04/23/2023
FIGHTING FOR JOY
Sunday, April 23, 2023 – Service Notes
Philippians 1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons[a]:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Joy is a gift God wants to give us and experience daily.
On a scale of 1-10, how much joy are you feeling right now? ____
Circle the areas of joy that are easy for you to express:
Cheerfulness Playfulness Rejoicing Laughing Dancing
Gladness Praising Delightfulness Happiness
Blessing/Being Blessed Being Pleased
Are there opportunities you miss out on to experience greater joy? Check off what you relate to most:
___The pain and discouragement I feel shapes my responses.
___I spend more time focusing on tasks than on people.
___I find I am just too busy…often overwhelmed.
___I often settle…I settle for what makes me feel better over what is best for me.
___I often say no to invitations to parties or lunch/dinner dates.
___My life is so crowded I don’t have space for new people.
___Making time to sing and praise seems silly or a waste of time.
In what area of your life do you need God to expand your joy today?
We find joy when we truly believe God _____ us…when we believe God is _____for us…when we believe God is ____ us.
When we ______ for joy, we are fighting ________…sin, evil, jealousy, envy, selfishness, grumbling, complaining, ingratitude, anxiety, depression, and self-centeredness.
1 Timothy 6:12, “Fight the good fight of faith.”
The fight for joy is a good fight, because the enemy of joy is evil. We do not fight for joy in our own strength. God gives us the will and the power to fight the good fight for joy in Him.
The fight for joy is a good fight. It causes us to trust God… to believe God will carry our burdens, giving us freedom from worry.
The fight for joy is a fight for hope and peace.
When we fight for joy, we are fighting for…a deep and personal relationship with Creator God, the source of all joy.
Why was Paul joyful?
#1 Paul was joyful because of the ____________ he shared with the Philippian Church in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
#2 Paul was __________God was going to finish the work He began in him and in the Philippian Church. The Greek word for “confidence” means “fully persuaded…assured.”
God promises to _________ His work in us.
a. He _________ us. He declares us righteous (right) before Him.
b. He _________ us. He sets us apart for His purposes, so we can grow and mature through a life of holiness.
c. He will ________ us. The dead in Christ will be raised when He returns. Those believers still living will be transformed into His likeness. We will all be glorified in His presence. If you are a believer in Christ, you are justified by faith, and when Christ returns, you will be glorified. Between now and then, God will continue to perfect His good work in you!
#3 Paul was joyful because of the _______ he shared with the Philippian Church.
When we _________ thankfulness and gratitude, we choose ____!
Paul magnified God in His worship and prayer. God was _________than Paul’s problems.
God may not choose to answer our prayers and resolve our problems in the way we expect, but He is _______ ____ __ in our suffering and pain.
When remembering others…we can ______ God with joy for them…we can _____ over them with joy.
