and kittens all day every day. Choosing joy is a series of moment-by-moment decisions made over a lifetime. For some, that will require choosing to go to a counselor to figure out why your thoughts are continually in a negative pattern maybe because of the family you grew up in or the pain you’ve experienced. For many of us, it’s the slow and intentional process of choosing to change our focus and retraining our brain to listen to what God says is true about him and us in his word. JOY IN OUR HEARTS STARTS IN OUR HEADS. It’s looking at situations and trusting that God is good and is at work. Like Paul we can either say, oh I’m in prison, woe is me, or we can say, this is a chance for me to tell the guard chained to me about Jesus. I can’t go and see my friends, but I can have joy thinking about how God used them in my life and praying for them. I can write a letter and tell them about the goodness of Jesus. It is my prayer that as we study the book of Philippians, as we fall in love with Jesus and fix our thoughts and minds on him, 2021 will be a year of joy! Let’s pray!