WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.399 Welcome to Gateway Churches Podcast. 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:06.959 Wherever you're tuning in from, we hope you're encouraged by today's message. 00:00:08.880 --> 00:00:11.039 Oh, if you're gonna clap, do it well. 00:00:14.960 --> 00:00:19.199 So glad you're in church today in uh week two of Happy But Hollow. 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:21.760 It's gonna be a great time together, been a great weekend. 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:24.000 And uh today's Patriot Day. 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:31.920 I don't know if you know that, but a time where we honor first responders, police, firefighters, EMT, EMS, nurses, all those who serve us so well. 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:35.679 And so if you would stand, if you don't mind, we want to honor you across the room. 00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:38.240 If you would stand for us, if you serve in that way. 00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:39.280 Yeah, come on. 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:40.159 Thank God for you. 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:41.039 Bless you. 00:00:47.200 --> 00:00:48.719 Thank you, thank you. 00:00:52.479 --> 00:01:00.079 What a gift you are to uh our communities, and we're just very, very grateful for how you selflessly serve others. 00:01:00.240 --> 00:01:02.320 It is the very heart of Jesus. 00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:03.840 And uh so thank you so much. 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:05.040 You can be seated. 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:09.680 Um I want to remind you that uh we're on this happy but hollow Bible reading plan. 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:14.879 It's really through the book of Philippians, and we had so much engagement last week. 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:21.280 The team told me that it was by far um a record number of people that engaged with the Bible reading plan. 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:26.959 I think over 4,700 people um have said, I'm gonna start reading through the book of Philippians together. 00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:31.280 1,700 were brand new, never engaged with anything like that through the church. 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:32.719 And you can still jump in. 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:34.400 Uh it's not too late to get a part of that. 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:37.680 So text happy, you can get your phone out right now and then put it away. 00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:39.599 Don't be looking at TikTok during the message. 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:40.719 I'm kidding. 00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:44.560 Um text happy to 71010. 00:01:44.640 --> 00:01:49.439 You'll get a link right to your phone, and that's the way I used it this week and uh enjoyed it. 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:53.200 And we give you even a simple way on how to learn to do devotions. 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:55.920 If you're not in the habit of doing that, I want you to get in the habit. 00:01:56.000 --> 00:02:02.480 Um, if this is the only time you spiritually have a meal every week, um, you're gonna be weak in your faith. 00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:05.680 Um, just like you would be weak in your body if you only ate once a week. 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:08.080 You need to take in the Word of God every day. 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:11.759 And uh so there's a simple way to do that, and we give it to you in the devotional. 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:13.199 And it's simply the word SOAP. 00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:15.360 It's an acronym and it just stands for this. 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:18.719 The S is for scripture, so we'll give you a scripture reading. 00:02:18.879 --> 00:02:20.400 The O is for observation. 00:02:20.479 --> 00:02:22.719 It's what did God say to me in the reading? 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:25.120 Um, and then the A is for application. 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:27.120 What do I need to apply to my life? 00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:32.400 Because growth happens in steps, and steps happen as you apply the Word of God into your life. 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:35.039 And then the P is for prayer, just close in prayer. 00:02:35.199 --> 00:02:38.879 And here's the deal: there's no better way to start your day than in the Word of God. 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:41.520 And so just start somewhere. 00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:43.840 You don't have to start with an hour in prayer. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:46.080 Maybe you get there, maybe you don't, but just start. 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:48.319 Say I can get up 15 minutes earlier. 00:02:48.400 --> 00:02:55.120 Um, I can set the coffee timer 15 minutes earlier, and I can go through this simple scripture reading, five or so verses. 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:56.479 What did God say to me? 00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:57.680 How am I gonna apply it? 00:02:57.840 --> 00:02:59.120 And then end in prayer. 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:01.919 And I promise you, it'll start your day better. 00:03:02.080 --> 00:03:05.919 I promise you, you'll know Jesus more, you'll fall more in love with him as you fall in love with his word. 00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:06.400 All right. 00:03:06.479 --> 00:03:07.439 So everybody do that. 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:08.560 Let's all do that together. 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:10.719 There should be a lot of us doing that, all right? 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:11.280 Do you agree? 00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:12.960 You ready for the word of God today? 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:13.759 Yeah? 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:14.879 We ready to get into the word? 00:03:15.039 --> 00:03:16.240 I'm excited to preach it to you. 00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:20.639 Uh I want to bring a message entitled How to Rediscover Your Joy. 00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:23.199 How to Rediscover Your Joy. 00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:24.639 Week two, happy but hollow. 00:03:24.800 --> 00:03:25.520 Let's pray together. 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:27.759 Father, our hearts and minds are open. 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:29.840 We ask that you would speak to us. 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:35.840 We believe your word has the power to change us and uh shape us, and we wanted to do that today. 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:37.919 And uh so speak to us, Holy Spirit. 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:39.840 We pray this in the mighty name of Jesus. 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:41.599 Everybody said a big amen. 00:03:42.080 --> 00:03:42.479 Amen. 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:45.840 All right, by show of hands uh in the room online, everywhere. 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:48.960 How many of you are notorious at losing things? 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:50.960 You're notorious, right? 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:52.479 Some of you are afraid to admit it. 00:03:52.560 --> 00:04:00.639 You were like, um, how many of you uh you're more in the camp of everything has a place, it should go in its place when you return it. 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:02.000 All the boring people, raise your hand. 00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:03.759 I'm kidding, I'm joking. 00:04:03.919 --> 00:04:04.639 I'm joking. 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:12.240 I'm more in that camp, like everything has a place, you should put it back in its place, um, you know, then you'll be able to find it, right? 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:19.600 Uh but there is one area where that is not true about me, and it's um it's as it relates to AirPods, everybody. 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:24.639 For the life of me, I cannot keep a pair of AirPods. 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:28.079 And I always lose them somewhere on a flight. 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:31.439 I don't lose them around the house, I don't lose them in my car. 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:42.480 It's sometime in flying, from from leaving the destination to getting to where somewhere I lose my AirPods, and it I think Delta has something to do with it. 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:46.720 All right, but I seem to misplace them all the time. 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:56.240 And and here's the deal with something that that you've lost or you've misplaced is this is that it's lost because you don't know where you put it and you don't know how you lost it, right? 00:04:56.399 --> 00:05:00.240 If you knew where you put it and how you lost it, you'd go back and get it. 00:05:00.480 --> 00:05:01.519 Are y'all with me? 00:05:01.920 --> 00:05:03.199 You would just go back and find it. 00:05:03.279 --> 00:05:08.000 But the nature of something being lost is you don't know where it is and you don't know how to get it back. 00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:10.959 And I was thinking about this as it relates to joy. 00:05:11.360 --> 00:05:21.040 That a lot of times in our life we can lose our joy and we don't know how we lost it, and we don't know where we lost it, and therefore we can't get it back. 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:26.879 And I don't think that it's necessarily like joy just like goes out of us one day, but like all of a sudden we just lose our joy. 00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:29.920 I think often it's a slow fade over time. 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:45.199 That over time we wake up one day and our faith is no longer vibrant and it no longer has the joy that it once had, and there's no longer the passion and the energy towards the things of God that we once had, and there's many, many things in our life that can begin to rob us of joy. 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:57.839 And I was thinking through a few of them, and you don't have to say amen, and you don't have to point to anybody, but there's some people in your life that you could wake up and everything is great, and then you run into them. 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:07.600 Like, don't point, don't elbow anybody, but there could be some joy robbers in our life, right? 00:06:07.839 --> 00:06:10.720 How many of you know circumstances can rob your joy? 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:28.720 That it's the phone call you got, it's the situation at school, it's the thing happening in your dorm room, it's the thing at work, whatever it may be, there's circumstances in life that all of a sudden you can feel like, man, this is sucking the joy out of my life and the passion and the vitality out of my life. 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:31.360 And it can just happen a little bit at a time over time. 00:06:31.519 --> 00:06:33.920 How many of you know that shame can rob you of joy? 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:43.920 That the narrative of the enemy in your mind, that you're not good enough, that you'll never measure up that how could God ever do something with your life with all the things that are in your past? 00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:49.439 I heard someone say once that every time the enemy reminds you of your past, remind him of his future. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:51.519 Can I say this to you right now? 00:06:51.680 --> 00:06:55.199 That you're right, standing with God isn't because of anything good that you've done. 00:06:55.360 --> 00:07:00.319 The Bible says that it's not of works that we should get the credit, but it is the gift of Almighty God. 00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:03.199 And so you're right, standing before God is by grace. 00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:06.319 Your continued right standing before God is by grace. 00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:10.720 You are a child of God if you've placed your faith in him, filled with the Spirit of God. 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:16.879 So the next time shame comes to rob your joy, just remind yourself, no, he chose me, he died for me, he loved me. 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:21.199 I'm in right standing with God, not because I'm good, but because Jesus is good. 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:23.920 If you believe that, put your hands together today. 00:07:28.160 --> 00:07:30.079 But shame is a thief. 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:34.399 Shame can cause you to lose your joy. 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:42.959 And so I think in Philippians chapter 2, the next chapter that we're studying in this book, is Paul gives us some ways to rediscover our joy. 00:07:43.199 --> 00:07:49.120 That if there's some areas in your life where joy is low or your joy meter's low, how do you get it back? 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:50.480 How do you rediscover it? 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:55.920 How do you go reclaim the joy that is yours, that's your inheritance as a child of God? 00:07:56.079 --> 00:07:56.959 How do you get it back? 00:07:57.040 --> 00:07:59.759 I think he gives us some clues in Philippians chapter 2. 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:01.360 I'm gonna give you four thoughts today. 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:03.759 I want you to write them down if you're in the note-taking type. 00:08:03.839 --> 00:08:06.240 If not, go ahead and write it down anyways. 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:08.000 Become a note taker. 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:10.800 And Paul is writing this as a little recap. 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:13.199 He's writing this to the church he planted in Philippi. 00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:16.319 It's in northern Greece. 00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:19.519 It was planted about 10 years prior to the writing of this. 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:22.319 So he's writing it somewhere between 57 A.D. 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:23.120 and 62. 00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:24.720 Most people say around 60. 00:08:24.879 --> 00:08:26.879 But he planted the church 10 years prior. 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:28.079 Paul is in prison. 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:29.600 He's under house arrest in Rome. 00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:31.199 He's waiting to go before Caesar. 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:33.600 Doesn't know if he'll be befriended or beheaded. 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:35.200 He's not sure what his outcome will be. 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:46.000 And in the middle of that, with elite Roman guards around him, under house arrest for preaching the gospel, he writes the epistle that is known or the letter that is known as the letter of joy. 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:48.559 That should speak to us right there. 00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:56.320 That should tell us something right there, that no matter the circumstance, God can give you a divine joy, no matter what you're facing. 00:08:56.480 --> 00:09:03.039 Joy isn't based on your circumstance or your situation or whether or not everything is moving in the direction you thought it should move in. 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:08.399 It's based on you being in Christ, intimate with the Father, filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:09:08.639 --> 00:09:11.200 He gives you joy no matter what is going on. 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:12.879 If you're with me, say amen. 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:15.600 So if you've lost it, I'm gonna give you four thoughts. 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:21.600 Number one is this I think when you lose your joy first, you've got to check your posture. 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:25.200 Philippians chapter 2, verse 3 says this. 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:28.080 It says, do nothing out of selfish ambition. 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:30.159 This is our family verse, by the way. 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:32.559 And it has been since Owen was born. 00:09:32.799 --> 00:09:37.679 And we haven't moved on to new verses because we haven't lived this one out yet. 00:09:39.039 --> 00:09:42.720 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:44.399 Rather in humility. 00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:46.080 Everybody shout humility. 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:54.559 Value others above yourself, not looking to your own interest, but each of you to the interest of others. 00:09:54.799 --> 00:09:59.279 Have you ever noticed how much posture can communicate when you're in a conversation with someone? 00:10:00.399 --> 00:10:01.440 You ever seen that? 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:02.720 Okay, let me ask this. 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:05.840 All the parents of teenagers, you ever noticed how posture? 00:10:08.240 --> 00:10:09.919 The arms crossed? 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:13.679 I call it the rock back. 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:16.720 It's like you're in a conversation, you tell they've really not this isn't enough. 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:19.519 They really disengage when they put the foot back and it's like. 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:22.559 Are y'all tracking with me? 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:27.840 You ever been talking to someone and you can just tell they're they're standing there, but they're not there? 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:35.840 You ever been in the conversation where they're looking at you but they're really looking over your shoulder to see if someone better is coming along? 00:10:36.080 --> 00:10:38.639 Come on, can I get a better okay? 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:40.240 This is the saints on Sunday morning. 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:40.559 I forgot. 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:41.600 You're like, no, we're holy. 00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:46.879 We were our right, you've seen that? 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:47.679 What is that? 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:48.559 That's posture. 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:50.639 And the posture of it is communicating. 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:52.720 And Paul is talking about posture here. 00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:56.799 Although he's not talking about an outward posture, he's talking about a heart posture. 00:10:57.039 --> 00:11:06.000 And he says, do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but rather in humility, value others above yourself. 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:10.639 Another translation says this that we're to honor others above ourselves. 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:14.320 Can I tell you a gateway to joy is humility? 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:22.720 That whenever your joy is low in your life, it's a good chance to take your posture and go, has my life become about me? 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:30.080 Do I wake up in the morning and the thoughts through my head are about what I get out of the day and what I've got to do today? 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:32.080 And I'm not talking about your plan and your schedule. 00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:37.120 I'm talking about when life begins to revolve around you, joy will evaporate from your life. 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:39.919 Paul says, do nothing out of selfish ambition. 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:44.480 I do want to point out this real quick, though, is that Paul does not rebuke ambition. 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:50.480 This may be a little soapbox for me, but in the body of Christ, I've heard this too much. 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:53.039 It's like, you shouldn't have any ambition. 00:11:53.840 --> 00:12:00.399 And I'm like, well, I'm glad Peter didn't think that way because he took the gospel, he had an ambition to get the gospel out of sight of Jerusalem. 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:30.320 I'm so thankful Paul didn't think that way because the apostle Paul went on these missionary journeys because he had this godly ambition to get the gospel out, and because he took it to Philippi, because he received this Macedonian call in Acts and he went to Philippi, he planted the gospel in Europe, and because the gospel took root in Europe, then years and hundreds and thousands of years later, pilgrims and Puritans came to the Americas, and because they came to the Americas, the gospel made its way to East Tennessee, where this little boy lived. 00:12:30.399 --> 00:12:33.600 And whenever I heard it for the first time, I responded to the gospel. 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:37.840 Man, I'm thankful for the godly ambition of the Apostle Paul. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:41.679 If you've accepted Jesus, you should be thankful for it too. 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:45.279 There's nothing wrong with having ambition. 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:48.720 Paul says, when it's about you is when it's wrong. 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:55.519 When the ambition is selfish, when it's all around what you get out of it, it's building you, building your name. 00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:56.159 No, no, no. 00:12:56.320 --> 00:12:59.279 He says, don't have that kind of stuff in your life. 00:12:59.679 --> 00:13:02.559 He says, let there be a humility in your life. 00:13:02.879 --> 00:13:06.159 Now, this would have been radical teaching. 00:13:06.559 --> 00:13:08.639 Radical teaching for this time. 00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:22.639 Because the pre-Christian Greco-Roman culture, which is just basically the Greeks and the Romans had begun to blend together this culture, thought very little of those they called humble. 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:29.200 And so for Paul to say you need to take on humility, it would have been like, you've lost your mind. 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:30.799 This is radical. 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:32.480 Nobody lives this way. 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:35.679 The humble were, they they use the word humiliors. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:39.519 If you hear the word humiliation in there, you're on the right track. 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:42.639 That they were the lowly of the day. 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:44.799 They were the ones that were looked down on today. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:48.799 No one of any status thought good about those who were humble. 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:55.519 Matter of fact, the word humility in its root is comes from the word humus, which means dirt. 00:13:56.080 --> 00:13:59.679 In other words, a humble person is a grounded person. 00:14:00.240 --> 00:14:02.960 They have an accurate view of themselves. 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:08.080 They're not too highly of themselves, but they don't think too lowly of themselves. 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:12.879 Humility isn't, I'm just the worst person, I'm not any good, you know. 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:15.440 It's not, it's not playing down. 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:16.960 Are y'all tracking with me? 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:19.519 But but it's not arrogancy. 00:14:19.679 --> 00:14:22.240 They're like, I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread. 00:14:23.840 --> 00:14:26.399 Humility is having a grounded view of yourself. 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:28.639 I I love the quote that's accredited to C.S. 00:14:28.720 --> 00:14:29.039 Lewis. 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:31.279 No one really knows if he said it, but he gets the credit. 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:34.639 Um I'm gonna say it a few times and then say as I always say. 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:35.919 I'm kidding. 00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:37.200 It's accredited to C. 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:37.440 S. 00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:37.759 Lewis. 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:44.159 It says, humility isn't thinking less of yourself, it's just thinking of yourself less. 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:49.440 In other words, in the bandwidth of your mind, how much of your day is focused on you? 00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:55.840 Humility says, I'm gonna live life valuing others above myself. 00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:58.480 I'm gonna look out for your need above my need. 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:01.200 I'm gonna honor you above me. 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:03.840 That's what humility does. 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:18.720 I thought I'd give you a little list, mark some markers I thought of humility, because humility is difficult to talk about because it's if you say you're humble, then where do you think you've grown this year? 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:20.480 I've become a lot more humble. 00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:24.240 Well, I don't know if you have. 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:29.279 But here's how you pick someone out that is humble. 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:31.440 They're quick to laugh at themselves. 00:15:32.639 --> 00:15:35.120 Prideful people can't laugh at themselves. 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:41.279 Humble people, you'll know them because they're quick to admit when they've made a mistake. 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:43.840 Here's a great one. 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:46.559 They delight in the success of others. 00:15:47.600 --> 00:15:49.360 Even if they're losing. 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:53.440 They're able to celebrate others. 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:55.440 Man, I'm so glad they're winning. 00:15:55.679 --> 00:15:57.600 Man, I'm so glad they're blessed. 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:02.720 I'm so glad that other church is growing. 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:05.279 Hello. 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:15.600 They don't posture or pretend to have knowledge or abilities they lack. 00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:18.879 They're not frightening, they're not faking. 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:23.440 Humble people are a bit able to be vulnerable. 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:26.639 I like this thought. 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:31.200 When you go low in humility, joy goes high in your life. 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:32.799 Let me say it this way. 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:36.159 When self steps down, joy steps in. 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:43.360 If your joy meter is low, you may want to check your posture number two. 00:16:44.399 --> 00:16:50.879 If you've lost your joy, Paul tells us this that we should serve willingly. 00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:53.919 Serve willingly. 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:56.639 Look what he says in this next section of chapter two. 00:16:56.960 --> 00:16:59.759 He goes into this whole example of Jesus. 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:08.559 And he talks about Jesus saying this, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:23.759 Rather, he made himself nothing by taking on the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. 00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:32.720 I love, I love in this text that Paul doesn't say that Jesus is our model and our example because he came and did some servant things. 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:34.799 Although he did. 00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:57.599 So he didn't shed his nature when he came to earth. 00:17:57.839 --> 00:17:59.039 Hello, are y'all with me? 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:04.079 That's an important theological statement because if he was not God, then he could not take our sins on the cross. 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:11.039 So the very nature of the God man is that he came and he took on, he had the very nature of God, but he didn't shed that. 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:14.319 In addition, he took on the nature of a servant. 00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:21.839 So he didn't just do servant things, he became the prototype in his ethos of what a servant looks like. 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:24.640 He became the model and then he lived it out. 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:28.160 He didn't command you to serve, he modeled how to serve. 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:37.359 And I want to tell you right now that if joy is getting low in your life, then look for the last time that you serve someone else willingly. 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:40.559 Because serving is the pathway to joy in your life. 00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:42.720 It's when you go, I'm gonna put others first. 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:45.519 I'm gonna bless instead of waiting to be blessed. 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:47.039 I'm gonna serve someone else. 00:18:47.119 --> 00:18:51.359 I'm gonna look out for your needs, I'm gonna see a need and I'm not gonna walk by it blindly. 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:54.960 I'm just not gonna put the blinders on and go, I'll pray, I pray for you. 00:18:55.119 --> 00:18:55.920 Can I tell you something? 00:18:56.079 --> 00:19:00.880 When someone needs a cup of cold water, yes, pray for them, but give them some water for God's sake. 00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:05.119 And when someone needs to be rescued from human trafficking, a prayer is wonderful. 00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:11.279 But let's get in with an organization that'll go in there and bust down the door and get the girl out of the situation. 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:15.599 A prayer is good, but we need to put it into action. 00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:19.279 We need to serve this heart of a servant, the nature. 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:22.799 It's not just that we do some servant things and we check the religious box. 00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:23.599 No, no, no. 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:27.359 Joy is when you go, I'm gonna make that a part of my DNA. 00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:36.319 But I'm in this process of sanctification where God is making me more and more into the image of his son, and he's whittling away the things that don't look like him. 00:19:36.559 --> 00:19:40.079 And one of the things that doesn't look like him is when we live for self. 00:19:41.200 --> 00:19:43.119 And it'll rob your joy. 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:45.359 It'll take it from you. 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:50.799 Maybe you're here today and you're going, man, I hear you, but I'm walking through some stuff right now. 00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:52.559 I need to be served. 00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:55.039 And I get that. 00:19:55.599 --> 00:20:01.279 But I'd like to propose a different paradigm to you, a different way of thinking about it. 00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:07.519 The Bible says, what you make happen for others, God will make happen for you. 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:14.720 The biblical principle is whatever fruit you want to harvest, that is the seed you have to put in the ground. 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:17.440 So can I challenge you to think this way? 00:20:17.759 --> 00:20:20.160 If you think, man, I'm I'm in need of prayer. 00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:24.880 Could you go find someone that has a greater need and pray for them? 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:27.920 And what you sow will come back into your life? 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:29.599 Oh, I need some encouragement. 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:34.799 Can you go find someone that needs encouragement and speak life into them and what you sow will come back into your life? 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:39.279 I know it's upside down and not the way we think, but that is the kingdom of God. 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:44.400 The kingdom of God is upside down and backwards from everything of the kingdom of this world. 00:20:44.960 --> 00:20:48.720 And maybe you're here today and you're like, ah, you don't know my status. 00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:51.039 I can't get down and serve people. 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:56.400 I'll just say this: the Son of Man came to serve, not to be served. 00:20:57.200 --> 00:21:04.000 And I love this thought that if you're too big to serve, you're too small to lead in the kingdom of God. 00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:09.599 He's called us to serve. 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:13.119 I'm gonna give you some markers of a servant. 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:17.680 A servant is willing to sacrifice because it's the currency of the kingdom. 00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:24.480 Servants look with eyes of compassion, they notice pain and they move towards it, they don't run away from it. 00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:26.880 Servants are faithful. 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:30.400 They show up when people are watching, they show up when nobody's watching. 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:39.920 Can I just interrupt here and say, thank God for the volunteers all across the life of our church who show up when people are watching and they show up when no one else is watching? 00:21:40.079 --> 00:21:42.000 Okay, you can do better than that. 00:21:42.400 --> 00:21:44.240 They're loving your children right now. 00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:46.720 They opened a door for you, they served a coffee to you. 00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:50.240 You can thank God for all that they've done. 00:21:50.400 --> 00:21:53.839 And can I just say they showed up over the last year, too? 00:21:54.079 --> 00:21:58.400 And they kept showing up and they kept showing up, and God will honor your service. 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:03.839 Servants are teachable. 00:22:04.960 --> 00:22:07.839 They don't think they've come to some point where they know it all. 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:15.119 They're always ready to grow, always ready to get better, always wanting to be made and molded more into the image of Jesus. 00:22:15.759 --> 00:22:20.079 I think some of the happiest people in a local church are people that are serving. 00:22:21.599 --> 00:22:27.759 Because they understand that the gateway to joy, the pathway to joy, is serving. 00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:29.680 That's why I want to encourage you. 00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:31.920 I'm going to encourage you to go to Growth Path. 00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:33.519 Why do I need to do that? 00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:35.440 You need to get a part of the life of the church. 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:37.839 Some of you have been sitting in the stands forever. 00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:39.279 It's time to get a jersey on. 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:43.519 It's time to quit sitting in the cheap seats. 00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:45.839 Hello, somebody. 00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:50.400 Telling the coach on the field, isn't that what we do? 00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:52.480 I wish he'd put that running back in. 00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:54.000 You're not even on the team. 00:22:54.160 --> 00:22:56.319 Get a jersey on, then have an opinion. 00:23:04.160 --> 00:23:05.599 Sign up, go to growth path. 00:23:05.680 --> 00:23:06.799 Get into the life of the church. 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:07.119 Why? 00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:09.039 Because there's joy in serving. 00:23:09.359 --> 00:23:13.279 And it's the model of the master of King Jesus. 00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:15.119 He came to serve. 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:17.359 To put others first. 00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:19.359 To end humility. 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:21.599 It became a part of his ethos. 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:23.839 Don't do servant things. 00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:25.359 Don't get this wrong. 00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:28.240 Oh, I went to Growth Path and I got on a team. 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:29.039 I checked the box. 00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:30.079 No, no, no, no. 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:32.240 It's going to become a part of your ethos. 00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:40.720 You're going to see a napkin on the floor at Starbucks and you're going to pick it up and put it in the trash can because you've got a servant ethos. 00:23:41.440 --> 00:23:43.200 It's the nature of who you are. 00:23:46.160 --> 00:23:51.440 You're going to see someone that is struggling at the register and the cards being declined. 00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:52.799 You're going to go over and swipe your card. 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:53.039 Why? 00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:55.519 Because a servant ethos, it's the name. 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:59.440 He took on the nature of a servant. 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:03.039 It's beyond the walls of church, everybody. 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:06.559 It's living this faith out in the real world. 00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:10.240 So serve willingly. 00:24:10.880 --> 00:24:12.160 It'll bring your joy back. 00:24:12.319 --> 00:24:15.039 Number three, obey fully. 00:24:16.880 --> 00:24:18.880 Obey fully. 00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:20.240 Not partially. 00:24:22.319 --> 00:24:23.599 Not a little bit. 00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:25.680 My dad used to say this to me. 00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:29.519 He would say, partial obedience is disobedience, Daniel. 00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:37.440 He'd also tell me this, you never have to pray about obeying. 00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:44.079 You never have to pray about obeying. 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:48.559 If God said it, you just you don't have to, Lord, should I get water baptized? 00:24:49.039 --> 00:24:50.000 He's already. 00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:53.519 There's a lot he's already answered that you may be praying for, all right? 00:24:53.759 --> 00:24:55.200 Like he's already told you what to do. 00:24:55.680 --> 00:24:58.240 You don't have to pray about, it's not like, like, how would that go over? 00:24:58.559 --> 00:25:01.200 Hey kids, it's time to get the trash down to the end of the road. 00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:02.559 Let me pray about that. 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:04.799 Let me pray about letting you live here. 00:25:05.119 --> 00:25:11.359 Like you don't have to pray about obeying God. 00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:24.319 Philippians chapter 2, verse 12 and 13 says, Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed, now, always is a statement they always tell you in marriage conferences, don't use always and don't use never in communication, right? 00:25:24.400 --> 00:25:26.000 It's a bad road to communication. 00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:29.599 But Paul uses a very strong language here with these Philippian believers. 00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:45.200 He says, as you have always obeyed, there was a fully all-in, I'm obeying God mark on the life of these believers, not only in my presence, so not only when Paul was around, but now you've done it much more in my absence. 00:25:46.000 --> 00:25:57.680 So it wasn't even obedience that was because someone was watching over you and there were eyes on you, but in my absence you took your obedience even to another level, and you can tend so continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. 00:25:57.839 --> 00:26:03.200 For it is God who works in you to will and to act. 00:26:03.839 --> 00:26:08.799 The will and the act, in order to fulfill his good purpose. 00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:13.839 Paul says, He's commending them that they obey. 00:26:14.079 --> 00:26:23.039 And I want to encourage you in this that your joy probably got less left at the last point where you chose not to obey God. 00:26:25.039 --> 00:26:32.319 Wherever that last moment was where God spoke and you you did a half-hearted obedience, you did a ugh, I don't know if I can do that, God. 00:26:33.279 --> 00:26:35.359 That's probably where your joy is. 00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:38.400 It's probably in Delta C 16B. 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:45.680