Is Pursuing Joy Okay?

Our Old Testament scripts reading is Nehemiah 8 verses 1 through 12.

And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the water gate, and they told

Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could understand what they had heard, on the first day of the seventh month.

And he read from it facing the square before the water gate from early morning until midday in the presence of all the men and women and those who could understand.

In the ears of the people were attended to the book of the law. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for that purpose.

And beside him stood Mediah, Shema, Ananiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Messiah.

And on his right hand, and on his right hand, and Petahiah, Meshael, Malachiah, Hesham, Hezobahadon, Zechariah, and Meshulam on his left hand.

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and he opened it, all the people stood.

And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, Amen, Amen. Lifting up their hands, and they bowed their heads and worshiped the

Lord with their faces to the ground. Also, Jeshua, Bani, Sherbiah, Jamin, Akub, Zeb, Bethiah, Hudiah, Messiah, Keletah, Azariah, Jezobahadon, Hanan, Peliah, and the

Levites helped the people to understand the law while the people remained in their places. They read from the book, from the law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense so that people understood the reading.

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the

Levites who taught the people said to all the people, this day is holy to the Lord your God, do not mourn or weep.

For all the people wept as they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine, and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready.

For this day is holy to our Lord, and do not be grieved for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

So the Levites calmed all the people saying, be quiet, for this day is holy, do not be grieved.

And the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

New Testament reading today is in Luke 6, 20 through 26.

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples and said, Blessed 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 who weep now, for you shall laugh.

Blessed are you who people hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and spurn your name as evil on account of the

Son of Man. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy. For behold, your reward is great in heaven, for so their fathers did to the prophets.

But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.

Woe to you who people speak well for you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

You may be seated. Of course, this last week has been one of, well you know how

VBS is, unending activity. I had the privilege of teaching the 5th and 6th graders.

It's always good. It's always good to do something like that because, you know, when I get up and preach, you know, you're not going to stand up and walk around and all that kind of stuff.

You know, you've been brought up right where you're supposed to sit quietly, whereas 5th and 6th graders, either you got their attention or you're lost, right?

It was great, and I loved it. I had a great time. I want you to turn in your

Bibles today to Philippians chapter 1. I want to talk about joy this week. After a week like we had, we all have a sense of joy just because we were able to minister the

Word of God. And so I want to talk to you about what God expects from us in terms of joy and how we get there.

I think it's important that we look at this periodically just because, frankly, we can get so intent on right thinking that we just end up being kind of grumpy theologians, whereas our theology is not supposed to lead us in that direction.

We need to cultivate joy. So we're going to look at that today. Before we do, let's pray and ask

God to minister to us in these next several minutes. Father, thank you for the time we had this last week.

We're thankful that you saw fit to use us. We confess to you that too often we don't minister, and therefore we do get grumpy.

But when we minister, we find that there is joy. So as we're reminded of that today,

Father, I pray that you would give your people hope as we talk about this. Help them to change for your glory.

We will thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. You know, some people have the idea that we shouldn't strive for joy.

I had that idea for many years. You know, I thought,

I had the attitude in my mind that God is more concerned about our holiness than our happiness.

And I know that makes sense to a certain degree. You know, we live in a culture that just is all about, that teaches us that all ought to be about us, and that my happiness is the greatest good.

But I can't agree with the statement that says God's more interested in our holiness than our happiness.

Here's one, because I don't believe you can be holy and unhappy. I believe that holiness leads to happiness.

And any happiness that's not connected to holiness to me is suspect. Then you're happy for the wrong reasons.

There's something wrong with that happiness. And then another reason is this.

The Bible clearly states that your goal should be joy. That that's what you should pursue.

I want you to turn to Philippians 1, if you're not there. And I'm going to read verses 12 through 24.

You follow as I read. I want you to know, brothers, this is the Apostle Paul speaking to the Philippians.

It's clear that they have written him a letter. This is his response. And he says,

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 that 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 am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.

Yet, what shall I 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.

Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you 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.

Now, in your mind's eye, you need to see the Apostle Paul in a rented house in the great city of Rome.

Now, he's not in Italy having a vacation, all right? What's happening is while he's in that house, he's chained to a

Roman soldier who are on 12 -hour shifts, so he's got a Roman soldier with him all the time as his guard, and he's awaiting the trial of his life, the trial before the most powerful man in the world at the time, the

Roman emperor. And if you want the full picture, he's going to be on trial for his life. This emperor is going to decide whether he lives or whether he dies.

Now, that sounds like a pretty gloomy prospect to me. I always tell folks as I look at this verse, verse 20,

I always tell folks, you know, if that were me, I'd be on the phone. I'd say, honey, we need to get the best lawyer we can possibly get because I sure don't want to die, right?

But that's not his attitude. His life hangs in the balance, and even then he finds cause to rejoice.

It's a gloomy situation, but he rejoices. Why? Because his imprisonment has meant the gospel has a wider audience.

He's talked about that. He's in Rome, and maybe because he's chained to these soldiers and he's sharing the gospel, we're not sure, but he does say that the gospel has reached into the very household of Caesar through the praetorian guard.

The gospel is now at the highest levels in terms of political power, and it is spreading because other people are preaching about Jesus, some because they want to make life hard for Paul, others because they love him and they want the gospel to advance, but he says, you know, it doesn't matter.

Jesus is being proclaimed out there, and I rejoice in that. He also rejoices because he's confident that God's going to deliver him.

God could deliver him through death, and he would be with Jesus. What joy! But God could deliver him through acquittal and life, so that now he can minister for Jesus.

What joy! See, Paul sees himself 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 he says,

I am hard -pressed between the two. 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'm going to be acquitted, and I'm going to continue my work.

And what is the work he has to do? 25 and 26. 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.

Again, he has to minister the word of God so that they grow in righteousness and they grow in joy.

God expects us then to be a joyful congregation. We need to be a joyful congregation.

We need to be individually joyful persons. We should make it our aim to grow in joy.

That should be our aim. Now, let's look at this carefully and see what God has for us here.

God calls you to pursue joy. He calls you to pursue joy. What is Paul's intention once God delivers him from prison?

His intention, he intends to come to them and minister the word of God. And what does he expect from that ministry?

For your progress in the faith and your progress in the joy, he expects change.

I expect that you will make progress in your faith when I come and minister to you.

And he says, I expect that you will have greater joy when I come and minister to you.

So you have to see, first of all, something important in this text. And I hope this is on your mind every time you come to church.

All right? It's simply this. God expects the ministry of his word to change you.

Now, I don't want to put you in a spot here, but I'm going to tell you what I tell people is as the Lord opens up different venues of ministry and I'm going to different places, oftentimes

I will tell people, so you remember this just in case this happens. I say to them, if you walk into LaRue Baptist Church and grab any member by the lapels and say to them, what does

God expect from you? I hope they will say to you, God expects me to change. Okay?

So I've warned you. All right, listen, though. That's what he says here.

God expects you to change. God does not expect you to remain where you are.

Those who lead in the congregation should preach, should counsel, and lead in such a way that you will change.

Preaching is not something you do on Sunday to have a complete worship service.

Too often that's what we say, well, we're going to worship service and, you know, there's going to be preaching because that's just part of the service.

No, no. I've got to preach in such a way that you will have the ability and the willingness to change.

You ought to come in here every week asking, how will God want me to change as a result of hearing his word today?

How does he want me to change? And you ought to leave here every week saying, what am

I going to do this week to change? What are the steps I can take to change? Now, not just the public ministry, but the face -to -face ministry of the word of God in small

Bible studies or in counseling must have as its goal change. Listen, counseling is not just a listening ear, although listening is required.

Counseling is not coming in so you have a shoulder to cry on, though sympathy and tears are part of it all.

It is instead a ministry of the word of God so that you will change, that you will change.

That's what it's about. Now, what kind of change does God expect as a result of the ministry of the word?

He tells us here. He expects that you will make progress in the faith, that you will grow in righteousness, that you will grow in more consistent obedience to the commands of Jesus.

When you leave here on Sunday, you need to be asking, what do I need to change so I'm more consistent with my status as a disciple of Jesus?

How can I be a more faithful disciple? How can I be a more obedient disciple?

Listen, not just change in behavior, but change in your thinking. You should leave here at times saying, all right, how should

I be thinking as a result of that? Where do I need to change my thinking? Where do I need to change my attitudes?

Where do I need to change my loyalties? Where do I need to change my actions? Where do

I need to change my speech? Any one of those or all of them should be part of what happens here.

When you leave, as you say, I need to make progress in the faith. And as the word of God is ministered to you, he expects that you will grow in joy.

He will expect that you grow in joy. By the way, that gives a job description to pastors.

Pastor, your job is to help God's people make progress in their walk and help them achieve joy.

By the way, that doesn't mean that the pastor is not going to get up here, or whichever one of the elders is up here preaching is not going to call for your repentance.

It doesn't mean it's just going to be, oh, let's be happy and let's just leave out of here dancing.

Because joy sometimes is going to come through hard truth. Joy can come when you repent of sin and choose to do what

God says. When you say no to sin and yes to God. When you put off and when you put on.

Whatever it is, coming from this pulpit or from face -to -face ministry, it's aimed at your consistent obedience and your joy.

And so those who minister, the pastor's job is to see that you make progress in your joy as well.

Now notice again that joy doesn't just happen. I'm not saying that you come in here and just listen to a sermon and you walk out with joy.

It requires a consistent ministry of God's word. He says, I'm coming to minister the word of God to you so that you make progress in your faith and progress in your joy.

I'm coming to minister the word of God so those things happen, so that you change and experience joy.

You know what that means? That means you have to submit yourself to the ministry of the word of God.

You submit yourself to the ministry of the word of God. And don't expect joy if you're in the habit of missing church.

Okay? Be just straight out with you. You know, if you're in the habit of saying, well, you know,

I'm just not in the mood today, don't expect much joy in your life. It comes through the ministry of the word of God.

It comes through the ministry of the word of God publicly and privately, but it comes through the ministry of the word of God. So if you're not in the habit of submitting to the teaching of the word of God, you're not going to be as joyful as you ought to be.

So God calls you to pursue joy, and you don't have to feel guilty about that at all.

Now, God also tells you how to pursue joy. How do you pursue joy so that you can experience it?

Now, you already know that the key to joy must be the ministry of God's word. Okay? We know that.

If you want to pursue joy, if you want to experience joy, then the word of God must have a transformative effect on you.

The word of God changes the way you think so that joy is possible.

It convinces you to look for joy in the right places rather than the wrong ones.

Now, God's word reveals to us the source of true joy. We are born with a tendency that believes that joy comes when we get what we want.

That should come as no surprise. I mean, it's so much a part of us we don't even think about it. Yeah, I'll be joyful if I get what

I want. I'll be happy and joyful if I achieve my dreams, right? I'll be joyful when

I'm the most popular country singer there is. I can't imagine joy in being a rapper, but maybe that's possible.

All right? Maybe that's possible. I'll have fulfillment when all my circumstances are easy, when life is easy for me, right?

I'll be happy if I get the teacher I want, if I get the job I want, and if that job doesn't require a whole lot of effort on my part, then

I'll have joy. Or I'll possess joy when I get out of suffering, right?

Happiness will be mine if I can just get out of this marriage with this unbelievably dumb, cruel husband

I got. That's when I'll have joy. We are in the habit of thinking that joy comes when we get what we want.

And that's the flesh speaking. Now, remember what the flesh is. Not this. Not just this.

The flesh is this incurable addiction to self. That's that, if you will, the addict in you talking, saying that's the best way of getting joy.

Look at Galatians 5 for a moment. Two books before. Galatians 5. What do we find here?

Look at what it says. 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 are not under the law. Now, the works of the flesh are evident. Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, 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, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self -control.

Against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

See that the Holy Spirit is the source of joy. The Spirit uses

His Word to change you and to change your thinking about the source of joy.

Walk in the Spirit and you will have joy. God's Word also changes your view on the circumstances of joy.

Now, here's what we believe. That your circumstances must be devoid of suffering or discomfort or pain of any kind.

All of that in order to find joy. But God's Word says otherwise.

Now listen, can I tell you something here? I'm not talking to you now as someone who's arrived.

I am a fellow traveler with you. I've got to fight the same tendencies.

So I'm preaching to me here too, okay? But let's look at what it says. God's Word does not say that if your circumstances are devoid of suffering you will have joy.

It doesn't say that. Now we all know James 1, 2 to 4, don't we? If you don't, turn to it. 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.

God's Word gives you a perspective on suffering. It says look at suffering differently.

Suffering accomplishes something in God's economy. It actually does something. Now, please understand.

He is not saying count the joy or count the sufferings as joy.

That's not what he's saying. He's saying when you meet sufferings of all different kinds you can count that part of your life joy.

Why? Because you know something. You know that God is working steadfastness which leads to maturity, perfection.

Alright? I can have joy. I'm not happy that horrible things happen but I can have joy because I know that whatever those horrible things are for God's people

God is trying to work in me or God is using that to work in me perseverance, steadfastness and that leads to perfection or here what it means in James is maturity.

I'm not lacking something. Okay? So you get this perspective on suffering that's different.

Luke chapter 6. You heard it this morning. Luke 6 beginning in verse 20. Now, you know, we all know these terms blessed are, blessed, blessed.

What does that mean? It has the idea of a deep sense of satisfaction. A deep sense of satisfaction.

He said blessed 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 who weep now for you shall laugh. And then the most radical one. 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. Rejoice in that day and what? Leap for joy for behold your reward is great in heaven so their fathers did for so their fathers did to the prophets.

God's word gives an entirely different perspective here. He says leap for joy when people hate you and revile you because of what you stand for because of what you believe.

Rejoice in that leap for joy. Why? Well, one thing he says that's what they did to the prophets.

Their fathers did that. So he's saying you're an exalted company. You're up there with the prophets. And he says something else.

He says because yours is the kingdom of God. You belong to God. There's a part that's going to yet come and you will have everlasting joy.

You have a different perspective. When you are poor, when you are hungry, when you are weeping know that if you're doing those for the right reasons if you're doing those things there is joy for you.

You are blessed. You are fully satisfied when those things are happening because God has made these promises.

You know what? God considers the world's definition of losers and we're losers by the world's definition.

We're the winners in God's eyes. So we can leap for joy in those situations.

We have a different perspective. Do you see that? God's word gives us a different perspective. One more. John 15, 9 through 11.

John chapter 15, 9 through 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 have kept my

Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Obedience brings joy. By the way, have you ever thought about that? When you're in the midst of a horrible temptation when it's between obedience and disobedience do you ever think, you know what?

If I go the way that God's called me to go there's joy at the end of that. Jesus puts it out as a worthy goal.

I would rather have joy in obeying God. I will have joy in believing that God knows what's best as opposed to going the opposite.

So God's word gives you the circumstances of your joy. And then

God's word convinces you that you cannot separate your joy from God's glory.

You cannot separate your joy from God's glory. Back to Philippians.

You notice what the Apostle Paul says? Look at the end of verse 18 in chapter one. Yes, there's a break there in verse 18, the second part.

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 that with full courage now as always

Christ will be honored in my body whether by life or by death. I want

Jesus to be seen. If they kill me, right, if they kill me,

I want them to see Jesus. As they're walking me over to the chopping block to deal with me,

I want them to look at me headed for that execution and they say, that guy was like Jesus. Or if they let me go and they acquit me,

I want them to say, you know, Paul was like Jesus when they did that. Either way, and he says there, and I rejoice in all of this.

Well, what's the point? You can't separate, you can't separate your joy and the glory of God.

You can't separate your seeking to glorify God from your joy.

All right? I love what Rankin -Wilburn writes in his book Union with Christ. Listen to what he says.

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. When you live for a higher purpose than yourself, when you live for the glory of Jesus, the one who saved you, when you live for that purpose, he will be glorified and you will have joy.

You cannot separate the two. Now, I want you to think about that.

Too often, especially in our circles, we'll say, look, no matter what,

I want to glorify God. No matter what, I want to glorify God. And we kind of get this view of God sitting in heaven going, will you please glorify me, you knucklehead?

I'm the greatest in the world. I'm the greatest in the universe. I'm the highest good. So glorify me, will you?

Oh, come on. What is your problem? Okay? And what God is saying to us is, man, glorify me.

Live for my glory. And when you do, what happens? Remember what

Jesus said? The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but I have come that you may have life and have it to the full.

You cannot separate the two. Your joy glorifies

God. Here's one more. God's word opens the door to you to the joy of eternal life.

John 17. Turn back there with me. John 17. John 17, one through three.

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 have sent.

What is eternal life? It's knowing God. It's knowing Jesus. God's word brings you to the eternal word,

Jesus. Through God's word, you have communion with the Son and the Father, and you experience the true joy of eternal life.

Through the word of God, you commune with God. You commune with the Son, and through that, you have the joy of eternal life.

So if you want to experience true joy, then submit yourself to the transforming power of the word of God.

It tells you where to go. Listen to it. The last thing

I want you to see, verse 26, God tells you what results as you pursue joy.

Notice what he says in verse 26. So that I want you to make progress in your faith and in your joy, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus because of my coming to you again.

Here you find another reason for Paul's ministry of the word, to glorify Christ. So that in me, in my ministry,

Jesus will be glorified. When he returns to them to minister the powerful word of God, they will experience joy.

And as they experience joy, Christ will be magnified. He'll be glorified. His power will be open for all to see.

And as the word is ministered here, your joy should grow, and Jesus should be exalted.

Does it seem strange to you that your increased joy results in the exaltation of Jesus? Listen, we live in a world.

Do I have to say it? We live in a world of hardship, heartaches, and sorrow. We are surrounded.

We are surrounded by incredible sorrow and heartache because as more and more our culture teaches people to do what they want to do, when they want to do it, get what they want, when they want it, how much they want, as our culture continually sounds that message in the ears of everyone, there is going to be increased misery in this world.

And we are swimming in an ocean of misery. How does it look for people to be joyful in this culture?

Right? Of course Jesus is magnified because people will see the power of God at work in bringing you joy in the midst of all this misery.

And as you live for God's glory in the exaltation of Christ, your joy explodes and others are going to see it.

You live for a higher purpose than yourself. Your joy increases as you live in obedience to Jesus' commands.

You look like Christ. So people will see Christ and your joy. They will see holiness and happiness.

I think John Piper is right when he says, God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.

It's so important for us, I think, in this culture to be joyful people.

We need to pursue it. And you pursue joy, what? So I can just be happy?

No, I'm going to pursue joy so that the glory of God shines through it all.

That's why you want joy. You want it for the glory of God. So don't let anyone tell you that God's more interested in your holiness than your happiness because you can't separate the two.

And so you ought to pursue joy. That's God's goal for you. But for real joy to flourish, the

Word 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 Son and with the Father. Only that kind of joy is

God's goal for you. So that's what we need to be pursuing. That's what we need to be pursuing.

This world needs people to reflect joy.

For the glory of God. Father, thank you for your Word. We are always thankful when you speak to us in it.

We are thankful, Father, that this is the living Word of God that you send this to us and it is living.

Lord, I beg you, work in this congregation to transform us.

To make us what we ought to be. You are good.

And in that we can rejoice. You are good always. Help us to remember that.

Grant us now, Father, the desire to pursue the kind of joy that exalts our

God. And we will thank you for what you've given us.