Full-on Joy! (John 15:5, 9-17)

 Sermon for Centenary UMC (Lebanon) on May 5, 2024

[Title Slide] Full-on Joy! (John 15:5, 9-17)

 

"I am the vine." John 15:5

What brings you joy? Is it family time together? When our kids were little, we used to build a fire in the backyard and called it “family by fire!” Roasting marshmallows and making smores, hot dogs and good music playing.

 

Think about how you feel when a favorite song comes on the radio. You’re singling along not caring who hears you! I’m the kind of music listener that sometimes I get full body goosebumps. A huge smile fills my face and I am in a state of wonderous joy! This happens to me a lot at live concerts.

 

Do outdoor activities bring you joy? Hobbies? Sports?

 

[Slide] Late last year, CBS network conducted a poll about American happiness. Here’s the factors that contribute to happiness. 72% report happiness because their family is doing well. 63% report happiness due to good mental health. 61% are happy because of their hobbies and leisure activities, like watching Star Wars.

 

What’s missing? Nobody mentioned money as a means to happiness.

 

[Slide] Jesus said, “I am the vine and you are the branches.” If we remain in Him, we will have complete joy!  A branch cannot bear fruit unless it remains connected to the vine. Jesus bids us to remain or abide in him. How do we remain in Jesus?

 

He tells us. Obedience is the way we remain in Jesus.

 

[Slide] If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. (John 15:10)

 

Obedience doesn’t sound like a way to joy or happiness, does it? I mean our world teaches us that happiness is found in individual freedom. When you’re free to pursue the life you want, then you’ll be happy, right? Well, it doesn’t seem to work out that way.

 

[Slide] Freddy Mercury, the rock singer from the group Queen said, that his career in music brought him wealth and world idolization, but it kept him from the one thing in life everyone needs, an on-going loving relationship. You can have everything and be the loneliest man on earth.

 

[Slide] Jim Carrey the comic actor said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer.”

 

[Slide] Jesus said, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (Jn 15:11)

 

We were made for an on-going loving relationship with God. Jesus Christ made that relationship possible. He is the vine, the very source that nurtures our lives. He is the way, the truth, and the life! And this loving relationship with God is as a Father to a child. Through faith in Christ, we are adopted into God’s family as God’s own children.

 

As children we learn to trust and obey our parents. Tiny children have no choice but to trust. They rely on their parents for everything. In the same way, we must trust our heavenly Father and obey His word. Like the hymn says, “Trust and Obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus.”

 

[Slide] We are all familiar with the Ten Commandments. Have no other gods before, but the God of Israel. Make no images of God, for God is far above and beyond any creature or created thing. Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain. Keep the Sabbath. Honor your parents. Don’t murder, commit adultery, steal, lie in court, or desire your neighbor’s property or people.

But Jesus specifically gave us a new commandment. [Slide] Love one another. Love one another as I have loved you.

 

The command to love one another occurs 16 times in the New Testament. Indeed, love fulfills all of God’s commandments. If you love others, you won’t steal their wife or husband. Love does no harm, so you won’t steal or cheat. Love treats others with respect. And the highest love is to lay down your life for the sake of others. The very definition of love is Jesus dying on the cross for our salvation.

 

[Slide] We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters. (1Jn 3:16)

 

[Slide] Pastor and author Andy Stanley said, “The primary activity of the church is one anothering one another.” There are 100 times the New Testament tells the church to do and don’t do something to one another. Your bulletin has an insert of those verses to take home with you. This is how we are called to love, by one anothering one another.

 

The list is exhaustive, so let’s have some fun with it. [Slide] When I say the action word, I want you to say “one another.” Let’s try it. Love… You say, “one another.” Be devoted to… Honor… above yourselves.

 

[Slide] Live in harmony with…

Build up…

Be likeminded towards…

Accept…

[Slide] Admonish… it means literally to set the mind or fix the mind. We would say, “Let me set you straight!”

Greet…

Care for…

Serve…

 

 

[Slide] Bear… burdens

Forgive…

Be patient with…

Speak the truth in love, for we are members of…

[Slide] Be kind and compassionate to…

Speak to… with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs

Submit to…

[Slide] Regard… as more important than yourselves

Look to the interests of…

Bear with…

Teach…

[Slide] Comfort…

Encourage…

Exhort…

Stir up… to love and good works

[Slide] Show hospitality to…

Employ the gifts that God has given us for the benefit of…

Clothe yourselves with humility towards…

[Slide] Pray for…

Confess your sins to…

 

And now the do nots!

 

Do not lie to…

Stop passing judgment on…

[Slide] If you keep on biting and devouring... you'll be destroyed by…

Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying…

[Slide] Do not slander…

Don’t grumble against…

We are members of…

 

Wow! That was all killer, no filler! Right? Take home that list of “one anothers” and prayerfully consider how you might grow in one anothering one another.

 

 

[Slide] Jesus said, If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love… (John 15:10) The greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. The new commandment is to love one another, here in the church, as Jesus loved us. Love is one anothering one another.

 

[Slide] Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last…” (John 15:16a)

 

Jesus established the church, put us in place, to “go and bear fruit that lasts.” Go… with love… and build others up. The key word here is “Go.”

 

[Slide] Have you seen the trailer for Bad Boys 4: Ride or Die? There’s clip where Martin Lawrence is talking to his son seated on his, eating a bag of chips, and he tells him he needs to find a job. His son responds, “I’m a US Marine, sir.” Then Martin Lawrence says, “Well then, you need to deploy!”

 

Jesus is telling us we need to deploy. We need to engage in the primary activity of the church, loving one another, loving our neighbors and loving God. [Slide] Remember, Jesus said, If you love me, you will obey my commands. (John 14:15) If we say we love God, then we will love one another, forgive one another, have patience with one another, encourage and pray for one another. We will one another one another so that the love of Christ might grow within us to overflowing joy.

 

Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. He has appointed us to go and bear fruit that lasts. Apart from Him we can do nothing. Like a cluster of grapes, we must abide in Jesus. And we abide in Jesus by keeping His commandment to love one another.

 

 

[Slide] On that last night in the upper room, Jesus was saying his goodbyes to his beloved disciples. He had poured his heart and soul into them as they went about Palestine teaching hope in the gospel, healing, and liberating lives with prayer and power of God. Jesus knew he needed to prepare his church for what was to come. He was about to be arrested and crucified. The disciples would scatter in fear. Jesus knew His church would need Him in a new way. So he promised that they would receive the Holy Spirit.

 

[Slide] “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (John 15:23)

 

[Slide] “On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” (John 15:20)

 

Father God and Son of God live within us who love one another, for God is love. The Holy Spirit fills us with Christ’s love and empowers us to love like Jesus. That’s how God created us, to love like Jesus. And love is the way to joy.

 

Jesus said all these things that last night before His death so that His joy might be in His disciples and our joy might be complete. The word complete means to be filled to the brim, more than enough, full-on joy!

 

You will know this full-on Joy when you love one another, when you love your neighbors with the love of Jesus, and when you love God by trusting and obeying His word.

 

Jesus is with us through the Spirit. And no one can take that away from us. No power on earth can take our full-on joy in Christ. We will have troubles in this world, but let your hearts be encouraged. Christ has overcome the world, and we all share in His victory.

 

[Slide] Joy In The Morning, by Natalie Sleeth, celebrates the joy we will know on the day of Christ’s return, when the old order of things are no more and the new heaven and earth finally come in fullness.

 

there'll be joy in the morning on that day,

for the daylight will dawn when the darkness is gone

there'll be joy in the morning on that day,

 

there'll be peace and contentment evermore,

ev'ry heart, ev'ry voice on that day will rejoice,

there'll be peace and contentment evermore.

 

there'll be love and forgiveness ev'rywhere,

and the way of the Lord will that day be restored,

there'll be love and forgiveness ev'rywhere.

 

[Slide] Every time you experience the presence of the Holy Spirit, you get a foretaste of that great day of joy! We look forward to that day and work toward it, when full-on joy will be ours in the presence of our Lord forever.