The Lutheran Hour
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"Put Christ’s Joy to Work in Your Life!"
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Text: Philippians 4:4-9
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“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God… And Paul says, “whatever you have learned or received or heard from me…put it into practice!”
Grace, and mercy, and peace be to you in the Name of Jesus, the One Who is our source of joy, now and forever, Amen.
In 2004, Jill Lieber of USA TODAY wrote an article titled, “Teen Surfer Riding A Wave of Amazing Grace”. She wrote about a young girl whom you may have heard about recently. Her name is Bethany Hamilton. Jill wrote,
“Bethany Hamilton, once ranked as the best amateur teen surfer in Hawaii, that is, until she lost an arm to a tiger shark in October 2003. Both her compassion and her competitiveness, however, went on to reach even higher levels.
“Soon after the attack she began to raise money to restore a man’s eyesight. While visiting New York City, she gave her ski coat to a homeless girl. When asked about the gift, she said she had more than she needed in life.”
Referring to her competitiveness, the story in USA TODAY states: “As always, Hamilton remains undaunted. She has told her father that if having only one arm proved detrimental to reaching the top in competitive surfing, then she’d see about playing soccer.”
Her pastor, Steve Thompson, said, “She’s looking forward to the future. She’s asking herself, ‘How can I show the world I still have a life, that I enjoy my life, and that my life is filled with joy?’ She has an underlying trust that God is taking care of her.”
I think that Bethany really gets what the Apostle Paul is trying to teach all of us. Today, again, he boldly invites believers in Jesus to “Rejoice in the Lord in all things!” and without hesitation he adds…”what you have seen me do….do also yourself.” Paul is literally calling us to “put Christ’s joy to work in our lives.”?
Joy. Joy is a dominate theme in our text for today, but it also dominates the letter to the Philippians throughout. Paul uses different forms of the word “rejoice” 10 times in the letter, so much so, that Philippians has often been called “the letter of joy.”
So what is Paul doing with us today? Is he trying to teach us the “power of positive rejoicing?” Is he chiming in with the modern spirit that often claims that “getting a handle on life” is as simple as just deciding not to worry about things? You know, “Don’t worry, be happy!”
For now, the skeptic in us all might often even more resistance saying, “Joy, that’s easy for you to say.” Your problems still aren’t anywhere near mine. Or maybe worse, we might scowl, “what world is Paul living in?” How can he talk about Joy and “not being anxious?” Isn’t war raging with no end in sight? Aren’t there millions dying of disease and starvation each day? Joy? Joy seems like wishful thinking when one looks at the big picture.
Well, I don’t think that Bethany would be fazed by the cynicism and I’m sure that Paul is not dissuaded. In fact, I think he is telling us to “look at the big picture.” I think that’s the very reason he says, “rejoice” over and over again. He knows how “radical” this “Joy in the Lord” is, and he knows how powerful it is to put that Joy to work in one’s life by faith, no matter what the circumstance.
“Rejoice in the Lord always! …The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God!”
First of all, we need to understand that this “joy” that Paul is talking about is not some “abstract” discussion. The life of “joy” is something that he is participating in, something that he possesses right in the middle of real suffering. Real, lasting joy is more than a “feeling that comes from beneficial circumstances.” In fact, Paul has this joy “in spite of his circumstances.” He writes this “admonition” this “call to Joy,” from prison, in life-threatening bondage because of his preaching. Even the church to whom he writes was dealing with difficulties because of their faith.
So, putting “joy to work” was no abstraction, no ‘pie in the sky’ seminar for people to muse about over a leisurely weekend. This was God’s truth for real life, real life in a real, sinful, rebellious, even joyless world.
In fact, that’s the main difference between “happiness” and “joy.” Happiness is something dependent on our “temporal circumstances,” you know, what happens to us “day to day.” When things are going well, well we’re surely happier than when they don’t.
But joy is different! It’s not a by-product of our actions or of our best efforts. The Bible says that Joy is a “fruit of the Holy Spirit.” Joy is a result of God’s action on our behalf, a blessing that comes when we are in a faith “relationship” to the One Who redeemed and reconciled us to Himself again. And that’s the key.
That’s why Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord.” It’s about knowing Him. It’s about knowing that He is close with His blessing, even His protection. It’s knowing that He is with us. That His promises are true for us, no matter the circumstance. It’s about knowing and believing that the guilt we struggle with or the fears we possess are issues that He has taken “head on” with His cross, overcoming them by His resurrection from the dead. Our troubles are His, but His life is ours. That’s joy! Joy is rooted and resourced in our lives when we know and trust in the One Who is Joy itself, Jesus Christ our Savior.
So many today are chasing happiness on their own terms, as if their self-centered pursuit of happiness can be their resource for joy. Somehow people have been convinced that chasing personal happiness is the ultimate goal of life, rather than being in a repentant-grace relationship with God and with others. Somehow we’ve been taught to believe that we’re the first people in the history of the world that can live full, complete lives on our own terms alone, without a relationship to God Who created and redeemed us. We naively think that all it will take is our “know how, our money, our effort.”
Well, the Bible takes up sinful man’s “challenge to real Joy” right from the beginning. King Solomon writes about this view in Ecclesiastes 2. He says,
I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; therefore enjoy yourself”; but surely, this was also vanity. I said of laughter- “It is madness!” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”…I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces…So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem… Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity, a grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.It was all “vanity,” it was all empty…no enduring source of joy at all.
His ultimate conclusion, found in verse 26, is that being in a right relationship with God, that determines our experience of joy.
And that’s what Paul is saying. Our relationship to God is key. There is joy for those who know Jesus Christ by faith; because simple trust in Him means that you are connected to the very source of Joy. Joy is not a temporary, conditional circumstance. It is rather a fruit of the Holy Spirit, a fruit of being in relationship with the Lord Who made heaven and earth for you, Who died and rose again so that you might have eternal life with Him, and Who is coming again to live joyfully with you and with all who trust in His grace, forever.
Paul shouts this from prison, amidst persecutions and trials, amidst danger and struggle, Paul shouts to the Philippians and to believers of every age.
Rejoice in the Lord! Put His Joy to work in your life. Attack everyday in the knowledge that the Lord of the Universe is your Savior, your friend. It’s not wishful thinking, it is a reality earned and delivered by the work of Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit through His gifts of the word and the sacraments.
Because of your connection to Christ by faith, put His resource of joy to work in every aspect of your life. Put His joy to work by valuing your grace relationship to God in Christ …first and foremost. That’s why Paul says, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely… dwell on these things.”
When you are in the midst of a challenge or struggle, let your first and last thoughts be about Who this God is and Who He is for you. He has not only left you His Name, He has left you a history of how He blesses and protects His people. He has left a record of the uniqueness of His promises and grace to the world and especially to those who trust in Him.
I’m not saying that Christians won’t experience troubles and trial. We laugh, we cry. We experience happiness, as well as sorrow and sadness. We enjoy times of delight and endure times of pain. Times of clarity come along with times of uncertainty.
What makes the “faith life in Christ” unique is that in all of those circumstances, the joy of knowing His grace, His power, and even His protection is sure.
G. K. Chesterton is quoted in “Different Seasons” by Dale Turner as saying: “You say grace. Give thanks to God before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, and swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing, and grace before I dip the pen in ink.” It’s like we’ve been saying: grace and joy are meant to be used in all things!
Put this joy to work then, not only in your valuing the grace-relationship that you have with God, but by truly valuing then the relationships with people that God Himself brings into your life.
There was strife at this particular church in Philippi. Paul addresses two people in the congregation. He pleads with them to be “in harmony with each other” in the Lord. Why? Because relationships matter to God and to us. And, relationships take work. Paul is encouraging these Christians to put Christ’s Joy to work, to treat each other the way that God treats them in and through Jesus Christ.
Now, that’s a whole different way of looking at friendships. In fact, all relationships are opportunities to put the “joy of the Lord to work” in loving others in His Name and isn’t that what life is all about?
In 1937, a researcher at Harvard University began a study (originally named The Harvard Study of Adult Development) on what factors contribute to human well-being and happiness. The research team selected 268 male Harvard students who seemed healthy and well adjusted to be part of what is now called a longitudinal study, which means that the researchers would study the lives of these men not just at one point in time, but rather over a period of time. In this case, the period of time in what is now called the Grant study has been an extraordinary 72 years. With 72 years of perspective, the Grant study gives a comprehensive viewpoint on what has affected the level of health and happiness of these men over a lifetime.
The Grant study has tracked an array of factors, including standard measurable items like physical exercise, cholesterol levels, marital status, the use of alcohol, smoking, education levels, weight, but it also has more subjective psychological factors such as how a person employs defense mechanisms to deal with the challenges of life.
Over the period of 72 years, several men have directed this research. For the last 42 years, the director has been a psychiatrist, George Vaillant. In 2008 someone asked Dr. Vaillant what he had learned about human health and happiness from his years of poring over the data on these 268 men. You would expect a complex answer from a Harvard social scientist, but his secret to happiness was breathtakingly simple. He says, “The only thing that really matters in life are your relationships to other people.”
Well, I think Paul would have said it even more completely, “The only thing that matters in life is our faith relationship to God, and our loving people in His Name!” Put His joy to work.
Put His joy to work when you face adversity, struggle, or even success. But, especially in the midst of trials and difficulties, remember to bring all these things to the Lord. Paul says, “Don’t be anxious.” Don’t be pulled in “two directions.” Don’t let worry “strangle” the joy that is the Christian’s gift for all circumstances.
Paul even gets practical. “When anxious,” he says, “put joy to work with prayer and petition in the power of thanksgiving.”
Such thankfulness and gratitude turns our hearts, whether heavy or light, to the God Who loves us and cares for us no matter what. Even prayer becomes an opportunity not only to receive His promises anew, but to focus that “joy of Christ” in petition for others. Have you ever noticed how often Paul speaks about praying, and he says, “pray for one another?” That’s putting Christ’s Joy to work. It is important to make our concerns known to God… but He already provides and cares for us. Prayer helps us remember that. But, God especially wants us to use this privilege of prayer to strive to be “agents of that same blessing” to others.
When Paul tells us to “rejoice always,” it’s as if he is telling us to look at all of our lives from God’s perspective, through the lens of His grace and His forgiveness, His free gift of life and salvation. And, no matter what the circumstance, when we focus in on our Savior, on His actions and promises to us, when our prayers and petitions are set before His throne of grace, and when our minds are set upon whatever He says is true and valuable and precious, in that moment, we sense more clearly the God Who literally stands guard over our hearts and minds with joy.
Rejoice always! That’s taking up the faith challenge of looking at our lives through the window of God’s grace, but even more importantly, it is living in the joy of knowing that our very eternal lives, our eternal destinations are sure in Him!
Catherine Marshall, a well-known American author and wife of well-known minister Peter Marshall, wrote this:
“My friend Marge had an experience aboard a plane bound for Cleveland, waiting for takeoff. As she settled into her seat, Marge noticed a strange phenomenon. On one side of the airplane a sunset suffused the entire sky with glorious color. But out of the window next to her seat, all Marge could see was a sky dark and threatening, with no sign of sunset.“As the plane’s engines began to roar,” she said, “a gentle Voice spoke within her. ‘You have noticed the windows,’ He murmured beneath the roar and thrust of the takeoff. ‘Your life, too, will contain some happy, beautiful times, but also some dark shadows. Here’s a lesson I want to teach you to save you much heartache and allow you to abide in Me with continual peace and joy.
“‘You see, it doesn’t matter which window you look through; this plane is still going to Cleveland and so it is in your life. You have a choice. You can dwell on the gloomy picture. Or you can focus on the bright things and leave the dark, ominous situations to Me. I alone can handle them anyway.”
And the Voice continued, “And the final destination is not influenced by what you see or what you feel along the way. Learn this, act on it, and you will be released, able to experience the peace that passes all understanding.'”
In that same spirit, take up Paul’s challenge today, trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and put Christ’s Joy to work. You are Christ’s people by faith, and because of Jesus, nothing can stand in the way of His grace, His love, and His peace being yours today and forever. May you have the strength and courage today to put His joy to work in your life and in the lives of others, too.
“Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say rejoice. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but with prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God, and the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Put His joy to work in your life, you’ll be blessed as you do.
Amen!
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for October 9, 2011
Topic: Sin too big for forgiveness?ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Gregory Seltz responds to questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer. Today a listener wants to know whether there are some sins that are “bigger” to God than others. He writes, “Pastor, you talk about God forgiving sins but aren’t there some sins that are “too big” even for His grace to cover?”
SELTZ: You know Mark, that’s a question that really doesn’t get asked much today.
ANNOUNCER: Why is that?
SELTZ: Well, people don’t talk about sin much today, let alone “big sins versus little sins.”
ANNOUNCER: That’s kind of strange come to think about it, because it sure doesn’t appear that our world is getting any better than before.
SELTZ: Right. I think some might even argue that it is actually worse too. Because with all the technological advances that we’ve had in the last 100 years, one could argue that we have done just as much or more “bad” with it as “good.” But, I think our listener’s question still is more personal than that.
ANNOUNCER: I think it’s perhaps something he or someone close to him is dealing with.
SELTZ: I think so, but it’s important for him to realize that he is not alone on this one. Sin is still humanity’s big problem and there are many people suffering from its results whether they admit it or not.
ANNOUNCER: So, in one sense, our listener is aware of the problem, that’s good, but he wonders whether there are degrees of that problem as far as God is concerned.
SELTZ: Right. I think he’s wondering if there are some sins that bother God more than others.
ANNOUNCER: Okay. And the answer is?
SELTZ: No, He hates all sin, from the little white lies to murder, from thoughts of lust and coveting to adultery and outright thievery. All of sin is a result of mankind’s rebellion against God’s authority as our Creator; it has created an absolute separation between God and the creation He loves.
ANNOUNCER: So God is concerned with the “state of sin;” it’s humanity’s condition of rebellion against Him but also how He can reconcile people back to Himself.
SELTZ: Exactly, all sins are merely symptoms of that greater problem. So, little sins, big sins, it’s all sin. It’s like saying, “I’m a little bit bankrupt.” You either are or you aren’t. But, having said that, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t greater levels of hurt because of sin, this side of heaven.
ANNOUNCER: Could that be why we assess different levels of punishment for certain sins?
SELTZ: I think that’s a good way to look at it. In some situations, a little white lie might be the lesser of two evils, one that might prevent a greater hurt or pain.
ANNOUNCER: And because of that, it might even cause less guilt feelings.
SELTZ: Right, while murder could create tremendous pain and heartache, something that all involved would have trouble living with for the rest of their lives.
ANNOUNCER: So, in that sense then, might there not also be some sins which are bigger and harder to live with than others?
SELTZ: Yes, but from God’s perspective, all sins are a result of humanity’s rebellion against Him. Christ’s work on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, not only overcome the eternal guilt of all sin, it calls us to a whole new way of life in Him….not a “less bad one than others.”
ANNOUNCER: So there is forgiveness even for the big sins, even though we might still struggle with the guilt and the pain that it causes.
SELTZ: Absolutely, we might even have different levels of punishments for some sins compared to others, but from God’s perspective it’s all part of the same rebellion that needs to be redeemed. In fact, even to deal with different levels of hurt and misery, only God’s grace in Jesus is the way to ultimately deal with that as well.
ANNOUNCER: Well, in the few moments we have left could you explain that further?
SELTZ: Sure, when people cause different levels of pain and misery because of their sin, it’s not the justice of God or of man that makes them willing to make real amends. Even here, God’s grace and mercy motivates people to seek to make amends as much as they are able. You know, when you realize that your judgment before God can only be overcome by the gift of a Savior, Jesus Christ, that’s what gives a person power to say more than I’m sorry.
ANNOUNCER: Very good. And that message of all sin forgiven as well as the mercy to make amends for different levels of hurt, that’s the message we have the privilege of proclaiming each week here on this program. Thank you Pastor Seltz, this has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music Selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.
“The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength” by Greg Wismar & Mark Bender. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Forth in the Peace of Christ We Go” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)
“In dir ist Freude” by J.S. Bach. From Martinikerk Groningen by Wim van Beek (© 1990 Fidelio Prestant / Sound-Products Holland)