Finding Joy Through Service and Purposeful Living

 

Summary

In today's message, I shared two profound secrets to experiencing true joy in life. The first secret is to shift our focus from ourselves to God and serving others. Our culture constantly bombards us with messages that life is all about us, encouraging a self-centered mindset. However, the more we focus on ourselves, the more miserable we become. Joy is found when we give our lives away in service to others, as exemplified by the Apostle Paul in Philippians 2:17. Paul speaks of his life being poured out in sacrifice and service, yet he is filled with joy. This principle is a universal truth: the most helpful people are the happiest. When we are unselfish and considerate, joy naturally flows into our lives.

The second secret to joy is using our God-given gifts to help others. When we engage in activities that align with our unique talents and abilities, we experience a deep sense of fulfillment and joy. This is akin to an actor feeling they were made for a particular role. We are each created with specific gifts, and when we use them to serve others, we tap into a profound source of joy. God designed us not to live selfishly but to contribute to the world around us. By serving and using our gifts, we align with God's purpose for our lives, and joy becomes a natural byproduct.

Key Takeaways:

- Shift Your Focus: Joy begins when we shift our focus from ourselves to God and others. Our culture promotes self-centeredness, but true joy is found in selflessness. By serving others, we align with God's design and experience a deeper sense of happiness. [00:24]

- The Joy of Service: The Apostle Paul teaches us that joy comes from sacrifice and service. When we pour our lives out for others, we find fulfillment and joy. This principle is a universal truth: the more helpful we are, the happier we become. [01:09]

- Unselfish Living: Philippians 4 reminds us that joy is paired with being unselfish and considerate. Selfishness leads to unhappiness, while unselfishness brings joy. By lending a helping hand, we experience the joy that comes from living for others. [02:13]

- Use Your Gifts: Joy is also found in using our God-given gifts to help others. When we engage in activities that align with our talents, we feel fulfilled and joyful. This is part of God's purpose for our lives, and it brings a deep sense of satisfaction. [03:23]

- Live with Purpose: God didn't create us to live selfishly. We are meant to contribute to the world and make a difference. By serving others and using our gifts, we align with God's purpose and experience the joy that comes from living a meaningful life. [03:08]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:09] - The First Secret of Joy
[00:24] - Shifting Focus from Self
[00:37] - Countercultural Move
[00:53] - Apostle Paul's Example
[01:09] - Sacrifice and Service
[01:27] - The Universe's Design
[01:42] - Joy and Unselfishness
[01:59] - Philippians 4 Insight
[02:13] - Memory Verse Challenge
[02:26] - Serving and Volunteering
[02:40] - Living Unselfishly
[02:54] - Contribution and Joy
[03:08] - The Second Secret of Joy
[03:23] - Using Your Gifts
[03:39] - Fulfillment in Purpose

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Philippians 2:17 - "But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you."
2. Philippians 4:4-5 - "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."

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Observation Questions:

1. According to Philippians 2:17, how does Paul describe his life in relation to sacrifice and service? What is his emotional response to this? [00:53]

2. In Philippians 4:4-5, what two qualities does Paul link together, and how are they supposed to be evident in our lives? [01:59]

3. How does the sermon describe the cultural messages we receive about self-focus, and what is the suggested countercultural move? [00:24]

4. What does the sermon suggest is the relationship between being helpful and being happy? [01:09]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. What might Paul mean when he talks about his life being "poured out" in Philippians 2:17? How does this relate to the concept of joy through service? [00:53]

2. How does the pairing of joy with unselfishness and consideration in Philippians 4:4-5 challenge common societal values? [01:59]

3. The sermon mentions that joy comes from using our gifts to help others. How does this align with the idea of living with purpose as described in the sermon? [03:23]

4. How does the sermon’s message about shifting focus from self to others reflect the teachings of Philippians 4:4-5? [01:59]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you felt joy from serving others. What specific actions did you take, and how did it impact your sense of fulfillment? [00:53]

2. Identify one area in your life where you tend to focus on yourself. What practical steps can you take this week to shift that focus towards serving others? [00:24]

3. Consider your unique gifts and talents. How can you use them to serve others in your community or church this month? [03:23]

4. The sermon suggests that joy is a natural byproduct of living unselfishly. What is one unselfish act you can commit to this week, and how do you anticipate it will affect your joy? [02:13]

5. How can you incorporate the practice of rejoicing and being considerate into your daily routine, as encouraged in Philippians 4:4-5? [01:59]

6. Think about a person in your life who could benefit from your help. What specific action can you take to lend a helping hand to them this week? [02:26]

7. Reflect on the cultural messages you encounter daily. How can you consciously counteract these messages to focus more on God and others? [00:37]

Devotional

Day 1: Joy Through Selfless Focus
When we shift our focus from ourselves to God and others, we begin to experience true joy. Our culture often encourages a self-centered mindset, but this leads to dissatisfaction and unhappiness. By choosing to serve others and align with God's design, we find a deeper sense of happiness. The Apostle Paul exemplifies this in Philippians 2:17, where he speaks of his life being poured out in sacrifice and service, yet he is filled with joy. This principle is a universal truth: the more helpful we are, the happier we become. [00:24]

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:3-4 ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life can you serve selflessly today, and how can you make a practical plan to do so?


Day 2: The Joy of Sacrificial Service
The Apostle Paul teaches us that joy comes from sacrifice and service. When we pour our lives out for others, we find fulfillment and joy. This principle is a universal truth: the more helpful we are, the happier we become. By living unselfishly and being considerate, joy naturally flows into our lives. This is a countercultural move, but it aligns with the universe's design and God's purpose for us. [01:09]

"Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered." (Proverbs 11:25 ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific way you can sacrifice your time or resources this week to serve someone in need?


Day 3: Unselfish Living Brings Joy
Philippians 4 reminds us that joy is paired with being unselfish and considerate. Selfishness leads to unhappiness, while unselfishness brings joy. By lending a helping hand, we experience the joy that comes from living for others. This is not just a biblical principle but a universal truth that the most helpful people are the happiest. [02:13]

"Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor." (1 Corinthians 10:24 ESV)

Reflection: Identify a recent situation where you acted selfishly. How can you approach a similar situation differently in the future to bring joy to yourself and others?


Day 4: Joy in Using Your Gifts
Joy is also found in using our God-given gifts to help others. When we engage in activities that align with our talents, we feel fulfilled and joyful. This is part of God's purpose for our lives, and it brings a deep sense of satisfaction. We are each created with specific gifts, and when we use them to serve others, we tap into a profound source of joy. [03:23]

"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." (1 Peter 4:10 ESV)

Reflection: What unique gift or talent do you have that you can use to serve others this week? How can you intentionally incorporate this into your daily routine?


Day 5: Living with Purpose
God didn't create us to live selfishly. We are meant to contribute to the world and make a difference. By serving others and using our gifts, we align with God's purpose and experience the joy that comes from living a meaningful life. This alignment with God's design brings a deep sense of fulfillment and joy, as we live out the purpose for which we were created. [03:08]

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10 ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on your current lifestyle. Are there areas where you are not living with purpose? What steps can you take to align more closely with God's purpose for your life?

Quotes

"most people don't know the two secrets of Joy but I'm going to give them to you right now here they are one number one the first Secret Of Joy is get the focus off myself the more you focus on you the more miserable you're going to be it is not by accident that the word Miser and miserable come from the same root word you've got to shift your focus from inward Focus it's all about me to outward Focus it's all about God and serving others now when you do that that is a counterculture move because everything in our society says it's all about you every advertisement says it's all about you we do it all for you have it your way you're number one you're the best but when you begin to give your life away the more you give your life away to help others guess what the more joy flows into your life" [00:01:48]

"good example of this is the Apostle Paul Philippians chap 2:1 17 he says my life is being poured out as a part of the sacrifice and service there's those words as a part of the sacrifice and service I offer to God for your faith yet he says in spite of this sacrifice and service I am filled with joy and I share that Joy with all of you it is a fact of life that the most helpful people are the most happy people in life if you want to be happy you got to be helpful the more helpful you are the more happy you are the more self-centered you are the more unhappy you're going to be in life it's just the way the universe works so Joy floods into my soul when I begin to give it away God wired the universe that the more unselfish you are the more joy flows into your life" [00:00:53]

"the Bible says this in Philippians 4 always be full of joy in the Lord I say it again Rejoice let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do now notice how he pairs Joy with being unselfish and considerate if you are inconsiderate and you are selfish you're not going to be joyful but if you are unselfish and you are considerate you're going to be joyful I'll I'll be real blunt with you look at this verse up on the screen Philippians 1:4 says forget about yourself long enough to lend a helping hand that's that should have been our memory verse this week it's shorter forget about yourself long enough to lend a helping hand if you lack joy in your life you're not happy right now let me tell you start serving start finding a place where you can volunteer to give part of your time away and you get nothing in return you're not paid for it you're you're just giving your life away" [00:01:50]

"if there's nothing in your life that you are doing say on a weekly basis on which you're just doing it for others benefit not for your own if there's nothing in your life like that you're living a pretty selfish life and God didn't put you on this planet just to live for you you got to give back you got to make a contribution you got to be unselfish that's where the joy comes from number number two the other way Joy comes is when I use my gifts to help others Joy comes from getting the focus off myself and joy comes from using my gifts to help others and when you use the gifts that God gave you to help other people it feels good I was reading an article this week about the Oscar contenders for the Academy Awards this year some of one of the actor said I was created I was made for this role and you know that feeling that's how you feel when you know I'm doing what God made me to do what God wired me to do" [00:02:54]

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Transcript
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