Returning to Joy in Christ

Philippians 4:19-23

By Rodney Holloman , July 10, 2021

Returning to Joy in Christ

Philippians 4:19-23

The Bible is meant to be read, studied, learned, and lived out!

It is profitable to read, study, and preach the Bible as written.

  1. A great church can spring up from a small group of genuinely converted people. Acts 16:12-40

  2. God can do miracles through hardship in evangelism. Acts 16:12-40

  3. Joy is NOT the prize – Jesus Christ is the prize.

Thus the final greetings, which by their threefold elaboration presuppose the church as the body of Christ, are to be given and received as “in Christ Jesus.” And the final grace is also “from the Lord Jesus Christ,” so that everything in this letter, from beginning to end and everywhere in between, focuses on Christ, who as Paul’s life (Philippians 1:21) is magnified both in his language and in the two narratives that point specifically to him (Christ’s in Philippians 2:6–11 and Paul’s in Philippians 3:4–14). To miss this central focus on Christ is to miss the letter altogether, and to miss the heart of Pauline theology in particular. To live is Christ; to die is to gain Christ; and for the sake of such “gain,” namely the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus as one’s own Lord, all else is merely refuse. Gordon Fee

  1. People Matter to God and to the Work of God.

Epaphroditus Philippians 2:25-30

Timothy Philippians 2:19-24

Brethren Dearly Beloved Philippians 4:1-3

  1. It matters what the Bible Says – Theology Matters

  2. God can use suffering and difficulty to produce joy and holiness and to lead others to Jesus Philippians 3:10-11

  3. Focus on the Eternal. Philippians 3:17-4:1

  4. It is All about Jesus. Philippians 1:6

  5. Christian growth and maturity matter. Philippians 3:12-4:1

  6. Joy is not the absence of conflict – Joy comes in the right way to deal with it. Philippians 4:2-9

  7. Your Money can make a difference for eternity in the work of the Gospel. Philippians 4:10-21

  8. God is THE difference maker Philippians 4:13, Philippians 4:19

  9. There is so much joy in living in Christian Community Philippians 4:19–23

  10. There is No joy like helping someone come to Faith in Jesus Christ Philippians 4:21-22