Sermon Central
-
Fight For Joy
Contributed by Sermon Central on Oct 22, 2008 (message contributor)
Fight for Joy
John Piper offers 15 Biblical things we must do to fight for joy. (I can only list them today, and commend to you his book, "When I Don’t Desire God.") This list reminds me that faith does not produce inactivity, but God-centered activity:
1) Realize that authentic joy in God is a gift
2) Realize that joy must be fought for relentlessly
3) Resolve to attack all known sin in your life
4) Learn how to fight like a justified sinner
5) Realize that the battle is primarily a fight to see God for who he is
6) Meditate on the word of God day and night
7) Pray earnestly and continually for an inclination
8) Learn to preach to yourself rather than listen to yourself
9) Spend time with God-saturated people who help you see God and fight the fight
10) Be patient in the night of God's seeming absence
11) Get the rest, exercise, and diet your body needs
12) Make a proper use of God's revelation in nature
13) Read great books about God and biographies of great saints
14) Do the hard and loving thing for the sake of others—witness and mercy
15) Get a global vision for the cause of Christ and pour yourself out for the unreached.
When Jonathan Edwards was accused of promoting emotionalism in God's people, he wrote ("Some Thoughts Concerning the Revival in the Great Awakening"): "I should think myself in the way of my duty, to raise the affections of my hearers as high as I possibly can, provided they are affected with nothing but truth, and with affections that are not disagreeable to the nature of what they are affected with."
From a sermon by Glenn Durham, "A Dynamic Church Worships Joyfully" 8/5/2008
Related Sermon Illustrations
-
A. W. Tozer, Another Wonderful Devotional Writer ... PRO
Contributed by Mary Lewis on Jul 2, 2002
A. W. Tozer, another wonderful devotional writer said this: The widest thing in the universe is not space; it is the potential capacity of the human heart. Being made in the image of God, it is capable of almost unlimited extension in all directions. And one of the world’s greatest ...read more
-
Charles Spurgeon Offers This Warning: "If You ... PRO
Contributed by Robert Leroe on Jul 10, 2002
Charles Spurgeon offers this warning: “If you haven’t looked at Christ on the cross, you’ll have to look at Him on the throne—with great trembling. The sacrificial death of Christ will be brought before the eyes of all who refuse to accept His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life. In ...read more
-
Henri Nouwen, Who Was A Roman Catholic Priest And ...
Contributed by Mary Lewis on Jul 2, 2002
Henri Nouwen, who was a Roman Catholic priest and a man of deep devotion to Christ said this: I often think: "A life is like a day; it goes by so fast. If I am so careless with my days, how can I be careful with my life?" I know that somehow I have not ...read more
-
If The World Were A Village Of 1000 People, Next ... PRO
Contributed by Paul Fritz on Jul 7, 2002
If the world were a village of 1000 people, next year’s population would be 1018. Twenty-eight people would be born, but 10 would die: three from lack of food, one from cancer, two in birth, one from war or crime, and three from natural causes. Two-hundred people from this village would receive ...read more
-
One Blistering Hot Day When They Had Guests For ...
Contributed by Lou Nicholes on Nov 8, 2004
One blistering hot day when they had guests for dinner, Mother asked 4-year old Johnny to return thanks. “But I don’t know what to say!” the boy complained. “Oh, just say what you hear me say” his mother replied. Obediently the boy bowed his head and mumbled, ...read more
Related Sermons
-
Living In A Season Of Joy Series
Contributed by Dean Courtier on Jul 24, 2017
Each of us experience the natural seasons of winter, spring, summer and autumn; and we also experience spiritual seasons in our lives. I want us to consider together how we can Live in a Season of Joy.
-
When Satan Tries To Steal Your Joy
Contributed by Dr. Jonathan Vorce on Nov 25, 2017
• Have you ever felt like you lost your joy? • Do you ever wake up and think… “I used to be happy.” • Could it be that satan has stolen your joy? • Let’s explore this today…
-
Our God Of Restoration Series
Contributed by Jerry Owen on Oct 1, 2016
Yahweh is the God who delights in restoration.
-
The Refiner's Fire
Contributed by Sam Mccormick on Aug 18, 2017
The prophet Malachi wrote that the Lord would send his messenger of the covenant, and asks, "who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap." What is the answer to Malachi's question?
-
Some Things We Can Get Excited About Series
Contributed by Kevin L. Jones on Jul 4, 2015
With all of the discouragement we face in this world, when we look to the Word of God we find some things that we can get excited about.
