THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL
(An Illustrated Sermon)
Text: 1 John 1:1-4
by Mark Hardgrove
http://www.churchnetwork.com/suwaneecog

[Before the service begins have four clear glasses and a clear glass
pitcher on a table in front of the altar. Use two inch stick-on letters
for the pitcher and, from top to bottom, stick on the letters J-O-Y.  Do
this on both sides of the pitcher.  On each of the four glasses stick
one inch letters and the label the three glasses, SELF, GOD, SERVICE and
OTHERS.  Fill the pitcher to the brim and then pour an equal amount into
each of the four glasses so that later (during the sermon) as you pour
from the four glasses back into the pitcher, the pitcher will be full.]

Read Text
INTRODUCTION:
The Apostle Paul tells us, in Romans 14:17, that one of the Kingdom
Characteristics is  "joy in the Holy Spirit".  Jesus, Himself, spoke
often of joy.  He said:

"These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and
that your joy may be full"(John 15:11).

"Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive,
that your joy may be full"(John 16:24).

"But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they
may have My joy fulfilled in themselves"(John 17:13).

Jesus not only spoke of joy, but like John in our text, Jesus spoke of
"full" joy, and now John, in this epistle, tells us how we can have
"full joy."

You may be aware that there are some Greek manuscripts which have the
words, "that our joy may be fulfilled," instead of "that your joy may be
fulfilled."  If you have a modern translation, chances are your Bible
has, "our joy."  However, whether it is the joy of the reader or of the
writer, the source of joy remains the same.

I read a survey which asked people why they had quit going to church. 
There were the usual answers: someone made them mad, they didn't like
the color of the new carpet, someone parked in their spot and so on. 
But the majority of those who answered this survey stated that the "joy"
of worshipping God was gone.  In other words, they were going through
the motions without emotion and their religion became dry and empty.

Jesus did not say that we would always be "happy" in our walk with Him,
but He did promise joy.  Happiness is concerned with what "happens to
us," but joy is connected to what is "going on within us."  Happiness
comes and goes, but joy in the Holy Spirit is supposed to be a constant
in the life of the Christian.   So why are so many people bouncing from
church to church looking for something new to happen?  Why are so many
people spiritually dry and empty inside?  I believe I know the answer.

John tells us that this epistle, this letter, was being written so that
joy may fill the life of the readers. Today, we are the readers.  Two
things need to be clarified about this fourth verse.  The words "write"
and "may be" are verbs which are written in the present tense.  This
means that they carry the connotation of a continuous and ongoing
activity.  When John says "we write," it could be translated, "we are
writing," indicating that not only what he has just written, but what
follows are intended to bring about full joy.  

When he states, "that your joy may be full," he is saying, "that your
joy may continuously be filled."  This is important, because John is not
talking about a static event, a one time thrill; John is talking about
an ongoing reality as a result of thr truths he is writing.

So John's epistle is intended to instruct us on how to live in a state
of "fullness of joy."    A lot of Christians need to receive this word
today.  It needs to be revelation.  It needs to change your life. 
Nobody will make it long as a Christian without joy.  Without joy church
becomes another thing to do in busy week.  Without joy, prayer becomes a
ritual which produces very little in the way of change.  Without joy our
praise is becomes noise (Ps. 100:1).  Without joy our worship loses its
luster, and our songs sound hollow (1 Chron. 15:16).    Without joy our
service to God becomes a weariness (Ezra 6:22).   Do not underestimate
the power of joy in your life.

When repenting for his sin of adultery, David prayed in Psalm 51,
"Restore unto me the joy of they salvation. . . " (Ps. 51:12).  Isaiah
tells us that it is "with joy" that we "shall draw water out of the
wells of salvation" (Isa. 12:3).

Salvation brings joy, it comes with the package.  But somewhere someone
has convinced the church that the joy of the Lord wears off and we
settle down into the routine of religion.  I'm sorry but I haven't
bought that line.  When Paul writes, "Rejoice in the Lord alway, and
again I say Rejoice" (Phil. 4:4), I read that and I say, "He's talking
to me!"

There are too many people who come to church only to "sit, soak and
sour."  There are too many people who come mad and leave sad.  There are
too many people who sit through the Wonder of Worship and miss the joy
of being in the presence of God.  The Psalmist said, ". . .in thy
presence there is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures
for evermore" (Ps. 16:11).

I don't think I would be stretching the point to say that joy is to the
Christian what talent is to a musician.  Joy is the aspect of the
Christian walk which puts the song in our heart and keeps us singing
even when we are passing through the valleys of life.

So why is it that so many Christians go through life like this empty
pitcher? (Hold up the pitcher.)   They are empty and they are dry.  They
cannot witness because they feel like a hypocrite.  They cannot worship
because there is no music in their soul.  They do not minister to anyone
else because they are on a quest for joy in their own life and simply
live in hope that somehow someone or something will fill the empty
pitcher of their life with joy.

John's epistle shows us that joy, for the Christian, does not come from
what is going on around us, but what is going on within us and what we
doing for God and others.

(Place the pitcher back on the table.)

HOW THEN, DO WE REGAIN JOY?

John's epistle will show us that we fill the pitcher of joy by pouring
out our lives in four areas.  

I.	FIRST WE MUST POUR OUT "SELF" 
(Pour the glass labeled "self" into the pitcher.)

John writes in verses 8 and 9 of chapter one: 
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive
us our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness."

We must pour our "self" out before God.  We have to throw out the
self-righteous facade and be real with God and one another.   I get so
tired of trying to look religious.  I watch preachers on television and
I am amazed at how religious many of them look.  They have the preacher
hair, the preacher voice, the preacher mannerisms.  And while I am not
in a position to judge any of them--I find myself praying, "Lord, I
don't want to be like anyone else.  Help me Jesus, to be real.  Help me
to pour out myself and just be honest before You and your people."

We will not have joy until we can learn to be real.  After awhile the
facade, the fictional perfect person we try to portray becomes a hollow
act.

I was talking with a lady a couple days ago and she said, "Pastor I
really need to come in and talk to you some day.  We're not crazy, we're
just messed up."

I said, "I can deal with messed up people.  It's the perfect ones who
scare me."

If you want joy, you have to pour out self.  Don't sit in a
self-conscious fear when you want to come to the altar for prayer.  When
the invitation is given for people with an addiction to come and be
delivered, if you have an addiction, pour out self.  Walk to the altar
and say, "I need prayer."  When the invitation for people with sin in
their life is given, if you have sin in your life, come to the altar. 
You may be a teacher, an elder, or a preacher; but you will never find
joy until you pour out self and come to Jesus for the forgiveness of
sin.  Pour out the pretense, pour out the pride, pour out yourself as a
living sacrifice and begin to find the joy of the Lord in your life.

II.	SECOND, WE MUST POUR IN FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD

(Pour the glass labeled "God" into the pitcher.)

There is no real joy without a real relationship with God.  That's what
deceives so many people.  They hope to find joy in religion, in the
rituals and the liturgy; but unless those things bring you closer to
God, there will not be true joy.

In His presence there is "fullness of joy."  John writes, in verse 3 of
our text, "truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son
Jesus Christ."

It's not enough to seek "quality time" with God.  We must spend every
waking moment in the realization that we are living in the light.  We
must walk in the light as He is in the light.

The most miserable people I know are those people whose relationship
with God extends no farther than the church doors.  They come for weekly
visits and then live the rest of the week as though God was confined to
the building we call the church.

Pour out some time in prayer, some time in worship, some time in the
Word and be with God.  When John said his "fellowship" was with the
Father and the Son, he was talking about a relationship, "koinonia," a
communion of heart and soul. 

We cannot put God on a shelf through the week and expect to find joy on
Sunday.  We have to make time to be with God.  We have to redeem the
time by spending time in the presence of God.  "There," with Him, in our
pain or in our pleasure, in our times of want, or our times of plenty,
"there" is fullness of joy.

III.	THIRD, WE MUST POUR IN SERVICE
(Pour the glass labeled "service" into the pitcher.)

John writes, without apology, in verses 3 and 4 of chapter one:
"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.  He
who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandment, is a liar,
and the truth is not in him."

I can tell you what I have observed over the years with regard to joy; I
have observed that people who are doing the Lord's will, people who are
obedient to the ministry call in their life are people who have joy. 
You cannot be winning souls into the Kingdom of God and be lacking joy
at the same time.

John is not talking about earning salvation by our works, but he is
telling us that when we are in love with God we will want to serve Him. 
If we do not even want to serve God in some capacity, if we do not keep
His command to share the gospel, or to minister His love to those around
us, then there is something wrong with our relationship with Him.

John tells us that if we do not keep His commandments, if we do not keep
His Word, then we are liars.  Further, we are told that all liars shall
have their part in the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8).  To have joy filled to
the brim of your soul, you are going to have to find a ministry and get
busy for God.  It may be ministry as a prayer warrior.  It may be as a
teacher.  It may be an encourager.  It may be as a helper.  It may be
something nobody else has ever done before, but if it reaches people
with the love of God it will fill your soul with joy unspeakable and
full of glory.

IV	FINALLY, YOU MUST POUR INTO OTHERS
(Pour in the glass labeled "others."  This should fill the pitcher with
water.)

Some folks have the attitude "me and Jesus, we got our own thing goin',"
but that attitude is in direct opposition to what the Word has to say. 
In John's Gospel Jesus says:

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have
loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:34).

"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you"
(John 15:12).

"These things I command you, that ye love one another" (John 15:17).


In his epistle, John writes, ". . . we also ought to lay down our lives
for the brethren" (1 Jn. 3:16).  

This is the amazing thing about joy, when we focus on our "self" we do
not find joy.  But when we focus on God, on serving Him by touching the
lives of others, we will have joy.

I go to the Nursing Home to minister once a month.  I don't get paid to
do it.  I do it because of the joy I get from simply sharing the gospel
with folks who have nothing to give me in return except a genuine word
of thanks.  I get joy from singing with them and holding their hand and
telling them they look beautiful.

If you want joy, get your eyes of yourself and get them first on God,
then ask Him to open your eyes to the wounded of the world.  If you want
joy, then find a need and fill it, find a wound and heal it.  When you
do you will discover that joy finds you, you don't find joy.

CONCLUSION:
Why is it so important that you have joy?  Because Nehemiah tells us
that "the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh. 8:10).  

John said, "I'm writing this to you so that your joy will be full and
filling."  You don't just come to one service and get a one time dose of
joy.   Joy is continually being poured into you when you have poured out
yourself in service to God and others.  Joy is a well of salvation that
never runs dry.  Jesus said, "I have spoken these things to you that
your joy may be full."  We need the joy because joy is our strength.

Let's face it, there will be some times when our walk with God takes us
through some desert experiences.  How do we keep on?  Our joy--joy that
we have drawn from the wells of salvation--is our strength.   When we
have this joy we can refresh ourselves in the Lord.  When we have this
joy we can refresh others.  When we have this joy we can stand on the
mountains, and we can walk through the valleys but we never stop singing
or praising the one from whom all blessing flow.

What about you today?  Is there real joy in your walk with God?  If not,
John is telling you how to get the joy back.  Pour your "self" out at
the altar, be real with God and with the church.  Make up your mind to
walk with God and to do His will.  Then listen to Him and He will direct
you in ministry.  He will call you to service, "both to will and to do
of His good pleasure" (Phil. 4:13).