Introduction

• Paul in Philippians
• A Christian life should be a joyous life. God wants us to be joyful!

The mystery of a joyful man

• Philippians, a letter of joy
• Paul was filled with joy
• But his circumstances were awful
  • Paul’s circumstances:
    • A prisoner, Philippians 1:13
    • Wearing a chain, Ephesians 6:20
    • Facing possible execution, Philippians 1:21
    • Harassed by enemies, Philippians 1:17
    • Thorn in the flesh, II Corinthians 12:7
    • Periods of deprivation, Philippians 4:12
    • Brethren in trouble, II Corinthians 11:28-29
• How is this possible?
• Because he found joy in Christ
  • Philippians 4:4 – If you’re not rejoicing in the Lord, you’re not doing it right!
• We need to learn from his example
  • Philippians 4:9
  • Things Paul didn’t do:
    • Complain, Philippians 2:14
    • Hold grudges, Philippians 1:15-18
    • Worry about pointless things, Philippians 3:7-8
    • Let his imperfection bother him, Philippians 3:12
    • Dwell on the past, Philippians 3:13
  • Things Paul did:
    • Expressed gratitude, Philippians 1:3
    • Build and nurtured relationships, Philippians 1:7-8
    • Had hope for the future, Philippians 1:18-21
    • Saw the good in his life, Philippians 1:12
    • Was prepared to die, Philippians 1:21
    • Focused on helping others, Philippians 2:3-4
    • Praying about his difficulties, Philippians 4:6-7
    • Thought beautiful thoughts, Philippians 4:8
    • Was content with what he had, Philippians 4:11-13
  • Your joy in the Lord is independent of your circumstances. Once you learn that, you are free!

Conclusion

• Despite trying circumstances, Paul was able to have great joy.
• This comes from completely giving oneself to the spirit and life of Christ.
• If we follow Paul’s example, we can share his joy.

Introduction

• Luke 9:51 – Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. We, too, need to be resolute in traveling to spiritual Jerusalem.
• Luke 9:57-58

Going up to Jerusalem

• Jesus knew what awaited Him
• Yet He went willingly
• If we want to join Him…
• Then we too much be resolute
• Luke 13:22 – Jesus taught on the way
  • The path is not a direct one
  • It winds through a lifetime
  • It requires that we teach others along the way
• Luke 13:31, 33 – “I must press on”
  • Some will try to turn us away
  • They may even be well meaning
  • But we must not get distracted
  • We must live deliberately
  • We too are on a set path
• Luke 17:11-14 – Jesus helped people on His journey
  • We will meet souls in need
  • We must help them as we can
  • Some will appreciate it
  • Many will not
• Luke 18:31-34 – Jesus knew exactly what would happen in Jerusalem!
  • We too must be prepared to face what lies ahead
  • Some will not understand our commitment
  • That must not deter us
• Luke 19:28 – “He went on ahead…”
• Mark 10:32
  • We should never forget that our Lord has gone ahead of us.
  • He has secured the path
  • There is no need to be afraid
• Luke 19:36-38
  • We too rejoice that our savior went to Jerusalem
  • He is our blessed king and the bringer of peace
  • Because He suffered there
• Revelation 21:2, 14 – Have you washed your robe?
  • Will you follow Jesus and go up to Jerusalem?
  • It is a journey that entails service and sacrifice
  • But you don’t want to miss it

Introduction

• Deuteronomy 11:26-29
• Joshua 8:33-34

The curses of disobedience

Did this really happen? Yes!

• Folded lead tablet from Mt. Ebal
  • A folded lead sheet
  • Found on Mt. Ebal
  • Debris to late bronze age (1400-1200 BC)
  • Inscribed on the inside
  • Written in paleo Hebrew
  • Oldest Hebrew inscription
  • It is a “curse amulet”
  • Writing on the tablet: “Cursed, cursed, cursed – cursed by the God YHW. You will die cursed. Cursed you will surely die. Cursed by YHW – cursed, cursed, cursed.”
    • Writing is a poetic form called chiastic parallelism, where the sentence structure is palindromic.

Did the curses come true? Yes!

• II Chronicles 34:24-25
• Babylonian invasion of 586 BC
• Large Israelite cities were all destroyed
• The land was emptied
• The people carried away to captivity

What do we learn?

• The curses of Deuteronomy 27
  • Cursed is the man who makes a carved idol
  • Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother
  • Cursed is he who moves his neighbor’s boundary stone
  • Cursed is he who lets a blind man wander in the road
  • Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow
  • Cursed is he who sleeps with his father’s wife
  • Cursed is he who lies with any animal
  • Cursed is he who strikes down his neighbor in secret
  • Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person
  • Cursed is he who does not put the words of this law into practice
• That it matters how we honor God
• That social justice, moral purity, and doing right by others is essential
• That there are consequences for disobeying God
• That sin brings a curse
• It still does
  • The seven woes pronounced by Christ
    • Woe to those who shut the door to the kingdom
    • Woe to hypocrites who make other hypocrites
    • Woe to blind guides who swear dishonestly
    • Woe to nit pickers who ignore justice and mercy
    • Woe to those clean on outside but full of greed
    • Woe to the whitewashed full of wickedness
    • Woe to those who laud martyrs and murder them
• That is why we need Christ
  • Galatians 3:13

Conclusion

• Turning our heart from God brings curses in this life and in the life to come.
• These woes are real and certain.
• We should hate the disobedience as fervently as we fear these curses.

Introduction

• Deuteronomy 11:26-29
• Joshua 8:30-34

The blessings of obedience

Did this really happen? Yes!

• The location is there.
• Its arrangement works.
• An altar has been found.
• Other structures have been found.
  • Joshua 1:3
  • Joshua 4:19-20 – Gilgal means “circle.” It’s not necessarily a city or town.
  • Archaeologists found a large stone circle in the right place to be the “Gilgal” mentioned in the text.

Did the blessings come true? Yes!

• Deuteronomy 28:6-7
  • Late bronze age/early iron age
  • Large Canaanite cities were destroyed
  • Replaced by small settlements of invaders
  • Dietary remains, construction techniques, and inscriptions say …
  • They were Hebrews
• Joshua 11:10-11 – The ruin of Hazor
  • Archaeologists found a thick layer of destruction and ash when excavating Hazor.
  • Joshua 21:43-45

What do we learn?

• Deuteronomy 11:26-27
• The blessings of obedience
  • The blessing of God’s help
  • The blessing of righteousness
  • The blessing of true success
  • The blessing of rest and peace
  • The blessing of a lasting legacy
• How do we receive them today?
  • Ephesians 1:3
  • John 4:14, 23
  • Blessed are the poor in spirit
  • Blessed are those who mourn
  • Blessed are the gentle
  • Blessed are those who hunger for righteousness
  • Blessed are the merciful
  • Blessed are the pure in heart
  • Blessed are the peacemakers
  • Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness

Conclusion

• Obeying God from the heart beings blessings in this life and the life to come.
• These blessings are real and certain.
• We receive them in Christ.
• We should choose these blessings and the life of obedience that brings them.

Introduction

• Many people see the Bible as a list of rules you can’t break.
• When we break God’s rules, we cause harm.
• God’s rules are not arbitrary.

Where’s the harm?

• Many people reject the morality of the Bible.
• They see themselves as being a better judge of what is right and wrong.
• Often, it’s a question of seeing the harm in a particular activity.

What could possibly go wrong?

II Samuel 11 – David’s sin

II Samuel 11:1

• Where’s the harm in David staying home?
• The moral obligation of God’s word
  • The most common rejection of Biblical morality is failure to do what God requires.
  • People just don’t see the need.
  • They see no harm in failing to act.
  • Therefore, they feel no responsibility.
  • No harm, no foul, no guilt.

II Samuel 11:11

• When you’re not with the Lord’s people, you are missed!
• The harm in failing to do good
  • The danger of idleness, II Samuel 11:2
  • Failure to set a good example, II Samuel 11:4
  • Failure to be grateful, II Samuel 12:7
  • Failure to be content, II Samuel 12:8

II Samuel 11:2

• Where’s the harm?
  • Matthew 5:28 – It’s already harmful!

II Samuel 11:3

• Where’s the harm?
  • Proverbs 4:14-15 – Avoid the harm at the beginning!

II Samuel 11:4 – David commits adultery

• Where’s the harm?

II Samuel 11:5 – Bathsheba is pregnant by David

• Is this the only harm?
• Is it enough to avoid this outcome?
• If we can avoid this, is it okay?

II Samuel 11:6-9

• It’s hard to manage consequences.
• Too much is outside our control!

II Samuel 11:13

• We can’t control other people.

II Samuel 11:14-15 – David conspires to murder Uriah

• Sin takes us places we never imagined we would go.
• We often do evil to avoid trouble, but we only cause more.

II Samuel 11:17

• The harm of sin
  • It comes even if we don’t see it.
  • It comes no matter how hard we try to avoid it.
  • It comes to people we had no intention of harming.

II Samuel 11:26-27

• Does “getting away with it” mean there’s no harm?
• “the thing … displeased the Lord” – The world does not recognize this harm, but it’s the worst.

II Samuel 12:9

• If it is evil in God’s eyes, it really is evil.

II Samuel 12:10

• A moment of pleasure often leads to a lifetime of pain.

II Samuel 12:11

The harm that David could foresee

• David’s character was stained
• A marriage was violated

The harm that David could not foresee

• Joab’s integrity was compromised
• Several innocent men were murdered
• A child lost his life
• David’s family was thrown into turmoil
• Two of his sons would be murdered
• The nation was plunged into civil war

But is this all the harm?

• II Samuel 12:13 – How could God take away sin? Isaiah 53:5
• When you have a chance to commit sin, look to the cross!

Where’s the harm?

• Many reject the morality of the Bible
• They cannot see the harm in what the Bible calls sin
• But we are woefully incapable of making such determinations

Where’s the solution?

• We must follow God’s will.
• It will keep up from true harm.
• He will deliver us from the harm of our sins by bearing them Himself.