Sermon Outline: 11/20/2022

Illustration: A MAN needed his pants ironed. His wife, as she ironed the pants for him, burned the pants. These pants were brand-new pants that he was looking forward to wearing. Her husband started to get mad but stopped to think before reacting and said, “Lord, thank You that my leg wasn’t in those pants.” There is always a reason to give thanks. (Evans, Tony. Tony Evans' Book of Illustrations (p. 144). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.)
It reminds of the story of Bible Scholar Matthew Henry who wrote in his diary one night after being robbed on his way home: “Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, let me be thankful that although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed and not I who robbed.” (Evans, Tony. Tony Evans' Book of Illustrations (p. 144). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.)

• It’s all about perspective, right? That’s what our message is about today. We will be looking at changing or perspective. The title of my message is “Being Grateful in a Grumpy World.”
• It’s hard to study any part of Philippians without seeing that Paul is writing from a deep well of Joy! This is the only letter Paul writes to a church that isn’t correcting false teaching or rebuking a bad behavior. Here we see a deep love and affection for the people that make up the church at Philippi.
• It’s also important to know where he is when writing this letter. He’s not sitting on a mountain side overlooking a sunset that’s piercing through the clouds. He’s not reclining by the shore of the Sea of Galilee listening to the waves crash in. No, he’s in a Roman prison around 61-61 AD. TALK ABOUT PERSPECTIVE!
• So, how do we cultivate a Grateful Heart in this Grumpy World? Paul gives us for ingredients to a Grateful Heart:

NOTICE: Paul is grateful because of the church’s “fellowship in the gospel.” 2 key words here:

• FELLOWSHIP (koinonia) “partnership, joint participation, communion, community”
• GOSPEL (euangelion) “good tidings, good news, proclamation of the Grace of God made manifest in Christ.”
• Paul is not just saying that he’s thankful they are saved, but that they are active participants of taking the Gospel to the World, specifically to the city of Philippi. (a city that was full of wealthy, educated, but pagan people – they worshiped the pagan goddess, Diana.)
• They didn’t follow the culture around them. They found NOTHING to be more important than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They kept the main thing, the main thing!

1 Corinthians 15:1-3aNASB95
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, [2] by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received…”

QUOTE: R.C. Sproul “God doesn’t want us to just feel gratitude, but for us to show it by giving thanks to God with our lives.”

• Paul says we show that by being committed to the Gospel above all else. We must be a GOSPEL-CENTERED people.

NOTICE: Paul placed his confidence in Christ. He says, “If God starts it, God will finish it.”
QUOTE: Martin Luther “Faith is a living and unshakable confidence, a belief in the grace of God so assured that a man would die a thousand deaths for its sake.”
QUOTE: Charles R. Swindoll “Deep, contended joy comes from a place of complete security and confidence [in God] – even in the midst of trial.”

Proverbs 14:26 NASB95
In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And his children will have refuge.
Psalm 118:8 NKJV
It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man.

• You see, a grateful heart is in complete confidence and trust in who God is and what God is doing.

Paul has a deep and affectionate love for the great people of this fellowship. Notice Paul’s statement:

• I have you in my heart; I long for you…

NOTE: Why does he say this? “…they were fellow partakers in this grace.” What grace? “…since both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.” They labored for the gospel together. They defended the gospel together. They were unified.  Imagine the Kingdom work that can be accomplished by a church unified. (PHILIPPIANS 2:1-4)

Matthew 22:37-40 NASB95
And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ [38] This is the great and foremost commandment. [39] The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ [40] On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

NOTE: We don't find Paul praying on behalf of physical needs. He ties his prayers directly to their spiritual needs. That was his passion and burden. Paul reminds us that our JOY is not in “things” but in Christ!

• Paul “gloried” in his circumstances. That sounds crazy, but think of it this way, “Paul gloried in his problems because God was glorified in them!”
• Paul cut through the all the superficiality instead praying for their deeper need-- true spiritual growth, which will bring genuine blessing.
• Prayerlessness is a declaration of self-sufficiency,
  which is pride! On the other hand,
  prayer is a declaration of our dependency on Christ.
• Does our prayer life reflect and declare our dependence completely upon God for everything? No matter what comes our way?

QUOTE: Charles Spurgeon “To trust God in the light is nothing but trust him in the dark—that is faith.”
QUOTE: Corrie Ten Boom “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”

Hebrews 4:16 NASB95
Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.