How to Have Fullness of Joy
John 15:11
DATE: 25
May, 2008 AM
PLACE:
BBC Ballincollig
I.
Introduction (John
15:11)
A.
Theme this
B.
Bible words for
1.
Glory
2.
Rejoicing
3.
Joy
4.
Pleasure
5.
Enjoyment
C.
These are words associated
these days only with drugs, and sex – but they describe a Christian’s powerful
feeling about their Lord! At least they SHOULD!
II.
Illustration (Psalm 34:8)
A.
Last week, I handed out Ferro
Roches to everyone, and explained that one of the delicacies loved by people
everywhere, is chocolate. We had a great meeting last week!
B.
Here are some more thoughts
about Chocolate…
1.
When no one understands you,
chocolate is there.
2.
Seven days without chocolate
makes one weak.
3.
I am not overweight. i am
chocolate-enriched.
4.
The 12-step chocoholics
program: never be more than 12 steps away from chocolate!
5.
Life without chocolate is no
life at all.
6.
I want it all!!! and i want it
smothered in whipped cream and chocolate.
7.
Chocolate is cheaper than
therapy, and you don't need an appointment.
8.
There is nothing better than a
good friend, except a good friend with chocolate.
9.
Chocolate doesn't make the
world go around. but it certainly makes the trip worthwhile.
10.
In heaven, chocolate has no
calories and is served as the main course.
11.
The best things in life are
chocolate.
12.
Q. how many calories are there
in a piece of chocolate? A. who cares?
13.
So much chocolate. so little
time!
14.
There are two food groups:
chocolate and fruit. and if it is fruit, it should be dipped in chocolate.
15.
I would give up chocolate, but
i'm no quitter.
16.
If it ain't chocolate, it
ain't breakfast!
17.
There's nothing better than a
good friend, except a good friend with chocolate
C.
Do you know what the truth is?
Only those who have actually tasted chocolate have delighted in it.
You will never just automatically delight in chocolate – you have got to
taste it!
D.
I want to understand how to
delight in God. I don’t want to just say it either… I want to experience it! But
you probably need to see it first in someone else
E.
So we are going to look at
some people who really HAVE tasted the goodness of the Lord, and fallen in love
with Him, and are addicted to Him!
III.
What Does it Mean to Delight in God?
A.
One might describe "delight"
this way - it's what happens when there is excitement inside, a tingle, a spark.
When you're doing what you really love to do, or you're with someone you really
love - "de light comes on."
B.
It is a perfect attitude –
something that over-rides every other feeling, and trial
C.
Does that ever happen between
you and God?
1.
It did with
a.
b.
c.
2.
It happened with Paul
a.
Paul triumphantly declared “we
glory in tribulations” (Romans 5:3).
b.
He was "sorrowful yet alway
rejoicing" (2 Corinthians 6:10)
c.
He commanded Christians to
"rejoice in the Lord alway" (Philippians 4:4)
3.
It happened with James the
half-brother of Jesus said, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into
divers temptations" (James 1:2).
4.
Peter delighted in the Lord
(1Peter 1:8)
5.
Most of all, it happened with
Jesus! Jesus delighted in His Father – that was His whole life here on earth!
One long thrill!
D.
So, the truth is, to learn how
to
IV.
Review from last Week – What is it Like to Delight in God?
(Part 1)
A.
You Love HIM - You just want to
please Him (John 8:29) “And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left
me alone; for I do always those things that please him.”
1.
The first and most important
task is to
2.
Do you love the Lord? What a
question!
3.
It is the first sign that you
are
4.
Too many look to Jesus only as
a fix-it Man, but sinners, harlots,
publicans all found joy in Christ’s presence! They LOVED Him!
B.
You Love Prayer (Luke 11:1;
Mark 1:35) “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out,
and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”
1.
Prayer is spending time with
God! If prayer is more than that, then it is soiled and ruined
2.
Prayer is time with God first,
asking for things second – when it is the opposite, it dies!
3.
A sign of
4.
When else do you spend time
just with God?
5.
Jesus loved His heavenly
Father through prayer
6.
That’s how everybody knew
Jesus delighted in God!
C.
You Love Serving God (Luke
2:49) “And he said unto them [Mary and Joseph], How is it that ye sought me?
wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?”
1.
Just doing whatever God wants
done – no matter how hard
2.
Jesus loved and
3.
What has the Lord asked you to
do?
D.
You Endure Afflictions (2Cor
4:8,9; 6:5-10; 4:16-18) “our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory”
1.
You easily put up with
troubles, hurdles, obstacles in your life – why?
2.
Because Jesus is with you like
He said (Matthew 28:20; Heb 13:5)
3.
So few Christians endure
afflictions today because of one reason only… because they make their own
comfort more important than their convictions (what is most important)!
4.
Hey… there is a cross before
every crown – period!
V.
Main Message – What is it Like to Delight in God? (Part 1)
A.
You Win Souls (Philemon 1:10;
1Cor 4:15)
1.
Baby Christians are a
by-product of being close to Jesus
2.
We are called the bride of
Christ –
the love of His heart!
3.
The closer we are to the Lord,
the result will be new births! New believers!
4.
The world loves to see someone
in love!
5.
And the truth is, not many
people are seeing us in love with Jesus
a.
Singing hymns and spiritual
songs
b.
Having a joyful spirit, in
spite of troubles
c.
Turning to prayer instead of
anger and revenge
d.
Lifting up the Lord by your
testimony publically
6.
People get drawn to the Lord
when they see us close to Him
a.
Faithful to regular church
meetings, prayer meetings,
b.
Faithful in our Bibles, even
at work, and at school
c.
Faithful in our standards and
convictions – people need to see that we are clean, restrained in our speech and
our actions, honest, trustworthy
d.
They WON’T want anything to do
with Him if we are only mechanical in our relationship with Him – Sunday morning
only!!!
7.
Hey! If you
B.
You Hunger to Change – to grow
(Luke 2:52)
1.
Now, Jesus did NOT change, but
He grew
a.
He grew up from a baby, to a
child, to an obedient trustworthy teen, to an adult, to a leader – He grew up
b.
He developed trust
c.
He earned people’s respect –
didn’t demand it
d.
The older
Jesus got,
the more people liked Him, and the more His Father loved Him
2.
When you
3.
I believe we are living in the
most stubborn generation. Maybe I am wrong, but it seems we as a generation have
only hardened ourselves towards God, and softened towards absolutely everything
else – especially sin!
a.
We, as a society have softened
towards criminals
b.
We have softened towards
violence on TV
c.
We have softened towards the
demand for character in people
d.
We have softened towards
blatant sin in Christians
e.
We have softened towards
divorce and adultery and lying
f.
And yet our society spews out
such hatred and venom against Jesus Christ, against godliness and purity,
against the traditional family, and our churches have hardened themselves
against straight Bible preaching. People claiming to be Christians get offended
at just about anything these day!
g.
Man, we are a mess!
4.
To
a.
To realise that God is
absolutely perfect… absolutely
b.
And that you and I are a mess
– no matter how hard we try
c.
And that Jesus Christ came to
change us!
d.
Everybody I meet outwardly
wants to be left alone! But we ALL need to admit that we need some serious
changing!
1)
Dads need to be made human
again
2)
Husbands to be made humble
again
3)
Wives to be made soft again
4)
Moms need to be made special
again
5)
Kids need to be made obedient
and respectful again
6)
Christians need to be made
fervent again
7)
Sinners need to be made
fearful again
5.
But… Change does not happen
automatically
a.
When you got saved, you still
had the same history, the same habits, the same character, the same attitudes
you always had
b.
But when you got saved, you
got Someone inside you now that started cleaning you up, and trying to kick out
the bad stuff – at least he wanted to!
6.
The moment you stop God from
moulding and fashioning you, is the moment that you start backsliding!
7.
How does God change us?
a.
Through pains and troubles
most of all – so don’t run from them
b.
Through preaching and teaching
of God’s word – these are God’s clear instructions on change, and how to yield
to it
c.
Through patience – takes time
to change us – allow God to work
8.
Hey, if you
C.
You Devour His Word (Psalm 1:2)
1.
Listen to these Scriptures…
a.
Psa 119:24
Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.
b.
Psa 119:47
And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.
c.
Psa 119:77
Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live: for thy law is my
delight.
d.
Psa 119:174
I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD; and thy law is my delight.
2.
Jesus WROTE this Book – He is
the WORD of God in the flesh!
3.
Not only that, but Jesus LOVES
this Book
a.
Mat 4:4
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
b.
Luk 8:21
And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these
which hear the word of God, and do it.
4.
We need a generation that
devours this Bible… not a few verses on Sunday, but chapters and chapters each
and every day!
a.
The Bible is MORE than a love
letter… it is the heart of God to mankind!
b.
If you get to know this Book,
you will know the heart of God!
c.
Memorizing verses, and even
entire chapters to enable you to be able to meditate on the goodness of the
Lord, and to really start believing that He is truly better to us than we
deserve!
5.
You cannot
a.
Don’t try and fool yourself
b.
You certainly can’t fool me!
c.
The amount of time you spend
in this Book is exactly how much you
1)
Shame on you if you say you
don’t have the time – when you will take a WHOLE DAY and get caught up in
2)
Shame on you if you say you
can’t understand it all and yet you devour books and articles on a hobby
3)
Shame on you if you can read a
Maeve Binchy or Tom Clancy novel cover to cover in 5 days, and yet can’t read 4
chapters out of God’s precious and priceless Word for your heart!
d.
Listen to me…
1)
You are a THREE PART BEING
2)
Your Body requires food,
sleep, exercise, or it will die
3)
Your soul needs friends, love,
understanding, and forgiveness, or it too will die
4)
Your SPIRIT needs God’s word,
and prayer, and preaching, or it shrivels up and dries out like a desert wind!
D.
You Love Others (1John 3:10;
4:20,21)
1.
You cannot say that you love
and
2.
Put up with people! Period!
Especially when you don’t understand them!
3.
Listen to these Scriptures…
a.
1 John 3:10
b.
1 John 4:20
c.
1 John 4:21
4.
There is a lot of imbalance in
Christianity towards each other. What do I mean?
a.
Our inability to love one
another just shows that we do not delight in God
b.
When you are delighting in the
Lord, you will put up with anybody. Did you hear me?
1)
That doesn’t mean that you
will just “LUVE” everybody no matter what they are doing, and no matter what sin
they may be living in
2)
But that you love them with a
firmness and toughness that talks straight, and expects right, and aims high!
c.
Love doesn’t mean you ignore
sin, but that in rebuking, and correcting, you love them still!
d.
Jesus does that! He has NO
TIME for sin, but He makes all the time in the world for sinners, and He loves
them (Matthew 9:10-14)
e.
People switch on and off their
love so much – love is not like that! It is not love if it can be easily
switched off
5.
Folks, do you want to
a.
b.
c.
When you suffer, and are
persecuted, and hated, you will find yourself understanding God’s great love,
and understand how he feels today, and you will love Him more and more than
ever!
d.
God loved you, when you were
without strength, and when you were wicked, and sinful, and selfish, and hard…
(Romans 5:8)
VI.
Conclusion
A.
How Do I Know that people
DON’T really
1.
No love for His word, the
Bible
2.
No time in prayer – no REAL
time
3.
No instant obedience to His
commands
4.
No patience with God
5.
No confidence in His Ways
6.
And the list goes on and on!
B.
Where does a person start?
(Psalm 126:5)
1.
You can’t just start “trying”
to love God… you have to first receive HIS love! How do you do that?
2.
Admit you are away from God –
as a sinner, hell-bound, lost, messed up
3.
Disgusted with yourself and
with all the wasted time you have spent on stupid things that
4.
Allow yourself to be humbled,
broken, stripped down
C.
And then…
1.
Pray, and tell Jesus that you
really are tired of your life, and that you are ready for HIM, and you want to
follow Him!
2.
Ask him to save your soul
right now! Forgive you from all the sins that will ultimately send you to a
devil’s hell
3.
Ask Him to begin a good work
in you!
D.
What are the benefits?
1.
Eternal life
2.
Transformed life here
3.
Effective life
4.
Thrilling Life
E.
What will you and I be like if
we started
1.
We will Love HIM more and more
2.
We will not just pray more, we
will Love Prayer
3.
We won’t just be doing more
for the Lord, but we will Love Serving God
4.
We will Endure Afflictions …
with joy!
5.
We will Win more Souls
6.
We will always Hunger to
Change – to grow to be like Jesus
7.
We will not just read God’s
word, but we will Devour it!
8.
We will Love Others … as
Christ loved us!
F.
Taste and see for yourself!
Craig Ledbetter | Pastor |