Living with Joy and Hope Amidst Trials
Devotional
Sermon Summary
Bible Study Guide
Sermon Clips
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Heaven is our reward. It is our everlasting existence in the perfect kingdom of God, free from all sin and death. This passage in chapter Revelation chapter 21, we hear this, This is heaven. This is also important for us because we are back in an historical cycle right now where man-made political ideologies, of utopia on earth, of heaven on earth, are back on the rise. There is this cultural tidal wave behind these ideas that have just caused nothing but bloodshed, death, and destruction for centuries now, and yet there's this rise of belief in these man-made utopias, in these man-made ideologies. We cannot allow the ideologies of the world around us to deceive us, into thinking we can make heaven here on earth." [24:14]
2. "When we ask this world to be heaven, when we ask people to be heaven makers, we wind up in hell. It's just what happens. But when we learn how to see this world as the gift that it is, we become enthralled with the gift giver and all of this falls into its rightful place. So Paul's able to say, even while chained, and if I'm let free and I'm able to come back to you, all of it is Christ. He doesn't say, we have to get rid of the Roman empire. I have to kill as many of these guards as we possibly can. We have to rise up and get rid of. And then we're going to finally have heaven on earth. He doesn't say that. He says, here, right now, Christ is all." [28:44]
3. "Our bodies are gifts from God. For every human being is a unity of soul and body. Every human being is a unity of soul and body. Now, why is this important? Oftentimes when we think of our discipleship or our sanctification or a life of worship, we think of our discipleship. We think of our discipleship. We think of our life that becomes more and more like Jesus Christ. Sometimes we think in terms of our inner life. You know, we think of the fruit of the spirit, and certainly all of this is true. That there's joy, that there's peace, that there's love, that there are these things inside of me." [09:27]
4. "He says, if I live in this flesh, whatever God has given me to do, whatever I can, whatever I can touch, whatever I can write, whatever I can continue to say, wherever I can continue to walk to, or places that I can go, my body will be used as a tool for the kingdom of God. Everything about Paul is in service for Jesus Christ. The members of his body, his soul, his spirit, his intentions, his mind, his intellect, everything is in service to Jesus Christ. I think this is an important thing for us to understand." [07:54]
### Quotes for Members
1. "Paul's expectation of heaven does not make him useless now. He sees the chance to live for Christ every day because he knows what's coming on the other side. Oftentimes the joke is, and maybe this is actually applied to some saints throughout the centuries, but some people, some people may be so heavenly minded that they're of no earthly good whatsoever, right? That this person has sort of quarantined themselves from the world and they're just sort of waiting for the end, whatever the end means. They're just sort of waiting for that. And as such, they've ceased engagement with their neighbor. They've ceased engagement with the world." [17:03]
2. "Paul shows us clearly that this anticipation of heaven means that he can actually be more faithful and fruitful here and now for the cause of the church. In fact, it drives his faithfulness to encourage his brothers and sisters in Christ. So he goes on to say this convinced of this. I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy. In the faith at this point, Paul, for whatever reason, he feels convinced that he's going to continue that he might even be released from prison. At the very least, he is convinced that if he isn't freed, he's going to be faithful and fruitful where he is." [30:32]
3. "Friends, if Paul under Roman rule chained in a Roman jail can find reasons for genuine joy, then who am I to be utterly miserable? This man is talking about joy. And what do I need to pay attention to? Why am I riddled with fear and anxiety? Why does joy matter? Why does joy matter? Why does joy matter? Why does joy matter? And that joy seems so absolutely foreign to me. I couldn't even describe it for you, define it for you. Yet this man has found something in his walk with Jesus Christ that he wants to give to us, that he wants to teach us." [32:03]
4. "What about joy in our life? What about the security of our faith in Jesus? That our hope is in him and nothing else. Is there enough peace inside of my life that someone goes, man, I want that and I don't know what that means. Where does that peace come from? We're going to get to some of that in Philippians chapter four, some incredible things about peace. Wisdom about how to navigate this life here and now. Where is wisdom? God is the only one who knows where wisdom is, Job says, and he is the one who reveals it to his children." [35:56]
5. "Paul is convinced of heaven and it is a constant encouragement to him. He's convinced of it. And so it gives him meaning and courage now. This isn't the only place where Paul talks about heaven inside of his epistles. Many other places. And friends, I want us to hear some of these things that Paul says about his anticipation of heaven, because I want us to feel this. I want us to know this. First Corinthians 13, 12, Paul says this, for now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully, no." [18:29]
Ask a question about this sermon
1. "Heaven is our reward. It is our everlasting existence in the perfect kingdom of God, free from all sin and death. This passage in chapter Revelation chapter 21, we hear this, This is heaven. This is also important for us because we are back in an historical cycle right now where man-made political ideologies, of utopia on earth, of heaven on earth, are back on the rise. There is this cultural tidal wave behind these ideas that have just caused nothing but bloodshed, death, and destruction for centuries now, and yet there's this rise of belief in these man-made utopias, in these man-made ideologies. We cannot allow the ideologies of the world around us to deceive us, into thinking we can make heaven here on earth." [24:14]
2. "When we ask this world to be heaven, when we ask people to be heaven makers, we wind up in hell. It's just what happens. But when we learn how to see this world as the gift that it is, we become enthralled with the gift giver and all of this falls into its rightful place. So Paul's able to say, even while chained, and if I'm let free and I'm able to come back to you, all of it is Christ. He doesn't say, we have to get rid of the Roman empire. I have to kill as many of these guards as we possibly can. We have to rise up and get rid of. And then we're going to finally have heaven on earth. He doesn't say that. He says, here, right now, Christ is all." [28:44]
3. "Our bodies are gifts from God. For every human being is a unity of soul and body. Every human being is a unity of soul and body. Now, why is this important? Oftentimes when we think of our discipleship or our sanctification or a life of worship, we think of our discipleship. We think of our discipleship. We think of our life that becomes more and more like Jesus Christ. Sometimes we think in terms of our inner life. You know, we think of the fruit of the spirit, and certainly all of this is true. That there's joy, that there's peace, that there's love, that there are these things inside of me." [09:27]
4. "He says, if I live in this flesh, whatever God has given me to do, whatever I can, whatever I can touch, whatever I can write, whatever I can continue to say, wherever I can continue to walk to, or places that I can go, my body will be used as a tool for the kingdom of God. Everything about Paul is in service for Jesus Christ. The members of his body, his soul, his spirit, his intentions, his mind, his intellect, everything is in service to Jesus Christ. I think this is an important thing for us to understand." [07:54]
### Quotes for Members
1. "Paul's expectation of heaven does not make him useless now. He sees the chance to live for Christ every day because he knows what's coming on the other side. Oftentimes the joke is, and maybe this is actually applied to some saints throughout the centuries, but some people, some people may be so heavenly minded that they're of no earthly good whatsoever, right? That this person has sort of quarantined themselves from the world and they're just sort of waiting for the end, whatever the end means. They're just sort of waiting for that. And as such, they've ceased engagement with their neighbor. They've ceased engagement with the world." [17:03]
2. "Paul shows us clearly that this anticipation of heaven means that he can actually be more faithful and fruitful here and now for the cause of the church. In fact, it drives his faithfulness to encourage his brothers and sisters in Christ. So he goes on to say this convinced of this. I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy. In the faith at this point, Paul, for whatever reason, he feels convinced that he's going to continue that he might even be released from prison. At the very least, he is convinced that if he isn't freed, he's going to be faithful and fruitful where he is." [30:32]
3. "Friends, if Paul under Roman rule chained in a Roman jail can find reasons for genuine joy, then who am I to be utterly miserable? This man is talking about joy. And what do I need to pay attention to? Why am I riddled with fear and anxiety? Why does joy matter? Why does joy matter? Why does joy matter? Why does joy matter? And that joy seems so absolutely foreign to me. I couldn't even describe it for you, define it for you. Yet this man has found something in his walk with Jesus Christ that he wants to give to us, that he wants to teach us." [32:03]
4. "What about joy in our life? What about the security of our faith in Jesus? That our hope is in him and nothing else. Is there enough peace inside of my life that someone goes, man, I want that and I don't know what that means. Where does that peace come from? We're going to get to some of that in Philippians chapter four, some incredible things about peace. Wisdom about how to navigate this life here and now. Where is wisdom? God is the only one who knows where wisdom is, Job says, and he is the one who reveals it to his children." [35:56]
5. "Paul is convinced of heaven and it is a constant encouragement to him. He's convinced of it. And so it gives him meaning and courage now. This isn't the only place where Paul talks about heaven inside of his epistles. Many other places. And friends, I want us to hear some of these things that Paul says about his anticipation of heaven, because I want us to feel this. I want us to know this. First Corinthians 13, 12, Paul says this, for now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully, no." [18:29]
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