A Joy Unexpected - Part A

William Barclay said this is the Christian is a man or woman of joy.

The Christian is the laughing Cavalier of Christ is he a joyful believer is a beautiful believer. It's attractive when somebody has joined the degree of joy, not the fake plastered on stuff that so many people carry around with the real stuff is attractive and people want to know what you get that only give me some of that.

I want to have what you have one that experience you've experience a joyful Christian is a good representative of the good news the gospel. It's been said that a gloomy Christian is a contradiction today on connect with Skip Skip begins a series called Technicolor joy about how God brings color to the most black-and-white moments of life and what you can always live joyfully in Christ. But first, a trip to Israel is a life changer. Your Bible study will never be the same Skip has lived in Israel, and lead tours.

Many many times he really is to invite you. One is next to her. You know there's always something new to see and experience in Israel and I'm so excited to let you know that I'm taking another tour group to Israel next spring. In 2022 urine for an incredible time as we travel throughout Israel and experience the culture that's so unique to that country will start on the Mediterranean Sea and head north. Seeing places like Caesarea and Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River will spend several days in and around Jerusalem and see the temple mount Calvary, the garden of Gethsemane and the Mount of olives and much more.

This remarkable itinerary is made richer with times of worship, Bible study, and lots of fellowship. Now I've been to Israel a number of times over the years that I can honestly say that visiting the places where the events of the Scriptures unfolded where Jesus lived taught and healed. It just never gets old.

I can't wait to see you in Israel start planning and saving now to tour Israel with Skip Heitzig information and inspiration. Cruises.com/see ABQ. That's inspiration cruises.com/see ABQ Philippians chapter 1 as we dive into the kitchen with skip-one of the most infallible signs of the presence of God is joy.

It is an unmistakable batch of divine ownership, but now taken flip that coin gloomy Christian is a contradiction in terms.

I don't think anything is hurt the church over a period of history, more so than the idea that sour soul and serious believer is in order. Somebody in church history came up with the idea that clergyman water were black and looked like gravediggers fact one of the great judges of our country in times past Oliver Wendell Holmes. He was an American jurist appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States under Roosevelt.

He said I would've entered the ministry of clergymen I know didn't look and act so much like undertakers man. It was a brilliant mind you thought of entering the ministry, but he said no thank you.

Then there's Robert Louis Stevenson, the Scottish author and poet who wrote in his journal. These words as if were extraordinary.

I went to church today and I'm not depressed who came up with the idea that to be sanctified means to be sad but I rejected that I reject that because after all we are called to preach what's called the gospel, which means that good news is not all the bad civil is not the mediocre news is not as though you have heard that it's the good news, and it should be done with authentic joy. William Barclay said this, the Christian is a man or woman of joy. The Christian is the laughing Cavalier of Christ is he a joyful believer is a beautiful believer. It's attractive when somebody has joy, authentic, real joy, not that that the fake plastered on stuff that so many people carry around. But the real stuff it's attractive and people want to know what you get that only give me some of that.

I want to have what you have one that experience what you've experience a joyful Christian is good representative of the good news the gospel Nehemiah when the people of his town Jerusalem are rebuilding the walls and broken down, there was a period of discouragement and sadness. He said to them, don't be dejected and sad for the joy of the Lord is your strength. I love that the joy of the Lord is your strength now needs to be said and will be able to develop it over the next several weeks, but there should be noted that there's a difference between happiness and joy happiness is vacillating joy is fixed, you can be going through horrible unhappy circumstances and yet have joy because happiness goes up and down depending on the happenings happiness depends on the happenings happiness depends on the happenstance happiness is all about the hap you may know that the word hap is an old word for chance. And so when the chance falls favorably toward you. You're happy when it doesn't, you're unhappy. Did you know that two thirds of Americans claim to be unhappy. Two thirds of Americans claim to be discontented with life overdoing a series in the book of Philippians were starting today.

It's called Technicolor joy say why are you calling it that what is that have to do with the book of Philippians.

It's a fair question, especially when you understand how the church at Philippi started and the conditions that the author who wrote this book faced the book of Philippians was pending in 62 A.D. by Paul the apostle who was a jailbird he was incarcerated in a Roman prison when he wrote this book, how to get there while he had been in Jerusalem was falsely accused and arrested. He was taken to a place called Caesarea where he stood before several trials that went on for two years.

Finally he had enough and he said I appeal my case to Caesar. He was a Roman citizen and he had the right to do that so he said I appeal to Caesar. So the procurator said you appeal to Caesar. So to Caesar you will go so Paul was put eventually on the ship that was going to roam the ship sunk and another ship was afforded him and he finally made it to Rome where he is in jail and from prison. He writes this letter. Now Paul had always wanted to go to Rome was on his bucket list. He said I want to go to Rome.

I want to preach the gospel there, but he expected to go to Rome as a preacher he ended up going as a person and I just gotta say I appreciate the humor of God's will because God also wanted Paul to get to Rome, but he didn't want Paul to have to pay for it.

So the Roman government paid for.

He was able to get arrested and get sentenced in try to stand trial until the Caesar.

So the Roman government put him on a ship and took in the room where he writes this letter, there he is, changes soldiers who will be his companions, he will mention them in this letter. Now Paul knows that as a prisoner. His case before Caesar Nero would come up very shortly and he did not know which way was gonna fall he did know which way the hap would fall.

It could be that he would be acquitted. It could be that he would be beheaded, and he knows that and he mentions that however running through the fabric of all of that knowledge is the unmistakable quality of joy joy is in every portion of this letter that every commentator that I have read and I've read several on this book on hers is a smattering of Bobby 30 books that I have on Philippians. These are commentaries written by scholars on the book of Philippians and they have noted that the theme of this book is joy authentic Christian joy so here's one.

A study in Philippians how to be happy and difficult situation. Another one Philippians, the believers joy in Christ. Another one Philippians life at its best. The classic Dean Martin Lloyd Jones the life of peace and joy, a study in Philippians Swindell's classic laugh again the joy of living by Dwight Pentecost, and in the classic be joyful by Warren Weathersby. All of these authors have made the discovery that this book is about authentic joy.

We called it Technicolor joy Technicolor to why because when color was introduced into the cinema. Up to that point it'd been shades of gray, black and white 1939 rolled around in the first movie to be pushed in color was the Wizard of Oz and the corporate American response was there's just something about having color spring to life on the screen when before there were shades of gray.

So this is an appropriate title. We thought Technicolor joy takes you out of the shadows of grays of just Blacks and whites and God colors your life with his joy even in the worst possible circumstances will discover that this man Paul had the joy of the Lord. I love what a little country boy said he was asked what differences Jesus Christ made in your life that little country boy said I feel better now when I feel bad that I used to when I felt good that I was pretty good. It sort of like saying the worst that God has to give me is better than the best the world gave me the joy of the Lord. If you want to have joy and I would I would venture to say everybody in this room does you want to have joy master the principles of the book of Philippians and it will be yours were starting this book and this morning wouldn't cover one verse you know me. That shouldn't surprise you but we just want to lay the foundation.

I want to give you a little bit of background and fan conditional truth, but in so doing, in verse one of chapter 1 want to show you three ingredients. The former recipe of unexpected joy to begin with, the authors let's read a couple verses, Paul and Timothy, bond servants of Jesus Christ to all the saints in Christ Jesus, who are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons.

He continues grace. Verse two Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We begin with the pair.

The dynamic pair Paul and Timothy. Now Paul is the author of this book Timothy is an associate of Paul.

He's with them is an assistant, but Paul is the author of this book now. You wouldn't have associated the emotion of joy with the person of Paul before he met Christ see before Paul the apostle met Christ.

What was his name Saul of Tarsus and Saul of Tarsus was a very religious, exacting, narrowminded, legalistic Pharisee, hardly anyone you would associate with being joyful. In fact, in this letter of Philippians, Paul gives his background, his pedigree, so to speak. In chapter 3 Marie chapter 3 verse five and six in the new living translation. He says I was circumcised when I was eight days old having been born into a pure blooded Jewish family that is a branch of the tribe of Benjamin, so I am a real Jew if there ever was one. Once more I was a member of the Pharisees who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law and Seles. Yes, in fact, I harshly persecuted the church and I obeyed the Jewish law so carefully. I was never accused of any fault doesn't sound like a lot of joy is going on and Saul sounds like a lot of judgment is going on and saw a lot of jostling a lot of chapping even a lot of jihad but not a lot of joy in acts chapter 9.

Luke, the author says this about Saul, Saul, breathing out threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord to get that language. It was the very wrath the very air he took in he was fixated on it, preoccupied with damaging God's people. Same section of Scripture says in Psalm made a habit of the church, entering every house dragging off both men and women were made habit was a word that was often used of an animal like a wild boar who would trample a vineyard or a garden, so this guy did damage them sound like he's the ambassador of joy. He sound like a terrorist. But something happened to Saul of Tarsus member. What was something happened to him and subsequently something happened in him we know what happened to him. He got saved is on the Damascus Road gets knocked off his horse is a light from heaven. Jesus talks to him, Saul, Saul, are you persecuting me. Here's an encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ eventually surrenders his light dancing Lord what you want me to do. He meets Christ. That's what happened to them. Because of that something happened in him what happened in him is the choice seed was planted in his heart that day and it grew and grew and it blossomed and it continued to blossom and it permeated his entire life. E. Stanley Jones the missionary to India, said when I met Jesus Christ, I felt that I had swallowed some shot a love that body of feel like I've swallowed sunshine. He was different.

He was changed and joy began to grow in him, so he went out on three missionary journeys throughout Asia minor, modern-day Turkey on his first missionary journey.

He goes to a place called Antioch of Presidio and the whole town rejects him, rejects his missionary team to get kicked out of town and Paul the apostle now along with the others says that they were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit for getting kicked out of town because there joy that emotion that they had was tethered to something different, not the fluctuating up-and-down of worldly happiness.

They were filled with joy in this Saul of Tarsus. Now Paul the apostle God changes him and he changes from legalism to lightheartedness. So he's talking about keeping the laws and rules and regulations like eating and drinking in her you would not drink certain things or you would not eat certain things he finally says in Romans 14 for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy. As CS Lewis put it so well. Joy is the serious business of heaven. Paul started getting really serious about joy, making it a part of his life.

So much so that when he is on his way to Jerusalem where he gets arrested before he gets in the person that we talked about on his way to Jerusalem. You know what everybody tells him, don't go don't go to Jerusalem, they don't like you. There is regular rescue. There bind you up and it's going to be bad. If you go to Jerusalem so he meets with the elders of the church of Ephesus, and he says to them I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem. Not knowing the things which will happen to me there except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city. The chains and tribulations await, but none of these things move me nor do I count my own life dear to myself that I might finish my course with joy in the ministry that is been given to me by the Lord Jesus Christ. How's that for living your life. I want to finish this thing up with joy. I don't care if the arrest me and kill me. I've got joy that cannot be taken away.

He writes to the Galatians and he says the fruit of the spirit. He is now that seed is grown he's experience at the fruit of the spirit he says is love, joy, peace, long-suffering goodness, kindness, gentleness, now we get to the book of Philippians and there is more joy in this letter than any of Paul's 13 epistles that he writes joy is dripping out of every verse in this book at least 19 times in four chapters of Philippians, Paul mentions joy rejoicing or gladness 19 times. That's Paul Saul of Tarsus. Now Paul the apostle the apostle of joy.

Now we come to Timothy is the second name the third word of verse one Paul and Timothy, let me just say Timothy is another one you would not naturally associate the emotion of joy with Timothy came from a tough home situation he had mixed parentage of one parent was Jewish. That was his mother religious gal but his dad was an unbeliever from Lysistrata in Asia minor. Now his mother and grandmother both name second Timothy chapter 1 I his mother was named Eunice his grandmother's name Lois.

They were both Jewish ladies who raised him in the Jewish faith, but there was this division at home because dad was not a religious guy was an unbelieving Greek then something happened. Paul the apostle came through town and he preached the good news of the gospel and Lois and Eunice. Mom and grandma heard it, and they receive Jesus Christ and by the way, so did young Timothy probably about 15 years of age 15 years of age, but even at 15 years of age he was allowed to follow Paul on his missionary journeys, and so he did were not told that his father came to know Christ, just his mother and his grandmother, but he becomes a part of Paul's team. He goes on his second missionary journey. He goes to Jerusalem carrying money that they collected from churches to get to the church of Jerusalem and four years Paul the apostle is able to be his tutor, his mentor his disciple are and show him the joy of the Lord in the most difficult of circumstances, he becomes so important to Paul. The Paul calls him my son in the faith and he's the guy that Paul will send back to the Philippians to represent them. He says in chapter 2 Philippians 2 verse 20 I have no one who is ESOP Sue costs that's the word he uses like minded I'm in a send you Timothy because in sending you Timothy and thinking I'm sending somebody who thinks like I think value is what I value and sending Timothy's is good is sending me. I have no one on my staff were that I know who is like minded except this young man that's Timothy or read more about them, consider them more as we go. But these guys have been changed. But here's what I want you to see the real reason for the joy in the lives of Paul and Timothy as described by the very next word in verse one Paul and Timothy was an expert, bond servants of Jesus Christ.

The reason they were joyful was because they decided on the to serve the Lord that brought them joy. The word bond servants do Loy describes a person owned by someone else to slave you say how do you get happy being a slave quarters joy come from being a slave of Jesus Christ, bond servants, a person owned by someone else who lives to serve someone else when it's used in the New Testament it usually refers to somebody who serves another willingly and voluntarily. They are voluntarily devoted and surrendered Jesus Christ as their master basket with a message from the series Technicolor joy. Now we want to share about a special resource that will help you live victoriously through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is mysterious in the Bible. Jesus even said moves like the wind, so Christians are instructed to know and sensitive to Holy Spirit help counsel and comfort. I think reminds us, you can't neglect the Holy Spirit is the Scripture is of the Holy Spirit from beginning to and from Genesis to Revelation.

Not only is the Bible the holy candy to the Holy Spirit is a divine person who helps you think you need all the help you can get to live your Christian life you I'm fine with. We need help discover who the Holy Spirit is the study expound and for a limited time you can also get a copy of linear and power discover your spiritual gifts. Both resources are everything your gift of $25 or more to help expand teaching outreach to get online securely connect.com/or call 800-922-1888 many people around the world experiencing a new life in Jesus.

Thanks to your support, just listen to this letter. One person Synanon. Thank you for what you've done in my life. I recently gave my life to Christ and have been studying the Bible and getting deep understanding from your teachings you make stories like this possible with your generosity you another opportunity to reach even more people with God's love and truth, justice, and connect with.com/donate.connectwithskip.com/donate or call 892 1888 again that 819 to 18. Tune in tomorrow escapade to continues to look at Paul's letter of joy and hope to understand why God sometimes puts roadblocks in your path that draw you closer to sometimes God says no hundred people to proofread for months have no sound like he said no sound like both of the answer that's an answer and it's a good answer. God is God's know is as a ordinance God so Skip presentation of connection communications to God's never changing truth ever-changing time