Pressing Forward: The Joy That Transforms Us

Devotional

Day 1: The Power of Community in Our Spiritual Journey

In our spiritual journey, we are not meant to walk alone. God has placed us in a community to support and uplift one another, reminding us of the importance of fellowship and shared faith. This community acts as a source of strength and encouragement, helping us to live authentically and shed the masks we often wear. By embracing the support of our brothers and sisters in Christ, we can navigate the challenges of life with greater resilience and joy. The sense of belonging and shared purpose within a community is vital as we strive to grow in our faith and press on toward our ultimate goal. [50:46]

"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your community can you reach out to today for support or encouragement, and how can you offer the same to someone else?

Day 2: Embracing Honesty and Authenticity

Joy requires us to be honest about our current state and to have a willingness to shed the masks we wear. By being truthful with ourselves and God, we open ourselves to healing and true joy. This honesty allows us to confront the barriers that prevent us from experiencing the fullness of joy that God offers. It is through this authenticity that we can experience freedom from pretending and live a life that is aligned with our true selves. As we embrace honesty, we invite God's transformative work into our lives, allowing us to grow and thrive in our spiritual journey. [59:17]

"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10:22, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel you are wearing a mask? How can you begin to be more honest with yourself and God about this area today?

Day 3: Understanding Our Past Through Christ's Redemption

While our past is part of our story, it does not define us. Through Jesus, we are more than our past failures, and God sees us through the lens of Christ's redemptive work. This holistic view of the past allows us to acknowledge our experiences without being held back by them. We are encouraged to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead, understanding that we are not defined by our worst days. By embracing this perspective, we can move forward with confidence and hope, knowing that our identity is rooted in Christ's love and redemption. [01:16:39]

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

Reflection: What past mistake or experience do you need to release to God today, trusting in His redemptive work to redefine your identity?

Day 4: Joy as the Strength to Persevere

Joy is not just a reward waiting for us at the end of our journey; it is the strength that propels us forward. It is the fuel that helps us endure and persevere through life's challenges, enabling us to press on toward the goal that God has set before us. The joy of the Lord is our strength, providing us with the resilience and determination needed to overcome obstacles and continue on our spiritual path. By embracing this joy, we can face each day with renewed hope and purpose, knowing that God is with us and for us. [01:28:45]

"And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10b, ESV)

Reflection: What challenge are you currently facing that requires the strength of God's joy? How can you invite His joy into this situation today?

Day 5: Invitation to Experience the Joy of the Lord

The joy of the Lord is available to us now. By saying yes to Jesus and embracing His love, we can experience the freedom and joy that He offers, regardless of our past. This invitation is open to all, inviting us to step into a life filled with purpose, hope, and joy. As we accept this invitation, we are encouraged to connect with a community of believers, seek prayer, and find a church home where we can grow in our faith. Let us carry the joy of the Lord with us, knowing that His love and presence are with us every step of the way. [01:41:47]

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11, ESV)

Reflection: Have you fully embraced the joy and love that Jesus offers? What step can you take today to deepen your relationship with Him and experience His joy more fully?

Sermon Summary

In our time together today, we focused on the profound theme of being "pushed and pulled forward by joy," as inspired by Philippians 3:12-14. This passage reminds us that while we have not yet reached our ultimate goal, we are called to press on, driven by the joy that Christ instills in us. We began by acknowledging the importance of community in our spiritual journey, recognizing that we are not alone and that God has placed us alongside brothers and sisters to support and uplift one another. This sense of community is vital as we strive to live authentically, shedding the masks we often wear to hide our true selves.

Paul's words encourage us to embrace honesty, both with ourselves and with God. Joy requires us to be truthful about our current state and to have a holistic view of our past. Many of us are held back by the weight of past mistakes and experiences, but Paul urges us to forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. This does not mean ignoring our past but rather understanding that we are more than our past failures. Through Jesus, we are not defined by our worst days, and God sees us through the lens of Christ's redemptive work.

We also explored the idea that joy is not merely a reward waiting for us at the end of our journey. Instead, joy is the strength that propels us forward, even when we feel like giving up. It is the fuel that helps us endure and persevere through life's challenges. The joy of the Lord is our strength, enabling us to press on toward the goal that God has set before us.

As we concluded, we extended an invitation to those who have not yet experienced the love and joy of Jesus to say yes to Him today. We also encouraged those who need prayer or a church home to reach out and connect with our community. As we go into the week, let us carry the joy of the Lord with us, knowing that God is with us and for us, and that His joy is available to us even now.

Key Takeaways

1. Community and Support: We are not alone in our spiritual journey. God has placed us in a community to support and uplift one another, reminding us of the importance of fellowship and shared faith. [50:46]
2. Honesty and Authenticity: Joy requires honesty about our current state and a willingness to shed the masks we wear. By being truthful with ourselves and God, we open ourselves to healing and true joy. [59:17]
3. Holistic View of the Past: While our past is part of our story, it does not define us. Through Jesus, we are more than our past failures, and God sees us through the lens of Christ's redemptive work. [76:39]
4. Joy as Strength: Joy is not just a reward but the strength that propels us forward. It is the fuel that helps us endure and persevere through life's challenges, enabling us to press on toward God's goal for us. [88:45]
5. Invitation to Experience Joy: The joy of the Lord is available to us now. By saying yes to Jesus and embracing His love, we can experience the freedom and joy that He offers, regardless of our past. [01:41:47]
** [101:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[50:46] - Opening Prayer and Community
[51:47] - Assurance of God's Love
[52:34] - Invitation to Extended Worship
[54:09] - Focus on Philippians 3:12-14
[55:51] - Pushed and Pulled by Joy
[56:45] - Barriers to Joy: Legalism and Approval
[58:01] - Joy Requires Honesty
[59:17] - The Masks We Wear
[60:37] - Prayer for Honesty
[63:31] - Freedom from Pretending
[65:08] - Breaking Down Barriers
[75:35] - Holistic Perspective of the Past
[88:45] - Joy as Strength
[101:47] - Invitation to Experience Joy
[104:37] - Benediction and Closing

Sermon Clips

1. "Sanctuary, for the time we have together to pray and to worship God and lift God's name through song today, I want to focus us on this idea of pushed and pulled forward by joy. What does it mean for us to be pushed and pulled forward by joy? Last week, Pastor Rose did a wonderful job of taking us through the first part of Philippians chapter 3 where Paul says to watch out for evilness and evil doers. Watch out, he even calls them dogs. He uses a very provocative language to say watch out for dogs. And Pastor Rose reminded us last week that there are two things that can get in our way as we're pursuing joy. One is legalism. This idea that we have to be perfect before God before God would love us or might pour out his joy on us. But the other is looking to people for approval there's legalism on one hand that can steal our joy and on the other hand there is this idea that our joy is found in the approval of other people." [56:45] (77 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "Brothers and sisters, if we're going to find joy in our lives, joy requires honesty. Joy requires honesty. It requires us to be honest about how we're really doing and where we really are and what is happening in our lives, in our actual lives, not just our church lives. One of the barriers to joy in our lives is the fact that many of us wear masks all the time. One of my favorite things to do in the life of our church is stand at the front door and greet people as they come in or as they leave. And I love people who are honest with me when I ask them how they're doing. I love people who will say, Pastor, I'm not there yet. Pastor, pray for me. I love people who will say, Thank God for Jesus, love people who say, God's still working on me. Because that is the honesty that joy requires of us." [58:01] (72 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "God can't heal who you're pretending to be. God can't heal the false image that you're putting out. God can't heal that perfect person that you're pretending to be. But when we learn to be honest about where we are with God, he's able and he's willing to heal us and give us joy. And so I want to begin today with a time of praying together there at your seats. Perhaps you want to turn and pray with some folks sitting next to you. We've got a lot of room in the aisles if you want to stand up and pray, walk around and pray. This is a free environment. You can pray as you feel led. But I'm praying for us first of all that in pursuit of God's joy that we would learn that we don't have to wear the mask anymore. That we can be honest in God's house and with God's people about where we really are in our lives." [01:00:37] (72 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Paul says, and I believe this is true of us, that one of the basics, one of the barriers to joy for us is that we're still imprisoned by our past. That there are things that we've done, places that we've been, things that we've experienced, perhaps been done to us, that have us in a prison of shame and guilt, and we can't even experience God's joy because of it. And so in talking about what joy is for him, Paul says he forgets, he forgets what is behind him. And I don't believe Paul is calling us to ignore our past. I believe Paul is calling for us to have a helpful perspective on our past. That we are more than what has happened to us. That we are more than our past failures. That because of the love of Jesus, that we are not defined by our worst day. That the love of Jesus is not defined by our worst day." [01:16:39] (66 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Joy is not just the prize at the end. Joy is not just the outcome that we get if we are good enough or faithful enough, or God, when we prove to God that we are worthy, then he gives us joy. I believe that joy is actually given to us a long way in that joy pushes us farther than and towards that goal farther than we would get on our own. In some sense, joy is the fuel that helps us to finish the race. And there are times in our lives in following Jesus where we would rather give up, where we would rather quit. But in some sense, we are pushed and pulled forward by joy. Joy, that perspective that says, yes, I'm tired, but joy calls me forward. Yes, I'm hurting, but joy is pulling me and pushing me forward." [01:27:28] (66 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "The joy of the Lord is our strength. It is our strength. It is not our reward. It is our strength. It helps us to be what God calls us to be. The joy of the Lord is our strength. It helps us to do what God calls us to do. The joy of the Lord is our strength. That is your joy, friend. Not your intelligence. Not the initials at the end of your name. Not your job. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Paul says, I'm not there yet. I haven't arrived. Paul says, I'm honest about my past. I used to actually persecute Christians. And if I was just judged by my past, there is no room in the kingdom of God for me. Paul also says, I'm not there yet. I'm learning what it is to strain and press forward. Sanctuary, even if you've got to do it ugly, keep pressing and straining forward. Even if you've got to do it with tears in your eyes, strain and press forward, knowing that the joy of the Lord is our strength." [01:29:39] (90 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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