Here’s the sermon notes for “Joy in God” (Part 2) preached at Cross of Christ Fellowship in Naperville, Illinois. The sermon is based on Psalm 16:11: audio here.
JOY IN GOD WEEK 2: Psalm 16:11
Intro: Playing videos game and eventually the joy gets old… Is God like that?
-Hobbies and interests as adults: golf, working out, updating our home, app on our phone
M.P.: Joy in God is an everlasting joy, and because it is everlasting, we can have hope today.
PSALM 16:11: You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
1. God Makes KNOWN to us the Path of Life: “You make known to me the path of life”
Road trip to Scotland (relied heavily on google maps)
-Imagine trying to get somewhere in another state and there were no signs or information!
-Some people view God like this: He may exist, but we can’t know from Him or hear from Him. (Agnostic)
–Bible: God is there and He has spoken through His Son and by the Scriptures.
-God has made known to us, the PATH OF LIFE!
“PATH of LIFE”=this is a way we take to experience everlasting life and life in its fullness today.
-NOT all paths leads to LIFE—some lead to everlasting death.
-The PATH of life is what God intends for us to walk upon: Deut 30:15, 19-20
-AGOD has MADE it known through Christ. John 1:18
2. There is a FULLNESS of JOY that comes from knowing God: “in your presence there is fullness of joy”
AUGUSTINE: Everyone wants happiness, even the person who kills themselves.
-Where is happiness and joy found?
-World’s answers: Self-fulfillment; wealth; success; sex; friendships.
-Bible’s answer: “in your presence there is fullness of joy”
-Being close and know God leads to a FULLNESS of joy!
-Ps 4:7 “You have put more joy in my heart than they have when they grain and wine abound”
-Ps 16:2—God is our ultimate goal and prize!
-Ps 16:5-6—God gives us Himself to enjoy!
LEWIS: “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”
-This is a joy that begins now when a person becomes a Christian.
–Philosophers ask ‘What is man’s greatest good?’ “summum bonum” man’s greatest Good.
-Pursuing pleasure (Epicurean); Freedom from emotions (stoicism);
-TODAY: Following your hearts and desires, where-ever they lead (‘expressive individualism’)
-Bible: Man’s greatest good is GOD!
*WESTMINSTER CONFESSION:
“What is the chief end of man? A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.”
-True joy comes from knowing God: John 17:3
*PERSONAL TESTIMONY: Before I was a Christian I sought joy in relationships, music and friends.
-Became a Christian and experienced a joy better than them all.
New Christian was the honeymoon years
-Maturing, learning to walk by faith and not by my feelings.
-God has sustained and given joy over the years.
*CLARIFICATION: Being a Christian does not mean you will have easy life, but you will experience the joy of God now.
-In the darkest valleys, you experience the joy of knowing God and being close to Him
-After your body stops working and you die, you will enter into the joy of knowing God
WARNING: -We must guard our hearts as we experience the joy of this life : Matt 13:22
-It is difficult to be faithful in Christian in Naperville because of all the nice things here.
-Covetousness and idolatry the idols of comfort and success and control are strong here.
A WAY FORWARD: 1 Tim 6:17-19
-Recognizing that God is the source of our greatest joy, tempers how we experience others joys.
-We can gladly receive the joys of this life: food, drink, sex, vacations, good books and movies.
-But we know they are not ultimate.
-This means that we are not crushed when we lose them.
-This also means that we can enjoy them for the glory of God
3. The Joy that comes from God is a FOREVER joy: “at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”QUESTION: What are some joys you experience in this life that nice, but only temporary?
Most pleasures in this life a momentary and fleeting:
-Pleasures found in enjoying God are FOREVERMORE!
-We cannot comprehend the fullness of “pleasures forevermore,” but we accept it faith.
-Consider Eph 2:7
-Also: 1 Cor 2:9
-CONTRAST: -Other gods lead to sorrow: Ps 16:4
-Gods of this life cannot satisfy, but end in restlessness and sorrow
-They cut us off from God and the joy of knowing Him.
-FURTHER, Everyone is headed for one of two destinations: everlasting joy or everlasting sorrow.
-NT: Eternal sorrow of hell: Matt 24:51 ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’
-Eternal hell: Matt 25:46: “eternal punishment”
*OBJECTION: How can a good God give eternal punishment for temporary sins?
EDWARDS: It is not the duration of the crime, but nature of offense and person offended that determines
-John Piper uses the example of murder—takes a split second, but can be punished for life.
-Our sin is against an infinite, holy, eternal God, and thus deserves eternal punishment
-Problem: we don’t recognize the infinite worth of God or utter evil of sin.
APP: RECOGNIZING THE ETERNAL JOY THAT AWAITS US REORIENTS HOW WE LIVE TODAY
-Reorients what we hope for: something far better is coming
-Reorients what we fear: we fear God, not losing comforts or missing out on earthly joys.
-Reorients how we view others: people’s greatest need is Jesus
–Leads to Different Questions when we lack joy:
-Is there is unrepentant sin in my life? (This will steal our present joy in God)
-Is there is some refusal to do what is right? (This will steal our joy)
-Have we elevated something above God [comfort, career, convenience] (this will steal our joy).
-Is the Lord teaching me contentment, to find my all in Him (even as possible good things are withheld)
-God is God in what He gives and in what He withholds
-Is God teaching me to trust in Him and walk by faith while I look for the joy to come?
-Growing as a Christian includes learning to trust in His words rather than feeling or understanding
ILLUSTRATION:
–IMAGINE: The place you most want to visit is offered to you (all expenses paid and obligations at home met): -On this trip, you meet unexpected difficulties: suitcase has a stain, bad headache as you travel, no tv in your seat
-Do the difficulties mean you should not take the trip?
-Do the difficulties mean the location does not exist?
-2 Cor 4:16-18
END: JESUS LEADS US TO ETERNAL JOY IN GOD that is a GIFT to us in the GOSPEL:
-Come to Jesus again,
-Confess your sin
-Trust in Him afresh
-Pray for God to grant you to behold the everlasting nature of this joy that God gives in Christ.
-Let Psalm 16 instruct you and make it your prayer this week as you seek to experience fresh joy in God.
