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August 5, 2020 4:00 am
True spiritual joy is not related to circumstances. It is a gift from God, to those who believe the gospel of Christ being produced in them by the Holy Spirit because they receive and obey the word of God, mixed with trials and keep their focus on eternal. That's the theology of your the guy you see at your favorite coffee spot what impression do you give more to the point do people think of you as joyful if you're a Christian and they don't see joy is that your problem.
John MacArthur gets to the heart of the issue of joy today on grace to you. He's examining Philippians 1. It's a practical passage that shows you why joy rules. That's the title John study joy rules and now here's John. Let me read our text to you Libyans. Chapter 1 beginning in verse three I thank my God in all my remembrance of you always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all. In view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. I'm confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work and you will perfected until the day of Christ Jesus, but is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart since both in my imprisonment, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. You all are partakers of grace with me, for God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. That's a joyous beginning to a wonderful epistle after his opening salutation in verses one and two in which he identified himself and those to whom he wrote the apostle Paul speaks about his joy.
This has been called the epistle of joy, and it is called such because the expression of joy and rejoicing fills these brief for chapter, the apostle Paul knew the fullness of Holy Spirit given joy, something that every believer should know and experience, but not all do before we dig into this passage. Let me take you back back many centuries many books to Psalm 42. I want to show you a man in distress. A man in depression.
A man who knew he ought to have joy but couldn't seem to grasp it.
Some suggests to us that the writer of Psalm 42 and 43 is David and it has been suggested that David is writing during his exile, when he had to leave Jerusalem for his own life because his son Absalom was leading a rebellion against him to usurp his throne that might be the case. We cannot be certain we do know this but whoever wrote the Psalm was a depressed person somewhat despairing at the same time knowing that that wasn't the right way to be.
He couldn't seem to crawl out of the pit that he was in.
He introduces us to his depression. In the first four verses of Psalm 42 as the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for the oh God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I comment appear before God, my tears have been my food day and night while they say to me all day long. Where is your God. These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me, for I used to go along with the throng, and lead them in the procession to the house of God with the voice of joy and thanksgiving a multitude keeping Festival. Now there's a picture of sorrow, sadness, loneliness, alienation, separation, all adds up to a depressed state, a state of despair, and what are the factors well first of all, there was an unsatisfied longing for God. In writing this. The psalmist somehow feels cut off from God and like a Thursday deer pants for the water brooks always is soul pants for God's soul thirsts for God, for the living God, and he says when shall I comment appear before God. The sense of loneliness. The sense of alienation and he has an intense desire to be near God is an intense desire for God to come and deliver him from his presence state and so he is dealing with the unsatisfied longing for God he feels alone he feels as if God has abandoned him as if God is not around and wonders how long we'll have to wait before God finally shows up pretty universal way to define people sadness and depression. They feel separated from God like God doesn't care. God's not around, and something in them thirsts desperately for the presence and intimacy of God who can deliver and then also he is dealing with the depressing sadness and loneliness that he feels in his own heart, which is intensified by his enemies. There he is in verse three.
Day and night feeding on his own tears as they run down across his lips into his own mouth in the midst of his sadness, his enemies taunting, where is your God, as if to Rob in the indifference of God as if the Robbie and the impotence of God, taunting him with the idea that either God is not able or he's not worthy of God's attention.
God is abandoned him and he tends to feel that way because he can't see any prospect of divine deliverance on the horizon. So is dealing with an unsatisfied longing for God.
A sense of aloneness compounded by the reproach of his enemies, and the third thing but compels his sadness as he remembers his privileges lost.
He says in verse four, I remember I pour out my soul within me. I used to go along with the throng, I used to be a part of the fellowship. I used to lead them in procession to the house of God with the voice of joy and thanksgiving a multitude keeping Festival. He was out of Jerusalem and away from the city and away from the people in the wasn't any time to worship and fellowship to be in a festival to enjoy what he had once enjoyed so greatly.
His sadness then comes out of his circumstances, he is alone he is being reproached by his enemies and he is dispossessed from his people and his land and in that situation. He is sad he is depressed, but I want you to notice how he reacts to his depression with self interrogation. In verse five. Look at this is honest. He speaks to his own heart.
Why are you in despair all my soul, as if to say cut that out. Why are you acting like this.
Why are you despairing and why have you become disturbed within me. It's almost as if he is conversing with his soul. That is another entity.
Why are you doing this hope in God.
For I shall again praise him for the help of his presence. And so this little soliloquy becomes very important as he asked himself why are you doing this as if to say, there's no reason for this is no reason for this, you know, God hasn't left you alone. You know your enemies are wrong. God is powerful and God is concerned, you know, your privileges will be restored. You will worship again. You will fellowship again, why are you doing this. Why are you behaving like this never had such a process ever gone through such an interrogation of your own soul when you're in some kind of distress and negative circumstances, and you started complaining and moaning and feeling alienated from God feeling attacked by the people around you feeling like you had somehow been cut off from the pleasures you once knew and all of a sudden something in you said hold it right there.
This is out of line. Why are you doing this hope in God, a time of praise will come this help will come, his presence will come. Having said that, look at verse six. He goes right back into depression and knows the answer.
He just can apply it. Oh my God.
My soul is in despair within me.
Therefore I remember the from the land of the Jordan and the peaks of harmony just remembering all the works of God in the land of promise for mountains are we don't know where that is.
That's not name anywhere else in Scripture, but he remembers the God of his land and the God of covenant and the God of promise, and the God of power and then he says in verse seven. Deep calls to deep at the sound of thy waterfalls. All thy breakers and my waves and rolled over me. I mean you just get up off the mat and set mouse knock you down as net life is not the way it is. It's like a cascading waterfall just on the ending blow after blow after blow after blow, and all thy breakers and my waves rolled over me like a guy caught in the surf. One breaker smashes them on the sand, only to be sucked back up pick back out and pounded down again the same life is like this. It's blow on blow like a cascading waterfall it's blow on blow like a rolling tide. I cannot get out of it and he says the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and a song will be with me in the night a prayer of the God of my life and again he says hey God still there and and and he's gonna move and he's going to get me back a song and Kyle Saito, God, my rock why Estelle forgot me why do I go morning because of the oppression of the enemy is a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me while they say to me all day long.
Where is your God is right back in depression again and then he asked himself the same question. Verse 11.
Why are you in despair all my soul. Why have you become disturbed within me.
Hope in God. For I shall yet praise him the help of my countenance, and my God the one who puts a smile on my face, my God deal yet at heel yet.
Help me, why are you acting like this you can see human cycles gadget he gets in depression. He pours out his depression.
He says why are you doing this. Why don't you hope in God can't do it goes right back into depression says I know what I'll do, I'll pray I'll cry out to God, God will deliver me goes right back into depression. Then he says why are you doing this again would've been enough of it ended there.
Look at Psalm 43 vindicate meal. God plead my case against an ungodly nation will deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
For thou art the God of my strength why Estelle rejected me.
Why do I go morning because of the oppression of the enemy skin little much is back in the same cycle of depression again send out thy light and thy truth. Let them lead me, let them bring me to thy holy hill thy dwelling places then I'll go to the altar of God to God my exceeding joy. He knows the answer defined is joy in God is the answer, not in the circumstances defined is joy in God. There is a line to God my exceeding joy and on the Lyra praise the old God, my God, that's the answer and so he goes right back to the same response. Look at verse five. Why are you in despair all my soul. Third time, why are you disturbed within me. Hope in God.
For I shall again praise him the help of my countenance. Countenance means face to want to put a smile on my face and my God. Now here's the thought.
I want you to grasp. Here is a man in depression. Here is a man who knows that he is wrongly focusing on his what circumstances.
Here is a man who knows that his joy is found in his God, but he can't seem to get himself from his circumstances to his God. While Paul was one up on, let's go to Philippians do you know where Paul was when he wrote Philippians.
Where was very likely chained to a Roman soldier. He was in a situation quite similar to that of the psalmist. He was lonely, Timothy, who was the only one who really knew his heart the only one who was of a kindred spirit. It says in chapter 2 verse 20 he was going to send away so it would be really alone when Timothy left Pepperdine's who had brought him a gift from the Philippians and who prompted this letter was going to go back to the Philippians, so he wouldn't be there either. So we knew it was to be lonely. You knew it was to be isolated separate but there's none of that wondering God are you there and when you go to move in when you got whacked and why am I moaning and why am I groaning it is in their ball doesn't look at that. He is a look at his circumstance isn't bemoaning his condition. He's not concerned about his loneliness. Furthermore, he was dispossessed, he couldn't join the throng anymore either. He couldn't go with the believers to the worship of the true God through his son the Lord Jesus Christ. He couldn't be a part of the Christian celebration of the Lord's table. He couldn't lead the people in the wonderful joy of fellowship. He too was dispossessed. Furthermore, he was mercilessly criticized by his enemies, not only his enemies in the pagan culture who had him prisoner but his enemies are in the church who were criticizing everything he did and saying God was punishing him because he had failed so miserably in the ministry, so he was right where the psalmist was the difference was the psalmist was struggling with his circumstances and Paul is rejoicing in his God, and that is the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament, Galatians 5 says the fruit of the Spirit is love, and joy.
Romans 1417 says that we have in the kingdom, righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
True spiritual joy is not related to circumstances.
It is a gift from God, to those who believe the gospel of Christ being produced in them by the Holy Spirit because they receive and obey the word of God, mixed with trials and keep their focus on eternal glory.
And that's the theology of joy is not related to circumstances. It is a gift from God, to those who believe in Jesus Christ being produced in them by the Holy Spirit. As they obey the word of God, mixed with trials and keep their focus on eternal glory. So you have one man focusing on his circumstances and having to do triple soliloquies with himself. The tell himself. He has no business feeling like that he knows better, but he can't seem to pull himself out of it and then you have another man in a very similar situation who is literally gushing joy because he has lost sight of his circumstance and is lost in the wonder of his living relationship with the true God through Christ. This is the epistle of joy and as Paul writes his joy spills all over the place. Now, as we look at these verses before us, we notice five elements of his joy that overflow. The first was the joy of recollection. Remember that in verse three I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.
It's as if to say, the Holy Spirit produced joy has sweet memories. You can usually tell a person who is filled with the spirit because of their joy and their joy will be manifest in the fact that somehow the tape has been erased when it comes to negative things and they remember all the best, about people. That's what joy produces the joy of recollection, the heart where the Holy Spirit produces joy is a heart that thinks of people's goodness, kindness, love, care, sacrifice, compassion, and forgets the rest. Joy has a way of forgetting wounds and hurts. It's like love covering a multitude of sins.
As Peter put it, and joy has a way of only approaching and attaching itself to memories that are delightful and since memories control attitudes. It's crucial that we let the spirit of God produce this joy in us the joy of recollection, the heart cultivates good memories of God's people.
Secondly, the joy of intercession verse four always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all to times uses the word prayer day basis which means petition is joy was expressed in the joy of intercession Holy Spirit generated joy finds its highest expression in the delight that it receives from praying for others needs. It is self less. It is self less is consumed with prayer on behalf of others is not concerned about its own things and its own happiness and its own comfort and its own fulfillment its own satisfaction is lost in the thrill and the delight of praying that others needs would be met.
The privilege to petition on behalf of others that is joy. Joy spends its energies on others, not itself the joy of intercession and then thirdly last time we looked at the joy of participation in verse five he says I thank God with joy in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. Participation is work going on near your fellowship. He knew the joy of fellowship. He just exalted in the reality that these people had come alongside him to love him share life with him. Facilitate ministry with him. That was the joy of participation, a joyful person is delighted to be a part of the fellowship delighted to be among the faithful. We talked about that link the last time we asked if we were faithful enough to do a little inventory in our lives to find out if we have true joy. You can look at your own heart to know whether you have the joy of recollection whether when you think about people all the things you think about a good. Whether you have the joy of intercession, whether it's the greatest pleasure for you to pray for others rather than for yourself whether you have the joy of participation your exhilarated just to realize how many folks come alongside you and become a part of the fellowship which you enjoy. Are you thrilled with the privilege of being in God's people. Being a part of his church. The joy of participation.
He rejoiced because the Philippians had participated in the extension of the gospel from the time they were saved until the present moment. Some 10 or 11 years later when he writes this letter. Such a happy heart happy to remember happy to pray happy to fellowship. That brings us to a forceful, the joy of anticipation and this is a great verse, the joy of anticipation. You know, one of the great joys of the ministry. Let me give you a little hint it's the joy in the heart that knows what the church will ultimately become you know something. If you look at what the church is you can get very discouraged if you look at what the church is going to be. You can get very excited. That's the perspective Paul has his joy pulls him to the future.
Verse six great verse four. I am confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
What a tremendous verse I memorized that as a little child look. I am confident the verb aforethought means to be persuaded to be sure to be absolutely convinced, and that's what he said I am absolutely convinced of this very thing.
What is it Paul, what is it that he who began a good work in you lose that God God began the work that's who began it. The verb began is interesting. It's only used two times in the New Testament and Akamai's are rearward, its use here and Galatians 33. In both cases it has reference to salvation God began the good work. When he saved you right Galatians 33 says to the Galatian Christians have you begun in the spirit are now made perfect in the flesh again pointing back to their salvation is as the point at which they began by the power the spirit so it's a verb that she was only twice in the New Testament. Both times with reference to a reference to salvation. Soy says God began a good work and it was true is always true. Salvation is a work of God and the church at Philippi was begun when God says open the heart of Lydia acts 1614 she was the first convert Philippi. The first convert in Europe and the says the Lord opened her heart to work of God. Paul gave the gospel the Lord opened her heart.
She was saved and that's where the church began. God began the work and then God saved some other folks that they by the Riverside and then God save the Philippian jailer shook his whole jail burst lose all the change in the stocks. All the prisoners were free in that context. God granted the jailer faith, and his household and God started the church in Philip, this is grace to you with John MacArthur.
Thanks for being with us. John has been our featured speaker since 1969.
He's also Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary, and he calls his current study, joy, rules, John. It was a great reminder today reminding us to focus on God rather than our circumstances are preach on that myself. And yet, would it surprise you if you found out that there are still times when I struggle with that where circumstances are so bad that it's hard not to focus on them and I struggle with occasional times of sadness, loneliness, even worry that's not unusual for Christians.
Is it well know, because even though we are new creations were still attached to that unredeemed humanness that lingers in as Paul put it, we still have this body of death, clinging to us and so we fight those battles and and that is that is why Paul says stop being anxious because we can be anxious and it's hard not to get caught up in the things of the world because we we walk by faith and not by sight read one thing if we could see the plan of God unfolding if we had Jesus beside us explaining every detail to us, but we have to we have to live by faith. And so we have to trust that the outcomes are in the control of the Lord, and I think that's where I always go when when I face the temptation to fear or worry or doubt or think that I'm being mistreated or things are unfair or oral or wireless. All these attacks coming on me. I go back to the reality that this is all within the framework of God's eternal plan. I was talking to my son just yesterday and there've been some people attacking him and and he said you know I'm try to figure out why this is happening and I've come to the conclusion it's happening to humble me and I think those are the places that you have to go when you see difficulty in life. First of all, you go to the sovereignty of God in your rest. The fact in the fact that God has a plan for this and then you go to the reality that you need to be humble that that is exactly why James says, count it all joy when you fall the various trials because they have a perfecting work so you trust in the sovereignty of God above the problem and you trust in the purposes of God to refine you through the problem and that leads you out of anxiety into joy. I want to mention the book anxious for nothing. This book has been so popular.
Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of these are gone out through the years and will send the book anxious for nothing to anyone is never contacted Grace to you before if you want to copy contact us and asked for a copy of anxious for nothing friend. This is the book we point people to when they tell us they're struggling with worry and again will send you anxious for nothing for free. If you've never contacted us before getting touch today. Our phone number here is 855 grace or requester book@ourwebsitejidety.org anxious for nothing shows you why you're God's child, you never have to worry God has given you incredible spiritual resources for overcoming anxiety and this book will help you take hold of those resources and remember anxious for nothing, is our gift to you. If you've never contacted us before call 855 grace or go to TTY.org. Also, if you'd like to review any message in John's current study, joy, rule, those messages are available free of charge in audio or transcript format@ourwebsitetty.org.
In fact, you can download any of John's messages from 51 years of his public ministry.
That's 3500 total sermons, all of them for free@tty.org now for John MacArthur and the entire grace to you staff on Phil Johnson reminding you to watch grace to you television this Sunday on DirecTV channel 378 that's NRB TV or check your local listings for channel and times and be here tomorrow when John continues his look at how Christ's joy. Can your life.
It's another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on wasting