Ministry is a carousel of victory and defeat.
Paul did all of his responsibility with joy. This set Him apart. Thus we need to consider the joy of Paul. There is no doubt that most pastors are serving God’s church faithfully, but they are not serving it joyfully. Are you happy pastor? (not speaking of a particular personality)Underlining the grief in your life, is their a joy that characterizes you as a pastor?
Would your wife describe you as glad as a pastor? How would your children describe you? Pastoral team? Members of your congregation? What is your church like? Have you built a culture of joy in your church? It would be right and humble to ask each of these if they see you as a happy pastor?
How did Paul consistently serve God with joy?
The dominate feeling in the letter of Philippians is joy. Remember, it was written in prison.
1.Gratefulness to God (3-5).High priority to gratefulness.
What is it like to encounter you? Is it seen that you assign a high priority to gratefulness.
Paul’s gratefulness was theological inclines.
- Recognize the working of God in the church.
- Expressed thanksgiving for God’s work.
- When there is the abstinent of joy then there is a lack of seeing God’s
work.
Study this topic for a season.
Apply this subject to your life.
If you don’t you will be vulnerable to a predicable temptation. (complain)
- Complaining is a daily temptation.
- Many are unaware of the seriousness of this sin against God Himself.
You can see the difference in a grateful pastor and a self-righteous pastor.
Protect your wife, children. What do your children hear about the church from you.
Teach your church to see evidences of God’s grace in things. This is a priority!
2. Faith for the Future. (6).
Faith inform Paul’s labors for this church.
Our confidence is based on the fact that God will see them to the end.
You can be certain about God’s work in your church’s life.
This will make all the difference. (Heb 11:6) To have faith in God’s work in your church.
Set aside time to study faith.
Charles Bridges, all our failures lay in our lack of faith. The main difficulty is in ourselves, in conflict with our own unbelief. It is faith that enlightens our work with perpetual cheerfulness.
Where is your confidence when you stand behind the sacred desk? In the one that will keep his ones to the end. In the gospel of salvation.
If you are discouraged by the intelligence of other, then your confidence is in the wrong place.
We need confidence in God and in the gospel. And in the promises of God.
Be cheerful in your private seeking to please God.
3. Affection for others (7-8).
Do you yearn for your church?
We are to reflect the affection Christ has for the church. (It was a theologically informed affection)
Could you write the same thing to your church?
Contemplate the love of Christ for that individual if you don’t have that affection.
See the cross and contemplate the love of the Savior.
The challenge is maintaining joy over the long run. We have every reason to be joyful pastors.
