Pastor Martin Childs Jr. D. Min
TEXT: PHILIPPIANS 4:4
TITLE: BE ENCOURAGED. YOU’VE GOT THIS
REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS – REALLY…
INTRODUCTION
A. What would you do?
1. You are accused of a crime that you did not commit, and are incarcerated.
2. Everything that you had planned and prepared for fails
3. Everyone that you love and care about are isolated from you
4. You are totally dependent upon the charity of others to provide your needs
5. You are facing an unexpected, catastrophic illness
6. You go to God for relief and god does not provide it
B. What would you do?
C. How many of you would...Cry? Fuss? Cuss? Scream? Complain? Give up? Quit? Take it out on someone else?
D. Paul was in a similar situation...
E. What did Paul do? Rejoiced!
REJOICE [IN THE LORD]
A. What did Paul’s ministry look like?
1. 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
2. 2 Corinthians 11:25-28, 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness – 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
B. Reasons to be happy
C. Reasons to rejoice [in the Lord]
1. Reasons to rejoice
2. Reasons to rejoice in the Lord
REJOICE [IN THE LORD] [ALWAYS]
A. It is a Choice
B. It is about Perspective
C. It is about Relationship
