A JOYFUL RIDE!

Philippians 2:1-4

INTRODUCTION: Disney World encompasses forty-three square miles. It is the size of San Francisco. Disney World has seventy-thousand cast members which makes it the largest single site employer in the United States. Disney World averages 1,000,000 visitors per week. Disney World’s is so special thou not because of its size but because Disney World “was built to inspire joy for children.” However, when you leave Disney World you leave the joy behind. Our God for the life of His children to always be full of joy! John 15:11. We only get to take this ride called life one time and shouldn’t it be a joyful ride? The Apostle Paul gives us a three-step formula in Philippians chapter two on just how to do that: Philippians 2:2.

  I.    GIVE CHRIST JESUS THE PREEMINENCE IN YOUR LIFE!

Philippians 2:1-2: In these verses Paul is assuming that the focal point in your life will be Jesus Christ. Since our Lord Jesus came to us, died for us, lives in us and will be with us all the days of our lives should bring each of us inexpressible joy! We have the comfort of the love of God for each of us. As we receive His love then we pass that love on to each other.
John 13:34-35: as we do love our Lord and each other then we will really experience “fellowship with the Spirit!” Philippians 2:1. The word “fellowship” literally means “to share in common.” Every believer is equally indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but not every believer allows the Holy Spirit to control their lives to the same extent. When we get out of fellowship with the Holy Spirit we get out of fellowship with one another. Philippians 2:2: being like-minded does not mean we will all think alike but it does mean we will always put the love of Christ first in all our thinking. Because we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us as God’s children it means we will allow nothing to divide us: Philippians 2:2: Then we will have the joy of the Spirit flooding over in our lives.

II.    PUT OTHERS BEFORE YOURSELF!

How do we know when Jesus has preeminence in our lives? You put others second and before yourself. That does not come naturally to us it come supernaturally. We must die to our own natural selfishness: Philippians 2:3. Selfish ambition is when you want to win even if everybody else loses. There is only one way we will ever learn to put others before ourselves and here it is: Philippians 2:3. We are told today to “Take care of Number One! But the way to God’s joy is to put ourselves third: We are to put God first and others second. Philippians 2:3; Romans 12:3. What an important lesson it is for all of us not to think more highly of ourselves than we should. God’s joy comes when we give others priority in our lives.

III.    PUTTING CHRIST FIRST, OTHERS SECOND, AND OURSELVES LAST IS THE WAY TO GOD’S JOY!

Do you realize that when we chose to put Jesus first in our live, others second place in our lives and ourselves third place in our hearts we are going to be full of the joy of the Lord in our hearts? Philippians 2:4: no one has ever lived with more joy than our Lord Jesus or given out more joy than our Lord Jesus! The reason for our Lord’s joy was that from the moment of His birth until the day of His death he was always living for His Father’s glory and for the good of others! When we look out for others first, our God will look out for us: Matthew 20:25-28. If you are looking for the joy of the Lord in your heart our Lord Jesus gave us the recipe: Matthew 16:24-27.