Joy!

Well, before we look into the Word of God, let's pray. Oh, Father, we come to you now because we need the help of your Spirit to understand your Word, and not merely to intellectually be able to put the argument together, but to understand it in a way that would change us. So we pray that he would do that work today. Help us never to be satisfied with just hearing, but determined to do what you say.

Help us as we consider these things now we ask. We need your help, and we are confident that you will give it now as we hear your voice speak to us from your word. Help us now we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, we're in a new year. I always like to consider that from this pulpit.

And one of the questions I would ask is, what should we strive for as a congregation this coming year? What is a worthy, godly goal for us to pursue? Let me suggest one. How about joy? Do you think that's a worthy and worthwhile goal to pursue? Would God want us to pursue our joy in this coming year?

Would he be pleased with us if we were known as a congregation that enjoyed life? Would he be pleased with us if we were known as a congregation that was happy? Should my preaching aim at your happiness? Should I preach for the purpose of actually producing more people who are joyful? Of course not. Someone might say, I can hear the objection already.

Don't you know, Pastor Tim, that God is more interested in our holiness than he is in our happiness? Have you heard that? Well, I don't agree with that statement. I don't agree with it at all. For one thing, I don't believe you can be holy and not be happy. For another the Bible clearly states that one of the goals that I must have as a minister of the word to this congregation one of the goals that I must have is your joy Take your Bibles and turn to Philippians this morning Philippians chapter 1.

Let's read Philippians 1, 12 through 24. I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely, but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body whether by life or by death for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain if I'm to live in the flesh that means fruitful labor for me yet which I shall choose I cannot tell I am hard pressed between the two my desire is to depart and be with Christ for that is far better but to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Now in your mind's eye, I want you to see the Apostle Paul sitting in a rented house in the great city of Rome. Now, lest you think he's on vacation, because everybody wants to go to Rome, you also need to know that he's chained to a Roman soldier all day long, and for that matter, all night long.

And he is awaiting his trial before the most powerful man in the world, the emperor of the great Roman Empire. And if you'd have the full picture, he be on trial for his life In the next few days he will find out whether he lives or dies His life is in the balance And yet in what should be a gloomy situation you find the Apostle Paul rejoicing. He rejoices, notice, because his imprisonment has meant that the Gospel has a wider audience.

He's been imprisoned in Rome, and yet the Gospel has actually infiltrated, It has penetrated the people who are closest to the Roman emperor, the Praetorian Guard. All the men in the Praetorian Guard have heard the gospel. And not only that, but there's a wider proclamation of the gospel outside of Rome because some are preaching for the very reason of his imprisonment.

Because he's in prison, there's more preaching of Christ going on. And so he rejoices. But he also rejoices, note at the beginning and the last part, I should say, at the last part of verse 18, Paul also rejoices because he has confidence in God's deliverance. God could deliver him through death, and then he would be with Jesus. What joy that would be.

God could deliver him through acquittal and life, so that he could continue his ministry of the gospel. Again, joy in that responsibility. So Paul sees himself actually in a win-win situation. He would much rather know the joy of fellowship with Jesus in glory, but he loves the joy of ministry as well. And so he says, I am hard-pressed between the two.

I know what's my preference, but frankly, I'm hard-pressed. Finally, he says, I'm not done with my ministry yet. I believe I still have work to do with you folks, so I'm convinced that I'll be acquitted and will continue my work. And what's the work that he must do? Verses 25 and 26. Here's what he says.

Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus because of my coming to you again. he must minister the word of God if he's let go here's what he says I need to minister the word of God I'm coming back to minister the word of God for your growth in righteousness and for the increase of your joy He must minister the word of God so that they have more joy That's his intention. So our goal as a congregation should certainly be we need to have more joy. This coming year, we should make it our aim to grow in joy.

Now, let me just step out of my notes for a moment. I've determined that's going to be my goal for this year. I don't think I've been joyful enough. In fact, this is the way God works. As I'm preparing this ministry, this last week has been a struggle for joy. And I've had to be preaching this to myself all week long.

But that's what God says. He says He's interested. He wants you to pursue joy. Let's take that apart a little bit. Verse 25, God calls you to pursue joy in this year. God calls you to pursue joy in this year.

What is Paul's intention once God delivers him from prison? He intends to come to them and minister. And when he talks about coming to them and working with them, certainly he means to minister the Word of God. That's what he was about, ministering the Gospel, ministering the Word of God. And what does he expect from that ministry? Here's what he expects from his ministry of the Word of God.

Change. Change. I expect that you will make progress in your faith when I come and minister to you. He says, I expect that you will have greater joy in the faith when I come and minister to you. The bottom line, at least, is this much. He expects change.

And you got to see something important in this text. I want you to see this. God expects the ministry of the Word of God to change you. God expects the ministry of his word to change you. Those who lead in this congregation, those who are leaders in this congregation should preach, counsel, and lead in such a way that you will change. Preaching is not something you do in order to have a complete worship service.

I don't get up here and preach because, well, that's what you pay me to do. I don't get up here to preach because if we don't preach, well then it just wouldn't be a real worship service, would it? And besides that, whoever heard a Sunday without preaching, that's not what it's about. I have to preach in such a way that you will have the willingness and the ability to change.

You ought to come in here. Listen to me. Ollie, write this down. You ought to come in here. Before you leave home on Sunday morning to come to church, when you come here, you ought to be asking this question. How will God want me to change? as a result of hearing this sermon?

How does God want me to change as a result of hearing this sermon? As you come, you're asking that question. God's going to expect me to change. I'm going to hear today, I'm going to hear in a sermon today how He expects me to change. And you ought to leave here every week saying, here are the steps I will take to change. Now look, I'm not just preaching to you, I'm preaching to me.

I've got to do the same thing. Right? How am I going to change after I preach this sermon? After I've sunk myself in the passage for several days, how am I going to change? But you ought to leave home asking the question, how does God want me to change, as a result of listening to this sermon, and you ought to leave every Sunday asking, what are the steps I need to take now to change?

That's the preaching of the Word. The face-to-face ministry of the Word of God, called counseling, must have as its goal change. Counseling is not a listening ear, although listening is required. Counseling is not giving you a shoulder to cry on, although sympathy and tears are very much a part of it. It is a ministry of God's Word intended to help you change.

Wherever the Word of God is ministered, God expects change. Now, what kind of change does God expect? As a result of the ministry of God's word. He expects that you will make, according to verse 25, he will expect that you will make progress in the faith. That is, you will grow in righteousness. Or, more accurately, I think, you will grow in more consistent obedience to the commands of your Lord Jesus.

You will grow in consistency of obedience to the commands of the Lord Jesus. As the word of God is ministered to you He expects that you will grow in joy Not just in righteousness not just in consistent discipleship but he expects you to grow in joy By the way, I think this also gives a good job description to pastors. Pastor, your job is to help God's people make progress in their walk and to help them experience joy.

That's part of my ministry. That has to be a goal of my ministry. You know what? I would hope that after however many years God allows me to be here, I would hope that after at least 30 plus years of preaching, there would be happier people on earth. That's part of the goal that God gives me as a shepherd, to promote joy in his people. Now, I want you to notice something, and I want you to notice this clearly.

Joy doesn't just happen. That's how we typically think of joy. We think of joy as just happening. Yeah, things go well. I'm happy. I'm joyful.

What you need to see here is that joy requires the consistent ministry of God's Word. Joy requires a consistent ministry of God's Word. That means you must submit to the ministry of God's Word. Listen to me. And I'm passionate about this. Don't expect joy if you start skipping church.

Don't expect yourself to be joyful. Don't expect you... Some people will say, I can't go to church today. I'm just so low. That's the best reason. Well, not the best.

That's one of the best reasons to come to church. Because the consistent ministry of the Word of God will produce joy in your heart. and you will not have joy if you make it a habit of skipping church. And by the way, you will have more joy as you submit to the ministry of the word of God as you read it, as you read it. But the point is the consistent ministry of the word of God is necessary for your joy.

Paul says here, I'm confident they're going to let me go. And when they let me go, I'm coming there and I'm going to minister the word of God so that you grow, so that you there's progress, so that you will have progress and joy in your faith. See? The ministry of the Word of God is so necessary God calls you then to pursue joy this new year and you don have to feel guilty about that That what God wants for you Now, how do you pursue joy in this year?

I want to show you how God tells us how to pursue joy in this year. How do you pursue joy, or how can you experience joy? Now, I've already made the point, you already know then, that a key to joy must be the ministry of God's Word. If you want to pursue joy, if you want to experience joy, then the Word of God must have a transformative effect on you.

It's got to transform you. It's got to change you. The Word of God changes you, changes the way you think, so that joy is possible. It changes the way you think so that joy is possible. It convinces you to look for joy in the right places. All right, and I want to explore that with you.

And frankly, I've been looking at these two verses for years. They fascinated me. That whole part about my job is to help you be joyful. The question then is, if the ministry of the Word of God produces joy, then what kind of transformative effect must that word have on you in order to get that joy? And so let me suggest a few things. And by the way, I'm only scratching the surface with these four things.

But how then does the Word of God transform you so that you can find joy, you can experience joy? Well, the first I will suggest to you is God's Word reveals the source of true joy. God's Word reveals the source of true joy. we are born with the tendency we're born with the tendency and we believe the lie that joy is found when we get what we want that joy is found when we get what we want for example you're sitting here today and I'm sure you're engaged I'm not going to insult you by saying you're not engaged but my guess is yesterday you're going okay, tomorrow will be a great day.

We're going to go to church. We're going to eat together. We're going to come home. I'm going to watch my team in the playoffs this afternoon. That be a great day And then something blows up and you can watch your team in the playoffs this afternoon and you just kind of ticked and grumbling and walking around with a frown on your face. Why?

Because you didn't get what you wanted, right? Or I'll be happy, I'll be joyful if I achieve my dreams. I will find joy when I become a famous country singer. I can't imagine that, but some people have that dream, right? I'll have fulfillment when all the circumstances in my life are easy. When I have an easy peasy life, man, that's when I'll have joy.

I'll be happy if I get the teacher I want. I'll be happy, I'll be joyful if I get the job that I want. And in matter of fact, I will really be joyful if I don't have to work very hard at my job. Right? Then I'll have joy. Right?

Or I'll possess joy when I have little difficulties or if I can get out of suffering. Happiness will be mine if I don't have to stay in this difficult marriage with this hard, cruel husband. Yeah, there's suffering. And then you convince yourself, if I can get away from this, then I'll have joy. If I can get away from the hardships and the suffering, then I'll have joy.

Listen to me. That is the flesh speaking to you. That is not God. Right? The flesh is all about me. The incurable addiction to self.

When you start saying, if I get this, if this comes true for me, that's the flesh talking to you. Because now you've become the center of the universe. It's all about you. You see? Turn over to Galatians 5. Galatians 5.

I want you to start reading with me in verse 16. Galatians 5. Verse 16, but I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh. For these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you're not under the law.

Now, the works of the flesh are evidence. Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, to rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love. of what?

Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Note, what is the source of true joy? The source of true joy is the Spirit of God. That is the source of true joy. The Bible reveals to us the source of true joy is the Spirit of God. and when you are saying my joy depends on me getting what I want whatever that may be that's the flesh that is that that incurable addiction to self that is it's all about me when that's a controlling center of your life you're walking by the flesh and you will never find joy that will never produce joy if you're saying I got to get out of this and then I'll be joyful.

That's not God speaking. How many times have I heard people say, God doesn't expect me to be unhappy, does he? No. But the way you're pursuing joy is not walking in the Spirit. You just want to get out of your difficulties. You just want to get out of hard times.

You just want what you want. And you know what that leads to? Envy, strife, jealousy, immorality, impurity, all kinds of things. It doesn't lead to joy. No. Joy comes from the Holy Spirit as you walk by the Spirit.

And how do you walk by the Spirit, by the way? Simply put, and there's more to it than this, and we don't have time to go into it. But the Spirit, at least we know this much, the Spirit uses His Word to change your thinking about the source of joy. And it is Him. And you walk in the Spirit, you walk in the Word that He has given you, and you will have joy.

So the transformative of how you're going to pursue it this year. Let the word of God transform your thinking in this way. Joy will not be found for me by me pursuing what I want. Joy will be found as I walk in the spirit. Here's the second way. God's word changes your view on the circumstances for joy.

God's word changes your view on the circumstances for joy. Now, what do you believe? Well, we all believe this, that your circumstances must be easy in order for you to have joy, or your circumstances must be devoid of suffering and hardship if you going to have joy That typically what we believe but God Word says otherwise Turn over to James chapter 1 James chapter 1 verses 2 through 4 We very familiar with this passage James chapter 1, verses 2 through 4.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, and let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing. Now, don't misunderstand what he's saying here. He's not saying count trials joy. They wouldn't be trials unless they brought sorrow and hardship in their way.

Right? How do I know I'm going through trial because I feel sorrow? He's not saying trials are joy. He's saying count it joy. That is to say, start thinking in a joyful way, reckon it this way, that what? That God is accomplishing something through the suffering.

Your hardships are not random. If you're a Christian now, if you're a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you have a father now in heaven who loves you, he's no longer your judge, but now he's a father who loves you, you know this, that when he sends hardship and trial into your life, he's wanting to accomplish something good. What is it according to James chapter 1?

It is that your endurance grows so that you become perfected, you become mature, your faith grows, your dependence on God grows. So when trials come, you can say, I don't have to be walking around like the whole world has just collapsed. Even if your whole world does collapse around you, You know that in God's economy, he's working for something in your life, something good, a greater dependence on him, an endurance that will bring maturity.

You know that your suffering is not random. You know that God's accomplishing something good in that suffering. You see, that's why you count it all joy. It gives you a perspective on suffering that you need so that suffering does not destroy you, but builds you up. that's why there can be joy in the midst of trial because you know the trial is intended by God to do something in your life what did we just read in Luke chapter 6 if you want to look there again Luke chapter 6 verse 20 through 23 Listen to what Jesus said blessed Now what does blessed mean It means satisfied It means fulfilled It means a sense of satisfaction.

What it should be. He said, blessed, satisfied, joyful are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. That doesn't sound like fun times, does it? Not in the least.

But he says, and listen to what Jesus says here, okay? You can't put Jesus in a box on this one. Here's what he says. When people hate you and they spurn you and revile you and say, I hate you because of Jesus. He says, rejoice in that day and leap for joy. Are you joking?

Right? Leap for joy. Why? Why? For behold, your reward in heaven is great. For so their fathers did to the prophets.

How in the world can you have a sense of satisfaction? And how can you leap for joy? And why should you rejoice? when people do that on account of Jesus' name. Because the word of God gives you a different perspective. What is that perspective? God promises a future that's entirely different.

They may hate you now, but you can leap for joy. Why? Because your reward is great in heaven. And by the way, that's the way they treated the heroes, the prophets of the Old Testament who were reviled and hated. They're God's heroes. And God says, look, you have a different end than they do.

And the losers are really the winners. I'm looking at you like a winner. Now, whose opinion of you means the most? Right? How can I leap for joy when people hate me? Because there's a reward coming.

And because God says you're a hero, in my eyes, you're a winner. They may call you a loser, but you're the victor. You're the winner. You're on the winning side. That's why we can have joy. God's Word gives me a different perspective.

One last one, okay? John 15 verses 9 through 11 I worn these verses out as I sat with folks and tried to help them What do you say to someone who's going through hard times? And they say, God doesn't expect me to suffer. You say, well, you know what? Part of the thing I say is, well, yeah, suffering is part of our life as Christian, but I don't leave it there.

I say there's still opportunity for joy here. Listen to what John the Apostle quotes Jesus as saying. John 15, 9-11, As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love. Just as I've kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love.

I'll experience the love of God. As I abide in the commandments of God, as I obey, I will experience the love of God. But notice what else. these things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full. It doesn't matter what's happening around you. You can still have joy as you step out in obedience to Jesus. You will have joy.

And in the midst of suffering, if you do what Jesus says in the midst of suffering, you're going to have joy. And I've said to people many times, I've said, look at that passage. You hear what it says? It says, yeah, life is pretty hard for you right now, but you can still have joy. If you step out crying out to God for the strength to obey Him, you will find joy.

It doesn't depend on all that out there. It doesn't matter what's going on around you. As you step out in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, you'll find joy. You see? God's Word changes my perspective on the circumstances for joy. All right, here's the third one.

God's Word convinces you that you cannot separate your joy and God's glory. Now I want you to get this. I want you to understand this. God's Word convinces you that you cannot separate your joy and God's glory. Again, let's go back to Philippians. We see the Apostle Paul rejoicing in the worst of circumstances.

You know why he's rejoicing? He says, yeah, I'm in prison, but guess what? God's glory is being spread in the Praetorian Guard. The guys who are closest to the emperor are hearing the gospel. God is being glorified here. I'm really happy. about that.

And then the verse that always catches my attention, verse 20, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but with full courage now as always, Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. I don't care what happens to me. I don't care. The only thing I want, if they kill me or if they let me live. There's only one thing I want.

I want them to see Jesus. It's all about the glory of Christ. What's the point? you cannot separate your joy and God's glory listen to an author Rankin Wilborn as he writes this he says this God's glory and human happiness are not two differentiated things have you ever thought that way have you thought yeah I'm a Christian sigh I gotta do everything so people talk about God so they glorify God And I'll, okay, God, if that's what you want, I'll grit my teeth and I'll live this life so you are glorified in people's eyes.

And so we trudge along in life because God has to be glorified. You don't separate the two. Listen to what Wilborn says. Let me say it again. God's glory and human happiness are not two differentiated things. True human happiness cannot be found or experienced apart from God's glory.

Therefore, God's glory and human flourishing are one and the same. You know what he's saying? You live for God's glory and you will be happy. Stop thinking about yourself. Live for the glory of God and you won't be trudging through life saying, My master says I've got to glorify him. I guess I'll do that.

No, it's wow, if I glorify God, I will have more joy than I know what to do with. If I live so that people will talk about God when they look at my life and not talk about me, they'll glorify my Father in heaven. What does it say in Matthew 5.16? Therefore let your light so shine before men that they see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

I want to live in such a way that I'm noticed, but then people don't talk about me, they talk about God, and that will bring you more joy than you know what to do with. When you live for the glory of God you will not be lacking for joy The glory of God and your happiness are inseparably connected Always remember that Always remember that. One more thing.

Okay. One more. John 17. Right? I'm telling you, how do you pursue joy? You know how you pursue joy? you submit to the ministry of God's Word.

And God reveals the source of true joy, the Holy Spirit. God's Word changes your view on the circumstances for joy. God's Word convinces you that your joy and His glory are inseparable. Lastly, John 17, 1-3. And by the way, there's a whole bunch more that we could look at, but I can go on longer than you can listen. John 17, 1-3.

Listen to what Jesus says. When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.

Here's the last thing. God's Word opens up the door to the joy of eternal life. God's Word opens up the door to the joy of eternal life. What does Jesus say in John 17? He says eternal life is something you have right now. How do you have it?

You know God and you know Christ. That is eternal life. He's talking about communion with God and communion with Christ. and God's Word brings you to the eternal Word, Jesus Himself. And as you are in the Word, you can commune with God. Listen, if you've never, ever believed in Christ, if you've never bowed the knee, if you've never recognized your utter helplessness as a sinner who can never make it right with God, you can't make it right with God, it's impossible for you to make it right with God.

You must commit yourself to Jesus who paid for your sins and the one who lived a righteous life. And only then will you be made right with God. But it is then that there's joy. Can I tell you something? Those of you who are sitting here who have never entrusted yourself to Christ joy is impossible for you Because you living for yourself and that will never lead to joy You can only live to the glory of God And until you commit yourself to Christ joy will always be beyond your grasp.

You will never possess it. You might find a little bit of pleasure here and there, but you will never possess joy in the midst of hardship. You'll never possess joy that just rejoices at God, because you're not in communion with God. And those of you who are believers, the Word of God opens up the Word to Jesus, and you find Him there, and you commune with Him and God, and there is where you find joy.

True joy, because that is eternal life. By the way, eternal life is not quantity, it's quality. It's a different kind of life that you have now, as you commune with the Son and with the Father. So God's Word opens the door to the joy of eternal life. if you want to experience true joy this year then submit yourself to the transforming power of God's word that's what will give you joy alright one last thing back to Philippians one last thing verse 26 so that in me I'm going to come to you so that you'll have progress and joy in your faith so that in me or by me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus because of my coming to you again.

God tells you what results will happen as you pursue joy in the new year. What results? Here you find another reason for Paul's ministry of the word, the glory of Christ. When he returns to minister the powerful word of God, they will experience joy. And as they experience joy, Christ will be glorified His worth will be magnified. His power will be open for all to see.

As the Word is ministered here, your joy should grow. And as a result, Christ will be exalted. Because people will see the power of Christ. They will see the worth of Christ. Because you're joyful, you're happy about Christ. And He will be exalted. does it seem strange to you that your increased joy brings greater exaltation of Christ does that seem strange to you we don typically think that way do we but as you grow in joy Christ is seen more and more How is that You know what As I thought about these verses here what struck me Notice the reciprocal and cyclical pattern of glorifying God.

It's a cyclical pattern. What does it say? Glorifying God leads to greater joy. Greater joy leads to what? God being glorified, according to verse 26. The more joy you have, the more Christ is exalted.

So you exalt Christ and get increased joy. Increased joy exalts Christ. It keeps going round and round and round. Increased joy results in the exaltation of Jesus. How is that so? Because we live in a world of sorrow and heartache and despair.

Would you agree with me on that? Would you agree that we live in a world of despair? People are despairing all the time. We're inundated with despair. Oh no! What's going to happen with the president that we have?

Or, oh no! What happens if our president can't do what he's supposed to do? Oh no, let's despair! What hope is there? Oh no, look at all the horrible things that are happening in this world. Oh no, look at the horrible things that are happening in my life.

Oh no. You know what? Oh no, it does not exalt Christ. But in a world that's despairing and full of sorrow, people of joy will stand out like a beacon. And Christ will be exalted because He has the power to save us from despair. He has the power to give us a different perspective so we're not like the rest of the world and despairing when things aren't going well.

Because we have something more. As you live for God's glory, your joy explodes and others see the cause of it. What is the cause of it? You're living for a higher purpose than yourself. It's for God Himself. Your joy increases as you live in obedience to Jesus' commands.

You look like Christ. People will see Christ and joy in you. They will see holiness and happiness. John Piper is right when he says God is most glorified in us and we are most satisfied in Him So, what are you going to do this year? Now let me address a group of people here first. First is to you who don't buy it.

You say, thank you for this talk about Jesus. In fact, I found it a little bit inspiring, but I don't think I buy it. I'm telling you right now. Just forget about joy then. It's going to be impossible for you. because you will be sucked up by the despair and sorrow of this world and you will not be able to escape it. You need a Savior who will give you a whole new reason for living so that you can experience joy in the midst of heartache.

I'm telling you, until you trust Jesus, and just be honest with you, until you trust Jesus, forget about joy. Oh, you'll have some pleasure, but you will never have joy. I'm telling you right now. you won't have it. Now to you who have trusted Jesus, let me say to you, don't let anyone tell you again that God is more interested in your holiness than your happiness.

Because you cannot separate the two. You cannot separate the two. You grow in holiness and you be happy If you not joyful where should you be looking Where do I need to grow Don't feel guilty when you pursue joy. That's God's goal for you. He wants you to be joyful. But for real joy to flourish, the Word of God must transform you and your perspective.

Only joy that grows out of understanding your circumstances properly, Only the joy that results from seeking God's glory. Only the joy that grows out of obedience. Only the joy that comes from communing with the Father and the Son. Only that kind of joy. Only that kind of joy is the goal that God has for you. That's the kind of joy we need to pursue in this coming year.

And we need to give ourselves to it. God help us. I'm telling you, God help us to stand out as beacons with our joy in this dark world that Christ would be exalted. Father, thank you for your word. And Lord, as we come to this table now, as we confess our faith, as we come to this table, we are convinced that only in Christ will we ever find the kind of joy that's been described here.

And so I pray that you would help us to that end. That we would be a joyful people. Help us to pursue it in the right way for your glory. And we'll thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.