Rejoicing In Life's Circumstances

Do you think you have to be having “fun” and life must be completely “fair” before you can be a happy? Do you think you must have ideal circumstances before you can have joy? Do you think everyone must love and appreciate you before you can have joy? Do you think you must solve all your problems before you can rejoice? Joy is not fun, ideal circumstances, having everyone like you, and having all your problems solved. Let me give you a key to rejoicing in your circumstances: Live on purpose for God’s purpose; purpose to live for God’s purposes.
Let me tell you about a man who was being treated unfairly. He was getting a bum deal. Life was not fair to him. His circumstances were miserable. He was in jail on false charges. He was in literal chains in jail. It was boring. People were criticizing him and trying to tear down what he had built. Yet the theme of his life is : “I do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.” I speak of Paul.
Friends, people are not happy today! Many are on a search for happiness on a never-ending hunt for fun. Do you know why there is so much depression in our culture today? SELFISHNESS! People who live with the purpose of “What’s in it for me?” will no doubt be joyless.
Do you know why Paul was a man of joy even in miserable circumstances? He boiled down his life purpose to a few very simple goals. It was not a never- ending search for possessions, popularity, pleasures, or prestige. It was a settled life that had been decided for Jesus Christ. Paul was not going to allow any person or any circumstance or any criticism to steal his joy.
Do you know how to keep a positive perspective in life? Live ON PURPOSE for God’s purposes. Do you know how to establish priorities in life? Live ON PURPOSE for God’s purposes.
Have you ever made a mistake and said, I did not do that on purpose. We all have made mistakes, but one of the keys to life is to live life basically ON PURPOSE. Paul is in prison. Certain “things” have happened to him quite out of his control. He did not cause them, he was dealt them and he had to accept the “things” from God’s hand and live on purpose. He had to take the things that happened to him and rejoice. And he does!
Phil. 1:18, I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. Here we see how to rejoice no matter the circumstances: The first purpose that Paul had was to:
1. Live to FURTHER THE FAITH, v.12-19
One of the mistakes we make is that we think we have to solve our problems or control or change our circumstances before we can rejoice. Many things in life are out of our control and we cannot change them, either. We must not allow these circumstances to make us bitter, but better.
Paul was not allowing a depressing place depress him. He did not control his location, since he was in jail. Paul did not let uncontrollable or unchangeable circumstances control his emotions or spiritual joy. Paul’s choice was not chains, but since God is sovereign and in control, Paul took this situation from God. God gave him wings in his chains. He witnessed to the Roman soldiers who were chained to him. Every four or six hours he was able to talk to an influential person in the Roman empire, and some of them were saved and the Gospel went from the prison to the palace. Paul had a captive audience! One every six hours; four people each day; 28 each week; 120 each month; 1,440 each year! Do you know what happened? Some in “Caesar’s household” had become saints. That is what I call a “chain reaction!” Paul had much invested in “stocks and bonds!” He could provide much counseling in stocks and bonds. We also can make the most of a bad environment by investing in furthering the Gospel of Christ! Preach Christ and you will have joy.
Maybe your job or school is like jail to you. Do you know how to spice up your life and inject joy in a place that is boring or dull? Seek to further the Gospel! Witness for Christ.
Not only did circumstances not control him, but what PEOPLE did to him did not control him. Some people were purposely trying to get under Paul’s skin and irritate him. Some were preaching with envy, strife, contention, not sincerely, seeking to afflict him, and in a pretentious manner. The idea of “contention” is “to canvass for office, to get people to support you.” Some were preaching to get a following; Paul preached so people would follow Jesus Christ. Some preached to promote their ministries; Paul preached to promote Jesus Christ.
? Question: What does it take to steal your joy or make you bitter? As long as Paul could further the Gospel, he has a “What then” attitude, which basically means “SO WHAT” to those who sought to add affliction to his bonds.
? Lessons: Do not let uncontrollable or unchangeable circumstances control your emotions; and do not let critical people control your emotions by focusing on the positive and not the negative. Paul rejoiced in the final analysis because he was furthering the Gospel, others who were gaining confidence by his testimony were furthering the Gospel, and even those who were not fully sincere were preaching Christ and furthering the Gospel.
The second grand purpose of Paul that allowed him to rejoice in his circumstances was to, 2. Live to MAGNIFY the Master, v.20-21
The word “earnest expectation” is a compound word of three words in the original language: “Away-Head-Watch.” Paul lived for the purpose to make much of Jesus and to unleash the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to those he met. He was willing to sacrifice and turn away his head from all things that would distract him and put his attention on Jesus. Does Jesus have your attention? Are you willing to sacrifice your time and energy to seek the Lord? Is your heart inflamed with love to seek the Lord? Are you willing to turn your head away from the things of this world and look unto Jesus?
Paul’s hope in Jesus gave him power to cope; he was going to magnify Christ. Just like a telescope brings the mighty nature of distant stars closer to us, our body is to be a telescope; bringing the Christ so sadly distant to many around us, closer. This is what I call “Telescopic Christianity!” Paul was not looking to be a celebrity, but to glorify Christ. Look at Paul’s amazing statement: For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Phil.1:21). WOW! That simplifies a lot of things, does it not? That is “telescope living.” A telescope takes something great but distant and brings it closer for others to see. Is Jesus not great? We should have a desire to magnify His greatness for others to behold. Let your body be a human telescope to make much of Jesus who died and rose again from the dead! Many people in our city know nothing of the real Christian life.
? Question: For to me to live is ________? Question: How would you fill that blank in? You must fill that blank in with something. As a matter of fact, that blank is already filled in with something. Where do you run when you have a problem? What do you do when no one is watching? How do you spend your free time? Is Christ your life? There are a million different things people are prone to put into that blank.
How you fill in that blank will determine whether you live a covetous life or a content life. You will either be content with Christ or you will covet a million different things. The covetous person is on a search for more; the content person says, I have Christ and desire more of Him.
How you fill that blank in will determine your joy now and eventually your destiny. It will determine what you will do with your time and what habits you will form. For some people, it is one of the big “P’s: Possessions, Pleasure, Prestige, Power, or Popularity. Today, so many people have SO MUCH TO LIVE ON but so little to LIVE FOR. A lot of adults like to get “things” to show off. Like a little child who just learns to ride their bike they say, “Watch me, Mommy and Daddy!” A lot of adults are just saying, Watch me, drive this car, live in this house, and wear these clothes! Watch me, watch me! Are you going to live for a CAR? A House? Video games? Music? Movies? Discos? Bar? Travel? Experiences? Sports? Religion? Church?
Many people live their life for untrue causes, and many others live their lives for second class causes. Many hard working people sadly give first class allegiance to second class causes.
Paul said, for me to live is CHRIST, and to die is gain. Not CHURCH, or RELIGION, but a living person, the One who rose again from the dead. For to me to live is my relationship with the PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST. Ironside said, “this is the Christian life and experience in its fulness.” Someone else has said, “Life is what we are alive to.” I desire to magnify Jesus and I am willing to TURN AWAY MY HEAD and put my attention on Him. Christ is the truth and the greatest cause we can live for. I will tell you why people are depressed today. It is because they are living for SELF, and that is a very small cause. We want to live our lives for something that will outlast it. That is standard equipment in our human spirit. That brings joy when we can live for a cause greater than ourselves. Live for Jesus Christ!
The lesson is when you establish your PURPOSE, you can figure out your priorities.
3. Live to SERVE the Saints, v.22-26
Warren Wiersbe has wisely said, “Service is not punishment but nourishment!” Now Paul was ready to die and he even has one foot in heaven. To die is gain for this man. But he was not ready to die, because he desired to abide in the flesh and minister and disciple and build up the saints. Paul did not want to live on this earth if he could not see others grow in grace. The third purpose Paul lived for was to minister or serve the saints of God.
Because Jesus Christ was Paul’s life, this was the fruit of his labor. What is the fruit? Christ himself. Go back to v.11, “being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”
Look at verse 25, “and having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith.” God has made our bodies to work. The human body is made to work and finds joy making sacrifices for others. True joy is not found in selfishness but in sacrifice. Joy is not found in selfishness but in service, Phil.2:17,18.
Paul lived for the GROWTH and GLADNESS of others walk of faith. Paul wanted other believers to advance in their faith and grow forward! He desired that the believers in Philippi possess all the fulness of Christ. Paul uses this word “furtherance” in 1 Tim.4:15; “that thy profiting may appear to all.” The idea is to pioneer new territory for our Savior. One day we will take down our tent and move to heaven; until then we are to be advancing in our faith and growing in His grace. Paul wanted others to have GLADNESS in their faith. The Lord does not save us to make us miserable. There is joy in the Lord. There is joy in ministry! When we remember that we are serving the Lord and that our labor is not in vain in the Lord, there is great joy.
Let me say a word about this passage theologically. When saved people die, their soul does not sleep. We go immediately to be with the Lord. That was Paul’s hope. Now, Jehovah’s Witnessess and Seventh Day Adventists do not teach that believers go to be in the presence of the Lord at the moment of death, but their view is not the long held precious hope of God’s people. The Bible teaches that when we depart from this flesh, we go to immediately be with the Lord. The word depart gives us a picture of taking down a tent and moving on. This life is a camping existence. We are mere strangers and pilgrims down here! The last breath on earth is our first breath in heaven. Paul was willing to die and go to hell for the Jews (Romans 9:3) and he was willing to postpone heaven to help Christians grow.
Question: Why do you want to live a long time? Many have a lot to live on but so little to live for. Paul’s purpose was to live and minister so that others may grow and be glad in their faith.
Lesson: Live for OTHERS. You see, Paul had Jesus first, and when He is first, others will be second and YOU will be third. It takes Jesus to be first, though. If Jesus is not first, your sinful and selfish nature will struggle against putting others before you!
Jesus did not come to be ministered unto, but to minister and give his life a ransom for many. The Christian life is service for our Savior! Paul began this book saying that he and Timothy were slaves for Jesus Christ!
We are living in a city and society where many people are unhappy. It is because so many people are totally preoccupied with self. They are on an endless search for things to try and satisfy our restless spirit. The human heart is very much restless until it finds rest in God. There is an abundance in the Lord. In making Christ your life you will find more than enough in Him. Do you really believe that?
Are you living ON PURPOSE for God’s Purposes?
1. Live to Further the Faith
2. Live to Magnify the Master
3. Live to Serve the Saints