Enjoying Life In A (Mostly) Joyless World
Enjoy Life By Safeguarding Your Joy
Philippians 3:1-11

Introduction: Losing Joy

Losing joy seems to be a common malady for Christians. I have seen it happen too many times over the years where a person starts out great with Christ as joy seems irrepressible. They are filled with enthusiasm and overflowing with love for God. Everything is fantastic. Then, they seem to spring a leak and the joy leaks out. Do you understand what I am describing?

There are many factors that kill joy—pressures that rob you of the joy God wants you to have. We are going to look this morning at what Paul has to say about safeguarding your joy. Paul uses various forms of the word joy seventeen times in Philippians. He consistently returns to the theme of how to possess joy and enjoy life in a world that does its best to destroy joy. He does exactly this at the start of chapter three.

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.                                                                Philippians 3:1 NIV

Look with me at three actions to which Paul calls us and the safeguards these actions provide.

1^st Action: Resist Legalistic Attitudes

Legalism is a destructive killjoy. It destroys your joy of being a Christian and devastates families and churches where it is allowed to take root and spread. Legalism is so destructive because it substitutes rules and regulations for the relationship we have with Christ.

Legalism seeps into our lives very subtly and actually makes sense at first.

When I attended Taylor University there were specific activities students were required to avoid as a part of our student life and conduct code. We were to avoid tobacco, alcohol, dancing, and playing cards. Nothing was said about lying, which would have been far more appropriate because of the number of students who signed the document and then participated in the activities anyway. There were many discussions about whether or not the standards should be retained, but people also understood the reasons why the rules were first put in place.

Legalism is dangerous because it shifts the focus from what God has done for us to what we have to do for God to truly know His love. As soon as we start shifting our focus the joy begins to fade.

This has been a problem since the very early years of the church. Paul was constantly harassed by those who are known as Judaizers. These were people who claimed that, while it was good to believe in Jesus and trust Him, there were also other things that were needed to make sure your faith was true. They became experts at Christ plus works. They stressed the need to follow the Jewish dietary laws, Sabbath laws, laws of circumcision and on and on to become everything you needed to be to please God. Whenever Paul became aware of Judaizers infecting believers with their viral poison, he burned with holy anger. He knew how wrong they were and how destructive their teaching was.

Paul is on the attack as he warns the Philippians about these false teachers.

Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort…      Philippians 3:2-3 NLT

When we think of dogs we have a picture of a warm, loving pet with whom we love to cuddle. In Paul’s day, dogs were not man’s best friend and were not kept as pets. Dogs were wild scavengers who would attack human beings. It would be like facing a pack of starving wolves looking for their next meal. One of the worst insults was to call another person a dog.

The Judaizers were terrorizing the people with their insistence that those who weren’t born Jewish do everything required by Jewish law to become as Jewish as they could be in order to truly be a Christian. Specifically, they required that men couldn’t really be followers of Christ until they first became Jews by being circumcised. This brings us to…

Safeguard # 1: Live Each Day By Grace

Grace is the key to joy. The two are tied together with a shared origin of the same Greek root. They are two sides of the same coin. Everything God does in you and for you is through His grace. You don’t work for it. You can’t earn it. When this amazing truth is owned, you will know what it means to experience joy.

Paul uses his life as an example of what should work if you could actually earn grace. For those who thought he had missed it, he cites his spiritual pedigree that none of them could match and finishes by saying, “It doesn’t work!” Having attacked those who placed confidence in human effort above God’s grace he writes,                                                      

We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.                            Philippians 3:3-6 NLT

Paul could have been the poster boy for legalism. The problem was he had tried it all and he knew that it didn’t work. He cites five examples of things not to trust.

Don’t Trust In Rituals

Paul not only was circumcised; he was circumcised on the eighth day. That was the day spelled out in Jewish law for Jewish parents to confirm their Jewish boys. We have our rituals today in which we can place our trust. You hear the danger in answers to the question, “Are you a Christian?”

My parents had me baptized when I was a baby

I completed my catechism class and was confirmed

I attend church regularly

I read the Bible and pray

These are all good answers for the right questions. They just aren’t good answers for this question, “Are you a Christian?” When people fall into the trap of trusting these things for salvation, they fall into trouble.

Don’t Trust In Race

Paul not only was a member of the nation of Israel; he was a member of the tribe of Benjamin. Benjamin was the most pure of the 12 tribes of Israel. This tribe maintained its identity by not mixing with the surrounding cultures. Paul had received his birth name of Saul, who was from the tribe of Benjamin and the first king of Israel.

Paul used to trust his heritage. Heritage is good, but heritage doesn’t save you. When I have asked people to explain why they are sure they will spend eternity in heaven I hear answers like…

My parents are some of the finest Christians in the world

My uncle is a pastor

My ancestors came from England on the Mayflower

All of these are good, but none of them makes a person a Christian. You can’t get to heaven on someone’s coattails.

Don’t Trust In Religion

Paul was a Hebrew of Hebrews. He was a religious person. Jesus had nothing to do with religion other than being 100% opposed to it. Religion is man’s attempt to get to God. Jesus Christ is God’s attempt to get to man. That’s relationship; not religion. They are two completely different things.

Don’t Trust In Rules

As it concerned Jewish law, Paul not only followed the law, he was a Pharisee who taught and interpreted the law. He not only followed the rules; he established the rules. The Pharisees were the legal experts of their day. Please note: God gave the law. The Pharisees then did their best to improve it. As a result, the 10 commandments grew into 619 other commandments. A Pharisee would not eat an egg if it were laid by the hen on the Sabbath. If you had an insect bite, you weren’t allowed to scratch it on the Sabbath. A Pharisee would not allow a woman to look at her reflection on the Sabbath because she might see a gray hair and pull it. All of these were considered work that would violate God’s command to remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy. While their motivation was commendable, the results were burdensome.

Don’t Trust In Reputation

When it came to zeal and legalistic righteousness, Paul was faultless. Legalism takes good things that lead toward the goal of righteousness and makes them the goal. For example, Bible reading is a good thing—a very good thing. It will refine you and guide you and convict you and help you. It’s a tool God uses to help us grow into the image of Christ. But, when Bible reading becomes a way for you to make points with God and to be noticed by people, there is a problem.

Paul makes it clear that Christianity is much more than rituals, rules and reputation.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit…                                                                                    Romans 14:17 NIV

Christianity resists legalistic attitudes by living each day by grace.

2^nd Action: Reevaluate Your Activities

Far too many people look for joy in all the wrong places.

On our recent trip to the Virgin Islands we were checking on some possible trips we could take to explore some of the other islands. Knowing that rum shaped much of the history of the region during the days when the famous pirates terrorized the seas, we asked questions about the possible trips. The person with whom we were talking was most helpful in pointing out that the one trip to Jost Van Dyke was essentially a booze cruise. In other words, people were going to spend a large sum of money to take the boat to a beach bar where they would spend more vast sums of money to get so buzzed they wouldn’t be able to remember their trip. We were told it is a very popular trip. Thank God, we’re so weird it didn’t sound like any fun at all.

Paul looked for joy in the far more worthwhile world of religious activities. He compares the value of religion to the value of a relationship with Christ and concludes that there is no comparison. He had been very religious and very lost all at the same time.

I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ…           Philippians 3:7-8 NLT

Like a person looking at his 401K statement, Paul calculated that what he thought was valuable was actually worthless.

How worthless? He says that compared to the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus it was like garbage. This is actually a cleaned-up translation of a word far more accurately translated as manure. This leads us to

Safeguard # 2: Keep Your Priorities In Perspective

Stay clear on what is valuable and what is worthless. What is it that will lead to profit instead of loss? Don’t lose the joy of your salvation over things that don’t matter. The number one reason people lose their joy is chasing after the wrong things.

Paul’s message is so relevant for our culture. He says that prestige, pedigree, position, possessions and power don’t matter. You can have it all and still be unhappy. Paul gave up something in order to gain something else. He gave up his religion for a relationship with Christ.

Life is made up of choices and trade-offs. Some people hesitate when it comes to Christianity because they are afraid they may have to give something up. Well, they’re right. You have to give it all up and trade all of your best efforts for Christ. Once you’ve made the trade you realize that you never had it so good.

You trade guilt for a clear conscience

You trade worry for peace

You trade frustration for fulfillment

You trade your weakness for God’s power

You trade hell for heaven

It sounds like a good trade to me. Have you done so? If not, why? What keeps you from making a trade that is even more one-sided than when the Dallas Cowboys traded Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for 11 players and draft choices? Jim Elliott who gave his life in trying to reach the South American Auca Indian tribe for Christ said, "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep for that which he cannot lose."

Are you afraid of giving something or someone up in exchange for whole-hearted commitment to God? If so, that’s the very thing that robs you of your joy.

3^rd Action: Refocus Your Ambitions

True joy that lasts comes from knowing Christ better and better.

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!                      Philippians 3:8-11 NLT

Do you sense Paul’s desire to know Jesus? I wonder if my desire even begins to approach his. I know I want it to.

Do you know people who have been Christians for many years but don’t seem to know Jesus very well? I’m sure you do. The word know in verse 10 is from the Greek verb that means to know intimately through personal experience. The Amplified Version provides some helpful insights through its approach of filling out the word meanings.

[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death,            Philippians 3:10 Amplified

This kind of knowledge is personal and progressive. It is continual and ongoing. It tells us a key truth we know from life experiences: There is a big difference between knowing about and knowing.

Safeguard # 3: Get To Know Christ Better and Better

Never stop growing and developing your relationship with Christ. The moment you stop growing, you're going to start losing your joy. So many Christians stay too close to where they "got in" to the Christian life. They have grown very little since they made that initial decision. As a result, they have very little joy. So, how do you get to know God in a personal way? There are three factors we need to consider.

1^st Factor: Time

The familiar hymn tells us that we should take time to be holy. We become holy by becoming more like Jesus. Just like it takes time to get to know anyone and to develop a relationship, it takes time to get to know Jesus. You need to spend time alone with God to get to know Him. It’s imperative to sit down with your Bible, read it, study it and meditate about what God desires to do in your life. You can't develop a relationship in a crowd. Worship is important. God wants us to worship, but worship is not primarily about personal, spiritual growth. It is about corporate, collective, expressive praise for God. Personal, spiritual growth results from spending personal, spiritual time in God’s presence. There is no substitute or shortcut. There is no speed dating when it comes to a relationship with Jesus Christ. It requires time.

2^nd Factor: Talk

Communication is the lifeblood of any relationship. If you are going to know Jesus better, you need to talk with Him. We call this prayer. Look at what Jesus told His disciples.

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.                                                                                               John 16:24 NIV

Here is a good formula: Much prayer = much joy. Little prayer = little joy. No prayer = no joy.

3^rd Factor: Trust

Healthy relationships involve implicit trust. God wants you to trust Him. Problems may come into your life, but you need to trust that God is not caught off guard—even though you may be. God is reliable in every situation. How do we learn this? We learn it by trusting God in every situation. Trust isn’t developed overnight. It is built and tested over time.

Paul wanted to know Christ at the end of his life. That was his ambition. He wants to know Christ and the mighty power of His resurrection. Paul already knew Christ, but he wanted to know Him even better. That ambition will take you to the very last breath you draw on this earth and right into the presence of God in eternity—with great, great JOY!

Conclusion: How is Your Joy?

How is your joy? Has your Christian life become routine? Have you lost the spark and freshness of the day when you first met Jesus?

My invitation to you today is to come to the Communion table and remember Jesus. Remember Jesus for His willingness to leave heaven and come to earth. Why did He do that? He did it because He wants to know you! Remember the sacrifice Jesus made by willingly enduring the punishment for your sin when He died on the Cross. Why did He do that? He did it because He loves you unconditionally with no strings attached. I hope that stirs something in you that wells up until it overflows as you tell Jesus how much you love Him. I promise you this: Your joy will be great!

There are separate stations where you may go for communion this morning. Families can go and serve one another, celebrating the servant love Jesus has for us. Couples may celebrate the realization that the relationship between a husband and wife symbolizes the relationship between Jesus, the Bridegroom, and the Church, His Bride. Singles can celebrate that life is made complete by knowing Jesus. No one or nothing else is needed.

Benediction: May you become one with Jesus, not counting on your own righteousness by obeying rules and practicing rituals, but by being right with God by faith. May you know Jesus and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, so that you will one day experience the resurrection from the dead. Amen.