Transcript

Joy From Our Triune God

John 16:16-33
Sunday, January 25, 2004
Pastor Randy Smith

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Blaise Pascal once said, "All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even those who hang themselves" (Pascal, Penesees, p. 113).

According to Pascal, the motivation behind every decision we make is ultimately that which furthers our greatest joy. Is he correct? Do we as humans pursue the things that make us happy? And if so, is this attitude acceptable for the Christian? I strongly believe the answer to both of those questions is "yes."

Due to the teaching of worldly philosophers (in the past two centuries), there has crept into the Christian church a notion that the pursuit of our joy is a bad thing. It goes something like this. As an unbeliever I pursued my joy, but now as a believer I need to pursue God's glory. I've heard many believers say that once they became a Christian they could no longer pursue the things that make them happy. That may sound very pious, but that is very wrong! As an unbeliever we wrongly thought sin would make us happy. But as a believer, I hope we have realized that true happiness is found in the passionate pursuit of God. In other words, our joy is not contrary to God's glory. Simply put, our joy is in God's glory! Both are compatible.

Moreover, I want you to see that your joy in God is not optional. Your joy in God is essential for displaying God's glory. Therefore, God desperately seeks to make you happy because God is most glorified when you are most satisfied in Him. God is most glorified when you don't need the temporary, materialistic things of this world to make you happy. God is most glorified when He alone is the source of your unspeakable joy. And for this reason, He zealously desires to see you happy in Him because He zealously desires to glorify Himself.

Today we'll examine the joy that comes from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit liberally dispensed for your happiness and His glory.

1. JOY FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT

Let's begin with joy from the Holy Spirit. Picking up the text in verse 19, "Jesus knew that they wished to question Him, and He said to them, 'Are you deliberating together about this, that I said, 'A little while, and you will not see Me (a reference to His death), and again a little while, and you will see Me (a reference to His resurrection)?' Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice (the world rejoices in the absence of Jesus); you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy (the church rejoices in the presence of Jesus). Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you'" (Jn. 16:19-22).

The illustration Jesus provides in verse 21 is quite descriptive. Thanks to modern medicine the pain that comes from childbirth can be minimized, but I trust everybody who has witnessed childbirth (like I have three times) and especially every woman who has experienced childbirth understands the point that Jesus is making. Delivery can be a very unpleasant experience, yet the presence of the child is a joyous one. Whenever I visit a new mother in the hospital, her face is radiating with happiness no doubt contrasting the anguish she experienced just hours prior.

In the same way the disciples would experience great sorrow at the loss of their Master. We've covered this in depth. However, Jesus wants to inform them their sorrow would be turned to joy when they see Him at the Resurrection (Jn. 20:20). The previous pain from His departure will be long forgotten. The same departure that resulted in their sorrow would be the same source of their joy.

Though this point could easily be entitled, "Joy from Jesus," I have chosen to call it "Joy from the Holy Spirit" primarily based on the ending of verse 22 which says "and no one will take your joy away from you." Due to the coming of the Holy Spirit, we now have the opportunity for unceasing joy. The Holy Spirit is in the business of producing fruit in the believer's life. Namely in this case, He produces joy - eternal and without respect to circumstances.

William Barclay once said, "The Christian is a (person) of joy…A gloomy Christian is a contradiction of terms, and nothing in all religious history has done Christianity more harm than its connection with black clothes and long faces (Barclay, John, v. 2).

God the Spirit wants to make you joyous to show the world that the Triune God knows how to care for His people. Is Christ a Savior worthy to follow if He does not know how to make His people happy? Is He to be treasured above all if you are not happier than you were before conversion? God wants your joy to shine on a depressed world whereby they might see that a relationship with Jesus Christ is the means of knowing God and receiving everything the deep desires of your heart ever craved. One author rightly said, "Joy is the winsome magnet that draws people in because it is the one thing they do not have."

I hope you see that joy is essential for your good and God's glory! That's why the Holy Spirit makes it His ongoing ambition to produce ongoing joy which Jesus said in verse 22 can never be taken away from us.

However, we still see many professing believers who are some of the most joyless, bitter and grumpy people on the planet. But often times even the committed Christian doesn't feel very joyful. How does this process short-circuit? Was the promise by Jesus in verse 22 erroneous? Did the Holy Spirit fail to produce joy? Or are we solely to blame for the absence of joy?

As we will shortly see with prayer, our joy is contingent upon our conduct. We don't earn joy, but as we learned in John 15 we must abide in Christ in order for the Holy Spirit to pulsate His joy to us. The moment we become unattached from the Vine, the Holy Spirit will be unable to bear fruit in our lives.

But when we follow the command to be continually "filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18) we have the capacity for continual joy. That's why the Apostle Paul can state the seemingly impossible command, "Rejoice in the Lord always" (Phil. 4:4)! This is another reason why I can say with confidence that it is God's will for you to rejoice in Him. God would never command something He does not desire!

But lest we miss the point Jesus appears to be making in chapter 16, we need to see the relationship between our sorrow and our joy. In verse 20 Jesus said, "Your grief will be turned to joy." Jesus did not say that after much sorrow we will have joy, but rather the source of sorrow itself will actually be the very thing that brings the joy. I believe this is in line with the childbearing illustration of verse 21 and the disciples' reaction to the departure of Jesus in verse 20. The thing that initially brought forth pain will be the same thing that will bring forth joy.

R. A. Torrey, former pastor of Moody Church in Chicago describes the pain he experienced after the loss of his 12-year old daughter. The day after the funeral, Torrey was walking down the street in tremendous anguish. "And just then this fountain," He said, "The Holy Spirit, that I had in my heart, broke forth with such power as I think I had never experienced before, and it was the most joyful moment I had ever known in my life. Oh how wonderful is the joy of the Holy Ghost! It is an unspeakably glorious thing to have your joy not in things about you, not even in your most dearly loved friends, but to have within you a fountain ever springing up, springing up, springing up, always springing up, springing up under all circumstances into everlasting life" (Torrey, The Holy Spirit, p. 95).

I trust we have all experienced the joy of the Holy Spirit both during and following times of great sorrow. That which brings our sorrow is often that which brings our joy. I like the way Kent Hughes put it, "For the true believer, the sorrows of life are pregnant with potential joy" (Hughes, John, p. 385). It's amazing how often our joy arises from the ashes of sorrow thanks to the unique work of the Holy Spirit.

Personally speaking, the Lord has recently been pressing upon me the biblical concept of dying to self. It is through the sorrow of being insulted, misunderstood and unfairly treated that I am reminded how insignificant I am. And the more I can let go of my rights and my pride and submit in full contentment to Jesus Christ who is larger than my problems and sovereign over my problems, the more joy I have experienced in the Christian life. These trials that bring sorrow lead to humility. And we know God gives grace to those who are humble (Jas. 4:6). But apart from the sorrows I would not experience the humility. And apart from the humility I would not experience the grace. And apart from the grace, I would not experience the joy. Therefore, there truly is a Spirit-empowered joy that comes from the trials themselves (Jas. 1:2).

You wouldn't believe the overwhelming sense of joy that comes from the absence of self-esteem and self-commendation and self-pity and self-exaltation and self-defense. There is a joy that comes from self-denial and submission and brokenness and the other biblical virtues we often times wish never existed. I've witnessed the Holy Spirit transform the sorrow of these trials to yield a harvest of joy as I learn to suffer for Christ and die to self.

According to Dick Mayhue, "Thankfully, joy is an all-season response to life. Even in the dark times, sorrow enlarges the capacity of the heart for joy. Like a diamond against black velvet, true spiritual joy shines brightest against the darkness of trials, tragedies and testing."

3. JOY FROM THE FATHER

We've seen how God the Spirit seeks to make us joyful but as we move to the second point, I want you to see how joy also comes from God the Father.

First of all, the opportunity to go to the Father in prayer results in joy. In verses 23 and 24 Jesus said, "In that day (after the Resurrection) you will not question Me about anything (as they did prior to the Resurrection). Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full."

Because of the Son's atoning sacrifice on the cross, we as Christians now have direct access to the Father in prayer. Apart from the removal of all our sins, the Father is unapproachable. But now that we have been washed in the blood of Christ we may "draw near with confidence to the throne of grace" (Heb. 4:16). We have attained the assurance that God hears and answers according to His will. That's an amazing thought! The Creator of the universe actually covets our communion with Him and sovereignly uses our prayer to "accomplish much" (Jas. 5:16) by furthering His purposes.

And if this awesome privilege does not bring you joy, consider the fact that we also have a heavenly Father who eagerly listens to the groaning hearts of His children 24/7 and promises to dispense comfort (2 Cor. 1:3) and encouragement (Rom. 15:5).

But Jesus could not be any clearer in verse 24. Joy is not manifested in a vacuum. Joy is conditional. The fullness of joy is manifested in prayer. "Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full" (Jn. 16:24). Biblical guarantee: prayerless people will be joyless people.

This is the only reason I can think of why so many people in this church come on Wednesday night for corporate prayer. Coming only because God wants you to will not glorify God. You may be here in body, but your heart is itching to get out of here. There must be a delight in the duty. Glorifying God is the heart that follows His call to be here and desires to be here more than any other place in the world. Why are people so happy on Wednesday nights? Because they have joy in going to the Father in prayer. And as verse 24 teaches, they have a joy in receiving from the Father in prayer. We only receive when we ask according to His will. Therefore the delight in answered prayer is the indication that we are walking in His will and pursuing His glory. Bottom line: Our joy and God's glory are not at opposition, but rather they compliment each other in perfect harmony.

Listen to the prayer of this Puritan who found his joy in prayer and pleasing His heavenly Father. "It is my greatest, noblest pleasure to be acquainted with Thee and with my rational, immoral soul; It is sweet and entertaining to look into my being when all my powers and passions are united and engaged in pursuit of Thee, when my soul longs and passionately breathes after conformity to Thee and the full enjoyment of Thee; No hours pass away with so much pleasure as those spent in communion with Thee and with my heart. O how desirable, how profitable to the Christian life is a spirit of holy watchfulness and godly jealously over myself when my soul is afraid of nothing except grieving and offending Thee, the blessed God, my Father and friend, whom I then love and long to please, rather than be happy in myself. Knowing as I do, that this is the most pious temper, worthy of the highest ambition, and closest pursuit of intelligent creatures and holy Christians, may my joy derive from glorifying and delighting Thee. I long to fill all my time for Thee, whether at home or on the way; to place all my concerns in Thy hands; to be entirely at Thy disposal, having no will or interest of my own. Help me to live to Thee for ever, to make Thee my last and only end, so that I may never more in one instance love my sinful self" (Bennett, Arthur, The Valley of Vision, p. 130).

What an example of a heart that found its greatest joy in God and the sweet communion with his Abba Father in prayer.

Another way the Holy Father blesses us with joy is through the simple, yet profound understanding that He loves us. Look at the beginning of verse 27. Jesus clearly said, "For the Father Himself loves you because you have loved Me." As humans we have been created to need love. But how often do we contemplate the fact that the Creator of galaxies is the lover of my soul?

I believe the teaching on the love of God in the evangelical church is extremely weak. It goes something like this. God loves everybody in the world (which He does-Mt. 5:44; Jn. 3:16). I am in the world. Therefore God loves me. If this is the extent of your comprehension of God's love, odds are, you have never experienced the deeper covenantal love of God. Does God love South Belmar? Yes! How do I know that? The sun came up this morning on thousands of God-ignoring people. But this is not the covenantal love of God that He has for His children, children bought and purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ (Lk. 22:20).

Biblically speaking (Eph. 5:32), my marriage is to be a reflection of Christ's union with His church. When I took those vows before God seven and a half years ago I made the pledge to Julie that I am hers. I entered into a covenant and by God's grace I will never break that covenant. Am I expected to love all people? Yes I am. But my love for them will never be the same as the covenantal love for my bride. This is a unique love. I am hers and she is mine.

The specific love in our marriages is intended to reflect the specific love the Father has for His church. In verse 27 Jesus says the Father loves us because we love Him. We don't earn the Father's love, but we receive it because we have been purchased and washed by the blood of Christ. And the reason you love Christ is because He first loved you (1 Jn. 4:19). If you are in Christ Jesus, the Father loves you. He has called you to Himself. He has made you His own. He has put His Spirit in you and has sealed you for the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30).

Christian, for the sake of your security and the sake of your joy, I beg you to see yourself as the "beloved by God" (1 Thes. 1:4). I beg you to contemplate this love, feel this love and drink deeply from the fountain of this love.

3. JOY FROM JESUS CHRIST

We've seen joy from the Holy Spirit and joy from the Father. Lastly, let's examine joy from Jesus Christ. In verse 33, Jesus ends His wonderful Upper Room discourse in a fitting way. "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

I can remember about six months ago a woman coming to me experiencing trials that seemed unimaginable. At a loss for words the Lord simply brought this verse to my mind, which I then recited over the phone. It was the greatest way I knew to encourage her. "In this world you will have tribulation, but take courage (Jesus has) overcome the world."

When we are afflicted by this fallen world, whether it is through persecution, death, sickness or disappointment, we should not be surprised. Jesus promised that such are the results of the fallen world in which we still live. We are not spared these difficulties once we become Christians. Yet we do have a Savior who gives us peace that transcends our circumstances in the midst of these tribulations. And the link between our sorrow and our peace is simply faith! 1 John 5:4, "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-- our faith." Through faith in Jesus Christ and faith in His words like verse 33, we will overcome because of our union with Him. In the world we will have trouble, but in Jesus comes a peace that only He can bring!

The timing of these words spoken by Jesus is audacious. These eleven disciples by sunrise would see their Master hanging on a cross. However, as we have learned and will see as we complete this Gospel, the cross spelled the defeat of Satan and the triumph of Christ. Christ approached the cross in courage. The cross conquered the worst the world could muster. Through the cross, verse 33 says, "He has overcome (nikao) the world." The decisive battle has been won.

In the same way, those who share identity with Jesus can likewise face the world with courage and live in a continual state of peace. Because of our union with Him we fully share in His victory. Paul said it this way in Romans 8:37. "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer (hupernikao) through Him who loved us."

In John 15:11 Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and thatyour joy may be made full" (cf. Jn. 17:13). We've seen this morning how we have the potential to experience the joy of Jesus Christ. We've seen this joy distributed by the Holy Spirit who produces that ongoing fruit in our life. We've seen this joy come as a result of prayer to the Father and a contemplation of the love He has for His children. We've seen this joy come from Jesus Christ as He gives us peace to overcome the world's tribulations. It doesn't come to everybody. It comes only to those who have received Jesus as their Savior. And even for the true believer, it doesn't come automatically. It comes to those who abide in Christ and follow His commandments.

Hebrews 12:2 says Jesus Christ pursued the cross "for the joy set before Him." Likewise we too should imitate Christ in the zealous pursuit of our joy. Not joy in the sinful and temporary things that brought us no satisfaction in the past, but joy in the Triune God in whose "presence is fullness of joy; in (whose) right hand there are pleasures forever" (Psm. 16:11). I hope you see that your joy is not optional. It is essential for displaying God's glory. May we glorify God by pursuing our joy in Him and receiving the joy He freely bestows.

"A pivotal Christian thinker of our time once said, 'Joy is the surest sign of the presence of God…The bottom line for you and me is simply this: grimness is not a Christian virtue. There are no sad saints. If God really is the center of one's life and being, joy is inevitable. If we have no joy, we have missed the heart of the Good News and our bodies as much as our souls will suffer the consequences'" (Larson, Bruce, There's a Lot More to Health Than Not Being Sick).