Happy Dance
Because there is joy in Christ
The Joy of Focus
September 3, 2017 • Collin Monger
In our lives, when we become distracted by the frenzied pace of our everyday life, it becomes increasingly difficult to remained focused on heavenly things. Paul reminds us about the joy of remaining focused on Christ. • We need to be a focused people: The gospel of the church is Christ crucified, our denominational differences can’t eclipse our focus. • We need to have a prayer focus: Do not be anxious about anything, when we focus on prayer we receive peace from God. • We need to have a praise focus: Focus on the positive aspect of things, praising God through all situations. If you aren’t experiencing peace in your life ask yourself the question; where is your focus. (Verses cited: Colossians 3:2, Psalm 4:25, Matthew 14:28-30, Ephesians 6:12, Isiah 26:3, 1 Corinthians 2:2, Romans 14:2-5, John 3:16, Matthew 16:18, Job 2:10, James 5:13, Psalms 86:8, John 16:33, Danial 6:10, Genesis 1:27, Matthew 6:21)
The Joy of Things to Come
August 27, 2017 • Collin Monger
According to scripture, the best things are yet to come. God promises salvation though faith in Christ Jesus and the hope of eternal fellowship with Him in heaven. • Paul’s joy produced a righteous discontentment: Paul was unsatisfied with where he was spiritually but Paul was patient in his discontentment. • Paul appreciated the past but didn’t dwell in it: We can’t grow in our faith if we only focus on what has happened to us in the past. • Paul kept his eye on the prize; pressing onward with everything he had: We have a calling from God and we must preserver, keeping focused solely on Christ. (Verses cited: Revelation 21:23-24, Revelation 21:21, Matthew 16:26, Philippians 4:11, 2 Peter 3:18, Matthew 5:6, Romans 7, Philippians 1:6, Philippians 2:12, Genesis 50:20, Revelation 11:5)
The Joy of Perspective
August 20, 2017 • Collin Monger
Individual perspectives play a significant role in determining how to interpret life’s situations. If we view the world through an earthly perspective, we miss God’s divine plan. • The Protection of Joy: Paul’s warns the church to “watch out for the dogs”, men who sought to bind the church under religious law. As Christians, we are not bound to the law but have received freedom thought faith in Christ. • The Perception of Joy: Religion does not bring Joy. It removes our confidence in Christ and brings us into greater confusion. When we rely on our own strength, through religious effort, we are never sure if we have done enough to make God happy. • The Provider of Joy: Money cannot buy joy. Religion cannot provide joy. Joy comes through Christ alone. After we have found the joy of Christ the world will try to steal it by enticing us with fleeting pleasures. (Verses cited: John 14:2-3, Genesis 3:1, Galatians 5:1, Proverbs 17:2, Proverbs 13:8, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Corinthians 14:33, John 4:13-14)
The Joy of Obedience
August 13, 2017 • Collin Monger
Happiness is a funny thing: the more you look for it, the less you find it and the unhappier a person becomes. Joy is rooted in God and not circumstances. • Look back joyfully: Paul wrote from jail yet he said he thanked God for his memories of the Philippian church. Paul had challenging times in Philippi but joy lets us look back on events in life and see the good • Live now confidently: Paul was unsure of his condition – life in a Roman jail was unpredictable. The fellowship with the Philippians let him live confidently, knowing they were supporting him • Look forward hopefully: Because Paul’s fellowship with the Philippians was based on the Lord, he prayed for their wellbeing. Being happy for others when we are suffering is one of the hardest things to do, joy in the Lord makes it possible (Verses cited: Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 33:21; Matthew 5:3-4; Philippians 4:4; Acts 16:33, 22-23; Philippians 4:8; Ephesians 4:2; Genesis 2:18; Hebrews 12:2; John 14:2)
The Product of Joy
July 30, 2017 • Collin Monger
Humility is difficult to demonstrate: as soon as you say, “look how humble I am” you have ceased being humble and become proud. A proud person does not rely on God and will not experience the joy which comes from Christ. • Humility is selfless- Love puts others first, placing others needs above our own leads to better fellowship and unity in Christ. • Humility is service- Service can be difficult simply because of the people we are serving. Service should not originate from us: it comes from the Joy of knowing Christ. • Humility is Sacrifice- Parents know there is nothing they wouldn’t sacrifice for their children. The apostle Paul was willing to sacrifice everything he possessed to gain connection to Jesus. True discipleship and ministry in Christ comes at a cost; we must be willing to sacrifice everything so that others can see Jesus in us. (Verses cited: Philippians 2:1-11, James 4:6, Psalm 51:17, Luke 18:13-14, Malachi 3:6, Ephesians 5:25, Proverbs 31:12, Romans 15:20, John 5:10-11, Matthew 12:24, John 6:38, John 15:13)
The Joy of Living for Christ
July 23, 2017 • Collin Monger
As Christians, we have an absolute assurance that, no matter our earthly situations, our eternal security is found through faith in Christ. We do not need to fear the future because, if we are living lives devoted to Jesus, we have a promise from God that we are not alone. Thus, there are four implications this revelation should have on our lives. • The Christian life is lived visibly- The apostle Paul sought to be an example to other Christians in his difficult circumstances. When you live for Christ you should be seeking to magnify Jesus with all your decisions. • The Christian life is lived consistently- If, like Paul, you proclaim Jesus with your words you must also declare him with your lifestyle. Nothing makes Christ look worse than hypocritical Christians. • The Christian life is lived in unity- The Church is a team. We may have differing opinions on worship style or biblical translation but what unites us, our faith in Jesus, is more important than our divisions. • The Christian life is lived confidently- You are not defined by your current situation, the struggles of your past, or mistakes you have made. Because your identity and confidence is rooted in Christ you do not need to fear the future. (Verses cited: Romans 15:13, Philippians 3:13, Hebrews 13:6, Matthew 5:14, 1 Corinthians 2:14, 2 Timothy 1:7, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Ephesians 4:1, Job 1:21, Philippians 4:2-3, 2 Corinthians 11:25, Matthew 10:28, Psalm 23)
YES! God Is In Control
July 16, 2017 • Collin Monger
Everyone has been through a time in life where things seemed out of control. Something happened that defies understanding and we're left asking the question, 'what does it all mean?' As we continue our study of Philippians we see Paul was going through a similar time of uncertainty, he's in jail and his future is in the hands of Caesar. However, we also see Paul is filled with the joy of knowing that even when life seems out of control, God is in control.
The Joy of Fellowship
July 9, 2017 • Collin Monger
While happiness depends on how things are going in a person's life, the joy of the Lord is an interesting thing because it is unaffected by those circumstances. In this message we see how Paul was able to write this incredible letter of joy even as he sat in a Roman jail. And as Paul writes we see the joy of the Lord through the fellowship he has with the Philippian church.