Jesus Is Our Joy

​ Stewardship 1 – 2019                                                                                               LSB #’s 803, 809, 811
Text: John 15:11
 
Jesus Is our Joy
 
 
Stewardship is about every single decision you make after becoming a child of God.  To “Discover the Joy in Sharing God’s Blessings” we will focus on St. John’s Gospel, chapter 15:1-11.   These words of Jesus from verse 11 are a highlight for us: “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, & that your joy may be full.” 
(Sing) “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart;
down in my heart; down in my heart;
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart;
down in my heart to stay.”
 
Some people sang that song many times as children.  But there were days when they did not want to sing that song.    We do not always   have joy in our hearts.   Some days there’s sadness.  There are days of anger, & times of confusion, but the words of that song   I have not changed.   Where can you find that joy? 
Maybe if you started a list?  Have you ever made a list of things that bring you joy?  Maybe it’s the Detroit Lions winning the Super Bowl?  Do you think that possibly, at least in Michigan, even liberals & conservatives could agree on that one?  Would your list include seeing a smile on the face of a little child?  You can’t help but smile in return & be filled with joy. 
How about getting a free dessert for your birthday?  Or, when you’re shopping &, as you approach the checkout area, they open up a new line & call you over.  Next thing you know, you’re out the door quicker than expected.    But those kinds of joy have something in common. 
If the child is no longer smiling, or I can’t see their face anymore, my joy disappears as well.   Once the free dessert gets eaten, I get hungry again.  That joy has worn off.   The next time in the store, there’s no extra checkout line opened up.   You wait   & you wait,    & you wait.  Not so much joy now.  Each of those joys, like the Detroit Lions, can also leave you empty handed.   How true that is about the things of this world.  There are so many things that can give us joy, but their joy is temporary, & therefore, their joy is lacking.  Where can we find a joy that is full?   Maybe you have heard it described like this:
If our joy is in our work, when that is gone, so goes the joy. 
 
If our joy is in our friends, when they are gone, so goes the joy. 
 
If our joy is in our family, when they are gone, so goes the joy. 
 
If our joy is in our health, when that’s gone, so goes the joy. 
 
If our joy is in our money, then when that’s gone, so goes the joy. 
 
BUT WHEN OUR JOY IS IN JESUS, THAT JOY IS FOREVER! 
 
That’s what Jesus is telling us in John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, & that your joy may be full.”   Now, don’t you wonder, “What are these things that Jesus has spoken?” 

• v. 1 Jesus is the Vine; the Father is the Vinedresser.  The Father has provided all the care necessary for the Vine to be fruitful.  And the Father still does that today! 

 

• v. 2 The Vinedresser, in His care for His vineyard, will clear out the branches that do not bear fruit.   He will also prune the branches that do bear fruit   in order that they may even bear more!  He does that because the vinedresser always desires for what is best. 

 

• v. 6 “thrown away; withers; cast into the fire; burned.”  This is the stuff people don’t want to hear or consider very often.  It does not sound joyful, but it’s done so that there can be a FULL joy.  The warning is sounded – those who do not abide in the vine   will not have life.  But it does not have to end this way because of the care of the vinedresser.  

 

• v. 7 As the Holy Spirit calls us through the Word to abide in Jesus, He creates a wonderful relationship with our God & Savior.  That means Joy! 

 

• v. 8 Because of Jesus we have this joy filled relationship with the Father.  We are privileged to be His disciples, & our growth in that brings Him glory. 

 

• v. 10 The response of the branches is to continue being fed & nourished by the Vine. 

 
In a vineyard, what happens to branches that are fed & nourished by the vine?   They
produce grapes, don’t they?   In speaking the words of John 15, Jesus was feeding & nourishing the branches.  He did this so they would experience true & full joy.  If you trust in Him as Savior, you also will produce fruit & joy, because trusting Jesus is being connected to the Vine. 
It is not Yahweh’s intention that we experience only joys which are momentary.  Those may bring a smile to your face, but they’re not filling.  Temporary joys are not overflowing with life, like a branch that’s connected to the Vine.  God wants us to have a joy that is constantly with us,   & in us,   & shining forth from us.   So God died for us & now He is that joy. 
No wonder the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking to devour us.  He doesn’t want us to have this joy of Jesus.  So he works confusion about what real joy is.  As a result, we can end up thinking that we need to keep to ourselves the fruit God produces through us.  We may fear that giving some of it away will leave us with nothing.  And that kills our joy. 
But Jesus comes to us anew this day through His Word & tells us that He wants us to have HIS joy – a joy that cannot be diminished – a joy that does not wear out – a joy that does not pass away – a joy we do not have to wait for – a joy He has made complete by His conquering of sin, death & the devil through Jesus’ death & resurrection. 
The resurrection is the ultimate in bearing fruit & experiencing joy.  Children of God love to share the joy they receive.  To all you branches out there, “Abide in the Vine.   Live in joy!”  It’s what the Lord & Savior produces in us.   It’s what Satan wants to steal away. 
We bear fruit whenever we minister to the needs to others.  That happens here all week in our school & childcare programs.   It happens in our youth events.   It happens as we study God’s Word, & it happens right here in the Divine Service as we hear the Words of God & as we receive His body & blood, or the renewal of Baptism. 
We bear fruit when we greet someone with a smile or a hug.  We bear fruit when we
clean up the grounds around our building, or change furnace filters & dust light fixtures inside our building.  We bear fruit when counting the offerings & we bear fruit when we give our offerings.  We bear fruit as we forgive each other & when we ask forgiveness.  Living in the fact that Yahweh Himself has erased all of our failures & the things we regret, that is true joy. 
 But even more than that, our every rebellion against the Creator of the universe has been forgotten by that Creator.  He has given us new life, & those who trust in Him will one day live in a new creation, with no more sorrow, no more tears, no more humiliating defeats.   
It’s not easy, but we can actually live that way already today – joyfully giving out of everything that Yahweh has given to us.  He will never stop giving, & therefore, you & I will never run out, no matter how much we give, no matter how much fruit we bear. 
(Sing) “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart;
down in my heart; down in my heart;
I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart;
down in my heart to stay.”
 
Thank You Jesus for giving us Your joy so that our joy may be full.  Amen. 
 
 
 
Summer & winter & springtime & harvest, sun, moon & stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold witness to Thy great faithfulness, mercy & love.   Pardon for sin & a peace that endureth, Thine own dear presence to cheer & to guide; strength for today & bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!  Amen.  LSB 809:2-3.