Rejoice in Christ Jesus — Philippians 3

0:00 Just wanna take a few minutes this morning and share a couple of things with you, that I experienced this last week because I know that a lot of people are similar to me and you go through some of the rough things in life or things that seem rough in life. So, I had a heavy burden of depression last week, and quite frankly as I was sitting down trying to remember why I was depressed, I can't even remember why I was, but it was just a rough week. I mean, ask my wife. It was it was a rough week for me. And, you know, typically I'm an early riser, I couldn't even get out of the bed I couldn't even get out of bed the first part of this week until like 07:00, 06:30, 07:00 in the morning.

0:42 I'm usually up at five. So it was tough. And it was, and I carried on this, heavy burden for some reason all through the day for a couple of days. And then I decided, well, isn't going to work. I can't be like this.

0:58 You know, was on needles and pins. You're anxious for something, you don't know what it is. It's, you know, was... It was as if I was trapped and couldn't get out. That's how I felt.

1:12 I mean it was just... It was a clear time of depression that I was not enjoying. And so, you know, I I I opened up, I opened up the bible and started thumbing through the bible because I had no idea even where to start. I'm thinking to myself, I've I've gotta get out of this funk. I I've gotta get out of it.

1:33 I've gotta I've gotta straighten myself up. I've got a lot of things that I have to accomplish. And the Lord took me back to Philippians. I I think the the last time that we had an open mic, I talked about Philippians chapter three and verse 10, and that was actually, on March 10. So actually went back to Philippians chapter three, only because, you know, I I had been studying that portion for quite a long period of time.

2:35 A lot of times exercise does it. But I couldn't even bring myself to exercise. I mean, it it was it it it it... And I know that we all go through this, and I I want this to be an an encouragement to you. And I just sat back and thought, I I can't do anything about this.

2:56 My flesh isn't strong enough. So just rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in that I'm gonna be able to get myself out of this period of time. And the response that happened physically, mentally, spiritually, after having those thoughts into my mind were release valve. And we... And I think about it, and we're we're on this earth for a short while, and I live my life for me.

3:29 I'll be honest with you. I live my life for me. I mean, I'd like like things to be comfortable. I like to have the right food. I like to have dinner ready on time.

3:36 I like to have the right food ready on time as well. I live my life for me. And and it's it's it's sad that here I am 50 years old, and I'm still the wretched man that I was before, and I'm still living my life for myself. Man, just... I I want to change that, even if it's little by little every day.

4:17 So a little sidelight. I have absolutely no reason to be depressed ever when I think about it from this standpoint. So we were we were, at Lindy's tournament yesterday, and there was a, Maddie's tournament. Sorry, Lindy. We were in the hallway between between matches, and I'm standing talking to somebody, and all of a sudden I see this kid rolling down the hall.

4:50 And I did double take, and I said, he's got no arms or no legs. No arms or no legs. And he's moving down the hall. And and the first thing that hit me is, and I have a reason to be depressed? And then when I found out the story of this this young man, he's 11 years old, he's adopted from The Ukraine.

5:13 Christian family adopted him last year from The Ukraine. This young... This little boy never left his crib until these... This wonderful family adopted him and brought him home to their house, showing him the love of God. Can we do that?

5:35 Not if we're living in the flesh. Only by rejoicing in Christ Jesus. That's the only way that we have the power to do that. But the fact is we... The only way that we have the power to get through every day is through Christ.

5:48 Right? It it every every single promise and every single thought, god is great and god is good, is is in his in his word. And everything that we can find on a daily basis is in that... Is in the word. Another another thing that hit me was was the thought that came back to me, be still and know that I am God.

6:07 I don't need to figure out the answer to this right now. Just sit back and let let's see if I could hear. Let's see if I could... How is god gonna speak to me? How is god gonna speak to me?

6:21 So I know it. You know, I know everybody here, and I know that everybody everybody has those fits of depression or has those really rough times that you go on in life. And you know what? They're not easy to go through alone, and there's no reason to go through them alone because the lord is there. The lord is there to guide us, and the lord is there to help us.

6:42 And he's provided his word to us to give us guidance and give us help. So, and it it, you know, it it... I I I think it's difficult for us when we go through a hard time to share that with others because we seem we seem weak, you know, what we are. Because with the... Through the flesh, we can do nothing.

7:09 It's nothing but nothing but Christ's love. And and if we think about it, I'm not here on this earth living for me. I'm here living for Christ. I'm I'm pointing the finger myself because I'm the one who fails there often. So again, I just want to be an encouragement.