“Joy in the Face of Adversity”
(Philippians 1:1-3)
Dr. Richard S. Koole
Chapel Pointe
April 20, 2008
I. Introduction
A. The “God Question”
1. Why so important
2. Abe Lincoln “The philosophy in the school room in one generation will be the philosophy in the government of the next.”
B. My birthday last week
C. Me and the guys from Eden Street
After surviving being born to mothers who smoked and drank while they were pregnant, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.
As infants & children, we rode in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from plastic bottles.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and lots of bacon and none of us got overweight.
We’d leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were O.K.
We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, and, although we were told it would happen, we didn’t put out very many eyes.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.
And somehow we survived.
D. Today we begin a life changing journey
1. 10 Steps to a Life That Matters
a. The book of Philippians
2. Step #1…..Facing Adversity with Confidence
a. Today — “Joy in the Face of Adversity”
b. Next…
1. “Overcoming Nagging Depression”
2. “Making a Difference in your World”
3. “Restoring Lost Purity”
4. “Why the Righteous Suffer”
II. Introduction to Philippians
A. The Author of Philippians
(1) Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: (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.
1. “Paul and Timothy” (v.1)
a. Paul wrote it
· 1st person singular (“I” and “me”)
· Sharing His testimony
b. Timothy is co-worker
· Possibly secretary also
· Common practice of Paul
· May have dictated it to Timothy
2. A generous church
a. Always sending gifts to Paul and others
b. This is a “Thank You” for a gift
3. The people were grieving for Paul
a. Under “house arrest” in Rome
b. They sent him money and a servant (Epaphraditus)
4. Paul sets the record straight
a. Don’t need your despair, your gift, or the servant
b. Sent letter back with Epaphraditus
5. Key lesson today is how to have “Joy in the Face of Adversity”
a. Don’t let eternal circumstances determine your inner joy
b. Anybody can have joy when things are going well
6. Philippians is one of four letters Paul wrote while in prison
a. Ephesians
b. Colossians
c. Philippians
d. Philemon
7. Philippians is arguably his most joyful letter
8. Written approximately 62 AD
a. About 30 years after the resurrection of Jesus
B. The City of Philippi
(1) Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
1. Location…Macedonia/Greece
a. Top of Aegean Sea
b. Key route between Asia and Europe
· Appian Way Extension
· Pass through mountains
c. Named for Philip of Macedon
· Father of Alexander the Great
· Means “city of Philip”
2. Roman colony
a. Miniature Rome
1. Language
2. Culture
3. People
b. High Honor
1. Not taxed
2. Self-government
3. All the rights of Roman Citizens
C. The Birth of the Church in Philippi….Acts 16
1. The Macedonian call (v. 9-10)
(9) During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” (10) After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
a. Time to reach Europe
2. Journeyed to Philippi…..v.11-12
(11) From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. (12) From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
3. Waited for the Sabbath…..v.13
a. To find Jews
b. Paul always went to Synagogues first
c. No Synagogue
1. Needed at least 10 men
d. If there were any Jews, they would congregate by a riverside for prayer
(13) On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there.
4. Lydia…..v.14
(14) One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. (15) When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
a. What we learn about Lydia
1. From Thyatira
· Famous for purple dye
2. Worshiped God
· A true seeker
· God never ignores a seeking heart
· Will send a messenger!
b. She heard…believed…and was baptized…..v.15
c. The first European Christian was a lady
5. The Exorcism (v.16-18)
(16) Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.
a. The slave girl…..v.16
· Demon filled
· Fortune teller
b. Followed Paul, Silas, Luke, Timothy…..v.17-18
(17) This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” (18) She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.
· Proclaimed the truth
· Demons know the truth
c. The exorcism
· Paul’s action
6. The anger of the masters (v.19-21)
(19) When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. (20) They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar (21) by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.”
a. Made money off her…..v.19
· Not any more!
b. Dragged them into the marketplace
1. The “Agora” or “Forum”
2. Place of rulers / magistrates
c. “These men are Jews”…..v.20-21
1. The rise of “Anti-Semitism”
2. Claudius had just expelled Jews from Rome
3. “advocating unlawful customs”
7. The Kangaroo Court (v.22)
(22) The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten.”
8. Beaten severely with stiff rods (v.23)
(23) After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
a. External tearing
b. Internal bleeding
9. Thrown into prison (v.24)
(24) Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
a. “Inner” prison
· Maximum security
b. The stocks
· Spread legs and arms
· Cramping
c. Lying in a pool of blood
10. Their response (v.25)
(25) About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
a. “Praying and singing hymns at midnight”
· INCREDIBLE!
c. “Prayed—”
· Out loud
· Glorified God
· Heard by guards and prisoners
d. “Singing hymns”
· Glorified God
e. And the other prisoners were listening to them
III. Some lessons regarding “Joy”
A. True joy is not dependent upon circumstances
1. Paul’s circumstances could not have been worse
a. Yet he was praising God
2. Common circumstances that can suck the joy out of your life
a. Money Problems
1. Its always something….
· Auto breakdown
· Washer and dryer
· Loss of job
· Kids and college
2. Joy regardless on money problems
b. Health Problems
1. The aging process
· Parts wear out
2. Have joy when feeling terrible
c. Job Problems
1. Kinds of problems
· Rotten boss
· Bad hours
· Working while sick
· Lay offs
2. Joy when your job stinks
d. Family Problems
1. The most painful
· No escape
· Can get a new job…but not a new family
· Aging parents
· Thoughtless relatives
2. Don’t let them steal the joy
3. Teens and peer pressure
3. Remember….Joy is an attitude you choose
a. “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond”
b. Nobody can ruin my day if I don’t want them to
B. True joy is contagious
1. The Earthquake …v. 25-28
(25) About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. (26) Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose. (27) The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. (28) But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
a. Jailer figured all of the prisoners had escaped
b. The punishment for losing a prisoner was his death
2. But all of the prisoners stayed with Paul and Silas
a. They wanted what Paul had
b. Paul had joy…and joy is contagious
C. True joy starts with a personal belief in Jesus
1. The simple plan of salvation…..v.29-31
(29) The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. (30) He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (31) They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
D. True joy will be noticed by your family
1. The jailer shared it with his family and friends….v.32-34
(32) Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. (33) At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. (34) The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.
2. Lee Stroebel’s wife
E. True joy is knowing God cares about you
1. Their release – V. 35-39
(35) When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailers with the order: “Release those men.” (36) The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace. (37) But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.” (38) The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when the heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. (39) They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. (40) After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.
2. God takes care of His kids
a. Paul never doubted
· Why he had joy
b. Doubt and joy don’t coincide
· Can’t have both
c. Doubter seldom blessed
3. A church was started in Philippi
a. In the house of Lydia
b. They had joy regardless of circumstances
IV. Summary
A. Fly the flag!
1. Mick in London
a. Visiting Buckingham Palace
b. One glance and he knew if the Queen was in the palace
c. The flag flies when the Ruler is inside
2. Joy is the Flag
a. Principal Rainy, of whom a child once remarked that she believed he went to Heaven every night because he was so happy every day, once used a fine metaphor about a Christian’s joy. “Joy,” he said, “is the flag which is flown from the castle of the heart when the King is in residence there.”
B. Are you flying the flag?
1. Choose to be happy
a. Regardless of circumstances
2. Are you “contagious?”
b. Grumpy Christians are seldom imitated
C. The simple plan of salvation….
1. (Acts 16:30) “What must I do to be saved?”
2. (Acts 16:31) “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.”