Title: How To Have Joy All The Time (Part 2)
Text: Philippians 4:1-9
Date: August 18, 2024
Introduction: In spite of the danger and discomfort that Paul experienced, he overflowed with joy. What was the secret of this joy? The secret is found in another word that is often repeated in Philippians. It is the word mind. Paul uses mind 10 times, and also uses the word think 5 times. Add the time he uses remember and we have a total of 16 references to the mind. In other words, the secret of Christian joy is found in the way that we think, our attitudes. After all, outlook determines outcome. As we think, so are we (Proverbs 23:7, KJV).
The Book of Philippians then, is a Christian psychology book, based solidly on Bible doctrine. It is not a shallow “self-help” book that tells us how to convince ourselves that everything is going to turn out all right. If we are going to experience Christian joy in a world filled with trouble, it is a book that explains the mind we must have as Christians.
The best way to get the total picture of the book is to discover the “thieves” that rob us of our joy first, then determine the kinds of attitudes we must have in order to capture and conquer these “thieves.” The thieves that rob us of our joy are:
— Circumstances
— People
— Things
— Worry
How do we capture these thieves and keep them from robbing us of our joy? (Be Joyful, Warren Wiersbe, p. 15-18) Last week we learned:
— We must stand firm in our faith. (Philippians 4:1)
— We must resolve our differences with people. (Philippians 4:2,3)
— We must strive to have the right attitude in life. (Philippians 4:4)
Today let’s consider the following:
I. We must
II. We must
III. We must
Larry Gipson
First Baptist Church-Oneonta