The third session was a sermon from Conrad Mbewe on joy. After a survey of some of the things going on among Reformed Baptists in Zambia he preached on Philippians 4:4. He began by pointing out the way that although the Christian life begins in joy too often it is not carried on in that way. It is in the opening questions of both the Westminster and Heidelberg Catechisms yet it is often missing with us. Our eagerness to be holy sometimes militates against our desire to be happy (the opposite often prevails in the world).
Paul's very happy letter was not written at a party but from prison. He frequently refers to joy however.
We all have a natural desire for joy - even the suicide exhibits that. The very way the gospel is presented takes this into account - hell is a place of no happiness and heaven of great happiness. Doesn't the opening of the Bible say the same thing? Holiness = happiness, sin = sorrow. Or take the opening of the Book of Psalms to see the same thing we may have begun with Psalm 90 not Psalm 1). The closing psalms show the same thing. (He didn't mention Jesus' first miracle which also fits). John 15 exhibits a similar concern for the disciples' joy. Philippians with its amazing 19 references to joy, rejoice, gladness, etc, is all of a piece with this. All this shows that living the Christian life with a lack of joy is profoundly wrong. God commands joy.
The source of joy, of course, is God himself. This is also emphasised in Philippians. Christian joy is a by-product of a healthy walk with God not an object in itself. This is one thing that makes it so different to hedonism.
He then took us to Proverbs 5:18, 19 by way of illustration. Here is a young man beside himself with joy - not in himself but this wonderful gift from God. It is as we meditate on God and his blessings that we find true joy. When we see what we are by nature and what we deserve and then what God has done for us joy is inevitable. To take hell for us is an inestimable gift. How can anyone fail to delight in such a God? Previously you were running from God but now he is your Father and nothing can compare with that.
Further, joy is, of course, part of the fruit of the Spirit. He makes it clear. It is when we centre our thoughts on the Lord and on all he has done and will do we have to be joyful. There is an inevitability about such meditation.
Paul says always because we are responsible to be joyful. It is our duty the rest of our lives. No contrary providence must never be allowed to take our joy away. In the Book of Acts we read how persecuted they were and yet what rejoicing there was. Here is Paul too in prison and yet so positive.
In Romans 14 Paul says that the kingdom is not about food and drink but other righteousness, peace and a joy produced by the Holy Spirit and that transcends circumstances.
Peter speaks about it as well in the first chapter of 1 Peter (6 in this you greatly rejoice). There are trials yet there is joy still (inexpressible joy).
Paul exhorts rather than making a statement as if we fail to live the Christian life as we should we will not rejoice. Going back to the marriage illustration he described (with a little humour) how bad it can get. That is how it is for some. Were is the blessedness I knew, etc?
Happiness goes with holiness and when we fail to sort it out we suffer alack of joy for it.
Let nothing come between your soul and your God. Remember the context of Euodia and Syntyche. Get back to a healthy warm walk with the Lord. Treasure your walk with him and you will know joy again. W emay have to ask ourselves where we went wrong and go back. The dearest idol I have known ....
Christian joy is not mere levity. It is not indulgence in wine or beer. No wonder worldly joy hardly lasts. It is something much higher. It is found in God for whom we were meant.
His very final point was the powerful witness a joyful Christian can be, instancing the testimony to himself of his own sister.
Paul's very happy letter was not written at a party but from prison. He frequently refers to joy however.
We all have a natural desire for joy - even the suicide exhibits that. The very way the gospel is presented takes this into account - hell is a place of no happiness and heaven of great happiness. Doesn't the opening of the Bible say the same thing? Holiness = happiness, sin = sorrow. Or take the opening of the Book of Psalms to see the same thing we may have begun with Psalm 90 not Psalm 1). The closing psalms show the same thing. (He didn't mention Jesus' first miracle which also fits). John 15 exhibits a similar concern for the disciples' joy. Philippians with its amazing 19 references to joy, rejoice, gladness, etc, is all of a piece with this. All this shows that living the Christian life with a lack of joy is profoundly wrong. God commands joy.
The source of joy, of course, is God himself. This is also emphasised in Philippians. Christian joy is a by-product of a healthy walk with God not an object in itself. This is one thing that makes it so different to hedonism.
He then took us to Proverbs 5:18, 19 by way of illustration. Here is a young man beside himself with joy - not in himself but this wonderful gift from God. It is as we meditate on God and his blessings that we find true joy. When we see what we are by nature and what we deserve and then what God has done for us joy is inevitable. To take hell for us is an inestimable gift. How can anyone fail to delight in such a God? Previously you were running from God but now he is your Father and nothing can compare with that.
Further, joy is, of course, part of the fruit of the Spirit. He makes it clear. It is when we centre our thoughts on the Lord and on all he has done and will do we have to be joyful. There is an inevitability about such meditation.
Paul says always because we are responsible to be joyful. It is our duty the rest of our lives. No contrary providence must never be allowed to take our joy away. In the Book of Acts we read how persecuted they were and yet what rejoicing there was. Here is Paul too in prison and yet so positive.
In Romans 14 Paul says that the kingdom is not about food and drink but other righteousness, peace and a joy produced by the Holy Spirit and that transcends circumstances.
Peter speaks about it as well in the first chapter of 1 Peter (6 in this you greatly rejoice). There are trials yet there is joy still (inexpressible joy).
Paul exhorts rather than making a statement as if we fail to live the Christian life as we should we will not rejoice. Going back to the marriage illustration he described (with a little humour) how bad it can get. That is how it is for some. Were is the blessedness I knew, etc?
Happiness goes with holiness and when we fail to sort it out we suffer alack of joy for it.
Let nothing come between your soul and your God. Remember the context of Euodia and Syntyche. Get back to a healthy warm walk with the Lord. Treasure your walk with him and you will know joy again. W emay have to ask ourselves where we went wrong and go back. The dearest idol I have known ....
Christian joy is not mere levity. It is not indulgence in wine or beer. No wonder worldly joy hardly lasts. It is something much higher. It is found in God for whom we were meant.
His very final point was the powerful witness a joyful Christian can be, instancing the testimony to himself of his own sister.
2 comments:
It was John Piper who perhaps most profoundly helped us in this. Your summary of Mr Mbewe's is a reminder and VERY helpful. Obedience -> joy. Opposite of what the world is peddling [surprise, surprise]. How many times do I fall for the same trap laid out by Satan :-(
We wanted to let you know that the Cyber Hymnal™ has a new address: http://www.hymntime.com/tch. Your Web site links to the Cyber Hymnal™ from http://darbygray.blogspot.com/2010/01/carey-2010-3.html.
The old cyberhymnal.org address now points to a pirate server in Panama which stole a great deal of our content.
Here's a link for the new address you can use if you like:
Cyber Hymnal™
Please spread the word about our move! God bless...
Dick Adams
Post a Comment