Breathe Joy

Joy | What the Christian Life is Supposed to Be Like

2010-03-03T11:22:00.001-05:00

My name is Matt Broadway and I'm the pastor of Dulin's Grove Church (the octagon shaped church off of 24/27). Lately, I've noticed that many of the people I encounter through the week are some degree of miserable. Money is tight and jobs are uncertain. Families are rupturing. Worries abound. Stress is the very air we breathe. Depression fogs our minds and hearts. Few of us experience deep, abiding joy in our daily lives. This is true for many of the non-Christians I see. But, it's also true for many Christians, including myself - a pastor!

Aren't we supposed to be living an abundant life as Christians? Where is this "fullness of joy" that Jesus promised His followers in John 15:11? Many of us are sewing tears as Psalm 126:5 says; but when will we reap joy?

The Bible says that joy inexpressible is ours in Jesus. I believe the Bible. So I'm going after it. Dulin's Grove is going after it. And you're invited to join us. We'll be studying the book of Philippians together each Sunday this summer beginning June 14. It's a book about joy and, Lord willing, we'll find it as we dig into God's word together. This blog will trace our steps along the journey. So check back often and enjoy!

Sermon Recap | Essential Joy

2010-03-02T11:36:00.000-05:00

Many things steal our joy; yet, we’re confronted with a startling fact as we read our Bibles: Joy is essential to the Christian life.

A joyless Christian is like an out-of-shape marathon runner. You can’t be a dedicated marathon runner and remain out of shape. The very act of running marathons will burn away the fat that hinders you and develop the muscles that enable you to run.

Following Jesus will burn away the fat that hinders you and develop the muscles that will enable you to experience joy.

In Psalm 4:7, David writes, “You have put gladness in my heart more than when their grain and new wine abound.” In God, we can find gladness greater than when we can afford name brand ice cream and regular meals out at Carrabas.

David wrote in Psalm 16:11, “You will make known to me the path of life; in your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

For lunch today, I’m having delicious BBQ chicken. After the meal, I will experience fullness of chicken. That’s language of this verse. That joylessness you feel is your soul’s hunger pains. Your soul growls for a fullness found only in God.

The arrival of Jesus Himself is announced in terms of our joy. The angel speaking to Mary says, “Don’t be afraid for I bring you good news of great joy,” in Luke 2:10. The gospel is about joy.

Jesus told His followers in John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” Discipleship is about joy.

Romans 14:17 says that "the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit".

The fruit of the spirit is joy – Galatians 5:22. As Christians, joy should sprout from in our lives like apples from an apple tree.

Not only is joy available, it’s commanded: "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!" (Psalm 32:11) "Rejoice always!" (1 Thessalonians 5:16)

True joy is always and only found in God through Jesus. If you seek joy in people, your career, entertainment, possessions - anything but God – you’ll remain empty.

You may have asked yourself: Can I ever be joyful again? On all the authority of Jesus Christ and the word of God I tell you yes. Through Jesus, you can be vibrant and overflowing with springs of living water. You can be joyful.

As we study Philippians in the weeks to come we’ll see a portrait of a joyful people and how this joy that transcends circumstances works itself out in different categories of life.

Discussion | Suffering and Joy

2010-03-01T16:20:00.000-05:00

There's a new discussion starting in the Facebook Group. Go chime in when you get a chance.

More at Stake Than Pleasure

2010-02-28T13:48:00.000-05:00

There is more at stake in the Christian battle for joy than pleasure.

Romans 5 teaches that Christians have:
1. Peace with God
2. Sure hope
3. Assurance that our bad times will bring about good things
4. The love of God, poured out in us
5. A secure salvation from the punishment we deserve
6. Reconciliation with God (the stuff that separated us from Him is taken care of)
7. Justification before God (we're not going to be condemned for our crimes against Him)
8. Abundant grace
9. Righteousness (we're made right)
10. Eternal life

For the Christian, the battle for joy is a battle to live in light of all this. It's a battle to have faith in it and to proclaim it with our lives.

Perpetually joyless Christians, though they may communicate with their lips that the 'good news' of Jesus is true, communicate loud and clear with their lives that it's a lie.

That there is no peace, no hope, no assurance, no love, no security, no connection with God, no grace, no righteousness, and no life in God through Jesus.

The gospel is at stake in your battle for joy.

Let's fight to live our lives in accordance with the gospel. Let's fight to proclaim its truth with our joyful lives. Let's fight for joy together.

This Sunday, we study Philippians 1:1-11 about how joy relates to love. 10:30am. Please join us.

Excerpt from Depression: A Stubborn Darkness

2010-02-27T09:06:00.000-05:00

The following is taken from Ed Welch's book, Depression: A Stubborn Darkness:

"Every depressed person should set out to be an expert in joy. It is a no-risk proposition. The worst that can happen is that you will honor God (Psalm 126:1-2), be surprised that he promises you great gladness, and even taste something of joy in the midst of sorrow.

"Truth be told, however, there are some barriers and risks that can make it difficult to pursue joy. Depression can sometimes be a familiar companion - a loathsome one but a companion all the same. Any time a difficult experience has some longevity in our lives, we can gradually derive some personal identity from it...."

Joy: Love

2010-02-26T10:32:00.000-05:00

This Sunday we'll study Philippians 1:1-11. In this passage we get a glimpse of deep Christian joy that's comes from deep Christian love and answer the question, 'How can we love each other as Christians in such a way that encourages true joy?'

God's word will help you understand love, freeing you to love rightly and experience resulting joy.

Please joins us at 10:30am or swing by here next week for the sermon recap.

Have a great weekend.

Sermon Recap | Love

2010-02-25T09:01:00.000-05:00

The four step process to experience love that yields joy from Philippians 1:1-11:

1)Believe the gospel.
2)Love the gospel.
3)Devote your resources to the gospel.
4)Devote yourself to the gospel.

Now let me unpack this and convince you that this process is your only hope to experience love that yields joy.

What the passage says:
Verse 1: Paul is the writer. He was a harasser, torturer, and murderer of Christians whom God converted to become one of the most important church planters in history. He wrote this letter while in prison.
Verses 3-4: Even though he’s suffering in prison, he’s joyful because of the Philippian Christians.
Verses 7-8: His joy is connected with the deep love he feels for them.
Verses 5 and 7: This joyful love stems from their participation in the gospel.
Verses 9-11: The purpose for this section of the letter is that their love would abound based on real knowledge and discernment.

Participation in the gospel is the root of all this love and joy; so that is where we must focus.

The gospel is the good news that Jesus was God’s Son, lived the perfect life, and died the death we deserved to take the punishment we earned so that we could be reconciled to God.

How did the Philippian Christians participate in the gospel?

They Believed It
Paul planted the Philippian church 10 years earlier with just three converts: a business woman, a former demon-possessed slave girl, and a jailer. These three believed the gospel and were reconciled to God (Acts 16).

They Loved It
They didn’t just believe it, they built their lives around it as indicated by Paul’s joy over their involvement in it, the fact that the church was still around 10 years later when Paul wrote this letter, and the following two points.

They Devoted Their Resources to ItThey gave financially to help Paul travel around communicating the gospel (Philippians 4:15-16).

They Devoted Themselves to It
The use of money reveals personal devotion (Matthew 6:21). These Christians gave to advance the gospel, even when no one else was willing.

How does participation in the gospel produce love that yields joy?
1.There is no love without God (1 John 4:8).
2.There is no way to God but through the gospel (John 14:6).
3.Therefore, to find true love, one must participate in the gospel.

Paul

2010-02-24T07:38:00.000-05:00

For those of us who believe we can't find joy in God through Jesus because our horrible circumstances are too great, let's take a look at Paul's obstacles:

1. Remorse: Prior to becoming a Christian, he abducted, tortured, and murdered Christian men and women. (Acts 22 and 26)

2. Sinfulness: As a Christian, he struggled to be obedient to God. (Romans 7:15)

3. Enemies: Many people plotted against Paul, opposing his work. (Acts 9:23-25)

4. Loneliness: Most wouldn't trust him, let alone befriend him. In fact, he was generally disliked by many. (Acts 9:26)

5. Spiritual attacks: Satan really put pressure on him. (Acts 13:8)

6. Physical attacks: He was beaten several times. Once, he was struck with heavy stones nearly to the point of death. (Acts 14:19)

7. Imprisonment: He was tossed into jail for preaching several times. In fact, he wrote Philippians from prison. (Acts 16:19-24)

8. Humiliation: People regularly mocked him. (Acts 17:18)

9. False accusations: Many tried to destroy his name with false accusations. (Acts 24:5-9)

10. Disaster: He was once shipwrecked during a terrifying ocean storm. (Acts 27:14-20)

To gain more traction in your journey to joy, participate in our Facebook discussion board.

5 Questions to Determine if You're Participating in the Gospel

2010-02-23T10:01:00.000-05:00

Of all the churches connected to Paul's ministry, what made the one in Philippi so special anyway?

Glad you asked. They participated in the gospel, while many churches did not.

The Roman believers hypocritically judged others, refused to repent (turn from their sin), and had constant dissensions. They were about selfish ambition rather than gospel ambition.

The Corinthian church was full of division and perpetually immature Christians. There were many there who acted like they didn't know Jesus at all, let alone love Him.

The Galatian church kept forgetting the gospel. They would just try to be good on their own.

Based on all this, here are some questions to help you discern if you're participating in the gospel:

1. Do you often notice what other people are doing wrong; but rarely experience the need to repent of your own sinful ways?
Gospel participants see their own sin more clearly than anyone else's.

2. When you make decisions, do you lean first toward what is best for you, or what will advance the gospel, make it known, communicate it, etc.?

3. Does your presence bring disunity or unity when you're in a group of Christians?

Gossip and the tendency to stir up trouble where there is none brings gospel participation to a halt.

4. Is your faith stronger, your knowledge of God greater, your love for others deeper than it was at this time last year?

Participation will bring growth.

5. Do you think you can be good apart from the gospel?
To weigh in on what the gospel is and how to participate in it, visit our Facebook discussions.

Enjoy your day!

Sermon Recap | Purpose

2010-02-22T10:45:00.000-05:00

Purpose shapes perspective, which determines joy.

Your understanding of your life's purpose will shape your perspective regarding your circumstances and ultimately affect your joy.

If your purpose is to be physically comfortable, then illness or injury will destroy your joy.

If your purpose is to be financially stable, then pay cuts or job loss will destroy your joy.

If your purpose is to be liked, then criticism or embarrassment will destroy your joy.

Paul’s ultimate purpose was to communicate and spread the gospel, the good news that Jesus died and rose again to offer life those who would believe in Him as their savior and follow Him as their Lord. So long as this purpose was being fulfilled, no circumstantial misfortune could destroy his joy.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave a final charge to His followers, which can basically be summed up like this: Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe God’s word.

In other words, followers of Jesus Christ (true Christians) are on a mission: to advance the gospel. To communicate it to non-Christians and to encourage Christians to live according to it.

This is God's purpose for your life as a Christian and aligning your purpose with His will yield joy.

Paul’s freedom and privacy were stripped from him for two years in prison; yet he viewed his situation as wonderful – not terrible. How could he possibly think prison was wonderful? Because it was actually fulfilling his ultimate purpose, to advance the gospel, in three ways:

1. It put him into contact with people who needed to hear the gospel.
2. It gave him a unique platform from which to communicate the gospel.
3. It gave him a unique opportunity to encourage his fellow Christians in the gospel.

This week, we'll look at each of these and how finding God's purpose in your situation could lead to great joy in Him through Jesus. So be sure to check back often.

You can also join the discussion in our Facebook group.

Purpose 1

2010-02-21T08:30:00.000-05:00

The first way Paul saw joyful purpose in his terrible situation was that it put him into contact with people who needed to hear the gospel.

He says in Philippians 1:12-13: I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else...

The praetorian guard was a large force of influential Roman men. Paul was shackled to one 24 hours a day for roughly two years. The guards would rotate every six hours. So Paul had contact with four guards every day, six hours each.

Since Paul's purpose wasn't to maintain comfort or privacy, but to advance the gospel, this was wonderful! He could show them the gospel with his life and explain it with his lips. And eventually the whole guard was discussing Jesus.

This brought Paul joy.

What about you? Who is in your life right now? It's no accident. I would encourage you to actually list out all the people you're in regular contact with and start praying for them.

Maybe you're shackled to that job you hate because God wants to advance the gospel among your bosses, coworkers, and clients.

Maybe you're stuck in that hospital bed because God wants to advance the gospel among the administrators, doctors, nurses, and patients there.

Maybe your misery in your current situation could be remedied by rediscovering your ultimate purpose.

Align your purpose with God's purpose for you (to advance the gospel) and you'll experience joy that transcends circumstances in God through Jesus.

Purpose 2

2010-02-20T08:48:00.000-05:00

The second way Paul found joyful purpose in his terrible situation was that it provided a unique platform from which to communicate the gospel.

The guards shackled to Paul each day witnessed how the gospel works itself out in the life of a believer in prison. No tract or memorized gospel outline could do this.

What unique platform does your current circumstance provide to communicate the gospel?

Could it be that your unemployment has purpose, because those around you need to see how the gospel works itself out in the life of a believer in financial distress.

What is your reaction to your current situation communicating about the gospel? That's it's true and precious? Or that it really doesn't offer any hope or peace or comfort or joy?

And I don't only mean bad situations. Those in our community need to see how the gospel works itself out in all of life.

In restaurants, Christians should tip in such a way that the recipients have to ask, why would they be so generous? because that's how God has dealt with us.

At work, Christians should work in such a way that coworkers have to ask, why would they serve so willingly? because that's how Jesus has served us.

At the mall, Christians should shop in such a way that people have to ask, why do they put so little value on material possessions? because our treasure lies in heaven with God, not in clothes and entertainment.

What is your lifestyle communicating about the gospel to those around you? 1 Peter 3:15 says Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. Are you living in such a way that people wonder about the hope you have?

You can find joy by aligning your purpose with God's purpose for you (to advance the gospel) in every situation. Then each hair cut, each phone conversation, each elevator ride, each work crisis, each health issue, each family gathering (you get the idea) comes alive with joyful purpose.

Purpose 3

2010-02-19T09:25:00.000-05:00

The third way Paul found joyful purpose in his situation was that it gave him a unique opportunity to encourage his fellow Christians in the gospel.

The Philippian Christians were skittish about openly identifying themselves with the gospel due to persecution. Paul's boldness and joy in the gospel while experiencing persecution gave them courage.

"...[M]ost of the brethren, trusting the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear." - Philippians 1:14

Perhaps your situation, terrible as it may be, has purpose because God wants to encourage and embolden the Christians around you.

How is your response to your circumstances effecting other Christians? Is your behavior causing them to trust God deeply and speak God's word fearlessly? Or is it causing them to question God's faithfulness?

It is possible for a Christian to say that the gospel is true; yet live as though it were a lie. One can say that through Jesus he has access to God, provision from God, comfort in God, and a relationship with God and live as though God is either non-existent or evil.

Do you mourn as one with no hope? Or do you mourn in such a way that your hope in God shines through the darkness?

Do you suffer as one with no comfort? Or do you suffer in such a way that God's undergirding support is clear to those around you?

Do you struggle as one with no guidance? Or is it clear to the Christians around you that God's word is your road map?

Cling to God and live in such a way that other Christians will see His reality and goodness clearly in you. Then a joyful sense of purpose will invade your suffering.

Purpose Challenge

2010-02-18T09:41:00.000-05:00

I just finished posting about gaining joy through understanding and living according to your purpose as a Christian (to advance the gospel). Now I want to challenge you to do something about it this week.

Each time you enter a new situation, pray that God would use you to advance the gospel and then keep your eyes peeled for opportunities.

The opportunities might be chances to:
- clarify some aspect of the gospel (man's sinfulness, God's holiness, Jesus perfection, God's provision for our deepest problem through Jesus, etc.) in conversation;.
- demonstrate some characteristic of God (unconditional love, mercy, generosity, justice, etc.) through your actions and attitude;
- get to know someone so you can pray for them;
- display faith in God's care, etc.

So, when you:
- approach the breakfast table with your family,
- strap the kids into their car seats,
- balance the family budget,
- arrive in the parking lot at work,
- enter the meeting room,
- sit down in the barber's chair,
- walk through the mall doors,
- get in the checkout line,
- dial the phone number,
- etc.,
pray for God to use you to advance the gospel and look of opportunities.

This will take discipline; but if you never take practical steps toward applying the truth of God's word, you'll never experience joy in God through Jesus.

Sermon Recap | Unity

2010-02-17T10:01:00.000-05:00

Unity among Christians is an important factor in Paul's joy and yours.

"...[M]ake my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose." - Philippians 2:2

Here, he pleads with his friends in the church at Philippi to be united, and I pass it on to you.

You can experience joy in God through Jesus by being united with a body of believers. In order for this to happen, the individuals in said group of believers (including you) must:

1) Point his head toward God.
2) Point his heart toward God.

Pointing your head toward God.
Paul asks his friends to be like-minded. To be of the same mind. To think the same way. To have the same mindset. To think in the same direction - toward God.

Within the church, different directions of thinking cause disunity. When individuals are thinking according to their personal experience, their feelings, hearsay, what others might say, etc., there is no unity of mind.

Colossians 3:2 says that Christians should set their minds on things above, not on earthly things. We are to think Godwardly. This means that you must think about:
- people,
- situations,
- decisions,
- opportunities,
- etc.,
according to God's perspective and not man's.

This can only happen when you read your Bible - a lot. Then it will start to shape your thinking.

Pointing your heart toward God:
Paul also asks his friends to share the same love. To maintain the same love. To love in the same direction - toward God.

What is the greatest commandment? Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).

How quickly we forget this one and move on to the second greatest commandment: love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31).

Settling for second best in this regard will cause us to miss the joy of Christian unity. It can't be found by only looking toward each other with love. It's found by first looking toward God with love together.

Like all horizontal lines must point to the vanishing point in a perspective drawing, all heads and hearts must point to God in order for the church to experience joyful unity.

Pointing your head and heart toward God will make you the kind of person who can experience the joy of unity with other Christians.

Sermon Recap | Work

2010-02-16T14:49:00.000-05:00

Philippians 2:12-13

1. What: Work out our salvation.
“[W]ork out your salvation…”
This gets at the heart of a common confusion among Christians. We know that faith alone saves (Ephesians 2:8-9); yet we also know that being a good person and doing good things are important parts of the package (James 2).

There are two cliffs on either side of the Christian path. Fall off one side and one becomes a legalist, thinking that they can gain salvation by doing and being good. In a bloody puddle at the bottom of this cliff are those who stake their spiritual wellbeing on a track record of quiet times and church attendance. Jesus and faith are left out of the picture.

Fall off the other side and one becomes a nominal Christian. They believe that Jesus is the way, truth, and life – but they haven’t actually transferred all their hope and trust into Him.

Completely trusting Jesus is like letting your feet off the ground and trusting a hammock to hold you. Those who fall off this side of the cliff believe the hammock is there, squat into it a little; but can’t bring themselves to take their feet off the ground.

Perhaps you’ve been joyless because you’ve fallen off one of these cliffs. Stay on the path by trusting Jesus through faith for salvation, and then working out that salvation into your daily life by trusting God’s work in you.

I used the illustration of a toothpaste tube to help explain this. Toothpaste has to be worked out of the tube in order to be beneficial. Otherwise, it’s worthless.

Salvation, in the same way, must be worked out into our lives in order to be beneficial (or real). Once we’re saved, we gain precious promises from God’s word (peace beyond understanding, joy inexpressible, etc.) as well as important commands (love God, love others, etc.).

If our faith in Jesus is real, these promises and commands must be worked out into our lives like toothpaste from a tube.

Each Bible passage or sermon is like a tube of truthpaste (I know how corny that is; but maybe it’ll help you remember) full of truth to be worked out into your life.

2. How: With fear and trembling.
“[W]ork out your salvation with fear and trembling…”This must be done in the right attitude. The Bible says that fear is the beginning of wisdom. God is really big and really awesome (as in inspiring awe, not just neato). We do not deserve His mercy and should be cast away from Him altogether.

Yet He loves us, saves those of us who trust in His Son for life and salvation, and empowers us to live obediently. There is no room for arrogance or self-confidence here because it is only by God’s grace and power that we’re able to work out our salvation, which brings us to the third point:

3. Why: Because we can!
“[W]ork out your salvation with fear and trembling; for (because) it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure”.
Do you realize how many people in the world are trying to work out love, joy, peace, self-control, etc. into their lives apart from God, but can’t?

Through Jesus, we have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit and are enabled to work these things out into our lives.

Work out your salvation with fear and trembling because God is at work in you and you can!

Perhaps you’ve been joyless because you haven’t been working out your salvation, by God’s power, in your everyday life. Maybe you have accumulated promises you won’t claim and commands you won’t obey.

If this is true, I encourage you, by the grace of God through Jesus, work out your salvation.

Sermon Recap | Wealth

2010-02-15T10:33:00.000-05:00

Philippians 3:1-11

In this passage Paul makes it clear that the greatest wealth one can ever find is knowing Jesus.

He writes that at one point in his life, he had gathered a wealth in religious accomplishments (verses 5-7). Yet, when he met Jesus, he looked at these so-called riches and saw them for what they really were: "loss".

What he means is that what he thought was beneficial to him turned out to be detrimental because it hindered him from knowing Jesus.

More than that, he says that everything is detrimental in comparison to knowing Jesus (verse 8).

Someone calculated that Bill Gates amassed so much wealth in a 25 year period that he was making a staggering one million dollars per hour (around $300 per second).

This means that if he were to have seen a $1,000 bill on the ground on his way to work one morning, it would actually have cost him money to take four seconds to pick it up. It was that profitable for him to go on about his business.

Paul is saying that it is so profitable for us to know Jesus, that we take a loss when we spend our energy toward any other end.

He takes it a step further in verse 8, calling everything that distracts from knowing Jesus "rubbish". Rubbish is a word without sting; but if I were to write the literal translation of Paul's word I'd get in trouble.

Let's just say that anything that distracts you from knowing Jesus is about as valuable as what your neighbor's dog leaves in your front yard...

TV, Internet, work, family, church - all rubbish if it distracts you from Jesus. And all extremely valuable if it helps you to know Him more deeply.

Perhaps you are joyless because you focus your passion on work, leisure, even church rather than the Treasure that is knowing Jesus. And you're in spiritual poverty.

Perhaps you're joyless because you keep your eyes on your bank account or your Facebook news feed rather than your relationship with Jesus.

Perhaps you're joyless because you've been spending your life gathering a wealth of rubbish.

Now, let this confront you. This is about you. You personally. Because you cannot see Jesus through another person's eyes. You cannot know Him through another person's brain. You cannot love Him through another person's heart.

Don't think that because you often see your worship team or your pastor seeing, knowing, loving Jesus that you are seeing, knowing, loving Jesus too. You can't do these thing vicariously.

Have you ever worked with someone who was so smitten with his child that he talked about him all the time? Always sharing with you the cute things his child did the night before. And then one day, that coworker brings his child to work and you bend down and say to him, "I've heard so much about you, I feel like I know you."

But immediately you see no recognition in his little eyes. He has no idea who you are. And you really don't know him either.

I shutter to think of how many in our churches will see Jesus when He returns and look into those unfathomable eyes and say, "Jesus! I've heard so much about you, I feel like I know you..." And then they'll hear those terrifying words, "Depart from me, for I never knew you."

Get to know Jesus. Get to know Him as your savior. Get to know Him as God, part of the Trinity, glorious and worthy of worship. Get to know Him as a man, humble and self sacrificing. Get to know Him as Lord and King, valiant and worthy of our loyalty and obedience. Get to know Him as the Good Shepherd, loving and gentle with His flock. Get to know Him as the Living Water and the Bread of Life, all sustaining and fulfilling. Get to know Him as the Treasure that destroys all other treasures.

I'll post the practical application part of the sermon later this week. In the meantime, examine your relationship with Jesus. How well do you know Him?

Wealth | Application

2010-02-14T13:20:00.000-05:00

Okay, as promised, here is the practical application portion of the Wealth sermon. These are eight ways to get to know Jesus, the ultimate treasure:

1. Meet Him.
Have you met Jesus? I don't mean, have you met people who know Jesus? I mean have you met Him?

He once told a woman who met Him by a well that if she knew who He was, she'd ask Him for living water, meaning salvation (John 4:7-14). Meeting Him + knowing who He is will = being saved.

You've probably heard who He is: the Son of God who died to reconcile Christians with God. Now, you just need to meet Him. Turn to Him in prayer, introduce yourself (a sinner) and ask Him to help you accept the living water of salvation. Place all your faith and hope in Him for life now and eternal life later.

Meet Jesus through salvation.

2. See Him.After I met the woman who would later become my wife, we saw each other nearly everyday for weeks. That's how we started to get to know each other.

If you've met Jesus through salvation, you'll need to see Him regularly to get to know Him better. You can do this through the Bible. It's all about Jesus.

The Old Testament predicts and prepares for Him. The New Testament shows us His life and explains His teaching. The whole book points to Jesus.

So read it.
Study it.
Meditate on it.
Memorize portions of it.
Listen to it.
Think about it.
Talk about it.
Listen to other people talk about it.

You will not grow rich in the knowledge of Jesus without being in the Bible. I promise.

See Jesus through the Bible.

3. Live with Him.
Once you start seeing Jesus regularly, you'll see things in your life that need to change. There will be promises to believe, commands to obey, warnings to heed, principles to which to adjust your thinking. You'll need to ask Jesus to help you apply all these things to your life.

Don't worry, Jesus is with you through it all (Matthew 28:20).

Live with Jesus through application.

4. Speak with Him.
It's really hard to get to know someone without speaking with them and, you guessed it, prayer is our avenue of communication with Jesus.

He's there for you. He should be the first person you turn to (John 14:14). In the morning, in the car, before you open the door to your workplace, as you brush your teeth, etc.

Speak with Jesus through prayer.

5. Focus on Him.
It's been said that the modern trinity is Hurry, Worry, and Busy. It keeps us from the holy trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You may never hear silence again if you don't intentionally withdraw. So, make a regular habit of taking out the ear buds, pausing Pandora, logging off of Facebook, etc., etc. until you're alone in the quiet. Then you can focus your mind and heart on Jesus for a little while.

If you don't do this, Hurry, Worry, and Busy will grind you through each day until you've lived your entire life without spending quality time - just you and Jesus.

Focus on Jesus through silence and solitude.

6. Love Him.
As you get to know Jesus better and better, something will begin to bubble up in your soul. Awe mixed with affection. This is called worship.

You'll want to magnify His glory with your lips and your life. Go for it.

Love Jesus through worship.

7. Serve Him.
What we do for those in need, we do for Jesus (Matthew 25:41-46).

Feed the hungry.
Hydrate the thirsty.
Welcome the outsider.
Clothe the naked.
Visit the sick and imprisoned.

Serve Jesus through serving those in need.

8. Share Him.
A joy unshared is a joy not fully experienced. Not sure who said that; but I know it's true. That's why whenever we encounter something joyous (a beautiful sunset or our child's first steps), we immediately want to share it with someone.

To fully experience the joy of getting to know Jesus, we need to share Him. Share Him with those who haven't yet met Him (evangelism and missions) ans share Him with those who are getting to know Him already (fellowship).

Finally, these are merely ways to get to know Jesus better. Please don't roll your sleeves up and work on any of these things thinking they'll make Him love you more. He loves you already. Just spend some time with Him and get to know Him.

Sermon Recap | Press

2010-02-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

Philippians 3:12-21

Do you look up to some people as holier than you ever hope to be? If so, you may not understand the doctrine of sanctification.

When you accept Christ as your only hope for life and salvation, committing your life to Him as Lord and savior - you are reborn.

Like a newborn baby with new appetites and desires, you are alive to God for the first time. You want to be holy, to serve others, to pray, to worship, to read the Bible, to honor and please God. But you're not mature in any of this yet. Sanctification is the process of growing into your new identity as a Christian.

Regeneration (salvation) is birth. Sanctification is growth.

In this passage, Paul says that he is not yet perfectly like Jesus; but he's pressing on. He's growing toward perfection in Christ-likeness. He's leaning into it. He's applying himself to it.

Are you? Am I? Are we more like Jesus today than we were a year ago? Two years ago? A decade ago?

If I notice over the next several months that my five-month-old daughter isn't growing and advancing as a little person, I'm going to be concerned. It's just as concerning when Christians do not grow over time.

Here's how Paul went about pressing toward perfection in Christ-likeness:

1. Forgetting what is behind.

2. Reaching toward what is ahead.

Both steps form one action: pressing on.

Perhaps you are missing out on the joyful life promised to Christians because you are stuck in the past.

Maybe you've sinned and you cannot move on. You must confess and repent before God and those you've sinned against if you ever hope to move forward toward Christ-likeness. If this is you, see 1 John 1:9.

Maybe you've made mistakes that have lead to you a place in life that you regret. You think "Oh, what could have been!" or "If only ____!" And rather than moving forward, you're stuck looking backward. You must accept where you are and reach for what's ahead. If this is you, see Romans 8:28.

Maybe you have some accomplishments under your belt and you've become satisfied to look back with nostalgia at the great retreat you attended or the amazing answer to prayer you received. You must cherish those memories, yet strain forward.

Maybe you've been sinned against and you cannot bring yourself to forgive. While some would have you dwell in the past and examine it from every angle, God's word would have you forgive and dwell in the future, examining the hope you have in God's grace through Jesus from every angle. Bitterness will kill you. Let go of the past and move forward.

It's not that all memory is bad. Memory is a great tool for the Christian so long as it helps you to move forward. Remember God's faithfulness. Remember lessons learned. Press on toward the future.

This is the future for Christians: "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself." (verses 20-21)

If you think that you could never be as holy as those you look up to in the Christian walk, you're not doubting yourself or being humble. You're doubting the power and promise of God.

It's time for you to forget what's behind and reach forward to what's ahead, pressing on toward the goal: perfection in Christ-likeness.

Sermon Recap | Peace

2010-02-12T09:04:00.000-05:00

Philippians 4:1-7

Tense muscles, restless nights, tumultuous tummies, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating might get you diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Some estimate that up to 40% of Americans suffer from some sort of anxiety disorder, the most commonly diagnosed mental illness in the US.

Regardless of how accurate the stats are, talking to everyday people reveals that anxiety is epidemic, even among Christians (including myself).

Google "anxiety cure" and in .25 seconds you'll see 1,410,000 ways to find anxiety relief. Guess what you won't find: a cure. There is relief in relaxation techniques, mental tricks, and medications - but no cure.

Amidst the noise of coping strategies is God's still, small voice in Philippians 4 saying, "Be anxious for nothing..."

Nothing. No thing. Not even one thing.

In Luke 10, we read the story of two sisters who had Jesus over for dinner. One sister, Mary, is captivated by Jesus. She just sits and looks at Him and listens to Him. The other sister, Martha, is busy straightening the house and preparing the food.

She's so stressed about it all that she finally snaps, turns to Jesus and says, "Do you not care that I'm doing everything and Mary is just sitting there?!"

Jesus looks at her with compassion. "Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things..." And between the lines, we read - "Don't be."

You're thinking, sure, don't sweat the small stuff. But, what about big stuff? Surely the Bible doesn't dismiss big worries so bluntly, right? Stroll through Matthew 6:25-34 and you'll see that the Bible is unyielding and clear about all anxiety and worrying: don't do it. There is an alternative

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

We can either be anxious or pray. We can either be Martha or Mary. We can either worry about life and provision or we can present our requests to God.

Prayer = talking to God.

Supplication = seeking your supplies from God.

Thanksgiving = do the above with gratitude.

It's not a complicated procedure. So why doesn't it work? When our chests are heaving and our minds are racing, why does peace often elude us when we pray? Doesn't verse seven promise that if we pray for our needs, our anxieties will give way to peace?

Does prayer work like an oil drill, digging into God until we strike peace? Does prayer work like a grocery store transaction in which we give God a prayer and He hands us a bag of peace (paper or plastic)?

When I was a child, I didn't worry about anything. No debt, no bills, and no responsibilities. I was at peace. Sure, plenty of debt, bills, and responsibilities were associated with my well-being; but I wasn't bothered by it.

I was dependent upon my parents for all these things. They were in control. They were responsible. And so long as I saw that they were seemingly at peace, I was at peace. They never gave me peace in any tangible way; yet their peace guarded my heart and mind.

This is the promise in verse seven, that our hearts and minds will be guarded by the peace of God, not peace from God.

When we pray in obedience to verse six, God doesn't give us a tube of anti-anxiety cream. God doesn't necessarily send peace down like a lightning bolt from heaven.

If we believe God is in control, that He loves us, that He wants what's best for us, then His peace will guard our hearts and minds from anxiety. Any peace we gain from prayer is directly connected to our ability to take comfort in the fact that He is in charge and He is at peace.

In other words, prayer is the exercise that strengthens faith, the muscle that enables us to trust God's sovereignty and thus be at peace.

We know that to be physically fit, we must exercise and eat right. Yet, how many of us try it for a couple of days and give up, thinking it didn't work because we see no results in the mirror? Exercise doesn't yield immediate fitness results and prayer doesn't always yield immediate peace results. Rather, it is a means to cultivate strong faith in God that, over time, will yield a heart and mind guarded by God's peace.

Christians, are you anxious? Cultivate a lifestyle of prayer. Soon, your faith will grow strong and the peace of God will guard you.

Those who have not committed their lives to Jesus, you need to address the gospel. The gospel is the good news that Jesus was God’s Son, lived the perfect life, and died the death we deserved to take the punishment we earned so that we could be reconciled to God.

There is no peace apart from God. There is no relationship with God but through Jesus. Finding out who He is will be your first step toward peace.

Email me if you want to talk about it: matthewbroadway@gmail.com.

Sermon Recap | Think

2010-02-11T09:37:00.000-05:00

Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. - Philippians 4:8-9

This passage generates many rules. Don't watch any R rated movies, for example.

We often use God's principles to manufacture rules, which is okay. It's important to adjust our lives to Scripture.

However, when our rules replace God's principles, we have a problem. Principles point to God. Rules point to man. We must be careful when studying a passage like this that we don't worship ourselves through rule following rather than worshipping God through His principles. We want to be men and women of principle, not men and women of rules.

So, please don't simply look for rules. Instead, look for God's truth and let it shape your thinking. Before we get carried away by the adjectives in this passage and make a checklist for what movies are okay to watch, etc., let's take a closer look at the verbs.

We are to dwell on these things. This an aggressive verb. Rather than simply opening or shutting the door to our mind to various input, we are to intentionally set our minds on these things. Like heaving a stack of books onto a table, we need to purposefully place our minds on these kinds of subjects.

In other words, we're responsible for what goes on in our minds. As 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, we're to take every thought captive.

So here's a test to help us see how we're doing on this:

1. What have you been thinking about today?

2. What did you think about as you drove to work this morning? What do you usually think about as you drive?

3. What did you think about as you got ready for the day (in the shower, brushing your teeth, etc.)?

4. What did you think about in the time between turning off your light and falling asleep last night?

5. How actively do you monitor your thought life? Are you aware of what's going on up there?

This passage tends to make me more vigilant in avoiding bad thinking; yet the primary message is to aggressively seek out good thinking. Why?

1. Because as Proverbs teaches, as a man thinks within himself, so he is.

2. Our experience of the presence of God depends on it.

The promise at the end of this section is that the God of peace will be with (accompany) you. This means that there is a way of thinking that connects us with God's presence. Conversely, there is a way of thinking that can disconnect us from experiencing His presence.

The thought life of one connected to the presence of God:

Set your mind on the true.

This means accurate according to reality (which is the world as God sees it).

Set your mind on the honorable.This means grave and honest; taking seriously what God takes seriously.
Set your mind on the right.This means equitable, just, and fair.
Set your mind on the pure.This means clean, innocent, modest and chase.
Set your mind on the lovely.This means friendly and acceptable.
Set your mind on the reputable.This means well spoken of.
Set your mind on the excellent.This means virtuous. For example, things that pertain to justice, wisdom, courage, moderation, etc.
Set your mind on the praiseworthy.This means commendable.
Fact: what you put into your mind affects your thinking. Yet there are no hard and fast rules to follow. Just absorb the principle: godly thinking brings about godly being and connects us with the presence of God. And keep an eye on what you're putting into your mind and how it's affecting your thinking.
If style magazines stimulate false thinking, stop reading them. If watching The Simpsons stimulates dishonorable thinking, stop watching it. If listening to talk radio stimulates unfair thinking, stop listening to it. If walking by the magazine rack and Wal-Mart stimulates impure thinking, take a different isle. If movie previews stimulate ugly (unlovely) thinking, get to the theater later. If conversations with someone stimulate shameful and worthless thinking, fire them from your Facebook friend list. You get the idea.
Finally, note how verses 8 and 9 are connected. Paul jumps straight from this list of good things to think about into "the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things." What has Paul been teaching, giving, speaking, and living out for them? God's Word.
God's word is the truest, most honorable, just, pure, lovely, reputable, excellent, and praiseworthy subject matter possible. We should fill our minds with it and practice it, meaning repetitively work it out into our lives until we habitually live according to the truth of Scripture.
If we can do so, Paul promises that the God of peace will be with us in our endeavors, our challenges, our victories, our failures, our illness, our wellness - in all of life.
Think about it...

Sermon Recap | Contentment

2010-02-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

Philippians 4:10-14

con-tent-ment [kuh n - tent - muh nt]

1. a state of satisfaction with one's possessions, status, and situation.

Some Christians are joyless because they are discontent. How about you? Are you content? Or do you believe in your heart that you would find satisfaction if you had something more or better? That you would find joy if your status or situation improved?

In this passage we learn very clearly that Christian contentment is not connected to possessions, status, or situation. Paul says that he knows the secret of contentment in any circumstance. And he's writing this from prison...

Notice that he speaks of contentment as a secret to learn, not a muscle to exercise or a blessing bestowed tangibly by God. The battle for contentment takes place in the mind and the secret we must learn is hidden in a famous verse: Philippians 4:13.

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Mark Altrogge says this: When Paul says I can do all things through him who strengthens me, he doesn’t mean that I can play in the NBA or sing like Sting if I just believe; it means I can do all things that God calls me to do through the strength Christ supplies; I can do all things necessary to glorify God by the power of Jesus. If Christ calls me to suffer, he will strengthen me to suffer in such a way that God is glorified. If he calls me to poverty or abundance, Jesus will strengthen me to endure in such a way as to honor his Father.

In other words, contentment isn't about more or less, better or worse. It's about connection to Jesus Christ as our trust and our treasure.

If we believe that God is in control over all things, including our possessions, our status, and our situation; and that he loves us so much that He gave His Son to die for those who would trust in Him - we can be content in any circumstance.

No spouse, no job, no car, no friend, no family, no promotion will make us content if we are not content right now with Jesus Christ.

Christian contentment says "I may never have ____; but I have God. I have Jesus. I have heaven. I have a life to live. I have a great purpose to fulfill. So I am content."

Paul explains that he knows how to be content when brought low and lifted up. He knows how to be content when hungry and full. He knows how to be content with need and abundance. What's his secret? He knows that he can do all things (live anyway God ordains for His glory with contentment) through Jesus who strengthens him.

Jesus says in John 15:5, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."

Contentment is not about more or less, better or worse. It's about connection to Jesus Christ, like a branch must remain connected to the vine.

So, you who are weighed down with heavy burdens and concerns. You who have very real problems. You who cannot find contentment. Remember, there is nothing that you can do apart from living in connection to Jesus.

Do you know Him? Do you trust Him? Do you treasure Him? Or are you simply looking to Him in the hope that He'll give you your real treasure (possessions, status, or situation)?

And please don't give up because this is hard and unnatural or because you don't feel like you understand how Jesus can be enough to make you content when you're in a seemingly hopeless situation.

Jesus says in Matthew 7:7, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

Turn to Him in the simplicity of genuine prayer. Ask, seek, and knock. He has promised to answer, reveal, and open to you when you do.

May you find circumstance-transcending contentment in God through Jesus.

Sermon Recap | Give

2009-09-02T10:26:00.002-04:00

Philippians 4:15-23

Some Christians are joyless due to an ingrown wallet. They need to give.

The Philippian church had a good track record of giving to support God's work. Paul encourages their giving, but he's quick to add disclaimers: "Not that I speak from want..." (4:11) "Not that I seek the gift itself..." (4:17)

If he isn't motivated by need or greed, why does he encourage their giving?

"I seek for the profit which increases to your account." (4:17)

1. Give because it's profitable.
Some teach that if you give $1 for God's work, He'll give you $2. It's like a money market account in the GCU (God's Credit Union). But this isn't the profit to which Paul is referring. His teaching springs from Jesus' teaching; so let's take a look at what Jesus had to say about it in Matthew 6:19-21:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where theives do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Don't store up treasures on earth. Store up treasures in heaven. These are the two treasury options, presented as opposites. Giving away earth treasures is storing up heaven treasures. Storing up earth treasures is giving away heaven treasures.

Like a gob of peanut butter, this is simple yet hard to swallow. Let's wash it down with some other things Jesus said:

- "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; and from the joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." - Jesus to the 12 disciples (Matthew 13:44)
- "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven..." "How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." - Jesus to a rich guy who wanted to get into heaven (Mark 10:21; Luke 18:24-25)
- "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God...Woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full." - Jesus to the 12 disciples again (Luke 6:20; 24)
- "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no theif comes near nor moth destroys..." - Jesus to the 12 disciples yet again (Luke 12:33)
- "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions." - Jesus to a large crowd of would-be Christians (Luke 14:33)

When it's time to leave the house, my three-year-old son will sometimes attempt to carry all of his toys rather than leave anything behind. He'll lodge them in his arm pits. He'll clamp as many as he can under his chin. He'll squeeze as many as will fit between his arms and his chest. Then he wants me to carry him; but he can't look up and reach for me without dropping everything.

We cannot hold onto earthly possessions while reaching to embrace God. We must drop it all and lift our arms to The Treasure of Treasures. Our heart just doesn't have room to cherish earthly riches and God. It's the One. Or it's the other.

God knows that our lives are short and eternity is long. He knows that earthly riches are only a means to an end; and because He loves us, He admonishes us to give it away rather than missing eternal heavenly riches found in Him.

Paul calls this sort of giving "a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God." (4:18, linguistically referring to old testament sacrifices used in worship)

2. Give because it's worship.
If you're giving out of guilt, stop. If you're giving out of obligation, stop. If you're giving out of habit, stop. If you're giving to keep up appearances, stop. Here's why:

"Hear the word of the LORD,
You rulers of Sodom;
Give ear to the instruction of our God,
You people of Gomorrah.
'What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me?'
Says the LORD...
'When you come to appear before Me,
Who requires this trampling of My courts?
Bring your worthless offerings no longer.
Incense is an abomination to Me.'" - Isaiah, speaking for God (Isaiah 1:10-15)

He doesn't want our sacrifices, our appearance in church, our offerings, or our gifts. God doesn't want our money. He doesn't need it to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, or advance the gospel. What He's after is our worship. He wants our hearts. And where our treasure is, so our hearts will be also.

Christian, is your heart joyless? If so, where is it? Figure out what you treasure and you'll find your heart.

If it's your car, your house, your entertainment devices, your wardrobe, your savings - anything other than God, joylessness will haunt you. An invisible aparition you feel in your bones.

Let it all go. Look to God. Lift your arms to embrace Him. Find The Treasure.

And find joy in God through Jesus.