Sunday Service

At the Disney, when you go visit one, of my favorite places is the Seven Dwarfs place. You can buy the souvenirs and my favorite sweatshirt, so I would not buy one and actually work. Big is the one that's got a grumpy on the front and it says I didn't want to wake up grumpy. So I let him or her sleep, but that's not going to wear home because then there will be grumpy. So Nobody will wakes up in the morning and says, yeah. I'd really like to be. Discouraged depressed. Negative grumpy. Irritable today. My goal today is to suck the life out of anyone that I can.

Nobody that we still hang around with it, please.

We all want to find joy. And we find it in and snatches, the only in the wrong places. And we're going to look at this today. We're going to look at the concept of Joy because it's it's pervasive about the New Testament. Especially in chapters 15. 16 17. This won't be the last time we talked about Joy because Jesus keeps talking about it. All on this same conversation from the upper room to the Garden of Gethsemane. Let me read your quote from David Martin, White Jones, a Welsh preacher from many years ago. He writes one of the particular blessings with the Christian is meant to enjoy the present. Life. The present life is this experience of Joy. The Christian is meant to be a joyful person. One who is meant to experience the joy of Salvation. There is no question about that. It is something which is taught everywhere, the New Testament. And so it is our duty as Christians to have this Joy had to be filled with it and we must give ourselves neither rest, nor peace until we have it. Strong words. And then we have a duty to pursue Joy. And we say well, how do we get them? Well, I think this passage is going to help us and right in the middle of Passage verse 11. Jesus says to his disciples. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow. The text is, is I see kind of a little recipe, hear some of your really good cooks and United States to make that if you don't tell me, put a little bit of this and tell me a teaspoon of this or a no cup of this. I don't understand that other stuff. I can't function with that. So I'm going to give you a recipe for joy. All right, we start with verses 9 and 10. Jesus says, I have loved you, even as the father has loved me. Remain in my love, when you obey my Commandments, you remain in my love just as I obey my father's Commandments and remain in his love. Not many of us have learned this with the word remain being abide. It means to buy with Jesus translation. But remain resonates more people today. Listen to this definition of what it means to abide in Christ means to keep up a habit of constant close communing with him to be always leaning on him resting on him pouring our hearts out to him and using him as our found, a Fountain of Life and strength as our chief companion and best friend to have his word Abiding and us is to keep his sayings and precepts continually before our memories in mines and to make them the guide of our actions. The rule of family kinda familiar. I hear the first thing about joy that we should be learning from this Joy comes. From Jesus. It doesn't come from everything else doesn't come from all the superficial things that we like to attribute it to me again. If I can get a little bit more, we would have joy know. You might have some happiness, might have joy for a moment, but this Everlasting Joy comes from a relationship with Christ. It comes from remaining in him. Walking with him learning from him letting him for his life into us.

He tells us that we are to abide in his love.

And that's hard for some people. Because they've tried abiding in the love of somebody. And I've been burned. They are a trusted friend and that friend. Let them down. They married somebody intending it to be for life. And that person said, I don't want to be married anymore. I fell out of love with you. Some people have been tormented by kids. Some people have grown up. Just trying to keep their heads down to the they wouldn't get hurt anymore. Some people grew up and households were they weren't even sure their parents. Love them. And remain in his love.

I'm not doing that anymore. Can I just tell you something that I can only urge you to believe God loves you, and he likes you. He loves you and he likes you. and I know, This is God, we're talkin about. The one who never lies and he tells us that he loves us and so we're supposed to remain in that Lover's, life is designed. So that we can basket, so we can save her so that we can just envelop his love. The great picture ever. Some of you I would contend that may be the reason you're here today, whether it's this particular calendar day, or some day in the future on YouTube. I believe you may be here today because God LED you here to teach you that you two are loved. Even though you don't believe it, even though you've been hurt even though you feel unseen. He sees you. Stay close to him and you won't be hurt.

Then he tells us that one of the ways that we can remain in him is to do what he tells us to do which, which really makes good sense. It's keep his Commandments. No, I think of this kind of like, like an adventure movie. I don't watch a lot of adventure movies for the ones that I've seen are it seems like there's always some time in that Adventure movie. Where there is some puzzle that has to be solved to get to your goal or you fail or die. Whether it's a room, you have to get through weather 2K, if you have to jump into, I think of Indiana Jones or Indiana Jones that guy had a tough job. And why did he keep going back to it? I don't understand. He was always threatening to be dropped in a pit of snakes or bunch of knives. Were going to come out of this Boulders. It's rolling after him instead, the danger the theme, those the structure's the same. And the only way to get out of these things is to have some kind of inside information that got some code or some riddle or something that they have to solve in order to get through this booby-trapped area.

Picture of life. Is that booby trap, Terraria? In a row to find Joy, we've got to navigate this Minefield called life. And our treasure map. It's right here. And he says to us, you don't if you just obey my Commandments, you'll be able to stay with me. No matter what happens because Joy is not contingent on circumstances. It's contingent on Jesus. And that's where we can find Joy even in the midst of Heartache, because our joy is not is not fixed to something. That's always changing. Its fixed to the one with the same yesterday today and forever. Like that's the first thing. First part of the recipe, you need to put that in there. As you abide in him, that's first thing. The second thing, I mean, jump all way down to verse 16. And it's you didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit. So that the father will give you whatever you ask for using my name or familiar with this fruit thing because we just talked about it last week, but those words beginning.

Uncrustable. And also bring back some bad memories. I know some of you work with great athletes, you know, popular people and your academically Superior. So when there was some academic activity and you chose side, you're always pick first. If you were an athlete, you know. When it says, what do you want on your team? I want them. I'll course you do. But then some other people like me. And you said, oh, please don't pick me last. Please. Don't pick me last. And I'm both sides academic and and the sport. So I was a two-time loser, I guess. And what's worse is your frayed and tapping your own once at least in my life. They said I'd get you to Talk to the guy that get you last doesn't even want to. Yeah, he's he's always try.

And in classes, y'all, you always kept your head down. So, the hope within the teacher, didn't know you were there because you would be chosen last. So this is this is kind of terrifying thing to hear about using. But this is God talking. You didn't choose me. I chose you. I know that is you look at this. You say what? This was Jesus talking to the disciple. That Jesus really did choose each one of these guys. The thing is, if you continue to read throughout the New Testament. He says, everyone who is a child of God. Was chosen by him.

We didn't choose him. He chose us. Guy drink thing to think about because we're taught that we're the ones that choose where the ones that are in control, but I don't know if I knew, I don't want to be that guy because you give me two choices and one of them's going to be wrong and that's a really good chance of going to pick up one. I think that the God of all creation.

Chose me makes me say why.

He never tells us.

He doesn't tell us that you chose us because we're the best looking or we're really the nicest person in the group. He just said, I chose you before the creation of the world.

You know, when God chooses you. Doesn't matter what anybody else chooses. The creator of the universe has chosen us and he said the reason he's chosen us is that we can go and bear fruit. Here's the thing. I want to think about. We can spend our lives, ruminating over all the bad things are happening to us. We can feel really sorry for ourselves and siphon off any joy that is inside of us.

Or. You can continue to ponder and reflect. On these Majestic words. You did not choose me. But I chose you. And find Joy starting to fill up inside of you.

It's a wonderful relationship. Their thing here in Jesus is like, I chose you because I want you to be like me. I want you to bear fruit. I want you to have this character. That's Godly character. I want you to, to be able to be used by me to reach other people, and to show the love of Christ to all kinds of things. This fruit even is not something we produce ourselves. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is the fruit of God working in Us in. So as we stay close to him. He's going to change our character. He's going to make it to the people that we always wanted to be, but didn't know how to get there.

Jesus told us going all the world preach the gospel making disciples of all men. No didn't say go in all the world and make sure every comes to our church. Go in all the world and create a voting Bloc so that you know, we can have our way in the world. Make the Cycles. Why? Because it's people walk with Jesus. They will find joy and only as they walk with Jesus. Will they find joy? So the second ingredient here is to bear fruit, but with that Sidelines, it's it's important that you bear fruit. And here's a specific item that you have to put in with your foot. In this one fruit comes from the God, who chose you? Lastly, the biggest section of this is 17. This is my commandment love each other. In the same way, I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one's life, for once friends. You are my friends. If you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves because the master doesn't confide this slaves. Now, you are my friends. Since I've told you everything to father, told me you didn't choose me. I chose you, I pointed you going for this lasting fruit so that the father will give you whatever you ask using my name. This is my command love each other.

Why there's all kinds of songs about love, aren't there? Some of them are really, really good. Some of them are really, really bad. Remember the song? Love Sweet, Love. There's nothing more of that lyrics. What the world needs now is love, sweet, love. It's the only thing that there's just two little of, I would question that. I think we needed more godliness to Lynnwood more repentance and love is needed every country song. It seems like it's about love or drinking beer.

To be loved and Jesus says it were supposed to love each other. But he says we need to love each other like he loved us which means that the kind of love that he's talking about. It's not this.

This one has a cost. This was about giving of yourself color person. And he says, greater love has no man than this, that a man would lay down his life. For another person. And that's the way that God loves us. In Romans 5. Paul tells us about he says some people might might die for good person. Might die for a good person. While we were yet, sinners while we were still in tagging us while we were still his enemies. Christ died for us.

You say, why can't love that? Person is demanding too much. Wait a minute. Love one. Another as he has loved us. See if the world is is mistaken. We think that love was about feelings and my goofy mood today. So it's not about feelings. It's about choices. Love is a choice. It's the decision. And God chose to love us from before the creation of the world.

You look at somebody and you can say, I don't like that person or I'm going to find something to like about that person. It's a choice.

Then you think about the love that he wants to show. Is practical. This World War II, people good at beating each other up right now. And in the Lord, says it. With this punishment, there's plenty of that they can make another song.

The world is filled with hatred. And he's just be practical, pick each other up. Encourage each other. No. Even in the church. What happens sometimes is when somebody Falls we just keep kicking them and kicking them and shaking them until we get them to leave our church.

That's not the way of Jesus. So, he wants us to love it, and we'll have some fun with this because 1st Corinthians 13. What you've heard it at every wedding to go to. It. Seems like you hear this isn't about marriage. This is about the body of Christ. But this is what it says, love is patient, and kind love is not jealous, or boastful or proud, or rude, does not demand its own way. It is not your double. It keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about Injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up. Never loses faith is always hopeful and adores through every circumstance. Somebody suggested a while ago that the one the best way to evaluate how you love is to take the word love and it out of that passage and put your name. There are going to do that. But just just trying to read it. It was so ridiculous to let you do it for yourself.

Hope you're doing better than me.

You dare say that out loud, and you're going to some people are going.

Really?

Here's the thing, though. We look at it and we see our lack but understand. That this is the way God loves you.

God is patient and kind. God is not jealous or boastful of rude and go on down the line. That's the way he loves you. And that's what he wants us to love each other. Love is practical. He wants this evening to love our enemies. Have to go right now. You're crossing a line. Have you met this guy?

But there's something about love cuz I've tried to preach to that guy over and over again. Love is more powerful than words. Because if they say, sometimes you need to see the gospel. Before you can hear it. You know, if we attempt to love each other, this was going to happen. Forgotten people are going to be seen. Projected people will be loved. Broken. People will find Healing. Mistreated people. Find a Defender. Angry people will be helped understand each other. People who disagree with each other, will be showing respect. Grieving people find, Hope questioning people find answers and lost people will be introduced to Jesus. Loving other people.

is both are Responsibility. And our privilege. He brought into the world and you stopped some random people on free today. Where do you find joy? You might find all kinds of interesting things that I find them when I'm out in the wilderness and just looking at the night sky, when I'm holding my my baby, when I'm out with my friends, getting drunk on the weekends, and I don't get that one. And how long does that Troy last? And how do you know that there was really Joy? There, you were drunk. Pretty sure the next morning that Joy has disappeared. Down your toilet, but you can hear all kinds of things about about Joy. But what we've seen today is that, that's not where you find it. It's not temporary. The kind of joy that we're talking about is something that lasts and in here's the recipe once again. First, we must abide in him. Second. We bare fruit. Third Wheel of And the yield. Search how many as many as will receive it?

You may be cynical and you say, okay. What am I am in love for me? And find joy for me. All you've told me is that we've got to walk with Jesus. You got out. Obey Commandments. You've got to bear fruit. You've got to love other people. All I'm doing is giving of myself to others. Bingo.

When do you win the prize? That's the answer? We cannot we cannot find joy in selfish Pursuit. It's kinda like magnets cuz I want to find joy in. If the maggots are right, boom beach other. Return the wrong way. You cannot get them together. Selfishly pursuing. Joy will never find it. We've got to be willing to give ourselves first to the Lord. And then we can give ourselves to each other. Or give me homework assignment. Just for simple things that maybe they're not, so simple, but never one set aside time every day. And and can I challenge you to actually put in your calendar? Put on your to-do list.

What is somewhere? Like, you would any other appointment every day and start at the beginning of a new testament book and read through it? You have to read through every day, but read part of it every day. And what are the first a section, a chapter that matters less than the fact that you develop a habit of doing it. And then as you're reading, look for things. Look for his promises to. You. Look what he says about you. Look at what he says about himself. And look at what he asked you to do. Write it down. So that you'll be held accountable, so that you heard what he said.

Second, look for positives in people.

Do you have a choice? We can choose to see the negatives? Or we can see the positives. Some people is more of a challenge than others. But that should be more fun. Okay. I'm going to find something positive about this person. If it's the last thing I do and then And then tell them what you saw.

I encourage you to write down who it is that you Affirmed. today, I talked to someone so And told them this, that if you're buttering them up for something doesn't count, doesn't count. It's got to be a genuine compliment or something that you genuinely. See. We went to a funeral yesterday up in a Galesburg. And the pastor, who conducted, the funeral did a outstanding job for people who been to church with me before, they know what, he's a tough critic. And I found that guy afterwards and I said, I want you to know something that was personal, that was intimate. That was biblical. You did the Lord proud today. And I know what that's like to be on the receiving end of that and any really appreciated that and I came away going, how difficult is it to do this? To start off with a goal? One person, one person today. Second or third be intentional about finding ways to talk to people about Jesus. If you start looking at those Bible verses every day and maybe even memorizing, one of the day. Backwards is going to be in your head. And so when you're talking to somebody you'll be surprised how many times you can share that verse with other person? Easy. Get your personal story about Jesus down under 2 minutes. To this green shirt quickly with somebody. If they want to hear more. I'll ask for more. Invite someone to worship with you. Tell him you're picking them up or you meet them at the door. Tell him where our website is radio broadcast, whatever, find a way to try to introduce somebody to Jesus everyday. Then finally, inspect the fruit in your own life.

Are you looking more like Jesus?

Or less like him. You're looking more like Jesus, and you can see it, stop and give. Thanks to God. Lord. I can't believe what you're doing in my life. This amazing. Please help me to continue walk with you because I like the direction we're gone. If you see yourself drift and come back and say Lord, I don't know what happened. I got lost along the way, please, please show me how to get back home.

So, inspect your own fruit. We all want to know Joy. We do, we all want that abiding, Joy, this that this Fountain is just continually bubbling over. But we'll be learning here in the scriptures. Is that that Joy is available? The question is, how badly do you want it?

So, what's playing? Father, we thank you.

You think your first of all? That you chose us.

Florida seems to me that. Through all eternity. I can't imagine ever getting to the point where I understand that. Why me?

The Lord. Thank you.

Thank you for loving us. And maybe others. Would not or could not.

Thank you for seeing us. Well, just look past us.

Thank you for giving your life for us. That we might know the joy. It is yours alone to give. So, help us to walk with you. Help us to listen to help us to love you for. We ask it in Jesus name.