KNOWING JOY AS A CHRISTIAN (3 OF 7)
by Jerry Branch
Scripture: 1 John 1:4
This content is part of a series.
Knowing Joy as a Christian (3 of 7)
Series: 1 John
Dr. Jerry Branch
1 John 1:4
1 John 1:4
1 John 1:4 (ESV)
4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
So today, I want to talk to all of us about KNOWING JOY as a CHRISTIAN.
First, off...there's this word, Joy...How do you define JOY in our lives?
What is JOY all about?
Is it about experiencing the emotional feeling of being happy?
Before you answer that,
IF that is what John was talking about, then it would be pretty short-lived because it would be relying upon EXTERNAL circumstance or feeling good.
That wouldn't have worked for those Christians living back then under persecution and hardships.
So, therefore, we need to understand that this thing called ''Joy'' that John is speaking of here really MUST be something more than just an emotional feeling.
Now, personally, and I'm sure you have also, I've experienced those 'spiritual' rollercoaster rides WHEN I've equated joy with being happy.
Some of you may have already figured all this out, but I think that most of us may still struggle with those up and down emotional rides of being happy...
First things are going well...we're happy...
Then things not so well...we're sad...
Then back to things go well again...we're happy...
Then back to things not so good...back to sad
John really sets it all out here in 1 John on HOW to really experience or really KNOW the Joy...in fact, this letter really is one of the 'best how-to' letters I've read...it's better than any of the charismatic speakers or those name-it-and-claim-it preachers we've all listened to off and on.
Now, some people have said though, that this letter is just the ramblings of an old man...but you know what...that is so wrong.
Because you see, there is a real order in how John wrote 1 John...
but you need to sit down and read the entire letter before drawing your conclusions...
we've talked about this many t ...
Series: 1 John
Dr. Jerry Branch
1 John 1:4
1 John 1:4
1 John 1:4 (ESV)
4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
So today, I want to talk to all of us about KNOWING JOY as a CHRISTIAN.
First, off...there's this word, Joy...How do you define JOY in our lives?
What is JOY all about?
Is it about experiencing the emotional feeling of being happy?
Before you answer that,
IF that is what John was talking about, then it would be pretty short-lived because it would be relying upon EXTERNAL circumstance or feeling good.
That wouldn't have worked for those Christians living back then under persecution and hardships.
So, therefore, we need to understand that this thing called ''Joy'' that John is speaking of here really MUST be something more than just an emotional feeling.
Now, personally, and I'm sure you have also, I've experienced those 'spiritual' rollercoaster rides WHEN I've equated joy with being happy.
Some of you may have already figured all this out, but I think that most of us may still struggle with those up and down emotional rides of being happy...
First things are going well...we're happy...
Then things not so well...we're sad...
Then back to things go well again...we're happy...
Then back to things not so good...back to sad
John really sets it all out here in 1 John on HOW to really experience or really KNOW the Joy...in fact, this letter really is one of the 'best how-to' letters I've read...it's better than any of the charismatic speakers or those name-it-and-claim-it preachers we've all listened to off and on.
Now, some people have said though, that this letter is just the ramblings of an old man...but you know what...that is so wrong.
Because you see, there is a real order in how John wrote 1 John...
but you need to sit down and read the entire letter before drawing your conclusions...
we've talked about this many t ...
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