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July 30, 2021 2:00 am
After musing over past events that brought him to prison, Paul looked ahead to his uncertain future. In the message "Can You Predict Your Future?" Skip shares several words that sum up what Paul expected his future to include.
This teaching is from the series Technicolor Joy: A Study through Philippians .
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This shows us that joy is a choice. It is an act of the will is tethered to something deeper than happiness. If you remember in her very first study of Philippians we noted the difference between happiness and joy and happiness is a temporary feeling of delight. If the circumstances go your way. Joy is something that is fixed, fear and doubt when your future looks uncertain, but today on connect with Skip Heitzigs, Skip shares how you can live with joy and confidence knowing God has your future in his hands before you a Bible study trip to Israel is a life changer. Bible study will never be the same Skip has lived in his and led tours. Many many times furious 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 and 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 out to Israel with Skip Heitzig information and inspiration.
Cruises.com/see ABQ.
That's inspiration cruises.com/C ABQ Skip Heitzigs and get to today's message, so a golfer went to a fortuneteller and the golfers that I have one question, will there be golf courses in heaven.
Fortuneteller said well I got good news and I got bad news is okay. Give me the good news. She said the good news is in heaven.
The golf courses are so beautiful so magnificent there be on human imagination and he said well how can there be any bad news with that she said will the bad news is you have a game book to start at 830 tomorrow morning predicting the future, has been a favorite pastime for millennia.
Way back in antiquity, diviners, priests would use all sorts of methods that they said was able to read the future so they would look at clouds the way they were dispersing the sky and they would say that means such and such, or they would look at the way stars appeared in the sky and the galaxies are drops of oil in water forming different patterns. Some even use the entrails of animals. You can imagine putting an organ like a liver on a plate in the way would wiggle and wobble. They would be able they said to predict the future and its people's desire to know the future that makes horoscopes still popular or fortuneteller's popular or palm readers or psychics or weatherman.
We want to know what is coming in in the future know all of those things are forbidden by Scripture, except perhaps for weatherman, but the reason there forbidden in the Scripture is simple. Their fake they don't work there calling on nothing to predict the future that they don't know it's just making the gas.
Only God knows the future, and only God can predict the future.
We have looked at the great series against all odds of how God is fulfilled prophecy. But did you know that you can predict your future. You can predict your future. You can't predict future circumstances, but you can predict future responses. I want you to see how Paul doesn't in Philippians chapter 1 take you back up to verse 18 says what then only that in every place, whether in pretense or truth, Christ is preached, and in this I rejoice. Now look at what he does with the future.
Yes, and I will rejoice for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that another thing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always. So now also Christ will be magnified in my body whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain up to this point in Paul's letter to the Philippian church is been looking at past tense events. For example, in verse three Paul says I think God upon every remembrance of you, that's past tense. In verse five he is thankful for their partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. In verse 12 he says I want you to know the things that have happened to me have happened for the furtherance of the gospel.
All of these are past tense experiences. Paul is in jail.
He's writing to the Philippians about what happened to him in the past and what is happening to him. In the present. Now he pivots and he looks to the future and notice the words.
For instance, in verse 18.
Yes, I will rejoice. That's future verse 19 for I know that this will turn out. Verse 20 he says that another thing I shall be ashamed. Also in verse 20. So now Christ will be magnified.
Paul is now predicting the future know the truth is, the future was uncertain for Paul.
He did not know which way the winds of Roman justice would be blowing for him. He knew that he would stand trial that was sure but he doesn't know what's going to happen in the circumstances of life. Yet he makes predictions about his responses to those circumstances I give you four words that sum it up. He predicts joy he predicts confidence he predicts hope he predicts life is pretty good future right those four things he predicts you if you're a follower of Christ. You can predict your future. You can predict predict what your future responses will be. It's like that old Dale Carnegie saying you probably heard two men looked out from prison bars. Once the mod. The other saw stars.
So here's Paul the apostle looking out literally from prison bars in Rome. He doesn't see much.
He sees stars and he sees four stars, to be exact.
He sees the star of joy the star of confidence, the star of hope in the star of life. Would you be looking at each one of those today. Abraham Lincoln once said the best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time will that's good news, but it will come. Nonetheless, your future is coming, what will it be like Oliver Corrie 10 boom used to say. She said even though we don't know the future. We don't know what the future will hold. We know who holds the future because of that there are four stars that you can see from whatever prison you might find yourself, let's consider the first joy is the first in verse 18. The last part of it.
Notice he says yes and will rejoice only just tell you some about the Scripture in general. This letter to the Philippians is just that it is a letter Paul did not write I. Two. Three. Write verse numbers. He wrote a letter was just text. There were no chapter divisions. There were no verse identifications. In fact, until they hear 1227 A.D. all of the Bible was tax no chapters, no verse 1227, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton decided it would be much easier to be able to find something in the Bible if there were chapters and verse numbers.
So he did that and then in the 1300s, 1382. The very first English Bible that had verse numbers was the Wycliffe English Bible and that's helpful.
However, I don't always agree with where they put the verses in fact, many Bible translators have said the same thing to go now that verse belongs in a different chapter. The way was broken up is not inspired but it can be helpful, nonetheless. And here is a good example in verse 18, the NIV, if you have a new international version shows the break. That should be there.
Verse 18 in the NIV reads this and ends with this phrase, and because of this I rejoice.
Not,.
Then begins a In the Says yes I will continue to rejoice. That's because the thought of verse 18 that last phrase belongs in verse 19 he is now moving from the past to the future. See, here's what Paul has been writing so far. He saying the things that have happened to me in the past will not rob me of joy.
I'm not gonna let that happen. They've they've actually furthered the gospel and so what things are those well let's go over them. He was arrested in Jerusalem falsely accused.
He was then taken to Caesarea by the sea. He spent two years in jail. There he went through three mistrials before Felix, Festus and Agrippa. He appealed his case to Caesar is put on a prison ship is taken her own. He's had a shipwreck in the ocean. He finally makes it to Rome. He's put in jail again for another two-year incarceration and he says all of those things happened to me in the past and they will not steal my joy that he says not only are their past circumstances. There are past and present. People who were trying to rob me of joy. We spoke about those last week all those anti-Paul cranky Christians who were trying to make Paul's incarceration even worse than it already was. He says I'm not gonna let them steal my joy or get me down, and all of that ends in verse 18 where he says I rejoice. Now he turns to the future at the second part of verse 18. He pivots and says yes and I will rejoice not out now is looking to the future and here's the deal. Once again I remind you, Paul doesn't know what's going to happen in the future as far as circumstances are concerned. All he knows is that he's going to stand before the Roman court for a trial and because as a Roman citizen, he appealed to Caesar directly.
That means he's gonna stand in front of Caesar, Nero himself. Caesar Nero will render the verdict.
He will either set him free.
Or he will sever his head. He will either exonerate him or exterminate him.
Paul doesn't know which he says as much in verse 20, whether by life or by death.
Yet he makes this prediction I will rejoice, I have joy in my future. Now when hearing that some of us to be tempted to say, wait a minute while you can't say that because what if he handles you hands you guilty verdict and says offer this at then you have to say will I used to rejoice, but not today. Today is a bummer. My bummer run is over today buses not to say that in my future, whether by life or death. I will rejoice. Here's why I am belaboring this point.
This shows us that joy is a choice. It is an act of the will is tethered to something deeper than happiness. If you remember in our very first study of Philippians we noted the difference between happiness and joy.
We said happiness is a temporary feeling of delight. If the circumstances go your way.
Joy is something that is fixed. There is a difference by the way the Bible mentions happiness. About 30 times. It mentions joy. 300 because they're different experiences and it's helpful to make a demarcation between so happiness is externally triggered if you get a raise your happy summary pays you a compliment.
Your happy you get a new car you are happy for about a week to make the payments on that if your team wins you're happy if you asked that you girl and she says yes your happy.
Happiness goes up and down depending on the circumstances, joy is internally triggered. It is based upon a relationship with God are justified by faith, your sins are forgiven and your name is written in the Lamb's book of life. You're on your way to heaven. That's something that is fixed.
So happiness has its source in advance in people and in things.
Joy has its source in God. Which means Paul may have been experiencing unhappy feelings. He may be emotionally unhappy incarcerated in jail and going through the beatings at separate.
Nobody likes that. But what he is saying is nothing and no one will steal my joy. That's why this book is so filled with in four chapters of the book of Philippians joy rejoicing gladness shows up 19 times. This prisoner writes about joy.
So Paul is looking out from prison bars, and he sees the star of joy does not only have I rejoice, I will rejoice. That's the first. The second prediction he makes the second star that he sees is the start of confidence. Verse 19 for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ. Did you hear the tone in his voice to hear the certainty for I know he is sure about something isn't it insane now. I think I hope, I suppose.
I know it's a very strong word. You see your Outlook is determined by your outlook and Paul is looking out and out from that prison he sees not only the stars.
He sees the God who made the stars because I am confident I know this is a man of faith is filled with faith. If joy is an act of the will, then confidence is a statement of faith?
What is he so confident in what is your text tell you what is he confidence going to happen. I know this will turn out for my what it says deliverance. I know I'm going to be delivered what is that mean while the word deliverance is the word common word in the New Testament so Terry on it's the word for salvation. I know this is going to turn out. I know I'm confident this good turnout for my salvation literally so Terry and translated deliverance. Paul is not saying I'm an unsaved person and I hope that if I suffer enough in jail. I'll be saved needed than say that I would contradict him.
Some people think that Paul is saying.
I know that I'm to be strong out of jail, to be set free. He can't mean that because in verse 20 he says, whether by life or by death, so I could live or I could die. So when he says I know that this is going to be for my deliverance. That's Paul's way of saying I'm going to be just fine. Deliverance could be better translated. Perhaps my well-being.
Things are going to turn out for the best. This is Paul's Philippians one way of restating Romans 828 you know. Romans 828 for we know that all things work together for good for those who love God and are the called according to his purpose. This is the same truth stated in a different manner. Paul's in prison. He's not sure how God's going to deliver him if he's in the delivered him from the trial or through the trial, he doesn't know if he's in a live or die because I'm just fine. I know I'm going to be delivered. Explain 70. I pray for a lot of people who are sick through the years and quite honestly, I pray for some people, and they get better and I it's always fun to watch that happen. I've even seen a couple of rare occasions and instantaneous healing. I will deny that. I've seen it with my own eyes, but I've also pray for people who don't get better, they get worse. I pray for them to get worse. I pray more for them. They die, so be careful.
Let's just get Skip to pray for this I have no special ability God's sovereignty does what he wants.
So I pray for some people to get better. Some people to get worse. Some people they live a long time. Some people they die.
God delivered them all some people, he delivers by giving them 20 years on earth. Some people is is no. They're done with life on earth. Let's take them they have and that's not a bad gig. They get delivered completely. That's Paul's thought. I am confident in my future that things will turn out for my deliverance know what is the means of Paul's confidence was the agency of well it's twofold to the prayers of God's people, and through the provision of God spirit look at it yourself please.
I know this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and through the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ is what is same as you keep praying and as God keeps providing I'm to be fine. I face my future with confidence. Let's drill down a little bit. Consider prayer from I am absolutely confident in my future well-being through your prayer, he's assuming the Philippian church is already praying for them. But in writing this he's asking for more prayer to make a statement that might be shocking to you, but I believe it to be true.
We marginalize prayer we really do most of us believers. Most of us, we marginalize prayer. We doubt that prayer will even work.
Quite frankly, you now I know that is if we didn't believe that we be doing a whole lot more of it. If we really thought prayer had the power to change things to change us to change people we be doing that a lot. Paul is so sure that as long as they are praying for him. He can be joyful and he can be confident in the future. A few years back had the privilege of going to London and visiting Charles Haddon Spurgeon's church called Metropolitan Tabernacle.
Of course, Spurgeon lived in the 1800s died, but his church still stands.
It is survival, wars, burnings, bombings, the façade is still there. The church is been rebuilt, but I love going there because I remember all the stories not only about Spurgeon and how many people came to hear him preach, but he would if he took people on a tour of the facility. He would show them the great Tabernacle where he would preach, but he took them to the basement where there was a little empty room, a meager room and he pointed the room and say this is the powerhouse and the reason that this church is blessed by God.
It was a prayer room.
He said when I preach. There's a group of people every service that meets in this room and they pray that the spirit of God would be unleashed. This is the secret. This is the power Leonard Ravenhill said this, the church has many organizers, but few agonizes many who pay but few who pray many rasters, but few wrestlers, many who are enterprising few who are interceding overly Christian. Praying in a praying Christian. Worldliness ties may build the church with tears will give in life that wraps up Skip's message from his series, Technicolor joy want to let you know about a resource that will help with 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 no sensitive spirit, and his health Council and comfort escape. I think reminds us, you can't neglect the Holy Spirit is the Scripture is the Holy Spirit from beginning to end, from Genesis to Revelation.
Not only is the Bible.
The Holy Spirit candy to the Holy Spirit is a divine person who helps us how many of you think you need all the help you get to live your Christian life you I'm I'm with. We need help discover who the Holy Spirit is the study expound Holy Spirit and for a limited time you can also get a copy of linear height and power discover your spiritual gifts.
Both resources are everything your gift of $25 or more to help expand Bible teaching outreach to get online securely connect with.com/or call 800-922-1888 and we invite you to visit connectwithskip.com today you will find even more. Skip's message is 3500 teachers that help impact the Bible verse by verse to help you tackle life's toughest issues. Once again, that's connectwithskip.com and just to remind tune in to watch connect with Skip hike to function on Saturdays at 4:30 PM Mountain catch it on TBN on Sundays at 5:30 AM Eastern. Check your local listings next Skip hike six years face an uncertain future with confidence Skip hike presentation of connection communications to go through ever-changing time