HOW TO HAVE A JOY THAT LAST

I John 1:1-4

  1. Intro.
    1. does life ever seem uninteresting, or an endless routine, or an endurance contest
    2. is it possible to have real joy
      1. not just a momentary thrill
      2. is it possible to have a deep, personal satisfaction and joy
      3. the Bibles answer is a definite "yes" – I John 1:4
  2. we need an experience – I John 1:1
    1. a word that summarizes this verse is "experience"
      1. John is saying that he had an experience with Jesus Christ
        1. he heard
        2. he saw and examined closely [looked upon]
        3. he handled
      2. this experience brought a newness of life to John (salvation and joy)
        1. his sins were forgiven
        2. he got a new relationship with God
        3. until he met Jesus, he was lost and hell bound
    2. we cannot have the same physical experience with Christ, but we can have a spiritual experience with Christ
    3. God has given us the Bible so that we can experience Him much like John did
      1. we can know Him as God who came in the flesh
      2. we can know Him as the One who died for our sins
      3. we can know Him as the One who rose from the dead, and is alive right now, interceding for us
      4. by prayer we can talk to Him
    4. the Bible invites us to come to Jesus: repenting and trusting Him as Savior
      1. when we do, Jesus comes into our life – what an experience
      2. we won’t hear voices or see visions
      3. by trusting Jesus as Savior, we will have as great an experience as John did
      4. this is the beginning place for real joy
  3. we need to bear witness – I John 1:2
    1. just because we have trusted in Jesus as Savior, does not mean that our joy will never fade
      1. there is joy in knowing Jesus as personal Savior
      2. there is a joy which can last, but few Christians experience it
    2. the key words in this verse are "bear witness"
    3. in this verse we see the proper order of things
      1. first the experience, then the witness
      2. this is the order in all of life, including spiritual life
      3. when we have an experience, the most natural thing to do is tell someone about it
  4. we need to have fellowship – I John 1:3
    1. John declares these things to us, who have not seen, so that we might have fellowship
    2. when we say fellowship, what does the average church member think
      1. coffee and donuts, pot luck meals, or pizza parties
      2. this is the shallow and carnal Christians view
    3. "fellowship"
      1. to have in common
      2. to share, sharing in common, partnership
      3. refers to a mutual sharing of spiritual things

       

    4. kinds of fellowship
      1. with other Christians
      2. with Christ and the Father
    5. fellowship with believers
      1. sharing our spiritual needs and joys
      2. praying together, witnessing together, serving together
      3. sharing our material goods
    6. fellowship with God
      1. how can we share with God
        1. share everything we have
        2. share everything we are
        3. share everything we think
      2. the best place to begin this fellowship is in verse 9 [confess our sins]
        1. some people think we have to be perfect to fellowship with God
        2. if this were true, no one could have any fellowship with Him
        3. we don’t have to be perfect, just honest
        4. if we want fellowship with God, we must share our sins with Him
          1. we must admit that we are sinners
          2. we cannot hide our sins, not cover them up
          3. we must come to Him, and openly acknowledge them
        5. when we share with God, He shares with us (forgiveness and cleansing)
        6. this is fellowship with God – a mutual sharing
      3. other things to share
        1. our problems
          1. God wants us to share our problems with Him – I Peter 5:7
          2. when we do, He begins to share His plan for dealing with the problem and also His power
          3. this is fellowship with God – a mutual sharing
        2. our successes
          1. some people only go to God when they are in trouble
          2. God wants us to share with Him when things are going well
          3. when we share with Him our success, He begins to share with us His sovereignty – He lets us know that He was the cause of our success
          4. this is fellowship with God – a mutual sharing
      4. by fellowshipping with God, we get to know God better
      5. to have fellowship with God, we need to take everything that comes our way and share it with God
        1. it will not take all the problems out of our life
        2. it will take a lot of the pressure off
        3. it produces a deep, real, inner, lasting joy
  5. joy is the result – I John 1:4
    1. "these things write we unto you" – what things
      1. his experience with Jesus Christ
      2. his bearing witness of that experience
      3. his fellowship
    2. his purpose for writing these things [that your joy may be full]