Happy and You Know It 6 | Patterns of Happiness

We are continuing our series in the book of Philippians, focusing on Philippians chapter 2 today. We will consider the examples of how we are to pattern our lives in walking in joy and happiness that we have in Christ. So, open your Bibles to Philippians chapter 2 and follow along.

All seek their own. That is the world we live in, and the reality is that this has been the way of the world for a very long time. It was that way two thousand years ago. Even though we can sometimes look back to the first-century world, where the church was first birthed, and think that everything was in perfect conditions, the reality was that, just like today, people at that time were self-seeking. All men seek their own.

In our modern-day marketing, our nation is geared towards the me-centric kind of carnality of our fallen human nature. We see the ad campaigns of companies for products, and the slogans are things like "Obey your thirst" and "Have it your way." I came across another slogan for a cosmetics company: "Because I'm worth it." That is the world we live in, constantly emphasizing this mindset.

We've talked about this a number of times, especially as we've been going through our current series in the book of Philippians. We live in a nation that highly values the individualistic pursuits of personal gratifying happiness. Most people think that this personal gratifying happiness is going to be found through some pleasurable experience. We have come to the point where some people are seeking those pleasurable, individualistic, self-gratifying experiences at whatever cost, even if it means the suffering of others and the difficulty and trials that others experience, so that they can enjoy personal gratifying pleasure.

All seek their own. It's not a new slogan; it's not a new truth. Three thousand years ago, Solomon, one of the wisest men who ever lived, wrote in the book of Ecclesiastes that there is nothing new under the sun, and we all know that this is the case. All seek their own.

Two thousand eight hundred years ago, the prophet Isaiah observed the same thing. He wrote this as he looked at his own nation, the nation of Israel, specifically the people that lived in a region called...

Judah or Judea, he says, they all looked to their own way, everyone for his own gain. Could that not be written over our own nation in the 21st century? They all look to their own way, everyone for his own gain.

Before that, in the Book of Judges, we read that everyone did what was right in his own eyes. People were seeking their own things, their own pleasure. We live in a nation that highly values that pursuit—seeking joy, gratifying experiences, pleasure, and happiness. You wonder how we are doing as a nation. It is interesting that in a nation that highly values the pursuit of joy, where more than 330 million Americans are endeavoring to pursue those things, we also live in a nation known for having the highest use of prescription antidepressants.

Especially in the last decade, the use of antidepressants has increased exponentially. The New York Times reported that more than one in ten Americans have been prescribed antidepressants. They are experiencing a lack of joy, a lack of happiness, and a lack of inner well-being. This statistic does not even take into account the multitudes of Americans who self-medicate with substances like alcohol.

It is reported that in the United States, individuals aged 15 years and older consume an average of two and a half gallons of pure alcohol a year. Additionally, the fastest-growing industry in the United States today is legalized marijuana.

So, you look at our nation, and people are trying, however they can, to temporarily increase their sense of well-being, to temporarily elevate their mood, or to deaden the depressed feeling and alleviate anxiety and stress. People are turning to all kinds of different things. What are we doing? We are just pursuing happiness, right? We are just trying to attain that which we are told is highly valued.

Over the last six weeks, we have been in the New Testament Book of Philippians. You can turn there if you’d like. Philippians chapter 2 is where we will be today. It is right after the Books of Galatians and Ephesians, near the end of your Bible. It was a letter written by the Apostle Paul two thousand years ago.

Years ago, I attended a church in a city called Philippi; that's why it's called Philippians. Over the last six weeks, we've been spending our time together considering the issues of happiness and joy. This short letter, which consists of four chapters in our Bibles, has been called the biblical book of joy for many years. Although the author of the book was not experiencing the greatest circumstances in his life when he wrote it, he writes extensively about joy, peace, rejoicing, contentment, and happiness.

The conditions under which he wrote this letter did not seem to produce joy, peace, contentment, and happiness. This raises the question: how does one come into these things—peace, joy, contentment, rejoicing, and happiness—when there are difficult things going on in their life? The Apostle Paul addresses this issue, and as we've been going through this letter, we've seen some important truths.

One significant truth is that joy is not dependent upon circumstances. This is not what our culture tells us. Our culture suggests that we need to seek pleasurable experiences to be happy. We are encouraged to go to the happiest place on earth to find happiness. However, every parent knows that the happiest place on earth is not always the happiest place, especially after receiving the credit card bill from that visit.

We are told to seek pleasurable experiences because that's where happiness is found, but as we explore the Scriptures, we discover that joy is not contingent upon circumstances. We have seen that joy can be exercised and developed; there are steps we can take to increase joy. From the opening words of this letter, we learn that lasting joy comes through grace by Jesus Christ.

Happiness begins with gratitude, and it is found in service to God. Joy increases through prayer, while pride destroys joy and happiness. Conversely, humility increases the likelihood of experiencing joy and happiness. Additionally, we have seen that joy increases as we work for the joy of others. While we are often told to pursue our own joy, pleasure, and happiness, the Bible prescribes a different approach.

Seek and work for the joy of others. As we continue today, we're going to build upon some of these important practical truths. Here in Philippians chapter 2, Paul really focuses attention on very practical steps that we can take to increase the experience of joy.

Let me tell you, I've made it clear before, but I think it's important to highlight that Jesus, in the Gospels, says, "I've spoken these things to you," referring to the Gospel and His teachings, "that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full." Jesus spoke the Gospel to us so that we would be those who experience joy.

As we've been studying here on Tuesday nights, and I hope that you'll come out and study with us at seven o'clock, we've been going through the fruit of the Spirit. If you've ever looked at Galatians chapter 5, you'll see that the second fruit listed is joy. One of the evidences that God is in us—what the Christian is described as being, the Temple of the Holy Spirit—is that we experience joy. Jesus said, "I've spoken these things to you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full."

Paul is speaking here about some very practical things that we can do to increase our experience of joy. In chapter 2 of Philippians, Paul lists three examples, three patterns, three individuals who are walking in such a way that moves in the direction of increasing joy and experiencing the abundant life.

The first example we studied three weeks ago is found in Philippians chapter 2, verses 1 through 11, which talks about the example of Jesus. Paul says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation." Paul walks us through this process of humility and self-sacrifice that ultimately led to exaltation.

Now, it's really interesting because even many non-followers of the Bible, many non-Christians, think that Jesus was a good example. The dominant thing that people will say today, if you ask them in America whether they are connected or affiliated with some religious institution, is that they are spiritual. Just a couple of weeks ago, the Pew Forum, a research organization, came out with some more data about the religious sense in America. The default answer, especially among younger people in America, is that they are spiritual.

Their spiritual understanding, and even a lot of people who have never read the Bible or looked at the Scriptures, think that Jesus was a good example. Now, people who would say that probably have never looked at any of the things that He said or did, so they wouldn't really know that. However, they think that Jesus is a good example in their lives.

In this passage, we are given His example, but today we are going to focus our attention on two more people that Paul highlights as examples or patterns that we should follow. In the very next chapter, Philippians chapter 3, he will say to the church at Philippi to note those who walk like this, as you have us as an example. Paul gives us three examples: Jesus, and now another man by the name of Timothy, and another guy by the name of Epaphroditus.

Paul is going to focus his attention in verses 19 through 30 on Timothy and Epaphroditus. It is very interesting what he says about these individuals. In verse 19, he mentions that they are going to cheer Paul up; they are going to make him happier. In verse 28, they are going to make the church at Philippi happier, and also in verse 28, they are going to reduce Paul's anxiety. Those are good things—Paul would be happy that the church would be happy and that their anxiety would be reduced. How many would say, "Yeah, I want to sign up for that"?

The example of these two guys is really important. Sometimes, when you read through the Bible, you come to certain sections and scratch your head, wondering why they are included. It doesn't seem like they fit with the flow of the passage. This is one of those sections. As you read through Philippians, you come to these verses, verses 19 through 30, and it seems like they don't fit. But let's consider it together.

So, Philippians chapter 2. Would you stand with me? We will begin reading at verse 19. Paul says, "But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father, he served with me in the gospel. Therefore, I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come to you shortly."

I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger, the one who ministered to my need. Since he was longing for you all and was distressed because you heard that he was sick, for indeed he was sick almost unto death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore, I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again, you may rejoice and I may be less sorrowful.

Receive him, therefore, in the Lord with all gladness and hold such men in esteem, because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.

Father, I pray that you would give us insight and clarity. Lord, help us to see application from your Word as we study this section of Scripture. Let us see this pattern, these examples, and help us to put these into practice in our lives. Make us more like You, as Paul said, that we are to be like-minded with You. Transform us by the renewing of our minds through Your Word and the work of Your Spirit. We pray this in Jesus' name, and all those that agreed said, "Amen." You can be seated.

Just like there is an IQ, the intelligence quotient, we are told by researchers that there is also an HQ—not headquarters, but a happiness quotient. In the same way that you can actually do tests to find someone's IQ, there are tests that have been written to determine a person's HQ, their happiness quotient.

In the same way that there are steps you can take, exercises you can do that might increase your IQ, there are also steps you can take that will increase your HQ, your happiness quotient. Paul, in this section of Scripture, has been laying out some steps that, if we take them, will increase our HQ. As we've already seen, many of these steps that Paul speaks of are not the kind of things you would hear from people in the world—those who are telling us the steps to happiness. We live in a world that's constantly telling us that if you do this, this, this, and this, then...

You're going to be happy, and yet we live in the same world where people are constantly telling us that they are unhappy. Their sense is not one of well-being; instead, it is filled with stress, anxiety, and feelings of being downcast. Paul says there are steps we can take to increase our happiness. In verse 19 of chapter 2, he writes, "I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state." Another English translation says that he hopes to be cheered up, that his joy would increase.

We find an interesting thing that Paul is doing here as he sends Timothy to the Church in Philippi. This is point number one on your outline: we need to take steps to be happy, and I would even say we should take appropriate steps to be happy. I think that we should take the right steps to increase our joy. As we considered a few weeks ago, we should be those who are working for the joy of others. However, in this passage, Paul says he is sending Timothy to the Church for the very purpose of increasing his joy.

Paul's joy was going to increase in a very practical way. He says, "I'm going to send Timothy to you so that he might find out how you're doing, that he might come and tell me your state. When I hear about you, my joy is going to increase." Paul was taking appropriate steps to increase the likelihood that he would experience the joy of the Lord by sending Timothy to the Church.

This raises the question: what was it about Timothy that made him so special that Paul would say, "I am sending this guy to you"? Look at what Paul says about him in verses 20 through 22: "For I have no one like-minded who will sincerely care for your state. Why? For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character; that as a son with his father, he served with me in the gospel."

The first thing we learn about Timothy, as we look at what Paul writes about him, is that Timothy had the right mindset. In Philippians chapter 2, at the very beginning, Paul encouraged the Christians at Philippi to be like-minded with one another, to have the same mindset.

Love for one another is essential. In Philippians 2:5, Paul says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." He emphasizes the need to be like-minded with one another and with Jesus. Here, Paul implies that Timothy was someone who was like-minded with him and ultimately with the Lord. He states that there is no one else like-minded; he has no one like Timothy. The New Living Translation expresses this by saying, "I have no one else like Timothy." Timothy was unique among all the other people that the Apostle Paul served with.

Why was he unique? What made him stand out? Notice what Paul says in verse 21: "For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ." By implication, Paul indicates that the unique quality of Timothy is that he is not self-seeking; he seeks the things that are of Christ Jesus. He genuinely cares about the welfare of others. In verse 20, Paul describes Timothy as being genuinely, faithfully, and sincerely concerned about other people. This is unique in the world because most people, if left to their own devices, will seek their own interests. We all know this is the case, even though we try to cover it up and make it seem like we are not self-seeking. At the end of the day, we all are, even me.

However, Paul points out that Timothy was different. In this, we learn a very important point about joy and happiness: true joy requires a shift of focus. We considered this a few weeks ago when we talked about Jesus. Although He was in heaven and is God, He stepped down to earth in the Incarnation. He humbled Himself to the point of being a servant, lowering Himself to the lowest position as a slave, as depicted in John 13 when Jesus washes His disciples' feet. This humility is even more evident when He was crucified on the cross, laying down His life for us. The Creator comes and dies for His creation.

One of the points we discussed a few weeks ago is that we need to follow the path of Jesus. We need to walk in that same path. If you are going to walk in the path of...

Christ, if you're going to follow the example of Timothy, then we are going to need to shift our focus. If our focus, by nature, is to be self-seeking and self-serving, all men seek their own. To follow the pattern of Jesus and the pattern of Timothy means that we need to shift our focus to the cares, the needs, and the concerns of other people.

Look back at Philippians chapter 2, verse 2. Remember what we studied a few weeks ago. If you were here, Paul says, "Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, and being of one accord, of one mind." Look at the unity that he is calling the church to. In verse 3, he writes, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility of mind, let each esteem others better than himself."

In verse 4, he continues, "Let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others." Would you circle the word "interests," which is used twice in verse 4? That word "interests" is the very same Greek word that Paul uses in this section we are looking at today, where he tells us that we need to move our focus. All men seek their own interests. Those words "all men seek their own interests" are the same Greek word that Paul uses in verse 4. We need to not seek our own interests but rather the interests of others.

Now, Paul says of Timothy that he was one of those people who did that. He had shifted his focus. As we discussed when we were looking at Philippians chapter 2, verses 12 and 13, we trust that God is the one who works in us, enabling us to do these things. If left to ourselves, we just don't do this. But with the power of Christ in us, we can follow the example of Timothy, who had a shift of focus. True joy requires this shift of focus.

Not only did Timothy have the right mindset and the right focus, but he also had proven character. As Paul writes in verse 22, "But you know his proven character." Timothy was one who was...

Approved, he had been tried and tested, and he had shown forth that he was in the right place, doing the right thing.

We are first introduced to this guy, Timothy, back in the Book of Acts, specifically in Acts chapter 16, which is the history book of the New Testament. Timothy was a convert to the Christian faith because of the witness of his mom and his grandmother. It seems they grew in their faith because of the ministry of the Apostle Paul when he shared the gospel and planted churches in an area called Galatia. Timothy grew up in the city of Lystra, which was in the county, if you will, of Galatia. Acts chapter 16 tells us that during Paul's second missionary trip, he stopped in the city of Lystra and met Timothy. He took Timothy along with him to be a follower of the ministry, to be an apprentice in the work, and to be a servant alongside Paul.

Paul notes Timothy's proven character. What kind of character did he have? We see in verse 22 that he had the proven character of a son with his father; he served with Paul in the gospel. There were two things that demonstrated the character of this guy, Timothy. He was a son in the faith and a servant of the gospel.

Paul wrote two letters to Timothy later in his life, which we have in our Bibles. They are called First and Second Timothy. I realize we are not very creative in naming sometimes, but he writes two very personal letters to Timothy. In the opening words of each of those letters, Paul refers to Timothy as his son in the faith. In First Timothy chapter one, he says, "You were a true son in the faith." In Second Timothy chapter one, he calls him "a beloved son in the faith." This guy came alongside Paul and walked with him like his own family relation, his son in the faith.

Not only that, but he was also a servant. The Apostle Paul, who wrote this letter, also wrote twelve other letters that we have in the New Testament. Two-thirds of the New Testament is attributed to Paul. In six of those thirteen letters, the opening words include the name of Timothy, indicating that he was there with Paul in the work of the ministry. Even in this letter that we are studying, if you flip back just one page to Philippians chapter one, look at verse one.

Timothy was a bondservant of Jesus Christ, a servant and a slave of Christ. He was trustworthy and had proven character. He was both a son and a servant in the faith.

Point number three on your outline is that there is no lasting joy apart from proven character. There is no lasting joy apart from proven character. Timothy, because of his relationship with the Apostle Paul and his service in the gospel, was tried and true. At this point in Paul's life, he was going through a severe trial of his own. He was in prison in Rome, facing the day of his trial and the potential of execution. Who was with Paul during this difficult time? It was the faithful son and servant in the ministry, Timothy.

Because of Timothy's proven character and who he was, Paul said, "Therefore, I am sending him to you. This is the guy because I have no one like him. I have no one else who will care for you in the way that you need to be cared for." Paul continued in verse 23, "Therefore, I hope to send him at once as soon as I see how it goes with me. But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come to you shortly."

You notice the "therefore" at the beginning of verse 23. Why is it there? It is there because of who Timothy was. Paul said, "Because he is trustworthy and proven, therefore I hope to send him to you at once."

Not only do we have Timothy in Philippians chapter 2, but we also have the example of Jesus and now the example of a third individual. In verse 25, Paul writes, "Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, but your messenger, the one who ministered to my need."

Timothy had the right mindset and the right focus, and he had proven character. In this verse, Paul mentions five qualities about Epaphroditus: he was my brother in the Lord, a fellow worker in the faith, a fellow soldier in the fight, a messenger, and literally, the word is...

An apostle in the Greek, a minister, a brother, a worker, a soldier, a messenger—these are the roles that Timothy and Epaphroditus embody. As I reflect on these five aspects found in this verse, one point stands out to me: joy flows to and from active participants and not passive spectators. This is really important. Joy flows to and from active participants and not passive spectators.

Listen, this Christian life that we're engaged in, if we put our trust in Jesus, is not a spectator sport. Unfortunately, the reality is that there are millions of people in our nation and throughout the world who come to church as spectators week in and week out. Christian leaders have often made the tongue-in-cheek statement that the church operates on an 80/20 concept, where twenty percent of the people do eighty percent of the work. Over time, this has shifted even further, with ten percent of the people doing ninety percent of the work and contributing ninety percent of what is needed for the ministry.

This is a true observation. Many Christians, by their own admission, say they do not feel they are experiencing the abundant life they were promised. They wonder, "Where is all the joy that I was told is in Christ?" I would argue that true joy flows to and from those who are active participants, not passive spectators.

So, might I, as your pastor, challenge you to get in the game and get engaged? Timothy was a brother; that is the first thing Paul says about him. He was a Christian, a brother in the faith. You might be a brother or sister; you are a believer who has put your faith in Jesus. But Timothy was not only a brother; he was also a worker. The Greek word translated as "worker" has its root in "ergon," which involves energy and effort. He was engaged in the work.

Moreover, he was a soldier, fighting the good fight of faith. He was a messenger, an apostle—one sent with a message. He was a minister who served.

Apostle Paul came and took care of his needs. I don't think it's too far off to say that you will not experience the fullness of joy that is available to you in Christ if you're not engaged in the work of Christ. If you're not involved in serving Him and serving His people, you may miss out on that joy.

I had a great conversation for about 45 minutes yesterday with an Escondido police officer. No, I didn't get pulled over; I know some of you were thinking, "Oh, pastor!" but that's not what happened. We've had a very interesting week here at the church, and I'll share some things with you so that you can commit them to prayer.

A few days ago, some of our guys here on staff, Jason and Nick, found a nice little package for us in the parking lot. It opened up to reveal a basket with a white cloth tied off and blood all over it. Inside, they found a dead chicken with its head cut off, two dead fish, and pieces of coconut—just all kinds of wacky things, like someone putting a hex on someone. So, we called the cops, who came and did a little incident report before chucking it in the dumpster. I am thankful that greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Then yesterday, someone through social media started making some pretty serious accusations against me. In the middle of the day, I called the police department. My good friend, who is a detective with the family crime unit here in Escondido, said, "Well, here, make an incident report." I came out here, and the police just pulled up. I saw that it was my good friend Dave Bishop, who actually used to be part of our church and lives up in Valley Center.

Dave is a former U.S. Marine and has worked for the Escondido Police Department for many years. He is a sniper for the SWAT team and a good guy to have on your team. He’s a Christian and has written a book on apologetics. For the last 20 years, Dave Bishop has been going to Camp Pendleton every Sunday afternoon to give core values training to the School of Infantry.

Every U.S. Marine Corps recruit that goes through the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton, which is about seventy percent of the United States Marine Corps, has gone through his core values training class. That includes every one of those guys who has been fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.

So, what is the core values training class? At the end of it, he sums it up and says, "Listen, the U.S. Marine Corps is built on three principles: God, country, corps. And if you want to know about God, stick around; I have a Bible study for you." For the last 20 years, he's been preaching.

The gospel was shared with all these recruits, and as he was taking the incident report, he said, "Hey, can we just talk for a little while and fellowship together?" I said, "Sure, you got time? I got time." He then mentioned that he needed me to pray and get the church to pray because there was a new commander at the School of Infantry who had closed the door, preventing any further activities. He said this happened just two weeks ago, so he asked for prayer as he was trying to work this out.

One of the things that Dave shared with me was a recent conversation he had with someone about experiencing joy as a Christian. Dave told him, "I never knew what joy was in Christ. I have a great wife, a wonderful family, and an awesome job. I love what I do, but I never knew the fullness of joy until I stepped out and started serving the Lord." This was a good word, unsolicited and coincidental, as I talked with Dave yesterday.

You will not experience the maximal and expanding joy that is available in Christ until you engage as an active participant in the work of the Lord. I don't know what that looks like; it varies for every single person here because God has gifted, called, and given unique talents to each of you. However, He has a place for you in the work of the ministry, and you will not experience expanding joy in Christ until you become an active participant in that work.

Paul says he considered it necessary to send Epaphroditus to you. Look at verse 26: "Since he was longing for you all and he was distressed." The word "distressed" could be translated as "depressed." Christians sometimes get depressed, and he was indeed depressed. Why? Because you heard that he was sick. He wasn't depressed because he was sick; he was depressed because you were concerned for him. He was distressed because you heard that he was sick. Indeed, he was sick, almost to death, but God had mercy on him, not only on him but also on me, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Not only was Epaphroditus depressed, but Paul was also sorrowful. Therefore, I sent him the more eagerly. I was passionate and excited about sending him to you so that when you see him again, you may rejoice.

I may be less stressful, less anxious, and I may have less sorrow. Receive him, therefore, in the Lord with all gladness, and note this: hold such men in esteem because, for the work of Christ, he came close to death, not regarding his life to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.

Aphroditus was concerned about the people in Philippi. He was distressed on their behalf, even though he was going through trying and difficult circumstances. He was distressed because of what they were experiencing when they heard that he was sick. Paul says he was sick even to the point of death, but God restored him. God healed him; God had mercy on him.

One of the important things that we find here in this passage, point number five on your outline, is that joy flows to and from selfless servants. Joy flows to and from selfless servants. Paul's exhortation to the Christians at Philippi 2,000 years ago, and if he knew about us, the Christians in Escondido, San Marcos, and Rancho Bernardo in 2015, his exhortation was: let each of you look not only out for his own interests but for the interests of others.

Aphroditus brought joy, gladness, and rejoicing to those who were in his life because he was a selfless servant; he was self-sacrificing. Now, it's interesting to me that in our day, and for the last 25 years especially, we've been told that the way to experience an increase in your well-being, happiness, and joy is to have better self-esteem. I don't think we need to belittle ourselves, but I'm not entirely sure that we need to do anything to really build up our self-esteem. That's what our culture is saying.

But notice what Paul says here: this guy was a self-sacrificing, selfless servant. If you were to do a psychological analysis on him, you might even say it seems like he has low self-esteem, and yet he wasn't working for self-esteem. Notice Paul says to the church there, this is the kind of guy you should esteem; this is the kind of guy that deserves your honor.

Now, the greatest thing in the world is to one day hear Jesus say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

It’s striking to me how Jesus's disciples, for the last six months of His life, spent all their time arguing among themselves about who would be the greatest. They failed to recognize that the greatest in the Kingdom of God was Jesus, the one who was with them. Instead, they tried to hide this argument from Him.

Have you ever had your kids try to hide their arguments? The most striking thing to me is that when Jesus talked with them about this, He didn’t rebuke them for desiring to be great. Instead, He told them how to become great. He said, "He who desires to be great in the Kingdom of Heaven..." You might think that Jesus would say, "Stop it! Stop doing that! That’s carnal, that’s fleshly, that’s pride." But He doesn’t do that. He says, "He who desires to be great in the Kingdom of God should become your servant, the servant of all." This is the path to greatness in the Kingdom of God.

The greatest honor you could ever hear would be to hear Jesus one day say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." However, there is also a place for honor and esteem from one another within the body of Christ. Paul, in one of his letters to Timothy, says that those who serve in the Word of God and preach should be worthy of double honor. In this passage, he emphasizes the kind of person you should honor and esteem—not the one who is focused entirely on themselves and their self-esteem, but the person who works for the joy of others and takes the interests of others into account over their own impulses.

This is the kind of person you should honor and esteem. It is contrary to just about everything we hear about the pursuit of happiness and joy in our culture. Our culture says that the path to happiness and joy is to increase your self-esteem, your position, your wealth, and your power. Yet, here Jesus says to give it all away.

Next week, when we get into Philippians chapter 3, we will see the exact same thing in the example of the Apostle Paul. He moves from Jesus to Timothy to a personal example, saying, "Listen, if anyone could boast in their flesh, it was me." Yet, everything I had that everyone else valued...

Culture and his world of the day would have said you have to hold on to that position and that power to be happy. He said, "I cast it aside; I gave it away willingly." Why? I counted it as rubbish that I may gain something so much better.

Make sure you come back next week to hear the end of that part. Listen, brothers and sisters, take the appropriate steps to be happy. But those steps involve shifting your focus from yourself to others. It involves being a part of the body of Christ as a servant, as a soldier, as a minister, as one carrying the faith. It involves being an active participant and not just a passive spectator in the work. It involves walking contrary to what this world would say is the path.

I think that the one who is the incarnation of joy, Jesus, probably has a little bit more authority on this topic than your average psychologist in the 21st century.

Would you stand with me as we close in prayer? Father God, thank you for your Word. It is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. By it, you instruct us; sometimes you correct and reprove us. But, Lord, you show us the right way that we ought to walk. I pray that we would take these things to heart and apply them this week. Lord, help us to do that because by our own strength, we don't have any strength. So enable us, Lord, we pray in Jesus' name. All God's people said.