The Joy of People and Partnering with the Gospel

-Philippians 1.3-8-

Scriptures to Consider:

[PHILIPPIANS 1.3-8] - 3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 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.

7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.

[PHILIPPIANS 4.1] - 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.

[PHILIPPIANS 4.10, 15-17] - 10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. 15 As you know, you Philippians were the only ones who gave me financial help when I first brought you the Good News and then traveled on from Macedonia. No other church did this. 16 Even when I was in Thessalonica you sent help more than once. 17 I don’t say this because I want a gift from you. Rather, I want you to receive a reward for your kindness.

[ROMANS 1.8-9] - 8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.

[COLOSSIANS 1.3-5] - 3 We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News.

[1 THESSALONIANS 1.2-3] - 2 We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. 3 As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[2 THESSALONIANS 1.3-4, 11] - 3 Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. 4 We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. 11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.

[2 TIMOTHY 1.3] - 3 Timothy, I thank God for you—the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.

[PHILEMON 4-7] - 4 I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, 5 because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. 6 And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. 7 Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.

Truths to Guide Us:

What gives Paul JOY?

1. PEOPLE

2. PARTNERSHIP in the gospel

3. His POSTURE of PRAYER

4.  A godly PERSPECTIVE (confidence in the certainty of His work)

Words to Illuminate:

I am convinced that attitude is the key to success or failure in almost any of life’s endeavors.

-corporate advisor Caroline Warner

Attitude is more important than the past, than education, money, circumstances; than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.

-author and pastor Charles Swindoll

Of all the ‘attitudes’ we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and most life-changing.

 -motivational speaker Zig Ziglar

The Kingdom of God is not meant to be a loose confederation of island individuals, but rather, a unified group that is committed to the welfare of each other. The only cell in the human body that does its own thing is the cancer cell.

The best thing this world can offer is happiness. And happiness is okay, but happiness is rooted in your happenings. So when the happenings change your happiness can go with it, but joy is rooted in Jesus and he never changes.

-Joby Martin