Finding Joy Through God's Perspective and Promises
Summary
### Summary
This morning, I experienced a personal challenge that reminded me of the importance of prioritizing God's word over worldly distractions. Despite the mishap, we gathered to focus on the profound joy that Jesus offers us, a joy that transcends our circumstances. We explored how joy is not dependent on winning the lottery, unexpected blessings, or even our favorite sports team winning, but on the eternal joy that Jesus has made complete in us. This joy is not a superficial band-aid but a deep, abiding presence that sustains us through life's trials.
We discussed four primary joy stealers: problems, people, pressure, and pain. However, there are two powerful restorers of joy: perspective and praise. By shifting our perspective to align with God's and praising Him even in difficult times, we can reclaim our joy. I shared a touching story about Mabel, an elderly woman in a nursing home who, despite her severe physical ailments, found immense joy in her relationship with Jesus. Her perspective was a testament to the power of focusing on God's eternal promises.
We delved into Paul's letter to the Philippians, written from a Roman prison. Despite his dire circumstances, Paul exuded joy and encouraged the Philippians to do the same. He emphasized that his imprisonment had furthered the gospel and emboldened other believers. Paul's perspective was rooted in God's omniscience and eternal purposes, not his immediate suffering.
To pursue joy in all circumstances, we must focus on God's perspective, priorities, eternal purposes, and promises. This involves seeing beyond our immediate problems, valuing God's priorities over difficult people, understanding that our life is defined by Christ, and holding onto God's promises despite life's pain. Barry Wilmarth shared his personal journey through cancer, illustrating how focusing on God's promises and eternal purposes can bring joy even in the darkest times.
### Key Takeaways
1. Perspective Over Problems: Joy is found in shifting our focus from our immediate problems to God's eternal perspective. Paul, despite being imprisoned, saw his situation as an opportunity to spread the gospel and encourage other believers. This teaches us that our circumstances do not define us; our perspective does. [15:16]
2. Priorities Over People: Difficult people can steal our joy, but focusing on God's priorities—love, forgiveness, and becoming more like Jesus—can restore it. Paul faced critics who preached Christ out of selfish ambition, yet he chose to rejoice because Christ was being proclaimed. This teaches us to focus on those who support us and to respond to criticism with grace. [21:43]
3. Eternal Purposes Over Temporary Pressures: Paul’s declaration, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain," shows that our life’s purpose is rooted in Christ, not in our temporary pressures. This eternal perspective allows us to face difficulties with hope, knowing that our labor in the Lord is fruitful and meaningful. [24:11]
4. Promises Over Pain: Life's pain can obscure our view of God's promises, much like a motorhome blocking the Grand Canyon. By focusing on God's promises, we can see beyond our immediate pain to the hope and joy found in the gospel. This perspective helps us endure and find joy in the midst of suffering. [26:19]
5. Joy in Serving Others: True joy comes from giving ourselves away for the sake of others. Studies show that those who focus on making others happy are far more joyful than those who seek their own happiness. This aligns with Jesus' teaching that it is more blessed to give than to receive, encouraging us to live selflessly. [25:27]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[01:41] - Personal Challenge and Prayer
[02:40] - Sources of Joy
[03:22] - Jesus' Complete Joy
[04:15] - Joy Beyond Circumstances
[05:02] - Enemies of Joy
[05:41] - Perspective and Praise
[06:29] - Story of Mabel
[08:00] - Paul's Letter to the Philippians
[09:52] - Paul's Imprisonment and Joy
[13:08] - Grand Canyon Illustration
[15:16] - Focus on God's Perspective
[21:43] - Focus on God's Priorities
[24:11] - Focus on God's Eternal Purposes
[26:19] - Focus on God's Promises
[27:54] - Barry Wilmarth's Testimony
[37:01] - Closing Blessing and Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Reading
1. Philippians 1:12-30
2. Romans 8:28
3. Acts 20:35
### Observation Questions
1. What are the four primary joy stealers mentioned in the sermon? ([05:02])
2. How did Paul view his imprisonment according to Philippians 1:12-14?
3. What was Mabel's perspective on her suffering, and how did it affect her joy? ([06:29])
4. What does Romans 8:28 say about how God works in our lives?
### Interpretation Questions
1. How does Paul's perspective on his imprisonment in Philippians 1:12-14 demonstrate the principle of "Perspective Over Problems"? ([09:52])
2. In what ways can focusing on God's priorities help us deal with difficult people, as discussed in the sermon? ([21:43])
3. How does the story of the Vietnamese man in the sermon illustrate the concept of "Promises Over Pain"? ([19:38])
4. What does Acts 20:35 teach us about the relationship between giving and joy?
### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a recent problem you faced. How might shifting your perspective to align with God's eternal perspective change your view of that problem? ([15:16])
2. Think of a difficult person in your life. How can you focus on God's priorities of love and forgiveness in your interactions with them this week? ([21:43])
3. How can you remind yourself of God's promises when you are experiencing pain or suffering? Is there a specific promise from Scripture that you can hold onto? ([26:19])
4. Identify a temporary pressure you are currently facing. How can focusing on God's eternal purposes help you navigate this pressure with hope? ([24:11])
5. Consider a way you can serve others this week. How can you make this act of service a source of joy for yourself and others? ([25:27])
6. How can you incorporate praise into your daily routine, especially during difficult times? What are some practical ways to do this? ([05:41])
7. Reflect on Barry Wilmarth's testimony. How can his experience inspire you to pursue joy in your own difficult circumstances? ([27:54])
Devotional
Day 1: Perspective Over Problems
Description: Joy is found in shifting our focus from our immediate problems to God's eternal perspective. Paul, despite being imprisoned, saw his situation as an opportunity to spread the gospel and encourage other believers. This teaches us that our circumstances do not define us; our perspective does. By adopting God's perspective, we can find joy even in the midst of our trials. This shift in focus allows us to see our problems as temporary and part of a larger, divine plan. [15:16]
Philippians 1:12-14 (ESV): "I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear."
Reflection: Think of a current problem you are facing. How can you shift your perspective to see it as part of God's larger plan? What steps can you take today to focus on God's eternal perspective rather than your immediate circumstances?
Day 2: Priorities Over People
Description: Difficult people can steal our joy, but focusing on God's priorities—love, forgiveness, and becoming more like Jesus—can restore it. Paul faced critics who preached Christ out of selfish ambition, yet he chose to rejoice because Christ was being proclaimed. This teaches us to focus on those who support us and to respond to criticism with grace. By prioritizing God's values over the actions of others, we can maintain our joy and continue to grow spiritually. [21:43]
Philippians 1:15-18 (ESV): "Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice."
Reflection: Identify a person in your life who challenges your joy. How can you prioritize God's values of love and forgiveness in your interactions with them today? What practical steps can you take to focus on God's priorities rather than their actions?
Day 3: Eternal Purposes Over Temporary Pressures
Description: Paul’s declaration, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain," shows that our life’s purpose is rooted in Christ, not in our temporary pressures. This eternal perspective allows us to face difficulties with hope, knowing that our labor in the Lord is fruitful and meaningful. By focusing on God's eternal purposes, we can find joy and purpose even in the midst of life's pressures. [24:11]
Philippians 1:21-24 (ESV): "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account."
Reflection: Reflect on a current pressure or stressor in your life. How can you reframe it in light of God's eternal purposes? What actions can you take today to align your focus with God's eternal perspective?
Day 4: Promises Over Pain
Description: Life's pain can obscure our view of God's promises, much like a motorhome blocking the Grand Canyon. By focusing on God's promises, we can see beyond our immediate pain to the hope and joy found in the gospel. This perspective helps us endure and find joy in the midst of suffering. [26:19]
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV): "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
Reflection: Think of a painful situation you are currently experiencing. How can you focus on God's promises to find hope and joy? What specific promises from Scripture can you hold onto today to help you endure?
Day 5: Joy in Serving Others
Description: True joy comes from giving ourselves away for the sake of others. Studies show that those who focus on making others happy are far more joyful than those who seek their own happiness. This aligns with Jesus' teaching that it is more blessed to give than to receive, encouraging us to live selflessly. [25:27]
Acts 20:35 (ESV): "In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’"
Reflection: Identify one person you can serve today. How can you bring joy to their life through your actions? What specific steps can you take to focus on their needs rather than your own?
Quotes
1. "The answer to what has the most potential for joy, and this is not a question, it's not a cliche. It just comes from the words of Jesus. All the above have potential for joy. According to Jesus, he has made his joy complete in us. His joy. Not joy like the world gives, or the lottery, or the Broncos, or any of these things that are temporal. He has given us his joy, and it's an eternal joy. Jesus said, He said, He didn't say this life being his follower in this world was going to be a cakewalk. No, he said, Listen, there's going to be difficulties because this isn't heaven." [03:22] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "There's four things that steal our joy, or that are enemies of us having joy. Number one is prophecy. Problems. Problems steal joy. Number two, people steal joy. Am I right? Pressure steals joy. And pain steals joy. Problems, people, pressure, and pain are joy stealers. There's two things, though, that can restore our joy. Number one is perspective. Having the right perspective. And then praise. Praising the Lord. Praising the Lord in the midst of the difficulty. Praising the Lord in the midst of pain." [05:02] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "It's perspective. It's perspective. We're in a series called Pursuing Joy. We started last week in Paul's letter to the Philippians. You got to catch this when you read Philippians. It's one of his prison letters. He's in a Roman prison cell. Writing to the Philippians. In Acts 16, we talked about it last week. He, Paul and his missionary journeys. He started a church in a town called Philippi. It's still there in modern day Greece. And he went through all kinds of trauma in Philippi. And the Philippians are experiencing persecution themselves from the Romans. And Paul's writing to encourage them in their faith. And he uses the word. He uses the word joy, rejoice or be glad 16 times in this little short letter." [08:00] (56 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "Joy is knowing. That God is using. Our imperfect circumstances. To work his perfect will. In our lives. Second thing. To pursue joy. In all circumstances. Focus on God's priorities. Rather than difficult people. It's not always easy. To do. Paul said. Some of these guys are preaching. Jesus. For the wrong reasons. To spite me. Here in prison. Do you know. There's always going to be difficult people. In your life. If you figured that one out. Yeah. There will always be difficult people. You will always have your critics." [21:21] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Focus on God's eternal purposes. Rather than the. Temporary pressures of today. Paul said. For me to live as Christ. And to die as gain. For me to live as Christ. To die as gain. Paul had a definition of life. That allowed him. To face. Difficulty. Because he was like. To live as Christ. To die as gain. Your circumstances. Do not. Define. Your life. To live as Christ. To die as gain. In that. Those verses there. In 20 to 26. Paul says. That it's better for me. To be here with you. Because it will result. In fruitful. Labor. God wants to produce. Fruit in each one of our lives. He wants to produce. The inward fruit. Of the spirit. But he also wants. To use us. To do good. For others. To show his love. To others. Fruitful labor. That's a. Lifetime commitment. To the kingdom of God." [24:11] (65 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "Focus on God's promises. Rather than the pain of life. Hello. Focus on God's promises. Rather than the pain. Of life. Whatever happens. In life. God has promises. For us. The good news. Is the Grand Canyon. Go back to that illustration. The hope that we have in the gospel. Is the mat. Like the. Physically looking at the Grand Canyon. We're in awe. The gospel is something that makes us in awe. Through the life. Death. And resurrection. Of Jesus. Difficult circumstances. Are the motor home. That pull right in front of your view. Of the gospel. And of the hope. That we have. Pulls right in front of you. So what we need to remember. Jesus is the good news. And Jesus is. The superior. Promise." [26:19] (61 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "I don't know everyone's circumstances. I know some. And I know some are going through some very difficult things. And all I know is Jesus is the hope. Regardless. It's not a band-aid. It's the truth. Embrace it. Embrace the hope. And move your chair. Away from the Winnebago. So you can get the true view of the gospel. May Lord bless you. And keep you. Make his face shine upon you. Be gracious to you. And give you his peace. This day. And forever more. And may you agree with. Jesus Christ. That he's the hope of the world. That he's the savior of the world. That he's the Lord of all. And may you follow him wholeheartedly. As his disciple. In his name I pray. Amen." [37:01] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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