If you got your Bibles, turn to Philippians chapter number 2. I've been reading through Philippians the last two weeks and studying and absorbing it. Actually, I've been reading through it not primarily for you. Come on now, but for myself. But then God gave me some stuff for me and you. How many of you agree with me, when we are tuned in, there's joy in serving Jesus? That's what I'm gonna preach on this morning. There's joy in serving Jesus. But how many of you agree, there's a lot of joy robbers out there? Somebody help me preach this morning. If you're saved and you love God, the devil fights every way he can to steal your joy. Amen? And I want you to look with me at a portion of Scripture in Philippians 2, verses number 12 through number 18. I'll read these verses and preach this thought. There is joy in serving Jesus. I tell you, it's not hard to preach when you're in joy. It's not hard to sing and proclaim His name when you got joy. But boy, I tell you, sometimes when you don't have that joy, and by the way, I'll tell you where He still tries to steal your joy, right here between your ears. How many of y'all agree that the battle we are in today is the battle for the mind? And I'll be hitting that some this morning. Philippians 2 verse 12, wherefore my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, I like this, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both the will and to do of His good pleasure. Do all things without murmuring and disputing, that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain, yea? And if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do you joy and rejoice with me. I love the apostle Paul's writings. I love how he penned his writings and I love his testimony. That Damascus Road testimony where he got struck down by God and God changed his life and turned him around. Can I tell you this morning, I've got a God who can save you, but when he does save you, he will turn your life around. Amen, I'm amazed at his writing. Here he is writing this whole book of Philippians about one theme, one theme and one only, and that's joy, joy, joy. And by the way, it's kind of a interesting theme, because he was not writing this from the church house. It's easy to have joy when we're around friends. It's easy to have joy. I had something happen to me this morning, and I thank God for our influence, and thank God for this church's influence. I had a well-known preacher call me today, and you know what he said to me? He said, can I use some of your material? And it was a particular sermon, and he said, I want you to know that your ministry and Tate Valley's ministry is heard about all over the world. I'm thinking I'm just a little old nobody here, and I am, but I want you to know God put you here for a purpose. And I give him the sermon, and then I told him, well, I got it off of Chad anyway, amen. but there's joy. Paul was in jail. Look at me, he was in jail. He was in a damp, I've been to the place he was in. We looked down there, he was in, down in a pit, in a jail, where the rats were, and where all kind of dampness was, and he was freezing half to death, but he wrote a book on joy. I tell you, joy does not depend on your circumstances. It depends on your relationship with Jesus. Philippians 1, he wrote about having a single mind. Let me ask y'all, can I ask you a question? You ever get, there's stuff cluttering your mind sometimes. And you start thinking about 45 different things at one time. By the way, that'll mess you up quick. But Paul said, I got a single mind. You know what his mind was on? He repeated it over and over in Philippians chapter number one. He talked about the fellowship of the gospel. He talked about the furtherance of the gospel. You know what Paul was saying? He said, my whole mind, I'm single. Everything I think is the gospel of Christ. You know why he thought about the gospel of Christ? because it is the power of God under salvation. You know why he dealt with the gospel of Christ? Because it would change an old drunk and give him a right mind. It'll take an old dope addict who was a mess and change him. He had a single mind. Then look at Philippians 2 as we lead to the passage. Look down with me at verse number five. Through verse eight, he talks about a submissive mind. The Bible said, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, found it not robbery to be equal to God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in the fashion as a man, he humbled himself, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. I tell you, you wanna have a real good, you wanna have joy? Joy comes through one thing, obedience. As if I'm obedient to God, and not worried about what man thinks, and man says, and man does, and I'm obedient unto God, and submissive to God. Help me, help me. That's when the joy comes. Amen. Then he had a servant's mind. Jesus was a servant. He was selfless, and he bore the cross. He purchased my salvation. By grace are you saved through faith, and that none of yourselves. It's a gift from God. None of works less any man should post. Amen. My brethren, I'll have you not sin, but if you do sin, you have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous, who was the propitiation for our sin, and not ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercies hath he saved us. When there was not a lamb white enough, And when there was not a man good enough, and when there was not a rose red enough, thank God God sent forth His Son. But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, made Him a woman, made under the law to redeem them that was under the law. But God committed His love toward us, and while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He was made sin for us who knew no sin, that we might have the righteousness of God in Him. I say to you this morning, I woke up this morning realizing there was a joy in Jesus. He paid the price. He took my place. for the reason, for the joy. Woo, let me give you a few things about this thing, about joy in Jesus. About five of them, look at me in the text. I just wanted to walk down to the text. I want you to notice first of all, a humble approach. Teenagers look at me, mom's, dad's look at me. Pride will not bring you joy. I know people who are proud of everything. And they got something, they're eat up with it. But they're the most unhappy people in the world. Of course, they never have enough. But I wanna talk, whoa, glory. I feel a little preaching coming on. Look what it says, word from my blood, brother. Look at it, as you have always obeyed, not as in presence only, but much more in my absence. Look, I like this. Look at this humble approach. Work out your own salvation. Now notice something. You look at me. He didn't say work for it. Salvation's a free gift. You don't work for it. But once you get it, you're working out. You know why we don't have joy? You know why we slumber in depression? Because we ain't working out our own salvation. Now, I'll tell you what, I've done a little word study. It kind of helped me. What's this word work out mean anyway? I found three meanings and they all were good, but the last one was wonderful. First of all, it's like working out a math problem. I got a doctorate in counseling. And there's folks come to me that has depression every once in a while. And I know enough to be in trouble about it. But I know how to tell them to release some of that hormone that causes that stress. Hello? And one way is these frontal lobes and you concentrate on, you take a math problem. How many of y'all ever seen one of these math guys that could just spread the whole chalkboard out with a math problem? It takes concentration. That's what he said, like workout. Not only it was a math thing, but also it was a farmer's thing. Like he was working out a farm and getting it ready for fruit. God wants us to work out, But that's not the main meaning of this passage. Here's the main meaning. It's like having a gold knife. That's really the main meaning. I'm going somewhere, and you're gonna like it here in a minute. Chad, this is good. Like a gold, you're down in the gold mine and you get you a shovel and you get you a bucket and you go from one side and you work it out and you get that shovel and get that dirt and then throw it through a sea and put water on it and get them gold nuggets. Amen? I don't think you got it. Look at me. When God saved you, he put a gold mine in you. I don't know if y'all know this or not, but you rich. If you don't feel rich, it's because you ain't digging. I don't seem rich, it's because you ain't digging. See, you gotta dig, you gotta work it out. I'll tell you how rich you are. You're an heir of God. A joint heir with Jesus. Woo, glory. Hey, it's in you. You know what God did? He put his riches of glory down in you. You say, but I'm not living that. I'm not experiencing that. I don't feel that. It's because you're not working out your salvation. You get down there and start digging. You'll find out how rich you are. Woo, right, I feel some pressure. Is that good? I, here's what happens. Here's what the devil wants to do to you. He wants you to look at yourself and say this, poor old me. And we take the victim mentality. I want all y'all to know, I am not a victim this morning. I am a victor in Jesus Christ. And you don't have to live your life as a victim, but you can live your life in victory. You say, I don't understand why I don't feel rich. Cause you haven't grown in Christ. You haven't worked out your own salvation. Am I preaching to you? Number two, let me look at verse 13. But hold on man, I want y'all to see not only, oh glory I like that, a humble approach, I see heavenly assistance. Look at verse 13, if you're there say amen. For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and do of his good pleasure. I want you to know, I hear some people say this, well, I'm kind of burned out. By the way, you can get that way. I'll tell you how you get that way. When you try to live the Christian life by yourself, without the power of God. Look at me now. You wanna know when John Smith gets wore out and burned out and like to just quit? It's when I tried to do it myself. We all need heavenly assistance. Boy, read that verse again. Somebody help me. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and do of his own good pleasure. Now, now unto him. This is, that is exceedingly able to do above you're able to ask or think, how? Through the power. that work within us. Brother Jeff, here's what we don't understand. The power is the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, and love was brought in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which was given. Y'all wanna know when I got the Holy Spirit? I got the Holy Spirit when I got saved. I didn't get the Holy Spirit by praying through, by somebody laying hands on me. I got the Holy Spirit the moment I got saved. God put in me the energy to help me live a Christian life. You teens, you're living in a hostile world. You say, how can I have joy in that world? By who's in you? Greater is he that's in me that's in the world. And my preachers, See, we got a lot of people wanna try to do this thing themselves, and you'll burn out, and you'll mess up, and you won't be worth a nickel. But if you will be a laborer with God and let God work through you, He can do wonderful things and bring real joy. How about, amen. Am I doing all right? You ever get worried? I tell you what, you need to get your eyes off of people, things, everything you hear. By the way, if everything you hear ain't really true, you need to get your eyes off of that and quit listening to garbage and let God pour his joy in you. Amen. I told y'all Wednesday night, I went on Facebook. Man, I feel clean. You say, are you preaching against me? I'm on it and all. I ain't telling you to get off of it, but you need to get your face in the book some, amen? But I did. You know why? There's a lot of people get bold on Facebook and say stuff and are ignorant. They're so bold. And if you let yourself look at that, you'll get absorbed in that stuff. I just do not look at, I'm gonna look under Jesus, the author and the finisher of my faith. I tell you what, he's the one that works in me. I can live a Christian life in it. We've never wanna build a church like this without God. It's all God. Thirdly, I want you to read this verse with me, everybody. Teens and all, y'all help me. Look at verse 14, I want you to read. How many of y'all help me read? Do all things. Woo. All right, y'all get to it. Do how many things? Said church, how many things? I tell you what God wants us to do, all things without murmuring and disputing. You want to have no joy? You want your joy to start out? You just start murmuring. Now, I was like you this morning. I was sitting on my lazy boy about eight o'clock, saw the rain come. My eyes got a little droopy. I thought, well, maybe I'll just stay home today. You said, you think that every once in a while? Especially when it rains. You know what? Here's our problem. We murmur all the time, and that'll steal your joy away. See, am I helping you? Come on now, how many's ever murmured? Well, there's a hundred liars. Okay, we all murmur. And you want to get your joy stolen away, Brother Chad. Hey, by the way, the only way to have joy is to have a harmonious attitude. Let this mind be you which is in Christ. All of us need to think. I tell you what we ought to think about. Think about the day he saved you. Think about the day he sealed you. Think about all the supply and all the goodness God done to you. It will keep you from complaining. And then disputing. That's debating and arguing. Amen? I tell you what the devil wants to do is make you be fussy. Why in the world would we be fussy when God has done everything for us? He's working in our life, blessing our life. How many remember, raise your hand if you remember what it was like before you got saved. It wasn't good, it wasn't wonderful, but it's different now and we ought not debate. Look at me, I am not gonna debate with a nut. Did you hear me? You ever get yourself occupied and debating with somebody that ain't no use talking? Their head's harder than that wall is. I tell you what you need to do is glorify God. Let our lips praise Him. Let's have some joy this morning. You all with me? I'm about done, I'm winding up. Look at verse 50, I'm just preaching verse by verse. When you have joy in Jesus, also that you have holy actions. That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. Holding forth. the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain. We need a visualized testimony. I tell you, I got shook up this morning. This guy that called me this morning, he's not no lightweight champ. He's one of the premier preachers in America. And she called me this morning. And here's what he said to me. He said, I don't know if you know this. Man, it shook me up, Lois. Your church is known all over the country. I don't pay attention to stuff like that. He said, and you are known all over this country. And I tell you, it puts pressure on me. Here's what I'm trying to tell you this morning. Young people, look at me. There are people in your school who knows you're Christian. They do. And they're watching you. Hey, the people you work with in your office, they know that you're a Christian and they're watching you. and we need to have a, you know where joy comes? We need to have a visualized testimony. People now, hey, our walk has to match our talk. Hey, you can't help what people say about you or do to you, but you can help how you live in spite of what they do. Hear my preaching? That's where real joy comes. That's the gold mine, right? Boy, you must be into preaching. He said, right here's the gold mine. All you got to do is dig in it. Oh, you're trying to preach this morning. Go out of here. I'm all right. I want you to get in this this morning. Hey, listen to me. I just talked last week to a guy. He said, man, our choir's doing good. He said, you ought to hear them sing Sunday. And I said, what are they saying? He said, God's really blessing. He said, you ever heard of that song? It's still the blood. I said, well, I appreciate that song, because the author of it is a member of my church. Do you know through your music and writing, you know all this country? That came from Washington State. Have you ever been there? Yes, you have. I don't know if I'm getting across here this morning. Hey, we ought to have a visualized testimony. We're not living by ourselves, the world's looking at us. Am I preaching? Secondly, right under that. Danny, I'm gonna get to where you were, so I'll get to it right now. We have verbalized truth. Look at verse number 16. Hey, hey, Anthony, we got verbalized truth. Holding forth the word of life, Chad, that I might rejoice in the day of Christ. How many's glad we got a Bible? Y'all got a Bible this morning. Would you raise it up for me? I just want to say a little bit. Woo! Wave them. Come on, testify. Thank God. You're using your phone, don't you? That's okay with me. I want you to listen to this for a minute. Young people, listen, listen. You know how this Bible was written? 40 different guys. Right, Chad? Over 1,600 years was dictated to by the Holy Ghost of God. And this Bible is inerrant. It is infallible. It is preserved. Somebody help me preach. Hey, we're guided by the same author. Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee. Thy word's a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Timothy preached the word. Be instant in season and out of season, repudiate with all longsuffering and doctrine. Sanctify him through thy truth, for thy word is truth. You know where my joy comes? You know where it comes? It's not coming from listening to negative, griping, fussy, murmuring, debating people. It's coming from right here, Dustin. You see, I told somebody the other day, I didn't say personally. I said, you know, God talks to me every day. He looked at me and his eyes got about that big around. He said, how? And I had my New Testament in my pocket, and I looked at him, I said, right here. I said, what a joy it is not to be left without a guide, without a book. God, that's where the treasure comes. That's where the digging comes. You said it right, Brother Preacher Denny. Amen. I'll tell you about it. Can I say some more about this book? Is it all right? It's a prophetic book. How many believe we're about ready to go out of here? It's a perfect book. It's a preserved book. It's a permanent book. It's a powerful book. It's a piercing book. It's a penetrating book. It's a profitable book. It's a perfecting book. It's a precious book. You say, where's your joy coming? It doesn't come from this world. It came through the word of God. I say, wanna go get your face out of Facebook and your face in the book. Last thing, I'm done. Look at verse 17, I'll finish. Y'all with me? I'm talking about having joy in Jesus. I'm not talking about mere happiness. I heard somebody the other day say this, this is warped. One said, I get my joy, in Jesus, but I get my happiness through doing a lot of stuff. Do you know that's the craziest thing I ever heard in my life? I get my happiness and joy but from the same source. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. I tell you where I get my joy, where I get my happiness, from the same source. Now look what Paul says about his happy effect. This blesses me. Yea, I have. Yea, and if I have be offered up on the sacrifice of service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do you joy and rejoice in me. That's a happy effect. You know what Paul wanted to do? He was a rewarded mentor. I'm gonna be going one of these days. But you know what I've done through this last 45 years of pastoring here? I have poured my life into people like him. And people like that. And people like that, and people like that, and people like that, and young people like that. I just poured my life into it. You know where my joy comes? It comes from helping somebody else. It blessed my heart, I had another call this morning. I don't know, maybe somebody needed, thought I needed somebody to call me. This morning, I don't know. By the way, how many believe that when the devil starts trying to steal your joy, God will whisper something in your ear and bring back that joy? I had a sick call, and I don't even know this guy from anybody. I'm still not sure who he is. I just know he's from Montana. And it was early in the morning when he called me, his time. And here's what he said. I listen to you every week. I said, hey, I live stream. He said, I want you to know something. You've been mentoring me. And you helped me. And I couldn't even pronounce his name. I want you to know something. You know where the joy ought to come? Come from helping people. I'll tell you what, I went to the altar for you this week, boy. I know you were sick. I just want, whoa. There's many in this room, I want you to know, my whole joy in life has been a blessing to you and help you. and help you get along. Hey, young people can't sit with y'all because they ain't paying attention right now. I love y'all. You ever get any pressure at school, anything going on, let me give you a number, 552-0343. Again, 552-0343. You say, what is that? That's my phone number. I want you to know we ought to be ready to help anybody. And then there's a mutuality. You know what? He was happy, and he had joy, and they were joyful. It's good to serve God. Hey, good to have you this morning. God bless you. I like that smile. Amen. Joy. Let me ask you a question. I'm done. Lois, go ahead. I'm done. Is there a Christian in this room? Something has been robbing you of your joy. Look at me. You need to get your eyes off of that something and put your eyes on Jesus. And if you're in this room and you're lost, you have no capability to have the joy I'm talking about. The only way you can have that, Denny, is a personal relationship with Jesus. The only way you can get real joy is knowing Him. Stand with your head bowed. The little one, won't you come and get ready for baptism? Head bowed. I wanna ask, how many Christians in this room say, preacher, the devil been working on my joy? Raise your hand. Been working on me. Come on, raise them up all of the church. He tried to steal my joy. Come here right now and say, Preacher, I want you to pray for me, just raise your hand. Amen. Come here right now and say, Preacher, I've never been saved, but I need to be. Would you pray for me right now? If you've never been saved, just raise your hand. Everybody in this room that said, Preacher, the devil been working on my joy, won't you come around this altar right now and have him restore it? And Lord, depend on Him this morning. Our Father, help our folk. God, they want that joy, unspeakable and full of God. In Jesus' name, amen.