Complete My Joy: Encouragement in Christ | Philippians 2:1-2 | October 4, 2026 | Aaron T. Colyer

Good morning, church.

We're back at it in the book of Philippians.

I hope you were here last week.

There was such a sense of family and a sense of excitement, a sense of momentum.

As you saw the over 20 ministries that were in the Circle Drive, all represented by volunteers and ways you can plug in, ways you can connect in community, ways you can serve inside and outside the walls of our church, ways you can use your gift.

I was so encouraged.

Many of those ministry leaders contacted me this week and said, Pastor Aaron, can you believe we got this many new people to sign up?

And this person's going to get engaged, and we're so excited about the way that people are plugging into our church.

Yeah, amen.

Yeah, you can get excited about that.

I want to do a bit of housekeeping as well.

Our safety team, and I told them that I would do this when we were back to two gatherings, but our safety team has asked me to make a very important clarification.

All right.

God forbid, and we pray that it would never happen here, but God forbid that we ever have an active threat come into this campus or into this room, especially one that would have a weapon.

It is not your job to try to address that threat.

Okay?

I know that we live in Texas, and I know that people have concealed carry, and I know that all those things are a reality.

And you might think, I'm ready and willing.

But if you're ready and willing, be on the safety team.

Don't just be sitting in these seats.

And there's a couple reasons.

Uh, if you're ready to address a threat, hunker down.

Because two things can happen.

If you shoot across this room, there can be friendly fire.

In addition to that, if we have one of our trained safety volunteers that are trying to address the threat and you misidentify them, you could also have friendly fire with them.

So all of our safety team wears orange tags, they're identified that way.

If a threat comes into this room, hunker down.

They're training, they're going to the range, uh, they're getting guest trainers to come on in and train them.

It is your job then to hunker down.

And if you're like, well, Pastor Aaron, I just can't, I just can't handle that.

I got to do something.

Guess what?

You would be a perfect person to volunteer for our safety team.

All right, I'm glad that that's taken care of.

Continue to pray that the Lord would just put his protection over this place, but also thank someone that's wearing an orange tag.

I want to quote them.

They said, few people realize that when we wear this orange lanyard, we are putting our life on the line to protect our church family.

So make sure you shake their hand and give them a hug.

We are, yeah, praise God.

Yeah.

We are in Philippians 2, and you may notice that I'm gonna slow down in Philippians chapter 2.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

It is one of our four main Christocentric passages in the New Testament.

It focuses us on the Lordship of Christ.

There are four of those passages.

John 1 in the beginning was the word.

The word was God, the word was with God, and all things were created by the word.

Amen.

So when you're reading John 1, slow down.

We're talking about Jesus.

And we need to focus our hearts and minds on Jesus.

When you read Colossians chapter 1, 15, it talks about the preeminence of Christ, that all things were created through him and by him and for him.

Colossians 1 · chapter mention

When you read Colossians 1, slow down.

Get your heart focused on Christ.

Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1 and 3 is the same.

Hebrews 12:1

Actually, we're gonna read that one today.

It's Hebrews chapter 1, verse 1 and 3.

Hebrews 1:1

Long ago, at many times and many ways, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets, but in these last days, he's spoken to us through his Son, Jesus, the exact imprint of his nature, the radiance of his glory.

When you read Hebrews chapter 1, slow down and get your heart focused on Jesus.

Hebrews 1 · chapter mention

So what we'll do over the next few weeks in Philippians chapter 2, especially Christian into this great song of the first century church, that he has been given a name that's above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee would bow in heaven and earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, we're gonna slow down and get our minds focused on Jesus.

Philippians 2 · chapter mention

Philippians 2 is the beginning of that Christocentric passage.

I want to remind you of some context and then we'll read just two verses this morning.

Chapter 1, verse 17, Paul says he is in chains for Christ.

He addresses his imprisonment.

He is writing in Ephesians chapter 6, where he is in prison, referencing his suffering, but despite that, he can find encouragement in Christ.

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

And I wonder if everyone in this room that has a relationship with Jesus as Lord and Savior, if you can make sure your encouragement today is found in Christ.

Let's read those two verses in chapter two.

It says this.

So, if there's any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from his love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind and having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

I want you to remember two things as we get started this morning.

Number one, remember Paul is writing for his joy and theirs.

So when he makes a comment, complete my joy, I actually don't think it's selfish.

And we're gonna address that.

It's interesting for a preacher, a shepherd, an apostle like Paul to tell a church, hey, you should be making me joyful.

Does that seem a little selfish?

I mean, I don't know if you're the only one or I'm the only one that reads it that way.

He's like, hey, it's about my joy.

Complete my joy.

It would only be selfish if he wasn't also concerned about their joy.

He says, Complete my joy by living out this gospel identity.

And if you live out this gospel identity, you will have joy as well.

Remember, Paul is writing for his joy and theirs.

Chapter 1, verse 25, writing for their progress and joy in the faith.

So maybe you're thinking to yourself, Aaron, that's not right.

I'm not supposed to be living to make you happy.

And I would understand that sentiment, but I would also argue to say it's more than happiness.

I want to be joyful knowing that you are abiding in Christ, that you are living your life in a manner worthy of the gospel, that you are having progress and joy in your own faith.

And so then when it becomes not just about me and my joy, but my joy being in you, because you have joy in Christ, it's a little bit less selfish.

Amen.

Are you tracking with this logic yet?

In a way, this passage is something that I can identify with Paul.

When Paul says to that church in Philippi, complete my joy about him.

I can identify and say it's a little bit about me and the shepherds of your church here, our elder team, our ministry staff, even the people that lead you in Bible study, complete their joy.

But it's only going to be that way when you have joy in Christ.

That's what's going to give them the most amount of joy.

You see how that works?

So just remember, Paul is writing for his joy and their joy as well.

So then we remember verse four and chapter one, where Paul prays for them to have rejoicing.

Or chapter one, verse eighteen and nineteen, knowing that they are praying for him in prison.

So that gives him joy.

Or chapter two, verse eighteen, where Paul says, Rejoice with me.

Or chapter three, verse one, where Paul says, Rejoice in the Lord, or chapter four, verse one, where Paul says, Rejoice in the Lord always.

I will say again, rejoice.

See, Paul's about their joy in Christ, and that's what will supply his greatest joy when he sees those that he loves growing and making progress in their faith.

Amen.

Is that all coming together?

Remember, Paul's writing about his joy and theirs.

Number two, remember that Paul just said at the end of chapter one, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel.

So you might be asking, what does gospel living look like?

And we we addressed that a bit last week, but we're gonna address it more this morning.

Gospel living looks like when you make Jesus Christ the top priority of your life.

When that happens, then chapter two, this illustration that Paul gives to the Philippians under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, this illustration becomes true.

When Jesus is the top priority of your life, it says this in chapter two, verse twelve.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now not only in my presence, but much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

For it's God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent.

And catch this picture, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation among whom you shine as lights in the world.

I memorized this first in the NIV when I was in high school.

And in the NIV it says, You shine like stars in the universe.

You want to be a bright, shining star for Jesus?

Make sure that you put Jesus first.

Chapter 1, verse 27 gives us the picture of gospel living, the church being of one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.

And we saw that last week.

A beautiful picture of a church united together, storming the gates of hell, proclaiming Jesus saves and Jesus loves you.

You know, that kind of gospel living will bring opposition.

It will be bring people out of the woodwork to say, No, no, no, no, no, not on my time, not in my presence.

Get your Jesus away from me.

That happens here in Paul's day as well.

So in chapter 1, verse 28, he says, Don't be frightened by opposition.

Or chapter 1, verse 29, he says, make sure if you're suffering for the name of Jesus that you're suffering, but growing in intimacy to know him.

Chapter 1, verse 30, he says, You're engaging in the same conflict that I have.

I'm in chains for Christ, and you may be suffering for Christ.

I'll never forget being in student ministry.

One time I got a phone call, and this young man was suspended from school because one of his classmates called the bully hotline on him because he had been a bully.

Because he, and I don't think he was doing it arrogantly, and I don't think he was banging someone over the head with the Bible.

I think he was trying to live out 1 Peter 3:15 that we give a defense for the hope that we have with gentleness and respect.

1 Peter 3:15

But nonetheless, he was called in the principal's office because someone called in the bully hotline, because he told a friend of his who was Muslim, Jesus is the only way.

And I hope that you see Jesus.

And you know what it cost him?

Getting suspended from his high school.

That's opposition.

It's happening all around us, and we have to be ready to face that opposition, and in the midst of that opposition, to truly have a joy, not a happy, clappy smile that's fake, but down deep in our guts.

David says that in the Psalms, uh, from the depth of my bowels, we gotta know what we know in this book and who God is.

There's a joy there.

In spite of opposition, Christians can rejoice because they know Jesus Christ.

They know that if the church lives like Paul and bold for Christ and unashamed of the gospel, that us too as Christians, even in 2026, moving on to 2027, that there's real joy for us.

And that's where we find ourselves starting chapter two, where Paul says, I want just to remind you, church, if you've experienced these things, normal things in the life of a Christian, just fix your eyes on Jesus, and we're gonna get through this opposition together.

That's the context.

That's what we remember as we get to the meat of the sermon here.

If you're taking notes, four characteristics that should mark the life of every believer.

And it's right here in the text.

It's just leaping off the page.

I hope you see it.

Four characteristics.

Number one is this unity in Christ.

So if there's any encouragement in Christ, first you have to be in Christ.

Or before you have access to these things, this comfort from his love and encouragement, first you have to make sure that your life has been hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians chapter 3.

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

I love that idea that it's it's not me that the Father sees, it's Jesus before me.

And the reason that I can be seen as righteous and holy and blameless and spotless is not because of my deeds, but because the father sees Jesus' righteousness and holiness and spotlessness.

You first have to be in Christ.

So there is this mark of every Christian that if you're real and you're legitimate, you have a unity with Jesus.

I gotta tell you, in the absence of my friend and brother and staff pastor, Pastor Mike Gibbons, I'm doing a lot of the membership interviews in this current season that we're in.

A lot of families are joining our church, which is amazing.

One of the encouraging things for me is as part of that conversation, I get to ask, hey, tell me when you first started your life in Christ.

And I get to hear some amazing testimonies of the way that people began to walk with Jesus.

I'm encouraged maybe in the future we can film some of those and encourage some of the amazing things that God has done in the life of believers.

It's fun.

It's fun to know how someone started their life in Christ.

Let me tell you something else about being in Christ.

It's not only that you have a relationship with God, when you're in Christ, you begin to have a relationship with others, and there's a unity within the church.

And we're gonna talk a lot more about that next week as you get into chapter two, verse two and verse three.

But I want to just give you a picture and I hope you can remember this one.

When you turn from sin and trust in Jesus, you're vertically united with Christ, right?

There's a relationship between you and God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We're gonna talk a lot more about the Holy Spirit in a minute.

But because you're covered by his blood, now all of a sudden you have a horizontal relationship with others.

Everyone else who's trusted Christ and been washed by his blood, you now become brother and sister.

You are family to them.

And so if you feel so inclined to follow my example, I want to give you a physical sign of that.

Everyone give just an arm in front of their face.

This is this is your vertical sign.

You can even do this if you want.

It's your vertical alignment between you and God.

And then because you are covered in the blood of Jesus, now you have a horizontal alignment.

If you're flexible, I know I didn't stretch, but if you're flexible, you can make this sign, right?

And so you are united with brothers and sisters in Christ, and we'll see that next week.

But did you catch what you make when you do this vertical and this horizontal?

It's all possible because of the cross of Jesus.

Amen.

So I would plead with you as the writers of 2 Corinthians say, we make our plea for you to be reconciled to Christ.

If you're not in Christ this morning, would you be reconciled to Jesus?

Would you start a relationship with Jesus?

Number two, the mark of a Christian, you should have encouragement in Christ.

So Paul's saying, if any of you are in Christ, you should have an encouragement in Christ.

And immediately you might just think, yeah, you know, Jesus encourages me.

I even read from Psalm 121 this morning, my help comes from the Lord.

That's an encouragement to me.

I look at a daily Bible verse, first thing in the morning, that's an encouragement to me, other Christians, remind me about the access to blessing that I have because I'm in Christ.

That's an encouragement to me.

But I think the context of this encouragement goes deeper.

Because remember, Paul's in chains for Christ.

Remember, he talked about opposition.

And he said, You're Philippians engaging in the same conflict that I have currently.

And so I think the encouragement in Christ goes deeper.

It's a comfort in times of affliction or times of opposition, and we look to Jesus, and Jesus brings us through the fire.

There's an encouragement in Christ.

So if you're facing hard times, because you've made a stand for the gospel, if you're facing suffering or even experiencing something like that young high school student that I told you about, would you find encouragement in Jesus today?

Would you find encouragement in Christ?

Would you remember that as hard as you think you might have it, you don't have it as hard as Jesus had it?

He was beaten, whipped, scourged, spat on, mocked, afflicted in every way, yet he obeyed the Father.

He took those things, ultimately, death on a cross, that he might obey his father and glorify him, but then we get the benefit because he loved us.

We can have salvation because Jesus went all the way to Calvary.

Amen.

So when you're facing opposition or frustration because you've taken a stand for Jesus, just remember what it says in Hebrews chapter 12.

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

That Jesus is our great example, that we look to Christ.

The writer of Hebrews says, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that's set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God, we should consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or faint-hearted.

If you are weary or faint-hearted this morning, would you find your encouragement in Christ?

Number three, there is a comfort from his love right there out of the text.

So if there's any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from his love, any participation in the spirit, any affection and sympathy, then complete my joy by you abiding in Christ and having joy in Christ yourself.

So, what is this comfort from his love?

We're reminded immediately of the salvation that we have in Jesus.

We can be forgiven, we can be redeemed, we can be made new.

God has poured out his love on us by showing kindness and mercy, even when I didn't deserve it.

Did you catch that?

I don't know if you were overwhelmed by that thought, probably just because I was preparing for the sermon as we were singing this song.

Oh, how he loves us.

I'm like, Lord, I don't deserve a bit of it.

I don't deserve it one bit.

Yet your kindness led me to repentance.

Romans 2 or Romans 5.

While we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.

For one would scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps even for a good person, one would dare even to die.

But God demonstrates his love for us, and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

When I first memorized that verse, for whatever reason, I saw it in past tense.

God demonstrated his love for us, and that while we were still sinners.

But a few years back, someone pointed out to me that it's not a past tense word in the original language, it's a continual action.

God continues to demonstrate his love for us.

Isn't that an encouragement this morning?

Even in my weakness and even in my rebellion, even when I turn my back on him, God continues to demonstrate his love for us.

Why?

In that while I was still a sinner, Christ died for me.

So if you've experienced the love of God, there is an affection that wells up in you towards the Lord, gratitude and a sense of different perspective as you live your life vertically and horizontally.

So Jesus is asked, What's the greatest commandment?

He says, You've heard of love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul, but the second is like the first, and they go together.

We love God and we love others.

If you've experienced a comfort from his love, you are able then to love others even when they're hard to be loved.

That's the mark of a Christian, according right here to Philippians 2.

Here's the fourth partnership or fellowship with the Spirit.

As you read the book of Acts, I think one day in the future we'll preach through the whole book of Acts here in this church family, and I will very much look forward to that.

We see amazing things happening in the first century church.

We see miracles happening, we see the Holy Spirit leading a people.

But if you understand the difference between the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts, who is the same author, the Holy Spirit came upon Luke to write the Gospel of Luke and to write the book of Acts.

God is the capital A author, but Luke is the lowercase A author.

And you got the gospel ministry of Jesus in the book of Luke, which we've looked at here at our church.

And then Acts starts like this.

Everything that you had seen and heard, the ministry of Jesus now continues on through the church because Jesus has established the church.

I want to read it for you.

Acts chapter one, verse one.

In in the first book, Oh Theopolis, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles, whom he had chosen.

He presented himself alive to them after suffering by many proofs.

Appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Something that I'd never caught until I said under the ministry of a man named Pastor Josh and showed me this in the book of Acts about 10, 12 years ago.

When Luke is writing and says, I want to tell you, my benefactor, and everyone else that comes behind you, to listen to what Jesus is doing in the first century church.

I want to tell you all that I've dealt with and all that Jesus began to do, there's this small assumption there that we often miss.

Because in the gospel of Luke, it's the things Jesus began, but in the book of Acts, it's the thing Jesus continues to do through the church, through his followers.

And so then, if you are a Christian and you have partnership and fellowship with the Holy Spirit, you, even 2,000 years later, are a part of Acts chapter 1, verse 1.

Acts 1:1

Jesus began to do a lot of amazing things in his life, death, and resurrection.

But even now, until he comes back and breaks through the clouds, Jesus is continuing to do a lot of amazing things in and through his church.

Amen.

But it takes partnership with the Spirit.

And so we read in that great commission text in Acts chapter 1, verse 8, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8

The Holy Spirit indeed is the thing that gives us the power to live a life in Christ, to live a gospel-worthy life.

And so I wonder how often you think about the Holy Spirit in your life.

God, as one, Deuteronomy 6.

Hero Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

I believe that.

I believe in this beautiful mystery that's been debated through the ages.

That although God is one, God exists in three persons, the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

And I want to know closely the Holy Spirit in my life.

I hope you do as well.

There's this great prayer in Ephesians chapter 3.

Ephesians 3 · chapter mention

If you don't know it, do some homework, go and read that prayer, that we'd walk in the fullness of God because we'd be strengthened in our inner beings by the power of His Spirit.

I want to know that kind of fullness of God in my life.

There's a few other examples of the Holy Spirit working in the New Testament.

Ephesians chapter 1.

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

Every Christian is sealed by the Holy Spirit.

When they heard the word of truth and believed, not just hearing, but receiving, believing it, responding to the truth of the gospel.

Then you're sealed with the Spirit.

And now the Spirit helps you exalt Jesus.

That's John 16.

The Spirit is coming, he is coming, and he will exalt me.

The Spirit leads us to conviction.

John 16.

The Spirit will convict the world.

The Spirit, Romans 8, even helps us to pray when we don't know what to pray.

The Spirit reminds us that we are adopted into the family of God, that we can cry out, Ah, but Father.

Do you have that kind of partnership with the Holy Spirit?

That's the way we experience closeness and intimacy with God.

I hope that's a priority in your life.

And let me just tell you, I've been hearing these testimonies, and I'm reminded, even of testimonies I've heard over the past couple decades.

People that had a genuine experience with God when they were younger, when they were a teenager, and they made this commitment to the Lord, and for whatever reason, they walked in a long season of rebellion.

And they they stopped being plugged into community, they stopped reading their Bible, they stopped being a part of a church, they stopped serving the Lord.

Yet every kind of check mark in their life or road sign in their life, when they're at their darkest, deepest moment, it's almost as if they had a tap on the shoulder saying, Hey, no, no, no, no, no.

That's not the way you're gonna live your life.

That's right.

You're gonna turn.

You're gonna turn.

And we see this constant theme.

And I hope as you share testimonies in small groups and as you meet people for coffee and have people in your home, you might identify the same theme that I've seen over and over and over again.

That oftentimes when people are walking in rebellion to the Lord, the Holy Spirit, because they're sealed by the Spirit, continues to give them new eyes to see and taps them on the shoulder and convicts of sin and convicts of rebellion.

And the beautiful truth is that we can run back to the cross at any moment.

That's right.

Thank you.

Jesus, please forgive me.

It's the Spirit that keeps you all the way through Jude chapter 1.

Jude 1 · chapter mention

Psalm 121.

You're my keeper.

If you're sealed with the Spirit, praise God.

That even though we've heard and seen and known people in our family and our friends that have this testimony of this dark moment or hard-heartedness or a prodigal years or rebellion, that the Spirit all along draws them back into fellowship.

Isn't that amazing?

I hope you have that partnership with the Holy Spirit.

That's that's where we get that sense of sympathy or compassion, and we can be compassionate towards others because we've experienced the compassion of God.

And we're gonna keep walking through this passage over the next several weeks.

We're gonna study it next week about the unity that we have in Christ and talk more about that unity that we have and how can we walk in that?

But all the way through this kind of larger helicopter view is that if we are in Christ, we are making progress in our faith, and that progress in our faith gives us an extreme amount of joy.

So then I'll just remind you of these four marks in the life of every believer.

If you've received encouragement in Christ, it's because you're unified with him, you're in him.

And then how, if you've experienced opposition, can you look to Christ for your encouragement?

If you've experienced love in Christ, then now we're able to love others, and that affects our unity.

We have a common fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and that unites us together with others that have the Holy Spirit.

And if we've received a tenderness and compassion from the Lord, we're able to extend that same tenderness and compassion in our Christian life.

Which one of those needs to grow a little more in your life?

If you're looking for an application this morning, just say, I wonder, Lord, if one of these needs improvement.

And would you give me some help?

Would you give me some strength to say, God, I want to represent you.

I want to magnify Christ in the way that I live my life.

If you're a Christian in the room, just be reminded of the many blessings we have in Jesus and rejoice.

Even as Paul tells that church and all throughout the letter, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, because you have access to these things.

And if you're struggling with your joy this morning, it's a beautiful time to come to these steps in total surrender and say, Lord, I'm just struggling.

I know there's joy there.

I just can't find it.

Holy Spirit, would you help me?

Maybe you'd come and pray with a minister or pastor here in our church and say, I know which one I'm struggling with, and I need help right now.

Would you pray for me?

We would love to pray for you.

And lastly, I just say this.

If you're not a Christian, if you've not surrendered your life to Christ yet to this point, the good news of the gospel is that although we all deserve punishment and condemnation because of our sin, although we all deserve to be crushed and destroyed because of our sin, because Jesus died on the cross and because he rose from the grave, we can have life and joy and all these other things that we see right here in Philippians 2.

If we would just humbly say, Jesus, I turned away from that and I trust in you.

I believe in you.

Would you please forgive me?

You may not have it all figured out all of a sudden, right away, and that's okay.

I'm still figuring things out many years later after I gave my life to Christ.

But I will tell you that you have access to these things for the first time because you're in Christ.

And if you want to know more about that, come talk to one of us.

We'd love to continue to point you to Jesus and share the gospel.

Maybe that's your response today as you just for the first time say, I need Jesus.

I hope you're in Christ this morning, and I hope you're encouraged to continue to make progress in your faith and in your joy in Jesus.

Let's pray.

Lord, thank you for a passage like this.

And I think always I'm praying that prayer.

I'm just reminded that your word leads, guides, corrects, convicts.

And so, even with two small verses, God, if there are things that need to change in us today, I ask that you would do it.

That you would help us to use this time to truly respond, to be reflective, to ask questions of you, Lord, and this response time to make commitments.

Say, God, I'm asking for you to help me change, be different moving forward.

Lord, we just pray as we normally do that you have your way with us in this time.

Do business now, individually and in families and in our church family.

We pray that in Jesus' name.

Amen.