Saturday September 19, 2015

Read Philippians 1:12-18

Paul’s attitude throughout Philippians and throughout his entire life is one of  praising God and rejoicing in Him. As he sits in gaol for his faith he praises God and rejoices in Christ Jesus because the gospel is being preached.

Such rejoicing is not feigned or a put on. It is neither deceptive nor for show. Its very easy to put on a mask each Sonday morning to pretend that all is ok and that you are rejoicing in the Lord. When you walk in through the safety of your own doors at home, you can take off the mask and return to wallowing. Paul’s rejoicing comes from a deep and consistent walk with the Lord. Such rejoicing comes from knowing God intimately and intensely. Such rejoicing is the outflow of a life lived in conformity to the will of the Lord. 

As we consider this rejoicing, think about what effect it has on the non-believer. As the non-believer sees you genuinely rejoicing in Christ through tough and trying times they will be challenged to consider following Jesus as well. They will initially be somewhat non-fussed with your rejoicing but over time they will be challenged to the core. The key is rejoicing in Christ. We are not to rejoice in the situation or the hoped for deliverance from that situation but in Christ Himself. Rejoicing in anything else can be misleading. As the non-believer sees you rejoicing in Christ and clinging to Him, he or she will be challenged about the reality and majesty of Christ Jesus. History is replete with examples of people who came to Christ in repentance and faith because they witnessed believers rejoicing in Christ through their sufferings.

While the world likes to see the underdog rise up to victory and while it applauds success through times of difficulty and past failure, it generally cannot cope with rejoicing in Christ through tough and trying times. The world can cope with rejoicing in self-achievement or self-sustenance but it can not cope with rejoicing in Christ. The world will be deeply challenged as you genuinely rejoice in Christ through tough times. Those who sought to make trouble for Paul while he was in gaol expected him to be bitter, to seek vengeance and perhaps to be jealous of their success while he languished. Imagine their surprise and challenge when they heard or read V 18 - And because of this I rejoice!

Rejoicing in the Lord makes for a dangerous faith. Some non-believers and perhaps some believers will be antagonistic towards such rejoicing. Some will question you. Some may mock you. Others may ridicule your faithfulness. Others may push against you even harder to see if they can topple you from this rejoicing. They’ll want to see how far you’ll go in being so ‘brave’ and resilient.

If you and I are going to be men and women with a dangerous faith that challenges the world we need to cultivate our relationship with God. We need to build time with God where we can grow in love, in knowledge, in faith and trust of God. We need time with God individually and corporately. We need to be with God and to let His love and mercy, His grace and His word seep deep into our soul. We need this so that our lives are an outward rejoicing even through the toughest of times.

Prayer:

Using today’s Bible passage and notes write down points for

Adoration:

Confession

Thanks

Supplication:

· Pray that Christ would be clearly and faithfully preached this weekend in your local church. Pray too that Christ would be preached from a pure heart and from sincere motives.

· Pray that Christ will be exalted in your service this weekend, that the saints would be edified and brought closer to God and that the non-believers would be challenged to repent and believe in Jesus. 

 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Why do you think genuine sustained rejoicing challenges and confronts the world?

2. How can you build this kind of rejoicing into your own life?

3. How can this kind of rejoicing be built into your congregation?