THE JOY OF THE LORD

As we continue our study today I want to consider 3 words found in chapter one verses 4-6.

Philippians 1:4 always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy.

That little word "joy" in both the Greek and the Hebrew can have different meanings, depending on the word that is used. But all have a common meaning, "a great delight".  What delights you? Being with family, friends, sports, money, what brings you great joy, great pleasure? Paul said his very remembrance of his fellow believers, his prayers for them were with joy. Can we say the same as we think and pray for members in our local churches, or even for those in the body of Christ that we may not know personally? I must confess I have not given it much thought until now. We know that in Galatians 5:22 "joy" is part of the fruit of the Spirit, we who are believers have the fruit of the Spirit within us yet do we exercise that fruit that is within us? The more we walk in the Spirit, the more the fruit of the Spirit comes forth naturally the more it is seen in us by others.

Joy can mean: pleasure, brightness, beauty, delight, source of our joy, shout, loud cheering at the time of victory, singing, rejoicing in jubilation.

The jubilant joy of loud cheering in victory is Rinnah and here are a few verses where that joy is found:

Psalm 30:5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night but joy (jubilant rejoicing in victory) comes in the morning.

Sort of seeing it more clearly when we know the meaning.

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice "Rinnah" over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice "Rinnah" with singing.

This literally means God finds such joy, delight in the victory of our salvation that He dances and sings with great joy. Do we have that same kind of joy when someone is saved, or when someone is delivered or healed?

Paul found great joy in knowing that the brethren, a new creation in Christ, were continuing their walk in Christ Jesus our Lord. What about us, in those moments when all seems to fall apart, when we don't know what may be happening even in the next moment, do we throw away our joy.? Do we see our problems greater than the source of our joy, do we see failure or do we see victory? Do we look for temporary happiness or eternal joy? The joy of the Lord is internal within us Satan may attempt to steal our joy but he can never take anything God has given unless we give it to him. Many cannot understand that when we as followers of Christ come under distress and hardship how can we still have joy? It is because we walk in the fullness of His joy, not happy thoughts but joy that can not be expressed in words.

Luke 2:10-11 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people, For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Romans 12:15 Let us rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

Let us rejoice with exceeding joy when we are in our times of testing, in our valleys knowing that the source of our joy is not in our circumstance but in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us rejoice with our brethren as they rejoice and weep with them who weep. We are victorious in Christ because He has secured victory for us so that we can have great joy that no one can take from us.

The next word is found in:

Philippians 1:5 for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now

See how Paul tells them that their fellowship brings him joy. It is the word "fellowship" I want to look at. Too often we think of getting together talking,  laughing and eating which is a form of fellowship.

Yet in this verse and others this word in the Greek is "koinonia" and means partnership, unity, sharing, communion. As believers in Christ we are in unity and partnership together in the kingdom of God, believing in the gospel of Christ and sharing the good news to those who do not know Him. We have a common goal and His name is Jesus, being like minded in Christ we can walk together in unity. More than anything Jesus desires for His people to walk in unity. How can the lost find hope in Christ when they see God's people throwing stones at one another?

Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer

1 John 1:3-4 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy might be full.

Psalm 133:1 Behold how good and how pleasant it is, For brethren to dwell together in unity.

For Paul to see the church of the Philippians walking together in this kind of fellowship together brought him great joy. The church is a community of believers, ministering one to another,  strengthening one another by encouraging, inspiring, comforting, teaching, helping, praying for and with one another. It pleases the Father when He sees His people lay aside disagreements that have nothing to do with the kingdom of God, have nothing to do with the eternal but everything to do with what is temporal. It is the desire of the enemy to sow discord and division within the church and he will begin with a whisper of "offense". They did not speak to you, the pastor likes them more than you, etc.

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Where have we placed our confidence? Have we placed it in people, positions, possessions, in the temporary or the eternal? When we allow our outward circumstances, which are temporary,  to dictate what God is doing within us then we are missing His purpose of transforming us inwardly. The inward transformation has an eternal purpose.

Hebrews 3:6 but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end

Hebrews 3:14 For we are partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.

Our confidence is found in who Jesus Christ is and who we are in Him. It is knowing that He has saved us, that He is transforming us to be more like Him and less like the world. To be in fellowship with a body of believers who come along beside you to help when you are feeling defeated and help lift up your arms and reassure you that our confidence is and always will be our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God.

Lets consider the word "good". Many use that word to describe a good person, a good deed, it is a good thing.

In the Greek the word is "agathos", in the physical and moral sense produces benefits. I am reminded from John 15, Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches as we are attached to Him by salvation and abiding in Him daily, through prayer, His word, fellowship, we will bear His fruit that others will see. This is fruit that produces benefits. Notice Paul says " begun  good work in us". This is God working and changing us inwardly, He is always working on the internal that we will see the external with His perspective. This verse is not about us performing good works it is about God performing a good work in us that will be seen in our daily walk with others. God continually is working in us and will continue to do so until the very end. I once heard a preacher say "Many go to the cross but then don't want to go through the cross." That going through the cross is the good work God is doing in us, often called the sanctification process. A person who is not surrendered to the work of the Holy Spirit will not see transformation in their lives. These will continue to go about life in the natural, walking by sight not faith. How can I say such a thing, you ask?

Mark 8:34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me".

This verse above and below is speaking of the surrender of our will, our wants our agenda to the Father's will, wants and agenda. It is here in this place of surrender we will see change take place within us, less of me and more of Him.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh (human body) I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Ephesians 4:13-14 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect (mature) man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ

Each of us grow at a different speed, the closer we walk with Jesus, by seeking Him through prayer, His word, and listening and obeying the Holy Spirit the more we mature. We are never to consider other Christians less because of where they are in their maturity level. But we all are expected to grow up.

Let's sum these three verses up: As Paul prayed for the church of the Philippians, he had great joy in hearing of their partnership in the gospel of Christ. He gave them this assurance; what God had begun in them God would complete.

This study will not be all focused on certain words, but just following the leading of the Holy Spirit we may even at times focus on a verse, or summarize a whole chapter. Let's just see where God takes us.