J.o.y. through Adversity

Dear friend,

This week as I visited our Brother Doug Saukkola at the Watkins Hilltop Care Center where he is on the mend after being hospitalized for a few days, I visited with two people who shared with me of their current life. One man told me that he was in the care center because his wife of many years “wants to have time to do things with her friends” and by his attitude and demeanor it was clear that he felt left aside by her.  The other person was a woman who had lost her husband of 70 years two years ago  and she said how she missed him so much for they had done everything together.  And then I thought about our dear Doug and of how his loving wife Sue (and their family) take care of him in such a loving and dedicated manner.  

Life is about relationships, when they are loving, healthy and growing, it is wonderful, but when they are broken life is very difficult and trying.  We recognize that all relationships are designed to work, to grow and to flourish as they are patterned after the relationship that we have with our Lord and Saviour, who came here to bring us back into relationship with our Heavenly Father.  According to 2 Corinthians 5:19 God is now friendly toward us and wants to have a loving and growing relationship with us in fellowship, we yet retain our sinful nature which has difficulty in yielding control of our life into His ways. Putting it simply, even though we no longer are under the penalty of sin or under the controlling power of it, yet there is within us remaining the presence of sin. This reality causes real difficulty for us in our relationships…….Need I say more?? I don’t think so.

My wife is great at writing things down that she hears or reads and in passing, I noticed a question that she had jotted down on a piece of paper that went something like this: “What is the mission of your life?” I have not been able to stop thinking about that question ever since I read it and especially as I have been reading and praying over the life of Apostle Paul and the letter of J.o.y. that he wrote to his beloved congregation at Philippi. The Apostle always had a mission in his life, but it got drastically changed as the result of an encounter with Jesus while he, Paul, was fulfilling his mission: persecuting Christians. He was transformed through that encounter and as a result his mission was changed from persecuting Christ in his followers to being one who was himself persecuted for truly following and preaching Christ to even his persecutors. In this letter, we will be told by the Apostle himself of how his thinking (and his mission in life) were drastically changed and how he now looked at what his true mission was. 

What is our mission in life? Is it to serve others?  What if we become unpopular by serving others for the cause of Christ? What if our stand with Jesus and truth is resisted? Who is our example? Well, Jesus, of course, and we will see Him set before us in the next chapter. So far we have been observing the Apostle Paul and his example of one who is not only a follower of Christ, is an imitator of Christ but more than that he is one in whom Christ dwells so deeply that one sees and hears Christ through his mission in life.              

We also have other current examples of those who have been transformed through life’s changed circumstances. Listen to this poem which speaks to the our lesson for today.

                                                                 A Journey Not My Own

As a youth with plans and dreams, I set my course ahead.

I owned the world and all its worth. Not following, I led.

I often sought new travelers and helped them find the way.

So strong was I, they did not know my vessel of clay.

Not one was more prepared than I for raging storms at sea.

But I ignored small leaks and cracks within that vessel-me.

I drifted in deep waters far away from those I love,

Convinced that I was all alone and God somewhere above.

And in the darkness of my sea I heard a soft voice say,

“I’m by your side to mend your ship, my precious one of clay.”

It’s then I realized thought God was at my side,

I was the one who set the course with all my senseless pride.

I have found an inner peace—my journey’s not my own

With Jesus at the helm I have a joy I’d never known.

Now let us listen to how the Apostle Paul looked at life after his transformation.

J.o.y. through Adversity

1:12 But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;

 13 So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;

 14 And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

 15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:

 16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:

 17 But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.

 18 What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

Paul recognized that opportunities to preach the gospel are opened up that he could not have had if he was not in prison, for barriers are removed. How many soldiers heard the gospel as they walked along chained to Paul as he shared the gospel? His chains emboldened others to preach the gospel, even if they were doing it with the wrong motive.

J.o.y. of serving others

 19 For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

 24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

 25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;

 26 That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

Christ’s love was so embedded in Paul that Christ shone and acted through him,  his appetite to be with Him in heaven was great, but nevertheless he saw that necessity to stay  here to serve for the sake of the gospel was better than his desire to be with Christ.  That is quite a struggle for many in their later years, especially when they are suffering and they are wanting to see Christ.  Many struggle with this question: Is it okay to want to see Jesus in His fullness or is it necessary for us to remain here for the sake of our family, others?

J.oy. of Suffering for Christ

 27 Only let your conversation (life) be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

 28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

 29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

 30 Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

He closes this section by reminding them to keep their outer life as becoming to their true identity in Christ, whether he is with them or not. He encourages them to stand fast and to stand together. Don’t be afraid of those who are against you, for they are resisting the gospel of God in Christ and in so doing, they are revealing whose children they are: children of the Liar and Deceiver. But you are children of God, and by your standing together for truth, you give witness to them whose you are.  And finally he says that just as Christ suffered, just as I suffered, you will have the same experience.

Suffering… What does that mean? In the context of our text, we understand that it is being persecuted for the sake of the Gospel. Persecuted for letting people know that their sins are forgiven! We yet live in a time when our religious freedom is yet guarded by our government and so we thank God for that blessing. No one in their right mind would wish persecution such as Paul experienced or such as is going on in many countries across the world.

It is difficult for us to learn of how there can be joy in suffering of the outward bodily type where the gospel is resisted to the point that there are attempts to shut a person from publicly testifying of Christ’s saving work. We have more in common with people being brought into joy through personal tragedies and disappointment of life, such as Dave and Jan Dravecky experienced in their lives.

I am reading two books in relation to this sermon series through the letter to the Philippians. One is by Dave Dravecky himself, “entitled Comeback”  and the other is by his wife, Jan Dravecky, with the title, “A Joy I’d Never Known. They each give account of their journey to where they are now as a result of Dave’s baseball career as a pitcher being brought to a halt due to cancer in his arm, which resulted in the amputation of his pitching arm.  It is not often that one is able to read such a story from the perspective of both the sufferer and the co sufferer. It is my hope that through reading these accounts of the journey that I will be able to better understand to sympathize with those who are co sufferers, or as we call them “caregivers.”

We will watch a short video to go along with this message today, in which Dave Dravecky gives an overview of his journey which led to his understand of what his true mission is in life.  It can be found n CBN under Dave Dravecky’s last pitch.

Grace and Peace to you as you journey  fulfilling your purpose here on this earth.

Pastor Orval Wirkkala

The J.o.y. of Fellowship

Grace and Peace to you!

The Apostle Paul planted a church at Philippi.  Acts 16 gives an account of Paul's missionary journey to that area as a result of the call of the Holy Spirit to go minister in that area. As they gathered at the riverside on the Sabbath for prayer, they spoke to some women there and as a result of their sharing, the Lord opened the heart of a business woman named Lydia. Later as they journeyed, Paul cast out an evil spirit of a young girl, the after effects which caused Paul and Silas to be imprisoned. While in prison, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God in the hearing of the prisoners, an earthquake occurred which initiated events through which the jailer asked the all important question: "What must I do to be saved?" He was told, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your house."

After leaving the congregation, he had returned at least once (Acts 20:1-6) and then was imprisoned in Rome, at least 700 miles from Philippi. While in prison a member of the Philippian congregation, a man name Epaphroditus came to visit Paul to bring him encouragement. Paul, having a heart for the people in the Philippian congregation, sent a letter back with his beloved friend which was to be read to the congregation.  Last week we gave an overview of the letter, and today we will consider the first 11 verses of his letter to his beloved people whom he cared for deeply.

But first a little reintroduction to the Apostle Paul, who grew up in the Jewish religion, was converted to Christianity and became an amazing vessel for the Lord. (We will hear of his testimony in chapter 3) He grew in his knowledge of the love and the grace of God, which can be seen by recounting three statements that he made concerning how he recognized more and more of his need of God’s grace. Paul understood grace!!! Do we understand grace?

1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  Written 55 A.D.

Ephesians 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; Written 60 A.D.

1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.  Written 62 A.D.

Here is the beginning of his letter to his beloved people, a letter from which is oozing the grace and love of God in Christ Jesus. Oh, that our preaching and sharing would be from the same Spirit………

ESV Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,

  4. always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,

 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

The two Apostles lived in humility before God as they recognized that their calling to minister to the congregation was of privilege. They loved and served all the saints of the congregation, without any favoritism being showed, thanking God for them and praying for them with joy.  He recognized and applauded their partnership/unity in the Gospel which they had been connected together in right up to the current time.  He than gave additional encouragement by pointing out the the same Lord who had begun the work of grace in them would continue it until the day when faith becomes sight!! This was a stable congregation, for the power to keep and to preserve a congregation is God’s power.

7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

He then with all sincerity and intimacy pours out his heart, which is the heart of Christ for them, saying that his affection for them is not some earthly love, but it is the love of Christ. It is the seat of our tenderest affections which have been stimulated and made alive by the Holy Spirit, so that we love one another as Christ has loved us.

He  speaks somewhat openly of the intimacy that they share, not because of any outward characteristics, but because they are joined together through the grace of God which they have all received. Just because they are separated in a physical sense does not mean that they are not still in communion with one another, or that they have stopped working together, for the bonds of the grace of God are not earthly bonds, but heavenly and spiritual bonds. In addition, Since the love which abides in the heart of all believers as the result of receiving the gospel cares about their neighbor, Paul used his imprisonment as an opportunity to defend and confirm the gospel by defending and in so doing sharing it with his captors.

He then closes this first part of his letter with a prayer for them, that their love would continue to grow, like a flower going from a bud to a blossom to the fruit.

The Fruit of the Knowledge of God: Love

 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,

 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,

 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

He prays for them, asking for an increase more and more of their knowledge and discernment in love, for he knows that the future unity of their congregation hangs on whether they are living in and growing in the giving love of Christ.....There is no way that this point can be overstated........

Briefly stating a conclusion to the three verses, it is clear that the growth of our knowledge and discernment of the love of God will determine and govern our ability to rightly approve things that are excellent, to be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ, and to be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God.

"Grace is love that seeks you out when you have nothing to give in return. Grace is love coming at you that has nothing to do with you. Grace is being loved when you are unlovable…. The cliché definition of grace is “unconditional love.” It is a true cliché, for it is a good description of the thing. Let’s go a little further, though. Grace is a love that has nothing to do with you, the beloved. It has everything and only to do with the lover. Grace is irrational in the sense that it has nothing to do with weights and measures. It has nothing to do with my intrinsic qualities or so-called “gifts” (whatever they may be). It reflects a decision on the part of the giver, the one who loves, in relation to the receiver, the one who is loved, that negates any qualifications the receiver may personally hold…. Grace is one-way love.

Grace doesn’t make demands. It just gives. And from our vantage point, it always gives to the wrong person. We see this over and over again in the Gospels: Jesus is always giving to the wrong people—prostitutes, tax collectors, half-breeds. The most extravagant sinners of Jesus’s day receive his most compassionate welcome. Grace is a divine vulgarity that stands caution on its head. It refuses to play it safe and lay it up. Grace is recklessly generous, uncomfortably promiscuous. It doesn’t use sticks, carrots, or time cards. It doesn’t keep score. As Robert Capon puts it, “Grace works without requiring anything on our part. It’s not expensive. It’s not even cheap. It’s free.” It refuses to be controlled by our innate sense of fairness, reciprocity, and evenhandedness. It defies logic. It has nothing to do with earning, merit, or deservedness. It is opposed to what is owed. It doesn’t expect a return on investments. Grace is unconditional acceptance given to an undeserving person by an unobligated giver.

It is one-way love.   (Written by Paul Zahl)

This past week we had the joy of having VBS with the theme of Running the Race, and we hosted the Spoke Folk on Wednesday and Thursday. Thanks to all who joined together in this fellowship by offering their gifts which collectively worked to bless all, including those who served. It is truly a joy to be partaker of the continuing work of encouraging, affirming and inspiring.

Many were encouraged by teachings, the crafts, the games and the pizza and the video which was shown on Friday night. Some were inspired by the presentation done by Spoke Folk to the end that they might be one of the Spoke Folk of the future.  

May the grace that pours itself out upon us and into us each and every day, so fill us with love and longing for the saving of all souls of all ages that we have the response of Isaiah. For when Isaiah experienced the grace of God towards him, and when the question came forth as to Whom will be the messenger, He replied, “Here I am, send me.”

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be upon us, now and forever, Amen.

God’s abundant grace upon you today,

Pastor Orval

Joy: Jesus, others, you

Psalm 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

 10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

 11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

The words that David wrote were not only his own experience, but more importantly were prophetically speaking of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (Acts 2:25-28) Jesus is our joy, and the only true joy giver. May the joy in the God of our salvation even as  Habbakuk did in the midst of trying circumstances.

Habbakuk 3:17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

 19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

Today we will do an introduction to this letter as we consider what was written by the Apostle Paul to the church of Philippi, a church that he had been involved in from its beginning. In today's world, we call it a church plant.  Acts 16 gives an account of Paul's missionary journey to that area as a result of the call of the Holy Spirit to go minister in that area. As they gathered at the riverside on the Sabbath for prayer, they spoke to some women there and as a result of their sharing, the Lord opened the heart of a business woman named Lydia.

Later as they journeyed, Paul cast out an evil spirit of a young girl, the after effects which caused Paul and Silas to be imprisoned. While in prison, Paul and Silas  as prayed and sang praises unto God in the hearing of the prisoners, an earthquake occurred which initiated events through which the jailer asked the all important question: "What must I do to be saved?" He was told, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your house."

After leaving the congregation, he had returned at least once (Acts 20:1-6) and then was imprisoned in Rome, at least 700 miles from Philippi. The congregation and Paul had a very close relationship. This is understandable by anyone who has been involved with anything from its beginning and so when a congregational member Epaphroditus visited Paul in prison to bring him encouragement and humanitarian needs, in the course of their fellowship hearing of the state of the congregation, Paul sent a letter back with his beloved friend which was to be read to the congregation. The letter to the Philippians.

Some of the most common known memory verses are in this letter. Perhaps you are familiar with some of them:

KJV Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

KJV Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

KJV Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

KJV Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

KJV Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

KJV Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

KJV Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

May this letter become more to us than a book from which we have isolated memory verses.

May this letter become more familiar to us as we hear the voice of the Spirit speak through the heart and life of our dear brother in Christ Apostle Paul.

May the message of this letter be burned into our minds, hearts and souls as we hear of and experience the love of Jesus flowing through the heart and life of our beloved brother Paul.

May we be joined closer in the love of God in Christ Jesus, a love that casts out fear, a love that unites us in joy and a love the empowers us to serve together for the sake of our neighbor!

Often times our changed circumstances cause our joy in the Lord to diminish as we struggle with acceptance of a changed situation. Nevertheless, with the help of the Lord and others, we attempt to work through to a place of accepting the current circumstances as the way things are for the time being.

1. What do we do when our joy is diminished by our present difficult circumstances?

2. Do we wait until our circumstances change to be joyful again?

3. Is it possible to live in joy in the midst of life's often changing circumstances?

4. What does it mean to have joy, to live in joy, to rejoice?

The answers to these questions we will seek in Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians. This letter has been called the letter of joy as in it the Apostle Paul, being held in prison while he wrote the letter, encouraged his readers in this manner:  "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice."  This verse is found in the last chapter of his letter, in chapter four, verse four.

Joy is a reality that is ours through the knowledge that God has reconciled us to Himself through the cross, by His gracious gift we trust in that reality, and even if circumstances change in our lives, our relationship with Him now and forever cannot be shaken.

Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.

Christian joy is shared, it is confident and it is increasing.

Jesus spoke of the connection between Himself, His Word, His Love, and His Joy.

 John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

Apostle John speaks of the joy that comes from our union with the Father and His Son and of his desire that our joy would be full.

KJV 1 John 1:1-4  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

May these studies be helpful to all of us who share in life's often difficult circumstances.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and in you always! Amen!