Foundations for a Joyful Christian - Assembly — Marvin Derksen

Now, I don't know what's distinctive about an Irishman standing, but here I am. I'm standing between two Irishmen, and I'm not sure what that means, whether that's a sandwich or exactly what that has in view.

But anyway, we're certainly very glad to be here, and we're certainly thankful for the practical words that our brother has brought before us. I'd like to maybe start where he stopped, because he mentioned about the joy of the Lord being our strength, and so I'd like to read in the book of Hebrews chapter 12.

Christ’s Joy and Endurance in Hebrews 12

Hebrews chapter 12, and we'll read at verse number one. Hebrews chapter 12, verse number one. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith.

It says our faith, but it's of faith. Who for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. And then the writer adds, consider him, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

This happened a number of years ago, but there was a brother that came to visit us on the east coast of Newfoundland, east coast of Canada, Newfoundland. This brother had been involved in the work many years before.

He'd come for a couple of summers, and so he'd come back to just see the Christians again, to attend a conference, and to just enjoy fellowship. And during that conference, he came up to me, and he said, he said, Marv, he said, these Christians have lost their joy.

And sadly, he was right. Now, the assembly was going on steadfastly, and they were having a conference, as they had other years, but he detected that something was missing. And of course, it involves spiritual health, didn't it?

And you know, I've thought about that because really what he was saying was true. At many times, we are linked, or we are, we give evidence of a joyless Christianity. Brothers and sisters, a joyless Christianity is abnormal Christianity.

It's a distortion of God's purposes. It's a distortion of God's grace. It's a misrepresentation of the very character of God, because we've been reminded that the joy of the Lord is our strength. And here in the book of Hebrews, who for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame.

I think what we have just sung is certainly evidence in many of our lives, my joy, or my love is oft times low, my joy still ebbs and flows, but peace with him remains the same, no change, Jehovah knows.

So in the ups and downs of life, we are girded about with this very, very wonderful eternal relationship, that peace with him will never, never alter, never be changed. And of course, God's desire is that we might enjoy that, we might live in the good of that.

God’s Deliverance and Covenant Relationship

In fact, I was just reading in Exodus chapter 19, and I just tried to put myself in Moses' place, because the Lord had called him, they were by Sinai, the Lord had called him, and he says, this is what I want you to tell the nation of Israel, the people of Israel.

And Moses could have said, well, what exactly do you want me to tell them? And in that wonderful chapter, he said, you have seen, number one, what I did to the Egyptians. There had been a very mighty deliverance.

They'd been brought under the years of bondage and hopelessness, and they'd brought into a relationship with their God. You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you up on eagles' wings.

And so alongside of this mighty deliverance, we find that there was a tender, sustaining care. And I think as we look at our lives, we can appreciate the very same thing, that our God has borne us up many, many times, continuously on eagle wings, and that I brought you to myself.

I brought you to myself, and wondrously, amazingly, he has brought us into an eternal relationship with him, a relationship of union, of communion, of enjoyment, of learning, of transformation, of just knowing him.

In fact, the Lord's words in John 17, he said, this is life eternal, that they might go to heaven. No, that's not what he said. This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

So here we are, and we're here to learn more of him. We're here to respond to his word. And so today, I just want to give you some of the, what I have called some of the foundation stones of a joyful assembly, or we could even make it more personal, the foundation stones of a joyful Christian life.

And I think that would certainly tie in with what our brother Clark has been referring to with regard to spiritual health. So I'm just going to give you some very singular comments, some little words to emphasize what I have in mind, because Hebrews chapter 12, here were believers, and they had gone through a tremendous conflict.

They had moved from what was so visible to that which was invisible. Now, of course, you remember, you recall that the Old Testament relationship with God involved the very visible things, a visible tabernacle.

There was smoke. There was incense. There were animal sacrifices. There were the garments that were so beautiful. There were the onyx stones and so on. It was all visible. And of course, visibility has a tremendous power, doesn't it?

We like what we see. But now they had moved to the invisible. They were linked with a Savior who had gone home to heaven. They were linked with people and who knows where they were meeting, maybe outside or maybe in just an unmarked place.

And so here were believers. They had moved from the visible to the invisible. They had moved from the temporal to the spiritual, the eternal. They were involved with eternal transactions. They had moved and stepped from the shadows to the substance, hadn't they?

All the Old Testament types and shadows were pointing ahead, but now the real had come, the eternal had come, the substance had come, and our Lord Jesus Christ had won their hearts. And so here were believers, and they had left a lot of things.

Chapter 10 tells us they endured a great fight of afflictions, and they had been made a gazing stock. They had been made a spectacle. I think the word there is the theater. And so there were people, there were Christians, and they had been brought into the coliseums, and they had been made a laughing stock and a gazing stock just for the entertainment of others.

And so the writer is saying, don't cast away your confidence, which hath great recompense or reward. So what's the solution? He just says it so simply. Consider him. Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Occupation with Christ

So what would give joy in the assembly? What would bring joy in our personal lives? Well, I think very simply, number one, it's occupation. Occupation with Christ. Occupation with Christ. Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

I'm sure there's believers here, and in the midst of trials, in the midst of difficulties, we have been able to trace the Savior's pathway, as the hymn says, that was so uncheered by earthly smiles. It wasn't easy, was it?

It was a contradiction of sinners. There was the constant pushback of those that he'd come to bless, and despite that, who for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame.

And as we consider him, we understand that his joy becomes our joy. It gives us strength because, yes, the joy of the Lord is our strength. And as I couldn't help but think of his words, which we use in the Gospel coming to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest.

But then he says, take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for my yoke is easy, my burden is light. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. Now, brothers and sisters, that's more than just academic, learn about him.

I trust that this weekend will be a time when we will learn more about him. But I think the truth there is to learn from him, to spend time with him, to be yoked together, to walk in tandem with him. Learn from me.

And if we're going to do that, it's going to take time, isn't it? It's going to be a decision that we make to actually learn and take up this yoke that's linked with him and learn of me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

I understand that this word easy is a very strange word, isn't it? Do you find the Christian life easy? I don't. We're living in a world. Now, we are twice born, aren't we? Those of us who were we are twice born.

We're living in a world run by the once born. So we don't fit. We don't fit. We're going the opposite way from the way that the world is going. And so it's not easy. But amazingly, this word easy is, well, it has a number of different usages in the Bible.

And I noticed in Luke chapter 6, verse 35, it says, he is kind, same word, he is kind to the unthankful. He is easy with them. As we consider him, we can't help but be impressed and amazed at his amazing patience with us and with a guilty world.

I've often wondered why God doesn't step in many times to settle the score, to deal with these issues. He's going to, but he's easy to the unthankful. Romans chapter 2, not knowing that the goodness of God leads to repentance, same word, not knowing that the easiness of God leads to repentance.

Ephesians 4, be kind one to another, be easy one to another. We'll come to that later. First Peter chapter 2, verse 3, tasted that the Lord is gracious. He's easy. And wondrously, as we consider him, we can't help but bow with thanksgiving that he has shown us such great grace, such amazing patience.

When I think of the evenness of his walk, he was full of grace and truth. You say 50 -50? No, no, no, brethren, not 50 -50, 100 and 100%. He was full of grace and truth. And here we are linked with him.

We can't help but be amazed at the depth of his sufferings. Consider him. How far did he go? All the way to Calvary. How long did he stoop? The death of the cross, despised, rejected, and then the wrath of God fell upon the man, the only man that had never sinned.

And here we are. And the writer to the Hebrews just says, consider him. Occupation with Christ. We've been challenged already many times. Our devotional time is very limited, isn't it? Just a bun on the run.

That'll do it for the day. It doesn't, does it? Sometimes we have to just grab a tidbit. But you know, it's only when we spend time in the Word of God that we're strengthened, we're encouraged. There's a sense, there's the spirit of joy that returns.

And despite the opposition and despite the difficulties, we understand that there is a God in heaven and he's marked by this wonderful joy. Now, we love to sing Man of Sorrows. What a name for the Son of God who came.

It's a great hymn. But I'm still waiting for someone to write about the man of joy because he was marked by joy. He willingly went to the cross. In fact, I'm amazed that before he left that upper room, they sang a hymn together.

And he knew where he was going. The disciples had no idea of what lay ahead. But he knew. And if I'm correct in saying Psalm 119 was very likely some of the words that he sang that night. You say, what's in Psalm 119?

This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Calvary was just ahead. The darkness of Gethsemane was just ahead. The scorn and the mockery and the reproach and the shame was just ahead.

And the awful wrath of God was just ahead. And yet he sang, this is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. Occupation with Christ. I know I'm just touching the fringe of the fringe with regard to this.

But you know, one of the foundation stones of a joyful life and one of the foundation stones of a joyful assembly is occupation with him. I trust that our hearts will be in tune with that. Let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 12 very quickly.

Participation in the Body of Christ

1 Corinthians chapter 12. And again, I'll just read individual portions here. 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and we'll read at verse number 12. For as the body is one and have many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body, so also is Christ.

Just drop down to verse number 18. But now has God set the members, every one of them in the body as it hath pleased him. Drop down to verse 22. Now, nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary.

Verse number 26. Now, whether one member and whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it. Or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now your body of Christ and members in particular.

And verse number 31, but covet earnestly the best gifts and yet show I unto you a more excellent way. Brother Clark has reminded us of the need for exercise. And I think the little caption over 1 Corinthians 12 in my mind is not just occupation, but participation.

Participation. Because we have been wondrously saved and brought into a living entity, a living body, a living relationship that's part of God's purposes. And I heartily agree with our brother Clark that every single one of us, every single one of us has been given a spiritual ability.

We call it the gifts. We have been given a spiritual ability to function effectively in the purposes of God, in the work of God. And here is the apostle writing to these Corinthians, and he said, your joy and your effectiveness will be linked with being involved in the things of God.

Now, I've never been to a professional football game. The World Cup, I think, is playing right now in the US, maybe other places. It's coming to Canada as well. And it's interesting that in any of those football, whether it's American football or the soccer as we would call it, that every match involved two things.

On the field, there's 22 men that are trying to make a goal. And in the stands, there's 50, 60, 70, 80 ,000, maybe more spectators. And there's a big difference between those two entities. On the field, there's 22 men in desperate need of rest.

In the stands, there's 80 or 90 ,000 people in desperate need of exercise. And you know, those people up in the stands, and I think we can appreciate the fact that they're calling the shots. They're criticizing what's happening on the field.

Why didn't he pass the ball there? Why didn't he do this? Why didn't he do that? And many times, the local assembly is just like that game, isn't it? There's a few believers that are grinding out the yards, and it's tough, and it's hard.

And sometimes we just feel like not much progress. But in the grandstands, we've got the big picture. Why did they decide to do that? Why didn't they do something else? And there we are, criticizing, but not lifting a little finger.

22 men in desperate need of rest. Thousands of spectators in desperate need of exercise. You know, when you're on the playing field, and there's only a few, you're subject to a lot of criticism. I'm talking in a spiritual sense now, in the local assembly.

And sometimes, there's just a few believers, and they're trying to do maybe what they're not even gifted to do, because nobody else is doing anything. And so there's burnout. There's burnout. There's ineffectiveness.

And I think what Paul is addressing here in the Corinthian assembly, he said, now, God has said, every member in the body, as it hath pleased him. So believer today, you have a purpose being where you are.

You have a purpose for your life. God has given you a spiritual ability to function effectively in the advance of his work, gospel, ministry, the health of the assembly, the upbuilding of other believers.

We affect one another. And when we fail to participate, everybody suffers. Everybody suffers. You might say, well, I think I'm just a help. Just a help. Please don't downgrade your ability. It's not just a help.

Helps were linked with spiritual gifts. We need the helps. And you know, as Paul advanced the work of the gospel, we understand that he was constantly surrounded by fellow believers. In fact, there were times when there were brethren and sisters that were involved in the work.

Paul was never a lone wolf. No, he surrounded himself with all kinds of fellow helpers of those that were just there to advance the work. And you know, when it comes to helpers, it might not be visible, might not be behind a platform like this, but it's vital.

Because you see, when it comes to helpers, number one, they're just willing to participate. That's it. Just willing to participate. They don't wait to be told what to do. They have no desire for prominence.

And they just have discovered the truth that's found in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. I still remember that there was a dear brother who's home in heaven now, died way before his time, and humanly speaking.

But dear George was a very, very busy accountant, a very successful man. He saw the big picture, and he was a vital part of the work there in the East Coast. And we were trying to finish up the hall, and funds were low, and so we were just kind of inching along.

And so he came up to me one time, and this is by way of illustration, he says, Marv, what are you doing at the hall? I saw your card there at 6 .30 in the morning. Well, I said, George, I'm just trying to try to finish up some of the gyprock, because the conference is coming.

He says, what time do you start? I said, well, usually 6 .30. He says, look, he says, I could come, and I could help until 8 o 'clock, because I've got to go to work by 8. But I said, if you want to come, you come.

And unannounced, with no fanfare, with no flags flying, a very, very busy accountant came, and he helped to advance that very practical project. You see, he was a helper, among other things. And that's so vital in our lives, participation.

So, brothers and sisters, are you involved in the local assembly, or are you in the grandstands? If you're just watching the action happen, then I trust that you'll leave your grandstand seat, and you'll go down to the playing field, and you'll seek to advance the work of God.

Evangelization and the Harvest

Let's go to John chapter 4. That clock is going off far too fast. John chapter 4, a very, very interesting and a very well-known portion. John chapter 4 and verse number 35. Now, let's look at verse 27.

And upon this, his disciples, upon this came his disciples, and marveled that he talked with a woman, yet no man said, what seekest thou? Verse 31, in the meanwhile, his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.

But he said unto them, I have meat to eat, that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples, one to another, hath any man brought him out to eat? Jesus said unto him, my meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

Say not ye there yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look in the fields, for they are white already to harvest. He that reapeth, receiveth wages, and gathereth through them to life eternal, that both he that sows and he that reaps may rejoice together.

And herein is that saying true, one sows, another reaps. I sent you to reap, that were on you bestowed no labor. Other men labored, and you have entered into their labors. Here we are in Garnevillo, and that last statement could certainly be applied to this audience, other men labored.

And here we are, we're enjoying the spoils, and the harvest, and the results of their labors. But now it's our turn. What brings joy in a person's life? What brings joy to an assembly? It's occupation with Christ, it's participation in the work of God, but it's evangelization, being involved in the advance of the gospel.

And I think that when I think of Iowa, I think that this is a gospel-minded state, that the gospel continues to be expanded, and it has thrived here, and we're thankful for the evidence of what God has done and what God is doing.

Keep at it. But here were disciples in John chapter 4, and they didn't get the big picture. They were hungry. He says, Master, eat. And I think previously they had likely grumbled among themselves, why are we going this way?

We never go this way. But he must, needs go through Samaria. You see, for them it was an unwelcome detour. But for the Lord Jesus, it was a designated mission. He must, needs go through Samaria. And he says, man, you have a vision problem.

You're all concerned with the temporal. But he says, my meat is due the will of him that sent me in to finish his work. And then he said, you're calculating things that there's going to be yet four months, and then comes harvest.

Now, I'm not sure when harvest comes here. Four months? I don't know. But spiritually, sometimes we look down the road and say, well, it's, you know, maybe, maybe blessing will come down the road sometime.

He said, lift up your eyes and look in the fields for they are white already to harvest. And here we are in the great harvest field. I think we must appreciate, we need to appreciate the fact that time is running out, isn't it?

We're living in some very, very critical days. And yes, the spiritual soil is changing. Sometimes there's not the openness to spiritual truth. Sometimes there's not the interest to, I'm talking about the people out there, and there's not an interest even to respond to the gospel.

We're finding that people that are coming to Newfoundland from the four corners of this world are the ones that are responding. And Newfoundlanders as a whole are not responding anymore. They're rich and creased with goods.

They have needed nothing. But people are coming from the various parts of this world. In fact, God is bringing the mission field to us. And we need to lift up our eyes and look in the fields for they are white already to harvest.

I trust that we might continue to find some of our spiritual joy in being linked with this eternal, eternal project, this eternal work of advancing the gospel. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

And I still remember it. This is a memory that goes back a couple of years, 10 or 11 years. I remember visiting a very, very simple home in a very remote village in Chile, Llanera Grande. And I met a believer there, and the story was very interesting.

She had heard the gospel as a teenage girl. Her name was Perta. Now, she was a grandmother now. She was well along. This had happened years before. And there was an evangelist that came I think in Llanera Grande.

And he had one meeting, one meeting, just kind of on his way. And Perta was at that meeting. When he left, he was able to give her a copy of the Bible. I think it was the whole Bible or part of the Bible.

And he left. She doesn't know his name. He's never been back. But Perta began to read that Bible. And to make a long story short, in time, she came to trust in the Savior. And then she began to teach her children about the gospel.

And now, she's teaching her grandchildren about the Savior and salvation through Him. And I've often thought to myself, that evangelist has no idea what one meeting and one Bible has produced, the results of that.

And, brethren, sisters, if we could see the full results of our sowing, would we not sow more seed? But sometimes our perspective is clouded, isn't it? And we just fail to understand that the fields are white already to harvest.

And so, I trust that we might find some of our spiritual joy in being linked with our Lord Jesus and the proclamation of His Word. Now, time has gone. One more, Ephesians chapter 4, and we'll read verse number 31.

Kindness, Forgiveness, and Consideration in the Assembly

Ephesians chapter 4 and verse number 31. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you.

I still remember reading this after I just, I'd just been saved just a very short time. That was 55 years ago. And I read, I was reading in Ephesians chapter 4, and I said, now, why in the world would that ever have to be in the Bible?

Because my impression of Christians was glowing, were wonderful. They weren't angels, but they were almost there. Why would the apostle ever put that in the Bible? Be kind one to another, and tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ.

But I've come to understand why. I look at my own heart, and yes, I looked at the evidence of these verses in the lives of others. And I said, well, I understand, I understand now why this is, this is an exhortation in the Bible.

And so, with regard to spiritual health and spiritual joy, consideration of one another is vital. Consideration of one another is vital. My mother-in-law was a widow for many, many years, and she was renting a place.

And on one of our visits, we went, came into the apartment, upstairs apartment, and she said, Marvin, the landlord just put some new ceramic tile around the bathtub. And so, we'll have a look. It looks pretty good to me.

And so, I went in with my eagle eye, and I looked very quickly at the job, and they were like, I don't know, five by five little tiles, and they all had a rose kind of going off to the right. And I looked at this way, and it's pretty good.

This way, pretty good. And then I went over by the faucet, and would you believe, there was one tile, and I don't know what he was thinking, but the flower was drooping the other way. And I said, why did he do that?

What a mess. And you know, it just made me aware that it's so easy, so easy, spiritually speaking, to see evidence of the grace of God in the lives of others, but oh, we pick out the one flaw, the one blemish, the one failure.

And I'm not suggesting, brothers and sisters, that we should ever go easy on sin, but we all have flaws. We are all marked by failures. None of us have hit a home run every time we get up to the plate, do we?

No, we're Christians moving onward in our pilgrim journey, and yet many times we overlook the evidence of God's grace and of a Christian's desire to go on, and we see only the flaw that somehow marks their pathway.

So here's the apostle, and he says, listen, consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice, and be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Brethren, I'm going to talk to the men now. Have you ever asked for your wife's forgiveness? Well, that's pretty hard, isn't it? But we need to. Wives, have you asked for your husband's forgiveness? Because we're in this together, aren't we?

And you know, many times when we fail to forgive, we're brought into life's worst prison. The worst prison you can ever be in is the prison of unforgiveness, and here's the apostle, and he's writing to these believers, he says, be kind to one another, tenderhearted, try to put yourself in their shoes, forgiving one another, because God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

I trust that God will encourage our hearts. You can put some meat on these bones, and there's so much more that is linked with being a joyful assembly and a joyful believer in Christ.