Joy in the City
The book of Philippians is a little book that packs a big punch. It is only 4 chapters but the truth in it can change our lives. It’s really a letter written to them by their founding pastor the Apostle Paul.
One of the main themes of the book is joy that is found in knowing Jesus as our savior and Lord. In our culture there are thousands of books and ideas on how to be happy. Our whole nation is founded on the idea of “the pursuit of happiness,” but despite all our books, ideas and talk shows we continue to be a nation of unhappy people. We still strive for more, better, new, faster and thrilling. Nothing seems to satisfy us.
In the book of Philippians though we don’t find a guy living in his perfect million-dollar home, with his perfect teeth telling us how to think positively and actualize our perfect future. No in this book we find a guy in jail writing a letter not telling how it’s wrong for him to be in there but that it really advances the Gospel (Phil 1:12). He doesn’t write to complain or beg them to break him out. Paul actually says he rejoices (1:18), calls his friends to rejoice, and work toward relational unity for the sake of the Gospel.
We have titled this study, “Joy in the City.” We’re using the word “city” as a metaphor for where we live. The great writer Augustine wrote about the “city of man” and the “city of God.” The “city of man” is where we live now. We live in a place and time where people have rebelled against God and we all live under the curse of the fall (Genesis 4). The values of this city are not the values of God. The end of the Bible speaks of the “city of God,” the place where Jesus rules and reigns and His will is done perfectly and joyfully. This city is described this way…
“1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,
for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,
and there was no longer any sea.
2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven
from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3And I heard a loud voice from the
throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men,
and he will live with them. They will be his people,
and God himself will be with them and be their God
4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There
will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain,
for the old order of things has passed away.”
Revelation 21:1-4
Jesus entered the city of man and lived a sinless life and then died as payment for the sins of humanity. He was buried and on the third day rose from the dead, defeating Satan, Sin and death. Jesus will one day return and bring the “City of God” down from heaven as it is written in Revelation 21. Right now we live in a time where Jesus reconciles people to His Father by the Holy Spirit yet they still dwell in the “city of man.” God in His sovereign wisdom has chosen to use these redeemed people (the church) to demonstrate and declare the reality of this new city where Jesus is King.
So as we study this great book we are seeking as a church community to ask how do we have “Joy in the City?” How do we live as followers of Jesus whose motto is “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21)? How do we live in the city of man but let our “manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Phil 1:27)? How do we have the joy of knowing Jesus Christ as the center of our life in the “city of man?”
We are also seeking to learn how we can bring joy to this city. Paul will challenge us to live in such a way to advance the gospel in whatever circumstance we are in. How do we bring the joy of Jesus to the place we live and work? The Church is on a mission to declare and demonstrate the joy of knowing Jesus to the world.
I am so excited to study this book with you and learn from the Holy Spirit how to be a community of people who have “joy in the city” and bring “joy to the city”.
