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I greet all of you in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we study through the book of Philippians, we have come to Philippians 1, verses 3 to 5. Whenever we think of the word "joy," somehow we tend to associate it with circumstances. When the circumstances are favorable, when the family members are all healthy and strong, when our children are doing well in school, when we are gainfully employed, we are happy. But what about in adverse circumstances? Can we still be happy?

The Apostle Paul was imprisoned in Rome, facing possible execution. Though later on he was released from this imprisonment, at this point in time when he wrote Philippians, he was not certain whether he would be released or not. As a prisoner, he was chained to a Roman soldier to avoid the possibility of escape. But Paul did not murmur nor complain about his predicament. He took advantage of the situation and preached the gospel to every Roman soldier chained to him. So much so that in time to come, the gospel was spread throughout the Palace of Caesar. Even under those horrendous circumstances, Paul's heart was always filled with joy.

So we ask this question: how was that possible? Because he trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing happened by chance or coincidence, but by God's sovereign purpose. Biblical joy is not an emotional feeling that fluctuates according to the circumstances; rather, it is an inexpressible peace and contentment provided by the Holy Spirit. True living, alive and close to God, since joy is one of the facets of the fruit of the Spirit. Needless to say, only the believer can experience this joy. Only the believer who has lived a Spirit-filled life can experience this biblical joy. Most certainly, Paul had lived a Spirit-filled life; that was the reason why we can see this element of joy being expressed throughout this prison epistle.

As Paul was writing this letter in his prison cell, he was thinking about the Philippians. He was not thinking about his own circumstances but about their faithfulness. He was not thinking about his own afflictions but about their love. He was not thinking about his own suffering but about their spiritual growth and their selfless generosity in providing for all his needs. So when Paul thought about all these things, his heart was filled with joy.

The title of our message is "The Joy of a Spirit-Filled Life." Our first point is "The Joy of Remembrance." Let us begin with verse 3. Paul said, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." The word "thank" comes from the term where we derive the English word "Eucharist." The Eucharist is used to refer to the Lord's Supper, and it involves giving thanks for Christ's atoning death on the cross. Therefore, when Paul thought of the Philippians, he could not help but give thanks to Jesus Christ for His salvific work in the lives of the Philippians.

"Upon every remembrance of you" tells us that Paul's remembrance of the Philippians would begin with his second missionary journey, when he first stepped foot into Philippi. You can imagine his mind being stretched all the way to the very beginning when he actually never even planned to go to Philippi. Remember, Paul was in Troas; he wanted to go to Bithynia. He never thought of going to Philippi. But during the night, there was this vision of a man from Macedonia who appealed to him to go there to preach the gospel. Immediately, the next day, Paul got onto a boat and sailed toward Macedonia. He arrived at a port city of Neapolis. From there, he traveled inland to the city of Philippi.

When he was in Philippi on the Sabbath day, Paul and his missionary team went outside the city and saw a group of women praying by the riverside. Paul ministered to the women; one of them was Lydia, a wealthy woman selling purple raiment in the city of Thyatira. Lydia believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and subsequently, her family also believed. Later on, Paul delivered a demon-possessed slave girl who was used by her masters to make money through fortune-telling. When the masters saw that Paul had broken their ill-gotten source of income, they were so angry that they got Paul and Silas arrested and thrown into prison. While Paul and Silas were in prison, they were singing praises to God.

All of a sudden, there was a great earthquake. The foundations of the prison were shaken, and all the prison doors were opened. The amazing thing was that none of the prisoners had escaped. The keeper of the prison was about to kill himself. Immediately, Paul stopped him and said, "Do thyself no harm, for we are all here." The Philippian jailer, still trembling, asked this most pertinent question: "What must I do to be saved?" They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house" (Acts 16:31).

After Paul was released from prison, he went straight to the house of Lydia, and that was how the Philippian church was started. Later on, when he left Macedonia, the Philippian church was the only one that supported the Apostle Paul financially. So "upon every remembrance of you" means Paul would bring to memory all these things about the Philippians. So as he sat there to write this letter, he would recollect all the things that had occurred.

Allow me to give you an example. It must not be seen in a proud sense but to be used as an illustration. Whenever the brethren in our mission churches in Myanmar think about us, the Bethelites, they will remember how the church first started almost 15 years ago. At a time, we were only supporting two pastors and a small congregation in Yangon. As the gospel word flourished, we went from there to support the church on the mountain of Nauti in the Chin State. When we raised enough funds to help them build a church, it was a concrete church. It was very significant because all the other houses were made of wood, except the church. Then we helped them to establish a third church in Dagon, and we sent some of the preachers to the Far Eastern Bible College to study the Word of God. When they graduated and returned back to Myanmar, we started Theological College.

All of a sudden, the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and at the same time, Myanmar was also caught in a political upheaval. Everything came to a halt. By the grace of God, we were able to send financial support to help our missionaries with daily necessities like rice, oil, canned food, and so forth because there was this economic crisis. My friends, when our missionaries, our brethren in Myanmar, think about us, they cannot help but recollect all these things that had happened. They cannot help but see the hands of God working in and through us to help them, and they cannot help but give thanks to God. Whenever they think about how God is working in our midst to help them, their hearts will be filled with joy.

When Paul remembered the goodness, kindness, and love of the Philippians, it did not mean that the Philippian church was perfect. There is no perfect church in this world. It did not mean that there were no weaknesses and shortcomings. Most definitely, there were troubles in the church. In fact, that was what prompted Paul to write this letter in the first place. But Paul was willing to look beyond all that. A Spirit-filled person knows that if he keeps on focusing on the negatives, the faults and shortcomings of others, it will surely generate bitterness, resentment, and a critical spirit. Therefore, he will learn to appreciate and focus on the love, compassion, and goodness of the people instead.

When I was studying in the Far Eastern Bible College, every Monday we had homiletic classes. Homiletics is the art of preaching. Students would be called to preach a sermon, and then other students would critique the preaching. There would always be reasons for people to critique the way words were articulated, the way the sermon was delivered, perhaps the points were not very clear, no applications, and so forth. The students were all very quick to critique. But when the time came for the principal, the late Reverend Timadito, to say something, he would always have something good to say. Even though sometimes it was really difficult to point out any good things from the message—not that the message was not good, but it was probably the way the message was being delivered—yet Reverend Tal would still have something good to say. He would talk about the testimony of the student, how he first came to know that student, the circumstances by which the student had come to the college, including how that student had grown in his spiritual walk with God. He would always be able to think of something good to say. He was able to do that because he was filled with the Spirit.

What about you, my friend? Are you someone who always focuses on the negatives so much so that your heart is filled with bitterness, resentment, and animosity? Nothing good to say, only bad things to say? Or are you someone who always focuses on the goodness, the things that people have done, however trivial it may be, and your heart is filled with joy whenever you remember that person? I pray that all of us will be such believers who are filled with the Spirit of God, able to see the goodness of other people and look beyond that which is negative.

Our second point is "The Joy of Intercession." Let us move on to verse 4: "Always in every prayer of mine for you all making requests with joy." Whenever we pray for someone, we tend to think of it more as an obligation. "So-and-so has requested prayers, so I must remember to pray. I'm obligated to pray." Faithful and sincere prayer is much more than an

obligation; it is a joy. Do you know that it is a joy to pray for others? Have you experienced this joy?

There are several things we can learn from here. Firstly, you cannot always be praying for someone unless you have a deep concern for his and her welfare. And you cannot always be praying for someone when you are preoccupied with yourself. You may pray for the person at times or sometimes, but not all the time. The only way you can pray for anyone all the time is when your heart is preoccupied with the well-being of that person. Just like parents would always pray for their children at all times because their hearts are preoccupied with the well-being of their children.

Secondly, you cannot always be praying for someone unless you know what is going on in that person's life. When you pray, you are articulating with words, making requests to God on behalf of that person. You cannot do that unless you know what is happening in that person's life. You see, after Paul had ministered the gospel to the Philippians, and ever since then, they had been constantly communicating with him, constantly supporting him. How do we know? If you look at Philippians 4:15 to 18, let me read for you Philippians 4:15 to 18.

"Now ye Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving but ye only." In other words, only the Philippian church alone supported the Apostle Paul. It did not mean that the other churches were unwilling to support him; perhaps they were unable to, or they lacked the opportunity, or they did not know where Paul was. There could be multiple reasons.

"For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity." Not because I desire a gift, but I desire fruit that may abound to your account, which means it was not really the gift that I desire from you, but I want to see the fruit of your giving and that it may grow and increase to your benefit.

"But I have all and abound; I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, and all the, of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God." Even though the Philippians had supported the Apostle Paul faithfully previously, they continued to support him even when he was in Thessalonica, and then they sent gifts to him through Epaphroditus. So much so that Paul had more than enough. In other words, the Philippians were constantly communicating with the Apostle Paul, and he knew what was happening in their lives. He was able to receive constant updates about their well-being.

Now take a moment and consider this. Even in this aspect of giving, he saw how they had grown in their giving. He has seen the fruit of their giving. So if the Apostle Paul had been always praying for them and now he saw that they had grown tremendously in the way they give and support the gospel work, do you think his heart will not be filled with joy? Most certainly! This is the amazing thing about the joy in intercession, my friend. When you have always been praying for a person for a particular matter, and then you see the hands of God working in that person's life, most certainly your heart will be filled with joy.

For example, when you have always been praying for the salvation of your unbelieving parents, and one day your unbelieving parents believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, will your heart not be filled with joy? Or when you have always been praying for a brother in Christ who has fallen into sin to repent, and one day he repented and returned to church, will your heart not be filled with joy? Or when you have always been praying for someone who is sick, someone who has lost his job, someone who is going through a time of bereavement, and the list goes on and on.

Why do you think some Christians do not know the true joy that God gives to His children through prayers? It is because they are so preoccupied with themselves and their own needs that they lack this concern for others. As a result, they fail to pray and intercede for others. Again, the question we need to ask ourselves is: are we someone who is only preoccupied with ourselves? Prayer items that we update the church with — it’s all about ourselves, and the items that we pray on a daily basis are all about ourselves, nothing about others. Or are we someone who has experienced this true joy, like the Apostle Paul, who had always been praying for the Philippians and making requests for them with joy? If you want to experience this biblical joy, you start by praying for others, by making requests to God for others, and then you will experience this great joy.

Our third point is the joy of fellowship. Verse 5: "For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now." The word "fellowship" (koinonia) can mean communion, sharing, giving, distribution, or participation. It has the root meaning of sharing something in common. Today, the word "fellowship" is so watered down in our modern times that it no longer suggests what it really meant in earlier times. Today, when we speak of fellowship, it means no more than just the sharing of good times, or the sharing of a meal. But fellowship meant more than that. Fellowship meant participating in something greater than the people involved, and it is a very lasting activity.

Whenever the Bible uses the word "fellowship," it means being engaged in communion — a communion created by God Himself. That is why the word "fellowship" is always used in regards to God. So you read through the Bible, it talks about the fellowship of God, the fellowship of Christ's suffering, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and here it says the fellowship in the gospel. There's something very special about us, in that as believers, we have something in common, and that is God. That is why our fellowship must always involve God — He must be the center of our fellowship. You remove God, then there's no more fellowship, biblically speaking.

James Montgomery explained it this way. Allow me to quote from him by way of illustration: "The university in Britain is organized by colleges within the university. Each college has its own structure, its own admission policy. It governs its own students, and the affairs are managed by the professors associated with it. They are called 'fellows'. There are times when these fellows will gather together casually and discuss anything and everything under the sun, from Shakespeare to the latest sports event. Some are interested in these conversations, others may not. But this is not why the professors are called 'fellows'. They are called fellows because there will be times when they gather together for meetings; they will direct the affairs of the college. In those meetings, they will share not only that which is of interest simply to two or three persons, but what is common to all of them — their fellowship consists of one common mutual interest, the college."

This is just a glimpse of how the Bible regards fellowship. Paul and the Philippians might have had some things in common, or they might not have had anything in common in this world. This was not those things Paul was speaking about. He was speaking about sharing something which all the believers have in common: the gospel of Christ. They were united not on the social level or social basis, but by their commitment to the truth of the gospel.

Let us take a moment and think of the church of Philippi. We know there was this Philippian jailer, right? A violent man who would have killed himself if he had not been restrained by Paul. We know there was this wealthy businesswoman named Lydia, selling purple garments in the city of Thyatira. We know there was this slave girl who had been delivered from an evil spirit. Apparently, in a worldly sense, they had nothing in common. But spiritually, they had one great thing in common: they had fellowship in the gospel. They were brought together by the gospel itself, and when they were brought together by the gospel, they continued in the fellowship of the gospel from the first day until now.

Can you see that, my friend? This is also the bond that has brought all of us together as believers, as a church, at Bethel Bible Presbyterian Church. What is the thing that brought us together? God, the Bible, the gospel, and we fellowship in the Spirit. If you and I are united with one another on the basis of our wealth, think about this — we will have to exclude those who are poor or those who are rich. If we are united on the basis of our social status, we will have to exclude those who are not on our level of society, be it high or low. If we are united based on our intellect, then we will have to exclude the simple or the intelligent. If you and I try, whatever ways we try, to unite this church like this, the testimony of the church will be destroyed, and we will never be united in the way God wants us to be united.

The only way God wants us to be united as one is to come together, fellowship in the gospel. That is the only unity God wants us to have.

Have you ever encountered someone who says to you, "There’s no fellowship in the church"? Most certainly, you have, unless it is not a Bible-believing and Christ-centred church. It is impossible! Do you realize that there will always be fellowship? What the person meant is not biblical fellowship. What the person meant is the world’s idea of fellowship, where the people come together to discuss anything and everything under the sun — remember, from Shakespeare to the latest sports event, to the television shows they watch, to the latest gadgets they would be holding in their hands. Probably, in their handfuls, they will be talking about their common interests and hobbies. If you like holidays, I mean going overseas for holidays, I like travelling overseas for holidays, we can have fellowship — that is what they meant. If you like fishing, you like to play golf, I like fishing, I like to play golf, we can have fellowship. That is the world’s idea of fellowship. It is not a biblical idea.

As believers, we all have something in common, and that is God, the Bible, the gospel, and the Holy Spirit. And when we come together, we talk about all these things. "From the first day until now" is a reference to the passage we have just read a moment ago in Philippians 4:15-18, when we talked about the Philippians supporting the Apostle Paul financially. There was a time when they were the only ones supporting him. They continued to support him when he was in Thessalonica, and then they sent gifts to him through Epaphroditus.

What does that teach us? Not everyone is called to be a preacher. Some of us are called to preach the Word of God, whether as pastors to take care of the local churches, or as evangelists and missionaries to go into the mission fields. Others are called to support the gospel work financially, but every one of us is called to pray. All of us have a part to play in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. So, my friends, please do not walk away from the church just because you feel there is no fellowship. There will always be fellowship if it is a Bible-believing and Christ-centred church. When we come together in fellowship, we fellowship in the things of God, in the Bible, in the gospel, and we fellowship in the Spirit. And we will experience this inexpressible peace and contentment provided by God Himself. This is the biblical joy that the Bible talks about.

Have you experienced this joy? The only way for you to experience this joy is to live a Spirit-filled life, walking close to God. And when you do that, you will experience the joy of remembrance. A Spirit-filled person will be able to see the good things — the compassion of others, the love of others — and he will be able to say things that will encourage one another. You will experience the joy of intercession. You will not be preoccupied with yourself, only on your own things, but you will be able to have this deep concern for the things of others, and you will make requests to God with joy on their behalfs. And you will have this joy of fellowship — not the world’s idea of fellowship, but the biblical perspective of fellowship, where you come together and fellowship in God Himself, in the Bible, in the gospel, and through the wonder-working of the Holy Spirit. When we return next week, we will consider the second part of the joy of a Spirit-filled life.

Let us pray. Our Father in Heaven, we thank Thee for enabling us to consider this portion of Scripture. That even as we consider Thy Word, we pray that we will take it, whatever Thou would want us to learn, and apply it. Help us not just to be hearers only, but to be doers of Thy Word as well. And help us to know that we ought to live a Spirit-filled life, and when we do that, we will have this biblical joy, not the world’s idea of joy. We will have the joy of remembrance, we will have the joy of intercession, and also, Lord, the joy of fellowship. Oh Lord, teach us. Continue to minister to us in a more special way. Speak to us. This we ask of Thee, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.