Fellowship Bible Church - Mullica, Hill N.J.

Joy is a predetermined attitude of praise unhindered by difficulty.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice (Phi. 4:4)

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now (Philippians 1:3-5).

ex·pec·ta·tion
Your expectations are your strong hopes or beliefs that something will happen or that you will get something that you want.

•SERVE: Joy is discovered when our determination to serve overcomes our sense of entitlement (Phil. 1:1).

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:1-2).

Serving with Joy when your efforts go unnoticed....

•Remember whom you are ultimately serving (doulos).

1 Paul and Timothy, servantsof Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:1-2).

•Remember whom you are ultimately serving (doulos).
(Count it a privilege, not a burden.)

•Remember whom you are ultimately serving (doulos).
Count it a privilege, not a burden.
•Expect the serving (hyperetes) to go unnoticed.

1 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful (1 Corinthians 4:1-2).

•Remember whom you are ultimately serving (doulos).
Count it a privilege, not a burden.
•Expect the serving (hyperetes) to go unnoticed.
Purify your motives towards faithfulness.
•See serving as the goal (diakonos), not recognition.

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:1-2).

•Remember whom you are ultimately serving (doulos).
Count it a privilege, not a burden.
•Expect the serving (hyperetes) to go unnoticed.
Purify your motives towards faithfulness.
•See serving as the goal (diakonos), not recognition.
Move quickly towards the opportunity to serve.

26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” 27 John answered…29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.30 He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:26-30).

•SERVE: Joy is discovered when our determination to
serve overcomes our sense of entitlement (Phil. 1:1).

•PRAY: Joy is developed as we pray with thankfulness
for the relationship we have through Jesus (1:3-5).

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now (Philippians 1:3-5).

To be grateful is to remember God’s work in your past,
To remember God’s work in your past,
inspires your hope for his work in your future.

To be grateful is to remember God’s work in your past,
To remember God’s work in your past,
inspires your hope for his work in your future.

Jesus overpowers our social/economic differences.
Consider the Philippian church:
•a wealthy businesswoman
•a demonically – exercised slave girl
•a jailer and his family
•multiple prisoners

•SERVE: Joy is discovered when our determination to
serve overcomes our sense of entitlement (Phil. 1:1).

•PRAY: Joy is developed as we pray with thankfulness
for the relationship we have through Jesus (1:3-5).

•ENCOURAGE: Joy is sustained when we speak of the
work that God has yet to do in our friend’s life (1:6).

6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).

God started it. God will complete it. You’re just in the hard-in-between-time now.