John 16:20-24; 17:13-17
Purpose: To see God’s blueprint for happiness.
Aim: I want the listener to focus on God’s eternal joy and enjoy God now.
INTRODUCTION: Every human heart cries out for joy, but few ever find it. Relationships crumble because there is no joy. Family fights begin when joy is missing. God made us to be happy, but we have lost our way. We need someone to point the way to joy.
The sailor’s compass is thought to have first been used in China in the eleventh century A.D. It consisted of a magnetized needle floating in water that consistently aligned itself with the earth’s magnetic field. Finding magnetic north allowed mariners and travelers to know the direction of south, east, and west and keep from getting lost.
To be lost geographically means to wander aimlessly without purpose or direction. The whole idea of "lost" implies there is a standard by which "found" is measured. Having a compass allows one to stay on a fixed course and gradually change one’s condition from lost to found.
One’s progress when lost is only as dependable as one’s compass and the world offers many unreliable ones. Since only Christ knows the way "home," we, the lost, must follow Him alone. [Rev. David Jeremiah’s Today’s Turning Point December 23, 2008]
In our text Jesus shows us the way to joy, so let’s look at the compass of God’s Word to see where it points.
Before we can find something, we must know what we are looking for. Otherwise, we could arrive and not know we are there.
I. What is Joy?
That may sound like a strange question. We think of joy as being happy, excited, and content about our circumstances. We might say, "Things are going good right now. I’m really happy." Joy, though, is much different.
16:22a A. Joy is internal "your heart will rejoice"
Happiness depends on happenings. Joy is a gift. The fruit of the Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22).
Notice that Jesus is talking about a joy that transcends circumstances. In John 16:20-24 Jesus mentions weeping, lamenting, grief, and labor pain. Jesus also talks about rejoicing twice and joy four times in the same verses.
Jesus is showing us that it is possible to have joy when circumstances are hard.
16:22b B. Joy is permanent "no one will take your joy away"
The joy that God gives is not subject to the whims of the world. When we depend on situations to make us happy, we are slaves of the next circumstance.
When we find God’s joy, we don’t have to worry about someone taking it away.
Isaiah 54:10 For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken, Says the Lord who has compassion on you. (NAU)
16:24 C. Joy is complete "joy may be made full"
Worldly happiness is always lacking something. It always comes with regrets. Regrets may come from our guilty conscience, it may be the fear that it won’t last, or it may be because the happiness we have still hasn’t met our expectations--we expect it to be even better.
Joy, on the other hand, is so complete that it fills us. God’s joy has no regrets.
Joy is so complete that it infuses us with strength. Nehemiah 8:10 Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (NAU)
Joy keeps us from giving up. When a chronic disease tempts us to think that life is no longer worth living, joy gives us the strength to keep fighting. When a relationship goes sour and we think that there is no hope, joy gives us the strength to keep working on that relationship. When it seems like the bills will always be more than our income, joy will allow us to keep from buying what we don’t need and looking for ways to earn what is needed as we expect God to provide our needs.
17:13 D. Joy belongs to God "may have My joy"
God does not have OUR joy, we have His! Our goal is to capture God’s joy, not to manipulate ways to get our own joy.
So, what is God’s joy? This is explained for us in Hebrews 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (NAU)
So, Christ’s joy was something He was looking forward to. What Jesus looked forward to was so captivating, so appealing, and so attractive that even the Cross and the shame He endured did not dampen His enthusiasm. Jesus remained motivated and excited about what lay ahead for Him.
What was Jesus looking forward to? Notice the last phrase in Hebrews 12:2 has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. In John 17 Jesus described what His great joy was. John 17:4-5 4 I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. (NAU)
The end result of what Jesus did here on earth paved the way for His glorious exaltation. Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ’Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come’ (NAU)
Christ’s joy should be our joy. This is what is implied in Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (NAU) Our job and our joy is to see Jesus glorified!
James tells us that God uses trials to empty us of ourselves to we can be filled up with God’s desires. James 1:2-4 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (NAU) Once we surrender our plans to manipulate our own form of joy, then we are open to receiving God’s joy which is so much better.
Pleasurable experiences do not give us joy. Joy comes when we participate in the awesome work of exalting Jesus Christ.
One day we will reign with Christ. 2 Timothy 2:12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him (NAU)
One day we will share His throne. Revelation 3:21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (NAU)
One day we will share in Christ’s glory. 1 Peter 5:1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, (NAU)
This is why Paul experienced such joy even while enduring so much suffering. Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (NAU)
This helps us understand what Peter meant when he said, 1 Peter 4:12-13 12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. (NAU)
If this doesn’t sound like a very good way to have joy, then we must ask ourselves: What is more important our feelings or Christ’s glory? Do we really love Jesus Christ?
Now that we have an idea what God’s joy means, we must ask:
II. How do we Get Joy?
16:22 A. Value God’s presence "I will see you again"
Feelings change depending on how we look at what is happening to us. Every time circumstances make us unhappy we are expecting to find happiness in the wrong place.
When a person robs us of joy, it’s because we are looking to them to contribute to our joy. In other words, we are more in love with our desire to feel good than we are with that person. So, other people become nothing more than tools to happiness--tools that can be discarded if they don’t further our good feelings.
Every other human being will disappoint you, but let’s imagine for a moment that you find the perfect friend. Picture what it would be like to have a close relationship with a person who is so wonderful, so loving, and so beautiful that he makes everyone and everything else pale in comparison to him. This friend is more glorious than anyone else in history. He is wealthy beyond imagination and has promised to provide your every need.
Now imagine that someday soon you will be with this friend every day. Even though you have to wait for a little while to begin living with this person, you know that it is going to happen and that it will last forever. In the mean time, you can share your life with and depend on this person for your every need.
There is a Person like that. That Person, of course, is Jesus. He will never disappoint us. The Disciples experienced this later after Christ’s resurrection: John 20:20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. (NAU)
David longed for God’s presence. Psalm 16:11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. (NAU)
The presence of God always brings joy to a follower of Jesus
Christ.
17:14 B. Trust in Christ’s love "I have given them your Word"
We have all of the same promises that Jesus gave to the Disciples. We only have to do two things: learn God’s Word and believe God’s Word. God has told us about many of the great things that we have in Christ. Ephesians 1:3-8 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us(NAU)
The real reason we don’t have more joy is because we don’t believe what God has told us in the Bible. We may say we believe what God has said, but it may not seem real to us.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (NAU) Do we believe this?
Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (NAU)
When the wonderful glory of Jesus Christ becomes real to us, then we will endure whatever comes our way because we are looking past the temporary problems toward the eternal joy that is already ours.
16:24 C. Make Christ’s joy the goal of your life "ask and you will receive"
David prayed that we would experience God’s joy. Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You. (NAU)
When David sinned he asked God to restore his joy. Psalm 51:12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. (NAU)
We must be willing to fight for joy!
Colossians 1:10-11 10 walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously (NAU)
1 John 1:4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. (NAU)
CONCLUSION: Focusing on Christ’s joy is the only way we can, Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4 NAU)
Psalm 32:11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy (NAU)
C. S. Lewis gave us the following insight:
"Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." [The Agony of Deceit by Michael Horton, Editor, Moody Press, 1990, p. 4910,000 sermon illustrations. 2000 (electronic ed.). Dallas: Biblical Studies Press.]
WHEN I MET CHRIST, I FELT THAT I HAD SWALLOWED SUNSHINE. E. Stanley Jones [Morgan, R. J. Vols. for <2002- > have accompanying CD-ROMs. Nelson’s annual preacher’s sourcebook.; 2007 Edition (80). Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson Publishers.]
