Walk in the Joy of the Lord

The Holy Spirit is moving in a different direction today.

There are times when you plan, put things in order, and then He says, “Wait a minute. Stop. Here is what you are supposed to do today.”

And I believe this is where He is leading us. He is disrupting the service this morning because He wants us to take hold of what God has truly done for each one of us.

There is nothing more precious that you can have in this whole world than the blood of Jesus in your life and on your heart. There is nothing that can bring you life like the life found in Jesus Christ. Nothing.

How excited does the church get over what God has done for us? How excited are you this morning that God loved you enough to send His Son into this world to take the death that you and I deserve?

Are you excited about that this morning?

Thank you. Thank you.

What does the Bible say about praising the Lord? If we will not lift our voices, if we will not praise the Lord, then who will praise Him in our place? The rocks will cry out. The very rocks will cry out.

Are you excited this morning? Do you know why you have life? Do you truly come before God to open your heart and give Him praise, thanksgiving, honor, and glory for the love He has poured out on you through Jesus Christ? Is that your purpose for being here?

Be happy. Be happy. Be excited. Be full of the life that God has given you in Jesus Christ this morning. Be full of that life.

There you go.

It is a gift. It is a gift that none of us deserve: grace, that which is given to us even though we do not deserve it.

God has done that for you. He has done that for me. And He has done that for everybody outside these walls.

We are coming to a time in life when God’s people need to be visible in the world around us. We need to be visible. We need to be seen, and we need to be heard.

What do you mean, preacher?

We need to be seen walking in the joy of the Lord in our everyday lives. We should not let the troubles of the world and the struggles of life make us walk around with sour faces. We should not allow Satan to bring us to the point of trading insult for insult.

Instead, we should walk in the joy of knowing that God loved us so much that He gave His Son for us, and that we have a promise of eternity. Not only that, but He walks with us in this life, no matter what happens. He is with us.

We also need to be heard. Where is the witness of what God has done for you in your life? Where is that testimony?

Are you excited? Has God done wonderful things in your life? Do you tell people about them? Or do you have to sit back and think really hard, “Well, what has God done in my life?”

If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, I am telling you that you have experienced things in your life that you can tell people about—things He has done for you.

There are people in the world today, right now, who are in a place in life where they do not know what they are going to do. They question whether life is even worth living. The sad part is that the people who have the answer often do not have anything to say to them.

Yet Christ told us to go into all the world, take His good news, and share it with all people. The result is that they come to Him, and then we continue to grow, make disciples, and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Do you know how to make a church grow?

It is not through chicken pies. It is not through fancy buildings. It is not through dramatic services.

The churches that grow are the ones where people carry the good news of Jesus into the communities where they live, among their friends and families. God works through what they carry out, and souls are won to Jesus.

That is the whole purpose of the church: to glorify God in our lives and through our testimony and witness of His Son.

If we are not doing those two things, we are effectively dead as a church. If we are not doing those two things, we are effectively dead as a church.

I sat in a service yesterday evening where the only person who was dead was not the person we came to honor. There were a lot of walking dead sitting in that service—many people who had never seriously considered Jesus.

It made me think about what we do as followers of Jesus.

Are we content just to do the normal? To come on Wednesday, to come on Sunday, to open our Bibles during these prescribed times, and then to do whatever the rest of life offers for the rest of the week?

For years, I think a lot of churches have been content with that normal routine. “I give God His time, and the rest is my time.”

But all time belongs to God. There really is no “His time” and “my time.” He is involved in it all. He has made all things for His purpose and His reason—every created thing, including you and me.

The difference between us and the rest of creation is that He gave us the ability to choose.

What am I going to do when it comes to God? What am I going to do? Am I going to choose to be a faithful follower? Am I going to choose to be a half-time follower? Am I going to choose to follow Him at all?

It is so important, because there are people in this world—some of whom we know and love—who will go to the grave without having encountered Jesus, simply because nobody bothered to let Jesus be seen in them or heard through their testimony and witness.

When it comes to moments like yesterday, that matters.

When you are in a service for a life that lasted only 13 years, it is heartbreaking to realize that there are people in the crowd, many years older, for whom that may be the first time they have heard about Jesus.

I know there were nine people who took hold of that message yesterday. But what about us? What are we truly doing? What is the mark of our mission?

Ninety percent of congregations approach the mission of Christ like this: “We hired a professional. He is called a preacher. He does ministry.”

But what about the rest of the church? What about the other believers?

There are billions of people in this world. Look at our own area—Walnut Cove and the surrounding communities. If you leave the work to me, to Tim, to A.J., and to a few other pastors, how can we possibly reach thousands of people? But imagine having 1,500 people engaging with people in their homes, workplaces, neighborhoods, friendships, and families.

We are living in a day like we have never seen before. We are living in a time like we have never seen before. This world needs Jesus more than ever.

If the whole body of Christ will not move out with that message, then what will become of this world? What will become of our loved ones and friends? What will become of our neighbors?

What happens if we do not move forward with the evidence that Jesus lives?

Does anybody have evidence today that Jesus lives?

Yes. Yes.

I do not know about you, but I can tell you that, from the way He has worked in and through my life, there is no question in my mind that Jesus is real. There is no question when I consider the way I have seen Him work in the lives of other people. No question.

So what are we to do? What are we to do?

One thing I know is that we cannot say, “Oh, somebody else will do it.” That is what happens all across the world. People become complacent where they are, and they say, “Somebody else will handle that.”

But the responsibility given to the church is not given only to the institution of the church. I am not talking about walls, buildings, property, or programs. I am talking about what the church truly is: the people who have given themselves to Jesus, who are washed in His blood, and who have been given eternal life.

That church is called to walk in the joy of the Lord and to take its testimony and witness into the world as Jesus instructed. If we do not, we become a dead church—a dead entity, a worthless gathering.

So my encouragement to you, through the Holy Spirit this morning, is this: Look at what Jesus has done for you in your life.

If you say, “He has done nothing for me. I have not seen evidence of Him working in my life,” then perhaps you need to come to Jesus, truly give yourself to Him, and know Him.

Because if you know Him, you always have this testimony: He has forgiven you, taken your sin away, and given you life. That is a lot. That is a lot. At the very least, you have that to share with people.

Sometimes we say, “I am ashamed of the things I used to do, so I will not tell anybody about them.” But then you see someone doing the very same things you used to do, and you have the perfect opportunity to say, “Look, He freed me from all of that. He can free you too.”

Too often, we are quiet. Be joyful about what He has freed you from. When you have the opportunity, tell someone, “He cut me loose from that. He can do the same for you.”

Give them that opportunity. Give them that joy. Open the door of opportunity for somebody else to walk through.

Share the joy. Walk in joy. Think about what He has done for you. There is nothing else He has ever done in your life that should bring you more joy than His death and resurrection on your behalf. We should walk in that joy at all times.

Number two: Do not be afraid to speak His truth.

What everybody needs when they come to Jesus Christ and accept Him as Savior is truth.

What kind of truth, preacher?

The truth that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The truth that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is life through Jesus Christ.

Those truths begin to penetrate the heart, along with many other truths found in Scripture.

“Well, preacher, I do not know much of that.”

That is simple. What is that book beside you? The Bible. What is in the Bible? It is 66 books of testimony about God and Jesus.

That is exactly right.

And what does that testimony about God and Jesus do for us? It tells us how Jesus died for us and freed us from our sins.

There are 66 books of information about how God has interacted with humankind. Open that book. Do not open it only on Sunday or Wednesday. Open it and see what God has done for us.

I am telling you: just read it. Just read it. It will begin to stay with you, and God will use it. He will bring it back to your memory when you need to share it with someone else.

But you have to read, right? That is practice, if you will.

Scotty, what happens to your golf game if you never pick up a golf club and go out into the yard to hit some balls?

“I’m going to lose!”

Exactly. What happens if you have not made biscuits in four or five years?

You may forget how to do it.

The things we know and the things we want to do require practice. If we do not stay in practice in the things of God by reading His Word, then we often do not have much to say when the opportunity comes.

But if we stay in practice by reading His Word, and if we remain in conversation with Him by continually thanking Him, then we will have something to talk about.

The Bible tells us to live thankfully. Thank Him for the little things. Thank Him for the big things. If we are constantly doing those things, then we remember why we are thankful to God. We remember what He has done for us. We have something to say.

To be that witness is our responsibility and our calling as a church.

We come together, we worship, and we go out and witness.

Come in and worship. Fill up with the goodness of God. Then go out and spread it.

It is as though this building is one big lung. We come in, take a deep breath, and fill up with God. Then we exhale into the world, carrying that goodness out to others.

It is our calling. It is my calling, and it is your calling.

Are we living faithfully according to our calling and to the call Jesus gives us to go into the world and share the gospel? That is the question.

And not our own version of the message, but the truth of the Word of God.

So I encourage you today to examine your heart. Do not wait until after lunch. Examine your heart now.

Is the joy of the Lord there? Are you taking hold of what He has done for you? Perhaps you say, “Yes, it has been there, but it has been clouded by the things of life.”

Then today, right here, allow the Lord to take the dust off your relationship. Recommit to Him. Say, “Lord, I want to do what You have called me to do. I want to feel that joy, and I want to have those words to share.”

Recommit to Him.

Maybe you examine your heart and think, “I do not even know what he is talking about.”

If the sole basis for your relationship with Jesus is, “Well, when I was a baby, they put water on my head,” or “My family has attended this church for three generations,” that is not necessarily knowing Jesus.

Knowing Jesus is committing yourself to Him and embracing what He has done for you.

If you have never done that, do not simply trust in an infant baptism or an adult baptism. It is not the water; it is the Lord Himself. It is Christ dwelling in you.

If you say, “I do not know that He dwells in me,” then the door is open for you today to give yourself to the Lord.

This is one of those moments when I have to stand up and honestly tell you: Check your heart. Where do you truly stand in your relationship with Jesus?

Because if I live long enough in this place and you do not, I truly hate for people to be laid in the ground—especially if they have never heard the truth of the gospel.

I also hate it when people have heard the truth of the gospel and have not given themselves to Jesus.

You can see the evidence of that when a preacher sits down with a family and asks, “Let’s talk about their life. What are some things you want to share?”

And the family says, “We do not know, preacher. Just say whatever you want to say.”

Then the preacher asks, “Did they have a favorite Bible verse?”

“I have no idea.”

“Do you have their Bible?”

“I have never seen one around here.”

“What was your mother’s favorite hymn?”

“Pick something. We do not know.”

All of a sudden, there is no evidence anywhere that this person loved Jesus—or, if they did, they never shared it with their children and grandchildren.

How does that happen?

So I want to tell you this morning that Jesus loves you and gave His life for you. You do not have to suffer the penalty of sin. You can have eternal life in Him.

And I love you enough this morning to tell you that if you are in this place and have never truly given yourself to Jesus, or if you are here and your relationship with Him is not what it should be—if you have become distant from Him—do not be ashamed.

Satan uses shame to bring spiritual death. Satan uses shame to distance you from the strength that gives you life.

If you are in that place and you say, “I need Jesus,” or “I need strength in my relationship with Jesus,” or “I need to renew that relationship,” then today is your day.

Do not let Satan keep you from it because of what you think other people will think.

What happens when one soul is won here on earth? There is celebration throughout heaven. The angels rejoice, and the church rejoices.

Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all you who are weary and burdened.” Jesus is calling you.

And what does He have to give you?

“My peace I give to you. My peace I leave with you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.”

Jesus also said, “I have come that you may have life and have it to the fullest.”

Pray with me.

Father, I thank You for Your witness, Your Word, and Your testimony. I thank You for the Spirit who can turn us on a dime and say, “This is what you need today.”

Father, we make our plans according to Scripture, but You are the One who orders our steps. And Father, it is good when we listen.

I do not know what steps lie beyond the steps You have ordered for me today. Perhaps there are steps You are ordering right now. Perhaps there are steps of new life. Perhaps there are steps of renewal. Perhaps there are steps of saying, “I am going to take this gospel out into the world, and I am going to show Your joy.”

Whatever those steps are, Father, order them. Move us by Your Holy Spirit.

Father, make us the church You have called us to be. As we do so, may we bring honor and glory to Your name, and may we lift high the name of Jesus Christ.

Jesus said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all people unto Myself.”

So, Father, make us a congregation of believers who lift high the name of Jesus in our community, so that You may draw all people unto You.

And if there are those who need that drawing now, Father, bring them unto You.

In Jesus’ name, amen.