JOY Week 2

Sabbath School Study Week 2

Joy in Suffering

Introduction

            This week we will finish the first Chapter of Philippians.  This chapter is subtitled “JOY in Suffering.”  To discover the ingredients to Joy in suffering we will not only be listening to what Paul is saying but watching what he is doing.  I once took a class on Public Speaking.  As an introduction to the class our instructor told us that this class would not only be about what was said in lecture but how it was said, and what was not said, and what was seen, and what was not seen.  To succeed in the class we had to have multiple layers of observing and learning.  That is how we are going to study the book of Philippians.  We will not only be looking at what is said but what is not said, and in this part of chapter 1 we are going to find our next ingredient for Joy in what Paul is doing and not doing.  Not just what he is saying.  En(joy)

Chapter 1: 12-26

1. What does Paul first want them to know? _____________________________________________________________________________
2. What does Paul not say in this passage?  _____________________________________________________________________________
3. What is the over all focus of this passage? _____________________________________________________________________________
4. In verse 18 What does Paul say about how important the motives are of those sharing Christ? _____________________________________________________________________________
5. Something else is being said her in verse 18.  What matters in life? _____________________________________________________________________________
6. What is he doing in verse 18? _____________________________________________________________________________

JOY: INGREDIENT # 3

Know what is most important!

Paul was able to have joy while suffering because what was important really important was not only intact but in many ways thriving because of his suffering.    I remember being in labor with my three children.  There were moments of great pain, yet I kept in mind that the pain was bringing something of great joy.  What mattered was the safe arrival of my child, that was my focus, my goal, it was everything.  Another example,  about an hour after our precious Sarah was born she started having a difficult time breathing, so the nurses whisked her away and hooked her up to all kinds of tubes (I’m sure you’ve seen what I’m talking about), yet instead of feel sad at the site of our girl covered in tape and tubes and lying under a heating lamp, I was filled with gratitude for those tubes, and for the tape and for the light.  Those things that some would consider so sad looking were all of a sudden beautiful because I knew what was most important, that our girl should breath.  Those tubes were life and life was joy!

ACTION:

This week write down what is most important to you.  The top three things.  

Keep these things to what you have control over or things that are personal to you.  For example:  Of course, I want my three children to have a saving love relationship with Jesus Christ.  But though I can pray for them, I can’t choose it for them.  So That is off the list.  What are the top three things in your life, that you are in control of or in charge of.  Each day pray about these three things. 

1.________________________________________________________________________________

2.________________________________________________________________________________

3.________________________________________________________________________________

In this passage we see Paul almost dependent on the distant support of those he knows are in this fight too.  His suffering is eased by just knowing they are out there with the same “MOST IMPORTANT” focus and so he isn’t alone. 

I remember a time when I was at Pisgah and we were having a big program filled weekend that I was in charge of and things were seeming to fall apart.  Then I saw Rob Young.  Rob is my friend for sure.  But so are many other people there.  Rob is more than that.  Rob is someone that I know without a shadow of a doubt, push come to shove, if everything is falling apart there is nothing I could ask of him that he would not be willing to try to help me with.  He is part of my church family, is faithful, is steady and kind.  I remember the moment I saw him a huge weight was lifted off my shoulder, not because I had a whole list of things to give him, but I knew if I needed I could call on him. 

As a church family we have the opportunity to be that for each other.  To be the “I got your back” person for each other.  

Joy Ingredient #4  Be an “I got your back” person and find an “I got your back” Person.

ACTION:

1. Write down 5 people in your life that you know are “I Got your back” kind of people. (If you don’t have any or can’t fill in five spaces, then spend time this week listing or reflecting on times in your life when people really showed up to help.  When people really had your back. 
2. Write down 4 people in your life that you know, “You Got their back”
3. Write down 1 person that you think God is calling you to be there for that you may not be as excited about or that you have felt impressed to help but have not yet done anything about. Pray about this name a lot and then take steps toward making them a permanent part of this list.

Chapter 1: 27-30

Here in the conclusion of Chapter 1 Paul challenges the Philippians, “To conduct themselves in a manor ___________________  of the Gospel of  Christ.” 

1. What does this mean?

                  Paul answers it for us in the second sentence of verse 27 and verse 28:  “Then I will know that…..  ______________________________________________________________________

2. Verse 29-30 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, ³⁰ since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

I put the script in a nice script font and yet it doesn’t read any easier.  What does this passage mean?  Is it really something we want to be granted to suffer for him?

Why has this considered a privilege?

1. What are we to suffer for?

2. Is all suffering for him?

3. Joy in suffering, does that mean in all my suffering I should experience joy?

There is always the debate between which causes more pain, child birth or kidney stones.  Which brings more suffering?  Some just say it is as painful to have kidney stones as it is to give birth.  Since it is not possible to measure the degree of pain in different patients we will never know however both are considered to be extremely painful events.  However ask any woman who is not able to have children who wants to have children and she would say that the pain of giving birth would be a privilege.  Yet NO ONE would say that passing kidney stones was a privilege.     

When Paul says, “it has been granted you… not only to believe in him, but to also to suffer for him,” he is referring back to our Ingredient # 3: KNOW what is most important.   When we receive the gift of salvation because we believe, that is such an enormous gift and to suffer so others can have the same privilege, to suffer to join him in the cause of letting the world know he is their Savior is such a privilege. Whatever suffering may come as a result is also a privilege.   Just as childbirth is a privilege but kidney stones…. NEVER. 

I found this blog post that I thought said it so well.  Hope you Enjoy. 

http://weseekjoy.blogspot.com/2013/12/babies-ruin-bodies.html

At the end of this beautiful post she says, "If anything, I was ruined by the world before I knew her, and she made me whole again." 

Who we are before knowing Christ, before having the privilege to believe in him, that is when we were suffering!  Suffering for him, being changed because of him, and "suffering" is truly a privilege and a JOY!