Joy For The Journey
Notes
Transcript
Date Presented: August 12, 2018 Sunday a.m.
Place Presented: Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Date Presented: August 26, 2018 Sunday a.m.
Place Presented: New Vision Ministries, Boldo
Scripture:
1 John 1:1-9
John 1:1-16 (1, 5, 9, 14)
1 Corinthians 3:11
1 John 4:1
2 Corinthians 6:14
1 Peter 1:15-16
Psalm 119:105, 130
Psalm 89:15
In 1492 Christopher Columbus led an expedition and set sail for East Asia… The orient
But instead of landing in Asia he landed in, what is today, the Bahamas… Caribbean islands
Thus, he set a pattern that has lasted 500+ years
Men will still not stop and ask directions!
Think about this, is it true what some people say, that asking directions spoils the fun of the journey?
So today I want to talk about the journey we are on in this life
Specifically our spiritual journey
Whether we realize it or not;
We are on a journey
Our journeys are different
But, regardless who you are, we are on a spiritual journey
You may be hearing about Christ for the first time
You may want to know more
But are not yet committed
You are on a spiritual journey
You may say "what about skeptics, agnostics, or atheists," or don't know what to believe
Are those people still not on a spiritual journey?
They are trying to discover what they believe
So, yes they are
Or you may be a follower of Christ
You may strive every day to live in God's will
You are definitely on a spiritual journey
So, regardless of our reason
The common denominator between us is
We are all on a spiritual journey
And on that journey
It's not only men that fail to ask directions
Women are also guilty
We want to think that we have everything figured out
But if its not according to the road-map God has laid out for us, we are gonna lose our way
Today we will be looking at 1st John
1 John 1:1-9
Here John lays out a road-map to help us navigate the rough waters we face
During this time, the Christians in Asia Minor had reached a fork in the road on their spiritual journey
And John is giving them guidance to help them refocus on Jesus
And also to re-ignite joy on their journey
They had gotten so lost they had lost their joy
So I want to look at, I believe, 4 things John has given them and us that is needed to obtain genuine joy
1 John 1:1-2 Building The Right Foundation
Fist lets look at some similarities between 1st John and the beginning of Johns Gospel
1 John 1:1 “that which was from the beginning”
John 1:1 “In the beginning was the word”
What was in the beginning? Jesus christ
What is the word? “The word of Life”
1 John 1:2 “for the life was manifested”
“Manifested unto us”
John 1:14 “and the word was made flesh”
What was manifested unto us? Jesus Christ
What was made flesh?
1 John 1:1 “which we have seen with our eyes”
1 John 1:2 “we have seen it, and bear witness”
John 1:14 “we beheld His glory”
What did they see? Jesus Christ
What did the Apostles witness?
John and the other apostles, Saw, Heard, and Touched Jesus…The word of Life
They are our first hand witnesses of Jesus and His life and work and Miracles
And John is saying, “Jesus is the Right Foundation”
John is saying, our spiritual journey is joyful when based on reality and truth
Jesus really lived…He really ministered on earth…He really died on that cross…He really rose from the grave…He really ascended to heaven…And He really does sit at the right hand of God the Father
Jesus is reality and truth
Look at, 1 John 4:1
There are many illusions in this world and we must be weary of these things and keep strong to The Right Foundation…Jesus Christ
It says in 1 Corinthians 3:11
“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ”
II. 1 John 1:3-4 Must Have Right Companions
We must have the right kind of Fellowship
Fist: Fellowship is a mutual sharing between two or more people
How can you have mutual sharing when there is not a common factor in your lives?
We must have Fellowship with other Christians
Second: We must be willing to extend the “Right hand of fellowship” to other Christians
Accept and welcome them
2 Corinthians 6:14 Say’s it all
However, True Fellowship is with God
People dilute the word “Fellowship” to mean any social event…Not True
We must ask ourselves, “Is God in it?”
It takes genuine, life involvement, true investments, of ourselves in a relationship with other Christians
We all share the same story, “I was lost in sin when Jesus found and rescued me”
Fellowship with one another and with God is the ground for true joy.
III. 1 John 1:5 Having The Right Source
Johns message for us here is:
“God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all”
Again, lets look at the similarities in Johns gospel
John 1:5 “and the light shineth in darkness”
John 1:9 “that was the true light”
God is fully Righteous
And He reveals Himself to us through Jesus Christ
When we travel a dark road we can’t find our way without light
It’s the same on our spiritual journey
God is that light
His word is that light
Christ is that light
We must recognize that God is Absolute Holy (Light)
1 Peter 1:15-16
Psalm 119:105
It’s no secret that the word is our guide and shows us the path that God has for us
Also, prevents sinful behavior
There is a difference between a lamp and a light
Lamp…will shine just enough light at our feet to light up our steps
We can walk without stumbling
Its a light for right now
Light…guides us to our destination
Lights the entire pathway
Psalm 119:130
“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple”
Entrance can be defined as “opening”
So can’t it be said that, “opening of the bible provides us with light”
We must focus on the Right Source for our spiritual journey to be successful
Our spiritual journey is joyful when based on Gods revealed Truth
People today are looking at all different sources for truth
“Only the word” has stood the test of time as the only reliable source for God’s revealed truth
IV. 1 John 1:6-7 Must Have The Right Goal
I’ve heard people claim to have a close relationship with God
But live lives of spiritual darkness (disobedience, sin, rebellion against God)
Some think as long as they believe in Christ that it doesn’t matter what they do…”its O.K. I’ll be forgiven”
Wrong!
John tells us in Verse 6 that:
“It’s impossible to live in close relationship with God and yet live a life of darkness”
Truth is, there is no darkness in God
We aren’t perfect and can’t be
But we must strive to live in Gods Light
Only those who consistently walk in Gods light can enjoy fruitful life and fellowship with God
If we walk in Gods light:
We will have fellowship with Him
And, the blood of Christ will cleanse us from our sins
He doesn’t say forgiveness
Cleanse means purification
He will wash away the stains sin has made on our lives
And wash away the ongoing effects of that sin
When we have the Right Goal, our spiritual journey will be joyful
And that…will lead to transformed lives
Our lives will be transformed
Others lives will be transformed
The point of the journey isn’t just reaching the final destination
Its about being transformed along the way
Like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly
It transforms from a creepy crawling insect into a beautiful flying wonder
Columbus probably did have a road-map
But obviously didn’t follow it very well
Or it wasn’t a very good map
“The Word” however, Gives Us a Perfect and Clear Direction
To live for God
Have a joy filled life
So, does asking directions spoil the joy of the journey?
Absolutely not
Its only when we ask for Gods guidance that we can be full of joy
Closing:
1 John 1:8-9
Have you lost your Joy?
Do you long for direction in your life?
Do you need something to make you path clear?
There is only one light bright enough to prevent us from falling and give us direction.
Its up to you, today is the day to decide, what kind of journey you want to have
God is waiting to give us new direction, cleanse us from those past mistakes, and show us what true joy is all about