WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:02.319 Now, one of the common mistakes that we all make 2 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:05.280 is we fall into the trap of what I call when, 3 00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:10.160 and then thinking when, and then thinking other words, when 4 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:16.039 such and such happens, then I'll be happy. And you 5 00:00:16.079 --> 00:00:18.039 have done this all your life, and so have I. 6 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:21.199 We fall in this when and then thinking when I 7 00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:26.719 get into college, when I get married, when I have 8 00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:31.199 a baby, when I get a job, when my kids 9 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:35.679 are born, when my kids leave the house, when when, 10 00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:41.640 and then thinking, then I'll be happy. Last week I 11 00:00:41.679 --> 00:00:43.960 shared with you five laws of happiness, and one of 12 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:47.399 them is that happiness is a choice. You're as happy 13 00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:51.240 as you choose to be. If you're unhappy, you can't 14 00:00:51.240 --> 00:00:55.320 blame anybody for your unhappiness because happiness is a choice. 15 00:00:55.679 --> 00:00:59.079 You don't go looking for happiness, You create it. It 16 00:00:59.159 --> 00:01:01.159 is something you great. And happiness, by the way, is 17 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:04.239 not a goal. It is the byproduct of right thinking 18 00:01:04.439 --> 00:01:10.519 and right acting. Now, there are four common barriers to happiness. 19 00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:13.680 If I call these the kill joys of life, because 20 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:17.719 when any of these enter into your life, then they're 21 00:01:17.719 --> 00:01:20.599 gonna rob your happiness unless you're prepared for them. The 22 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:24.640 first one, of course, is pain. Pain is a kill joy. 23 00:01:24.840 --> 00:01:28.560 It's hard to be happy and in pain at the 24 00:01:28.560 --> 00:01:32.159 same time. But there's another one, and you're you're familiar 25 00:01:32.200 --> 00:01:36.640 with this with too. I call it picky people. Picky 26 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:41.359 people people of all kinds actually can can cause you 27 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:44.319 to lose your joy. They can be irritating, they can 28 00:01:44.359 --> 00:01:46.959 be demanding, they can be on cooperative, they can be arrogant. 29 00:01:47.400 --> 00:01:51.480 People are common kill joy in life. Number three pressure 30 00:01:52.760 --> 00:01:56.079 Pressure can cause you to lose your happiness. And you 31 00:01:56.120 --> 00:01:59.480 can have pressure from within yourself or you can have 32 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:01.719 it around you. It can be internal or it can 33 00:02:01.760 --> 00:02:05.319 be external. And then number four and one you're all 34 00:02:05.319 --> 00:02:09.599 familiar with. Of course, it's problems problems, and they're all 35 00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:13.639 kinds of problems. So paying people, pressures, and problems all 36 00:02:13.879 --> 00:02:17.800 are what I call the kill joys. Now in Philippians, 37 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:22.960 chapter one, verses twelve down to about verse thirty or so, 38 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:29.520 Paul talks about all four of these kill joys, and 39 00:02:29.560 --> 00:02:34.360 we have an example of how to be happy no 40 00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:38.639 matter what's going on in your life. Now, I want 41 00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:41.840 to remind you that Paul, when he writes this book, 42 00:02:41.919 --> 00:02:46.159 The Happiest Book, he's in prison. He's in prison in Rome. 43 00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:48.639 In fact, the last four years of Paul's life had 44 00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:51.280 gone like this before he wrote this happiest book in 45 00:02:51.319 --> 00:02:55.639 the Bible. He spent two years in jail in Cesarea 46 00:02:55.879 --> 00:03:00.000 on false charges, two years in jail for false charts. 47 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:04.520 Then he is sent on the way to Rome, and 48 00:03:04.639 --> 00:03:07.280 he is shipwrecked in the Mediterranean notion on the way 49 00:03:07.319 --> 00:03:09.879 to Rome, and he ends up on a desert island 50 00:03:09.960 --> 00:03:13.560 in the Mediterranean, and he's stranded there for a while 51 00:03:13.599 --> 00:03:15.840 with some people. And while he's there there are some snakes, 52 00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:18.719 poisonous snakes, and an island actually gets bit by a 53 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:24.520 snake while he's there. Then he's imprisoned again for another 54 00:03:24.560 --> 00:03:29.120 two years in Rome with a guard chained to him 55 00:03:29.240 --> 00:03:33.960 twenty four hours a day, so he has no privacy 56 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:38.719 at all. He's in prison in Rome with a praetorian 57 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:41.520 guard because he was such an important prisoner, chained to 58 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:45.039 him twenty four hours day. He has no privacy. Now 59 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:47.439 Paul has every reason to be bitter, He has every 60 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:50.599 reason to be unhappy. He has every reason to be 61 00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:55.360 dispressed and have a pity party. Instead, he writes this 62 00:03:55.479 --> 00:03:59.759 book on happiness and on joy. Now let me read 63 00:03:59.800 --> 00:04:03.439 you today's text. It's Philippians one twelve to thirty. It 64 00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:07.280 starts like this, I want you to know, dear brothers 65 00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:10.879 and sisters, Paul's writing that everything that has happened to 66 00:04:10.919 --> 00:04:16.360 me has helped me to spread the good news. For 67 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:20.079 everyone here, including all the soldiers in the palace guard, 68 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:25.439 know that I am in chains because of Christ, and 69 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:28.639 I have gained confidence. Oh and because of my imprisonment, 70 00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:32.439 many of the Christians here have gained confidence and become 71 00:04:32.600 --> 00:04:37.079 more bold in telling others about Christ. Now some are 72 00:04:37.079 --> 00:04:40.040 sharing Christ out of jealousy and rivalry. Was talking about 73 00:04:40.040 --> 00:04:42.639 the people who are outside. But others preach Christ with 74 00:04:42.680 --> 00:04:44.480 pure motives, and they love me, and they know that 75 00:04:44.519 --> 00:04:46.560 the Lord brought me here to defend the good news. 76 00:04:47.800 --> 00:04:50.920 But there are those who do not have pure motives 77 00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:54.519 as they preach about Christ, and they preach with selfish ambition, 78 00:04:54.639 --> 00:04:57.839 and they're not sincere, intending to make my time in 79 00:04:57.879 --> 00:05:02.720 prison more painful to me. But whether or not their 80 00:05:02.759 --> 00:05:05.000 motives are pure, the fact remains that the message about 81 00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:08.879 Christ is being preached. So I rejoice, and I will 82 00:05:08.920 --> 00:05:13.079 continue to rejoice no matter what. Or I know that 83 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:15.240 as you pray for me. He's writing the people in 84 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:18.560 the Philippi, the church in a city in Greece called Philippi. 85 00:05:18.600 --> 00:05:21.480 It's called Philippians. If you's writing us, it'd be first Californians. 86 00:05:22.759 --> 00:05:25.199 For I know. He says that you are pray for me, 87 00:05:25.360 --> 00:05:28.240 and as the spirit of Jesus helps me, this will 88 00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:32.720 all turn out for my deliverance. And I live in 89 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:37.360 eager expectation and hope. And then he says, I want 90 00:05:37.360 --> 00:05:40.959 my life to always honor Christ, whether I live or 91 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:43.959 I die. For to me, living is for Christ, and 92 00:05:44.040 --> 00:05:47.560 dying is even better. If I live, it just means 93 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:51.079 more fruitful service, years of service for Christ. But I'm 94 00:05:51.079 --> 00:05:54.839 often torn between two desires. Sometimes I want to live, 95 00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:57.319 and sometimes I long to go on and be with 96 00:05:57.399 --> 00:06:00.160 Christ in heaven. That would be far better form mes me. 97 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:05.439 But it's better for you if I live, so that 98 00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:08.360 you can grow and that you can experience the joy 99 00:06:08.360 --> 00:06:13.199 of your faith. But whatever happens, you must live in 100 00:06:13.240 --> 00:06:18.519 a manner worthy of the good news about Christ. Don't 101 00:06:18.519 --> 00:06:21.519 be intimidated by your enemies. It will be a signed 102 00:06:21.560 --> 00:06:23.639 to them of their downfall that God's with you and 103 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:26.560 that he will save you. For you have been given 104 00:06:27.399 --> 00:06:31.959 not only the privilege of trusting in Christ, but also 105 00:06:32.040 --> 00:06:37.480 the privilege of suffering for him, and we are in 106 00:06:37.519 --> 00:06:42.240 this fight together. You've seen me suffer for Christ in 107 00:06:42.279 --> 00:06:45.600 the past, and you know that I am still in 108 00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:49.839 the middle of a great struggle. Now, that's a very 109 00:06:49.959 --> 00:06:53.079 warm personal note that Paul's writing. It is a very 110 00:06:53.079 --> 00:06:56.199 personal book. This letter he's writing to his friends in 111 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:59.800 the Church of Philippi that he started, and he talks 112 00:07:00.040 --> 00:07:04.560 about how he's maintained his happiness in spite of everything 113 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:07.879 going in ways he hadn't planned. Now, the key verse 114 00:07:08.279 --> 00:07:10.680 in this whole passage I just read is verse twenty seven, 115 00:07:10.839 --> 00:07:17.480 and it says this, whatever happens, whatever happens, conduct yourself 116 00:07:18.199 --> 00:07:22.160 in a manner worthy of the good news of Christ. 117 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:28.279 So in this passage we learn how to be happy 118 00:07:29.399 --> 00:07:32.160 no matter what, even if you're in prison in Rome 119 00:07:33.000 --> 00:07:37.240 and Paul models four habits. Let's get right into it. 120 00:07:37.399 --> 00:07:41.839 Number One, I can be happy no matter what happens 121 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:45.399 in my life if number one, I look at every 122 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:53.399 problem from God's viewpoint. If I look at every problem 123 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:57.120 from God's viewpoint, you see, happy people have a larger perspective, 124 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:00.839 They have a bigger worldview. They see the big picture. 125 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:05.399 When I don't have the big picture I don't see 126 00:08:05.439 --> 00:08:07.839 things from God's point of view. I get discouraged, I 127 00:08:07.879 --> 00:08:11.439 get frustrated, I get unhappy. The reason we get unhappy 128 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:15.839 is because we don't see what God does. And the 129 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:18.160 truth is, no matter what's going on in your life, 130 00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:21.000 the good, bad, and the ugly, God is working out 131 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:24.439 a plan. And he even takes all of our mistakes 132 00:08:24.439 --> 00:08:26.680 and even puts those into the plan. He says, I 133 00:08:26.680 --> 00:08:29.839 can use that too, my sins, yes, my faults, yes, 134 00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:32.039 what other people do, yes, God says I can. I 135 00:08:32.080 --> 00:08:35.600 can fit it all into the plan. And Paul knew this, 136 00:08:36.080 --> 00:08:38.440 and so he starts out the first verses, verse twelve, 137 00:08:38.440 --> 00:08:41.120 and he says this, now, I want you to know, 138 00:08:41.320 --> 00:08:45.440 dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to 139 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:49.759 me has helped spread the good news. And let me 140 00:08:49.799 --> 00:08:53.039 explain it. What's going on here. Ever since Paul had 141 00:08:53.080 --> 00:08:55.320 become a Christian on the road to Damascus, he had 142 00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:59.440 dreamed one great dream, and that was this I want 143 00:08:59.480 --> 00:09:04.279 to preach in Rome. Rome is the center of the universe. 144 00:09:04.759 --> 00:09:08.519 Rome is the capital of the Empire. Rome is the 145 00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:13.159 most prestigious, powerful, strategic city in the world. There was 146 00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:19.200 no nation more important than the Roman Empire, and there 147 00:09:19.240 --> 00:09:22.559 was no city more important than Rome. So Paul's dream 148 00:09:22.600 --> 00:09:25.919 is sharing Christ at the center of the universe. And 149 00:09:25.960 --> 00:09:27.919 what he wants to do is this. He wants to 150 00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:30.960 go to Rome. He wants to rent the coliseum, and 151 00:09:31.039 --> 00:09:33.200 he wants to do a harvest crusade for six months. 152 00:09:35.080 --> 00:09:38.960 That's what Paul's thinking. I'm going to Rome to preach. 153 00:09:39.799 --> 00:09:43.840 God had another idea, Paul. You're gonna go as a prisoner, 154 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:48.600 and I'm gonna make you a royal prisoner of Caesar. Now, 155 00:09:48.679 --> 00:09:51.960 does anybody know who was Caesar at this point? Nero? 156 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:55.840 You ever heard of that guy? Yeah? Nero about as 157 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:59.919 wicked and as bad as you can get. So Paul, 158 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:05.720 Paul is a prisoner of Nero, and as a royal 159 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:09.200 prisoner with a royal guard chained to him twenty four 160 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:12.840 hours a day, he gets to talk to all kinds 161 00:10:12.879 --> 00:10:16.200 of key people he would never otherwise talk to because 162 00:10:16.200 --> 00:10:19.279 he's an important prisoner. He's chained twenty four hours a 163 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:23.080 day to a palace guard for two years. They changed 164 00:10:23.080 --> 00:10:27.879 that guard every four hours, so I added it up. 165 00:10:28.360 --> 00:10:32.320 Over two years, he witnessed to four three hundred and 166 00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:37.279 eighty guards. Now my question is who's the real prisoner here, 167 00:10:39.320 --> 00:10:43.960 who has the captive audience. Paul is talking to the 168 00:10:44.120 --> 00:10:50.399 entire court of Caesar's palace, and God says, this is 169 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:53.399 my plan. You want to go do the big city lights, 170 00:10:53.919 --> 00:10:57.279 national crusade, but I'm going to put you in prison. 171 00:10:57.960 --> 00:11:00.639 And there were two results of it we know for 172 00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:03.080 sure chapter four. When we get you later on, we'll 173 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:06.679 tell us that within two years, some of Nero's own 174 00:11:06.759 --> 00:11:11.480 family had become believers because Paul was a prisoner in Rome. 175 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:15.279 Some of the royal family had become Christians because Paul 176 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:18.519 was in prison. And second Paul, it's kind of like 177 00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:20.600 Rick Warren. It's hard to get him to sit down, 178 00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:24.039 sit still, not stop moving. He's forced to sit still, 179 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:27.759 and he, as a result, writes the New Testament. Hmmm, 180 00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:32.600 I wonder which had a bigger impact. Go do harvest 181 00:11:32.679 --> 00:11:36.960 crusade in the coliseum, or be forced to sit still 182 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:44.039 hour after hour and write Romans, first second, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 183 00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:46.759 and on and on. First second Timothy and first second 184 00:11:46.759 --> 00:11:50.720 Thessalonians and all most of the New Testament. This is 185 00:11:50.759 --> 00:11:52.879 why Paul says, I want you to know, dear brothers 186 00:11:52.879 --> 00:11:54.960 and sisters, that everything that has happened to me being 187 00:11:55.000 --> 00:11:59.600 in prison has helped spread the good news. So he says, 188 00:11:59.639 --> 00:12:02.320 I've got I've got my plan, but God has a 189 00:12:02.360 --> 00:12:04.720 bigger plan. And he says, I can be happy because 190 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:09.879 I can see what God is doing through my problem. Now, 191 00:12:09.960 --> 00:12:12.679 any time you have a problem and it's starting to 192 00:12:12.679 --> 00:12:14.600 get you down, you're starting to be unhappy. You need 193 00:12:14.639 --> 00:12:17.360 to do what Paul does. Learn to see it from 194 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:20.039 God's point of view. What is God doing here, what's 195 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:23.960 the bigger picture, what's the bigger perspective? And then you'll 196 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:26.519 be able to face the problem in faith. And when 197 00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:29.360 you face the problem in faith, two things will happen. First, 198 00:12:29.559 --> 00:12:36.919 it's a witness to unbelievers. When Christians handle big problems 199 00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:39.799 in faith, it is a witness to unbelievers. That's why 200 00:12:39.799 --> 00:12:42.759 in verse thirteen he says, for everyone here talking about 201 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:46.720 the Palace Guard and in his the Royal prison, everyone here, 202 00:12:46.759 --> 00:12:49.639 including all the soldiers in the Palace Guard, knows that 203 00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:51.879 I'm in Chaine because of Christ. Well, I guess so 204 00:12:51.960 --> 00:12:57.279 he'd witnessed over four thousand times. The guy's chained to him. 205 00:12:57.559 --> 00:13:01.519 It's a witness to unbelievers. Number two, an encouragement to believers. 206 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:07.200 Verse fourteen. He says this, and because of my imprisonment, 207 00:13:07.679 --> 00:13:12.240 many of the Christians here have gained confidence those in Rome, 208 00:13:12.519 --> 00:13:16.840 and they've become more bold in telling others about Christ. 209 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:21.559 It's a witness to unbelievers. It's an encouragement to believers. 210 00:13:21.759 --> 00:13:23.759 Have you ever thought that God might want to use 211 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:25.679 the problem you're going through right now for the very 212 00:13:25.720 --> 00:13:29.080 same reason? If you will look at it from that way, 213 00:13:29.159 --> 00:13:31.480 it's going to change your perspective in a major way. 214 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:35.879 All right. Number two second habit, I can be happy 215 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:39.200 no matter what happens in my life if I never 216 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:43.679 let others control my attitude. I don't let them decide 217 00:13:43.679 --> 00:13:48.159 whether I'm going to be happy or not. Now, Paul, 218 00:13:48.279 --> 00:13:53.679 in this next section, he talks about four kinds of people, 219 00:13:54.039 --> 00:13:57.039 and while he's in prison, he says, now, there are 220 00:13:57.080 --> 00:14:01.159 some people who are attacking my ministry. They slandered Paul, 221 00:14:01.240 --> 00:14:07.120 they judged Paul, they criticized Paul. They were gossip mongers. 222 00:14:07.240 --> 00:14:10.039 There were some people who supported this ministry that were friends. 223 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:13.039 There were some who competed with this ministry. They're trying 224 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:15.399 to kick him. While he's down, and there were some 225 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:20.200 who were, you know, undermining his ministry. They're even trying 226 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:22.240 to destroy him. They're trying to rub it in. He's 227 00:14:22.279 --> 00:14:25.240 in prison. They're trying to make it more painful. And 228 00:14:25.279 --> 00:14:29.039 in Philippians, Chapter one, verses fifteen to seventeen, Paul describes 229 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:32.200 four kinds of people, and he says, there are four 230 00:14:32.279 --> 00:14:35.519 kinds of people in my life. They are critics, you know, 231 00:14:35.879 --> 00:14:38.679 who are slandering me and who are creating all kinds 232 00:14:38.679 --> 00:14:42.600 of controversy. They're comrades, that's my friends. There are competitors 233 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:46.080 who are preaching Christ out of rivalry, and he said, 234 00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:48.440 they're conspirators who just want to make my problem worse. 235 00:14:48.440 --> 00:14:49.759 They want to rub it in. They want to kick 236 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:51.919 me while I'm down, while I'm in prison. They're my enemies. 237 00:14:52.360 --> 00:14:55.519 First verses, verse fifteen, Talking about critics, he says, it 238 00:14:55.639 --> 00:14:59.720 is true that some preach Christ because they are jealous 239 00:15:00.039 --> 00:15:03.240 and Quarrelsome that word in Greek is the word eris 240 00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:08.759 e r s, and it means they love to argue. 241 00:15:09.639 --> 00:15:14.919 Have you ever met anybody like that? They love to argue, 242 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:20.480 they love conflict, They enjoy creating controversy. They enjoy getting 243 00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:25.120 into a cap fight. These people are contentious, they are divisive, 244 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:28.960 they are critical. Now notice to hear he says they're 245 00:15:29.080 --> 00:15:33.120 jealous and they're quarrelsome notice that the critic's motive is 246 00:15:33.240 --> 00:15:38.600 usually jealousy. When people criticize something, they usually are jealous 247 00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:42.039 of it. But what he's saying here is he says, 248 00:15:42.080 --> 00:15:45.000 you don't have to deal with these people. And would 249 00:15:45.039 --> 00:15:48.639 you agree that few things could rob your happiness faster 250 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:53.360 than being criticized. When you're criticized at work, or you're 251 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:58.519 criticized by friends, or you're criticized by neighbors, your stomach 252 00:15:58.600 --> 00:16:02.440 starts churning. Why. Because we all want to be loved, 253 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:05.559 We all want to be approved. We want everybody to 254 00:16:05.840 --> 00:16:09.919 like us. Let me give you a little happiness hint, 255 00:16:10.039 --> 00:16:14.799 one of those little hhs. I don't need others people's 256 00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:19.679 approval to be happy. I don't need other people's approval. 257 00:16:19.960 --> 00:16:25.320 I don't need other people's permission to be happy. You're 258 00:16:25.320 --> 00:16:27.759 as happy as you choose to be. If they're unhappy, 259 00:16:27.960 --> 00:16:31.600 that's their choice. But you don't have to depend on 260 00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:34.320 other people's approval in order to be happy. And if 261 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:36.360 you haven't got it now, you're probably not gonna get it, 262 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:39.080 and you're going to be miserable if you try to 263 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:42.840 live for the approval of everybody else. Paulus modeling here. 264 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:46.600 Never let others control your attitude. And some of these 265 00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:50.320 people they're just jealous, and they're quarrelsome, and they're cranky, 266 00:16:50.320 --> 00:16:54.200 and they criticize everything I do in my ministry. And 267 00:16:54.240 --> 00:16:56.120 then in the next verse, verse sixteen, he talks about 268 00:16:56.120 --> 00:16:59.480 the good guys. These are his friends, these are his comrades. 269 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:04.480 He says, others preach Christ from genuine goodwill, and they 270 00:17:04.519 --> 00:17:07.519 do so out of love. That's the real reason we 271 00:17:07.559 --> 00:17:10.200 share the good News, out of love. And they know 272 00:17:10.640 --> 00:17:15.079 that God has given me the work of defending the Gospel. 273 00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:19.319 So he says, you know, those people bring me joy, obviously, 274 00:17:19.519 --> 00:17:22.119 And then in verse seventeen, he says, others preach Christ 275 00:17:22.480 --> 00:17:27.079 insincerely from a spirit of selfish ambition. And how do 276 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:30.119 you know when somebody's ego driven, they put other people 277 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:34.079 down all the time to build themselves up. That's when 278 00:17:34.119 --> 00:17:38.640 you know somebody's ministering and selfish ambition. They feel compelled 279 00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:42.319 to put other people down in order to build themselves up. 280 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:47.039 Competitors will rob your happiness, and you'll look at well, 281 00:17:47.079 --> 00:17:52.279 look at what they're doing. You can have competition over 282 00:17:52.359 --> 00:17:58.000 the color of your lawn, neighbor's yards greener, We better 283 00:17:58.039 --> 00:18:01.680 get ours going. You can have competition over the car 284 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:05.559 you drive. You can have competition over your kids. My 285 00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:09.799 kid was student of the month. You know that's competition 286 00:18:10.039 --> 00:18:13.119 my kid, my kid, and I'm so proud. You can 287 00:18:13.160 --> 00:18:17.559 compete over hairstyles, you can compete over shoes. Don't look 288 00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:20.599 at people right now, but you know that's true. You 289 00:18:20.759 --> 00:18:25.319 know that's true. And if you don't deal with this, 290 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:28.000 you're going to be unhappy a lot of your life 291 00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:32.119 because critics will rob your happiness and competitors will rob 292 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:34.079 your happiness. And Paul says, you know what, even in 293 00:18:34.119 --> 00:18:40.480 the ministry, they are competitors, and they're selfishly, ambitiously and 294 00:18:40.519 --> 00:18:44.400 insincerely preaching the good news. And then in the second 295 00:18:44.440 --> 00:18:47.319 part of verse seventeen, he talks about conspirators or enemies. 296 00:18:47.480 --> 00:18:49.240 These are people who just want to mess him up. 297 00:18:49.640 --> 00:18:51.839 He says, other people just want to stir up more 298 00:18:51.880 --> 00:18:55.240 trouble for me, and they want to add to my 299 00:18:55.359 --> 00:18:58.440 pain while I'm in prison. Now, you're going to have 300 00:18:58.519 --> 00:19:02.160 all four of these in your life, critics, comrades, competitors, 301 00:19:02.200 --> 00:19:06.400 and conspiracors I certainly have. Don't let them rob you now. 302 00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:09.759 I want you to see Paul's attitude towards He says, 303 00:19:09.799 --> 00:19:13.160 I'm in prison, I'm already down, and these guys are 304 00:19:13.240 --> 00:19:19.920 kicking me while I'm down. Critics, conspirators, and and you know, competitors. 305 00:19:20.119 --> 00:19:22.559 He says, you know they're trying to get at me. 306 00:19:22.839 --> 00:19:28.079 Look at verse eighteen. Here's Paul's attitude. What others do, 307 00:19:29.240 --> 00:19:32.519 He says, what they do, what these people do, it 308 00:19:32.680 --> 00:19:39.000 doesn't really matter. It doesn't really matter. The important thing 309 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:41.680 is that in every way, whether for right or wrong reasons, 310 00:19:41.720 --> 00:19:44.599 the message of Christ is being shared. So he says, 311 00:19:45.319 --> 00:19:49.039 I am happy and I will continue to be happy. 312 00:19:49.519 --> 00:19:51.400 I love that. I'm not going to let other people 313 00:19:51.400 --> 00:19:54.880 control my attitude. There may be people criticizing me for 314 00:19:54.920 --> 00:19:57.519 what I'm doing. There may be people competing for with 315 00:19:57.599 --> 00:19:59.839 what I'm doing. There may be people who are con 316 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:02.240 firing to make sure I fail in what I'm doing. 317 00:20:02.359 --> 00:20:06.599 But it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. What I'm gonna 318 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:08.680 do is I'm going to focus on Christ, and I 319 00:20:08.759 --> 00:20:12.319 am choosing to be happy and I will continue to 320 00:20:12.359 --> 00:20:15.599 be happy. He says, I'm not gonna let anybody steal 321 00:20:15.640 --> 00:20:19.720 my joy. Number three, here's the third habit. It's the 322 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:23.440 next three or four verses, Verses nineteen to twenty. I 323 00:20:23.480 --> 00:20:27.559 can always be happy no matter what happens if I 324 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:33.519 always trust God to work things out. I can always 325 00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:37.119 be happy no matter what happens if I always trust 326 00:20:37.160 --> 00:20:40.720 God to work thing outh. I don't try to work 327 00:20:40.759 --> 00:20:43.079 it out myself. But things are falling apart, I don't 328 00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:46.400 try to put them back together. I just let God 329 00:20:46.440 --> 00:20:50.559 put them back together. This is the faith factor. You've 330 00:20:50.599 --> 00:20:52.680 heard me say this before that when you're going through 331 00:20:52.680 --> 00:20:55.759 a problem, you've got two options. You can worship or 332 00:20:55.799 --> 00:20:59.359 you can worry. That's it, worship or worry. Worship or worry. 333 00:20:59.359 --> 00:21:02.759 Worship or worry, And if you worshiped more, you'd have 334 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:06.880 a whole lot less to worry about. You can pray 335 00:21:07.240 --> 00:21:11.960 or you can panic, and those are the options you've got. 336 00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:15.720 This is the faith factor. Paul says this in Philippians 337 00:21:15.720 --> 00:21:23.400 one nineteen. I will continue to rejoice will. That's an 338 00:21:23.559 --> 00:21:28.359 act of the will. It is your choice to rejoice. 339 00:21:29.480 --> 00:21:31.359 I don't care how bad things are in your life. 340 00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:34.880 Right now. It's your choice to rejoice. It's an act 341 00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:39.599 of the will. He says, I will continue to rejoice 342 00:21:39.640 --> 00:21:41.200 in spite of all the things that's going on that 343 00:21:41.240 --> 00:21:45.160 are bad, for I know that as you pray for me, 344 00:21:45.640 --> 00:21:49.000 and as the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, all 345 00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:55.519 that's happened will all turn out for my deliverance. Now, 346 00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:58.079 this is a very powerful verse here, and in that 347 00:21:58.119 --> 00:22:02.799 one verse, Paul gives four sources of strength in tough times. 348 00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:05.799 And this is how you stay positive. This is how 349 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:09.039 you stay happy no matter what happens in your life. 350 00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:12.599 He says, First, my first door strength is I have 351 00:22:12.640 --> 00:22:15.240 God's perspective on my problems. That's when he says, for 352 00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:18.319 I know, it's what you know that keeps you going. 353 00:22:18.599 --> 00:22:21.319 He says, I know God is working in this. I 354 00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:24.240 have God's perspective on my problems for I know. And 355 00:22:24.279 --> 00:22:26.920 then he says number two, I have people praying for me, 356 00:22:28.359 --> 00:22:30.839 and he said that keeps me going. And then he says, 357 00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:33.559 I have the Holy Spirit helping me, and that keeps 358 00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:38.000 me going. And then he says, you know, I expect 359 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:39.799 that I'm going to be delivered. So he says, I 360 00:22:39.839 --> 00:22:42.839 have faith that God will work it for good. And 361 00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:45.559 so I've got perspective, I've got prayer, I got the 362 00:22:45.559 --> 00:22:48.119 Holy Spirit, and I've got faith. And then he says, 363 00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:53.039 therefore I choose to be happy. I will continue to rejoice. 364 00:22:54.640 --> 00:22:59.559 That's your choice to rejoice. Finally, number four, I can 365 00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:03.759 be happy no matter what happens in my life if 366 00:23:03.799 --> 00:23:06.680 I look at every problem God's viewpoint, if I never 367 00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:09.960 let other people control my attitude, if I always trust 368 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:13.079 God to work things out. And number four, if I 369 00:23:13.160 --> 00:23:19.799 stay focused on my purpose, not my problems, God's purpose 370 00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:22.880 for my life. If I stay focused on my purpose, 371 00:23:23.240 --> 00:23:27.640 not my problem, I can be happy even when life 372 00:23:27.799 --> 00:23:32.960 seems to be falling apart. I stay focused on my purpose, 373 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:36.240 Paul says, not my problem now. Picture of this, Paul 374 00:23:36.359 --> 00:23:40.559 is old. He's an old man. Now he's in prison. 375 00:23:41.640 --> 00:23:45.359 He's a long way from home. He's in Rome. He 376 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:51.279 is awaiting death by execution. These are not exactly normally 377 00:23:51.319 --> 00:23:55.400 happy times. And they have taken away everything from Paul. 378 00:23:55.720 --> 00:24:01.400 They've taken away his friends, They've taken away his freedom, 379 00:24:01.720 --> 00:24:06.200 they have taken away his ministry to travel around. They 380 00:24:06.200 --> 00:24:09.720 have even taken away his privacy. He's got a guard 381 00:24:09.839 --> 00:24:13.680 chained to him twenty four hours a day. But there's 382 00:24:13.720 --> 00:24:18.240 one thing they cannot take away from Paul, his purpose. 383 00:24:20.119 --> 00:24:24.200 It cannot be taken away from him and his ability 384 00:24:24.240 --> 00:24:27.160 to make choices. And Paul says, I'm going to stay 385 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:30.359 focused on my purpose. Even though they've taken away everything 386 00:24:30.359 --> 00:24:32.960 from they could not take away his purpose and what 387 00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:36.720 was his purpose? Serving God by serving others. Look at 388 00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:39.720 this Philippians Chapter one, verses twenty two to twenty five. 389 00:24:39.759 --> 00:24:44.039 He's talking about the conundrum of sometimes I want to 390 00:24:44.039 --> 00:24:45.680 go to heaven, and sometimes I want to stay here 391 00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:48.000 and serve the Lord to help other people. And he 392 00:24:48.039 --> 00:24:52.000 says this verse twenty two, if I continue to live, 393 00:24:52.279 --> 00:24:55.000 I can do more worthwhile work for Christ. So I'm 394 00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:57.880 not sure what I should choose. I'm pulled in two directions. 395 00:24:59.160 --> 00:25:02.400 I want very much to leave this life and be 396 00:25:02.519 --> 00:25:06.640 with Christ, which is a far better thing. But for 397 00:25:06.680 --> 00:25:10.240 your sake, for your sake, it's much more important that 398 00:25:10.359 --> 00:25:12.920 I remain alive. Notice Paul saying, I stay alive not 399 00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:16.160 for my sake, but for your sake. I am sure 400 00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:19.839 of this. I'm sure this that for your sake it's 401 00:25:19.839 --> 00:25:22.480