LETTER OF JOY III PHILIPPIANS

KEY SCRIPTURE Philippians 4:4—”REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE” – PAUL WENT TO ROME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL AND HE ENDED UP IN PRISON” – HIS PRISON BECAME HIS PULPIT – HE WAS DETERMINED THAT NO PRISON, PROBLEM OR PERSON WAS GOING TO STEAL HIS JOY

THE FIVE THINGS PAUL KNEW HE WOULD CONTINUE TO BE CONFIDENT – A SINGLE MIND (PHIL 1:6,14,20,25) HE WOULD HAVE A GOOD CONFESSION – A SUBMITTED ATTITUDE (PHIL. 2:10,11) HE WOULD CONTINUE TO CARE FOR PEOPLE – A SERVANT HEART (PHIL 2:7) HE WOULD CONTINUE TO COMPLETE HIS CALLING (PHIL 3:13,14) – A SPIRITUAL MIND HE WOULD BE CONTENT NO MATTER WHAT (PHIL 4:12) – A SECURE MIND

LAST WEEK A GOOD CONFESSION HOW DID YOU DO WITH THE FIRST WEEK OF THE 30 DAY CHALLENGE TO EACH DAY CONFESS TO SOMEONE THAT JESUS IS YOUR PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR? HOW DID IT GO THIS WEEK MAKING AN EFFORT TO BE MORE POSITIVE IN YOUR CONFESSION? DON’T GET DISCOURAGED IF IT DIDN’T GO TO WELL, TRY IT AGAIN THIS WEEK

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE THIS WEEK PREACHERS OFTEN GO THROUGH A TESTING TO SEE IF THEY REALLY BELIEVE WHAT THEY ARE PREACHING – TWO OF OUR KIDS HAD SORE THROATS – OUR HOUSE SITUATION – MY LAPTOP AND MY IPAD WERE STOLEN I HAD TO DECIDE WHAT MY CONFESSION WOULD BE: “JESUS IS LORD” “I REFUSE TO LOSE MY JOY”

THIS MORNING-A SERVANT’S HEART AND JOY PAUL WOULD CONTINUE TO CARE FOR PEOPLE – A SERVANT HEART (PHIL 2:7) PAUL USING JESUS AS AN EXAMPLE – “BUT HE (JESUS) MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION (LAID ASIDE HIS GLORY) AND TOOK UPON HIM THE FORM OF A SERVANT, AND WAS MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN” TRUE AND LASTING JOY COMES OUT OF SERVING

TRUTHS ABOUT SERVING JOHN 12:26—”IF ANY MAN SERVE ME, LET HIM FOLLOW ME” – THE DISCIPLE MOTIVE – CONSIDER ACTS 10:38 GAL 5:13—”BY LOVE, SERVE ONE ANOTHER” – THE LOVE MOTIVE---CONSIDER JOHN 3:16 MATT 25:21---”GOD WILL SAY, WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT…” – THE FAITH MOTIVE----CONSIDER HEB. 11:6

THE TWO LEGS OF SERVING LEG #1-----SELFLESSNESS (PHIL 2:3-6) LEG #2-----SACRIFICE (PHIL 2:8) LET’S LOOK AT HOW BOTH ARE SUPPORT A SERVANT’S HEART

THE LEG OF SELFLESSNESS PHIL 2:3-6: VS 3-4—LET NOTHING BE DONE THROUGH STRIFE OR TO BRING GLORY TO YOURSELF, BE HUMBLE AND THINK OF OTHER MORE THAN YOURSELF VS 5-THINK LIKE JESUS DID VS 6-DON’T HAVE A LOOK AT ME ATTITUDE

THE LEG OF SACRIFICE PHIL 2:8 AND BEING FOUND IN THE FORM OF FLESH, JESUS HUMBLED HIMSELF AND BECAME OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH WHAT AN AWESOME EXAMPLE

NOT EVERYONE LIKES TO HEAR THEY ALL CALLED TO BE A SERVANT THE DISCIPLES ARGUED AND WANTED TO KNOW WHICH OF THEM SHOULD BE ACCOUNTED THE GREATEST (LK 22:24-30, LUKE 12:37, MATT 20:28, JOHN 13:13,14)---IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM LET’S READ LUKE 22:24-26 BOTTOM LINE: WHEN IT COMES TO BIBLICAL STANDARD, THE ONE WHO SERVES IS GREATEST BECAUSE IT HONORS GOD

SERVING HAS A GREAT REWARD PHIL 2:9-- “WHEREFORE, GOD HIGHLY EXALTED JESUS, AND GIVEN HIM (JESUS) A NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME” AS YOU AND I SERVE SELFLESSLY AND SACRIFICALLY, GOD WILL MAKE SURE WE A GOOD NAME (PEOPLE WILL CALL YOU A BLESSING AND ONE WHO IS BLESSED) THAT BRINGS A PERSON GREAT JOY

JESUS ANTICIPATED THIS KIND OF JOY HEBREWS 12:2 “LOOKING UNTO JESUS THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH; WHO FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM ENDURED THE CROSS, IGNORING THE SHAME, AND BECAUSE OF THAT IS NOW SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE THRONE OF GOD”

QUESTION #1 WHO AND HOW SHOULD WE SERVE? TO THE LEAST OF US AND THE GREATEST OF US FIND A NEED DISCERN THE COURSE OF ACTION SERVE WITH A LOVE ATTITUDE GIVE GOD THE GLORY LET GOD BRING THE REWARD –STEPHEN SERVED TABLES AND GOD USED HIM GREATLY (ACTS 6:3 - DEACON MINISTRY), (ACTS 6:8-GREAT WONDERS AND MIRACLES)

QUESTION #2-WHY DOES SERVING BRING SUCH GREAT JOY? IT IS THE MINISTRY JESUS CAME TO DO “I DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED BUT TO SERVE” – JESUS WASN’T PRETENDING TO SERVE, HE WAS A SERVER IT KEEPS US HUMBLE INSTEAD OF PRIDEFUL IT POINTS PEOPLE TO THE GOODNESS OF GOD AND THE GOODNESS OF GOD DRAWS PEOPLE TO REPENTANCE (ROMONS 2:4) IT GIVES US A GOOD NAME AMONG OTHERS IT BUILDS OUR FAITH

SERVING REALITY #1 “FOR WE WALK BY FAITH-BY BELIEVING, SPEAKING AND ACTING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD’S WORD-NOT BY SIGHT 2 COR 5:7

SERVING REALITY #2 FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD-JAMES 2:17 “WHAT DOES IT PROFIT, MY BROTHER, IF SOMEONE SAYS HE HAS FAITH BUT DOES NOT HAVE WORKS? THE GOSPEL IS BOTH SPOKEN AND ACTED ON JAMES 2:14-16

EXAMPLES OF FAITH IN ACTION (SERVING) NOAH ACTED BY FAITH AND BUILT AN ARK TO SERVE THOSE WHO BELIEVED-(GEN 6-8) PARALYZED MAN CARRIED BY FOUR-LUKE 5:17-26 GIVE ME SOME EXAMPLES

WHEN WE SERVE OTHERS, WE ARE SERVING JESUS MATTHEW 25:31-46 – THOSE HUNGRY (VS 35) – THOSE THIRSTY (VS 35) – THOSE WHO ARE A STRANGER (VS 36) – THOSE NAKED AND THOSE SICK (VS 37) VS 45—VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, INASMUCH AS YOU DID NOT DO THOSE THINGS TO THE LEAST OF THEM, YOU DID IT NOT TO ME

CAN YOU IMAGINE EVERY TIME YOU SERVE SELFLESSLY AND SACRIFICIALLY IT IS LIKE YOU ARE DOING IT (SERVING) JESUS NOW THAT’S SOMETHING TO GET JOYFUL ABOUT!!!!

ANOTHER 30 DAY CHALLENGE OVER THE NEXT 30 DAYS: – DO AT LEAST ONE ACT OF RANDOM KINDNESS (ARK) BY: SERVING SOMEONE WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT AND GIVE A REPORT BACK

ALTAR CALL COME FORWARD, JESUS IS HERE TO SERVE YOU AND MEET YOUR DEEPEST NEED COME FORWARD AND LET ME ANOINT YOUR HANDS TO BE THE HANDS OF A SERVANT