Life of Joy 4 -7 Steps to Sustain JoyStudies in the Book of Phillipians

1. Positive Christ-like attitude - Phil 2: 5-82. Pride killed daily. - Phil 2: 5-83. Progressive value system Phil 3:7,84. Perpetual renewal Phil 3:105. Painful truth: not arrived yet Phil 3:12,13a6. Past is past: forget and move on Phil 3:137. Pursue a goal larger than life Phil 3: 14

1. Completion of the Good work 1:3-62. Clarity & Guidance 3:153. Physical transformation 3:20,214. Peace of God 4:75. God of Peace 4:96. Strength to accomplish all things 4:137. Provision of all NEEDs 4 :19

1. Disunity/discord among believers 2:2; 4:2

2. Disobedient Christian life 2:12,13 3. Grumbling or arguing 2:14 -164. Suffering/Death of a fellow believer

2: 275. Legalism 3:2-36. Carnal/worldly Christians 3: 18,197. Worry & Anxiety 4:6

1. Joy of Obedient Christian life– 1:5-6; 2:12,13

2. Joy of Ministry– 1:12 -18a3. Joy of Answered Prayer – 1:18b-194. Joy of Discipleship -1:265. Joy of Gentleness – 4:46. Joy of belonging to Gods family -4:107. Joy of contentment – 4:11-12

Introduction &

Themes

7 Things that give

us JOY

7 Things that rob our Joy

7 Promises for JOY, Peace &

Fulfillment

7 Steps to

sustain Joy

The Book of Philippians – Life of Joy

A Five Part StudyIntroducti

on & Themes

7 Things that give

us JOY

7 Things that rob our JOY

7 Promises for JOY, Peace &

Fulfillment

7 Steps to

Sustain JOY1. “IN Christ” :"under the control of,

under the influence of, in close association with.“2. Joy IN Christ, Joy or some form of it -16 times 3. Fellowship IN Christ, Koinōnia. "Partnership" (NIV), "sharing" (NRSV), and "fellowship" (KJV) "close association involving mutual interests” 4. Unity IN Christ: The Philippians, beloved as they are by Paul, have some bickering & dissention

3

7 Things that sustain

our joy

7 Steps to Sustain Joy

Are you dissatisfied

today?

Positive & Healthydissatisfaction

PhD.Philippians 3:7-14

©Anand Pillai; gmail@anandpillai.in

7 Steps to Sustain Joy1. Positive Christ-like attitude - Phil 2:

5-82. Pride killed daily. - Phil 2: 5-83. Progressive value system Psalm

37:44. Perpetual renewal Phil 3:105. Painful truth: not arrived yet Phil

3:12,13a6. Past is past: forget and move on Phil

3:137. Pursue a goal larger than life Phil 3:

14

We Over-Exaggerate Yesterday

• Our past successes and failures often look bigger to us in hindsight than they really were.

• “Yesterday Ended Last Night.” Today is a new day.

We Over Exaggerate Yesterday

We overestimate tomorrow and underestimate today

At the end of the year if all that you are happy about is what you achieved the previous years you have done nothing this year

1. Positive Christ-like attitudePhil 2: 5-8 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, …..became obedient to death— even death on a cross!Hebrews 12:2-3  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author & perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Paul modeled joy in his prison ministry by having the attitude of Christ (1:12-30).

2. Pride killed daily• Phil 2: 5-8 Your attitude should be

the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himselfand became obedient to death— even death on a cross!

2. Pride killed daily

3:4-7 If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ….. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ

• Pride of Race – 1Corn 1: 10-12“I follow Paul”; another, “I follow

Apollos ; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”• Pride of Face – Is 14:12

How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!

Pride of Grace: Galatians 6:13-15May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.

3. Progressive Value System v7,8

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ

3. Progressive Value System Contd..“Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,In the light of His glory and grace.” -

Helen H. Lemmel, 1922

The inspiration for Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, which Helen entitled The Heavenly Vision, came from

the writings of author and artist Lilias Trotter

3. Progressive value system v7,8

Lilias Trotter was a brilliant artist whose talent opened the doors to wealth and

influence. Her other love was missions. After struggling in prayer for two years, Trotter came to the

conclusion that she must lay down her love of art in order to fix her eyes solely on Jesus, and on His calling

to the mission field. She subsequently served for more than 38 years as a missionary to

Muslims of Algeria. 

4. Perpetual renewal v10• I want to know Christ and the power of

his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

• 1 Cor 9:26,27: I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize

• What ever it was that got you where you are today is not sufficient to keep you there!

5.Painful truth: not arrived yet v12,13a

• Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.

• You go as for as you can see and when you get there you will see some more! – The horizon principle

Paul’s successive realization• 1 Cor 15:9 For I am the least of the

apostlesPaul 35 years old

• Eph 3:8 -Although I am less than the least of all God's people,

Paul – 45 years old • 1 Tim 1:15,16 Christ Jesus came into the

world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst .

Paul – 63 years old

Paul’s Pursuit of knowing Christ-2 Tim.

• 1:12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

• 4: 6-8 “..the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day

6. Past is past: forget and move on v 13

• But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead

• Genesis 41: 50,51 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh {[51] Manasseh sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for forget.}and said, "It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household.

7. Pursue a goal larger than life v 14• I press on toward the goal to win the prize

for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

• 1 Cor 15:9 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

•“The after taste of success is

boredom” – Michael Novak

Pursue a goal larger than life (cont’d..)

“Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists. A baby feels hunger; well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim; well, there is such a thing as water. Men feel sexual desire; well, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another …………world.” - CS Lewis(Narnia) Mere Christianity

Pursue a goal larger than life (cont’d..)

If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove

the universe is a fraud. It means earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but

only to arouse it, to ………………………

suggest the real thing! CS Lewis – Mere Christianity

Paul’s PhD – Philippians1. 2: 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of

Christ Jesus2. 2: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not

consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing,

3. But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.3:7

4. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. 3:10

Note:PhD - Positive and Healthy dissatisfaction

Paul’s PhD – Philippians1. Not that I have already obtained all this,

or have already been made perfect,..3:12

2. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. V13

3. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. v14

Is your future ensured today?“Multitudes of people have failed to live for today. They have spent their lives reaching for the future. What they have had within their grasp today they have missed

entirely, because only the future has intrigued them . . . and the first thing they knew the future

became the past.” - William Allen White

What is that you are doing today

that will guarantee a better tomorrow?

Is your future ensured today?

Discussion Questions

1. Share how you have experienced any of the 7 steps to sustain joy in your life.

2. How will positive and healthy dissatisfaction help to augment your success in your current situation?

3. Share one step you plan to incorporate today that will guarantee a better tomorrow. Pray for each other as you commit this step into God’s hands.