Joy and Fellowship in the L ord ! Philippians 1:3-8 Introduction : Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say it, rejoice! We’ve called our series in Philippians, “Joy in Serving Jesus!” In this passage Paul is continuing the greeting to the Philippians. Before we let the news reports discourage or depress us, let’s remember where Paul is as he writes. He is writing to his friends while he is under house arrest in Rome, awaiting trial before Caesar. This is after he had been a prisoner for two years in Caesarea (see Acts 24:27)! Now in Rome, as he writes, he reflects joy in the Lord, and hope about the future . We’ve emphasized before that “ hope ” in the Bible is a confidant expectation, based on trust in the Lord of History. It isn’t wishful thinking; it is the joyful expectation of faith . You see how they go together? Because our hope is sure, we can have joy that goes beyond our circumstances. We may not see how God is working, but we trust Him. There is value in