The Epistle of Joy

“To the Glory and Praise of God” Philippians 1:1-2, Acts 16:1-40

Date:February 2, 2025
Author: Wayne J. Edwards

Introduction:

One of the people God used to encourage my call to the ministry was a dynamic Christian teenager named Donny Doud. After being diagnosed with Leukemia, Donny withdrew from his family and friends for a season of private prayer and worship. When he returned, he told his church, “The Lord hasn’t told me how long I will live, but I’ve told Him I will speak for Him and sing for Him every day until He calls me home.”

Donny took his guitar and drove his yellow VW bus to schools, churches, prisons, nursing homes, coffee houses, and other places that invited him to come and share his testimony. Near the end of his life, the surrounding churches’ youth organized a series of revival meetings. The final meeting was held in the 1st Baptist Church of Toccoa, and Donny was the final speaker. His text was Exodus 4:2, where God said to Moses:

“What is that in your hand?” And Moses said, “A staff.” Then God said, “Throw it on the ground.” So, Moses threw it on the ground, turning it into a serpent, and Moses fled. But God said to Moses, “Reach out with your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so Moses reached out with his hand and caught it, and it turned into a staff in his hand, and God said, “Now they will believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

Donny said, “Tonight, I have finished my race! I’ve fought a good fight, I’ve kept the faith, and I’ve kept my promise to share the gospel with someone every day until the Lord calls me home.

Tonight, the last thing I can do is to lay my life down for the Lord.” Donnie died the next day, August 16, 1972.

During those very trying months, as his physical energy gradually diminished, Donny began writing choruses for his ministry. One was how the JOY OF THE LORD had given him strength for each day. (I’m trying to find that chorus to introduce our new sermon series on Philippians: The Epistle of Joy.) Donny knew, as Paul knew, as did the Philippians know, that true joy comes only through humble faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ and in serving others. In other words, TRUE JOY is only available to those who will receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.

The Title of this first sermon is: “The Epistle of Joy: To the Glory and Praise of God.”

Download the following translated Sermon guides:

Old Testament Reading – Nehemiah 8:1-11
New Testament Reading – 1 Peter 1:3-12

The Epistle Of Joy
“To the Glory and Praise of God”
Philippians 1:1-2, Acts 16:1-40

Wayne J. Edwards, Pastor

The Epistle to the Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul from his prison cell in Rome in 62 A.D.

Of the four Prison Epistles, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, Philippians was the last one Paul wrote.
Fearing his execution was near, Paul wanted his followers to know how much he appreciated their financial support, and assure them that he planned to visit with them again when he was released from prison.
However, Paul said he welcomed death if it would, in any way, enhance the spread of the gospel.
Paul exhorted his readers to remain steadfast in their faith, and to follow him as he followed Christ, who “emptied Himself,” of the power and glory of His heavenly position, and then submitted Himself unto the Father’s will, by becoming “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

The Servants:

The Apostle Paul – the man Jesus converted on the Damascus Road, and commissioned to get the gospel to the Gentiles. God used Paul to write 13 of the New Testament epistles.
Timothy – the young man Paul met in Lystra who was so spiritual mature he invited him to join the mission team. Paul loved this young man who had been saturated in the scriptures by his mother and grandmother. Although he was not a Jew, Timothy agreed to be circumcised not to offend the Jews.
Priscilla and Aquila – the married couple that assisted Paul by making and selling tents to help finance the journey.
Silas – the man who traveled with Paul on his first missionary journey; a godly man, and a faithful man in whom Paul could trust.
Luke – the gospel writer who remained with Paul even to the day Paul was beheaded.
Paul said they all were bondservants, slaves who loved their master so much they willingly became his servants for life. Their owners pierced their ears with an awl to show their submission to servitude.

The Saints – The word “saint” means those who are saved, i.e., sanctified and set apart for God’s use.

Bishops and Deacons – since Paul had left, the church had grown numerically and spiritually, for they had elected spiritual leaders.

Salutation:

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” “Charis,” and “Shalom,” – I wish you grace, I wish you peace!
Philippians is the only epistle Paul wrote to a church that did not have a theological, doctrinal, or moral problem.
Paul wrote it to express his appreciation and affection for the gracious generosity of the believers at Philippi. In effect, the Apostle Paul said: “Yes, I’m in prison, but I’m still rejoicing over your goodness to me.”

Acts 16 is the background
for Paul’s letter to the Philippians

TIMOTHY JOINS PAUL AND SILAS (1-5)

Paul and Silas traveled to Derbe and Lystra, where they met Timothy, a young man who had been saturated in the Scriptures by his mother and grandmother.
Paul was so impressed with Timothy that he invited him to join him on his mission tour. Timothy was so spiritually mature that he was willing to be circumcized to not offend the Jews.

TIMOTHY’S FIRST MISSION (4-5)

Paul and Silas delivered the decrees from Jerusalem to the churches in Derbe and Lystra. The churches were strengthened, and the number of converts increased daily.

THE MACEDONIA CALL (6-10)

Having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel in Asia or Bithynia, Paul and his team by passed Mysia and sailed on to Troas.

CALLED BY A VISION (9-10)

Having received a vision in the night of a man from Macedonia asking for help, Paul and his companions concluded that God wanted them to go to Macedonia, where Luke joined the team.

CONVERSIONS AT PHILIPPI (11-40)
THE CONVERSION OF LYDIA (11-15)

Paul and the team sailed from Troas to Samothrace, Neapolis, and finally to Philippi of Macedonia, a Roman colony.
Not having a synagogue in which to worship, Paul and his team met with some women who were gathered by the river to pray.
After hearing Paul speak, the Lord opened Lydia’s heart to receive the gospel. She and her household were baptized and invited Paul and his team to her home.
This was the first church to be started in the Roman Colony of Philippi and the first city in Europe to be evangelized – i.e., this is where the evangelical church in Europe began.

THE CONVERSION OF THE JAILER (16-40)

A young slave girl, possessed with a spirit of divination, began following Paul and his team, declaring them as true servants of God who were proclaiming the only way to salvation.
Even though what she said was true, Paul knew her testimony was not of the Lord, so he cast the evil spirit from her.
The men who were making money from her fortunetelling brought Paul and Silas before the magistrates, and accused them as troublemakers and of teaching unlawful customs.
Paul and Silas were beaten with rods and imprisoned in stocks.
At midnight, Paul and Silas began praying and singing hymns, and an earthquake occurred that was so great it opened the prison doors and broke the stock’s chains.
Knowing he would be executed for losing his prisoners, the jailer prepared to kill himself, but Paul assured him that the prisoners were still there.
Seeing their love for him, the jailer asked Paul and Silas what he must to do be saved, and they told him to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and he would be saved. Later, they took him aside and explained the scriptures to him.
The jailer and his family received Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, and after they were baptized, they fed Paul and Silas and did what they could to treat their wounds.
Knowing he and Silas had been mistreated as Roman citizens, Paul demanded the magistrates come and tell them of their freedom, and they returned to Lydia’s house and encouraged the brethren.

“Only the Holy Spirit
can give the true believer
supernatural joy.”

The Greek word for “joy” is chara, derived from the word charis, which is the Greek word for grace.
Therefore, (“joy”) is produced by the charis (“grace”) of God.
Happiness is based on human circumstances. Therefore, the best this sinful world has to offer anyone is temporary happiness.
However, when a sinner receives Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit quickens our human spirit, and floods our soul with joy – real joy, wonderful joy, unexplainable and everlasting joy.
Therefore, when our lives become difficult, and the devil’s “joy robbers” surround us, the Holy Spirit, who resides within us, rises to defy that devilish pressure by filling us with joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Therefore, true joy is God’s supernatural response to the devil’s attacks.
When we rejoice through suffering rather than sulking in it, God can uses us to impact people in ways we may never understand on this side of heaven.