I. You have joy in being united with Jesus.

A. Jesus is, of course, the leader of the whole church around the world. What does it mean that we are in Christ Jesus (vs. 1)? We are in Christ Jesus in that we are united with Jesus. We have been washed clean in His blood. Because we are with Jesus, we have a personal relationship with Him. We are Jesus’ friends. He talks to us. And we talk to Him. Everywhere Jesus goes, we go. And everywhere I go, Jesus goes. We are with Jesus all the time.

B. Three times in the first two verses the apostle Paul mentions Jesus. Paul has so much joy in Jesus that he can’t stop talking about Him. Philippians 3:8: “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” Paul says here, “There is Jesus. And there is everything else. Jesus is worth everything.”

II. You have joy in serving Jesus with pastors and elders.

A. Paul writes to the saints with the overseers and deacons (vs. 1). The overseers include what we call today our pastors and our elders. Pastors and elders are servant-leaders. This is how Paul and Timothy describe themselves in vs. 1. They lead to serve the good of the whole church and not the good of self. The first use of the word joy in Philippians is found in verse 4 where Paul says he prays for the Philippian church with joy. Serving Jesus together with others brings joy.  

B. We find the characteristics of elders in 1 Timothy 3. Elder does not necessarily mean old. An elder is someone who is mature in the Christian faith. They have walked with Jesus for many years. They are people of godly character. The only skill of an elder mentioned in the Bible is that they are able to teach others about the truths of the Christian faith. Elders then teach, lead and care for the people of the church.

III. You have joy in serving Jesus with deacons.

A. Deacon means servant. Deacons served the people in their church and community by meeting their physical and social needs. In the first century, deacons prepared meals for hungry people. Deacons though did not have a specific job description in the church. Their duties were flexible based on the needs of the church. They were just ready to serve in whatever way the church needed at a practical level. There is great joy when our deacons help others. Often, people cry tears of joy because of the ministry of our deacons. Serving Jesus with the deacons brings joy.

Application:
Show up at church and ask how you can help if you want joy.

Sources:
The letter to the Philippians
Commentaries on Philippians by Moises Silva, D.A. Carson, J.A. Motyer & Steven Lawson

Sermon Outline Questions

1. Why did Paul think Jesus is so great? If Jesus does not bring you joy at a certain time, how can you grow your joy in Jesus?
2. The pastors, elders and deacons serve you and the church. How can you serve them? Do you pray for them?
3. Do you regularly catch yourself with the attitude of a consumer or critic? How can you get in the habit of asking others at church, “How can I help?”