[00:00:01] Welcome to the River Church podcast. We're all about bringing the life, hope and love of Jesus to everyone around us. For more information, check out our
[email protected] Right, okay.
[00:00:15] I'm gonna carry on our service by preaching to you. I'm preaching to you from the word of God. And this morning I want to talk to you about something I'm not an expert in, right? I'm not an expert. I don't even think I'm very good at it. And I know there's other people in the church that are better than me. I don't think I've got that much experience in it.
[00:00:38] And so you've probably got to ask the question, why are you going to listen to me at all? Okay.
[00:00:43] But I'm going to talk this morning about the joy of sharing, sharing what we've discovered we've been going through. The joy, or the joy of knowing God, the joy of being in community together. And I want to talk about the joy of sharing what we've discovered. And just to be honest, who finds this difficult?
[00:01:04] Who finds, you know, talking to your friends, colleagues difficult about, you know, talking to them about the faith? Who finds that difficult? Yeah, I think most people find it difficult. Do, you know, can do it in some way, but find it difficult. But the thing is, right, what's really strange is that it's actually really normal to talk about your passions, isn't it?
[00:01:27] It's really normal to talk about your passions, right? You know, the people that you live with, you work with, you know, around you, you know what they're passionate about. You know that person who talks about football a little bit too much, don't you? Yeah. Or maybe they've got into veganism or the gym or something like that, and they're just really sort of on it, you know. But it's normal, isn't it? It's normal to talk about the passions and it's normal to actually enjoy that. You, you know, hey, if anyone wants to talk to me about cycling, right, I will just chew your ear off because I love it and I, you know, can go on forever about it. And there's some sort of. You get it, don't you? When it's a subject you're passionate about, you like, you just get joy by talking about it.
[00:02:09] But there's things, even though that's, you know, we get joy from it, there is things that prevent us, isn't it? The talking to others, Right. We may be a bit conscious that, that what we've got to Say isn't really interesting.
[00:02:22] Do you know, that people won't listen to us or not think that we've got anything really important to say.
[00:02:30] And maybe we'd be thought of boring or uninteresting or even further than that, than just a little bit weird.
[00:02:39] The person in the office who always goes on about this, they're just a little bit weird, that kind of thing.
[00:02:47] My experience of growing up in a, you know, in this country as a teenager in a real anti Christianity environment, you know, when I grew up, Christianity was thought of as irrelevant. You know, we'd be, you know, going through science and thinking Christianity believes all these outdated things that have been proved wrong.
[00:03:10] That it was, you know, unless it was not relevant for today, it was uninteresting for today that people who thought about it were all a bit weird.
[00:03:19] That and even going into some of the things about the abuses in the church and Christianity is bad for our nation, is bad for society.
[00:03:31] I'm grateful that now culture has changed somewhat.
[00:03:35] I do think it's changed somewhat, but it's not completely, you know, that thing hasn't gone. That sort of criticism about Christianity hasn't gone. Do you know, I think younger generation now are a little bit more open to faith and especially talking about different faiths. We've become more faith prevalent in this country and I think young people are more open to that. But there's still those we know that are openly critical and really critical about Christianity, abusive.
[00:04:10] So the question is, why would I put myself in a place where I think there's a chance of being ridiculed or being abused?
[00:04:20] And really further than that, where's the joy in that?
[00:04:24] Where is the joy in sharing faith?
[00:04:30] But the thing is, when we look at the New Testament writers, they consistently talk about the joy of other people knowing God.
[00:04:39] And so I'm challenged when I read through the Gospels, when I read through the New Testament letters, and I'm challenged and I thought, I think I've got something wrong.
[00:04:49] I don't think I've quite got what they are saying.
[00:04:53] And so this morning I want to sort of dive into that because if we get it wrong, not only do we miss, do you know, something that we're supposed to do, but we also miss the joy that there is that God has for us in sharing the good news.
[00:05:11] There's joy for us.
[00:05:14] There's joy for us that God wants us, wants to give us.
[00:05:19] And as I said last week, we need to think slightly differently of joy. Not thinking of joy is always the thrill in the moments, do you know? But joy, as in peace and contentment and fulfillment, to be completely fulfilled in your purpose as a human being. I mean, that for me is ultimate joy. So this morning I want to dive into some things the Bible says about joy and other people. And as I said, I don't have all the skills or the expertise.
[00:05:51] So it's not going to be a walkthrough on tactics, but really just a sort of diving into some of the biblical truth here that crosses generations and cultures. Is that okay? You with me? Good. Yes, Ian. Good. Okay.
[00:06:09] So how can we think about joy in sharing?
[00:06:14] And the first thing where we begin with is the beginning is knowing the joy of our salvation.
[00:06:22] It's knowing the joy that we have. Much of sharing the gospel is testimony, witness to what God has done. And most of it, lots of it comes from what God has done in our life.
[00:06:36] And I suppose I want to sort of talk about how do we relate that to other people? In kind of three things, because three is the magic number, of course. You know, the first is the joy. The joy. Do we experience the joy of our salvation?
[00:06:50] Jesus gives us lots of parables about that. In Matthew 13, he says, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all that he had and bought that field.
[00:07:07] And he goes on again. The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
[00:07:18] And that's one of many parables where Jesus talks about the joy of knowing God, the joy of our salvation.
[00:07:27] But secondly, we need to be able to sort of quantify that. We need to grapple with it and explain what this joy is.
[00:07:35] The joy of forgiveness, knowing we are freed from guilt. The joy of reconciliation with God, that we get to know the Father, the joy of the hope of eternal life, the joy of having purpose, identity, security in this world which threatens those very things of us.
[00:07:57] What is so great about knowing God? If someone asked you that right now, what is so great about knowing God?
[00:08:06] And I think the third thing just sort of really goes on to that. How has that joy impacted your life?
[00:08:13] What difference does it make to you as you go about your daily life?
[00:08:18] It's not just, you know, if we just describe Christianity in just abstract terms, people will really, really find it difficult to relate.
[00:08:29] And so that's where we need to get in with it. Nitty gritty. How has it changed the way that you relate to your family, how you love your spouse, how you relate to your kids, how you go about your job and your work life, how you relate to finance and things like that, it's got to make an impact to your life. And I think that is almost out of these three. This is almost the starting point of telling others about the joy that you have.
[00:08:55] Because it's like, hey, we're going in this journey of life together, but you're finding this thing difficult. And you know what? I find this thing easier because I have a joy.
[00:09:05] So let's start talking about that first.
[00:09:08] So why don't we turn to the person around us, someone near us, And I want you just to look at that and just think, what is one aspect of the joy that you have and the joy, and how does that impact your life? And what could you say about that to someone else? Yeah, I'll give you a couple of minutes on that, if you could.
[00:09:31] I hope you found things to talk about. I hope it always sort of prompts him, you to think about the joy, just as a sort of personal thing. I think one of the things that comes to mind for me is the joy having purpose in life, that I know that I find it difficult to sort of keep going at times, do you know? And I think, oh, I'm doing this thing and no one's seeing it. And I just want a bit of recognition at times.
[00:09:57] And I know that through my relationship with God, I know he delights over the good things that I do.
[00:10:04] And I know that I can just keep doing the good things and keep persevering, even though no one else sees.
[00:10:11] Because I know that my Father in heaven celebrates and has joy in me, and he just keeps me motivated to keep going in life. So that's where I'd go, Cool. The second one is the joy in the grace of God's people.
[00:10:26] Oh, no, I had a slide there for that. I missed that one. There we go. The joy. So the letters of Paul are really full of how he expresses joy over the churches that he plants and people come into faith. And he really starts a number of letters like this. Let me. Like Philippians, he starts, I thank my God every time I remember you in all my prayers for all of you. I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel, from the first day until now. And then for Colossians, we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus. He like, celebrates hey, these people have found the faith, they discovered the faith, they've come to follow Jesus. And I just, Paul gets so much joy in that. He, he gets really excited about that and it really fuels him.
[00:11:21] And then not only that, he gets loads of joy from seeing the church grow, the people grow and develop.
[00:11:28] So he says to the Thessalonians, he says, for what is our hope? He's talking about him and his team.
[00:11:35] What is our hope, our joy or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of the Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?
[00:11:44] Indeed, you are our glory and our joy. And he goes on even further. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of God because of you?
[00:11:57] He's just like, he gets in God's presence and like these people, my joy, these people are just sort of just so going well in the faith, so continuing well that they are my joy, they are my delight. And he just revels in it in God's presence.
[00:12:14] And then also thirdly, he's writing to the Philippians and he really wants to encourage them to keep following in Christ, but also rooting his joy in their continuation, their development.
[00:12:28] So he says in Philippians, he says, therefore, if you've any encouragement from being united with Christ, any comfort in his love, any companion sharing in spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like minded. Keep going.
[00:12:48] As you keep developing in this, you are giving me joy because he's like a father to them. He's like seeing them and going, hey, you give me so much joy. When you join with Christ people, when you grow as a person, it goes at the end. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and I long for my joy and my crown, he's really rooting his joy in other people growing as Christians.
[00:13:18] So maybe just another two minutes. Turn to the person next to you. Can you remember a time when you were really filled with joy because someone you know came to faith or filled with joy because you saw someone develop, grow in Christ, really mature, have a gift in a character development? Can you think about one of those times and just share it a couple of minutes with someone next to you?
[00:13:45] Do you know, when I think back when I was a youngster in the church, there was one of the elders, his name was Gordon Beale, he was Sarah's dad.
[00:13:54] And he always expressed a joy when I would serve be in the team, he was a musician, led the worship team and he always expressed so much joy.
[00:14:04] And when I'D tell him stories after he'd moved away from this church, meet up with him at times at conferences. Stuff. Always expressed so much joy in things that were going on in me.
[00:14:16] And that was just so, just so.
[00:14:19] Just heartwarming, I think, to know. And I just aspire to be like him.
[00:14:24] Okay, last one. Joy in serving God. Do you know there is joy in serving God?
[00:14:32] But I just want to start, and this is great that Julie brought this because serving God starts with our identity of knowing that we are sons and daughters of the living God.
[00:14:43] We are children that have been made holy. We've been freed, we've been made righteous. We've been one and redeemed by Jesus sacrifice upon the cross. He went to to the cross. He died a painful death that we might come into his presence, we might know him.
[00:15:04] And our identity is sort of serving God and seeing God as sort of master and Lord comes from a place of identity, of knowing that as our heavenly Father who delights over us. And so when Jesus says to his disciples and through them, through the Gospel of John to us, he says this, if you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy, Jesus joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
[00:15:47] Who wants Jesus joy in them?
[00:15:51] Got to listen to what he says, do you know? And obeying him is the start of receiving his joy, his delight over us as he speaks over us.
[00:16:04] Do you know? We all want a piece of that.
[00:16:07] And so those are three aspects I think, of where we start with a think about the joy of sharing, do you know?
[00:16:18] And actually through all this, I've not talked about the joy of sharing at all because I didn't want to start there at all.
[00:16:25] That's another 20 minutes of preach later. No, I didn't want to start. I want to start in where is the joy?
[00:16:32] Where is the joy in sharing, do you know? And I'll focus on us experiencing joy and the joy we get to see of other people come into faith. The joy that we have in ourselves of growing, but the joy that we see in other people growing to be more like Christ. The joy that we experience with the Father delighting over us as we obey him, but also the joy that we see in others obeying Christ.
[00:17:02] But when I was looking through the New Testament, there's not actually that much description of. Of joy in the actual process of sharing the good news.
[00:17:14] And I want to just tell you the bad news in it, because actually the New Testament talks more of opposition and persecution in sharing the good news.
[00:17:27] You read through the Gospels, you read through Acts, and you see Paul, who's beaten and imprisoned and thrown out of towns because he's sharing the good news.
[00:17:40] Do you know Jesus says in Matthew 5, he said, Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me, rejoice and be glad.
[00:17:55] Really, Come on, Jesus. Because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you. Do you know, it's a complete reversal.
[00:18:08] Jesus isn't being masochistic. He's not saying there is joy in experiencing the pain of persecution, right?
[00:18:16] He's not saying that we should just go after it to try and be as confrontational as possible to see how much persecution we get.
[00:18:26] Because that equals joy, right? He's not saying that, but he's saying there is a joy deferred.
[00:18:35] There is a greater joy deferred that we will get when people respond. Even if we go through the trouble, the difficulty, maybe the opposition of sharing our faith.
[00:18:49] Do you know that kind of thing isn't alien to us, right? Millions of people, they go to the gym every week.
[00:18:57] They put themselves through lots of pain. And many gyms have glass windows where you can see people in pain. I don't understand it, but there we go.
[00:19:07] But they put themselves through lots of pain.
[00:19:10] Why? Because there's a deferred joy, right?
[00:19:13] Because they want something in return. They want a healthier body. They want to be more fit, more athletic, something like that.
[00:19:20] There's a joy from the pain of going through this process.
[00:19:25] We should have thinking about the joy that is going to come to us.
[00:19:33] Jesus said in Luke 15, he summarizes one of his parables. And it says, in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
[00:19:49] Do you know there was rejoicing in heaven when you came to faith?
[00:19:55] When you came to faith, there was rejoicing in heaven.
[00:20:01] Every single one of us here, there is a rejoicing in heaven when we say, God, I'm going to follow you. There is rejoicing in heaven as you grow to be more like Christ.
[00:20:16] There is rejoicing in heaven when you sacrifice some comfort to say, I'm going to obey Christ, I'm going to do his will. There's rejoicing in heaven.
[00:20:28] And that rejoicing can be ours as well, right at the great end of time, when the church comes together with Christ, it's described as this great feast, this feast of joy and celebration.
[00:20:44] And we are invited to that table, to sit around that table and enjoy this feast.
[00:20:52] But we're also invited to be part of the preparation, to be those that say, hey, there is great joy that you don't know.
[00:21:02] And I want you to experience that just as I have it. So I'm going to share with you what I know. Share that joy.
[00:21:11] We are invited to that feast, and we want to invite others to that feast as well. Amen.
[00:21:17] Amen. So we're going to finish again. I'm sure you're bored of talking to the person next to you, so you can talk to someone else if you want to, but.
[00:21:29] But I think it would be just great to pray for one another into this, right? And maybe one of those three things. Do you know? The joy of salvation, the joy of seeing people grow, the joy of seeing people obey. Maybe that's one thing that you think, hey, I want to focus on that. I want to experience more of Christ's joy in me.
[00:21:49] And that will help motivate us and fuel us into sharing that joy with others. And maybe just share something that's impacted you this morning, and we can pray for one another.
[00:22:00] It.
