Foundations for a Joyful Christian - Assembly

Now I don't know what's distinctive about an Irishman standing, but here I am, I'm standing between two Irishmen, and I'm not sure what that means, whether that's a sandwich or exactly what that has in view, but anyway, we're certainly very glad to be here, and we're certainly thankful for the practical words that our brother has brought before us. I'd like to maybe start where he stopped, because he mentioned about the joy of the Lord being our strength, and so I'd like to read in the book of Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12, and we'll read at verse number 1. Hebrews chapter 12, verse number 1. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith.

It says our faith, but it's of faith. Who for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. And then the writer adds, consider him, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

This happened a number of years ago, but there was a brother that came to visit us on the east coast of Newfoundland, east coast of Canada, Newfoundland. This brother had been involved in the work many years before, he'd come for a couple of summers, and so he'd come back to just see the Christians again, to attend a conference, and to just enjoy fellowship. And during that conference, he came up to me, and he said, he said, Marv, he said, these Christians have lost their joy.

And sadly, he was right. Now, the assembly was going on steadfastly, and they were having a conference as they had other years, but he detected that something was missing. And of course, it involves spiritual health, didn't it? And you know, I've thought about that because really what he was saying was true.

That many times, we are linked, or we give evidence of a joyless Christianity. Brothers and sisters, a joyless Christianity is abnormal Christianity. It's a distortion of God's purposes, it's a distortion of God's grace, it's a misrepresentation of the very character of God.

Because we've been reminded that the joy of the Lord is our strength. And here in the book of Hebrews, who for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame. I think what we have just sung is certainly evidence in many of our lives.

My joy or my love is oft times low, my joy still ebbs and flows. But peace with him remains the same, no change, Jehovah knows. So in the ups and downs of life, we are girded about with this very, very wonderful eternal relationship.

That peace with him will never, never alter, never be changed. And of course, God's desire is that we might enjoy that, we might live in the good of that. In fact, I was just reading in Exodus chapter 19, and I just tried to put myself in Moses' place because the Lord had called him, they were by Sinai, the Lord had called him, and he says, this is what I want you to tell the nation of Israel, the people of Israel.

And Moses could have said, well, what exactly do you want me to tell them? And in that wonderful chapter, he said, you have seen, number one, what I did to the Egyptians. There had been a very mighty deliverance. They'd been brought under the years of bondage and hopelessness, and they'd brought into a relationship with their God.

You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you up on eagles' wings. And so alongside of this mighty deliverance, we find that there was a tender, sustaining care. And I think as we look at our lives, we can appreciate the very same thing, that our God has borne us up many, many times, continuously on eagle wings, and that I brought you to myself.

I brought you to myself, and wondrously, amazingly, he has brought us into an eternal relationship with him, a relationship of union, of communion, of enjoyment, of learning, of transformation, of just knowing him. In fact, the Lord's words in John 17, he said, this is life eternal. That they might go to heaven.

No, that's not what he said. This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. So here we are, and we're here to learn more of him.

We're here to respond to his word. And so today, I just want to give you some of the, what I have called, some of the foundation stones of a joyful assembly. Or we could even make it more personal.

The foundation stones of a joyful Christian life. And I think that would certainly tie in with what our brother Clark has been referring to, with regard to spiritual health. So I'm just going to give you some very singular comments.

Some little words to emphasize what I have in mind, because Hebrews chapter 12, here were believers, and they had gone through a tremendous conflict. They had moved from what was so visible to that which was invisible. Now of course, you remember, you recall, that the Old Testament relationship with God involved the very visible things.

A visible tabernacle. There was smoke. There was incense.

There were animal sacrifices. There were the garments that were so beautiful. There were the onyx stones and so on.

It was all visible. And of course, visibility has a tremendous power, doesn't it? We like what we see. But now they have moved to the invisible.

They were linked with a Savior who had gone home to heaven. They were linked with people and who knows where they were, where they were meeting. Maybe outside or maybe in just an unmarked place.

And so here were believers. They had moved from the visible to the invisible. They had moved from the temporal to the spiritual, the eternal.

They were involved with eternal transactions. They had moved and stepped from the shadows to the substance, hadn't they? All the Old Testament types and shadows were pointing ahead, but now the real had come, the eternal had come, the substance had come, and our Lord Jesus Christ had won their hearts. And so here were believers, and they had left a lot of things.

Chapter 10 tells us they endured a great fight of afflictions, and they had been made a gazing stock. They had been made a spectacle. I think the word there is the theater.

And so there were people, there were Christians, and they had been brought into the Colosseums, and they had been made a laughing stock and a gazing stock just for the entertainment of others. And so the writer is saying, don't cast away your confidence, which hath great recompense and reward. So what's the solution? He just says it so simply.

Consider him. Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. So what would give joy in the assembly? What would bring joy in our personal lives? Well, I think very simply, number one, it's occupation, occupation with Christ, occupation with Christ.

Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. I'm sure there's believers here, and in the midst of trials, in the midst of difficulties, we have been able to trace the Savior's pathway, as the hymn says, that was so uncheered by earthly smiles. It wasn't easy, was it? There were the contradictions of sinners.

There was the constant pushback of those that he'd come to bless. And despite that, who for the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame. And as we consider him, we understand that his joy becomes our joy.

It gives us strength because, yes, the joy of the Lord is our strength. And as I couldn't help but think of his words, which we use in the gospel, come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest. But then he says, take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for my yoke is easy, my burden is light.

Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. Now, brothers and sisters, that's more than just academic, learn about him. I trust that this weekend will be a time when we will learn more about him.

But I think the truth there is to learn from him, to spend time with him, to be yoked together, to walk in tandem with him, learn from me. And if we're going to do that, it's going to take time, isn't it? It's going to be a decision that we make to actually learn and take up this yoke that's with him and learn of me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. I understand that this word easy is a very strange word, isn't it? Do you find the Christian life easy? I don't.

We're living in a world, now we are twice born, aren't we, those of us who were saved? We are twice born, we're living in a world run by the once born. So we don't fit, we don't fit. We're going the opposite way from the way that the world is going.

And so it's not easy. But amazingly, this word easy is, well, it has a number of different usages in the Bible. And I noticed in Luke chapter 6, verse 35, it says, he is kind, same word, he is kind to the unthankful.

He is easy with them. As we consider him, we can't help but be impressed and amazed at his amazing patience with us and with the guilty world. I've often wondered why God doesn't step in many times to settle the score, to deal with these issues.

He's going to, but he's easy to the unthankful. Romans chapter 2, not knowing that the goodness of God leads to repentance, same word, not knowing that the easiness of God leads to repentance. Ephesians 4, be kind one to another, be easy one to another, we'll come to that later.

And first Peter chapter 2, verse 3, tasted that the Lord is gracious, he's easy. And wondrously, as we consider him, we can't help but bow with thanksgiving that he has shown us such great grace, such amazing patience. When I think of the evenness of his walk, he was full of grace and truth.

You say 50-50? No, no, no, brother, not 50-50, 100% of 100%. He was full of grace and truth. Here we are linked with him.

We can't help but be amazed at the depth of his sufferings. Consider him, how far did he go? All the way to Calvary. How long did he stoop? The death of the cross, despised, rejected, and then the wrath of God fell upon the man, the only man that had never sinned.

And here we are, and the writer to the Hebrews just says, consider him occupation with Christ. We've been challenged already at many times. Our devotional time is very limited, isn't it? Just a bun on the run.

That'll do it for the day. It doesn't, does it? Sometimes we have to just grab a tidbit. But you know, it's only when we spend time in the Word of God that we were strengthened, were encouraged.

There's a sense, there's a spirit of joy that returns, and despite the opposition and despite the difficulties, we understand that there is a God in heaven, and he's marked by this wonderful joy. Now we love to sing Man of Sorrows, what a name for the Son of God who came. It's a great hymn.

But I'm still waiting for someone to write about the man of joy, because he was marked by joy. He willingly went to the cross. In fact, I'm amazed that before he left that upper room, they sang a hymn together, and he knew where he was going.

The disciples had no idea of what lay ahead, but he knew. And if I'm correct in saying Psalm 119 was very likely some of the words that he sang that night. You say, what's in Psalm 119? This is the day that the Lord has made.

We will rejoice and be glad in it. Calvary was just ahead. The darkness of Gethsemane was just ahead.

The scorn and the mockery and the reproach and the shame was just ahead. And the awful wrath of God was just ahead. And yet he sang, this is the day that the Lord has made.

We will rejoice and be glad in it. Occupation with Christ. I know I'm just touching the fringe of the fringe with regard to this, but you know one of the foundation stones of a joyful life and one of the foundation stones of a joyful assembly is occupation with him.

I trust that our hearts will be in tune with that. Let's go to 1st Corinthians chapter 12 very quickly. 1st Corinthians chapter 12, and again I'll just read individual portions here.

1st Corinthians chapter 12, and again I'll just read individual portions here. So also is Christ. Just drop down to verse number 18.

But now has God set the members, every one of them, in the body, as it hath pleased him. Drop down to verse 22, nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary. Verse number 26, now whether one member and whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it or one member be honored all the members rejoice with it now your body of Christ and members in particular and verse number 31 but covet earnestly the best gifts and yet show I unto you a more excellent way brother Clark has reminded us of the need for exercise and I think the the little captioned over 1st Corinthians 12 in my mind is not just occupation but participation participation because we have been wondrously saved and brought into a living entity a living body a living relationship that's part of God's purposes and I hardly agree with our brother Clark that every single one of us every single one of us has been given a spiritual ability we call it the gifts we have been given a spiritual ability to function effectively in the in the purposes of God in the work of God and here is the here is the Apostle writing to these Corinthians and he said your joy and your effectiveness will be involved will be linked with being involved in the things of God now I've never been a professional football game the World Cup I think is playing right now in in the US maybe other places is coming to Canada as well and it's interesting that in any of those football whether it's American football or or the the soccer as we would call it that every every match involved two things on the field there's 22 men that are trying to make a goal and in the stands there's 50 60 70 80,000 spec maybe more spectators and there's a big difference between those two entities on the field there's 22 men in desperate need of rest in the stands there's 80 or 90 thousand people in desperate need of exercise and you know those those people up in the stands and I think we can appreciate the fact that they're calling the shots they're criticizing what's happening on the field why did they pass the the ball there why didn't you do this why didn't you do that and many times the local the local assembly is just like that game isn't it there's a few a few believers that are grinding out the yards and it's tough and it's hard and sometimes we just feel like not much progress but in the grandstands oh we've got the big picture why did they decide to do that why didn't they do what that something else and there we are criticizing but not lifting a little finger 22 men in desperate need of rest thousands of spectators in desperate need of of exercise you know when you when you're on the on the playing field and there's only a few you're subject to a lot of criticism I'm talking in a spiritual sense now in the local assembly and sometimes there's just a few believers and they're trying to do maybe what they're not even gifted to do because nobody else is doing anything and so there's burnout there's burnout there's ineffectiveness and I think what Paul is is addressing here in the Corinthian assembly he said now God has said every member in the body as it hath pleased him some believer today you have a you have a purpose being where you are you have a purpose for your life God has given you a spiritual ability to function effectively in the advance of his work gospel ministry the health of the assembly the up building of other believers we affect one another and when we fail when we fail to participate everybody suffers everybody suffers you know you you might say well I think I'm just a help just to help please don't downgrade your your ability it's not just a help helps we're linked with spiritual gifts we need the helps and you know as Paul advanced the the work of the gospel we understand that he was constantly surrounded by fellow believers in fact there were times when there was there were there were brethren and sisters that were involved in the work Paul was never a lone wolf no he surrounded himself with all kinds of fellow helpers of those that were just there to advance the work and you know when it comes to helpers it might not be visible might not be behind a platform like this but it's vital because you see when it comes to helpers number one they are just willing to participate that's it just willing to participate they don't wait to be told what to do they have no desire for prominence and they just have discovered the truth that's found in 1st Corinthians chapter 12 I still remember that there was a dear brother who's home in heaven now died way before his time and humanly speaking but dear George was a was a very very busy accountant a very successful man he saw the big picture and he was a vital part of of the of the work there in the East Coast and we were trying to we're trying to finish up the the hall and funds were low and so we're just kind of inching along and and so he came up to me one time and this is by way of illustration he says Marv what what are you doing at the hall I saw your car there at 630 in the morning I said George I'm just trying to try to finish up some of the gyprock because the conference is coming he says what time do you start I said well usually 630 he says look he says I could come and I could help until 8 o'clock because I've got to go to work by 8 but I said if you want to come you come and unannounced with no fanfare with no flags flying a very very busy accountant came and he helped to advance that very practical project you see he was a helper among other things and that's that's so vital in our lives participation so brothers sisters are you involved in the local assembly are you in the grandstands if you're just watching the action happen then I trust that you'll you'll leave your your your grandstand seat and you'll go down to the playing field and you'll seek to advance the work of God let's go to John chapter 4 that clock is going far too fast John chapter 4 very very interesting a very well-known portion John chapter 4 and verse number 35 now let's look at verse 27 upon this his disciples upon this came his disciples and marveled that he talked with the woman yet no man said what seekest thou verse 31 in the meanwhile his disciples prayed him saying master eat but he said unto them I have meat to eat that you know not of therefore so the disciples one to another if any man brought him out to eat Jesus said unto him my meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work say not you there yet four months and then cometh harvest behold I say unto you lift up your eyes and look in the fields for they are white already to harvest he that reapeth receiveth wages and gathers through the life eternal that both he that sows and he that reaps may rejoice together I herein and herein is that saying true one sows another reaps I sent you to reap that were on you bestowed no labor other men labored and you have entered into their labors here we are in Garnivello and that last statement could certainly be applied to this audience other men labored and here we are we're enjoying the spoils and the harvest and the results of their labors but now it's our turn what brings joy in a person's life what brings joy to an assembly its occupation with Christ its participation in the work of God but it's evangelization being involved in the advance of the gospel and I think that when I think of Iowa I think that this is a gospel minded state that the gospel continues to be expanded and and it has thrived here and we're thankful for the evidence of what God has done and what God is doing keep at it but here were disciples in John chapter 4 and they didn't get the big picture they were hungry he says master eat and I think previously they had likely grumbled among themselves why are we going this way we never go this way but he must needs go through Samaria see for them it was an unwelcome detour but for the Lord Jesus it was a designated mission he must needs go through Samaria he says man you have a vision problem you're all concerned with the temporal but he says my meat is do the will him that sent me in to finish his work and then he said you're calculating things that there's gonna be yet four months and then comes harvest and I'm not sure when harvest comes here four months I don't know but spiritually sometimes we look down the road and say well it's you know maybe maybe blessing will come down the road sometime he said lift up your eyes and look in the fields for the air white already to harvest and here we are in the the great harvest field I think we must appreciate we need to appreciate the fact that time is running out isn't it we're living in some very very critical days and yes the spiritual soil is changing sometimes there's not the the openness to spiritual truth sometimes there's not the interest to I'm talking about the people out there and there's not an interest even to respond to the gospel we're finding that people that are coming to Newfoundland from the four corners of this world are the ones that are responding and Newfoundlanders as a whole are not responding anymore a rich increase with goods they have needed nothing but people are coming from the various parts of this in fact God is bringing the mission field to us and we need to lift up our eyes and look in the fields for their white already to harvest I trust that we might continue to find some of our spiritual joy and being linked with this eternal eternal project this eternal work of advancing the gospel they that so in tears shall reap in joy and I still remember it this is a memory that goes back a couple of years of 10 or 11 years remember visiting a very very simple home in a very remote village in in Chile you're not a granda and I met a believer there and the story was very interesting she had heard the gospel as a teenage girl her name was Perta now she was a grandmother now she was well along this would happen years before and there was an evangelist that came to worship I think in you're not a granda and he had one meeting one meeting just kind of on his on his way and Perta was at that meeting when he left he was able to give her a copy of the Bible I think it was the whole Bible or part of the Bible and he left if he doesn't know his name he's never been back but Perta began to read that Bible and to make a long story short in time she came to trust in the Savior and then she began to teach her children about the gospel and now she's teaching her grandchildren about the Savior and salvation through him and I've often thought to myself that evangelist has no idea what one meeting and one Bible has produced the results of that and brethren sisters if if we could see the full results of our sowing would we not sow more seed but sometimes our our perspective is clouded isn't it and we just fail to understand that the fields are white already to harvest so I trust that we might find some of our spiritual joy in being linked with our Lord Jesus and the proclamation of his word no time has gone one more Ephesians chapter 4 and we read verse number 31 Ephesians chapter 4 and verse number 31 let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be kind one to another tenderhearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you I still remember reading this after I just I just been saved just a very short time I was 55 years ago and I read was reading an Ephesians chapter 4 and I said now why in the world would that ever have to be in the Bible because my impression of Christians was glowing we're wonderful they think they were they weren't angels but they were almost there why why would the Apostle ever put that in the Bible be kind one to another and tenderhearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ but I've come to understand why I look at my own heart and yes I looked at the evidence of these verses and the lives of others and I said well I I understand I understand now why this is it this is an exhortation in the Bible and so with regard to spiritual health and spiritual joy consideration of one another is vital consideration of one another is vital my mother-in-law was a widow for many many years and she was renting a place and on one of our visits we went came into the apartment upstairs apartment and she said Marvin the landlord just just put some some new ceramic tile around the around the bathtub and so we'll have a look it looks pretty good to me and so I went in with my eagle eye and I looked very quickly at the job and they were like I know five by five little tiles and they all had a rose kind of going off to the right and I looked at this way and it's pretty good this way pretty good and then I went over by the faucet and would you believe there was one tile and I don't know what he was thinking but the flower was was drooping the other way and I said why did you do that what what a mess and you just made me aware that it's so easy so easy spiritually speaking to see evidence of the grace of God in the lives of others but all we pick out the one flaw the one blemish the one failure no not I'm not suggesting brothers sisters that we should ever go easy on sin but we all have flaws we are all marked by failures none of us have hit a home run every time we get up to the the plate doing no we're we're Christians moving onward in in our pilgrim journey and yet many times we overlook the evidence of God's grace and of a Christians desire to go on and we see only the the flaw that somehow marks their pathway so here's the Apostle and he says listen consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you brethren I'm gonna talk to the men now have you ever asked for your wife's forgiveness well that's pretty hard isn't it but we need to wives have you asked for your husband's forgiveness because we're we're in this together aren't we and you know many times when we when we fail to forgive we're brought into life's worst prison the worst prison you can ever be in is the prison of unforgiveness and here's the Apostle and he's writing to these believers he says be kind to one another tender-hearted try to put yourself in their shoes forgiving one another because God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you I trust that God will encourage your hearts you can put some meat on these bones and there's so much more that is linked with being a joyful assembly and a joyful believer in Christ