Be A Joyful Community

Philippians 4: 4-7

Rejoice in the Context of Present Difficulties

Philippians is known as a book on rejoicing because Paul wrote concerning this theme many times in the book. Joy is a very important driving force in our lives. The book of Proverbs speaks of the healing effect of joy: “A joyful heart is good medicine” (Prov 17:22). Worrying is the cause of many diseases but rejoicing brings good health and cure illnesses. What then is true happiness? Where can we acquire it?

From the following verses in Philippians, we can observe several scenarios whereby we can rejoice.

Phil 1:3-6 – Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Wherever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Whenever Paul prayed for the Philippians, he did so with a heart filled with joy, because the Philippians were, in one accord, prospering in the gospel, growing and maturing in the Lord. Being a partner to Paul, they had contributed through their practical help when Paul was in Philippi and through their financial support when he was in prison.

As we help our ministers, missionaries, and evangelists through prayer, hospitality, and financial gifts, we become partners with them in spreading the gospel message. When others think about you, what comes to their minds? Are you remembered with joy by them? Do your acts of kindness lift up others?

And Paul was also confident that God would continue his good work in them. Paul trusts that God will continue to bless and use Philippians mightily; as a result, he is filled with joy each time he prays for Philippians! Even if the church now is undergoing difficulty, God is faithful; he will never leave his church. He will continue to sustain the church. We can take comfort from God’s faithfulness.

In Phil 1:15-18, we discover a strange phenomenon. Paul knew that in Philippians, some were preaching to build their own reputation, taking advantage of his imprisonment to try to make a name for themselves. Regardless of the motives of these preachers, Paul rejoiced that the Good News was being preached.

Paul looked at it from a positive perspective, Phil 1:18 – But that doesn’t matter, whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice.

Paul had an amazingly selfless attitude. He did everything for the Lord alone and was not calculative. Some Christians serve for the wrong reasons. Yet we should be glad if God uses their effort and message, regardless of their motives.  This is a lesson that everyone who serves the Lord ought to learn. This is the secret to joyful ministry.

Besides, we are told that Paul is filled with joy whenever he sees his brothers and sisters in Christ having unity. This unity in the church comes not easy. It is achieved by congregation living a humble life, caring and respecting each other. Such a joy of seeing the church in unity is the greatest reward for any servant of the Lord.

For Phil 2:1-4, - Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than ourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Many Christians live only to make a good impression on others or to please themselves. But selfishness brings discord. Paul therefore stressed spiritual unity, asking the Philippians to love one another and to be one in spirit and purpose.

“Is there…?” These rhetorical questions expect positive answers. When we work together, caring for the problems of others as if they were our problems, we demonstrates Christ’s example of putting others first, and we experience unity. Don’t be so concerned about making a good impression or meeting your own needs that you strain relationships in God’s family. Selfishness can ruin a church, but genuine humility can build it.

Being humble involves having a true perspective about ourselves. It does not mean that we should put ourselves down. Before God, we are sinners, saved only God’s grace, but we are saved and therefore have great worth in God’s kingdom.

We are to lay aside selfishness and threat others with respect and common courtesy. Considering others’ interests as more important than our own links us with Christ, who was a true example of humility. Jesus Christ was humble, willing to give up his rights in order to obey God and serve people. We would be overflowed with joy if we start to live in harmony and love!

Phil 2: 17-18 – But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.

Both Jews and pagans often poured out a libation of wine wither on a sacrifice or at the base of the altar in honour of the deity. Paul regarded his life as a sacrifice to God. Even if he had to die, Paul was content, knowing that he had helped the Philippians live for Christ. His faithful service for the sake of the church is a cause for rejoicing because nothing done for God is in vain.

More than that, he was also able to encourage the brothers and sisters to rejoice rather than worry for his sake. He writes, “Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.”

When you are totally committed to serving Christ, sacrificing to build the faith of others, it will bring a joyous reward.

Phil 3:1 – Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard our faith. Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcise to be saved.

Paul warns the people to watch out for there are some “dogs” and evil people in the church who will divide the church, yet believers ought not to be affected by these matters. Instead, they should rejoice in the Lord and not losing the testimony of joy. Pay attention to the positive examples that are set before us, move closer to the goal the Lord has set for us, and wait for His return.

Phil 4:1 – Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work.

Staying true means steadfastly resisting the negative influences of temptation, false teaching or persecution. It requires perseverance when we are challenged or opposed. Don’t lose heart or give up. God promises to gives us strength of character. With the Holy Spirit’s help and with the help of fellow believers, you can stay true to the Lord.

Being able to witness the growth of the brothers and sisters and their staying true to the Lord was a source of joy and pride for Paul. I believe this is the same for every servant of the Lord. Conversely, the lack of growth or the lack of firm standing in the Lord among the brothers and sisters will bring anxiety to any of the Lord’s servants.

In the church today just like that of Philippians, there are relational problems among the people. Paul addresses this problem in Philippians and writes a few words of encouragement.

Phil 4:2-3 – Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of life.

These two women had been workers for Christ in the church. Their broken relationship was no small matter, because many had become believers through their efforts. It is possible to believe in Christ, work hard for his Kingdom, and yet have broken relationships with others who are committed to the same cause. But there is no excuse for remaining un-reconciled.

Do you need to be reconciled to someone today? If you are facing a conflict you can’t resolve, don’t let the tension build into an explosion. Don’t withdraw or resort to cruel power plays. Don’t stand idly by and wait for the dispute to resolve itself. Instead, seek the help of those known for peacemaking.

We are the God’s people whose names written in the Book of life. We are destined to receive eternal. As God’s people, we are to resolve the conflict so that we could live joyfully together.

That is why Paul again exhorted us to rejoice in the Lord and start praying to God in the following verses 4-7, – Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

It seems strange that a man in prison would be telling a church to rejoice. But Paul’s attitude teaches us an important lesson: our inner attitudes do not have to reflect our outward circumstances. Paul was full of joy because he knew that no matter what happened to him, Jesus Christ was with him.

Several times in this letter Paul urged the Philippians to be joyful, probably because they needed to hear this. It’s easy to get discouraged about unpleasant circumstances or to take unimportant events too seriously. If you haven’t been joyful lately, you may not be looking at life from the right perspective.

Ultimate joy comes from Christ dwelling within us. Christ is near, and at his second coming we will fully realize this ultimate joy. He who lives within us will fulfil his final purposes for us.

We are to be considerate (reasonable, fair minded, and charitable) to others. This means we are not to seek revenge against those who treat us unfairly, nor are we to be overly vocal about our personal rights.

Imagine never worrying about anything! It seems like impossibility; we all have worries on the job, in our homes, at school. But Paul’s advice is to turn our worries in to prayers. Do you want to worry less? Then pray more! Whenever you start to worry, stop and pray.

God’s peace is different from the world’s peace. True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. Our citizenship in Christ’ Kingdom is sure, our destiny is set, and we can have victory over sin. Let God’s peace guard your heart against anxiety.

Conclusion

From the passages above, we can observe that Paul’s joy was not affected by the unfavourable circumstances around him. He wrote the epistle to the Philippians while in prison and facing the enemies attacks. He saw that there were false teachers and human conflict in Philippians.

It is clear that Paul was able to face every challenge with a joyful heart. Such a transcendent joy was due to his firm belief in the Lord who had called him, and also due to the partnership and fellowship with brothers and sisters in church for doing God’s ministries. He also firmly believed that God will finish His good works in the Church for God is sovereign over everything and that everything is under God’s control. Paul also instructed the congregation to live in harmony and love so that joy would overflow them.  

While we were still sinners and enemies of God, He prepared salvation for us. God has caused us to be in His beloved Son. He has forgiven us of our past transgressions so that we may be reconciled to Him and become people of the new creation. We are now God’s children. Our futures are guaranteed by Christ despite present difficulties. We stand on firm foundation. God has given us His Holy Spirit to live in us and to guide us. God has given us the hope of eternal life. We cannot but rejoice as a community faith! We rejoice. We always rejoice. Let’s be always thankful.