Elements of Joy, Part 1

The joy that all or any other Christian experiences is not some transient emotional feeling that lifts you up one moment and drop to the next, depending on circumstance and true joy is an unwavering constant in a spirit filled life dangers sadness. How can you maintain a joyful outlook at all times is that even possible find out as John MacArthur begins a series here on Grace to you titled joy rules. Now John just to kick off our thinking.

Here we we live in difficult times so much in the world today. That's unwholesome so much unbelief and sin.

Bad news seems like it's everywhere all the time from pandemics to the fallen economy to politics to you name it. The thought of being joyful these days seems almost out of place.

Yeah there's not a lot of joy in this culture, it shows up in the rampant kind of anxiety. The rampant fear the escalating drug use. The escalating abuse in the families, which of course was heightened during the coronavirus lockdown people are not joyful they're not happy. There are all kinds of momentary false forms of entertainment and escape that they reach out for that maybe gives them a little moment of relief, but there's no real abiding deep down settled happiness in the world and we understand that because they're overwhelmed with the realities of life, which, when there looked at closely in the face of the inevitable death take away hope and obviously when you have no hope for the future when you can't build meaningful relationships when you're not in a circle of love even on the temporal level will a you suck all the joy out of life and then fearing the future death and hell and having no hope beyond that is enough to steal all attempts at finding joy but this is a series were going to begin called joy rules that habit.

How many of you listening to me, you would want to do had to be able to say my life is ruled by joy. Literally my life is ruled by joy and that is what every Christian can say that that's that should be the experience of every single believer.

My life is ruled by joy, we can help you with that. The title of our series is joy, rules, and will take a life transforming look at the first 11 verses of Philippians chapter 1 Morgan a look at where joy comes from working to see if for example 14 things that will steal your joy five elements that will produce joy. Five ways the world chips away at your godliness and consequently your joy and five essentials for godliness that have an outcome of joy. The world is complex. The days of difficult life is inevitably challenging but you can as a believer in Jesus Christ face every bit of it with joy stick with us in the series joy rules right and again friend. This study comes from the first chapter of Philippians turn there if you cannot just listen along as John shows you what it takes the steps you need to take to let joy rule your heart calls irrepressible and constant joy even in the throes of anguished suffering is the heartbeat of this wonderful letter and the joy that Paul or any other Christian experiences is not some transient emotional feeling that lifts you up one moment and drop to the next, depending on circumstances. True joy is an unwavering constant in a spirit filled life is not produced by a bed of roses experience of tranquility and peace and comfort and safety. It is produced by the presence of God and his Holy Spirit. Even if you're sitting in a prison waiting for possible news about your execution.

As Paul was. He had joy he had joy. The result of his eternal relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit within them, and because he was so near to God. He was full of joy, circumstances, artifact, or it's your nearness to God that determines the level of your joy. And so Paul knew that inexpressible land, irrepressible joy, which is an abiding feeling of peace and calm and tranquility and contentment and delight and satisfaction that flows out of deep within. Because of the presence of God being imprinted on the soul and the conscience being void of offense toward God. Paul was filled with joy in spite of his situation and I understand what that means.

I understand how you can be unhappy with your circumstances and totally not depressed because your heart is filled with joy in your relationship to God because you know he's there. He loves you. He's infused you with his joy and you have no guilt in your conscience before him. Now Paul filled with joy, writes this letter to the beloved Philippians and as he thinks about them. His joy overflows and that's why in verse four he says that every remembrance of them produces joy, the joy that he had in his heart because of his relationship to the living God spillover when he thought about the Philippians was a special congregation.

There were really no major problems among the Philippians he says in verse three I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, I don't have any memories of you that are negative, always offering prayer with joy. All my prayers are filled with joy, my every prayer for you all, all my memories all my prayers. All of you bring me joy. It doesn't seem to identify any major problems.

Verse eight. I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus, a remarkable group.

Verse 25 I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.

Everything about the Philippians gave them joy. It doesn't mean they didn't have needs. They had needs in verse 27 he says conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. In chapter 2, he says make my joy complete verse two by being of the same mind maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind and so forth. They had some needs. Chapter 4 he talks about a couple of women who had needs. I urge Yorty and I are syndicate verse two to live in harmony in the Lord and somebody help those ladies to get their act together. They had needs. Paul was not blind to their needs, but rejoiced in the level of their spiritual commitment. They love the Lord. They love Paul. They cared for Paul with an unusual zeal more than any other church. They continually sent him gifts of money to meet his need to support him. They were generous in their gifts even though they were not particularly wealthy. They gave abundantly to Paul's need on several occasion. In fact, he tells them in this letter you gave me more than I could possibly use. But that was the way they love and cared for him. Believe me, they were a congregation to make a pastor's heart rejoice in every time he thought about them. He rejoiced. They were magnanimous they were generous. Everything they did demonstrated their love and as he writes, he is a prisoner in Rome.

He is in chains and they heard about that and because of their love for him. They want to send to him a gift of love, money, the bearer of that gift is at one of their congregation named the path from Titus they send up Aphrodite's with instruction give up all this money to meet his needs and stay with him as long as he needs you to minister to him. And so they send one of their choice. Men to be Paul's personal servant to bring the gift of love and to be the living illustration of their love to him.

Well, when Paul received that gift from the Philippians when Paul received up Aphrodite's the receipt of their love and care and generosity to him open the floodgates of joy in his heart and he writes this letter back to say I have so much joy. Don't worry about me, though I am a prisoner that does not touch my joy, not at all is filled with joy.

That's a marvelous lesson to learn. Trials don't touch, joy. If it's the joy of the spirit in a spirit filled life trials. In fact, may become occasions of deeper joy because they cast the believer totally off his circumstances and onto his God, and it's in that relationship.

It's depth that real joy is his phone. I found on my desk a book publisher send me books not only Christian publishers send them to me to review, but secular publishers as well.

Random House publisher sent me this book entitled the way up from down the way up from down, written by Slagle MD everything about the book. The book is on how to overcome depression. That's the way up from down, it recommends that the way to overcome depression warning to this doctors 70 to 80% effective is through the use of amino acids and vitamin mineral supplements. I found myself drawn into the book, so I read it the author's theory is this depression is basically marked by deficiency in certain chemicals.

The blood spinal fluid, urine, a person in depression can be tested in these ways by the examination of their fluid and the depression shows up in a chemical deficiency. These are identified as chemical markers for depression.

Depleted the chemicals cause a distorted function in the brain. She goes on to point out there are neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are what pass impulses from one cell to the next.

That's a chemical. If the chemical is depleted, then what is in one cell can't be passed to the next cell that creates depression somehow these neurotransmitters are the chemicals released at the nerve endings in the brain. When one cell is close to another and they are essential for the brain to pass its messages and data around the two ones that we know are so rotten in and norepinephrine. Now when those are depleted that goes along with depression so says Dr. Slagle, depression can be relieved then by replacing so rotten in an ARPANET for an through amino acids and vitamin supplement mineral supplement so I read those two chapters that explained all that and then came the hundred pages on the program. Extensive biochemical program you think vitamin B1 B2B 3B4B, 5B, 6B 12. All of the yet to take and it listed one thing after another and you got have all that and you get into this kind of program and you go through all of this chapter after chapter after chapter of how to get all the stuff together.

Then came the last chapter. Dr. Slagle said, quote however is you continue habitual negative thought patterns. You will severely undermine the whole treatment if you continue habitual negative thought patterns. You will severely undermine the whole treatment that caught my attention. Said and I quote persistent negative attitudes can lead to constriction and bondage, whereas consistent positive thoughts and expectations create expansion and freedom. Someone has said, we suffer because we don't see things the way they are. But as we are." We can only learn to see differently by wanting to see differently. She says," a friend that's very amazing what she saying is all that treatment does is help people who aren't depressed you get that all that treatment does is help people who aren't thinking negatively friend if you're not thinking negatively. You don't need that treatment that cancel the whole book, but she had painted herself into a corner. So the book close with another chapter how to reprogram your conscious mind to get rid of negative thinking. Here are the suggestions suggestion number one. Every time you have a negative thought shout loudly cancel that was principal number one. So if you happen next number of months to find people in your office going around cancel. You know they read this book. Secondly, develop the art of creative visualization, which is to visualize yourself as Alice in Wonderland do sleep programming get a tape recording with a lot of positive talk and play all night while you're sleeping.

Listen to a lot of positive vibes music get exercise, stop being focused on the future read this book be here now by Bob Ronnie Doss and this book be here now by Bob Ronnie Doss will teach you how to focus on the moment that you must learn to ignore the future release all your anger is another one and then this cultivate meaningful spiritual philosophy find a belief system that works for you. Anyone will do if it works. Avoid those that talk of sin and guilt.

In the last point was to find the light in yourself and the doctor summed it up with a free verse poem and remember we are not here to experience mental and existential bondage. We are here to rejoice, to give and receive joy to see and experience the true essence not superficial appearances to perceive beauty order and harmony, not ugliness, chaos and discord to see color to vibrate and flow with the rhythm of time to germinate come to fruition and ultimately fade to be swallowed, then spewed into the next river of life, new energy new form beyond our current level of reckoning with unwavering, gradual, beckoning to cross the horizon of time exchanging dimensions, expanding, uniting, bon voyage, that is a depressing book. I got a better idea follow Jesus Christ give you his Holy Spirit to be full of joy and say 1595 the world at its best, can't produce it. What a convoluted attempt to produce joy can't be done can't be done now as we come to verses three through eight is Joyce fills out and as it spells out, we see the elements of his joy. There were pieces of that joy that we can identify characteristics elements.

There was the joy of recollection, the joy of intercession, the joy of participation. The joy of anticipation and the joy of affection. Let me just label these the elements of a spirit produce joy. The elements of a spirit produce joy that relates to others that relates to others. Now before we look at these I need to say this, no one Marcus no one, and absolutely nothing can produce this kind of joy but the Holy Spirit day only the Holy Spirit can produce this joy. Paul had that joy.

All we have to do is go to the word of God. Why did we ever believe the world of anything to say anyway. He had that joy and as he writes of these beloved people.

He indicates the elements of his joy. Let's look at the first is the joy recollection verse three I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, the very thought of the Philippians brought him jubilant memories. Paul Reese wrote his whole soul is a carillon and the first bell to be struck is that of thanksgiving." See Paul had this inventory of memories and by virtue of the power of the Holy Spirit within him. He focused on the positive ones. He says I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, everything he could think about the Philippians gave them joy.

They were cause for gratitude.

His heart was filled with joyous thanks to God for the sweet memories of these believers. He says I think using adverb Eucharist, though we did in English the Eucharistic to the service of thanksgiving, my God, I love the fact that he says my God celebrating the intimacy the personal relationship. The strong sense of personal intimate communion he enjoyed with the Almighty himself, and he uses that phrase repeatedly in his letters first Corinthians 1 for Colossians 13 first Thessalonians 1 to 2nd Timothy 13 Philemon verse four. He loves to speak of God is my God, my God, nothing wrong with that we should do the same. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, and no one is perfect, the Philippians WordPerfect. The church wasn't perfect.

The church wasn't without its problems. There must've been some disunity there, or he wouldn't have made such a major issue in chapter 1 verse 27, you need to have one spirit, one mind striving together. Chapter 2 verses 1 to 4. You want to be of the same mind having the same love, united in spirit and intent on one purpose and chapter 4. Those two women who were not in harmony. There must've been some discord there but that church still brought them joy. All churches fall short. All churches disappoint their pastors and their leaders.

People do that where human yet. These people love the Lord and they love the apostle and they had effectively erased the tape of negative memories, and he was left only with thoughts of joy. Every memory was a cause for delight.

What blessed memories they were. You remember them. You must've remembered that Sabbath day when he went to the Riverside to find some Jewish women because there was no synagogue there are not enough men to have one and he met a few Jewish women who were there by the Riverside near Philippi worshiping the true God. In the tradition of their forefathers. The Jews and there the Lord opened the heart of a lady named Lydia and she was saved in her entire household. The first converts in Europe that gracious woman was God's gift to his son, the beginning of evangelism in a new continent, a wonderful beginning a sweet memory, she became a very dear saint of God, in whose house the church met a woman who showed her personal hospitality to Paul and Silas after their imprisonment.

And then there was the memory of that demon possessed girl whom Paul by the power of the spirit of God cleansed of her demons and perhaps was born again and to enter the church will find out in heaven. And then there was the memory of jail. The sweet memory of being in stocks after your back to been stripped and laid there in your flesh is nothing but pulp and you're in the darkness of an inner dungeon in the stocks singing and praising God, and God brings in the darkness of the morning. An earthquake and breaks the jail open and breaks the stocks and all the chains are loosed and out of it all.

The jailer is converted to Christ and his hold half whole household and they show their tender love the Paul and Silas by caring for their wounds and there's a baptismal service and then they are released in the church meets at Lydia's house. Sweet memory sweet memories, and then there's the memory of those times when the Philippians sent money to him money to help him those times when as part of the saints in Macedonia mentioned in second Corinthians chapter 8. They sent generously out of their deep poverty. They were a generous, loving people. There were gifts given from loving hearts gifts that went beyond even Paul's need and he says to them in chapter 4. Look, I don't need this much but I'm so glad you gave it because you gave it. It is a gift to the Lord and it tells me where your heart is. And God will reward you and bless you and my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in Christ Jesus. And then there was the latest gift, the gift from a path died us along with the Pepperdine us to fill in the lovely memories of Philippian Christians though his present condition was difficult. Those present condition was painful, physically unjust, legally unexplained, spiritually.

In one sense, his heart was unaffected.

He was full of sweet memories. I suggest to you that that's a key to joining the Christian life. A real key to be able to recall the goodness of people to be able to recall the best in someone to be able to look past some of the glitches in life and capture the sweet memories the heart where the joy of the Holy Spirit dominates, like it did in Paul is a heart that touches the sweet things of life, not the bitter thing.

It savors thoughts of others.

Goodness and others, kindness, and others love and others.

Compassion and others gentleness and others sacrifice and others care and it forgets the rest. It really did it forgets the this is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us.

John is a pastor, author and Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary's current study is a look at the rules that lead to a joyful spirit filled life.

This study is titled simply joy rules, a friend, I hope John's lesson helped you understand that trials and circumstances cannot touch the joy that God freely offers his children if you'd like to know more about how you can experience this joy. No matter what you face pick up the entire joy rules study when you get in touch today. Call 855 grace or go to our website TTY.org. The six CD album joy rules is reasonably priced and it includes material that we didn't have time to error on radio again to place your order call 855 grace or visit TTY.org and if you'd like to put all these messages on your smart phone. They're free to download at our website infect all 3500 of John's sermons are free at TTY.and when you get in touch. Make sure to let us know how your listening, whether on your local radio station more online or through the grace to you at. Of course we'd also love to hear how John's verse by verse. Teaching has encouraged you.

Perhaps today's lesson reminded you of the incredible blessings found in Christ. Or maybe a recent message led to your salvation. Whatever the case, please let us know. Just email us at letters@tty.org that's letters@tty.org now for John MacArthur. I'm Phil Johnson encouraging you to be here tomorrow when John looks at how prayer produces supernatural unshakable joy. It's another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth in one verse at a time on wasting